Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-10
)OOOOOOOOOOOO COCOCOOOOO,

mouth cHuTcn, brooklyn, tom Cnlco-
go Presbytery is given in part below:
Herewith l present my withdrawal
from the Presbytery of Chicago and
ask TO be permitted to demit the min
istry of the Presbyterian church.
Recent events. and more, particularly
the open statement of some of my old
friends and Theological instructors
have shown that my membership in
the Presbytery has become an occasion
of embarrassment in their work. My
affection and regard for Mr.. Beecher
and DR.. Lyman Abbott have led me to
delay for little time my request for
letter for dismission to the Congre-
gational association here. / deeply re-
gret that my sermon of last Sunday
has disturbed my old friends in the
church and old instructors. / can but
think that the scope, contents and
drift of my sermon were misappre-
hended.
going, pleasure loving generation is in
danger of losing its moral stamina and
the sturdy fidelity of conviction, that
was the glory of our Puritan ancestors.
For years, in common with many other
preachers, / have been apologizing for
our creed, and saying that while our
confession of faith says: THAT some
men and angels are foreordained to
everlasting DEATH" that nobody be-
slieyed it.
: Nevertheless, during these years /
have been disturbed by the thought
that nothing lowers the moral sense
of the community like keeping on the
statute books laws that are daily dis
obeyed and laughed 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 instrnc-
tors one day and denied by our min
listers the next? During past years
/ labored in season and out of season
with voice and pen to secure a revis-
ion of the confession that we might be
clear before the world. But it now
seems that some teachers in our theo-
logical Summaries hold to the doctrine
of reprobation, teach it, love it, count
it an integral part of our system and
urge that if | cannot accept it l must
withdraw from the church.
In fulfilling their request / now dis
Germ that L have for years been in a
false position and desire to set myself
right. While in the seminary and col
lege, [ was in a state of constant re-
bellion against the type of Calvinism
there taught. l early became con-
WINGED that the foundations of the old
theological systems We're dissolving
and that a new basis must be found
and after several years of mental
doubt and distress | found that new
basis in Christianity as interpreted
| from the view point of theistic evolu-
ton.
The views now hold and, teach I
have held and taught during my pas
ltorates and what little light l have
had has not been under a onshel. /
| have not believed one thing secretly
no longer O. Calvinist in the old sense
of the term. and could not today ac-
cept the unrevised confession of faith,
have decided to demit my ministry
in the Presbyterian church and begin
ming anew, 10 unite with some other
body on the statement of my present
belief. In. going out from you, lest
some misunderstood my action, / wish
to 1eaffirm my faith in what is called
the great fundamental principles of
Christianity.
AS never before believe in God the
Father, maker of heaven and earth and
in His loving providence; in his all
helpful, all comforting, all guiding
and regenerating spirit; in Jesus
Christ, the worlds savior and redeem
er and our way and truth and life;
in man made in the image of God, and
despite his snfulness and ignorance
he is sincerely and truthfully invited
to come unto likeness to his father;
/ believe that what Christ was and
did and suffered for few men thru
three and thirty years. God is, and
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more difficult to shake off the marriage
relations every petty quarrel would
not, send the disputants hurrying TO
the courts to get a divorce. AS it is, it
seems that many get over their anger
before a hearing of the case can be
had and let it go by default. There are
others who remain angry long enough
to get a decree who would doubtless
patch up their differences in like man
ner were it not SO easy to secure a di-
vorce. The fact that in single court
fifty-one divorce proceedings have been
started only to be abandoned again in
dicates that there is a recklessness in
rushing into court with family mari
tai difficulties. We're there real causes
for bringing these cases there would
doubtless be no such ready dropping
OF them as is just shown. 1t is doubt
less true that large portion OF them
ought never TO have been started.
Growth OF the United States.
| Iowa State Register: According to
the estimates of the bureau of statis-
tics there We're 77,116,O00 of us on Jan
uary /. The report contains much in
teresting matter about ourselves and
it can be but a source OF pride. We
exported, during the last fiscal year
ending June 30, 1899, domestic mer-
chandise to the amount OF $1,023,931,-
1872, or $15.s4 per capita, while we i'm
| ported $697.l4S4S9. or $500 per cap-