Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-26

lerles. Dr. wallace Hadcllf, washington,
chairman of the committee took the speak
er's platform and read first that part OF the
report en- which all members of the commit
tee agreed. 1t was a review OF the case and
the statement of four fundamental doctrines
OF the church which DR.. McGiffert's History
of Christianity in the Apostolic Age" is held
to deny.
Majority Report.
Next DR.. Radcliff read the majority's re-
port ami then it was known at last that
there were to be two reports. This report
which was ultimately adopted, left the mat
ter to the discretion of the New York pres
bytery.
The minority report, read by DR.. Benjamin
Lewis Hobson of Chicago, made it manda-
tory upon the New York presbytery to ap-
point committee to confer with DR.. Nc
Gifert and, If he should neither modify 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 de-
bate the whole assembly rose as one man
and voted for the preamble, on which all
agreed. From this scens Of unanimity the
aspect of the assembly was soon changed to
one of tumult. The preamble was frequently
spoken of this afternoon as magnificent
new confession of faith, a doctrinal deliv-
erance that the Presbyterian church Is
still theologically sound to the core. The
preamble follows in full: ......,
I'm reference to overtures 131 to 139 in
elusive and overture No. 223 respecting the
teachings of the Rev. A. C. McGiffert, d. D.,
and also in reference to communication No.
14O, being the reply of the Rev. A. C. Nc
Giffert, D. D., to the deliverance Of the as
sembly of 1898, the committee on bills and
overtures would report as follows:
'Inasmuch as the general assembly of
1898, in the spirit of kindness no less than
in devotion to the truth, counseled DR.. Nc
Gffert to reconsider the questionable views
set forth in 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 peaceably
withdraw from the Presbyterian ministry,
and inasmuch as the general assembly Of
1899 has received communication from the
Rev. A. G. McGiffert, D. D., in which he
says:
THE action Of the assembly, as we'll as
the overture from the presbytery Of Pitts
burg. upon which that" action was based,
make 1t evident that many of my positions,
together with the spirit and purpose Of my
book as whole. have been seriously mis-
| dppTeneHueu. SuCH
cerely regret, and l wish here emphatically
to reoud!ate the false constructions that
have been placed upon my book in many
quarters. So far as my views are con-
cerned they have been and remain, as l
believe, in accord with the faith Of the
Presbyterian churches and Evangelical
Christendom in all vital and essential mat
ters."
Notes the RepudiatiOn.
The assembly notes the reputation by DR..
| McGiffert of the Interpretation placed on
| his utterances in said books as being not
| in accord with the standards 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 assembly nevertheless reasserts
| its deliverance of 1898, condemning the
| statements of said book as being such as to
justify the Interpretation so repudiated.
"And in regard to fundamental doctrines
OF our churches involved in this matter, this
assembly solemnly declares:
"First-It is fundamental doctrine Of
the word of God and the confession OF faith
that the Holy Spirit did SO control the in
spired writer's in their composition Of the
| holy scriptures as to make their state
ments absolutely truthful, /. e.: free from
error when interpreted in their natural and
intended sense. All seeming discrepancies
and contradictions in the bible are to be re-
| ferred to the limitations upon human knowi-
edge. To hold that the holy scriptures are
in any respect historically inaccurate Is to
oppose the teaching Of the confession, chap
| ter |, section 4, which declares that the
authority Of the holy scripture for which it
ought to be believed and obeyed, dependent
wholly upon God, the author thereof, and
! therefore 1t is to be received because 1t Is
the work Of Cod
"Second-It is a fundamental doctrine Of
! the word of God and the confession Of
| faith that the Son Of God, the second per-
son in the trinity, being very and eternally
| 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 in
| 1rmities thereof, yet without sin, so that
two whole perfect and distinct natures, the
Godhead and the manhood, were insepara-
bly, Joined together in one person without
conversion, composition or confusion.
| 1t is also fundamental doctrine that the
Lord Jesus in His human nature thus united
| the divine, was sanctifed and anointed with
| the holy spirit above measure; having in Him
| all the treasures OF wisdom and knowledge;
in whom 1t pleased the Father that all full
ness should dwell. Confession, chapter Will