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THE  DISCiPLES  DIVINITY  HOUSE 

OF  TWb 
UNI\=RS:T>    C=  CHICAGO 

NExBERT  LCCKWOCD  WiLLETT  LIBRARY 


From  the  Libran.'  of 

EDW-\RD  SCRIBNER  AMES 
1870-1958 

Mead  Resicen.t      !  894-97 
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THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVI        JANUARY,  1939  No.  5 

Surveying  the  Disciples  V 

E.  S.  Ames,  Chicago 

The  Disciples  in  Conflicts,  Tensions  are  natural 
in  all  living  things.  The  growing  points  are  points 
of  pressure,  of  conflict.  But  it  is  also  true  that  ten- 
sions are  often  occasions  of  disintegration.  It  is  im- 
portant to  deal  with  differences  intelligently  and 
constructively.  They  may  be  made  means  of  prog- 
ress. 

Although  the  Disciples  appeared  late  they  have 
had  their  share  of  conflict  both  without  and  within. 
From  the  first  they  challenged  other  religious  bodies 
concerning  crucial  matters.  They  wanted  to  pro- 
mote union  but  in  doing  so  they  got  into  all  kinds  of 
conflicts.  In  the  very  advocacy  of  union  they  en- 
countered the  opposition  of  those  who  held  that  dif- 
ferent denominations  were  necessary  to  meet  differ- 
ent needs  and  to  give  play  to  the  convictions  of  con- 
scientious people.  Other  churches  did  not  want  to 
unite,  and  even  the  Disciples  did  not  want  to  unite 
with  any  other  body.  The  Disciples  got  themselves 
heartily  disliked  by  tirades  against  creeds,  ecclesias- 
ticisms,  church  names,  unwarranted  forms  and  cere- 
monies like  infant  baptism,  baptism  by  sprinkling, 
emotional  conversions,  faulty  use  of  the  scriptures, 
and  many  customs  and  ways  of  the  religious  world. 

The  Disciples  also  had  plenty  of  trouble  among 
themselves.  All  social  groups  are  liable  to  conflicts 
between  parties,  cliques,  and  ambitious  individuals. 
Frequently  these  dissensions  are  over  very  slight, 
personal  affairs  which  may  generate  much  heat  and 
endure  like  primitive  feuds  to  the  great  detriment  of 
the  congregations.    I  once  heard  a  country  preacher 


130 THE  SCROLL 

say,  "The  reason  church  troubles  are  so  hard  to  set- 
tle is  because  there  is  nothing  in  them  to  settle." 
There  have  been  troubles  over  using  the  organ,  over 
individual  communion  cups,  over  running  church 
dinners,  over  debts  and  over  whether  certain  peo- 
ple should  be  expelled,  or  other  people  received.  At- 
tempts have  been  made  to  settle  such  things  by  scrip- 
ture and  by  reason  when  neither  could  be  applied 
to  the  likes  and  dislikes  which  were  the  real  causes. 

The  Disciples  are  now  in  the  process  of  working 
out  a  conflict  which  will  determine  whether  they  are 
to  live  and  flourish  or  whether  they  are  destined  to 
die  of  strangulation  and  suffocation.  The  question 
is  over  the  very  nature  of  religion  itself.  Is  religion 
a  matter  of  intellectual  conviction  primarily,  or  is 
it  an  attitude?  Does  love  have  to  bend  to  truth  or 
does  truth  serve  love?  If  the  basis  of  Christianity 
is  love  of  Christ  and  man,  then  union  in  the  local 
church  and  between  congregations  is  possible  with- 
out resolving  doctrinal  differences  by  intellectual 
agreement.  It  has  been  the  bane  of  Protestantism  to 
seek  such  agreement,  but  Disciples  are  not  Protes- 
tants. They  arose  after  Protestantism,  and  outside 
it. 

Of  course  that  is  an  over  simplification.  Small 
people  will  always  separate  over  differences.  It  re- 
quires big  natures  to  put  up  with  little  quibbles.  Edu- 
cation helps.  The  sense  of  working  for  a  big  cause 
helps.  Humility  helps.  Humor  helps.  Seeking  a 
reasonable  kind  of  unity  helps  most  of  all,  and  the 
reasonable  unity  is  that  which  flows  from  comrade- 
ship in  working  for  a  cause  so  big  and  so  vital  and 
so  rewarding  that  it  swallows  up  differences  which 
are  immaterial  and  incorporates  those  which  are 
important.  Institutional,  organic  union  is  an  outer 
shell  of  varying  value.  Union  of  fellowship  and 
mutual  aid  is  supremely  valuable  and  most  practi- 
cable. 


THE  SCROLL  131 


Notes 


The  annual  meeting-  of  the  Campbell  Institute  for 
1939  will  be  held  in  Chicago  the  first  week  of  Aug- 
ust. The  Pastors'  Institute  will  be  held  during  that 
time  and  will  continue  the  following  week.  This 
makes  a  combination  which  has  resulted  in  more 
than  a  hundred  members  of  the  Institute  getting  to- 
gether, and  it  has  given  the  Disciples  far  and  av/ay 
the  largest  numbers  of  any  denomination  in  the  Pas- 
tors' Institute.  Put  this  date  down  in  your  new  date 
book  for  this  year  1939  and  begin  saving  money  now 
to  attend. 

Our  Secretary  is  very  busy  with  the  Christmas 
and  Holiday  season  in  his  church  and  also  with  doc- 
tors. He  had  to  have  teeth  out  that  required 
surgery,  and  his  little  girl  had  to  have  an  emergency 
appendectomy.  He  hopes  to  get  in  another  quar- 
ter's work  at  the  Universitj^  of  Chicago  beginning  in 
January. 

Irvin  Lunger  received  the  Ph.D.  degree  in  theolo- 
gy from  the  University  of  Chicago  December  20.  He 
has  made  an  excellent  record  and  has  come  through 
all  the  ordeals  with  good  health  and  an  unbroken 
spirit.  He  will  be  the  Associate  Pastor  of  the  Uni- 
versity Church,  Chicago,  beginning  January  first. 
This  arrangem.ent  vv^ill  release  E.  S.  Ames  occasion- 
ally to  visit  Disciple  Colleges,  State  Universities  and 
other  schools  in  search  of  promising  men  for  the 
Disciples  Divinity  House.  He  will  hope  to  meet 
groups  of  Institute  men  in  different  centers. 

Henri  R.  Pearcy  is  another  Disciple  to  receive  the 
Ph.D.  degree  at  the  University  of  Chicago  December 
20.  He  has  bsen  preaching  for  the  church  in  Evans- 
ton,  Illinois,  while  carrying  on  his  studies.  He  was 
married  to  a  charming  lady  last  year.  One  of  our 
colleges  v/ould  do  well  to  secure  him  as  a  teacher,  but 
he  is  also  interested  in  preaching  and  may  find  his 


132  THE  SCROLL 

way  into  a  church  worthy  of  his  ability  and  train- 
ing. 

E.  K.  Higdon  writes:  "On  to  Madras."  That  ex- 
presses the  purpose  of  450  carefully  selected  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Christian  movement  everywhere. 
They  look  forward  to  the  World  Meeting  of  the  In- 
ternational Missionary  Council  to  be  held  in  India 
next  December.  They  belong  to  that  host  of  dele- 
gates who  have  contributed  to  the  modem  ecumeni- 
cal movement  at  "Edinburgh  1910,"  "Stockholm 
1925,"  "Lausanne  1927,"  "Jerusalem  1928,"  and 
"Oxford  and  Edinburgh  1937." 

Preparations  for  this  world  gathering  have  been 
under  way  for  three  years  or  more.  They  have  con- 
sisted mainly  of  studies  and  evaluations  of  what  has 
been  done  in  Christian  work  in  the  last  quarter  of  a 
century  in  every  land,  assessments  of  present  needs 
and  opportunities,  and  the  formulation  of  plans  and 
programs  for  a  new  day.  Even  war-torn  China  has 
selected  30  representatives  to  Madras  and  has  seri- 
ously engaged  in  the  preparations. 

M.  A.  Cassaboom  writes  from  North  Canton, 
Ohio:  E.  P.  Wise  died  at  his  home  here  on  Sun- 
day, July  10th.  He  had  built  a  home  on  the  old  es- 
tate in  which  to  spend  his  retiring  years,  but  his 
wife  died  during  the  first  year  of  the  occupancy.  He 
had  been  living  ^vith  his  daughter  Adelaide,  v.'ho 
married  Russel  Burt,  a  lawyer.  He  had  suffered 
from  a  palsied  condition  for  a  considerable  time.  His 
hand^  shook  constantly.  He  is  survived  by  two  sons, 
Karl  and  Maxwell  of  Detroit,  both  engineers  en- 
gaged in  automotive  work.  His  son  Paul  is  in  Cleve- 
land in  Mercantile  w^ork.  His  daughter,  Mrs.  0.  P. 
Kidder  lives  in  North  Canton. 

Professor  T.  V,  Smith  has  been  elected  ConsTess- 
man  at  Large  from  Illinois  and  will  be  in  Washing- 
ton in  January  to  help  the  ship  of  state  ride  the 
waves.    He  will  be  heard  from  there.  We  take  pleas- 


THE  SCROLL 133 

ure  in  printing  here  a  poem,  good  also  for  a  song, 
which  he  wrote  for  the  University  Church  in  Chi- 
cago some  years. 

Freedom  calls  us  to  be  brothers  in  thy  lofty  company. 
Her  ancient  voice  our  fathers  stirred  in  lands  beyond 

the  sea ; 
The  weight  of  creeds  they  tempered,  and  we  their 

bonds  outgrow. 
We  sing  of  thee,  0  church  of  ours,  that  bids  us  live 

and  know. 

Within  thy  walls,  0  Church  of  Ours,  we  meet  on 
common  plane. 

The  pride  of  life  is  humbled,  and  we  share  the  hu- 
man gain. 

From  thy  holy  sanctuary,  0  Church  of  Souls  set 
Free, 

We  draw  us  each  his  long-sought  draft  of  rich 
Equality. 

In  thy  healthy  freedom  living,  O  Church  of  Those 
who  Share, 

We  feed  on  holy  manna,  we  breathe  celestial  air. 

In  our  fellowship  unfolding  mysteries  of  grace  we 
see. 

For  man  meets  God,  0  Church  of  Ours,  only  in  Fra- 
ternity, 

In  thy  liberty  abounding, 
Equal  comrades  let  us  be; 

By  our  praise  forever  sounding, 
Bless  we  thy  community. 


134 THE  SCROLL 

Burn's  Jenkins 

Marvin  Sansbury,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Frequently  I  tell  Dr.  Jenkins  my  indoor  sport  is 
studying  him.  When  a  man  can  be  the  minister  of 
a  church  for  thirty-two  years,  when  you  know  that 
a  great  city  truly  regards  him  as  its  first  citizen,  and 
when  you  listen  to  the  praise  that  all  his  members 
have  on  their  lips  for  him,  and  by  the  way,  the  bio- 
graphical studies  in  the  "Christian  Evangelist"  by 
the  sons  and  daughters  are  quite  tame  as  compared 
with  what  I  hear  daily  in  my  calling — all  these  phe- 
nomena make  a  man  sit  up  and  wonder  about  one  of 
his  fellow  preachers. 

The  thing  that  has  impressed  me  most  about  him 
in  these  two  years  I  have  been  associated  with  him 
is  his  bigness.  He  is  quite  as  big  off  stage  with  us 
who  see  much  of  him  as  he  is  when  he  is  "doing  his 
stuff."  The  truth  of  the  matter  is  he  is  always  "do- 
ing his  stuff."  In  many  ways  he  possesses  the  nai- 
vete of  a  child — so  simple,  so  trusting  and  so  whole- 
some. Seldomx  will  he  tell  you  much  about  himself. 
Recently  he  has  written  his  autobiography.  Several 
of  the  inner  circle  read  it  and  had  many  conversa- 
tions concerning  it  behind  his  back.  All  were  agreed 
that  it  had  to  be  rewritten  for  he  told  too  much 
about  others  and  too  little  about  himself.  Under 
great  pressure  he  has  rewritten  it  but  it  still  doesn't 
do  him  justice. 

If  I  catch  at  all  the  meaning  of  his  popularity  and 
success  it  is  bound  up  with  his  sufferings.  People 
comment  more  about  this  than  any  other  phase  of  his 
life.  I  believe  this  is  the  secret  of  his  pulpit  power. 
Of  course  he  does  a  great  job  of  preaching.  His 
English  is  superb,  his  illustrations  apt,  his  humor 
always  relaxing  and  entertaining,  his  delivery  easy 
and  the  whole  temper  of  the  thing  such  that  folks 


THE  SCROLL 135 

say,  "I'd  like  to  be  like  him."  They  remember  his 
dark  hours — 22  operations  on  a  leg  and  then  its  am- 
putation, the  death  of  the  only  daughter,  the  worry 
of  his  wife's  serious  illness,  the  anathemas  of  his 
brethren  and  the  standoffishness  of  the  denomina- 
tional leaders  that  pull  the  strings.  There  the  man 
stands  smiling  at  them.  That's  the  way  they  want 
to  take  their  blows,  so  they  listen  to  him  Sunday 
after  Sunday  that  they  may  be  the  stronger.  Theol- 
ogy, other  than  of  the  simplest  type,  finds  little  place 
in  his  preaching;  he  is  dogmatic  about  the  love  of 
God,  the  Jesus-way  of  life  and  personal  immortality. 
I  should  say  these  are  his  fundamental  beliefs.  I 
could  wish  he  would  study  theology  more  and  do  for 
us  in  this  field,  during  these  last  years  of  his  min- 
istry, what  he  did  in  the  matter  of  liberalizing  the 
church  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  He  says  this 
work  will  have  to  be  done  by  younger  men. 

He  knows  how  to  make  you  feel  like  a  king.  I 
often  get  to  read  letters  of  praise  and  appreciation 
that  he  writes  boys  and  girls  and  men  and  women  as 
they  do  their  work  in  a  busy  world.  His  letters  have 
inspired  many  a  young  artist  to  do  better  work  and 
have  helped  many  a  person  that  was  slipping  to  get 
hold  of  himself.  You  see  he  can't  get  about  very 
easily;  the  steps  make  calling  a  most  difficult  task 
so  he  writes  letters.  People  are  most  comfortable 
in  his  presence.  They  ask  him  for  anything  and  he 
goes  the  very  limit  in  complying  with  their  requests. 
He  could  use  the  funds  of  the  Federal  Reserve  Bank 
to  make  the  loans  that  are  requested  of  him.  Advan- 
tage is  frequently  taken  of  his  generosity  and  some- 
times we  feel  that  some  people  join  our  church  just 
to  get  good  letters  from  him  or  to  have  a  good 
funeral  oration  guaranteed  at  their  passing.  He 
probably  knows  all  this  but  he  proceeds  as  if  he 
dealt  only  with  saints. 

Every  day  he  reads,  he  writes,  makes  a  speech  or 


136 THE  SCROLL 

two,  and  spends  an  hour  or  two  at  the  church.  He 
reads  the  best  sellers  of  fiction  and  non-fiction.  Many 
of  these  books  he  reviews  but  in  his  preaching  he 
most  frequently  quotes  the  English  masters  in  which 
he  was  drilled  in  his  school  days.  I  have  never  known 
a  minister  who  has  written  so  much.  No  wonder 
his  boys  are  all  connected  with  newspapers !  He  is 
at  heart  a  journalist  and  had  there  been  the  slight- 
est impediment  in  his  speech  the  pulpit  would  never 
have  known  him. 

In  the  days  when  Dr.  Jenkins  was  winning  his 
place,  it  was  not  my  good  pleasure  to  hear  him 
preach  but  once  or  twice.  I  read  all  his  sermons  as 
they  appeared  in  "The  Christian."  He  is  not  the 
fighter  today  that  he  once  was.  He  apparently  wants 
to  live  at  peace  with  his  fellowmen.  I  went  with  him 
for  some  addresses  at  the  late  Charles  Reign  Sco- 
ville's  summer  camp  in  Arkansas  summer  before 
last.  He  preached  a  modern  social  gospel  but  he  so 
exalted  the  Nazarene,  as  he  always  does,  that  the 
people  agreed  with  him  in  all  that  he  said.  He  is  very 
much  interested  in  the  Cooperative  Movement  and 
frequently  says  that  the  Scandinavian  countries  are 
the  most  civilized  in  the  world. 

When  I  had  written  this  far  I  asked  his  secre- 
tary. Miss  Margaret  LaMar,  who  has  been  with  him 
for  twenty-five  years,  if  I  had  mentioned  the  most 
outstanding  things  about  Dr.  Jenkins.  She  said 
she  thought  I  had  emphasized  his  outstanding  quali- 
ties but  that  she  had  been  impressed  with  his  big- 
ness and  his  happiness  in  turning  over  the  work  of 
a  life  time  to  me  and  seeing  me  make  so  many 
changes  in  program  and  routine.  I  agree  with  her. 
It  has  been  a  real  joy  to  work  with  him,  for  both  oi 
us  enjoy  so  much  freedom.  We  do  more  than  get  on 
together  and  I  am  hoping  that  this  relationship  may 
continue  for  many  years.  The  church  needs  Dr. 
Jenkins  and  so  do  I.    He  is  a  prince  of  a  colleague. 


THE  SCROLL 137 

'^Disciple  Influence" 

A.  L.  Cole,  Omaha,  Nebraska 
My  preaching  is  influenced  by  the  liberality  of  our 
leaders  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  ago,  to  a 
very  marked  degree.  I  have  several  volumes  of  the 
old  Millenial  Harbinger  which  I  take  delight  in  read- 
ing. But,  Alexander  Campbell's  viev^^s  on  the  books 
of  Daniel  and  Revelation,  repel  intellectual  respect 
rather  than  attract. 

When  Mr.  Campbell  was  in  Carrollton,  Illinois,  in 
1852,  in  the  interest  of  Bethany  College,  he  was  in- 
vited to  preach  in  the  Methodist  church.  The  min- 
ister, Elder  W.  J.  Rutledge,  was  so  deeply  interested 
in  Mr.  Campbell's  message  that  he  asked  permission 
to  add  a  few  words  and  his  remarks  were  reported 
as  follows :  "In  urging  liberality  in  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation, he  appealed  to  our  brotherhood  on  their  own 
premises,  exhorting  them  to  carry  out  their  superior 
faith  and  doctrines  by  a  superior  liberality."  He 
went  on  to  say  that  if  the  youth  of  this  generation 
(1852)  are  not  educated  in  their  own  way,  "they  will 
be  educated  in  some  other  way :  for  in  this  age  and 
country,  they  are  bound  to  be  educated  under  some 
of  the  public  and  partisan  establishments  of  the  age 
and  country." 

"The  superior  doctrine"  and  "superior  liberality" 
demand  an  attitude  and  approach  we  have  not  al- 
ways been  ready  to  supply.  Theology  is  the  great 
science  to  which  there  is  no  end  in  the  ever  changing 
world.  Thomas  and  Alexander  Campbell  were  the 
first  great  higher  critics  in  the  American  Church. 
Their  spirit  was  tamely  contagious.  Shades  of  their 
"superior  liberality"  are  appearing  in  many  places. 
Were  we  not  so  impressed  at  the  Denver  conven- 
tion? There  is  hope  for  the  future  of  the  Kingdom 
building  enterprise  when  we  see  strong  men  aban- 
don their  positions  and  findings  of  yesterday.    The 


138 THE  SCROLL 

value  of  the  "superior  doctrine"  looms  large  in  such 
situations.  The  hope  and  future  of  the  disciples 
are  revealed  more  in  the  hotel  lobbies  and  side  ses- 
sions than  in  the  prepared  addresses.  How  glorious- 
ly refreshing  it  is  to  hear  our  men  say  of  So  and  So 
— "What  has  come  over  those  fellows,  anyhov/?" 

We  seem  to  have  forgotten  that  the  message  of  our 
fathers  more  than  one-hundred  years  ago  was  to  the 
Church — the  divided  Church.  During  the  world 
war,  marching  orders  were  given  and  our  soldiers 
went  forward :  it  was  cloudy  and  rainy.  Darkness 
came  on,  the  army  was  scattered.  The  boys  lost  their 
bearings  and  as  an  effective  fighting  force,  they  were 
reduced  to  incompetence.  They  were  discredited 
as  an  army,  yet  they  were  true  soldiers.  This  is  the 
picture  of  the  Church  as  our  fathers  saw  it. 

I  take  delight  in  the  fact  that  the  disciples  were 
the  first  in  the  field  to  proclaim  the  message  of  unity, 
and,  as  the  result  of  this  movement,  we  should  all 
take  humble  pride  in  the  practical  spirit  of  unity 
and  good  will  that  prevail  among  the  churches  of 
Christ  today.  Few  and  far  between  are  they  who 
would  read  out  of  the  Kingdom  all  except  those  who 
are  cast  in  certain  sectarian  molds. 

Forty-five  years  ago  my  uncle  was  my  hero.  He 
was  a  great  Christian  and  the  kind  of  man  I  wanted 
to  be  some  day,  but  he  belonged  to  "a  denomination." 
Down  in  my  child-like  soul,  in  the  first  grades  of  the 
country  school,  I  resented  the  attitude  of  some 
"Christians  only"  toward  him. 

As  a  youngster,  I  was  easily  influenced.  By  chance, 
I  fell  into  the  hands  of  teachers  who  believed  in  the 
liberal  pronouncements  of  the  disciples,  men  who 
were  led  by  such  preachers  and  teachers  as  Arthur 
Cushman  McGiffert  and  Josiah  Strong.  Men  of  this 
type  gave  me  my  first  real  inspirations  to  preach. 
Consequently,  the  burden  of  my  thought  and  preach- 
ing is  simply  this. 


THE  SCROLL 139 

Pessimistic  Reflections 

A.  T.  DeGroot,  Kalamazoo,  Michigan 

I  rise  to  speak  a  pessimistic  note. 

Thei  Denver  Convention  will  receive  treatment 
from  many  angles,  most  of  them  favorable — which 
is  proper  and  just.  One  could  easily  list  many  help- 
ful and  encouraging  items  in  it,  and  with  them  this 
v/riter  v/ould  be  in  hearty  accord.  To  make  the  rec- 
ord complete,  hov/ever,  one  pessimistic  note  needs  to 
be  sounded,  for  the  special  benefit  of  fair  weather 
pacifists  and  optimistic  prognosticators  in  the  field 
of  Disciple  leanings.  My  reference  is  to  the  audi- 
ence reaction  to  the  Thursday  evening  address. 

The  applause  which  was  given  for  this  speech  on 
"The  Church  and  Her  Ministry"  was  easily  the  most 
enthusiastic  and  prolonged  of  the  convention.  Dr. 
Lemmon  estimated  that  only  one-third  of  the  audi- 
ence was  rendering  the  praise,  but  this  observation 
was  not  borne  out  by  a  survey  of  the  glad  hands  in 
my  vicinity.  The  presiding  officer,  Dr.  Kershner, 
was  voicing  the  opinion  of  the  great  majority  when 
he  said  that  it  was  worth  the  cost  of  the  trip  to  Den- 
ver to  hear  this  important  utterance. 

My  principal  memory  of  the  address  was  of  its 
masterful  use  of  the  "American"  appeal,  so  familiar 
to  politicians,  communist  hunters,  and  professional 
patriots.  The  distinct  anti-New  Deal  attitude  was 
apparent — and  very  much  enjoyed  by  many,  inci- 
dentally. If  it  was  originally  intended  to  sound  the 
note  of  human  sympathy,  and  to  give  at  least  a  show 
of  humility  or  the  possibility  of  error  in  judgment, 
these  matters  were  lost  amid  the  urgency  of  the 
"constructive"  phase  of  the  speech. 

