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T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
Absalom Stealing the Hearts of Israel By Rev. J . F ra n k Norris P asto r F irs t B ap tist Church, F t. W orth, Texas
and girls, our young men and young women, fresh from th e fam ily altar, where the Bible is read and revered, and te a r th e ir virgin faith to shreds by raising all kinds of dark arid insinuating questions, w ith ambiguous phrases and subtle suggestions. They p u t out th e strugg ling ligh t of hope and faith and plunge th e ir studen ts into ou ter d ark ness. But when these same professors are called upon to come out in th e open and face men who know th e ir treach ery, who know th eir methods, who know th e ir insinuations, they flee like lightning-bugs before the rising sun. THIRD,— they have form ed a powerful conspiracy. The god of th is age is th e god of wealth of th is world, th e god of the political force's of this hour, the god of th e wisdom of th is age, and we face a powerful conspiracy. We behold th e little struggling denom inational college selling its b irth rig h t for a mess of Mr. Rockefeller’s pottage. We see th e one-time orthodox school, th e little college th a t once made ch aracter, now “ standardized” and accepting in toto and w ithou t question, th e plan, program and curriculum of Chicago University. The various evangelical denom ina tions are sharpening •th eir axes on th e grindstones of the Philistines. It is a world-wide conspiracy. Recently we have had th e spectacle of th e W orld’s B aptist Alliance,—much to commend it. W onderful and gracious for b reth ren of like faith and order from all over th e earth to meet together in common fellowship. But “Be ye no t unequally yoked together w ith unbelievers: for w hat fellowship h ath rig h t eousness w ith unrighteousness? and w hat communion hath ligh t w ith darkness? And w hat concord h ath Christ with Belial? or w hat p a rt h ath he th a t believeth w ith an in fidel?” We w itness th e main spokesman, th e genius, .the rea l founder, th e man who has been the Executive Secre ta ry and who still is th e European Executive Secretary, unanimously elected again a t Stockholm, a man who stand s for everything th a t Fundam en tal Baptists oppose. In his book, “The Churches a t the Cross-Roads” he advo cates th e following: F irst, Open church membership. Second, Union of all denom inations. Third, Union of the united denom inations w ith the church of England. ■ . - F ou rth , He advocates ordination of B aptist preachers at th e hands of the Episcopal church. F ifth , He endorses Roman Catholicism in th e following words: “T h e C a th o lic a n d th e P u r ita n a r e c o m p le m e n ta ry to each o th e r. T h ey n eed ea e h o th e r fo r fu ll-o rb e d f a ith a n d o rd er. L e t m e tr y to in d ic a te th e eh ie f p o in ts o f d ifferen ce. Of co u rse, I am s p e a k in g g e n e ra lly a n d w ith o .u t th e q u a lific a tio n s W hich e x a c t d efin itio n w o u ld re q u ire . T o m e, th e g r e a te s t th in g a b o u t th e C a th o lic C h u rch is th a t i t h a s k e p t th e fa ith . In a ll its lo n g h isto ry , it h a s n e v e r w a v e re d o r w e a k e n e d b efo re its foes. I t h a s n e v e r tr ie d to m a k e te rm s w ith th e w orld, by g iv in g u p a n y p a r t o f th e d e p o sit of fa ith . A t its h e a r t you find th e G ospel.”— P a g e 172. Our orthodox b reth ren , certain Southern b reth ren in cluded, entered into th e conspiracy, th e plan, the political agreem ent to vote for Dr. Shakespeare for re-election, pro vided th e ir man was elected president. This arrangem ent, this agrém ent, th is Tammany H all conspiracy, took place in th e parlo r of a hotel a t Stockholm, Sweden. Is th ere any wonder then, th a t m ultiplied thousands of God-fearing men and women have ventured to raise a ques- (Gontinued on Page 120)
| HE darkest and most tragic picture in th e Old Testam ent is th a t of th e treason and rebellion of Absalom against his fa th e r’s throne. There are several distinct and sep arate steps, or stages, in his treachery and rebellion: F irst, “Absalom stole th e h earts of th e men of Israel.” Second, “Absalom sent spies throughout' all the tribes of Israel.” Third, “Absalom sent for Ahithophel * * * And the conspiracy was strong .” F ou rth , “Absalom reigneth in Hebron.” F ifth , “Absalom met the servants of David.” This Old T estam ent tragedy is only equalled and p aral leled by th e treach ery of Jud as Iscariot in th e New T esta ment. The enemies, those who have done th e most harm and h u rt to the tru th , are not on th e outside b u t on the inside. “Wounded in th e house of his friends” has ever been tru e, and will be tru e to the end of th e age. David was powerful enough, statesm an enough, general enough, leader enough, to defeat, overcome and subdue all the foes and enemies on th e outside of his kingdom. He could crush u tterly the m ighty Philistines and drive them before his conquering army like chaff before th e wind. But when his own son rose against him, an enemy w ithin the ranks, a tra ito r w ithin the fold, then we behold the m ighty David, the one who could slay bears and lions and Goliaths and k ings|#-w e behold him fleeing, bare-footed and head covered, across the valley of Jehosphaphat, fol lowed by his terrified servants and broken army. W hat a picture of Modernism,— its methods and its re sults! A generation ago the Bob Ingersolls were outside. Today, they are on the inside. They have been baptized, ordained, have string s of theological handles to th e ir names, teach in sem inaries and preach in our pulpits. They have accomplished th e ir work while th e tru ly orthodox have been asleep, or indifferent. They have come w ith fas cinating and pleasing voices of orthodoxy, b u t w ith the bloody and treacherous hands of infidelity. They have come w ith “ Hail, M aster!” on th e ir lips, bu t w ith th e price of p erju ry in th eir hands. They have come as angels of light, proclaim ing themselves the m inisters of righteous ness, bu t the direct representatives of Satan. FIRST,— they have stolen our schools, or they are in the act of it. Schools, colleges, universities and sem inaries th a t were once the G ibraltars of orthodoxy,— in stitu tion s th a t stood one hundred per cent for all th e fundam entals of the faith, are now th e citadels of th e enemy. Millions th a t were given w ith th e tears and prayers from th e saints of God in the generations gone by, to defend and contend for the faith , are now used to pay the salaries of men to destroy th e faith. Like Absalom, they possess pleasing personalities, and on th e surface, are blameless in th e ir lives. When chal lenged fo r th e rig h t shibboleth, they relate th e ir "Chris tia n experience” and demand th a t we pu t our faith in th eir experiences, ra th e r th a n in th e Word of God. SECOND,— they have sen t o u t th e ir spies. Their work is done under cover, or behind th e cu rtain of darkness. “ But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” They take our boys
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