New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-23
WILL 1T SPLIT THE CHURCH?
DIR. ROBINSON FEARS TROUBLE IF NEW
CREED IS FORCED.
,EyEN SPEECHES IN THE PREsBYTERY DEBATE
BUT NO SIGNS OF a VoTE-DR. BRIGGS
CONFRONTED WITH A QUOTATION
FROM WHITTIER"
FROM " WHITTIER"

hard "a being
many women sat listening ntently to the recital OF
the virtues and the faults Of the historic Confession OF
ratb No intellectual giant appeared in the discus
sions hnt seven speeches added to the number
arcadv made and 1t intmated that many more
woud be added ere the vote was taken.
DR. Hall rose to ask il the committee whose report
they were considering, intended to leave uhtoucheu
several of the sections in the chapter on inc hcl"
DEGREES simply adding additional sections Wmch
sbould includc the items specified in the report lie
soid that he had been informed that this was in tho
mind OF the committee
In the absence of DR.. Hastings ."e ''i' mum
Dr. Sample. the Moderator VINO was
member of the committee, said that 1t was Ms
impression that the statement made 10 Dr' ia" w."
not in accord with the facts. ,
Professor Francis Brown. Of the Union Ihcolos''a'
Seminary was the first to gain the hoor' lio in"r0
an earnest plea in behalf OF the report lo "I''"
expects 10 vote. lie admitted tlat u was 'o''
promise measure: not a sacrifice OF tru'h pu' 'i
promise in the expression of truth The speaker ~''
other Calvuiss insists upon the sovereignty oi "o''
but what kind of a God have men IN mlhu "iv" NV
assert their belief in His sovereignty ~ ii"
clared on Tuesday that God could not nave wv" q"
cused of injustice If He had never Sa'eu "''"''l
being; DR.. Brown affirmed that such NoN wa"
perversion Of the God made known TO man oH ioN0
laton.
MP Rbp1NsON'S PATHETIC APPEAL
ui,h ,oors in his ewes Dr. Charles Robinson pleaded
with his hrctbrcn ia spare the Confession but II they
mnst have that revised to he satisfied win tha' anu
moi demand a new Creed lie admitted lhaV Hc wa
horn Cavinist. and reared by Ne"-hhelahu holnVi
who knew The shorter Cateclsm, ana taught II 10 MN
when a child. And now in the dead of winter when
the cIerrymcn should be laborng for souls lley are
0cbtinr the Creed lighting it sixty seven TO hech'
He referred to a sermon which he heard DR.. PARK
hurst of the Madison square Church. preach the o'her
day. saying A.. .,
Tho elnl of
nttee and vet he declared in his sermon that nc ana
not believe i've person, in the cOhIIe-a,o du UI
ianrhed and he added Il never did and never
shall" And recalled his answer III tle Iie,DS S
the Confession of Faith containing the system ol
doctrine taught in the Holy scriptures M W. hamc
N'n Dr J. r. Kerr submit Mr. Moderator, that this
debate should not become personal -, A.
