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ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index
Published Every Thursday
By BELL Jt VAN N ESS
Address Christian Index, Atlanta, G a
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“If ”
‘•lf vou were me. and I were you,
And all the world was twisted, too,
What do you think that you would do
If you were me and 1 were you ?”
“ If 1 were you and you were me,
l'd be as good as good could be;
I’d never fret, nor tease, you see.
If I were you and you were me."
“ if vou w ere me and 1 were you
You think that you'd be go d and true?
Well. It’s as easy a thing to do
W hen 1 am I, and j ou are you.”
“Since I’m not you and you’re not me,
Suppose we try. each day, to be
So good that nobody can see
Which I Is you, and which Is me.”
—Pansy.
The Bible a Historical Book.
It has long ago been settled in
the consciousness of Christen
dom that the Bible is, in the tru
est and most proper use of the
word, one book Its very title,
by which it has come to be uni
versally known, and which has
been given to it in this conscious
ness, indicates the recognition of
it not only as a book, but, with
unique emphasis, as the Book.
Very deafly, however, its
unity,so recognized,is something
different from that which we
commonly have in mind when we
speak of a book. It is not a con
tinuous and logically connected
discussion of one topic; it is not
one as a treatise, a drama,
a poem, or a history; it is not
one in either the subject matter
or the style of its composition; it
is not the work of one author,
not the product of one age, not
originally issued in one country,
or written in ore language—in
fact, the Bible is, as we all know
when we give it thought, a Book
of many original books, sixty-six
in all, thirty -nine of the Old Tes
tament and twenty-seven of the
New. And these books were
written by almost as many dif
ferent authors, in differentcoun
tries —countries as far apart
from each other and as different
in the characteristics of their
civilization as Egypt and Arabia,
Chaldea, Assyria, Judea, and
Rome; in different ages, ages of
history extending over a period
of more than a thousand years.
In the critical investigation of
historical documents, which is
one of the characteristic special
ties of modern scholarship, the
real historical origin of the sev
eral parts of the Bible has re
ceived and is receiving such scru
tiny as it never had or could have
had before; and laying great
stress on this diversity of author
ship, the inference is drawn that
the Bible can no longer be re
garded as essentially different
from other books, at least not
from such as treat especially of
religious history and dcctrine.
But there is one point of essen
tial difference between the Bible
and all other books or class of
books with which it may be prop
ir’y compared, which is strange
]y overlooked and left entirely
out of-account by those who are
disposed to rest in this conclu
sion. Suppose we should collect
and bind up in one volume the
literature —the books accredited
as the classics —of an equal num
ber of countries in other parts of
the world for an equally long pe
riod; or, to make the case more
exactly parallel, suppose it were
possible to trace the history of
any other ancient race of men
scattered through as many suc
cessive ages among other peo
ples in as many different parts of
the world, and so far identified
with each of these nations as to
participate in the diversified
characteristics of their various
civilizations; and suppose such
tracing to be made through doc
umentary evidences written at
different periods in one country
and another; and then that all
these documents should be collect
ed and bound up in one volume —
what a heterogeneous book we
should have ! What diversity,
without possible reconciliation,
in its contents ! What utterly ir
reconcilable differences of
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
( SUBSCRIPTION, Pee Yiab.---52.00. I
ITO MINISTERS, 1.00.1
thought and feeling! How unlike
and altogether out of harmony
with each other the views of
life, the representations of its
habitual ways and works, the
theories of its purpose and desti
ny would be presented by the dif
ferent authors, representing each
his own time, people, and age !
How many different and disagree
ing religions would thus be rep
resented '. how many and vary
ing ceremonies and modes of
worship! how many gods as the
objects of worship, with attrib
uted characters as multiplied and
conflicting as their numerous
names ! No one with any knowl
edge of history would expect for
a moment the possibility of any
more harmonious result if he
should attempt to bring together
such a collection of the documen
tary representatives of the dis
ferent stages of ancient civiliza
tion for so long a period as fifteen
centuries in any part of the
world.
But when we turn from this
imagined collection to that which
we actually have in the Bible,
what do we find? Marvellous,
and except on one explanation
utterly unaccountable, the fact
that from beginning to end,
throughout all its seventy sep
arable books, with their original
diversities of language, scope,
purpose, and style, there, is a sub
stantial agreement, an accordant
harmony, and in some important par
ticulars an absolute identity of both
practical and doctrinal teaching.
