The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-12
THE CONGREGATIONAL CLUB
CONTINUED from Fifth Page,)

Continued from Fifth Page)
whereas, The due observance of the
Christian Sabbath, an institution ever
to be highly priced and cherished, i
menaced by the incursion Of such sports
as the playing of golf and, whereas
the Whitneyville church has sent pro
test to the New Haven Country club
representing the harm done to that
church by Sunday play in it's immediate
vicinity and has appealed to public
opinion and the better sentiment of the
club to make the matter right and,
whereas it is always proper and desir-
able that organizations of Christians
should strive to influence public opinion
in such a matter, therefore be it
Resolved That the New Haven Con
gregational club heartily endorse the
aforesaid action of the Whitneyville
church as altogether wise and worthy
of respect and that we appeal to all
golf club members and officials to so use
their influence and authority that they
shall not be even seemingly implicated
in sanctioning play on Sunday.
William NJ Parsons
Fred B. Street,
Charles E. Hart.
Following the report Of these com
mittees there was a fine soprano solo
rendered by Miss Nellie Lamb. Miss
Lamb was in excellent voice and was
heartily applauded at the conclusion of
her selection Mrs Forbes accompa-
MED the singer on the organ.
President Cleaveland then announced
that the three speakers would eXpend
their eloquence on the subject Our
Debt to Our Ancestors of the New Ha-
ven Colony, and What We May Learn
from Them
Rev. DR.. Leete, pastor of Dwight
place church was the first speaker, he
spoke at length on his views on the sub
ject, and said the thought the men of
the present day prided themselves too
much on their descendants and that he
considered it a duty to see men as they
are, not what they have been. He re-
ferred to the great John Davenport,
Abraham Pierson and other old colon
lists and praised their deliberate manner
and great energy shown in whatever
they undertook.
Rev. DR.. Ferris of the Calvary Bap-
fist church was the next speaker, and
spoke very eloquently on the question of
our ancestors and what we learn from
them DR. Ferris spoke as follows
I do not believe in religion that is
forever quoting the fathers. The world
was never SO old and wise as it is to-
day. These modern times are the con-
clusion and embodiment of all past dis
covery; the sum total of the experiences
iof all the cycles of history; the result
of all the struggles. the outcome of all
the wisdom, since the dawn of time. Far
better is it to turn with prophetic eyes
toward the future, than to stand like
Lots wife, a pillar of conservatism in
a desert of Indifference, looking back
to a by-gone glory. Never do l see an
old oak tree, hanging to its dry and
withered leaves all through the winter
months. but I want to say Come, let
them go! You will get some more next
spring. They will be green and bright
and beautiful, too, and not brown and
shriveled and lifeless, like these You
ought to have more faith than to hang !
to your old leaves so long" But Gus
toms cling to US, long after they have |
served their purpose; we cry out to be |
let alone, and not disturbed in our sleep; |
we refuse to go forward in free faith, |
into the numberless moving vicisstudes |
of life and we fail to see that goodness /
and nobility, by their very nature, can !
be secured by no necessity, but depend T
upon the trust and courage with which /
we go out into the discipline Of dark |
ness. 1t is inevitable, when religion has t
been organized for time, that there |
should arise a class of men who put as +
much enthusiasm into the proper cut of /
a gown as they do into the cure of a
soul; who are as anxious about the or
thodox number of candles on the altar
as they are about the reform of an evil,
and who blush as honestly over an &C.
clesiastical improperly as they do over
a sin. 1t is inevita bic that all of us,
who are interested in the building up
of certain church, should be tempted
to judge of an idea by it's adaptability
rather than by it's truth; should consid-
er the immediate effects upon our fol-
lowers, rather than the ultimate out
come to posterity; should regard that
which causes us difficulty, and seems
impracticable as being on that account
unnatural and false. and should bring
eacG opinion DeIOrG the OAR OF q VlSlDle
success, instead of testing it in the
secret chamber of an everlasting right
eousness This is why we cry out so
loudly, after building our snug little nest
and settling down so comfortably to a
quiet existence, when we find some rad
cal reformer pushing sharp sticks into
rs between the straws, and telling us
to be up and on the wing.
But despite all this, it is fact some
what familiar to the student of history
hat progress is not always infallible,
Ind mankind has to go back sometimes
20 pick UP treasures that have been
dropped by the way | will ventsre to
suggest that we may learn from our an
,estors not to try too hard to broaden
he narrow way into boulevard. What
With church billiard rooms, and dane
ng classes, and bowling alleys, and eve
hing services that promise to eliminate
he cross from the story of the gospel
md these things, too, in the very
churches where converts We're once ask
ID to be willing to be damned for the
glory of God, one can but wonder at the
marvellous transformation that has
.ome over the Puritan l am reminded
# an incident that happened in my
,ppoa uhar 7 WAC q how NV mother