The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-06-12

- himr
"Matter7 Why,
my dear, he is so hopelessly, deeply,
darkly and benightedly orthodox
To say, Your doxy Is not my doxy,"
does not dispose Of the question Of or.
thodoxy, as claimed by some. Ortho-
doxy cannot be laughed out Of court.
II can AFFORD TO blde its time, for II is
destined TO win. To be orthodox, is
simply TO hold TO correct teaching or
dogma II you please, that Is right. The
very word itself gives the idea Of right
teaching.
When we inquire as 10 what is ortho-
doxy. the answers vary, according to
the standpoint occupied. One will say
that II Is the universal divine teaching
OF the ages. Another will say that II
Is the consensus Of religious opinion
held by Christian scholarship Of the
present day. Another will say that II
is the new spirit" Of the twentieth
century. as a distinguished theological
professor calls IL. Another will say
II Is the response OF the soul OF man TO
revelation. Still another says II Is the
win Of God. as made known to man
through the inspired writings that are
known as the Scriptures Of the Old
and New Testaments. -
The man who claims the "new spir-
II" as orthodox. rather than a divine
revelation, Is setting up a standard OF
orthodoxy Just as certainly as his op-
ponent. The teachings Of unbelievers
are just as positive as those Of believ-
ers. II Is claim Of the liberal think.
ers Of the day. in the words Of a dis
tinguished university professor, that
orthodoxy met Its Waterloo In the
world war. and gave as the reason for
the statement that the kaiser was or
thodox.
Where Is the Sound doctrine" OF
our text 10 be found? We unhesitat-
ingly say. I'm the Scriptures Of the
Old and New Testaments." The mean
ing OF the Greek word translated
is sound" healthy" or wholesome"
II we have In mind the health condi-
ton of the soul or the mind, every
thing is clear. The apostle is simply
urging that health-giving words be
ing that make young people lose their
faith In God and Christi
A young man. carrying an All.
from a leading American university
and In his second year at theological
seminary. stated recently that he had
- a. %.
Tiers. A young woman recently wrote
that during her college course her
faith In the Bible had been under
mined. II is well known that. today,
intelligent Christian parents with
abundant means at their disposal, are
hesitating 10 send their children TO the
ordinary college. even the college OF
their own religious denomination.
Take up a piece Of pottery, and
either suspend II from some object or
let IL rest very lightly on some sup
port, and then tap IL. II the response
is clear. you pronounce II sound; II the
response is cracked. or fiat, you say
II is not sound. Apply this principle
10 the Scriptures. and We find that
they respond with clear sound. BY
the same test, the message that goes
from the man Of God may be tested as
20 whether IL is sound or not, and that
test is the Scriptures Of the Old and
New Testament
There is a demand that We get back
TO the old paths. 10 the simple Word OF
God. Whatever good there is today
in the world body polite is owing to
the purity Of the doctrine Of the days
gone by. that have given to the world
such men as President Wilson, Lloyd
George. John X. Mott and Robert
Speer. OF the great characters that
have honored public life within the
last century, not one Of them was faint
ed by the new spirit" among whom
we may mention william II. Gladstone
John Bright. Abraham Lincoln and
Theodore Roosevelt
Not only should there be tolerance
for orthodoxy. right thinking and iiv-
ing, but demand for II that will not
be silenced until In the church. college
and In the seminary men and women
and young people will be safe. and not
only safe, but secure In their safety.