An Unfortunate Situation Well Stated
By John Orr Corliss
The Los Angeles Express of April 2 carries the report of a recent lecture delivered at the University of California, by Dr. Barton, of Boston. This was the fourth lecture in the E. T. Earl series on the subject "Hindrances to Christianity." The reported speech shows many good things said regarding the general lack of aggressiveness the church has long sustained, and the reason for its deficit, but one of the most potent reasons assigned for this loss was very plainly stated thus: "One of the causes of this loss of aggressiveness was the alliance, in the fourth century, of the church and the state. The mistake was not in the attempt of Christianity to convert Rome, but in the attempt of Rome to become the protector and propagator of Christianity. Whenever a state has taken over a religion and made rules for it, that religion has begun to decline." It may not be amiss to suggest here that the very thing which so certainly brought decline to the church in earlier days, will just as surely rob it of spiritual power in the present generation. Moreover, the apparent tendency of the present time to have the state protect and propagate religious dogmas is even now having its detrimental effect, in some quarters, upon personal missionary work. It will be well for the church at large speedily to mend its ways, by looking to the Lord alone for the support needed in its Heaven-appointed work. J. O. C.