Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-08

morning, ana tHc iettci """
Or. whitsitt. on invitation OF a corn
mittee from the Board OF lrus'ees'
statement is as follows:
"The trustees Of the Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary. assembled III '"e'
annual meeting In Wilmington ". w.
NAV 6. 1897. desire to submit TO the Dap,
lists OF the South a statement In resar.
TO the institution whose inerests have
been committed to their care anu
management
81 We account this a hitting occa1to' adhei
10 affirm our cordial and thorough s aune
renee to the fundamental articles auop.Su ,,.n
at the time the seminary was tslao,ssn,,
ed. and to assure those In wnose pe"ai
we hold in trust and administer tne az
fairs OF this institution, OF our s.eauo ,,io
fas, purpose to require hereafter, as We
have required in the past tnat ,ntr,nes ,me
damentai laws and scriptural, doctri.nSSs
embodied I'm these articles shai pe rhatrs
fully upheld By those occupying chaii"
80 We cannot undertake to sit In Juug,
ment ON questions in Baptist history
which do not imperil any OF .no1e ~ are
cinles concerning which all Baptists ale
agreed hut concerning which serious,
conscientious and scholarly students a., az
not agreed. We can. however, coi,sue ,se,,s
ly leave TO continued research anu ,hSse
sion the satisfactory soiutioh VI
20 Relieving the seminary to hold an
important relation 10 the prosperity a,re m.a
usefulness of the southern baP.lsssa, ~
consider II our duty, while demanding OF
those in charge of It's departments OF III
struction the utmost patience III ronca 90
and the greatest discretion III utter antv, ~
10 foster, rather than 10 repiess, -. ~
spirit of earnest ana re'eren'
"a Being fully assured that the tender
affection which we cherish ior tnls ~ ~
stitution founded by our fathers ana ~, "
queathed by them 10 us. is shared by IN. tne
Baptists OF the South. we can saley
trust them. as we ask them to trust US
TO guard its honor, promote us useiui
ness. and pray for its prospr,n,S,
DIR. WHITSITTS LETTER.
DIR. Whitsitts letter is as follows:
"To the Board Of Trustees OF me 80 oou'"
ern Baptist Theological Seminary:
Dear Brethren,-I beg leave TO return
sincerest and heartiest thanks LOT a,ie nc
noble and generous treatment you h"r y,
bestowed upon me. / have only words Oh
affection for every member of the Doaru;
After consulting with the committee
have the following TO say: IT,. nc
81 In regard to the articles written as
editorials for the lndependen., rdrs me- ac'
tion of the Board of Trustees renuers IL
easy for me TO make this statemeht.
What | wrote was from pedopaptlst
standpoint. with we view ro 10 ,bouebt srat that
il would injure the Baptists, and WIN
no intention TO disparase Baptist doc
trnes or practices. ,ss,o
"2. The article in John s. Encyclopeuisa
has probably passed beyond my conlroi
but II will be very pleasing to me IL i can
honorably procure the elimination from
il of whatever is offensive to any OF my
brethren. -. ~
pressed the conviction that kinswoiildu
of mine ought TO follow her husband inIo
a pedobaptist church, 1t was never tny Hy,,,, az,
tention 10 express a belief that the laiilly
outranked the Church OF God. i DeileNe
that obedience TO its commands is ABOVE
every other human duty, ana tnat pevpio p,
i'm every relation of life ought TO opey
God rather than man: -, ,,,.o,,,od
al ON the historical questions lnNolNcu
in the discussion | find myself out Oh
agreement with some honored historians,
but what / have written Is the OUTCOME vi
patient and honest research, ana Sdh
40 no otherwise than reafiirm my conNiSrr
lions and maintain my position. But Il
i'm the future Il should ever be mace 10
annear that I have erred in my cohclu-
sions. / will promptly ana cheeiluIis 7',y sdy
so. | am a searcher after truth, anu VIII
gladly hail every helper in my WORK
.s5 I cannot more strongly assure the
brethren that / am a Baptist than by
what have recently declared with regard
10 the abstract OF principles SET ior,n III
the Fundamental laws of the seminary.
am heartily In accord with my Baptist
brethren in every distinctive principle tnat
they hold. My heart and life are pound
up with the Baptists, and have no hlgher
thought on earth than to spend my DAYS
in their fellowship and service, in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
s'Respectfully submitted. -
fSigned) 'sWILLIAM p. WHITSlTT"
OUTBURST OF FEELING.
The conclusion of the letter was the sig
mol for such an ourburst of feeling as
will long be remembered by every one in
The vast assemblage. The congregation
sang song after song, while DR.. Whitsitt
was besieged with handshakings and en-
braces from every quarter.
Tbe vice-presidents elected were W. j..
Northen. of Georgia; J. p Eagle. OF AT
kansas: r. A. March. OF North Carolina
and J. Ievering, of Maryland.
The convention sermon at night was
preached by Rev. DR.. II. a. Nenable, or
Meridian, Miss.
The convention adjourned to meet to-
morrow morning at 10 o'clock.
The Southern Baptist College Confer
ence held its last session this afternoon.
and listened to a paper by Dr. g.. +.
lanes of Roanoke Female College, Nir-
ginia.