Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
.FOSDICKE
BASIS OF COMPLAINT
Protest Against Presbytery's Ac-
ton Lodged With Presby-
terrain Assembly.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, February ia COM
plant to The general assembly OF the
Presbyterian Church against the
recent action Of the Presbytery Of
New York generating the Rev. Dr..
Harry Emerson Fosdick. Baptist, Of
charges that he made heretical utter
ances and Haunted Presbyterian doc
tines while occupying the pulpit Of
the First Presbyterian Church. was
made public today. It is signed by
sixteen ministers and six elders.
DR., Fosdick's name Is not men.
being made against his sermon shall
the Fundamentalists VIM" upon
which the heresy charges against him
were based. The complaint sets
forth that the action of the Pres
OF the general assembly Greeting 1t
ito take such action. as VIII require
the preaching and teaching in the
First Presbyterian Church OF New
York, to conform to the system of
doctrines taught IN the confession OF
faith"
Exonerated By Presby terry.
+. The Presbytery committee report,
adopted by the Presbytery on
February 4, by vote of Ill to %.
held that DR.. Fosdick's preaching
conformed to the doctrines Of the
DR.. ". D. Buchanan. pastor Of the
Broadway Presbyterian Church, and
an acknowledged leader of the New
York fundamentalists. protested
against the action and decision of the
presbytery and notified the body that
the complaint. which is made public
TODAY would be filed.
The complainants say they believe
the controversy aroused by the SER
mon caused the division In the church
upon which the general assembly
based It's 1923 action resulting in the
issuing of the mandate to the New
York presbytery. The general as
sembly is asked to determine the i'm
portant questions involved in the
controversy 80 as to secure the peace
and unity of the church at the earl
lest possible day."
What Complaint Sets Forth.
The complaint sets forth, among
other things, that:
gests a doctrinal standard for min
listers of other denominations teach
ing In Presbyterian pulpits. and the
taking Of voluntary vows. different
from those taken In the ordination of
ministers Of our own denomination.
This is a dangerous pLoCeeuiusS DIS IL
erects two standards for ministers in
the church"
Eve believe the action Of the pres
bytery Is highly injurious to. the best
interests of religion and rninimizes
the historic witnessing of the presby-
terrain church to the evangelical doc
trines of Christianity"
THE action of the presbytery fails
to disclaim the dangerous errors In
the sermon shall the fundamentals
win and similar teachings of the
pulpit Of First Presbyterian Church
Of said church by reason Of their or
dination vows and obligations must
be assumed to be In agreement with
the standards Of the Presbyterian
Church, yet, 1t Is regretable that they
allowed a sermon to be circulated
that impugns the very doctrines that
they profess to uphold"
Action Encourages Views.
THE answer of the Presbytery Of
New York to the mandate Of the gen.
eral assembly will have 1.-The effect of
encouraging dissemination of such
views and will further increase the
present disquietude in the said Pres
byterian Church, and practically set
at naught the deliverances Of the as
semblies Of 1910 and the positive man
date Of 1915 and the reafirmation Of
Tho action Of the Presbytery Of
New York puts the stamp Of approx
eli by one Of our presbyteries upon
teaching and preaching OF doctrines
Judged by many to be contrary not
only to the doctrine Of the confess
sion of faith of the Presbyterian
Church, but also to those of historic
and evangelical Christianity, and thus
repudiates the glorious history Of
Scriptural testimony by the Presby-
ter1an Church IN iii ~ histsfE."