1. First of all, and most im
portant, there is this identity of
doctrine with respect to the Supreme
Being, the Author and Sustainer
of the created universe, unto whom
all religious worship and service
are due and to be rendered
11 Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our
,God is one Lord.” This is the
fundamental proclamation which
is accepted and held with faith
that is absolutely identical by
every writer of every book, and
never lost sight of or departed
from on any page or in any word
of the Bible, from beginning to
end. The Bible is emphatically,
as its unique distinction, the
Book of Goo. ,’lts one purpose
is to tell of him; his being, na
ture, and will. In the conscious
ness of every reader this pur
pose differentiates it, and makes
it stand apart from all other
books; and no matter what the
special object of any one of its
particular books, its one dom
inating purpose is ever felt to be
the revelation of God and of his
supreme dominion in the world
and throughout the universe.
2 Then, not less remarkable,
is the entire agreement of all its
writers in declaring God to be per
fectly righteous, holy, and good.
From Moses to Isaiah and the
last of the prophets there is
unanimous agreement that there
can be no shade of evil in God,
that from everlasting to ever
lasting he is absolutely perfect in
goodness as in power. “The
Lord, the Lt rd, a God full of
compassion and gracious, slow
to anger, and plenteous in mercy
and truth; keeping mercy for
thousands, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin, and that
will by no means clear the guil
ty.” “Thus saith the high and
lofty One that inhabiteth eterni
ty, whose name is holy; I dwell
in the high and holy place, with
him also that is of a contrite and
humble spirit, to revive the spir
it of the humble, and to revive
the heart of the contrite ones.”
“I will come near to you to judg
ment; and I will be a swift wit
ness against the sorcerers, and
against the adulterers, and
against false swearers, and
against those that oppress the
hireling in his wages, the widow,
and the fatherless, and that turn
aside the stranger from his
right, and fear not me, saith the
Lord of hosts. For I the Lord
change not; therefore ye, O sons
of Jacob, are not consumed ”
It is not possible to exaggerate
the contrast between the revela
tion of God, which is given in
such passages (and they are but
specimens of the unanimous
teaching of the Bible throughout
in both Testaments), and the con
ceptions of the character of su
pernatural beings, whether of
the Supreme Deity or of his su
bordinate divinities, which is
found in the primitive records
and legends of all other ancient
peoples. We need not take for
this purpose the grotesque and
monstrous viciousness which
filled the classic Pantheon with
unutterable defilement. We may
go back to the “cleanest and pur
est record of theological belief
in all antiquity” outside of the
Bible, that which is still to be
read on the monumental stone
of the Moabites, and the funda
mental difference in conception
and feeling relating to the super
natural, as Professor Sandy,
whose learning and candor are
alike unimpeachable, observes,
is none the less apparent.— The
Inspiration of History—Mulchahey.
For the Christian Index.
Free Research and Firm Faith.
BY JOHN R. SAMPEY,’ D. D.
Several years ago Pi of. Basil
Manly, Jr., was invited to de
liver an address at the commence
ment of Newton Theological In
stitution. He chose for his sub
ject the caption of this article.
While preparing the address my
honored teacher and colleague
talked a good deal with me upon
the subject, so that I became fa
miliar with the main purpose he
had in view. He aimed to es
tablish the proposition that free
research and firm faith are not
enemies, one of the other, but
fast friends. He held that free
dom of research is liable to run
into license, unless accompanied
and tempered by genuine faith
in God. On the other hand, faith
is in danger of falling into mani
fold errors, unless enlightened
and clarified by patient and un
trammelled investigation. To
possess one, while wanting the
other, is to be one -sided. To
unite the two in holy wedlock in
one’s life is to be an ideal Chris
tian scholar. The beloved
teacher has gone from us, but
the central thought of this ad
dress has been of immense ser
vice to me, and I have thought
that, in view of certain questions
now agitating the Southern Bap
tists, it might be profitable for
us to call attention to Dr. Manly’s
theme.
For the sake of brevity we may
be allowed to limit our view to
those who teach in our schools
and colleges, upon whom special
and weighty responsibilities rest.
How does our subject apply to
teachers?
1. Possibly all will agree that
every teacher in a Baptistschool
ought to be an avowed believer
in Christianity. It seems a pity
that skeptics should ever find
positions in our denominational
colleges.
Most of us would probably
agree that our teachers ought
also to be thorough-going Bap
tists. Certainly this is essential
in our« theological seminaries.
