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THE POINT OF VIEW.
Much is to be made of this homely phrase.
We are prone to condemn things ? words or
deeds ? in people, which run counter to our
ideas of the right and proper and conventional.
Many things seem to be impure, but too often
the impurity lies in the beholder and not
in the thing beheld. "To the pure, all things
are pure."
We are hearing many condemnations from
the pulpit of woman's dress, and young peo
ple's speech, and humorous sermons and un
usual occurrences. Is it not true that much of
the shock that these things bring to conven
tional souls is due to a lack of the right point
of view?
The newspapers are covered with accounts
of crimes and peccadillos and outrageous sins,
until we are sometimes foolishly driven to be
lieve that crime is universal, social sins every
where, and outrages on every street.
When we stop to consider that, this is an im
mense country ; inhabited by a heterogeneous
mass of humanity, with no set standards, as
jet of conventional life, with news gatherers
everywhere and electric lines to carry the news
with feverish haste; and above all think that
the commonplace, the conventional, the ordi
nary good deeds of people do not call for no
tice, the views of most of us change.
We have gotten to a different point of view.
Of course the vagaries in the moral sphere
shock the calmness of our correct community,
but ours is only one of thousands, and the
standards of one may not exactly be the con
ventions of another. The progress of the
world seems to be by ebb and flood. The tides
set out and th.?y reveal a hideous mud-flat of
iniquity and disorder; but after a while the
rolling tide comes back and our ugliness is hid
den from view, and c^ansed by the life-giving
waters of the salty sea of goodness.
Philosophy has its point of view. Just now
it is sweeping out into the maelstrom of ma
terialism. The idealistic philosophy of the high
minds of the past has given place, for a season,
to a crass form of materialism. Well, from
that point of view we are in an evil way, but
the view will change. Thought cannot be sat
isfied with mud. Minds cannot feed on mol
luses of the flats.
Life will react and the point of view will
give us visions of the sunlit mountain heights
of the great ideal. God is keeping watch, and
all the materialism of the world cannot ob
scure God, or destroy His existence. When
the fogs have rolled away He will still be
seen.
In theology some are imagining we are get
ting to a new point of view. It is a mistake
Theology rolls in eyeles. The denial of the
supernatural, while it exalts the superhuman,
is only a device of man to build a tower of
Babel whereby he ean elimb to heaven. It is
made of mud-bricks and will crumble with
the years. While the Hock of Ages will still
lift Himself up as the centre of theology and
the hope of man.
The battle rages between Radicals and Fun
damentalists and Organizationists, and much
dust and smoke arises. The fog will settle
and we will see the truth still standing and
laughing, as the rock clifTs of Scotland, at the
storm-king's futile efforts. The Church has
many schemes of regenerating the social or
der. Its point of view is that a new coat and
a full-fed body will make a new man out of an
old reprobate.
The letters of the alphabet are exhausted to
name the new societies that will make a new
Social Order. Let it go at that. Surely they
cannot do much harm, and at least let vent to
a vast deal of easy-going enthusiasm. The old
order ehangeth, giving place to new, and all
the while God is fulfilling Himself. Let the
point of view be considered rfnd the worst pes
simist will be changed into a radiant opti
mist.
Wise is the teacher, preacher, any man, who
can get to the point of view, first of the times
as a whole, and second to the individual with
whom he is dealing. If h.? can somehow put
himself in the other man's place and yet re
tain his own, he has the victory. Be decided;
yes, we ought to be able to give a reason for
the faith that is in us; but see the other point
of view. It will save sleepless nights and
much disturbance of soul, and sighing of heart.
It will save your friends from your sodden
views of life and relieve many a hopeless situ
ation.
A. A. L.
Contributed
REV. PARKE P. FLOURNOY, D. D.
By Dr. Addison Ilogue.
No, this heading does not mean that he has
been called from earth to heaven, for his bow
still abides in strength. This article is intended
to show how he, being alive, is speaking to an
ever-widening audience.
As is known to some of my readers Dr.
Flournoy long ago proved himself, in certain
lines of Biblical knowledge, one of the most
scholarly men in onr Church. His first work,
"The Search Light of St. Hippolytus," ap
peared in 1896. In 1903 his "New Light on
the New Testament" was published. Both of
these books are well-known in certain circles
and are highly valued by men eminently quali
fied to judge.
