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May 29, 1912] T H E 1
Editorial 1
Regardless of the political aspects of the case,
and without reference to the contentions of
parties, shame must mantle the cheek of every
thoughtful citizen of the United States at the
sight of the President and an ex-President, his
immediate predecessor, campaigning for the high
office, stumping doubtful states, pillorying each
other before great crowds with language and
epithets such as are to be heard on the hustings,
and especially writing each other down as
Ananiases. Nothing so unseemly has ever occurred
in American history.
The proposed union of Presbyterians, Connrrnnrntintinliofo
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boon abandoned, at least so far as Presbyterians
are concerned. A majority of Presbyteries favored
union, but, it is claimed, not a majority of
the membership. Moreover the eastern Presbyteries
opposed it and these are the older and
stronger and more responsible. The Presbyterian
remarks, "It is very evident that the Canadian
Church escaped a very bitter contention by dropping
the whole question of union and it is not
soon to be revived." If the energy expended on
union agitation were expended in faithful witnessing
to the old Gospel as the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth, then
a true spiritual union and not a man-manipulated
union would be promoted.
If the people and preachers would organize
and combine their forces as thoroughly for
home effort in a revival meeting as they do
for the coming of some outside evangelist, like
Torrey, or Chapman, or Gipsey Smith, or even
lesser lights, they could have just as great results,
followed by more permanent good and
happier permanent conditions. One has well
said that "with the organized forces around
him such as" any one of these evangelists has,
"a wooden preacher could have a revival."
And it is true, even though the people do not
realize it, that it is their own combination that
gives the chief force and effectiveness to the
visitor's work.
"Mr. Dooley," whose humor and philosophy
delight and instruct very many, should stick
to the truth and base his striking remarks upon
facts. Like very many others, he gets far afield
when he undertakes to tell what the Church believes
or holds. It was decidedly out of his way,
and did not do much honor to his name and
reputation for wisdom and knowledge, when, in
a recent article, he alluded to one of our institutions
as a place "where young Presbyterians
are taught infant damnation, fut-ball, an' other
f?intlemanly accomplishments." The old-time
slur which he repeats is so very old-time and
so deeply grounded in ignorance and prejudice
that the humorist discredits himself in thus repeating
it.
A sentiment uttered in the recent meeting
?f the Religious Education Association, in St.
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?j vu? ui no lcauiiig memoers, snows
Very clearly the animus of that body. "Above
said one of the speakers, "we need the
light of truth?of genuine scientific truth?
f?r science as it appears in the well-assured
results of scientific research is 'the true light
which lighteth every man that cometh into
1'ie world.' " We need no other proof of the
'"titude of that Association towards the word
Ood and the fundamental principles of our
hf>ly religion. It would substitute science for
' Mst! The Association is not confining itself
to methods, aR a means of making itself rigid
?BE8BYTEBIAN OF THE SC
Sotes and
]y educational, as its name would imply, but
is seeking to inculcate doctrines which are subversive
of the Bible, and especially in the basing
of all its suggestions on the most radical
theories and assumptions of the destructive
critical 3chool.
Impressed by the extraordinary and portentious
nature of great social and political conditions
which are agitating the British people in
these recent times, Dr. F. B. Meyer, of London,
said in concluding a recent sermon : ''We are on
the eve of one of the greatest revolutions of his
tory. We are to see a reconstruction of society.
We may defeat one combination or another, but
the hour is near in which society must be reconstructed
on a new model. The Lord's message to
the Church is that of the text, 4 Behold, I set before
thee an open door which no man can shut!'
I believe this trouble will drive people back to
God as nothing else could do."
While heartily rejoicing in the century of orthodoxy
which is now the finished record of
Princeton Theological Seminary, we sympathize
with the sentiments of Dr. Laws published in our
last number so far as they express surprise
and unqualified censure of the authorities of
Princeton in inviting Unitarians to participate
in the Centennial exercises. If Unitarianism
stands for anything distinctivelv. it. stands fnr
organized antagonism to, and assault upon, the
whole system of truth to which Princeton has
been pledged throughout its century of witnessbearing.
Avowed rejection of the Deity of
Christ and organized opposition to that
doctrine is the climax of infidelity. No
other organization on the earth bears in its very
name the declaration that the Scriptural teaching
of the Deity of Christ and of the Holy
Spirit is false. Let Unitarians be respected and
honored for whatever of natural culture they
possess and for all the human kindness they may
cherish and bestow, but why they should be recognized
as representing a school of Christian
theology seems "above the reach and ken of
mortal apprehension.
