The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-25
The BAPTIST
ANNIVERSARIES,
Opening Session Held At the
First Baptist Church.
STIRRING ADDRESSES MADE
Rev. DR.. Greul Of WaItham Speaks On
the Pastors Responsibility Over His
Church Charitable and Educa-
tional Societies Hold Their
Annual Meetings.

The first session of the Baptist ami
versaries of 1899 were held yesterday
in the First Baptist church, with a
large attendance Of delegates from all
the leading Baptist churches of the
state. The morning and afternoon ses-
sions were given over to the conference
of Baptist ministers. Business occu-
pied most of the morning and in the
afternoon the time was given up to the
annual sermon and the reports of the
several committees.
The Massachusetts Charitable Society
met at noon and transacted such bust
ness as came before it, and in the eve
ming the Northern Baptist Education
society held it's 10Sth annual meeting,
and after transacting some business,
listened to addresses by Nathaniel But
Ter, Nathan E. Wood and William A.
Munroe of Boston.
The session opened at 1890 o'clock
with the appointment of Rev. Dr. Hen
ry e. Graves of Somerville as president
pro tenn.
Rev Mr.. Meeser, in giving the adj
dress of welcome, said in part: 1T gives
me great pleasure in welcoming you to
this church. whose history long and
honorable, has been so closely identi-
fed with the history of the denomina-
ton.
In this church have originated some
of the most important and valuable in
situations in the denomination Out of
this church have gone % ministers in
to the field and 80 more have been in
one way or another associated with it,
Here originated the Worcester acad-
envy, half the money for its establish
ment being raised here. The first Sun
day school, opposed in the beginning as
sacringious, was organized here, and
here was held the first mems meeting
The American Baptist Home Mission
airy society, so energetic in its efforts
and so fruitful in its results received
it's initial impulse in this place.
/ wish to make this welcome more
than a formal expression l think it
well to say q word or two upon the
purposes for which we are here. The
other day a, thoughtful man asked me,
Where are the churches drifting to-?
is there a reaction in the church?
I do not believe we are drifting. 1 do
not think there is a reaction. We are
still
PROGRESSING ONWARD.
The real tone and lasting enthusi-
the reaction, so called, toward indif-
ferences from the old doctrines and
toward a modification of our faiths h ~
been genuine gain in our sense of the
truth and Importance of Christianity.
Everything has contributed toward our
spiritual growth. There has not been a
reaction to heresy or infidelity in this
reconstruction of our religious doc
trines upon the basis of faith. The old
fame of devotion to Jesus Christ will
burn just as brightly and as wildly
under the new order 1t is in many
cases a problem how to meet the new
questions that are constantly arising.
But the church, like every institu-
ton, must grow and new conditions are
met by new measures and methods.
Science, art, letters, all have been con-
tributors to our conception of the tru-
est of doctrines of the Christian
faith
Mr.. Meeser dwelt upon the necessity
of adaptation in religious life as much
as in the intellectual, social and phys
zeal life. The cry of decadence in re-
ligion, because the externals of church
organization are being in many cases
swept away, is not carried out by the
facts. Never before has religion been
so
VALUED A PASTOR IN LIFE.
brought up problems that must cause
a little confusion at first and this it is
the duty of such organizations as this
10 meet with the largest faith and hope
in the progressive and upward char
acter of nearly all modern tendencies
in church thought and life.
DR.. Graves made the response to the
welcome of the pastor.
Rev. Or. Frederick b. Greul of Wal
than then read the essay of the day
upon the topic of THE pastors res
snonsibility for the church over which
he is placed
In beginning his paper, the speaker
eaid these DAYS of theological surgery
re1I1ired a man to give his creed so far
as he could formulate one In conson-
ance with this sentiment, he said Il
believe in the authority of the entire
written word of God, as revelation
of the supreme mind to man, for his
guidance and culture. | believe IN the
absolute and essential sufticiency OF
Gods revelation as standing ground
for all proper discussions from
a CHRISTIAN STANDPOINT.
~ believe in the almighty endow-
ment of the inspired word. with the UNI
limited mower of the Holy Spirit and
liz deathless ability when properly en-
Moved to produce the same effects, in
sone measure, at least, as the oral
spesch of God to preach the unsearch-
able riches Of God therefor, or be re-
sponsiblei for the indoctrination OF a
sriven church in matter OF profound
est importance and solemnity.
In developing the Introductory point