Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-19
HERESY AND Summaries
Important Questions to Come Up at Sara
toga
Prof. Smiths Appeal Referred-Church
Unify-GOvernmen of TheO.
logical Schools.


eral assembly at Saratoga yesterday. and
the committee is now engaged in digesting
the matter. Rev. Henry Preserved Smith,
the accused professor. Is on hand with all
his family, his wife and daughter and his
youngest son. Prof. Smith will make q
fight to have the verdict Of the Cincinnati
presbytery set aside. BY this verdict he
was suspended from theministry, but he ap-.
pealed from the finding of the presbytery
and the case went to the Ohio synod, which
decided against him.
DR.. Smiths oftense was the reading of a
paper before a body of Cincir natl ministers.
in which he made an elaborate defense of
DR.. Briggs when the Union professor was
first charged with heresy. He upheld DIR.
Briggs theory that the Old Testament was
written b. ordinary men and that these
writings we're collected by other men long
afterward and made up into a book now
known as the Bible. According to this
theory the name OF none of these men is
known, and 1t is an entire mistake to sup
pose that Moses wrote the first five books
or that Isaiah wrote his prophecy and that
the book is moreoy er full of errors. and the
general opinion that God inspired it Is all
wrong. as the concept only is inspired
Inc general assembly is largely made up Of
men who are likely to take the opposite
view OF the origin Of the Bible but the vote
or yesterday shows so many Briggs men
In the body that the leaders of the orthodox
party are nervous.
Church Unity.
DR.. Joseph T. Smith read the report of
the special committee on church unity
This Is the committee which has been con-
Quoting negotiations with the Episcopalian
church and other denominations looking
to reciprocity arrangement between all
OPS appointed committee. headed by
Bishop Cleveland Coke of western New
York. which proposed an amendment to
the canon law of the Episcopslian Church
whereby all Presbyterian ministers could
De recognized by the Episcopal bishops as
standing on the same basis Of apostolic
succession with themselves. Nothing has
peen heard Of this proposition since. and
Dr Smiths committee confined its recon-
mendations to confederation of all the
churches in the United States having a
Presbyterian form OF government. These
include the United PRESBYTERIAN Church
the Dutch Reformed Church and Others.
eight in all. The committee recommended
4 large ecclesiastical assembly, made up
OF representatives Of all these churches,
and exercising advisory powers over the
field. but not Interfering with the organic
integrity Of each.
The afternoon session was devoted al
most entirely TO supplemental report of
the committee on church unity DR. Smith
read a minority report. which differed from
the majority report only in the introductory
sta tement.
DR.. Smith read an extract from letter
from Bishop Coke and from the Episco-
palian church unity committee. containing
assurances that the matter would surely
be pressed upon the attention of the next
general convention, which meets in Octo-
Der. 1895.
Sabbath Observance.
Elder William r. WoriaE of New York,
as chairman Of the assembly Sabbath OBJ
servance committee, presented the annual
report. The first resolution advised AL
Christians to refrain from patronizing Sun
day newspapers, street cars, amusements.
&C.
In the discussion that followed. Rev. Mr..
Charles 3. Ramsden os this city stated
mat the failure Of the Columbian fair Sum
activity Of President Harrison and his Sec
rotary OF the Treasury in executing the law
passed by Congress. On motion Of Elder
Story Of New York tbs work of the COM
mittee was continued for another year
Government Of Thsological Schools.
The special committee on theological
seminaries made its report in the afternoon.
This is the committee appointed at PORT
land two years ago to save the church from
such another experience as the loss of Union
Seminary, with its g, 100000 endowments.
which withdrew from the control Of the
general assembly because of its dissatisfac-
ton with the treatment Of DR.. Briggs.
Inc committee has been at work two
years trying TO devise some means of effect
Ing such a change in the differing Charters
or the thirteen theological seminaries under
It's control as shall prevent the alienation
OF tneir endowments They have held many
meetings. and have listened to much advice
from lawyers familiar with the law of trust
and charters. AT the Washington assem-
ply last year they presented long report
which contained no recommendations, but
which gave a presentation of the chartered
rights OF each Of the ssminaries. and Of the
rights Of the general assembly In the prem
ises.
1t was found that each of the theological
Summaries known as Presbyterian were
actually independent of the church to which
they owed their support. The control over
them being exercised by the Presbyterian
nominal only. and did not in any degree
AFFECT the funds or property. II was found
that the division or misuse Of the wealth In
the possession Of the trustees Of the SEM
inaries was possible, and that the church
might find itself some day without a SEM
mary in the land in which students could
obtain orthodox instruction.
The committee then set to work to nnd
remedy. They reached q conclusion
week ago at a final meeting at Cleveland.
This conclusion was not unanimous and two
reports were prepared. Ex-Moderator Will
liam c. Young of Kentucky. chairman Of
-
This received the approval Of ten members
of the committee.
Among these were DR.. Bartlett of Wash
ington, DR.. Mutchmore and DR.. Baker of
Philadelphia, DR.. Dixon Of Trenton and
Lawyer Thomas McDougall Of Cincinnati.
DR.. Blaney signed the report. but not until
he had recorded his dissent to its most
vital clause.
The report. as read, presented as the re-
suits Of its study Of the situation that the
church desired to secure q direct control
over the seminaries, both to their prop
erty and as to their teaching. and to enforce
this control when 1t so desired. 1t also
found that this control could not be secured
by the church without the consent and CO.
operation of the seminartes themselves.
Chnracter of Proposed Control.
Resolutions to this effect were thereupon
adopted by the committee. and the latter
proceeded to determine the extent, charac-
ter and mode of the proposed control.
This should be secured in such a way that
1t will be effective when the boards charged
with the immediate supervision and man.
agement of the property and teaching dis
obey the mandates of the church as ex-
pressed by the general assembly. 1t rec