Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-17

the conscious personality in man.
THE universe is not many worlds
more or less, but conscious personality.
From center to rim 1t has will. Its
life is not a rising and falling tide of vital
ity; it is an inexhaustibe wealth of love"
Recent Tendencies.
Following DR.. Slicer Prof. C. NJ. Tyler of
Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y, spoke on
Recent Tendencies Toward Anthropo-
mophism in Religious Thought" A portion
of Prof. Tyler's address follows:
Religious thought never advances in
rec tilinear fashion. Thesis, antithesis, syn
thesis. seem to be the law of progress. Me-
diaeval Christianity, with all its anthropo-
mOrphic conceptions of God, we must not
regard as mistake of Providence. Fetch
ism and animistic elements still survive in
Christianity. The alteration of the holy
coat of Treves and the 'kerchief Of Saint
Veronica is fetichistic. But fetichism was
step backward in order to advance be-
yCnd a vague spiritism to a higher and
more definite spiritism. Modern thought,
though patient with anthropomorphism in
Its lower form, must not imperil character
and the soul by hating in Its progress to
more rational views of God and the world
Pref. Tyler referred to rituahsm in
England and America, and to the battles
over the Mosaic authorship Of the Penta-
terch, saying that that question has no
more necessary connection with the re-
ligion of Isaiah than the question whether
Caesar founded the town of London has to
the existence of the British constitution
Referring to the anthropomorphic theories
of the atonement, he contended that saliva
ton is subjective. Self-realiZation and self
fulfilment were the doctrine of Jesus An
thropomorphic conceptions in theology re-
suit from low conceptions of divine and hui
man personality. Distinct from these is
the necessary anthropomorphism of philo-
sophie thought. Personality Is the ilium
not to be surrendered. Neither science,
philosophy nor religion can get on without
belief in personality
The Officers.
The officers of the conference are: Presi
dent, George F. Hoar. Worcester, Mass;
vice presidents Carroll d. Wright, Ii.
D.. Washington, D. c.; Gov. Roger VOL
colt, Boston, Mass; Dorman B. Eaton, IL.
D., New York, N. Y. Horace Davis, San
Francisco Cal; Thomas J. Morris, Balu
more, Md; general secretary, Rev. D. w.
Morehouse, New York N Y; treasurer,
William Howell Reed, Boston, Mass; coun-
Gil, Rev. Minot j. Savage, D. D.. chairman,
New York; Rev. Edward E. Hale. d. D.,
Boston, Mass; Rev. Howard N. Brown,
Boston, Mass: Rev. John Snyder st. Louis.
Mo-; Mrs. William c. Gannett. Rochester,
N. Y; Mrs. Robert H. Davis, New York;
George W Stone, Kansas City, Mo;
Francis C. Lowell Boston, Mass; Rev
William H. Lyon, D. D., Brookline Mass;
Rev. d. w. Morehouse, secretary; William
Howell Reed, treasurer.
Unitarian Association.
Before the adjournment of the conference
the annual meeting of the American Unita-
rian Association will be held.
paper prepared by a leading officer
states that the association Is the working
organization of the Unitarian
churches of America. 1t seeks to promote
sympathy and united action among liberal
Christians, and to spread the principles OF
thought and conduct which Unitarians be-
lieve to be essential to the maintenance
and progress Of civil and religious liberty.
To this end 1t supports missionaries, estab
fishes and sustains churches, holds conven-
lions. aids in building meeting-houses, and
publishes, sells, or gives away books tracts
and devotional works.
THE association is entirely distinct from
the national conference 1t is administered
by a different board of officers and drec-
tors. and is distinguished from the confer
ence by an act of corporation which gives
the association power to hold property, to
make contracts and to transact business
requiring the receipt and expenditure of
money. The association Is thus the execu-
tive arm of the Unitarian body. It works
in close cooperation with the national con-
ference and all other UNCONVENTIONAL or
Ganizations. and 1t accepts the platform of
the conference as a declaration of its own
Spirit and PURPOSE