The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-10-06
A Sketch of the Congregational
World Conference.

What will probably rank as the great
est Protestant gathering of the century's
end has just been held in Boston, and
closed on last Friday with a reverent
pilgrimage to that ancient rock by TIE
lat Plymouth, which is the cornerstone
of the Congregational church in America
For eight days the greatest minds of the
church from England, Australia, Canada,
Hawaii, Africa and the United States,
including many well-known educators,
college presidents, and several members
of the British Parliament, as we'll as the
pastors of the representative churches of
the country, have sat together for con-
clave on Theology, Education, Influence
of Other Religions, Relation of Church
to State, and, as climax, the towering
held in fremont Temple, which, with its
$500 seats, beautiful electric light effects
and mighty organ, seemed very palace
of worship. The balconies and ceiling
were everywhere hung with Old Glory,
and at each end was that significant
blending of the English and American
flags which spoke as plainly as words of
that tie which more than any other binds
the common people of Britain and those
of America-the tie of free worship.
On Wednesday evening the Goth of Sep
TENDER, President James B. Angel of
Ann Arbor formerly of Vermont Uni
yersity) called the meeting to order and
Governor of Massachusetts, who welcom-
ed the guests of the week most heartily
and in so doing alluded to the noble men,
olies of the Pilgrims, with which Massa-
chusetts is filled. The Mayorof Boston
ably seconded the Governor by holding
out the latch string OF the city. The
event of this first evening was the Presi-
dents address, in which President An.
CELL gave review of the Puritan charac-
ter with its prevailing quality of loyalty
to principle. and its occasional sin OF in
tolerance and persecution. In the Con-
gre-ational church of today, he said,
''Let us allow the fullest liberty of chris |
tian scholarship, provided only that there
is loyalty to Jesus Christ. Let us not
burn at the stake those who have shed |
new light on the scriptures, but rather |
wait and see if they are not our prophets"
Thursday morning opened the Theolog |
ical day. The great audience, over a |
thousand of whom were minister's, was in
its place long before the opening moment. |
The mighty volume of the opening Lords
prayer and hymn surrounded the scene |
at once with deep spiritual feeling.
Three of the five papers on this day |
were. notable, J. e., that Of President
Principles of Theology" in which he
summed up our knowledge of God, Man,
The Atonement, The New Birth and the |
Hereafter, in one conception, ''t,od is
Love-" the paper of the venerable histo-
rian of Yale, DR.. Geo. p. Fisher, upon the |
Historical Method in Theology" and |
the closing address of the day, by hith-
erto unknown young Englishman, Peter
Forsyth, of Cambridge, England, upon
the subject "The Evangelical Principle |
IF Authority" To quote from a descrip-
ton, He put pages o philosophy into a
sentence. and qt flung out E great truths in
quently stopped him with volley of ap
plause, but he drew his breath and then
rushed on. And what was this Peter
Forsy tn talking about? He was talking
about the Cross, very old theme, but
very attractive one to all Christians.
When DIR. Forsyth ceased they kept on
applaudng, and would not stop until he
appeared again. AT this point DR.. Slim
son of New York called for an old hymn.
The organist was out but the congrega-
ton rose to its feet and rolled forth, from
memory,
"In the Cross of Christ | glory,
Towering Ger the wreck of Time,
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime
This was the most impressive scene of
a Conference which produced many
moments. The time would fail
me, Mr.. Editor, TO tell of Fairbairn and
Lyman Abbott, of Hyde and Slocum and
Noble and Brown and Tucker and Ca
pen and Lyman, and last of all the grand
Did man, Richard S. Storrs, in his closing
)ration on the Permanent Motive in
Missions" with his beautiful and half
pathetic conclusion To-day for labor,
Eternity for rest"
Suffice it to say that we came down
rom this mount of council like men who
AVE been lifted to a spot where they can 1
ook backward and forward across the
enturies. We have had new sight of the .
dawn OF universal free worship, free edu !
cation and peace between nations, in
short we have heard new sounds of the
coming of the kingdom of Christ, and
are better fitted to take up our places
aagin ION the fighting line.' {
HENRY j. KILBoURN. 1