Evening star., 1924-10-07
FOSD|CK RESIGNS,
PROTESTING SECTS
Refuses to Become Presby-
terian, Believing Creed Sep
arations Wrong.
By the Associa ted Press.

terday, but delayed action upon, the
resignation of the Rev. DR.. Harry
Emerson Fosdick. the Baptist preach
er of modernist ideas, who for hve
years has held an assistant minister
ship in the First Presbyterian Church
of this city.
The resignation was DIR. Fosdick's
answer 10 the request of the presby-
terry that, in accordance with q ruling
of the general assembly five months
ago, he should renounce his Baptist
membe rship and become a Presbyte-
rian or relinQuish his association with
the local church.
A special committee Of the presby-
terry, headed by DR.. Edgar Whitaker
Work, communicated the decree of the
general assembly to the Rev. DR.. Fos-
dick and read before the presbytery
the minister's answer ending in resig-
nation.
Action Up to Church.
At the committees recommenda-
tions, the resignation was placed in
the hands of the First Church for fur
ther investigation and deliberation,
with instructions to report to the
presbytery by November 10.
1t is expected that on that date the
First Church. which has stood by the
Rev. DR.. Fosdick for two years, while
the battle between fundamentalists
and modernists ragged around him,
will make known whether 1t purposes
to accept or reject the resignation.
Upheld by Church.
Once before the Rev. DR.. Fosdick
resigned from the assistant minister
ship. the occasion was the furore
which ensued when he used Shall
the Fundamentalists VIM" as the
subject of a sermon. But the church,
despite strong pressure from funda-
mentalists throughout the country
and vote of censure passed upon the
preacher by the general assembly at
Indianapolis in 1928, rejected the
resignation.
Although DIR. Fosdick declined to
discuss his plans, it was the general
belief among the members of the
church on 5th avenue who flocked to
the meeting of the presbytery today
that he would continue to preach
from the First Church pulpit until
the report of November 10 was SUBJ
mitted
Minister Gives Reasons.
In declining to become a Presby
terian. Rev. DR.. Fosdick wrote that
he was not moved by UNCONVENTIONAL
reasons, for he had no sectarlan 10y
altieS. He was convinced, however
that he would be guilty of mora.
surrender" and a violation of con-
science if he subscribed to the con
fession of faith" after two years of
vehement personal attack from
powerful section of the Presbyterian
Church"
In answer to this proposal" he
wrote, Il must in all honesty set my
long standing and assured conVlc-
tion that creedal subscription to an
Cient confessions of faith is prac-
tice dangerous to the welfare OF the
church and the integrity of the in
dfvidual conscience"
For him to forsake the Baptist
Church for the Presbyterian would
encourage a return of a denomIna-
tional closed shop" it would .sug-
gest a retrograde sectarian move
ment"; it would be Ito agree with an
attitude with which l radically dis
agree, to fall in with a denomina-
tional spirit which / regret and de-
piore.''
~ must not do what for me would
be disingenuous and fictitious
thing under the guise of taking SOL
emn vows" he wrote.
Associate Pastor for Five Years.
Rev Dr. Fosdick has been associate
pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church for five years. Not until two
years ago, however did his voicing
of liberal mod ernist views rouse the
wide opposition which began demand
ing that the local church oust him
and ended by proposing him for trial
before the general assembly on heresy
charges.
Letter to Presbytery.
The pastors letter to his presby-
terry. in part, follows:
THE proposal of the general assem-
bly, calls for definite creedal sub
scription, a solemn assumption of
theological vows in terms of the
Westminster confession. There have
been two historic attitudes toward
creedal subscription among evangeli-
cal Christians. Some have welcomed
1t others have felt that this
practice is perilous to honesty and
hampering to the free leadership of
the spirit.
There are many creedal state
ments which express in the mental
formulas of the generations when
they were written abiding Christian
experiences and convictions. / honor
all of them; they represent memoir
able achievements in the develop
nients of Christian thought. But for
me to make creedal subscription in
terms of any one of them would be
a aspiolation of conscience.
s.After two years of vehement per-
sonaI- attack from a powerful section
oss the Presbyterian Church / face
now an official proposal which calls
on me either to make a theological
subscription or else leave an influen-
tai pulpit. Any subscription made
under such circumstances would be
generally and, l think, truly inter
preted as moral surrender.
Il am entirely willing that my
theology should be questioned; l am
entirely unwilling to give any coca
Sion for questioning my ethics.
e Cites an Object Lesson.
sHere lin the First Church) was
an object lesson in the new freedom
with which Christians could disre-
gard UNCONVENTIONAL lines and work
together. 1 have rejoiced in that
aspect.
tFThe proposal of the general as
sembly would reverse all that. The prin-
cple involved in the decision, IL logical
1ysapplied, would certainly tend to dis
courage the employment Of any except
Presbyterian clergymen in Presbyterian
pulpits.
nIt may not enact rule, but it eug-
sests a precedent. 1t encourages a re-
tur1n to the principle of a denomina-
tionally CLOSED shop 1t represents a
retrograde sectarian movement AS a
convinced interdenominationalis who
does not believe in an exclusive, but in
an inclusive church, l must not consent
to the decision.
ITO concur with it. would be to agree
with an attitude with which i radically
disagree and to fall in with a denom-
national spirit which I regret and de-
pIore. AS you see, my reasons for de-
clining tho courteous invitation which
you nave extended to me spring from