The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-02
THREATEN LOCAL! PRESBYTERIANS
 WITH ExC|SI0N
Dispute Arises Over Theo- logical Students Having
 Preachers Licenses.
TEMPEST IN TEAPOT, / SAY SOME MEMBERS
General Assembly at Allan tic City to Act Upon Re
 cent Complaints.

Presbyterian churches in this city and throughout the Connecticut val7 ley are threatened with Nexcisioh from the denomination or, with loss of all connection with the national body com posed of Presbyterian churches.
 The matter will be fully threshed out at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian churches, which will be in session at Atlantic City this month | What action will be taken follow ing this assembly. is not yet deterrn1n- l ed but action has been taken recently by the Cincinnati Presbytery, voting to ask the general assembly to cut off the New York Presbytery from all con 1 nection with the denomination.
 | Behind the movement close observ- CTS of religious affairs see the culm1na- ton of a long standing split in the church due solely to theological views. The immediate action which is ! causing keen /excitement throughout Presbyterian circles all over the Unit ed States resulted from the New Y ork 1 Presbytery licensing to preach three seniors. in the Union Theological Sem mary Five other Presbyteries, of which Bridgeport is one, is known to have permitted the same licensing or to have taken action having the same bearing. The Connecticut Presbytery of which Bridgeport is a member, ad- rnitted one student to the ministry T Ss( nati and other Presbyteries throughout the middle west is that these students were heretics.
 ] The current Herald and Presbyter, a weekly of the denomination, published l in Cincinnati, gives the action of the Presbyteries but does not mention them by name. The publication makes this reca pitulation of the ac- lions of the New York and the five other presbyteries of which Bridgeport l is known to be one:
 l That the General Assembly take ac- ton looking to the censure of the Pres i bytery of New York for it's recent act l in admitting to the ministry candidates whose views are not in harmony with our Confession of Faith.
 That the assembly use it's power to exclude from the ministry of our Church those who are assailing the fundamental truths of the gospel, es- pecialIy those charged with instruction of the candidates for the ministry.
 s"That the assembly appoint a com mittee of visitation to the Pfesbytery of New York Il
 e'That Presbyterian ministers and el- kders be instructed Io withdraw from the ministry.
 '.That the Preshytery, of New York be evcinded."
 It is also known that the Presbytery of Providence, R. I. is one of the bod ies which took action.
 There are but two Presbyterian churches in Bridgeport: The First Presbyterian church which is now a member of the Presbytery and the Peo- ple's Presbyterian Church which al- ready is independent
 In speaking of the matter to-day Rev. John MacLarens Richardson, pas tor of the First Presbyterian church, one fthe best posted authorities on church matters in this section of New England, said: t'I can speak only per- sonallyS upon the subject yeti know that on the basis of the fact that this presbytery has done exactly what the New York Presbytery is being derid- ed for doing, it would be natural for the churches of Connecticut to be in sympathy with the Presbytery of New York; The Presbyterian church govern ment is based upon the same lines as national government with it's section al and locality governments. Within the scope of the national governmef1t there has grown up two factions which may bert termed radical and conserva- tive. The radicals are centered about New York city. The conservatives are mostly in Ohio and the Cincinnati Presbytery is their leader.
 NThe basis for discussion is theologi- cal construction and the Union Semin- ary has recently become the vortex of the small naelstrom which is Hkened by some to a tempest in teapot.
 This tempest cu1minated some time ago when the New York Presbytery elevated three senior students to the ministry. Thought there was some opposition then which was overcome by the majority. The Connecticut Rover Presbytery took the same action with unanimous accord. The underlying belief of theo1ogians in this section expressed to-day Eby Dr. Richardson is: .fThe church to-day has soutgrown what might be | termed theological construction. To- day it is emphasizing the methods. of the life of Jesus in the life of the people and it does not ask the man so much the hair-breadth definitions as to how he lives his every day life. This is the outcome of that change in ten dency and feel that every discussion that is based on the fine points of theology will have very little chance of expression in the higher courts of the i church.
 That such efforts have been made before by the conservative element to oust the radical element is known and many here believe that the present movement will be as abortive as other lesser actions.