Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-18
Dr.. Washington GLADDEN. Be
fore Congregational Club.
NEEDS OF THE TIMES
PEOPLE AWAKENING TO REAL
VALUE OF MONEY.
Spirit Of the Age Tended to Make Men
Cynical-Deteriorati Not
Permanent.

Rev. Washington GLADDEN.. DID. of Co.
lumbus, Ohio, president of the National
Council of Congregational Churches, deliv-
cred the address last evening at the fall
| meeting of the Washington Congregational
| Club, which was held in the First Congre-
gational Church at 8 o'clock. Those who
were seated in the pulpit besides DR.. Glad
den were Rev. M. Ross Fishburn, pastor of
tn. Mount Pleasant Congregational
Church: DR.. Edward Gates. former pres
ident of Amherst College; Commissioner
Henry B. T. Mcfarland, and Prof. Charles
s. Clark president of the Washington Con-
gregational Club. Rev. M. Ross Fishburn
introduced DR.. GLADDEN.. He spoke OF the
great work DR.. GLADDEN. has done and OF
his fame as preacher and orator.
Union Of Churches.
DR.. GLADDEN. was greeted with applause as
he rose to speak. After thanking those
present for the cordial reception rendered
him he discussed at some length the plans
for the union Of the three denominations,
the Congregationalists, the United Breth-
rem and the Methodist Protestant. A gen.
eraI council of the three churches is to
meet at Dayton in February, at which an
effort will be made to bring them into
close federation, whose ultimate outcome
Will be organic unity. Dr. Glaoden eA-
pressed the hope that some consolidation or
missionary and educational work would at
once be accomplished, and that there would
be co-opera ton of many kinds, all OF which
would prepare the way TOR ORGANIC union.
He also expressed the belief that this gem
eral council would soon include other de-
nominations.
The movement toward the federation Of
all the Protestant churches was discussed
and the hope was expressed that the great
congress which meets In New York in NO
yember. in which all the principal Profess
tant denominations will be represented, VIII
be able to agree upon platform upon
which there may be a large and fruitful
cooperation.
He said the condition of the Congrega-
tional churches gives cause for sober renee
ton. The Congregational churches are not
in q class by themselves. Inc tendencies
which prevail among them appear in most
of the other churches. For some reason the
increase in membership in several of these
and their growth Is going forward less Wig
orcusly than should be desired.
Improvement for Benevolent Work.
"Our benevolent work is not in a satisfac-
tory condition. said the speaker. 1.-The
numper Of our churches has increased dur
ing the past fifteen years more than
thousand and our membership more than
10000; but we are giving less money to
fifteen years ago. We are not alone in this
Other denominations are suffering in the
same way. How shall we account for this
shrinkage?- The causes to which We are
contributing have lost none of their impor-
lance. The appeal which they make Is as
clear and oogent as ever 1t was Our
home missionary work, not only on the
frontiers. but especially among the vast
foreign population of our cities and factory
towns is of tremendous Importance; our
work among the neglected races is no less
pressing than 1t formerly was; the call
from japan and China and India is louder
now than ever before There has been
some disagreement among us as to methoos
Of raising money for our foreign work, but
that is happily out of the way. We are
now assured that moral issues will not
hereafter be raised In the solicitation or
money. And We ought to be able to RAINY
all our forces for the prosecution of this
work. Yet, when this difficulty Is out or
the way there Is shrinkage to be ex-
planned. How shall we explain It?
''The main reason Is that we have been
growing rich, and for this cause have been
losing our hold on the higher interests
We have been so absorbed In the strifes
and competitions of this present world that
the cry of humanity has fallen on dull
ears.
Prevalence Of Commercialism.
1.-THE spirit of the last fifteen years has
not been conducive to the growth of philan-
thropy; 1t has rather tended to make men
hard and cynical; to intensity the cravings
for large accumulation; to strengthen the
tendencies to self-indulgence and luxurious
living; to weaken the motives of pity and
the claims Of the higher human friendship
Il Is not a permanent deterioration; it is
temporary, and strong reaction against
these tendencies has already set in; but
society has been passing through some
such stage as this, and the churches have
been involved in 1t. For this deplora BILE
condition the practical remedy indicated is
a more intensive cultivation of our field;
the mark to be aimed at Is to make every
church a contributor to every one of our
causes and every member of every church
a contributing member. If we can even
approximate to this we shall have all the
resources we require, and there will be no
need to replenish our treasury by ques-
ttonajble alliances.
All this. however involves a conscien-
tiousness and conservation on the part of
our members which is>now sadly wanting.
It points to the need OF genuine revival
of religion, and that means first of all a
deepening conviction of the reality OF the
things Of the spirit, a real belief that the
things which are unseen and eternal-faith,
fidelity Justice, truth, love-are Infinitely
more important than the things which are
seen and temporal; feeling that the
values of character must never be sacri-
feed for material gains; On abiding sense
OF the truth thas the man VINO gains the
whole world by the loss Of his manhood is
O stupendous fool.
The Sign Of Greed.
saThere is no revival Of religion which Is
anything other than farce and a fraud
which does not burn these truths into the
condolences Of men In the church and out
Of II. The revival that we need will begin
with a conviction Of sin, OF the besetting
sin OF this day and generation; conviction
of the wickedness and meanness of the
selfish greed that tramples on human rights
In the building Of fortunes conviction
that the ways which men are wont to follow
to what are regarded as the great successes
OF life are the ways Of infamy.
1.-THE church must hear the call to awake
and shake herself from the dust and put
on her beautiful garments; she must cease
to look for help to dubious alliances; she
must use her own resources and trust her
own Inspirations; she has been asleep, but
she is awakened; she has need to repent
and she will repent God has never for
saken her, and He will not now. Only we,
who are men, must be true men; we must
have faith In God: we must not put our
trust In money. and we must not be afraid
OF It, we must stand for the things that are
true and clean and honest, IL we have to
stand alone. We shall not be alone very