THE KING’S BUSINESS
431
The “Portland Test” The Doctrinal Basis of the Young Men’s Christian Association, Adopted in 1869 and Still the Standard. Resolved: That, as these organizations bear the name of Christian, and profess to be engaged directly in the Saviour’s serv ice, so it is clearly their duty to main tain the control and management of all of their affairs in the hands of those who profess to love and publicly avow their faith in Jesus, the Redeemer, as Divine, and who testify their faith by becoming and remaining members of churches held to be evangelical. And we hold those churches to be evangelical 'which, maintaining the Holy Scripture to be the only infallible rule of faith and practice, do believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (the only begotten of the Father, King of kings, and Lord of lords, in whom dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily and who was made sin for us, though knowing no sin, bear ing our sins in His own body on the tree), as the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved from everlasting punishment. Resolved, that the associations organized after this date shall be entitled to repre sentation in future conferences of the as sociated Young Men’s Christian Associa tions of North America, upon condition that they be severally composed of young men in communion with evangelical churches, provided that in places where as sociations are formed with a single de nomination, members of other denomina tions are not excluded therefrom, and ac tive -membership and the right to hold office be conferred only upon young men who are members in good standing of evangelical churches.
borhood, and his story of his conversion is more than usually interesting: Pak, eighteen years ago, was a soothsayer, whose revenue came chiefly through his supposed ability to designate proper sites for the graves of the dead. Though he went about widely in pursuit of his trade, he kept his home in a retired .village, where he seldom had any visitors except those who came on business. One night, as he studied in his hut, he became drowsy, but was suddenly aroused after a time by the tapping of a cane outside the door. An old, infirm man came in presently and told Pak of a cer tain man (designating the man by name) in a near-by village, whom the stranger commanded Pak to visit on a very impor tant errand. * On awaking the next morning the soothsayer was , totally unable to tell whether he had had a real visitor in the person of the infirm stranger or whether the whole incident was a dream. But in any ease, he remembered the name given him and decided to start out to the near by village and inquire whether such a per son lived there. As soon as he had asked within the limits of the town the name was promptly recognized, and he was di rected where to find the. man. Going to the house designated, Pak was warmly re ceived and his host began immediately to speak about Jesus. The soothsayer bought a New Testament and Christian tracts, and returned home to read them, with his fam ily gathered about him. Soon all of them were Christian, and Pak especially has been actively engaged in Church work ever since. Yet to this d4y he cannot say whether he had a dream or whether a flesh and blood visitor brought God’s message on that memorable night.
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