684
November 1924
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
And this does not refer merely to a graven image but to any person who would assume to represent God manifest in the flesh and parade„himself before men. Let us ask a serious question: Does any one really believe that God is glorified in such a farce ? Will men or women or children have a more exalted ideal of God-Jfor Christ is God—“ I and my Father are one” ? Will this exhibition serve to bring people to their knees in worship ? When they pray in the name of Jesus will their memory mock them as it recalls the human being who paraded before them as God? We are descending rapidly enough, God knows and we know,—but this seems to be a,s near the bottom as it is possible to descend. Should there not be united prayer the country over for God’s power to destroy this mocking, money-making play; that it might be swept off from the stage and its sinful operators brought to their knees in confession of their sacrilege? Our hearts cry out to Him, “ 0 Lord forgive! 0 Lord blot out in some way and make thy displeasure so evi dent that saints and sinners may recognize thy rebuk ing hand!” SHERWOOD EDDY ’S EXAMPLE No greater sorrow confronts the evangelical church than that in connection with the downfall of leaders. For years, Sherwood Eddy occupied a prominent place in the Y. M. C. A. work on the foreign field. Conse crated funds were paid to him for his service. He pro fessedly held the doctrines of the Old Book. Men and women, young and old, sat at his feet and were led to believe in the validity of the Bible, Now he turns his back upon his former exposition of the Scriptures, and the following letter comes from a native pastor in India to The Presbyterian: It was with much surprise and sorrow we read your article in your valuable paper of February 28, re, “ Unbelief of College Workers,” and the astounding attitude taken up by Mr. G. Sherwood Eddy in his denial of the inspiration of the Gospels, and when he is reported to have said, “ They are full of error.” Also his denial of Genesis and other statements made by him which were not straight and true. Those who heard Dr. Eddy in India many years ago, when he was firm to the good old evangelical faith and the Word, cannot now but truly weep over his fall. What a terrible shock it is to the many thousands all over India, Burmah and Ceylon! What will the enemies of the cross think of this? Will it not wreck the faith of the many thousands of young men who were led to Christ through his instrumen tality? How true the blessed Word is when we read of St. Paul’s warnings to Timothy, and the words of the Prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah. May the Lord help Dr. Eddy to see the wrong done, and we pray the Lord to help and strengthen those who are faithful to Him and His Word. Yours in sorrow, Native Pastor of India. Let us ask the reader a practical question: Is Mr. Eddy honorable in taking advantage of the prestige which he secured through the Y. M. C. A., and by means of the funds contributed by faithful men and women of God, to destroy the foundations of the faith ? Were he to leave religious work, earn his living in some legitimate way and seek to refund the money given so lavishly to support him while in supposedly Christian service,—we could pity his pathetic position; we could have some respect for his honesty of purpose. But what about: his attitude now, and his influence among the young people of our own, as well as foreign lands? We leave others to pass their own verdict, feel ing sure they know that of the writer.
You will be refreshed with a goblet of the Water of Life. You will be given an appointment as an ambas sador from the Court of Heaven to a lost world. Your field will! be world-wide. Your instructions will be put into your hands,—the Word of God. You are empow ered to speak with authority. No earthly potentate has any right to silence your message. You are not to add to or subtract anything from it. Your credentials are from Him, and He is King of kings and Lord of lords. The Book brings blessing to every one who hears— old and young. It puts peace into the hearts, of the restless. It brings :joy to the disconsolate. Hope springs eternal within the breasts of those who believe. There is no condition of life which your message will not meet; no problem that it will not solve. New life will be imparted, new desires inspired. New motives will animate, new impulses arise. A new; day,-a new life, will come. You will renew your youth. Your soul will bubble with joy. All your needs will be sup plied. Hours will be meaningless to you. There will be no appeal to you in the thought of a vacation. The joy of the Lord will be your strength. In eternity you will be given the report of y o u r b a n k balance,” Do you want the job? It is waiting for you, and we are authorized to tell you that it is yours for the taking. The call is simple—“ Come ” and “ Go” ! No matter who you are. No matter what you are. No matter where you are. Full particluars given upon appli cation. THE PILGRIMAGE PLAY They call it “ The Life of The Christ..’ ’ An actor impersonates the character of Christ. A few years ago the Passion Play was proposed for New York City, but its production was prohibited. Now we understand a large sum of money has been in vested in the production of this “ Pilgrimage Play” or, as it is sometimes called, “ America’s Passion Play.” Times have changed. Conceptions of the Bible and of Christian life and character have changed. Once Protestant England, Protestant Germany (except Bar varia) and infidel France banned the Passion Play, Now, a recent large gathering of a religious denomina tion adjourned to gaze upon the Pilgrimage Play. Is it possible to conceive of anything more humiliat ing, more debasing, than for a mere man to assume to portray the character of Christ? Who was Christ? He was.God, manifest in human form. “ All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” “ In Him was life and the life was the light of men.” “ And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory (the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.” And yet some mere play actor assumes the role, and Christian people gather to look upon a sacri lege such as the heathen would never permit their gods to undergo! What a low conception of Christ! There is also now being shown a film based on the Ten Commandments. One of those commandments is: “ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” -
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