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10 (34) " T H E P
it* chief speaker and its chief executive, it has
compromised the faith of evangelical Christendom.
The objector who protests against doctrinal
discrimination as being without the purview
of the Council is now finally and absolutely
silenced. The Council has signified its tadit
approval of destructive criticism.
Our correspondent, Dr. Hall, does not simply
express well tounued opinion, but quotes statements
and facts which confirm his criticism.
The Council refused to affirm the "substantial
unity" of the Protestant Churches without ineluding
the Church of the Pope of Rome. It
selected as its principal speaker at its principal
meeting. Dr. Edward Steiner, a converted Jew,
who classed the book of Daniel with what he conceived
to be other Bible myths, and who is
known as repudiating the biblical account of
'.ITOIMUU, Hit: UieUiUIIll%V Ui. Ulllfi [ JU1 L lUIlo U1
Old Testament history, and the credibility of
inspired prophets.
The election of Dr. Matthews of the Chicago
University was a distinct triumph of radicalism
in the Council. Dr. Matthews is dean of the
School of Divinity and professor in the university
which stands pre-eminently for destructive
criticism, whatever else it may stand
for. He is a disciple of Dr. Harper, one of the
pioneers of German rationalism in this country,
and is an inheritor of Dr. Harper's faith. He
is known as such wherever he is known at all.
No man could have been chosen as president
of the Council for its next quadrennium who
could have better represented hostility to the
historic faith of the Christian Church. The die
has been east.
An iftnie of special interest has been raised.
Shall our Church continue in this alliance which
is dominated by such noxious sentiments: an
alliance upon which radical criticism has obtruded
itself with its usual unblushing effrontery:
an alliance into which it 'has not only been
received, but has been welcomed with profuse
applause? The Southern Presbyterian Church
is now responisaDie Tor tnese sKcpticai ana rationalistic
utterances. She is one of the constituent
derated bodies. Blatant skepticism proclaimed
itself in the name of every Church responsible
for the Council and each must bear the reproach.
We cannot afford it. To assume a passive or
submissive attitude would logically mean the
renunciation of our portion maintained from
the beginning until now. It is scarcely to be
believed that our infatuation with ideas of broadness
and spurious fraternity will seduce us from
continuing to conserve and declare our cherished
convictions as to the inerrancy and authority
of God's Word.
Some may be deluded with the idea that these
art* i.iiiit?5 ol loirrnuiij^ error niiii rcioAiu^ our
grasp of vital truth. "We believe that there was
never a time that called more insistently for
adhering steadfastly to "the truth as it is in
Jesus"?"the faith which was once for all delivered
unto the saints." M.
THE EDITOR'S BIBLE.
XKTa r?rnur nr> An o o rraf nt* i V\1 n I rPV* a /inn
up uii a I'U^OI,ci wiuit i x iiu imu
volume wore so well that we went on into the
ministry with it, and all the texts of our first
twenty years are red-lined by our own hand, in
the volume now almost worn out. Is it any
wonder that we love it f The accuracy of the text
and the substantial nature of the "helps" make
the Bagster Bible one of the most useful and reliable
of all the editions of the Holy Scriptures.
Of course it uses the Authorized, or King James,
Version. All the literary and scholastic merits
of the Revised and American Standard Versions
have not yet displaced the old version, nor will
they do much more than make of them admirable
students' versions. The Revised Version has
now had thirty years' of trial, and the heart of
RESBYTERIAN OF THE SO
the Christian world still clings to the older version,
and it looks as though the latter will never
hp rllflnlnnoH Tto o+aa /lAarklw
W VV., AVU V44J CM V/ IA/U ucvpij HUUV/UUOU
in the hearts of the common people. And even
yet careful hearers in the churches prick up their
ears and look as if tihey do not relish the new
sound when the minister quotes from the Revised.
The American publishers of the "Bagster
Bible" are Messrs. .Tamps Pott & Company, of
New York. We have just received from them
a copy of their Long Primer, Self-pronouncing,
India Paner edition, which, in its onen-flat. silk
sewed, seal binding, clear print, abundant references
and helps, is the very perfection of
editions, and shall take the place of our old,
almost worn-out book. We wish that a copy of
it were in the hands of every friend we have.
Its beauty, lightness, and clearness make it a delight
to handle and use it.
"HARD TIMES," AND THE KINGDOM OF
GOD.
The Conferences intended to stir up the
Church to some higher plane of Christian giving,
are being held. These will be followed by an
Every Member Canvass in March, if the recommendations
of the General Assembly are carried
out.
"We wonder how many timefc the flat excuse,
"The times are so hard," will be heard?
When we remember that the Assembly only
asks for $7 per member for the benevolent causes;
and that for the entire support of the Kingdom
a <mq cn ' - *? -
umj auuut .pio.uu per inemuer is given, it does
not seem as if the cry of poverty ought to interfere.