What  is  important,  however,  is  the  manner  in 
which  the  leadership  of  the  Disciples,  in  convention 
assembled,  received  the  deliverance.  If,  in  these 
times  of  peace,  the  grayest  of  our  gray  hairs  and 


140 THE  SCROLL 

gray  matter  can  in  thirty  minutes  be  swept  to  a  cre- 
scendo of  applause  for  a  semi-political  appeal  (ver- 
sus executive  department  dominance),  let  no  untried 
Disciple  pacifist  expect  much  sympathy  from  his 
convention  leaders,  who  are  our  only  ofncial 
brotherhood  representatives,  in  times  of  actual 
war.  He  will  be  deserted  to  the  v>^olves  of  unin- 
tended time-servers,  who  mistake  the  patriotic 
impulses  of  the  moment  for  rationally  conceived 
Christian  convictions.  The  Disciples  may  not  have 
received  their  initial  impulse  as  a  unity  movement 
from  the  apparent  absurdity  of  hair-splitting  de- 
nominationalism  on  the  American  frontier,  and  their 
logical  categories  may  have  been  as  pre-Lockian  as 
the  first  apostles — as  the  convention  president's  ad- 
dress so  clearly  emphasized — but  the  fact  remains 
that  they  are  American  to  the  core.  I  wonder 
when  war  comes  wsetser  the  Pension  Fund  will 
grant  a  relief  payment  to  the  wives  of  those  in 
concentration  camps,  on  the  grounds  of  occupation- 
al disability? 

It  seems  to  this  observer  that  the  reaction  to  the 
speaker's  references  to  the  New  Deal  indicates 
pretty  clearly  the  identification  of  the  Disciples  with 
distinct  middle  class  leanings.  There  were  no  union 
sympathies  in  the  address  which  they  heard,  and  it 
is  doubtful  if  there  were  enough  resolute  sympa- 
thizers with  organized  labor  present  to  have  dared 
answer  the  applause  from  those  of  the  opposite  per- 
suasion. Perhaps  history  is  simply  repeating  itself 
once  more :  a  revolution  in  religion  takes  place  and 
the  common  people  hear  it  gladly;  their  faith  and 
ethic  over  a  long  period  reap  a  just  reward,  and 
they  become  fairly  well  to  do ;  thus  blessed,  they  look 
askance  on  the  less  favored,  and  applaud  speakers 
from  rich  churches  who  oppose  New  Deals  and  fa- 
vor the  stoJus  quo.  Have  the  Disciples  now  out- 
grown the  first  phase  of  their  normal  cycle  as  a  re- 
ligious movement? 


THE  SCROLL  141 

Prepare  For  Action 

Doyle  Mullen,  LaFayette,  Indiana 

A  reporter  recently  wrote  a  story  concerning  a 
judge  in  Illinois  who  took  twenty-two  reckless  mo- 
torists to  a  school  for  crippled  children.  These  peo- 
ple were  assembled  in  the  reception  room  where,  one 
by  one,  the  crippled  children  quietly  passed  in  re- 
view. The  drivers  had  started  on  their  trip  with 
much  hilarity,  but  they  returned  silently.  Now  they 
had  the  facts. 

Today  we  are  bombarded  through  eye  and  ear 
with  stories  and  pictures  of  crimes,  disasters,  wars, 
and  the  human  suffering  in  many  forms  that  result 
from  them.  Insistently  one  appeal  for  help  and  re- 
form follows  another,  and  most  of  them  come  from 
long  range.  Some  are  legitimate  and  others  are 
fraudulent.  Because  of  these  repeated  impacts  we 
have  almost  lost  our  capacity  for  being  deeply  moved 
and  for  response.  Very  few  of  us  seem  to  have  given 
much  consideration  to  the  best  method  for  respond- 
ing or,  in  fact,  to  a  reason  for  responding  at  all.  We 
tend  to  ignore  all  appeals. 

It  is  necessary  to  know  the  facts  first  hand  or  from 
a  first  hand  point  of  view  before  one  can  identify 
himself  with  the  need  of  any  person  or  cause.  And 
it  is  necessary  to  identify  one's  self  with  the  need  be- 
fore there  can  be  action  that  has  behind  it  a  signifi- 
cant and  sustained  drive.  Otherv\^ise  there  is  likely 
to  be  only  a  momentary  or  ill-considered  response. 

The  position  here  taken  is  that  response  is  im- 
perative today ;  that  to  be  merely  a  spectator  is  in- 
defensible. However  such  participation,  to  be  ef- 
fective, must  be  based  upon  an  intelligent  loyalty. 
The  development  of  such  a  loyalty  requires  the  con- 
sideration of  and  the  use  of  an  inclusive  strategy  for 
Christian  living.  Response  based  on  anything  less 
than  this  tends  to  run  ahead  of  the  available  facts, 
and  to  issue  in  an  unbalanced  program  of  action. 


142  THE  SCROLL 

The  perspective  of  a  total  strategy  perhaps  is  best 
gained  in  terms  of  some  illustration.  The  following 
gives  such  a  picture :  A  few  months  ago  a  man  sent 
to  a  friend  of  his  a  book  called  "How  to  Become  a 
Photographer."  The  author  gives  six  rules,  and  these 
seem  simple  and  so  obviously  sensible.  If  a  person 
wants  to  become  a  photographer  he  will  follow  all 
of  them.  There  is  a  rewarding  parallel  between  the 
six  rules  given  to  those  desiring  to  take  good  photo- 
graphs and  the  rules  for  those  who  desire  to  become 
loyal  Christians.  The  author  not  only  gives  the 
rules,  but  he  explains  the  values  of  each  one.  Con- 
sider them,  and  then  translate  them  in  terms  of  a 
strategy  for  Christian  living  which  will  produce  bal- 
anced and  fruitful  response. 

''Look  at  good  pictures,"  he  said.  Study  them  in 
order  to  discover  what  makes  them  good.  Gain  en- 
couragement from  them  for  your  own  efforts,  and 
thus  develop  a  vision  of  what  you  might  do.  Trans- 
lated that  might  read,  "Look  at  examples  of  good 
living."  Attention  can  be  focused  upon  any  one  of 
several  types  of  living,  but  since  the  one  which  re- 
ceives attention  becomes  so  powerful  in  determin- 
ing action,  a  careful  choice  should  be  made.  Study 
to  discover  v/hat  makes  this  good  living.  Through 
these  examples  gain  encouragement  for  your  own 
efforts. 

"Read  books  on  photo g^^aphy."  In  this  way  you 
will  find  the  principles  that  must  be  followed  and  a 
record  of  the  efforts  that  have  been  made  to  advance 
the  work.  You  will  be  saved  much  grief  and  many 
experiments  because  these  books  will  bring  to  j^ou 
the  findings  of  many  who  have  gone  this  way  before 
you.  And  we  might  say,  "Read  books  on  religion, 
including  the  Bible."  In  these  you  will  discover  the 
principles  and  considered  findings  of  those  who  have 
gone  before  you  along  the  road  toward  the  more 
abundant  life. 


THE  SCROLL 143 

He  says,  "Join  a  class  in  photography,"  because 
this  will  stimulate  your  efforts  and  give  additional 
materials  and  suggestions.  Our  translation  at  this 
point  is  obvious, — a  class  in  religion  provides  the 
same  values  for  the  Christian. 

Then  he  suggests,  "Become  a  member  of  a  camera 
club."  In  the  club  you  will  have  an  opportunity  for 
fellowship  with  like-minded  people  and  a  chance  to 
exchange  ideas  with  them.  He  senses  a  need  for  fel- 
lowship in  a  group.  There  is  even  greater  need  for 
fellowship  in  a  church  where,  on  the  level  of  what 
are  considered  "ultimate  values,"  one  finds  like- 
minded  people  and  where  an  exchange  of  ideas  will 
result  in  mutual  growth. 

"Read  photographic  magazines,"  is  the  fifth  rule. 
In  them  you  will  discover  that  a  host  of  people 
share  this  interest  with  you.  You  will  become  aware 
of  new  adaptations  of  old  methods  and  you  will  keep 
abreast  of  current  developments.  In  a  field  where 
advances  are  being  made  all  the  time  you  need  to 
keep  pace  with  the  movement.  In  our  translation  we 
might  recognize  that  the  religious  magazines  reveal 
current  developments  and  new  applications  of  Chris- 
tian principles  in  a  time  of  rapid  transition.  And, 
equally  important,  they  reveal  to  what  a  large  and 
significant  company  we  belong. 

His  last  rule  is  "Take  a  lot  of  pictures"  In  his 
explanation  the  point  is  stressed  that  it  is  necessary 
to  make  many  attempts  to  apply  the  knowledge  that 
has  been  gained.  There  will  be  disappointments, 
but  if  a  person  persists  he  will  find  improvement 
comes  in  proportion  to  the  effort  expended.  And 
our  version  would  read,  "Make  a  lot  of  attempts 
to  apply  the  insights  that  have  been  gained  in  actual 
life  situations."  In  other  words,  the  time  for  action 
has  arrived ;  one  must,  and  is  ready,  to  move  out  of 
the  easy  chair  into  the  arena  of  life  and  try  out  what 
has  been  learned. 


144 THE  SCROLL 

Tax  Exemption  for  Churches 

Eldred  Johnston,  Paulding,  Ohio 

I  suggest  the  following  resolution  for  all  church 
conferences  and  conventions  in  the  coming  year : 

"Whereas,  There  is  a  rapid  growth  of  the  princi- 
ple of  totalitarianism  among  the  nations  of  the 
world,  and  our  nation  is,  more  than  at  any  time  in 
our  history,  tending  toward  that  principle ; 

And  whereas.  Tax-exemption  of  church  property 
constitutes  a  State  subsidy  and  thus  engenders  a 
feeling  of  obligation  toward  the  State ; 

And  whereas,  The  Church  has  its  origin  in  and 
derives  its  authority  from  God,  and  must  constantly 
guard  this  precious  heritage  and  not  allow  it  to  be 
encumbered  or  compromised  by  worldly  alliances ; 

And  whereas,  The  Church  must  always  feel  free 
to  speak  as  a  prophet  of  God,  wherever  and  when- 
ever necessary,  especially  in  time  of  war ; 

Be  it  resolved :  That  we  officially  express  our  de- 
sire to  reject  the  favor  of  tax-exemption  of  Church 
property." 

Some  time  ago  I  sent  this  resolution  to  several 
people  for  their  comment.  They  must  have  consid- 
ered it  of  some  importance  for  they  all  answered. 
Excerpts  follow : 

Walter  Horton :  "It  is  true  that  acceptance  of 
financial  privileges  from  the  State  tends  to  tie  the 
hands  of  the  Church,  This  is  clearly  seen  in  the  dif- 
ference between  the  treatment  of  the  state-supported 
and  self-supporting  churches  in  Germany  at  the 
present  time.  However,  I  do  not  regard  exemption 
from  taxation  as  a  very  serious  matter,  since  col- 
leges and  other  charitable  institutions  get  the  same 
treatment.  It  is  simply  a  recognition  on  the  part 
of  the  State  that  the  Church  renders  some  service 
that  counts  in  the  secular  sphere;  and  that  is  true. 
An  absolute  separation  of  Church  and  State  is  not  to 


THE  SCROLL 145 

be  thought  of,  so  long  as  the  Church  lives  in  the 
world.  I  should  draw  the  line  between  acceptance 
of  exemption  and  acceptance  of  outright  subven- 
tions." 

Norman  Thomas:  "1  think  your  resolution  is 
brave,  forthright  and  greatly  to  your  credit  and  to 
the  credit  of  those  who  support  it.  I  believe  the  po- 
sition of  the  Church  would  be  strengthened  morally 
by  taking  that  stand." 

Charles  Clayton  Morrison:  *'...!  can  only  say 
that  I  am  in  favor  of  taxing  church  property." 

Harry  Emerson  Fosdick :  "If  I  thought  that  up  to 
date  the  habit  of  exempting  church  property  from 
taxation  had  actually  worked  in  the  direction  of  con- 
trol of  the  church  by  a  totalitarian  political  state. 
I  would  be  unfalteringly  opposed  to  it.  I  must  say, 
however,  that,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  I  do  not  think 
that  exempting  church  property  from  taxation  has 
had  the  slightest  influence  in  that  direction  in  the 
United  States." 

Harold  Fey :  "I  do  not  think  that  the  continuation 
of  the  present  status  constitutes  one  of  the  most 
serious  of  the  present  moves  in  the  direction  of  a 
totalitarian  state.  Perhaps  it  does  have  an  influence 
in  the  long  run,  but  if  the  totalitarian  state  comes 
it  probably  will  be  for  other  reasons,  particularly 
from  the  existence  of  war.  I  agree  with  you  that  it 
is  very  important  that  the  Church  shall  be  morally 
free  to  criticize  any  action  of  the  State.  But  I  am 
not  convinced  that  the  present  status  necessarily  re- 
stricts this  freedom." 

To  understand  the  present  status  of  this  program 
it  is  necessary  to  consider  the  establishment  of  the 
church  in  early  America  and  the  attitude  toward 
the  church  brought  over  from  England  by  our  fore- 
fathers. Dr.  Zollman  in  his  "American  Civil  Church 
Law"  maintains  that  the  "theoretical  reason  for  the 
exemption  of  church  property  is  the  moral  influence 
exerted  by  churches  over  their  adherents,  but  the 


146  THE  SCROLL 

historical  reason  is  that  it  developed  out  of  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  state  church  in  most  of  the 
colonies." 

Before  the  separation  of  the  English  church  from 
Rome,  the  Church  was  frequently  taxed  by  various 
English  kings;  but  after  the  separation,  the  differ- 
ence betwen  the  Church  and  State  diminished  and 
the  Established  Church  became  an  interest  of  the 
State.  This  position  was  naturally  the  one  held  by 
most  of  the  people  who  came  to  early  America. 

Consequently,  up  to  the  period  of  the  Revolution, 
the  Church  and  State,  with  a  few  exceptions,  were 
connected.  The  Church  was  an  integral  part  of  the 
State  and  the  clergy  were  a  favored  class  in  the 
community.  (In  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas  the 
charter  provided  for  the  establishment  of  the 
Church  of  England  maintained  by  compulsory 
tithes.  In  the  New  England  colonies  the  Con- 
gregational Church  was  established  by  the  legis- 
lature as  the  center  of  the  theocratic  state.  New 
Hampshire  and  the  Dutch  colonies  likewise  made 
the  Church  a  part  of  the  State.)  Thus  there  was 
transferred  to  the  colonies  of  the  New  World, 
with  two  exceptions,  (Pennsylvania  and  Rhode 
Island),  the  Old  World  principle  of  the  unity  of 
Church  and  State,  and  consequently,  the  prin- 
ciple of  church-exemption  from  taxation. 

But  during  the  period  of  the  Revolution,  the 
Church  in  all  colonies  was  disestablished ;  thus,  there 
was  cut  away  all  historical  grounds  for  the  ex- 
emption. But  the  old  practice  still  continued, 
though  the  basis  for  it  had  been  destroyed.  This 
was  because  the  practice  "so  entirely  in  accord  with 
the  public  sentiment  that  it  universally  prevailed" 
was  not  seriously  considered  a  problem.  Todaj'" 
we  find  that  although  definitions  of  church  property 
differ  in  various  states,  the  broad  principle  that 
church  property  should  not  be  taxed  is  still  gen- 
erally maintained. 


THE  SCROLL  147 

Through  the  years  other  arguments  have  been 
advanced  to  justify  this  exemption: 

1.  The  State  should  seek  to  preserve  the  Church 
because  the  latter  is  a  definite  asset  to  the  com- 
munity in  terms  of  moral  tone  and  stability. 

2.  The  Church  has  all  the  load  it  can  carry  now 
and  State-taxation  might  be  the  straw  that  breaks 
the  camel's  back. 

3.  The  "power  to  tax  is  the  power  to  destroy" 
— therefore,  the  State  should  not  have  this  power 
over  the  Church. 

William  Adams  Brown  points  out  in  his  "Church 
and  State  in  Contemporary  America"  that,  "While 
there  has  always  been  some  opposition  to  church- 
exemption,  it  would  be  exaggerating  to  say  that 
there  is  at  present  any  acute  issue  over  this  question. 
Nevertheless,  that  is  not  to  say  that  the  time  may 
not  come  soon  when  it  v/ill  become  so."  Personally, 
I  feel  that  time  is  close  at  hand.  Some  of  the  argu- 
ments against  exemption  are: 

1.  Counties  which  because  of  a  fortunate  physical 
location  become  the  natural  site  for  all  kinds  of 
religious  and  charitable  enterprises  which  serve 
that  locality  only  incidentally,  protest.  The  balance 
of  the  county  must  carry  the  entire  burden,  even 
protection  for  the  institutions,  that  otherwise 
would  be  equalized. 

2.  Many  churches  are  competing  with  restaurants 
and  other  private  enterprises;  thus,  exemption 
gives  them  an  unfair  advantage. 

3.  "A  practical  consideration  in  favor  of  the  re- 
moval of  the  subsidy  (tax-exemption)  is  the  over- 
churched  condition  of  many  communities.  The  im- 
position of  a  proportionate  tax  burden  would  prob- 
ably close  large  number  of  churches,  thus  eliminat- 
ing what,  in  frank  terms,  can  only  be  described  as 
competitive  units  in  religious  enterprise.  While  for 
the  time  this  might  work  serious  hardship,  it  is 
a  fair  question  whether  in  the  long  run  it  might 


148  THE  SCROLL 

not   prove   a    blessing   in    disguise."    Wm.    Adams 
Brown  (ibid.) 

4.  The  minister  who  continually  accepts  favors 
from  railroads,  theatres,  stores,  physicians,  etc. 
lowers  himself  in  the  eyes  of  consecrated  Christians. 
The  Church  can  raise  itself  in  the  eyes  of  the  same 
group  by  refusing  State  subsidy — an  unfair  dis- 
crimination in  its  behalf. 

5.  Public  money  is  raised  by  force  of  taxation 
levied  alike  on  those  who  have  religion  and  those 
who  have  none.  A  person  is  not  required  to  have 
any  religion  to  become  a  citizen  of  this  country, 
and  it  is  the  very  essence  of  tyranny  to  force  men 
to  pay  for  the  support  of  a  church  in  which  they 
may  not  believe.  Christianity  is  a  voluntary  religion ; 
when  it  ceases  to  be  voluntary,  it  ceases  to  be 
Christianity. 

6.  The  Roman  Catholics  can  advocate  state-sup- 
port of  parochial  schools  on  the  same  basis  ag 
Protestants  advocate  church  tax-exemption. 

However,  there  is  an  argument  stronger  than  any 
of  these,  viz.,  the  impossibility  of  the  Church  en- 
joying freedom  and  accepting  a  State  subsidy  at 
the  same  time.  Whatever  else  the  Church  may  be, 
it  must  always  be  free — free  to  teach  men  to  honor 
God,  and  free  to  teach  them  to  love  each  other.  Dr. 
Fosdick  has  pointed  out  that  in  the  past,  tax- 
exemption  has  never  led  to  State  interference  with 
the  Church.  Perhaps  not,  but  who  can  tell  where 
a  State  will  stop  these  days !  Last  May,  Hitler  de- 
manded that  ministers  take  the  civil  oath.  The 
Christian  Century's  comment  was  :  "German  Protes- 
tant ministers  are  in  fact  civil  servants,  and  Hitler 
is  only  confronting  them  with  the  reality  of  their 
position  in  demanding  that  they  take  the  civil  serv- 
ant's oath." 

Perhaps  tax-exemption  is  the  cam^el's  nose  under 
the  American  Church  tent.    I  can  hear  people  say : 


THE  SCROLL 149 

''Absurd!  It  can't  happen  here!"  I  grant  that  such 
a  possibility  seems  very  remote  in  times  of  peace 
but  what  of  war  ?  Only  too  often  history  has  shown 
that  v/hen  war  threatens,  the  Christian  God  has  a 
way  of  becoming  a  national  God.  During  the  last  war 
individual  ministers  left  nothing  to  be  desired  in  the 
way  of  glorifying  the  war,  use  of  invective  against 
the  Germans,  and  in  the  preaching  of  hate.  Even 
the  Federal  Council  of  Churches  assured  the  gov- 
ernment that  "the  churches  of  the  country  were 
heart  and  soul  in  the  conflict."  Those  words  remind 
me  of  a  remark  made  by  Douglas  Horton  while 
speaking  of  the  dangers  of  an  encroaching  State: 
"Jesus  Christ  must  not  become  a  mere  secretary  in 
the  Department  of  the  Interior." 

The  Church  must  refuse  to  be  chaplain  to  the 
modern  State.  The  test  of  its  freedom  is  the  free- 
dom it  is  granted  in  time  of  war.  There  is  no 
realm  immune  from  judgment  by  the  Church  if  it 
has  anything  to  do  Vv^ith  justice  or  the  ideal  social 
order.  My  point  is,  that  just  as  a  minister  who 
accepts  favors  from  a  railroad  is  logically,  and,  in 
a  sense,  morally,  hesitant  about  denouncing  the 
policy  of  that  railroad,  so  the  Church  accepting  a 
State-subsidy  should  be  hesitant  about  pronouncing 
judgment  upon  the  State. 

Back  of  all  this  stands  the  immutable  fact  that 
the  Church  has  its  origin  and  basis  in  an  entirely 
different  sphere  than  the  State.  The  Church  has  its 
origin  in,  and  derives  its  strength  and  its  authority 
from  God ;  its  method  is  that  of  love.  The  State  has 
its  origin  in  the  minds  and,  often,  the  selfish  in- 
terests of  man ;  it  tends  to  look  to  might  as  its  only 
protection  and  sanction.  The  two  do  not  mix;  they 
are  like  two  chemical  elements  which  cause  an  ex- 
plosion when  united.  Let  him  who  doubts  this  look 
at  Rome  today  where  the  Pope  and  the  State  have 
come  to  an  inevitable  clash  of  opinion. 


150 THE  SCROLL 

New  Testament  Problems 

Edivin  C.  Boynton,  Huntsville,  Texas 
Within  the  last  dozen  years  the  field  of  New 
Testament  criticism  has  been  cultivated  anew,  as 
to  the  date  and  circumstances  of  its  origin.  While  a 
fresh  interest  has  been  aroused  in  the  literary  side 
of  the  problem,  more  of  the  human  element  has  been 
taken  into  consideration.  Edgar  J.  Goodspeed,  in  his 
"New  Solutions  of  New  Testament  Problems" 
(1927) ,  discerns  in  Luke-Acts  that  the  latter  volume 
appeared  after  the  death  of  Paul,  and  was  a  means 
of  giving-  a  more  universal  notoriety  to  this  apostle ; 
that  therefrom  resulted  an  assembly  of  Pauline 
"letters,"  with  a  specific  cataloguing  of  the  samie  at 
a  considerable  post-Pauline  date ;  and  that  the  book, 
known  to  us  as  "the  Revelation,"  reflects  in  a  portion 
of  its  literary  composition  a  deliberate  letter-col- 
lection, which  is  not  really  epistolary  at  all,  but  is 
an  imitation  of  the  "Pauline"  grouping,  which 
"Johannine"  redaction  has  given  to  us  in  its  long- 
familiar  form.  He  is  followed  by  Donald  Wayne 
Riddle  (1936) ,  in  a  highly  interesting  and  important 
volume,  "Early  Christian  Life — as  Reflected  in  Its 
Literature  of  the  Gospel-Making  Period",  a  study 
problem,  he  brings  in  his  chapter,  "The  Non-Gospel 
Literature  of  the  Gospel-Making  Period,"  a  study 
designed  to  show  that  we  have,  e.g.,  in  "Ephesians," 
not  a  letter  of  Paul's  at  all,  but  an  "introductory 
covering  letter  to  the  collected  epistles  of  Paul." 
Such  a  fruitful  contrivance  as  he  suggests  manifests 
its  literary  power  in  similar  formations  throughout 
the  remaining  Non-Gospel  N.  T.  books.  These  critics 
are  joined  by  Ernest  Cadman  Colwell  in  a  literary 
divorce-proceeding  entitled  "John  Defends  the  Gos- 
pel" (1936).  Here  John  is  called  as  a  witness  not 
merely  to  a  dissimilarity  of  general  view-point  as  to 
the  record  of  Jesus'  life  and  activities,  but  is  led  to 
testify  to  a  radically  different  polemic  on  the  part  of 


THE  SCROLL 151 

the  Johannine  writer  as  to  the  whole  nature  and 
significance  of  that  activity  in  its  social  and  ecclesi- 
astical setting. 

