The New York herald., 1922-12-24
w THAT is the matter with th'
w Church? Is anything tn
natter2

pastor He is professor of practical
theology and instructor in homiletics
at the Union Theological Seminary
What he stands for has been hailed
with approval publicly from two other
pulpits in recent weeks; once by a
rector; again by rabbi. While he
is called liberal he has been found
pretty much his own kind of liberal;
an unusual kind whose plans and
specifications may be contained in his
recent "Christianity and Progress.
where he deplores "flippant irrever-
ence toward the past, when, as mat
ter of fact, the light we have for the
future shines upon us from behind"
Furthermore, DR.. Fosdick. who at the
sge OF A is entering his twentieth
year in the ministry, is placed among
n group of 1.-THE younger men" who
have caught New York city's slipping
congregations and pulled them back.
Militant Minister Needed, He Says;
Conventional. Placid Type Useless
The third Thursday of next May
the General Assembly of the Presby-
terian Church of America in conven-
ton at Indianapolis will act upon an
Overture or complaint. submitted by
the Presbytery of Philadelphia.
The Philadelphians demand:
"The General Assembly shall direct
the Presbytery of New York to take
such action as will require the
preaching and teaching in the First
Presbyterian Church of New York
city 10 conform to the system OF doc
trine taught in the Confession of
Faith"
DR.. Fosdick is not specifically
named. There is scarcely the need.
"Shall the Fundamentalists Win?"
Is the now famous sermon preached
by DR.. Fosdick May 21 last, which is
believed mainly responsible for the
Overture" Exception is said to have
been taken to his casting doubt upon
the Virgin Birth as historical fact. and
to his comparing this basis of the
present Christmas Day celebration to
similar traditions handed down con-
cerning the birth of Buddha, Zorro
astcr, Lao-Tsze and Mahavira.
DIR. Fosdick, not being a Presby-
terian. cannot be brought to trial be-
other Presbyteries are reported as
supporting the Philadelphia body. DR..
Iosdick's own trustees have put his
congregation on record as solidly be-
hind him. The New York Presbytery
has kept silent, awaiting reference OF
the matter from Indianapolis. Like
wise DIR. Fosdick. He will not be
drawn into discussion.
But his conception of his office may
be gathered from an article which he
wrote in 1919 and in whicn he said
Facing this coming decade, with it's
unbounded opportunities to fight for
things worth while, l should desire
above all else to be n Christian min
lister. But TO be a contented minister,
a conventional. placid minister, sooth-
insly mellifiuous OIL Sunday while the
whole world is on fire-that is anath-
cnIa! As in every great generation
of the church, the glory which the
ministry offers to robust young men
to-day is the glory of fight"
It Is only fair to DIR. Fosdick to say
nc had nothing remotely resembling
the indianapolis presentation in mind
in January, 1919. But it adds that
much to his opinions on what may
he the matter with the church to
know that he has not been "a con-
tented minister" nor "a conventional,
placid minister" nor has he been
"soothingly mellfiuous on Sundays"
DIR. FosdlclS resigned as asrustee OF
The Rockefeller Foundation in March.
1921. because of his duties as preacher
and seminarian. Secretary of State
Hughes retiring at the same time.
When he received his present call
four years ago he was chosen from
forty-four preachers under considera-
tion, and was rated at the time the
Youngest minister ever to be called TO
n post OF similar Importance Or
dained a Baptist preacher in 1903. he
was pastor of the First Church. Mont
clair, ". j.. for eleven years. lie is
Son OF the American Revolution.
Or. Fosdick says: "The religious
issue in the United states needs TO be
clarified Consider the controversy,
tine confusion, tho ignoble dlsputation.
over insignificant affairs that vex the
thought of the church and defect the
attention OF men from the main bust
ness of the Kingdom. Many people,
blind TO the great choices in the back
ground and seeing the foreground oc-
cupicd with spnding. questions, are
Indifferent to religion altogether.
80 far as they can sec. no denom-