The New York herald., 1922-07-24
DIR. STRATON DEFIES
CRITICS TO SUE HIM
Calvary Baptist Pastor Chal-
lenges Rationalists and
Modernists.
STARTS COUNTER ATTACK
Calls Smith, Faunce and Bat
ten Destroyers of Faith in
Inspired Scriptures.
STARTS COUNTER ATTACK

The Rev. DR.. John Roach Straton of
Calvary Baptist Church has launched his
counter attack against those ''intellectu-
alists vain rationalists and modernstS'
whom he has taken to task for alleged
failure to accept all the Bible literally.
Last night In his pulpit he singled out
Gerald Birney Smith of the Baptist
Divinity School of the University Of Chi
cago. Samuel Zane Batten. head OF the
social service work Of the Baptist Church.
and William Fl. p. Faunce. president OF
Brown University.
He said Dr. Smith was typical Of this
whole modern group VINO have repudi-
ated the true inspiration and authority
Of the Scriptures and are setting UP their
man made theories In opposition to God
Almighty and the Bible"
To DIR. Batten. who is said to have
declared clergymen attacked BY DR..
Straton would be justified In suing Tor
criminal libel, DR.. Straton said : Let
them help themselves"
Says Critics Attack Truth.
IT notice Also" continued the pastor Of
Calvary Church. that DR.. Faunce of
Brown University is quoted as saying he
would not make any detailed reply to
what had said.
"He took the position that any one
| who, as he put it, 'assailed the dead was
not worthy reply from the living.
| Well, while one or two of the men whose
books I quoted are dead. most OF them
are still living and drawing Baptist
money In Baptist schools while engaged
In tearing down and subverting our
Baptist truths and overthrowing the faith
of the very Baptist fathers who founded
and endowed their schools.
"While two or three are dead their
books are very much alive and doing ir-
reparable damage with their unbelief and
destructive errors.
II notice Dr. Gerald Birney Smith. who
has been preaching this summer In New
York. made some reply, according to the
papers, to what l said In my sermon
on the New Infidelity In Our Baptist
Theological Seminaries.' DR.. Smith in
timated those Of us who dared to re-
buke the spread Of skepticisrn and ra-
tionalism to-day were lacking In the
Christlike spirit. I only wish to say
there Is no lack of the Christlike spirit
in fidelity.
Jesus Lashed Money Changers.
"Jesus himself lashed the money
changers from the temple and denounced
the religious leaders of His own age
who had departed from the truths Of
God as 'hypocrites' and 'whited sepul-
chres' Jesus. with all Of his Infinite
love and tenderness, was no weakling.
compromising with iniQuity and fellow
shipping with unbelief.
| MAY I say also that I know DR..
Smith, and during my pastorate in Chi
cago in class Of preachers sat under
his teaching? He is typical OF this
whole modern group who have repudi-
ated the true inspiration and authority
| of the Scriptures and are setting up
| their man made theories In opposition
to God Almighty and the Bible. The
| charges these men make against
those Of us who dare to tear the mask
| from their false teachings are ridiculous
and utterly without foundation. The
listened to or read 1 have found In the
| teaching of these very men.
| IT pointed out recently three instances
| where three of these brethren had re-
| sorted to the term lie in their effort to
| answer statements which defenders OF
| the, faith had made, and can never
| forget the occasion when was speaking
before the Northern Baptist Convention
In Buffalo and this crowd Of liberals
| and rationalists in the convention for
twenty minutes tried to howl me down.
but. fortunately, God gave me good
pair of lungs and a spirit that Is not
afraid of these hosts of unbelef.
Answers Doctor Batten.
IT notice that DR.. Samuel Zane Bat
ten took me to task because Of the SER
mon preached on THE New Infidelity"
and because 1 dared call q spade a
spade and give these modern departures
from the faith their right name instead
Of tapping them with q perfumed nose
gay of verbal evasion and linguistic
sdestepping. DIR. Baton. according to
tho papers. even went to the extent Of
saying the mon to whom referred
ought to sue me for criminal libel. Wen.
let them help themselves. II cannot
go into q court Of law and before any
impartial Judge and jury establish the
fact that the men to whom / applied
the term have got q new form of in
fidelity-most subtle and destructive
IL I cannot establish this from the ut
terances and teachings Of these men.
then I stand willing to pay any damages
that the court may inflict upon me and
to suffer the full consequences Of what
| have said"