These  critics,  with  others  in  the  N.  T.  field,  are 
about  to  revolutionize  the  mind  of  scholarship  as  to 
the  question  of  New  Testament  literary  origins. 
One  need  not  surmise,  of  course,  that  such  a  revolu- 
tion, if  successful,  will  "destroy  the  faith"  or  work 
other  complete  wreckage  in  the  message  of  the 
church  to  this  day.  However,  from  a  strictly  criti- 
cal evalution,  one  may  ask  if  the  new  orientation 
is  valid. 

As  a  comparatively  simple  test  let  the  inquiry 
just  now  be  limited  to  the  Apocalypse.  Do  we  have,  in 
the  Revelation,  two  ill-assorted  styles  of  literature, 
of  which  one  is  given  almost  in  toto  to  an  apocalyptic 
message,  and  the  other,  found  in  the  first  three 
chapters,  a  pseudo  group  of  "letters"  to  "seven" 
churches,  while  in  reality  these  chapters  give  us, 
under  one  general  cover-letter  (Rev.  1:1-11),  a 
single  message  to  all  readers,  using  the  seven-fold 
device  of  naming  that  many  "churches,"  to  carry 
the  message  in  a  now-popularized  literary  form? 

We  may  omit  critical  notice  of  Goodspeed's  claim 
that  the  salutation  (Rev.  1:4),  "Grace  and  peace 
to  you,"  definitely  Pauline  in  style,  for  such  a  con- 
clusion could  not  be  decisive  of  the  problem  in  its 
more  important  phases,'  and  we  may  sift  the  real 
evidence  available  for  the  newer  view  of  the  Pauline 
dependence  of  the  Revelation.  In  defense  of  the 
thesis  that  we  have  here  not  seven  separate  letters, 
but  one  collective  letter,  apparently  addressed  to 
seven  churches,  we  may  plead  that  we  have  the 
formula,  seven  times  repeated,  "To  the  angel  of  the 
church  in  .  .  .  ";  that  in  the  explanation  given  in 
Rev.  1:  20  (Goodspeed  N.  T.),  we  read,  "The  seven 
stars  are  the  guardian  angels  of  the  seven  churches" 
and  that  in  the  general  address  to  the  seven 
churches   (1:4),  we  read  of  "the  seven  spirits  be- 


152 THE  SCROLL 

fore  his  throne" ;  seemingly  identifying  these  angels 
with  these  spirits,  the  latter  being  unquestionably 
part  of  a  divinely  assembled  group,  interested  in 
these  churches  as  a  unit.  This  is  strengthened  by  the 
term  "guardian  angels,"  applied  to  each  of  the 
angels  of  the  churches,  verbiage  which  would  seem 
to  identify  the  "angels"  with  the  "spirits."  The 
latter,  of  course,  (cf.  Rev.  1:4),  are  a  collec- 
tive group. 

Now  are  we  justified  in  following  Goodspeed  in 
rendering  the  term  in  1 :20  by  the  words  "guardian 
angels"?  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  through  the 
long  years  of  New  Testament  criticism  scholars  both 
hyper-conservative  and  liberal  have  largely  held  the 
most  mystical  possible  view  of  everything  connected 
with  this  book  of  much  confessed  mystery.  That 
anything  could  have  its  most  natural  interpretation 
seems  to  be  dismissed  by  almost  all  critics.  Let  us, 
however,  look  at  the  facts  as  they  appear  upon  the 
face  of  the  record.  And  first  of  all,  neither  the 
Westcott  &  Hort  nor  Nestle's  texts  contain  any 
word  for  "guardian."  Moffatt,  feeling  the 
force  of  the  work  of  Rendel  Harris,  and  himself 
taking  von  Soden's  text  as  standard,  translates  sim- 
ply, "the  angels  of  the  seven  churches."  In  behalf 
of  Goodspeed's  translation,  however,  we  may  urge 
what  he  himself  has  elsewhere  said,  that  "No  person 
can  translate  a  passage  which  he  himself  does  not 
understand";  and  it  would  seem  that  he  feels  the 
setting  here  does  demand  a  thought  of  the  super- 
natural, even  though  not  expressed  in  the  original. 
So  Thayer's  Greek-English  lexicon,  says,  "the  angels 
of  the  churches"  in  Rev.  1 :20,  .  .  .  are  not  their  pres- 
byters or  bishops,  but  heavenly  spirits  who  exercise 
such  a  superintendence  and  guardianship  over  them 
that  whatever  in  their  assemblies  is  worthy  of  praise 
or  of  censure  is  counted  to  the  praise  or  blame  of 
their  angels  also."    Similar  to  this  is  the  comment 


THE  SCROLL 153 

here  of  the  Schaff-Lange  Commentary,  which  ob- 
jects to  the  idea  that  the  "angels"  are  the  "mes- 
sengers" of  the  churches,  inasmuch  as,  it  states, 
these  messages  would  not  have  given  to  such  mes- 
sengers, who  had  come  to  John  in  his  exile,  but 
would  have  had  to  be  sent  them  through  others. 

Reviewing  the  grounds  advanced  for  the  favored 
exegesis  here,  let  it  be  noted  that  these  "angels"  are 
not  identical  with  the  "seven  spirits"  of  1 :4,  for  in 
all  these  congregational  messages  the  word  is  ad- 
dressed to  each  angel  in  turn;  while  in  1:4,  the 
seven  spirits  are  joined  with  John  in  his  greeting, 
and  the  message  comes  from  the  seven  spirits  to  the 
seven  churches  and  therefore  from  these  spirits  to 
these  angels.  In  addition,  one  must  needs  give 
further  thought  to  the  suggestion  that  celestial  be- 
ings can,  even  as  sponsors  for  their  respective 
churches,  be  addressed  in  terms  of  rebuke  so  notice- 
able. E.g.,  the  angel  of  the  Ephesian  church  is 
threatened  with  the  removal  of  his  lampstand  if  he 
does  not  repent."  Could  a  special  heaven-commis- 
sioned representative,  personally  impeccable,  be 
spoken  to  in  such  fashion  ?  Hardly,  even  with  all  the 
looseness  allowable  to  ancient  orientalism  in  idiom 
or  idea.  The  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergamum  is 
told,  "I  know  where  you  live;  where  Satan  has  his 
throne!";  that  of  Thyatira,  "I  hold  it  against  you 
that  you  tolerate  that  Jezebel  of  a  woman  who  claims 
to  be  inspired  and  is  misleading  my  slaves  and  teach- 
ing them  to  practice  immorality ;  while  the  angel  of 
Laodicea  is  informed,  "As  it  is,  since  you  are  tepid 
and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  am  going  to  spit  you  out 
of  my  mouth!" 

There  is  one  way  and  one  only  of  giving  proper 
balance  to  all  these  warnings:  Remembering  that 
"angel"  primarily  means  messenger,  to  resolutely 
turn  away  here  from  the  esoteric  in  translation, 
and  read  Rev.  1:20  as  it  stands,  viz.,  "The  seven 


154  THE  SCROLL 

stars  are  the  messengers  of  the  seven  churches." 
Here,  with  all  the  plainness  of  forthright  speech  it  is 
said,  not  that  these  are  messengers  of  heaven,  but  as 
though  to  avoid  that  very  conclusion,  that  they  are 
the  messengers  of  the  churches!  And  it  is  perfectly 
allowable  that  the  words  addressed  to  these  churches 
should  be  given,  right  then  and  there  to  their  mes- 
sengers who  had  come  from  them  to  John,  said  mes- 
sengers being  themselves  members  of  their  congre- 
gations. 

With  this  thought  the  eccelsiology  of  this  passage 
disappears  completely.  There  were  seven  mes- 
sengers, no  more  and  no  less  because,  of  all  the 
churches  who  knew  "John,"  just  these  seven  sent 
to  find  out  his  condition  or  to  bid  him  greeting. 
The  supposition  that  "seven"  here  is  a  mystical  num- 
ber is  altogether  gratuitous.  There  is  no  attempt 
to  invent  a  collection,  a  la  Paul ;  simply  a  plain  re- 
sponse to  a  plain  overture  from  seven  congregations 
of  the  Christian  faith. 


Ipse  Dixit  Religion 

William  F.  Clarke,  Dtduth,  Minn. 

The  dominie  in  the  pulpit  was  a  graduate  of 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  albeit  of  somewhat 
ancient  vintage,  and  wore  a  sombre  mien.  He  read 
to  us  from  Titus,  where  Paul  lists  the  qualifications 
he  deemed  desirable  in  the  character  of  a  deacon. 
One  of  these  was,  "not  given  to  much  wine."  This 
interested  me.  I  have  been  a  teetotaler  "from  my 
youth  up."  Paul  seemeh  here  to  allow  a  deacon  to 
use  some  wine.  Then  I  recalled  that  Paul  once  up- 
braided Timothy  for  being  a  teetotaler.  I  also  re- 
called that  Christ  himself  most  certainly  drank 
wine,  and  encouraged  others  to  do  so.  But  I  also 
knew  that  Paul  had  advised  bishops  to  abstain  from 
wine.    What  was  expected  of  me?  Did  I  need  to 


THE  SCROLL 155 

continue  my  teetotalism,  in  order  to  be  a  Christian? 

Then  I  got  to  thinking  about  what  I  had  been 
doing.  I  was  trying  to  determine  my  Christian  duty 
by  referring  to  the  words  of  individuals  who  had 
died  centuries  ago.  Was  that  sane  procedure?  Yes; 
it  was.  Christianity  is  a  certain  kind  of  religion. 
To  know  what  it  is  like  one  should  consult  the  ideas 
set  forth  by  its  founder  and  his  immediate  follow- 
ers. It  happened  that  I  had  studied  these  ideas 
from  the  best  obtainable  original  manuscripts  for 
several  years  under  the  guidance  of  a  man  who  was 
notably  good  in  life  and  learned  in  the  language 
and  thought  of  those  men  who  had  promulgated 
these  ideas.  I  had  done  this  in  the  company  of 
numerous  young  men  of  good  intelligence  and 
earnest  purpose  in  life. 

This  study  had  led  to  the  conclusion  that  Chris- 
tianity was  not  a  set  of  prescriptions,  or  laws,  for 
the  conduct  of  life,  such  as  I  had  had  in  mind  when 
trying  to  solve  the  wine  problem,  but  a  religion 
which  offered  the  individual  immediate  personal 
guidance  and  help  through  an  indwelling  God,  and 
held  the  individual  responsible  primarily,  not  for 
the  attitude  he  assumed  towards  this  proffered  in- 
ner guidance  and  help,  but  for  right  conduct  in  all 
his  thinking  and  doing.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  the 
perfection  thus  aimed  at  would  make  such  a  guide 
and  helper  necessary  for  man,  weak  and  ignorant 
as  he  is. 

It  is  also  easy  to  see  that  laws  and  prescriptions 
would  not  avail.  First,  because  they  could  not  be 
formulated  so  as  to  meet  each  individual  situation 
arising  in  life.  Second,  because,  even  if  formulated, 
they  would  be  so  overwhelmingly  numerous  as  to 
make  it  utterly  impossible  for  the  individual  to  learn 
them  and  employ  them.  And  third,  prescriptions 
and  laws  leave  the  individual  no  choice  except  that 
of  obedience.  He  could  not  then  be  held  responsible 
for  the  consequences  of  his  conduct.     "His  not  to 


156 THE  SCROLL 

reason  why,  his  but  to  do  and  die."  The  conse- 
quences must  be  charged  up  to  the  one  formulating 
the  laws.  Furthermore,  laws  would  rob  man  of 
sovereignty  over  self.  Christianity  does  not  do  that, 
Christ  stands  at  the  door  and  knocks,  but  does  not 
enter  until  bidden  to  do  so.  Christianity  does  teach 
that  there  is  a  day  of  judgment.  But  it  also  teaches 
that  this  judgment  will  be  just.  Just  judgment  could 
neither  condemn  nor  approve  an  individual  for  his 
conduct  if  he  had  not  been  absolutely  free  to  de- 
termine his  conduct  in  line  with  his  own  wishes. 
Guidance  and  help  may  be  offered  very  properly, 
and  very  strongly  accepted ;  but  dictation  and  com- 
mand there  can  not  be.  Christ  is  not  a  dictator, 
and  dictators  do  not  like  him.  Christ  simply  prof- 
fers guidance  and  help ;  he  lays  down  no  laws.  His 
imm.ediate  presence  in  the  heart  of  the  believer 
makes  laws  unnecessary.  This  is  what  Paul  must 
have  had  in  mind  when  he  told  the  Galatians  that 
if  they  resorted  to  rules  and  regulations  as  guides 
in  life  they  made  Christ  of  no  effect.  They  thus  gave 
ear  to  an  outer  authority  instead  of  to  an  inner 
guide  and  helper.  This  was  tantamount  to  a  denial 
of  Christ.  It  amounted  to  shutting  the  door  in  his 
face. 

With  these  things  in  mind  it  seems  easy  to  solve 
the  wine  problem.  It  is  undoubtedly  like  the  problem 
of  meat-eating  with  which  Paul  had  to  contend. 
Just  as  he  very  positively  defended  his  right  to  eat 
meat  if  he  wanted  to  do  so,  so  undoubtedly  he  would 
have  just  as  stoutly  maintained  his  right  to  drink 
wine  if  he  wanted  to  do  so.  But  also  without  doubt 
he  would  have  declared  it  his  intention  to  do  without 
wine  forever,  if  his  drinking  of  wine  caused  his 
brother  to  stumble.  And  so  the  thing  for  me 
to  consider  in  trying  to  decide  whether  or  not 
to  drink  wine,  is  not  what  someone  may  have  pre- 
scribed in  regard  thereto,  but  what  effect  wine- 
drinking  will  have  on  me  and  my  brother. 


THE  SCROLL  157 

My  Disciple  Inheritance 

Hampton  Adams,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

The  importance  of  preaching  was  impressed  on 
me  as  a  child  and  young  man  by  my  Disciple  en- 
vironment. The  preachers  in  the  pulpit  and  in  our 
home  made  me  feel  that  preaching  was  great  busi- 
ness. The  respect  of  my  parents  and  our  relatives 
and  our  friends  in  the  church  for  tthe  oiRce  of  the 
minister  convinced  me  that  the  ministry  was  the 
greatest  of  all  callings.  That  is  the  way  they  spoke 
of  it,  a  "calling."  One  should  not  enter  the  ministry 
unless  he  felt  "called."  Of  course  my  early  impres- 
sion of  the  office  of  the  preacher  has  gone  through 
several  changes,  but  I  sometimes  think  that  the  per- 
sistence of  my  enthusiasm  for  preaching  through 
the  transition  of  my  thought  about  the  Bible  and 
the  Universe  is  due  to  the  strength  of  this  youth- 
ful conviction  about  preaching. 

Though  several  of  us  are  writing  about  our  Dis- 
ciple heritage,  I  am  guessing  that  no  two  of  us  are 
writing  about  the  same  thing.  A  Disciple  heri- 
tage in  one  Disciple  church,  in  one  Disciple  family 
and  in  one  community  where  Disciple  influence  is 
strong  is  very  different  from  another  Disciple  heri- 
tage. One  preacher  because  of  his  Disciple  heri- 
tage interprets  the  Bible  literally,  preaches  baptism 
for  the  remission  of  sins  and  proclaims  our  church 
as  the  only  truly  New  Testament  Church.  Another 
preacher  contradicts  these  views  in  his  mind  and 
message  while  he  too  feels  the  force  of  his  Disciple 
heritage.  So  when  we  speak  of  our  Disciple  back- 
ground we  need  to  describe  it. 

The  church  of  which  I  was  a  member  as  a  boy 
and  a  young  man  was  a  city  church  which  by  being 
in  the  city  and  possessing  a  modern  building  and 
affording  a  choir  of  trained  musicians  and  using 
one  of  the  best  hymnals  and  having  the  leadership 


158 THE  SCROLL 

of  a  cultured  minister  was  the  type  of  church  that 
marked  a  significant  turn  in  earlier  Disciple  trends. 
The  unhappiness  of  some  people  who  had  come  into 
that  church  from  smaller  rural  churches  was  a  part 
of  the  pain  that  was  suffered  whenever  the  transi- 
tion was  made.  The  unfamiliar  hymns  caused 
much  of  this  pain, 

I  entered  Transylvania  College  in  the  autumn  of 
1916  just  as  the  theological  storm  in  the  College 
of  the  Bible,  on  the  same  campus,  "affiliated  but 
not  organically  connected"  with  Transylvania,  was 
breaking.  By  the  time  that  I  was  ready  to  begin 
my  theological  course  the  clouds  had  settled  and  the 
new  light  of  liberalism  v/as  unshadowed  within  the 
College  of  the  Bible,  though  not  in  all  the  churches 
round  about.  The  points-of-view  which  I  gained  in 
this  Disciple  seminary  were  not  changed  but  con- 
firmed later  when  I  studied  in  a  great  Eastern  theo- 
logical seminary.  This  brief  outline  of  my  own 
Disciple  heritage  had  to  be  made,  it  seemed  to  m.e, 
before  the  further  statement  about  the  influences 
that  it  has  generated  into  my  preaching  could  be 
intelligible. 

This  liberal  background  has  affected  my  study 
of  Disciple  history.  Undoubtedly  I  have  looked  for 
the  liberal  and  liberalizing  influences  in  the  writ- 
ings of  the  fathers.  I  have  found  them  in  Alexan- 
der Campbell's  sermon  on  "The  Law,"  in  "The  Dec- 
laration and  Address"  and  in  the  courageous  action 
of  Thomas  Campbell  in  offering  the  Lord's  Supper 
to  all  the  Christians  who  assembled  for  worship 
in  that  lonely  community  in  Western  Pennsylvania. 
The  guidance  that  I  was  given  in  my  theological 
courses  enabled  me  to  trace  the  influence  of  John 
Locke  on  the  mind  of  Alexander  Campbell.  My 
Disciple  heritage  has  therefore  emphasized  the  rea- 
sonableness of  religion  and  the  dependableness  of 
reason.  The  same  heritage  has  allowed  me  the  re- 
wards of  the  scientific  and  historical  study  of  the 


THE  SCROLL 159 

Bible.  The  same  heritage  has  given  me  a  desire 
for  Christian  unity. 

My  Disciple  heritage  has  also  convinced  me  that 
there  is  no  other  communion  of  Christian  people 
that  affords  more  liberty  to  its  preachers  for  pro- 
claiming the  truth  as  they  comprehend  it  and  for 
working  for  the, unity  of  the  Church.  We  as  Dis- 
ciple ministers  are  true  to  the  fathers  and  to  the 
genius  of  our  movement  when  we  demand  liberty 
of  thought  and  when  we  express  impatience  with 
denominational  and  creedal  restrictions  to  the  full 
witness  of  the  Gospel  in  the  united  Church. 

I  am  further  indebted  to  my  Disciple  heritage 
for  the  ease  with  which  my  mind  and  heart  have 
entered  into  the  ecumenical  movement  of  the 
Church.  To  be  a  part  of  the  larger  fellowship  is 
joy.  To  be  introduced  to  some  hitherto  unrecog- 
nized (to  me)  truth  in  the  message  or  practice  of 
another  church  seems  to  be  a  ministry  of  that  Spirit 
that  is  to  lead  into  all  truth.  To  have  to  reject 
some  teaching  of  another  communion  is  not  to  be 
agitated  or  to  strain  at  the  ties  of  brotherhood.  To 
sense  that  all  churches  are  by  the  will  of  God  to 
merge  into  the  Church  is  exciting.  My  Disciple 
heritage  has  given  me  this  mind. 

Am  I  in  the  preparation  and  delivery  of  a  sermon 
conscious  of  being  a  Disciple  minister  with  the  im- 
perative to  speak  the  peculiar  message  of  my  de- 
nomination? I  know  preachers  who  use  the  name 
of  their  denomination  in  their  sermons  more  often 
than  they  refer  to  Jesus.  Their  frame  of  reference 
seems  to  be  the  denominational  mind.  I  seldom  re- 
member as  I  study  to  preach  that  I  am  a  spokes- 
man for  the  Disciples.  And  yet  upon  reflection  I 
realize  that  the  reason  I  do  not  think  of  my  com- 
munion is  that  the  communion  has  urged  me  to  look 
beyond  it  to  the  whole  Church  and  Christ.  It  is  a 
good  inheritance  which  we  preachers  of  this  gene- 
ration must  receive  and  increase. 


160 THE  SCROLL 

Letter  From  B.  Blakemore 

London,  England,  December  8,  1938 
What  does  make  a  profound  impression  on  me  is 
the  way  in  which  the  last  three  months  has  seen  a 
continuing  number  of  reports  of  the  growing-  dis- 
organization of  Central  Europe.  I  have  talked  to  a 
number  of  people  who  have  come  out  of  that  area 
and  read  a  good  many  reports.  I  must  admit  that 
on  the  whole  they  are  anti-Nazi  in  attitude,  but  I 
do  not  believe  that  one  can  discountenance  what 
they  report.  There  are  more  and  more  areas  in 
which  the  guarantees  of  life,  let  alone  of  liberty  and 
the  pursuit  of  happiness,  are  disappearing.  I  re- 
member in  particular  one  girl,  an  Aryan  by  the 
way,  who  is  a  refugee  and  her  comment  that  in 
Germany  it  is  no  longer  worth-while  to  have  per- 
sonal relationships  and  friendships.  It  is  a  story 
which  I  have  heard  repeated  many  times.  It  is  hard 
to  understand  exactly  what  is  meant.  Perhaps  you 
will  not  believe  that  the  situation  is  just  as  if  you 
men  in  the  Disciplees  House  could  not,  for  fear  of 
your  lives,  trust  each  other.  Your  first  reaction  to 
such  a  comparison  is  naturally,  "But  we  know  each 
other,  we  can  trust  each  other."  But  what  is  in- 
creasingly clear  is  that  in  Germany,  and  many  other 
sections  of  Europe,  it  is  just  that  natural  and  spon- 
taneous trust  of  human  beings  in  each  other  that 
no  longer  can  exist.  Every  time  that  I  think  of  it, 
something  queer  inside  of  me  happens.  It  must  be 
the  most  frightful  circumstance  under  which  hu- 
manity has  ever  had  to  live.  Eventually  such  a  sit- 
uation must  bring  its  reaction,  and  perhaps  the  time 
is  not  far  off.  Indications  are  that  the  Germany 
of  this  year  is  not  to  be  compared  even  with  the 
Germany  of  a  year  ago,  so  rapidly  is  the  hold  of  the 
Nazi  party  increasing. 

At  present  I  am  heading  toward  Paris  where  I 
expect  to  spend  about  a  month  including  the  Christ- 
mas season. 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVI         FEBRUARY,  1939  No.  6 

Why  the  Wagner  Act? 

