The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-26
ANOTHER HERESY CASE
A Fierce, Personal Debate in the
General Assembly.
DR.. ARTHUR C. M'GIFFERT
His Fate Will Be Decided by the Pres
oytery of New York-Two Re-
ports Made-It Was a War
of Accusation.


is the fate of Rev. DR.. Arthur C. Nc
Giffert, professor of church history in
Union Theological seminary, New York
The general assembly of the Presby-
terrain church steered clear, as it hoped
of the rocks of another heresy trial and
1t voted this afternoon, after a fierce
earnest and sometimes personal debate,
to refer the whole matter to the presby-
+ terry of New York for such disposition
as in its judgment the peace of the
church and purity of the doctrine may
require
When the bills and overtures COM
mission report was announced this af
ternoon by Vice Moderator DR.. L. Y.
Graham, profound silence held over
the assembly and the packed galleries.
DR.. Wallace Radcliffe of Washington,
chairman of the committee, took the
speakers platform and read first that
part of the report on which all MEM
bers of the committee agreed. 1t was
a review of the case and the statement
of four fundamental doctrines Of the
II church which DR.. McGiffert's History
of Christianity in the Apostolic Age" is
held to deny. Next DIR. Radcliffe read
the majority report and then it was
known at last that there were to be
two reports. This report, which was
ultimately adopted, left the matter to
the direction of the New York presby-
terry.
Wa After the majority and minority re-
ports had been read, Dr. McGiffert ad-
dressed the assembly in his own behalf
The leaders then having spoken, five
minutes each was given to a host of
other takers. Elder D. w. Glass of
Baltimore and Rev. J. ]. Gilchrst of
Las Vegas, N. NJ, spoke for the minor
ity report
Then upon the platform came Dr. J.
B. Alcott Shaw of New York a director
of Union seminary. Intense silence fol-
lowed. In that deep sonorous voice for
which he is famous, the eloquent minis
ter spoke:
Il disapprove of Mr.. McGiffert's
book"
He said slowly and impressvely:
There are many things and some
good things in it.. I have no sympathy
or patience with it." 49,
Then why" broke in DR.. McKibben
fiercely, then why, as a director of
Union seminary do you keep DIR. Nc
Giffert Thereof
Wait for an explanation 1t will
come in time. Have patience" replied
Or. Shaw, with the greatest calmness
vote for this majority report, be-
cause, first, you can trust the church;
second, because you can trust DR.. Nc
Giffert. Only short time before COM
ing to this convention 1 had a talk with
DR.. McGiffert, in which 1 asked if he
believed in the deity of Christ Yes,
was his reply. DO you believe in mir
aculous conception l asked him next
and he answered Yes
For the next minute DR.. Shaw tried
in vain to make himself heard From
all sides were showers of disapproval
OF what appeared to be an apology for
DR.. McGiffert
Il mean simply this" continued DR..
Shaw, when the turmoil had ceased.
that DIR. McGiffert was honest in his
letter. He will walk out of the church,
he will say: I will have no stain on
my conscience of another heresy
trial.
Thirdly, I want to say that you can
trust the presbytery of New York
Leave US free and we will take our
stand for the right
Then Elder James Yereance of the
New York presbytery sprang sensa-
ton Of the first order. Pale with in
dignation, he declared that Dr. Shaw
had broken solemn agreement of the
New York presbytery that none of
them should speak or try to influence
the vote on the subject before the
house.
Mr. Moderator. Mr.. Moderator. "
called DR.. Shaw, who was thoroughly
aroused, Il wish to say that there was
no such agreement, it was simply I'M
derstood that we should not speak as
representing the presbytery. I spoke
only for myself.
said DR.. Yereance. but there was a
trace of irony in his tone. Immediate
~ after he struck DR.. Shaw another
blow. Only - month ago" he de-
clared with great intensity Or Shaw
told me in a conversation that he had
read DIR. McGifferts book and saw
nothing in it to disapprove."
recall no such statement" passion
ately exclaimed DR.. Shaw.
stop it, gentlemen, stop it, enough,
enough came from all parts of the
house: Lets have no personalities"
said the acting moderator.
I'm all manlness to God and man,
DIR. McGiffert should retire. said DR.,
Yereance. in conclusion.
DIR. John w. Dinsmore of San Jose.
Cal, spoke briefly for the majority re-
port When he was through the house
clamored frantically for the question.
For fully five minutes there were
mingled shouts of Question" vote
vote" and shouts from DR.. D. w. F.
Birch of the New York presbytery
who was begging the moderator to let
him speak.
At last the house voted to hear Dr.
Radcliffe close the debate for the ma
jority. At the conclusion of his speech
he moved the majority report.
DR.. McKibben moved to substitute
the report of the minority A parlia-
mentary tangie followed with half
dozen speakers and numerous motions
But a motion to lay DR.. McKibben's
substitute on the table prevailed.
Then came the vot" on the ajority
resolution. 1.-THE ayes have it," said
DIR. Graham.
Somebody called for division for
the negative vote seemed to have a
large volume.
But when it came to standing up the
negative vote. which had given promise
of being almost equal to the affirmative
dwindled so badly that the few stand
ers were laughed at. The majority