The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-11-06

- the church Of to-
day. When the
first century closed there was deposit
of divine truth left In the form of some
writings by prophets, apostles, psalm
lists, herdmen, fishermen and others,
all inspired Of God. This deposit may
be considered from some three differ
ent standpoints: First, 1t was some
thing that was for all the world as
such, all nations and peoples. 1t was
intended to be the foundation Of the
religion that the world needed; and
upon 1t 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
but failed to be true as It's custodian.
Teachers of theology were like the
Talmudists Of old, aid receded further
and further from the original teaching
as 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
spoken Of under three general prop0-
sitions:
1. That faith is still the limit Of at
tack on the part Of Its avowed enc
mics, although the form of attack has
radically changed.
2. There has been a departure from
the generally accepted Interpretation
of the Word Of God on the part of
very large number Of teachers Of re-
ligion and various subjects In which
the church In its external relations
particularly are outwardly interested.
What was the burden Of that re-
ligiOus teaching? The ultimate denial
Of the supernatural. The result Of this
with tnany theological teachers has
been In the first place the full accept
ance of those views, and secondly q
kind Of teaching which leaves the pu-
pill without any positive conviction. A
further result has been that q genera
ton Of younger men educated In semi
denial Of the supernatural, or the hesi-
tating and uncertain teaching, has
grown up, and is at best uncertain In
it's convictions.
A still further result Is that the pe0-
pie of the churches ministered to by
such men are not Informed as to the
great truths of the Bible, and become
the easy victims Of all kinds of heresies
such as Christian Science, theosophy,
etc. Or, If they have not gone off into
these heresies openly, are merely exist
ing as 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
to 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 but decay
3. But there is another aspect of the
day that is observable-the decay Of
individual faith. The writer has had
many say to him: "We do not know
what we believe any more" Inquiries
being made along certain lines, such
as the deity of Christ, the authority
of the Holy Scriptures, the subject Of
regeneration, the same lack of faith
was still expressed. There Is nothing
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
as from the universities that are
founded by 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.
but the tide may be checked. II the
world can be brought back to the nc
ceptance of the great principles Of the
Protestant religion. The Chruch Of God
can do much by positively requiring Of
Its teachers that they teach nothing
but the fundamentals of our Christian
religion, and teach positively.