Alva  W.  Taylor,  Nashville,  Tennessee 
Labor's  crusade  for  the  right  to  organize  is  the 
story  of  a  half  a  millenium.  The  wage  earner  has 
carried  a  hang-over  of  the  ancient  code  that  denied 
the  slave  and  the  serf  the  rights  of  freemen  and 
put  the  sacredness  of  property  above  the  sacredness 
of  human  beings.  The  legal  right  to  freedom  of 
organization  is  less  than  a  century  old.  For  fifty 
years  political  parties  have  declared  for  labor's  un- 
hindered right  to  organize  and  for  thirty  years  the 
churches  have  been  on  record  as  making  that  right 
a  moral  issue.  But  what  the  law,  the  political  plat- 
form, and  the  social  ideals  of  the  churches  declared 
a  right  the  employer  could  deny.  The  Wagner  Act 
comes  in  at  last  to  deny  the  employer  that  power 
and,  after  centuries  of  struggle,  to  clear  the  high- 
way for  the  free  right  of  labor  to  organize.  Con- 
tentions against  the  so-called  unfairness  of  the  act 
that  fail  to  take  into  account  this  fundamental  fact, 
viz,  that  the  law  is  for  the  express  purpose  of  tak- 
ing from  the  employer  the  power  to  deny  labor  the 
right  to  organize,  are  beside  the  point.  Any  amend- 
ment that  modifies  or  weakens  that  provision  is  a 
reversion  to  the  old  status  of  the  employer  in  his 
use  of  the  power  of  property  right  over  human 
right. 

Slavery  is  as  old  as  civilization ;  it  is  tragic  testi- 
mony to  the  exploitative  nature  of  man.  The  glor- 
ious culture  of  Greece  was  built  upon  a  leisure  rest- 
ing upon  the  sweating  backs  of  slaves.  Patrician 
Rome  decayed  and  fell  because  its  foundation  was 
an  economy  of  slavery  and  serfdom.  The  romantic 
Old  South  was  that  of  a  patrician-slave  society  iii 


162 THE  SCROLL 

which  "poor  whites  have  no  posterity,"  so  proud 
are  southerners  of  the  fact  that  an  ancestor  owned 
and  exploited  a  fellow  man  as  a  chattel — as  proud 
as  a  northerner  is  of  the  wealth  an  ancestor 
squeezed  out  of  the  long-  hours,  low  wages  and  the 
work  of  children.  The  black  slave  was  a  piece  of 
property;  the  wage  slave  a  "free"  man,  i.e.  free 
to  take  a  job  on  the  employer's  terms  or  starve 
but  not  free  to  combine  with  his  fellows  to  demand 
a  say  as  to  the  terms  upon  which  his  time,  his  skill 
and  his  brawn  could  be  sold.  In  both  cases  the 
property  right  was  paramount  to  the  human  right. 
The  serf  came  in  between;  he  was  not  a  chattel  as 
was  the  slave,  nor  was  he  free  to  "take  the  job 
or  leave  it"  as  was  the  servant;  he  was  tied  to 
the  land  and  bought  and  sold  with  the  land.  The 
slave  had  no  freedom  to  move  about;  the  serf  had 
a  limited  freedom  to  do  so;  the  servant  (wage 
earner)  a  little  more  freedom  to  move  about  but 
often  limited  by  law  or  decree,  while  the  property 
owner  possessed  that  freedom.  Down  to  our  own 
day  the  mass  of  the  hand  workers  have  borne  the 
incubus  of  property's  privilege  over  the  right  of 
the  humble  to  the  freedom  and  protection  enjoyed 
by  the  owners  of  property. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  break-up  of  feudalism 
in  England  the  Statute  of  Laborers,  enacted  in 
1350,  forbade  wage  earners  to  leave  the  parish  to 
obtain  jobs  or  better  wages.  Maximum  wages  were 
fixed  by  law.  By  the  sixteenth  century  serfdom  had 
given  over  to  servantage;  instead  of  a  serf  tied  to 
the  land  the  worker  was  now  a  servant  who  could 
not  quit  his  job  without  his  master's  consent.  He 
could  not,  as  a  journeyman  craftsman,  travel  about 
without  a  special  license.  Servants  were  not  free- 
men though  masters  were.  The  church  still  empha- 
sized Paul's  injunction  that  servants  obey  their 
masters.  When  the  Black  Death  decimated  the 
working  classes  and  labor  was  in  demand  the  Sta,- 


THE  SCROLL 163 

tute  of  Laborers  was  amended  until  in  1562  not 
only  were  hours  and  wages  regulated  but  even  the 
kind  of  cloth  they  could  wear  was  arbitrarily  lim- 
ited. In  1424  the  Combination  Acts  put  any  efforts 
of  labor  to  organize  into  the  category  of  conspiracy 
against  law  and  order,  and  in  1720  special  laws  spe- 
cifically forbade  wage  earners  to  conspire  or  unite 
to  raise  wages.  An  idle  man  could  be  thrown  into 
prison  as  a  vagrant.  Adam  Smith  said  that  when 
labor's  complaint  was  considered  only  the  masters 
were  consulted,  and  Hammond  says  that  "The  Vag- 
rancy laws  seemed  to  supersede  the  entire  charter 
of  the  Englishman's  liberties."  If  an  unemployed 
man  stole  to  feed  his  children  he  was  given  a  long 
prison  sentence  or  could  even  be  hanged.  As  late 
as  1914  a  lad  was  hanged  for  pilfering. 

In  1799  and  1800  the  Conspiracy  laws,  which  de- 
fined any  attempt  of  labor  to  organize  as  a  con- 
spiracy against  law  and  order,  were  strengthened; 
they  provided  that  any  workingman  who  combined 
or  conspired  to  combine  with  a  fellow  wage-earner 
to  procure  a  decrease  in  hours  or  an  increase  in 
wages  could  be  imprisoned  or  deported  to  a  penal 
colony.  It  was  under  these  laws  that  the  famous 
Six  Men  of  Dorset,  in  1934,  were  deported  to 
Botany  Bay  under  a  sentence  of  seven  years  at  hard 
labor,'  they  were  God-fearing  men,  their  leader  a 
Wesleyan  lay  leader,  and  were  only  asking  for  a 
raise  in  wages  from  $1.75  to  $2.00  per  week  "to 
preserve  our  wives  and  children  from  degradation 
and  starvation."  But  British  ideas  of  democracy 
and  human  right  were  now  percolating  from  po- 
litical democracy  down  into  economic  life  and  this 
extreme  measure  proved  the  "straw  that  broke  the 
camel's  back"  and  the  men  were  pardoned.  Later 
the  Master  and  Servant  Act  became  the  Employer 
and  Workman  Act  but  not  until  1871  did  parliament 
grant  to  workers  the  right  to  do  what  employers 


164 THE  SCROLL 

could  do  and  not  until  1924  were  the  laws  making 
it  a  crime  for  laborers  to  organize  repealed,  though 
they  had  been  a  dead  letter  for  a  long  time. 

In  colonial  America  the  English  laws  held  as 
precedents.  In  1806  the  shoemakers  of  Philadelphia 
struck  for  a  raise  in  wages.  The  employers  had  an 
association  for  mutual  benefit  but  the  court  found 
the  strikers  guilty  of  conspiracy,  citing  the  decision 
of  an  English  court  given  in  1721  as  precedent; 
the  judge  declared  that  a  combination  of  working- 
men  for  mutual  benefit  was  just  as  illegal  as  if  it 
were  for  the  purpose  of  injuring  others,  because 
any  combination  of  wage  earners  was  a  conspiracy. 
The  verdict  read  "we  find  the  defendants  guilty  of 
a  combination  to  raise  their  wages."  They  were  all 
fined  an  amount  equal  to  a  month's  wages  with  costs 
added  and,  of  course,  all  lost  their  jobs.  But,  sig- 
nificantly, when  three  years  later  the  shoemakers  in 
New  York  city  struck,  their  conviction  was  not  on 
the  grounds  of  conspiracy  but  upon  that  of  using 
coercive  measures  and  their  fines  were  merely  nom- 
inal, the  court  admitting  the  right  of  mutual  action 
to  raise  wages  and  to  refuse  to  work.  Six  years 
after  this  case,  in  1815,  strikers  in  Pittsburgh  were 
convicted  on  the  ground  that  a  strike  was  in  "re- 
straint of  trade"  and  on  this  principle  courts  in 
this  country  have  dealt  with  strikers  down  until 
very  recent  times. 

The  Hamiltonians  and  Jeffersonians  joined  these 
over  the  rights  of  labor  to  organize,  the  Hamil- 
tonians holding  that  organization  was  illegal  under 
the  old  English  law,  the  Jeffersonians  that  the  laws 
of  freedom  in  the  new  republic  made  the  old  Eng- 
lish laws  inapplicable.  The  Jeffersonians  won  and 
in  winning  elected  judges  who  refused  to  base  ver- 
dicts on  the  old  conspiracy  laws.  But  it  was  not 
until  1842  that  in  the  famous  case  of  the  Common- 
wealth vs.  Massachusetts  the  free  and  legal  right 


THE  SCROLL     165 

of  labor  to  organize  and  to  thus  mutually  promote 
all  things  of  benefit  to  wage  earners  was  finally 
sealed  and  made  undeniable  precedent  in  the  courts. 
This  did  not  prevent  the  courts  from  hampering  or- 
ganization with  injunctions,  contempt  of  court  and 
rules  regarding  picketing;  and  of  course  the  right 
of  the  employer  to  hire  and  fire  at  will,  and  to  re- 
fuse to  employ  a  union  man  or  to  deal  with  a  union, 
remained  unhampered.  Thus  what  the  law  legalized, 
the  party  platforms  supported  and  the  churches  ad- 
vocated could  be  denied  by  the  employer;  and  that 
is  what  the  Wagner  Act  now  remedies.  It  guaran- 
tees labor  the  right  to  organize  and  strikes  the  last 
shackle  off  its  wrists  as  freemen. 


Selecting  Sermon  Subjects 

John  W.  Cyrus,  Mihvaukee,  Wisconsin 
Preaching  is  hard  work.  This  is  particularly  true 
for  the  religious  liberal.  Sermons  do  not  fall  easily 
from  his  tongue  in  the  form  of  inspiring  deductive 
analysis  of  fundamental  tenets  of  faith.  The  pro- 
cess of  conceiving  a  sermon  is  almost  a  purely  in- 
ductive one.  It  is  a  process  of  focusing  one's  atten- 
tion upon  some  significant  area  of  human  experi- 
ence, vivifying  it,  and  making  it  stimulate  the  lis- 
tener. It  IS  aimed  at  producing  an  aesthetic  ex- 
perience that  has  solid  moral  and  intellectual  con- 
tent. If  it  is  possible  to  achieve  clearly  implied 
articles  of  conduct  and  belief  as  a  result  of  this 
process,  the  liberal  minister  is  more  fortunate  than 
usual. 

I  conceive  the  minister  as  occupying  a  position 
between  the  raw  and  undifferentiated  experience  of 
life  and  the  meanings  and  values  which  his  congre- 
gation may,  as  a  result  of  their  church  affiliation, 
discover  in  that  experience.  His  job  is  not  to  stuff 
experience  into  the  forms  of  a  dogmatic  theology. 


166 THE  SCROLL 

Neither  is  it  to  disclose  a  completely  articulated 
philosophy  and  convert  his  people  to  it.  He  medi- 
ates and  lights  up  experience  in  a  way  conducive 
to  religious  philosophizing  on  the  part  of  his  con- 
gregation. 

A  quick  glance  over  my  sermon  titles  for  the  lat- 
ter part  of  1938  does  not  reveal  any  particular  plan 
of  preaching.    They  run  as  follov^s: 

Religion  is  Dangerous 

Tin  Cans  and  Holy  Water 

"What  am  I  to  do?" 

Your  Debt  to  Labor 

The  Christian's  Search 

Is  Personal  Freedom  Lost? 

The  Case  For  a  Christian  Ethic 

Christian  :  Citizen  of  the  Universe 

What  Is  Being  Modern? 

Trends  in  Organized  Christianity  as  Seen  in  the 
Disciples 

The  Bible :  A  Book  Review 

Personality  and  the  Prospect  of  War 

The  Christian  Looks  at  the  Psychiatrist 

"The  Earth  is  the  Lord's" 

The  Church  and  the  Times 

The  Good  Life  and  the  Times 

God  and  the  Times 

Jesus  and  the  Times 

Pictures  of  1939 

Planless  and  impulsive  though  this  list  may  seem, 
certain  purposes  consistently  influenced  my  choice 
of  subject  and  especially  the  content  and  structure 
of  these  sermons.  The  two  titles  which  are  quota- 
tions indicate  times  when  my  ingenuity  broke  down 
completely  and  1  had  to  resort  to  scripture.  Others 
are  prosaic  enough  but  they  state  something  about 
the  content  of  the  sermon.  In  every  instance  the 
term  Christian  means  the  modern  religious  person 
in  the  Christian  tradition. 


THE  SCROLL  167 

One  determinative  purpose  back  of  these  sermons 
was  to  emphasize  the  religious  qualities  of  dis- 
covery, exploration,  adventure,  curiosity,  and  con- 
flict, and  to  minimize,  play  down,  and  even  attack 
such  things  as  comfort,  contentment,  consolation, 
reiterative  certainty,  security,  and  caution.  I  have 
been  impressed,  or  depressed,  by  the  persistent  dull- 
ness that  wraps  itself  around  church  services  and 
church  people  without  their  knowing  it.  A  teen 
age  girl  recently  turned  down  two  specific  requests 
of  mine  with  the  argument  that  she  approved  of 
everything  that  went  on  in  the  church  but  wasn't 
interested  in  it.  Which  is  to  say  that  truth,  good- 
ness, and  beauty  may  be  valid  and  sound,  but  unin- 
teresting. A  local  minister  of  a  great  and  active 
Congregational  church  in  Milwaukee  said  not  long 
ago  that  he  was  repeatedly  made  to  feel  right  in 
the  middle  of  his  services  the  dreadful  dullness  of 
them.  He  is  an  excellent  preacher,  a  courageous 
and  resourceful  man,  and  something  of  a  scholar. 
I  resolved  to  appeal  to  curiosity  and  expectancy 
rather  than  the  desire  for  comfort  and  safety. 

A  second  purpose  was  a  consistent  naturalistic 
emphasis.  I  base  this  on  the  assumption  that  lack 
of  faith  or  lift  or  inspiration  in  church  is  not  due 
to  the  failure  of  supernaturalism,  but  to  the  atrophy 
of  appreciation. 

A  third  purpose  which  is  not  at  all  indicated  by 
the  titles  was  to  hit  as  often  and  as  hard  as  possible 
several  contemporary  obsessions:  racial  and  class 
egotism,  nationalism,  the  ignorant  fear  of  political 
labels,  and  the  grasping  after  and  applauding  of 
loud  declarations  of  dark  and  irrational  faiths- 

A  fourth  purpose  was  to  indicate  the  social  im- 
plications of  individual  attitudes  and  responses,  and 
the  individual  implications  of  social  attitudes  and 
responses.  I  resolved  not  to  preach  a  sermon  which 
was  exclusively  social  or  individual  in  its  concern. 
I  wanted  to  make  it  clear  that  a  religion  which  min- 


168 THE  SCROLL 

istered  to  some  exclusive  individual  area  of  experi- 
ence only  was  a  religion  which  did  not  minister  to 
the  whole  individual. 

A  fifth  purpose  was  a  composite  one.  It  was  to 
make  my  preaching  positive,  personal,  and  oriented 
to  the  present,  A  difficult  year,  frequent  brushes 
with  orthodox  dogma,  and  a  small  congregation  in 
which  it  is  necessary  for  too  few  people  to  carry 
too  much  responsibility,  with  the  result  that  there 
are  frequent  failures  to  carry  things  through  and  a 
general  exhaustion  from  time  to  time,  all  tend  to 
produce  resentments  which  make  their  way  into 
the  pulpit  in  the  form  of  perplexing  negative 
preaching.  There  are  plenty  of  things  in  church 
life  that  need  destroying,  but  endless  destruction 
becomes  heavy  and  boring.  The  terrible  pressure  of 
overwhelming  social  issues  provides  a  minister  with 
plenty  to  talk  about.  But  there  is  a  type  of  discus- 
sion of  social  issues  which  is  devoid  of  personal 
meaning.  There  is  a  way  of  talking  about  life  char- 
acteristic of  politicians,  reformers,  professional  so- 
cial workers,  and  conventional  radicals  which  is  ut- 
terly sterile  so  far  as  personal  experience  is  con- 
cerned. I  mean  to  distinguish  here  between  individ- 
ual and  personal.  Personal  means  a  certain  level 
of  experience;  individual  means  a  delimited  area 
of  experience.  The  identification  of  religion  with 
the  past,  the  romantic,  the  abiding  things,  and  a 
conservative  function  which  is  a  proper  part  of 
religion,  tend  toward  authoritarianism  and  a  feel- 
ing that  any  present  time  is  unholy  and  unleavened. 
It  makes  also  for  an  increasingly  sharp  separation 
between  the  sacred  and  secular.  I  do  not  and  cannot 
use  these  words  in  an  antithetical  relation.  I  re- 
solved to  demonstrate  religious  resources  in  the 
present  and  contemporary,  and  to  indicate  also  that 
the  abiding  truths  have  no  reality  except  as  a  part 
of  present  experience. 


THE  SCROLL 169 

My  Disciple  Inheritance 

Kenneth  B.  Botven,  Covington,  Kentucky 
Soon  after  the  Civil  War,  my  father  and  mother 
were  bom  in  eastern  North  Carolina,  fifteen  miles 
from  a  railroad.  Grandfather  Bowen  was  an  elder 
in  the  Disciples  church,  and  his  three  sons  were 
deacons.  Grandfather  Harrison  was  a  noted 
preacher  in  the  Primitive  Baptist  church,  and  was 
the  most  eloquent  speaker  I  have  ever  heard  in  any 
land.  A  brother  and  two  of  his  sons  were  also 
clergymen  in  Baptist  churches.  My  brother.  Rev. 
T.  Hassell  Bowen,  was  named  for  one  of  those 
uncles.  Both  grandfathers  fought  four  years  in  the 
Confederate  army  to  keep!  their  many  slaves  in 
bondage,  each  leaving  a  bride  whom  the  black  men 
protected  with  their  lives.  Thus  you  can  see  that 
this  paper  should  really  be  called,  "My  Disciple- 
Baptist  Background." 

After  the  war  two  large  family  fortunes  lay  in 
ruins,  and  the  whole  social  order  was  chaotic.  In 
order  to  marry  mother,  my  father  had  to  borrow 
the  money  with  which  to  buy  his  wedding  license. 
Three  of  their  children  were  born  without  the  help 
of  a  doctor,  causing  much  suffering  and  near 
tragedy.  In  addition  to  running  his  own  farm, 
father  would  walk  eight  miles,  work  from  sunrise 
to  sunset,  for  one  bushel  of  sweet  potatoes.  On  Sat- 
urday he  would  drive  fifteen  miles  and  sell  them 
for  forty  cents.  So  far  as  I  know,  my  parents  have 
never  been  completely  out  of  debt.  To  them  the 
present  "depression"  or  "recession"  seems  like  a 
Wall  Street  boom.  Naturally,  such  an  economic 
background  greatly  influenced  my  preaching. 
Through  all  the  bitter  years  of  biting  poverty, 
though  my  father  never  waved  a  red  flag,  indulged 
in  self-pity,  nor  developed  a  cynical  attitude 
towards  life.    His  philosophy  of  religion  was,  and 


170 THE  SCROLL 

is,  summed  up  in  Paul's  words :  "And  we  know  that 
to  them  that  love  God  all  things  v/ork  together  for 
good." 

When  about  six  years  of  age,  one  of  my  chores 
on  the  farm  was  feeding  a  litter  of  pigs.  You  may 
be  surprised  at  my  bringing  into  this  paper  an  ex- 
perience so  mundane,  but  it  represents  a  turning 
point  in  my  Disciple-Baptist  background,  and  influ- 
enced my  whole  philosophy  of  life;  and,  of  course, 
all  my  preaching.  In  fact,  I  seriously  doubt  that  any 
minister  should  be  ordained  without  first  having 
had  a  thorough  course  in  feeding  pigs.  One  of  the 
very  greatest  lectures  I  ever  heard  the  late  Pro- 
fessor Snoddy  deliver  was  on  "Pig-Trough  Philoso- 
phy." Without  feeding  pigs  it  is  utterly  impossible 
to  interpret  the  cosmic  meaning  of  the  universe. 
The  present  Archbishop  of  York  was  right  on  in- 
sisting, while  principal  of  a  select  boys'  school,  that 
each  student  had  to  take  his  turn  with  the  pigs. 

Although  I  had  enough  swill  for  each  pig,  the 
large  ones  insisted  on  the  special  privilege  of  eat- 
ing it  all,  leaving  the  weaker  ones  to  starve.  As  for 
the  runt,  he  was  unable  to  get  near  the  trough. 
Naturally,  and  inevitably,  three  things  happened: 
first,  there  was  a  bitter  civil  war  every  morning, 
and  often  I  was  knocked  down  during  the  battle; 
second,  in  a  short  while  I  could  count  the  ribs  of 
the  smaller  pigs;  and  third,  the  few  large  pigs 
soon  became  lazy,  lay  down  in  the  shade,  and  re- 
fused to  go  out  into  the  forest  to  hunt  acorns.  As  a 
pig-raiser,  I  was  a  sad  failure,  and  suffered  with  a 
lashing  of  conscience.  Before  long,  however,  with- 
out asking  the  advice  of  any  one,  I  began  separat- 
ing the  weak  pigs  from  the  strong  ones,  giving  to 
each,  including  the  runt,  an  equitable — not  equal — 
portion  of  food;  hence,  in  a  short  time  there  was 
peace  in  the  farm  yard,  all  began  developing  to- 
gether, and  at  Christmas  there  was  a  successful 
hog-killing. 


THE  SCROLL 171 

For  sixty-five  years  grandfather  Harrison 
preached  that  human  slavery  was  ordained  of  God; 
and,  until  his  death  he  declared  that  the  South 
should  have  won  the  war.  Grandfather  Bowen  went 
to  war  reluctantly,  and  never  defended  the  slave 
system.  As  a  true  Disciple  he  held  that  we  are 
"all  one  in  Christ."  The  issue  was  settled  in  my 
mind  by  the  pig-trough,  at  which  I  learned  my  first 
lesson  on  the  "social  gospel."  If  there  be  a  cosmic 
law  in  raising  pigs,  and  we  take  so  much  care  in 
obeying  it,  why  is  it  called  "radicalism"  for  a 
preacher  to  insist  that  every  child  is  a  gift  of  God, 
and  should  have  an  opportunity  to  develop  his  body, 
mind  and  soul  ?  At  least  we  should  be  as  sensible  in 
raising  children  as  in  the  production  of  swine.  So 
long  as  we  insist  on  running  industry,  the  social 
order,  and  the  world  of  nations,  on  a  philosophy  of 
the  pig-trough,  v/e  shall  have  war,  and  ultimately 
the  destruction  of  civilization.  Without  a  sharing 
of  natural  resources,  all  talk  of  world  peace  is  so 
much  pious  hypocrisy.  Even  though  the  Civil  War 
reduced  my  parents  to  a  grinding  poverty,  at  no 
time  did  they  bemoan  the  loss  of  slaves.  As  for  my 
preaching,  my  Disciple  background  was  always  on 
the  side  of  freedom  in  Christ. 

On  the  question  of  church  attendance,  it  was  said 
of  my  father's  mule,  and  truthfully  so,  "Open  the 
front  gate  and  he  would  go  straight  for  the  church." 
My  parents  took  me  to  church  when  a  baby,  as  was 
true  with  all  the  children  in  our  home,  until  the 
church-going  habit  became  second  nature.  Even 
the  little  country  school  of  one  stark  room,  with  a 
rusty  stove  spewing  ashes  on  the  floor,  was  located 
in  the  church  yard,  and  I  had  the  feeling  that  both 
institutions  were  the  gift  of  God.  Early  in  the  life 
of  each  child  our  parents  told  us  it  was  not  enough 
to  be  a  Christian,  but  that  we  should  be  well  edu- 
cated for  a  life  of  service.  Our  parents  have  lived 
to  see  all  six  children  go  through  college. 


