Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-25
talked ON TIE CR[[DS
Bishop Thoburn stirs up the Ecu,
menical Conference in Talk
on Missions
he Arouses the Audience and Dele.
gates and Elicits a Spirited
Reply.
First Sign of Controversy Since the
Meetings Began Proceedings
Tn(1av
& Today.


Nav York, April 225For the first
time since the opening of the ecumeni-
cal conference the serenity of the dis
cussions was interrupted late yesterday
by a controversial breeze. AS the gath
c.:aS Is formed of members Of Il Large
number Of protestant denominations,
there has been a careful avoidance of
denominationalt themes. They We're CON
sidered out5of place, untimely and peril
Gus.
But the liberal Views of Bishop j.. NJ.
Thoburn, OF India, as expressed i'll his
address at the meeting in Carnegie hall,
came Very near precipitating a warm
debate upon the old subject of the in
1falibility of the bible. The broad state
ment made by the bishop and the retort
liof the Rev. DR.. Arthur I. Pierson OF
Brooklyn, seemed an echo from that
ancient and yet recent controversy.
Bishop Thopurn said in part:
Perhaps at no time IN the century
has there been so much questioning
l.among the bible students, so many mis-
siSings and doubts. as in the last year.
i 1t would seem as if a new rallying point
We're needed. Perhaps too much time
has been devoted to the bible. The true
foundation is Jesus Christ. The revealer
| is of much greater Importance than the
lreNealed.
DR.. w f. oldham. of Columbus, o..
in discussing The Manner and Form
lsof Presenting the Gospel TO Mons Chris
titan People, said that vastly different
methods must be pursued in presenting
the gospel 10 the philosophical upper
classes of Japan, the rational thinkers OF
Japan and China and the millions of
common people.
DIR. Arthur T. Pierson made a state
ment declaring that the conference must
make no mistake in declaring for the
integrity of the bible. He said Bishop
Thoburnss papsr might be easily mis-
understood. He said it was impossible
TO impair the integrity of the Written
word without impairing the living word.
The conference seemed TO agree with DIR.
Pierson, for, his declaration evoked tre-
nlendous applause.
DIR. Pierson said:
The written word is the living word.
The force of the living doctrine is UNI
folded from the written doctrine. There
are two reyelations-one in the inner
man, the other in the scripture. But
the scripture revelation comes first ard
the experimental reNelation.-the inner.
revelation--is Impossible without the
revelation of the scripture The one
must precede the other. If you destroy
the scripture revelation now, 1 still! have
the inner revelations. but what are we to
do With those Who have never had the
scripture revelation =,
This was delivered in the most inlpas-
stoned manner. and the audience caught
much of the fire of the speaker, many
persons rising from their seats in the
excitement As he closed his remarks
DR. Pierson said:
The sermon that has converted most
men MAS The sermon delivered at Pente-
cost, Which was based upon the scrip
5ture on the one hand and the facts of
SJesus life, according to the scripture, on
the other. have found. in my own
humble experiences, that the sermons by3
which / made most converts We're SER
mons in Which | didn't deliver fine
words, but in which preached the
scriptures. can say, as has been said
by another: The words of the scripture
We're the arrows; my words We're hut
the feathers that waited them to their
mark.
He had advanced 10 the extreme edge
of the stage as he spoke. and thefl. as he
closed. he wheeled abruptly and walked
rapidly his seat His. sentiments were
hotly applauded by#delegates and mis-
scenarios in different parts of the build
ling, altho the Applause was by no means
general.
| n NJ. L. Gordon, NJ d., ID. D., who has
for many Years been conducting cyan
gelistic work in Japan, spoke on THE
Best Methods of Personal Dealing With
the Unconverted and Inquirers.. The
| Rev. DIR. Henry NJ. Richards and the
! Rev. DR. j. Taylor Hamilton spoke on
THE General Pervasiye Influence Of
lsChrstianitv. Following these address
les was discussion of the different top
les by the delegates.
Bishop DUDLEY. Of Kentucky, led the
opening exercises at today's session of
the ecumenicai conference. The regu-
lar days work in Carnegie Hall was
| the consideration of educational work.
4 During the afternoon sectional meet.
ings Were held in various churches.
Iowa Hnppenin gs mt washington.
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