Norwich bulletin., 1916-03-31


 ton Army.
 Rev. MT. Ricketts, remarks were as follows:
 On one occasion an old colored preacher in the South is said to have made this remark to his congrega- tion:
 Brethren, in de times of Noah, dis world was divided into two sects, the Juse who the Diluvians were have not yet been fixed by scholarship. The idea which probably roamed about the darkey's mind was this: The inn possibility of religion to exist as a working force without grouping around, at least, two hostile camps, each claiming it's adherents, who stood | glaring at each other, and ready to | fly at each others throats at the least | past there has been too much to justi- l | fly this interpretation. Your denomination Is composed of | various sects but they are not so ar tificially divided as the old negro's | ''DilUvians and Anti-Diluvians. As | the term Methodist was first given in | 1729-less than 200 years ago-you | certainly cannot be called Anti-Dilu- l vians. But when we consider that the | little group of students at Oxford has | grown to be one of the greatDst re- 1 ligous bodies in the world: when we i consider that the spirit of your life has kindled a holy fire on every spot of the earth, it has touched; that | it has leaped over the seas and across the early Spanish explorers. but in
 search of precious human souls-when
 we consider this to be the leading
 mark of your great history, we con-
 clude that you must be post Diluvians.
 and as such we welcome you to our
 city, our churches, our homes, and
 most of all to our hearts.
 Now the brethren, who have been
 presented to you and whom I have the
 honor to present in these remarks, be-
 long to the different denominations that have strong tendencies to Chris tianity, and, like yourselves are un- ] questionabiy post-Diluvians. To my
 best knowledge and belief every man 7 A splendid spirit of amity exists among these brethren, tinged with just enough differences to save us from dull uniformity. We have our regular meetings when we come TO- } gether to shake hands and talk until
 the moderator finds it difficult to call
 us to order. Then we have our de- votiOnal exercises after which some , brother presents a subject which he : : has carefully prepared. And then the z ject-in the most beautiful spirit of
 discussion. Once in a great while perhaps once in seven years on the . average-we have a most happy facul-  ' greements. and then we follow one an- z other just enough to show that we ]. are free moral agents. There are ! moments. when all ministers are es- sentially independents or Congrega- . | tionalists. But this now passes and z we all shake hands and arrange for a ' general exchange of pulpits so as tc \ \ regain our lost sonship. In these T things, brethren, are we linen oi i like passions with you?"
 NFoz- iV,Ct p,-1 fV, o gard to some things in which I know = we are alike? Like you we love the ! truth and are fearless inits presenta- 4 tion according to our honest convic- | tions. Like you we are not troubled = over those little objections "old and new as applied to ideas. We dc
 not turn down an old idea merely or
 the ground that it was dear to oul n grandfathers; neither do we turn dowr [. a new idea simply because our grand. r fathers never heard of 1t. With yoU q as with us the question is: ''Whai = ideas are tenable, and what are not r Like you we believe in and work fol e the environment of the Lord Christ 1T
 human hearts. and believe that He i: f yet to see of the travail of his sou h and be satisfied" With you we be.
 lieve that the only hope of this old
 world of ours, with its awful war : scars. it's political tangles, its devised ,, organism is in the gospel of this samt I crucifed which must be preached anC II applied with greater success of pur . pose than ever before. see thu !. dawning of this great day because st n n many Christians are saying amen tt e Barring g-Gould's great hymn:
 Like a mighty army
 Moves the Church of God because we are "one in hope and doc i Urine, one in charity.
 r Substantial Check for Retired Fund. ,- Rev C. R MaRee agent of the Bos e ton Depository of the Methodist Bool O Concern, announced that there neve e. was a year when the book concern hat = brought out so many good books a d the present year. The unusually larg of business of the book concern enablet F. him to hand to the conference for tn d retired ministers funds a check fo L. S2,S4e.