Here at least we must require
every instructor to be sound in
doctrine and in 1 ife. The learned
German critic Wellhausen, who
has done much to overthrow com
servative views as to the Bible,
is not at all suited to a professor
ship in a Baptist Seminary, be'
cause his faith is not firm. Our
people would have just ground
of complaint against any board
of trustees that might seek his
services. But if the learned Ger
man could conscientiously sub
scribe the Philadelphia confes
sion of faith, his stores of knowl
edge would be of great service to
our denomination. The founders
of the Southern Baptist Theolog
ical Seminary were wise in re
quiring every professor in the
institution to sign certain articles
of faith. It is interesting in this
connection to remember that it
was Dr. Manly’s hand that drew
up this masterly compend of
Baptist belief. So clear and
comprehensive is this confession
that it seems incredible that any
Baptist should wish to add new
tests of orthodoxy. No man that
believes a creed like this can be
a foe to the Baptist denomina
tion. Thinking people will not
be surprised to know that there
are differences of opinion in the
faculty as to many minor mat
ters of interpretation, while on
the Seminary creed there is per
fect unanimity.
2. But no man is qualified to
be a teacher in college or semi
nary who could for a moment
consent to surrender his right to
investigate and to think for him
sfif. To give up freedom of re
search is to stultify oneself. If
indolence keeps a teacher from
the prosecution of investigation
in his department, the trustees
ought to relieve the students of
the incubus. If fear of the heresy
hunter makes a man shut his
eyes to facts merely because they
are difficult to explain, such
timidity breeds more doubts in
the minds of wide awake pupils
than fearless research. To be
sure, earnest inquirers after
truth sometimes lose their way,
but the world would be greatly
the loser if this should lead to
the curtailment of freedom. We
may well rejoice that the Pope’s
censor can no longer light the
fires of the Inquisition. Our de
nomination can never as a whole
take any delight in the public
castigation of one of their trusted
leaders for having the courage
to publish the results of his re
search, even though his conclu
sions trench upon our pride of
ancestry. To stop the mouth of
such a man for proclaiming an
unwelcome truth is but to pub
lish abroad our intolerance.
But some one is ready to ask
how it is possible to combine
deep faith with absolute freedom
of investigation. Suppose one’s
studies should cause him to call
in question some cardinal doc
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 10. 1896.
trine of the Christian faith, what
ought he to do? Leaving the
question of the struggle going
on in the bosom of such a teacher,
one may remark that such a con
test, if prolonged, would greatly
weaken the instructor’s power
and usefulness, potior would
require him to resign, if he could
not conscientiously teach the en
tire creed he had promised to
support.
After a full and free conference
with one of his colleagues, the
gifted Toy, in 1870, presented his
resignation to the Board of Trus
tees, and they accepted it, be
cause his views of the doctrine
of inspiration had departed from
the Seminary article upon that
subject. The faculty were a unit
in the opinion that Dr. Toy’s
resignation should be accepted.
How does this discussion ap
ply to the war on Dr. Whitsitt?
If the president of our Seminary
is to be denied the right to go to
the bottom of Baptist history,
our freedom of research is gone.
Our great institution of learning
is discredited in the eyes of the
scholarly world. Every profes
sor will be afraid to read Baptist
history, lest he discover facts
that may cost him his position.
Research would be stifled. His
tory would come to be evolved
from one’s inner consciousness
in accordance with one’s dog
malic position.
Nay, verily,, 'J&ptists have
not forgotten the vast difference
between oppression : nd liberty.
After sober reflection when they
find out the true inwardness of
this attack, they. will say to the
president of the Stmi iary: Pur
sue your studies diligently and
give us the facts j list as they oc
curred. Do not cover up any
thing, but speak tl e whole truth,
and be sure you s'peak nothing
but the truth.
There is not a professor in the
Seminary who thinks that Dr.
Whitsitt ought to resign. Not
one of us thinks there is any suf
ficient ground for calling a spe
cial meeting of Board of
Trustees. If onecf-iour colleagues
were to commdLe teaching
heresy, the K- not be
slow to take liri in hand.
Broadus and Boyde loved Toy
with genuine affection, and were
proud of his scholarly attain
ments, but they did not hesitate
for a moment when they learned
of his change of vviews. Let no
loyal Baptist far removed from
us in Louisville 1 fear that per
sonal affection for our associate
would make us unfaithful to the
trust committed to our hands.
