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16 THE
Contributed
BRIGHTSIDE LET.ER.
About A Visit to Savannah.
Those who go to the Savannah meeting
ol the General Assembly, we envy them,
it 13 a unique city. Savannah, beautiful
In many ways and deeply interesting in
its history. If you would snow the poetry
of the Georgia coast, the Savannah's that
stretch green and almost treeless, deep
from the Atlantic into the land, you must
read Sidney Lanier s masterpiece, "The
Marshes of Glynn." Because cr tms
marsh coast, the seetiion south of the
Savannah river, which is the Carolina
.line, was not settled at an early date.
Charleston was founded in lt>79, hut Savannah
dates its settlement in 1733.
With one hundred and thirty colonists,
James Edward Oglethorpe, an English
gentleman and memoer of Parliament,
came eighteen miles up the river through
the marshes and found an elevated p!a
?,eau of firm ground on the south side on
which they landed. A late monument of
the landing is a white marble seat with
inscriptions, marking the spot where
Oglethorpe sat with the peaceful Indian
chief, Tomo-Chi-Ohi, who gave the white
n en welcome, and iong remained their
friend ami defender.
A surveyor, Col. Bull, came over from
Charleston, and laid out a new town, and
the Central street running south from
the river bears the name Bull street to
this day. The formation of rectangular
streets with open squares is peculiar, but
has been continued and reproduced in the
extension of the city. There are thirty
or more of these small parks, adding
much to the comfort and beauty of this
distinctively southern city. But Bull street
leads you to b"orsythe Park, a large anu
attractive breathing and pleasure reserve,
now in the midst of the town, which has
grown on far beyond it. The fountain
near the entrance of the park is arter the
the model of one in the Place de la Coni
corde, in Paris, and is perhaps the most
, superb fountain in this country. Beyond
the park is the parade ground, and in the
midst, a large and impressive monument
to the Confederate uead of Georgia.
On Oglethorpe's second voyage to Geor
gia. ne uruugni wun mm jonn wesiey. t??
be the minister and chaplain of the colony,
and he was followed soon after by
his brother Charles. John Wesley wrote
home, "The place is pleasant beyond
Imagination, end by all 1 can learn exceedingly
neatthy in summer for those
who are not intemperate." And it is .
true to this day, as the members of the
Assembly will find. But Wesley's stay in
Savannah was net long, was marred by
an unfortunate courtship, which resulted
in his d'.iappo'nted return to Kngland.
His brother Charles also made a sorry beginning
in Georgia But both of them were
graciously fitted and called to great and
r.ofcle ministr'es which are bearing much
fruit in all Knglish-speaklng lards.
<?eorge Whitfleld. then friend, following
the Weeleys made a more enduring impression
on Savannah. Betheeda. a heme
frr orphans, rftc-r stvo change and vicissitudes,
is still a Christian ard beneflc
ent institut on.
While in Savannah, John Wesley estab
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOUTI
r
lished a Sunday School, the first in America,
perhaps the first in the world, and
years before the all day scuool on Sun day
founded by Robert Rai'tes In the
old part of the city, on Bull street, not
far from tne city hail, a bronze tablet
on the wall nas this inscription, "On
this spot where stood the first public
building erected in Georgia, John Weslej
preached his first sermon on American
soil, March 7. 1736, (O. S.) Text, 1 Cor.
13"?A rich and precious scripture surely?but
the preacher was young and un
ripe, ana nisiory tens mat ne uia not illustrate
Christian charity .n his short
ministry in Savannah.
In the city the visitor w.n see a number
of monuments, many quaint and old
homes and some public buildings, a new
city, he may run down to the beach on
that are full of interest. Outside of the
city, he may run down to the beacn on
Tybee Island, and look out on ihe great
wide sea and to the venerable oaks at
Montgomery with their traditions, and to
Bucnaventure, the city of Savannah's
dead, with its grey funereal moss. Wherever
he goes he will be charmed wn.ii
Mowers of many colors and hear the b.rus
of many songs. It will be warm, but not
oppressive, and the out-of-doors, with
seats in the parks, will be a temptation
hard to resist.
The Independent Presbyterian Church
is a public institution in Savannah with
its long and singular history, its noble
marble building and its impressive eathedral-like
interior, jtoiu its original
relation to the Church of Scotland, an
established church, it reverted after the
Revolution to the State of Georgia, at
least as tp the ministration of property
and its endowments. It is more like a
State Church than is probably to be found
elsewhere in the American states. For
a missionary service in tu.s church Low
ell Mason, then the organist, wrote our
hymn.
