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September 20, 1911 ]
STRIKE IT OUT.
The "Elect Infant" clause in the Confession
of Faith.
For more than 250 years the only use
that this clauzse has served, has been to
mislead the public as to the belief of
the Presbyterian Church, and to subject
her to misrepresentations and calumnies.
Secondly: Our church has never been
satisfied with the clause, and today,
perhaps a majority of our people do not
like ft.
Thirdly : In the late years the General
Assembly has made repeated efforts
to amend the clause, once by a "footnote."
Even at this writing there is a
proposed amendment sent down by the
Assembly to the Presbyteries. The "Proposed
Amendment" while more euphonious
is substantially the same a3 the
pi esent clause.
Fourthly: The division of infants
into two classes is a novelty absolutely
unknown to the Scriptures.
Fifthly: The Word of God would be
searched in vain foi any expression of
the mind and will of the Deity on this
subject, and why the church has undertaken
to speak, when God is silent,
is beyond my comprehension. This tradition
of the Elders is wise above what
is written In tne Word, and the sooner
we "strike it out," the better.
Sixthly: For what right has any
church to Incorporate Into its creed,
the Inference, the opinions of the belief
of men, and make these of equal authority
with a "Thus Saith the Lord?*
Theologians speak "of" good and necessary
Inferences "as of equal authority
with a "Thus Saith the Lord," but who
shall draw the inference and tell us
when it is good and necessary? Shall it
be the patriaoh of Constantinople, or
Cardinal Gibbons, or Lyman Abbott, or
Dr. Francis Brown, or Dr. Fraser, or Dr.
Egbert Smith? It was a good and necessary
Inference from the Scriptures with
Bishop Phillips Brooks of Boston that
slavery was the "sum of all villianies,"
and It was a good and necessary Inference
with Dr. Palmer of New Orleans
that slavery was a divine Institution, and
that It was the supreme duty of the
South to conserve It
The Impregnable parts of our creeds
are those that rest upon a plain "Thus
Salth the Lord." the weak parts are
" pon the Inference,
f? of men. And the
? ;:W art. ernninate all Inferences and
beliefs from our Confession of Faith, the
better will be our creed. I close by asking
why not "strike It out?"
A. W. PITZER.
Salem, Va., Aug. 26, 1911.
THAT PRESBYTERIAN UNIVERSITY.
Your Correspondent?Presbyter?said
a good miany pointed things against our
Assembly's undertaking to establish a
great Presbyterian University.
There are still other things that can
be said against that project, which are
worthy of consideration. "Education is
the handmaid of religion," and "Presbyterians
demand education, and that the
best that is attainable," yet the necesfftfv
fnr a crraat TMvorattv lltlilAr tho
control of the Southern Assembly, has
not been clearly shown. Nor has an observation
of the results, shown that the
gTeat Universities make stronger men
than the smaller institutions.
Much might be said along this line,
but it is enough to simply call attention
to the fact that we now have splendid
Institutions under Presbyterian control
that are doing as good work in such
departments as are covered by the
schools of a University, and which are
intended for, and are fundamental to
training for citizenship. Surely we are
happily satisfied as to the needful preparation
for the holy ministry. Our
seminaries are safe, sound and sufficient,
ft) while the idea of making Preebyte
T H 15 P&ESB YTlIRI
rian lawyers, doctors, engineers, &c-, is
alluring, does not compare with observed
facts, so far as the technical
training of the University 1b concerned.
It may be noted further that the
personal influence of the professors, in
the smaller institutions, is much greater
than In the larger, where instruction is
committed to sub-professorB or tutors.
What ever may be said to the contrary
it is a fact, that the salutary element in
training is weakened if not neutralized
by cutting out the personal contact of
the professor and student. The Southern
Presbyterian Church does not need
a great university, it does need the patronage
and support of our people for
the institutions we have.
Look to Our Righteous Obligations!
Let our church forego the idea of a
big university until at lease she has ample
invested funds to support our infirm
and disabled ministers?their widows,
and to educate their children. Is not
this a duty?
Let a second item receive the substantial
support of the church; and tt
is thflo?The Church Ertection Fund.
Build chuTQfces and they will furnish
material for our schools. The schools
will furnish material for the ministry;
and the assurance, that want will be
kept from the door, will enoourarre
jiruujs men to enwr tut; bucrmi guiue.
