The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-18
Rev. DR.. Withrow to Be Pitted
Against the Conservative
Candidates.
THEIR STRENGTH Is DIVIDED
The Theological Seminary Question
Will Be Revived at Saratoga
Springs.

at Saratoga Springs. There, on Thursday
at high noon, opens the one hundred and
eighth session of the General Assembly of
the Presbyterian Church North, and the
pains and distresses engendered by the in
terminable Briggs case are to be again en-
dured. This time, from the present out
look, there is a promise of a season of
greater severity than the church mas yet
experienced in its long and bitter success
sion of accusations, trials, deliverances and
communications of which DIR. Briggs,
Union Seminary and the Bible have been
the subjects.
The dawn of peace which was promised
at the great memorial love feast at Pitts
burg last year is not at hand. Unexpected
Developments in unexpected quarters have
revealed new resources in possession of
the liberal minority in the church.
Some of the heavy fighters of other as
semblles are chosen commissioners this
year and they have their battle planned
for them. Both sides are now canvassing
to gain possession of the organization of
the assembly, and the canvassing proceeds
on lines very like those made familiar in
political functions of the day. Strange to
say, the minority has been time ana again
on the point of capturing the assembly
by shrewd msneuvers in the canvass for
the moderatorship. These tactics are again
in play.
Last year. at Pittsburg, the conserva-
tives, outnumbering the liberals four to
one, saved their cause at the last moment
by uncovering the schemes of the New
York Presbyterian bankers to secure the
defeat of DR.. Booth. 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 conservatives, man with the repu-
tation of soundness in the faith and
stanch conservatism. Such a man in
1894, and again in 1895, receiving the vote
OF every liberal in the assembly, gathered
such strength from the conservative side
as to bring him within few votes OF the
moderatorshIp.
Rev. DR.. John L. Withrow of the great
Third Presbyterian Church at Chicago is
named for that Office by Editor Gray of
the Interior (newspaper) as a representa-
tive of the progressive" type in the
church. In an editorial announcing DR..
Withrow's candidacy, the Interior de-
scribes the theological quarrel in the
church as difference of type of man, not
of doctrine, and calls upon the church in
the coming assembly to disregard this
difference, and to recognize, in the inter-
ests of the efficiency and happiness of the
church, the equal value of both divisions
in the common cause.
Coming from this source the candidacy
of DR.. Withrow has alarmed the conserya-
tive party beyond measure. They see in
it repetition of the fight of last year,
when DR.. Page was forced out from the
conservative side to stand as the repre-
sentative of the liberals.
at is a well-laid plan and fear it will
succeed" said one of the Oldest and most
experienced campaigners. eff elected"
he continued, "Dr. Withrow will place no
barrier in the way OF undoing all that the
assembly has done for truth in the past
five years"
Editor Gray and the Interior may be
classed as resolutely and unchangeably in
opposition to the settled course of the con-
servative party in the church, He op-
posed in his paper the trial of DR.. Briggs
and DR.. Smith, the deliverance In regard
to the errors in the Bible and the disap-
proval of Union Seminary. His nomina-
ton of candidate, whoever he might be.
would in itself arouse the conservatives.
But there is more to cause uneasiness in
this quarter.
DR.. WIthrow cast his vote in the Chi.
cago Presbytery to receive Rev. Frank V.
Vrooman as pastor of the Kenwood Church
in that city. Mr.. Vrooman's reception bv
the Chicago fresbytery created a Juror in
the West that was equaled only by that
caused by the Briggs case in New York
City. According to his own statement.
publicly made at meeting of the presbv
terry, he 'did not expect to find a rational
being who believed in every article of the
Westminster Confession OF Faith" He
denied a full and clear belief in the
Doctrine of the Trinity as is commonly
accepted, and stated unequivocallv his
disbelief in the inerrancy of the Bible.
After an examination of his belief by n
full presbytery, Mr.. Vrooman was re-
ceived after an avowal of his belief in and
acceptance of the confession which be had
previously discredited, one of the votes in
his favor being that of DR.. WIthrow. This
action of the presbytery has resulted in
complaint and a protest which NAV find
for the case a place on the calendar of the
General Assembly. Since the action at
Chicago DR.. Withrow's vote has been the
subject of explanation and an apology in
the public press.
II was actuated with desire to avoid
conten tion," are his words. II recognized
his lack of technical training, but his wish
to be with us offset the errors believed he
would outgrow. l thought it would do
less harm to receive him than to create a
contention in the Presbytery over his re-
ception."
1t is this action and this explanation of
his action that is the basis of opposition
to DR.. Withrow on the part of the leading
conservatives. He would be man pIi-
able in the hands of the crafty liberals"
is the comment Of a conservative.
DR.. Frank c. Montfort, editor of the
Herald and Presbyter Will stand as the
candidate of the Western conse rvatiyes.
There is not a shadow of a doubt as to
what DR.. Moatford would do were he in