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March 30, 1918 ] THE
Editorial 1
In The Oulf States Presbyterian, of a recent
issue, a correspondent signing himself, "Let Me
Alone," writes of what he calls "Experts and
lmperts." He says, most wisely and practically,
"And imperts even invade the field of religious
activity. Indeed, the element of zeal impressed
into the expert by the nature of the subject leads
the religious expert to become a very per fervid
and persistent impert." The correspondent finds
the etymology of his word, which is a new one,
necessitated, he says, by the new thing that has
to be named, by the elision of the last two syllables
of the word "impertinence."
A Conference on the Situation in China,
under the auspices of a committee representing
the Foreign Missions Conference of North
America, was held in New York City on February
29. The grave political crisis, seriously involving
numerous mission institutions and the
entire work of Protestantism in that ancient civilization
now under a republican form of government,
seemed to justify a conference and concert
of action. A number of papers were read and
addresses delivered which related to present and
nmonnMlttn n/w?fni? v_
(/ vapwutc i iie speaaers were
chosen from among the missionaries and responsible
mission authorities in various denominations.
Among the number was Dr. S. H. Chester,
Secretary of our Executive Committee. His important
address on "The Chinese Churches in
their Relation to Present Problems" is published
in this issue.
The struggle of the Ulster Protestants against
being consigned by the British government to the
political domination of the Pope of Rome through
the agency of Irish priests, challenges our admiration
and our sympathy. In the great massmeeting
held by more than forty thousand Presbyterians
in Belfast a few weeks ago ministers
and statesmen joined in sounding notes of alarm
and of loyalty to the crown and defiance of a
possible Irish parliament at Dublin. A few
sentences quoted from speeches made on the ocr
easion suggest the gravity of the situation and
the intensity of the interest that prevails. The
Chairman of the convention said: "We are met
to-day face to face with a crisis in the history of
our Church and our country, not exceeded in its
gravity by any that has preceeded it since our
forefathers of Scottish Presbyterian biood were
'planted' in Ulster three centuries ago." Rev.
Dr. Prenter, of Dublin, expressed deep anxiety
a., to the action of the Roman Church under
Home Rule. 4' The controlling power in a Home
Rule Parliament," he said, "would be the Pope.
In a Rome-ruled Ireland there would be no room
f r* 1 x ? rni * i * - *
mr i resuyienans. 1 ney would De Hustled and
squeezed and driven out of the country unless*
they became the hewers of wood and drawers of
water for the infallible Church." Sir William
Crawford's earnest speech was followed with almost
continuous applause. Towards the end he
said: "A Dublin Parliament we will not have,
its laws we will not obey, its demands for money
we will throw into the fire. Our Nationalist
countrymen may, if they so desire, establish their
elaim to manage their own affairs; they will not
manage the affairs of Ulster Protestants. Let,
an THijsh Government be formed; let it send its
officers here to take taxes by force. We will not
pay. Our decision is final and unchanging. We
trust in the God of our fathers, and our duty is
^?ear. ur. Macuermott said, in closing, that
they would account it a felon's deed to destroy
the connection with Great Britain which they had
inherited, which they had done nothing to forfeit,
and which, with God'a help, they would maintain.
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SO
Votes and
The statistics of the Northern Methodist
Church show gratifying success in the department
of publication. The department has two
branches whose combined profits amounted for
the year 1911 to $467,000. Of this amount a
quarter of a million dollars was devoted to the
fund for the relief of superannuated ministers.
The profits for the last four years amounted to
about $1,500,000. This amount represents the
earnings in the publication of books and Sunday
school literature for the Church. In the department
of family newspapers the figures are on
the wrong side. The Church controls four such
papers and only one of these earned its own living.
The net loss for the year on the four publications
was $32,000. The moral is easy?the
people ought all to have taken the church paper
and all paid up their subscriptions.
Ti I- : J 1L.1. ti-t. I*a _ v a nwi
is saiu Liiai an nngupn ecuior asKea, wnat
is England's greatest peril?" and received this
reply: "Religion without the Holy Spirit; Christianity
without Christ ; Forgiveness without repentence;
Salvation without regeneration; Politics
without God; Heaven without hell"?all of
which means, "having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof." Similar questions
occur to any thoughtful mind. What is the
greatest peril that menaces the American commonwealth?
Religious organization is elaborate
and multiform; much of it stands for vital
godliness, but clear perception and devout appropriation
of saving truth have many imitations
or are wantonly ignored. The result is that religion
does not make due impact upon social,
civil, or commercial life. There is immense need
for revival of nure and undcfilpd rclicnon and
for discounting superficial substitutes.
