I
I
Continuing
LEHRE UNO WEHRE
MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILETIK
THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLy-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY
Vol. VITI August, 1937 No.8
CONTENTS
Page
The Pastor and Youth. o. P. Kretzmann . _______________ . ___________________ . ___ ______ 569
Modern Psychiatry and the Bible. H. D. MellSing . ___________________________ 576
Jobann Gerhard aIs lutherisc:her Kirchenlehrer. 3. T. MaeDer . _____ 592
Outlines on the Eisenach Epistle Selections _ ____ ____ __ __ _ .______ .. __ _ G05
Miscellanea __ _ __ . _. _________ . ________ . _____ ._ .. _________ . __________ .. _____ ___ . _____ . __ _____ _ 615
Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-ZeitgeschichtIiches _________________ . ___ 622
Book Review. - Literatur _. ___ . _____________________________________________ __ _____ ._ 639
Ein Prediger muss nieht alleln toei-
den, also dass er die Schafe unter-
weise. wle sle reehte Christen soilen
sein, sondern auch daneben den Woel-
fen weh,.en, dass sie die Schafe nieht
angreifen und mit falscher Lehre ver-
fuehren und Irrtum elnfuehren.
Luthe,.
Es 1st kein Ding, das die Leute
mehr bel der Kirche behaelt denn
die gute Predlgt. - Apologle, Arl. 24.
If the trumpet give an uncertain
sound who shail prepare himself to
the battle? - 1 Cor. 14, 8.
Published for the
Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States
L CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.
622 Theological Observer - .reitc9!id)~.8eit\lefc9icf)md)e!l
Theological Observer - Sfirdjlidj • .8eitgefdjidjtIidje~
I. .2tmtrikll
Is Pure Doctrine a Relative Concept? - Evangelisk Luthersk Tidende
(March, 1937, Nos.5 and 7), under the headings "Ren Laere et relativt
Begreb?" ("Is Pure Doctrine a Relative Concept?") and "Lutheraneren
og Folkebladet om 'Verbalinspirationen'" ("Luthemneren and Folke-
bladet on 'Verbal Inspiration' "), points out very strikingly how also
within the "American Lutheran Conference" the· doctrine of verbal in-
spiration is being assailed and discredited. The controversy began when
Folkebladet, representing the enthusiastic, sectarian elements of the
Norwegian Lutheran Free Church (Jan. 20, 1937), wrote the following
modernistic nonsense: "Clear lines are not necessarily the same as pure
doctrine; for this [pure doctrine] is a relative concept (relativt
begreb); it is conditioned by the individual person's view and opinion
(syn og mening). That which is pure doctrine in one place is not
necessarily pure doctrine in another. No one had the truth revealed to
him in such a way that, when he speaks, he speaks the truth itself.
There is only One who could have said that, and He was more than
a man. This concerns secondary things, even important secondary
things. With regard to fundamental matters there must and will be
unity, namely, in things on which life itself rests, both spiritual and
bodily." - For this pernicious bit of perversion Lutheraneren (Feb. 3,
1937) took Folkebladet to task, though somewhat mildly, stating in
substance that "it can hardly be possible that Folkebladet really believes
anything like that." - Rev. J. E. Thoen, editor of the Tidende, thereupon
pointed out (March 3, 1937) that the modernistic doctrine set forth in
Folkebladet is precisely the same view on "pure doctrine" and "inspira-
tion" which this periodical has always held and defended, a fact well
known to Lutheraneren. In spite of this the United Norwegian Lu-
theran Church joined hands with the Norwegian Lutheran Free Church
and declared that they were united in faith and doctrine, so that they
recognized each other as brethren in faith. Both synods were along with
others in founding a federation of synods under the name The Amer-
ican Lutheran Conference. Yet Folkebladet has not at all changed its
position in doctrine and practise, but teaches now as before that "Chris-
tianity must progress to clear knowledge of truth by reason, step by step,
according as it finds the truth revealed in the course of history." Next
Editor Thoen shows that Lutheraneren, too, has not always stood to its
post in defending the principle of the absolute truth of the inspired
Bible. This widely read paper has not only been indifferentistic with
regard to the question of true unity, but has also set aside the Holy
Scriptures as the only source and standard of faith and life by tolerating
error and erroneous practise in the Norwegian Lutheran Church of
America (the United Norwegian Lutheran Church), for example, by
allowing women to speak and vote in the congregation. Much worse is
the fact that in the United Norwegian Lutheran Church some ministers
favor theistic evolution, and yet Lutheraneren has not properly supported
Theological Observer - Sfitd)lid)~8eit\Jefd)id)tHd)es 623
those defenders of the Biblical truth who wrote against the evolutionary
teachings of these outspoken Liberalists. So far Rev. J. E. Thoen's
criticism in Tidende of March 3.
In the mean while Folkebladet (Feb. 17), reacting upon Luthera-
-nerlil'/t's criticism, explained and defended its statement that "ren laere er
et relativt begreb." It wrote: "Yes, we do think that pure doctrine is
very often a relative concept." The periodical thus remained impenitent,
though it added: "But a distinction should be made between original
and derived doctrine." (Italics our own; "oprindeIig og avledet Iaere".)
With this strange explanation Lutheraneren declared itself satisfied,
though it stipulated that it would not use the word relative in such a
connection. Since it was thus made to appear that the disagreement
eonsisted merely in a misunderstanding ("misforstaaelse"), Pastor Thoen
(Tidende, March 21) makes the further charge that both periodicals in
the final analysis reject verbal inspiration. This charge is based upon
the words which Folkebladet uses in further development of its defense.