Dr. Whitsitt as w< know him is
an orthodox theologian, a most
informing and inspiring teacher
of church history, andanadmira
ble presiding officer. His indus
try is phenomenal his courtesy
unfailing. He seems to us worthy
to hold the seat of his great
teachers, Boyce and Broadus.
For the Index.
Leaving ome '
BY REV. C. W. PRUITT.
Abraham was called upon to
practice a series of self-denials
partly as tests of his faith, not
the least of which was the one
conveyed by the order, “Get
thee out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from thy fath
er’s house.”
Now perhaps no man ever
heard this order but with pain.
The great majority of the human
race settle down quietly in their
native surroundings feeling sure
that taken upon the whole they
occupy just about the most favor
ed spot on the globe. This com
fort at home is God sent and
heaven blessed. We must stay at
home and cultivate the spot God
has given us. But there
are exceptions. We must
not all stay at home, and we
must not stay all at home. Some
times the man of faith must leave
his father’s house and sometimes
the rest of the folks must go
with him in their sympathy,
their faith and their contribu
tions.
My subject, leaving home, has
more in it than at first appears.
For instance, I often see men out
here in Ciiina who are to all in
tents and purposes still in Geor
gia or Kentucky, in Maine or in
Great Britain. Anything differ
ent from the home method is es
sentially ludicrous and to be cor
rected as soon as possible. Such
persons undertake too much.
They spend much valuable time
trying to accustom the Chinese
to strange foreign manners
which are really no better than
the Chinese, since no principle is
involved. Such persons have
only left home in body. Their
souls have never left home.
The leaving home required of
God involves a breadth of imagi
nation and sympathy. Indi
viduals have individual souls,
and races have race souls. The
conflict of races is perpetual.
The Missionary is as prone to it
as the stayer at home. It is
easy enough to love individual
Chinese whose lives are modified
by grace, but the race! Ah,
there’s the rub! It is not easy
to travel far enough from home
for that. Now the great trouble
is want of understanding, of sym
pathy. We haven’t taken pains
to get the point of view of our
Celestial neighbor. We neither
know nor care whether his hid
den motive is worthy of admira
tion. Perhaps the rude awaken
ing comes, if it ever comes at all,
by our learning that John re
turns the compliment in full
measure. His race prejudice is
just as strong as ours. We find
that we have neither left home
nor been received abroad.
Now the very essence of love
is to understand. That love that
persists in misunderstanding its
object is a mere pretense.
Neither can love be forced. A
forced relation is unnatural and
unprofitable to both sides. We
must love the Chinese and we
must do it from reason. We
must leave home. We must get
near enough the Chinese race
soul to see there the image of our
Father however defaced. We
must cleave to them in spite of
their imperfections as being the
very elect of God. Only then can
we give our lives for them with
relish.
This other is true, too. You
cannot send your money to China
while you yourself remain at
home and hope that it will do
any good. God is no pauper
that he needs such stingy gifts.
The very reason for wanting
your gifts is that you too may
go along with your gi fts. There
is a sense in which you too must
leave home and get close to your
Chinese brother. We want no
sympathy with his sins and
superstitions, but we do want
sympathy with the man. An
earnest and able Missionary said
to me during the late war with
Japan that the thing he most de
plored was the loss of sympathy
the continued Chinese defeats
would occasion at home. The
civilized world did China a great
wrong. China’s defeat was ine
vitable. Primitive rudeness is
no match for modern science.
The great race soul here had
never gone abroad, hence the
defeat. God has now issued the
command. China will obey. Her
eyes will be more and more
turned to the west. Will you,
my brother, meet her at least
halfway? Jesus, you know, came
all the way to save you.
The plea of this article is that
the brethren of our churches at
home study China in her strength
and her needs sympathetically,
discriminatingly and patiently.
Mere gifts of money is not all
that is needed.
Hwanghien, Chefoo, China.
Preachers In Politics.
BY OBSERVER.
