Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-02
Definite Action Taken by Presbyterian
General Council, ii m
GATHERING TO TAKE PLACE In 1904
Subjects Discussed in the Papers
Read Today
G. EN- Err AL DISC q S S ION

| The fourth days session of the Pan
| Presbyterian Alliance was begun this morn
ing in the New York Avenue Presbyterian
| Church. The delegates had not met to-
| gether except in social way, since the
| close of the session Friday night, as Sat
| urcay was observed as a no iday, and, of
| course, no meetings were held Sunday.
Yesterday was not idle day, however,
| for the delegates, large number, oc-
| cupied the city pulpits. The sermon by
| Rev. DR.. Lang, the president of the alli-
arce, at the New York Avenue Church
! yesterday morning, and the one by Rev.
DR.. William Watson at the Church of the
| Covenant were listened to by large num-
! Der of the delegates who had not preach
ing appointments. The interest displayed
| by the members of the alliance in the SER
mons by these divines was marked.
| Rev. Dr. Lang has been asked to furnish
| the manuscript of his discourse for publ
| cation III pamphlet form. His theme was
| The Unity of the Church. and while. he
| said. the church is one it is not SO in uni
| formity. He declared that a statement of
| faith and faith itself are quite different.
| When the hour arrived for beginning the
| session this morning there was but q
| small proportion of the delegates present.
| a few, scattered here and there through
| out the section of the church reserved for
| the members of The alliance, represented
| tut entire bOIy OF the delegates during the
! devotional exercises, which We're conducted
| 10y Key. Or. Nc kickar of Montreal, Canada
In the galleries and in the space on the
| nam floor set apart for the public We're
| only few people. AS the session wore
| Oh, however the number of delegates as
we'll as of spectators, increased, SO that the
| attendance during the latter part of the
| morning was quite equal to that of the pre-
| ctGing days. DR.. McNickar, who is the
president of the Presbyterian Theological
College of Montreal continued in the chair
as the presiding officer. The minutes of the
last meeting were read and approved.
Reception of Churches.
The report of the committee on reception
of churches recommended that the applica-
ton of The synod of Brazil for admission,
not being in form. be returned with that
explanation. Favorable action was re-
ported upon the application for admission
of the Reformed Church of Pittsburg and
Ontario, respectively.
The report amended by the adoption
of a resolution that as the application for
the synod of Brazil conformed in spirit, if
not in letter, with the regulation of the al
lance the application be granted. The re-
port as a whole was then adopted.
Rev. Or. Kerr, the chairman of the bust
ness committee. made d report, the princi-
pal feature OF which was the recommended
ton lat the next meeting of the alliance
be held in 1904. AS this was an extension
OF the period from four to five years the
to be made. DR.. Kerr said in reply that one
object in liking the date was to avoid the
time OF the presidential campaign in this
country. As the meeting is to be held next
time abroad, and the date will be in the
summer time and the election in this coun-
try Will be IN the fan, he said laughingly
1t was concluded by the committee that the
campaign could proceed without the aid of
the American delegates ProCeeding in
the same Vein, he said it was not thought
desirable to have the conference meet in
| ms country III a president al year. and add
cd, lestingly, that perhaps those from
abroad would not feel safe here during the
tNc'tohleht 81 such a campaign. This pro-
Reference was made to the nroner in+ar-
NaI between the meetings of the council
| rev j. ~ Macdonald, editor of the West
| minister, Toronto, said the council could not
| u" Snllltd about to suit political elections.
| In his opinion the quality of the progra m
| was of more Importance. Is there any
| hope. he asked, that the program commit
| tee Will be able or willing to present sub
| jectS of living interest? The program of
| this council ne went on, seems to have used
| up all the committees materials and if
| nothing ffesher and more vital than the
| very venerable. settled lean and unprofit-
| able subjects is available, five years is
| too short an interval between councils.
/ ', hat profit, he asked is there in the dis
| cussion Of subjects out of which all interest
| was threshed at previous councils and long
! before The alliance was organized?
If the committee he said, will put up a
! program such as will command the best
work of the best men in the churches, deal
| ing with the great problems of modern the
! oIoe-v, churcn life, sociology and missions
now pressing in all the churches, no presi-
| Dental election will he able 10 take the
| wind out of the councils sails. If not let
! the sessions wait until something worth
| Ten years hence would be early enough,
| he added under such conditions:
| The alliance fixed upon the time for the
| next meeting to be in 1904, as recommended
| Inv the committee, and after cordial words
| of invitation from Rev. William Hutt3n
| and Rev William Watson. representing the
| nresbvtery of Liverpool, England, the coun-
| ell accepted an invitation to hold the next
| meeting in that city in 1904
| Dr. Hutton, in the course OF MS remarks
| referred in a complimentary way to me
| bosnita1ffy shown the delegates in this city
| and said while they in Liverpool could not
| hone to surpass 1t, they would endeavor to
| equal 1t.
Methods and Tendencies.
| The first paper of the morning was read
| by Rev ]. w. Beardslee. DID. of Holland,
| Mich whose subject was Recent Apollo
| getic ..ethods and Tendencies. He spoke
| of the willingness of apologists to modify
| the form of argument to avoid conflicts
| with science and philosophy. Then the
| speaker took up what proved to be OF
great interest to his hearers, and that was
| the relation of higher criticism to discus
| sion of the Bible. The older writers, he
| said accepted the Scriptures as they found
| them, and assumed that the traditional
| view of the Bible was correct. Today. he
| said. the situation was changed. and 1t was
| argued that before any argument could be
| based on the Scriptures the words of the
| Bible must be studied and perhaps
| changed
| The sneaker said the treatment of the
| situation that now confronted the student
| of the Bible is diverse. Some refuse to adj
| nit the claims of modern criticism and ig-
| more its conclusions. He said the folly of
| this course was apparent. 1t is impossible
| to go on as if no such questions had been
| raised.
on the other hand. he said. there was 6
| tendency to accept the situation and favor
| a revision of theology on this basis. He
| thought that this attitude was also wrong
and said that blind adherence to a theory
| lust advanced is at variance with calm
| critical methods. Apologists, he added, are
not called upon to accept or deny any, ant
they can wait until the theory is shown t.
explain the fact.
| For the present, he argued the existing
| theory of the Bible must be accepted unit
! it is demonstrated that the new theors is
| better one. What he thought was a NOR,
| serious question confronting the apologies
| was that relating to the true position o
Christ. According to the new school, thu