The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-08

scranton.
1f man is to be judged blythe COM
pany he Keeps. the North Main Ave-
nue Baptist church has rich find
in Its new pastor, Rev. Albert Hatcher
Smith. He was installed last night
with formal exercises in the Audi
torium. the participants in these eN-
ercises were close personal friends. the
main features of the exercises were
three addresses. and these addresses
OF their character. were three of the
best, 1t Is no extravaganza to say,
that a Scranton audience has ever list.
ened to in one night.
A mention of the speakers names is
an earnest of this. They We're Rev.
Russell ii. Conwell. ID. D.. Philadel
phia's eminent divine. author and lee
turer: Rev. j. II. Haslam. A. NJ. pas
tor of the First Baptist church of
Williamsport. and Rev. w. J. Ford.
a. NJ. pastor of the Green Ridge Bap-
tist church. Rev. Mr.. Smith was for
years member of DR.. Conwell's con-
giegation and wrote his biography. He
was Il school friend of Rev. Mr.. Ford.
and Il life long friend of Rev. Mr..
Haslam.
1t was well that the idea of conduct
ing the exercises in the church was
given up. The Auditorium is one of
the most capacious meetings rooms in
the city. but its capacity was taxed
last night. In the audience were
churchmen from all over the city and
nearly every Baptist congregation was
represented by it's pastor and several
deacons.
On the platform were seated the
speakers Rev. Mr.. Smith. Professor
Elkanah Hulley. principal of Keystone
academy: Rev. G. f. Guild. of the
Providence Presbyterian church: Dea-
con Giles L. Clark OF the North Main
Avenue Baptist church. the two SOLO
lists. Mrs. Albert Hatcher Smith and
Mrs. r. =. Smith. and Miss Elizabeth
Owens. accompanist
DIR. GUILD OFFERED PRAYER.
After the church choir. under the
direction of Hugh Williams, had rem
dered the anthem, "Rcioice Ye Daugh-
ters of Zion" prayer was offered by
Rev. DR.. Guild and Deacon Clark then
introduced Professor Hulley as chair
man.
The first speaker was Rev. Mr.. Ford.
Field for Christian Work.
The need of longer pastorates was
one of the things he dwelt upon. In
the thirty Baptist churches comprising
the Abingdon assoca ton. he said,
there have been ninety-nine different
pastors in nine years. Long PASTOR
ates are possibly not an unmixed
blessing. he argued, but the highest
nf iria in, n, n
obtained by frequent changes. That
the Baptists are not the only sinners
in this respect, he cited the fact that
OF all the English-speaking Protest
ant pastors who were in Scranton
when he came here nine years ago.
only two are vet in the city.
The corruption disclosed in city hall,
the thirty-two divorce cases on one
weeks argument court list and the
large cosmopolitan popula ton evil
denced by the fact that twenty-one
different nationalities We're represent
ed in applications for citizenship last
year We're mentioned as indicative Of
some of the fields for missionary work.
Scranton has been given bad repu-
tation, he said. but he wanted it un-
derstood it was not an evil city. In
no other city in the country, he de-
clared We're the churches better at
tended: no set of newspapers gave
comparatively more space to religious
news that the press of Scranton: Scran-
ton men of wealth are especially gen.
erous givers in their contributions to
charity and Scranton pastors are uni
formly we'll treated.
1.-The Demands Of the Twentieth Cen
tury Upon Our Churches" was the
subject of Rev. DR.. Conwells address.
1t would not be Conwell address il
it had anything of the hackneyed or
commonplace about it. He made his
argumentum "Strive less to get to
heaven and more to bring heaven on
earth.'
When Christ prayed, DR.. Conwel
went on to say. He did not pray that
we should 60 to heaven. The Savior
prayed, ''Thy kingdom come
REVERSING BIBLE DOCTRINE.
During the last century we have been
reversing the whole Bible doctrine. We
have been too anxious to get to heaven.
Ours has been sort of Chinese
church; we have been going at things
backwards. The church of the new
century is going to bring heaven on
earth.
Clersymen are daily called to prepare
persons for death. The Savior bids us
get him ready to live and he will be fit
10 die any time.
Evolutionists of the last century held
that man was descended from some
imperfection. He had origin in some
sort OF "A protoplasm and passed from
one state to another till he attained
the present perfection--of his awfully
sinful imperfection. AT the last ses-
sion of the worlds congress of scien-
lists. the chairman declared that he