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Our London Letter.
10 Paternoster Row, Feb. 7, 1907.
So far as the discussion on the “New Theology”
has proceeded it has served to show that the minis
ter of the City Temple is not receiving support
from any prominent quarters. That must be dis
appointing to Mr. Campbell, for already he has ac
cused some of his friends of deserting him —scur-
rying off like rabbits to their holes, to borrow the
elegant phraseology of the leader of the movement.
His chief supporters in his own denomination do
not carry any weight. One of them was a Unita
rian minister in a provincial city up till eighteen
months ago, and is now the co-pastor of a suburban
Congregational church. He is busy with his pen
in the weekly newspapers that are espousing Mr.
Campbell’s cause, but, so far as I can judge, he is
not making much impression.
Mr. Campbell is at present taking a month’s rest,
and other men are filling bis pupit. Today the
week-day service was conducted by the Rev. Charles
Brown, of Hornsey, one of the ablest Free Church
preachers. The arrangement to preach for Mr.
Campbell was made more than a year ago, but
Mr. Brown, I am told, placed the matter before his
own deacons and offered to withdraw from it if
that was their desire, in case his appearance in
the City Temple pulpit might be misunderstood.
But they saw no reason for his breaking the ar
rangement. I knew what to expect before going
to the service, for in his own pulpit and to myself
privately Mr. Brown had dissociated himself from
the “New Theology” movement. His sermon to
day was one of the most brilliant he has ever de
livered, thoroughly orthodox and evangelical in
its every utterance, and full of evangelical fire.
Taking the words of the apostle Paul, “For I de
livered unto you first of all that which I also re
ceived, how that Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures”; the preacher dealt with the
nature and the origin of that message, and bore
his own testimony to the saving and keeping power
of Jesus Christ. The large audience listened with
intense earnestness to the passionate deliverance
of the gifted speaker, and at several points broke
out into applause. I don’t know what the office
bearers of the City Temple thought of the sermon,
but its whole spirit was in distinct contradiction
to the teachings of their own minister. A few
weeks ago, Mr. Campbell declared that the author
ity of the apostle Paul was of practically no more
value than that of any other man; today Mr. Brown
made this declaration: “If there is no more weight
attached to St. Paul’s utterances than to the ut
terances of any other man, then St. Paul is grossly
deceived, and —I almost hesitate to say it,
it sounds like blasphemy—St. Paul is a liar. That
is a reductio ad absnrdum; you know better than
that.”
Though the honored founder of the Barnardo
Homes for destitute children has been called to
his rest, the work goes on unchecked, and this
afternoon I had the pleasure of being present at
the opening of another Horae in one of the city’s
districts. The new building was formally opened
by the Duchess of Somerset. A pretty incident
marked the start of the proceedings. Seated in one
of the front seats was a sweet little, flaxen-haired
girl from one of the Homes carefully clasping a
large bouquet of beautiful flowers. When the
Duchess took her seat on the platform the tiny
mite moved toward her and held out the rich col
lection of flowers. “'How lovely!” exclaimed the
Duchess in admiration of the gift, and then she
took the little girl in her arms and imprinted a
kiss on her cheek. At the present time the Homes
have over 8,000 boys and girls under their care,
and since their inauguration over 62,000 destitute
boys and girls have been rescued and trained for
careers of usefulness. Many of them have gone to
Canada, where they are always welcomed. Dr.
Barnardo did a great work for the nation when he
started his Homes in the east end of the city. He
died in harness. A few weeks before he passed
away, I asked him whether, if he had his life to live
over again, he would spend it in the cause of
the helpless children, and he replied that he
would do as he had done —only better. He is gone,
but his work lives after him, and it is satisfactory’
The Oolden Age for February 28, 1907.
to know that the public eontinues to support th*
Homes, and that last year was a record in the mat
ter of subscriptions.
J. KENNEDY MACLEAN.
The Saloon.
Senator Carmack, of Tennessee, writes as fol
lows to the people of Clarksville, Tenn., in response
to an invitation to speak in that city during the
temperance fight which is now in progress there,
prior to the election to be held on this subject:
“ While I cannot be personally present to take
part in your campaign against the saloon,” says
Senator Carmack, “my earnest wishes are for your
success. There is not a single reason, moral, eco
nomic or otherwise, why the saloon should be per
mitted to exist anywhere. It is a prolific breeder
of crime, corruption and poverty. There is not
a community that would not be richer in material
wealth, which would not have cleaner government,
better citizens and happier homes without the sa
loon than with it. From the most materialistic
standpoint it is a curse. We often hear the argu
ment that the abolition of the saloon would injure
the business prosperity of the community. What
wealth does it create? It cannot be too often re
peated that wealth is the product of the industry
and intelligence of man, and that which is a de
stroyer of man is a destroyer of wealth.
“It is argued that even if saloons be abolished
it will not stop the drinking of intoxicants. While
this is true in a measure, it is no defense for the
saloon. Young men do not learn to drink out
of a jug in a back alley. Nor does the sneaking
bootlegger wield the corrupt and pernicious in
fluence of the open saloon. The saloon-keeper would
not go to the expense of providing costly furniture
and luxurious surroundings if he could sell as much
whiskey out of a jug over a rough plank bar. The
experience of every community in Tennessee which
has banished saloons is an invisible argument in
favor of its abolition in other communities. There
is not a town which has rid itself of the saloon
in which it could be restored by a vote of the
people. Actual experience has demonstrated in
every case the folly of every argument advanced by
the supporters of the whiskey cause.
