In Grand Rapids

Its annual assembly showed the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. to have as able a body of men as ever conducted a Church. The Fundamentalists had all the fun of winning, but they did not win. The unshakable Fundamentalist majority elected its ticket headed by Moderator Macartney and Vice Moderator Bryan (TIME, June 2). They appointed old line conservatives to all leading committeeships. They drew blood, for they cast William P. Merrill, a liberal, out from the Foreign Mission Board to which he had lent distinction for twelve years. But all this was as nothing to their intention to pass what they called the "Five Points." These five points were a statement of doctrine, more specific than anything in the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church, and so binding in their literal interpretation* of certain Bible passages that no liberal could honestly sign them. If these five points had ever come before the assembly, they would almost certainly have been passed, and the Presbyterian Church would have been split down the middle. But the five points were killed in committee-- a Fundamentalist committee, but one that was wise enough to avoid Pyrrhic victories. With equal skill the committee handled the Fosdick question. Accepting the opinion of the New York Presbytery that Dr. Fosdick had not preached heretical doctrine, the committee recommended that Dr. Fosdick, a Baptist, be requested to join the Presbyterian Church: "If he can accept the doctrinal standards of our Church, as contained in the Westminster Confession, there should be no difficulty in receiving him. If he cannot, he ought not to continue to occupy a Presbyterian pulpit." Henry Sloane Coffin and other friends of Dr. Fosdick were delighted.

To sum up: The Presbyterian Church remains the Church of the old Calvinistic doctrine once (or twice) delivered to the saints. But it guarantees to individual preachers a constitutional right to reinterpret the old doctrine within the widest limits. It will continue studiously to insult some of its best men (as Dr. Merrill) ; but it will not go heretic-hunting in the grand mediaeval manner.

Will H. Hays' pension plan was adopted by the assembly. It provides that half salary shall be paid to ministers on retirement after the age of 65, that widows shall receive pensions. To this end, a church will pay annually an amount equal to 7 1/4% of its minister's salary and the minister 2 1/2% of his salary to the Board of Pensions. A fund of $15,000,000 is necessary to put the plan into immediate effect. ^

*Signing the five points would be tantamount to confessing that Joshua made the sun stand still.