The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-06-02

great apoIogetic Is that the closer you
ret to the centre of human life. the
tloser you get to the need of Christ.
The real in life and literature comes
at last to one great yearning-some-
times an unconscious yearning, but a
yearning still-for Christ.
What is the theologians relation to
Christian experience? This Is the
central fact of his life and thought
The faith has brought to him and to.
others salvation, an1 In the radiant
light OF that fact he interprets It. To-
! express in all its relations the philoso-
ply of the total Christian experience,
OF the church. is brief way Of defin-
ing systematic theology. This inner
life of the church Is a power IN 3ecid-
| ing the great problems OF theology,
| and necessary guide in the interpre-
| tation of tho Bible. The theologian
ever studies Christian consciousness
! that he may adequately express it,
What is his relation to the Bible?
It has a vital. but not a mechanical
| authority. The Bible is not his pore.
| II vindicates its authority es Gods
| Word. as Gods unique revelation. be-
cause II. and IL alone, brings the mes
sage which gives complete peace and
/ leads humanity TO It's goal. The the
olOgian must be true to the whole
I Biblical message about Redemption,
lie must be true TO it because it re-
quires all of 1t to meet fully the needs
of men Roverent criticism has no
terrOrs for him. He gladly accepts its
justified results, but builds his own
work far below all criticism on the
great rock of certainty, the met need,
OF the race, which criticism cannoti
touch. A tentative criticism may
seem 10 put in doubt some fundamen-
tai. The ultimate criticism will con-
firm them ALL
What is the theologian's relation to
philosophy? He accepts the philoso-
phical system which seems most per-
fectly to explain the data of exist.
ence. But he demands that his philo-
sophy shall be as large as all life
all the Christian facts, as well as all
the other facts of life. His passion
for reality saves him from a one-sided
adherence to any philosophical sys-
TEN at the expense of truth.
What is his relation to science?
As classification he accepts and uses
1t. When it presumes to call classi,
fcation an explanation, when it in
sists that what is merely a description,
of the method in which God works is.
self-sustaining process, he parts
company with it. He knows that
science can classify, but cannot ex-
plain. Exclamation is the task of phi
losophy and theology.
Now can we get conception of the
greatness of the systematic theolo-
gian's work? Christian experience,
the Bible, human life, the best philo-
sophy he can attain-these he relates,
combines and fuses, and constructs a
living world-view. "He sees life
steadily and sees it whole" Phillips
Brooks defined preaching as giving
truth through personality. The in
terpreter of Christianity is to give
theology through personality. All of
it is to be passed through his own
llfe-life of head, heart and will. and
is to come forth as personal message
to the world.
Thus it is to be set on fire, and so
blazing and shining with power it
viii secure the attention and eager
interest of men.
The theology OF the graveyard has
no message 70 rany age. A dynamic,
living theology has a message for,
every age. Our own age is busy and
brilliant, but it is doubling, suffering
and SHINING for all that. And when
the theologian speaks in a voice ring
ing with reality. it will listen to him,
and will he guided to the Christ, who
alone can give it peace. ,