St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-09-20


Numbered his deep notes of destiny"
The trend towards socialism is one OF
the most remarkable of the present day,
and no Christian can afford to miss keep
ing in touch with it. This suggests the
formation of a class in the study OF
Christian Sociology, subject which
would appeal especially to adult gentle
men. Jesus Christ besides being the Son
OF God was also the greatest socialist the
world has ever produced. II Chinese
students can spend life time in analects
or moral precepts OF Confucius, why
could we not spend few minutes study
ing the moral precepts Of Jesus as out
lined in the four Gospels. And there is
wide field for duty along this line and
the pastor could arrange series OF sub
| jects that could not fail to be interesting
and the discussion would bring out some
of the most recent thought in our eco.
nomc life. This very week the American
Board, the Congregational Missionary
body is discussing at Seattle the tainted
money issue which involves the principles
which Jesus Christ taught tor the con-
duct OF business. The National Congre-
gational Council has recognized the
Importance OF social studies in churches
and has appointed a special industrial
committee to hold industrial conferences
with representative labor leaders in
various parts of the country. The pro-
gram of their work is given in the last
Outlook and photography may be OBJ
tanned by addressing the secretary, Rev.
F. w. Merrick of West Roxbury, Mass.
The subjects that these churchmen will
discuss include Child Labor" TRADE
| Unionism and it's relation to Christian
Ethics" Immigration" Socialism and
its relation to Christianity" If a group
of busy college graduates can find time
to study these living themes cannot a
| Sunday school class do so as proftably?
The student OF the Bible learns nothing
of the founding of the Christian church
aside from what appears in the Acts and
the Epistles unless he is fortunate enough
to have course at a theological seminary,
where a course in church history Is pro-
vided for. 1have always felt that class
| could be very pro6tably formed to study
the history of the early Christian church
from the days of st. Peter down through
the Reformation. In this connection it
is interesting to note that the Shakes
peare club OF this town, who have studied
the general subject of religion for several
years, will take up this special line Of
work the coming year. Before the be-
loved pastor of the North church had de-
cided to leave us l had had one talk with
him regarding such a class and l was
pleased to find it met with his heartiest
approval. The all around Bible student
ought to know the history OF the
Christian church and get some inspira-
tion from the lives and struggles of the
early Christian fathers.
Two years ago the pastor of the North
church in st. Johnsbury conducted a
class in Home Missions using as text
book Dr.. Clark's new book, "Leavening
the Nation" The growth and triumph
ant march OF Christianity was followed
westward to the Golden Gate, and there
the author stopped. suggested to the
pastor that the United States flag had
advanced considerable further and that
we ought to take up the progress of
Christianity in our new possessions. AS
result class was formed that was
known as the Greater America class.
The history, geography and social con-
ditions were studied, as we'll as the prob.
lens that are now being worked out by
our statesmen. An extract from the syl-
labus will give an idea of the work we
did and give you the topics studied the
evening that the Hawaiian Islands were
under discussion:
Early History and Idolatry, Alexan-
ders "Briet History of Hawaii" Chap
tiers 2.10; Kellogc's Islands of the Sea"
Chapter AZ.
Captain Cooks Martyrdom. Alex
anders History, Chapter 16.
The Revolution of 1898 and the An
nexation Treaty. Bureau of American
Republics, Handbook No. So, at Page
A; Report of Hawaiian Commission
The Resources of Hawaii. Report Of
Minister of Public Instruction.
Hawaii Today. Harper's Weekly Jan
16, 1904; Hawaiian Year Book.
The Coming of Christianity. Alex
ander's History, Chapters % and a.
Logan's Hawaii" at Page SO.
, Travellers Tributes to Christianity
{ Mark Twain in "Roughing It," Mrs
Bishops six Months in the Sandwich
t Islands" at Page 40; Stevenson's
] Father Damien"
2 Much material for each evening was
] found in the magazines, the religious anC
, secular press, in government publications
! and in railroad and steamship publca
! tons.
The following winter the pastor sug
, gested that take up the same work
: with class of young men in the Sunday
t School for period of three months. II
| was quite an innovation in Sunday
l School work, but have always felt that
it was success. The young men tool
. great interest in the study OF the new
f possessions and the difficult problems
e that face us as nation. The religious
e side was not neglected and every Sun
day reference was made to the progress
s of Christianity in whatever country wa
p under discussion. A syllabus of thes
l. lessons, prepared by myself, appeared il
!, the Congregationalist and elected sew
lie eral favorable comments from pastors il
If different cities.
IL The suggestions for any work which
have briefly and imperfectly outlined ar
:? intended to be used for the formation @
ic new classes and not for the whole periot
l. of a year. A class in any one of thes
d subjects could proftably be formed to b
is studied from Thanksgiving to Easte
S and after the class had concluded it
st special work think that some of then
would come into an adult class In regu
Ks lar Bible study. l believe the expert
&c an.ak L. -