The Washington times., 1925-05-21
WEAKENING
TENETS,.
CLAIM
Doctrines Are Being Diluted
to Meet UnbeIief, Presby-
terians Are Told
By InternatiOnaI News Service.


BY International News Service.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 21.-
'One of the most alarming ten
denotes of the day in Christian
circles is the tendency to dilute
and tone down the gospel to suit
the prejudice or unbelief Of the
age in which we live," warned
Doctor Clarence Edward Macart-
ney, of Philadelphia, retiring
moderator, in an address which
opened the 18TH annual Presby-
terian General Assembly in Frank
lin County Memorial Hall here
today. The assembly will con-
tinue in session for a week.
Represent 100000.
Approximately 1000 commits.
aiOners, representing every State in
tn Union, Alaska. Porto Rico,
Cuba, West Africa and various
other foreign countries were pres
emit.
The congress will transact busi-
ness for forty-six synods, 29S pres
byteries, 10000 churches and more
than 100000 communicant mem.
bors.
Doctor Mccartney deplored the
drift of the present generation from
the tenets OF the church.
THE chief trouble with our
churches today" he said, lis that
nobody is a sinner any more. From
our pulpits we hear much OF the di-
yinity of man and q great deal
about vision, courage, service, COM
munity obligation and how to
abolish war, but almost nothing Of
sin. That is the whole trouble
too many have deleted sin from
their hymn books and Bibles and
consciences and yet try to find
some meaning in the Christian re-
n9ion.'
Touches On Controversy.
Doctor Mccartney touched on the
controversy raging in the church
over the preaching OF Doctor Harry
Emeson Fosdick, in the First Pres
byterian Church Of New York city.
The great controversy which
has shaken all of our churches has
revealed sad indifference to truth
and humiliatiIlg denial of Christ in
His own temples and courts.
But that is not all. 1t has also
revealed the fact that there now
exists between all true believers a
bond OF unity and brotherhood. This
Is a unity not of plaster and ram
AA y1e
but a unity of faith in Jesus as the
lone Redeemer from sin"
The dispute over the sermons by
Doctor Fosdick is expected to pro-
vide the pyrotechnics Of the as
aembly. Doctor Fosdick is a B1r.
dist, but for years served as a spe-
cia1 preacher in the Presbyterian
Church In New York city. Doctor
Mccartney and others took excep-
ton to some OF his utterances as
keretical. The general assembly Of
Presbyterian Church. Doctor Fosdick
occupancy OF the Presbyterian pull
pit was irregular and invited him to
either accept the Presbyterian creed
or discontinue his sermons in the
Prsbytrian Church. Doctor Fosdick
refused to bind himself to the Pes
Iyterian creed, but continued to oc-
Cupy n4S pulpit AOA AA~AJ AAOAhAO
after the decree of the general as
0ombly.
Twelve ministers and four elders
Of the New York Presbytery will
present to the assembly a COM
plant against the New York body
charging dishonest action" ard
error" in ten specific counts.
The Presbytery of Chester. Pa.
will present an overture demanding
that the Presbytery Of New York
be exscinded, its property taken
away and q new and loyal Presby-
terry set up in its place.
The action against the New York
body is having It's reaction in other
presbyteries. So bitter is the feeling
in the Baltimore Presbytery against
Philadelphia Presbytery for having
originally raised and fostered the
controversy that Baltimore PresSy.
terry will ask the general assembly
TO separate it from the PresbyteIy
OF Philadelphia in the voting section
where the two presbyteries for years
have been united.
The presbyteles Of Grand RAPIDS
and Chicago will present concilatory
resolutions to the general assembly
urging that the controversy lie
dropped and that peace be restored
within the church.
The charges will be tried in ex-
ecutive session by the permanent
judicial commission, which meets
apart from the general assembly