Newspaper Page Text
August 7, 1912]
Thoughts on I
THAT HUGE MACHINE.
Dear Editors: I nse to endorse your
rlnirlnsr nllJoHnl In u/?i? T?
, ...o ? ...? 4** jwui i/apui UI JU1)
17th about the new 'iHuge Machine"
that is proposed for doing Home Mission
work. I am with you when you say:
"The whole scheme is squarely against
the fundamental principle of the church
as a body organized to do effectively the
work assigned to God's people in the
propagation of the faith and the witnessing
to the truth. Consecration, witnessbearing,
personal activity, the diligent
use of the Word, the sacraments, and
prayer, are God's way. Central agencies.
except so far as necessity and reason
show to be proper, and then, only in a
minimum way, organization, federation,
campaigns, whoop-and-hurrah methods
posters, advertising and the like degrade
the Church in the eyes of the
masses of the people. The Church is
suffering far more today from her use
nr fnlprancA nf Uino? " ? -1?
. w. LUIUgD UltLIl one
is gaining by them. Directly the world
will laugli at her. Indeed, It has already
begun, to do so very much. The
Church's greatest need just now, and
both she and the world no less than
herself know it, is to start the fire under
the boiler, not to put in more fuel or
water or to add more wheels."
Now after this quotation from your
editorial allow me to say, Please do not
retract or modify anything in that editorial,
but stand squarely on that platform
of protest against new-fangled
methods in Church work. The proposal
to raise $50,000 to accomplish the
purpose of pushing with vigor from the
Central Office the so-called financial
campaign, reminds me of the immense
sums or money that it is in these days
thought necessary to raise to elect a
president or a governor, or a United
States Senator. According to reports in
our Texa3 papers, the Rev. Charles
Stelze that you refer to, figured very
conspicuously a few months ago in a
Men and Religion Convention in Houston,
Texas, as an "expert" (so the
papers called him), in telling the
preachers and Christians of Texas how
to win the men anff" boys,?and one of
the items in that campaign was to raise
a fund of $10,000 to finance the said
campaign,?I suppose tor run the com
plicated machinery of secretaries,
stenographers, typewriters, printers'
hills, etc. I looked with amazement
(but not admiration), at the workings
of such complex machinery, that was
to take the place of the old-fashioned
machinery of preaching the gospel from
pulpit and pew. And after that huge
machine had rolled around Houston and
out of Texas, I could not learn through
reports In the papers or otherwise of
any remarkably good impressions made
by the said huge machine. And I could
not but remember that the said brother
who seemed to be the chief expert manager
of the said Men and Religion Convention
was the same leader who undertook
in the North to lead the laboring
men.?and who was criticized by his
brethren in the North for introducing
into his labor temple sundry services
SOmntimno ? 1J '
mm (so tuiii. vvbib evidently
more for entertainment than for preaching
the goapel,?and were destitute of
'lie gospel.
As you say, Let us push our Home
Mission work, and let tlie brethren of
various branches of the Church give
their united testimony in favor of this
most important cause,?'but let the
Churoh go slow about introducing such
huge new-fangled machinery.
S. P. Tenney.
Crockett,. Texas.
THE PRESBYTER]
VIany Themes
ON SAME SUBJECT.
My Dear Sir: Allow me. pleaBe, t<
commend and congratulate you upoi
the splendid editorial appearing in thii
week's Issue of the Presbyterian of tin
South under the caption, "Another Hug<
Machine," and to thank you for th<
same.
We had hailed with joy the action o
the Assembly in approving and direct
Jng a church-wide Home Mission cam
paign for this fall In connection wltt
a nation-wide campaign of like kind?
and had hoped that all of our forcet
from the Assembly's Committee t<
a committee in each local church
might be united in a systematic
simultaneous effort in hehalf ol
this great and impressive cause,
which effort should be characterized by
much fervent prayer and personal work
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-uvii. uiai an 01 our people snould
realize that "it is time for God to work,'
and should therefore ofTer themselves
freely and willingly for his servicelooking
to him alone for results, and depending
upon the Holy Spirit for effectiveness.
But if we are to have instead such a
campaign as that outlined in the editorial
mentioned, as advised by the
"Central Office in New York," in which
"method" seems to have well nigh entirely
usurped the place of prayer, and
- J " ?
nucic auverusmg ana posters, etc., are
apparently depended upon to do the
work that only the Holy Spirit can do
effectively, then we confess to a feeling
of disappointment, ar*l to very small
hope that any really good and permanent
results will accrue therefrom either
to the church or the world.
