The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-02
CONGREGATIONAL MINISTERS MEET

/
intelligent congregation on Sunday.
LESSON TO LEARN.
"The strength OF the Catholic church Is
due 10 two causes; To the uniting OF
forces; TO the dividing OF labor. The Pro-
testant churches must learn the lesson.
But all this Is more or less secondary
20 what I shall call the needs OF voice
in the pulpit For some churches there
IL no special problem 10 meet, because
the church is thronged with eager and
anxious listeners
''Dr. Babcock found no serious problem
OF this kind when he left Baltimore and
went 10 New York The one problem in
both places was how 10 accommodate the
people. DR.. Parkhurst. DR. Gordon, DIR.
Lormier, DR. Balcam Shaw, Or Greer,
Dr. Newton: these men OF different de-
nominations in churches with varying
conditions do not feel that for them the
problem or the church is a serious one
/ These men are prophets and not the MAX
ers OF platitudes
People are sick OF flowers. Above all
they are sick OF cant and theology that
, IL outsrown and that has lost it's use-
fulness They are sick too. OF the past
when there is so much In the present that
demands attention and that swakens in
terst.
"I verify believe that some men In the
pulpit love these things so~weil that they
prefer them 10 the interests Of the church
and the salvation OF men
What is demanded OF the minister to-
day in an Interpretation Of the facts OF
daily life In the light OF life's highest
ideal
Facts come 70 the men in the busy
world as isolated and unmeaning. Men
seek 10 have these interpreted and given
content. On one day IN the week they
want the scattered threads OF six days
woven into order and symmetry. They
are not concerned with distractions about
God. the furniture Of Heaven or the
flames OF He'll things about which we
know nothing and about which they know
nothing Is known. Men are concerned
about themselves and are willing TO have
their burned life revealed unto them. they
are anxious to discover themselves in the
life light OF Jesus Christ
Again we need directness in our pull
pits Men like IL. We need enthusis sm
and life. No wonder men nod over the
sermon when II is' set TO the tune AT
This Poor Dying Rate
Above all we need I'm the pulpits OF
this day true upright maniness. How
few ministers really know men7 or the
world they are utterly ignorant. They
storm against vices about which they
have only heard and beardless youths
smile at their lack of knowledge.
The clergyman is looked upon usually
as effeminate. lacking in manly virtues.
He often assumes the attitude OF one
cowed and beaten. III YOU can't be
whole hearted. fearless, independent man
inside the pulpit and out. you WITH dts
grace the cause you endeavor 10 serve
/ Anow men in the pulpit who are afraid
OF their shadow They do not do this or
that because it might not meet with the
commendation OF certain people who SUBJ
scribe largely TO the Income OF the church.
For shame on such action.
The man who tries to please every
body pleaScs no one. The intelligent
Christian womanhood and manhood in
the pew appreciate a fearless. independ-
ent, intelligent man in the pulpit and no
whms and fancies OF those who show by
their criticisms they are neither intelli-
gent nor Christian. BETTER pound rock
be slave.
CLERGY CRITICISED
The, fault is not with the laity. but
with the clergy Let us see 10 N that
we correct II by being men and not weak
We not only need more fire and en-
thusiasm IN the pulnit but more warm
heartedness and friendly welcome In the
pew. Madison 6. Peters once said: We
have been serving Christianity on Ice
We want warm hearts In all our
churches.
People meet every Sunday in many OF
our churches for years. and In attempting
10 get III Il smile of reenanillna- -Ihe4.- rIlll
look a YOU like. the Eeyptan sphinx
But | have already exceeded tho limits
for this paper II has been a disagree
able task The subject itself demanded,
not that ] should praise virtues, but de-
~ have been Obliged 20 pass by the go.
rious history of the past and the good OF
the present and suggest those things
1T may be said that | have spoken So
verely and denounced with harshness.
The time. has mast, my friends, when We
can speak OF these things complacently.
1t Il a sin for a man 10 spe ak cool and
colectedlv of tho parasitic vices and un-
pardonable bluuders that sap the life and
mar the influence OF the church which we
MAY God help us 10 be true not only
TO her noble traditions. but TO those es-
sential and fundamental principles OF life
that are revealed In Jesus Christ. Let us
love our opinions less and the truth more
aud I'm the truth the church and the king
dom hGod shall triumph.
"As Maurice said of society, ] would say
or the church. 4 count her sins as my
own. | am willing TO assume my share
Of the responsibility for present condi-
tions and nv share OF the labor to inn
prove them. May the Holy Spirit lead us
into all truth as 10 our duty to the church
Rev. Archibald McCord next read a
paper on The Twentieth Century
Church" and the final paper Of the. AZ
ternoon was presented BY the Rev. Wal
lace Nutting. - u. whose subject was
''rhe Relation OF Revlvals to the Growth
OF Christs Kingdom"
Thr evening praise service was con-
Quoted by Rev. l.. 3 W.odworth
small amoun, Of Unfinished business
was transacted. Rev. Willace Nutting.
u. d. Rev. r.. J.. Goodwin. Rev. j. O.
Woolworth and ". j Wells were ap-
pointed delegates To the meeting Of the
state Federation OF Churches. 10 be held
in November.
The address 81 the evening was deliv-
cred BY Rev. Y. v. Clark. n. D., of Bos-
ton, the well-known Christian Endeavor
leader
pr Clark chose as his subject. THE
Larger Aspects ~ the Young Peoples
Movements. .of the Present Day His
rrrrr1r< ~-1r-rtt-ri -ri-rfrt~tfV-- ~ tfrc- Young
Peoples Society of Christian EndCavor.
lie urged IN Young people 10 give God
a chance az their hearts and asked the
parents 10 encourage IN their young peo-
pie the Christian characteristics that he
had referred 20 as the larger aspects OF
Christian lfe
The conference closed with the sing