That a minister of the Gospel
has the right to vote and to ex
press his convictions upon the
political issues of the day, no one
can deny; but even in doing this
it becomes him to be exceedingly
cautious; for he may be the pas
tor of people who belong to dif
ferent parties, and he cannot af
ford to become a partisan. It may
be admitted that a preacher has
the right to enter the political
arena, but I seriously doubt if it
is expedient for him to do so. I
have never known a preacher to
do it, no matter what excuses he
might assign, who did not lose
caste. These reflections have been
suggested by reading the decla
ration of Dr. R. C. Burleson, of
Texas, to the committee who in
formed him that he had been
nominated for Governor upon the
Prohibition ticket. Dr. Burleson
said, “Fifty years ago I conse
crated my life to preaching the
gospel and tolChristian education,
and all the honors and gold mines
on earth could not swerve me
from that great life purpose,since
I am profoundly convinced that
in this way I can best promote
the glory of God and the welfare
of my beloved Texas.” These
are strong words, and I am in
deed glad that Dr. Burleson has
set this noble example before our
preachers. I have not a single
doubt but that he is correct in
feeling that by continuing in the
ministry he can best promote the
glory of God and the welfare of
Texas. And 1 feel sure that any
preacher can do more to help ev
ery good cause by keeping out of
politics, and saying, “This one
thing I do.”
An observation of twenty years
has taught me that the preachers
who become politicians are not
influenced so much by the great
cause which they pretend to es
pouse, and for which they are al
most ready to suffer martyrdom,
as they are by personal ambition
and a consuming desire for the
honors and emoluments of the
world. This is the real ruling
power, and the power is held up
as an excuse fordoing that which
they know all good men will con
demn. But no amount of personal
explanation, and no condition by
which we may be confronted,will
cause people to justify a minister
of the Gospel in leaving the high
est calling in this world, and
coming down to the stench and
tilth of politics. In this instance,
at least, I believe in the voice of
the people. In conclusion let me
commend the following words
from the Texas Baptist and Her
aid:
“A preacher that goes into politics
niakesa sad and pitiable confession. He
makes a double confession; first, that
there is no one among his fellow citizens
so suitable for the position he seeks as
himself.- and second, that there are oth
ers more suitable to preach the Gospel
than himself This naturally leads him
to love politics more than religion. A
minister may legitimately make tents.as
did Paul, practice medicine, as did
Luke, plow corn, chop wood, practice
law, preside in courts, go on missions of
mercy, justice or truth, but to go into
politics and leave his calling of a Gospel
minister, when there are hundreds of
good men that are willing to accept the
trials and tribulations of a political life,
is a spectacle to make the angels weep. ”
Daniel Marshall s Grave.
A. B. SEALS.
Since reading Dr. Hillyer’s rem
iniscences on Daniel Marshall, I
am impressed to call attention to
some facts in reference to the
grave of this pioneer saint,
whose life and labors ought to be
appreciated by our great host of
Baptists in Georgia
While assisting a brother in a
protracted meeting in Columbia
county last week, 1 went to Ap
pling courthouse and visited the
grave of the man who planted the
Baptist banner in our State. I
blushed to see it in such fearful
neglect. It is almost in the
public road,near the public square
in Appling. It is unfortunate
that Daniel Marshall does not
sleep in the cemetery at Kiokee,
the mother church of the State
and founded by him.
This solitary grave is inclosed
by a crumbling and badly dilap
idated rock wall grown full of
wild shrubbery, with no slab or
inscription to identify the place.
Brethren, this ought not so to be.
My own love for the name and
the cause he loved makes me
want to help to fix up his resting
place in respectable condition.
Please allow me to call attention
of those who may be interested,
and let’s see if some one will not
speak out and start a movement
that will bring the required re
sults. We love to honor our pa
triotic heroes in the state; why
should we neglect our grand he
roes in the churches ? Can there
not be formed a small association
for the purpose of raising funds
for putting a small monument
over the grave of Daniel Mar
shall?
The practical problem, then, is
how to counteract the allure
ments of the metropolis, how to
broaden and liberalize existence
in the smaller towns, how to sup
plement the advantages of near
ness to nature by the added in
terests of art and intellect. Some
towns in the Eastern States have
already effectually solved this
problem by the establishment of
libraries, lecture courses and lit
erary circles, by generous co
operation for intellectual ad
vancement. But in general lit
tle has been done. Very often
sectarian jealousies bar the way,
a spirit that must first be over
come to make true reform possi
ble. It is here that ministers and
teachers have a duty and a great
promise. By the establishment
of a general literary society,
open to all of literary tastes, in
which the social element is not
neglected, the way will be led to
courses of lectures, intellectual
contests, and exhibition of home
talent, to the founding of a
library. In every way inter
est in matters intellectual may
thus te simulated. The lect
ures provided by many of our
universities,in University Exten
sion, can also be turned into a
potent agency for bringing the
country town in touch with the
world’s best thought. The ma
terial is at hand, the unjaded in
tellect of country people, not
surfeited with excitement, not
blunted with sensationalism, is
appreciative of the truly great
in art and life; leadership and or
ganization are all that is needed
for a development of real cult
ure and intelligent study in the
rural towns, so that residence
there may no longer be consid
ered mental starvation. Some
fostering of local patriotism,
some endeavor to make the home
town not merely a place of habi
tation but a union for higher life,
some enthusiasm, some little
self-sacrifice on the part of a
person able to read, and our
country towns will indeed par
ticipate in all that is good and
noble in civilization while free
from the disfiguring taints of
larger cities.— The Independent.