“Why should the good people of Clarksville
fear their experience would be any less happy than
that of all other communities which have done what
Clarksville is now asked to do? It has been said
that wise men learn from the experience of others,
but that fools must learn from their own. No town
in Tennessee has a more intelligent citizenship
than Clarksville. I ask only that her people look
abroad over the state and learn from the experience
of other’s, and let that instruct them as to the
duty they owe to themselves and their children.”
The Hebrew Law-Giver.
A Brilliant Lecture by Hon. George R. Wendling.
One of the most interesting numbers of the course
of lectures given under the auspices of the Atlanta
Lecture Association was that delivered on the 20th
inst., by Hon. George R. Wendling, of Illinois.
Mr. Wendling, while an able and successful lawyer
and a jurist of distinction, has been for some
years on the lecture platform, and has attained
the rank of one of the foremost speakers in the
country. His subject at the Atlanta lecture was
well-chosen, and furnished excellent scope for his
literary, historical and oratorical attainments. Be
ginning his talk with a vivid pen picture of the
splendor of the ancient cities of Babylon and As
syria, of the complex and culture civilization
which marked that era. and portraying in brilliant
literary style the fall of these magnificent munici
palities, Mr. Wendling held the attention of bis
hearers from his first word to his last.
His portrayal was especially graphic when he
spoke of the young Hebrew student, Moses, as he
mingled with the myriad other students at the Uni
versity of Heliopolis, and of the wonderful powers
of leadership -which distinguished this young man
from his fellows. The demonstrations of power
afterwards displayed by the man, Moses, as he
led his people through the wilderness for forty
years, his commanding ability as the first law-maker
the world had ever known, the distinction which was
his of being the first to offer to the world the
rest of the Sabbath, and, most of all, the responsi
bility which was his in being the medium of trans
mission for the laws of God into the keeping of
man, was all pictured with the hand of a master.
Perhaps the text of Mr. Wendling’s lecture may
be found in the statement that “God always turns
the scale of human events by the weight of a great
man,” and that “Man being made in God’s image,
the more manliness he revealed the more of God
did he show.” Certainly, Moses, the man, the
prophet, the leader, as pictured by Mr. Wendling,
was in very truth the Moses of the inspired
Scriptures—“ Moses, the greatest personage the
world has ever known, save only one, and He was
not man, but God.”
Track Through the Bible.
(Continued from Page 6.)
is one of the most superb in all the Bible, as a
revelation of the truth that through methods which
may appear almost unkind, love is working perpetual
ly toward the higher development of those upon whom
it is set. In strange contrast the song now became
a wail as the unfaithfulness of the loved people
was described. Such unfaithfulness had resulted
in discipline necessarily severe. The people who
had turned to the false were abandoned to the
false. The face which had been as the sunlight
was hidden from the people who had turned their
backs upon it. The very tenderness of love had be
come the burning of a fierce anger, and the bene
fits had been replaced by chastisement. The song
then broke out into lament, “Oh, that they were
wise,” and, finally, celebrated God’s ultimate de
liverance of His people. Finally, Moses appealed
to the people to be obedient.
F. SIXTH DISCOURSE: THE BLESSING.
These are the final words of the man of God.
Often before had he set before his people blessing
and cursing. His last words were of blessing only.
In stately and majestic language he affirmed anew
the majesty of Jehovah. The great words of bless
ing were pronounced upon the tribes, Simeon only
being omitted. Reuben and Judah were referred to
in terms which suggested that they were to be saved,
yet so as by fire. Levi having lost all earthly
things for the special honor of bearing the word
of God, would receive the reward of such sacrifice.
Benjamin was to have the special protection need
ed by frailty. The choicest things were said con
cerning Joseph. His were all precious things, and
the goodwill of Him who dwelt in the bush. His.
therefore, was the portion of government. In Is
sachar and Zebulun there was to be the triumph
over disability. Gad, overcoming at last, was to
be a judge; and Dan was the type of conquest.
Naphthali was to be satisfied, and Asher sustained.
Thus in his final benediction Moses made the pecu
liar realization of the blessing of the tribes unfold
the all-sufficiency of God.
The last chapter of Deuteronomy is in ail proba
bility the writing of another hand. It contains the
stoiy of the death of Moses, the equipment of Josh
ua for his work, and a final, tender reference to the
great leader and lawgiver. The passing of Moses
was full of beauty. Tn the fact of exclusion from
the land toward which his face had so long been
set. was the punishment. Yet it was tempered
with mercy. There had been no weakening of his
force. Everything ended in full strength. He
went up to die, and Jehovah gave him the vision
of the land, and buried him in the valley.
The final words are almost a wail of sorrow:
“There hath not arisen a prophet .... like un
to Moses.” Thus ends the last book of the Penta
teuch. The nation created for regeneration among
the nations was on the margin of possession. The
great story will now move on through the history
of these people to the coming of the promised One.
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