The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-21

1am1n harrison ana j Onn Il. w an
amaker Among the Most Active
acknowledgements in the
South.
Eagle Lake, Ind, May 20.-There
were but two candidates for the
moderatorship of the Presbyterian
general assembly-Dr. Sheldon Jack
son, of the Home missionary and DR..
Henry c. Minton, the seminary pro-
fessor Both represent the work of the
church on the Pacific coast, but the
rank and file of the commissioners
rallied to the standard bearer of home
missions The politicians of the as
were treated to a great sur
prise, and the election of DR.. jackson,
by a vote of 313 to 23S, was%character-
lied by many delegates as a break
ing of the machine" 1t was claimed
as a victory for the more liberal branch
of the church. The new moderator, in
taking the chair, disclaimed any per-
sonal elements in his election, but
charged it to the desire of the church
to forward the home missionary work,
of which he is an exponent.
The meetings of the assembly have
arranged TO begin at 9 a. m. with
half hour devotional service and to
continue until noon. The afternoon
session will last from 2:3O until 5.
The assembly was opened with
prayer by DR.. Arthur ]. Brown, secre-
tary of the board OF foreign mission
aries. The devotional exercises were
conducted by DR.. John L. Withrow,
the retiring moderator. The scriptures
were read by DR.. George L. Sping, OF
Orange, n. j., and the assembly was
led in prayer by the Rev. DR.. Father
Byron Sunderland Of Washington. The
platform was occupied by number of
prominent divines. The opening SER
mon by retiring moderator DR.: With
row was upon 1.-The Chiefest Grace CT
Christianity" and was based on first
st. Peter, fourth chapter and eighth
verse.
DIR. WITHROW'S ADDRESS.
He first examined the nature of the
grace, saying that not a few confined
the idea of charity to aims giving. But
there was more than aims deeds meant
by the holy spirit when he bid US
above all things have fervent charity
yourselves. The substantive
term in the original, translated charity
in the text, was one of two that stood
for love in our language. 1t was not
love as defined in fuckers philosopy;
not as described in Tennyson's graceful
verse. 1t was not such love that holy
scripture extolled and called upon us
TO have among ourselves. The line of
definition must be dropped many a
fathom lower to touch the bottom sense
Of the divinest term. And when we
did take soundingS in the depths of
scripture, what riches were found re-
posing in that one little word love. For
It and it alone of the words of the
language was ample enough TO compre
bend, complete and crown our concep-
ton of God, for God is love-" Elm
mate from the gospel what il has con-
corning the love of God, and nothing
left would serve a human heart more
than an empty cupboard would a hun
CRY man. To make the message of
Gods love impressively plain was the
supreme responsibility of those who
knew it, more than to do anything
else.
Here, then, was discovered the
source and spring of the charity which
the text demanded. 1t was the deepest
must be kept beating in everyone who
would hope to pass the great crisis
which were yet to come on Christians
and the visible church. 1t was but as
we loved one another" that God
abideth in us" Thus the question of
1ne's intolerance towards others Of OPP
oosite opinion, practice and principles
vas made criterion of Christian char
acter.
He next considered the greatness of !
he need of this grace and said its pos
session alone proved one TO be mem
Der of the Lords body. Eloquence OF
Christian profession did not prove the
possession of Christian principles. /
Though he should subscribe his belief
n every vowel, point, paragraph and
1ortion of the Hebrew scriptures, and
o every accept and formation of the !
'eceived New Testament; and though !
lie were ready to drive out of the |
shurch, or to put to death any who
would not agree to such an extreme
doctrine of inspiration, yet if his heart |
we're not gentle and tolerant and ten
lerly careful of the faith and feelings 7,
# others. then he was nothing-"ouden |
.ini -of no account, according to |
oaul's estimate of what it took to make
| Christian. Let conscience do its |
perfect work and place each where he !
belonged, whether inside or outside the |
inc of believers.
We live in the most restless age
ur earth has had since Adam came |
pon it. Everywhere there was dis
uiet and dissatisfaction with existing |
ivil economic. social and religious /
onditions. Idolatries were dying and |
,theism was succeeding in heather /
tates because nothing better than the |
iscarded belief was offered in their |
tead And in countries where the |
ross of Christ had a supremacy over
II other insignia of religion, there
as a Withholding of acceptance of |
and a looSeness of LOYALTY |
4 many who did accept, which might /
yell awaken apprehension for the |
uture. And there was enough evil
ence to indicate that the intelligent
nd thoughtful were aDprehensive
or what plentiful devices were in
ented to induce the unchurched TO |
ONE into the fold? Even the sobriety (
nd solemnities OF religion was sacri-
ced TO sensati0nalism in the hope of
atching the careless. But the decoy
id not succeed more than fairly we'll
18th such as showed a studied shyness
the church. What would draw them?
Would wider learning and sharper
riticism of creeds multiply the fol-
,wers of Christianity? With all the
srvice that learning had rendered to
il had never been suf-
cient of itself to fill the empty pews
n Sunday, nor greatly multiply names
n the sacramento rolls. Still it was a
lost common remark that something
as wanting more than they had to
the religion they orofessed
/, those who were passing it by Was
lere any reasonable grounds for |
quitting that the topic pointed 10 the
apply ri the need, above all things
ave fervent love among yourselves"
Ould anyone estimate the salutary