p. 1 | TRULY SAID by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 8, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 48.

TRULY SAID.

By Editor

In discussing the "Relations of Sociology to Theology," in the Advance of September 6, Prof. F. H. Foster, of Pacific Theological Seminary, utters the following forcible words:—

Even the free American republic seems to have ended in a community in which there is as much discontent as anywhere in the world. There will long be great oppression and consequent distress among men, for the root of all these things is sin, estrangement from God, and it does not seem to be the will of God to make the forces of truth immediately or suddenly triumphant over evil. But a gradual improvement can be made, and in one way. Suffering will be overcome when sin is overcome; and sin can be overcome only by the spreading of the spirit of heaven in the world, and that can be effected only by the conversion from sin to the unselfish service of God of soul after soul. The preaching of the supernatural truths of the Christian religion, of sin, law, ruin, future punishment, a divine Saviour, an atonement, regeneration, and sanctification by an indwelling Spirit—the preaching of these things will alone effect it, and this will remain the great business of the church.

We do not agree with what Professor Foster seems to teach, that the world will grow better, or that there will be any general "gradual improvement," because the word of God has declared otherwise, but we are in hearty accord with the utterance that all the evils in this world are caused by sin, and that the only means which will effect improvement is the preaching of the gospel of Christ. Human law may suppress violence; it will not convert hearts. The business of the church is to preach the gospel, to hold up Christ in his own way. His Holy Spirit will do the rest.