Fol7cebladet said (and let us note the full implication of its words):
"But that was not what we were thinking of (namely, that we acknowl-
edge only part of God's Word) when we in this paper for January 20
wrote of pure doctrine as a relative concept. We were thinking of the
human interpretations of the sacred truths. We were thinking of many
points in that which is called theology. For the sake of clarity let us
mention a few. We can take, for example, the doctrine that the Bible
is God's Word, because Lutheraneren mentions that and the Church
teaches it. It should be clear that the Church must hold fast to that
truth; for if she gives it up, then her whole foundation is torn away;
she annihilates herself. To be sure, the Catholic Church has almost
given up this dogma, because it has subordinated the Holy Scriptures to
'tradition,' which it places above the Bible. It teaches indeed that the
.Bible is God's Word, but that tradition is more God's Word than the
Bible. Sometimes we have wondered whether the German theologians,
the most prominent of whom are the Missourians, do not place their
propositions or interpretations ("sine satser eller utlaeggelser") higher
than the Bible. [What propositions or interpretations, please? And
why this dig at Missouri in this uncalled-for manner?] But the Church,
or the theologians, was not satisfied with the simple truth that the
Bible is God's Word [a very unfair misrepresentation]. They began to
ask how the Bible was God's Word [just that, too, the Bible teaches in
·clear words, which are quoted afterwards], and to this question came
'many answers. It concerns the question of inspiration. Questions can
go out from such words ("Spoergerne kan gaa ud fra ord sam dette"):
'Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.'
Or this: 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God' ("Den hellige
.skrift er indblaest af Gud"). These are the principal proof-texts for
the doctrine of inspiration. There are many other passages in Scrip-
ture that speak of the same matter. But all expositors start out from
the same words of Scripture. They are all believing Christian men .
. Some come to the conclusion that the Scriptures are a dictation of the
.Holy Ghost, and in explanation they form an answer that says: 'God's
624 Theological Observer - ~it~n~~.8eitgef~i~tn~es
Spirit put into their minds [of the sacred penmen] what and with.
which words they should speak and write.' Thus teach the Missourians.
[We indeed teach verbal inspiration in the fullest sense of the term,
but avoid the word dictation, since we do not teach that mechanical
inspiration with which that term is commonly associated.] Thus teaches
the Norwegian Synod [our brethren in the faith]. And thus also teaches
Lutheraneren. But H. U. Sverdrup, who wrote the explanation most used
in the Norwegian Church [of the old country] and also over here, struck
out the words 'and with which words,' letting only 'what' stand. That is
to say: The German theologians teach the verbal inspiration of the Scrip-
tures, but H. U. Sverdrup does not. But he isn't alone in this. He has
a large following. Mission Secretary Lars Dahle is agreed with H. U.
Sverdrup. Dr. Sigurd Odland is also agreed with him. Likewise also,
in the main point, are the teachers at the Menighedsfakultaetet and all
the Norwegian bishops. A great number of other outstanding Lutheran
theologians could be mentioned who do not favor the doctrine of in-
spiration that Lutheraneren favors. Lutheraneren and the Missourians
think that the theory of verbal inspiration is 'pure doctrine.' And the
others hold that it is not 'pure doctrine.' Therefore the doctrine of
verbal inspiration is a relative concept; but not that the Bible is God's
Word [sc., is a relative concept]. In that they are agreed." So far
Folkebladet.
Rev. J. E. Thoen comments on this subtle piece of sophism thus:
"From this and other things that Folkebladet mentions, we cannot under-
stand anything else than that, because there are many different inter-
pretations with regard to the inspiration of the Scriptures within the
Church, we cannot be sure which is the correct or pure doctrine in the
matter. Thus also with other doctrines, such as the doctrine of the
Sacraments. It is not God's Word, or the Word of the Bible, that must
decide what is correct or pure doctrine. It is not the Bible's clear,
straightforward words and sentences which are the sure test for doc-
trine. It is only human interpretation to teach that the word and sen-
tences of Scripture are inspired. The revelation of truth occurs in
another way than by the Word of Scripture, Folkebladet thinks. It says:
'We come nearest to the truth of a doctrine when we try it out in our
lives and see what fruit it bears. That is the only certain test! Not in
conferences and learned discussions, not in propositions, but in practise,
the truth of a doctrine will be shown. Life is the test of doctrine.'
[Italics our own.] With that Lutheraneren lets the matter rest. It is
therefore agreed with Folkebladet. Certainty of the truth is found not
by searching the Scriptures; it must be found in the experiences of life.
It is not certain whether the Bible's Word is the correct and un-
mistakable rule for true doctrine and life. The truth is revealed not
by the Word, but by works. That is the doctrine of Folkebladet. And
it satisfied Lutheraneren! How this can be Lutheran doctrine we do not
understand. God's Word and Luther's doctrine is exactly the opposite."
So far Editor Thoen.
This controversy, we believe, is of tremendous importance, since it
clearly shows the following facts: 1. The Lutheran synods making up
Theological Observer - Ritdjrid),,Beitgefdjidjtlidjes 625
the American Lutheran Conference are certainly not agreed on the
doctrine of verbal inspiration. 2. Within the American Lutheran Con-
ference there are men who boastingly defend the same un-Lutheran,
unbiblical, modernistic views against the true doctrine of Biblical in-
spiration which Kantonen and others in the United Lutheran Church
have held forth so persistently these last years. Folkebladet stands side
by side with The Lutheran in repudiating the Biblical doctrine of verbal
and plenary inspiration. 3. There are within the American Lutheran
Conference voices that still champion the Lutheran doctrine of inspira-
tion, but they are not as vigorous and insistent as they should be.
4. The sorry fate of those confessional elements that blindly walked into
the disunion of the sham merger shows us what we must expect if we
enter into a union with Lutheran synods which do not agree with us in
doctrine. J. T. M.