There is, it seems to me, a vast difference
between taking, on the one
(hand, the measure of our strength from
an absolute faith in God's ability and
willingness to effect his whole purpose
with bis own chosen instruments?in
which case we can undertake the apparently
impossible for him with every
assurance of success: and taking, on
the other hand, the moasure of our faith
from our apparent strength, whether ir
be in organizing and financing a spectacular
campaign or what not?in which
case we refrain from undertaking a
eivpn wnrlr until wa V???? j -
a w??. uuvu nC uavu UUUUWLWl a
scheme which, from the human view, is
commensurate with the work to be done.
Would it not be better for us all tc
recognize more fully that the strength
of the church is in, and iB measured by.
its faith "according to your faith, be it
unto you;" and that its faith should not
be in, or measured by, its strength, real
or apparent. That its only power is the
power of .God, and that the church
therefore is really effective, only when
so related to God as to secure the manifestation
of his power in, and through
itself. "He that honoreth me, I will
uuuur, uaiin rne Liora, out how shall we
honor him by adopting for his work unscrlptural
and worldly-wise methods.
Go on, therefore, Mr. Editors, in this
good work until we shall all have been
convinced of the utter futility ind sin
of a mad rush to compete with the ways
of the world in ch.urcfh work; and shall
have determined to go steadily, but firmly,
on our way, doing out work by a
thoroughly scriptural method, with absolute
faith in God's ability to use ue
in his owt1 wav tr? flfnmnha *?'?
work.
Yours cordially,
Rob't B. Hudson,
Chairman Home Missions, Greenbrier
Presbytery.
Sink's Grove, W. Va.
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.AN OF THE SOUTH
THE TITANIC?SOME LESSONS.
How ready the world is to learn the
lessons taught by that sea horror, th?
sinkinsr of thA Ttt-nnl/? t TTnnn !nwoB?(M.
5 tion we learn that the speed mania of
the twentieth century was the cause of
that disaster. Following the crash came
' the realization of the inadequate means
for keeping alive, even for a little while,
those on board. It was believed that the
air chambers were so arranged as to
make the gigantic ship able to stay
f afloat indefinitely, in case of an accident.
Had she heen struck by a man-made ob
ject. doubtless the Titanic would be
i above sea today, fbut God's hand was
- raised and she sank.
1 And when the world learns the con
} cHtion, resulting in such a loss of life,
what is done?
Both TDngland and the United States
f are taking decided steps toward the
' protection of sea travelers. Laws are
being made controlling speed. Hereafter
ships are required to carry lifeboats
and life-preservers sufficient for
the souls on board. There is a plan
1 afoot to cause all steamships to be
"double-skinned." ?nH n ''
? ?uuio vAiuipir
ca/ted system of air chambers is to be
Installed. The sea paths are being
studied, and fine instruments, very sensitive
to degrees of temperature, are being
tested. This in the effort to warn
vessels of the nearness of ice-bergs.
TCvery precaution is being taken. The
Titanic has not sunk in vain.
But while the material world so
eagerly learns the lessons, and profits
by them, are there no spiritual lessons
written by the same Hand?
On board that steamer were people
of almost every walk of life; from the
multi-millionaire to the pennyless emigrant
in the steerage.
It was a Sabbath night. How were
its holy hours being spent? Instead of
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The college opens Sepl
WM. J. MAR'
(927) 17
a low speed which the observance of the
day demanded, there was an onwsrH
rush, taxing the crew to strenuous labor.
There had been a big dinner, and a ball
was in progress when the ship struck.
One lady writes, "I was reading a
novel." (Not: one record have I seen to
indicate that anyone was keeping the
Sabbath. However, II am sure there
were some, in those hundreds, who were
not profaning his day, but the unjust
can never sufTer alone. During this confusion
of worldliness, God's voice spoke,
"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it
holy." and all was stilled.
On. the passenger list were men who
were very successful, as the world
counts success. Their dollars were
piled high. They could "buy anything
they took a fancy to. They were planning
to win more gold, and to dispose
of that they already owned, in a way to
gratify their desires. To these God
-"oVe. "Thou fool, this night thy soul
unaji do requirea or tnee. wnat would
not John J. Astor have given for a lifer
boat? All his millions availed him
nothing when God called.
There were men of influence on that
steamer. Had a foreign power raised its
hand against anyone of them, their
country would have arisen with crushing
force to punish the offender. Man's
power Is great. "Thou madest him to
have dominion over the works of thy
hands, thou hast put all things under
his," but "God hath spoken once, twice
have 1 heard this: that power belongeth
to God."?>Ps. 62:11.
Many heroes were among those who
aank. Such heroism as has been ported
makes us thrill with admiration
for the men of our nation. No doubt the
heroic endurance and self-sacrifice disnlayed.
In many cases, was the result
of the conscious presence of the Pilot of
heir souls. As they sank, they knew
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tember 5th, 1912.
flN, President jj