The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-20
PwRBSBY7ERIAuS MEET.
The Seventy-fifth Annual
Session of the New Jer-
sey Synod Opens in
Plainfield.
REV. SYLVESTER BEACH's SERMON
The Three Types Of Civilization
Discussed Missions Consider
cd at the Evenings
Session.
REV. SYLVESTER BEACH's SERMON
Especial to .The Jersey city News."l

PLAINFIELD, Oct. 20, 1S97.-The sew
| enty-ffth annual session of the synod be-
gan yesterday afternoon in the Crescent
Avenue Presbyterian Church. Several
committees held meetings earlier in the
day, notably hat of synodical home mis-
sions, although Rev. job Dixon, D.. D..
the chairman, was unable to be present,
having been detained in his parish.
The devotional exercises of the opening
! session were conducted by Revs. Albert s.
| Erdman, D. D.; moderator, B. s. Everltt,
D.. D., and Daniel R. Foster. The latter,
in his prayer, made a touching refernece to
the Affections through which the modera-
tor had been called to pass during the
past year.
The sermon was by Rev. Sylvester w.
Beach, the vice moderator, from the text,
Matt. xiv, 19:-And he ave the loaves TO
the disciples and the disciples to the null
titude.
The preacher shows that Jesus calls the
disciples, the church, to service, and that
this service is the law of membership
among his disciples.
Service is the basis of moral and natu-
raj government. God seeks cooperation.
While there is present the supernatural.
the first cause, it is arrested as soon as
the second cause can operate. The mirac-
| ulous retreats and the natural are made
| prominent. This point was illustrated by
reference to the miracle at Cana and in
the raising of Lazarus.
When Jesus gave the commission to
the church there was the supernatural.
Behind it was the completed atonement.
The spirit was to come down. But on
the other hand the church was human.
The agencies were natural. The second
portion of the discourse was devoted to
showing that truth works along law.
Some one has recently said that there are
three types of civilization. First, the
oriental, which is set; second, the Greco
Roman, characterized by culture and
force, and yet it failed. Mr.. Beach re-
ferred to the picture of this civilization
as given in Quo Vadis." Third. the
| Christian. There is something at the bot
tom of this that differentiates it from
the others-the idea of brotherhood.
Where else do you find anything akin to
il? Out of this grows the law of service,
1t is involved in the essence of the Gospel.
In fact, the Gospel has been made to
hinge on 1t. In its essence it is giving,
not receiving. Missions are not an after
thought; they are the foundation of the
church.
The evidence we need for Christianity
is not a theoretical defense. but one that
shall show itself by doing good, making
the church militant a missionary society
for giving bread to a hungering world.
The last thought was that we are called
to a chosen service, TO live for and ave
others. This Gospel that helps me leads
me To want to help YOU.
The sermon was an excellent one, and
held the attention of synod to the close
There were many expressions of %approba-
ton heard at the close.
At the administration of the Lords
Supper, the Moderator presided. Rev.
Albert S. Icrdnlan, D. d.. served the
bread, and Rev. George Swain, d. D.. of
Allentown, the cup. Twelve elders as
sisted. Cornelius Sheppard, NJ. D., and
Caleb +. quick were the representatives
| from the Presbytery of New Brunswick.
The Synod was constituted with prayer
) by the Moderator at go O'Clock The roll
was called by Rev. Walter A. Brooks,
| D D.. the stated clerk. There was a
| large attendance of commissioners, es-
pecially from the northern part Of the
ly all on hand. Hon. William NJ, Lanning
1 appeared to make his first report.
Rev John A. Liggett. D. D.. Of the
Presbytery Of Elizabeth, was unanimous
| chosen moderator. In taking the chair,
DR.. Liggett said that he had been a menu
Der of this synod for ~thirty-three years.
Rev. w. x. Richards, ID, pastor OF the
report of the committee of arrangements,
which was adopted. Synodtcal home mis-
sions will come up on Wednesday morn
ing at 1879 O'Clock. Rev. w. A. Brooks,
| d. d. presented the report of the stated
clerk just before the afternoon recess.
The neurological report will be read at the
/ devotional exercises on Wednesday MORN
ing inst before the noon recess.
The evening session was devoted to mis-
sions. The first address was by Rev.
| Charles l.. Thompson. D. D.. who is con-
sidered one of the most famous piaIIoi m
orators in the Presbyterian church. His
subject was Home Missions, although
not a little of his contention was to
make his hearers believe that there was
really no lire between home and foreign
missions, DR.. Thompson had little SYM
Christ. back to the apostles. We are
where we are. and a n get back TO the
apostles, nor to Christ. 1t is better to get
in touch with the times in which one lives
than to shake hands with Peter and Paul.
Continuing. the speaker said that the per-
manence of foreign missions depends
upon the permanence of America, and the
-permanence of America depends upon CIV
ing the people the Gospel. Herbert Spen-
Ger declared that the mixture of races
in America made the ideal man, for the
ded the ideal man needed to have given
trutiI. Lord Macaulay said that this
/ country was TOO DiB ,fllldl IL WOulu break
in two from its own weight. 1t looked,
Il generation ago, as though his prediction
would come true. Blu the real danger
that threatens this country is not its size,
hut that it will not have the righteous
ness of Jesus Christ.
With reference to the debt Upon the
board, DR.. Thompson thought that the
way to liquidate was by marching for
ward.
The last speaker of the evening was
Rev. F. c. Brown. D. D., secretary of the
Board of Foreign Missions. He began
by asking, 'Watchman, of the
night?" His answer was two fold.
Abroad, he said, everything was encourag-
ing. The speaker rapidly rehearsed
what had been accomplished in the
foreign work during the past hundred
years; and the showing certainly was no
mean one.
But when he turned to the condition at
home, the aspect changed nightly. Here
the situation was not bright. DR.. Brown
quoted the declaration of another to the
effect that the great problem now was
not the conversion of the heather, but
the church at home. With reference. to
the debt upon the board. he declared that
the word had been for the past few years,
retrench. retrench. until he, for one, could
vote for no more retrencl1ment. The
church should sound q call for an advance
all along the line.
An innovation in the synodical meeting
occurred when Rev. George X. Newell of
Hope Chapel. Plainield, called together
the chapel ministers of the synod. They
met in his chapel at IL o'clock, the fol-
lowing ministers being presents. J. Nc
| ClenaghanAof East Orange, S. d. Price of