172 THE  SCROLL 

When  I  was  about  nine  years  old,  we  moved  to 
a  lumber  village  where  there  was  a  good  private 
school,  and  an  opportunity  for  my  father  to  enter 
business.  Here  began  my  first  lesson  in  true 
ecumenicity.  Although  a  loyal  Disciple,  my  father 
urged  me  to  attend  all  churches,  hence  the  four 
Sundays  in  the  month  were  spent  in  the  following 
places  of  worship :  Methodist,  Baptist,  Episcopal, 
and  Disciples.  Our  home  was  open  to  the  ministers 
of  all  four  churches,  and  my  father  was  a  regular 
and  generous  contributor  to  their  salaries.  On  Sat- 
urday night  I  was  allowed  to  sit  up  and  listen  to 
the  preacher  talk  religion.  Years  later,  while  cross- 
ing the  ocean,  my  boyhood  attendance  at  the  Epis- 
copal church  helped  me  to  conduct  a  worship  service 
in  the  Anglican!  faith.  From  each  of  the  four 
churches  named  above,  I  learned  something  good, 
and  my  tolerance  was  thereby  greatly  enlarged. 
There  was  something  fine  in  such  a  Disciple  back- 
ground which  helped  to  influence  all  of  my  preach- 
ing along  liberal  lines. 

Then  too,  about  this  time  I  had  to  face  the  prob- 
lem of  pain  and  death.  Soon  after  reaching  our 
new  home,  a  little  sister  was  taken  with  spinal 
meningitis,  and  after  days  of  violent  suffering,  she 
passed  away.  My  preacher  grandfather  explained 
it  all  to  me  in  terms  of  a  rabid  Calvinism,  saying, 
that  it  was  all  pre-determined  and  foreordained 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world.  To  clinch  his 
argument  he  used  the  familiar  words:  "The  Lord 
hath  given,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away,  blessed 
be  the  name  of  the  Lord."  Quick  as  a  flash  I  said 
to  myself:  "That  is  a  falsehood!"  No  one  could 
convince  me  that  a  God  of  love  revealed  in  a  Christ 
who  blessed  children,  was  a  murderer  of  my  inno- 
cent sister.  Then  and  there  a  complete  break  with 
my  Baptist  background  took  place,  and  to  this  day 
I  never  use  the  above  text  in  a  funeral  service.  In 
a  word,  my  social  preaching  was  born  at  a  pig- 


THE  SCROLL m 

trough,  and  my  liberal  preaching  at  the  funeral  of 
my  sister. 

My  conversion  was  highly  important  to  my 
preaching  career.  As  implied  above,  whereas  my 
father  was  a  loyal  Disciple  of  Christ,  he  studiously 
avoided  indoctrinating  his  children.  My  first  ven- 
ture from  home  was  attendance  at  the  Randolph 
Macon  Academy,  Bedford,  Virginia  Methodist 
School.  On  the  first  Sunday  morning  I  joined  a 
group  of  boys  to  go  to  church.  As  we  walked 
through  a  poor  district  in  the  city  I  asked:  "What 
is  that  little  building  on  the  back  of  the  lot?"  One 
of  the  popular  football  stars  replied,  with  a  shrug 
of  the  shoulders,  "That  is  a  little  Campbellite  mis- 
sion, but  no  decent  people  think  of  going  there  to 
church."  Without  saying  a  word,  I  proceeded  with 
the  crowd  to  the  large  and  impressive  Methodist 
church.  In  a  few  moments,  however,  a  strange  feel- 
ing came  over  me,  and  I  slipped  out  and  started  for 
the  "Campbellite  Mission."  For  several  minutes  I 
walked  up  and  down  in  front  of  the  little  church, 
trying  to  summon  enough  courage  to  enter,  and  as 
last  I  took  the  plunge,  hoping  none  of  the  boys 
would  see  me.  In  the  long  history  of  our  Brother- 
hood no  green,  homesick,  country  boy  was  ever  re- 
ceived more  kindly.  Soon  as  Sunday  School  was 
over  the  members  greeted  me  warmly,  inviting  me 
to  join  the  choir,  the  Christian  Endeavor,  and  they 
opened  their  homes  to  me.  In  a  word,  a  lonely  boy 
of  sixteen  received  the  hospitality  of  a  great  Dis- 
ciple tradition.  The  next  year  I  made  a  confession 
of  my  faith ;  and,  due  to  the  fact  that  the  little  mis- 
sion had  no  pool,  I  was  immersed  in  a  Baptist 
church.  Ever  since  that  first  Sunday  morning  in 
Bedford,  the  word  "Campbellite"  has  had  a  strange 
fascination,  and  the  great  kindness  of  those  charm- 
ing Virginia  Disciples  has  given  warmth  to  my 
preaching  through  the  years.  They  helped  me  to 
look  up  and  see  the  stars. 

After  leaving  Bedford,  the  next  five  years  were 


174 THE  SCROLL 

spent  in  the  Atlantic  Christian  College,  Wilson, 
N.C.  The  very  struggle  to  survive  caused  this  little 
college  to  have  a  Disciple  loyalty  which  burned  at 
a  white  heat.  The  Bible  was  a  regular  text  book, 
and,  although  the  equipment  was  most  meagre,  the 
teachers  were  true  to  the  prophetic  spirit.  It  was  in 
this  college  that  I  decided  to  enter  the  ministry, 
and  my  debt  to  those  Godly  teachers  will  never  be 
repaid.  For  many  years  this  school,  poorly  en- 
dowed, has  sent  a  steady  stream  of  ministers  and 
missionaries  into  our  Brotherhood.  Through  the 
coming  decades  may  this  small  college  continue  to 
carry  in  its  heart,  the  gift  of  the  morning  star. 

The  next  five  years  were  spent  in  old  Transyl- 
vania and  The  College  of  the  Bible,  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky. In  both  of  these  institutions  Disciple  history 
is  in  the  very  air  you  breathe,  and  few  colleges  have 
a  greater  academic  freedom,  and  at  the  same  time 
a  nobler  loyalty  to  a  fine  tradition  of  Christian  char- 
acter. The  spirit  of  the  Cane  Ridge  Church,  the 
oldest  house  of  worship  in  our  Brotherhood,  and  of 
Barton  W.  Stone,  goes  marching  on.  Geographic- 
ally, and  historically,  the  two  Lexington  schools  are 
at  the  very  heart  of  Discipledom.  To  be  sure  my 
experiences  at  Union  Seminary  and  Columbia  Uni- 
versity were  highly  important,  but  my  years  in  the 
Blue  Grass  State  were  indispensable  to  my  ministry. 
Although  I  am  thoroughly  committed  to  Christian 
unity,  having  attended  both  the  Oxford  and  Edin- 
burgh Conferences,  yet,  so  long  as  we  have  the 
various  communions,  it  will  be  necessary  to  have 
the  denominational  schools.  In  this  new  World 
Council  of  Churches,  we  Disciples,  due  to  our  back- 
ground, are  in  a  splendid  position  to  assume  leader- 
ship. The  things  that  I  have  learned  from  my  early 
surroundings,  as  well  as  the  colleges  of  our  faith, 
have  been  of  great  value  to  my  preaching  in  this 
modern  world. 


THE  SCROLL 175 

In  closing-  I  should  like  to  use  a  poem  from  the 
pen  of  my  favorite  poet,  Edwin  Markham,  who  was 
baptized  in  the  "Campbellite"  faith,  and  whose 
singing  of  the  "social  gospel"  is  in  keeping  with  the 
very  highest  traditions  of  our  great  Brotherhood. 
While  in  his  home,  a  few  years  ago,  I  heard  him 
relate  the  stirring-  story  of  his  conversion  and  bap- 
tism in  our  faith;  also  the  birth  of  his  greatest 
poem,  "The  Man  With  The  Hoe,"  called  "the  su- 
preme poem  of  the  century,"  also  "the  battle-cry  of 
the  next  thousand  years."  The  following  Poem  is 
found  in  his  "Eighty  Songs  At  80" — think  of  it,  still 
singing  at  eighty! — and  is  called  "The  Nail-Torn 
God" : 

"Here  in  life's  chaos  make  no  foolish  boast 

That  there  is  any  God  omnipotent. 

Seated  serenely  in  the  firmament, 
And  looking  down  on  men  as  on  a  host 
Of  grasshoppers  blown  on  a  windy  coast, 

Damned  by  disasters,  maimed  by  mortal  ill, 

Yet  who  could  end  it  by  one  blast  of  Will. 
This  God  is  a  man-created  ghost. 

But  there  is  a  God  who  struggles  with  the  All, 
And  sounds  across  the  worlds  his  danger-call. 

He  is  the  builder  of  roads,  the  breaker  of  bars, 
The  One  forever  hurling  back  the  Curse — 

The  nail-torn  Christus  pressing  toward  the  stars. 
The  Hero  of  the  battling  universe." 


F.  W.  Simer:  Probably  the  most  distinctive  ele- 
ment in  my  Disciple  training  lies  in  an  interpreta- 
tion of  religion  which  provides  the  freedom  to  seek 
first  the  Kingdom  of  God  as  a  way  of  life,  rather 
than  the  compulsion  to  seek  first  the  good  of  the 
Denomination  and  its  way  of  belief. 


176 THE  SCROLL 

My  Disciple  Inheritance 

W.  E.  Moore,  Bloomington,  Indiana 

My  parents  were  Methodists — they  were  born 
and  reared  just  a  few  miles  from  "Old  Salem  Camp- 
ground," 30  miles  from  Atlanta,  Ga.  To  this  Camp- 
ground they  went  with  their  parents  every  year  and 
spent  several  weeks  in  the  religious  fervor  of 
preachers,  presiding  elders  and  Bishops  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  "But  when  they  saw  the  light,*' 
so  my  father  often  told  us  children  "they  became 
Campbellites !"  My  father  and  mother  with  their 
two  children  (my  mother  being  great  with  another 
child)  rode  12  miles  in  a  two-horse  wagon  to  hear 
a  Christian  Church  preacher  preach,  and  after  hear- 
ing this  first  "gospel  sermon"  ever  preached  they 
"obeyed  the  gospel"  by  being  immersed  in  a  near-by 
stream.  Therefrom,  my  father  became  a  prolific 
reader  of  the  Bible  and  used  his  natural  talents  over 
the  years  as  a  lay-preacher  and  teacher  arguing  with 
the  "sects" — the  "sects"  being  those  of  any  religious 
group  not  holding  to  his  ideas  and  interpretations  of 
the  Scriptures.  There  were  8  children  in  our  family, 
3  boys  and  5  girls ;  the  3  boys  were  named  for  Chris- 
tian preachers  rather  than  the  apostles,  for  in  the 
mind  of  my  parents  it  was  far  more  important  to 
be  a  "defender  of  the  faith"  of  the  late  centuries, 
than  to  be  grouped  with  the  early  12!  I  was  named 
Errett,  because  I  was  born  about  the  time  Isaac 
Errett  died — my  parents  did  not  know,  however, 
that  Isaac  Errett  was  a  liberal  Disciple! 

When  I  was  11  years  old  I  made  the  Good  Con- 
fession and  was  baptized  in  the  old  Hunter  St. 
Church,  which  is  now  the  First  Christian  Church, 
Atlanta.  When  I  decided  for  the  ministry  as  a  lad 
of  16,  my  mother  wanted  me  to  go  to  the  Nash- 
ville Bible  College  and  be  nurtured  upon  the  wis- 
dom of  David  Lipscomb  but  my  father  being  more 
ambitious  for  his  son  insisted  that  I  should  go  to 


THE  SCROLL 177 

Lexington,  Ky.,  and  sit  at  the  feet  of  J.  W.  Mc- 
Garvey.  It  is  well  that  1  went  when  I  did  for  that 
winter  Prof.  McGarvey  died! 

Most  of  my  Seminary  work  was  under  the  con- 
servative scholars  of  the  Presbyterian  Theological 
Seminary  of  Kentucky.  The  one  big  reason  why  I 
went  to  a  Presbyterian  Seminary  was  on  account 
of  my  sweetheart  living  in  Louisville!  But  I  shall 
always  be  grateful  to  those  men  of  wisdom  for  their 
kindness  in  spirit  and  thoroughness  in  scholarship. 
There  were  two  of  us  in  the  Seminary  who  were  not 
Presbyterians  and  frequently  were  called  upon  to 
tell  the  other  boys  who  the  Campbellites  were  and 
why !  This  I  did  with  a  great  deal  of  personal  satis- 
faction. This  background  seems  to  be  rather  per- 
sonal, almost  autobiographical,  but  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  me  to  state  in  "what  way  and  to  what 
extent  my  preaching  is  influenced  by  my  Disciple 
Inheritance"  unless  I  gave  a  resume  of  that  in- 
heritance. 

My  early  information  about  the  Disciples,  as  one 
feadily  observes,  was  conservative,  as  well  as  was 
my  training  in  the  Seminary.  In  the  early  days  of 
my  ministry  I  firmly  believed  that  we  were  the  or- 
iginal church,  the  only  out-and-out  Christian 
church,  but  not  a  denomination.  I  was  quite  posi- 
tive that  our  religious  communion  had  come  on  the 
scene  "at  such  a  time  as  this"  to  do  two  things — ■ 
first,  to  unite  the  divided  church  by  calling  all  re- 
ligious people  to  return  to  the  exact  replica  of  the 
New  Testament  Church  which  was  ours — secondly, 
to  call  sinners  to  repentance  and  baptism  in  the 
Scriptural  way.  With  enthusiasm,  certainty  and 
courage  I  preached  the  "ancient  gospel"  of  our 
fathers. 

During  my  late  twenties,  however,  I  passed 
through  a  period  of  transition — not  a  sudden, 
abrupt  change  but  an  orderly,  slow  and  quiet, 
change.    The  change  came  over  a  period  of  years, 


178 THE  SCROLL 

not  by  listening  to  liberal  professors  and  convers- 
ing with  radical  leaders.  Indeed,  I  do  not  know 
just  when  and  how  the  change  came,  but  this  much 
I  am  sure  of — I  arrive  at  new  positions  and  cher- 
ished fresh  attitudes  of  my  very  own.  I  observed 
that  I  had  changed  in  my  preaching;  that  I  no 
longer  believed  in  things  as  I  once  did.  I  was  not 
particularly  alarmed  about  it  for  I  felt  that  what- 
ever had  happened  that  it  was  a  normal  experience 
growing  out  of  common  sense,  reason  and  sincerity. 
My  circle  of  faith  had  so  enlarged  as  to  include 
knowledge  of  the  Bible,  appreciation  of  religion  and 
attitudes  toward  life  that  had  not  been  a  part  of 
my  religious  experience  up  to  that  time.  My  circle 
was  all-inclusive  and  ever-widening,  in  which  I 
found  ample  room  for  the  religious  loyalty  of  my 
parents,  the  conservative  faith  of  my  Seminary 
days  and  the  faith  of  my  earlier-preaching  days. 
But  in  addition  to  all  of  these,  there  was  room  for 
Christians  of  other  groups  and  even  room  for  Chris- 
tians of  the  whole  church  of  God!  This  was  a 
glorious  awakening  for  me.  I  was  not  taught  it, 
I  did  not  receive  it  from  a  man — it  came  to  me 
through  a  revelation  of  continuous  personal  search- 
ing. I  knew  that  I  had  been  emancipated  from  a 
mechanical,  dogmatic  and  exclusive  religion.  For 
more  than  15  years  now  I  have  been  living  and 
rejoicing  in  this  atmosphere  of  religious  freedom 
and  have  tried  as  a  preacher  to  interpret  to  others 
what  being  a  Christian  really  means.  In  my  preach- 
ing I  am  convinced  that  my  Disciple  inheritance  has 
greatly  influenced  me.  I  can  appreciate  the  liberal 
principles  of  Alexander  Campbell  more  because  of 
my  conservative  parental  background. 

There  are  two  things  of  which  I  constantly  re- 
mind myself  as  I  try  to  preach  in  this  modern  day — 
lessons  coming  to  me  from  my  parents  and  other 
leaders  of  our  church — 


THE  SCROLL 179 

First — their  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  and  their  loy- 
alty to  the  plea  of  the  Disciples.  Disregarding  the 
cocksureness,  dogmatism  and  sectarianism  quite 
prevalent  in  their  contentions — I  do  admire  their 
faith  and  loyalty  to  the  Cause  they  espoused.  They 
believed  that  Jesus  Christ  was  the  Saviour  of  the 
world  and  by  accepting  him  and  being  baptized  one 
was  to  be  saved  for  heaven.  They  were  loyal  to 
the  "plea"  of  the  Disciples  as  they  knew  and  inter- 
preted that  plea.  My  loyalty  to  truth,  my  apprecia- 
tion of  freedom,  my  appraisal  of  personal  liberty, 
my  conception  of  Christian  unity,  my  interpretation 
of  the  Word  of  God — principles  that  were  constant- 
ly emphasized  by  our  fathers — may  mean  more  or 
less  to  me  than  they  meant  to  my  parents  and  others 
of  the  past,  but  if  I  can  reveal  the  degree  of  faith 
in  and  loyalty  to  these  truths  as  I  see  them  today, 
as  they  revealed  to  me  the  truths  of  their  day,  I 
shall,  indeed,  be  a  worthy  son  in  the  faith!  Second 
— another  lesson  coming  to  me  from  my  past  that 
I  must  constantly  remind  myself  of  and  which  must 
accompany  my  preaching,  is  the  zeal  and  enthusi- 
asm of  my  parents  and  fathers.  They  were  people 
of  tremendous  convictions  and  very  zealous  in  de- 
claring such  convictions.  They  were  convinced  and 
so  preached  that  to  not  "obey  the  gospel"  was  to 
be  eternally  lost,  and  to  "obey  the  gospel"  was  to 
be  saved  eternally.  There  were  no  "ifs  and  ands" 
about  it,  you  were  either  in  the  boat  of  safety  or 
out  in  the  dangerous  waters.  Of  course,  this  was 
characteristic  of  most  religionists  of  50  to  75  years 
ago.  "Life  and  death"  issues  were  preached  and 
held  to  with  enthusiasm.  Laymen  and  preachers 
were  "flaming  evangels"  for  the  Cause — the  more 
trying  the  situation  was,  the  more  determined  were 
they  to  establish  their  Cause. 

Preachers  of  our  day  are  liable  to  lose  their  fire 
in  preaching.  Indeed,  after  hearing  and  reading 
many  sermons  every  year,  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
that  many  of  my  preacher  brothers  have  already 


180 THE  SCROLL 

lost  the  fire  and  that  preaching  is  no  longer  a  burn- 
ing passion  with  them.  Our  time  is  so  divided  in 
doing  the  many  things  that  we  are  tempted  to  omit 
the  one  thing,  and  even  what  we  do,  to  not  do  it 
with  power  and  enthusiasm.  We  might  well  wish 
that  the  mantle  of  some  Elijah  might  enfold  us  with 
fresh  courage!  I  know  that  I  can  no  longer  preach 
"hell  fire  or  salvation"  as  I  once  did — but  I  can 
preach  the  glorious  gospel  of  love,  trust,  confidence, 
service,  goodwill,  brotherhood,  justice,  peace  with 
equal  enthusiasm  as  of  days  past.  I  have  been  re- 
minding myself  recently  of  this  burning  zeal  that 
my  fathers  possessed  and  have  tried  to  be  loyal 
to  them  by  zealously  and  intelligently  preaching 
Christian  truth  that  I  feel  must  be  applied  to  my 
day.  In  this  way  I  am  serving  my  fathers  and  the 
spirit  of  my  fathers  is  doing  its  work. 

Why  can  we  be  enthusiastic  about  salvation? 
Does  not  the  world  need  to  be  saved?  What  do  men 
and  women  know  about  the  Bible?  Even  a  Uni- 
versity professor  I  know  was  surprised  to  hear  that 
there  was  such  a  thing  as  a  Goodspeed  translation ! 
What  hinders  the  liberal  preacher  from  interpreting 
the  old  themes  of  religion  with  courage  and  pas- 
sion? Is  it  not  possible  for  us  to  get  "het  up"  over 
our  message  of  life  as  it  was  for  our  fathers?  The 
series  of  sermons  I  am  to  preach  in  the  Spring  are 
to  be  on  the  great  themes  and  doctrine  of  the  Bible 
and  religion  and  will  run  something  like  this,  "What 
is  Christianity?",  "The  Origin  and  Development  of 
the  Church,"  "The  Good  Confession,"  "Christian 
Baptism,"  "The  Lord's  Supper,"  "Salvation."  You 
may  think  I  have  gone  to  the  "right,"  (or  is  it  the 
left!).  At  any  rate,  I  am  going  to  put  as  much  de- 
votion, intelligence  and  enthusiasm  into  this  series 
of  sermons  as  possible,  as  much  as  the  preachers 
of  the  past  put  into  their  "Four  Steps  into  the  King- 
dom,"— and  by  so  doing  I  shall  prove  my  apprecia- 
tion for  my  Disciple  Inheritance. 


THE  SCROLL 181 

Rethinking  Baptism 

William  Mullendore,  Franklin,  Indiana 

Perhaps  in  nothing  were  the  Disciples  more  in- 
sistent than  on  the  restoration  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment mode  of  Baptism.  Baptism  in  some  form  has 
been  insisted  upon  by  Catholics  and  Protestants, 
the  Friends  excepted,  as  a  necessary  pre-requisite  to 
membership  in  a  Christian  church. 

The  Disciples  movement  grew  out  of  a  passion 
for  the  union  of  divided  Protestantism.  Disciples 
believed  that  the  New  Testament  furnished  a  divine 
blueprint  for  the  church  of  Christ,  and  that  when 
this  was  discovered,  and  pointed  out,  all  true  Chris- 
tians would  gladly  unite  on  it.  True  it  is,  that  there 
were  details  of  this  blue-print  that  Disciples  were 
never  quite  sure  of,  but  there  was  no  doubt,  in  their 
minds,  that  they  had  discovered  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism in  this  New  Testament  pattern.  So  sure  were 
they  in  this  that  they  called  upon  the  scholarship  of 
the  world  for  its  findings  on  that  question  with  the 
tacit  understanding  that  the  Disciples  would  abide 
by  the  results.  When  scholarship  spoke  it  was  all 
but  unanimous  that  the  mode  of  baptism  in  the 
New  Testament  Church  was  immersion.  It  has 
been  to  many  Disciples  a  surprise  and  a  disappoint- 
ment that  these  good  Christian  scholars  who  con- 
ceded that  the  New  Testament  baptism  was  by  im- 
mersion, still  resolutely  refused  to  be  immersed. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  many  Disciples 
who  do  agree  in  theory  at  least,  that  immersion 
is  not  the  only  Christian  baptism,  though  it  is  the 
only  New  Testament  form  of  Baptism.  There  are 
quite  a  number  of  Disciples  churches  that  receive, 
without  immersion.  Christians  from  non-immersion 
bodies-  Disciples  have  ceased  to  be  vocal  on  immer- 
sion. I  have  not  heard  a  sermon  in  twenty-five 
years,  either  in  defense  of  immersion,  or  in  con- 


182 THE  SCROLL 

demnation  of  any  other  mode.  It  seems  to  me  that 
all  bodies,  including  Disciples  are  moving  farther 
and  farther  from  the  old  Disciple  position,  "immer- 
sion is  essential,  to  Christian  baptism." 

So  the  Baptism  question  is  yet  with  us  and  re- 
mains one  of  the  most  stubborn  silent  obstacles, 
jeopardizing  any  hope  of  union  with  any  other 
non-immersionist  body.  It  is  these  facts  that  de- 
mand from  Disciples  a  restudy  of  baptism  if  we 
hope  to  be  an  important  factor  in  the  union  of  di- 
vided Protestantism. 

