The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-30
A MINISTER'S FAREWELL.
Rev. J. Q. Adams Addresses
the Presbyterian Clergy
men.
Ira p. Rankin Disapproves of
Taxing Church Prop
erty.

Rev. j. ". Adams SAID farewell to the
Presbyterian Ministerial Union yesterday
morning in an address which will prob
ably be his last before leaving for the East
His subject was ir regard to the impress
sions which had been left upon him during
his recent five months absence in the
Atlantic States.
DR.. Adams began by stating that he had
come across missionaries from nearly every
part of the world and prominent preachers
of many denominations within the United
States.
1.-The first thought that has struck me, u
he said, from meeting them is that there
is a ferment in the church generally of
W hich we are scarcely aware on the Pacific
Coast. There is a feeling that the church
confronts new problems and must face the
new conditions if triumph is to be won
for the Redeem er's kingdom l do not
agree with DR.. Heron in everything, but
| do agree with him that we are on the
eve of great moral and religious revolu-
ton such as the world has never known"
Allusion was then made to DR.. Ashmore,
the representative Baptist missionary, who
has spent forty-tive years in China.
''And he told me secretly that he was
going back there, continued Mr.. Adams,
'because he expected to witness tremen-
dous upheavals within the next ten or
fifteen years. / have not such faith in
the AnglO-Saxon race as to believe it is so
superior to any other that God can use it
alone. He can use India or China just as
well for evangelizing the world, and if we
are not true to our mission we shall be set
aside. | agree with DR.. Heron that the
work being done by individuals makes
magnificent showing, but Christianity does
not control the business and social condi-
tons of this country as it ought"
The speaker then stated his belief that
people were beginning to realize this. and
stated as significant fact that recent
works by Kidd, an extreme evolutionist,
Balfour, politician, and Romanes, an
agnostic, all allude to Christianity as the
only organized force capable of solving
the present social problems,
Another thing which struck me-" he
said, twas the amount of evangelistic work
that is being done in the church at large.
Cornell University has had its first great
revival. Oberlin has been evangelical"
DR.. Adams then spoke in high terms of
the evangelist, DR.. Chapman, and con-
Guided by thanking his brethren for the
interest and friendship they had shown
during the years he had spent in their
midst.
In the discussion on the paper
number OF the pastors agreed
IL,
ever, said that ever since he could
remember some one had been saying that
something was going to happen, and with
regard to theology he desired to enter re-
spectful protest. In an executive session,
held after the meeting, it was decided to
bring DIR. Chapman to San Francisco next
autumn.
Ira P Rankin addressed the Congrega
tional Monday Club yesterday on 1.-THE
Taxation of Church Property" He con-
tended that the church itself and the
church buildings should be exempt from
taxation, but not those buildings held for
revenue. In New England days church
membership and citizenship were practi-
cally identical, and it is easy to see that in
meeting house would not be taxed any
more than the town hall. The majority of
men believe churches to be useful institu-
tons and Christian men and women con-
slider them necessity
The speaker went on to say that the laws
of California treat churches exactly as
other property and that it might be CON
sldered hardship to tax what was needed
for the public good.
In the discussion DIR. Williams said that
the tax was drain on the country
churches especially. 1.-The church is sns
tanned by the voluntary gifts of the few,
and to put tax on this is to tax the con-
gregation twice over"
At the conclusion of the discussion DR..
Rominger proposed vote of thanks to DR..
Heron for his address before the Congre-
gational Club two weeks ago. The motion
was carried with only one dissenting voice,
that of G. o. Brown.
at the Methodist Preachers Club YES
terday Rev. w. r. Goodwin read paper
on Conference Week.
Rev. J. A, Emery has accepted call to
the Episcopal Church of the Advent, in
this City.