Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-16
HILLS OUT OF THE CHURCH
HIS RESIGNATION ACCEPTED By
CHICAGO PREsBYTERY.
Committee Considering His Case Re-
ported in Favor of Abridging
the Greed.

CHICAGO, April 16-with only one dis
senting vote the report of the committee
to which was referred the request of DR..
Newell Dwight Hills of Brooklyn that his
name be erased from the rolls of the Chi
cago presbytery was today adopted by that
body at its regular meeting. The questions
of Presbyterian doctrine raised by Dr.
Hills in his sermon at Plymouth church,
Brooklyn, did not, however, have any bear
ing on the acceptance or rejection of DR..
Hills resignation. The committee report
ed that it had further correspondence with
DR.. Hills on the subject, and that in his
second letter the Brooklyn divine had
again asked that his name be erased from
the rolls of the presbytery. DR.. Hills
first letter, the committee reported, allowed
for differences of Interpretation. and as
circumstances did not admit of the propo-
sition that personal Interview be held
with DR. Hills, he was written in regard
to right Interpretation of his letter. DIR.
Hills request, therefore, that he be al
lowed to withdraw from the jurisdiction of
| the Chicago presbytery was simply mat
ter provided for in the book of discipline.
and without any debate the report was
adopted.
The report Of the committee admitted
| that chapter g. sections 3 and 4. of the
Presbyterian confession of faith were
sources of embarrassment and not re-
garded essential. The threatened dis
| pute over Dr. Hills resignation out of the
way, however, the presbytery by unani-
| nous vote adopted a set of resolutions in
troduced by DR.. Herrick Johnson, presi-
dent of Mccormick Theological Seminary,
overturing the general assembly to appoint
| a committee to report on the general ques-
| ton Of Presbyterian creed. The resolutions
| were follows:
i In view of the widespread misunder-
| standing of what the things are that are
most surely believed by our beloved Presby-
| terrain Church; and
| In view of the archaic forms in which
| some of the doctrines of our church have
| expression In the historic confession or
| faith; and
In view of the gross Misrepresentation
| of our faith that claim to find their justi-
| fication in these existing forms:
| We, the presbytery of Chicago, do over
| ture the general assembly to appoint
| committee to take into consideration this
| whole matter of a restatement of our doc
trinal standard and to report to the next
| assembly following what in their Judgment
should be the action Of our church on TINS
| subject.
| Views of the ssInteriOr."
| CHICAGO, April 16.-Dr. w. c. Gray, ed
itor of the Interior, has prepared for this
| weeks issue of that paper an editorial III
| which he announces that the Interior viii
advocate a movement to establish a briei
| evangelical creed of the Presbyterian type
| of thought and expression for the West
| minister confession of faith. He gives hVe
separate reasons for that demand Speak
ing of the subject, DR.. Gray said last might
that the churches in Scotland relieved
| themselves of Objectionable statements II
the confession by adopting a supplementary
| and an explanatory statement, which thus
became their working creed The Presby
terrain Church of England set the comics
sion aside and formulated a new. brief
| code, which is now the doctrinal symbol Of
the church. DIR. Gray spoke of the ineffec-
tuaI steps taken ten years ago by the North
| ern Presbyterian Church to revise the con
| fession, and declared that people now de
| mand brevity, clearness and simplicity IL
| doctrinal statements. while the Hills in
cident did not create a demand for brfe
| creed" he continued lit revealed a degree
Of misunderstanding and confusion tina
| needs clearing up"