1062 THE KING’S BUSINESS same point. But that is inevitable, unless we take time to stop and look back over the path we have walked, and scrutinize it very closely to see where we have gone astray. We ought to do this at the close of each day, but surely we ought to do it at the close of each year.
Logically, there is no effect without an adequate cause. For many years after the publication of the English and American Revised Version not much demand was made for either. The people seemed satisfied with the King James (Authorized) Version. Conditions are
An Authorized
Version.
changing. A bigger demand is being made for the Revised Versión. More Revised editions are in evidence in the pews of the churches, the class-rooms o f Bible schools and seminaries, and in the homes of the people than ever before, and the number is rapidly increasing. It .is well nigh impossible to expect any longer to have the Scriptures “ read in concert.” Part of the audi ence or class will read from the Authorized and part from the Revised Version. This is confusing and will soon result in the abolition of congregations reading the Bible “ in unison.” Has not the time come when the Protestant Church as a whole should, by selected representative Christian scholars, decide upon a version that shall be an “ authorized” version indeed? We should like to hear from our readers touching this matter. Translations and paraphrases by individuals like Moffat and Weymouth we have in abundance. But we need a Version that is not the work of one individual, but that is the result of the concensus of Christian scholarship of the whole Protestant Church; Shall we have it ? replied, “ I would send for a professional evangelist.” Doubtless that is the way many pastors feel. They are helpless in themselves, and feel that if any thing is to be accomplished in the way of definite soul-saving, an evangelist mush be called in. Now we believe in evangelists, not in all who call themselves evangelists, but in true evangelists, the men whom God has called into that blessed work. What would the church of Christ have done without the Wes- ieys and Moodys, and Finneys, and Nettletons, and many other men? They have gone about from church to church, and from one community to another, preaching the Gospel in an especially direct, pointed and effective way, and have been used of God in marvellously reviving His church, and in the definite conversion of many thousands of the unsaved. But for pastors to be utterly and helplessly dependent upon these men, is unspeakably sad. Every pastor ought to be able to so preach the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit that men would be saved, and every pastor ought to be able to conduct an evange listic campaign in his own church, if the right sort of an evangelist is not avail able. It may be that they have not been taught to do these things in the semi nary. Then let them learn how in some other way. This dependence of pas- The story was told some years ago of a theological Helpless Dependence student who, finding the question on one of his exam- Upon Evangelists. ination papers* “ What would you do, if there should arise among your people a special religious interest?”
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