Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-10-20
uEACOHS AND ELDERS
OF THE PREsBYTERIANC CHURCH
BEGIN THEIR WORK.
Opening Address by Rev. DIR. Smith
of Dailas-Prominent Members of
the Church Already Here.

The frst meeting Of the Presbyterian
elders and deacons opened at the First
Presbyterian church at o'clock last
night with prayer by Rev. Il, T.. Sheriff.,
followed by an Introductory address by
j. A. Creighton, presiding officer Of ,he
evening. Then followed an address by
DR. a. +. Smith, Of Dallas, Texas. He
said:
think this an omen Of good things
that God has put II into our hearts for
you to meet together and consider your
natural and relative duties as workers
in the church Of God You, Of course,
understand that you are not now to be
organized into q special court of the Lord
Jesus Christ; you are IN no sense TO be
4 legislative body, nor are you TO send
down any DEGREES to the church, but you
are to confer together us brethren and
cO-wnrkers In the general government
OF the church, and for the promotion Of
us spiritual and financial interests, and
to consider what can be done 10 render
the Presbyterianism that we believe in
aud the Pfesbyterianlsm that We would
extend. more effective In carrying out
Gins glorious commission that we believe
we have received from the Master.
IL was my privilege, aR you have
been informed, 10 be delegate last
year, September, 1902, to the pan-Pres-
bytelian council which met IN Toronto
Canada think | can truthfully. say
that l cannot imagine more august, sub
lime and magnificent spectacle than that
body Of men They were brought to-
gether because they sought the same
gtcnt end. There were divers tongues.
Men brought together because OF the
same international spirituality, sympathy
and brpthegly love. Men there from ey-
erywherr, aud there as Cdlyinistic Pres
byterians. There was q man from Asia
. g..
sionuries from Africa. from Turkey.
from Jgian, from China, and from all
over Europe aud America, represent
ing in that body OF about 800 meu, nine
ty-Onc PreSOy teriun organizations Some
lad 60 have theig addrcsses interpreted
for them, foe they spoke In strange
tongues; but theii souls gluwci with
the same glorious triumphant history Of
l'rcsbytcranism; and, u / looked at
that assembly, | remarked TO II brother:
'lt appcus 10 me that every man here
bears ia his cOuutCnauce this kind of
a resolution, i viii lay my head ON Il
block, and I will have the filling axe
20 sever it from the body before l will
give UP the Gni1ous principles that be-
long to our historic presbyteriunism. "
SO they looked. 10 they tulked. SO they
iet aud 50 they acted Then, again,
another feature with regard to that body
OF nohle men was that they were men
Of tricl spirits They were men who
knew what Il was 10 be In the dust
and hwt VI 'rtlHC md when 10 honor
Christ and the church was 10 be opposed
by human organizations. htunnn cOncep-
ions, and human cXpcdiencics-an all
for the love of Chest
To the law and to the testimony what
Christ commands, as the great head Of
the church we must do; what Christ does
NOT comnnud, We dare not do. So. ii
was just simply 10 the plain, positive
declaration Of Gods word that we could
appeal, aud upon these declarations we
were TO stand These men, too, had in
their VEINS blood that Lad given honor
and glory to the human family. There
was IN their veins the blood of men who
have laid down Heir lives for tile cause
OF Christ presidiug over that body was
the venerable DR.. Bluikcv of old Scot.
land, WHO can trace his lineage back 10
where Ills iore-fathers laid down their
lives for Iresby tcrianism. II was not a
conjured Christianity for the facts In
Scotcl. history bore lin out In H. They
gloritd In tie fac. that they belonged To
the martyr church, u church that Inns
gwen more maryrts to the cause OF Christ
than all 0tEcr organizations combined
They could trace tllcir lineage back 10 he
tine when IL required principle to stand
against that opposition. aud a c6Hyicti1n
OF right TO contend against tho powers
that opposed u.em, honuring faith IN
Tod aud earnestly following Jesus
CHRIST Tor, even unto death, they Were
ready to resist, striving against sin, for.
brethren. you of thc. elders and dpncons'
convention must remember that Won be-.
long TO an historic church.
Dr. Smith then gave an Interesting
history OF The church and the devotion
81 Prcsbyterians to civil and religious
liberty.
Today The REGULAR work will begin.