The San Francisco call., 1896-08-11
Interesting Review Of the Metho-
dist Churches in
Japan.
BIBLE INSTITUTE DISCUSSED.
Rev. DR.. Herriott Compares the Right
and the Wrong Method
of Study.

The ministerial organizations were re-
galed yesterday with various spicy and
interesting papers, one of the most impor-
tant being that of DR.. G. c. Herriott, who
expounded the study of the Bible to his
brethren assem- bled at the Presbyterian
Occidental Mission, on Sacramento street.
There are two ways of studying the
Bible" said DR.. Herriott. lone man
would start out with system and ideas
of his own and make the Bible what he
believed it TO be.
The fundamental step in studying the
Bible, he emphasized, was to study it in
the latter way-to receive it as the word of
God. We must trust in and obey the
teachings of the Bible, and not discount
Gods promises. He believed that it is the
best and only book to put into the hands
of those inclined to skepticism. The
trouble with most people, he explained, is
that they expect to master the book by
devoting fifteen or twenty minutes day
to studying it, while those who had be-
come profound scholars in biblical themes
had been known to devote houys every day
to studying it.
The best method, in his opinion, is to
study the different books of the Bible in
their historic order. By the use of map
Dr. Herriott then illustrated PauPs three
great journeys, and said everybody should
be so well acquainted with the topography
of the Holy Land that every allusion made
would be distinctly understood.
The trouble with latter-day evangelists,
he noted lay in the fact that they are in
many instances indifferently educated and
study the Bible only topically.
Rev. Herbert n. Bevier, in discussing the
paper, said he visited the Moody Bible
Institute in Chicago last year and thought
a similar one here would be vast benefit
to the public at large.
Rev. Nh Burnham stated that he be-
heved there would be large field for the
education of Christian laymen in the insti-
tute if established here. Others followed,
and the idea was generally favored.
The regular semi-annual convention of
the Presbytery of this City, it was stated,
will be held in Calvary Church Monday
evening, August II. 1t will be rally of
the missionary societies OF the Presbytery
and the programme will be participated in
by various workers.
"a Vigorous Observation-Disclosures" was
the title of the paper read before the Con-
gregational Monday Club in the parlors of
the Grand Hotel by Rev. J. K. Mclean.
The main idea OF the paper is that this
Christian body should endeavor to dis
tinguish itself by its honesty individual
ity and conscientiousness in the work of
the master.
Professor Lloyd, in discussing the paper,
was impressed with the lack of co-opera-
ton in the church. Other denominations,
he said, had hobbies, but the Congrega-
tionalists had none and should center
their energies on aggressiveness.
Rev. Mr.. Perkins thought true Congre-
gationalism a symbol for Christian life
Miss Anthony made plea to the minis
ters to ask the women of their congrega-
tions to endeavor to influence their hus-
bands in voting on the woman suffrage
amendment.
The devotions of the Methodists were
led by Rev. D. Heacock. The event of the
day was a review of DR.. J. A. Gordon's
book, 1.-THE Christ of To-day" by DR.. a.
]. Nelson.
He considered the book unphilosophi-
cal, unscriptural and deleterious to So
clety. His reasons for this caustic criti-
cism were that the book rejects the doc-
trine of the Holy Trinity and reduces the
divine Savior to the level of an educated
man. 1t also teaches the final restoration
OF all men after death, rejects the scrip.
tural doctrine of atonement and substi-
tutes intellectual development.
The paper was discussed by DR.. w. W.
Case, DR.. Carroll, Rev. w. S. Urmy, Rev.
DR.. Thompson, Rev. H. !. Calls and DR..
Bovard. Their opinions were commenda-
tory.
Yoitsu Honda, general superintendent
of the Methodist Church in Japan, gave a
short but interesting discourse on Oriental
Methodism. He said independent church
government there is not at present desir-
able.
The meeting of the Christian ministers
was taken out of the routine by the read
ing of spicy paper, entitled elements
of Evolution IN the Church of Christi by
the Rev. J. William Hudson. The paper
was devoted to comparison of the con-
stitution of the United States with the
fundamental principles of Christianity,
showing that the principles themselves
are not to be considered the sum total of
all Christian evolution, but simply the
basis, and that the ideal itself must be
worked out through the centuries.