September 1924
T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
544
The General Assembly . . . expresses its profound sorrow that doctrines- contrary to the. Standards of the Presbyterian Church proclaimed in said pulpit have been the cause of con troversy and division in our Church. Therefore the question before the Commission was not one of doctrine but rather one of policy. While the finding of the Commission left much to be desired, yet on the whole it sums up the situation quite fully on all the points at issue. Dr. Fosdick is informed, in no uncertain terms, that if he' is unwilling to become a loyal Presbyterian he must vacate this pulpit at once. In other words, the outcome of the matter is made to rest not on a summary verdict of the General Assembly, but upon the moral character of Dr. Fosdick. As the proceedings of the General Assembly are reviewed one finds great cause for thanksgiving. The movement of the past year has been toward Conservatism, and as the great body of this Church is stirred to a realization of the danger confronting her she will arise in all her strength for the defense of her great Presbyterian heritage.
and elders which are unconstitutional, and for this reason no action should be taken thereon by this General Assembly and it is so recommended.” As I happened to be the author of the Philadelphia Over ture, I can say, with entire heartiness, that I believe its rejection upon constitutional grounds was entirely legiti mate, and that if the purpose of the Overture is to be secured, it must be done by some other form of procedure. Tlie Fosdick Case There seems to be considerable disagreement regarding the decision of the Judicial Commission in the matter of the First Presbyterian Church of New York and their spe cial preacher, or, as they like to say, their “ guest,” Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick. While one is inclined to feel that the Commission may have thought too much of courtesy and not enough of plain speaking and finality in judgment, yet their report contains some very definite and drastic points of judgment. It is well to remember that the doc trinal question was settled by last year’s General Assembly in this statement:
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M r. B r ian ’s Nominating Speeck At the Presbyterian General Assembly at Grand Rapids, Michigan In his letter to the editor enclosing copy of the speech which resulted in the election of Dr. Clarence Edward Macartney to the-Moderatorship of the Assembly, Mr. Bryan says: “Its value consists in the fact that we made the fight on a clear cut issue and won out.”
pastor of one of the most prominent churches in one of the chief Presbyterian cities of the country, and he has increas ingly endeared himself to his co-laborers in pulpit and in pew. But complete as is his mental and spiritual equipment and persuasive as are his personal claims, there are larger reasons which make him the logical candidate at this time. Man is but an atom; he is born, plays his part, and passes on to his reward, while the imperishable causes with which he identifies himself continue their majestic march through out the centuries. Service is the measure. of greatness. Man is important in proportion as he rightly employs the powers with which God has endowed him and improves the opportunities that come to him. It has fallen to the lot of Dr. Macartney to render notable service to the cause of Christ. I present him as a conspicuous defender of the Faith. ' Any one or many of the ten thou sand ministers of the Presbyterian Church would gladly undertake and might have done as well the work that he did in the last General Assembly, but it was his vigilance that detected the insidious attack made upon the historic doctrines of the Presbyterian Church; it was his courage that raised the standard of protest about which the Church rallied; it was his leadership that won a decisive victory for evangelical Christianity and historic Presbyterianism. He was the man of the hour and linked himself with the funda mental tenets of the creed of our Church. His name is a synonym for loyalty to the Bible as the Word of God, and Christ as the only begotten Son of the heavenly Father. His election to the office of Chief Executive of our militant Church will be accepted as an announcement of the Church’s unshaken adherence to the impregnable Rock of the Holy Scriptures. It will be proof that the conservatives, who constitute an overwhelming majority of its ministers, its elders and its members, have exercised the undeniable right of naming the official head of the organization, and it will cheer our allies in other churches who, like ourselves, refuse to substitute so-called modern thought for the revealed will of God.
R. MODERATOR, Fathers and Brethren: I appre ciate the gravity of this occasion, and pray for guidance that “ the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart may be acceptable” in the sight of Him whose servants we are and in whose name we have assembled. It is impossible to overestimate the solemn responsibility that rests upon the commissioners who begin their work today.' The world is suffering from a disease for which governmental agencies offer no remedy. Party platforms propose no cure for sin— they only deal with outward mani festations of an inward cause. Parties have no medicine that will cleanse the heart. The Church offers religion as a panacea, the only panacea, for all the ills of the day. “ Back to God” is its slogan; “ Back to the Bible,” the only infallible guide; and “ Back to Christ,” the Great Physician, the Saviour of the individual and the hope of society. Our church is one of the great fighting units of the Army of our Lord, and we are here to plan its campaign for the coming year. Our first duty is to choose a Moderator who, for the duration of his term, will be the master mind of our organization and its directing hand. Speaking not for our selves but as the voice of the Church, we must call to official leadership the one who, in our judgment, can most strengthen our organization and advance the coming of God’s kingdom. Personal friendships and individual pre ferences have no place at such a time; power to serve is the only test of fitness. I rise to present the name of one who measures up to the most exacting requirements of this exalted position and who, in the present crisis, embodies in an outstanding way all the vital principles and policies of our Church. He comes from a Presbyterian family; was the son of a Pres byterian clergyman and has three brothers in the Presby terian ministry. Like Samuel he was dedicated to the service of God in his youth. He is a scholar, an orator, a writer of books, an experienced parliamentarian, a Director of Princeton Theological Seminary, as well as a dauntless soldier of the Cross. For ten years he has been the beloved
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