Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-02-21
DIR. NEVIN'S BIRTHDAY
PUPuLAE TRIBUTE To =, VESEHl
ABLE MAN.
A Gathering at Carnarvon Place to Hu:tor
Two of the Oldest Reformed
ministers

There are few residents ii our cummu-
nifty older, nuno more highly respected
wherever he is knGwn, and no other with
such worldwide reputation IS Rev. John
Williamson Nevin d. d. OF C;eernagron
Place, ex-pres;Gent OF franklin { Mar
shall college aud OF the Reformed thGu-
log sicai seminary. Dr.. Naviu was boin in
Franklin county, on February 20, 1903,
and hence is now enterin.. upon his S0th
year. His career as scholar aud teacher
as is well known, has reached over SIX
decades, having been graduated tr"'A
Union college IN 1921. studied theology at
Princeton where he was for :. time Il teach
er and became the author of b:btcs!
Antiquities in 1923. For ten years he
was "a professor Is. the prcsbytc-
rian theological seminary i'll AL
ghcny, anl siucc he accepted c;air in
the MercersburS theological seminary his
history has been Il large part Of the his
tory of the Reformed! church. His teach
ing and preaching. h., books, pamphlets,
lectures and review articles. an' his seq
vices rs professor and president il the
literary and thcolny icLl institutions oi his
church have placed him in the front rank
of theoio4ians, and in Germany lie is gen
orally held As the p:ofuundcst and niost
original theological thinker in this country.
For The past ten years or more DT. Ncyln
has been living in scholarly retirement at
Cernarvon Place out the Columbia turn
pike, west Of this city, and is; in remark
able good health, of vigorous body and
clear liz niiiid.
In accordance with the custom o.: his
family and friends, the anniversary OF his
birthday, occurring yesterday was duly
observed last evening by . pleasant social
gathering, which included soGic o; bis
neighbors and fellow citizens, representa-
tives Of the Reformed literary institutions
caster classis, among the latter Rev. john
G. Fritchey, who is by little more thaa L
year the senior OF DR.. Ncvin. Among
those present last evening were kavs. Dr*.
/ ". AEPlC wa -Api''7'. N'tA'.'"''3
Dubbs and Cast Revs. j. G. Ffitchie, D.
w. and c. S. Gerhard W. +. i.ich!iter, J.
A. Peters, J. 3. Kieffe:, J. II Pcnnlbeckcr,
II. A. Friedcl and {. T. Frey.
The company be;n, ASSEMBLED! in ti; par
Iogs Of DR.. Nevin's residence, IL Telegram
was read from Rev. IS. Davis, d D., nf
the Reformed CAurch Messenger, express
ing his regret at being unable to be present.
The College choir sang THE Church S
One Foundation from Miss Alice Neyin ;
"Hym,s and Carois' Rev. DR.. Gerl,it
offered 4 iervent prayer. After which
Rev. DIR. Apple, as Il representative OF the
| literary institutions add scssci De. Ncv:n
as follows:
Rev. Or. Nevin : It Is not easy to
express in appropriate words the thoughts
| aud feelings that rise i:i our minds and
| hearts on this occasion. Your friends,
neighbors and forme,. pupils have gath
cred here to Offer YOU their heartfelt con
gratulatons on this 18th anniversary %;
! your birthday. We congratulate you on
reaching IN age accorded to comparatively
few OF our race, and rejoice with you il
the measure of health aud strength vouci-
saied to You i'll the good prnyi'le;!c: ri
God for as VIC meet you here tonight
your "eye is not dim nor your natural
! force abate'i' The weight of years
rests gently upon your ,Ivercd head, your
! familiar countcnaEcc, marked indeed By
lines Of thought as we have always known
it. still beams upon us with its wOntcd
radiance, meliowcI by with the higher
celestial light that bctokens the calm even
in. of life, and the promise Of the eternal
day. But especially do VIC rejoice iii the
ripened vigOr of spritua! and intellectual
life that continues unabated. Though re
tired from the more ordinary offices o! =
teacher among us, yet in your regular pal
pit mnistrations and the production Of
ycur pen we still enjoy the benefit of your
ripencd powers. The spirit of yonr Lie
and life work still presides over the insti-
tutions in which for many years you Ia
bored, and your visible presence among
us continues to attract to you the aitec
tomato regard and reverence Of your old
pupils.
Indeed feel that in u certain sciiso
speak for them here to night. In spirit
they are always with us when an occasion.
arises for :. formal presentation OF our re
spectiui and heartfelt greeting. ar.si IN
letters they express their desire to be pre-
sent. Many generations of them have
come and gone since the earliest of then
received the benefit of your Instructions
but wherever they are, scattered abroac
in the world, and fighting the battle O
life, they carry with them their warn
affection for the honored guide Of Their
youth. Cternnrc0n has become Mecca il
their thOnshts, to which, on an occasion
like this, they would count it 4 privilegs
to turn their footsteps. For these absent
ones, as well as for those who come here
this evening, | present this atfectionatf
greeting.
This reference to the past calls up rem
niscences of which it would be q pleasure
to speak in this festive hour. But to dc
so would unduly occupy the time for those
personal congratulations your friends have
come to present. Therefore | will al!n"
myself to give brief uttcrance to but one
thought in this connection which is sug
gested by your long and honored life; il
is the untiring an Hnshaken devotion tc
truth which has ever characterized the re
searches Of your gifted mind and iabors u
Christian teacher and minister Of thf
| Lord. The attainment OF wisdom Ii not
reached in those straight and easy paths
of human thought with which many are
satisfied, but rather in that pathway ol
faith illumined by IinWho is the leader and
tinisher Of the same, yea who ~ himself
the acay, the truth, and the life. GrapplinG
with the deepest problems of thought
with those great intellectual powers with
which God endowed you, and standing Ill