National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-09-29
RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION.
Yesterdays Session OF the Pan-Presby.
terian Council.
Subjects OF Interest to tho Sect Under Con-
sideration--W -Woman'sS Siis-
sionary Meeting.
1he Presbrterlnn AIlInncc.

| PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 23.--The morning ses.
sion Of the presbyterian council was held
in Horticultural hall, Rev. DR.. John Marshall
Lang of Glasgow, Scotland, presiding, and was
opened with the customary devotional exer.
cisos.
Tho order of the day was a paper by Prin.
cipal John Cairns of Edinburgh on tho "Vica.
rious Sacrifice of Christ" Rev. DR.. A. A.
Hodge of Princeton read paper on tho same
subject, aud Rev. T. d, Witherspoon, d. D.. of
Petersburg, Va, paper on Final Rctribu.
ton"
| Tho remainder of the session was devoted to
| a general discussion OF DR.. Van Zandt's paper,
read the previous day, OH "Creeds aud Confos.
| sous."
The committee on creeds reported resolu.
tion providing for tho appoin tment of u COM
mittee TO consider the desirableness Of defn.
| ing conceltus of reformed confessions and re-
| port to the next council, Principal DR.. Caven
| to be chairman of the committee. The report
was accepted and laid over for consideration
at to-morrow's session.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION
was held In the academy of music, Rev. Dir.
iolmeyer of the Cape of Good Hope presid-
| ing. The papers of the session were all on the
subject of church extension. Rev DR.. Patter-
son of Philadelphia considered the subject in
its application to large cities. He condemned
| the growing disposition on the part OF churches
to furnish entertainments for the people, q
practice which, lie said makes concerts, fairs,
comic lectures, and even oyster suppers turn
the dedicated house of worshi into place of
hilarious amusement" This, he argued, is
dcmoraizing to religious life. He spoke of
the rapid growth OF cities, together with the
withdrawal of the rich aud cultivated from
social contact with the very poor, as special
difficulties intorposed against church extern
sion. He advised that presbyterianism should
| eXnend more effect Oh tho large cities, rs Rome
does, and place in them strong churches, and
ho. believed it would be u gain If tho church
would restore the apostolic order of dca-
| conesses, remarking that some Of the church's
| best work had been done by women, and in
conclusion hc urged that presby yterans should
labor in the practical belief of tho sovereignty
of God, of His elcvating love aud of the ne.
ccssity OF the Spirits eftcacious influence
Papers on the same subject were read by Rev.
j.. b. Dales of Philadelphia (who read II
paper prepared by Rev. DIR. w, j. K. Tay.
| lOr of Newark, absent on account of
Of PittsburR, and Rev. Robert Knox, ID. d., of
Belfast, Ireland. The last paper had for It's sub
ject the "Evangclization of Ireland" He re.
| ierred to the fact that for about 200 years the
Roman catholics have composed about three
lonrths Of tho population of that country, aud
he attributed tho cause to the resentment en-
| teItained by the people toward the religion,
which they associate with tho humiliation
and misery to which they have been so long
subjected. lie stated that Rome is now cx traor.
dinarily active in Ireland, which swarms
with ecclesiastics of all the Rumish orders and
they are working with marvellous zeal in the
founding of churches and schools. The
speaker said there was no ground for
despair OH tTs account. He asserted that
| ha Nv
denOuncing the pope as anti.Christ aud
| Rome us tho scarlet woman. There has
| recently come up, aud it is rapidly growing, u
| sentiment which Is striking at the mystic power
Of the priest aud undertaking to oonfne that
power at least to spiritual matters, The
speaker contended that ireland had never
been treated fairly by either church or state.
What is needed is that sympathy and kind
illness, not ridicule aud dcnuuciation, shall
| DO used in efforts to cvangelize the Irish
race. In conclusion he asked the delegates
to think deeply on the question of how the
wounds of Ireland could be healed and her
people given the truth, SO that when the
council meets In Belfast in 1854 the dele
gates will be able to discuss the matter
broadly, inteligently and benehcially.
| Tho discussion was brought 10 u close by
an address by Rev, DR.. Kinney, secretary of
the board OF home missions.
LADIES' MISSIONARY MEETING.
This morning the presbyterian ladies held
a meeting in behalf Of tho ladies' foreign mis-
sionaIy society of the presbyterian church.
Mrs, r. ii. Allen of Philadelphia presided and
made an address of welcome to he ladies who
were present from England, IRELAND Scotland
India, China, Japan and Canada-almost every
country where the gospel is preached. A cor
dial, hearty christian welcome she said was ex-
tended from the presbyterian ladies of Phila-
delphia to their visiting sisters aud size hoped
that their coming together would result In
great good to the whole church in this country
and in foreign lands
Rov. II. H. Mackenzie represented the
English presbyterian church and Mrs. Mac.
lntosh of Belfast, Ireland, represented the
church in Ireland.
Rev, II. l.. Mackenzie, NJ. A., missionary Of
the presbyterian church Of England to Swatow
China, Mrs. Murray Mitchell, Mrs. Brown
Douglass and Mrs DR., Blackie of Edinburgh,
Scotland, also addressed the meeting on the
subject of foreign missionary work.
| Reports were road from tho established
church of Scotland, tho Welsh Cslvanstic
methodist church, the united presbyterian
church OF Scotland, the association for chris.
tian education OF Jewish females, and from
| the free church of Scotland,