Newspaper Page Text
CREEDS AND DENOMINATIONS.
A lvcent writer says: * * 1 . I what schisms
denominations ;m?l ?-i ? . i~ have wi.nm lit. IV
t otuiiiat ioiiali-iii tli\vat't> the proere-s <?( the
Kingdom e\i'r\ hand. I ?: ? -tantisiu has
conceived thi 1 1? ? t i . 1 1 that the magnify ins: ot
di tterehei- i- tin- way to done."
Til i - i* a \ ry tvma 1 k.i 1 ? I ? ? ^'ateiM< nt to l>e
made hy any <nati w 1 ?? calls himself ;i 'Voies
tant < hristiaii and whu h 'onus to a church
which lias a 1. lie. like inan\ other* who
make such at euients. oiws tie | ??????? 1" to ^ i s i ?
stantiate his claim. Another s:rikinii t j : 1 is
that t!ie ?*ii u f?*h t<> which thi* writer belongs
emphasize* distinctly certain features ? ? t" i'.s
cived t1i.it some years a?:o i: split off from mi ?
i>t" tie- liiva! denomination*. invaiiv those who
formed this new ehnr-h w.'iv not williiiir '??
? - ? ? i i 7 i l i > i ? ? to ai-ri ]>? some i.i t he miner feature*
of til'' creed of ill - ell 11 l*i* ll lo which 'hoy b ?
longed.
1" h ? ? remarkahl" fact is that ina:i\ of ihov,
who are most emphatic in condemning demur, i
nat ionali*m. h>-l..|i<; to churches th.it wen
forno-.l hy > - i i i - 1 1 ? from other churchcs
K th -re any "round for -ayinjj that creeds
liavo wrouoh: schism*. ' K\< r\ man has hi*
creed on a ! ! subjocis. and re|i?iou is no exeep
ti< II to the I'lile. ll'.n how docs lie oet his
i'IVi'i 1 A few men hy long. thorough. earn
est study work on' for t li -iiiselve* civd* :?>.
pressing their views. Bui lie- vast majority
of men <lo i:o* and cannot do 'iiis. They have
not the ability or the mental training.
The result is that most men are influenced
in the forming: of their pT*ona! creeds by
tile creeds held 1?V othefs, ,\o\\ 1 |)r lll|estio'|
which should he considered is. wliether il is
hotter tor a man to make np hi- creed out
of til ? beliefs of those with wllOlll !l'* collies
in personal contact. usually men of about his
own calibre; or shall he make a careful study
of a creed prepared by the leading men of a
great church, who have studied carefully tie
word of <b>d. and adopt as hi* ere *d the oiie
wit h which he can most heartily agree.
There would be far more Is in tie- world.
if the chnrch 's had none, than there are in the
churches, for -very man would have Ins own
creed, and most of them would be "unbaked
cakes.
Does **<lenoruinationalism thwart the prog
ress of the Kingdom on every hand .'" Tlo re
is a certain class of writers who are contin
ually making this charge. I >i 1 1 they base the
charge upon mere asscriiou without proof.
Two facts ought to be kept clearly in mind
in considering this subject. One is that there
was a period of the world's history when there
was only one Christian denomination weept
a few little haiidfuls of others who did not
exert any influence. This period is known as
"the dark ayes." During this time there was
very little vital godliness in t lie chuieh and
littl* or nothing was done to advance "the
progress of the Kingdom.*'
The other fact is tSiat <om| is blessing everyi
church which is Irving to serve Him and is
using every such church in advancing 1 1 i s
Kingdom, by enabling it to build up I lis peo
pie in their faith and Christian life, and in
winning lost souls lo Christ that they may be
saved from sin.
Tlios ? w ho condemn others, because they an
not willing to give up their own church lo go
into another, and that is what is really do
maiided by all those who oppose denomina
tions. are in danger of putting theinselves in
the position of -lohn. who said ( Iaike ! > : I ! I ) .
"Master, we saw one casting out d.'vils in thy
name; and we forbad him, because he follow -
etli not us." The Saviour did not at all ap
prove of his position.
