The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-11-14

Church Federation Meeting Discussed.
 And the angel said unto them, Be not tidlngs of great joy which shall be to all the people-Luke, 2:l0.
 The word Evangelical has been brought into public notice by the re- cent exclusion act of the Inter Church Federation meeting in New York. At the time of the founding of the Evangelical Alliance, with its declara- ffon of doctrines as a test of fellow ship; and in the heresy trials since, this word has received conspicuous at- tention. It is now proper and timely to ask "Who are Evangelical?" First, what Is the popular use, and the real meaning of this word? According to its original use, it was a most com forting and glorious word. It was de- signed to fill the hearts of all hearers with hope and joy. But for ages past it has been and is now used as the in- signia. of woe to countless multitudes of human beings. It is a word that has advertised and put into practice more narrowness, oppression, cruelty and bloodshed than language can de- Bcribe. It has been the synonym of Nillainy, and its perverted use the fruitful cause of the most frightful horrors known to human history.
 But what is really meant in modern times by the use of this word Evan gelical2 It is term which has been appropriated by group of churches fr.@ f5in fn O nf aO Pih1f- cal touching the nature of God, the condition of man and the terms of sal- walton. The word Evangelical is far ther used to distinguish between those who do not receive this set of doe- trines called orthodoxy, and those who do. The obvious inference of 8 party in religion, the use of the word Evan gelical as a shibboleth, and the un- ChriStianizing of those who cannot conform, to this standard of belief, must not be used to color this plain and popular use of the word Evangeli- cal we have just given. The word Evangel literally means good news. In the New Testament it is translated Gospel The first appearance of this cheering language occurs when the angel of the Lord addressed the frightened shepherds, saying: Be not afraid, for behold, bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, The word "gosper' as used by Jesus referred to His message, which He called the gospel of the Kingdom. It was identical with the message which the angel announced to the Bethlehem shepherds. It was the glad tidings that the kingdom of God was at hand and that all men should repent and prepare to enter it. Now what is the message to which certain churches have applied the term evan gelical? Tn substance, it is this: God consists of three persons united in one central God-head. This God created man innocent and perfect. At the first InPtatfeff iIaitive man fell, and all mankind was involved in his fall. Hence man is born into the world to- tally depraved. After centuries Of fruitless striving, God sent forth his Son, also a God, to be born of virgin and to reveal the way of escape from the wrath of His Father, in the God head, the plan of salvation from sin and a heM of endless agony. By Ifs death on the cross He paid the penalty of the first mans sin and all mankind | is permitted to share in this release upon one condition-that of faith in 1 the atoning merits of Jesus Christ. | Those who accept this opportunity are | saved, and are ushered, at death, into | eternal bliss. Those who neglect or re- ject ft-and they constitute a large | majority of mankind-are summoned l before Christ upon the day of judg- | 1nent and are sent away into everlast- l ing torment. Now apply to this mes- | sage of sin and failure and defeat the | title of Evangelical. Is it good news? | Is it possible for any man who should | hear the story for the first time to ac- | cept 1t as ''glad tidings of great joy?" Is 1t not rather a gospel of despair? | There can be no better answer than | the fact that the more intelligent and | progressive orthodox ministers to-day | Tepudiate the whole scheme as one of | the grossest libels upon God and upon ever perpetrated in the name of religion. No where does Jesus speak of God as three persons, or of |
  affirm the depravity of the race as con- sequent upon the fall of the first man. No where does He speak of His work as an atonement, or of His death as penalty for mans sin. If Jesus were here to-day and were to be judged by His teachings as contained in the four gospels, it would not be enough to give Him 8 seat in the InterAChurch Federation. Who are Evangelical? Those who have the best news for "the world that now is and for that which is to come" The best news to the world is that which promises the pos- sibility of virtue and happiness for every man-the greatest good to the greatest number. We cannot hail as sglad tidings of great joy the advent of a religion that will render a few mortals happier than they ever were, and the multitude infinitely more wretched than they ever were before. In what sense is this orthodox evan ge1ism, ''joy which shall be to all peo- ple,'' when after two thousand years of proclamation only four hundred million of the worlds present popula- ton have any adequate knowledge of r It? Such a gospel does not deserve the respect of a pagan. It is the beau- tiful story of the ninety and nine'' in- verted so that the ninety and nine are lost and only the one is saved. Is that good news, glad tidings? In order to belong to the Evangelical alliance, or