June 1925
THE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
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which were once considered as solemn obligations. Is not “ love the fulfilling of the law,’’, and should not the violators of solemn vows be recognized as brethren ? Should we not give them the right hand of fellowship. Commune with them and commend them to the world at large? Why quarrel over such little matters as the verity of the Scriptures, or the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ? Are we not commanded to love one,another? But John, the Beloved—John, Apostle of Love—says: “If th e re come any un to you, and b ring no t th is doc trin e (th e doctrine of C h rist), receive him n o t in to your house, n eith er bid him God speed; “ Oh, well, John was an old man. Never mind what he says. Just welcome the vis itor and let him tell his story. We must not be too [Critical. John was old fash ioned. This is a, new age.” Now what is the effect of' this ¡attitude upon the part of church leaders on the matter of law enforcement in the home, school, church, society, and the nation? The good woman who is now Governor of T e x a s has already pardoned three hun dred and fifty-three crimin als and released them from prison. What effect will this have upon the thousands of criminals not yet convicted or condemned? Will it make life any safer for the citizens? Some of us have had long experience with criminals. The writer has had letters from criminals in the peni tentiary thanking God that they heard the Gospel in the jail and were glad to pay the penalty of their crime in prison for the privilege of being freed from the penalty of their sin by accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Does God overlook the violation of natural laws? Never. Do little children have to suffer when they vio late one of God’s natural laws? Always. What is the effect? They learn the lesson of obedience to God’s law. If God did not punish, would there be any respect for law? No. Every violation of His law, whether by men, women or children, is attended with a penalty. The price must be paid. Ignorance offers no exemp tion. Fire burns! (Gal. 6:7) : “Be n o t deceived; God is no t mocked; fo r whatsoever a m an soweth, th a t shall he also reap .” Hear the testimony of Mrs. Mabel Walker Wille- brandt, Assistant Attorney General, at Washington, who has been touring the country handling all the legal business in connection with the Federal penitentiaries. In addressing the American Prison Conference at Salt Lake City, she came out boldly for heavier and “F o r he th a t biddeth him God speed is p a rta k e r of his evil deeds.”
LAXITY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT There are many people, in this fair land of ours, who are possessed with sentimental ideas which are creating conditions that presage evil, in place of good for the future. ' Moral conditions in the home, the schools, the church, in society and in the country at large, grow daily worse. And it is not a pessimistic pencil which writes these words, but a prophetic pen. The secular press proclaims the fact that we are drifting downward. The chain which once fastened
this country to the faith of our fathers and held it fast to the primitive principles of right and righteousness, of obedience to iaw, and the necessity of enforcing such obedience, has become weak ened by the silly, sentimen tal views which prevail con cerning the conviction and punishment of crime. T h e Scriptural admon-' itions, “ Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture a n d admonition of t h e Lord” ;i “ Honor thy father and mother ” ; “ Children, obey your parents in the Lord” ,—would be a joke in many homes today. Parents have no time for “ bringing up” their children. They
( § GOD OF OUR FATHERS, Thou who didst make them strong in battle and fearless in danger, make us strong to do the right, to dis charge the duties which come to us, and to overcome the temptations which cross our path. Thou hast given us a great inheritance and wonderful privileges. Make us faithful stewards, we pray Thee, so that Thy name may be glorified and humanity helped. Take away from us all sin and purify our hearts, and make us more useful while we are here in the world. For Jesus’ sake. Amen! F rom “P rayers a t Bethany Chapel” by John W anam aker (See Review on page 276)
just let them grow up. This statement can be proved by asking in any Sunday School, “ How many children have family prayers and Bible reading in your homes?” Thank God, some young people, in spite of this deplorable lack of Christian training in the home, do pray for their parents, but these—of course—are comparatively few. As to the schools,-—many of them will not permit a Bible to lie on the teacher’s desk, but the scholars are told that the Bible is not to be depended upon, and fancied facts are doled out to them in place of tried truths. Children thus taught often pity the ignorance of their parents who still cling to the old Book and have not had the. benefit (.!). of the enlightenment which has come from modern wisdom (?), the source of which is often Satan who, the Scriptures tell us, transforms himself into an angel of light for the,pur pose of deceiving. In society, what do we find? Perhaps it were better not to say. Society speaks for itself. Who has any right to attempt to enforce laws ? Society has its own laws, makes them and enjoys them. When we come to the citadel of truth— the church, what? Here, also, we find that thé leaders make laws and break them. There is no longer any recognition upon their part of any obligation to obey those laws
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