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THE KING’S BUSINESS
The result is to be seen in the dictionaries, commentaries, concordances, creeds, cate chisms and sermons of the church, in which are contained “the things most surely be lieved among us.” For all the insinuations to the contrary the harmony o f interpreta tion and belief is amazing, as anyone must agree who weighs the matter critically. Be yond all question the teachings peculiar to Romanists are, by the consent of their own scholars, not taught in the Scriptures nor were held by the Church through the cen turies. The position of “modern” theology is boasted to be an advance on that of prophets, apostles and the fathers. Unita- rianism, Universalism, Annihilationism, Restorationism; the novel and surprising renderings of words, and interpretations of texts and passages, in support of doc-, trines and theories, that catch the ear and lead away disciples (even earnest souls seeking brighter light, higher life and self- denying service) are, by their very novelty, under suspicion as in the extremest degree improbable. Even so they are not alto gether novel, they are, in one form or an other, old errors which have been rejected, by the combined wisdom of the Church in every age, as a perversion of the meaning, and a breaking of "the harmony of the Scriptures. This applies not only to the isms named above, and to Eddyism, Rus- selism and modernism, the bastard progeny of the higher criticism, but the novelties even of men loyal to the grace of Christian character, and the grace of Christian living, such as are represented by some zealous religious teachers and periodicals in our own community, who are distracting the minds of many and isolating groups from the churches with subtle heresies or curi ous trifles. A safe rule, if not an absolute one, is— I f it’s new, ifs not true. There is enough to engage the study o f 999,999 out of a mil lion o f us in verifying and clarifying the old truths, and practicing the old precepts, under the guidance of men approved o f the church; that we may not be running about after fads, or waste our opportunity wrest ling with novel and curious interpretations.
audience if a man isn’t a fool to write and lecture for twenty years against a thing that has nothing whatever in it!” There is more than a sharp retort here. There is the exposure of the infidel’s recognition that Christianity represents something that he must fight—for it condemns him. “To maintain a conscience void of offense, I am persuaded that I ought to confess my sins more. I think I ought to confess sin the moment I see it to be sin; whether I am in company or in study, or even preach ing. If I go on with the duty, leaving the sin unconfessed, I go on with a burdened conscience, and add sin to sin.” “ I ought to go to Christ for the forgive ness of each sin.” “ I must never think a sin too small to need immediate application of the blood of Christ.” “ I ought to study Christ as a living Saviour more.'” “ I ought to study Christ as an Interces sor, He prayed most for Peter, who was to be tempted. I am on His breastplate. If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million ene mies. Yet the distance makes no differ ence. He is praying for me.” “ I ought never to forget that sin grieves the Holy Spirit—vexes and quenches Him.” “ I ought to pray before seeing anyone. Often when I sleep long, or meet with oth ers early, and then have family prayer, and breakfast, and forenoon callers, it is 11 or 12 o’clock before I can go to prayer. “ I ought to spend the best hours of the day in communion with God. It is my noblest and most fruitful employment, and is not to be thrust into any corner.”— Murray McCheyne. A hint that will prove a help if heeded is this: to say nothing of pre-Christian biblical scholars, such as- Ezra and his suc cessors, for nearly 2000 years the ablest minds in the Church and out o f it have been engaged in closest scrutiny of the words, the grammar, the text, context and contents of the Old and New Testaments.
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