The Washington herald., 1911-05-07
The Browns and Heresy Trials.

informed declare that nothing will come
Of the threatened heresy charges which
are to be filed by West Jersey against
President Francis Brown and DR.. WILL
lam Adams Brown. OF Union Seminary.
both of them members Of the New York
Presbytery. When Pittsburg failed last
week to make the expected move for
heresy charges it was supposed that that
would put a quietus on the newspaper
talk of Imminent heresy trials" If the
expressions of thoughtful and conserva-
tive minds among the Washington clergy
and latty who have been consulted are to
be taken as a criterion. such trials are
not only undesirable in this day. but
quite out of place in the case of such a
spirit as William Adams Brown.
Briefly summarized, the facts of the sit
uation are these: Rev. DR.. Francis
Brown, whose newspaper article of recent
date is held by some Presbyterians to be
unsound, succeeded the late Rev. DR..
Charles Cuthbert Hall as president of
Union Theological Seminary. of New
York. The Rev. Dr. William Adams
Brown. in no way related to the presi-
dent, comes of the famous Rhode Island
family Of that name. He has the chair
of systematic theology in the Union Semi
nary. He is also chairman of the New
York Presbytery's committee on home
missions. Some of his books are held to
contain certain unsound statements.
Should the movement develop strength
sufficient to lead to action by the Cen
eral Assembly the Browns could be reach
ed personally. Nothing, however, could
be done against Union Theological Semi
nary, since it makes no report to the
General Assembly. and is technically not
now Presbyterian institution Founded
by New York Presbyterians of liberal
views, standing for the best scholarship
and most progressive methods in the
training Of ministers and church work.
ers, the Union Seminary has always been
regarded by many Presbyterians as I'M
sound In theology. 1t was here that
the Rev. DR.. Charles A. Briggs and the
Rev. DR.. A. c. McGiffert heresy cases.
famous throughout Christendom. were
given their start. driving one into the
Episcopal and the other into the Congre-
gational communion
DR.. William Adams Brown visited here
last week as the guest of the Union
Theological Seminary graduates Of Wash
ington and Baltimore and preached in the
lexington and Covenant churches morn
ing and afternoon He gave a glowing
account Of the new buildings and equip
ment Of Union. located on Morningside
was at the opening OF these new buildings
that President Francis Brown made an
inaugural address, which, his enemies
averred, he intended as challenge to
Presbyterianism Of America and the
declaration of a new theological platform
for them. He is charged further with
the sinister purpose OF seeking to bring
Presbyterians of the United States, at
least the northern body, around to the
Union Seminary view and thereby to vim
dicate his own institution. The criticism
which arose. at that time has not vet
subsided In some quarters. Whatever
may be true of President Brown, those
who listened to the three addresses of
Prof. William Adams Brown could find no
note of unsound theology in anything he
had to say. On the contrary, there was
much evidence of an Interpretation of the
truth of the Gospel in the light of modern
thought. evidenced especially in his ad-
dress on the Seminary's new methods >of
teaching theology. both practical and
theoretical and its adoption of modern
pedagogical and psychological ideas. One
thing may be said Of Prof Brown-that
he Is evidently proving his evangelical
faith by devoted evangelical work In his
very earnest and effective Dervice as
chairman of the home mission COMMITTEES
OF the New York Presbytery. This, to-
gether with the beautiful spirit which
breathes through his winsome person-
ality. would quickly silence the most slep-
teal of his critics, It would seem.
Meanwhile the point seems to b at