Crisis in Presbyterianism

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 25, 1916

Crisis in Presbyterianism

It seems strange that there ever should arise in connection with the great Christian church a question as to the belief of its clergymen in the Scriptures of truth. But this is a problem which has seriously affected the presbytery of New York for a long time. More than a year ago the action of this body was seriously called into question on account of its ordaining to the Presbyterian ministry men who disavowed their faith in some of the cardinal doctrines of Scripture. The revival of this agitation has been occasioned by a recent similar action of the same body. Three candidates were admitted as ministers of the church. It is charged that their profession of Christian faith was not in accord with the doctrines of the church. The minority of the presbytery registered an earnest protest. This protest, according to the New York Times of April 11, 1916, contained the following charges against the candidates:—

“The candidates, both in written and verbal statements, have refused to affirm faith in the virgin birth, as it is recorded in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke; they refused, after prolonged questioning, to change their stand. As to Mr. Chaffee, he refused to assert his belief in the resurrection of Lazarus and in the resurrection of the body of Christ. Mr. Douglas has said that the Scriptural writings embody contradictions.

“Both Mr. Douglas and Chaffee, in regard to certain parts of the Old Testament relating to Moses leading the people out of Egypt, have failed to show a proper belief in that part of the Scripture which describes the ‘pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day,’ and in the miracle of the bread from heaven.”

These protests were formally accepted by the presbytery, and spread on the minutes, but a request to appoint a committee to carry the question into the General Assembly was voted down. This, however, did not appear to settle the matter in the church at large.

The Cincinnati presbytery, by vote of forty-two to twenty-nine, presented an overture petitioning the general presbytery of the church to cut off the presbytery of New York from membership, because of long-continued disloyalty. It is reported that six other presbyteries later joined in this protest, likewise presenting overtures to the General Assembly. Dr. Maitland Alexander, of Pittsburgh, formerly moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly, says this regarding this recent crisis in Presbyterianism:—

“The Presbyterian Church has come to the place where she must decide as to whether she will make her own deliverances as to doctrine and practice and what shall be required of her candidates for the ministry, or whether her policy and practice shall be dictated by a small body of men who look from their places of preferment with contempt upon all who do not agree with them, and who, while holding views radically different from the theology of the Presbyterian Church, prefer the loaves and fishes of her communion to the husks of the communion in which their views entitle them to a place.”

The General Assembly is now in session. What action will this representative body of the church take? The editor of the New York Weekly Witness justly remarks:—

“It is high time that drastic action should be taken, not only by the Presbyterian Church, but by all the denominations that are more or less honeycombed with infidelity. If the church of Christ is to be a spiritual body, built on the teachings of Christ and his apostles, it must separate itself absolutely from those who proclaim and boast of their disbeliefs. The disbelievers will fight to the last gasp, however, to maintain their right to remain in the evangelical churches, because they know full well that if they should set up for themselves by starting churches of their own, these churches would never have any vitality.”