Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-16
CITY CHARACTERIZATION.
Interesting Address by Rev. DIR. Eurrell Be-
fore the Presbyterian. Alliance.

WIT THE cHURcH Is LOSING GROUND N TIKI
GREAT cITIEs AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE Tc
BEACH THE MAssEs-REPokTs OF THE ALI
AScx AND The OFFICERS ELEcIEp.
bright and interesting address was made
by Rev. David James BurreI. DID,. the pastor
of the Marble Collegiate Church New York
city. at the New York Avenue PRESBYTERIAN
Church last evening. He had formerly been
pastor Of Presby terrain church in MinneGpo-
las. and his style of speaking is marked by the
breeziness which is supposed to belong TO the
vest His theme. "City Evaugelizatiou," was
suggested by the occasion, which WAS the an
nu&i meeting % the Presbyterian Alliance of
this city. an organization devoted to the work
Of extending the church within this territory.
The president Of the alliance, Rev. DR.. Bart
lett introduced the speaker aad said that when
he sa- pastor OF n church IN Chicago DR. Bur
rsil vas stationed IN that city. The audience
.as very much amused by the witty protest
made by Dr.. Burreu against the inference that
mighc'be drawn from DIR. Bargletts statement
that IS they were colleagues in Chicago they
we're of the same age. The fact OF the matter
Was, the speaker said. at the time referred to
BY DR.. Bartlett he was q mere strip OF boy
and the doctor was in comparison \ father In
Israel
lost MANUSCRIPT.
The speaker then explained that he feltsome
embarrassment in appearing on this OCCASION
~ coming over from New York he had lost the
manuscripts of the address which he had in
tended to make. He explained how this mis-
hap had occurred He was seated in . chair in
the car looking over the manuscript which he
had placed In a magazine Presently dinner
was served and he put the magazine down on
the table and after he had finished his dinner
be dropped TO sleep in his chair When he
awakened he found that the porter had cleared
away the table and that the man in the next
chair had left the car and the magazine was no
where TO be found. He suspected the man in
the next chair, who looked TO him like the
democratic representative from his ward in
New York city. He had wondered. If this was
the case. what the man would do with his ad-
dress. If he used it in Washington he intended
to keep a watch over the Congressional Record
ana he thought that he would be able to rec
Ognize his speech even in tina: publication.
LOSING ITS GRIP IN THE CITIES.
After expressing sympathy with his audience
that the manuscript, which he said contained a
number of well-rounded sentences, had been
lost, he addressed himself to the subject Of the
svangelization of cities. He spoke OF the tend
ency Of people to mass in cities and the grow
ing disproportion between the numbers In the
cities and In the country. Cities were the great
centers anu there largely the work of the church
must be DONE He thought that the church
was losing its grip on the city population and
said that there was not single city where
evangelical work was keeping pace with the
population. He cited the case of Chicago.
where in 1850 there was a church to every 400
Of population, while today the proportion was
one to 1900. He spoke Of the means adopted
to reach the masses Missions were mentioned
first and the speaker said that he regarded
them mere make-shifts. There ought to be.
he said, one place where the rich and poor can
meet together on an equal footing and where
no social lines are drawn, and this place should
be the church
OBJECTIONS TO SOME METHODS.
He objected to missions because they drew a
line of distinction which in religion ought not
to exist. He condemned also another method
of reaching the masses which he described as
the new museum plan. where attractions such
gymnasiums, reading rooms, entertain
ments, &c. were designed to draw people to
religious meetings The sophism induiging
this method, he said. was the implication that
the gospel Of Jesus Christ had ceased to be an
attractive force. He believed that the need of
the hour was the presentation to men of the
gospel message. That 10 what they wanted to
satisfy their longing. He then in Wig
orous terms spoke Of defects which existed
which prevented the delivery to men of
the gospel message with the force
and effectiveness that 1t was capable of. There
were, he said, three cabalistic words that would
yet catch the lapsed multitudes- These words
we're sincerity, hospitality and philanthropy.
The fret condition was to be met by ministers.
who were to convince men that they believed
the Bible to be the inspired word of God and
his true message to men from beginning to
end The speaker ridiculed the idea that the
Bible could be said to be inspired on matters
Of ethics and not in regard to science, geogra-
ply and other subjects He laid stress upon
the welcome which should be given to those
who seek to enter the churches. and, while he
believed in the system Of pew rents. yet he did
not consider that any man held the fee simple
title to q pew in any church A cordial well
come should be extended to all
PREsBYTERY REPORTS SUBMITTED.
Upon the conclusion Of the address a collec-
tion was taken up and the meeting came to an
end Before DIR. Burrell began to speak the
ANNUAL report Of the board Of directors and the
Chairman Of the finance committee, Rev T. s.
Tynkoop, made a statement From these
reports it was learned that the alliance had
secured the money for the payment of the
SO. 500, the price Of the ground wIe-e the rev
Eastern Presbyterian CtsTch was being erected,
with the exception OF q Balance of something
over $4,000.
Ex-Justice William Strong from the commit
tee on nominations reported the following
named for officers FOR the ensuing year, and
they we're elected:
President Rev. W. A. Bartlett. DID,: vice
presidents, Charles ID. Drake. William Ballan-
tyne. Charles Lyman; secretary. Rev Charles
Il Rarisdel; treasurer, Charles u. Bailey; di-
rectors. Rev. b i Bittinger, L. Moore Rev
Geo. o. Little. Daniel McFarlan. W D. Hughes.
Rev. l. 8 Wynkoop. C. H. Darlington. Jonn B.
Wight Rev. j. i. Kelly. Rev Geo b. Patch
Il d Wells, Rev. 7. s. Hainlin, DID,, II. h
Simpson and James H. Meriwether