As a matter of fact most people lind money to
buy what they want. Last year 5,000 automobiles
were sold to citizens of the State of
Georgia. Some 5,000 families wanted machines,
so they found $0,000,000 dollars to invest in
automobiles. This was much more than was given
to carry on the work of the Kingdom of God in
this State.
The Christmas season has passed with its
whirlwind of giving. The Express Cos., the
Poist Office have been crowded with millions of
boxes and bundles and letters expressing our
love for each other. It is impossible to compute
the amount in money, but undoubtedly it was
many millions more than was given by the
Ohureh to express its love to God, by the extension
of his kingdom.
Why is it that during the prosperous year
unding March 31st. 1912. the mr*3t lihp^l nhnr*?u
in the South only averaged $4 per member for
rho support and extension of the Kingdom of
God outride his own Church?
"We do not believe it was because of "hard
times"?an average of a little over one cent a
day certainly was not a burden too hard to be
borne.
We must look for the cause elsewhere.
Porliono -fit/> /*?/? i J -
. ..U|.? ??v u?> umt /kd iij uur i/Hurtn uu
not frnou; what the Church is doing, and what it
ought to do. They have not realized the need of
money in the progress of the kingdom.
There is a plenty of information scattered
around, hut little desire to appropriate it
Knowledge is accessible, but not desirable. Men
can know, hut do not want to know. The business
of the kingdom does not catch hold nf them
"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation."
And even the snbjects of that kingdom
do not see the greatness of its work. Hence
they do not give ibo it as to an all-important
1hing. "The chips and whetstones" are enough.
The left-over money after more important things
are provided for.
Perhaps we have not made the business of the
King, our business. A consecrated Christian
woman said, "I simply faced the fact that T
UTH [January 15, 1913
could not make Christmas presents and have
m x. j 1 _1_ _ / iL. /^ii 1. J
uiuuey iu n>vc 10 me wurK 01 uie unurcn, ami
though it hurt me 'til I cried over it, I just did
not give any. I could have bought and paid for
it January and February, bat then 1 knew I
could not make contributions to the ( ames during
those month
That woman was making the business of the
King, her business. Just as a business iaun provides
for the ilmiands ahead of him by saviag
now, so sue savei, oven at a great personal sacrifice,
to meet ths d'-iuands of the k'ntjdom of the
future.
ITow few of lis get ready to meet ifco drafts
*> the Lord's business, but rather let ihrm go to
protent.
What a wonde-'r.l revolution uruld cccnr if
the people of God would all do the King's business
in a business-like way. Too often how is it
with us.
A man has bought a house. The payments
must be met. Man must have his money. God
can wait. Hence his subscription to the Church
is unpaid. A woman must have a seal-skin coat,
the Foreign Mission cause is not so important.
Tfte missionary can starve a little longer.
Perhaps the ministry has been a little timid
in preaching the Gospel of Money. The people
have not eome up to what they ought to have
done through ignorance. Is there not a fine opportunity
to speak out on this line during these
next few months? Can we afford to neglect it*
Would it not be well for each one to face the issue.
and put the Kingdom of God first. Say with.
ourselves and God, I will put aside not less than
_ X A 1. f 1 1 ? ? * -
a lenin?mr more?ana leave it untoueiiea, tor
God's work in the world. a. a. t..
NOTES IN PASSING.
by bert. 1
The one great and far-stretehThe
Present ing need of the present day is a
Need. new dedication or a re-dedication
Cl~A o ? T 1 3
mi wuu. ouiiic vtraio tigu a utrtwu.
i great evangelist deliver an address on the
spiritual conditions then existing; in the course
of that addretss he said everything pointed to a
great religious awakening that would in a short
time sweep the country like a flaming fire. A
similar statement w?s made later by another
great evangelist. Indeed we have been hearing
that same thing now for about a dozen years,
and so far as my eyes are cwpable of seeing that
flaming revival is still somewhere behind the dim
horizon. Since then some of our greatest evangelists
have been laboring with but indifferent
success so far as arousing men's consciences is
concerned. .Even the great and sweet-spirited
(iipsv Smith, though he drew such audiences as
no auditorium in some cities could accomodate,
met with poor success in persuading men to come
to Christ.
It is easier to get men to give their money
than to give themselves, but thev are not giving
cither as they ought to give. Look at the present
status of our Foreign Mission work, and the
peculiar and desperate methods the Committee
feels compelled to pursue because the people are
withholding their money from the Lord in this
day of matchless prosperity. Look nt growth of
Christian Science, Millennial Dawnisra, Apostol
ic Faith, and other falsehoods, and we cannot
help but feel the challenge they fling in our faces.''
Look also at the perfect complaisance with which
prominent members and leaders in the chnrch
absent themselves from the regular, stated ser
vices of the sanctuary.
God has never been a disinter-'*
The Danger, ested spectator of bis people's defection.
""Whatsoever thing* r
were written aforetime, were written for onr
instruction." bnt sad to say no generation .
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