November 1928
T h e K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
672
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“If you will see THE GODLESS GIRL I believe you will then withdraw your statement that the picture is an obvious attack on the unbeliever. “The right of the people to hold their beliefs or unbe liefs is unquestioned, but in common with the vast major ity'of Americans I strongly,resent as unlawful and un- American the attempt to introduce Atheistic propaganda into our State-supported schools. ; “This—-hot ybur doctrines—-is what the first part of my picture exposes. “The . School is the nursery of future destinies. It should be guarded by the State from both sectarian and irreligious influences. It is not the proper or the legal battleground of beliefs, and those of you who attempt to make it such by your Atheistic propaganda and, associa tions in our State universities and high schools, are strik ing at the fundamental principles on which this Republic was founded. “Stop attacking, through the youth of the nation, the beliefs that are, sacred to most of the people. Learn that tolerance can be practiced equally by atheist and believer. In the zealousness of your unfaith, rule your households as you will, but let other people’s boys and girls alone ! “As to its ‘propaganda,’ THE GODLESS GIRL was made for entertainment— ' “But it happens to be true !” What constructive plan do we have for meeting the work of the Junior Atheistsrin the schools? “The School- bag Gospel League”—is the answer. Have you read about it in our August issue, page 478? Have your boys and girls joined and gotten their Gospels? Send their names to the League, 113 Fulton St., New York City. In a certain eastern community it took the officers of the Sunday school over a year to make up their minds to allow one of the League’s workers to speak in the Sunday school for a few minutes' and give Gospels of John to the children who wanted to ,join. The superintendent was afraid it might cause trouble of some kind. When the door was. finally hesitatingly opened, five splendid boys and girls responded to the invitation to become “captains” and give out the Gospels to their friends. And so in what is considered a hard community—largely Roman Catholic-3 about fifty children gladly joined the League and many received Testaments. But the adults who were in charge of the Lord’s cause in that place held up this blessed work for over a year—because they didn’t care. Does not this recall those solemn words of the Saviour: “Whoso shall offend one of these, little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:6)? They/are Christ’s little ones. Who has a right to put obstacles in their way when they would lead others to Him? W c \ z ( & m p z i ^ l e a g u e
STORIES OF OUR NDUR ING HYMNS
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“ In the Cross of Christ I Glory” HIS beautiful and stirring hymn, the words of which were written by Sir John Bowring (music by Ithamar. Conkey), is most appropriate for a Thanksgiving meditation, for the one t h i n g above all others for which our thanksgiving should ascend to God, is the cross of Christ. Its praises we shall be singing throughout the ceaseless ages. Rev. Francis E. Wilbur tells us that the early Portu guese colonists built at Macào, on the crest of a hill on the South China coast, a massive cathedral with a splendid approach of stone steps. A violent typhoon arose and nearly wrecked the building. Only the front wall remained intact. On the summit of this stood a great bronze cross, defying the storm. When Sir John Bowring, then governor of Hongkong, visited Macao in 1825, he was much impressed by this uplifted cross: As he stood looking upon it, he said: “In the cross of Christ we can glory—it towers over the wrecks of time.” He was inspired to write the lines :
“In the cross of Christ I glory, Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time; All the light of sacred story Gathers round its head sublime. “When the woes of life o’ertake me, Hopes deceive and fears annoy, Never shall the cross forsake me, Lo! it glows with peace and joy.”
Since that day thousands have looked upon that stand ing wall and its towering cross, but few of them have known that the hymn that has been sung the world around was born in the mind of the British governor of Hong kong, by the sight of the same cross. “When the sun of bliss is beaming, Light and love upon my way, From the cross the radiance streaming Adds new luster to the day.” When you sing this hymn, picture in your mind a great ruined wall on a misty hilltop in far-away China, with birds nesting in its hideous gargoyles. There before it spreads the great sea and against the blue sky of China stands the great bronze cross. “Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, By the cross are sanctified; Peace is there that knows no measure, Joys that through all time abide.”
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