" From Greenland's Icy Mountains.''
In 1827, the colony from the Independent
Church became the First Presbyterian
Cnurch of Savannah, seeking a more immediate
connection with the Presbyterian
Churca of this country. Among the
ministers who have been its pastors, we
recall the names of Dr. B. M. Palmer,
later and so notably in New Orleans.
Dr. David H. Porter, an able and honored
minister, the Kev. L. C. Vass, Rev. A. J.
Smith, now in Virginia, who has been
succeded by the present pastor, the Rev
\\7 Mywv?/v If.. O/VA.O > J..
. ?uwic ou.au ini. own wuu wus euu*
cated at Clarksvllle, in the University and
the Theological Seminary, came from a
fruitful pastorate in the Alabama Street
Church, Memphis, a year or two ago to
savannah, and has been acceptable and
much blessed in his work. At the Westminster
Church, in the southern part of
the city, the Rev. W. Nisbet has a
growing work with much life and zeal.
Mr. Nisbet is also from the Southwestern
University. The Presbytery of Savannah
is very much strengthened by vigorous
rrd fruitful churches at Valdcsta, Waycross,
Brunswick, Hlackshear and elsewhere.
Ministers and people will come
to the Assembly, and add to the Interest
of the occasion. And gocd Presbyterian
preaching and the able and eloquent addresses
of the Calvin Celebration will
be worth going a long way to hear.
J. P. S.
-L May 19, 1909.
RADICAL CRI I IClSM.
This is no discussion of radical criticism,
but it is of the question whether
we can knowingly endorse it and circulate
it amongst our people. On the bacs
page of the cover of the "Earnest Worker"
for April, ana lower half of the page,
is the following advertisement of Hastings'
Bible Dictionary:
"The Latest and Best.
"One volume Dictionary of the Bible?
at^er many years of preparation there is
now ready a one volume Dictionary ot
the Bible, edited by Dr. James Hastings,
whose prior volume Dictionary is recognized
by all scholars as the greatest work
of its kind ever publishea * * * The
leading scholars of the world have written
the articles * * * it will contain
a matter of information which cannot ba
had elsewhere except in works covering
many volumes.
Other descriptive matter follows, all of
which is. signed, Presbyterian Committee
of Publication Richmond, Va., Texarkana,
Ark.-Tex. Seeing this, and knowing
something of Hastings' 5 volume Dictionary,
I wrote to our Secretary of Publication,
.Mr. R. HI. Magill, asking him if
this one volume was prepared by the
Radical critics also, and if so, how we
could speak of it as he did in his advertisement
in the "Earnest Worker." In
ropiy lo my letter ne says:
"Replying to your card of the 23rd in
reference to Hastings' Dictionary, would
say our imprint circulars are prepared by
the publisher of such works as this, and
as you understand we ao not stand for
the teaching or contents of any book not
bearing the imprint of our committee."
Now, this is not to discuss the radical
criticism. I take n that that is a closed
question with our (Jnurch, and as such
wloa our Committee of Publication. But
the question is this: Here is a book that
the Committee knows to be written by
Radical critics and permeated with their
teachings, which teachings are absolutely
destructive to all that we hold most dear
with reference to the Bible. In a conspicuous
place on our Teacher's Magazine
this book is declared to be the best
one volume Dictionary of the Bible, and
recognized by all scholars as the greatest
work r?f lie ? --v." ?
_. ,.u ?.uu w<ci jjuuiisneu.
These statements are signed by the Presbyterian
Committee of Publication.
I submit that to the uninitiated this I
means that our Presoyterian Committee |
of Publication thinks that this bootc vi-U- ,
ten by Radical critics, and, to a gre?*.
extent, permeaited with their teachings
and spirit, is the best one volume Dictionary
of the Bible published, 'ihey think
so because the Committee says so Ir
plain English. To be sure, Ihey say to me
in a private letter that there are many
articles with which they would not agree
wtth the publishers in teto, and that
many of the authors belong to the Radical
critical sdhcol and that the Committee
dses not stand for the teaching or contents
of any book not bearing the imprint
of our Committee. I believe it would ho
difficult for tbe ordinary teacher of our
Sunday School to put his private letter
and his advertisement together. On ono
hand the Committee says over its own
signature that a certain book "is the
best." On the other they "do not stand
for it." A book written by )pen who are
irtfidel in principle, and whose teachings
are utterly destructive of the VVcnl of
i