Evening journal., 1899-09-28
WORLD PRESBY1ERIAkS.
Opening of the Great Meeting
in Washington Yesterday.
RECEIVED BY THE PRESIDENT


TEN TO INTERESTING AID
DRESSES BY REV. DIR. LANG, OF
SCOTLAND, AND PROFESSOR De
WITT, OF PRINCETON UNIvER-
sITY.
Washington, Sept. 2S.-President Nc
Kinley last evening received in the
East Room OF the White House the 200
delegates to the seventh Pan-Presby-
terian Council, whose sessions began
yesterday morning in the New York
Avenue Presbyterian Church. Invita-
tions to tho reception embraced only
the delegates and their wives, and
were mailed personally to the guests.
A hundred and fifty delegates and
thousand visitors, including many Of
the Washington clergy, were in attend
ance at the morning session Of the
council The auditorium was profusely
decorated with palms and smilax, a
mass Of the latter foliage hanging from
the rostrum recess. After an organ
voluntary and the singing of the
Gloria Patri,' Rev. William Hatton, Of
the First Presbyterian Church, Birkin-
head, England, made the invocation,
which was followed by the saying Of
the Lords prayer in concert and the
reading Of a psalm, the singing Of
Praise Coo From Whom All Blessings
Flow" Rev. DR.. Robson, pastor of st.
Nicholas Presbyterian Church, Aber-
deem, and moderator of the United
Presbyterian General Assembly, Scot
land, offered prayers. and the church
quartet sang an anthem.
The opening sermon was delivered
by Rev. Professor John Dewitt, of
Princeton Theological Seminary, who
took for his text / Peter, /, 2S; Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the Word Of God
which liveth and abideth forever"
The benediction was pronounced by
Rev. DR.. Robert f. semple. of New
York city, moderator of the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
in the United States.
In the afternoon the roll of delegates
was called by Rev. DR.. G. d. Mat
thews, Of London. general secretary oi
the council. showing these countries
represented: Austria, Austria Hungary
Belgium. East Friesland, France, Ger
many, Greece, Italy, Russia, Spain
Switzerland, Ceylon. China, Japan
Cape Of Good Hope, Orange Free State
Natal Australia, New Zealand. Tit
United States and Canada provided
over a hundred delegates. Scotland
over thirty, ireland and England onl,
half a dozen each. The report of thu
Executive Commission was accepted q!
read. A resolution was accepted to the
effect that all visiting clergymer
should be considered corresponding
members Of the Council.
After the acceptation Of the treas
urer's statement, General Secretary
Matthews anRounced that the Counci
was now fully organized.
Rev. DR.. J. Marshall Lang. ministe
of the Barony Church, Scotland, il
which post he succeeded the noted ID
Norman Macleod, ex-moderator of tn
Church of Scotland and president o
the present council, made the addres
of the afternoon, under the subject
"Tfhe Permanent and the Progressiv
in Doctrine and Ministry"
DIR. Lang offered sincere ana heart
thanks to the council for electing hiI
primus interDares in an organizatio
rspres enting eighty-six churches an
more than 22,OOO.O 900 souls. The poWe
and Authority of the Council al
moral, not legislative It's object is It
guicle and stimulate public sentiment.
Tn ere is a permanent but there is ais
a progressive element in Christia
faith and action. A common Presby
serian offers a happy mean between
fnality which threatens to subhlere
even the essentials OF Christianity an
a solidity so hard and stiff that th
place of broad rivers and streams"
u ndiscerned.
Rev. Or. Wallace Radcliffe, pastor {
lthe New York Avenue Presbyteria
Church, made an address OF welcom
tinged with humor. He outlined th
form and face of the composite Presby
lterian, whose head is Scotch
hard, lumpy and brainy; who's
heart is Hugusnot in warmt
lof telling and purpose; who's
bound to get there" and whose wit
of the keen, bounding Irish variety.
Rev. DR.. John Robson, Of the Unite
Presbyterian Church, Aberdeen, SEQ
land, offered a resolu ton to the effe'
THAT council should send fraterni
greetings to the Con zregation Council
now holding in Bos ton, Mass. tt