Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-13
The INERRENCY RESOLUTION.
Rev. DIR. Hamlin's strong Sermon Against
Its Binding Force.

Rev. Dr. HamIIn's strong Sermon Against
Its Binding Force.
DR.. 7. s. Hamlin of the Church Of the Cow
enant began yesterday morning q series Of SER
mons, discussing subjects Of interest which will
be considered at the coming general assembly
in the Presbyterian Church in this city. He
represents. as has been stated in The STAR, the
moderate sentiment OF the church. DIR. Ham,
lin prefaced his discourse yesterday with Q brief
personal explanation of his stand in the matter.
and gave his reasons why he thought it advis-
able to set before his congregation his clearly
defined opinion. As his hearers well knew, he
was a moderate man.
''You know" he said. that your pastor is
not an alarmist who thinks that every passing
breeze is a cyclone and that the Bible and the
church and Christianity are in danger Of de-
struction unless he franticslly summons you to
save them. When say, therefore, that i be-
heve our beloved church to be approaching a
momentous crisis. you will give me credit for
speaking deliberately and solemnly."
THE ISERREScY RESOLUTION.
He seldom departed from the stom of
teaching from his pulpit the word Of God, and
did not seoop to discuss topics Of the day, no
matter how interesting. And he stated there
fore that when he did make such departure
the members OF his congregation would realize
that it was because he thought it due to them
that they should have a clear idea of how their
pastor stood in matters of church importance.
He knew also that the members OF his congre-
cation would give him credit for honest opin-
ions in subjects OF such importance to the
church. He believed that the church was
threatened with great dangers, and that it was
his duty to inform his congregation what he
thought those dangers to be. The subject of
his sermon Yesterday was the ''Inerrency Reso-
luton. which passed by the general as
sembly at Portland. Ore. last MAY. The gist
OF this resolution is. the doctor said, found in
the sentence that ''our church holds that the
inspired word, as it comes from God, is with
out error"
There is some obscurity here" he said.
Does the phrase As it came from God mean
before or after it was written by men? We can
determine only by the fact that the current
contention is over the so-called original auto
graphs, l. e., the first writing. by the hand OF
the inspired man, or. as in the case Of Paul, By
his amanuensis. The allusion of the deliver
ance seems to be to those manuscripts.
The declaration then is that our church
holds that those original writings were FREQ
from error"
He maintained that the church holds moth
ing whatever, pro or con, upon this question
of inerrancy.
HOW THE RESOLUTION WAS INTRODUCED.
The resolution, DIR. Hamlin said was intro
duced at the closing hours Of the session in
Portland last year by one man. 1t had not
even the approval Of the presbyteries in ad-
vance, This resolution was introduced he
said, when one-ffth of the number of mem
bers of the assembly had already taken their
departure; when there u great rush and
hurry ill matters before the assembly requiring
final action, land was passed by viva voce vote,
and there was nothing to show what the ma or-
iiy was in the case. To maintain that n reso-
luton passed in this way should be Chased
among the standards of the church mani
testify preposterous, and he held III addition
that II was equally preposterous that ministers
who should fail to teach this doctrine from the
pulpit should be required to either resign from
the church or in case they persisted in failing
to teach it should be disciplined by the church
and subsequently elected. His stand, he said.
was one Of absolute neutrality. He favored no
man in the assembly; he favored no faction.
He was absolutely independent. He did not
take sides one way or the other upon the ques-
ton at issue.
What then" he said sis the egal force and
rightful weight OF this Portland dehverance?
Precisely what justly attaches to the individual
opinions Of the gentlemen who voted for it.
But the resolution carefully exalts this opin-
ion to the level of a doctrine. 1t asserts that
our church holds it. 1t assumes that every
minister assented TO il at his ordination. 1t
calls upon him, if he does not now believe it,
to leave the church 1t embraces in this sum-
mons all ordained officers, elders and deacons,
well ministers. And il they do not with
draw, il 'enjoins the courts of the church to
speedily discipline them and eject them In
other words, this deliverance. under the guise
OF an Interpretation of the standards. sets up a
totally new doctrine, which it declares the
church holds. and makes it test of ministe- |
rial and official standing.
AN ACT OF UsURPArIoN.
sGNou 7 .Ja1;barotal,, "A sor,x.x.,,-
this act of the grossest usurpation, to resist
which is the urgent duty of every Presbyterian
that loves his church and cherishes her histor-
ical stand for liberty both personal and eccesi-
astical Understand. l am not at all denying
the right of the church to PROFOUND a new doc
trine or TO set up new standard Of ministerial
qualification, and to discipline men for not con-
forming to it. But these things must be done
constitutionally. II the Presbyterian Church
believes in iEerrancy there is a legal method of
saying SO. Let the general assembly send
down an overture to that effect to the
presbyteries. Let two-thirds Of them answer
it afirmatively and the ensuing assembly
enact it. Then We can say our church holds |
it, but cannot say it until then |
The principles are clear and quite true apart |
from this particular doctrine or opinion of in |
errancy. This l. for one. neither affirm nor
deny. 1t is theory wholly in the air. No
living man. no man that has lived for many
centuries. mas seen the original autographs OF
the Holy Scriptures. We neither prove nor
disprove the theory. We are ignorant about
this matter and should be content to remain So
For one, hold firmly to just what our con-
fession of faith says about the Holy Scriptures:
and deny the power of any general assembly.
by resolution otherwise. to require me to
hold either more or less. Upon that platform
claim the right Of going on with my Christian
work in peace"
DIR. Hamlin's sermon was intensely interest
ing and very eloquent. As usual it brief,
but twent over the ground very thoroughly and
left no doubt in the minds of the hearers as to
what the stand of the pastor of the Church of
the Covenant is in this matter.
Collectors Who Hold Over.
OF the 100 collectors of customs in the United