117
March 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
The League of Christian Churches in China i T has been felt for some time that there was conservative churches, called The League of Christian Churches, was accomplished. Among societies represented by delegates at the meeting, or who signified a purpose to unite in the organization, were the Irish Presbyterian, Canadian Presbyterian, American Presbyterian (North and South), Christian Reformed, American Lutheran, Southern Baptist, China Mennonite Society, Mennonite General Conference, National Holiness, Christian Mis sionary Alliance, Bethel Mission, China Inland Mission and affiliated missions, Nazarenes, and Free Methodists. It is believed that before a year passes there will be more than a hundred thousand Christians in the League. The following- is a translation of the creedal basis of the League: 1. We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are all inspired by the Holy Spirit, and so are our only infallible rule of faith and practice. 2. We accept the Apostles’ Creed as being in perfect accord with the principal doctrines of the Holy Scriptures. 3. We believe in the one only God, who exists in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these three being the same in substance, equal in power and glory. 4. We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ became man- by being born of the virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit, and so had a perfect human nature. All His words and works were just as recorded in the Gospels. He died in man’s stead, and as our Substitute redeemed us from sin. He rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven as our Mediator, from whence also He shall come the second time both as Judge and the blessed Hope o f believers. 5. We believe that the Church, which is composed o f saints who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ, is the body of Christ. This significant movement will surely be taken upon the hearts of all sincere Christians for prayer. It may be, after all, that the deliverance of Chinese churches from the blight of modern infidelity will come through the faith of the humble native Christians rather than through the foreign leaders. — o — First Things First I N The Record o f Christian Work for January, appears an article under this caption which contains the follow ing paragraph: We need to center our attention upon the distinguishing office of the Church. Sociology and political reform cannot replace religion. The Gospel is not a new catalogue of duties, but a source o f spiritual power. We can bring men to God by bringing men back to Christ. The writer of this paragraph is Dean Shailer Mathews, of Chicago University. Upon reading it one urgent need for an affiliation of Chinese churches and Christians who could not conscientiously enter the National Christian Council because it opened wide the door for many to enter who denied the very foundation truths of Christianity. On November 29, 1929, the organization of such a union of
might be puzzled and inclined to wonder, perhaps, when and how this man could write as he does since he does not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ as the Church has always understood that doctrine, nor in the Virgin Birth, nor in the Gospel miracles, nor in the physical resurrec tion of Christ, nor in the fact of Christ’s coming again. Has he begun to return to the old faith? Does he really say that men can only come to God through Jesus Christ, the Son of God? The question is answered when we go a little farther in his address. He says: We can bring God to man and man to God. Evangelism is more than revivalism. It is the evoking of new loyalty to Chris tian ideals and the application of spiritual power to human needs. This is our central task as churches. According to this, the program is to bring God to man and man to God by the “ evoking of new loyalty to Chris tian ideals and the application of spiritual power to human needs.” This is not bringing sinners to God through Jesus Christ the Redeemer. Indeed, it is not offering salvation through a Person, but through a philosophy. It is a preaching of Christian ideals and principles, not preach ing Christ: Some will say, perhaps, it is only a difference in terminology. This cannot be. Plausible and promis ing as it may seem to be, it offers an old method that has. never had any power to transform the individual or renovate society. It is not the Gospel which is “ the power o f God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” Let us indeed put first things first, but let us not put that first which is outside of and contrary to the Scriptures. — o -— Celebration of Anniversary of Pentecost T HE much-advertised celebration of the nineteenth centennial of Pentecost by Ohio churchmen is a matter of history. It is reported that more than five thou and celebrants came to Columbus from all parts of the United States. No doubt there was much about the pro gram to which true Christians could raise no objection. It is apparent, however, that there were some features which cannot but cause one to believe, to put it mildly, that the celebration utterly lost sight of the thing to be celebrated. According to press reports, the gathering was defi nitely modernistic in tone. One of the speakers was a Columbus layman who, if, he is correctly quoted, spoke somewhat as follows: I doubt if there is any other book which ranges from such sublime heights to such degrading depths as the Bible. The Bible was not written by God. If God wrote the Bible He would have done a better job of it. . . . All scholars agree that the trin itarian references in the Bible are pious forgeries. The question o f the divinity of Jesus is not worth a hill of beans................ We must scrap the Bible before we can attain church unity. It has no part in the twentieth-century civilization. Another speaker was Dr. Frederick William Nor wood, pastor of the City Temple, London. Passing over other things which betray his decided modernistic ten dency, the following statement may be. of interest:
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter