Newspaper Page Text
July 3, 1912] THE
Editorial
Rev. J. Al'bert Wallace, D. D., of Bristol,
Tenn., died of heart failure, at his home, on
Sunday night, June 23, at the age of sixty-eight.
The news of this death will carry grietf to many
hearts. Dr. Wallace sat in the recent Assembly
in Bristol as a commissioner from hte Presbytery,
and while he showed tfigns of his ill health
for several months prior to that time, he was
thought by himself and by those who knew him
to be decidedly improved. H5e was heard several
times on the floor of the Assembly, and always
with keen interest. He was a man of fervent
spirit auu seen mina, an able debater, and was
for years justly regarded as one of the strong
men of the church. His ministry was given
wholly to upper East Tennessee, his native section.
He was for some years the president of
King College, from which he graduated in 1872.
It is painful to record the death of Miss Lucy
Rrooke, daughter of Dr. F. J. Brooke., pastor of
our church at Romney, West Va. Miss Brooke
was badly burned by the explosion of an alcohol
lamp on Monday night, June 24. After about
twelve hours of suffering, release came and her
gentle, noble spirit passed to the happy home
where "there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain, for the former things are passed
away." She was known by a numerous circle of
friends as an admirable character, gifted with
unusual personal endowments, adorned with
Christian graces. To her father, sister and
brother who remain, we extend our profoundest
sympathy. They will remember the words of
the Lord Jesus, how he said, "What I do, thou
knowest not now, hut thou shalt know herenfter."
The Master has his well chosen way and
time for gathering his loved ones to himself.
Whether our Church has made substantia!
progress or not may be determined by the study
of the following facts: Thirty years ago it had
1,081 ministers; now it has 1,734; 2,010 churches,
now 3,302; 6,083 ruling elders, now 10,977;
3,917 deacons, now 10,637; 160 candidates for
the ministry, now 465; 75,883 Sunday school
scholars and teachers, now 245,495; 123,806 communicants,
now 292,845 Thirty years ago it received
on profession of faith 6.062 members; last
year 14,103. The total offerings thirty years
ago were $1,130,133; last year $4,293,044. Thirty
years ago it gave to Foreign Missions $46,638;
last year $501,412. Thirty years ago it
gave to Home Missions, local and Assembly,
$62,746; last year. $384,816.
TVL- 1 T? 1
me larger rresoyxenan communities, as
shown by the Assembly's Minutes, retain aibout
the same places as for several years past. The
ten cities amongst us which stand at the top of
the list for numbers are as follows: Atlanta,
with 13 churches and 4,590 communicants;
TiOuisville. with 14 churches and 4.513 eommnni
cants; Richmond, with 14 churches and 3,953
communicants; New Orleans, with 16 churches
and 3,948 communicants; Nashville, with 12
churches and 3,322 communicants; Birmingham,
^ith 14 churches anl 3,319 communicants; Memphis,
with 10 chHrchss and 3,315 communicants;
Charlotte, with 9 dhurohes anl 3,252 communicants;
Houston, with 4 Churches and 1,962
communicants; Dallas, with 5 churches and 1,Ml.
These ten cities have, altogether, 34,075
af the 292,845 members of the Southern Church,
nearly twelve per cent.
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SO
Notes and
We like the way our Presbyterian brethren in
Canada have of giving the family its rightful
recognition in the annual reports of the Assembly.
This year's statistical report includes
the following: The average giving of the Church
for all purposes is $30.00 per family, or $16.60
per communicant; $10.11 per family or $5.59
per stipend; $4.73 per family and $2.62 per
communicant for schemes. The number of
families reported is 163,788, an increase of 3,641.
The number of communicants is 295,935, an increase
of 7,991 over last year. The number re
uetvea on profession of faith was 15,610, a decrease
of 1,059 for the year. Those who united
by certificate were 19,013, an increase of 2,477.
In New Testament times Christian households
had decided prominence in the affairs of the
Church. We lose immeasurably in failing to regard
the family as a unit in our fellowship and
in much of our worship. If we can only got the
Christian home idea re-established a great advance
will have been made in the evangelization
of the world.
it is decreed in this land that the civil power
shall forever remain superior to the dictation of
any church and that the church is forever absolved
from control by the Statp. But it is
gratifying when either shows reverence for the
legitimate sphere and offices of the other.
Happy would it be if in every state responsible
official position could be held by intelligent and
devout representatives of the Christian faith.