The New Strong Voice of Fundamentalism. - When from October 4
to 11, 1936, the San Gabriel Union Church of San Gabriel, Cal., dedicated
its new church-building, its varied program of dedicatory services
sounded a new, strong confessional note, such as has been heard but
seldom during the last decade. The name Union Church is explained by
the origin of the new congregation which had its inception in Sunday-
school meetings of various fundamentalistic groups. The originally small
band of confessional Christians, however, increased and expanded so
rapidly that early in 1935 it decided to organize itself as a church and
to erect its own church edifice. "The present new building is the result
of vision, prayer, sacrifice, persistence, and indefatigable labor," writes
the pastor of the church, the Rev. Roy L. Laurin. (Cf. Sunday-school
Times, Feb. 13, 1937.) In the "responsive reading" of the "inaugural
ceremony" the church-members pledged themselves as follows: "We
dedicate ourselves to loyalty to the revealed Word of Holy Scripture,
which is our only infallible rule of faith and practise, that it may be
our sole guide in matters of faith and our instructor in matters of con-
duct." But its main confessional declaration was set forth in its church
bulletin, in a statement reading as follows: "This church has definite
principles in regard to faith and practise. It desires itself to be known
as a church that is upholding a standard and is not catering to favor
[original italics]. This church is definitely fundamental and evangelical
in its faith. It is l€d by an evangelistic, missionary, Bible-teaching min-
istry. It is definitely committed to 'the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints.' It believes in the Bible, in a day of varying shades of
unbelief. It is not catering to public favor in order to secure a large
membership. Its membership is secondary to its testimony and service.
Its financial policy is the free-will offerings of its people, based upon
'proportionate' giving. It does not resort to questionable methods of
church finance by church suppers and similar things. It has proved the
wisdom of this policy through five years of depression without the need
of reducing its budget and with the steady increase of its missionary
giving. All these policies of faith and practise are to be carefully and
jealously maintained when it moves into its new building." This cer-
tainly is most refreshing contrasted with the distressing dust-storm
plague of Modernism. J. T. M.
626 Theological Observer - .ITircf)ncf)~.8citgefC!)ic!)tncf)es
Modernism Must Not Seek Finalities. - That is a fundamental mod-
ernistic principle, laid down by Shirley Jackson Case, dean of the divinity
school of the University of Chicago, in his recent book Highways of
Christian Doctrine, according to a review by John Horsch in the Gospel
Herald. Mr. Horsch writes: "Professor Case freely acknowledges the
fact that the Liberals do not have positive doctrinal truth to offer. And
not only does he make this admission, but he says it is a mistake even:
to seek finalities. Seeking finalities, he thinks, will only lead to the
final acknowledgment of error. He is aware that eventually it will be
realized that Modernists, denying the authority of Scripture, have no
valid ground for any doctrinal teaching. Professor Case contends that
the remedy for the errors, the bankruptcy, of Modernism is more Mod-
ernism. In other words, he thinks that the Modernists should cease
giving their message the appearance of divinely revealed truth; they
should freely and openly admit that they have no finalities to offer. Let
us hope that this advice may be heeded. This book of Professor Case
offers convincing proof that the radical religious Liberalism, as repre-
sented by himself and many other professors in the theological semi-
naries, is simply religious agnosticism, the denial of the knowableness of
things divine. But is not the admission that the message of liberalism is
one of religious agnosticism in itself a striking proof of bankruptcy? Or
could any religious value be ascribed to a message of agnosticism?
Robert G. Ingersoll, the eloquent agnostic, in passing, never made any
claim of religious value of his message. On the contrary, he held that
religious agnosticism means the bankruptcy of religion, including liberal
religion. Pity the pretended Christian worker whose message is that of
Robert Ingersoll! Pity the portion of the Church of America falling
under the influence of religious Liberalism!" J. T. M.
Dr. Klotsche Called Home. - It was with a pang of deep sorrow that
we received the news of the death, at the age of sixty-one, of Prof. E. H.
Klotsche, which occurred February 11 of this year. Having been educated
in the Foreign Missions Seminary in Leipzig, he entered the Leipzig mis-
sion-field in India and labored there till 1903. When he in that year
came to America, it was his desire to join the Missouri Synod, with which
he had become acquainted through reading Lehre und Wehre and
through contact with our missionaries in India. His plan was frustrated,.
and he took over a pastorate in the General Synod. Later on he served
as professor of theology in the seminaries at Lincoln, Fremont, and,
finally, at Maywood. He has become well known through several im-
portant publications. A good musician himself, he wrote Luther's In-
fluence in Song and Church Music. His chief work is Christian Sym-
bolics, issued 1929, which excellently describes the various Christian
church-bodies. In 1927 a valuable little work entitled Outline of History
of Doctrine appeared from his pen, which he intended to supplement by
another volume, The History of Christian Thought. The manuscript of
this volume was almost finished when he was summoned hence, and his
family hopes that it can be published. Those that knew him were aware
of his love of the truth as taught in the Confessions of the Lutheran
Church. Owing to his orthodoxy he was attacked now and then in his
own church-body, the U. L. C., where he earnestly opposed doctrinal in-
difference and Modernism. A.
Theological Observer - .Ritd)lid)~2eit\1efd)id)md)es 627
Dr. C. C. Hein Deceased. - When Dr. Hein (1868-1937) on April 30
departed this life, conservative Lutheranism suffered a severe loss.
Since the chief facts pertaining to his life and activity have been re-
ported in Der Lutheraner and the Lutheran Witness, we shall here merely
gratefully recall his soundness in the great fundamentals of our faith.
