Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-05
CRITICS ARE HEARD
Plain Talk From Members of Presby-
terian Alliance.
PROGRAM OF SESSION DISAPPROVED
Resolution Aimed at Assumption"
of the Mormon Church.
THANKS FOR COURTESIES

The seventh days session of the Pan
Presbyterian Alliance was begun this morn
ing in the New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church. Tomorrow will be the closing day
of the council, and the indications of the
early breaking up are in evidence. 1t may
be said that the delegates will go away
from the city with most pleasant recollec-
lions of the hospitality which has been
shown them during their stay here.
They are delighted with the local ar
engagements made for their reception and
entertainment. and are profuse in their ex-
pressions to Rev. DIR. Radcliffe, the chair
man Of the local committee of arrange
ments, for the efficient manner In which
the duties of the committee have been dis
charged. Perhaps the event that is most
prominent in the recollection of the dele
gates in connection with their visit to the
city, is their reception by the President OF
the United States at the White House.
honor. but they appreciate most heart
lily all that has been done for their COM
fort and pleasure. This feeling on the part
of the delegates will find expression In APP
propriate resolutions before the final i'd
journment.
Devotional exercises were conducted at
the beginning of the session this morning
by Rev. DR.. e. V. Gerhart, the president
o
formed Church in the United States at
Lancaster Pa. DIR. Gerhart presided at
the morning session and the president OF
the alliarce DIR. Lang, occupied chalr
on the platform. 1t is the custom to desig-
nate some one to preside at each of the
three daily sessions, SO that these usual
duties Of presiding officer are performed
by goodly number of delegates
A number of matters and the conclusions
upon them reached by the business com
mittee were reported by the chairman,
Rev. DR.. Kerr, and approved by the coun-
Gil.
PrOteats Filed.
The consideration Of these reports was
by the earnest protests made
by several delegates against the contln-
uance of the present policy Of referring all
matters to committees and officials which,
it was stated, should be taken up and act
ed upon by the alliance itself. Earnest
speeches were made, and it was asserted
that If this plan We're continued the al
lance would go to pieces from want OF
something to do. 1t was emphatlcally de-
clared that the function of the alliance was
not merely to assemble and listen to the
reading of papers.
A resolution was offered by General John
Eaton, condemning the assumption of Nor
monism that it has divinely inspired
Bible, and stating that since Utah was ad-
mitted as q state the MormonS nave re-
newed their pretensions. For this reason,
as the resolution expresses 1t. the alliance
declares that the followers OF Mormonism
have no fellowship with Christian churches
and warns all against its delusive teach
ingS
The resolution was referred to the bust
ness committee, as was also another reso-
luton offered by General Eaton. recon-
mending to all directors of Christian in
situations of learning that the Bible be In
cluded in all the periods of instruction.
General Eaton said he had found In some
sh,ytn ian
that the Bible was little regarded in the
teachings.
Members Indulge in Criticism.
The order for the day was then
rounced to be a discussion of means for
making the alliance more efficient. The
debate was opened by Rev. DR.. Beatty of
Louisville, KY, who said that there had
been a good deal of complaint and criticism
of the conduct of the sessions of the alli
ance thus far. He thought that i'm
prOVement could be made by giving more
publicity in the preparation for the work
of the alliance; more elasticity and spon-
taniety in it's proceedings, and a little more
courage with a wider outlook toward the
horizon of the current questions. He spoke
especially of the necessity of the alliance
facing the question of biblical criticism
He continued in rather scathing criticism
of the program of the present meeting,
while disclaiming any personal reflection
upon those responsible Tor II.
1t is asserted that the program is pract1-
cally the work of Rev. DIR. Roberts. the
American secretary. who sat in his place
listener to the discussion.
The next speaker, Rev. DR.. Hays of Colo
RADIO spoke in much the same vein as
did the previous speaker He deprecated
the discussion of Calvin and his work, and
the ignoring of the practical questions Of
the day. He said the future of the alliance
was threatened unless its efforts were d.
rected into more practical channels.
A protest was made by the next speaker
Rev. DIR. John c. Bowman of Lancaster,
Pa, against what he termed the narrow
ness that has been so prominent here. He
asserted that the praises Of the great re-
former had been sounded at the expense Of
the Christ. He said he had been panied to
hear the sermon preached at the opening of
the session of the alliance, in which higher
criticism had been tried and condemned
without a chance for hearing on the
floor of the alliance. He made plea for
fairness in this matter and fairness also
for a school of thought which, he asserted
has done much for the enlargement and ex-
tension of the Christian faith.
President Lang's Views.
President Lang also took part in the
discussion and expressed himself as being
III sympathy with much that had been said
in regard to the sessions of the alliance.
He thought the subjects ought not to be
of such an academic character and that
the addresses should be on the living QueS-
tions of the day. He believed there were
too many papers read-in fact, more than
ii was possible to digest. He favored CIV
ing greater spontaniety to the proceedings
by providing more time for discussion.
The trend of the discussion was expressed
in resolution offered that the program
committee at the next meeting limit the
papers to fifteen minutes each and allow
time for discussion.
Rev. j. A. Macdonald Of Montreal, Can
ada, contended that the liberation of di
vergent views on critical and theological
questions which characterized the churches
represented in the alliance should charac-
ter.ze the program and discussion of the
councils. The churches are not either lib
oral conservative. neither should the
program be. Men in this council ought not
to be branded as liberal or conservative.
The criticism of the program as showing
a discrimination in favor of one party in
the church was also expressed by Rev. DR..
Patterson, and this brought Rev. DR.. Rob-