It will be far better for eaeh out' i < ? look i*aro
fnlly int?? the work of the ehuivhos oth;*r than
liis own. ami lake 1 h<> views of (iamali 'l in his
ailviee to tin* Sanliedrin: "If this eonneil or
t ! : i ^ work be of mmmi, i' will rotne t < ? naught :
Inn. if it he of (ioil. ve cannot overthrow it:
1 est haply ye he fonn<l i'V'ii to !i<rht against
? Jo.l." Ae!s :;s.
ThU i> ihe t ??:; ??!? i * i ir of 1 he Saviour, when
lie sai?l. " l?y their fruits ye shall know them."
I ?efor? 1 we <?ive ii|? what have, we ? t
to hav.? proi.f from (iotl that soineihinir else is
better.
WHY NOT LET IT ALONE?
Iln- question of unit i n tin* Presbyterian
foi ? ? i A 1 1 1 ? ? i ? i ? * .- 1 has lici-ii siiiii mi i 1 1 ?r 1 1 1 ? ?
< "hurdles more or h-ss f??r n <jvnerat ion. Kvery
kind ? ? I* union has I m ? mi suuirest ??? I. and some
kinds have I ?????! i iried. Nunc lisi vt* succeeded.
? ?lily actual ;im<1 organic union will satisfy some
peopl ?* . iiint that same organic union would sc
l ion .|y <lissatisl'y otii ts.
The recent I'lans of I'liion ami Federation
ami nu'iintr of < 'ommit tecs have I ?? ?;? i i a sa?l
waste of 1 1 1 < Miry and linn' ami flVori. It was
\ Nihlc i i many from t li ?? lirst lliat ilu* only
union wanted hy the I . S. A. ? hurch was Or
tr a 1 1 i < ? I'niou pure ;md simple. ami every other
overture was simply t"?*n?-ii? *r for position. This
is not acceptable io the ('hurch I . S. ami I
i'. Tho reasons we m'i'"l not ???liter into. No
? i ? > u i ? I l ? i j i i i y could he ifi veil, ami some wordd
weijfh more with some than others.
Now this quest ion is ^oiiio to he brought op
a?j:ain at our next Assembly. Wliy shoiihl it
I ? .' It ever t llefe has heeli a ijll 'si ion ills
eiisset I ami prayed ovev hy tlie ('hurch it is tln>
one. Why not let it alone'/
As lone as it is bein?r agitated, hoth ('hurehes
will he mor ? or less hindered in 'heir work'.
I'lans of co-operat ion in needy lields am! in
<>ur edueat ioiial work will l?t delayed, as soi>.? -
1 1 : i 1 1 15 e loser mitrln result. We would he slower
in eomiiii.' to reeo?r?li/e our Ivsp.*eti\e li-lds.
ami li'iiee slower to refrain from trampling
? ?n eaeh other's rights.
If Organic 1 nion is holplcss. then we he
li'Ve the 1'. S. A. will awake to see the waste
fulness of spending so much money, and em
ploying so many in -n in places where the field,
is f ii 1 1 y occupied hy the Chureli I'. S. We
know a number of places where lloin.' .Mission
money is wasted. We can hut believe that
the Northern Hoard will wake up to the futil
ity of spending money, when t h ??*?? is no pros
p *ct of thus forcing the ('hurch I . S. to union.
We will realize as we never have that this
Southland is our field and we must measure
up to its demands, or t Ii ? ( Ii uivti I . S. A. w ill
he justified in coining in and ciih i\ at in<; ter
ritory we arc too lazy, or too stiniry to culti
vate. If we let the land lie waste, any ' squat
ter" has a rijfhl t<> it.
I'lans for eo-operat ion ami proper exrhanjjT'
of ('hurehes can jfo forward. (Vrtainly, for
those of us who arc more or less on the fron
tjer, and mixed in with ('hurdles I*. S.
there is a need of some sane and satisfactory
plan of co-op -rat ion. Too often the Kingdom
of (Sod is hindered hy a failure to utilize our
mcajjre resources in money ami men to the
uttermost.
flic < 'hurch in the Kasj does not realize this
or it inijrhl he more sympat li.'tie with the
|)l'ohlellls of the West and the Frontier.
