The Washington times., 1925-05-22

Abolition OF New York Pres
bytery Demanded in
Overture
BY HAROLD G. McCOY,
International News Service.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 22.
Modernists of the Presbyterian
General Assembly were scheduled
70 win their second battle with
ltra-fundamentalists today over
demands for the abolition of the
New York Presbytery, according
to predictions Of high church par
Iiamentarians.
The overture Of the Chester, Pa,
Presbytery, demanding abolition
Of the New York Presbytery as 4
result Of the Doctor Harry Emer-
son Fosdick case in the first Pres
byterian church. New York, and
the setting up Of 4 new presby-
terry loyal to the standards of
the church, cannot be pushed to
= decision, it was declared.
Question To Be Fought
Complaint of a niinority OF the
Presbytery against its action in
the Gantz case. in which the right
OF the Presbytery to license candi-
dates for the ministry who have
not directly affirmed their faith in
the Virgin birth, and other bitterly
1Dught tenefs. is questioned. were
expected to bar consideration of
the overture when rulings are de-
manded upon sections Of Church
law governing such action.
II was predicted that the only
phase of the bitter row which was
ragged between liberals and conSer-
vatives. especially in the east,
which win come before the as
aemb1y, win be the Ganfz case and
a related case. The question raised
win be whether the general as
eembly has authority to dicipline q
preebytery over the question Of
licensing OF ministers. It was
Noinfed out today that the general
assembly has repeatedly held TO er-
dginal rulings that Presbyteries
were the sole Sndges Of the quali-
fieati0ns OF candidates,
Counts Against FOsdick
That the Presbytery Of Cleve-
land and other Presbyteries and
s$nods where the situation is SINH
lar. be encouraged to work out
plans OF cooperation and union
IN their local areas as demonstra-
ton Of the practica1 operation OF
united churches within their bounds
and that report thereof be
made to the next assembly"
As q result of the Foediclx con-
ttoversy. complaint against the
Prtabytery Of New York was pre-
sented to the general assembly by
twelve ministers and four elders
Of the New York Presbytery. headed
by Doctor Walter D. Buchanan.
against the New York Presbytety,
the principal charge being dis
honest action. .
The entire FOsdicR controversy is
reviewed in voluminous reports.
Doctor Fosdick, a Baptist, had
served for five years as pastor in
the First Presbyterian Church Of
New York.
= His Delinquency Cited
The 1924 general assembly ruled
that Doctor Fosdick's occupancy Ct
the pulpit was irregular and In
vited him to either join the Presby-
terian Church or resign. Doctor
Fosdick, explaining he could not
bind himself to the forms and
ereeds necessitated by the Presby.
terian religion, presented his reslg-
nation, which was not permitted by
the officials of the First Presby-
terian Church to go into effect until
March. 1925, months after the edict
issued by the 1924 general assembly.
This delinquency brought on the
complaint filed with the convention.
Merger is Proposed.
Merging of the Presbyterian,
United Presbyterian and Congrega-
tional churches into one giant de-
nomination Of more than three mil
lion communicant members is fore.
shadowed by the report Of the De-
partment of Church Cooperation
and Union presented TO the assem-
bly,.
The Presbyterian Church has
!