Perhaps nowhere did this become more manifest than in the splendid
testimony which he gave at the Lutheran World Convention in Copen-
hagen in 1929. In his address he pointed out that whoever wants to be
a faithful Lutheran must accept the Scriptures as inspired in their
totality. Some of his words deserve being quoted again. "Warum diese
Stellung zur Schrift? Weil dem Luthertum die Heilige Schrift in ihrem
ganzen Umfang wie auch in allen ihren Teilen das vom Heiligen Geist
inspirierte und darum lautere und untruegliche Gotteswort ist. Schrift
und Gottes Wort sind ihm identisch. Der Heilige Geist ist ihm der Ur-
heber der Schrift. Die Propheten, Evangelisten und Apostel sind ihm die
Werkzeuge, deren der Heilige Geist sich bei der Abfassung der Schrift
bediente. Nach Inhalt und Form hat der Heilige Geist den heiligen
Schreibern eingegeben, was sie geschrieben haben. Und ist ihm auch der
modus der Inspiration ein von der Schrift nicht geoffenbartes und darum
fuer die Vernunft und die theologische Wissenschaft unloesbares Ge-
heimnis, so glaubt es doch das in der Schrift bezeugte Wunder der In-
.spiration, und alles, was die Schrift sagt, sowohl in Sachen des Heils wie
in sogenannten Nebensachen, ist ihm untruegliches Gotteswort." With
the same clarity he treated the doctrine known as sola gratia. "Das 'allein
aus Gnaden' bezieht sich auf alles, was der Menschen Heil betrifft: die
Erwerbung und Darbietung sowie die Annahme, Schenkung und Vollen-
dung des Heils. Wie es clem Luthertum auf der einen Seite gewiss ist,
dass Unglaube, Nichtbekehrung uncl endliche Verdammung in jedem
Sinn einzig und allein des Menschen Schuld, so auf der andern, dass
Bekehrung, Glaube und Seligkeit in jedem Sinn Gnadenwerk und
Gnadengabe Gottes ist. Hier stehen wir VOl' einem Geheimnis. 'Der
Selige,' sagt H. E. F. Guericke in seiner 'Symbolik' "(3. Aufi., S. 425),
'wird selig allein durch Gottes Gnade in Christo, ohne alles eigene Ver-
dienst, der Unselige unselig durch eigene Schuld, weil er del' goettlichen
Gnade fortwaehrend widersteht. Warum der Widerstand des ersteren
gegen die goettliche Gnade endlich gebrochen wird, der des letzeren aber
nicht, ist nicht des ersteren Verdienst, wohl aber des letzteren Schuld.
Der Mensch jedoch' (auch der Theolog) 'mit seinem bloeden, durch die
Suende getruebten Verstande vermag diese Tiefe der goettlichen Werk-
statt nicht zu erforschen, und es ist groessere Weisheit, das goettliche Ge-
heimnis anzuerkennen, als es gotteslaesterlich zu loesen.''' In reprinting
and commenting on this address of Dr. Hein, Dr. Pieper said: "Auf dem
Lutherischen Weltkonvent, der voriges Jahr in Kopenhagen versammelt
war, ist das, was die Missourisynode von del' Heiligen Schrift und von der
Bekehrung lehrt, vorgetragen worden, und zwar in rebus und zum Teil
auch in phrasib1!s, wenn auch der Name 'Missouri' nicht erwaehnt wurde.
Es geschah dies in einem V ortrage, der vom Praeses der Allgemeinen
Synode von Ohio, Dr. C. C. Hein, VOl' dem Konvent in Kopenhagen ge-
halten wurde. . .. Moechte dieser Vortrag in der amerikanisch-luthe-
rischen Kirche und bei den Lutheranern der ganzen Welt volle Beach-
628 Theological Observer - .Rirc(jlic(j<,8eit\1efc(jic(jtlic(jell
tung finden!" (Cf. CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY, I [1930], p.338.)
Dr. Hein had a prominent part in the drawing up of the Chicago, or
Intersynodical, Theses. The fact that he was taken from us at a time
when again important intersynodical discussions are in progress and he
was serving as a member of the committee of his Synod for such dis-
cussions with other Lutherans, made us think of the words Dr. Walther
wrote when the news of the death of Dr. Charles Porterfield Krauth
reached him: "In Demut verehren wir Gottes unerforschliche Regierung
bei diesem Todesfall. Meinten wir doch, dass der Herr unsere ameri-
kanisch-Iutherische Kirche nun erst recht durch dieses hochbegabte
Werkzeug segnen werde." (Lehre und Wehre, XXIX, p.32.) May the
years to come show that Dr. Hein's arduous labors in behalf of conserva-
tive Lutheranism were not in vain! A.
Deaths. - In Leipzig, Prof. Hans Achelis, known as a church his-
torian, died February 23, 71 years old. His chief work is said to be the
book entitled Das Christentum in den erst en drei Jahrhunderten. - On
March 6 Dr. Rudolf Otto of Marburg died. He had been the successor
of the well-known scholar Wilhelm Herrmann. Otto is best known
through his very popular work Das Heilige, which first appeared in
1917.-The director of the seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in Altpreussen (Breslau), Pastor Lie. Friedrich Priegel, was taken out of
this life March 1. - On March 17 Leipzig lost another well-known
theologian, Dr. Franz Rendtorff, 76 years old. He had retired from
active service at the university. His field was practical theology. He
became well known as a leader in the Gustav-Adolf-Verein. - On
March 9 the well-known philosopher and critic Paul Elmer More, pro-
fessor in Princeton University, departed this life. He was classed as,
a humanist. As editor of the Nation he became widely known in our
country. A report says that he was a regular attendant at Protestant
Episcopal services in Princeton and that, although he was not con-
firmed, he died in the full communion of the Church. - From Germany
comes the news of the death of Dr. Adolf Deissmann. He stood in the
very first ranks of New Testament scholars and helped immensely
toward a correct understanding of the Koine, the Greek of the time of
Jesus and the apostles. His Licht vom Osten is just as authoritative
as fascinating. - Mgr. Francis Kenninck, archbishop of Utrecht and
primate of the Old Catholic communion in Holland, departed this life.
He was much interested in World Conferences. - Dr. Caspar Wistar
Hodge, Charles Hodge professor of systematic theology in Princeton
Theological Seminary since 1921, died on February 26 in the Princeton
hospital ot pneumonia. He was sixty-six years old. Dr. Hodge belonged
to a famous family, which has been connected with Princeton Seminary
more than one hundred years. His grandfather, Dr. Charles Hodge, his
father, Dr. Caspar Wistar Hodge, his great-uncle, Dr. Archibald Alexander
Hodge, like himself, were members of the seminary faculty. (The Pres-
byterian.)
