Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-06-18


tist churches opened yesterday at the
Getchell street Free Baptist church in
this city and will last two days.
Shortly before 10 o'clock the confer
ence opened with a devotional service
conducted by Rev. a. l.. Gerrish of
Oakland.
The business session began at 1910
o'clock and was presided over by
President A. E. Purinton of this city.
President Purinton delivered a short
address of welcome. After the roll call
the records of the last quarterly meet
ing, which was held at Clinton last
February were read and approved The
treasurer's report was given by Rev.
A. d. Dodge of Waterville and approV-
ed. Rev. A. l.. Gerrish of Oakland was
elected vice president of the confer
ence Greetings We're received from
the Pennington Conference and letters
and reports from the various churches
Of the conference We're read. A slight
change was made in the printed pro-
gram of the conference and Rev. A.
Dodge reported for the executive cCm-
mittee.
The following committees were ap-
DolIttu W llic N~lldII. AolliillAlt & VII
resolutions, Rev. j. L. Smith, Clinton;
Rev. A. T.. Gerrish. Oakland, Oakland;
Mrs. Jennie Randlett Pittsfield.
Committee on nomination-Rev. A.
L. Gerrish, Oakland Rev. +. X. Jor-
dan, Pittsfield: Retire Webber, Clinton.
The conference sermon was preached
by Rev. ]. l.. Smith of Clinton who
took for his text Roman viii 81: What
Then Shall We Say to Those Things"
The speaker began by remarking that
the people in Paurs day We're saying,
What's the Use?' What Shall We
Do?" and Paul tried to hearten them
by saying, IF God be for us, who can
be against u.s." The courts. the judges
and the whole jurisprudence was
against them, and so there was some
reason for them saying. What is the
use"
There were probably some in that
time who said, What if God and
Christ should fail us?" There We're
about them men whose gods had fail
ed them. AS a people the Romans
were opposed to Christianity. And in
reply Paul says, "Who shall separate
US from the love of Christ?" This
refers back to that other statement of
Pauls. ITO them that love the Lord
all things work together for good"
The speaker said that the key to this
expression of Paul is to be found in
the words al! thing Some things
do work together for good to the one
who does not love God. The winds
bear his argosies over the sea and bear
them back bearing rich treasure. But
when the thing he has cherished in his
nothing left. The things not seen with
mortal eyes Outgloried and Outdid what
the world calls real to the eyes of
David and Paul. Things that are seen
are in constant fluX. The unseen is
the thing that is constant
Discussing the question whether
Christianity is losing ground, the
speaker said that the question must be
from the standpoint of the
individual and from the standpoint of
the world, the aggregation of individ-
uals. If the world is growing better
it is because the good predomnates
over the bad; if it is growing worse.
it is because the bad predominates
over the good 1t is necessary to de-
termine the preponderance. 1t is in
evidence. first, that the bad is not yet
1t is in evidence, Sec
ond. that the bad is growing bladder"
to use the child's expression. 1t is in
evidence further than the good has
not been exterminated and it is in evi-
dence also that the good is growing.
The world today is proud of her
church Moreover. it is in evidence
that the good is growing faster than
the bad. More than ever Christianity
is debating to the nations of the world
programs of saneneSs. Our Lord is
to his own. The Kingdom Of
Christ is moving on it's way and the
of world must move out of
the way or be destroyed. In conclu-
sion the speaker said that it was his
belief that the world was indeed grow
ing better.