For about 17 years I have been on
a Presbyterlal Home Mission Committee,
and there has not been a time during
these years that help by a building
fund was not needed- The new towns
that are being built, the new oomere to
country places as well as the hitherto
neglected communities all need the gosnel;
and nothing else so helpful In getting
the people to hear as a place of
worship. If our church is to be aggressive
we must build synagogues for the
people. Every dollar put into a loan
fund for ohuroh erection, would be more
in the treasury of the Lord than a hundred
given for a great university at this
time. So believes your ?Correspondent.
WHAT UNCLE HENRY THOUGHT
ABOUT FOREIGN MISSIONS.
The Results of Really Thinking.
"Well, seems ter me you orter get
them people convinced after a while
said Uncle Henry, as we finished one
of our conversations about .Tanan
"Yes, it would seem so," I replied
"and that is just what happens in the
case of a great many who hear, so that
even now there is a fairly strong
Christian community over there. But
you must remember there are some fifty
millions of Japanese and only a few
hundred missionaries."
"What!" he exclaimed, "is that all
you've got? Why, seems to me if I was
one 'o these young preachers, when I
hyeard what you tell, I'd jest have to
put down ever' thing I was doin', and
say, 'That's the place fer me; I'm a
goln' back with yer.'"
"Fine, Uncle Henry," I said. "That's
eractly what we are always hoping to
get them to say; but the young preachers
know that there are not enough of
them to meet the needs in the homeland,
so they hesitate and don't know just
which is right for them to do."
"Seems like they ought to club the
churches together, and send more
preachers out yonder. How can folks
expect two or three o' you to work 500
acres o* heathen, when they keep a
hundred men busy here at a much
smaller Job? Another thing, we don't
need bo much hoeln' and tendin'; fer we
knows the gospel and only needs remlndln',
while the heathen don't know
about it at all. We orter sorter even
up a bit and bring 'em up a little closer
to like what we are over here."
"How clearly you have thought it out!
Now, Uncle Henry, I do wish you would
bring many of the neighbors to your
way of thinking. For we need their
A N OF THE SOUTH
consent in order to club the churches
together; and then we need them to give
the funds to send out the preachers, and
finally, and most of all, we need their
prayers to sustain the preachers in
their work. Folks drop a dime Into the
collection basket and fondly Imagine
they are supporting the mission work.
Your own Baptist church In all the
country last year raised twenty-six million
dollars for all purposes, and out of
that, only 2 cents per member went to
foreign missions."
"Why!" he excitedlv ?
can't expect It to succeed at that rate!
Why don't they give more? But then
they Jest don't know," he added with a
sigh. "Why, honest, before I got to
hearln' about It from you, I didn't know
nothln' at all about It and didn't take no
Interest In the whole business. But
seeln' a man like you, who's been out
there and can tell us jest exactly how
It Is, It's as clear as daylight to me now,
what a big Job the church has got, and
how we orter work and give and pray
ter back it up."
"Well, Uncle Henry, I can't tell you
how thankful to God I am to hear you
talk this way. Now if you are soundly
convinced of this position, T do hope you
will take hold In dead earnest and lead
your neighbors to the same view. One
prime reason for us missionaries to
take time from our work for a furlough
home is simply to visit the churches and
get the Christians to take the position
you have just expressed. So if you want
to really help the work and take a big
'o"d cfT our shoulders, you can't do
better than pitch In and work for this
view among your frlendB with all your
might."
ohnrn 4r? o * "
. . - .-.-./.o <o o nn it einui report or a
conversation which actually took place
not a week ago. May the Lord bring
man to fully stand with Uncle Henry
?which of course Is not his real name.
R. 15. McAlplne.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ORPHAN
WORK DAY.
It will doubtless prove interesting to
the reader to learn about the rise of
this new custom of observing Orphan
Work Day. Mr. H. L. Crumley, Atlanta,
Ga., originated the idea several years
ago. Here is the way that he wiBhed
it to work. A certain Saturday in September
of each year was to be observed
as Orphan Work Day. Mr. Crumley
announced the first Orphan Work Day,
brought before the friends of the Decatur
Orphanage, Decatur, Ga., through
the press and through the mail. He
made this request of these friends:
Each one was asked to do his regular
work that day, and if he was not regu
mi ly ciupiujrcu in any uumness co nna
something that he could do that would
pay him some money, and all such
friends were urged to send this money
in whether it was in cents or in dollars;
even a 6-cent salary was not despised.