But  why  have  Disciples  clung  so  tenaciously  to 
immersion?  There  are  at  least  two  reasons.  First 
is  their  belief  that  the  New  Testament  Church  re- 
stored furnishes  the  only  basis  upon  which  Chris- 
tians can  unite.  To  change  the  form  of  so  import- 
ant an  institution  as  baptism  would  jeopardize  the 
whole  restoration  idea.  Second,  with  Disciples, 
Christ  is  the  all  authority ;  Christ  commanded  bap- 
tism and  made  it  one  of  the  steps  or  conditions  of 
salvation,  they  believe. 

At  the  San  Antonio  convention  in  1935,  Dean 
Kershner  of  Butler  University  made  one  of  his  most 
scholarly  and  interesting  addresses.  I  quote  him 
substantially,  "There  is  no  one  New  Testament 
church  that  could  be  called  a  pattern  for  our  pres- 
ent day  church.  The  New  Testament  churches  dif- 
fered materially  in  worship,  organization  and  in 
theology.  The  Jewish  Christian  churches  wor- 
shipped Jehovah  as  only  God.  The  Gentile  Christian 
churches  worshipped  Jesus  as  only  God.  Nicene  in- 
genuity solved  the  problem  making  Jesus  God  and 
Jehovah  God.  Yet  there  were  not  two  Gods  but 
one  God.  In  the  days  of  the  New  Testament  the 
trinitarian  speculation  was  unknown.  There  was 
however,  a  large  core  of  common  belief  and  be- 
havior which  marked  off  the  Disciples  from  their 
pagan  neighbors.  The  New  Testament  records  this 
common  core  and  the  fathers  of  our  movement  from 


THE  SCROLL 183 

Alexander  Campbell  on  down  to  the  present  day 
have  insisted  on  this  core  of  common  beliefs,"  the 
Dean  tells  us. 

But  have  v^e  insisted  upon  this  core?  Yes,  but 
not  quite  all  of  it.  The  early  return  of  Jesus,  a 
bodily  resurrection,  demon  possessions,  eternal  pun- 
ishment and  some  other  parts  of  that  common  core 
have  become  obsolete  with  many  Disciples  of  good 
standing. 

Again  the  Dean:  "The  early  Christians  univer- 
sally baptized  their  converts  because  Jesus  said, 
'Go  and  make  Disciples  of  all  nations  baptizing 
them'." 

That  the  early  Christians  did  baptize  their  con- 
verts we  think  is  correct.  That  they  baptized  them 
on  the  authority  of  Jesus  is  not  so  certain.  In  the 
second  paragraph  above  the  one  we  have  just  quoted, 
the  Dean  tells  us  "the  trinitarian  speculation  was 
unknown  in  the  days  of  the  New  Testament"  and 
yet  the  commission  which  the  Dean  quotes  is  Mat- 
thew's which  carries  the  trinitarian  formula,  and 
which  for  some  reason,  the  Dean  neglects  to  quote. 
Now  if  the  trinitarian  speculation  was  not  known 
in  the  New  Testam.ent  days  then  this  commission  in 
Matthew  can  not  be  genuine. 

Marcus  Dods  has  said  'The  trinitarian  formula 
sounds  strange  and  unexpected  in  the  mouth  of 
Jesus."  In  fact,  a  large  and  growing  body  of  rever- 
ent and  careful  scholars  conclude  that  Matthew's 
commission  does  not  give  us  the  exact  words  of 
Jesus.  There  are  many  reasons  for  this  other  than 
the  one  given  above,  though  there  would  seem  to  be 
no  other  reason  needed.  Among  these  reasons  are, 
it  is  not  in  the  consciousness  of  the  apostles,  the 
early  Christians  or  the  Apostolic  fathers. 

For  example,  Peter  seems  totally  oblivious  of  it. 
He  never  quotes  the  commission.  He  does  not  bap- 
tize in  the  name  of  the  trinity  but  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.   Peter  administered  baptism  not  on 


184 THE  SCROLL 

the  authority  of  a  command  but  on  a  logical  deduc- 
tion. The  apostles  and  brethren  at  Jerusalem  knew 
nothing  of  the  commission  for  they  called  Peter  to 
account  because  of  this  episode. 

Justin  Martyr  in  150  A.D.  knew  nothing  of  the 
commission  for  he  tells  us  Christians  in  his  day 
derived  their  authority  for  baptism  from  Isaiah, 
"Wash  ye  and  make  ye  clean."  Eusebus  quotes 
quite  frequently  from  the  commission  but  never 
with  the  words  baptizing  them  until  about  the  year 
300  A.D.  in  his  later  writings.  We  are  justified  then 
in  believing  that  the  commission  as  we  now  have  it 
came  into  Matthew's  gospel  about  the  year  300  A.D. 

But  are  there  sound  reasons  for  suspecting  this 
particular  gloss,  carrying  a  command  by  Jesus  to 
baptize,  and  the  trinitarian  formula?  I  think  there 
are.  There  are  two  dogmas  that  sprang  up  in  the 
first  and  second  centuries  that  needed  support  of 
the  highest  authority.  One  the  dogma  of  baptismal 
regeneration,  the  other  the  dogma  of  the  trinity 
and  Matthew's  commission,  as  it  now  stands,  sup- 
ports both.  When  dogma  needs  scripture,  it  does 
not  hesitate  to  make  it. 

I  need  not  tell  readers  of  the  Scroll  that  the  com- 
mission in  Mark  is  certainly  spurious.  There  are  a 
number  of  other  commissions  sending  the  Disciples 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth  but  in  none  of  them  does 
the  word  ''baptize"  occur.  If  we  are  correct  in  the 
above  observation,  then  the  whole  New  Testament 
does  not  record  one  word  of  Jesus  on  Christian  bap- 
tism. 

But  this  is  not  to  say  that  baptism  has  no  place 
in  the  church  or  that  it  is  not  of  importance.  It  is 
only  to  say  its  importance  does  not  rest  on  a  com- 
mand of  Jesus,  but  on  its  intrinsic  worth  to  religion. 


THE  SCROLL 185 

Surveying  the  Disciples 

E.  S.  Ames,  Chicago 

Organization.  The  Disciples  are  the  most  ex- 
treme of  all  large  religious  bodies  in  the  independ- 
ence of  local  congregations.  Most  of  them  think 
they  have  New  Testament  precedent  for  elders  and 
deacons  to  care  for  spiritual  concerns,  and  charities, 
respectively.  They  also  have  evangelists,  pastors 
and  teachers,  but  "bishops"  they  scarcely  recognize. 
"Official  Boards'"  are  innovations,  and  many  or- 
ganizations, such  as  women's  societies,  endeavor 
societies,  men's  clubs,  Sunday  Schools,  and  Boy 
Scouts,  are  not  exactly  scriptural.  It  might  be  an 
advantage  to  admit  that  local  churches  tend  to  take 
on  forms  and  arrangements  that  reflect  the  social 
procedure  of  the  people  among  whom  the  churches 
exist,  and  those  which  are  found  to  be  most  efficient 
in  a  democratic  society.  Perhaps  there  would  be 
more  flexibility,  and  less  exaggeration  of  churchly 
offices,  if  the  congregation  simply  elected  a  chair- 
man or  president,  clerk  or  secretary,  treasurer, 
trustees,  and  committees  for  special  functions.  Par- 
ticular interests  like  the  library,  music,  education, 
dramatics,  business  manager,  custodian,  advertis- 
ing, need  attention  in  churches  today,  and  the 
sensible  way  is  to  manage  them  as  best  we  can.  New 
functions  are  continually  developing  and  should  be 
carried  on  as  common  sense  dictates. 

The  independence  of  local  churches  allows  for 
experimentation  which  is  an  important  means  of 
growth  and  efficiency.  The  frank  and  hearty  ac- 
ceptance of  this  principle  would  mean  liberation 
and  power  in  many  situations.  The  attempt  to 
find  scripture  texts  and  examples  for  all  things  may 
be  obstructive  and  defeating  as  is  shown  by  the 
history  of  the  "non-progressive"  Disciple  churches. 

Associations  of  local  congregations  have  been 
brought   about   mainly   by   the   missionary  spirit, 


186 THE  SCROLL 

though  in  recent  years  other  interests  have  called 
for  this  wider  cooperation.  Colleges,  benevolences, 
hospitals,  homes  for  children  and  the  aged,  pen- 
sions, journals,  gatherings  for  brotherhood  busi- 
ness, oratory  and  display,  require  concerted  effort 
and  machinery.  The  Disciples  are  justifiably  suspi- 
cious of  ecclesiastical  domination  over  the  indi- 
vidual and  the  local  congregation,  but  they  are 
working  every  decade  farther  in  the  direction  of 
delegate  conventions  and  of  secretarial  manage- 
ment. It  becomes  more  and  more  a  problem  how 
a  body  of  free,  independent  congregations,  can  gain 
the  maximum  advantage  from  inclusive  national 
boards  without  stiffening  into  inflexible  systems. 
This  is  the  conflict  everywhere  in  democratic  so- 
cieties which  cherish  the  ideal  of  the  greatest  pos- 
sible freedom  and  also  of  the  highest  efficiency. 
Just  now  a  beginning  is  under  way  to  establish 
standards  for  ordination  of  ministers.  These 
standards  are  now  conceived  largely  in  terms  of  the 
length  of  academic  training,  but  no  one  knows  how 
far  this  can  go  without  involving  caref ullness  about 
doctrine ! 

How  logical  is  it  for  Disciples  to  maintain  their 
own  organizations,  from  the  local  church  up  to  their 
international  conventions,  when  they  advocate 
union  so  much,  and  when  they  are  constantly  urged 
to  unite  with  other  denominations  locally  and 
nationally?  Are  the  Disciples  hindering  or  furth- 
ering union?  Or  are  they  glimpsing  a  conception 
of  union  that  is  of  the  spirit,  and  which  is  there- 
fore above  the  letter  of  formal  organization,  though 
able  to  use  more  or  less  machinery  so  long  as  it 
does  not  jeopardize  the  freedom  and  creativity  of 
the  spirit?  Maybe  there  is  more  union  today 
through  the  fraternal  cooperation  of  Christians  in 
spite  of  denominational  machinery  than  there  would 
be  if  there  were  only  one  externally  unified  Church 
in  all  the  world! 


THE  SCROLL 187 

Secretary-Treasurer's  Page 

A.  T.  DeGroot 

For  the  sake  of  the  brethren  in  the  lower  brackets 
of  the  C.  L  members  index  (middle  of  the  Ss  on) 
I  may  say  that  I  prepared  a  batch  of  postcards  read- 
ing as  follows: 

Fiscality  Bureau 

Alphabetical  mess  of  pottage:   "The  C-I  has 

D-U-N-S  for  C-A-S-H  owed.  Your  D-U-E-S  if 

P-A-I-D  will  S-A-V-E  the  day.     T-W-0  iron 

men    stand    between     Y-O-U    and    fiscality. 

H-E-L-P!" 

These  cards  I  sent  to  Fellows  delinquent  in  their 

dues — until  the  supply  of  cards  was  exhausted  in 

the  middle  of  the  Ss  (did  I  mention  that  before?). 

The  literary  possibilities  in  this  simple  device 

were  a  great  temptation  to  several  of  our  more 

creative  minds.    F.  W.  Burnham  sent  back  the  card 

with  the  "Fi"  in  its  heading  changed  to  an  "Ra" 

(but  he   sent  his   check :    all   is   forgiven) .    Billy 

Moore  of  Bloomington,  Ind.,  signed  his  "Deficitly 

Yours".  One  Texas  brother,  whom  we  will  allow  to 

remain  anonymous,  reported  his  personal  f-i-s-c-a-1- 

i-t-y  in  a  state  of  disrepair,  plus  other  hyphenated 

news.    B.  S.  M.  Edwards,  of  Kansas,  Illinois  (yes, 

that's  printed  correctly),  was  visibly  affected.    He 

wrote — 

Don't  think  that  I  haven't  enjoyed  it, 
But  money  has  been  rather  slim. 
I  had  thought  I'd  have  to  quit  you. 
And  then  I  thought  I'd  try  again. 
Politics,  repeal,  and  what  not 
On  my  Democrat  hide  have  raised  a  welt. 
But  now  I'm  feeling  fine  once  more; 
There's  a  chance  of  getting  rid  of  Roosevelt! 
Following  the  example  of  A.  Campbell,  we  will 
hold  our  columns  open  to  equal  quantities  of  New 
Deal  poetry. 


188 THE  SCROLL 

J.  Fred  Miller  of  Norman,  Okla.,  opined,  "I 
can't  get  along  without  the  Scroll,  but  I  can  try  to 
get  along  without  these  two  iron  men."  Believe  it 
or  not,  one  most  truthful  and  trustworthy  Ohio  gen- 
tleman (not  denying  that  there  may  be  more  than 
one)  reported  a  new  high  in  CI  appreciation — he 
borrowed  $2  to  pay  his  dues ! 

The  fact  that  we  offered  to  cancel  all  arrearages 
for  the  payment  of  current  dues  does  not  mean  that 
everyone  takes  advantage  of  us.  Wm.  A.  Ryan, 
Greenville,  S.  C,  wrote :  '*  Two  Iron  Men'  must 
have  been  typed  in  a  moment  of  holiday  generosity. 
I  am  sure  the  amount  is  more  than  that.  However, 
to  salve  my  conscience  and  save  your  fiscality,  if 
the  enclosed  check  ($5)  does  not  cover  all  arrear- 
ages please  notify  and  I  shall  send  additional  re- 
mittance— even  if  I  have  to  upset  the  fiscality  of 
the  local  banker  to  do  it." 

I  shudder  to  think  of  some  of  the  consequences 
of  the  offspring  of  what  I  laughingly  refer  to  as  my 
mind.  For  example,  Blaine  Hyten  of  Kansas  City, 
Mo.,  writes,  "Your  alphabetics  are  convincing. 
Really — an  idea — going  to  use  it  on  delinquent 
church  pledgors,"  S.  J.  Carter,  presently  at  St. 
Petersburg,  Fla.,  informs  us  that  "the  message  was 
easily  decoded,"  as  his  check  indicated.  Personal 
notes  were  received,  accompanying  checks,  from  F. 
A.  Henry,  Geauga  Lake,  Ohio,  A.  Campbell  Gar- 
nett,  Univ.  of  Wisconsin,  0.  J.  Grainger,  Lynch- 
burg College,  and  W.  Garnet  Alcorn,  Fulton  Mo. — 
the  latter  informing  us  that  "on  the  last  day  of  this 
year  (1938)  I  will  have  completed  twenty  years  of 
ministry  with  the  First  Church  in  Fulton."  John 
Ray  Ewers — who,  also  has  a  proud  record  of  years 
in  one  pastorate,  at  Pittsburgh — says. 

Here  are  your  so-called  "iron  men."  The  Scroll 
is  good.  I  like  the  personals  better  than  the 
ponderous  articles.  It'fe  a  bit  academic  for  the 
real  laborers  in  the  vineyard.     Some  of  the 


THE  SCROLL 189 

words  (not  ideas)  make  the  tiny  journal  bulge 

and  look  odd  and  misshapen.     But,  so  what? 
We  echo— So  What? 

C.  Duke  Payne,  Houston,  Texas,  has  some  search- 
ing comment  on  my  "Pessimistic  Reflections" 
(January  Scroll).  His  conclusion  is  —  "No,  there 
isn't  much  chance  of  the  Pension  Fund  paying  re- 
lief to  wives  of  men  in  concentration  camps.  In 
time  of  war  the  Disciple  mind  will  likely  flow  in 
the  American  groove." 

What  do  others  say? 


Question  and  Answers 

E.  S.  Ames :  What,  if  anything,  have  you  derived 
from  Disciple  inheritance  or  training  that  makes 
your  interpretation  of  Christianity  significantly  dif- 
ferent from  the  teaching  of  ministers  in  other  de- 
nominations ? 

Paul  E.  Becker:  To  my  mind  every  quality  of 
Disciple  inheritance  can  be  duplicated  in  some  one 
or  more  of  the  other  churches.  Our  uniqueness 
consists  in  the  combination  in  which  we  possess 
them.  I  feel  that  my  own  religion  represents  a 
fusion  of  sanity,  directness,  relevancy,  practicality, 
the  democratic  spirit  and  open-mindedness  that  it 
could  scarcely  have  received  from  any  other  inher- 
itance. 

F.  W.  Burnham:  A  young  University  Senior, 
whose  father  was  formerly  a  Catholic  and  his  moth- 
er a  Waldensian,  a  keen  student  of  sociology,  psy- 
chology and  philosophy,  recently  said  to  his  mother : 
"Gee!  Mother,  I'm  glad  I  belong  to  a  church  that 
doesn't  require  one  to  subscribe  to  a  lot  of  theolog- 
ical dogmas."  He's  in  our  church.  We  have  a  large 
college  class  of  youngsters  like  that. 

I  presume  that  boy  pretty  well  expressed  what 
I  derived  from  my  inheritance  and  my  Disciple 
training.     My   parents   were    Congregationalists, 


190 THE  SCROLL 

Father,  a  physician  was  scientifically  liberal.  The 
plea  of  the  Disciples  seemed  congenial  to  our  sense 
of  freedom.  Training  under  Deweese,  Radford, 
Hieronymus,  and  The  Divinity  School  confirmed 
that  sense  of  freedom. 

Floyd  Faust:  I  am  forever  grateful  to  my  Dis- 
ciple backgrounds  for: 

(1)  A  conception  of  salvation  that  makes  it  de- 
pendent upon  considerations  within  my  control,  and 
simple  enough  to  understand. 

(2)  A  feeling  of  liberty  and  freedom,  sufficient 
to  permit  me  to  go  where  the  dictates  of  my  consci- 
ence lead. 

(3)  A  religious  ground  cleared  of  the  numerous 
doctrinal  and  ceremonial  accumulations  that  so  en- 
cumber many  of  our  Protestant  brethren. 

M.  E.  Sadler:  I  attribute  to  my  Disciple  inher- 
itance and  training  a  wonderful  feeling  of  freedom 
in  my  interpretation  of  religion.  In  my  preaching 
I  never  feel  any  obligation  to  interpret  religion  in 
conformity  with  the  interpretation  of  any  individ- 
ual or  group  of  individuals  in  the  past.  Freedom 
from  ecclesiastical  or  traditional  restraints  is  to  me 
one  of  the  most  creative  inheritances  from  my  Dis- 
ciple background. 

Wm.  A.  Ryan:  Complete  emancipation  from  the 
authority  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  observance  of 
the  Lord's  Day  instead  of  the  Sabbath,  a  disregard 
for  historic,  theological  interpretations,  are  a  part 
of  my  inheritance  as  a  Disciple,  which  would  mark 
my  public  teaching  as  different  from  that  of  min- 
isters in  other  denominations, 

H.  C.  Armstrong :  My  Disciples'  inheritance  and 
background  are  purely  and  thoroughly  Campbellite. 
My  heritage  gave  me,  therefore,  a  sound  intellec- 
tual foundation  for  religion;  a  basis  in  reason,  in 
logic,  and  in  the  Gospel  for  an  intelligent,  enduring, 
and  progressive  faith ;  and  a  spirit  of  enquiry  and 
study,  critical  and  constructive,  which  leads  on  to 
truth, 


THE  SCROLL 191 

George  Hamilton  ComDs:  My  passion  for  "Our 
Plea"  for  the  reunion  of  all  Church??  bodies — Our 
Plea  rather  than  "Our  Jflan." 

V.  W.  Blair:  As  a  small  boy,  the  Disciple  inher- 
itance seemed  rich  and  full  in  two  ways — (1)  Rev- 
erence for  the  Book  and  (2)  Religious  Liberty,  i.e. 
absence  of  ecclesiasticism,  but  later  I  learned  that 
such  is  a  common  inheritance  and  that  some  fel- 
lowships have  achieved  as  much  or  more  than  the 
Disciples.  If  there  is  anything  both  "vital  and  dis- 
tinctive" in  Disciple  teaching  and  practice  —  it 
missed  me.  The  history  of  religion  is  a  much  big- 
ger subject  than  most  Christians  (even  Disciples) 
realize. 

F.  H.  Groom :  The  fathers  of  our  movement  were 
the  Modernists  af  their  day  and  their  opposition  to 
the  doctrine  of  a  "level  Bible"  has  been  a  real  con- 
tribtuion  to  my  thinking. 

This  does  not  mean  that  they  were  alone  in  that 
interpretation,  but  their  clear  distinctions  regard- 
ing the  purpose  of  the  books  always  helped  me 
greatly. 

Milo  J.  Smith:  Being  a  member  of  the  Disciples 
and  having  no  ecclesiastical  body  to  place  me  in 
positions  has  contributed  to  the  development  of 
initiative.  And  having  no  authoritative  body  of 
truth  handed  to  me  that  I  was  expected  to  sub- 
scribe to  has  caused  me  to  make  a  greater  search 
for  my  message  to  present  to  the  public.  After 
forty  years  I  still  rejoice  in  this  liberty  somewhat 
unique  to  the  Disciples. 

Monroe  G.  Schuster:  My  Disciple  inheritance 
and  training  have  provided  release  from  the  strang- 
ulating bonds  of  man-made  creeds  and  theology,  to 
pursue  with  the  "Spirit  of  Truth,"  whithersoever 
he  leads,  after  the  enlightenment  and  redemption 
of  humanity.  Release  from  past  imposed  dogmatic 
vi^ws  of  Holy  Writ  to  an  ever-increasing  apprecia- 


192 THE  SCROLL 

tion  of  this  ancient  Book  through  the  method  of 
empiricism. 

To  me  Christianity  is  the  spirit  of  adventure,  dis- 
covery, progress,  illumination;  a  spur  to  new  fields 
of  exploration  that  may  give  up  benefits  for  every 
phase  of  life.  This  attitude  Discipleism  has  en- 
couraged. 

Neil  Crawford:  It  has  been  enough  for  me  to 
preach  and  to  hear  preached  a  message  that  was 
significant.  I  have  never  found  that  our  interpreta- 
tion is  fundamentally  different.  Or  put  it  this  way: 
there  are  more  differences  among  ourselves  than 
between  us  as  a  group  and  other  groups. 

J.  H.  Goldner:  Replying  to  your  question  of  De- 
cember 29,  1938 :  I  came  to  the  Disciples  from  the 
German  Lutheran  Church.  Freedom  from  creedal 
and  traditional  restraints  in  my  thinking  and  my 
methods  of  work  as  a  minister ;  and  a  wholesome 
evangelistic  fervor,  are  some  of  the  most  conspicu- 
ous contributions  for  which  I  am  indebted  to  the 
Disciples. 

R.  H.  Crossfield:  To  me,  the  significant  value  of 
the  Disciples  is  the  conviction  that  those  who  ac- 
cept the  historic  Jesus  of  Nazareth  as  the  supreme 
disclosure  of  God,  are  Christians,  and  that  when 
such  persons  form  a  society  for  mutual,  spiritual 
development,  and  for  winning  others  to  a  like  faith 
and  life,  a  church  of  Christ  is  constituted. 

F.  L.  Jewett:  My  Disciple  membership  has  given 
me  complete  freedom  in  making  Jesus  completely 
central  in  my  own  living  and  teaching  in  a  great 
state  university.  I  haven't  even  thought  it  neces- 
sary to  know  what  my  fellow  ministers  in  other 
religious  bodies  believe  or  teach.  My  contacts  are 
altogether  with  university  students  and  professors 
in  the  atmosphere  of  freedom  and  truth  seeking. 
They  seem  to  be  completely  satisfied  in  knowing 
the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus. 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVI  MARCH,  1939  No.  7 

More  Answers 

What,  if  anything,  have  you  derived  from  Disciple 
inheritance  or  training  that  makes  your  interpreta- 
tion of  Christianity  significantly  different  from  the 
teaching  of  ministers  in  other  denominations? 

