AS guiding principles for our Magazine this new year, we take two brief passages of Scripture—an exhortation from St. Jude, and a charge from St. Paul:—
“Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: preach the Word."
Both exhortation and charge were given in view of evils in the Church and in the world—evils which were young in the days when the words were penned, but which are now hoary; yet though old, they have still before them a period to fill up of audacity against the truth. With inspired vision the writers beheld these opposing forces in their destructive work, and they call aloud to us in our day and generation.
Our duty as men and women loyal to God's orders is clear. The Faith, the Christian Faith, is assailed—fight for the Faith. The stronghold of truth is assaulted—drive back the foe. Contend earnestly. Soldiers in battle do not temporize with the enemy. When disease invades the land, doctors and their brave staff attack it, be it cholera or destruction ever So deadly. The enemy of souls invades our land, threatens its liberty, and undermines its spiritual health. Shall we demean ourselves towards him with amiable consideration? Shall we treat him as if he were our deserving brother, and then describe our disloyalty to God as Christian charity?
Let our "charity" say what it will, the Faith, once—or, rather, once for all—delivered to the saints, is the object of attack. In this, perhaps, there is nothing new, forever since it was given to man by God, the truth has been attacked, and during the nineteen centuries of this era, sometimes one country, sometimes another, has been in a special way the field of battle. The new thing is that just now England and America are the chosen places for the strife. These lands are beyond all others the lands of open Bibles. "Let us conquer them and subdue the world," is the cry.
The Faith had been already once for all delivered to the saints when St. Jude penned his epistle, and as he wrote it before the end of the first century, we have to get back into that century if we would know what the Faith is. In other words, we have to get into the New Testament, and not to step out of it into the second or the nineteenth century if we would know what is the Faith—that is, Christianity according to God.
The Faith was delivered by the apostles and by men inspired of God to the holy ones of God. This choicest treasure was handed over to the trust of loyal men and women on the earth, whom God called saints.
“The Faith" means the whole of Christian truth—not a part or section of it. Speaking generally, the history of the Church in reference to the Faith has been a succession of attacks upon the Faith and earnest contention for it—a continued loss of some part or other of the Faith, and then a winning back to the Church of that which had been surrendered. All down the Christian centuries the confessors of the Faith have suffered loss and, death in n contending earnestly for it. The noblest of Christ's soldiers were intolerant of all and every form of belief which denied the Faith once for all delivered to the saints; and every true revival to holiness and joy has found its birthplace in the Church in zeal for the Faith.
In contending for the Faith, false beliefs had to be contended against. The victors for God were aggressive men—men full of holy, harmless, pure aggressiveness against evil teachers and doctrines— men bent on making God's glory known on the earth, and bent on winning men for God whose lives should answer to their holy Faith.
And we, the Christian men and women of this century, should follow the steps of our forefathers: we should earnestly contend for the Faith which was "once delivered to the saints.”
Not to act is to rust; not to do is to decay. Vigorous nature pushes outwards, overcomes, and bears fruit; life is ever conquering. If we are time-servers and are devoted to the fashion of our day, God will raise up better and worthy soldiers, who shall quit themselves like men and be strong.
The charge of St. Paul is burdened with solemnity. He looked up to the eternal God, and on to the great day, as he uttered it, saying, "I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge both living and dead at His appearing and His kingdom: preach the Word.”
“Preach the Word: be instant in season and out of season." He beheld the multitude of evil men and seducers in their dark array; he saw the effect upon the professing Church of their doctrines; there was but one way of meeting the souls of men; there was but one way for conquering for God, and that was, making known His Word.
Such thoughts fill our hearts as we sit down once more at the beginning of a new year, with our Magazine before us. In the presence of exhortation and charge, these shall be our guiding principles: "Contend earnestly for the 'Faith"—"preach the Word." Whether such principles are popular or not, is beside the question; St. Jude and St. Paul so exhort and charge us.
No doubt there is a measure of uprising against sacerdotalism in the land. English-speaking people love liberty, and the dominion of priests, and particularly that of foreign priests, is distasteful to them. But whether there is a return to zeal for the Faith we cannot venture to say. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." The Faith teaches us, How God pardons sin—How a man can be justified—What the Atonement of Christ effects—What His Priesthood in heaven signifies. Whether in the Sunday school, the Bible class, or the congregation, such parts of the Faith are earnestly contended for and resolutely and plainly "preached" or made known, let our readers judge.
Certain towns of England and Scotland are well garrisoned by men and women who do their utmost to keep such truths outside their walls. Pressure is brought upon booksellers, put upon distributors and readers of Gospel literature, which is most effective in keeping such parts of the Faith away from the hands of the people. Hence the loyal and the true-hearted to the Faith are called upon for renewed efforts, and for some self-sacrifice in distributing the Word. The simple are told that they cannot understand the Bible, and must accept its teachings through the channel of the Church. What is meant by the Church? The teaching of the Church is at variance with itself through the centuries. The greater part of such Church "truth" as people are asked to accept is contrary to Bible truth. All so-called "truth" not contained in the New Testament accrued to the Church after the Faith had been once for all delivered to the saints.
Lectures and pamphlets of an infidel character against the Faith are also common, and they find attentive listeners, and these efforts of the enemy again demand our individual zeal in promulgating the truth, and in making known the Word.
The Faith will be forever the only true faith—there is none other—and for its prosperity none dare to fear, but we may justify fear for our land in the presence of the apathy of the saints to whom the Faith was delivered. For other lands which made light of the Faith have been laid low, and they lie to this day in the dust.