King's Business - 1923-06

572 T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S th e a d v a n ta g e o f C h ris tia n ity fo r m en w h o h a v e lo st th e ir fa ith in th e s u p e rn a tu ra l fo u n d a tio n s of C h ristia n ity , o r w ho h av e ch a n g e d th e ir a ttitu d e to w a rd th e d iffe re n tia t­ in g p rin c ip le s of th e d e n o m in a tio n w ith w h ich th e y a re asso c ia te d , fra n k ly a n d o p en ly to d eclare th e ir p o sitio n a n d to ab id e b y th e co n seq u en ces.” Some preachers will wince and some will get angry under th e rebuke of Dr. Mark Matthews (Presbyterian) of Seattle, Wash., yet th e fact remains th a t these are dishonest preachers—no m atter how pious and sweet they may be— and there is only one rig h t course open to them . And to the churches for whom they preach Dr. Matthews in “The Searchlight” says: “A ny r a tio n a lis tic p re a c h e r w ho s ta n d s in th e p u lp it a n d d en ies th e fu n d a m e n ta l d o c trin e s of G od’s in fa llib le w o rd a n d c o n tin u e s to d ra w h is s a la ry fro m th e tre a s u ry o f o rth o d o x c h u rc h e s is d ish o n e st. H e is m e n ta lly d ish o n e st, m o ra lly d ish o n e st a n d fin a n ­ c ia lly d ish o n e st. H e is .g e ttin g m o n ey u n d e r fa lse p re te n se , is liv in g b e fo re th e p u b lic a lie, a n d is p ra c tic in g a fra u d u p o n th e c o n g re g a tio n . “H e is d ra w in g h is m e a t a n d b re a d fro m th e p o c k e t o f h o n e s t ^o rthodox m en an d w om en. “W h y is n ’t h e h o n e s t e n o u g h to re s ig n th e p u lp it? W h y d o esn ’t h e go to h is ow n crow d a n d a s k th em to g iv e h im a c ru s t o f b re a d a n d c lo th e h is u n w o rth y b o d y ? No, h e d efam es God, a n d d em an d s o f God’s p eo p le t h a t th e y s u p p o rt h im . I f th a t isn ’t d is- h o n est, th e n I do n o t k n o w th e m e a n in g o f th e w o rd . “T h e tim e h a s com e w h en e v e ry ch u rc h in th is la n d com posed o f h o n e st, co n ­ se c ra te d , o rth o d o x C h ristia n m en a n d w om en sh o u ld rise a n d d riv e fro m th e ir p u lp its su c h d ish o n e st m en .” These are not th e sentiments merely of a few Fundam entalists. The daily papers in many of our big cities are expressing themselves editorially along the same line. F o r instance, w ith reference to the notorious case of Dr. Perdy Stick- ney Grant, of New York, the Washington Evening S tar said: “B ish o p M a n n in g (o f N ew Y o rk ) is a lm o st u n a n im o u sly su p p o rte d b y th e n a ­ tio n ’s e d ito rs in th e p o sitio n h e h a s a ssu m e d re g a rd in g th e p u b lic u tte r a n c e s o f H r. P e rc y S tic k n e y G ra n t.” The P ittsbu rgh Leader said: “T h e in te n tio n o f D r. G ra n t c a n n o t re lie v e h im fro m th e re sp o n s ib ility of th e effects of h is la n g u a g e . W h en h e com es to th in k it o v e r D r. G ran t, no d o u b t, w ill a g re e w ith B ish o p M a n n in g th a t, if th e p o p u la r im p re ssio n of la s t S u n d ay ’s se rm o n is a d ep en d ab le e x p ressio n of th e . o p in io n s ex p ressed , th e p u lp it is no p lace fo r him . ‘B o rin g fro m w ith in ’ is n o t p o p u la r in m a n y p laces.” The Jersey Jou rn al said: “O pinions, b eliefs, c u stom s a n d p o licies a re b e in g rev ised b y m an y . T h a t, h o w ­ ev er, does n o t a lte r th e f a c t th a t a c h u rc h or a d e n o m in a tio n s till h a s th e r ig h t to in ­ s is t t h a t th o se w h o p re a c h u n d e r its b a n n e rs sh o u ld e ith e r p re a c h w h a t th o se b a n n e rs s ta n d fo r o r q u it p re a c h in g .” The New York World said: “T h e q u e stio n in v o lv ed is le s s one of th e o lo g y th a n of g o o d fa ith . D r. G ra n t, w o u ld be a p ic tu re sq u e a n d in flu e n tia l fig u re 1on a n y p la tfo rm , b u t, as a n E p isco p al re c to r, it is n o t h is p riv ile g e to fo rm u la te a n ew creed. H is p u lp it is n o t h is p e rso n a l v eh icle, b u t is o n e of th e m o u th p ieces of th e c h u rc h fo r d e c la rin g its a cce p te d fa ith .” The Baltimore Sun said: “D r. G ra n t h a s a r ig h t to re p u d ia te th e creed, b u t h e h a s no r ig h t to te a c h in th e ch u rc h so m e th in g c o n tra ry to w h a t th e c h u r c h te a c h e s a n d s ta n d s fo r. P o ssib ly good m ay d ev elo p fro m a ll th is s p iritu a l tu rm o il, b u t d isp u te s lik e th is do n o t m a k e fo r C h ristia n b ro th e rh o o d n o r fo r th e s p ir it of peace, w h ich th e w o rld n eed s so m uch now ," The Asbury P ark P ress said: “N one can q u a rre l w ith D r. G ra n t’s view s. T h ey a re h is ow n a n d h e is e n title d to h o ld th em . H e is n o t e n title d , h ow ev er, to m a k e th e E p isc o p a l C h u rch th e v eh icle fo r e x p re ss in g th o se v iew s in v io la tio n of h is o a th of o rd in a tio n .” ENEMIES OF THE THUTH—

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