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Addresses at the Celebration of the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Westminster Assembly by the General Assembly Of

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Addresses at the Celebration of the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Westminster Assembly by the General Assembly Of ADDRESSES AT THE CELEBRATION OF THE Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary OF THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY BY THE General Assembly OF THE Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. EDITED BY THE REV. WM. HENRY ROBERTS, D.D., LL.D. ^ philadelphia presbyterian board of publication and Sabbath-School Work 1898 Copyright, 1898, by The Trustees of The Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath- School Work. (Tin CbaiJtl erf Ijenrn VII., JJUstminstcr gibbei). TuioAssemblv of Divines met for the first time in this Chapel on the 1st Julv, It; Ki'aftrr the Prolocutor, Dr. AV. Twisse, had preached to a great crowd including the members of Assembly and of Parlia- ment. Their lirst work was to revise the XXXIX Aiticles. '\ATien winter came on the Assembly removed to Jerusalem Chamber, where they continued to the close. : INTRODUCTION. This volume contains the addresses delivered at the celebration of the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Work of the Westminster Assem- bly of Divines, held under the auspices of the Gen- eral Assembl}', during its sessions at Winona Lake, Indiana, May, 1898. The proposal to observe this Anniversary was made to the General Assembly of 1897, by an overture from the Presbytery of Balti- more. This overture was referred to a special Com- mittee of seven, four ministers and three elders, to report to the sitting Assembly. The members of the Committee were: Chairman, Hon. James A. Mount, Governor of Indiana, with ministers I. W. Rendall, D. D., G. L. Spining, D. D., W. H. Roberts, D. D., and ruling elders Gen. E. C. Mason and W. H. H. Smith, Esq. The Committee presented the following report to the General Assembly which was unani- mously adopted " The Special Committee appointed by this Assembly to report upon the observance of the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Adoption of tlie Westminster Standards would respectfully rej)ort as follows: " The history of the adoption of the Westminster i : 4 INTRODUCTION. Standards concisely stated is as follows : The Confession of Faith was reported to the English Parliament Decem- ber 4, 1646, was returned with the proof-texts to Parlia- ment on April 29, 1647, and adopted June 3, 1648. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland adopted the Confession August 27, 1647, and it was approved by the Parliament of the kingdom of Scotland, February 7, 1649. The Larger and Shorter Catechisms were reported by the Westminster Assembly to the English Parliament October, 1647, and were adopted September 15, 1648. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland adopted both Catechisms July 20, 1648, and the Parliament of the kingdom of Scotland February 7, 1649. In view of the varying dates of adoption, and of the fact that Church and State in both England and Scotland were united at the time of the formulation of the Westminster Standards, it is believed that the year 1898 is the most appropriate year for the observance of the Anniversary. The Committee tlierefore recommend the adoption of the following resolutions " 1. That the General Assembly observe the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Adoption of the Westminster Standards on the second Thursday of the sessions of the General Assembly of 1898, and that a Committee of nine, of which the officers of the Assem- bly shall be members, and of which the Moderator shall be the Chairman, shall be appointed by the Moderator, to make due preparations for the observance of this great historical event. " 2. That this Assembly recommends to the Synods, Presbyteries, and Churches under its care, to observe at such times as may be convenient to them, during the year 1898, the anniversary of the adoption of these great Standards of faith and practice, whicli have been so in- estimable a blessing alike to the Churches and to the world. " In behalf of the Committee, " James A. Mount, Chairman.''^ ;: INTRODUCTION. 5 By virtue of the provisions of the above report, the Committee on the celebration of the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Adoption of the Westminster Standards was appointed as follows Ministers, Sheldon Jackson, D. D., LL. D., William H. Roberts, D. D., LL. D., William E. Moore, I). D., LL. D., S. W. Dana, D. D., and Edward H. Robbins with Ruling Elders, George Junkin, LL.D., William C. Gray, LL. D., Hon. Stanton J. Peelle, and Hon. Darwin R. James. This Committee proceeded to the discharge of the duty laid upon it by the selection of a list of topics and speakers, and by the appointment of the Chairman, Dr. Sheldon Jackson, and the Sec- retary, Dr. Wm. Henry Roberts, as an Executive Committee. The Celebration was observed, as appointed, on Thursday, May 26, 1898. Sessions w^ere held morning, afternoon, and evening. The full order of exercises was as follows: PROGRAMME OF THE WESTMINSTER CELEBRATION. 