New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-15
TO REDUCE PRESBYIER\
New Rule Excludes Men VINO
Live in Other States.
DR.. COFFIN ANSWERS Uh. roA
Says Protest Against Licensing
Seminary Graduates is
Grossly Unjust.


honored member before recent ..
| ,.,o,,., az. 80. hodv Of bad men. IL
Is not n bear garden. People outsue
10, ,,rdors,o,a ,b. situation in New YORK.
II is this way: There are hall dozen men
| who ought TO he in the BOAR" VI
or in the Albany Legislature-tld' 10 '"'
The great majority Of the presoy'e
" or more out of every hundren-are eur
nest. sensible men, but one dissideht Oh p'''
| tester gets as much space in the he"sPa
pers as. usually more than. the huhure'
men against whose actions he dlsseh's'
This conclusion OF the presbyter Is con-
nrmed by interviews with other uieiiiO
| Of the Presbytery. Some wouId ilii'll '''e
| voting mowers To pastors Of churches anu
their elders. which would reduce the posi-
bic vote from go TO 1l2. the difference peihs
cast by clergymen who are without cilai se
or who are serving the Church as score
taries teachers or editors. or earning
livelihood at secular employment. or enjoy
ing their post-pastoral days without the
need Of manual labor.
ON Monday. at the June meeting OF the
Presbytery. a rule was adopted which VIII
serve to keep out this class OF non-pro-
ducers. two clergymen being advised that
since they were expecting to live ana iaoor
in New Jersey they should join a Prespy-
terry I'm that state.
In addition TO the papers by DR.. Wylle,
Dr. Jowett and Or. Fox, published IN Inc
Tribune on Tuesday. there was announcer
paper adopted with practical unahlmity
which was an answer to a protest submit
ted by Dr. Fox and FIVE other members OF
the Presbytery, only one Of the six being a
pastor at the April meeting
The Presbytery by a nearly unanimous
vote had licensed two Union Seminary
graduates. a protest was made, ana
committed consisting OF the Rev Dr..
Henry Sloane Coffin. pastor Of the Madison
Avenue Church: the Rev. DR.. George >.
Webster. pastor Of the Church of the Cove
nant. and Or. Joseph f. Messenger an
elder I'm the Church OF the Ascension. filed
an answer to the protest.
Dr. Coffin read the paper in measured
tones, and the terms misrepresentation
and grossly unjust which occurred IN the
reply gave an indication Of the pent-up IN
Gignation which had awaited an outlet ana
found one Dr. Fox was present but made
no reply and no reference TO the charac-
terization OF the statements which ne had
made in the protest. The Presbytery adopt
cd Dr. Collins paper without discussion
making itself responsible for the verbal
csstigation which had been administered.
The following is the protest made by Or
Fox and his five allies in April:
The undersigned respectfully protest
| against the action Of the Presbytery IN
approving the examination in theology OF
Messrs Hood and Fincke and In licensing
them for the following reasons, inter ana
| ~ Both of the candidates refused
more than once TO affirm their faith in
the virgin birth Of our Lord one OF them,
, Mr. Fincke. drawing a distinction between
the teaching of the doctrine Of the VIZ
| gin birth" and the affirmation of his faith
| that IL was an actual fact. He also re-
fused to affirm his faith in the raising OF
Lazarus from the dead. They further re,
fused TO affirm their faith In the historical
reliability of parts Of the Old Testament
Mr.. Fincke declared that he could not say
| whether or not Moses actually received
the pattern OF the tabernacle as related
in the Book Of Exodus. II was evident
that their acceptance OF the Scriptures as
the Word OF God did not mean that us
teachings were all TO be received as true
90 The Presbvtery by motion re-
fused 10 allow the examination Of Mr..
Hood to be continued long enough TO as
certain what his views really we're as TO
other important doctrines: ,
JOHN FOX, II. B. ELLIOT, PETER T..
B EAST, ! F p 4 Sill SHTTlIR1EARH W. d.
Or Collins answer to the protest fol-
lows:
In reply to the protest against the
licensure on April 10 of Messrs. George =:
flood and William NJ Fincke. made by
Or John Fox and five others. the Pres
hvtery would record its answer :.
CD That both candidates espresso
stated that they did not deny the his
toricity Of the. accounts OF our Lor ra,s :
and ST Luke but that, inaSmuch as theSe
narratives We're variously interpreted oy
competent scholars. they rely tHeliseit ;y
I ternretation was the only tenable one.
Further. they both declared their hearty
acceptance Of the truths taught IN mes
and complete deity
81 II is a misrepresentation of Mr.;
Ffncke's position TO say that he refused
to affirm his faith IN the e., raisng Tl
stated that he believed that the narrative
in s.. Johns Gospel had an historic basis
and that he intended 10 preach Jesus as
the resurrection and the life.
(2) Mr. Fincke also expressly declared
that he believed Moses saw God on the
Mount and was in direct communion win
Him The question of how many OF the
details of the plan of the tabernacle were
! given at that time he thought of minor
consequence and considered himself in
/ competent to offer an opinion. InaSmuCn
as the Bible is literature. lie thought its
writers we're az liberty 70 employ various
! literary forms in conveying the word or
Cod 70 men. In his written statement
| Mr.. Fincke said Il believe the Bible TO
! he the Word of God. the only infallible
rule Of faith and practice. and accept
most gladly that doctrine OF the inSpira-
| ton and authority of the scripture set
forth in chapter 7 Of the Westminster
confession Of faith.
! Ga II is grossly unjust 10 assert that
! these Young men did not mean tnat the
i teachings Of the Bible we're 70 he received
! as true without qUllhCanon Both ar
| frmed that when read under the guild
/ 3nce Of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. all the
! teachings of the Scriptures touching
! what man is 10 believe concerning God
and what duty God requires of man are
/ d sure ard sufficient guide and inspira-
! ton
! With regard to the complaint that in
anime Mr. Hood We would reply that
! after the chairman Of the examining com
| mittee had asked few questions, he
! said that. in view Of the fulneSs of Mr.
! Hoods written statement ne c9nsldereh
| further question unnecessary However,
! further opportunity was given 20 Pres
| hvterv. md several questions were put
! and satisfactorily answered. ana by q
nearly unanimous vote the examination
! GE0RGE : WEBSTER. JOSEPH r.
MESSENGER. HENRY :. COFFIN.
with the adoption of this paper the in
, cident is closed and the young men be-
Gin their work-Mr Fincke as an assis
tant TO Dr. coffin on the East Side of
New York. and Mr. Hood as a foreign
missionary in China.
Boy SLAYERS SENTENCED