But we say, "Truth is mighty
and will prevail." Yes, I believe it will; but it would surely prevail
faster if we were always loyal to it. Besides, is there anything that
makes more directly for the degeneracy of character than such evasion?
To avoid all peril of this kind, how would it do to take for a basis of
doctrine this simple statement, "I believe the Scriptures of the Old and
New Testaments to be the Word of God?" Or, "I believe the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments to contain the Word of God?" Then, with
further "light breaking from God's holy word," we would not need to
expunge anything from our creed, or add anything to it.
Lately I heard a most fervid appeal on behalf of missions. But the
speaker really gave no worthy, definite incentive, by which the appeal
would be made effective. He gave no hint whatever as to the fate of the
heathen if we failed to Christianize them. He did not say they would
have to pass through pains in the next life necessary to their
reformation. Nor did he say they would be extinguished at death, or some
time after. Nor did he say they would drop into eternal fire. Any of
these three possibilities if duly presented, would be more or less an
incentive to action. But he simply referred to the heathen being saved
in some vague way, which almost meant nothing.
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