It is still not unfrequently happens that a
prophet receives more honor out.-'ido of his
own country than he does among his own peo
ple. I by no moans say that this is exemplified
in the ease of Dr. Flournoy, but certainly his
work has found most gratifying recognition
abroad. The first distinguishing mark of this
recognition came when he was elected a mem
ber of the Victoria Institute of London, on the
basis of his first book.
The Victoria Institute was founded in 1866
to investigate the assertion that religion and
science are not in agreement, and the Earl of
Shaftsbury was its first president. In 1912
Dr. Flournoy received the Gunning Prize for
his paper on "The Bearing of Archaeological
and Historical Research Upon the New Testa
ment." So far as I know this was the highest
honor a member of the Institute could receive
at that time. But a still higher one was in re
serve. In 1919 the Institute decided to select
seven papers out of the 580 that had been pre
sented in the first half century of its existence
(1-866-1916), and to publish them as "Tracts
for the Times," and Dr. Flournoy 's prize essay
was one of the seven, and as "Tract Number
Five," it was published, containing about half
of the original matter. This tract has been
rendered into Portuguese for use in Brazil,
and a new translation is contemplated by the
same scholar who put the "Search Light of
St. Hippolytus" into Portuguese. It has also
been translated into Bulgarian, but perhaps
not published yet. And quite recently Rev. J.
A. Kohout, a Czecho-Slovakian, has translated
it, and an edition of 5,550 copies has been is
sued in Prague. Wouldn't is rejoice the heart
of IIuss to know this? Perhaps he does. "Who
can testify to the contrary?
Washington, D. C.
SUMMER LOYALTY CAMPAIGN IN THE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
By Rev. J. II. Patterson.
What has been characterized as one of the
most effective summer programs has just
closed in the Presbyterian Church of Braden
town, Fla.
After thinking seriously and praying ear
nestly over the usual summer slump that all
churches seem to experience, the following out
line of a campaign was submitted by the pastor
and adopted by the officers and congregation
of the church.
Name ? Summer Loyalty Campaign.
Slogan ? Each for All and All for Each.
Purpose ? Three-fold: First: To encour
age loyalty to Christ and the church and to all
of its organizations. Second : Extension of
our personal Christian influence. Third: To
get acquainted with ourselves as a family.
The city was divided into three divisions ?
North, South and West. Each division was
officered by a captain, four lieutenants who se
lected monitors for every class in the Sunday
School and also for every church service and
Christian Endeavor Societies.
The membership was divided as equally as
possible in the three districts and the divisional
organization was allowed to conduct the work
in their district as they pleased. It was a bat
tle among the membership and various
schemes were worked to instill enthusiasm.
This was working out the chief desire of the
pastor. God is active at all seasons, so why
should we be inactive in our Christian duties?
The campaign was worked on a point and
percentage basis. Points were given for at
tendance and for every church ^r organization
duty done. This included prayer meetings,
Christian Endeavor Societies of which there
are three, a mission study class. Duties In
cluded ushering, singing, playing, taking part
in services, etc.
The prayer meetings were conducted by the
church societies and certain Sunday School
classes. The aim of this particular meeting
besides the regular work was to get members
and strangers acquainted.
Perfect scores were kept. A census was
taken at every service, and the results posted
ever}r week on a large score board. The Sun
day School awarded banners to the class gain
ing the largest new membership, also to the
pupil who brought the most new scholars.
Needless to say, it took a lot of working. It
seemed a ponderous machine at first, but it
soon gained momentum and only needed su
perintending. The younger members were
most enthusiastic during the whole campaign
and took great delight in seeing how many
points they could secure.
The results were greater than we antici
pated, We had an attendance at all meetings
beyond our fondest fancy. The attendance at
prayer meetings hovered about the one hun
dred mark for every meeting (church mem
bership 270). The Home Department trebled
its membership. The Cradle Roll jumped to a
100 per cent. The membership of church, Sun
day School and Christian Endeavor Societies
increased considerably. Possibly the best thing
accomplished, however, was the unearthing o?
a mine of unknown talent at the mid-week ser
vices which the Lord can now use profitably.
The tourist season being near, all of this
work should stand us in good stead. Every
thing was done in a clean, healthful, reverent
way and brought no reproach on our blessed
Lord. It was a case, of everybody up and do
ing as it always should be. The campaign was
managed in a masterful and Christian way.