Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-30
ANNUAL RECEPTION
Washington Presbyterian Al
lance at Rauscher's.
Mr.. WARNER PRESIDED
GROWTH OF CHURCH WORK IN
THE DISTRICT.
Rev. Mr.. Holmes Amusing Parable
and Its Application-other Ex-
cellent Addresses.

thronged with nearly 200 members of the
Washington PRESBYTERIAN Alliance, the oc-
sion being the annual reception of that
church organization. The membership OF
the alliance includes every church OF the
Presbyterian denomination in the District,
it's object being to foster and encourage
the development of the church and its work
within this field. A very attractive program
of music and addresses had been arranged
and was carried out accurately with the
exception of an address that was to have
been made by Rev. Gerhardt A. Wilson,
that gentleman having sent word that he
would be unable to attend.
Notwithstanding the inclement weather
the ladies came in as great force as the
men and beautiful gowns added materially
to the harmony of lights and decorations.
Haleys orchestra discoursed during the re-
cepton of the guests and later piano SOLO
was rendered with extreme grace and cul-
tivation by Miss Mabel c. Linton of the
lexington Presbyterian Church, who played
a selection composed by List. Two solos
by Mr.. Roberts gave that gentleman an op-
portunity to display to great advantage his
fine baritone voice, his audience applaudlng
him cordially
President Warmers Opening Address.
The evening was opened with an invoca-
ton by Rev Dr. B. F. Bittinger, which was
followed by a few remarks by the president
of the alliance Mr.. Brainard H. Warner.
who presided. Mr. Warner took occasion
to extol the advantages of the capital city
of the country as a place for the advance
ment of the good works of the church and
said that the time was ripe for action
The opportunities are greater here than
ever, he said, washington has in the
past few years shown improvements great
er than at any time in her history; We are
rapidly acquiring more beautifully paved
streets, more trees and vastly more Splen-
did residences. We are prosperous and
great, the attractions of the city are TAX
ing on new life and vigor, and there never
was time when there was more to be
done by this alliance than now. From the
birth of the city more than a century ago
the growth of Presbyterianism has been
keeping side by side with the municipal i'm
provements, but it has not been great
enough. We should do more than we have
ever done, so that our church will stand
second to none in that splendid work of adj
vancing the cause of Christianity. In this
country and in al others where there Is
Catholic Church organiZat ton the strength
of Rome is shown. Particularly is this so in
the great cities of the countries and es-
pecially in the capitals. In Washington
there Is no exception to this rule. Look
at the magnificent developments that have
been recently begun by the Catholic Church
here. They show what Rome can do and
other denominations of the Christian
church? The Catholic Church owns more
property here than all the other denomna
tons in the country and they are all the
time acquiring more. Their organization
is magnificent, yet we, too, should bestir
ourselves until the supreme glory of our
capital is manifested in the churches and
the schools. You who are here tonight and
those Of us who are not here are the war
riors to determine whether victory and
progress or stagnation shall mark our
church and it's organization"
Rev. Mr.. Holmes Parable.
Rev r. W. Holmes, editor of the West
minister, responded in a happy vein of hum
orous anecdote to illustrate the conditions
affecting the growth of certain of the old
fashioned churches. He referred to these
organizations in a parable, speaking of
what he called the First Antediluvian
Church of Slowberg," and telling his au-
dience of the methods in vogue there for
generations.
THE pastor of this church., he said
takes his text from anywhere among the
first twelve chapters of Genesis. He never
gets beyond that, and the possibilities of
preaching in those twelve chapters are
magnificent and Notwithstanding to his
way of thinking. Slowberg is the capital
of the state of conservatism, and no one
may become a member of that congrega-
ton If he dares to show the least DISPOSE
ton to advance beyond the rutted pathway
tread by the pastor and the members of
the congregation for genera tons"
A very amusing part of his story was
the illustrations he gave of the manner
of this fictitious preacher in delivering his
sermon placing great stress upon certain
words of a sentence he had chosen for his
text. such strongly accenting the word
and in the sentence: Noah and Shem
went into the ark He said that this
preacher would dwell for an hour upon the
that Noah and Shem went into the ark
making that word and the important
feature Of his remarks and forgetting that
he was all this time not saying a single
thing that any of his hearers would re-
call or which they could discuss when they
left the church.
But they did more than read the first
twelve chapters Of Genesis he said, 'they
read the entire Bible through and they fin
ished it once in every twenty-five years and
ten months. There are eleven hundred and
eighty-nine chapters in the Bible and they
read one chapter every Sunday. This took
them twenty-five years and ten months
read them once more, and when they got
through with them for the second and the
third and the fourth and the fifth time and
so on, they knew Just as much of them as
they did before they read them at all. And
one day they all died and their spirits took
wings and entered into the bodies of GER
tain persons everywhere and in every con-
gregation and they are here, there and
everywhere tonight, and the dogmas of that
first antediluvian church of Slowberg are
sapping the spirits of many congregation
in this broad land
Rev. Albert Evans, pastor of the Metro
politan Church, followed DIR. Holmes and
Soid fa1 ha bar