The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-20
FILLED The PULpITS
MANY PREsBYTERIANs PREACHED
YESTERDAY.
THE. MoDERAToR'S SERMON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS TOO MUCH sEcU.
LARlZED.

of immoral COndIct of Soldiers in
Revision of Confessioa 10 BE TAX
en- Up day--Much Difference
of Opinion as to What Should BE
Done.
Philadelphia. May 19.-The custom of
having visiting commissioners fill the
city where the General Assembly is be-
ing held was strictly adhered to to-
day. There probably was not Pres
byterian Church in the city that did not
have one or more of the visitors at its
services. Many of the commissioners
filled pulpits in the suburban churches
and in Camden, N. j.. across the river.
The weather was chilly and threatening
throughout the day.
The Mecca of most of the lay commits
sioners was Calvary Church. where the
assembly is sitting, and where the mod
orator, Rev. DR.. Henry c. Minton of CAL
ifornia preached his first sermon as the
presiding officer of the assembly. The
services were conducted by the Rev. j.
Sparhawk Jones, pastor of the church,
and he was assisted by Rev. ]. S. Mic
coils of st. Louis. DIR. Minton took for
his subject the parable of Christ restor-
ing sight to blind man, emphasizing
that the miracle was effected gradually.
I'VE are born blind" he said, ''for a
cataract of sin covers our eyes. Null
titudes have received the first touch, but
want the second. This is day when
the church. of God should be on guard
against the intelligence of her faith We
believe in creeds, of course, but we Pres
byterians forget that creeds are by no
means all. We boast of intelligence. but
we should be wary lest our glory be-
come our shame.
THE mystic element is needed to give
tenderness to the soul, but Christianity,
like Mohsmedism, has its whirling der
wishes. Some see but along the line of
sincere purpose and ethical endeavor. 1t
is not enough to be sincere. one must
be right, q
Tne Fussffc schOoI system.
The moderator, in dealing with evange.
lization. said that men must not only be
sought. but redeemed to a present ca
reer of honor. The church must teach,
train and develop her sons. In educa-
tion there must be conservation. The
moderator sounded a note of warning re-
garding the public schools.
God Forbid he seid, that I should
say an i'll word against our public school
system, the safeguard of our nation, but
is there educational machinery subsidiary
to the only worthy end of fashioning
character? Have we, so morbidly afraid
Of uniting church with state, gone so far
as to disunte God from the state? This
is a most serious question. The faith OF
our sons and daughters is involved AMI
the kingdom of God in this country is
involved. 1t is not an organized skepti-
cism that threatens, but forgotten
secularism"
There were three popular meetings
scheduled for this afternoon and this
evening. The largest of these gatherings
was at the Witherspoon building where
meeting in the interest of the woman's
board of home missions was held. The
Rev. d. Stuart Dodge, D. D., presided
The Rev. ]. Milton Greene. now station
ed in Havana, but formerly of San Juan
Porto Rico, where he organized Presb =
terian missions, created a pro-
found sensation by severely criticisinR
the alleged immoral conduct of United
States soldiers in Porto Rico. DR.. Greene
addressed the meeting on the conditions
existing in that island. He said the con-
duct of the United States soldiers there
was disgrace to humanity. Twenty
drunken soldiers, he said. could be seen
on the streets to one drunken native.
The lawlessness OF the soldiers. he con-
tinued, is proverbisl. He attacked the
present system under which chaplains of
the army work and said some appeal
ought to be made 20 the government for
a system by which the spiritual welfare
of our soldiers could be better looked
after.
Among other speakers of this meeting
were Rev. s. J. McCllenaghan, AsheviIIe,
N. c.. and Rev d. j. Sanders, president
of Biddle University. Charlotte. N q.
The other two meetings were, one in
the interest of home and foreign missions.
held in Tenth Church. and another at
Northminster Church In the interest OF
Sabbath observance
Revision of the Confession.
The great question before the Presby-
terian church for years-the revision Of
the Confession of Faith-will be taken up
by the assembly on Thursday. The hear
ing and the consideration of the report of
the committee on the revision of the
credal statements OF the church appointed
at st. Louis last year, was made special
order for that day, and the matter will re-
main before the assembly until IL is dis
posed of. At this time II is impossible to
forecast the action of the commissioners.
The committee in its report recommends
the appointment OF a committee as pro-
vided for in the form of government, and
that this committee be instructed TO pre-
pare a brief summary OF the reformed
faith. bearing the same relation to the
Confession which the shorter catechism
bears TO the larger catechism and formed
on the general model Of the consensus OF
creed prepared for the assembly of 1892,
or the articles OF faith by the Presby-
terian Church OF England"
There is a considerable number OF com
mIssioners who believe such committee
will be appointed, but many OF them will
not venture an opinion as 10 what Will be
the character OF the instructions TO be
given the new committee There are six
or seven factions and each one will con-
tend that the committee ought 10 be given
instructions along the lines Of its be-
lief.
After the credai question Is out OF the
way the matter OF judicial commission
will be the order Of business.