The MODERATOR was about TO rise 10 MAKE '''c
same suggestion
of this be personal repeating what preacher Sau
in the privacy of his own pulpit will conhne my
self 10 what has said the floor of TINS BODY
,dced Dr. Robinson. who referred next TO the
hymnology of the Christian Church. TO the study OF
which he has given the best part Of his he lie
named authors in various denominations whose hymns
are filed with CalviniSm by Wesley beginning
lie wills that should be. -, ,,,,,,
The older men in the IFesbyteTY ne o1cIaIcu d
home before the century closes WHY not let tlcir AS
decade be one Of peace instead Oh GNt% N1c will he
beartburnngs and bad blood will be en%ndeFcd'
DIR. MACCRACKEN DESIRES REVISION,
vice-C Chancellor MacCracien. of the University Of
the City Of New York, had yielded the floor to Dr'
Robinson that he might leave the Presbytery carly
When he began to speak he saw that 1t was not pos
sble for him to manifest that emotion in reference
to a change in the Confession that some have shown
in the debate. Possibly this is due to the fact that
he went through such emotional experience Wheh
NJ He lV venerable
fessor of theology of his fathers denomination Inc
time shall come when they will not endure souhd
doctrine but will turn away their cars from the truth
and be turned unto fables The truth turned away
FROM said Dr. MacCacken. was the Onited fiesDS
terrain testimony, and the fables to which turned
we're the articles of this Westminster Confession when
We are discussing" He next gave philosophical
argument against the favor shown by the Confession
to the determinstc of the will If it showed
any division, he said, il should be to the opposing
doctrine lie closed with these words:
There was a certain choice given US by the presl-
dent Of Princeton in his recent paper-betTeen
Augustine and Compile: Jonathan Edwards and John
smart Milf ] rightly recall the names-at any
rate between Christian necessitarians and anti
Christian necessitarians. ] respectfully decline. 10
choose. I am like the colored man who when toid
nv his preacher there is broad road that leads
down to destruction and narrow road tnat leaH. ny
TO the woods" I beake myself to the free territory
of self determined will Leave tht eApanaah
and inexplicabe mysteries of the Almighty. say
E lecture DE snd MG9Sf before s Ms death The need
hour is not to emphasize sovereignty and law. Irel
need Of the hour is TO Join our American nelghbors
n emphasizing human freedom and human response
blity.s
DR. KERR or THE NEED OF LIGHT
Following DR.. MacCrackcn DR.. Kerr, Of the
Fourth Church. WHO read carefully prepared paper
In support Of the recommendations Of the committee
lie denied that the committee had any idea OF
tampering with the Divine truth; such an impression
Is as unwahanted it is unhappy 1t would be
strange lie thought if the apprehension Of the truth
had not widened and cleared after centuries Of
study growth and experience. THIS was The con
cusoR of his address
confess to the presence Of awful mysteries in these
particulars-ny sterles which 1 am not called upon 70
pbilosophze even into creed. While the truth. the
Whole truth and nothing but the truth should be in
such an instrument, l should hesitate before maxim
arbitrary propositions. Many Of you have read the
suggestions approved by the Prcsbytery Of Cayuga,
prepared by prs Wech ana splasne OF Au , com
and the shorter CatechismS, IN form les liable to
S Rep fcT decsratory staement
ar as guide for treating the third and tenth chapters IN
his ." as guide holding as do for creed revision
rather than declaratoiy statement or entirely ne"
creed. The tendency OF the latter IL seems TO me-
Svoud' be 10 ostle aside gradually but finally alto
yether the old historic document whcn We devoutly
Cherish and believe in, Win all us bicm~es' as a
power of good in the world for MANY DAY 10 come
could only get own coneent to pleaa FOR Sach
supplementary statement, or sucn new ana simpler
creed when called for by the Prcsby terrain ana Re
formed churChc~ OF the world. am HcdItN ia id.pl
Of the recommendation of the committee that The
Assembly be asked 10 put in process an invitation Ia
these churches 70 this end and u II appears eA
pedicnt for own beloved Church to make hast
very slowly I'm this matter OF revision until VIC can
get the answers from these other churches. then wei
and good. We gain all the more b' waiting. AMI
feel Al the time that the question is "ou' i
Is no longer in the air but the desks, and In the
minds and in the hearts Of men who their knees
LIT imploring hands heavenvad, while their lips
inter the words Of Goethe More Hight D."
And ] believe that He whose ha I'm the be-
ginning brought splendid illumination 20 a forming
world. and who hath said. ASK and We sial receive.
"Seel and We shall find" viii not di,appOnt those
who thus put Him once again 20 III. word
DIR. RAMSAY QUOTES DIR. BRIGGS.
Both DR.. SChaf and Dr. Briggs of the Union
Seminary have written vOlumlnousy upon the Con
fcsSOn question. and more than once DR.
schaf has been reminded u the fact
that his books widely read. Yesterday DR.. Briggs