High officers in a number of our Southern States
are held by such men. Mississippi enjoys this
honor in the person of its present governor, who
is a member of the Presbyterian Church. The
following resolution adopted by the legislature
is a credit to that State and a beautiful tribute
to one of its most estimable citizens:
"Whereas, We have read with great pleasure
the following remark of the devoted mother of
our esteemed Governor, the Hon. Earl Brewer,
who when asked if the day her son was inaugurated
Governor of the State of Mississippi
was not the happiest day of her life, replied: 'T
was just as happy when my boy joined the
V* n A i^
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"Resolved, That the above expression be in?
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otiiurru uii uur jouriiai as an example to tne
mothers of otir State, and to show onr appreciation
of this oWlc^did wntlmeii't."
The official organ of the Roman Catholic archdiocese
of New Orleans, issued under the imprimatur
of the Archbishop himself, is still
amusing itself fighting a man of straw. A few
weeks ago it had a most elaborate editorial, written
in its characteristic temper, on the Bristol
Assembly, and its whole treatment of the matter
was predicated on the assumption that the Assembly
had acted favorably upon a certain report
which a committee bud smbmitted +/* i+ Tr?
the closing paracrraph of the editorial there was
a statement, evidently added later, that the Assembly
had not adopted the report! The writer
of the editorial did not like to lose his work, and
possibly it was already in type and to throw it
aside wonld have been a peenniary loss. The
fact that the oloaincr paragraph showed the article
to be without ffronnd amounted to nothing.
Tt. had been written. It most pro in! And now
comes along: the same straw-fkrhtintr joornal with
abont. a fonrth of a papre of its last, issne devoted
to an address of a prominent Knight of Colombo*
of Alabama, with a scathing: denoneiation of
the Bristol Assembly for a thinpr which that Assembly
actoally declined to do. and which the
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I u T H ; (709) 9
Comments
publishers of the paper know that it declined to
do. The only interpretation which any thinking
person can put upon such a publication is that
it is knowingly and of a purpose trying to deceive
its readers.
THE PROPOSED BRIEF STATEMENT.
We have endeavored by correspondence and
by personal inquiry to ascertain the intent of
the recent Assembly in appointing a committee
to prepare a brief statement of doctrine. So far
we have not received light enough to form a well
defined judgment. Indeed it seems very doubtful
whether those of the majority who voted for
the brief statement knew just what they wanted.
Certain it is that there was no unanimity as to
what they conceived to be the need of the Church
on this behalf. Tt i? nlc^ - *
? ^ m?mv wAboui unat (i ittrgc proportion
of the most thoughtful, judicious and
loyal men of the Church believe that such a
product, whatever its intent, would be superfluous,
to say the least.
If it is designed that the Assembly's Committee
shall prepare in lucid, uncompromising and
popular terms, a doctrinal tract for general distribution
in the Church it might be useful in
some respects as are similar tracts already in
circulation. The Committee includes some of
the most capable and loyal men of the Church.
A statement of doctrine approved by such men
would ring clear and strong and the dreams of
some of our ^ ? '*
_ iuu auviaera in otner
denominations would vanish like morning mists
But a tract, like any other edifying and approved
tract, it would be. If it professed to state the
doctrines of the Church, the doctrines of the
Church it would state; there would be no designed
suppression of truth or tactful ambiguity
of statement. The truths contained in our
Church standards which are unpopular would
be unpopular in the committee's tract, for
against Christ's Gospel and his person the carnal
mind will continue in revolt to the very last. A
just and faithful statement of the doctrines of
the Church in whatever form will incur the enmity
of the world and be a target for the shafts
?1:~;
ui icuKiuus prejudice. Any statement, whieh *3
not just and faithful must be repudiated by the
Church.
A new brief statement of doctrine is not a
"crying need." It is oonceded by many outside
of the Church, as it is believed by our most
astute and accomplished doctrinal critics within
the fold, that we have the best uninspired statement
that has ever been produced, and one which
no statement prepared to meet popular demands
can rival. To this proposition every member of
our admirable committee will reverently consent.
The Shorter Catechism is brief, clear and sound,
adequate for its purpose, expressed in choicest
language which is in no sense archaic, but which
is to-day a classic and a masterpiece of thought
conveyed in enduring and purest English. The
hrifif nranoKoJ 4-V- TXT?j.?! *
, ^.vfuicu ujr i/iic ?* esiminster
divines has received such expressions of approval
and admiration from competent critics as
probably no similar production has ever received.
We may seriously ask whether it would be
unto edification to give to the Church another
brief popular statement which might be construed
as intended to supplant that cherished
summary of truth which the Church, in the best,
stages of its progress, has most highly valued
and which has been such a fortress against the
inroads of error and unbelief.
We shall later consider the more serious construction
of the Assembly's action; namely, that