BRITISH-ISRAELISM

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 95, 23 April 1935, Page 11

BRITISH-ISRAELISM

PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY

RESOLUTION AND A REPLY

Reference' was made at the sixth annual congress of the New Zealand branch of the British-Israel World Federation at Wellington to "the attack made upon British-Israel truth by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand." Regret that this should have been done was expressed in a resolution, which continued- asf follows: — •

"Congress deplores the inaccurate statements made by certain members of the Assembly and by 'The Outlook,' the official organ of the Presbyterian Church, as evidence of ignorance on the part of" the' leaders of this great Church as to what; constitutes BritishIsrael truth.

"It restates the fact that the basis of British-Israel truth is the literal acceptance; of the w;hole .Bible from, cover to cover and believing that there is no jfirmer foundation for our faith, views with apprehension the suggestion contained in 'The Outlook' of November 26, 1934; that because British-Israel truth so relies upon the literal interpretation of the Word of God it cannot be true. "In view of the growing tendency to disregard large portions of the Bible this congress appeals to all Christians to maintain a high standard of faith in the whole of God's wonderful Word and to encourage that faith in others." i The Rev. J. H. MacKenzie, Presbyterian Church Assembly clerk, stated today that the resolution carried by the Presbyterian Assembly w;as as follows: "That the Assembly, in reply to the question addressed to it through the Auckland Presbytery anent Brit-ish-Israelism, states that it is. unaware of any adequate ground for believing that the British and American people are descended from Israelitish stock and does not regard the dissemination of such ideas as serving the furtherance of the Gospel of God's free grace in Christ, in whom there is neither Jew nor Greek." Also it was carried; "That the Assembly discourages the propagation of British-Israel views through the regular channels of the Church." . . . ■ .' Other resolutions were proposed which were indeed attacks upon this theory, said Mr. MacKenzie, but they were rejected by the Assembly. It was freely stated that many of those holding these views were excellent Christian people and that the theory had led to much earnest Bible study.