S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
October 22, 1913.<br />
A FAMILY PAPE3R.<br />
CHRISTIAN NATION PUBLISHING CO.<br />
1105 Tribune Building, N. Y.<br />
EDIT ORIAL<br />
John W. Pritchard, Editor.<br />
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 22, 1913.<br />
REFOR.AI NOTES.<br />
A paper was given by Rev Dr. Charles E.<br />
Wishart, of Pittsburgh, in the Cliristian Instructor<br />
favoring Union under the heading,<br />
"The Passion for Cbristian Unity." This<br />
has stirred Rev. E. B. Stewart, of Chicago,<br />
and he has written for the same newspaper,<br />
under date of October 7, on "The Poison of<br />
Uniformity."<br />
In the course of his article<br />
he says:<br />
"But why talk of union where there is no unity?<br />
I affirm that union with the Presbyterian Church<br />
is impossible because there is no unity in the<br />
Presbyterian Churcli itself. There can be no adequate<br />
credal basis formed, for there is no content<br />
of faith that is adequate now held by the Presbyterian<br />
Church. Openly many of the cardinal doctrines<br />
of Christianity are denied. Take the things<br />
that are emphasized in what is called the Apostles'<br />
Creed, and most of these are openly denied and<br />
the action is officially sanctioned, as in the action<br />
in New York. I affirm that there is equally no<br />
possible basis In the matter of practice. It is astounding<br />
to hear the practices that have been<br />
uniformly 'condemned by the Church now openly<br />
defended. I was perfectly amazed to hear a rather<br />
prominent Presbyterian Bible Class teacher here<br />
in Chicago speak of his own practice in a certain<br />
matter and never blush while doing it. Four ministers<br />
of different denominations were having a<br />
heart to heart talk one day, when the Presbyterian<br />
brought up the question of what we would do if<br />
the members of our offlcial boards were setting<br />
the example which he said his men were doing.<br />
He is still pastor of that church and I wonder at<br />
it, when he is so conscious of the wrong conduct<br />
of these men. I believe he is a : good man, and<br />
yet he is in great straits. It has been but a few<br />
years since Dr. Wishart was offered the pastorate<br />
of a large Presbyterian church in this vicinity.<br />
Could he have delivered the goods had he gone<br />
there? I do not think so. This is why union<br />
movements go halt, why federation makes no<br />
greater progress and why unity is impossible. Dr.<br />
Wishart says we need <strong>org</strong>anic union to aid the<br />
great Mission movement. The <strong>org</strong>anic uniformity<br />
which he advocates would not prove helpful.<br />
Why? Because the Presbyterian Church cannot<br />
deliver the goods. The same thing is true of Social<br />
Service and Rural Work. Much has been<br />
done in both these lines by some in the Presbyterian<br />
Church. What reception does a movement<br />
to head off the Catholic Church in any practical<br />
affair here in Chicago get from many of the Presbyterian<br />
Churches? Try it and see. You will be<br />
called bigoted, narrow, impolitic, and be told to<br />
concern yourself with the great work of the kingdom.<br />
I have tried it and know. The Edinburgh<br />
Conference is a sad commentary of the way a conglomerate<br />
mass of people will act on this Catholic<br />
Question. The late Portland Convention on Good<br />
Citizenship is another evidence of the same weakness<br />
in the matter of Secret So'cieties. We were<br />
told to hold a conference, but that we could not<br />
have a place on the offlcial program. The National<br />
Christian Association arranged for the conference<br />
and the powers that be tried hard to get<br />
it put off. Why? One of the most prominent men<br />
of Portland was a great lodge man. He was of<br />
such character that one of our trusted United<br />
Presbyterian ministers refused to be on the General<br />
Committee with him. This craven spirit was<br />
the result of playing to the crowd and the vanity<br />
of mere bigness. Are we to become mere 'opportunists,'<br />
to use a word which some men here apply<br />
to themselves, and mean thereby that they<br />
will stand aside and let anything be done that<br />
any set of persons want to do who claim that<br />
there is seeming good to themselves in the doing<br />
of it? These men are continually crying out<br />
against theology and calling for religion. Can we<br />
have Christian religion without Christian theology?<br />
Not if history be permitted to bear testimony."<br />
* * *<br />
"It is true that the people of the South are <strong>org</strong>anically<br />
one with us in this nation, but I never<br />
heard of their having much to do with the making<br />
of the terras of that union. There is little parallel<br />
one way or the other in the whole matter. The<br />
one great lesson which history teaches that is to<br />
the point is that no <strong>org</strong>anic union can be made<br />
with those who lower the flagor reject the Constitution.<br />
Christendom has a banner of truth to<br />
be displayed and a constitution clearly defined for<br />
its government. 'Civil and religious liberty and<br />
