Omaha daily bee., 1905-05-27
Discussion on Prayer Book.

Whether the general assembly should
depart from the laws and traditions of
the church in America and adopt form
of worship, even to the extent of saying
the churches might use this form or not, as
they like. was the particular question
which came before the general assembly
| today. That many speakers would take
! the floor both for and against the propo-
sition was indicated when the time for the
| report from the special committee on
! forms of services arrived and the stated
! clerk cleared the way so that the speakers
! could use most of the day. The report of
! the committee on forms of service was then
real.
DR.. Henry Van Dyke, chairman Of the
committee, came Wednesday to do some
active campaigning in favor of the report
and he led the forces in favor of it on the
| fioor
The form of worship which the COM
mitee offered was regarded mild in
tone and the opposition made it's objection
on the general ground that the Presbyterian
church is not a denomination for rituals
printed prayers and fixed forms. Many of
| the commissioners objected TO the Van
| Dyke effort for the reason that If 1t were
approved by the general assembly 1t might
prove in later years to be a stepping stone
to some form of worship more radical and
obligatory.
Rev. DIR. Van Dyke said the report of
the committee had been misunderstood,
Il hate rituals and forms of ceremonies, "
he said I'VE have here a voluntary SER
vice for those who want IT for the common
democracy in the Presbyterian church. l
cannot bear to have 1t called even a
liturgy If l wanted to commit suicide !
would choose some other way than by
} trying to impose a liturgy on the Presby-
terian church. This committee has for two
years been trying TO do Just the other
J thing. Sixteen hundred Presbyterian min
listers have written to the committee for a
book of worship. Go into Presbyterian
church today and you do not know what is
coming next OF course you know the col
lection is not coming first. Q.aughter.)
, How shall we meet this condition."
He said the report of the committee is
, based on careful study. true to every
) prayer of Presbyterian doctrine. He took
up parts of the committees report for dis
) cussion and frequently urged that the form
of service was only for those who want to
follow 1t.
DIR. Van Dyke said he would not con-
sent for the assembly to adopt this form
Of service which the committee offered
but he wanted the assembly to give its
approval. He said someone had called these
prepared prayers canned prayers" but for
two years he had toied on these prayers
Tears came into his eyes when he said
he had in these two years gone TO the
mercy seat of God.
Active Opposition Begins.
A motion by a commissioner to approve
the report started the opposition. Their,
was a motion to reject the report and dis
miss the committee Another commissions
moved that the words, Holy Ghost" useC
throughout the book of prayers be changeC
to Holy Spirit" Three four commits
sioners were on the floor at one time t,
get permission to speak. Speeches wer,
limited TO Ave minutes. James H. Vile!
Of Minneapolis was the first speaker 70
the opposition. He said the committee ap
pointed by the Los Angeles assembly hat
overstepped the bounds OF its authority.
There was a storm OF applause whel
Justice John NJ. Harlan began a defens
Of the committees work. There are mel
who cannot pray in public or private. an
II such a man wants TO use a writer
prayer why not let him do il? There ar
written prayers in the Bible"
A suggestion by y<Rev Kelley of Pennsyl
vania that the report be sent back to tn
committee 10 come up next year met wit
pronounced opposition. Men who wanted t
speak for or against the report fairl
crowded each other for recognition froT
the moderator Most of the gray-haire
commissioners who spoke were against tn
| book of prayers while a majority NJ IN