Movie Supervision. - Representative Francis D. Culkin of New York
has presented to Congress a bill to establish a commission with power
to regulate phases of the motion-picture industry. The bill states:-
Theological Observer - .Ritd)lid)~8eitllefd)id)md)e~ 629
"The selection and treatment of subject-material for motion-pictures,
silent or talking, shall be in accord with public welfare, and no license
shall be granted to motion-pictures-
"First, which emphasize and exaggerate sex appeal or depict scenes
therein exploiting interest in sex in an improper or suggestive form or
manner."
The bill goes on to forbid the issuance of license for pictures "based
upon white slavery or commercialized vice"; those which thematically
make "prominent an illicit love affair which tends to make virtue odious
and vice attractive"; those "which exhibit nakedness or persons scantily
dressed, particularly suggestive bedroom and bathroom scenes and
scenes of inciting dances"; and those with scenes which "unnecessarily
prolong expressions or demonstrations of passionate love."
Stories with undue emphasis on the underworld, vice, gambling, or
drunkenness, and those which might instruct the feeble-minded in the
ways of crime are to come under the ban also.
Furthermore, if the bill is enacted, no licenses will be issued for
movies with stories or scenes ridiculing the army, navy, officers of the
law, public officials, etc., or those which offend the religious beliefs of
any recognized sect or are "disrespectful to objects or symbols used in
connection with any religion."
Finally, "salacious titles and subtitles ... and the use of salacious
advertising matter, photographs, and lithographs" are basis enough for
refusal to grant a license. (Living Church)
Conditions in the Protestant Episcopal Church. - In a trenchant
analysis Canon Bernard Iddings Bell, writing in the Living Church,
portrays conditions as they exist at present in the Protestant Episcopal
Church of our country, He tells his fellow-Episcopalians that church
services are attended much less than used to be the case, that boys
and girls from Episcopal homes often manifest lack of loyalty, that
the intellect and dynamic quality of the clergy has deteriorated, that
in spite of much talk about money, giving for the Church is decreasing,
that the Low-churchmen, the so-called Evangelicals, have practically
disappeared, that Broad-churchmen, formerly represented by leaders
of the sort of Phillips Brooks, taken as a class, today do not possess
religious power, that owing to a number of causes the prevailing mood
in the Episcopal Church is one of respectable ostentation, and finally,
that even the Anglo-Catholics are not exerting much influence. We
have to quote a paragraph.
"What the last quarter century's history of the Episcopal Church
seems to show is, 1. that the Church has been on a worldly spree and
is now very ill indeed; 2. that today, when the Church needs treatment
tending toward spiritual recovery, it finds that old Doctor Evangelical
seems to have died and that young Doctor Broad has hardly bothered
to learn his trade. There is available only that funny chap whom
people used to laugh at and finally permitted to settle in the neighbor-
hood (provided he kept from bothering the neighbors), good Brother
,iI...nglo-Catholic; but he may have gotten so used to looking after his
private practise as to have lost interest in the public health of the
630 Theological Observer - .reitd)1id)<.8eitgefd)id)md)e~
communion. If so, both he and the connnunion must share the blame.
The Church's extremity, if only he sees it, is the Anglo-Catholic's
opportunity. God knows we Anglo-Catholics are not alert to the im-
portance of our job. We had better be. We can give the Episcopal
Church that spiritual vitality necessary for its rejuvenation; but that
only if we are truly Anglo-Catholics, willing to pay the price of self-
oblation for the purchase of sufficiency."
Continuing, he speaks of the danger of a schism. In an inter-
esting way he describes how one hundred fifty years ago a schism rent
the Anglican Church when Wesley and his followers, owing to "the
incredible stupidity of the Anglican bishops and other clergy," became
the founders of Methodism. The writer does not hold, however, that
a schism will take place. Anglo-Catholics, he says, are not disposed
to leave the old home. We quote once more:-
"No, we Anglo-Catholics must and shall stay in, making ever more
a bit of a nuisance of ourselves to all complacent people, everlastingly
crying out for more religion; more sinners washed clean by the abso-
lution of Christ; more people on their knees before a crucified King,
present with them in the Sacrament; more devotion of beauty to His
glistering loveliness; more adoration of Jesus Christ on His throne in
heaven and in His most holy Sacrament; more reliance on the Holy
Spirit and less on machinery; more fasting and discipline; more retreats
and quiet days; more bishops who daily offer the Holy Sacrifice and
say their offices and guard the faith; more priests who are poor men
gladly; more spiritual comradeship and fellowship among the laity
and less respect of persons; more of God and less of man's whimsies;
more regard for the holy saints than for the leaders of contemporary
'society'; more chrism and less starch."
This is a good portrayal of the ideals which the Anglo-Catholics
cherish. How truth and error are here mingled the Lutheran theologian
will readily see. We have quoted so extensively because in more than
one respect what Canon Bell says contains lessons foI' us. A.
Catholicism Bestirring Itself. - Most of us have read that Catholics
in America are becoming alarmed about the future of their Church and
have started what is called "Catholic Action" - a series of activities
which are intended to check the tremendous losses which the Church is
suffering. The first thing on the program of the people who are respon-
sible for this movement is to teach the Roman Catholic Catechism more
effectively. The Baltimore Catechism has been revised in its language
and form so that now it is more usable. In the next place, Bible-study is
to be sponsored among Catholics. To what extent they are playing with
fire in contemplating to make their people more acquainted with Holy
Scripture these protagonists do not seem to realize. Furthermore, there
is to be more social study and activity in the various parishes; there are
to be discussions and lectures, the youth are to be given recreation, and
in this way greater interest in, and loyalty toward, the Church are to
be fostered. Again, there are to be held "soap-box meetings" on the
streets of New York, trained speakers addressing the passers-by on the
merits of the Catholic religion. And, finally, the priests are to be trained
Theological Observer - .Ritd)!id)<,8eit\1efd)id)tHd)es 631
more effectively and more in keeping with the many problems which the
modern age presents. There is to be more insistence on independent
thinking of the priests, and the suppression of initiative which is so
characteristic of the education of the Roman Catholic clergy is to be
warned against.
