Evening journal., 1914-11-12
Prospect Park BaptiStS Stand
by the Rev. W. R.
McNutt, Pastor
SAYS HE BELIEVES
IN THE SCRIPTURES
"Resolved, That this church en-
tirely vindicate Pastor McNutt, Of
any charges made by certain per
sons in Wilmington, and we pledge
him our loyal support"

the Prospect Hill Baptist Church, OF
which he is pastor OF the charges pre-
ferred by the North Baptist Church. OF
Wilmington, at a meeting held in the
church at Prospect Park last evening.
The vote for the vindication OF the pas
tor and the ignoring of the charges, was
90 to 10. j. {. Mc,iraw, a trustee. pre-
sided as moderator at the congregation
al meeting.
A resolution, signed by three mem-
bers of the congregation, calling Tor the
resignation of the pastor and accusing
him virtually as did the notice issued
by the Wilmington church, and setting
the arrangements for payment of salary
TO date, was offered. A motion was i'm
mediately made that the proposed reso.
luton be rejected, and il was by sub
stantial majority after a short discus
sion. The resolution of vindication was
then presented by Mr.. Talcott.
The charges made against Mr. Nc
Mutt in the bull issued by the Viii
mington church, was that he gave utter
ance TO teaching that IT'S plainly con-
trary to the written Word of God as
contained in the Holy Scriptures of the
ciational or Doctrinal sermon preached
on the opening evening of the Delaware
Baptist Union meetings in this city"
Objection vas taken by the VIII
mington churchmen to the following
statements, claimed to have been made
by Pastor McNutt:
IF Jesus bore my guilt, He did an
immortal thing. The whole substan-
tiary theory of the Atonement is inn
mortal at its core" and. Il have read
somewhere the theory that God sent
His angel one night and killed the
firstborn of Egypt If l believed that
God would do a thing like that /
would curse Him"
Following the vindication. Mr.. Nc
Mutt made his first statement to the
members of the congregation. He
did not deny that he had given utter
ance to the words to which exception
had been taken, but explained the
/ points to which exception had been
/ taken so thoroughly to the meeting.
/ that many of the members, in talks
, that followed, declared that they had
new and different views from the re-
ports sent out.
In speaking of the matter trustee
of the church said. "The demopstra-
ZION simply reaffirmod the Baptist
principle OF freedom of thought and
freedom of speech and that it recog-
nized that the difference of belief was
inevitable among live men. even in
matters of religion"
The pastor, in his statement To the
members of the congregation. said
that ne believed in the Bible and that
ne also believed that the Scriptures
were written by men inspired. AS
70 the views in regard to the attack
made upon him, he declined 10 make
a formal statement He thanked the
congregation for their continued con-
hdence, and for the Baptist spirit
OF granting freedom of prophesying. ("
Mr.. McNutt has been pastor of the
Prospect Hill Baptist Church. at
Prospect Park. for two and a half
years, and has been regarded as a
Jealous pastor He has been very
active in temperance work during his
pastorate and has made numerous
friends throughout the county
through his activity in church mat
ters.
Cast Not Ended, Pastor Saws.
When the attention of the Rev. W. J..
Pettingill, pastor of North Baptist
Church, this city. was called to the ac.
tion of the Prospect Hin Church, he
said: "Among Baptist churches there is
no legislative authority centralized in
any association or conference or conven-
tion. These associations and conven.
tions are purely advisory, and are with
out legislative power over the local
] oh II.
nous and sovereign in the management
OF its own affairs. The Prospect Hill
Church is quite within its province hi
determining for itself whom it shall
have in its membership or in its pulpit
II II prefers to retain "a false teacher
/, as its pastor, 1t has a perfect right &.
/. do So so far as Baptist policy is CON
cerned. Its controversy is between IL
self and God alone. and it must ansWci
to Him for any stand it may take u
such a case.
"But while it is true that the local
churches determine these things fol
themselves and are the sole Judges oil
their own membership, it is also tru,
that the association has the sam,
right of Judgment as TO its member
ship. And it would be acting entirely
within its province if il should exclud,
from its membership and withdraw tn,
right hand OF fellowship from any pas
tor or other member for reasons salts
factory TO itself. And more than this
Z the association has the right TO exclud,
from its membership and withdraw Tn,
right hand OF fellowship from a loca
: : church. if, in any case, it is deemed wis
so to do
!, THE action Of the Prospect Hill
" / Church does not change the genera
situation in any way. except thai
that church, by voting to sustain tn,
teacher occupying the pulpit. ha.
4 made itself amenable TO discipline b,
: the association. For any churcl
2 which really values the Holy Scrip
!. lures as the infallible Word of God
the path is plainly marked out be
fore il; for IL is impossible for sucl
a church to go on in fellowship Will
either a pastor who is guilty of falls.
teaching or a church which indorse.
false teaching. No formal actor
J can be taken by the association unit
its next meeting. but when the mex
meeting takes place North Churcl
= will be prepared to take such ac
tion as is proper under the circum
stances then existing"
n
There are lots Of business offers bein,
doi1x fn mon and usof,,ou ,r-sfi