H.  B.  Robison,  Canton,  Mo. :  My  home  church  is 
Antioch,  the  mother  Christian  church  of  the  state  of 
Georgia.  It  started  in  1804  as  a  Community  church, 
partly  O'Kellyite.  By  1822  it  became  a  Christian 
church;  and  it  celebrated  its  centennial  in  1922; 
and  today  ft  is  a  large  country  church. 

My  heritage  contained :  a  deep  reverence  for  the 
Bible,  with  New  Testament  clearly  separated  from 
the  Old;  rejection  of  creeds  and  ceremonies,  with 
emphasis  upon  the  New  Testament  Scriptures;  an 
assumed  universal  message  of  how  to  be  saved, 
with  severe  condemnation  of  any  who  departed 
therefrom;  an  ethical  sense  of  growing  salvation 
from  within,  with  a  contradictory  allegiance  to  the 
legalism  of  granting  it  from  without.  Comment: 
convictions  were  valuable,  but  not  yet  thought 
through,  sufRicient  knowledge  not  available;  con- 
tradictions not  felt  or,  if  dimly  so,  not  removed ;  on 
these  bases  members  of  other  churches  were  con- 
verted to  the  Christian  church. 

S.  Vernon  McCasland:  Your  question  is  a  hard 
one  to  answer.  It  is  about  like  asking  how  being 
a  McCasland  has  made  me  different  from  others, 
for  I  was  born  into  both.  Of  course,  I  have  in- 
herited from  both.  The  Disciples  gave  me  a  hos- 
tility toward  theology,  ritual,  and  denominational 
organization,  which  I  now  consider  a  definite  handi- 
cap and  am  attempting  to  overcome.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  Disciples  gave  me  as  a  heritage  the  belief 
that  human  reason  has  a  very  important  and  neces- 
sary part  in  learning  the  will  of  God.  This  implicit 


194 THE  SCROLL 

rationalism  of  the  Disciples  is  probably  to  be  re- 
garded as  their  greatest  virtue,  especially  if  one 
goes  ahead  and  makes  it  explicit  and  basic,  as  I 
now  attempt  to  do-  Also  the  emphasis  of  the  Dis- 
ciples on  the  Bible  gave  me  a  knov^^ledge  of  that 
book  that  has  been  of  great  value  in  all  my  study 
of  religion. 

W.  H,  Erskine,  Uhrichville,  0. :  Disciples  have  the 
edge  on  other  denominational  preachers.  Their 
creed,  the  Petrine  Confession,  is  truly  Apostolic,  for 
the  so-called  Apostle's  Creed  can  not  be  traced 
farther  back  than  500,  whereas  the  sign  of  the  fish, 
in  Greek,  I-ch-th-u-s,  was  the  password  in  the  days 
of  the  Neroian  Persecutions.  On  the  Mission  field 
it  was  a  great  treat  to  stand  for  this  statement  as 
the  only  statement  that  would  unite  all  workers.  It 
is  gaining  ground  every  day  in  every  way,  for  the 
new  union  between  the  Presbyterians  and  the  Epis- 
copalians as  published  in  the  Century  a  few  weeks 
ago  is  the  present  day  statement  of  that  truth.  Cen- 
trality  of  Christ  and  simplicity  of  belief  in  a  per- 
sonal God  and  Saviour. 

We  Disciples  have  the  edge  on  others  in  the  use 
made  of  the  two  ordinances  of  the  church,  baptism 
and  Communion,  a  means  of  grace,  the  consecration 
of  a  crisis  through  symbolic  ordinances. 

The  Bible  as  a  book  of  God's  revelation  according 
to  the  age  and  the  dispensation,  allowing  for  growth 
in  our  generation. 

The  Democratic  government  in  the  ministry  and 
the  local  church;  on  the  mission  field  that  allowed 
us  to  work  for  an  indigenous  church,  the  Tennoji 
Church,  Osaka,  where  I  worked  was  the  first  in 
Japan  among  our  people,  self-supporting,  self-gov- 
erning, self-respecting  and  self-propagating  even 
while  under  the  guidance  of  the  missionary. 

The  two  great  movements  for  the  cooperative 
Christian  task  around  the  world  are  the  Disciples 
and  the  Foreign  Mission  enterprise, 


THE  SCROLL 195 

Harry  J.  Berry,  Asheville,  N,  C. :  (1)  Reared  in 
a  Disciple  home  in  the  midst  of  a  community  which 
was  Disciple  conscious.  The  thinking  of  our  people 
was  not  at  all  strange  to  the  community  in  which  I 
was  born  and  reared. 

(2)  A  sense  of  mission  in  presenting  a  united 
Christian  front  to  the  world.  This  has  been  a  con- 
viction with  me  since  early  college  days. 

(3)  A  sense  of  liberty  and  freedom  under 
"grace"  if  you  will,  and  not  under  law.  I  used 
"grace"  here  as  individual  responsibility  as  over 
against  ecclesiastical  authority. 

(4)  The  reasonableness  of  faith. 

(5)  Ability  to  differ  and  still  love.  It  is  a  source 
of  great  joy  that  my  Disciple  training  has  made  it 
possible  to  love,  appreciate  and  work  with  those 
who  are  radically  opposed  to  my  positions. 

(6)  Freedom  to  preach  the  truth  without  ecclesi- 
astical hindrance  or  dictatorship.  This  has  been 
one  of  the  great  joys  of  my  life. 

These  may  not  be  so  different  from  ministers  of 
other  groups,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  they  are  a  dis- 
tinct contribution  to  my  own  life  from  Disciple  in- 
heritance and  training. 

C.  E.  Lemmon,  Columbia,  Mo. :  Stephen  Leacock 
said  that  Mark  Twain  had  the  ability  to  see  the 
world  with  "innocent  eyes,"  by  which  he  meant 
freshness  and  objectivity  of  view.  Mark  Twain  was 
able  to  see  the  reality  beneath  the  crust  of  tradi- 
tion and  conventionality.  I  believe  that  one  unique 
contribution  of  my  disciple  inheritance  has  been  an 
ability  to  view  the  creedal,  denominational,  ecclesi- 
astical order  with  "innocent  eyes"  and  appreciate 
the  realities  without  an  undue  adulation  for  the 
paraphrenalia  of  religion. 

C.  J.  Armstrong,  Hannibal,  Mo. :  I  believe  my 
greatest  debt  to  my  Disciple  inheritance  and  train- 
ing is  the  ease  with  which  I  have  been  enabled  to 
accept  new  light  (without '  destroying  fundamental 


196 THE  SCROLL 

faith)  very  much  as  one  scene  disolves  into  another 
in  a  moving  picture.  That  is,  transition  has  been 
possible  because  of  Disciple  emphasis  upon  indi- 
vidual liberty  and  cooperative  unity  in  a  changing 
theological  and  social  age.  This  has  greatly  influ- 
enced my  preaching.  This,  I  believe,  is  a  unique 
contribution  of  Discipledom  in  a  time  when  narrow 
nationalism  and  revived  denominationalism  (in  local 
communities  in  spite  of  Oxford,  Cambridge,  Utrecht 
and  Madras)   are  marching  together. 

Osborne  Booth,  Bethany,  W.  Va. :  I  believe  the 
most  important  elements  of  the  Disciple  tradition 
as  regards  my  interpretation  of  Christianity  are : 

1.  The  desire  for  unity  of  Christians,  and 

2.  The  spirit  of  liberalism  among  the  very  early 
leaders  of  the  movement. 

May  I  add  that  I  am  more  influenced  by  the  ideals 
of  the  Disciple  Brotherhood  than  by  the  general  in- 
terpretation of  these  ideals. 

A.  C.  Brooks,  Frankfort,  Ky. :  One  of  the  dis- 
tinctive features  about  Disciple  training  is  its  free- 
dom and  its  democracy.  There  is  no  iron-clad  con- 
formity imposed  upon  its  ministers  as  we  find  in  a 
great  many  other  groups.  Each  leader  is  left  to 
work  out  practices  and  theological  beliefs  without 
regard  to  a  bishop  or  ecclesiastical  discipline.  An- 
other feature  in  Disciple  training  is  its  emphasis 
upon  the  spirit  of  unity.  While  organic  unity  will 
never  be  realized,  perhaps,  and  federated  unity  will 
never  produce  universal  Christian  fellowship,  per- 
haps, yet  we  know  there  is  a  growing  spirit  of  unity 
which  the  Disciples  have  no  doubt  encouraged  to 
some  extent.  Disciple  training  is  distinctive  in  that 
it  encourages  the  scientific  method  and  is  in  a  posi- 
tion to  increasingly  become  the  laboratory  of  re- 
ligious experimentation. 

C.  J.  Robertson,  Macomb,  111. :  What  I  prize  most 
from  our  Disciple  heritage  is  the  freedom  of  study, 
research  and  practice,  without  having  to  compel  our 


THE  SCROLL 197 

findings  to  support  ancient  patterns  of  thought.  The 
pathfinding  or  pioneering  genius  of  our  movement 
has  appealed  to  me  and  has  undoubtedly  made  large 
contribution  to  the  cause  of  practical  Christianity. 
Let  us  continue  to  keep  our  feet  on  the  ground 
and  push  our  way  through  the  maze  of  ecclesiastical 
inconsistencies  so  much  troubling  mankind  today, 
to  the  fuller  and  more  satisfying  and  more  natural 
life  found  in  Christ  only. 

E.  C.  Boynton,  Huntsville,  Texas:  Am  not  so  sure 
that  Disciples'  "interpretation  of  Christianity"  is 
today,  so  "significantly  different  from  the  teaching 
of  ministers  in  other  denominations."  From  my  own 
childhood  environment  of  the  Benjamin  Franklin- 
Lard  et  al  school  of  thought,  anti-organ,  and  anti- 
society,  an  underlying  principle,  resident  in  the  Dis- 
ciples' plea,  came  to  remold  my  attitude  toward  the 
whole  religious  approach :  The  right  of  anyone  to 
his  religious  convictions,  when  those  are  not  im- 
posed upon  anyone  else ;  and  a  yielding  to  the  pas- 
sion and  program  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  world's 
one  hope  of  social  and  spiritual  triumph. 

Holland  H.  Sheafor,  Leipsic,  0. :  1.  A  deep  con- 
cern about  the  problem  of  Christian  unity. 

2.  An  interest  in  the  scientific  study  of  the  New 
Testament  and  in  the  problem  of  relating  it  to  pres- 
ent-day life. 

3.  Democracy  in  church  organization. 

4.  Freedom  from  creedal  restrictions. 

5.  An  emphasis  upon  each  man's  responsibility 
to  think  religion  through  for  himself. 

6.  An  attempt  to  pursue  a  rational  approach  to 
religion. 

Perhaps  no  one  of  these  items  is  entirely  unique 
to  Disciples.  However,  in  several  they  have  been 
pioneers  and  even  today  lend  a  rather  unique  em- 
phasis to  the  entire  group. 

W.  Garnet  Alcorn,  Fulton,  Mo.:  I  lack  Disciple 


'*^ 


198 THE  SCROLL 

inheritance.    My  people  were  Presbyterians.    They 
later  became  Disciples. 

But  my  training  in  Disciple  schools  leads  me  to 
accept  the  common  belief  of  all  Protestants  that  the 
Bible  is  the  religion  of  Protestants,  but  with  this 
difference  that  it  must  be  interpreted  just  the  same 
as  any  other  piece  of  literature.  That  is  a  major 
contribution  of  the  Disciples  toward  an  intelligent 
understanding  of  the  Christian  religion  and  as  long 
as  the  Bible  holds  its  present  place  in  the  Christian 
religion,  tTiis  Disciple  position  will  help  toward  giv- 
ing intelligent  acceptance  to  our  message. 


We  had  twenty-six  replies  to  our  question  as  to 
what  makes  our  Disciple  inheritance  different. 
These  replies  agree  remarkably  well  for  such  a 
variety  of  persons,  ministers  and  teachers,  in  a  re- 
ligious fellowship  that  has  never  formulated  in  a 
body  of  ideas  what  should  be  taught  to  ministerial 
students  and  children.  We  agree  on  opposition  to 
creeds,  or  upon  having  "innocent  eyes"  with  refer- 
ence to  them;  we  agree  upon  being  "liberals"  and 
upon  freedom;  we  agree  upon  the  desirability  and 
the  urgency  of  union;  we  agree  upon  being  demo- 
cratic and  upon  a  rational  approach  to  religion.  As 
some  have  pointed  out,  it  is  the  combination  of  these 
characteristics  as  much  as  emphasis  upon  any  one 
or  two  which  gives  the  distinction.  There  is  also  a 
marked  urgency  and  enthusiasm  about  these  mat- 
ters among  Disciples.  We  have  the  missionary  spirit 
for  work  at  home  and  abroad.  There  is  virility  and 
"drive"  in  this  fellowship.  We  have  the  sense  of 
a  future,  and  a  growing  future.  All  these  important 
qualities  are  supported  by  the  best  modern  scholar- 
ship. Not  one  of  them  withers  in  the  brightest  light 
of  growing  knowledge  and  experience. 


THE  SCROLL 199 

Surveying  the  Disciples 

E.  S.  Ames 

Education.  No  important  cause  among  the  Dis- 
ciples seems  to  be  more  neglected  at  the  present 
time  than  that  of  higher  education.  The  Year  Book 
just  published  gives  reports  on  "Young  People's 
Conferences"  with  the  number  of  "students"  in  each 
and  the  number  of  the  "faculty."  But  there  is  no 
report  on  the  number  of  students  in  each  of  the 
dozen  or  so  colleges,  and  no  report  of  the  number 
of  the  faculty.  Financial  statistics  are  given  con- 
cerning current  expenses,  missions,  and  pensions, 
but  no  figures  about  college  endowments. 

An  important  part  of  the  life  of  a  religious  body 
is  the  training  of  its  ministers.  How  many  minis- 
terial students  are  now  in  the  schools?  Are  there 
half  of  them  college  graduates?  What  financial 
equipment  is  there  for  teachers  and  administrators 
engaged  in  training  ministers? 

What  interest  do  the  religious  journals  take  in 
these  problems  of  education?  Why  do  not  the  edi- 
tors constantly  remind  us  that  religious  movements 
can  rise  no  higher  than  their  leaders?  The  pension 
fund  is  doing  all  it  can  to  get  men  out  of  the  min- 
istry decently  at  the  end  of  their  service  and  give 
them  burial,  but  who  is  excited  about  finding  and 
equipping  competent  young  men  adequately  for  en- 
tering the  ministry? 

Ten  per  cent  of  young  people  from  Disciple  homes 
who  go  to  college  go  to  Disciple  institutions.  Fifteen 
per  cent  go  to  other  denominational  schools.  Seventy- 
five  per  cent  go  to  state  universities  and  other  tax 
supported  institutions.  Why  do  the  Disciples  have 
colleges  in  the  face  of  these  facts  ?  If  the  dozen  col- 
leges now  operating  were  able  to  do  so  with  any 
degree  of  ease,  the  question  would  not  be  so  hard 
to  answer.  Scarcely  one  of  these  colleges  is  entirely 
free  from  harrowing  debt  and  most  of  them  live 


200  THE  SCROLL 

every  year  on  the  edge.  Their  faculties  are  over- 
worked and  underpaid.  They  seldom  get  time  to 
read  all  the  important  books  in  their  fields,  much 
less  to  write  any.  It  is  an  easy  thing  for  a  teacher 
to  accept  the  idea  that  his  teaching  load  is  so  heavy 
that  no  one  can  expect  him  to  write  books  or  to 
carry  on  research.  Yet  it  is  doubtful  whether  the 
liveliest  teaching  can  be  done  by  those  w?io  are  not 
also  creative  in  their  subjects.  Nowhere  is  the 
temptation  to  deadly  routine  greater  than  with 
teachers  going  over  the  same  courses  year  after  year 
with  young,  uncritical  students. 

There  is  abundant  evidence  that  the  Disciple  Col- 
leges are  more  and  more  dependent  upon  non-Dis- 
ciple patronage.  The  larger  colleges  are  all  in  cities 
of  some  size,  for  example,  Drake,  Texas  Christian, 
Butler,  Transylvania,  and  Lynchburg.  Several  of 
these  already  owe  their  maintainance  to  the  general 
public  they  serve  rather  than  to  the  churches  the 
colleges  represent.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  un- 
dergraduates often  get  a  clear  idea  of  the  history 
and  the  ideas  that  underlie  Disciple  institutions. 
More  of  them  know  that  the  Disciples  emphasize 
baptism  than  know  that  the  Disciples  sprang  from 
the  influence  of  the  English  Enlightenment. 

Attempts  are  being  made  to  "leaven"  certain  state 
universities  with  religion  by  means  of  "Bible 
Chairs."  This  plan  has  great  possibilities  but  how 
would  the  average  Disciple  ever  find  out  details 
about  this  by  reading  the  church  papers  or  by  study- 
ing the  Year  Book? 

The  Disciples  face  the  most  testing  years  since 
their  beginning.  The  problems  and  opportunities 
of  the  present  call  for  the  leadership  of  college  and 
university  men,  and  for  men  who  will  include  in 
their  sense  of  duty  an  intelligent  understanding  of 
the  importance  of  higher  education  in  the  cause  of 
religion. 


THE  SCROLL  201 

Fifteen  Years  in  Chicago 

F.  E.  Davison,  South  Bend,  Indiana 

Fifteen  years  must  seem  like  a  very  short  pastor- 
ate to  some  of  my  fellow  ministers,  who  have  been 
pastor  of  the  same  church  for  two  score  years,  but 
it  perhaps  does  not  seem  short  to  the  members  of 
the  Austin  Boulevard  Church.  It  seems  rather  short 
to  me  as  I  stand  at  this  end  looking  backward.  How- 
ever, we  must  all  admit  that  a  lot  of  dams  have  gone 
under  the  water  during  that  time. 

When  I  came  to  Chicago  fifteen  years  ago  in  an 
open  car  with  the  snow  three  feet  deep  and  the 
thermometer  hovering  around  zero  the  only  street 
I  knew  was  Michigan  Boulevard  and  I  never  did  find 
it.  When  I  reached  Chicago  Heights  I  was  sure  that 
I  could  not  be  far  from  Oak  Park,  so  I  stopped  every 
three  or  four  blocks  to  ask  if  the  people  could  direct 
me  to  the  Austin  Boulevard  Christian  Church  in 
Oak  Park.  I  was  shocked  to  find  so  many  ignorant 
people  for  no  one  had  heard  anything  about  Austin 
Boulevard  Church  calling  a  great  preacher  from  In- 
dianapolis and  some  of  them  had  never  even  heard 
of  Oak  Park. 

Fifteen  years  ago  we  were  in  the  midst  of  Cool- 
idge  prosperity  and  although  Mr.  Coolidge  did  not 
choose  to  run,  prosperity  did.  During  these  fifteen 
years  we  have  passed  from  silk  shirts  to  "holey" 
underwear — from  a  bank  on  every  corner  to  three 
taverns  in  every  block. 

They  have  been  demanding  years.  I  estimate  that 
I  have  attended  7,452  committee  meetings  and  have 
ridden  enough  miles  on  the  elevated  to  reach  entirely 
around  the  world  to  say  nothing  of  my  sea-going 
voyages  on  the  surface  lines.  I  have  eaten  so  many 
meals  at  the  cafeteria  that  I  have  corns  on  my  hip. 
At  church  Federation  luncheons  I  have  consumed  14 
hams  and  have  looked  upon  (but  thank  God  I  did 
not  eat)  three  tons  of  canned  spinach.    At  Disciple 


202 THE  SCROLL 

House  luncheons  I  have  seen  enough  macaroni  that 
if  it  were  laid  end  to  end  I  could  suck  water  out  of 
the  Indian  ocean.  I  have  made  one  or  two  speeches 
and  have  pronounced  8,423  benedictions.  I  have  at- 
tended enough  conventions,  listened  to  a  sufficient 
number  of  lectures,  speeches,  and  sermons  that  I 
should  know  how  to  save  the  world.  I  have  heard 
all  the  religious  and  economic  problems  analyzed 
both  forwards  and  backwards.  I  have  heard  Met- 
calf  extol  the  merits  of  the  Democrats,  Bob  Lemon 
recite  the  sermon  on  the  Mount,  Bill  Simer  preach 
the  Social  Gospel,  Mr.  Rice  give  the  history  of  the 
Disciples  in  Chicago,  and  Dr.  Ames  elucidate  the 
biographies  of  Alexander  Campbell  and  John  Locke. 
At  least  fifty  times  T  heard  the  recital  of  that  long 
list  of  distinguished  Disciples  who  now  hold  high 
places  in  interdenominational  circles  and — I  have 
cheered  each  time.  I  have  been  reminded  by  orators 
so  many  times  of  the  illustrious  Disciples  who  reside 
right  here  in  our  own  city  of  Chicago  that  I  have 
often  felt  like  the  jackass  in  the  picture  of  the  holy 
family — the  only  one  in  the  picture  without  a  halo. 

These  have  been  trying  years.  We  pastors  have 
been  called  upon  again  and  again  to  make  brick 
without  straw — or  at  least  to  build  churches  and 
pay  for  them  without  money.  We  have  been  ex- 
pected to  build  great  congregations  of  Disciples 
when  Disciples  in  our  communities  have  been  as 
scarce  as  hairs  on  Isaac  Metcalf's  head — just  a  few 
around  the  edges.  We  have  been  expected  to  take 
Lutherans,  Presbyterians  and  Methodists  and  all  the 
rest  and  over  night  make  them  into  full-fledged 
Campbellites  with  a  complete  indoctrination  into  the 
Lockian  background.  We  have  been  expected  to 
keep  up  with  the  Congregationalists  when  we  have 
no  Victor  Lawsons  in  our  fellowship — or  if  we  have 
they  remain  all  too  healthy. 

These  have  been  joyous  years.  I  break  down  and 
confess  to  you  today  that  not  all  my  time  has  been 


THE  SCROLL  203 

spent  in  raising  debts,  attending  committee  meet- 
ings or  converting  the  sinners.  I  have  had  a  cork- 
ing good  time  in  Chicago.  I  have  golfed  with  the 
golfers  and  pinged  with  the  ping-pongers  and 
''bawled"  with  the  baseballers.  Upon  one  occasion  in 
golf  I  took  the  scalp  of  the  head  of  the  Department 
of  Practical  Theology  in  the  University  of  Chicago. 
I  claim  to  know  as  much  about  ping-pong  as  a  young 
recently  hooded  Ph.D.  Upon  one  occasion  I  at- 
tended a  ten  cent  show  in  this  city  with  the  head 
of  a  Philosophy  Department — let  me  hasten  to  give 
credit  where  credit  is  due  for  he  did  pay  the  ad- 
mission. I  have  eaten  luscious  steaks,  broiled  in  the 
open  by  one  Dr.  0.  F.  Jordan  and  more  than  that  I 
traveled  over  three  thousand  miles  one  summer  with 
that  same  gentleman  and  we  are  still  on  speaking 
terms.  I  thumbed  my  way  across  the  waters  one 
summer  and  had  a  lot  of  fun  with  real  sports  like 
Monroe  Schuster. 

I  dare  not  allow  myself  to  become  serious  today 
when  I  think  of  sacred  fellowships.  Hardly  a  week 
has  passed  in  these  fifteen  years  that  Bob  Lemon 
and  I  have  not  been  together.  We  have  preached 
the  same  sermons — at  least  we  have  used  the  same 
texts  and  gone  everywhere  preaching  the  word. 
When  he  gave  Caesarean  birth  to  an  appendix  I 
felt  that  I  should  make  a  like  contribution  to  the 
world.  When  I  inherited  a  large  church  debt  he 
was  not  satisfied  until  he  had  one  of  like  size.  One 
summer  we  lived  together  at  the  Disciples  House 
and  enlightened  the  same  university  professors. 
When  I  get  to  heaven  one  of  the  first  fellows  I  am 
going  to  look  up  will  be  Bob  Lemon,  but,  of  course, 
if  Bob  doesn't  come  that  way,  then  I  am  going  to 
ask  Metcalf  to  look  him  up. 

