Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-26

the Presbyterian ministry, and, mas
| much as the general assembly of 1899
has received communication from the
Rev. \. c. McGiffert. ID. D., III which
| he saws s'the action of the assembly us
well as the overture from the presby-
tery of Pittsburg upon which that action
| was based, make it evident that many
of INV positions, together with the
spirit and purpose of my book as a
whole. have been seriously misappre-
hended. Such misapprehension l sim
cerely regret ana l wish here emphatic
ally to repudiate the false constructions
that have been placed upon my book III
many quarters. So far as my views are
concerned they have been and remain,
as believe, in accord with the faith OF
the PRESBYTERIAN church's and evan
.pelical christendom in all vital ana es-
sential matters.
The assembly notes the Reputation
by DIR. McGiffert of the Interpretation
placed upon his utterances Ill said book
as being not i'll accord with the stand
ards of our church and his assertion of
devotion to the truth and his concern
for the welfare of the church and while
accepting the same as sincere the as
sembly nevertheless reasserts its deliv.
erance of 1898, condemning the state
ments OF said book as being such as to
Justify the Interpretation so repudiated.
And III regard TO fundamental doctrines
OF our churches involved in this mat
ter, this assembly solemnly declares:
First-It is fundamental doctrine of
the W Word of God and the Confession of
Faith. that the Holy Spirit did SO con-
troll the inspired writers i'll their COM
position of the Holy Scriptures as to
make their statements absolutely truth
full, that is free from error when inter-
preted in their natural and intended
sense. All seeming discrepancies and
contradictions III the Bible are 10 be re-
ferred to the limitations upon human
knowledge. To hold that Holy Scrip
lures are i'll any respect historically in
accurate is to oppose the teaching of
the Confession, chapter l, section 4,
which declares that 1.-The authority of
the Holy Scriptures for which it ought
to be believed and obeyed, dependeth
wholly upon God, the author thereof,
and therefore 1t is to be received because
it is the word of God.
Second-It is fundamental doctrine
of the Word of God and the Confession
of Faith that "The Son of God. the sec
ond person in the Trinity, being very
and eternal God of one substance, and
equal to the Father, did, when the full
ness of time was come, take upon Him
mans nature, with ali the essential
properties and common infirmities
thereof, yet without sin. So that two
whole perfect and distinct natures, the !
God head and the manhood, were in
separately joined together in one person
without conversion, composition or con- |
fusion" 1t Is also fundamental doc |
trine that THE Lord Jesus, in His hu-
man nature, thus united to the Divine |
was sanctitied and annointed with the |
Holy Spirit above measure; having i'll |
him all the treasures of wisdom and |
knowledge; in whom it pleased the
Father that all fullness should dwell"
Confession. chapter viii, sections ,
and 3d. d,
These doctrines of the Confession for
bid any teaching respecting the Lord |
Jesus which would attribute to Him in I
any particular liability to error.
Third-It is also fundamental doc
trine of the Word of God and the Con-
fession of Faith that our Lord Jesus in
stituted 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 elements of bread and wine, etc.
No teaching which declares that the
Lords Supper was instituted in any
other manner than by the direct per-
S0n3l act 6f the ord JeSuS is in har-
mony with the truth of the Holy Scrip
lures, or loyal to the person of Jesus
Christ
Fourth-It is also fundamental doc.
trine of the Word of God and the Con-
fession of Faith that God justified men
"by imputing the obedience and satis-
faction of Christ to them, they receiv-
ing and resting upon him and his right,
by faith, which faith they have
not in themselves; it is the gift of God. |