Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-08-07
UNITARIANS MEET.
ELOQUENT SPEAKERS HEARD IN
ELLSWORTH LAST WEEK.
A SUCCESSFUL COUNTY CONFERENCE
ONLY ONE SOCIETY NOT
REPRESENTED.

cock county conference Of Unitarian and
other Christian churches, held in Els
worth last week, gave Ellsworth people
an opportunity to hear some of the lead
srs in Unitarian thought In this country.
The Hancock county conference is
peculiarly favored in this respect. Com
posed almost entirely of summer churches
which are supplied by eminent divines
who spend their summers on the Maine
coast, 1t becomes not only county con-
ference, but extends its bounds beyond
New England and becom second in i'm
portance only to the general conference Of
the American Unitarian association.
So it happens that there are found on the
programme OF speakers at the conference
from year to year such men as Eliot,
president OF the American Unitarian as
sociation; Peabody and Everett, of Har-
ward; Van Ness, of Boston; Dole, of
Jamaica Plain; Hudson, of Buffalo; Brun-
dage, of Albany; Wilson, of New York,
and others almost as prominent. And
these are not merely great speakers who
happen to spend their summers in this
vicinity and are invited to speak, but
they are members of the conference, some
OF them the prime movers in its organiza-
tion.
The conference was success. Every
church and society save one in the con-
ference was represented. But it was
more than success in mere point OF
attendance-it was an inspiration. Presi-
dent Eliot, in summing up the thoughts
and impressions of the conference, best
expressed this kind OF success. He said:
SHOW curiously all the addresses have
hung together, all following the same
line of thought. 1t has been one steady
impulse-the making OF an idealism real.
There has been opened before US the for
ward stretching, upward stretching way.
The standard is high, and it sometimes
appears discouraging as we work obscure
ly, but we shall take courage again as we
remember that the mig htiest influence in
the community is in our own humble
hands. We can exercise that mig htiest
of all influences for good, example. We
cannot all speak, we cannot all teach, we
cannot all exhort, but we can all be-"
CONFERENCE OPENING.
The conference opened Thursday even
ing. The church was beautifully deco
rated with palms, plants and cut flowers.
The opening service WAS conducted by
Rev. A. FL. Coar, of Ellsworth. The scrip
ture lesson, Romans II, as read by w. A.
Lawton, divinity student who is sup
plying the church at Prospect Har Dor, was
a sermon in itself. Prayer was offered by
Rev. w. Nj. Brundage, of Brooklyn, N. Y.
The conference sermon by Rev. s. A.
Eliot was most eloquent one from the
text in Joel FPS: "Your old men shall
dream dreams, your young men shall see
Visions"
He pictured the main characteristics of
the religious element in the exciting and
hurrying times OF the opening centuries.
He said religion was rather process of
penetration than of accumulation. 1t is
not how much we believe, but how deeply
do we believe. He summed up 4 he func-
to-day in the one sentence: ITO turn
sight into insight"
''Some men," he said "see facts; others
see what facts stand for. Some people
think education is the accumulation of
facts. No; it is learning how to make
facts live. And facts cannot be made to
live, until insight takes the place OF mere
observation. Insight sees perspective,
but is blind to the unimportanI.
"We are told that these are days of
materialism or realism. / do not allow
myself to be frightened by these things.
"When see people coming from the ends
of the earth to look at niche in the wall
In q humble cottage away over in Scot
land where Robert Burns was born-a
simple song writer who died over a hun
dred years ago-I laugh at the man who
more religious fervor out OF a song than
out Of an argument.
SIT is a common saying that 'all know
ledge begins in wonder. 1t is equally true
that all knowledge ends in wonder. AS
we climb from height to height, 1t is
only to open new horizons. The oppor-
tunity Of the church to-day is to make
idealism real.
"Over the groups OF statuary on the
triumphal bridge at the Pam American
exposition, representing liberty, are the
words: Freedom is only the first les
son in self government How many do /
find who have gained religious freedom
and think they have attained the end?
No; they have only taken the first lesson.
"Over another group on this bridge are
the words: TO love ones country above
all others is not to despise all Others
That is the lesson that should come home
to Unitarians. think we often mistake
the relation OF bigotry aud liberation.
1t is the man who is shallow in his belief
who is the real bigot. II you should
grow into fervor and loyalty to your
own, you should enter into sympathy
with all. Then you will discover that
there are NOT walls geparatinp different