We understand that the first Orphan
Work Day meant a good deal to the Decatur
Orphanage, and as the years have
gone by their income from this observance
has greatly increased. This good
custom has been taken up by a great
many other denominational orphanages,
and they for a few years have also
been greatly helped by the money that
they received from their friends who
observed this day. There are possibly
two reasons why a Saturday In Sep.
tember has been chosen as Orphan
Work Day. One of these is that a
trying summer usually has just ended,
and their treasuries are almost, and
in many cases are depleted; another
good reason for observing Orphan
Work Day in September is that the farmers
are selling their cotton and other
farm products and are usually flushed
with money at this time.
Now the time has rolled around again
to observe Orphan Work Day, and
(907) 19
friends of the various orphanages everywhere
are going to put in this day in
the interest of these orphanages The
Methodists in South Carolina will help
their orphanage at Columbia, and the
Georgia Methodists will help their orphanage
in Decatur; the Baptists in
South Carolina will help their orphanage
at Greenwood, and the Georgia
Baptists will help their orphanage at
Hapeville; and the Presbyterians of
South Carolina, Georgia and Florida,
and other friends outside of these
oiaies, will help the Thornwell Orphanage
at Clinton, S. C.
One way of observing this custom is
for the Sabbath school superintendents
to take a collection of these salaries on
Sunday following Orphan Work Day,
but many persons who Intend to give
their Saturday's salary do not go to
Sunday school, and they usually mall It
in straight to the orphanages.
On account of the first Sabbath In October
being observed as Sunday school
Rally Day, 1n the Presbyterian Church,
It has been decided by the Presbyterian
orphanages not to observe the Saturday
before this 'Sunday as Orphan Work
Day, but to observe In its place the 23d
of September, and collections will be
taken up by the superintendents of
the Sunday schools on Sunday the 24th
of September. Now, T am very sure,
that you, kind reader, will observe Orphan
Work Day. and tell nt ? *
w? tun 1J1UI1 lO
others, so that both children and adults
can have a hand In this good work.
The Church is the moral leader of individual
souls. Jesus has made and is
making the popular moral Ideals. Ethical
precepts of the ancients have been
superceded by the searching moral standards
of Jesus. He has created social
ones for the modern world. Despite
popular misrepresentation, the Kingdom
of Christ is having unsurpassed
growth. Tt is leading nations, and will
go on and on until its mission is no
longer needed. God bless Great Britain
and America, and make them leaders in
spirit, ideals, moral passion and service,
to promote Christian faith among
the nations.?Amory H. Bradford, in
"My Brother."
A HIT.
What She Gained by Trying Again.
A failure at first makes us esteem
final success
a ramlly In Minnesota that now enjoys
Postum would never have known
how good it is if the mother had been
discouraged by the failure of her first
attempt to prepare It. Her son tells
the story:
"We had never used Postum till last
spring when father brought heme a
package one evening Just to try it. We
had heard from our neighbors, and in
fact every one who used it. how well
they liked it.
"Well, the next morning Mother
brerwed it about five minutes, Just as *
she had been in the'hablt of doing with
coffee without paying special attention
to the directions printed on the -package.
It looked weak and didn't have a very
promising color, but nevertheless father
raised his cup with an air of expectancy.
Tt certainly did give him a great surprise.
but I'm afraid it wasn't a very
pleasant one. for he put down his cup
with a look of disguest.
"Mother wasn't discouraged though,
and next morning gave it another trial.
ittiuuK u stann on tne store till boiling
began and then letting It boll for fifteen
or twenty minutes, and this time we
were so pleased with It that we have
used It ever since.
Father was a confirmed dyspeptic and
a cup of coffee was to htm like poison.
So he never drinks It any more, but
drinks Postum regularly. He Isn't
troubled with dyspepsia now and is
actually growing fat, and I'm sure Postum
1b the cause of It. All the children
are allowed to drink It and they are
perfect pictures of health." Name given
by Postum Co.. Battle Creek. Mich.
Read the little book, "The Road to
Wellville," in pkgs. "There's a reason."
Etw read the ahore lettert A new
one appears from tfme to time. They
are genuine, tme, and fnll of human
Interest