THE ATONEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 2631, 5 August 1908, Page 6

THE ATONEMENT.

REV. CIS3SON SMITH'S BOOK. A HOSTILE OVERTURE. (BY TELKOEArn—rEESS association.) , Dunedln, August 4. At to-day's meeting of .tho Dunedin Presbytery the Rev. R. R. 51. Sutherland tabled a notice of motion as follows: — ! "Whereas the Rev. j. Gibson, Smith, a. minister of. this church, has on three separate occasions to three different Presbyteries declared wit-li all tho solemnity of aii oath that ho sincerely owned and believed tho doctrine of this church as explained in the Westminster confession of faith, and vowed that he ' would 'constantly and firmly adhere thereto, and to the utmost of his powers assort" maintain and defend the same,' and whereas he lias published -a book entitled 'The Christ of'the Cross] in which lie'announces not only his disbelief 'in_ . the confessional doctrine of the death of our Lord, but also his strongest antagonism to the same. His book makes it plain also, that this attitudo of disbelief and antagonism is not a thing of recent date, and more recent utterances from the pulpit show that it dates back bevond tho beginning of his ministry . in' New Zealand. ; It is, therefore, hereby humbly overtured by the Presbytery of Dunedin to tho General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand indicted to meet at Dunedin on Novem- • ber 10 to tako the premises into consideration and deal with tho question involved, in such manner as shall to tha \sscmbly in its wisdom seem best for the good of 'the Church and for the glory, of God." ■'

It was decided that this "overture" or notico of motion, must bo acccptcd, but the opinion was expressed', that the Dunedin Presbytery should not discuss the matter untlio "'Wellington Presbytery had considered it. . '