Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-09-28
Pan. .PRESBYTERIAN COUNCIL.
To days PrOceedlng's.

PHfIADBIPHIA, Sept. 2S.-The morning ses-
son of the Pan.Presbyterian council was held
N horticultural Hail Rev. Dr. John Marshall
Lang. OF Glasgow. Scotland, presiding and was
opened With the customary devotional exercises.
After the adoption Of resolutions extending the
evening Sc Ssions one half an hour. for the pur-
pose OF allowing greater range OF discussion
or the papers read, and one providing for the
preparation OF friendly letter on tha more I'm
poItant matters that have come before the
council. for transmission TO the various
churches represented in the alliance, the
G order OF the day was taken up. This
OF Christ, = by Principal John Cairns, D. d.. OF
kdlnburgh. Dr. Cairns, after stating the doc
Iflne OF the atonement as II is held by Presby
teflans. gave resume of the general bearings
or that great article OF Presbyterian faith Rev.
Dr y. A. Hodge, OF Princeton. read q paper on
Tie same subject. his discussion OF &c being
chlehy directed to consideration OF the rela-
tloIS which tie Sacrificial work OF Christ bears
10 tile forgiveness or sins and consequently the
SaLSation OF sinners Rev. e. ID. Witherspoon
snttcet u q, le.eEsDaTg va read paper on the
Christian church had for eighteen centuries
held TO the doctrine Of the endless Condemnation
or tie lost. he said there is popular current OF
opposition now setting In against that doctrine
the removal OF which would cause a reWritinT
OF The scriptures, the practical abolition OF fhe
present system or Christian theology and the
eXruIgation OF a large part Of our Christian
literature ard philosophy. Dr. WitherSpooa
concentrated his discussion upon an eXamIna-
fion OF the meaning and the New Testament
Use Cl ire words which were in the original
USED to GeDote or express the idea OF eternity to
snow that the doctrine OF endless punishment OF
me wicked Is strictly and absolutely scriptural
III passing. Mr.. Witherspoon rtdiculed the
nGa tlahSiailohs by which Canon Farrar and others
rae eLutaVofed 10 controyerf tie idea OF eternal
future punishment. and stated that he had the
authollTy OF one OF the best Greek scholars on
Ills COZ tlntnt-the professor Of Greek In the
JCBGS hopkins colleSe-fOr say ing that Farrar'S
translation and use OF the words denotinc or
sienlfyifg eternity waS erroneous and unten-
able. In conclusion, Dr.. Wttherspoon said that
as witness bearing church the PRESBYTERIAN
church must hold 10 and teach this doctrine
no matter how painful IL may be and he hopad
that the council would send forth a bligle
PAST that would ANNOUNCE TO the world that at
last one branch OF the christian church would
hold TO and proclaim this doctrine because il is
true and without regard TO fS unpopularty
The It remainder OF the session vas devoted to "A
genel al discussion OF DR.. Van Zandt'S paper read
the previous day on 'creedS and confessions"
Dr Nelson. from New Hebrides. pleaded for a
shortening or the creed, as so forming il that 1t
shall briefly contain essentials leaving the sun
sldlary things OF belief to the individual con-
science. His Presbytery In establishing mis-
sloh at New HebrideS had adopted the confess
sicn previously prescribed by the London mis-
sion society In the south sea missions, and there
was no difficulty found in admitting Cannibals
10 the speakers church on that confession.
Which could he written on one short page
If1nclpal MacN1ckar replied that confessions
that might answer quite well for cannibals
would not do at all for the guidance OF those
WHO enter tne cnurch TO teach the word of GOD.
he protested against mysterious hints conceal
ing more than they express about desired
changes in Presbyterian creeds and insisted
that those who ask for such changes put for
ward definite propositions OF the changes they
ask for.
DR.. Wallace, of Wooster, Ohio, remarked that
the older he grows the more profound becomes
his respect for those wise old men who formed
the confession, and the less profound does it
become Tor the downy faced men who flippantly
dispute lts contents. The committee on creeds
1eIolted resolution providing for the appoint
meDt OF committee to consider the desirat Die
nesS OF defining conceSuS or reformed confess
sions and report to the next council. PrincinaI
Dr. CaVen TO be chairman OF the committee.
Ihe report was accepted and laid over for con-
Sl0eration at to-mOrrow'S session.