August 1928
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
461
council decided to disassociate the movement from this journal, a course o f action which makes it perfectly plain that someone is desiring to open up the way fo r a publi cation ON MORE ADVANCED LINES .” It appears that the council decided to get competitive bids on the printing o f the convention book and other work heretofore handled by the paper referred to, and another .concern got the work. There seems to be no reason why they should have to consult their printers before deciding a matter o f this kind which looks toward placing things on a better business basis. But why should it be assumed that this indicated an intention of starting a paper “ on more advanced linest” The council has no intention of starting another paper to compete with the complaining journal, nor any thought of broadening out in theology. Should not the council be congratulated upon adopting .business methods that will secure for ..its constituency lit erature at better prices? “ It is deeply to be regretted,” says the editor of The Christian, that in some quarters the charges and insinua tions made with reference to the convention have been ac cepted without investigation, and with results that threaten, not only the Keswick Convention but the entire movement o f which Keswick is the emblem in the Chris tian world. Reports from Scotland and Ireland point to sad misunderstanding, calculated to cause serious difficulty in the near future. In places where,; in the past, the sug gestion o f a convention for the deepening of the spiritual life has stirred joyous emotions, there may be met today observations that reflect upon the motives of leaders; and a cautious fear lest the object of the movement is to pro mote Modernist views .1 Needless to say, a spirit of. sus picion and distrust renders impossible anything in the nature o f cooperation in work for Christ.” “ A n d A n o th e r T h i n g !” W E have recited the baseless scandal that has been spread concerning the Keswick Convention—now our attention is called to another line of misrepresentation which is destined to greatly hinder missionary work in China. It has been reported in the religious press on both sides o f the water, that the / ‘General Assembly o f the Church o f Christ in China,” a union o f evangelical churches which consists o f fully one-third o f the Protes tant Christians in China and a fifth o f the missionary body, has become, modernistic. A London religious paper said recently: “ The General Assembly o f the Church of Christ in China— consisting of missionaries and leading Christians — rejects such articles o f faith as the virgin birth and the atonement and resurrection of our Lord. I f it refers to a Redeemer it is on the understanding that that does not include the idea of atonement.” That paper has now been compelled to publish a state ment from A. R. Kepler, general secretary of the General Assembly of the Church o f Christ in China, in which he says in part: “ I was greatly amazed and grieved to see this gross misstatement. It is without any basis on fact whatsoever. “ This grave injustice to the Church of Christ in China, was evidently born when letters from an unknown writer (whom we would fain believe to have written out of igno rance) were given publicity, along with other equally spur ious assertions, by the editor of (mentioning a popular weekly Sunday-school journal published in America). Your publication has now proceeded to broadcast this fab
rication throughout Great Britain. Moreoyer, ydur anony mous contributor was able to pervert even that misstate ment which appeared in (mentioning the paper). The correspondent in the (paper heretofore named) remarked on the ‘omission of such articles of faith as the virgin birth, etc.’ Your contributor proceeds to remark that the Church of Christ in China ‘rejects such articles of faith as the virgin birth, etc.’ “ Anyone who knows the personnel o f the committee who prepared the doctrinal basis o f union for the United Church o f Christ in China would realize how utterly im possible it would be for them to draw up a creedal state ment which rejected such articles of faith as enumerated in the paragraph which forms the basis for this protest. The men who composed the committee on Union and the sub committee on creedal statement are the veterans in our Christian enterprise in China. They are among the most beloved and respected, and, as to doctrine, amongst the most conservative o f the Christian leaders in the Chi nese church.’byj The bond o f union between these churches in China consists of the following simple statement: “ (1) In our faith in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and Lord on whom the Christian Church is founded; and in an earnest desire for the establishment o f His kingdom throughout the whole earth. “ (2). In our acceptance o f the Holy Scriptures o f the Old and New Testaments as the divinely inspired Word of God, and the supreme authority in matters of faith and duty. “ (3 ) In our acknowledgment of the Apostles’ Creed as expressing the fundamental doctrines of our common evangelical faith.” To be sure there is not a word in the above statement regarding the virgin birth, the atonement and the resur rection, but are not all of the essential doctrines o f the Faith implied within these three articles? Have we come to an hour when every church and every Christian must display a detailed statement o f belief on every doctrine in the Bible or be branded as modernistic ? The tragedy of such false publications as are abroad today rests in the fact that it is utterly impossible ever to catch up with them and undo the harm that has been done. Satan seems to have set many Christian leaders at work burning powder in the faces o f each other while the world rushes madly on toward the Great Tribulation. The writer o f the article which appeared in the London periodical prints the following apology, which, however, can never undo the injury wrought to the cause o f Christ in China in these days so critical for our missionaries there: “ May I express my deepest regret that in one o f my articles inaccurate statements were unwittingly made about the General Assembly- o f the Church of Christ in China. My source o f information was one I regarded as trustworthy. Mr. Kepler’s letter proves that I was mis taken, and I hasten to apologize.most humbly to all con cerned. “ Perhaps there is a lesson here for many o f us to learn. I trust we all have come to see that criticism of individuals is not pleasing to our Saviour. Yet how many o f us are as careful in the judgments we pass— often on hearing false reports — on societies or bodies o f peoplef” The editor o f the paper appends the following: “ To our contributor’s withdrawal and apology we would add our own regret that through our columns pub licity was given to a statement which had no foundation in fact.”
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker