The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-26
FATE OF M'GIFFERT
1T NOW RESTS IN THE HANDS OF
THE PREsBYTERY OF
NEW YORK
TO ACT In ITS DISCRETION
MAJORITY REPORT ADOPTED BY
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
THE CHURCH
AFTER ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE

Most Important Matter Pending Be-
fore the Minneapolis Gathering
Disposed OLA Discussion In
Which Personalities Played a
Part-Next Assembly at st. Louis
Fraternal Delegate Heard.
York rests the fate of Rev. Dr. Arthur
c. McGiffert, professor of church history
in Union Theological seminary, New
York. The general assembly of the
Presbyterian church at Minneapolis
steered clear, as it hopes, of the
rocks of another heresy trial when it
voted yesterday afternoon, after fiery,
earnest, tumultuous and at times person
al debate. to refer the whole matter to
the. presbytery Of New York, ''for such
disposition as in its judgment the peace
of the church and the purity OF the doc
trtne may require
When the bills and overtures committee
report on the McGiffert case was an
nounced yesterday afternoon by Vice
Moderator DR.. L. Y. Graham, a profound
interest settled over the assembly and
the packed galleries. DR.. Wallace Rad
cliffe Washington, chairman Of the COM
mittee, took the speakers platform and
read first that part of the report on
which all members of the committee
agreed. 1t was review of tho case and
the statement of four fundamental doc
tr1nes of the church which DR.. McGhf-
ferts History of Christianity in the
Apostolic Age is held to deny.
Next DR.. Radcliffe read the majority
report. Then 1t was known at last that
there were to be two reports. This re-
port. which was ultimately adopted, left
the matter to the discretion of the New
York presbytery. The minority report,
read by DR.. Benjamin Lewis Hobson. of
Chicago, made it mandatory upon the
New York presbytery to appoint com
mittec to confer with DR.. McGifert, and
If he would neither modify his view or
peacefully withdraw from the church.
proceed against him in accordance with
the provisions of the constitution of the
church, and that would have meant q
heresy trial.
assembly rose as one man and voted for
the preamble on which all agreed The
preamble was frequently spoken of yes
terday afternoon as a magnificent new
confession Of faith. doctrinal deliver
ance that proves that the Presbyterian
church is stfll theologically sound TO the
he af01o P<II
TEXT OF PREAMBLE.
In reference to overtures Nos 1s1 to 1s9
inclusive, and overture No. 22S, respect
Ing the teachings Of the Rev. A. c. Nc
communication No. l40, being the repiv
Of the Rev. A. c. McGiffert, b. D.. to
the deliverance of the assembly of 1898.
the committee on bills and overtures
would report as follows:
Inasmuch as the general assembly of
1898, lin the spirit of kindness no less
than in devotion to TRUTH counseled
views set forth in a book entitled "a
History of Christianity in the Apostolic
Age and in the event of his failure to
conform his views to the standards of
our church, to peaceabfy withdraw from
the Presbyterian ministry, and inasmuch
as the general assembly of 1899 has re-
ceived communication from the Rev
q; g. McGiffert, D. D., In which he says
the overture from the -prsshytery of
Pittsburg, upon which that action was
based, make 1t evident that many of my
positions, together with the spirit and
purpose of my book as a whole have
been seriously misapprehended"
The assembly notes the reputation by
DR.. McGiffert of the Interpretation placed
upon his utterances In said book as be-
ing not in accord with the standards of
our church, and his assertion of deyo-
ton to the truth and his concern for the
welfare Of the church, and while accept
ing the same as sincere, the assembly
nevertheless reasserts it's deliverance of
1888 condemning the statements of said
book as being such as to justify the in
depreciation SO repudiated.
And in regard to the fundamental doc
trines of our church involved in this
matter, this assembly solemnly declares
1. 1t is a fundamental doctrine of the
word of God and the confession Of faith
that the holy spirit did so control the
inspired writer's In their composition of
the Holy Scriptures as to make their
statements absolutely truthful l. e., free
tural and intended sense. All seeming
discrepancies and contradictions in the
Bible are to be referred to the limitations
upon human knowledge. To hold that
the Holy Scriptures are in any respect
historically Inaccurate is to oppose the
teaching of the confession, chapter /, sec
ton 4, which declares that .'the authority
of the Holy Scriptures, for which It
ought to be believed and obeyed, de-
pends wholly upon God, the author there
Of and, therefore, 1t is to be received
because it is the word of God"
FUNDAMENTAL LAW.
2. 1t is a 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 with the
Father, did when the fullness of time
was come, take upon Him mans nature,
with all the essential properties and COM
mon inf1rmit1es thereof, yet without sin.
So that two whole perfect and distinct
natures, the Godhead and the manhood
were inseparably Joined together In one
person without conversion, composition
or confusion" 1t is also a fundamental
doctrine that the Lord Jesus in His hu-
man nature thus united to the divine
was sanctified and anointed with the holy
spirit above measure, having In Him all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
in whom it pleased the Father that all
fullness should dwell"
Confession, chapter VIII, sections and
81 These doctrines of the confession for
bid any teaching respecting the Lord
any particular liability to error.
g. 1t Is also a fundamental doctrine Of
the word of God and the confession of
faith that "our Lord Jesus, in the night
wherein he was betrayed instituted 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 institution to the
bread and wine, ETC." No teaching which
declares that the Lords supper was in
stituted in any other manner than by
the direct personal act of the Lord Jesus
Scripture, or loyal to the person of Je-
Slls Christ. ss-s