The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-28
bible is THE BASIS
1T ALONE is THE RELIGION OF THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE KNOWN AS
PROTESTANTS
PRESBYTERIANS TO CONFER
Delegates Representing Twenty
Five Million of That Faith ASSEM-
BILE at Washington Excerpts
From Address of DIR, Dewitt Indi-
eating Position Taken by Mem
bers of the Council.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27-Delegates
representing 25,000,0O0 Presbyterians
throughout the world assembled at 1890
today in the New York Avenue Presby-
terrain church, to attend the first session
Of the Pan-Presbyterian alliance The
church auditorium is one of the most
capacious in the city, and had been beau
TRULY decorated for the occasion. The
New York Avenue church. in which the
sessions Of the alliance Will be held, is
one of the most notable in the capital.
1t is the church which Lincoln attended
when he was president, and the pew
which he and his family occupied was
an object of particular interest to the
delegates when they assembled.
When the first session of the alliance
assembled today. about 125 delegates had
reported their arrival to the Rev. DR..
c. D. Matthews, general secretary. 1t
is expected that by tomorrow $50 dele
gates will have reported. The sessions Of
the alliance will last ten days. The body
is purely deliberative and not in any
sense legislative. It's capacity is entirely
advisory.
The subject Of higher criticism, social
ed, promises to be one Of the most Sc
riously mooted subjects of the present
council. 1t was directly adverted to, both
in the sermon of DR.. De Witt and, subse-
quently, in the formal address Of the
president of the council, the Rev. DR.. j.
Marshall Lang, of Glasgow, Scotland.
Referring to the attitude of the churches
represented by the council towards the
Bible DR.. De Witt said:
This attitude is embodied in the we'll
The bible and the bible alone IS the
religion of the Protestants.'', 1t in
wolves two great proposit1ons-that the
n9 b a aFs the eenduc and that
being sufficient and perspicuous. they do
not need for religious purposes. the me-
diation of the church as Ell glther VINES W.T. a3
titude of all the Protestant churches.
But while other churches have empha-
sized their cath9e5y of Their IRA aposI0bei
1hsS f ha3e P 6eieyed TO nS
would stand or fall with the bible
'It would be far from the truth to say.
that the reformed churches stand alone
in their attachment to the dependence
on the holy scriptures. The. great Ro-
tianity still survives asserts no less clear
ly and strenuously than, ourselves their
divine inspiration authority: But 1t
ure. and Of both scripture and tradition
it makes the teaching church both the
authoritative witness and the Interpreter
The reformed churches contend that the
bible alone is the rule of religious faith.
Claiming neither a priestly character for
their clergy. nor anything like magical
virtue for their sacraments. and setting
no high value, indeed no religious value
at all on the actual SUGGESTIONS in or
dination. the popularity of their minis
else. they have held UP the bible as the
word of God, the revelation OF his will
to be believed, and studied and obeyed."
These excerpts serve to indicate the
position taken by the members of the
council, as the address received the cor
dial approval of the members.
BUSINESS SESSION.
At 2 o'clock this afternoon the first
business session of the council was held. |
The call of the roll disclosed the presence |
of 164 delegates, representing churches
from all parts of the world.
Two members in whom their associates |
have particular interest are DR.. James |
Stewart, of Lovedale, South Africa, and |
Fl. S. Bosnian, Of Pretoria. The former is |
strongly pro-British in his sympathies in |
the present crisis in the Transvaal, while |
the latter just as strongly upholds the |
Beers. DR.. Stewart was a personal |
friend of DR.. Livingstone, the famous
African explorer.
The feature Of the afternoon session |
was the address Of the president of the |
council, the Rev. DR.. T. ]. Marshall Lang, |
pastor Of the famous Barony church, Of |
Glasgow, Scotland. His address COM
manded the interested attention of his |
auditors, although it was quite evident |
that his comments upon higher criti- |
cism'' and the position of the church |
thereon will be made the topic Of discus |
sion later in the sittings of the council.
Referring to the position of the church |
upon this question Dr. Lang said the |
churches which this council represented |
will command the attention of the age
only in the measure in which, without |
lowering either their testimony or their |
ideals, they recognize and make room for
its trends and habits Of thought and its
expansions and complexities Of life. We
are not worshippers of the past, but II
if is a false liberalism which ruthlessly
tears the present from the past, it is an
equally false conservatism that insists
that the moulds into which the conciu-
stems of a bygone period were cast shall
remain fixed and rigid for all further
periods.
Rev. Morgan Dix presented resolution,
which was unanimously adopted, welcom-
ing their fellow churchman, Admiral
Dewey, and expressing admiration Tor
and appreciation of his services. Inc
admiral Is communicate OF CHRIST
church, Montpelier, VT