The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-18
PERENNIAL QUARREL
ON AT SARATOGA
General Assembly oi the Presbyterian
Church Premises 10 Be Lively.
OLD AND NEW METHODS OF STUDY
The Pains and Distress Engendered
by the IutcrminabIe Briggs Case
Will Again Be Brought On--Dawn
OF Peace is Still Far AWay.-Somc
Heavy Fighters Are Preparing Tor
the Battle.

New York, May 1.-THE perennial
quarrel in the Presbyterian church over
TN, old and new methods of Bible STUDY
is to haN. fresh airing TINS week at
SARATOGA Springs. There on ThurSuaE
at noon, opens the one hundred ana
eighth session % the general Assembly
Of the PRESBYTERIAN church, north, ana
the pains and distress engendered nE
the intcrminable Briggs case are To pt
again endured. This time from present
outlook, there Is promise of Il session "'
greater severity, than the churcn mas
vet experienced in it's long and bitter
succession of accusations, trials, ueilN-
erances and cN-cOmmunications, ul
which Dr.. Briggs, Union seminary and
the Bible have been the subject. The
dawn of peace, which was promised ut
the great Memorial Love feast at Pitts
burg last year. is not yet at hahd.
rneXnccted developments in uneXpect-
ed Quarters, have revealed new re-
sources in possession Of the liberal MI
nority in the church. some ot the
heavy fighters of other assemblies are
chosen commissioners this year. ana
they have their battle planned for them
Both sides are now Canvassing to gam
possession Of .he organization of the
assembly and the canvassing proceeds
on lines very Ike those made iamiilaI
| in political functions of the day. strange
| To say the minority, which on count u!
| hands in the past great trials for heresS
| has been so aStOnishingly small as to
| he scarcely worth the counting; this
| inconsiderable minority has been time
! ana again ON the point Of capturing the
assembly by shrewd manoeuvres in the
canvass for the moderatOrship. These
| tactics are again in play. Last year
at PittShurG, the conservatives out
numbering the liberals four to one
! saved their cause at the last moment
| By uncOVcring the schemes of the New
| York Presbyterian bankers to secure
the defeat of DR.. Booth.
ACTION BEGAN At CHICAGO.
This year action began at Chicago
| As in the past two general assemblies
| the candidate advanced ON the liberal
| side as the champion of peace and
| work, has the high rank of busy and
| successful city pastor. AS before. they
| propose in opposition TO the ConseiVa-
| tiVes. Il man with the reputation Ci
| SuundncSs in the faith and staunCh con-
seryatism. Such man, in 1874 and
again in 1898. receiving the vote of eH'
cry liberal in the assembly gathered
such strength from the conservative
side as to bring him within few votes
| of the mOdcratOrship. Rev Or. John
l.. WithrOW, of the great Third Presby-
terian church, at Chicago, is named fol
that office by Editor Gray, of the In
| terror, as a representative of the pro
| gressive" type in the church. In ar
editorial announcing Dr. WithrOw':
| candidacy, the Interior describes tn,
theological quarrel in the church as {
| a m nf nf
trinc, and calls upon the church in tho
coming assembly to disregard this dif.
| ference and to recognize, in the inter
ests of the efficiency and happiness o
| the church, the equal value of both di
| visions I'M the common cause,
Coming from this source, the candi
dacy of DR.. WithrOw has alarmed tn,
conservative party beyond measure
They see in it a repetition of the tigh
Of last year, when Dr.. Page was forced
out from the conservative side To stanC
as the representative of the liberals
1T is a well laid plan, and ! fear i
will succeed" said one of the oldest an'
most experienced campaigners. Il
elected" he continued, "Dr, Withrov
will place no barrier in the way of un
doing all that the assembly has don,
for truth in the last five years"
Editor Gray and the Interior may ht
classed as rcsolutely and unchanGcabI!
in opposition to the settled course of tn
conservative party in the church. Hi
nomination of Il candidate, whoever h.
might be, would in itself arouse the con
servatives. But there is more To cauS
uneasness in this quarter.
DIR. WITHROW'S VOTE.
DIR. Withrow east his vote in th
Chicago Proshytery To receive Franl
Y. NroOman AS pastor of the Kirkwon,
church in that city. Mr.. Voorman'
reception by the Chicago Presbyter,
created furore in the West that wa
eQualled only hy that caused by tn
Briggs case in New York city Accord
ing to his own statement publicly mad
at Il meeting of presbytery he did no
expect to find a rational being who be
lieved in every article Of the Westmin
ster confession Of faith" He denied
full and clear belief in the doctrine q
the Trinity as it is commonly accppte,
and stated unequivocally his disbelic
in the incrrancy of the bible. Afte
an examination of his belief in partcu
lar by fun preSbytery, Mr. NoOrmal
was received after an aVuwal Of hi
belief and acceptance of the confession
which he had previously discrediteG
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