Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-06-27
NOTABLE ORTHODOXY
MARKS BIG MEETINGS
Presbyterians of All Branche'
Resist Theological
Laxity.
CLEAR GAINS FOR UNION
Southern eaptists Even Withdraw
From International Sunday Schoo!
iAsseeiation-Y. M. c. A. Also
For Old Creed.
CLEAR GAINS FOR UNION
From the Religious Rambler.

From the Religious Rambler.
TIL May meetings" as the great dee
nominationai gatherings are called in
England. have this year registered a
notable development in the religious
life OF America. They mark this as
or.hodoxy's year. In the face of an
apparent widespread tendency toward
theological iaxity, three representative
meetings have revealed a resolution
to stand fast by the fundamentals OF
the evangelical faith.
The pan-Presbyterian gathering in
Atlanta took first rank in public in
terest. The northern. southern and uni
ted Presbyterian churches met at the
same time and in the same place. That
these circumstances should beget much
| ak of union was but natural. Even
more conspicuous in the deliberations
of these p~aradoxical Presbyterians was
their steadfast orthodoxy. The most
orthodox assembly for a generation"
is the way man characterized the
gathering OF he northern church.
No Heresies Here.
OF course nobody expected heresies
In the southern and united P~resbyter-
things doctrinal is the strongest Of
the ties that insure their early amalga
nation. Scepticis:n prevailed, especial
ly in the south. concerning the north
ern assembly. Heresy hunters have
long been busy in this denomination,
although it is one of the ironies OF
fate that Prof. G. A. Briggs, of
Union seminary. who was expelled for
heresy a few years & is now deemed
one of the bulwarks in the realm OF
scholarship of the orthodox position.
Union seminary was made an issue
at Atlanta. A proposition was pending
to r~e-establish relationships between tt
and the Presbyterian church. The de-
bate waxed hot, but from the first 10
minutes 1t was clear that the delegates
were ultra conservative in their think
ing. The question got into a parlia-
mentary snarl that made a clearcut
vote On the issue impossible. so it had
to go over a year.: but had a ballot been
taken the result would manifestly have
shown an overwhelming sentiment
against anything that seemed like
compromise with a liberal" position.
In other matters the same rigid spir-
1t of orthodoxy cropped out. Thus, II
discussing the proposed world confer
ence on faith n order the assembly
stipulated that only churches subscribe
ing to the diety of Jesus Christ could
be admitted.
Borne New crssds.
Paradoxically. both the northern ana
southern Presbyterian general assem-
blies, ultra-conservative though they
were, adopted new and modernized ex-
preEsions Of their faith. The larger
body adopted what it called an Enter
Mediate Catechism." more popular in
expression than the Shorter Cate
chism,' and covering the phases of re-
ligion that are stressed at the present
time. This is avowedly a move to re-
store the practice Of studying the cate
chism.
In the southern assembly the most
liberal step for years was taken when
a Brief Statement" of belief was
n1@~%@l mite Vr,~ ~n73no1 n1tSrDn r.
meant the shelving of the Westminster
confession. SO far as the public is con-
cerned. Fol hat matter 1t is extreme
ly unlikely that the general public has
the remotest idea of what the West
minister confession Of faith looks like
or contains. The "Brief Statement ia
but a re~statement. in compact. present.
day form. of the old creed. but the di-
vines of the Westminster assembly
would have hard work recognizing It.
Although h southern Presbyterian
church sent her most conservative
leaders to the Atlanta assembly. yet
the assembly voted to remain In h
federal council of churches. despite tho
charges of heresy against the latter.
Y. NJ. G. a. For Old Faith.
Next in Importance to the striking
fidelity Of the Presbyterian assemblies
was the action of the Y. M. C.. A. Lead
ers In Cincinnati, re-affirming the as-
sociatiOn's loyalty to the evangelical
standards. This was done. too, By over
riding q majority committee report. 50
that in fullest, most u~neQuivocal action
the association a declared itself 10y
al to its earliest religious standards and
mission. !
This determines that the Y. NJ. -
A. Is not to become merely a compr..
hensive social agency, without speci i.
religious beliefs. Instead. there is n, ~
stress being laid upon the evangelist =
mission of the movement. The far
reaching consequences of this become
apparent when the worldwide raInifi-
cations OF the association are consid-
cred.
Union Makes Strides.
Despite the action Of the southern
Baptist convention in withdrawing
from the International Sunday school
lessons. q move meant to be in the I'M
terest OF Baptist doctrinal integrity.
the May meeting showed exceptional
progress toward church union. The
unitea Brethren general convention
0 definite action looking toward I'M
ion with Methodist Protestant church.
The Southern Presbyterians and the
United Presbyterians by concurrent nc
ton, their prospective union,
with no dissenting voice. That there
may De no haste. the basis OF union
which was adopted will be before tho
~Presbyteries for a year. This docu-
ment steers clear of the legal obsta-
cies TO union by continuing the existing
institutions OF both bodies until a mer-
ger can be effected without question o.
sopposition. The troublesome question Of
the United Presbyterian conscience con-
corning the use OF, psalms is solved by
permitting each congregation to sing
ton.
When ali these kindred groups Of