The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-10-06

AS NOuANl no longer accept tnat faith
as he had signed it, and state his views.
lie could only stay within the Church by
Its express permission.
Principal G. M. Grant, D. D., of Can
ada, remarked that the principles laid
down In the paper of Professor Flint were
concurred IN by himself. He referred to
the declaration that the Church that
sought to meet questions of scholarship
by the exercise of discipline, instead of
by wider. scholarship and more fear
less thought, was the true friend of Ag-
nostlclsm. BY such a course men were
brought to think that the Church was
AFRAID to meet disputants on the platform
OF Tree discussion and at once drew their
own conclusion. He also agreed with the
professor IN the position that if the
church took the position that the West
Minister confession was final and unalter
able 1T erred. By doing so it placed it
on the same platform with the Bible.
and 1T became idolatrous. He accented
the position assumed in one of the papers,
that creeds are not made, but grow, and
IN that connection suggested the query,
how can there be growth if the condition
OF liberty is not allowed? He believed
that no true minister of Christ should Sc
cede from the Church if he believed him
self faithful to the One to whom he
pledged his ordination vows, the head of
the Church. If such one had erred
widely, he should not be charged with
dlshonor when he had acted honestly.
Rev. Henry Wallis Smith, of Scotland,
said that he rose to speak, as one who,
feeling bound by the confession which
he had signed, would remain in the
Church TO which he belonged only so
long as he felt that he could honestly
stand by and defend that confession.
Applause. He regretted that any one
should have imagined that Professor
Flint designed to indulge in anything
like sheer at the exercise of discipline
by the Church. Any one who knew how
nobl y that gentleman had stood up for
the Westminster Confession knew that he
would be the last man to express .anv
such sentiment. If he had intended to
take any such attitude he would have
expressed himself very distinctly and
unequlvocally. What Professor Flint
had said was, that the mere exercise of
discipline was not an adequate means of
replying to an heretical error. He be-
lleved that the Westminster Confession
was safe starting point, whence we
could go forth and discuss most effec-
lively those difficult theological ques-
lions which the criticisms and the phil
osophy OF the day were pressing before
us. From that position we could with
out fear follow that great law of conser-
gative development which had always
been manifested in the Christian Church.
We had been directed by our Master to
search the Scriptures, and he, the
speaker, believed that the Scriptures
contained depths of meaning which these
nineteen centuries had failed to detect.
Principal Gavin Of Toronto, Canada,
spoke OF $Se fact that much confusion
had often been unnecessarily produced
by confounding theology and Biblical
scholarship. He thought it a blunder
to bring up the subject of progressive
theology, IN connection with the question
OF discipline and of how Church should
treat error. A most serious question for
the Presby terian Church was, he thought.
whether we were to expect such a pro-
gress in theology-that is, in dogma
as would necessitate the reconsideration
OF the question whether the Church
would be obliged to discipline those who
60 far astray after dogma. His convic-
ton was that the province of literature
is distinct from the province of discipline
and is not the progress of the Church;
that 1t was the duty of eminent teachers
IN the Church to counteract Agnosticism
and other forms of speculative literature
Rev. John De Witt, D. D., of Philadel-
phia, said that he did not know that their
Church provides any place for man to
PROFOUND his dubitations; but of this he
was assured, that since he has asserted
that he sincerely receives and adopts the
confession of faith, as containing a system
OF doctrine taught in the sacred Scrip
lures, the place for him to PROFOUND his
doubts upon that question is not his place
IN the pulpit or in any position in which
he assumes to be teacher. Applause
When he is weak in the faith land there
are times when all may be weak in the
talth) he is not to 60 into doubtful dis
Putations. Whatever comes out of this
Council, he hoped it might provide some
way in which our Church could be SO
broadened as to permit discussion upon
the very points which are subscribed
previous to that discussion being brought
into Judicatories in the way of discipline.
but he WAC o1eor tbot -. l. -, - 4 49,