Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-10

@. 1t has recently been stated that
Methodism is purely an emotional re-
ligion. What Is your opinion of that
verdict?
Al am unaware who made the
statement, but certainly he needs to
learn more than he knows. Methodism
has directed humanitys emotional cur
rents into their proper channels and
turned the baser passions of men to
their true objective, refining them in
the process. In addition, it has pre-
served fine traditions of scholarship and
Guardianship from its beginning to
the present hour.
John Wesley was not only states
man evangelist, he was also a CLASH
cal scholar and physician, fellow OF
Lincoln College, Oxford, and is now
university. He insisted upon the ad-
vantages of a trained ministry, and
from the first Methodism has had dis
tinguished clergymen who were fully
competent for the tasks assigned them.
Dr. Adam Clarke was retained in Lon
don, despite the itinerary system of his
church, in order that he might assist
in tranSlating certain Oriental manu-
scripts for the British Museum. Jo-
seph Benson produced, as did DR.. Clarke,
a very respectable commentary cover
ing the entire Bible. Richard Watson,
although not technically a scholar, was
one of the most profound and moving
preachers of his day. William Burt
Pope was not only scholar but theo-
Logan Following in his wake came the
Moultons, father and sons, whose names
are we'll known in the world of biblical
scholarship.
In more recent days the late President
William Fairfield Warren, founder of
Boston Univerity; DR.. John McClintock
of Drew Seminary, Madison; DR.. James
Strong the author of the well known
encyclopedia of the Bible; DR.. William
Theophilis Dawson, of whom it can be
said that he is one of the most brilliant
and devout scholars of the English
speaking world; DR.. Joseph Agar Beet,
who wrote some of the best commen-
taries on the Pauline Epistles, are one
and all diVineS familiar to every Eng
disappearing student of Holy Scriptures.
In addition, DR.. Herbert B. Work
man has gained distinction as an au-
thority upon medieval church history,
and DR.. Robert B. Rogers is known in
the United States, Great Britain and
continental Europe as great ASsyri-
ologist and Hebraist. This is no mere
catalogue of names, but an authentic
statement setting forth what has been
done in every branch of both Old and
New Testament study, as well as teXtual
research, historical backgrounds, exege-
sis. bilical theology and church his
torv by men who were ministers or
members of world Methodism.
Moreover, Arthur Samuel Peake.
whose monument is found in the min
istrv of the church to which he be-
longed, literally revolutionized Its intel
lectiIal attitude within a lifetime. His
memory is kept fragrant in the close
interest which thousands OF eager stu
dents have taken in the Bible he helped
to rediscover.
@ Do YOU not find it difficult to be-
lieve that every man is as important as
the Christian religion teaches, In view
of the findings of modern science re-
parding the chemical nature OF mans
reactions and the size of the universe?
It seems so to me.
A, Your difficulty will largely disap-
near when YOU realize that the more
scientists discover about the universe
the more wonderful becomes its crea-
five and controlling mind. One OF the
strikinr features of cotemporary think
ing is its insistence that what we call
o,ly. world depends upon our personal
conception of 1t.
Certainly the impairment OF self by
ignorance or narrowness impalrs that
self's world, and the destruction of self
involves for all practical purposes the
destruction of that world Organized
Knowledge Is simply system OF SYM
bols which point in two directions.
They t,lr;l backward TO the brain which
was able TO construct snd use them.
They turn forware, 20 w.1ate"cr tiny
symbolic.