The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-11-06

I
day. When the
first century closed there was deposit
of divine truth left IN the form OF some
writings 10y prophets, apostles, psalm
lists, herdmen. fishermen and others.
MI inspired Of God. This deposit may
ent stnndpolnts: First. Il was some
thing that was for all the world ns
such. all nations and peoples. II was
intended 10 be the foundation OF the
religion that the world needed: and
upon IL grew up the system of belief
which. while varying In different coun-
tries and centuries. was substantially
the same everywhere, and should be so
today.
The church fell heir to this treasure
Teachers Of theology were like the
Talmudists of old. and receded further
and further from the original teaching
Ms the centuries went by.
This deposit Of truth also was given
to the individual. for God never in
tended that his Book should be under
lock and key.
But In quite recent times the as
poets which that faith presents were
greatly varied. and are quite different
from the aspects In previous time.
The departure from the faith may be
spoks0 Of under three general propo-
sitions:
/. That faith is still the limit OF at
mies. although the form OF attack has
radically changed.
.. There has been a departure from
the generally accepted Interpretation
of thc Word Of God on the part OF II
very large number Of teachers OF re-
liglOn and various subjects in which
the church In It's external relations
particularly are outwnrdly Interested.
What was the burden Of that re-
iigious teaching? The ultimate denial
uf the supernatural. The result of this
With many theological teachers has
been In the first place the full accept
ance OF those views. and secondly a
kind Of teaching which leaves the pu-
pil without any positive conviction. A
further result has been that a genera
ton of younger men educated In semi
naries where there was such positive
denial of the supernatural. or the hest
tating and uncertain teaching, has
grown mp, and Is NJ best uncertain In
T. convictions.
4 stIll further result Is that the peO'
ole of the churches minstered to by
..uch men are not Informed as to the
,reat truths of the Bible, and become
such as Christian Science, theosophy
etc or. II they have not gone OF into
these heresies openly. are merely exist
ing~ns bodies Of Christians. with few
signs of real life. A grand total result
is that we find the Church of God to-
day sturdily Indifferent TO the vital
truths of Christianity. and holding fast
10 It's existence by introducing all
kinds Of physical buttresses. There
are great church buildings. universe
ties, colleges, etc, mere charnel houses
for within there Is nothing bur decay.
ing flesh and dead mems bones.
3. hut there is another aspect of the
day that Is Observable-the decay of
individual faith. The writer has had
many say 10 him: I'VE do not know
what we believe any more" Inquiries
being made along certan lines, such
as the deity of Christ. the authority
of the Holy Scriptures. the subject of
regeneration. the same lack Of faith
sadder than this In the whole realm of
religious phenomena-people without
faith. This aspect becomes tragedy
when we realize that the young people
OF our Christian homes even express
themselves as having no belief. one
place where such faith Is ruined is in
the Goddess colleges and universities
of the land. The charge must not be
placed ON the state universities. for
the danger from them Is not so great
ms from the universities that are
founded bS Christian people and are
under nominal Christian control.
What Is the remedy7 Before this
remedy can be presented, many will
succumb as victims of their ignorance
hut the tide may be checked, II the
world can be brought back 10 the ac.
cep,ance Of the great principles Of the
Protestant religion. The Chruch OF Goo
can do much by DosiAyely recurring of
its teachers that they teach nothing
but the fundamentals of our Christian
religion and teach nositiyelv