The San Francisco call., 1899-05-26
HERESY TRIAL
DULY AVOIDED
MCGiffert'S Case Goes
Back to New York.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi. May 25.-In the
hands of the Presbytery of New York is
the fate of Rev. DR.. Arthur c. McGif-
fert, professor of church history in Union
Theological Seminary, New York.
The general assembly of the Presbyter-
ian Church steered clear, as it hopes, of
the rocks of another heresy trial. and it
voted this afternoon, after fierce, ear
nest, tumultuous and sometimes personal
debate to refer the whole matter to the
Presbytery of New York "for such dis
position as in it's judgment the peace of
the church and purity of the doctrine
may require"
When the bills and overtures commits
sion's report was announced this after
noon by Vice Moderator Rev. I. l.. Gra-
ham a profound silence fell over the as
sembly and the packed galleries. DR..
Wallace Radcliffe of Washington, chair
man of the committee, took the speaker S
platform and read first that part of the
report on which all -~embers of the COM
mittee agreed. 1t was a review of the
case and the statement of four funda-
mental doctrines of the church which DR..
McGiffert's History of Christianity in
the Apostolic Age is held to deny. Next
DR.. 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 discretion of the New York
Presbytery.
The minority report, read by Rev. DR..
Benjamin Lewis Hobson of Chicago, made
1t mandatory upon the New York pres
bytery to appoint commission to confer
with DR.. McGiffert, and If he would nei-
ther modify his views nor peaceably with
draw from the church to proceed against
him in accordance with the provisions of
the constitution of the church, and that
would have meant heresy trial;
foly mo nm whole
assembly rose as one man and voted for
the preamble on which all agreed. From
this scene of unanimity the aspect of the
assembly was soon changed to one of
tumult. The preamble was frequently
spoken of this afternoon as a magnificent
new confession of faith, a doctrinal de-
liverance that the Presbyterian church is
still theologically sound to the core. The
preamble says in part:
The assembly notes the Reputation by Dr.
McGiffert OF the Interpretation placed upon his
utterances in said book as being not in &C
cord with the standard of church and his
assertion of devotion to the truth and his con-
Germ for the welfare of the church. and while
accepting the same as sincere. the assembly,
nevertheless reasserts its deiverance of 1898
condemning the statements of said book as be-
ing such as to justify the Interpretation SO re-
pudiated and in regard to fundamental doc
trines of churches involved in this matter, this
assembly solemn declares
l. 1t Is a fundamental doctrine of the word
of God and the confession of faith that the
Holy Spirit did control the inspired writer's
in their composition of the Holy Scriptures as
to make their statements absolutely truthful,
l. e. free from error. when interpreted in their
natural and intended sense. All seeming dis
crepancies 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
1 section 4, which declares that the author
ity of the Holy Scriptures for which it ought
TO be believed and obeyed. depend either who'll
ly upon God the author thereof or 1t is to be
received because it is the word of Cod
It Is fpndamsnla doctrine CT Fn,.p OF h the WORD
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 fulness
of time was come. take upon him mans
ture, with all the essential properties and
common infirmities thereof yet without sin. SO
that two whole perfect and distinct natures,
the Godhead and the manhead were inseparably
Joined together in one person without conver-
fundamental doctrine that the Lord Jesus in
his human nature thus united to the divine.
was sanctifed and annointed with. the Holy
Spirit above measure; having in Him all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in whom
1t pleased the Father that all fullness should
dwell" Confession, chapter 8. second and
third) These doctrines of the Confession for
bid any teaching respecting the Lord Jesus
which would attribute to Him In any partic
4. It is a fundamental doctrine of the word
of God and the confession of faith. that Our
Lord Jesus in the night wherein he be-
trayed instituted the sacrament of his body
and blood. the Lords supper. to be observed in
his church unto the en0 OF the world, and
further that 'the Lord Jesus hath in this or
dinance appointed his ministers to declare his
word of institution to the people to pray and
bless the elements of bread. of wine," etc. No
teaching which declares that the Lords sup
per was instituted in other manner than by the
direct personal act of the Lord Jesus is in
harmony with the truth of the Holy Scriptures
or loyal to the person of Jesus Christ.
A. 1t Is also a fundamental doctrine of the
word of God and the Confession of faith that
God justified men 'by imputing the obedience
and satisfaction to them, they receiving and
resting upon Him and His righteousness by