We have received many letters of appreciation
of the articles of Dr. Juan Orts Gonzalez, which
are now appearing in these columns. The
writer's thorough knowledge of his subject and
his manifest fairness in its treatment, enlist at
once the interest and approval of the reader. The
articles will increase in value and interest as the
discussion advances, numerous citations from
Catholic records will be introduced in evidence
and Romanism will be made to convict itself.
The entire discussion will appear in two parts.
The first division consists of discussions of thirteen
topics, of which the following are yet to appear
:
Rome vs. the Maryland Legislature.
Romefe Estimate of the American Constitution,
or The Syllabus of Pope Pius IX.
The Apparent Power and Real Weakness of
the Roman Catholic Organisation.
Rome's Designs Upon the Public School.
Shall We Commit the Training of American
Citizenship to Friars and NunsT
Cheap Instructors Means Cheap Instruction.
Catholic Hospitals.
The Priest, the Family, and the Politician.
What Rome Demands of Public Servants.
Rome and the Ballot.
The Roman pope claims temporal authority as
well as spiritual. He asserts, and his lieutenants
for him, that he is paramount to all the rulers of
earth. The fact that the common sense of the
people of the land where he lives has denrived
him of civil rulership does not make him or his
minions any the less clamant for what they call
their "rights," and they keep up the fiction that
the pope is a " prisoner" in the Vatican. As
long as this notion is maintained, as to temporal
power, the Church of Rome is in principle opposed
to every government on earth which will
UTHm . (371) 9
Comments
not regard its supremacy in civic affairs. No .
good Romanist can be a good citizen. The fact
that many are noble citizens, amongst the
cnoicest amongs* us, is due to the fact that they
are not, to that extent, in accord with the fundamental
principle of thefir church.
MAY THE MOVEMENT SUCCEED. .
1 f the -Men and Religion Movement shall be instrumental
in accomplishing its chief purpose,
then it will prove a blessing to all the churches
and to all the world. That purpose is, substant.ally,
to permanently enlist the mass of the men
of the Church in Christian activity. This has
been a problem for all the churches and for
every pastor. It is doubtful if the Movement
can suggest a plan and methods that will be
workable everywhere. Possibly it does not attempt
this. But it is along this line that it
should be most helpful, and to thfc task it prop
1-- _ J J !i * * * ?
t-nv auunsses its energies ana talents.
Fortunately the men of the Church seem
ready and eager to b'e taught and to enter the
departments of service that may be assigned
them. What a power they will be if only their
strength and talent may be consecrated to spiritual
testimony and example. In our progress in
the past, what a mighty force our laymen have
been! the value of that force is beyond computation.
This is not to be forgotten in our planning
for yet greater things. But we need to have
the number of active men multiplied and every
rightful method for so doing is to be encouraged.
What is Christian service? Mainly, it ? the
expression, in personal life, of vital union with
Christ. No kind of religious profession or performance
can take its place. Holiness is a word
that comprehends all. It includes a condition
of soul and the outward effects of that condition.
.Men will not l>c firenuinelv useful thmurh thpv
toil and testify to the limit of time and ability,
unless they are spiritually minded, which is life
and peace. Character, then, is what counts. It
is fundamental. Possessing that, the layman as
well as the mipister has his chief endowment.
Possessing that he is prepared to throw himself
with all his resources, great or small, in the work
of saving the lost and edifying believers. The
cultivation of personal character is the primary
and principal department of Christian service.
It is a department that is too often neglected and
one that may be forgotten in our zeal for organization
and aggression. No movement will succeed
in saving and sanctifying humanity that
does not have the indwelling and energizing
power of the Holy Spirit as its motive. Any organization
or movement under the imnellinar
force of the one supreme dynamic will he fruitful.
So far as the Men and Religion Movement
can contribute to this end its services will be
valuable and permanent. It is earnestly hoped
that such may be the result of the campaign that
has been so widely conducted and is to be soon
brought to its close.
It must not be inferred that ministers are by
any means excluded from the friendly counsels
and solemn admonitions of the campaign
managers. At the Memphis meeting, for instance,
Mr. Fred. B. Smith, the leader, conducted
a special conference -with the ministers. In his
address he said some pointed things which all
ministers well know, bnt of which some may need
to he reminded. We qnote some sentences to
indicate the point at which the movement is intended
to touch the ministers:
"You preachers can't jnst preach the simple
Gospel any more and then say you have done
your full duty. The time has passed when a