S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org

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