Church Asks If It's Right to do Evil in Hope That Good May Come, 1918

The Presbyterian of the South was a newspaper mailed to members of the Presbyterian Church.

The war is held responsible for a good many things. Sometimes it is just an excuse, sometimes it is a reason. The secular press published a news item from Elmira, N.Y., giving the recent action of a Presbytery of the Northern Presbyterian Church. Our readers may judge whether it is a reason or an excuse. They may also decide whether it is right to do evil in the hope that good may come. They may also consider the question as to whether they would be willing for our Church to take similar action. This is the report:

“Mrs. William H. Chapman of this city has just been licensed to preach by the Chemung Presbytery, after a lengthy discussion and some opposition. The issuing of a license to a woman to preach is said to overturn all precedent of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and to be a violation of the rules of the Presbyterian General Assembly. The action is taken here as a war time measure. The one dissenting member of the Chemung Presbytery announced that he will appeal to the General Assembly. The Rev. Mrs. Chapman has been filling the pulpit of the North Presbyterian church here while the pastor is engaged in Y.M.C.A. war work in France. She was a high school teacher here. Her husband is the Protestant chaplain at the New York State reformatory here.”