The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-06-06

END CONVENTION

Rev. Or. r. w. Hamilton. president OF
Tufts college, was one OF the speakers at
the 10Th annual Universalist convention OF
Rhode Island at the First Univeralist
church, Greene street. yesterday. DIR.
Hamilton spoke at the afternoon session.
his theme being The Appeal to the Chris
tian Ministry"
The election OF officers in the afternoon
resulted as follows: President. Rev. DR..
Henry i. Cushman: vice president, James
f. Carpenter; secretary. Henry w. Rugg;
treasurer, John NJ Buffinton; trustees
for three years. Rev. Edward M. Barney;
for two years, Walter NJ. Oatley; for one
year, o. s. Crooker.
DR. Hamilton was the first speaker In
the afternoon. He said In part:
1.-The Unfversalist ministry Is the poor
est prepared OF any, the poorest edu-
Gated OF all the denominations True.
some In the Baptist and Methodist min
istry often get In by side-door methods.
but as a rule our oYn Is the poorest pre-
pared. We are. regretful as IL is TO have
10 admit H. behind the procession. This
Is the case in Sunday school methods and
in ministerial preparation, and the trou-
BILE is that the seriousness, the import
ance OF the profession is not realized.
TOO often some young man who has
Endeavor meeting is told that he ought
20 preach and Is advised to begin on the
following Sunday The result is Ia
mentable failure, because the young man
Is utterly unprepared
IF a man Is going into the law, if ne
is going into medicine. into engineering
OF into any one OF dozen other callings,
he knows he must be thoroughly prepar-
ed. And the ministry is the most diffi-
cult the most SERIOUS, the most import
ant OF all: So why should II not call for
the most complete preparation? 1t does,
and the unprepared will find the dead line
drawn at 80 years. just as surely as he
attains them.
What is the great appeal TO the Chris
tian ministry? The great appeal is that of
opportunity to be OF service 10 the world,
the chance 10 do something TO help hu-
manity. to aid in perpetuating the civil
ization OF this 20th century, to prevent IL
from deteriorating into the barbarism OF
the past. We have got beyond the theory
OF individual salvation and we must work
for the whole. IL is not true OF a commu-
nifty, as IL is OF a chain, that II Is not
stronger than it's weakest member On the
other hand. a community is as strong or
as weak morally and In every other way
as the majority OF its members.
Here then, is the opportunity: here
the appeal TO the Christian ministry The
men who will lead the people, who will
help them out OF the problems which con-
front them, are those who will settle the
affairs OF man by the law OF God-the
Christian ministers. That is the appeal.
the greatest OF ALL TO the Christian min
istry-to be OF service to man through the
grace of God. to bring His people to bet
ter things and TO perpetuate His kingdom
upon this earth"
Rev Ralph L. Conner OF North Attle-
boro was the other speaker. He appealed
10 his hearers 10 work unselhshly for
their fellow men and 10 think OF others.
and their good, moral, spiritual and
physical. He spoke OF the moral dangers
which he said were unusually prevalent in
Providence. In surrounding towns, he
said, the reference to a young man as
''going to Providence" often meant that
he was on the road TO destruction. Many
young men from the Attleboros and sur
rounding towns. Mr., Connor said, took
the downward path in this city. while peo-
pie sa. quietly by with hands folded and
thought nothing OF IL.
The convention was closed with a ban
yuet unoer the auspices OF the Universal
list club Of Rhode Island, the banquet be-
ing an innovation this year. and was
served in the vestry OF the church at
o'clock. An organ recital In the church
on the Charles r. Carpenter memorial or
gan, which was recently rebuilt. preceded
the dinner. Myron c. Ballou, organist OF
program.
After the dinner addresses were made
by Arthur w. Pierce OF Dean academy.
Franklin, Mass; Rev. w. b. Eddy OF
Cambridge. and by James ID. Carpenter,
president OF the club. There was also a
series OF vocal and instrumental musical
selections. A quartette. consisting or
Miss Bertha Burdick, G. r. Lenz and Mr..
and Mrs. W. ID. Stone sang several seiec-
tions and Miss Burdick and Mr.. Lenz
sang solos. An orchestra or four pieces
furnished instrumental music.
Mr.. Carpenter presided after dinner.
and ht spoke about religious work from
the layman's point of view. The mems
clubs, he said which were the same thing
as laymen's leagues, and from which II
is hoped to form one national organiza-
ton at the coming general convention In
Philadelphia, were capable OF doing much
more work than at present.
Mr.. Pierce expressed hopefulness for
the future In this line of work The age,
he said. was one OF pessimism. feeling
which pervaded the church In common
with the rest OF society Much could be
done toward bringing about change by