The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-05
WILL NOT UNITE.
Southern Presbyterians Prefer to
Remain Separate
The Synod of Georgia Sustained in the
Woodrow Case-Adaln's Body was
Made Out of Dust.

BALTIMORE, May 28-The southern Presby-
terrain general assembly was called to order by
the moderator at $50 o'clock The chair an
nounced the commissioners to try the COM
plant of the presbytery Of Mecklenberg
against the synod of North Carolina. The
| auditing committee reported that an eXamlna-
ton of reports Of the executive committee on
foreign and home missions, and of committees
on publications, educational institute for the
training of colored ministers and trustees of
the general assembly, had found them correct.
The same committee made a report recon-
mending that $4,000 in Virginia bonds be re-
ferred to a special committee for disposal to
the interest of the general assembly.
Dr. Moot, of the committee on the vote in
| the complaint OF DIR. Woodrow against the
| synod oil Georgia, reported that the sense of
| the general assembly is that God made the
| body out of the dust of the earth, and that it
was not evolved from q lower animal.
A substitute for the report was presented de-
| claring that the action of the synod of Georgia
did not annul the action of the presbytery of
! Augusta or affect the ecclesiastical standing of
| DIR. Woodrow, and further that the views held
| by DIR. Woodrow were not contrary to the
| standards of the church.
The substitute was rejected and the report
| of the committee adopted.
Rev. T. G. Whaling, OF South Carolina,
| read a protest against the action of the gen.
eral assembly in this matter, which, without
| action, was ordered spread on the minutes.
| The pending business report of the commit
| tee on homo missions was then taken up.
Rev. Dr. Stricken, of the committee on
bills and overtures, presented the report on or
| ganic union of the northern and southern
| Presbyterian churches. Ten of the presbyte-
| ries oppose such union while others wish CO.
| operation in Christian work which can only
be accomplished by organic union The
report says the obstacles which have hereto
fore appeared against organic union have not
been removed and it is deemed best
for the schurch to remain separate
The report wishes that all past diff
ferences be forgotten and that close fraternal
relations be maintained, and that joint COM
mittee be appointed to confer upon and report
to the next general assembly the best means
of cooperation in extending the church.
THE SYNOD OF GEORGIA SUSTAINED.
Following is text of the report which was
adopted concerning DIR. Woodrow:
Whereas, The pre- bytery of Augusta did find Rev.
DR.. James Woodrow, d. D., not guilty of the charge
preferred against him by Rev. W.. Adams, D. D..
lating opinions and doctrines in conflict with the
sacred scriptures as entered in our standard, con-
fession of faith, longer and shorter catechism of
Westminster ASSEMBLY. That he did, divers
casions, mentioned in said charge, teach and pro-
mul gate that the body of Adam was probably the
product of evolution from the body of some lower
animal; and whereas, the synod of Georgia did
upon complaint ofRev William Adams d. D. an
Judgment of the synod of Georgia is brought to The
general assembly by the complaint of Rev. James
woodrow, ID. D.
Now, therefore. it is the Judgment of the general
assembly that Adams body directly fashioned
by Almighty God out of the dust of the ground with
out any natural animal parentage of any kind. The
wisdom OF God prompted Him TO reveal the fact,
while the inscrutable mode of his action herein
was not revealed. While, therefore, the church
does not propose to touch, handle or conclude any
question of science which belongs to Gods kingdom
of nature, she must by her divine constitution
that these questions are not thrust upon her to break
the silence of scripture and supplement by any sci
entitc hypothesis concerning the mode floods be-
ing or the acts in creation which are inserutable
to US.
It is, therefore ordered that the complaint in
this case be not sustained, and the judgment of the
synod of Georgia be, and the same is hereby, in
all things, affirmed
Following is Elder Hammond's substitute:
1nasmuch as the synods action could not and
was not intended to annul the verdict of the pres
bytery of Augusta, by which Dr.. Woodrow was ec-
not affect the ministerial character OF ecclesas-
teal standing of the complainant This assembly
being forbidden by the CONSTITUTION of the Church
to handle or conclude anything but that which is
ecclesiastical does not pronounce on the scientific
hypothesis which DR.; Woodrow holds as probably
true but soiemnly judges that the Interpretation of
Scripture account of the creation of mans body in
accordance with such hypothesis is contrary to the
standards of the church.
The substitute was rejected.
The protest of DIR. Whaling Yves signed by
himself, F.. w. Heiskel, j. o. Lindsay and Is
others. Tho protest is as follows:
We desire to enter our solemn protest against the
decision of this general assembly, refusing to
tain the complaint of Rev. James Woodrow d. D.
oS1llist Vi GSoIgid lOf rea-
sons:
l. The second specification in the Indictment is
expressly excluded by the constitution of the
church, inasmuch as nothing ought to be eonsid-
cred by any court as an offence, or admitted as O.
matter of accusation, which cannot be proved to be
such from the Scripture, as interpreted in the
standard"
2. In view of the fact that your proestants Holy
Bible does not reveal the form of matter out of
| which. and the time in which, God created the
body of Adam, and therefore the hypothesis of evo-
luton, as believed by Rev. James Woodrow, D. D.,
cannot be regarded as in conflict with the teach
ings of the sacred Scriptures
3. The Westminster standard simply reproduce
without Interpretation, the statements of scriptures
in reference 10 the creation of Adams body and as
| views of the complainant not in conflict with
the statements of Scriptures neither they be
| with the teaching of the standards.
4. The action of the assembly in refusing to sus-
| tain this complaint is equivalent to pronouncing
certainly false the theory of evolution as applied by
| Dr. Woodrow to Adams body, which is purely
scientific question entirely foreign to the legitimate
| sphere OF ecclesiastical action.
Your protos It's therefore, are unwilling that
this general assembly should express any opinion,
Whatever, respecting the hypothesis of evolution or
| any other scientific question.