Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-13
THE ANDOVER CREED.
Religious Circles Greatly Excited Over
the Question of Future Probation.

n telegram from Boston, October 10, says:
The doetrinal dispute which agitated the meet
ing of the American board of commissioners
Tor foreign missions, at Des MOines, last week,
has already led to proceedings which will at
once bring the questions involved to a decisive
issue before the denomination at large. Three
prominent Congregationalists, two OF them re-
tired pastors, have brought charges OF heresy
against five of the professors OF the AndOver
Theological seminary. The matter will come
up for hearing before the board of visitors two
weeks hence and from them will doubtless be
appealed to the supreme court. Half the trust
funds of the Institution are conditioned upon
the dOctrinal views OF the professors and the
supreme court will be asked TO pass upon the
question whether these conditions have been
complied with.
The chief point at issue Is involved in the
question, Does death end all? The accused
professors are charged with believing and teach
ing second probation. The form in which the
matter IS before the American board is whether
IL is heresy To believe that heathens who died
without hearing the gospel have another chance
for salvation instead OF going straight to hell.
The old school say their doom is sealed. The
Andover new departure Is charged with giving
them another chance after death. The old Ando-
yer creed which the conditions OF the trust fund
require must be strictly maintained renders the
modern and more liberal doctrine scarcely pos
sible. The professors are required to appear
before the board OF visitors once in five years,
and read and reaffirm their belief in the
old creed This they have done thus tar
"A prominent member OF the board OF trus-
tees, WHO appoints the professors, subject TO
the approval of the board of visitors, said
tonight that the issue might as well be met
and settled publicly and finally. He regarded
the action of the three com plainants a, Simple
persecution, but he thought the time had come
for the seminary and the denomination at large
To come To some understanding regarding the
disputed dogma, and, il division must come
nothing could be gained by longer pOstpOniny
II He declined to name the accusers, but said
they had no interest In the funds which they
charged were being used in violation OF condi-
lions. One of them Is said to be Joseph Cook.
The alleged hereticai professors are the editors
OF the Andoyer Rerieu.
The wnoIe subject is the burning religions
question of the hour in Boston and New Eng
land. Nothing has excited sucn interest within
the past quarter OF a century. In this city a
large majority OF the members OF the denomi-
nation sympathise with the new departure
The only Old school pastor in the city is the
Rev. Dr. Withrow, OF Park street, who took a
prominent part In the Des Moines convention.
THE PROFESSORS WHO ARE TO BE CHURCH
MAULED."
A telegram to the New York Herald last
night says: The report that several OF the An
dover professors Were TO be Church mauled"
ON account OF teaching heresles and other
irregular conduct has made big sensation in
eastern Massachusetts, which has prided itself
on being orthodox to the core Tor the past two
hundred years The names of the professors
concerned, as given in Boston, are Rev. Egbert
e. Smy til, ID. d.; Rev. W lillian j. Tucker D. d..
Rev. George Harris, ID. d.; Rev. Edward T.
HIncks, ID. -, and Prof. j. Wesley Churchill
while Prot. CULVER, who was mentioned in
The Dies Moines proceedings, is not one OF the
men who claim probation after DEATH" Some
time ago the supreme court declared that the
tui! control ol AndoVer seminary was vested
IN The board OF visitors, and il Is thought that
The board Is inclined toward the conservative
party and will show the innovating professors
no mercy unless they retract. 1t is certain that
The "AndOyer ny pothesi>'' SO called is not
popular among the COngregationaiist ministers
In Boston, While the church members who do
any thinking Tor themselves are wholly against