National Republican., 1880-10-01
THE PRESBYTERIANS.
Material and IT'S Development for the
Ministry Discussed.
An Overcrowdcd Missionary Meeting Last
Night-Niission Experience in
Ten-AIinuto Speeches.
Tho Pan-prosbyterian Alliance.

Prime Of New York. and with the singing Of
appropriate hymns, after which John Hanson,
esq, of Antrim, Ireland, was called to tho
= chnir. In paper on the training Of candi-
dates for the ministry, Rev. Herrick Johnson,
D. d., of Chicago discussed the methods of
filling tho pulpit with n strong ministry.
Many men who ought to he out of the ministry
arc In IL. While mon are mon, imporfcction
will, of course, slip through despite the ut
most care, but as littlo imperfection as nos
sibe should be allowed to 20 through. Among
the lines drawn by the speaker were the fol-
lowing; First-Tho church must have more
profound spirituality; in another than a
spiritual sense IL may be said like people,
like priest Then there must become
prevalent deep conviction that tho call
to the ministry is directly aud dc.
cidcdly from God, and that IL is
Christs exclusive, prcrogative privilege to
call and send by the movement of the holy
spirit; none should enter tho ministry who
feel that they can stay out Of 1t, aud If tho
church would have tho proper sort of minis
ters she must pray for them. Tho supply of
ministers Is another matter Of marked measur-
ing. The cry of "too many ministers" Is pre-
postcrous This is matter of Gods law, not
Of arithmetic. Short cuts TO the ministry
should he stoppcd they lead to short stops.
The speaker argued that prcsbyterisns should
adopt means for securing the best material
and the best facilities for its development.
Developments should mako taking candi-
dates for the ministry under care not
u form, but an act full of earnest
meaning. The colleges connected with
the church should be thoroughly efficient.
and for those candidates who exhibit an apti.
tude for scholarship, higher education should
be provided with fellowships rs incentives to
effort. DIR. johnson, In concluding his paper
4. At. r.. 1. t..nl.
to gorify scholarship and disgrace illitcrcy in
the ministry.
Rev. DR.. J. Marshall Lang of Glasgow fol.
lowed with u paper on "Church Order aud
Life" in which lie considered tho relation of
order to life in general, and especially the re-
lation Of ecclesiastical order to the spiritual
life of Christians. In effect, the essay was a
plea for high intellectual culture for the
strengthening of the prcsbytorian ministry
part from the regular duties of the pastorRte.
The spcakerargued that the great preachers are
needed to prevent BY rovivals, which may be apt
to become con, Portable routine in church lfo,
sober picty from becoming spiritual torpor. In
this connection, the speakers mention Of tho
work of Moody aud Sankey In Scotland elected
applause from some of tho delegates and most
of tho audience. In discussing tho subject
Rev. Dr. Calderwood took issue with Dr. John.
son, aud said The law Of supply and
demand docs apply to the supply of candi-
,
, so apply, do or say what you will" DIR. CAL
derwood added that in Scotland where moth.
; ing is known Of supporting candidates during
their studies, there arc more candidates than
tho church knows what to do with He
thought the ono great key to tho supply Is a
ministry itself IL ministry is consccrated
to the preaching OF tho gospel rs to the one
l work that is tho noblest that can engage
human effort young life all around will catch
. the infection.
} Rcv. Hiram G. Haydn, d. D., Of Cleveland,
and Rev. w. w. Barr Of Philadelphia followed
with papers on Systematic BcncRce," tho
session closing with the reading of u paper by
Rev. B. l.. Asnew, d. d., of Philadelphia, OH
ministerial Support"
J THIS EvENING's SESSION
proved to be another oveI flow meeting, aud
Horticultural hall was again called into rcqui-
sitiOn to accommodate those who could not
find room in the academy. At tho Horticul-
iural hall meeting tho same speakers that adj
dressed the council appeared in inverse order
, the last speaker before the council first ad
dressing tho Horticultural hall meeting pud
so on. In the academy the regular session
was opened with the singing of the hymn "To
Bless Thy Chosen Race" and prayer offered
by the chairman of the evening, Rev. William
Wood of Cimpsic, Scotland.
MISSIONARY EXPERIENCE.
Tho session was occup pied IN the delivery of
ten.minute addresses on the state of religion
in heather countries. Rev. Mr.. strout, from
Japan traced briefly the lRbors that begun
: twonty-one years ago with five missionaries,
5 and now shows fifty churches there in which
tho elect of God gather, aud 159 or 160 mis-.
sonarics laborng for the spread of the gospel
among tho heNtheus in that land. He mem-
toned also that q christian newspaper is now
4 published there and carried week by week in
, the japanese mails. Mr.. Mckenzie, Il mis-
IL. IN tI #.
f tOn ago protestant missionaries began TO enter
, China Iustoad Of fifteen or twenty converts
there are between 10000 and 10000
christians to be found there, with 300 organ.
lied churches and hundreds of schools, semi
/ uares, etc.
Rev. Mr. Nelson, from tho New Hebridcs,
, gave an account Of the mission established
, there some thirty years ago by II couple Of
: missionaries who were killed and eaten by
: the natives, aud gave details OF his fourteen
years experience there concluding with tho
remark that though they were laboring among
the most degraded savagcs in the world, the
missionaries have succeeded in organizing four
, christian congregations.
Rev. Mr.. Wright, Il native missionary among
0 tho Choctaw Indians, spoke of his own cOm-
| version and of the first missionaries among
a tho Choctaw Indians "who are" said Mr..
= Wright, natural presbyteriaus, for they are
great believers IN prcdestinatlOn. They be.
'
killed, aud if they are to be hanged they will
not die in the war; SO we have no trouble"
!. [Laughter,l
Rev. A. Muhillo spoke of the efforts being
,, made by himself aud another to develop
christianity IN South Africa, where in Blsuto
) land fourishing mission has been es,ab-
, lshcd. Rey. Mr.. Ewing missionary from
} Egypt, said; zone otthe most slupondous eX'
T umpIcs Of vandalism Of modern times was con-
summat recently in the removal Of Cleo
patra's needle to New York, but there arc now
being built in Egypt pillars that neither the
rupacity Of London nor Now York will remove.
! | refer to tho pillars Of prcsbyteriauism that
+. arc going up all over Egypt" This speaker,
referring 10 tho prayer Of preceding speaker
for an "inundation of missionaries said f;
, "Wc don't want such an mundntion In Egypt,
a and | beg to DO allowed to pray for dcliv.
elunco from such an uuudatIou. What we
want in Egyptand everywhere else whore we
want christianity spread Is to raise UP native
q pastors
Rov. Mr.. Hood, native African missionary
p from Liberia, gave an interesting account OI
, efforts 10 christiauiae West Africa, and of gos-
. ael work in Liberia especially, and sud he
/ believed there should bo general uprising OF
. christianity In II crusade TO wrcst the African
S colony from darkness, a crusade that will go,
, not carrying cross, but undcr the power OF
4. the cross.
2 Rev. Mr. Beattie missionary from Syria,
described the dilicultlcs attending mis- ;iouary