Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-22
PAN PRESBYTERIANS.
Representatives of ALI Sects of That
Form of Christianity
CONVENE AT TORONTO, CANADA.
Rev. Prof Blaikie's Inaugural Address
Speaks Of Good Results.
THE FIRST OF A NOTABLE GATHERING

TORONTO Sept. 21.-One of the greatest
conventions ever held in this city opened at
IL O'Clock this morning, when began a ten
days' session of the Pan Presbyterian AL
lance, or, to give it its full title, 1.-THE
Fifth General Council of the Alliance OF
Reformed Churches Holding the Presby-
terian System" The first of these councils,
which are held every four years, was held
in Edinburgh in 1876 The Others since
J in 1880; in Belfast, in 1884, and in London,
in 1888.
To-day there are in the city about 200
delegates, comprising ministers and elders,
and this number will be increased by over
100 more ere the session closes Every
denomination which is in any way con-
Quoted on Presbyterian principles is repre-
sented
At the Belfast convention the proposal to
establish Consensus Creed" was aband-
oned, but there is probability of the SUBJ
ject being renewed at this gathering
The Various Denominations Represented
The 315 delegates to the Alliance repre-
sent a grand total of 8, 363 209 communi-
cants, 7S branches of the church andl about
30 nationalities The churches represented
are the English Presbyterian Church, the
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland,
the Free Church Of Scotland, the Presby-
terian churches of Australia, the Presby-
terian and Reformed churches of the conti-
nent of Europe, the Presbyterian Church of
Canada, the Reformed churches of the
United States, the United Presbyterian
Church of North America, the PRESBYTERIAN
Church in the United States, the General
Synod Reformed Germany Church in the
United States, the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, the Church of Scotland, the Re-
formed Presbyterian Church Original
Secession), the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist
Church and the Irish Presbyterian Church.
Rev. DR.. Caven preached an instructive
sermon, taking for his text St. John, xvi, 13:
"Howbeit, when He,. the Spirit of truth, is
come; He will guide you into all truth; for
He shall not speak of Himself; but what
soever He shall hear, that shall He speak;
and He will show you things to come"
The Work OF the Lords Spirit.
DR. Caven said that while He was with
them, the Lord was teacher and instructor
of the apostles; but when He was gone, his
spirit was to carry on the work. Though
they, under his instructions, had learned
much, there was yet much for them to
learn of the new dispensation. and this they
were to obtain through His spirit. Though
they had learned much, they had not COM
pretended all.
Many things which he had said needed to
be recalled and elucidated until they became
familiar This spirit was to reveal new
truths and teach them things to come. He
was to disappear, and every truth and sig
nifcance of himself was to be made clear
by his going, and many things were to be
made clear in the epistles that were not in
the gospels No writings will ever attain
the beauty and value of these canonical
epistles; nor was the meaning of these
words exhausted in their application to the
apostles. Even his children had to learn
the great principles Of Christianity, which
were to be taught by the spirit of God
This spirit reveals no truth not revealed in |
the Written Werd, but rather consists in |
the application Of such revealed trnth
A ATypical Nineteenth Century City.
The promised guidance of the spirit in its |
bearings on theology was more to speak of |
the spiritual, and 1t is necessary to proper |
of doctrinal truth, as In times |
of genuine revival, that theology receives |
its greatest benefits
Rev. Pref. Blaikie, of Edinburgh, Presi-
dent of the Alliance. delivered his inaugu-
raj address, 10 the opening of which he re-
terred to meeting in the beautiful and pros
porous city of Toronto product Of the
nineteenth century, and he also congratu-
lated Toronto as being raised to the emi-
nence of such cities as Edinburgh, London,
Belfast and Philadelphia in the estimation
of the great body of Presbyt erians.
During the past four years the reverend
gentleman said many of the most notable
Of the men who had been prominent in the
of the Alliance had passed away,
in the persons of such as Eugene Washer
and Allesandro Gavattzi whose work in
France and Italy, respectively, was re-
DR.. Donald Fraser, once minis
ter of Canada, but later of London; Prof.
Emslie, DR.. Whigham, of Ballinasloe; DR..
Alexander M. Somerville, of Glasgow, a
modern apostle; DR.. John Cairns, of Edin-
ourgh, one of the pillars of the Alliance;
Prof. Ransom Welsh, of Auburn Univer-
'ity; DR.. w. j. n. Taylor, OF New York;
Dr.. E D. Jenkin, Rev. George Smith, the
loted missionary. DR.. Howard Crosby, the
,reat moral reformer; DR.. Van Dyke, of
New York; Dr.. Vance, of ST. Louis, and
many others.
Great Conventions of Other Sects,
Since the last meeting in London two
councils had been held In connection with
'ehOi uiouCHCS VI tuc CuuTCu-GuS great |
Methodist gathering at Washington In 1890
ind the conference of Congregationalists in
London last year. Both these gatherings
lad been the cause of great good.
So, too in reviewing the history of the
Presbyterian Alliance from its establish
nent, he could say, although he had his
doubts at the outstart, that it had been re-
ultant of the greatest amount of good
Evil what had sneeringly been predicted
had not come to pass, but the gathering
rom all parts of the world had vastly
the various branches of the Pres
,yterian faith, the delegates of which had
net on common ground. Ideas had been
'rofitably exchanged and views broadened,
md there was every indication that the
stability of the Alliance was assured, and
hat it would endure to be lasting medium
or the general advancement of their faith.
After the appointment of committees the
Alliance adjourned to partake of luncheon
n the Horticultural pavilion, where it
las been arranged they will lunch every
lay of the session.