July 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
417
A Methodist Minister’s Appeal Rev. Henry J. Zelley, D. D. Pastor of Broadway Methodist Church, Salem, N. J. For Seventeen years President of the Conference Board of Home Missions and Chnrch Extension. Mr. Zelley is known as “ the poet of the New Jersey Conference,” having written over 1000 Gospel songs, among them, “He Rolled the Sea Away,” “Walking in the Sunlight,” and others equally well known. EN, b r e t h r e n a n d fathers, hearken;
In this splendid article Mr. Zelley issues a heart appeal to the laymen of the church. We cannot stress too strongly in these days the call of God to the laymen whom God will hold responsible for permitting preaching in the pulpit which dishonors His Word, The laity pays the bills. You can change the tide at any time if you “ pass the bills” up to the Modernist preacher, for he will soon bow himself out.
ment throne, and your heart naked and open to the All-seeing Eye,” what are you going to do about it? The responsibility is upon you. How will you meet it? Did it ever occur to you that t h e .“ boycott” originated in heaven? “ Come out from
“With your hand on your headstone, your eye on the judgment and your heart naked throne, and open to the All-seeing Eye, answer this question; What would you take as a reward or compensation for which you would be willing to have the Bible annihilated or demon
strated to be false? The Christian, who does not fear its punishments, cannot conceive of any gift or treasure that could form even a motive for such a loss. Solid globes of gold, vast as our sun and countless as the stars of night, with all earthly dominion and honor, would be as nothing. They are gone in a moment A desirable exchange is un thinkable. “ Our message is to you. You have received something worth having and worth giving. ‘Freely you have received, freely give.’ You have a Divine Redeemer, ‘a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction’ for your sins. You have a perfect salvation through faith. You know that ‘the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.’ You have ‘tasted’ of the good word of life. You know the power of an endless life. To you the Word of God is of absolute authority. To you, in the name of God, by the price of your soul, on the authority of the Word, comes the message.” With these words of burning eloquence Bishop Charles H.' Fowler, of the Methodist Episeojpal Church, then its Miss ionary Secretary, began his great address, “ The Message.” The writer has borrowed them as a fitting introduction to an equally important appeal to the members of all evangel ical churches, and specially to those who are members of synods, sessions, conferences, conventions, assemblies, and other official bodies of the great evangelical denominations. Many of the pulpits are occupied by ministers who have rejected the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and are preaching pagan philosophy, instead of the Gospel. The fundamentals of our faith are assailed, and man is robbed of his hope in Christ. Who is to blame for these conditions? You answer, the colleges, universities theological seminaries and the Church press. You are right, for these, with rare exceptions, are hot-beds of “ Modernism,” which is but a new name for disproved heresies, the revival of which is the result of Satanic propaganda. Who is to blame? You may justly condemn false min isters, who have forgotten or ignored their ordination vows, and whose ministry is destructive rather than constructive. Any minister may have a right to assail the Church from without, but only a traitor or an apostate will wound Christ in the house of His friends. No condemnation of such can be too strong. But again I repeat the question, Who is to blame? And without waiting for other replies, would call attention to the fact that our institutions óf learning, our ‘periodicals and, our Churches are all supported by laymen. And lay men guard the door into the ministry. Without excusing ministerial apostates and heretical teachers, we are com pelled to say that the laymen are responsible for existing conditions, for they alone hold the key to the situation. Another question, What are you going, to do about it? “With your hand on your headstone, your eye on the judg
among them and be ye separate saith the Lord.” (2 Cor. ”6:17). Of the disseminators of false doctrines, we are told that j“ he that biddeth him God-speed (greeteth him), is partaker of his evil deeds.” ,.(2 John 9-11). We do not favor leaving the Churches and starting new organizations at least, not at present, but would recommend Nehemiah’s plan of house-cleaning. Every minister should be required, by the officials of his Church to answer these questions: “ Do you believe that the Bible is the Divinely Inspired and inerrant Word of God? “ Do you believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of a virgin? “ Do you believe that only through thé shed blood of Jesus Christ, atonement could be and was made for sin? “ Do you believe in the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ? “ Do you believe in future rewards and punishments?” A negative reply, or a refusal to answer these questions, should he a sufficient cause for his rejection as a candidate, or removal from the pulpit of any orthodox Church. The same questions should be asked of the President and Fac ulty of every educational institution, and a negative reply, or a refusal to answer should be sufficient cause for with holding patronage. The same test should be applied to the editors of Church periodicals; for if they fail to teach and defend the doctrines of the Church they are supposed to represent, they are unworthy of support. In conclusion, brother laymen, “ It’s up to you.” What are you going to do about it? “WITH YOUR HAND ON YOUR HEAD STONE. YOUR EYE ON THE JUDGMENT THRONE, AND YOUR HEART NAKED AND OPEN TO THE ALL-SEEING EYE,” what are you going to do about it? »fe m THE NUMBER INCREASING The number praying fervently for a mighty spiritual awakening is increasing steadily. During 1923 the second Wednesday evening of each month was observed in various places throughouh the world as a time of simultaneous in tercession. According to reports the custom is being con tinued through 1924. Dark as the days may seem, yet God is surely working. The heavier the clouds, the more copious are apt to be the showers. And has it not been likewise true again and again that the darker the spiritual clouds, the greater the rain of grace that sooner or later followed? “ Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). PRAY FOR REVIVAL!
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