That, however, superstition will still be permitted to reign freely is
shown by a newspaper dispatch from a Franciscan monastery in Pater-
son, N. J. We are told that there, with official Vatican seals, a repository
for relics was discovered containing "the wood of the true cross of Jesus
Christ, particles of wood from the table of the Last Supper, a particle
from the tomb of the Virgin Mary, a particle from the cloak of St. Joseph,
wood from the sign placed by the executioners over the head of Christ
on the cross, wood from the pillar at which Christ was scourged, a frag-
ment of the purple cloak thrown about Christ in mockery of His divine
kingship, stone from the sacred sepulcher, a fragment of the tunic of
Christ, wood from the crib of the nativity; first-class relics (particles of
the body) of John the Baptist, Saints Joachim and Anne, the grand-
parents of our Lord, of the apostles, St. Augustine, and many other saints
and martyrs." The above information we obtained from an instructive
article in the Christian Century on January 27, having the caption,
"American Catholicism a la Mode." A.
"Needed-a Disturbing Ministry."-In the Watchman-Examiner the
Rev. Dr. R. K. Maiden of Kansas City, Mo., offers under this heading
a most severe indictment of the present-day sectarian ministry of mod-
ernistic hue. Beginning with the quotation "What damns the Church of
our generation more than any other defect in its life is its inability 01'
unwillingness to preach an adequate gospel [?] of repentance," he re-
marks (we are quoting outstanding statements only): "A severe indict-
ment, but who will dispute the justice of it? It is not in evidence that
there is any serious purpose, any vigorous and sustained effort, on the
part of the ministry to call the present generation to repentance and
convict it of sin. While some - the wonder is that there are not more-
are heavy-heartedly lamenting the fading 'sense of sin,' others are frankly
expressing hope for the day to come when man will be fully and forever
delivered from all sense of sin. One need not be cynical to discern the
moral and religious down-grade drift wide over the world. No special
gift of foresight or forethought is needed to make us aware of what
confronts us. A subtle, sinister, paganistic philosophy is adroitly and in
various disguises seeking to naturalize religion, seeking to detach it from
its divine origin and empty it of its supernatural content. Succeeding in
this, the next step proposed is the religionizing of Christianity, leaving us
only a humanistic religion. Unless the signs of the times are misleading,
we are living in a day of well-nigh universal moral apostasy. Never
perhaps has moral delinquency among Christian people been so manifest
and so general. We have religious organization and activity, but seem-
ingly no connection with the current of divine power. We have 're-
vivals' that do not revive. In the world's cold atmosphere churches are
being chilled into impotency and 'frozen assets' by worldly-minded,
world-serving members; waterlogged by sheer nonchalant worldliness
632 Theological Observer - .Rit~ti~',8eitgef~i~tli~e!l
and complacent indifference. Church attendance by members is decreas-
ing. Family and church discipline is disappearing. Family altars are
the exception. Sabbath desecration is the rule. Suicides and divorces
are multiplying. The crime wave rises higher and higher. Socialism and
Communism eat their way into the very vitals of our national life.
Atheism is organized and exerts a vigorous propaganda. The land is
flooded with liquor. The nation is on a drunken debauch, with millions
of church-members participes criminis. How far are the preachers re-
sponsible for the spiritual impotence, the low moral and spiritual level
to which so many churches haven fallen? Are they calling men to re-
pentance? Are they crusaders and torch-bearers in the army of the
Lord? Is there fire enough in the pulpit to create warmth in the pew?
There is no proper place in the ministry for weaklings, doubters, strad-
dlers, soft-pedalers, slackers. There is so much preaching that does not
get below the surface. It will be both the purpose and the effect of a dis-
turbing ministry to unmask sin, strip it of all disguises, and expose it in
its naked reality. The disturbing preacher will smite hypocrisy. He will
not fail to declare to lukewarm Christians Christ's estimate of them. He
will not flinch from preaching eternal torment for the finally impenitent.
It has been my honest endeavor to show that we are confronted by
a moral and spiritual slump, tragic in its proportions, that the pale,
despiritualized type of Christianity of our day is failing to arrest this
paganistic drift, and that our spiritual leaders, the preachers, are failing
in the task of turning the devastating tide." It will be well also for us
to study this terrifying, but, alas! true picture of our present-day church
conditions in order that we may do all we can that the Word of God,
which alone is the panacea of the present atheistic pest, may exert its
healing influences to the salvation of those who still care to listen to
Christ's Gospel. J. T. M.
The Enemy's Tribute. - Under this heading the Sunday-school Times
(March 6) reports the following obituary tribute of Pearl S. Buck to the
late Dr. Machen. We read: "Unrighteousness sometimes pays a high
tribute to righteousness. Pearl S. Buck's remarkable tribute to the late
Dr. Machen, in her article in the New Republic, was recently quoted here;
but also another statement in her article is worthy of special note. This
ex-missionary, while she was still a missionary of an evangelical board,
publicly trampled under foot the most precious truths of Christ and the
Gospel; yet she sees in Dr. Machen's uncompromising testimony some-
thing of priceless value. She says: 'We have lost a man whom our times
can ill spare, a man who had convictions which were real to him and
who fought for those convictions and held to them through every change
in time and human thought. He was worth a hundred of his fellows
who, as princes of the Church, occupy easy places and play their church
politics and trim their sails to every wind, who in their smug observance
of the conventions of life and religion offend all honest and searching
spirits. No forthright mind can live among them, neither the honest
skeptic nor the honest dogmatist. I wish Dr. Machen had lived to go on
fighting them.' It would be interesting to know what effect this dis-
cerning evaluation of one of the great Christian leaders of our generation
Theological Observer - .Ritcf)Hcl)~2eitgef cl)icl)tHcl)eii 633
will have upon the many Modernists and middle-of-the-road leaders who
are blind to the evils which Dr. Machen so wholesomely exposed and
who are truly characterized by the caustic words of a notorious foe of
the Gospel." We regard Mrs. Buck's tribute to Dr. Machen as one of the
finest that have been paid by friend and foe alike to the memory of the
great Westminster leader. Certainly even unbelieving men and women
despise the modernistic hypocrites, whose pragmatical sic-et-non position
on religious questions must needs offend the common decency of all who
still have left in themselves a modicum of ordinary honesty. It always
pays to fight for the truth. J. T. M.
