Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-12-27

lcUuS US " SCl
,"ra what We believe the text Incul-
h&iI%
ms Of all, it is evident that it is n
""nl ~ '",sc teaching which Is here
Involved. 1t IS important to note this
i'll day when 1t Is supposed to make
no difference us to what we believe.
For while John is very insistent on
right conduc he Is none the less in
Ststclt on right belief He knew, ns
&4l should realize, that crrurs as to
doctrine" produce errors rs to lifc.
#rase l.iberaIity
\ Again, the expression, "bring not
this doctrine" points out the person
as q. tencher, not mere traveller
seeking hospitality. DR.. James Gull
ross, an excellent interpreter Of Johns
writings, we'll says: '"The charge
which John gives Is an antidotc to
that so-callcd liberallty' to which
truth and falsehood are alike, which
generally ends In hating truth with a
murderous hatred. Whatever may be
done from Christian compassion or
kindness, let it be done without hesita.
tiOn or fear; but lot 1t be done as
compassion or kintness-in the spirit
Of the good Samaritan. John finds no
fault with 1t, and throws no hlndrance
In Its way. But keep the distraction
clear between doing deed of Chris
tlan bcneficence and giving help to
nti-Chrlstian error"
The false teacher 10 not only to be
refused hospitality, but he is not to be
bldden God speed, or rs the Revised
Version puts 1t, we are to "glve him no
greeting" Johns language would not
necessarily preclude an ordinary greet
Ing Of courtesy, but 1t involves SYM
bathy and approval, so as to make one
partaker Of the evil deeds Of the
teacher. Such frnternal intercourse Is
distinctly prohibited.
We must be careful not to assume
this exclusive attitude towards men
who may differ with us as to some
non.essentinl point Of doctrine, for In
such matters there IS room for large
!, charity In the church. John has In
mind more especially the teachers of
that day who denied that "Jcsus
Christ Is come In the flesh" AS to
such a point, involving tho full Deity
and true manhood of our Lord, we
must be altogether uncompromising.
The Incarnation the Center.
On this very matter Of the Incarra.
ton. Professor Orr has said: "Many
tendencies are at present in operation
to weaken this doctrine-speculativ
and evolutionary theories, doctrines OF
divine immanence, and panthelstlc
identification Of God and man; above
all, tile powerful bent,of the spirit Of
the age towards nOn.supcrnaturnl In
depreciation Of the facts and truths of
religion. 1t Is a necessity of the life
of the church to resist these tenden.
cies and to contend for Christ who
Is as essentially divine In nature and
personality as He Is human In his
form Of manfcstation--whO Is the
very Word of God become flesh (John
1:14)."
Johns directions as to our attitude
may we'll he applied to many of the
so.cnllcd unian meetings Of these
times, when representatives of other
faiths than the evhngcllcak are given
places on the program, as though such
differences Of doctrine were Of no mo.
ment. Men speak Of this as charity"
but -John would doubtless describe II
otherwise.
The select lady" to whom the words
Of our text were first addressed, was
q mQther. and John shows much In.