The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-25
Discovered that DIR. Roberts, Stated
Clerk, Was Manipulating Invi-
tation from Minneapolis.
THE M'GIFFERT HERESY CASE
COMMITTEE DIVIDED. MAJORITY
RECOMMENDING DROPPING 1T.
Report on Princeton Inn Case VIII
Also Develop a Wide Division
DIR. Burroughs Reports.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
WINONA PARK, Eagle Lake, Ind Nav
M.-The much-talked-of invitation to Mime
apolis as the next place of meeting is sus-
pected by many as being intended for church
political purposes and not in good faith
While no special efforts were made bv the
Winona people to secure the assembly. it
leaked out to-day that there was ground
for believing that the stated clerk DR.. w.
M Roberts, of Philadelphia, had written to
DR.. Pleasant Hunter, of Westminster
Church in Minneapolis, asking him TO write
the assembly. This was done, and the invi-
tation, in the opinion of those who
have seen it, is lukewarm one
with several conditions attached, and
the allegation made that it is not bona
fide. but meant to meet an emergency. 1t is
said that DIR. Roberts's expectation was
that Minneapolis would be awarded the as
sembly and that later it would gracefully
withdraw it's offer and this, it is urged,
would then leave the choice of the place
where the assembly is to go practically in
the hands of Dr. Roberts. Since this
matter has cropped out a determined,
though quiet canvass of the commissioners
has been going on to the end that Winona
may again get the assembly. 1t is probable
feeling at the sharp practices of the enemies
of Winona may serve to gain for it the COW
eted prize.
Late developments in the McGiffert heresy
case tonight were to the effect that the
committee on bills and overtures Is divided
against itself. DR.. w. S. Plummer Bryan,
of Chicago, who leads the conservative ele-
ment in the committee, offerd two PROPOSE
tons to that body, both of which failed to
please. The first was that the matter be pre-
scented to the New York Presbytery for trial
1 a
of five in the assembly, which was to exam
inc McGifforts book for evidence of heresy.
committee, headed by DR.. Francis Brown,
of Union Seminary, New York, in which
school Dr. McGiffert labors, then decided at
secret meeting of the committee by vote
of IA to g. TO recommend that the assembly
take no action in the matter nor express
any official opinion. While this will be the
pany it q minority report rather against Nc
Giffert, and it rests with the assembly as to
The technical fault of the book christian
ity in the Apostolic Age is that DR. Nc
effort apparently repudiates the spiritual
significance of the Lords supper and the
atonement. Under ordinary circumstances
the only proper action of the assembly
would be to make it easy for DR.. McGiffort
to withdraw from the church, but in view
of the inside developments of the case an
altogether different aspect is put on the mer-
it's of DIR. McGiffort's side of the trouble.
Since the storm of protest has broken out
over the country against the teachings of
the book DR.. McGiffort has written "a
pamphlet entitled Christian Theology in
which he defines his position thoroughly in
such manner as wifi leave the assembly
no course to- pursue but to discharge him
from blame along the lines that he has been
accused In the pamphlet DIR. McGttort
states that he is essentially a historian and
he denies his alleged repudia ton of the
atonement by the statement that his book
was written not as a theological work, but
as history without reference to theology.
In order to make 1t a perfect history 1t was
necessary to eliminate all the supernatural
in the Bible that is confusing to the lay
mind. The work, therefore, was done from
a humanitarian standpoint and not from a
spiritual one and DIR. McGiffort disclaims in
the work any action or intention which
would in any way proclaim his own theolog-
cal opinions, which he affirms are strictly
in accordance with the standards of the
church. The committeeman best acquaint-
ed with the merits of the case are unani-
nous that DR.. McGiffort is telling his posi-
ton in the matter truthfully in his pamphlet
and has simply written temporal history
on a theological subject and his efforts have
been misunderstood by the presbyteries OF
the country. There is no doubt according
subject that DR.. McGiffort's word as laid
down in his pamphlet will be accepted and
the action of the assembly will be in the
nature of an admontion of a general char
acter, but of no particular Importance.
Another premature committee report
leaked out tonight regarding the Princeton
Inn affair. The cause of the inn was cham
pioned in the committee room by. DR.. D.
Wills. jr., of Oswego. N Y, and the com
mittee was found to be evenly divided. In
the liberal factions report the temperance
question is handled on general grounds, but
with no reference made to colleges at all.
The other report. and it is admitted by the
committeeman that there will be two re-
ports especially mentions the effort to stop
the use of intoxicants about colleges in
which the church has an interest, and will
make q broad alusion to Princeton Inn,
with the recommendation that the church at
once exercise some authority over the adj
ministration Of Princeton affairs. AS the
assembly is as badly divided as is the COM
mittee on the subject, it will be seen that
a lively discussion will follow when the re-
Dr. Dixon, of Trenton. N. j.. in reporting
on the home mission work, introduced
resolution asking that, as the Klondike
gold fields are once more the scene of
business activity and immense numbers OF
men are going into that region, the as
sionaries into the territory about such
places as Dawson City, Circle City and
other points. Along this line it was re-
ported that Rev. Hall Young had recently
organized a Presbyterian church in Daw-
son City, with d membership of fifty.
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