New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-28
DR.. SCHAFF MISINFORMED.
SO SAYS DIR. HASTINGS.
Declares Part of Westminster Con-
fesSiOn, HOveUer, 4b0mindble.

The givers of the $4,000 to the Union Theo-
logical Seminary. following its announced atti-
tude toward the Westminster Confession of
Faith, Morris K. Jesup and the widow of
William Earl Dodge. Mrs. Dodge has pledged
$4,000 for the establishment of a chair for
applied Christianity while Mr.. Jesup. who is a
director of the seminary has given like sum
for the establishment of a professorship of
preaching.
Mr.. Jesup believes that the seminary could
with advantage extend It's sphere of influence
by the instruction of preaching of men from
other seminaries.
AT the same meeting at which the amendment
relating TO the Westminster Confession was
adopted, another amendment, 1t was learned by
The Tribune yesterday. was proposed. providing
that candidates for the faculty or directorate
of the seminary shall be members of an evan
gelical church. This amendment was deferred
to the next meeting which will not take place
probably until February.
Although, by an unwritten canon of the sem
mary. members of the faculty and directorate
are. as a matter of courtesy, members of an
evangelical church-and this naturally has al
ways been the case-many favor the passage
of direct amendment to this END, so that the
general lay public may have no doubt as to
the personnel of the seminary.
In conversation with Tribune reporter yes
terday the Rev. Dr. Thomas s. Hastings pro-
fessor of pastoral theology and eX-president OF
the seminary. entered strong demurrer to the
declaration of the Rev DR.. David Schley Schaff.
professor of church history at the Western
Theological Seminary Allegheny City, that the
Union Theological has substituted a creed
of its own
Il much regret that DR.. Schaf has been so
misinformed." said DR.. Hastings The report
that the gifts to our seminary and the removal
of the provision of a subscription TO the West
minister Confession were In the nature of cause
and effect IL also baseless. Ever since the at
tempt at revision ten years ago the West
minister Confession has been a stumbling block
to laymen. Unlike ourselves many of them
could not see the way to a subscription to the
Westminster Confession with reservations. For
instance. take myself. who has been connected
with the seminary for fifty years. and I have
held every office, suppose, with the exception
Of janitor. do not hesitate to accept the Con-
fesson, because my reservations are we'll
known. have not hestated TO say publicly
that 1 consider a certain portion of it abom-
Unable
with Iaymen. however the case is different,
and many who not only wish to become di-
rectors. but are wished for in addition. have
felt themselves debarred by the provision re-
quiring subscription. We hope that the re-
moval of that stumbling block will result In
many people whom we need helping us as di-
rectors in our work"
DR.. Hastings added that it should be under
stood that the removal of the subscription pro-
vision by no means implied that the faculty
thought the less of the Confession.
We value it," he said. Just as much as we
did before"
Orange. N j. Nov 81 (speciaD.-The Rev
Dr. James NJ. Ludlow, pastor of the Mum Ave-
nue. Presbyterian Church. East Orange, who is
a director of Union Theological Seminary, to-
day made earnest denial that the seminary
had discarded the Westminster Confession of
Faith in any particular. The doctor said that
what the seminary had done was to provide
greate~ feXibility in the matter of selecting men
for the faculty. For instance, if the seminary
desired to secure first class professor of
Hebrew, the man ability to teach that subject
would be made the prime consideration, an I'M
questioned belief in the principles OF the West
minister Confession. i'll that instance, not being
would apply to candidate for the chair of
Greek or other chair. A Baptist or a Methodist
might be chosen to fill the position
However" continued DR.. Ludlow "a man
who would fill the chair of practical theology in
the college would of necessity have to teach the
Westminster Confession, we'll as any of the
other Presbyterian principles" DR. Ludlow
added that to-day the Westminster Confession
was as important a branch of the CIIrricuIurr, "a
II ever was. He did not think that any changes
made would work injury to the seminary and
ADDED that the report from Plttsburg was TO
ms mind an "unknd fling at the seminary.