The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1905-12-01
DR.. BRADLEY
EXONERATED
Methodist" Conference Committee
Reported mo Trial Necessary"
ENEMIES AGAIN FLOORED
Ridiculous Chlrgs Of Hereto Teaching
Against Noted Minister Knocked
0ut the Second Time.


church of Atlanta, was exonerated
of the charge Of heresy preferred
against him before the North Georgia
Methodist Conference in session at
Newman. The report of the investi
gazing committee was as follows:
I'VE, the committee in the case Of
Rev. II. S. Bradley, charged with dis
seminating doctrines contrary to the
doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal
church, South, after a careful con
wfderation, find no trial necessary"
When this announcement was made
1t was loudly cheered by the friends
of Or. Bradley. This is the second
time Dr. Bradley has been exonerated
of this ridiculous charge by com
mlttee of his brothers.
After the committee had reported
DR.. Bradley asked permission to make
a statement TO the conference. Among
other things. he said:
when / first came up before you
here several days ago, | refused to
discuss with you the merits Of my
position, as l wished the matter 20
be gone into fully If you so desired
and did not want to throw any infiu-
ence on the subject one way or the
other, but simply desired that it be
given chance to come up on its
merits.
Now, however, that the matter has
been settled, I feel that with your
permission. / would like to make
few remarks regarding the attitude
occupy.I came into the church when
quite a child.
Il am free to confess that the real
reason why / entered the Methodist
church was because the ones / loved
were il, it and because my assocla
tions drew me to the church Had
my associations been otherwise,
would just as likely have been Pres
byterlan, Baptist or a member OF any
other denomination as to have been a
Methodist.
"The true state Of affairs was that
came into the church as a child won
to It by the affection / had for those
who were already in it.
but during the last ten years
nave reached a period where you
might say I could conscientiousIy sift
matters and see where stood and
why | really was Methodist.
Il love my church and like it in
deed better than any other church in
the world. also like the policy Of the
church, though l reserve the right to
differ with that policy at the proper
time and in the proper way.
but II is no secret that there are
expressions in our articles of faith
which have a Calvinistic flavor in
their Interpretation of certain doc
trines. To this Calvinistic flavor l
cannot subscribe
Il like the Methodist church be-
cause the rights of any member are
guaranteed to him He is not re-
ouired to believe anything in the ar
ticles Of faith that are not strongly
backed UP by Biblical teachings.
I'm this way, every man, so to
speak, stands in his own shoes. The
church does not endeavor to coerce
his will.
THE fact that the Methodist
church does not tolerate free htuoght
is, above all things else, what draws
me to it.
This is a progressive age, and I
want to see the church advance and
broaden with the advancing and
broadening age Of the world. II the
church does not tolerate free thought
progress Of the age, there is only
question Of time when it will 60 to
pieces
MY position in brief is as follows:
There has never been a moment since
! have been in the church that have
not had offers which would have paid
me more money than the work / have
tried to do for the Methodist church
and since have been drawing money
from her treasury.
II am frank to confess to you that
belong to a school of thought that is
known as theistic evolution. Through
this thought we teach that God is
working in and through us and all
things higher and higher up to the
perfection of His plans. This, to my
mind, is better than the idea that God
made all things at once and then left
things alone"