The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-09-16
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Fer
SUNDAY 4alf-4our
Theme:
DYNAMIC DOCTRINE
OF JESUS

+ 4. r
By Rev. Allyn X. Foster
Text: "What 10 Thisf A New Teach.
lns7"-Mark t:27.
Jesus had Just performed q specta-
cular cure. A man grievously pos
sessed was groveling In the throes OF
his agony. now and then crying out IN
coherently as the spasm shook him.
The Healer spoke few sharp words;
Hold thy peace and come out Of
him." Instantly the change 10 seen
and quiet replaces paroxysm and the
man Is well. Amazed at what they
saw. the people with one voice cried
out What IL this? A new teaching!"
The crowd Is usually stupid. and its
utterances are oftener brutal than
otherwise. but this time II happened
upon q great truth. a truth which the
soberest minds have often utterly
missed. In the white light Of their
excitement. they saw that true doc
trine is always dynamic. that what
creed processes stands or falls upon
its resultant. We are SO accustomed
to regard doctrine as a thing for the
schools that we often overlook the
fact that 1t gets its finest statement In
affairs, not in books or systems. In
deed. I am convinced that Jesus of
Nazareth had no earthly interest in
any doctrine not dynamic. A thou.
sand questions he might have set at
rest. but He didn't choose to. He
might have explained the nature of
demoniacal possession In this case,
and He would thereby have saved the
publication Of much learned twaddle.
Time and again He was asked the
stock posers Of His time, but He had
absolutely no patience with either the
questions or their proponents. He
came to do a work, not to launch
philosophy. and He never swerved
from the straight Men might think
Is they liked. SO far as He was con.
cerned, so long as their opinions is
sued in something tangible. He never
speculated: He never quoted the opin-
ions of authorities. He had no acad-
emic system to establish. but every
where He answered the great. glazing
questions of mankind by deeds that
never failed to convince. Can q man
that Is sinner" they asked, restore
lost sight" The answer Is the testi-
NJ he fal1 xuk
cured: Whereas. l was blind, now
I see." who can forgive sin except
God only" Queried the critics. His
answer Is straight and conclusive.
THAT We may know that the Son of
Man hath authority on earth to for
give sin. he saith to the sick Of the
palsy, Arise, take up thy bed and 60
into thy house," The deed satisfied
the demands OF the question. Mems
questions in the twentieth century
must be answered as they were an.
swered in the first century. Specula
ton never reared an institution
Teaching only that issues in power
will ever accomplish anything. II II
Just this kind of vital doctrine which
the church Of Christ needs bitterly In
this day. and 1t is this sort of teach
ing which for this pulpit or elsewhere
will be mighty-in the pulling down
of strongholds. When men are asked
not to assent to a system of dead
forms but to do the truth and find
thus the truths reaction, there will
be little room for doubt that detains.
The crowd was right that day. not
only in seeing the true nature of doc
trine, but in apprehending that ii was
q new thing. Here again the best OF
US often stumble. New truth does not
need the humiliation OF old truth.
That would be contradiction IN
terms. A new chemical substance Ia
often discovered merely by a rear
rangement of the molecules. The new
hat of this spring may have most If
last years materials. but for one
would not dare to tell you that It Is
old. Jesus repeatedly said that He
did not come to destroy a tot or a
title of real truth. He only came to
rearrange and vitalize the old. The
orthodox world has always been cast
into panic at the discovery Of new
forces, but the fight was useless. 1t IL
only the forms that change. never the
substance. Truth In Christ's day was
plentiful but dead. Priesthoods and
rituals smothered the life Of It. His
poet soul stated the old in terms OF
His own life and salvation arrived.
The final authority. too. of doctrine
Is not vested in councils or churches
but in its effectiveness. True Chris
tian doctrine is phenomenal. II brings
things to pass. Faith without works
IL dead in the nature OF things. It II
not, as / said to another great congre
CATION this morning. q question ol
what a particular church declares su
thoritauve. It is rather what power
Is manifested in the individuals Of the
church. Never In the history Of the
world has God been 80 active in Hill
manifestations as now. We are learn
ing new modes OF His power. and fol
myself / welcome every demonstra
ton. no matter from what quarter 4
proceeds, and ! am only secondarill
interested In the opinions which &C
company II. The ministry here hal
ever been powerful in this way. Hol.
men have spoken and acted here al
they were moved by the Holy Ghost
II I can add the fewest items eveI
to the body of this vital doctrine
81
Her Profession.
DO you care for children," askes