The Monroe journal., 1922-12-15
PERSONALITY AND FAITH
OVDRWHELMS CONVENTION
DR.. Poteat, President Of Wake Forest
College, Captivates Baptist Gath
ering by Statement of Faith
CHARGES AGAINST HIM
NOT EVEN PRESENTED

NOT EVEN PRESENTED
Charges that DIR. w. L. Poteat
president of Wake Forest College was
untrue to Baptist faith, which charg,
es were expected to be taken up al
the state convention at Winston-Sa.
lem, were blown away when he ad.
dressed the convention on Wednesday
The victory for Wake Forest was
negative, but was as certain as i
il had been effected by formal reso.
luton. DR.. Poteat captivated his
audience and held them spell bound
Disregarding the moot question OF
evolution except by implication, he
dumfounded his critics by a state.
ment Of his Christianity, couched ir
simple terms, but eloquent to an un.
usual degree. At the conclusion OF
his address, none dared to rise tc
criticize him and it is universally
concede dthat none will.
Ends High Tensions
DR.. Poteat's address ended a feel.
ing of high tension that has pre-
vailed throughout the convention. His
friends and admirers have been ir
the majority all the while, but now
it is felt that next when he is 'criti.
cized it will be by some one
who did not hear him. Yielding
nothing of his scientific beliefs, he
gave an exposition of his belief in
Christianity so convincing that there
will hardly. be any suggestion here
from any source than any danger
could lurk in the teachings of such q
man.
The only formal vote taken was
a request that the address be re.
produced for publication and that
action will probably stand as the
only one taken by the convention.
Dr.. Poteat was introduced with a
high tribute as an orator and Chris.
tian by DR.. R. 7. Vann, Secretary OF
the Board of Education.
II want to read you a passage out
of little book" he began. II have
this little book. | commend it tc
you. 1t is our final authority fol
faith and practice.
Il have yet many things to say un-
to you, but you cannot hear them
now; howbeit when the spirit OF
truth is come, He shall guide you
into the truth; he read from the
eighteenth chapter of John continu.
ing the account of Jesus last talk
with his disciples.
The young laundering in upon the
old is the hope Of the world and the
primary fact of life, declared DR.
Poteat, singing into his theme. The
function of education is to take the
place Of the old, he said. Declaring
that we had abused the freedom OF
war times until it had become Ii.
cense. DR.. Poteat cited Socialism
Prussianism and education as proper
methods that are inadequate. DR.
Poteat declared that we must have
anarchy or have Christ.
Christ never spoke one WORD
which has ever been discounted by
all the knowledge of progress since
his day." he said. Relating some OF
his own personal Christian expert.
ences, DR.. Poteat declared that the
need of the world is not for new
schemes of government, but new
men. and new men can be made only
by Christ.
But the yearning for the truth
is second only to the yearning fol
God" he continued with his plea fol
the combination of the two in Chris
tian education.
Science cannot discredit faith; its
apparatus is not adequate said DR.
Poteat. "And Christianity also de.
mands mating with science" he
added.
Lightweight years ago Wake For.
est set up her banner and in the name
OF Christ laid claim to all the realms
of culture and she has made her
claim good" he concluded
1he convention Overwhelmingly
endorsed the action of the Meredith
trustees in the selection of the
Tucker farm of 130 acres just west
of Raleigh as the site for Greater
Meredith" This action followed re.
lection of a proposal of DR.. N. Pau
Bagby, pastor of the Wake Forest
Babtist church, that the trustees OF
Meredith and Wake Forest be in.
structed to investigate some plan fol
a coordination of the two institu.
tions and report back at the next
convention.
Support for Poteat
Unmistakable evidence of the at
titude Of Wake Forest alumni toward
President William Louis Poteat
whose teaching has been bitterly at.
tackled in some quarters, was given
at luncheon at the Robert E. Lee
hotel today. DR.. E. w. Skies, presi.
dent of Coker College, at Hartsville
S. c., was applauded to the echo
when he declared that the function
of the president head of the college
had been to give a Christian inter.
probation to the new discoveries Of
science and that DIR. Poteat had an.
chored the new truths to the rock Of
Christ.