Erie~ Hems. - The Presbyterian Church of America has been struck
by another storm, owing to the unionism which has entered into the
make-up of the organization. Prof. Allen A. McRae, teacher of the Old
Testament, has resigned from the faculty, and three members of the
board of trustees of the seminary have likewise handed in their resigna-
tions. The trouble that Professor McRae complains of is that the other
members of the faculty did not share, but opposed, his views on pre-
millennialism, of which he is a sponsor. It seems the chiliasts will have
to be eliminated before there will be peace. Another point of controversy
pertained to the question whether Christians must altogether abstain
from the use of intoxicating liquors. Professor McRae answered this
question in the affirmative, and the other members of the faculty did not
agree with him. This young denomination certainly is harassed by
many storms. It has to learn that a compromising position will lead to
disaster.
The editor of the Christian Century complains of three red herrings
drawn across the path of the unification of Christianity. They are the
three slogans: "I believe in unity but not in union"; "I believe in unity
but not in uniformity"; "I believe in cooperation but not in organic
union." One justly asks whether these "red herrings" are perhaps not,
after all, more real and important than that Fata Morgana unification
which the Christian Century seeks to reach.
It seems that the Federal Council Preaching Mission will have
a second year. We read of a team in New York consisting of Dr.
George A. Buttrick, Dr. George A. Truett, and Dr. Adolph Keller, whose
efforts will be seconded by those of Mrs. E. Stanley Jones, Mrs. Harper
Sibley, and Muriel Lester. Instead of growing in strength, the venture
increases in weakness.
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America has
a League of Faith, which recently met in Columbus, O. It was or-
ganized to give "strong testimony to the doctrines and the polity of the
Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. within the Church itself." One of its
aims is "to work within the Church for the eradication of those ten-
dencies which are destructive of her life and witness, such as anti-
supernaturalism, destructive higher criticism, latitudinarian indifference
to creedal standards, worldliness and materialism, bureaucracy and
tyranny."
The Presbyterian Church in the U. S. of America (Northern Presby-
terians) carries on extensive mission-work among the Indians of our
41
634 Theological Observer - stitd)Hd)~.8eitgefd)ic9tIicges
country. A recent report shows that this endeavor comprises 130
churches with 39 preaching-stations, with a total membership of ap-
proximately 7,000 Indians, who represent more than forty different
tribes. There are 83 full-time missionaries, of whom 53 are native min-
isters and lay workers and 28 ordained white ministers.
In his inaugural address the new president of Princeton Seminary,
Dr. John A. Mackay, spoke of the attempts made by thinkers to find some
basis for a satisfactory W eltanschammg. He thinks that since the war
three prominent tendencies can be distinguished. "Albert Schweitzer
proposes a metaphysical world view, inspired by the rationalism of the
enlightenment, which shall have at the heart of it the ethical principle
of reverence for life. Jacques Maritain and his friends, following in
the steps of the great Cardinal Mercier and thinking from within the
Roman Catholic tradition, propose a return to the Christian philosophy
of Thomas Aquinas. The third representative figure is Karl Barth.
Agonizing amid the silence of the Swiss mountains, not far from the
thunder of the guns on three frontiers of his native land, and deeply
concerned about the source of an authoritative word for his simple
parishioners, Barth went back to the Reformation and to Holy Scripture,
very especially to St. Paul." He should have added that Barth, in
proclaiming the message of Paul, makes considerable subtractions and
alterations. Dr.lVIackay finds the solution of the problems confronting
society in theology, "great theology, theology that brings to a focus the
rays of light that stream from above in Jesus Christ along the line of the
vertical and continue to come to us through Him, and that transmits these
rays, as undimmed as possible, to every sphere of life and thought across
the wide plain of the horizontal," - a statement which cannot be ac-
cused of suffering from too much clarity.
The Watchman-Examiner reports: The campaign for a one-million-
dollar memorial fund for the late Dr. J. Gresham Machen has been
launched. Sponsored by the Presbyterian Church of America, the fund
will be devoted to Westminster Theological Seminary, providing the
chapel, dormitory, classrooms, a library, and the five-hundred-thousand-
dollar endowment required by the State of Pennsylvania of an educa-
tional institution before it can grant degrees.
The Manchester Guardian Weekly, discussing Italy's course in Africa,
says: "It is Mussolini's policy to proclaL1'll himself the Defender of
Islam." He is quoted to have said: 'Italy wishes to show her sympathy
to Islam and to the Moslems of the whole world.' The Moslems are
said to have been promised special privileges, while the Coptic clergy
has been told: 'If these embarrassments [lack of support] are not
stopped by you at once, the Italian government will have to annihilate
you alL'" To show that they are not trifling, the Italians are said to
have executed Bishop Petrus early this year.
The Allgemeine Missionsnach1·ichten state that in Abyssinia mission-
aries will be permitted to return to their stations if in former years they
did not carry on propaganda against Italy and did not prove through
their attitude that they are "unfit for the work of Christian mission-
aries." Weare told that this in principle permits the Hermannsburger
Theological Observer - stitcl)lid)',{)eitgefd)id)tHd)es 635
Mission to continue its work. As to the correctness of this report we do
not presume to judge.
Palestine, according to one of our exchanges, now has 1,263,136 in-
habitants, of whom 778,615 are Mohammedans, 336,176 Jews, 107,242
Christians, and about 11,000 adherents of other religions. Formerly the
Christians were second in strength. Now, however, through the rapid
increase of the Jewish population, Christians constitute a poor third.
A.
