TEXT OF THE FINDING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 8

TEXT OF THE FINDING.

(By TeleErapk-Presi Association.! Auckland, March 7. Tho text of findings upon charges of heterodoxy against a minister of ihe Methodist Church, has been made public by the conference. The charges were originally preferred More a Court of the Church in Wellington, which referred the matter to the conference. It was considered in ministerial session, and a committee was appointed to investigate the charges. 'J.'no subject was mentioned at this evening's session, and after discussion in committee the following statement issued to tho press for publication:— "As there has appeared in the public press a garbled report of an inquiry into certain charges of heterodoxy, the conference resolves to publish the full text of tho finding. Your eommitteo having heard charges preferred by Sir. W\ C. Burd against the Rev. J. G. Chapman, and 31 r. Chapman's reply thereto, begs to submit tho following findings:— "(1) The charges of heterodoxy do not refer to doctrines peculiar to Methodism and specially guarded in our constitution, but to doctrines held by the Christian world in the eighteenth century. "(2) In regard to the Holy Scripture?, Mr. Chapman uses the well-worn formula that 'they contain the word of God,' and appeal to our moral sense to discover those parts that breathe an unchristian spirit. Wesley also, in his preface to his version of the Prayer Book, explains that lie had omitted the imprecatory Psalms as unfit for Christians to repeat. "(3) Mr. Chapman believes in and preaches fnturo consequences of our sin as 'wages,' or natural results, not as arbitrary inflictions or tortures. He does not deny the eternal duration of these consequences, but regards that as an open question and the word as indefinite . "(I) If we regard Wesley's sermons apart from Wesley and his history, we must frankly say that Mr. Chapman's views differ from Wesley's. By this i\c do not mean that they necessari'ly contradict Wesley's. "We beg to point out:—(1) That Wesley's main doctrine, that of free grace, was a revolt, and a strenuous-battle fought in vindication of the character of Goil from the awful reflections cast upon it by (lie curlier and contemporary puttings of tho doctrine of election. (2) That the compassionate heart of Wesley was tortured by the prevailing views of Hell. He tells us that he sought diligently for a way of escape, and declares, 'weeping,' that he found none. Here again his heart was in revolt against prevailing opinions of the Divine character. After 130 years a loyal son of Wesley may feel the same heart revolt, and be "in the true lino of march, (:)) The recent Ecumenical Conference sent a message to be read in every Methodist pulpit in the world.- That authoritative message urges, 'Let us unite steadfastness in the faith, with complete intellectual freedom, and confident ability to march with the times.' In view of these things we cannot recommend the conference to censure a frank and courageous man whom we regard as loyal to all that is essential in Hie teachings of our Church. "(.",) The evidence leads us to think that the misconception as to -Mr. Chapman's theological position arises mainly from Ihe manner in which he has sometimes expressed himself, the effect being lo alarm mi win unaccustomed to the W:W statement of old truth". In this respect your committee feel that Mr. Chapman 'somewhat indiscreetly antagonised tnose who differ from him. At the same time we recognise that advanced thought and critical research necessitate a change ofemphasis in the, delivery of our messages, and that we should thankfully receive all the light that the discoveries of science can pour on those vital and eternal truths of religion that htvo ever of exDorimennlt religion that have ever been the strength and ,lho glory of the Methodist pulpit, and on which the salvation of the" world depends. "((!) Finally, we congratulate Mr. Burd on the admirable clearness, spirit, and temper with which he presented the case. II is also due In Mr. Chapman to say that he replied with quiet frankness In the charges admitting the utterance of some statements denying the u--e of some and explniniiiu or resetting others. ."WILLIAM. HEAD*, President."