The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-26
Outlines One Is No Batter Than
the Other, Rev. Mr.. Connor Says
UNIVERSALIST CONFERENCE
Interesting Addresses by Various Speak
ers al the Sessions at the Church OF
the Mediator.

The Rhode Island Universalist con-
vention met yesterday at the Church OF
the Mediator with a large attendance OF
clergymen and laymen. The convention
consisted OF afternoon and evening ses-
sons.
Between the sessions there was a So
cal hour. lunch was served and musi-
cal program enjoyed.
The conference opened with devotions
conducted by Rev. Ralph r. Connor OF
North Attleboro. who also spoke on
"Christ's Appeal to the Individual for
Spiritual Piety'
In part he said: Jesus did not deal
with men I'm the mass so much as lie
did with individuals. Man needs real
izing sense OF his sonship 10 God. and
his brotherhood 10 Christ Salvation Is
character. IL is not TO be found by min
Cling in so-called fashionable society.
Thefcream In fashionable society Is some
times no better than the scum OF the
slums. Salvation is not secured by the
use OF rlch ecclesiastical ritual. We
need TO get down TO Fundamental prin-
clples at this beginning OF the Lenten
season
Religion is union with God. All else
quired by culture only. Some OF the
worst rascals have been the polished ras-
calls The tree OF knowledge and the
tree OF life are altogether two different.
Jesus was life giver and he did not try
TO do anything else. Religious culture
getting TO be satisfied with cleaning
getting to be satisfied with cleaning
the outside OF the cup and the platter.
Virtue is just "a necessary as victuals,
and character is just as essential as
clothes.
"Christ's idea OF salvation Is transfer
OF divine life We don't know where
IL comes from and where ii goes. That
which was foul and loathsome becomes
sweet and beautiful. Life Is the cor
-respnndence OF an organization with It's
environment. The life of the spirit con-
sists in communion with the great spirit.
All christian people should be life givers.
God Is the fountain OF all life. Man is
the recipient and Jesus Is the channel.
He is TO us the mediator. The divine
Lfe reaches US through Him. lie Is near
and dear to all christian footsteps at this
season. May our love for him grow
warmer and stronger until this Easter
shall be the most glorious Easter that
our lives have ever known
Rev. Henry /. Cushman, ID. d, OF this
city spoke on The Meanings Tor Us
OF the Sufrerings of Christ. In part ne
acquainted with grief The Cross ls the
grandest expression in human history OF
the suffering or love. Chr1sts suHeIlnss
are all divine and all human In the cross
we have the complete expression or love
that can suffer. but cannot yield TO evli.
Human ignorance and sin nailed Christ
Tor the country. The country gives its
citizens TO obliterate evil Ihe plooo OF
the martyrs is the seed OF the church.
The sufferings of Christ mean love that
Rev. i. B. Eaton or Harrisville spoke on
''The Personal Acceptance OF Christ-in
What sense?' In part he said; s
Personal acceptance OF Christ depenos
on What Christ is and What man is. 10
me Christ is the Son of God ana man.
the word made flesh. He stands Tor that
divine element that was, is now, and ever
shall be. The great truths OF the spiritual
realm are the same for all ages. Jesus is
represented as life and light and truth
and love. He revealed the love OF God
that was eternal before He came. his
sufferings showed the divineness OF that
love as never shown before.
OF a Sunday school institute. A devotion
al service began at O'Clock and lasted
for 20 minutes.
Rev. Mr.. Houghton. in his presentation
OF the needs of the Universanst Sunday
schools OF Rhode Island said in part:
Every Universalist Sunday school
should be pervaded by spirit OF eternal
dissatisfaction. We must be constantly
on the watch, like an enterprising manu-
facturer, for new methods and new ideas.
| should recommend that each Sunday
school send visitors TO other Sunday
schools for the purpose of investiga ton
and inquiry so that we may know what
our HeighbeFs are doing. ~e=aheuld be
determined 10 have the best"
Rev. ]. n. Holden OF Attleboro spoke on
the same question as the previous speaker
and said: zone thing we must remember
I'm all our discussion OF this topic we must
remember TO take the Spirit OF God into
our Sunday school work. and at the same
time work with all our strength. We
must believe I'm the Sunday school as an
institution OF modern life. not as a sub
stitute for the church.
Hon. Henry n. Metcalf spoke 81 his
experiences in Sunday school work which
extended back for ~ years He advocated
the management OF Sunday schools by
young people. He declared that the sue.
cess of Sunday school IL measured by
the number OF people who graduate from
II who are regular churchgoers.