The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-05-18
Radical and Conservative Wings Of Pres.
byIerians Due for Combat in Gen.
eral Conference at Atlantic
City Today
ACTION OF NEW YORK
PRESBYTERY CAUSE
Licensing Graduates Of Union Theologi-
cal Seminary is Regarded as Chal-
lenge; Feeling Between Oppos-
ing Elements is Strong
BY United Press.

|By United Press.
Atlantic City, May 1S.-The long
expected clash between the radical
and the conservative elements Of the
Presbyterian church is likely to de-
velop at the 12Sth General Confer
ence, which begins here today, from
the action of the Presbytery at Gin
cinnati demanding that the New York
Presbytery be cut off from members
ship in the General Assembly.
IA resolution was adopted at the last
General Assembly requiring that
Presbyteries admit no candidates who
were graduates from theological sens
inaries considered heterodox in their
teachings.
The action of the New York Presby-
terry in licensing three graduates OF
the Union Theological Seminary OF
New York, against which this resolu-
tion was really directed is regarded
as direct challenge by the conservar
tives.
The Union Seminary, although some
of its faculty are members of the New
York Presbytery, has no connection
with that body. The other theological
seminaries of the Presbyterian church.
are under the care of the various
Presbyteries in whose boundaries
they are situated.
One of the conservative strong
holds, although there is a large liberal
element there, is the Presbytery of
Cincinnati Under its care is the Lane
Seminary, long a citadel
of orthodoxy. Other Presbyteries
where the conservatives are, strong
are Chicago. where Mccormick Theo-
logical Seminary is situated, and Pitts
burgh, which is sponsor for the West
ern Theological Seminary.
The feeling between the New York
Presbytery and Cincinnati is especial
ly strong because within the terrific
ry of each is seminary which rep
resents the two elements in the Pres
Dyterian church.
One of the leaders in the Presbyte-
ry of Cincinnati is the Rev. DR.. Will
liam McKibbin, the head of Lane The
illogical Seminary. He was the pros
ecutor of the Rev Dr. Henry Preserv.
ed Smith, accused of heretical teach
ings, a brilliant theologian who left
the uncongenial surroundings of Lane
and is now connected with Union.
The fight is on between Lane and
Union, between the west and the east,
between conservatism and radicalism.
Owing to the delicacy of the situa-
ton delegates to the General Assem-
bly, at Atlantic City decline to speak
for publication concerning it, but do
not conceal than they expect a battle
in the conclave. Whether e not New
York Presbytery viii be forced out of
all relations with the assembly re-
mains to be seen.
The indications are that the conserv-
ative forces will prevail and that they
Will at least success in passing vote
o., censure upon the New York Pres
bytery for having licensed three grad
yates from an institution under the
ban of the conservative wing.
If the New York body is cut off
there are many who think it means
that all its property will go too. This
means that the PRESBYTERIAN church
will lose more than $21, 100000. The
church buildings alone are valued at
1S.220.59S. The extension committee
represents more than 100000 and
the trustees of Presbytery control
more than $1.OOO.O00.
If this transpires the boards of the
church viii also lose benevolences of
more than s1,5OO,00o annually. The
total benevolences last year wera 81 !.
574,S0S.