The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-22
R. !. FREE
BAPTISTS
MEETING
Closing Session Of the Annual
Convention Held at EImwOOd
Avenue Church Today.

The closing exercises OF the SD annual
convention OF the Rhode Island Free
Baptist association were held In the Elm
wood Avenue Free Baptist church today,
with sessions both morning and after
noon and large attendance at both.
The morning session opened with a
| praise service and devotion conducted
| by Rev. ID. b. Lothrop, after which came
the formal opening of the session. The
| chief business of the morning was the
reports of various committees and cleo
ton of officers.
In this connection a report OF the pro-
! ceedings OF the general conference was
| presented by Rev +. G. Wesley and a
| report on the African Mission OF the Free
| Baptist denomination, by Rev. j. Nelson
| Rich.
Mr.. Rich reported that at the general
conference this year IL was voted to es-
tablish a mission in Africa, the first mis-
sion OF the Free Baptist church I'm that
| far off land. The report also stated that
| IL was voted TO endorse Rev. Lewis b.
Clinton as the missionary 10 this field.
native of that land, who came TO this
country and for II years supported him
| self while receiving an education at Bates
college and the Cobb Divinity school,
and who has returned TO Africa and
started a school among his own people.
report of the business committe,
which was of routine nature. was pre-
sented by Rev. W. L. bennett.
The report of the nominating commit
tee was presented through it's chairman,
Mrs F. NJ. Buker and the following Of
fcers. suggested by the committee, were
unanimously elected:
President Rev John Mason. vice presi-
dent. Rev. II. c. Lowden. secretary, Rev.
c. NJ. CALDWELL assistant secretary. Rev.
Mabelle ID. Tucker treasurer, Lewis Il.
Stilman; auditor. 7. Frank Thompson.
member OF executive board for three
years, c. II. Coffin: secretaries OF dis
tricts. northern, Rev. Walter b. Green;
central, Rev. G.. b. Cutter; southern. Rev.
r. w. Churchill; eastern, Rev. II. Il.
Moulton.
The adoption of the report of Mr.. Lewis
B. Stillman, the treasurer of the asso-
citation was also announced at the morn
ing session. This report showed the tol-
lowing figures. Receipts for current ex-
penses during the year and raised by the
various churches in the association,
| 1896 81; expenses, s49S.6l, amount raised
| for mission work by the association,
| s592 so; balance on hand, $l5.62.
At the conclusion of the routine ousi-
| ness and reports of the morning the
| Woman's missionary society OF the asso-
| citation assumed charge OF the services
| with the president. Mrs. Ella II. Andrews
| of this city in the chair.
The main feature OF this part OF the
| services of the morning, was the imper-
| sonatlon of a high caste Hindu woman
by Mrs. Abby Smell Burnell. formerly a
missionary 10 India.
Mrs. Burnell was attired in the silken
costume OF many and gorgeous colors,
worn by the high caste women OF India
and her story, told in the first person,
was a graphic and realistic portrayal OF
life in India recited with unusual dra-
matte and personal power.
The same story was recently told be-
fore the II. 1. Ramabai association oil
this city and fully reported in The News.
| AT the close of Mrs. Burners harra-
tive the morning session adjourned for
luncheon which was served In the ves-
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The afternoon session opened at 2
| o'clock with a conservation service led
bv Rev. d. Il. Lathrop after which
came the unfinished business of the con-
vention.
In this connection the report of the
committee on resolutions was presented
by Rev f. p. Moulton.
The resolutions were. in effect, an en-
dorsement Of the Free Baptist publica-
tions and of the attitule OF the associa-
ton on the temperance question Reso-
utions OF sympathy were also offered on
the death OF two of the influential men
of the association who have died during
the pat year. Mr.. II. X. Farnum or
Georgiaville and Deacon David n. Arnold
OF the First church, Pawtucket. A very
brief report from the committee on cor
respondence was also presented by Rev
T. c.. Wesley.
The sermon of the afternoon was deliv-
cred by Rev.J. Stanley Durkee, OF the Bos-
ton Free Baptist church from the text
Matthew xxi, ~, What Think fe OF
Christi"
The speaker said in part "of all past
masters I'm the art Of asking questions
the Jewel OF efficiency should doubtless
be given TO a lawyer We hear much OF
lawyers I'm the time OF Jesus, as wei as
i'm all other ages OF history; they were
continually coming to him with hard
questions In the chapter from which
the text Is taken the Saducees had been
confounded and now the Pharisees, by
the words OF lawyer attempt TO con-
found Christ with a hard question.
o'rhe context tells US that lie so com
pletely silenced them that no man ar
ter that burst ask Him any more ques-
tions.
"Then Christ turned 10 ask them some
questions. and among them the one we
have chosen for text. What their ans
wer might have been makes no diff
ference to us. We wish TO treat the
question as "A personal one today
"Our answer TO the question VIII de-
pend upon how much Of Christ we have
within First. the opinion Of man
who has no experimental knowledge re-
garding the Christ life is OF no value
wha tsocver.
Second. our judgment OF another VIII
reveal how much OF Christ We have.
Third. men are continually rejecting
what they see and live with.
Fourth. men reveal their thoughts In
their work, for instance, the faces Of
Christ painted by the great artists reveal
their conception Of Him and the Chris
tian life we live reveals our conception
Of Christ and makes answer to the ques-
ton Of the text"
Al the close OF the sermon the bene-
dicson was pronounced and the final ad-
iournment was taken.