The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-05
The Andover Election.

The choice of Rev. Newman Smyth,
D. D., for the last ten years pastor of the
Presbyterian church at Quincy, Illinois,
by the Trustees and Faculty of Andover
Theological Seminary, for the chair of
Theology as successor to Professor Park,
has already occasioned some discussion
and may lead to a controversy of con-
siderable dimensions. The Visitors of
the Seminary have the power to vote,
and they are urged by not few to exer-
else their right and save the seminary
from the influence of the teachings OF Dr.
Smyth, which are said not to be in har-
mony with the creed of the seminary
which is substantially the Shorter Cate
chism. and to which the professors are
required to subscribe every three years
Even the CongregationahSt, notwith-
standing certain somewhat latitudina-
rian tendencies manifested not long ago,
strongly opposes the confirmation of DR..
Smyth and in this it represents the more
conservative part of the Congregational
ministers and churches.
DIR. Smyth has published "The Re-
rgious Feelings" cold Faiths in New
Lights, and The Orthodox Theology
of To-Day" in all of which there is, to
say the least, language more or less OBJ
jectionable to those who accept the Con-
fession of Faith as their form of sound
words, or the creed upon which the
seminary at Andover was founded, and
to which It's professors are required to
subscribe. Yet the NeaO York Evangelist
of last week approves of the selection of
DR.. Smyth, though it quotes him as say
ing: eve are justified in pulling down
as we cherish the pupose of building
up" Orthodoxy is the continuous his
torical development of the doctrine of
Jesus" and "Orthodoxism is an ortho-
doxy that has ceased to grow" offering
a "crust of dogma kept over from an
other century, it fails to receive the
daily bread for which we are taught
this day to pray" And we may add
that these are but specimens of what may
be found every here and there through his
books While he condemns the doctrine
of humiliation, he certainly teaches
something very like the doctrine of fu-
ture probation.
The Evangelist is so well pleased that
it says "In their choice of him TDr.
Smyth as teacher of theology, An
dover declares its devotion to the truth,
and to creeds only in so far as they con-
tain it and putt in the best statements,
and not to creeds as enclosing all truth
in the best possible forms of statement.
1t may be also that this election of DR..
Smyth is significant of change of front
on the part of AndoVer on vital points
of eschatology." And again: Whether
his election is an evidence that in this
the Congregational churches of New
England, if not of the country gener-
ally, are already in accord with him, or
whether he Will be able to convert them
to this view, remains to be SEEN" Does
not the Evangelist know that no one
holding the views attributed to DR..
Smyth and claiming the latitude COM
mended by it in this article can consist
emily subscribe to the Andover formula
or to the one which anyone elected to a
protessorship in Union Theological Semi
nary, say that of Hebrew and the Cog
nate Languages, must subscribe, if he &C
cepts?
After all, Andover has lost the promi-
nence it once had, even in the Congrega-
tional Church. The Seminary at Hart
ford, the Theological department of Yale
College and Union Theological Seminary,
New York, are from year to year at
tracing more New England students
away from Andover, while Congrega-
tional students in the West mostly 90 to
Chicago, and Maine has its own theo-
logical seminary Andover has no col
lege in its immediate vicinity, and Will
hams and the other Congregational col
leges of New England have no particular
sympathy with it. In this view, any new
departure which Andover may take is
not a matter of any great significance.
Presb7Heyjoo, Ro,,,,a,-