The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-22
The World Needs the Faith of the
Reforms.
THEOLOGY THAT DENIES CHRIST.
The REPORT Received With Evident
Signs of Approval. and no Matter
What the Northern Church May
do There Will bo no Change
il, the Faith of the South
crn Members.

ATLANTA, GA, May 2.-Special-The
Presby General Assembly, which has
been busy with routine business up to
now, has begun the debates on interesting
church questions.
AT II a. NJ. Rev. DR.. Fleming. Of Lynch
burg, Va. made the report as the represen-
tative of the Western Section of the Pan
Presbyterian Alliances, and gave a clear,
instructive and forcible presentation of the
history and work Of the Alliance. He said.
in part:
I'VE have demonstrated not only the
essential oneness Of the Reformed churGl-
es, but we have also shown the world its
need of the faith Of the Reformers.
DENIAL OF SCRIPTURE AUTHORITY.
I'VE are standing to-day face to face
with a theology which virtually denies the
authority Of the Holy Scriptures. which
defines sin as the result of environment
and lack of development; which. while iti
pretends to exalt the worlds Redeemer
and claims especial loyalty by the cry
back to Christ, yet really acknowledges
Him only or chiefly as a religious genius
OF the first order.
Supported by all the history of the past,
l boldly make the claim that the worlds
greatest need is in the reatfirma ton OF
the creed and life Of the reformation
WILL STAND BY THE CREED.
These sentiments of DR.. Fleming were
received by the assembly with such evi-
dent signs of approval as to show that
there is no danger of a movement to re-
wise or change the standards or creed of
the Southern Church, whatever may be
done by the Northern Church
There are no signs of any tleresy trials
to come before the Assembly.
The hymn book to be adopted will bring
a breeze, and there will be warm deba tes
on some questions of executive admin!s-
tration, but the debates are all kindly and
good natured.
THE NEGRO PROBLEM.
At S 70 clock large and interes ted ar-
dience gathered to hear the report on the
evangeliZaton of the negroes. On this
live subject, so full of interest, and per-
haps, also of peril to our Southern peo-
pie, the Presbyterian Church (South) has
been at work for years, but full and
active and adequate interest in it needs
to be awakened.
To arouse this interest in the minds of
the members of the General Assembly
and the audience was, in part, the sub
ject of the meeting tonight. Rev. Donald
Mcqueen read the report of the Assem-
bly's committee and urged the vast i'm
portance of the work
when a man goes as a missionary to
the negroes in Africa he Us canoniZed
when he goes to the negroes in America
he is ostra cised'' the speak ker said.
Rev. ID. C. Silly, D. D., of Tuscaloosa
secretary of the Assembly Executive
Committee of Colored Evangelization, said
in part:
MUST BECOME FARMERS
''This work of our Church is not in
prosperous condition. 1t needs help and
sympathy and interest. The industrial
educat ton of the negro cannot be his sal
vation. II he is taught a trade, he must
go to a town or city to live by his trade.
Those who have been taught trades do
not stick to those trades, but go into
some other work If he is taught trade
he will be crowded out of profitable work
bv trades unions, which will grow up in
the South where the negroes mostly live.
Our institute at Tuscaloosa has tried the
experiment of training in agriculture the
students Of the preparatory department
with hopeful results.
.If any industrial training will do the
negro great good it is training as far
mer. The only culture that will save
the negro is the culture of his soul and
moral character The negro is Initiative
He will take his relation if. we give 1t
with our sympa thy. The call is very
strong to our Church. We are nearer
to the negro than others. He is at nus
verv door. We boast that we under
stand
him the religion he needs. We cannot
evade the duty God help us to use our
n3ower and life up the lowly and lost.
REV. % B. WILSON.
Rev d H. Rice, D. D., read the me-
mor;al OF Rev. o. B. Wilson, the super
irterdent of Tuscaloosa Institute. who
vas killed by lightning April 10th, and the
f,iihfnl missionary to the negroes. VINO
gave TO them without salary the earnest,
loving labor of his life. and whose place
cannot soon be filled. The memorial Will
he printed soon in, pamphlet form, show,
inc what a man we have lost and what
, ,,-o-,. he was doing. This son of Vr-
rinia has laid down his life in the service
of the negro. for his satisfaction and
nn,iftins. Our Church is asking who will
take his place?
OVERTURES.
A1,IANTA. May 21-At the fifth days
session of the thirty-ninth annual ses-
sion of the Southern General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church to-day, the
Question as to individuals overturine the
Assembly was again raised. Two over
lures We're offered-one from NJ. c. Ta--
ior OF Hico. Tex, regarding divorce, and
another from Robert Osborne. of Peters
burg. Va, asking a change in the book
of Church.
The discussion as to whether these over
lures should be received became general.
there being diversity of opinion among
the commissioners whether individuals
should file petitions to the higher court
before the lower court had been appea' ed
to.
The law of the Church on oyerturine
was read, but this was differently con-
strned by the commissions. who made ar
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