Evening star., 1925-05-27
SEE PRESBYTERIAN
SCH|SM LOOMING
Modernists Fear Definite
Break Over Question of
Virgin Birth.
By the Associated Press.


COLUMBUS. Ohio, May 27.-A def.
mite break in the Presbyterian Church
in the United States of America IS
imminent, modernists in the denomi-
nations general assembly in session
here declared today.
The split will come, DIR. Henry
Sloane Coffin, New York. representing
the decidedly liberal Presbytery there,
said, IL the various Presbyteries up
hold action of the assembly yesterday
in voting that a literal acceptance of
the Virgin birth is a necessary quail.
fication of any one who enters its
ministry.
While the moderniSts made clear
their position in this regard today,
ultra fundamentalists through DR..
Clarence Edward Mccartney, former
moderator and one of their leaders,
asserted that the law and authority
of the church will be upheld" if the
New York Presbytery continues to
license ministers who do not accept
in full all the creedal and doctrinal
beliefs of the church.
A protest against the ruling of the
judicial commission yesterday in hold
ing that the New York Presbytery
went against the law of the church in
licensing ministers to preach who
could not affirm belief in the Virgin
bll III was IoIIlidllS pIeSeHleu W llle
assembly today by the Rev. Charles
B. Swartz of Chicago. This, church
leaders pointed out. is in reality a
dissenting opinion Of the assembly it
self, marking a direct line of cleavage.
Fifty Sign Protest.
The protest was being circulated
among the commissioners for sigma
lures and so far some so had ap-
pended their names.
1t concerned entirely the licensing
of Henry +. Van Dusen, New York,
who did not either affirm or deny ac-
ceptance of the theory of the virgin
birth. Eight points are listed and the
principal ConteT ton Is that under the
church law the presbytery itself is the
only judge of the qualifications of d
minister.
The holding of the commission.
which become the Judgment of the
assembly by its adoption. violates the
confession of faith itself. the protest
asserted. The following chapter of the
confession was quoted in substantial
ton: The requiring of an implicit
faith and an absolute and blind obedi-
ence is to destroy liberty and con-
science and reason also"
by requiring such absolute con-
formity" the protest said, 'it restores
those Roman Catholic theories of &C.
clesiastical authority which it was
the very purpose of Presbyterian Prot
estantism to overthrow"
While the modernists said that the
appointment of commission of 15
yesterday to study the whole issue
probably will avert the break for
another year, Dr. Coffin's statement
declared that if the Presbyteries "ap-
prove the doctrine it would mean a
break in the church." The great ma
jority in the church does not want a
break.
I'VE wanted to state our position
and if it ever comes up in civil court
that would be the basis of our case
l hope it never comes to that"
DIR. Mccartney declared he thought
wiser counsel would prevail in the
Presbytery of New York than was
manifested by the extraordinary and
seemingly defiant actions of some of
the New York commissioners yester-
day.
SHOULD the Presbytery of New
York continue in its unconstitutional
course and defy the high court of the
church, then the laws and authority
of the Presbyterian Church in the
u. S. A. will be upheld.
"Presbyterians have never been
known as men who were intimidated
by threats or who had not sufficient
courage to vindicate the power of
their government.
open defiance of the general as
sembly could have no other issue than
the dissolution of the Presbytery of
New York"
A resolution, written by William
Jennings Bryan, protesting against
gambling. was adopted by the assem-
bly, today. We urge our ministers
TO preach against this alluring and
demoralizing vice and we petition our
lawmakers to Danish it by statutes,
State and National" the resolution
danla red