September 1928
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are star-gazers, deluding themselves with the idea that they have a higher spiritual philosophy than their fellows, and who never manifest it in practical service to their neighbors. Such people are to be pitied as much as the Liberalists who depend upon their social endeavors and walk not in the way o f the cross. Take that most profound theological treatise— the epis tle to the Romans: does Paul leave his readers to imagine they may call themselves Christian because they have an intellectual grasp of the great doctrines of redemption, justification and predestination? No, indeed! He devotes the entire closing section to showing that the only badge a Christian can wear is to go about the practical duties of life under the control o f the Spirit o f God. . Christianity, according to Paul, is something that affects the details of
before any drastic step is taken in the exercise of the final authority of the church. This is the method of a true, representative government and we have confidence that the Princeton authorities are going to respond to it in a big, Christian way and one of the greatest institutions o f the Presbyterian Church is going to be saved to the church in a larger service than it has ever known in all o f its history of true and constructive work, and it has a history o f which any seminary might be justly proud. The mission of the church found gripping expres sion in the reports o f the major boards of the church. The crying needs of the church, the nation and the world were expressed by the Boards of Christian Education;. National and Foreign Missions. Each one o f the reports showed a statesmanlike and a Christian understanding of
conduct. Piety to him is more than attending meetings and singing: “ I ’m living on the mountains, un derneath a cloudless- sky.” The epistle to the Hebrews gives the Spirit-taught student a deep insight into the meaning of the new covenant and the higher privileges the Christian has o f access to God. But does the writer leave one to think he is to draw aside and spend his time shouting “Amen! Glory! Hallelujah!” ? He corrects that idea at once in the closing chapter. “ To do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb. 13:16). The con clusion of the whole argument is that the God o f peace who saves us through the blood of the ever lasting covenant, desires to perfect us in every good work to do His will (vs. 20-21). Spiritual religion is not un earthly. A Christian is first of all to be good — to have a character that will of itself do good as the Holy Spirit prompts. The spir itual man should, o f all men, be the most truly human and the best fitted to carry out earthly respon sibilities. If, today, Christian peo ple are being reproached because they spend so much time quibbling about words, that should be spent “ in every good work,” it is because
the situation confronting Chris tians in this critical and restless time, as well as a real sense o f the responsibility resting u p o n the Church o f Christ to meet these needs, ' In a masterly way the Board of Christian Education showed the imperative need for thorough and wide preparation o f the people to meet this need. In this connection the Assembly appointed a commit tee to investigate the matter of the preparation of lay workers by the church. This is a matter in which our Institute is vitally interested and we are sure that the subject will compel a more serious consid eration on the part of the evan gelical churches. W e are glad the Presbyterian Church is taking it up in a serious way. An intelligent and sympathetic reading of the doings of the' Tulsa Assembly can not help but encour age all true, lovers of Christ and His work. We congratulate our own Dr. Walker for the fine Christian, fair and masterful way in which he presided over the meetings. Are We Just Star-Gazers? A PROM INENT New Y o r k pastor has been paying his respects to Judaism and is quoted
No More
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“My honored friend and brother ,” wrote Whitefield to Wesley, “ for once hearken to a child, who is willing to wash your feet. I beseech you, by the mercies o f God in Christ Jesus our Lord, if you would have my love con firmed towards you, write no more to me a b o u t t h e misrepresentations wherein we differ. Why should we dispute, when there is. no possibility o f convincing? Will it not in the end destroy brotherly love, and insensibly take from us that cordial union and sweetness o f soul, which I pray God may always subsist between us? How glad would the enemies o f our Lord be to see us divided. How would the cause o f our common Master every way suffer by our raising disputes about particular points o f doctrine. Honored sir, let us offer salvation freely to all by the blood o f Jesus, and whatever light God has communicated to us, let us freely communicate to others.”
they are not truly following in the footsteps o f the One they profess to have accepted. Nothing could be more practical than true Christianity— nothing further removed from mere barren idealism and a visionary spirit. Rev. James A. Francis, D. D., LL. D. W HEN on the last day of June God called Dr. James A . Francis, for fourteen years pastor of the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles, to Himself, one of the best loved and most highly esteemed pastors of Southern California lay down his earthly task and left in the hearts of thousands of Christian men and women an intense long ing for the sound of a voice that for us is stilled awhile. Dr. Francis was a strong man with an unusually attrac tive personality that endeared him to many. He had a
by The Sentinel, a Jewish weekly, published in Chicago, as saying that Judaism is superior to Christianity. One need not be surprised, however, at such a statement coming from a Liberalist, for he stands on the same ground as the Christ-rejecting Jew. But, in what way does this preacher regard Judaism as superior? It is, he says: “ in its emphasis upon the moral law as the heart o f Christian experience. Christianity is inclined to concern itself primarily with matters of theo logical belief, whereas Judaism does not hesitate to con cern itself primarily with matters of ethical precept and example.” One who is a careful reader of even the doctrinal epistles of the New Testament, cannot but get out of patience with critics who talk after this fashion. It doubt less is true that there are many among the orthodox who
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