QlciYt ltnb SDenfnl't bct ~~iiringer SDcutjd)Clt ~fjtiften. linter bieier
uocrfdjrif± oetidj±e± bie ,,~. @. 2. ,<;t." cine !Reil]e bon ~usf1Jriidjen, l1.Jomit fidj
bie logenannten SDeutfdjen 0:ljrif±en, aumeif± l}Sfarter, in le~±et :8eit bor aUet
jillelt liidjetHdj gemadj± ljaoen. :BUt S1ennacidjnung bet SDeu±fdjen,~ljtiften~
'Eel1.Jegung aitieren l1.Jil: einige, bie fidj aUf {rtagen oeaiel]en, bie un~ lutlje~
rifdjen ~ljriften l]ietaulanbe bon oefonberem :;snteteffe finb. jillir fefen u. a.:
,,'Ig l1.Jitb nodj cinmal 15U einer gan15 fdjl1.Jeten ~weinanbetfe~ung lommen
mit ber fatl]olifdjen Sf'irdje. 6ie ift ber gtiif3±e {reinb bes WationalfoaiaIis,
mus. SDenn bie S1a±l]oIifen ljaoen cine gana anbere jilleltanfdjauung. ®ie
nd)11lcn b(,ll ganaen IDeenfdjen toial in 'Eefdjlag, unb bas barf nur ber 6taat.
6teflen 6ic fidj bor, es giot l]eu±e, l] e ute, noel] cine fatljoHfdje Sfltr±Ur,
fatljoHfdje IDeufH, failjoHfdje ®djulen I SD~ mUf3 faUen. Eu±ljet~ gtof3e
reformatotifdje )ta± oeftanh barin, bat er un~ fteigemadjt ljat bon bet
ratljoIifdjen jilleItanidjauung, bat er gefagt ljat: ,SDet IDeenfdj geljiirt iotal
bem ®iaa±. Wnr e r ljat illier iljn au o eftimmen. , SDatum ljai audj Euiljet
ba~ gefamte Sfirdjenl1.Jefen bem ®iaat iioergeoen. SDas ifi edjt Iutryerifdje
.l3eryrc I 52utljer l1.Jiirbe fidj ljeute breimaI, nein, acljnmal im ®tao ljerum,
brd)en, luenn et edeoen 1uiirbe, l1.Ja~ bie 'Eefenntnisfront au~ iljm gemadjt
ljat." ~ier ltJ>irb aIIe~ CIl cf djidjUidje aUf ben Sfopf geftelli unb audj nidj±
ber getingfie ffieltJeis aUt @;rljiiriung ber faft ltJaljnfinnigen ffieljauptungen
georadjt. Widjt barlioct, ltJa~ bie mefenn±nisftont illiet .l3uiljer Ieljrl, fonbern
barilliet, h:las foldje SDeu±fdjen ~ljtiften, ltJie lie ljier au jillor± tammen, in bie
)!Rert ljineinIiigen, mUll fidj (ltJenn e~ l1.JidHdj fo ettD~ giioe) .l3utljer breitnaI
obn audj ileljnmar im CIlrab ~erumbreljen. jillas ljier lioer .l3uiljcr aui3~
gelagt tnrrb, ift iljm natiirndj audj nie im 5trallm eingefallen. Wodj fdjIim,
mer ift freiHdj, l1.J.a~ "l}Sfarrer" ®djiUing am 11. IDeiira 1937 in ber
®djroi.3fiJ;C~e in (3tutigart fagte, niimlidj: "SDer 6ieg tmtD unler, unb bie
meformation 1nirb ber61eidj'en gegen bas jillerf ber SD.~~.~ffieltJegung. SDa~
~(nnegen 2utljer~ ,@eredjtigfeit au~ bem ®rauoen' liegt un~ ljcute fern, ltJeiI
IlJ·it nidjt burdj bie ~ngftfdjure Des Sfa±ljoIiai5mu~ gegangen finb. @;~ ift
be~ljaro dne ~erfiiIf ctjung ber !Reformation, l1.Jenn bie Sfirdje ljeute fotberi,
baf) man an ben ~erfii~nun(Jston ~ljrifti gIauoen milffc, um feHg au tuerben
(ltnterftric~m am {runnort). 9'le6en ber ~utoritiit ber @5djrif± fteljt fel)on oei
.l311±~er bie bon metnunft unD @eltJiffen. jillir inoUen feine Organifation,
fonbern CIlemeinfdjaft bar CIlo±±. IDean f1Jiiri, baB @ot± fe16ft im bcutfdjen
morf bie ®lauoensgemeinfdjafj: oaut." Wodj fdj1itnmer ift bas Wiidjfte:
"l}Saurll~ ljat aUcrbing~ ben eltJigen ~~riftu~ burdj bie jiibifdje jilleItanfdjauung
gefeljen. jillir fiinnen ~riftus ljeu±e nidj± m1.ber~ feljen aIs burdj bie natio~
naIfoaiaIiftifdje jilleIianfdjauung. :!lie ffiefenntni~ftont ljat audj ben eltJigen
~~riftus, aoer fie fielj± iljn burdj bie jiibiidj'lJauIinifdje romanilc~c unb
636 Theological Observer-~hdjHd)~8eitgefdjtdjmdjes
f,pieBoiirgerIidjc ?mertanfdjauung unh mill i~n nidjt fe~en reruen burdj Die
nationalfoataliftifdje ?meItanfdjaultng. ~a§ ift i~r {Ye~Ier." @erabeau got~
±e§Iafterlidj ift enbIidj ba§ {yolgenbe: ,,~a§ groBe, ~eiIige beutfdje IDCa~r. ...
;sn ben nadjften IDConmen forI an beftimmten @5onntageu in jeber {yamiIie
etn ~intopfgeridjt gerodjt merben, fdjIidjt um fdjIidjt burdj aUe @5tanbe ~in~
burdj. ?mare ein foldj ~emge§ IDCa~f nidjt bief munberbater af§ ha§, mM
ltlir burdj @5djufh einer {Ye~len±micnung ber djriftridjen SWrdje ~eute af§ ein
~intet1nertridje§ IDCiraM ~aoen?" @emeint ift ~ier nmiirlidj ba§ ~emge
Wlienbma~r, ]0 baB ~ier bie§ groBe