The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-26

minneapolis, MIMI, May Z0.-In the
hands of the Presbytery of New York
is the fate of the Rev. DR.. Arthur c.
McGiffert, professor of church history
in Union Theological seminary, New
York
The general assembly of the Presby-
terian church steered clear. as it hopes,
of the rocks of another heresy trial.
and it voted this afternoon, after a
fierce, earnest, tumultuous and some
times personal debate, to refer the
whole matter to the Presbytery of New
York, '-for such disposition as in its
judgment the peace of church and pur-
ity of doctrine may require"
When the bills and overtures COM
mission report was announced this al
ternoon by Vice Moderator Dr. l.. \.
Graham a profound silence held over
The assembly and the packed galleries.
DE- Wallace Radcliff, Washington,
chairman of the committee, took the
speakers platform and read, first, that
part Of the report on which all MEM
bers of the committee agreed. 1t WAS
a review OF the case. and the statement
of four fundamental doctrines OF the
church. which DR.. McGiffertS His
tory of Christianity in the Apostolic
ASe 4S llelu " 0GlAH- -NCAlr IL ANeeN
cliff 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 DR..
Benjamin Lewis HobsOn of Chicago,
made it mandatory upon the New York
Presbytery to appoint a committee to
confer with DR.. McGiffert, and if he
would neither modify his views nor
peaceably withdraw from the church,
to proceed against him in accordance
with the provisions of the constitution
Of the church, and that would have
meant a heresy trial
Adopted the Preamble.
Before taking up the debate, the
whole assembly arose 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 tumuit. The pream-
BILE was frequently spoken of in the
afternoon as a magnificent new con-
fession of faith, a doctrinal deliver
ance that the Presbyterian church is
still theologically sound to the core.
The preamble says in part:
1.-The assembly notes the reputation
by Dr. McGiffert of the Interpretation
book as being not in accord with the
standards of our church, and his as
sertion of devotion to the truth and his
concern for the welfare of the church,
and, while accepting the same as sin
cere, the assembly, nevertheless, re-
asserts its deliverance Of 1898, con-
demning the statements of said book
as being such as to justify the inter-
probation so repudiated, and in regard
TO fundamental doctrines of churches
involved in this matter, this assembly
eolemnly declares:
81 1t is 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 trIthful. i. e.,
free from error when interpreted in
their natural and intended sense. All
Beeming discrepancies and contradic-
tions 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,
rhapter /. section 4, which declares that
The authority of the holy Scriptures
for which it ought TO be believed and
pbeyed, depend either wholly upon God,
the author thereof, il is 10 be received
because it is the word of God
Mans Nature Without Sin.
$50. 1t 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 eter-
nal 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. Vet
l,1.T..
and distinct natures. the gOdhead and
the manhood, were inseparably Joined
together in one person without conver-
sion. composition or confusion. II is
also a fundamental doctrine that The
Lord Jesus in his human nature thus
united 10 the divine, was sanctified and
annointed with the holy spirit above
measure. having in him all the treas
nres OF is 1cm and knowledge, in W ON
1t pleased the father that all fullness
should dwell. Confession, chapter s,
second and third These doctrines of
the confession forbid any teaching re-
specting the Lord Jesus which would
attribute to him in any particular liza
bility 20 error.
"s. 1t is 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
sacrament of his tody and blood, caused
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
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 personal act of the
Lord Jesus is in harmony with the
truth Of the holy Scriptures or loyal to
the person of Jesus Christ.
God Justified Men.
"a. 1t is also fundamental doctrine
of the word of God and the confession
of faith that God justified men BY inn
puting the obedience and satisfaction To
Them. they receiving and resting upon
b;n, and his righteousness by faith,
which faith they have not in them
selves; il is the gift of God Faith,
thus receiving and resting in Christ and
his Righteousness, is alone the instru-
ment of Justification Any teaching
which in any way modifies or belittles
the essential act and exclusive neees-
CITY of faith in human salvation is mis-
chievous, dishonoring to the word and
sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The assembly enjoins upon all ses-
sions and presbyteries loyalty to de-
fond and project these fundamental
doctrines of this confessional church.
The majority report. with the slight