5,000 Moderates

HAVE NOTHING TO SAY AM TOO BUSY PREACHING THE GOSPEL AND MEETING IMMEDIATE NEEDS TO ENTER INTO CONTROVERSY OF ANY SORT.-Telegram of Rev. John Timothy Stone of Chicago to a New York daily.

Dr. Stone, ex-Moderator* of the Presbyterians,/- active parson-manager of a lusty Chicago church, thus genially dismissed one of the few ecclesiastical documents which American newspapers in the 20th Century have found fit to print in full.

The document is entitled: AN AFFIRMATION Designed to Safeguard the Unity and Liberty of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. It declares that, within large limits, Presbyterian ministers are free to think as they please in matters theological. It is signed by ISO ministers of 30 states, and was mailed to the 10,000 Presbyterian divines.

Who are these 10,000? There has been no theological count, but an estimate by a careful observer is: Conservative-Fundamentalists 3,000

Liberal-Modernists 2,000

Moderates 5,000

The Fundamentalists cannot push the Liberals out of the Church unless the Moderates are willing to help push. Dr. Stone may be taken as typical of the Moderates. In theology he is conservative, but in practice liberal, because he is too practical to make theology the test of a Christian.

His attitude is shared by Dr. Charles F. Wishart, present Moderator: "I believe an overwhelming majority of Presbyterians are thoroughly loyal to our historical evangelical faith, yet willing to find room for different opinions within reasonable limits." Fundamentalists, led by such men as William Jennings Bryan, "whom in such a conspicuous way God has raised up as a Champion of the Christian faith,"/= are attempting to force the Moderates to side with them. The "Affirmation" of the ISO ministers is primarily directed at the Moderates-like Drs. Stone and Wishart-to show why they should not side with the Fundamentalists, but should remain what they are, Moderates.

*Highest official in the Church-has no connection with adjective "moderate."

&134;That is, of the North. "The Presbyterian Church, South," is a separate organization.

&135;Full page advertisement published by the Sunday School Times.