Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-27
Presbyterian General As
sembly Adopts Report OF
Committee Against the
Pennsylvania Minister.
HIS OWN PRESBYTERY
MAY REINSTATE HIM
Assembly's Judgment Puts
It up to Northumberland
Body to Give Accused OPP
portunity to Recant.

Atlantic City, N. j., May 26.-The
Rev. William D. Grant Of Northcum-
berland, Pa, has been found guilty OF
heresy by the committee which heard
the charges made against him. The
committee reported It's findings to the
Presbyterian general assembly this
morning.
A motion to adopt the report and
confirm the judgment OF the commits
sion was put to vote In the assem-
bly, and was carried overwhelmingly
without debate. There were only q
few scattered noes"
Dr. Grant Loses Pulpit.
The commission found that Dr..
Grant taught doctrines contrary to
the word of God in the bible and the
Presbyterian confession Of faith" he
is held to be guilty under the rules
OF the Presbyterian book Of discipline
and the commission recommends that
Dr. Grant be suspended from exercis-
Ing the functions OF minister OF the
Presbyterian church until such time as
..he scan convince his own presbytery,
that Of Northumb berland that ,he has
renounced the errors he is said to
Eolc. and to satisfy the presbytery OF
his purpose to no longer teach them.
Grant May Be Reinstated.
Though the decision was at first a
crushing blow to friends Of DR.. Grant
the Judgment which leaves 1t to MS
own presbytery to reinstate him, that
body having already acquitted him
once, and being obviously favorable
to him, somewhat took the sting out
Of. the apparent harshness Of the YER
dict. It was pointed out by his
friends that there Is nothing to prevent
Dr.. Grant from appealing to his pres
bytery at it's next meeting and by
making q statement recanting any
views that might be taken to attack
the doctrines of the church. be rein
stated in short time. The word
"heresy" was not used In the report
Of the committee either In summing
up or the final judgment.
Another alleged heresy mase, that of
the Rev. William Adams Brown, q
professor in Union Theological SEM
mary, which was supposed to- have
have been closed yesterday will come
up again through the instance Of the
Rev. DR.. Edwin ]. Reinke OF Philadel-
phia. A report from the judicial COM
mission exonerating Prof. Brown and
the Rev. DR.. Francis Brown, profes-
sor OF Union seminary, was adopted
by the assembly late yesterday, but
not accepted by DR.. Reinke. He later
placed before the assembly the follow
ing:
Resolved. 1. That no action be
taken with reference to the utterances
OF the Rev. DR.. Francis Brown.
Q. That this general assembly ex-
presses its disapproval OF the recent
utterance OF the Rev. DR.. William
Brown, In the January number Of the
Harvard Theological Review, as 1t is
IN parent conflict with the doc
trinal standards OF our church, and ad-
monishes him tn desist from the ais
semination Of such views.
Debate on the. resolution was cut OF
BY adjournment yesterday and will
come UP at the first opportunity to-
day.
h5- II u6 nCICby CA0l 6C0 0SehAAos = AoA'
Francis Brown and Prof. William
Adams Brown, OF Union seminary,
were dropped late yesterday when
the committee on bills and overtures
reported that the articles written by
these clergymen have nothing in them
that is unorthodox and therefore re-
port a that the overtures Of the Pres
byteries Of Iowa and West Jersey
asking that the Browns be investigat-
ed for alleged hereto utterances
should be dropped. The assembly vot-
ing to sustain the attitude Of the COM
mittee there was no dissension.
Brown Case Dropped.
AS soon as the Rev. Dr.. Grants case
was out Of the way, the case against
the Rev. VIM. Adams Brown, pro-
lessor in Union theological seminary
was dropped by the assembly. Prof.
Brown and Prof Francis Brown OF
the Union seminary had been found
Yesterday to have done nothing that
was unorthodox. WIN. J. Bryan who
will speak at the temperance rally
tonight, arrived this morning.