The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-29
EVOLUTION AND UNITY.
THE SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY VOTES
AGAINST BOTH.

the Case of Dr. Woodrow Results In
Failure-The Time Not Considered
Ripe for Joining the Two Bodies.
BALTIMORE, May IS The Southern Pres
byterian General Assembly was called to
order by the Moderator at 9.3O o'clock this
morning.
The chair announced the Commissioners
to try the complaint of the presbytery of
Meckenburg against the synod of North
Carolina.
The Auditing Committee reported that an
examination of the reports of the executive
committees on foreign and home missions
and of the committees on publications, edu-
cation, Institute for training Colored Min
isters, and the trustees of the general as
sembly found them correct The same
committee made report recommending
that $4,000 in Virginia bonds be referred
10 the special committee for disposal to the
best interest of tho general assembly
DIR. Smoot, of the committee on the vote
in the complaint of Dr. Woodrow against
the synod of Georgia, reported that tho
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 a lower
animal
A substitute for the report was presented
declaring that the action of the synod of
Georgia did not annul the action Of the
presbytery Of Augusta, or affect the eccle-
siastical standing of DR.. Woodrow and
further, that the views held by Dr. Wood
row were not contrary to the standards Of
the church.
The substitute was rejected and the re-
port Of the committee was adopted
Rev. 7, G.. Whaling, of South Carolina,
read protest against the action Of the
general assembly in this matter which,
without action, was ordered on the minutes.
TEXT OF THE REPORT.
Following is the text of the report which
was adopted concerning DR.. Woodrow:
WHEREAS, The Presbytery of Augusta did
find Rev. DIR. James Woodrow, d. D. not guilty
of the charge preferred against him by Rev.
W. Adams, ID. D., wherein lie was charged with
teaching and formulating opinions and doc
trines in conflict with the Sacred Scriptures as
interpreted in our standard confession of faith,
the Longer ana Shorter Catechism Of West
minister Assembly; that he did on divers occa
sionS mentioned in said charge, teach and pro-
mugate that the body of Adam was probably
the product of evolution from the body of some
lower animal.
WHEREAS, The synod of Georgia did, upon
complaint of Rev. William Adams, ID. D., annul
such action of the presbytery of Augusta, which
Judgment of the synod of Georgia IS brought to
this general assembly by complaint of Rev. James
Woodrow, d. D., now, therefore, 1t is the judg-
ment Of the general assembly that Adams body
was directly fashioned by the Almighty God out
Of the dust of the ground without any natural
animal parentage of any kind. The wisdom of
God prompted him to reveal the fact, while the
mscrutable mode of his action therein
has not been revealed While, there
fore, the church does not propose
to touch, handle, or conclude any question OF
| l.. - Its.slN1 1T. "A
nature, she must by her divine constitution,
see that these questions are not thrust upon
| her to break the silence of the Scripture, and
| supplement by any scientific hypothesis con
cerning the mode Of Gods being or acts in the
creation, which arc inscrutable to us. IL is
therefore ordered that the complaint in this
case be not sustained, and that the Judgment
Of the synod of Georgia be, and the same Is
hereby in all things affirmed.
ELDERS HAMMoND's SUBSTITUTE.
Following is Elder Hammond's substitute,
which was rejected:
| Inasmuch as the synod's action could not, and
was not intended to annu the verdict OF the
| presbytery of Augusta, by which Dr. Woodrow
was acquitted of heresy, the decision of this
| assembly does not affect the ministerial
character or ecclesiastical standing Of the
complainant. This assembly being for
hidden by the church TO handle or
conclude anything but that which is
ecclesiastical, does not pronounce on the
|
as probably true, but solemny judges that inter
probation of the Scripture account OF the creation
| Of mans body in accordance with such hypothe-
| sis is contrary to the standards Of the church,
| A PROTEST.
The protest of DR.. Waling was signed by
himself, E. w. Heiskel, J. 0. Lindsay, and
| thirteen others. The protest is as follows:
We desire to enter a solemn protest against
| the decision of this general assembly in refus.
| in ha cnnnlaiuf Of Rev
Woodrow, d. D., against the synod OF Georgia,
| for the following reas0nS
| l. The second specification in the indictment
is expressly excluded by the constitution of the
sidered by any court as an offense or admitted
as a matter of accusation which cannot be
| proved to be such from the Scripture as inter
preted in the standards
| 2 In the view OF your protestants the holy
Bible does not reveal the form OF matter out OF
which or the time in which, God created Adam,
| and therefore the hypothesis Of evolution as it
| Is believed by Rev. James woodrow cannot be
| regarded as in conflict with the teachings of the
sacred Scriptures.
The Westminster standards simply reproduce,
without Interpretation, the statement Of the
Scriptures In reference TO the creation or Adam 3
body and as the views of the complainant are
| not in conflict with the statements Of the Scrip
| lures 80 neither can they be with the teachings
| of the standards.
| sustain this complaint Is equivalent to pro
nouncing certainly false the theory Of evolu-
| tion as applied by Or. Woodrow to Adams
| body, which is purely a scientific question, en-
| tireiy foreign TO the legitimate sphere OF
ecclesiastical action. Your protestants, there
| fore, are unwilling that this assembly should
| express any opinion whatever respecting the
| hypothesis of evolution or any other scientific
| question.
The pending business-the report of the
committee on home missioIs-was then
taken up.
In consideration Of the report Of tho
committee on home missions, Rev. DR..
| Craig said that in the State of Georgia
there Is a valley twenty-five miles long that
| has not a church Of any denomination in IL.
| So il could bo seen that the need of religious
| instruction is not confined to the newer sec
/ tions Of the country.
ORGANIC UNION.
Rev. DR.. Strickler, of the Committee on
| Bills and Overtnres, presented a report ON
the organic union Of the Northern and
| Southern Presbyterian churches. Ten OF
! the presbyteries oppose such union, while
the others wish cooperation in Christian
work. which can only be accomplished by
organic union. The report says that
the obstacles which have heretofore
appeared against organic union
have not been removed, and it
is deemed best for the Southern church TO
renlain separate The report wishes that
all past differences be forgotten, and that
close fraternal relations be maintained, that
| O Joint committee DO appointed TO CONFER
upon a report to the next general assembly
tho best means Of cooperation in extending
the church.