The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-30

CHAR GE STIRS MINISTER'S

I.ucius Hopkins Miller, who occupies
the chair of Biblical instruction Mt Prince
ton University. ls accused of heretlcal
teachings in a pamphlet called THE Devil
in Cap and Gown" just issued by the
Rev. DR.. Ford c. Ottman. The pamphlet
was widely circulated among the ministers
attending the Protestant Church assembly
at Stony Brook l.. l.. last week. Copies
of 1t have been sent 10 all the members
OF the University Board OF Trustees,
The removal of Dr. Miller is asked on
the ground that he is undermining the
faith of the Princeton students
II was the Rev. Dr. John +. Carson.
pastor OF the Central Presbyterian Church
Of Brooklyn. who introduced the pamphlet
at the stony Brook assembly. DIR. Carson
Is former Moderator OF the General
Assembly OF the Presbyterian Church. In
commenting on the role Prof. Miller Is
said to have played, Dr. Carson said;
40 crime more dastardly can be imag-
ined than that Of a teacher In a Christian
university undermining the faith OF the
bows and girls OF our Christian homes
You do not send your boys to college to
have their confidence in the Bible their
love for and faith in Jesus Christ shat
tered and destroyed by the quibbling Of
self labelled scholarship"
tine OF the ministers at the Stony Brook
assembly became 40 Indignant that he
said he would 90 TO Princeton this week
ana tell the authorities that II what Or.
Ottman said was true he would scratch
| IN the name Of his boy, who II now on
the application list for entrance to Prince
| ton University. Other ministers ex-
/ tt. 4hpmg,lva9 "A NiRprOnslE
| THE SUN tried to reach Prof Miller
! yesterday TO learn his side Of the matter,
| but ne was found to be- away from Prince
| ton for rest before the opening OF the
| university Dr. Ottman's pamphlet quotes
| Dr. Miller ms saying. IN describing the
| birth OF Christ.
"Our sources Of information do not en-
able us to answer explicitly 1t is not
! clear just when he was born, nor where.
! nor under what circumstances II IL GER
| tain that this significant event In the MS
! tory OF mankind occurred near the end of
the reign of lIcrod the Great, somewhere
IN what wA now call Palestine. II you
| should press me for my opinion regarding
further details | would say that he was
| probably the son Of Joseph and Mary and
| that he was born In Nazareth vi Galilee
! Concerning the DAYS of his youth and
| Young manhood We have no clear informa-
ton. His visit to Jetusalm at the agei
Of ~ Luke H.. 39-52) may not be his
torical. but 1t IS certainly In keeping viii
any differences that may fairly be drawn
| from his later development.
| Whatever else We may or may not be
lleve regarding his conception or himself
we are constrained to hold that he con
sdered his life and teaching the consum
nation OF Old Testament prophecy, an,
that he builded consciously on the basis
of truth the prophets had already lai'
down"
Regarding h!s early environment W.
know that ne had four brothers and a
least two sisters, and II IL probable tina
he learned the trade of his father. wh'
was master builder In Nazareth. !
IL only fair to assume that these heredtarl
and environmontal forces impaired form
as well as content to Jesuss expandin.
thought. but they do not explain his eN
allied personality"
Responding to these remarks DR. OFT
man writes
The human tube through which th
gas is blown enables US easily TO dis
rrimlunte the assistant from tho devil
I}y a singular combination of the menta
faculties of both--this Dr Iekyll and Nj
llyle-the critical test Is applied 20 IN
Gospels ana to the NE Of Christ. ant
, there are achieved results which are sur
and extensive enough tu satisfy fair
minded men
without further reflection on the TIL
or the livery of this duplex personalit
We shall accept the label that clepes tn
: one, and shall now address ourselves ex
clusivcly to the nuncupative Professor o
Biblical Instruction
lie il no tyro. this professor n
abcccdnran, no tutor OF propRdeuticS
no indeed. he is "A full tiedgcd assist
ant professor. a past master of Undue
ton and Inference From the steamn
Of slowing wits there In
l been poured ont recently malodorou
: broth that IL now on exhibit In the gal
- mot of the critical ecclesiologlst
The stirring OF that unsaNory rheur
Is neither alluring nor appetZng, bu
= som,boGv ought to do II in order To fin
u ont whether or not there Is death
. the pot
: That is the distilation Of no clot
y pou, our professor IL no tomnodd'
, IIe &. not Ipavus. but OcdIpus; not
u simple servant but a solver OF sphinx
nuzzlcs What heaven born gent,
i, he has for sitting the wheat from II
y chaff in the Gospel narratives on
Il , crone or doodle could fail 10 /
!, satisfied with such achieved results
y And then Dr Ottm4n adds
o "Thls professor. who knows SO man
y things that are not SO, and 50 fe
things that arS So ought 20 he give
u time and opportunity t. look for al
) other lob In his pursuit Of mature
: differences Ne has gone too far ane
ever to get back again in time fC
further usefulness In the chair of 'Bil
" Hell instruction
= How much longer shall eNecutl'
!, authority license and allow such a.
n COY duck to lure our hovs Into u
mucuent ocze Of free thinking, Bib
II dlshonorlnF. anti-ChrIstian rationalism