dispute " saddened” him "very much.” "This,” the gentleman said, "is not a creed-making assembly. You can't determine creeds in a crowd like this, you haven't the time to think them over. Just what is the historic position o f Baptists anyway? We allow our people to interpret the Bible for themselves. Do you want to dub them rfun damentalists' and say you have got to be a fundamentalist to be a Baptist? We don't want to leave the impression that we all are re actionists.” Here is a clear case of the proverbial camel's nose thrust into the Arab’s tent. It will be a sorry day for the Southern Baptists when they accept anyone who interprets the Bible in any way he desires. One o f the most successful satanic devices by winch modernism has insinuated itself into the great Protestant denominations is this plea out of so-called denominational magnanimity that doctrinal doubters may find refuge under the denominational banner of their choice. This is exactly what occurred during the 20's in connection with the great Presbyterian denomination as it was then consti tuted. A t the meeting o f the General Assembly of 1926, held in Columbus, Ohio, this editor listened to an impassioned plea by the late Dr. Henry Sloan Cof fin, then President o f Union Theological Seminary o f N ew York City. The fundamentals o f the faith as believed by the Presbyterian Church and enunciated in its doctrinal position had been clearly defined and understood. But Dr. Cof f in readily admitted he could not go along with all of those fundamen tals. So he begged the Assembly, "In the name of the Blessed Mas ter,” to allow him and others who disbelieved, as did he, to remain in the denomination under its protective influence where they might study further and ultimately come to the light, instead of being thrown out of the denomination. I f cast out by the Assembly, he said, they would be left helpless on the outside and become xnctims o f devouring theological "wolves.” How sincere he sounded! How piously he appeared to be seardying for the truthl What better place could he find it than within the confines o f the great Presbyterian Church whose doctrinal position had been so clearly defined and so valiantly proclaimed by its adherents from the time just following the Reformation? This was one o f the most eloquent arguments ever presented to the General Assembly. But its eff ect was deadly. Loud voices protested against this sort o f heresy being allowed to remain in the denomination. Nevertheless, the majority of the ministerial delegates and, quite naturally, the majority o f lay delegates to that General Assembly, concluded that "the only Christian thing to do” was to allow Dr. Co f f in and those who disbelieved as did he the privilege of being theologically "mothered” by the denomination. Those who could foresee the ultimate tragedy of thus harboring modernism in any o f its forms were shouted down. They were ac cused o f "heresy hunting,” o f "hair-splitting,” of "unchristian con duct.” History has revealed the tragic folly o f temporizing with mod ernism. The church which at that time seemed so impregnable in its doctrinal position and integrity began to crumble at its very foun - (continued on page 33) AUGUST, 1962
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