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A REGRETTABLE ACTION. Our Confession of Faith declares that "Syn ods and Councils may err " ? Some of us can not help feeling that the General Assembly of our Church did err in practice, in directing its Committee of Foreign Missions, to decline to send out any new missionaries, lino matter how urgent the need, except such physicians and nurses as are imperatively needed." This was in support of a resolution of the Commit tee of Foreign Missions. The unfortunate impression has therefore gone forth amidst the Church that our For eign Mission work is at a standstill. "We dare in a modest fashion to dissent from this action, and trust that the next General Assembly will rescind this action and say to the Foreign Mis sion Committee, "speak to the Children of Israel that they GO FORWARD." May some reasons be given why this is a regrettable action? It does not seem that the Committee's own showing justifies this radical retrenchment. While the debt is $250,000, the Committee is paying interest on only $50, 000 of that amount, and if the reserve were called in it would practically pay this interest-bear ing debt. We are sure that if a business con cern had no interest bearing notes in bank, it would never think of not seeking new business. It would expand, probably to the limit of its credit with its bank. Then too, with current assets of $2,000,000, this debt of apparently $250,000 does not seem to be much. There are few business houses which carry as fine a showing as that. All these figures are from the Minutes of the As sembly and the Report of the Foreign Mission Committee. Even if things were worse, it would be a bad policy from the point of view of the Mis sion work itself. None of our Mission work is absolutely permanent. It is all more or less in an embryonic state. Little of it Is so far finished that it can stand still and murk time without serious deterioration. The study of Roman Catholic Missions in various parts of the world is an evidence of the danger ??f slackening up of the reserves. Our Missions are calling for 217 new mis sionaries, of whom oidy 38 have been sent. We need a number of new missionaries, not only to hold what we have, but necessarily to ad vance into new fields, the necessity arising from the very success of our mission work. There is a tide in the affairs of missions, as well as men, which taken at its flood leads on to missionary success, but neglect the oppor tunity and our further progress will be bound in shallows. We are sure this is a mistake form the point of view of the Church at home. It will chill down Missionary zeal. None of us are content to mark time. The question will arise, "Is it a going concern," with the emphasis on the "going," if our choice young men and maidens cannot go. The business world has been passing through a strenuous year. Is it good business! Does it leave a good impression on the community for a house to say, "I will not seek any new business; I will spend my time in trying to make my old customers pay up?" The real business will say to its customers "you buy from us and pay as you can." Then they will look out good new business. Wo even dare to ask, Did the As sembly have the ear of the Lord of the Church when they said to the Foreign Mission Com mittee, "stop sending missionaries?" We ask this in the light of His command to "Go ye into all the world." The Church appreciates the invaluable serv ice of this choice Committee, but the Church is not satisfied with "marking time." Where is the faith in our Lord who lias said, "Go." Will he not furnish the way to go? Where is our faith in His* blood-bought Church? Will she not respond? What a beg, garly sum this is for a great Church to handle. Give them an opportunity to do so. Oue thing is certain; never in our history was it so important for every Synod, Presby tery, Session to make the utmost effort to put The Presbyterian Progressive Program over. We can if we will. God helping us we will. A. A. L. Contributed NO CROSS, NO CROWN. By Mrs. Mary Payne Garnett. The Master asked of me a cross to bear, A grievous cross which none with me could share; I wanted not this burden which He gave, I willed that He with joy my pathway pave. Long years have passed since lirst this cross was given. Time has not lightened it, and I have striven Alone the weight to carry all the way, Nor dreamed it need not heavier grow each day. It still is mine ? will be through all the years, But as I carry it I have no fears That I may ever falter on the road, For now Another carries half my load. Brownwood, Texas. CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA. Our desire for union with other churches seems to be endangering Christianity itself, certainly in China. The serious obstacle to 'union with the Northern Church has been its permitting some of its Presbyteries to license as Presbyterian ministers men who reject the Virgin birth of our Saviour, his miracles, the atonement and other doctrines