Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-19
NOTED THEOLOG
CALLED HERETO
EMMANUEL PRESBYTERlANS
BAR PULPIT
DIR. GEORGE ADAM SMITH is
UNDER SUSPENSION
That Well Known Scotch
Professor Holds Dangerous
Views in Regard to Old
Testament
When is a hereto a hereto?

When is a hereto heretlcE
That is the question that is being
asked in church circles of Los An
geles, regarding the visit of DIR. George
Adam Smith, a professor of the Old
Testament in the University of Glas-
cow, Scotland, who is considered one
of the greatest of living authorities on
the history and geography of Palestine
and on the development of the Jewish
nations religion before Christ DR..
Smiths historical geography of Pales-
tine is the standard textbook on the
subject with all advanced Bible stu
dents.
Notwithstanding his prominence in
Bible study, Emmanuel Presbyterian
church of Los Angeles has refused him
it's pulpit, it is said, on the ground that
he is a higher and destructive critic
and an all round dangerous man to
have speak from an evangelical pull
pit, having views differing from the
main doctrinal points.
Just as warmly DIR. Smiths friends
are rallying around him and say that
he is not a destructive. but a con-
structive critic, and does not tend in
the least to the great bugbear of mod
ern evangelical churches-Fosterism
Offer Rescinded
The discussion of heresy came about
through the meeting which the church
federation of Los Angeles had arranged
to be held Friday night, at which DR..
Smith was to be the speaker. I'M
manuel Presbyterian church had been
rendered for the service and had been
accepted by the federation the prelimi-
nary announcements of the meeting
having been made by the federation.
After affairs had gone thus far and
everything seemed serene for a large
meeting to be rendered the great Bible
scholar, the trustees of the Emmanuel
church heard that DR.. Smith was a
"neretic" on Old Testament subjects.
The matter was fully discussed and ds
a consequence the clerk of the trus-
tees was requested to send letter to
the federation, resembling the offer of
the church. This letter was in turn
sent by the federation to DR.. William
Horace Day, pastor of the First Con-
gregational church, who had been ac-
tive in securing the visit of DR.. Smith
to Los Angeles. DR.. Day will return
today from his vacation.
To Be Given Banquet
Consequently the church federation
called off the meeting in order to keep
harmony in the churches, the general
ann OIL INC IeueIdLlOil DtlIlB lOWdIQ lllG
unity of the Protestant denominations.
However, the Clerical club of Southern
California does not consider DR.. Smith
sufficiently "heretlcal" to debar it's Civ
ing a banquet in his honor this evening
at the Hotel Virginia, Long Beach.
One person, authority in the church
federation. said yesterday that 1t was
currently reported that DR.. Smith has
changed Paul Moody, son of the famous
evangelist, Dwight Moody, into a
hereto like himself regarding the Old
Testament. This was refuted by an
other prominent member, who says
that Paul Moody carries out the views
of his father.
That DR.. Smith had made a deep
study of the books of the Old Testa-
ment is acceded by all concerned in
the affair. but otherwise opinion diff
fers widely as to his so-called heresy.
Refuses to Discuss Matter
DR.. Smith was not aware of the
up until. his arrival in Los Angeles
and refused to make any statement in
regard to the subject He is the guest
of an old-tlme college mate, Dr. A. l..
Macleish, 616 Kingsley drive.
With the exception of the meeting,
under the auspices of the federation at
the Emmanuel church, other services
will be carried out as arranged and DR..
Smith will preach Sunday morning at
the First Congregational church.
1t is stated that efforts will be made
to have DR. Smith deliver his we'll
known lecture, THE Religion of Israel
in the Seventh Century Before Christ, "
in I Angeles.