The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-31
Afraid of DIR. McGrinert.

It looks very much as If the Presbyte-
rian Church were afraid of DR.. McGrif-
fert and his book. The doctor is a pro-
fessor in the Union Theological Seminary
OF New York, and recently he published
book in which he made statements which
are regarded as heretcal by leading min
isters Of that Reorganization. one of the
statements in che book denies the sacra-
mental and symbolical character of the
Last Supper as taught by Christian
teachers. The same means he adopts to
reach his conclusion in respect to that
part of the New Testament could be as
well used to destroy every other super
natural incident Of the Bible.
The New York Presbytery should have
taken notice of DIR. McGrifferts book. For
some reason or other it did not do so. The
Pittsburg Presbytery asked the general
assembly, which met this year at WinOna,
Ind, to take notice of it, That body did
so, but not in a manner which will give
satisfaction to Presbyterians generally 1t
voted almost unanimously that DR.. Nc
Griffert must either repudiate the views
set forth in his book or withdraw from
that Dr. McGriffert doesn't obey the reso-
luton of the general~-assemby? Then
the presbytery to which he belongs must
try him.
But there are several questions which
suggest themselves in this connection
which the average Presbyterian will be
apt to find puzzling. One of them is, why
II
McGriffert to repudiate the Objectionable
statements contained in his book, if he ar
rived at them honestly? Is it to be under
stood that that church is willing to retain
him as a member provided that he is dis
honest enough to deny that he thinks the
Objectionable statements In his book are
true?
1t is not reasonable to suppose that Dr.
McGrfert has any doubt about the truth
Of the Objectionable statements. That be-
ing the case, he isn't going to deny what
he has written. The Presbyterian Church
is on record as saying that at desires the
fullest and freest investigation and in
quiry on the part of reverent Christian
students into the foundation of the Chris
tan faith If, therefore, the New York
Presbytery should put DR. McGrlffert on
trial. would it not be condemning him for
doing what the Presbyterian Church adj
vises Christian students to do? There can
be no doubt that DR.. McGriffert is rev.
erenl Christian student, and that he is an
investigator of the foundations of Chris
tan faith. Some of the conclusions which
he has reached are hostile to the teach
ings of the Presbyterian faith. If, there
fore, DR.. McGriffert should be tried and
condemned, would not his condemnation
be due to the fact that he honestly stated
the conclusions which he had reached?
What ought to have been done imme.
diately upon the appearance of DIR. Nc
Griffert's book is this: The doctor should
have been called before the New York
Presbytery, and an inquiry made as TO
whether the Objectionable statements of
the book were in conflict with the Presby-
terian creed If the decision were in the
affirmative the doctor should have been
expelled from the church. If il were in
the negative the whole matter should have
been dropped
1t is probable however, that after tho
experience with DR. Briggs another pro.
fessor Of the Union Theological Seminary,
the New York Presbytery was afraid to
cail DR.. McGrinert before it, and it looks
very much as If the general assembly was
| afraid to deal with him in the vigorous
manner for which his alleged offense calls.
| There must be many in the Presbyterian
! Church who hold views similar to those
| Of DIR NTcCriffert ana IN. Irio,,s or o,
the church would not show such a lack of
vigor in what are alleged to be heresy
cases.