The Detroit times., 1910-10-24
PASTOR COOPER
GIVEN HIS CHANCE
Paper Lauding "Progressives," "
Squelched in Convention, Il Read
In Baptist Ministers Meeting.

The importance of the paper on
Michigan Baptists and Baptist edu.
cational interests In Michigan" which
the Rev. ID. H. Cooper. pastor OF the
Grand River-ave Baptist church, was
cut short in reading In the state con-
vention last week, was considered
worthy of an entire and careful read
ing by the Detroit Baptist Ministers
conference, and was given a place on
the weekly program OF that body,
Monday morning, in the Woodward
ave. Baptist church lecture room. A
considerable portion of Mr.. Cooper's g
address was given publicity In the
press last week, especially that part
in which he claimed the right Of free
investigation Of the scriptures" by
Baptists, and declared that any muz-
cling of a mans expressed ideas on
theology to be against true Baptist
ethics.
This is not the age of the stage
coach and the canal boat and minis
ters who bring the gospel to their
people over those routes must expect
to be run down by the progressive
evangelist in the automobile and the
express train" said Mr.. Cooper. I'VE
cannot be fossilized and forceful at
one and the same time. Man has
arisen to be what he Is today on the
hook Of the interrogation mark.
Truth and facts must be sought for
and we must be progressive in search
ing the scriptures. Ignorance Is the
cause of all our woes. There is q
lamentable lack of biblical knowledge
in the average student entering our
schools and colleges. What we need
everywhere is a teaching ministry.
How often we hear When Is q school
not a school?' And the answer
When II is Sunday School, There
Is great, crying need Of the trained
teacher In the Sunday school,"
Mr.. Cooper reviewed the Baptist
schools OF Michigan and urged that
Baptists make II q point to send their
children to Baptist institutions Of
learning.
In the discussion which followed
the Rev. J. G. Calder declared that he
would rather bury his son or daugh-
ter than send them to the Baptist
schools of today to learn fol-de-rols in
the matter Of religious belief and
nothing whatever of real Baptist doc
trine. On the whole, however, Mr.
Cooper's paper, considering all sides
OF the subject fairly and sQuarely
met with the approval Of those pres
ent, and a unanimous vote Of the
conference expressed the hope that
the paper would be printed In full
and given wide circulation among the
Baptist denomination In Detroit and
Michigan.
The Rev. d. H. White, of New
York, formerly president Of Colgate
university and now assistant CORES
ponding secretary OF the Baptist
Home Mission society, en- route to
Iowa, spent a few minutes in the con-
ference. Monday morning. and spoke
to the brethren upon the necessity Of
spreading the gospel In the cities Of
the country.
II do not know conditions In De-
troit, but | do know those In many
other cities, and dare say one place
is not very different from another"
said he. I'm New York where only
25 per cent OF the population is
American born or Of American par
entage, there IL tremendous work
to be done. In Pittsburg, with Its
great trust industries. It's socialism,
it's corrupt political rings, its decad-
ent society. one Is impressed with the
feeling that the city and It's people
live on the thin edge OF a crater that
may at any moment engulf them"