taught by Christ Himself. Of what value are guarantees of the fundamentals of the Westminster Con fession in the Nanking Seminary when pro fessors there express disbelief in them and teach the destructive criticism of those doc trines? Can we compromise, for instance, Christ's atonement and His glorious resurrection for the sake of a nominal union! What have Christians in common with men who vote down and refuse to accept declarations of faith in "Redemption through the Blood of Jesus" and in "the whole Bible is the inspired word of God?" They are without the very founda tions of faith in Chirst's Gospel and really only accept a few of the benefits that flow from it. They would enjoy some of the less valu able fruits that grow on the tree of Chris tianity, such as moral and social reform, while they lay the axe to the root of the tree itself. We need today a clear perception of truth as Christ teaches us, an abiding faith in Him and a Calvinistic backbone. We tread softly, 'we deal gently with those who reject our Firm Foundation, laid for our faith in His excellent word, lest we offend them, when it is our duty to oppose them even to the extent, if need be, of giving offense. The soldier of the Cross knows that his real battlefield is his own heart, where daily struggles with his own weaknesses, his own innate sinfulness take place, struggles which would be vain without faith in the Re deemer and the help of the Holy Spirit. If Christ was not the Son of God, if his death on the Cross was not to atone for our sins, if He did not rise again, then are not only we, but all men most miserable. These "wolves in sheep's clothing" who undermine the faith of Christians in our own land and of the heathen who are beginning to turn unto God, are the Church's worst enemies. They are "boring from within" for her de struction ; offering, in their blindness, as foun dations for the souls of men to build on sinking sand. At one of our great institutions of learning, the members of the faculty and of the com munity formed a literary club. A German scientist was invited 011 one occa sion to address them. In very bad taste he launched into destructive criticism of the Bible. A lady, born and educated in England, but for many years a citizen of Virginia, lis tened restlessly and when the speaker was in the midst of his animadversions of Christ, slie arose, and as she left, with tears streaming down her face, exclaimed: "I cannot sit longer and hear my Saviour spoken of in such a way." T. B. W. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GOING TO CHURCH BY RADIO. By Rev. R. S. Boyd. ? 4 What Hath God Wrought ! ' ' Such was the significant exclamation that flashed through the ether for the first time seventy-eight years ago between Baltimore and Washington. But with the developments ot science, building as it has upon that achieve ment, and discovering the radio we might bet ter ask, "What will God work?" or "What is God working?" The radiophone is another "wonder of the world." Only the Infinite Mind knows what the future holds in store from this invention. Like a score of other things it has stepped into line to take its place in the onward march of modern civilization that knows no retreat. The effect of radio upon the business and commercial world is possibly not as appre hensive as its effects upon the social and re ligious world. Since it has come to demand a place in the life and activities of the Church of the religious world we stop to ask in all sincerity, what are the advantages and disad vantages of "going to church by the radio?" Some Advantages of ' ' Going to Church by Radio." It woidd be a very cynical and dogmatic mind that did not recognize some good to the Church in so wonderful an invention as thai which eliminates all obstacles and makes the human voices audible for thousands of miles. Under the power of God who gave it, as He gave the beasts that appeared in the vision to Peter, it may be exclaimed, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." It is one of those great material forces that must be bridled, trained and put to work for the building of the kingdom of God. Already a large number of churches are erecting radio distributing stations to broadcast their sermons and music to great areas of country round about. The great Baptist Church at Shreve port, La., erected at the cost of half a million dollars, is equipped to minister to a terri tory several hundred miles in diameter through its radio station. Churches that have no pas tor may assemble and worship at the same time and through the same minister and choir as the Shreveport Church by a simple receiving apparatus. One of the advantages immediately appar ent is the possibility of hearing the world's greatest speakers, greatest musicians and en tertainers through the radio. Not only churches who h*ve no pastor may be provided with one at little cost, but those who have no choir or pipe organ or orchestra may step up into the class of the wealthy city church by