East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-07-13

Texarkana, Ark, July 1S.-What
will probably become one of the most
notable heresy trials that the Presby-
terian church has known in years will
be commenced today by the Ouacnlta
Presbytery, with the Rev. F. Il. Mad
dox, pastor of the First Presbyterian.
church of Texarkana, as the defend
ant. DR.. Maddox Is alleged to have
cast doubts upon the inspiration Of
the Bible and his views of salvation
are declared to be heretical. Presby-
terians throughout the country win
watch the trial with interest, as 1t will
cover practically. the same points as
northern church but which have not
yet been brought to a final issue in
the southern branch of the denomina-
tion.
Dr. Maddox holds that salvation Is
an evolution from within and not an
importation from without. that it is
development of a divinely implanted
gift and not a new gift divinely i'm
planted He holds that men are saved
from ignorance by education. AS to
the Scriptures, he holds that they are
inspired, but that they are not iner-
ant. The authors of them were nelth-
er reminiscent nor infallible and there
is not proof that they were made so by
ipspirotfnr' Tho Thought of tho Rihla
came from God but men expressed
| it as they understood 1t and I'm Ian
guage most Ineligible to them and
/ their contemporaries. Scientific and
I historical errors and defective concep-
| ton of morality are due to the defec-
tive knowledge of the writers and may
be accounted by the date when the
book was written and the elementary
training of the author.
The trial Of David Swing of Chicago
for heresy 80 years ago was based
on almost identcally the same points
which appear in the indictment
against Dr. DaddoX. In those days
Bushnell, Beecher and Swing were pi-
oneers in a transition that had just
! begun but which has since swept al
most all over the world. 1t Is urged
here by DR.. MaddOx's defenders that
If he is to be prosecuted for some of
the same things for which Swing and
Beecher were years ago by the North
ern Presbyterian church, which has
since revised its creed, it would seem
that the Southern church. has not
made any progress in the last 80
years, and that the difficulty is not
J with Dr. Maddox, but with the West
minister confession of faith.
This trial of DR.. Maddox will make
the fourth case In which some Of the
younger men in his church have had
| trouble. They have been dealt with
either by the local congregation or the
higher church courts, and two OF
three of them had to leave the denom-
| ination.
The present defendant is a very
able ana scholarly man, aged about
40 years, who has built a magnificent
church, drawn around him a large
following of some of the most cultur-
ed people of Texarkana and section,
whose congregation are with him
heart and soul.
The charges are based on utteran-
ces in a series of sermons which DR.
Maddox delivered in his church in
Texarkana, and which attracted wide
spread interest in all southwest Ar
kansas and northeast Texas. Large
audiences have heard the sermons
and seemed to approve the sentiments
expressed therein. Some members of
his congregation complained that
their pastor was not orthodox. and
when the matter was brought to his
attention he asked for an expression |
from the church, which all but unan-
imously upheld him in his theology |
Among the numerous members |
many Of whom are the most wealthy |
and influential families in the city, |
only one vote was cast against DR.. |
Maddox. The charges made by the
objectioners are in reference to DR..
Maddox's views of salvation and the |
inspiration Of the Scriptures.