The Lutheran Church is one of the strongest
and most prosperous on the American continent.
Its educational, benevolent and church extension
enterprises are va^t. It believes, in an educated
ministry, conservative organization and methods
and in sound doctrine. The Lutheran Herald has
added this to the list of fables that might henceforth
be regarded as standard if not classic: "A
Fox stood before a Rabbit-warren and Shouted
'Hey, Widen out this Entrance, Friend Rabbit,
you have made it much too Narrow! This whole
Warren of yours is built on too Narrow Lines.
As it is, none but Rabbits, like yourself, can
Enter.' Tbe Rabbit replied: 'Just so, that Foxes
and Wolves may not Enter in, we shall Stick to
our Narrow Lines.' 'How Intolerant,' Grumbled
the Fox, as he Trotted Away. The moral is
A 1 3 A - /? 1 -* ?
uui nam to nna. ir tne ijuttieran Church in this
country refuses to let down its bars; if it fears to
join the many movements that have as their
spirit indifference to the old faith, and as their
f?oal the breaking down of what was built up at
the cost of much blood and treasure during the
past Christian centuries; if it is shy of sectarian
alliances and entanglements; it is because the fox
is at the door?the fox of Intolerance as to the
faith once delivered'to the saints. That fox has
friendly eyes and a smiling face; but it also has
sham teeth and a lean and hungry look. When
a man can tolerate everything except what
Christ and his apostles tauffht, beware of him."
IUTS (589) 9
Comments
NOTES IN PASSING.
BY BERT.
Contrast and paradox drop
The Power of from the tongue and pen of Paul
the Unseen, as readily as dewdrops from the
loaves on a morning in the
spring. And both contrast and paradox are
found in the last two verses of the fourth of
2 Corinthians. For the contrast note the 17 th
verse: "For our light affliction, which is but for
a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding
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"affliction" set over against "glory;" or rather
the other way around. "Light" against
"weight," and "for a moment" against
"eternal." Then in his characteristic way, he
piles up epithets, "far more exceeding" weight
of glory.
In the next verse we find the paradox. "While
we look not at the things which are seen, but at
the things which are not seen."
In this latter verse we are furnished with the
explanation of the preceding. It is by look ng at
the things we cannot see that the burdens and
trials of this life lose weight and duration and iu
dependent individuality and merge into a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
Every man is under most solenm moral obligation
to make life's burdens as light, and its yoke
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a machine that will do the work of many men
and without adding to the pressure upon any
man he must do it. If he can bring a little more
sunshine, a little more song, a little more pleasure
into the dark, sad, gloomy room of a single
sufferer he must do it. And the same obligation
which rests upon him to make life easier for
others operates to compel him to lighten it for
himself. But we all love our grievances. We
coddle and pet them and dote over them and
boast of them and resent the theft of them. They
are a distinction to us, a sort of badge of eminence,
and instead of making light of them and
treating them as if they were nothing, we make
much of them, and look upon it as an act of unfriendliness
for any one else to treat them slightingly.
In all this we offend. In all this we keep
our eyes fastened upon the seen, and the unseen
has no influence. Only as we have God's glory
before our eyes, and ever present in our consciousness
that the things happening to us have
eternal significance and are full of heavenly applications
can we bring ourselves to look upon
these present experiences as light and evanescent.
What are our present afflictions to the
glory that awaits? In comparison with the duration
of that glory a whole life time of suffering
is but "for a moment." In comparison with the
weight of the glory the present pain is light.
Now such a view of things has a tremendous
influence upon our spirits, and our spirits have a
termendous influence upon the spirits of others.
There are few ways in which I can better help
others bear their load than by cheerfully bearing
any own. A non-complaining man can come very
near making complaining go out of fashion.
The things that are seen are temporal.
Vision, the things unseen are eternal. We see
the things which this world strives after,
the wealth, the pleasures, the honors, the distinctions
it bestows, and though they now hold
us with a mighty grip they all must pass away.
The wealth we now possess will pass into other
hands, and men will forget we have ever lived.
Xhe pleasures which now enthrall will soon lose
their power to charm. You will lose your power
of response. They will yet fill you with a great
disgust and you will turn with loathing from