The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-03
REV. NEWELL DWIGHT HILLS CAN
NO LONGER PREACH PRES
BYTERIAN FAITH
LEAVES HIS CHURCH In SORROW
REGRETS INABILITY TO LONGER
TEACH THAT WHICH HE
DOES NOT BELIEVE
pREsBYTERY IS SURPRISED
Had Expected "a Letter Explaining
DIR. Hills, Position, but Not "a
Request to he Permit
ted to Retire.

Request to BE Permit
ted to Retire.
CHICAGO, April 2.-The resignation Of
Rev Newell Dwight Hills, pastor of
Plymouth church, Brooklyn, from the
Chicago presbytery, and the request chat
he be allowed to demit from the Presby-
terian church, was today placed before
the annual meeting of the Chicago pes
bytery. No action will be taken on the
matter for two, weeks The comrlittee
to which DR.. Hills letter of resignation
was referred for consideration requested
that much time, on account of many i'm
portant interests involved, and being un-
willing to take hasty action on a matter
so important to the Presbyterian church
Dr. Hills resignation was In the form
of aetter to DR.. w. C. Gray, editor of
the Interior, and a personal friend of the
Brooklyn pastor, and when the aged di-
vine stepped upon the platform to resent
the letter to the Chicago presbytery the
auditorium of Olivet Memorial church, in
which the meeting was held, was crowded
to the doors, nearly every Presbyterian
minister in Chicago being present The
reading Of the letter, which was a lengthy
one, was followed with the closest inter
est
1t was generally known before the meet
Ing was called that DR.. Hills resigna-
ton would be presented, but his request
that he be allowed to demit-in other
words, that his name be erased from the
rolls of the Presbyterian church, occa-
stoned surprise. DR. Hills letter Is as fol-
lows:
DIR. HILLS LETTER.
Brooklyn, NJ Y, March 90 19OO.-To
the Presbytery of ago-Moderator
withdrawal from the presbytery of Chi
cago, and ask to be permitted to dernit
the ministry Of the Presbyterian church
RouptIess you all share with me the con-
position, methods or views to be an oc-
caslon of disquietude to his brethren he
ought TO Withdraw with as little discuss
sion as possible. Recent events, and more
particularly the pen statement of some of
my ola friends and theological inStruc-
tors, have shown that my membership in
the preseytery has become an occasion
OF embarrassment in their work For
reasons well known in the country
neither OF the two former pastors of Ply
mouth church were members OF the Con-
gregational Association Of BROOKLYN Per-
haps my affection and regard for Mr.
Beecher and DR.. Lyman Abbott have
quest for q letter of dismission to the
congregational association here. | must
also confess to a reluctance to finally
sever all relations with the city in which
pursued my academic course, my
studies and spent nine years as pastor
and member of the presbytery.
And, now that the time has come FOR
my withdrawal, 1 deeply regret that my
sermon of last Sunday has disturbed my
old friends in the church. Inreverence
and ingratltude have always seemed to
me sins gr1eVious, indeed. Neither years
nor separation have availed to lessen my
impulse of gratitude towards those au-
thors and teachers who have shown me
the path OF knowledge and wisdom. I
regret exceedingly that my former in
structors have thought one of their stu
dents lacking in courtesy and respect for
those to whom l am confessedly under
obligation through the lecture room and
library. l can but think, however that
the scope, content and drift of my SER
mon were entirely misapprehended
have long felt that our easy-going, pleas
ure-loVing generation is in danger of los
ing its moral stamina, and the sturdy
fidelity of conviction that was the glory
of our puritan ancestors. Having often
piled men with motives and self-interest.
reason and love, in the sermon or '"The
Automatic Judgment Seat in Man." I ap-
eousness: Failing to find basis for pen
atty and alarm IN the old Calvinistic
theology, l did find basis for fearing
the penalties of transgression in reason
and memory in judgment and conscience
The sermon sounds the note of warning
and alarm. 1t capitalizes righteousness
and not pleasure as the keynote of char
acter. BY every possible motive l urged
men to turn from their transgressions
lest they fall under the penalties Of the
automatic Judgment seat In man, as we'll
l spoke of the theories of Dante, of
Michael Angelo, of Jonathan Edwards
and our confession of faith.
APOLOGIES FOR CREED.
Hitherto have encouraged myself in
the hope and belief that nine-tenths of
our members and most of our pastors re-
jected this chapter in the confession In
uniting with the presbytery I subscribed
to the confession as containing the sys-
tenn or doctrine, a phrase unfortunately
omitted in my sermon of last Sunday
1T now seems that this qualification
as containing the system of doctrine
does not permit one to deny this doctrine
of reprobation. One of my former pro-
fessors says l have coldly, clearly and
insolently denounced the doctrines of the
faith and therefore cannot consistently
remain in the church. For years in COM
mon with many other preachers have
been apologizing for our creed and say
Ing that while our confession of faith
says that some men and angels are fore
ordained to everlasting DEATH that no.
body believed it. Nevertheless during
these years / have been disturbed bv the
thoughts that nothing lowers the moral
sense of the community like the keeping
on statute books laws that are daily dis
ODeyGu ana laQSned at, and what shall
be said of the injury to our children and
youth of preserving intact a creed that
is accepted by our clerical instructors onA
day and denied by our ministers .he
next. During past years l labored In sea-
son and out of season with voice and
pen to secure a revision of the confess
sion that we might be clear before the
world But it now seems that some
teachers in our theological seminaries
hold to the doctrine of reprobation. teach
it, love 1t. count it an integral part of
our system, and urge that If I cannot
accept 1t 1 must withdraw from the
church.
IN FALSE POSITION.
'In fulfilling their request 1 now dis
cern that have for years been in a false
position and desire to set myself right
My forefathers were PJuitans of the old
rock and granite stamp My father was
a disciple of Lyman Beecher and later
of Albert Barnes. From childhood I
have been drilled in all the arguments of
the new school of theology. / entered
the college when the teachings Of science
were coming in like a flood. During nv
junior year in college-I passed under the
! influence of the seminal theory of evolu
ton. While in the seminary | was in a
state of constant rebellion against the
side with the lectures son theology 1 read
the works of the Scottish theologians and
philosophers, and of German writer's aud
passed under the influence of such
preachers as Robertson. Bushnell. espe-
| cially Henry Ward Beecher. sxt+S
During my last year in the seminary