At any rate, let tlm question alone. Let us
take up the <jTeat problem of evan?;eliz?n?r our
Southland, ami put into 1 1 1 ?? hands of our Home
.Mission ( 'onnnittees an abundanec of ;?i nicy.
A. A. li.
Contributed
ORTHODOXY ON THE MISSION FIELDS.
In v ic w of certain rumors eirciilatcd 1 h rough -
? ? 1 1 1 tin* Church in refill' I to the prevalence of
1 1 1 1 so 1 1 1 1 ( 1 t ? ? ; n ? 1 1 i i itr in sunn- of the educational
in? t it lit ions on i li<* mission li?*l? 1 . i lie last (leu
em! Asseiubl \ . in response to an owrtuiv t'r< ? m
i In* IV'shytcry of Central Mississippi, in
structed the Kx ceil t i ve Commit tee of Foreign
Missions to investigate and report to the next
Asseinhly what action, if any. should he taken
by on i* Church touching the matters tvferrc;?
to
Immediately alter the iiiljoiirnnicnt of the
Assembly a letter was addressed by the Kxccu
live ( 'oinmittcc to all otir .Missions requesting
tin m to appoint special committees to make
this investigation within their respective
hoinnls and report to lis. it' possible, hy the
end of the year.
Tiie institutions in which we arc now en
gaged in eo operative work are the I'nion
Theological Seminary and Sjiii Angel Ciirls'
School in Mexico, the I'r 'shyterian College at
( jirdciias. < nhii. t he Nanking Theological Semi
nary. the Woman's l?ihle School at Nanking,
the Medical Department of Shantung l iiiver
sity. the Christian College and I'nion (iirls'
School at I laugehow in China, the Medical De
partment of the Chosen Christian College and
the l'yeng Vang College ill Korea.
The Missions interested ill this investigation
tlier 'lore are Mexico, Cuba. China and Korea.
At the head of our Cuban School is Dr. K. L.
Wharton, who. tile Committee feels, can be
safely relied on to safeguard the question of
sound leaching in that school. In the I'nion
Theological Seminary of Mexico Kev. W. A.
lioss. one of the ablest and most conservative
members of our Mexico Mission, is a member
of the faculty, and no word of any lack of
orthodoxy has ever conic to our ears. The
Mexico Mission, however, will at its meeting
to be held on lanuary liSth give the matter
its attention.
The Mid-China Mission, probably due to the
fact that the annual meeting of that Mission
was held before our letter of inquiry was re
ceived. has not yet sent any otlicial reply, but
the Kxceiitive Committee feels no anxiety as
to tli ? character of the teaching in llangchow
( liristian College, with Dr. Warren II. Stuart
,is its president and Dr. >1. M. 1'daiu and Dr.
K. -I. McMullan on its board of directors.
The special committee of the North Kiangsu
Mission reports concerning the teaching in
Nanking Seminary . that wliil ? the Mission can
not absolut -ly control the teaching in that in
stitution. which is interdenominational, never
theless at present the Mission knows of nr un
sound teaching and feels that the presence of
three m ''luhcrs of the Mission oil the faculty
and two oil the board of directors is a sufficient
safeguard.
In Korea the Pyc. g Vang College has al
ways had the reputation of being extremely
conservative in its teaching on theological ques
tions. and in the Chosen College we are only
interest 'd in the Medical Department.
In view of these facts, the following recom
mendation of the Secretary of Koreign Corres
pondence were adopted by the Kxceutivc Com
mittee at its meeting on January Ih'd : "I rec
ommend thai these facts and any others bearing
on the sub.jeel that may come to our knowledge
in time be reported to the next Assembly with /
the statement that so far as we are now in
formed there is nothing in the present situa
tion. in the judgment of the committee, that
(Continued on page 4.)
I