The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-02

we have stood are now so widely ac-
cepted that our mission Is at an end
then like the Quakers and Unitarians
who make this proud boast. we ought
to merge with the great spiritual
stream and surrender our denomina-
illustration of what Christ intended the
church to be, the Baptist denomination
needs yet to live. The day has not yet
come when we can say, our work Is
done. Never in the history of the
world was there an hour when 1t was
more needed to have emphatically and
clearly made known just what is the
Baptist position.
LAS to the tendency of educated
young people to step away from us,
there is but one way by which to avert
this change, namely, by a new evan
gelism of education, by stimulating in
our young people a desire for and a
willingness to sacrifice If needs be, for
a thorough mental training; and where
ever this is impossible to make large
provision for the development Of the in
tellectual life within the church.
lone reason why there is not a
greater relish for the study of the Bible
is that the young people have not been
taught to think. One reason why our
| religious life is not more stable is that
our faith has so insecure an intellectu-
| al basis. One reason why our young
| people so easily stumble into doubt is
because they have not been trained to
run the fallacy of specious ar
gument into the ground. one
reason why the cheap and
trashy novel finds so large a place
among young Christians is that a taste
for a higher grade of literature has
never been cultivated. One reason why
we crave frivolous and foolish enter
tainments in our church life is that
the upper worlds of intellectual delight
has never been opened to US One rea-
son why our pulpit is not stronger and
richer is that as ministers we are
studying how to entertain and interest
unframed minds
This is a day when the educated
men and women are shaping the move
ments of life in every sphere, and we
must fall helplessly in the rear unless
we push up the average OF culture
among u.s."
Mr. Galley said he thought some kind
of organization for young people ne
cessary IF for no other reason than to
provide courses of study"
He justified the necessity of a Bap
fist young peoples society by the need
of making the local church the centre
of activity in order to render the best
service to God and man.
Rev. Dr. e. D. Burr of Waltham
spoke >Dn christian Stewardship" He
appealed for a realization of the prin-
ciples of divine ownership. and for
higher conception of Christian finance.
"a readjustment of the standard of
generosity" he said, lis needed" He
deprecated the modern methods of try
ing to get people to give one cent or
two cents a week or five cents a
month. THE coppers and nickels" he
said ARE wearing out the contribu-
ton boxes. Now that we have estab-
lshed gold as our standard in the
business world we must establish also
the gold standard of generosity" He
laid emphasis upon the need of a re-
vival Of the financial conscience He
hit herd at the frivolous and trifiing
methods which many churches adopt
in order to make little money. How
would it have looked, he asked. If the
first church in Jerusalem had adver-
tised in the weekly papers: Wanted,
1000 people to eat oysters for the ene-
fit of the poor of Jerusalem." "Imag-
inc the church at Corinth holding a 10
d2ys fair"
Rev. W. s. Ayers Of Westfcld closed
the afternoon speaking with devo-
tonal address.
The committee on resolutions report
ed resolutions extending the thants Of
The convention 80 the Worcester Union.
the young people. ladies and pastor Of
Lincoln Square Church, approaching
the work GO he st9te officers ard en-
dorsing the Christian culture courses.
The resolutions were unanimously
adopted.
Rev. 0. E. Mallory pronounced the
bensdiction.