Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-24
Candidates for Ordination
Must Accept Tenets of Pres
byterian Church.
UNION SEMINARY HERESY
CASE THEREBY SETTLED
0vertures Against New York Body
and Theological School Sent
From Many Sections.

ATLANTIC CITY, n. j., May 24.-The
General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of America
today adopted without debate a report
from the committee on bills and over
lures, warning the New York and all
other presbyteries that the tenets of
the church must be accepted by can
didates for the ministry before they
should be ordained.
This action, it Is believed. ends fur
Their discussion in the present assem-
bly, of the alleged heresy question in
which the New York Presbytery and
Union Theological Seminary are in
volved.
Many Presbyteries Sent overtures.
The committee had before it more
than two dozen overtures from pres
byteries from many parts of the coun-
try dealing with the heresy contro-
versy. The one which attracted the
most attention and to which serious
consideration was given by the COM
mittee was that from the Cincinnati
PreSDyteFy, which proposed tHdI lie
New York Presbytery be expelled be-
cause it licensed three young men who
are alleged to hold views at variance
with the doctrines of the church. The
report of the committee read. in part.
as follows:
I'm answer to overtures complaining
of the action Of the New York Presby
terry in receiving and licensing candi-
dates for the ministry whose theolog-
ical beliefs do not accord with the doc
I'll -fa ~ nf oh n
another calling for deliverance. de-
claring that it is not only discourteous
and unwarranted. but also unchristian
and subversive of proper discipline for
one presbytery to assert that the min
listers of another presbytery or pres
byteries are untrue to their ordination
vows, your committee begs to present
the following report:
commissioners from New York Pres
bytery and representatives of overtur-
ing presbyteries appeared before the
committee and made full and frank
statements as to the issues involved.
Complaint was made against the mem
bers of New York Presbytery for
licensing recently and on previous oc-
casions candidates who could not af-
firm their belief in the essential doc
trine of the word of God and our stand
ards, that our Lord Jesus Christ was
born of the Virgin Mary. The members
of New York Presbytery felt deeply
panied and aggrieved that the overtur-
ing presbyteries should propose drastic
action-not on the basis of the presby-
tery's records, but on the basis of ex
aggerated and misleading newspaper
reports.
Agitation Reproach to Church"
The brethren on both sides of the
controversy. together with the mem
bers of your committee, expressed their
strong conviction that this continued
agitation was bringing reproach upon
the church. was hindering the cause Of
Christ and that something must be
done effectually to put stop to it.
ut was proposed that these brethren
themselves should confer as to the best
remedy for the whole trouble. Having
done SO in a most earnest, prayerful
and forbearing spirit. they presented
paper which, to their minds, embodied
all that the exigencies of the situation
demand and which gave them great
hope for the future peace and harmony
of the church.
consideration and were grateful to God
for the manifest leading of the Holy
Spirit which had brought the aggrieved
parties together, and which we felt led
US. your committee, to the unanimous
approval of said paper. as the basis of
suitable action on the part Of the as
sembly.
We therefore. recommend the adop-
ton of this paper in the earnest hope that
it will allay all misunderstanding. pre-
vent in the future any hasty or ill-ad-
vised judgment in public print of brethren
in good and regular standing in the min
byteries against receiving and licensing
any candidates for the ministry who can
not give their assent to all the funda-
mental doctrines of the church.
Presbyteries Are Warned.
I'VE recommend the adoption Of the
following paper:
Whereas, the records Of the Presby-
terry of New York show that April 10.
1916. that presbytery licensed three can
didates for the ministry who neither az
i,rmed nor denied the doctrine of the
virgin birth. on the following recon-
mendation: Noting that these candi-
dates recognize critical difficulties in con-
nection with the doctrine of the virgin
birth, but at the same time state that
their faith in this doctrine is of a grow
declare their faith in the re-exstence and
deity of our Lord. and all the redemptive
truth that is embodied in His life teach
ing and His sacrificial death:
constitution of the church each presby-
terry is the judge of qualifications Of
candidates for the ministry. but such
presbytery in licensing these candi-
dates should strictly observe the decla-
rations of the confession of faith in
doctrinal matters.
Statement Of the Doctrine,
The general assembly calls the at
tention of the presbyteries to the de-
liverance of the general assembly of
1919, which is as follows:
II. 1t is an essential doctrine of the
Word of God and our standards that
the Holy Spirit did SO inspire. guide and
move the writer's of Holy Scripture as
to keep them from error.
"2. 1t is an essential doctrine of the
Word Of God and of our standards that
our Lord Jesus Christ was born of the
Virgin Mary.
"3. 1t is an essential doctrine of the
Word Of God and our standards that
Christ offered up Himself sacrifice to
satisfy Divine justice and thus recon,
cile US to God.
"a. 1t is an essential doctrine of the
Word of God and If our standards con-
corning our Lord Jesus Christ that on
the third day He arose from the dead
with the same body with which He suf-
fered and with which also He assembled
into heaven and there stitch at the
right hand of His Father. making in
tercession.
rs. 1t is an essential doctrine of the
Word of God as the supreme standard
of our faith that our Lord Jesus showed
His mower and love bv worLio1