62
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
February 1930
and exact interpretation. The editor of The Advent Wit ness concludes: We believe that the Scriptures mean what they say, and say what they mean, in such a simple manner that the wayfaring man and the fool shall not err therein. We do not want the Lord to say when He comes, "O fools and slow o f heart to be lieve all that the prophets have spoken.” It will be a poor answer to say we did not like to take them literally. Are Miracles a Liability or an Asset ? S OME modern Christian ( ?) apologists claim to have a Christ who can effect a sinner’s adjustment with God, who can and does furnish the soul with those “abiding experiences” which bring peace and rest, who guides unerringly through the journey of life and lights up the path beyond the grave— in short, a Christ who does all that orthodox Christianity has ever expected the Lord Jesus Christ to do—and yet who is not the Christ of the New Testament. He is accredited with power to accom plish in the soul a work that is nothing short of miracu lous, but we are asked to believe that He was not born of a virgin, that He performed no miracles, that He did not rise from the dead, and we are told that if we load up our Christian faith with the necessity of supporting a belief in such miracles we have a heavy liability and not an asset. The question arises, however, can a Christ who never rose from the dead, quicken one who is dead in trespasses and sin? Are not the miraculous deeds of Jesus necessary to attest His right and power to save the soul? This is the conclusion reached by Professor C. R. Hard ing. He writes in The Presbyterian o f the South as follows: I ask in all earnestness, in all soberness, and, too, in all reverence, who would care to commit his soul for time and eter nity to a man Jesus, no matter how noble and good his life, who merely professed to know about God and heaven and hell, about His love and His wrath, His mercy and His judgments, and yet was unable or unwilling to do miraculous deeds attesting this knowledge, and whose body once dead remains to this twentieth- century day mere dust and ashes in some lonely Syrian grave? Love Him? Yes. Follow Him? Yes. Trust Him for eternal salvation? No. Rather pity Him for His tragic and helpless fate. Persuade men that Jesus did not rise from the dead, and Christianity, as such, will itself soon be dead and humanism will reign supreme. Why cannot the silent or sleeping or unalarmed religious pacifist of our day understand that this is true, and gird himself to fight the deadly poison of Modernism? What Is Repentance? T HE Westminster Confession, adopted in 1647, has the following definition of repentance: Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out o f a true sense of his sin, and apprehension o f the mercy of God in Christ, doth with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God with full purpose of and endeavor after new obedience. And now comes a leading Modernist with a totally different conception of the meaning of the word. He says : Repentance is right-mindedness, sanctified common sense, the intelligent réadaptation of one’s personality to its divinely purposed development. One is struck with the high-sounding phrases of this modernistic creed. It will appeal to sinners who do not wish to think of the guilt of sin and who do not intend to quit sinning. There is no recognition of the justice of God, or of the mercy of God in Christ. There is no shame, no sorrow, no recognition of need. Who will say that this is the Christian doctrine of repentance? Nor is this
creed anything new; its sentiments can be found in pre- Christian Greek Philosophy.
Italy and Palestine A WR ITER in The New Palestine is aroused by the >report that plans are under way for the setting up of an international commission to investigate conditions in Palestine. He is astonished that any Englishman should publicly support such a proposal, particularly because the British Commission of Investigation, headed by Sir Wal ter Shaw, may not conclude its labors for some months. In casting about for an explanation of this strange propo sition, his eyes turn toward Rome. He says : ine idea is one which has a great many ramifications, one o f the lines extending to Italy. When the Mandate for Palestine was bestowed upon Great Britain there was keen disappointment in Italy. The feeling now prevails that the Fascisti are gazing hungrily toward an expansion in the Mediterranean with an eye to the Holy Land. The Italians have been deeply interested in every occurrence in that section of the world. When the troubles broke out in Syria, Mussolini was in expectation that his aid might be required. Now that Palestine is in the limelight Italy favorably_ views it as a potential outlet for her surplus popula tion. Italian ambitions in this direction are fortified by the new status o f the Vatican, which would seem to justify Italy in keep- mg an eye on the Holy Land. One wonders whether England is willing to encourage Italy s affection for the Jewish homeland. Classified Fundamentalists XJTUMAN nature does not fail to assert itself wherever J. J- groups of men gather together for fellowship and service. It is usually only a question of a short time before there is at least a temptation to cleavage in the ranks, as minor questions arise.' In political organizations may be found a “ right wing” and a “ left wing,” and then a larger group in the “middle of the road,” ready to be swayed to either extreme. And now there seems to be evidence of the same tendency within the ranks of the Fundamentalist movement, even at this early date in its history. Evangelist W. E. Pietsch is quoted in Grace and Truth as saying, at a recent meeting of the Fundamentals Association of Colorado: Fundamentalists have, by their actions and public utterances here in America, consciously or unconsciously classified them selves in one o f three groups: Pacifist Fundamentalists, Con- tending r Fundamentalists, or Contentious Fundamentalists. I would like to be definitely placed in the second class. This is a day when we must earnestly contend for the Faith, and with no uncertain sound. Fundamentalism is not merely a high-sounding word and a sound doctrinal statement, but a godly, consistent principle in life—living daily the truth we profess. Every Contending Fundamentalist should have a heart big enough to take in every child of God and narrow enough to exclude all evil. Many are.more loyal to their denomination than they are to Christ. We have some Contentious Fundamentalists who have always some fault to find with any other Christians who are not in their particular camp, branding as heretics, Modernists, mid- dle-of-the-roaders, and other vicious names, those who differ with them. There are two dangerous extremes to be found among Fun damentalists : the sweet, suave people who are afraid to declare themselves, and the Contentious Fundamentalists. We can earn estly contend for the Faith with no compromise, and yet in the spirit o f love and kindness. May God find us faithful at our respective posts until we hear the summons' home 1 Editorial Announcement I N the March issue, will appear the first of a short series of sermons on the Second Coming of Christ, by Dr. P. W . Philpott, pastor of the Church of the Open Door, Los Angeles.
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