Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-11-04
UNlveRsALlsT ASSOCIATION.
ORGANIZATION IN SOUTH PARIs.-TwO
DAYS OF PROFITABLE SESSIONS.

Il
ORGANIZATION IN SOUTH PARIs.-Tw
| DAYS OF PROFITABLE SESSIONS.
On Wednesday and Thursday the o.
ford Association of UniversaliSts held ii
annual meeting with the new parish a
South Paris. The programme filled tn
two days full, the sessions beginning
after the arrival of the forenoon train
Wednesday, and continuing with onl
reasonable recesses until the final ad
journment at $50 Thursday evening
Fifty or more delegates and visitors from
other parishes were present, and tn
meeting is in general considered yer,
profitable to all concerned.
The meeting opened with very littl'
delay Wednesday forenoon. Abou
forty delegates and visitors from othe
parishes were then present.
The association was called to order b!
DR.. S. A. Bennett of Norway, the presi
dent, who spoke briefly but with en-
thusiasm of the remarkable work done
in the past year in the organization and
development of the South Paris parish
and church.
Rev. J. II. Little, the South Paris
pastor, responded, recounting the prog.
ress of the movement in South Paris
for the year, and noting its various
stages. He gave the visitors hearty
welcome to the new field, aud extended
to them the Inequalities of the parish.
The address of the forenoon service
was by Rev. w. ]. Taylor of Lewiston,
on the topic of the inequality of men,
and Christian brotherhood. He realizes
and thinks the church should realize the
actual inequality of men. Nevertheless
they are all children of God, and entitled
TO that which spirit of Christian fra
ternity would dictate. The speaker
drew lessons from the coal strike, and
noted that in it appeared new factor
the people, whose only desire was to see
Justice done by all parties. For the
next twenty-five years, he said, the
country will be busy working out a
solution of the social problems such as
are suggested by this strike, and in the
solution of these problems he believed
the church should take part.
Wednesday afternoon service of song
was led by Rev. Mr.. Little. Following
this, Rev. G.. K Tenney of Auburn gave
an impressive address on 1.-The I'm
portance of the Lords Supper" The
communion service was then observed,
Rev. J. II. Little and Rev. c. X. Tenney
officiating, assisted by Rev. F. E. Barton,
Rev. w. j. Taylor, and Rev. Miss Angel.
and was participated in by most of those
present.
The address which followed, by Rev.
c. Z. Angel of Norway, was on the
tonic, 'Outside Friends of Jesus" The
census. said Miss Angel, declares by its
statistics that only one in five of the
people in the country is Christian be-
lever, and only two in five attend
church or have any connection with it.
But the census can not thus limit Chris
tian faith by hard and fast lines. A
great deal of Christian faith exists, in
greater or less degree, in those who are
entirely outside of connection with any
church. Christ recognized the faith in
MANY whom the world did not know as
his followers, and the same kind of faith
there is to-day, in many of these "out-
side friends.
At business meeting following Miss
Angell's address, routine business was
and an appropriation of
S25 90 from the funds of the association
was made to assist the DiXtield parish
in paving the expenses of repairs on
their church building. George L. Mer-
rill of Dixfield reported that they had
renovated the building, at an
expense, not including several memorial
windows, of nearly $1,000.
Rev. C. E. Lund of Portland spoke
Wednesday evening on the topic, "Men
emphasizing the value of men
to the church, and of the church to men,
as we'll as to society and the home. The
home life, as contrasted with the modern
life where father and mother are at the
club. received his special consideration.
Mr.. Lund was followed by Rev. Eleanor
B. Forbes of Gray, who spoke briefly on
the work of the church, and by Rev. W.
W. Hooper, the state missionary, we'll
known throughout the denomination in
the state, who spoke earnestly for few
minutes.
A conference meeting at $50 Thurs
day morning was led by George L. Mer-
rill of DiIfield, and proved so interest
my JIaI III WAS COulluutu iitNiO oht
the time assigned.
The regular business meeting of the
was called to order by PreSi-
dent Bennett after the close of the con-
ference meeting. The committee on
credentials reported eleven ministers
present, and delegates from thirteen
parishes within the limits of the asso-
citation.
The nominating committee reported
the following, and the officers named
were unanimously elected:
President-Kilbon Perham, Bryant's Pond.
ice.President-J. II. Burrows, Bethel
Secretary-Rev. j. II. Little, South Paris.
Treasurer gorge l.. Merrill, DiNheld.
Executive Committee-Rev. j. II. Little. South
Gertrude Earle, Gorham, n. H.; O. A. Thayer.
Paris Hill.
Reports from the parishes followed.
Nearly all the parishes reported, and the
reports may be summed up as generally
Rev. J. II. Little moved that $500 be
toward the fund which the
Paris Hill parish is collecting for the
purchase of bell, and it was so voted
without division.
A question box followed, in charge of
Rev. c. r. Tenney. The first question,
regarding dancing in connection with
church entertainments, provoked an
animated but friendly discussion. So
much time was occupied with it that the
further consideration of the question
box was cut short by the arrival of the
dinner hour, and it was continued to the
afternoon session.
The question box feature was con-
tinued for an hour in the afternoon ses-
sion. and number of questions had to
be left without discussion from lack OF
time. The topics discussed we're all
very practical, and covered a wide
range, from the best method Of conduct
ing family devotions to the question of
church fair methods of raising revenue.
Resolutions pledging renewed allegl-
ance To the cause, and expressing thanks
for the courtesies shown by the railroads
and the local parish, were presented by
the committee and adopted by the as
ISOLATION.
The afternoon session closed with an
address by Rev. w. E. Gaskin of Me-
chanic Falls. Mr.. GaSkin reviewed the
history of Universalism from the first
century to the present, undoubtedly
giving many of his hearers more con-
else view of the progress of the doctrine
than they had ever had before. He
showed how Universalism was the pre-
vailing doctrine of the early church
teachers; how it gradually disappeared
during the dark ages, so that only an
occasional glimpse of it was seen; and
how it has had wonderful revival in the
last 125 wears. so that now its essential