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,OOOOOO Presbyterians
throughout the world assembled at 1920
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
tifully 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. .. Matthews, general secretary. 1t
is expected that by tomorrow ESQ 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
lie SdOJcCI VI llSl CIiI1Ciolli, oO-Seili-
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 well
known phrase of William ChillingsWorth:
The bible and the bible alone IS the
religion of the Professionals. 1t in
wolves two great proposit1ons-that the
religious faith and conduct, and that
being sufficient and perspicuous. they do
not need for religious purposes. the me
diation of the church. as either witness
or interpreter. Of course this is the, at
titude of all the Protestant churches.
But while other churches have empha-
ty, the reformed churches have empha-
ThsS Ra1e 'f Believed 10 that S
would stand or fall with the bible
that the reformed churches stand alone
on the holy scriptures. The great Ro-
man church, in which medieval chris
ly and strenuously than ourselves their
divine inspiration authority: But 1t
places tradition side by side with script
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 priestly character for
their clergy. nor anything like magical
virtue for their sacraments.. and setting
no high value. indeed no religious value
oil t1n Gin in
dination the popularity of their minis
try has been that. relying on nothing
else. they have held up the bible as the
word of Cod 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 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. J. 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 or HE. we
are not worshippers of the past but II
it is a false liberalism WHICH ruthlessly
tears the present from the past, 1t is an
equally false conservatism that insists
that the moulds into which the conclu-
sicns 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-
inc their fellow churchman, Admiral
Dewey. and expressing admiration for
and appreciation Of mis- services. Inc
admiral Is a communicate of Christ
l,,~ob NToptna1ier VT