power depend upon the co-operation of the loyal.<br />
No other co-operation is possible. No other aim<br />
is desirable."<br />
THE CHRISTIAN<br />
SOLDIER.<br />
The apostle to the Gentiles uses many familiar<br />
figures to illustrate the Christian life<br />
and among others a character only too well<br />
known in his time, that of the Roman legionary<br />
who had conquered the world. This man<br />
from whatever race he had sprung, had been<br />
trained by his Italian masters to march, to<br />
camp, to fight, and all in such a disregard of<br />
ease, of obstacles, and of enemies, that he<br />
went resistless and untiring on his way.<br />
These were qualities that presaged success<br />
and Paul, who m.editated the overthrowr of all<br />
evil and the conquest of the spiritual world,<br />
desired the cultivation of these same characteristics<br />
in the converts to whom he was<br />
to commit his unfinished work.<br />
They were to be men devoted, as he had<br />
been, to the truth, and to him who was in<br />
himself the truth. This truth he would<br />
"commit to faithful men" who with soldierly<br />
valor and with a disregard of hindrances,<br />
such as he himself had shown, would bear an<br />
unflinching testimony to an unwilling world.<br />
Eor Paul himself had been a great soldier, a<br />
scarred and triumphant vetei-an in the service<br />
of his King. His weapon bad been the<br />
Word, his aim the salvation of the soul, his<br />
onfct almost irresistible. He was the model<br />
soldier and he sought to enlist worthy recruits,<br />
like Timothy, in the cause which he<br />
served. He wanted tbem to bear faithful<br />
witness to the truth in all places, to all people<br />
and at all hazards. That was his desire<br />
then and it is the desire of all apostolic m°n<br />
now.<br />
Those who become good soldiers of Jesu<<br />
Christ must expect to bear hardships.<br />
That<br />
is the lot of soldiers on a campaign, and a<br />
man who will not endure hardship has no<br />
place in the ranks. A soldier who straggles<br />
on the march, who hunts the rear in the battle,<br />
who makes much of little troubles and<br />
fears to risk danger, is a weakness and not<br />
a strength. An army of such people would<br />
be a derision to its enemies and a danger to<br />
its friends. Multitudes of such men havebeen<br />
put to flight by a comparative handful<br />
of real soldiers. So in the battle for Christ,<br />
soldiers are needed who will face danger with<br />
undaunted heart and stand for the truth,<br />
however unpopular it may be, with steady,<br />
manly courage. After Peter and John had<br />
been arrested, tried and commanded that they<br />
should not speak at all nor teach in the name<br />
of Jesus, they went home and held a prayer<br />
meeting, praying that with "all boldness"<br />
they might speak the word. They were good<br />
soldiers of Jesus Christ.<br />
These soldiers are tO' free themselves from<br />
all entanglements tbat hinder their effectiveness<br />
that they may please him who hath chosen<br />
them to be soldiers.<br />
Whatever stands in the way of the most<br />
direct, full and powerful testimony is a hindrance.<br />
Any connections that tie the soldier<br />
up with worldly plans and purposes, anything<br />
that compromises the truth and his<br />
freedom to proclaim it, will not, cannot,<br />
please him whom he serves. The Lord himself,<br />
who before Pbntius Pilate witnessed a<br />
good confession, compromised nothing.<br />
When asked if he was a king, he answered,<br />
"Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end<br />
was I born, and for this cause came I into<br />
the world, that I should bear witness unto<br />
the truth." He is a leader and commander<br />
to all good soldiers.<br />
We may be assured that every Christian<br />
soldier fights under tbe eye and with the personal<br />
support of the Lord Jesus. He goes<br />
not a warfare on his own charges, Hor fights<br />
undistinguished and alone. When he bears<br />
witness to the truth, the word spoken never<br />
returns void, but accomplishes the purposes<br />
of his leader. So he is never really defeated<br />
and he never is to give up. He is never to<br />
lose rfaith or be discouraged. He will find<br />
hardship, plenty of it, and weariness and<br />
maybe wounds, but he that has fought a good<br />
fight is a good soldier and at last shiall wear<br />
the crown victory.<br />
We are enabled to again lay before our readers<br />
the announcement of Youth's Companion, and<br />
we wish it distinctly understood that our hearty<br />
and unqualifiied recommendation accompanies the<br />
announcement. Every reader, whatever his age<br />
or occupation, is unconsciously impressed with the<br />
'conviction that this broadly and wisely edited paper<br />
is especially adapted to his own needs and<br />
tastes. And that Is veritably true, for the Y'outh's<br />
Companion is every man's paper. Men of every<br />
condition and profession are wedded to it. and in<br />
addition, all who read it will aflJrm that "it united<br />
young and old through their common enjoyment<br />
of delightful Action, agreeable miscellany, and<br />
the clear exposition of public questions."