Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1917-12-08
Bradshaw Case
Creates Interest
Continued from page u

| fill the local papers. Meanwhile the
author of all the controversy denies
that he is pacifist, and seems unable
to understand why he is sc. regarded.
The Rev. Mr.. Bradshaw is grad
uate of Union Theological Seminary,
doing special work at Palisade. He
comes from Northern Ohio, and is a
graduate of Hiram College, Deci-
| piles OF Christ institution. Since Am
erica entered the war criticism has
been heard in Palisade of sentiments
uttered by the pastor. Some weeks
ago, when the selective draft men of
Union Church were starting for Camp
Dix, Mr.. Bradshaw delivered an ad-
dress, and in it he urged the men to
learn in war the higher sentiments
which Christian people ought to en-
! terrain, and come back and teach them
to Christian people of Palisade. The
address gave otfense as a seeming
criticism of the Government and as a
| charge that the Church had failed in
not preventing war.
| Two weeks ago Mr.. Bradshaw
preached sermon in which he set
forth his views, and yesterday morn
ing he again outlined war ideas, the
Governments position, the Church's
aims, and especially pleaded for the
right of each man to do his own
thinking. The earlier sermon had set
the controversy aflame. The veteran
founder of Palisade, Charles Thomas
Logan, quit Union Church and went
to Trinity Episcopal, and it was said
yesterday that some others went else
where than to Union Church. Mr..
Logan contributed letter to the local
newspaper and so did Professor John
R. Crawford of Columbia University,
who lives in the Palisade region. Last
Saturday some members of Union
Church gave formal answer to the
Rev. Mr.. Bradshaw's critics, saying
the views of Union Church's pastor
were all right.
It seems that because of the contro-
versy the Rev. Mr.. Bradshaw submit
ted his sermon to the Rev. DR.. Char
les S. Mcfarland, Secretary of the
Federal Council of Churches in this
city; to Professor William Adams
Brown, Chairman of the Wartime
and to the Rev. Henry Churchill King,
President of Oberlin University. Ac-
cording to the Union Church pastor,
speaking of it yesterday, the Federal
Council Secretary thought the sermon
patriotic and not pacifist, but the
that of the Philadelphia jurist who
must not do it again. The opinion,
being made public, added to the acri-
mony on the Palisades.
low ~, Es1
the Rev. Mr.. Bradshaw deplored the
failure of the Christian Church in
that it had not prevented the war.
the right of the individual to his own
Judgment, and especially upon the i'm q.
portance of the Church seeing to it
that each asan. does his own thinking
and is permitted to do so. Near the
close of his sermon he said:
"The Government says war is nee
essary. AS Americans we must as
sent. The Government is right. But
the Gospel of Jesus Christ stands for
something else, and as Christians we
are bound to strive for the higher
aim"
Mr.. Bradshaw quoted the Rev. DR..
John Henry Jowett of the Fifth Ave-
nue. Presbyterian Church of this city
as saying that the Church was above
the State, that is was necessary for
the Church to strive to maintain its
own sense of right, and that the
Church must be unaffected by the
States influence. He added that DR..
Jowett had been called back to Eng
land, even the British King and
Prime Minister saying he was needed
by his own nation.
Asked afterward whether he I'M
oualifiedly indorsed the action of the
United States Government in it's stand
for the war, Mr.. Bradshaw replied that
he did.
In the sermon of two weeks ago
Mr.. Bradshaw spoke much of the
mixture of races, saying he himself
delored such mixture. He quoted the
sayings of Jesus Christ, and added:
zone may say that in this articular
case Christ fell below His own best
ideal, and cannot be regarded as per-
feet"
To this statement Charles T. Logan,
long worshipper at Union Church,
but found yesterday at Trinity Church
replied that if Jesus was not perfect
He was not God, and asked who it is
who now says that Jesus was not per-
feet. He asked whether this is Union
Theological Seminary teaching or Mr..
Bradshaw's. Mr. Logan also quoted
from the Nov. 10 sermon the follow
ing:
"Once convinced that this war is
willed by the American people, every
one of us ought if possible, to identify
himself completely with that cause"
To which Mr.. Logan answered: "This
is adroitly put. Once convinced yes.
But nowhere in the sermon does Mr..
Bradshaw say that he is convinced"
Mr.. Bradshaw said yesterday that
he was convinced, and always had
been. But he added quickly that the
Church, in spite of it's shortcomings
in not preventing this war, must be
free to preach a higher aim. Mr..
Logan, saying he spoke for the people
Of the Palisades, outside Of a few men
in Union Church who remain faithful