9 O'CLOCK A. M. The Rev. Sheldon Jackson, D. D., LL. D., presiding. 1. Invocation—The Chairman. 2. The One Hundredth Psalm — Rev. Joseph B. Turner, Dover, Del. " All people that on earth do dwell." 3. Reading of the Scriptures—Rev. Samuel S. Gilson, D. D., Pittsburfrh, Pa. Isaiah, Chap. Ixi. 6 INTRODUCTION. 4. Prayer—Rev. John Hemphill, D. D., San Francisco. Cal. 5. Reading of Letter from Dean Bradley, of West- minster. 6. Psalm XXIIL—Rev. David W. Fahs, D. D., Inde- pendence, Iowa. "The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want." 7. Presentation— Dr. W. C. Gray, Chicago, 111. Portrait of Alexander Henderson. 8. Address- Rev. Wm. H. Roberts, D. D., LL. D., Phil- adelphia, Pa. " Alexander Henderson." 9. Address—Rev. Samuel J. Niccolls, D. D., LL. D., St. Louis, Mo. " The Civil and Religious Conditions of the Times of the Westminster Assembly." 10. Psalm XLVI.—Rev. William Bryant, Mount Clem- ens, Mich. " God is our refuge and our strength." n. Address—Rev. George Norcross, D. D., Carlisle, Pa. " The Story of the Westminster Assembly." 12. Address—Rev. J. D. Moffat, D. D., LL. D., Washing- ton, Pa. " Fundamental Doctrines of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms." 13. Psalm CXXXIIL—Rev. Samuel Dunham, Bing- hampton, N. Y. " Behold how good a thing it is." 14. Prayer and Benediction—Rev. Chas. A. Stoddard, D. D., New York, N. Y. INTRODUCTION. 2.15 O'CLOCK P. M. Rev. Wm. E. Moore, D. D., LL. D., Columbus, Ohio, presiding. 1. Invocation—The Cliainnan. 2. Hymn 159 [Hymnal]—Rev. J. E. Chapin, D. D., ISeenah, Wis. "O, could I speak the matchless worth." 3. Reading of the Scriptures— Rev. Wm. S. Holt, D. D., Portland, Ore. Hebrews, Chap. i. 1-12. 4. Prayer—Rev. John Dixon, D. D., Trenton, N. J. 5. Address—Rev. Robert F. Coyle, D. D., Oakland, Cal. "The Westminster Polity and Worship." 6. Address— Rev. Wallace RadclifFe, D. D., Moderator, Washington, D. C. " The Men and Work of the Westminster Assembly." 7. Hymn 662 [Hymnal]—Rev. W. A. Hunter, D. D., Bloomington, HI. " God, beneath Thy guiding hand." 8. Address—Rev. Benjamin L. Agnew, D. D., Philadel- pliia, Pa. " The American Presbyterian Churches and the Adopt- ing Acts." 9. Address—Gen. James A. Beaver, Bellefonte, Pa. "The Presbyterian Churches and the People." 10. Hymn 665 [Hymnal]—Rev. William A. Major, Seattle, Wash. " My country, 'tis of thee." 11. Prayer and Benediction—Rev. James T. Lapsley, D. D., Danville, Ky. 8 INTRODUCTION. 7.15 O'CLOCK P. M. Gov. James A. Mount, Indianapolis, Ind., presiding. 1. InvocatioiN—The Chairman. 2. Hymn 347 [Hymnal]—Rev. John A. Silsby, China. " Stand up, stand up for Jesus." 3. Reading of the Scriptures—Rev. George Carson, Charlotte, N. C. Revelation, Chap. xxii. 1-17. 4. Prayer—Rev. Joseph S. Malone, INIeadville, Pa. 5. Address—Gen. John Eaton, Washington, D. C. " The Presbyterian Churches and Education." 6. Address—Rev. N. D. Hillis, D. D., Chicago, HI. " Presbyterianism and its Influence upon Society through its Emphasis upon Childhood and Youth." 7. Hymn 667 [Hymnal]—Rev. Theodore Bracken, Em- poria, Kan. " God of our fathers, whose almighty hand." 8. Address—Rev. George L. Spining, D. D., Orange, N.J. " The Presbyterian Churches and Home Missions." 9. Address—Mr. Robert E. Speer, Secretary Board of Foreign Missions, New York. "The Presbyterian Churches and Foreign Missions." 10. Hymn 390 [Hymnal]— Rev. J. C. R. Ewing, D. D., India. " Jesus shall reign where'er the sun." 11. Prayer and Benediction—Rev. Joseph G. Reaser, D. D., Webb City, Mo. In connection with the Celebration a gavel was used, which was made of Westminster Abbey oak. The gavel block consisted of a section of a small : " INTRODUCTION. 9 pillar of Purbeck marble removed from Westminster Abbey during repairs, and was set in American oak. The Westminster specimens were obtained from Dean Bradley, of Westminster Abbey, through the kindness of William Caruthers, LL. D., of London, England, and at the request of the Rev. Henry C. McCook, D. D., Sc. D., pastor of the Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pa. Dr. McCook had the gavel made and the marble mounted. The pro- gramme had upon it engravings representing the Seal for the Approbation of Ministers of the West- minster Assembly; the Chapel of Henry VH. and the Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster Abbey ; the Seal of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. ; the likenesses of Dr. William Twisse, prolocutor of the Westminster Assembly, Alexander Henderson, author of the Solemn League and Covenant, and Francis Rous, author of Rous's Version of the Psalms. The Psalms and " Tones used at the morning session were taken from Living- stone's Psalter of lG3o, and were arranged for use by Mr. Henry C. Wilt, the organist of the Tabernacle Church, Philadelphia.
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