The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-06
BY wrLLIAM T. pLLzs.

The Book of Mormon is said by the faithful to have been written on plates Of gold in characters which, were intel ligibie only to Joseph Smith when he wore those mysterious spcctacles. . Some persons like to get their sacred books that way. The more there is of the mysterious and the supernaturai about their supposed production, the greater the reverence given them. But the Christian Scriptures come by way of flesh and blood men. They bear the traces of the personality of their an- thors What is supernatural about them shows itself in the content. rather than in the method of production. The Spirit of God guides the pen, but, after all. 1t is a mans pen: and the Omnis- cfent shows more respect for the per sonaifty of His creatures than some Of His creatures are inclined to show to Cmniscience. Thus 1t comes about that the Third Gospel, which barely indf- cates in its text the personality of the man who wrote 1t, Is yet underiaid with his character.
 To Luke it was given to portray the human aspect of the Divine Christ; and no angel has had work equal to this.
 Out of Gentle, or "heathen," Anti och in Syria came this young convert, Dr Luke. who was to be a great world server as one of the biographers of Jesus. There is ever fresh supply of new talent and new power flowing from the mission field in the extend- ing Church. The case of Luke is a re- buke to any spirit of narrow national ism in religion. He was not Jew, and the church at Jerusalem would at nrst not have thought it possible for Gentle to become so mighty in the Masters work. Similarly, I recall Dr. IL. of China, a young native under whose preaching I have seen dozens of Chinese speaking Europeans deeply moved. When a Canadian friend re- gently told me of pr. Lfs death. 1t was with tears in his eyes as he con- fessed that his ov@ life had been pro- foundly affected by this young con- vert's ministry. Likewise, Pastor Xii. of Pyeng Yang. Korea, Is a recruit from heathendom who possesses preaching power rare even among the Christian ministry of America and Flu rope. Nobody knows what new Dr. Luke is to arise from the Oriental church.
 Beginning his genea1ogy of Jesus with Adam, Luke sets forth the sas vfour as a wor1d-man, the Son of hu- mi1ity. the Redeemer of the race.
 There was place In the early church for frst-class reporter and editor. Would that pr. Luke were alive now. with his vivid, discriminating human pen, to become editor of a great inter- church religious paper. We have po- lemfc denominationaiists, and few Christian statesmen In our editorial chairs. But organized Christianity has given scant encouragement to men to enter the succession to the four evan geliats. We hire secretaries galore. of all degrees of efficiency and inefficiency, but few feel strongly the need for chroniclers of the Kingdoms coming. Religious papers are poorly supported. Church folk are usually slow to CO., operate with daily newspapers that try to report religious news; it Is only the occasional person who is thought xul enough to write H note of appre- citation to the editor of his daily pa- per for generous treatment of Chris. fianitys special interests. All this is rather amazing in view of the mani Test fact that twentieth century church work must be- done in twentieth cen- fury ways: ana the only sure method of reaching everybody nowadays is through the printed page. The Church may well pray for another pr. Luke 20 lead her out inte this field of oppor. kunity.