VOL. 76-NO. b7
Kor the Jndbx
Reminiscences of Georgia Baptists.
BY S. G. HILLYER, D.D.
V.
.REV. JESSE MERCER, D.D.
My recollections of Dr. Mercer
reach back to my early boyhood.
His name was a household word
in our home, and he was well ac
quainted with my parents long
before I was capable of knowing
his worth or appreciating his
character. Nevertheless, the
way in which I heard him
spoken of by the older people
impressed me very deeply—l
thought of him as somehow su
perior to the common order of
men.
I can distinctly remember my
feelings the first time I heard
him preach. I was still a young
boy, but old enough to know that
I had no religion, and my carnal
heart made me really somewhat
afraid to hear Mr. Mercer
preach. So I quietly concluded
that I would not attend his ap
pointment. But when the day
came and the other members of
the family were getting ready to
start to the meeting, my mother
said to me, as if she suspected
my intention, “Granby, I want
you to go with us to hear Mr.
Mercer to day.” I replied that I
preferred not to go to day. She
seemed a little perplexed, and
giving me a searching look, as
if she would read my thoughts,
she said “ I know the reason you
do not wish to go—you are
afraid you will be converted.” It
was a home thrust. Lparried it
as well as I could, rather awk
wardly I confess; but in compli
ance with her wishes, 1 w’ent
with the family to hear Mr. Mer
cer —the man whom I had al
most dreaded. Well, I heard the
sermon, but I was not converted,
for my foolish heart was dark
ened. His sermon, I suppose,
was what his pious auditors ex
pected it to be, but my state of
mind rendered me incapable of
appreciating it. Little did I
then think that the time would
come when I should sit without
fear or dread and listen to him
with delight as he expounded the
riches of Divine grace through
the crucified Redeemer. Thanks
be to God, through that grace,
such a time did come.
Dr. Mercer’s preaching w r as
sometimes expository, some
times argumentative, but al
ways instructive. His style
was remarkably simple, but clear
and forcible. His thoughts were
rich and glowing, so that they
seemed to lift his simple diction
up to the realm of sublimity,
evinced by the wrapt attention
of his hearers and the abiding
effect of his discourses.
I witnessed a scene that would
illustrate the sketch just given
if I could only describe it. It
was in 1836, in the town of For
syth. There had gathered a
large number of Baptist minis
ters, for the purpose of trying to
bring about a better feeling be
tween the missionary and anti
missionary Baptists. Brother
Mercer was the moderator of that
meeting. In order to convince
the anti-brethren that they mis
understood the views of mis
sionary Baptists, a free discus
sion of the doctrines of grace,
especially the doctrine of elec
tion, was allowed. Several
speakers took part in the discus
sion. The interest in it was ex
treme. At length Dr. Mercer was
called on to give his views. Leav
ing the moderator’s chair he
walked down the aisle a few
steps, that he might be in the
midst of and began
to talk. His theme was God’s
electing love.
I was then but a stripling in
the ministry. My theology was
in its formative state. I had
quietly accepted the doctrine of
election, because it seemed to be
taught in the Scriptures, but it
had given me some trouble. I
therefore gave profound atten
tion. I cannot, at this late day,
give an analysis of his discourse,
but his argument developed this
conclusion: That the human
heart being as it is—at enmity
with God and dead in trespasses
and in sins—without electing
grace, no sinner would ever ac
cept the Gospel. As he reached
this conclusion the venerable
speaker was deeply affected.
Ljoking up for a moment he said
with deep emotion: “Thisis all
my hope” and burst into tears.
Tne effect was electrical, people
were wiping their eyes all about
the house.
The effect upon myself was
wonderful. All my trouble about
the doctrine of election was re
lieved. Not that I was able to
comprehend it in all its depths,
but I was able to see that, human
nature being as it is, electing
love must be, if any were saved,
an essential element in the great
scheme of human salvation.
True, in the application of this
electing grace are mysteries