Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-06-01
The Presbyterian Centenary.


Speeding, speeding round the world
The Presbyterian Centenary.
Thursday week was the centennial
day OF the Presbyterian Church and
! the members OF the two General A.
semblies united in great mass meet
ings in the Academy OF Music and Hor-
ticultural Hall Phila. The ceremonies
began in both buildings at 10 G clock
that morning and the crowds in at
tendance at both were enormous.
The immense Academy of Music
with its seating capacity Of over 81
500 was jammed TO sufocation, and
every inch of standing room was oc-
cGpied by struggling mass of hu-
manity anxious TO have part in the
first reunion Of the two great bodies
of the Presbyterian Church in Amer
lea since the division more than a
quarter of a century ago. In the
Academy Of Music the Rev. J. j.
Bullock, d. D., Moderator of the
Seutheren General Assembly, presid-
ed, and seated with him on the plat
form were the Rev. VIM H Roberts,
d. d., Stated Clerk of the Northern
General Assembly; Rev. Joseph T.
Smith, D. D., of Baltimore ex-Mod-
orator of the Northern Assembly;
Rev. Jas. McCosh, d. D President
of Princeton College; Rev Jno. Hall,
D. D., of New York; Rev Chas FL.
Stoddard, editor of the New York
Observer, and many others. Mrs.
Cleveland occupied seat in the up
per right hand box. She was with
the family of Rev. Charles Wood, Of
Germantown, whose guest she is
during her stay here, and bore the
battery of opera glasses aimed at her
with perfect composure, and was cyl
IDENTIFY a deeply interested listener
and spectator.
The great audience was apparently
made up in equal proportion from
representatives of the two assemblies,
and when Rev. DR.. Bullock was in
troduced as presiding officer there
were thunders of applause. He was
presented by DR.. Smith, ex-Modera
tor of the Northern Assembly, and
when DR.. Smith said in welcoming
the Southern guests that the audience
should remember that the members
of these great assemblies were Pres
byterians above all things, and that
the brethren from the South had
crossed Mason and Dixon's line al
most without knowing where the di-
vision was, there was another round
of enthusiastic applause. They were
of the same ancestry, the same faith,
the same glorious history. Then the
5000 people rose and sang Praise
God, from Whom all Blessings
Flow"
DR.. Bullock, as the representative
of the Southern Assembly, made q
brief but eloquent address. He cor
daily reciprocated the fraternal sem
timents of the brethren from the
North, and said that whatever might
be the final disposition Of the ques-
tion of organic union. there was no
feeling of alienation or prejudice or
want of faith in the doctrines of their
sister assembly. There was no OBJ
stacls that he knew to fraternity and
fellowship.
Then the congregation sang "All
People That on Earth Do Dwell"
and "All Hail the Power Of Jesus
Name" Rev. Dr. Cuyler, of Brook
lyn, was the first orator, and spoke
for an hour on the History of Pres.
byterianism." 1.-THE Work of Pres
byterianism for the Future" was the
subject of an address by Rev. L.
Dwight Witterspoon, of Louisville,
KY.
A great audience also crowded
Horticultural Hall. adjoining the
Academy, and here, too, there was
the same commingling of the blue
badges of the Northern Assembly
and blue and white of the representa-
tives from the Southern branch. The
same fraternal feeling was manifest
among the commissioners of both
bodies. Rev. DR.. Charles L. Thomp-
son, of Kansas City, the Moderator
of the Northern Assembly, was in the
chair, and seated with him on the
platform were eminent divines repre-
senting both branches. The opening
ceremonies were brief but fervent,
and when Moderator Thompson in-
troduced Congressman VIM. G. 2.
Breckenridge, of Lexington College,
there was much enthusiasm. lie
spoke on "Calvinism and Religious
Liberty" and eloquently sketched the
work of the Church in advancing
civilization and great moral truth.
His references to Church union were
received with extreme warmth.
When he had finished there was q
whirlwind of applause.
Rev. Howard Crosby, ID. d, fol-
lowed with an address on 'Presby-
terianism and Biblical Scholarship" "
He defended the verbal inspiration of
the Bible.
The Academy and Horticultural
Hall were both jammed this afternoon,
although rain was falling heavily at
3 o'clock, the hour at which the cere'
monies of the reunion celebration was
resumed, Hon. VIM. Strong, ex-
Justice of the United States Supreme
Court, was in the Chair at the
Academy meeting, and around him
were grouped some of the many dis
tinguished Presby terian divines and
laymen of both General Assemblies.
The first speaker was Hon. John
Randolph Tucker, of Virginia, who
spoke on the Adaptation of Presby-
teranism to the Masses" The ad-
dress was theological analysism of
the religious system that shows that
all things work together for good to
them that love God, and repudiated
every phase of skepticism, infdelit y
and agnosticism Calvin may be
our father, but Paul was our grand.
father" was a sentiment that brought
round of applause.
Rev. j. s. Mcpherson, ID. d., o.
Chicago. spoke on "Presbyterianism
and Education" He began his
speech: Fathers and brethren o