Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-12-06
By Bishop
Warren 4. Gambler
Negation Not Nutritious

the fund. A contemporaneous writer
discussing the great work done by the
plain-spoken, positive. believing evange-
list said: Against such demonstrations
of the power of Christ and Christianity
as were afforded b. the London and
the New York meetings, inhdeIity can
make no Roadway. They prove that man
wants religion, and that when he finds
what he wants, in its purity and simplic-
ity, he will get it. They prove that
Christianity only needs to be preached
in purity and simplicity to win the tri-
umphs for which the church has looked
and prayed so long. The cure for tn,
moral evils of the world is just as
demonstrably in the Christian religion
as the elements of vegetable life are IN
the soil.''
We will have the same effects again
when we return to the same methods. We
have altogether too much philosophysinS
pro and con in the pulpit. 1 sympathize
much with an old saint Of whom a dis
tinguished minister told me some time
ago. He said that after he had preached
a plain, earnest, positive sermon, set
ting forth salvation by faith in Christ,
an old saint came to him and said.
Thank God. 1 have heard another SER
mon, and there was not a word in il
about evolution or carbolic acid" II
was truly an occasion for thanksgiving.
The amount of scientific trash that pre-
tenders to science have uttered in the
pulpits of America during the last de-
cade has been enough to nauseate peo-
pie of piety and good sense and to make
devOut souls thankful when they get a
sermon free from such worthless stuff.
What is needed now is an affirmative
gospel of the fundamental things Of
faith and life. Men who can preach
nothing but denials of the creeds have
no message for us. We are all album
dainty able to do our own doubling with
out pastoral assistance.
Men who have to argue against the
denials of the dOubters all tn e time are
too weak in the faith to lead us. Many
of them sound axe they were whistling
to keep their courage up.
We want men to speak to us conf
IDENTIFY the truth as it is in Jesus be-
cause they do verify believe it and do
truly trust it to degenerate mankind.
There never was an age in the history
of mankind that d4u not heed such men,
and our age is not unlike in this partic-
ular all that have gone before it, The
men of our day are calling for believers
real believers-to lead them back to
God.
1t is sometimes said that we need men
of the ripest culture in the pulpit, and
so doubtless we do. But there is moth
ing spiritually authoritative in culture.
Positive Iaith and hoy living possess
the quality OF spiritual authority. These
utter themselves with power because
they are filled with power from above
There is something commanding in
them to which the souls of sinful men
submit.
In connection with these reflections
beg to command to all whom ii may
concern these words of the late J. G.
Holland: Earnest, straightforward at
firmation has a power in itself, indie
pendent of what il affirms, greater than
negatiOn with all the influence it can
engage. The Author of christianity I'M
derstood this matter. His system was
to be preached, proclaimed, promulgat-
ed It's friends were not to win their
triumphs by denying the denials of in
fidelity, but by persistently affirming,
explaining and applying the truth. With
this system of truth in his hands-so
pure, so beneficent, so far-reaching in
its results upon human character, hap
piness, and destiny-Lne Christian teach
er commands the position. Infidelity
and denial can make no permanent head
way against faith, unless faith stop to
handy words with them. That is pre-
cisely what they would like, and what
would give them an Importance and in
fluence which they can win in no other
way. Why should an impregnable fort
ress exchange shots with a passing
schooner? Silence would be better de-
Tense than a salvo, and deprive the
schooner of being reported in the news
papers,
1t is time now for all the true shep-
herds to feed the hungry sheep upon
something more nutritious than mega.
tions. If we open to the people the wa
ter of life they will drink it notwith-
standing a few mischievous persons try
to obstruct it's flow by casting pebbles
of doubt in the current. The people are
2 !,