The Denison review., 1899-05-26
AVOIDS HEREsY TRIAL.
McGiffert Case Referred Back
to New York Preshytery.
TWO REPORTS ARE SUBMITTED.

TWO REPORTS ARE SUBMITTED.
Majority and Minority Recommendation
Presented to the Presbyterian General
Assembly and the Case IL Remanded TO
the Home Body For setslsment-Y. II.
G. A. Convention at Grand Rapids.
MINNEAPOLIS, May 26.-In the hands
OF the presbytery Of New York is the
fate of Rev. DIR. Arthur O. McGiffert.
professor of church history in Union
Theological seminary, New York. The
general assembly of the Presbyterian
church steered clear. as it hopes. Of the
rocks Of another heresy trial, when it
voted yesterday afternoon after q fierce.
earnest, tumultuous and sometimes
personal debate to refer the whole mat
ter TO the presbytery Of New York,
''for such disposition as in its iudg-
ment the peace Of church and the pur-
ity of the doctrine may require
When the bills and overtures conn
mittee was announced profound 81
lence held over the assembly and the
packed galleries. DIR. Wallace Rad
cliff. chairman Of the committee, took
the speskers' platform and read first,
that part OF the report on which all
members Of the committee agreed. It
was review Of the case and the state
ment of four fundamental doctrines Of
the church which DR.. McGiffert's "His-
tory Of Christianity in the Apostolic
Age" is held to deny.
Next DIR. Radcliff read the majority's
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 discretion Of the
New York presbyterv. The minority
report. read by DR.. Benjamin Lewis
Hobson of Chicago, made it mandatory
upon the New York presbytery to ap-
point committee 20 confer with Dr..
McGiffert and il he would neither mod
ify his views nor peaceably withdraw
from the church proceed against him in
accordance with the provisions Of the
constitution Of the churches, and that
would have meant heresy trial and
before taking up the debate the whole
assembly rose a. one man and voted Tor
the preamble, ON which all agreed.
From this scene Of unanimity the as
pect Of the assembly was. soon changed
ITO one of tumult. The preamble wAs
frequently spoken % ~ . mAgnihcent,
new confession OF faith, . doctrinal de-
liverance that the Presbyterian church
is still tneologically sound to the core.
The preamble follows:
1. It is q fundamental doctrine Of the
word of God and the confession Of faith
that the Holy Spirit did SO control the
inspired writers in their composition Of
the holy scriptures as to make their
statements absolutely truthful. /. g..
free from error when interpreted in
their natural and intended sense. All
seeming discrepancies and contradic-
tions in the bible are to be referred to
the limitations upon human knowledge.
To hold that tho holy scriptures are in
any respect historically inaccurate is TO-
oppose the teaching Of the confession,
chap. I, sec. 4, which declares that 'sthe
authority Of the holy scripture for
which it ought to be believed and
obeyed, dependeth wholly upon God.
the author thereof, and therefore it is
to be received because it is the word Of
God"
2. It is fundamental doctrine Of the
word of God and the confession Of
faith that "the son Of God, the second
person in the trinity, being very and
eternal God of one substance and equal
to the father, did when, the fullness Of
time was come take upon him mans
nature, with all the essential properties
and common infirmities thereof, yet
without sin. So that the two whole per-
feet and distinct natures, the Godhead
and the manhood. were inseperably
joined together in one person without
conversion, composition or confusion"
These doctrines Of the confession for
bid any teaching respecting the Lord
Jesus which would attribute to him IN
any particular liability to error.
8. 1t is also fundamental doctrine
of the word of God and the confession
Of faith that "our Lord Jesus in the
night wherein he was betrayed insti-
tuted the sacrament of his body and
blood. called the Lords supper, to be
observed in his church unto the end Of
the world" and further that "the Lord
Jesus hath in this ordinance, appointed
his ministers to declare his word Of in
stitution to the people to pray and bless
the element of bread.and wine, etc.,
No teaching which declares that the
Lords supper was instituted in any
other manner than by the direct per-
sonal act Of the Lord Jesus is in har.
mony with the truth of the holy scrip.
ture. or loyal to the person Of Jesus
Christ.
Any teaching which in any way
modifies or belittles the essential act
and the exclusive necessity Of faith in
human salvation is mischievous, dis
honoring to the word and sacrifice of
Jesus Christ. This assembly enjoins
upon all sessions and presbyteries 10y
atty, to defend and protect these funda-
mental doctrines of this confessional
church.