The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1909-05-20
~ AssoeIated -

sembly Of the Presbyterian church
convened here today The chief woT
OF the day IS election Of moderator
Indications are that Rev. George =
lHm Of Chicago viii be elected.
Rev. Z. P. Fullerton. Of St Louis
retiring moderator Of the Presbyter
lian general assembly. delivered hi
address at today's session He sai'
in part
1T is important AT a time like thil
I'm the life Of the church that We con
slider with care some things about
which there is need Of a larger anC
lclearer vision. When accredited min
listers Of the church deliberately cast
suspicion upon a truth So fundament
al as the Deity OF Christ. is the time
not ripe for the church 10 declare it,
self? Arianism is not so bold now
nor so blatant as in the past Il
would be less dangerous if it were
Its approach is subtle now. il con
ceals itself behind plausible theories
and to the uninitiated appears as we'll
established truth The hurt. however,
TO the cause comes rather from a lack
Of positive conviction in the church
upon this great doctrine. a lack Of
well defined notions concerning it
which do not hesitate to defend them
selves
First OF all. the church needs today.
as it has needed in all days. a cor
rect vision OF the nature Of Christ and
his relations TO it. If He is its head
its foundation, the source Of its life,
then it is important that the vision
Of Him be accurate. for. if the founda-
tion be impaired by inadequate con
ceptions OF its strength, on what can
we build hope?
First. as to His nature. The church
needs 70 rediscoyer His Deity. for so
long as We question His Deity we will
be timid and hesitate when
He commands and will doubt the ac-
Of the tasks He imposes
but when the church can say with
Thomas. as its doubts depart, My
Lord and My God nothing is impos.
sible to il.
Again Inadequate conceptions of
Chirst's Deity becomes the source of
4 multitude OF evils too dreadful with
which to trife. Among these are in
adequate views of human depravity,
the impotency Of man toward good,
the imperative need of an adequate
sacrifice for sin and the all sufficien-
cy Of the atonement made by Jesus
Christ for the worlds sin.
in the second place. we need to
rediscoyer Jesus Christ as our re-
ieemer. Not only does Christ sus-
tain to the church the relationship Of
but it is well for us to get
a vision of Him as its head
THE church also needs view of
It's own character functions and
What is the church but the
company of the redeemed. the body of
which He is the head. the branch Of
which He is the vine The church Is,
therefore. a unit There are different
but one body Spiritual un.
ty do we say? Yes. redeemed by the
same blood deriving its life from the
same vine guided by the same head
and resting on the same foundation
and yet engaging in outward denomin-
ltional struggle for supremacy that
pays poor homage TO Him whom it
.alls head and Lord Is that the way
spiritual unity expresses itself? Does
rot spiritual unity express itself rath-
,r in organic unity or some kind of
organic federation which gives proof
# the existence Of that deeper and !
more significant unity which we call
piritual?
The denOminational contentious OF
oday can but impress the world most
What a waste OF man |
md money. and what for? To bring |
'hrist to the world? Alas, too often
o build up our particular sect and |
.et there still comes rining down the
enturies that prayer of our Lord /
which He offered in the very shadow /
# the cross, That they an may be
me Can we expect our Lord and the
lead of the church to answer our
rayer for more and better men for
he ministry so long as we make such
poor use OF those He has given us.
nd can We expect His stewards.
aithful to a great trust to furnish
IS more money so long as We waste
that they give us in unseemly strife
nd unholy rivalry tor place and num-
ers?
1T may be that the church. like
ruth. has its periods of analysis be-
Dre it reaches its periods Of synthesis.
lave we not come to the end Of the