Mrs.  Davison  and  I  do  appreciate  the  honor  you 
do  us  today.  You  have  all  been  so  kind  to  us  during 
our  years  in  this  city.  We  have  some  precious  let- 
ters that  have  come  from  many  of  you  which  we 


204 THE  SCROLL 

keep  in  sacred  places.  We  have  received  more  honors 
at  your  hands  than  we  have  deserved.  In  our  par- 
sonage at  South  Bend  we  have  ten  rooms — but  I 
hasten  to  add  we  have  only  beds  enough  for  mem- 
bers of  our  family.  Our  floors,  however,  are  made 
of  soft  pine  and  you  will  be  very  welcome  to  try 
them  out  at  anytime.  If  you  ever  need  football 
tickets  for  the  Notre  Dame  games,  I  will  be  glad  to 
speak  to  Father  O'Hara  about  your  desires.  If  you 
need  appliances  for  your  new  airplane  our  Bendix 
Corporation  will  supply  them.  If  you  want  my 
church  to  prosper  you  should  drive  a  Studebaker 
car.  If  you  want  to  cultivate  your  garden,  you 
should  own  an  Oliver  chilled  plow.  These  industries 
all  have  a  part  in  the  life  of  South  Bend,  but  at  the 
center  of  that  city  stands  that  institution  which 
towers  above  them  all — the  First  Christian  Church. 
Our  beloved  friends  of  Chicagoland,  the  latchstring 
of  our  new  home  is  out  to  you  all  for  we  love  you 
and  we  DO  thank  you. 


Books 

We  commend  the  Yale  lectures  of  1936  by  John 
Macmurray  on,  "The  Structure  of  Religious  Ex- 
perience." The  three  chapters  deal  with,  The  Field 
of  Religious  Experience,  The  Self  in  Religious  Re- 
flection, and  The  Reference  of  Religious  Ideas.  It  is 
the  answer  of  the  progressive,  empirical  attitude  to 
the  traditional  dogmatic  temper. 

Lancelot  T.  Hogben  is  another  recent  author  good 
for  Disciples.  His  last  book  is,  Retreat  from  Reason. 
but  his.  Mathematics  for  the  Million,  and  Science 
for  the  Citizen,  should  also  be  read. 

Kenneth  MacLean  gives  us,  John  Locke  and  Eng- 
lish Literature  in  the  Eighteenth  Century,  "Power," 
by  Bertrand  Russell,  is  medicine  for  what  ails  us, 
and  Lewis  Mumford's  The  Culture  of  Cities,  is  im- 
portant. 


THE  SCROLL  205 

My  Religion 

(By  one  of  Chicago's  Four  Million  Laymen) 
I  believe  that  most  of  us  living  within  a  civilized 
state  have  certain  religious  inclinations.  These  in- 
clinations are  expressed  unmistakably  in  our  daily 
relationships  with  one  another  and  in  our  reaction 
to  natural  phenomena.  The  fact  that  we  are  able 
to  develop  and  perpetuate  a  highly  complex  state 
is  indicative  that  we  are  born  with  a  capacity  for 
social  response.  Moreover,  the  animation  that  we 
frequently  experience  in  the  presence  of  natural 
loveliness,  our  reaching  out  in  this  setting  toward 
goodness,  truth,  and  beauty,  suggests  our  awareness 
of  God  in  nature.  Our  behavior  in  the  crowd  and 
in  the  solitudinous  country  side  then  warrants  my 
conviction  that  an  ever-present  spirit  tends  to  con- 
trol and  guide  the  human  heart  to  happy  destinies. 
My  detailed  beliefs  can  be  simply  stated.  I  be- 
lieve in  God — a  God  that  is  transcendent.  It  is  this 
belief  that  gives  fullness  and  inspiration  to  my  life. 
When  I,  a  city-dweller,  walk  in  the  evening  through 
the  park  and  along  the  lake  front,  I  come  upon  pat- 
terns of  beauty  that  strengthen  in  me  a  conviction 
that  God  is  ever-present.  The  jargoning  birds,  the 
fresh  air  and  golden  sunshine,  the  chequered  light 
and  shade  of  the  trees  are  to  me  manifestations  of 
God  himself. 

With  Wordsworth  I  can  say — 

"I  have  felt 

A  presence  that  disturbs  me  with  the  joy 

Of  elevated  thoughts;  a  sense  sublime 

Of  something  far  more  deeply  interfused, 

Whose  dwelling  is  the  light  of  setting  suns, 

And  the  round  ocean  and  the  living  air, 

And  the  blue  sky,  and  in  the  mind  of  man ; 

A  motion  and  a  spirit,  that  impels 

All  thinking  things,  all  objects  of  all  thoughts, 

And  rolls  through  all  things.  Therefore  am  I  still 

A  lover  of  the  meadows  and  the  woods, 


206 THE  SCROLL 

And  mountains;  and  of  all  that  we  behold 
From  this  green  earth ;  of  all  the  mighty  world 
Of  eye,  and  ear, — both  what  they  half  create, 
And  what  perceived;  well  pleased  to  recognize 
In  nature  and  the  language  of  the  sense. 
The  anchor  of  my  purest  thoughts,  the  nurse. 
The  guide,  the  guardian  of  my  heart,  the  soul 
Of  all  my  moral  being." 

God  then  I  accept.  I  feel  his  presence  throughout 
the  universe. 

Christ  and  His  teachings  I  also  accept.  There  are 
many  speculations  about  Christ  that  may  or  may 
not  be  true.  Nevertheless,  His  teachings  are  in  har- 
mony with  the  ideals  that  are  necessary  for  an 
abundant  life  on  earth.  I  enjoy  thinking  of  Christ's 
teachings  as  similar  to  the  works  of  an  artist  who 
has  attempted  to  paint  not  what  he  sees  but  what 
he  feels  he  should  see.  The  teachings  of  Christ  are 
romantic  in  a  special  sense — they  are  based  upon 
imagination  and  sentiment.  Moreover,  if  we  ex- 
amine them  critically,  we  find  them  in  harmony  with 
the  most  meaningful  and  idealistic  human  attitudes. 
"The  seven  words,  'Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself"  have  in  them  a  cure  for  all  crime  and 
all  wars  and  rumors  of  war.  There  has  never  been 
a  finer  utterance  since  man  came  into  being." 

I  believe  in  the  Bible.  It  is  a  book  of  life  and  of 
inspiration.  It  has  developed  slowly  and  gradually 
by  the  Jewish  Church  as  the  Jewish  people  became 
a  nation.  These  people  and  others  for  centuries 
following  interpreted  the  Bible  literally.  And  in 
our  present  day  we  find  the  results  and  eff"ects  of 
that  literal  interpretation.  In  the  old-fashioned  re- 
vival meeting,  for  instance,  people  listen  to  detailed 
descriptions  of  the  glories  of  heaven  and  the  tor- 
tures of  hell  until  they  become  so  emotionally  dis- 
turbed that  they  frequently  pass  into  a  kind  of  coma. 
from  which  they  emerge  unchanged  in  any  practical 
way.  I  firmly  believe  that  to  accept  the  Bible  liter- 
ally is  to  treat  religion  as  though  it  were  an  opiate. 


THE  SCROLL 207 

The  clinging  to  superstitious  ideas  of  rewards  and 
punishments  in  a  hereafter  negates  the  value  of  life 
itself. 

In  the  present  day  many  scholars  have  given  new 
meanings  and  new  values  to  the  Bible.  They  come 
to  see  that  the  Bible  can  be  correlated  with  other 
fields  of  thought  such  as  the  sciences,  history,  art, 
and  philosophy.  Thus  religion  becomes  rewarding 
spiritually  and  challenging  intellectually.  Dr.  Ames, 
a  philosopher  and  minister  of  a  university  church 
in  Chicago,  elevates  religion  above  a  fixed  system 
of  dogmas  and  superstitions  in  the  statement,  "Cer- 
tainly many  men  in  our  time  have  been  surprised 
to  realize  how  much  more  vital  and  satisfying  their 
religious  faith  became  the  moment  they  began  to 
view  it  with  the  same  freedom  and  intelligence  with 
which  they  regard  art  and  politics."  Thus  viewed, 
religion  becomes  an  every  day  companion  and  a 
solace  for  man's  recurring  tribulations. 

I  believe  in  Heaven  as  peace  of  mind  on  earth. 
The  feeling  of  accomplishment,  of  a  good  deed  well 
done,  is  most  effective  in  the  creation  of  such  hap- 
piness. Byron,  writing  for  once  an  altruistic  line, 
says,  "The  drying  up  of  a  single  tear  hath  more  of 
honest  fame  than  shedding  seas  of  gore.''  The  ser- 
vices that  people  render,  especially  in  the  exercise 
of  authority  in  their  vocations,  reveal  the  depth  and 
sincerity  of  their  inner  life.  Guidance  and  protec- 
tion given  to  others  from  the  heart  often  preserve 
the  inspiration  and  the  ambition  of  the  troubled  and 
the  fretful  soul.  So,  I  believe  in  an  attempt  to  at- 
tain objectives  that  are  in  harmony  with  the  inter- 
ests and  the  welfare  of  the  group.  This  attempt  to 
forge  ahead  in  responsibility,  if  backed  by  a  sense 
of  usefulness  and  kindness,  fulfills  the  obligation 
that  each  individual  person  owes  to  society.  My 
heaven  then  is  my  feeling  of  service  to  mankind. 

The  term  hell  would  seem  to  be  a  meaningless 
word  for  religious  people  to  discuss;  and  yet  in  a 


208 THE  SCROLL 

world  of  conflict  and  struggle  it  has  its  significance. 
For  the  man  who  fears  the  future,  lives  inadequate- 
ly in  the  present,  and  continually  relives  troubles  of 
the  past,  hell  is  created  on  earth.  I  profit  spiritually 
more  from  a  walk  in  the  spring  through  the  park 
or  along  the  lake  front,  to  view  the  arresting  beauty 
of  the  tulips  and  the  elms,  or  to  listen  to  the  proud 
music  of  the  waves.  These  natural  phenomena  cre- 
ate in  me  a  response  that  culminates  in  an  over- 
whelming belief  in  an  ever-present  Being. 

The  church  is,  I  believe,  an  ideal  institution  where 
people  with  diversified  interests  may  come  to  ex- 
press in  a  group  their  religious  inclinations — 
through  solemn  meditation  and  a  yielding  of  them- 
selves to  a  spirit  of  reverence;  through  their  re- 
sponse to  the  enlightening  and  challenging  sermons, 
to  the  heart-felt  prayers,  to  the  exultant  voices  of 
the  choir.  The  feeling  of  unity  in  the  church,  more- 
over, develops  among  the  members  friendships  that 
are  often  carried  outside  the  church.  Young  people 
who  meet  with  the  group  often  carry  their  inti- 
macies into  other  phases  of  Hfe  such  as  school,  so- 
cial affairs,  and  sports.  Middle-aged  and  older 
groups  who  often  live  within  the  encroaching 
shadows  of  loneliness,  find  themselves  exchanging 
calls  and  visits.  In  time  the  members  in  general 
come  to  think  of  the  church  not  only  as  an  ideal  in- 
stitution but  also  as  a  composite  personality — to 
feel  with  St.  Louis,  King  of  France,  that  "Living 
men  are  the  stones  of  God's  temple." 

My  beliefs  in  general  can  be  crystalized  in  a  few 
sentences.  My  human  relationships  and  my  contact 
with  nature  lead  me  to  feel  that  an  ever-present 
Spirit  pervades  the  universe.  This  awareness  of  an 
indwelling  spirit  directs  my  behavior  among  men 
and  shapes  my  attitudes.  It  is  this  awareness  that 
is  at  the  base  of  my  religion.  A  lover  of  God,  who 
reveals  himself  through  the  beautiful  in  human  con- 
duct and  in  nature,  I  am  a  mystic. 


THE  SCROLL 209 

Protestantism  and  the  Individual 

Irvin  E.  Lunger,  Chicago 

The  clash  between  divergent  economic,  political 
and  religious  is7ns  in  contemporary  western  culture 
is  symptomatic  of  a  far  deeper  and  more  funda- 
mental conflict  in  social  ideologies.  Inherent  is  the 
clash  between  competitive  and  totalitarian  economic 
theories. 

After  five  centuries  of  egocentrism  in  the  social 
evolution  of  western  culture  during  which  time  in- 
dividuality was  firmly  established  as  the  dominant 
economic,  political  and  religious  datum,  there  ap- 
pears to  be  a  resurgence  of  sociocentrism  in  the 
present  time  which  threatens  to  terminate  the  age 
of  individualism  and  introduce  an  age  of  collectiv- 
ism and  totalitarianism.  Western  culture  appears 
to  be  facing  the  end  of  an  era. 

The  widespread  social  uncertainty  and  insecurity, 
and  the  force  of  anti-individualistic  philosophies  and 
programs  betoken  the  proportions  which  the  ten- 
sion between  individualistic  and  collectivistic  em- 
phases has  assumed.  With  the  movement  in  western 
Culture  unmistakably  away  from  individualism  in 
the  direction  of  collectivism,  the  question  arises  as 
to  the  future  of  economic,  political  and  religious  sys- 
tems founded  upon  individualistic  hypotheses. 

Two  ideologies  most  acutely  affected  by  the 
growth  of  anti-individualistic  collectivism  in  the 
modern  world  are  those  of  democracy  and  Protest- 
ant Christianity.  Both  of  these  ideologies  are  sus- 
tained by  either  an  explicit  or  an  implicit  individ- 
ualism. Within  its  socio-political  reference,  democ- 
racy is  based  upon  principles  which  are  uncompro- 
misingly individualistic.  It  is  a  system  looking  to 
the  individual  for  creativity  and  growth,  and  defin- 
ing itself  in  terms  of  agencies  for  the  achievement 
of  these  possibilities.  By  making  voluntary  associa- 
tion and  responsible  sociality  the  framework  of  its 


210 THE  SCROLL 

ideology,  democracy  has  dedicated  itself  to  the  end 
of  greater  expression  and  realization  for  individu- 
ality. Protestant  Christianity  parallels  in  its  spir- 
itual emphasis  the  individualism  of  democracy. 
Within  its  theory  and  practice,  Protestantism  marks 
the  coalescence  of  the  social  attitudes  of  democracy 
and  the  spiritual  doctrines  of  Christianity.  Born  of 
the  Renaissance  and  the  Reformation,  it  matured 
within  the  same  social  tradition  as  democracy,  and 
reflects  the  same  basic  egocentrism  in  its  societal 
reference.  It  has  maintained  itself  during  the  four 
centuries  of  its  emergence,  despite  certain  social 
and  ecclesiastical  modifications,  as  the  Christian 
ideology  of  individualism.  Its  basic  doctrines  have 
been  individualistic,  and  the  regeneration  of  indi- 
vidual souls  has  been  its  accepted  task. 

The  totalitarian  systems  of  Communism,  Fascism 
and  National  Socialism  express  the  challenge  which 
democracy  and  Protestantism  must  face  in  the  mod- 
ern world.  Where  democracy  and  Protestantism 
seek  to  maintain  their  inherent  individualism  they 
are  confronted  by  an  aggressive  repudiation  of  this 
emphasis  in  totalitarianism.  Where  democracies 
seek  the  corporate  welfare  as  a  means  to  the  en- 
richment of  individuals  in  society,  totalitarianisms 
and  collectivisms  define  their  goal  in  terms  of  cor- 
porate social  welfare  as  an  end  in  itself.  Where 
Protestantism  recognizes  the  individual  soul  as  the 
focus  of  regeneration  within  the  human  sphere, 
totalitarian  religions — sustained  by  current  collec- 
tivisms— insist  that  only  the  social  whole,  delimited 
and  made  exclusive  by  nationalism,  may  be  con- 
sidered the  acceptable  focus  of  regeneration. 

Since  the  crux  of  the  problem,  therefore,  is  the 
definition  of  individuality,  it  becomes  imperative  for 
democracy  and  Protestantism,  as  well  as  for  totali- 
tarianism, to  examine  objectively  the  nature  and 
function  of  individuality  in  society.  A  survey  of 
the  history  of  social  thought  in  the  West  discloses 


THE  SCROLL 211 

that  there  has  been  a  gradual  accumulation  of  so- 
ciological and  psychological  data  which  has  con- 
tinually made  the  concept  of  individuality  more  in- 
telligible and  comprehensive.  With  the  refinement 
of  scientific  method  and  with  the  application  of  this 
method  to  the  social  environment  and  to  human  be- 
havior, the  procedure  of  social  theorizing  has  been 
gradually  transformed  from  one  of  adapting  inter- 
pretations of  individuality  to  suit  economic,  political 
and  religious  expedients,  to  one  of  defining  these 
systems  in  terms  of  an  understanding  of  the  nature 
and  function  of  individuality  of  society.  Early  social 
theories  reflected  fragmentary  observations  and 
abundant  speculations;  later  theories  rested  upon 
more  extensive  studies  of  individuality  and  more 
careful  deductions  from  sociological  and  psycho- 
logical evidence.  The  development  of  social  theories 
in  western  culture  has  been  an  evolution  of  social 
thought  in  the  direction  of  greater  adequacy  and 
exactness.  The  most  rapid  growth  in  social  under- 
standing has  taken  place  during  the  last  century 
with  the  emergence  of  specialized  biological  and 
sociological  sciences,  and  with  the  development  of 
social  psychology. 

Two  complementary  approaches  to  the  under- 
standing of  individuality  are  available,  both  of 
which  furnish  significant  data  for  valid  social  in- 
terpretation. The  first  of  these,  the  historical  ap- 
proach, discloses  the  processes  of  social  evolution 
through  which  human  organisms  in  physical 
proximity  finally  become  individual  personalities  in 
society.  This  approach  introduces  individuality 
within  the  context  of  its  social  emergence.  It  de- 
fines individuality  in  terms  of  the  bio-social  forces 
which  converge  in  the  ultimate  achievement  of 
human  personality.  The  second  of  these  approaches, 
the  socio-psychological  approach,  is  focused  upon 
the  individual  within  a  specific  time-space  situation. 
It   reveals   the   manner    in   which   the   individual 


212 THE  SCROLL 

realizes  meaningful  selfhood  and  the  processes 
through  which  he  relates  himself  determinatively 
to  the  social  milieu. 

Essentially  a  product  of  the  social  community, 
individuality  achieves  through  intellect  and  imagi- 
nation an  autonomous  selfhood  capable  of  introduc- 
ing into  the  immediate  social  process  a  new  syn- 
thesis of  meaning  and  novel  contingencies  which 
may  advance  both  his  own  evolution  and  that  of 
society.  Since  the  self-conscious  and  unitive  indi- 
viduality represents  a  new  assimilation,  without 
duplicate,  of  experience  and  knowledge,  it  functions 
in  the  social  situation  in  terms  of  commonly  recog- 
nized meanings  and  proj^esses,  yet  differentiated 
from  them  by  virtue  of  its  distinctiveness  in  time 
and  space. 

Individuality  cannot  be  defined  apart  from  the 
social  community  whose  meanings  and  interrela- 
tions it  shares,  and  in  terms  of  which  its  behavior 
patterns  are  formed.  Because  of  its  deep  rootage 
in  the  physiological,  psychological  and  sociological 
soil  of  its  community,  individuality  would  be  devoid 
of  reality  if  considered  in  isolation  from  its  social 
situation.  Conversely,  individuality  is  distinctly 
more  than  mere  sociality.  Although  a  product  of 
social  forces  resident  in  heredity  and  environment, 
individuality  is  ever  more  than  a  passively  inter- 
acting refinement  of  the  social  organism. 

Thus,  the  interpretation  of  individuality  which 
seems  to  be  most  adequately  sustained  by  the  evi- 
dence is  that  of  a  socially  determined  and  a  socially 
determining  individuality.  Within  the  social  milieu, 
individuality  manifests  itself  as  a  dynamic  and  cre- 
ative nucleus  of  societal  energy.  Although  indi- 
viduality remains  inseparably  bound  up  with  social 
processes  and  common  meanings,  it  functions  as  a 
unique  orientation  of  intelligent  and  imaginative 
experience. 


THE  SCROLL 213 

It  seems  evident,  therefore,  that  social  theories 
must  be  stated  in  terms  of  social  individuality  if 
they  are  to  recognize  adequately  the  sociality  of  the 
individual,  and  the  individualization  of  social  real- 
ity. Being  the  totality  of  meanings  attained  and  in- 
tegrated through  a  long  process  of  evolutionary  in- 
teraction and  intercommunication,  society  possesses 
objective  reality  only  in  the  degree  to  which  it  is 
concretized  in  coordinate  individualities.  Although 
society,  because  of  its  continuity,  is  ever  more  than 
any  single  individual,  or  combination  of  individuals, 
society  Tper  se  would  be  a  meaningless  abstraction 
apart  from  its  manifestation  in  living  particularized 
individuals.  Being*  both  a  concretion,  in  part,  of 
the  social  processes  and  a  uniquely  creative  orienta- 
tion of  social  possibilities,  individuality  in  society 
appears  to  be  the  unit  of  immediate  social  reality. 
In  brief,  social  individuality  may  be  considered  the 
common  denominator  for  any  collective  systema- 
tization  of  social  meanings  and  processes. 

From  an  objective  sociological  and  psychological 
analysis  of  individuality  in  society,  it  is  apparent 
that  neither  the  more  extreme  statements  of  indi- 
vidualistic democratic  and  Protestant  ideologies  nor 
those  of  collectivistic  totalitarianism  represent  more 
than  half-truths :  individuality  is  an  autonomous 
social  reality  and  society  does  give  to  individuality 
its  meanings  and  reference.  Therefore,  while  demo- 
cratic and  Protestant  theories  recognize  the  deter- 
minative role  of  individuality  in  society,  they  ignore 
the  fact  that  individuality  is  a  product  of  determina- 
tive social  and  biological  processes.  Likev/ise,  while 
totalitarian  theory  exploits  the  inclusive  and  deter- 
minative character  of  society,  it  neglects  the  fact 
that  particularized  individuals  possess  a  capacity 
for  social  determination  by  virtue  of  the  unique 
orientation  of  intelligence,  social  experience  and 
imagination  which  they  represent.  Negatively 
stated,  society  cannot  be  described  as  a  social  ma- 


214 THE  SCROLL 

chine  constructed  by  human  beings  for  their  con- 
venience nor  can  it  be  analogized  into  a  vast  organ- 
ism creating  new  individuals  as  cells  to  replace  out- 
worn or  outgrown  ones.  Something  more  than  a 
mere  relationship  of  self-conscious  individuals, 
society  is,  however,  inevitably  translated  in  terms 
of  them.  It  lives  only  as  they  live,  and  it  evolves 
only  as  they  make  such  evolution  possible. 

While  there  are  innumerable  economic  and  politi- 
cal factors  involved  in  the  conflict  between  de- 
mocracy and  totalitarianism,  and  between  Prot- 
estant Christianity  and  the  religions  of  collectivism, 
the  fundamental  ideological  differences  could  be 
radically  modified  by  the  introduction  of  the  concept 
of  social  individuality.  An  ideological  redefinition 
of  democratic  and  totalitarian  theories  would  re- 
duce the  tension  occasioned  by  their  contradictory 
interpretations  of  the  nature  of  individuality  and 
society.  The  reinterpretation  of  democratic  social 
theory  in  light  of  socially  responsive  and  socially 
responsible  individuality  would  result  in  a  more 
socially  adequate  egocentrism.  In  totalitarianism, 
the  introduction  of  the  concept  of  social  individual- 
ity would  mean  the  restoration  of  individuality  to 
a  positive  position  within  an  active  social  conscious- 
ness. 

The  promise  of  Protestantism  rests  in  its  capacity 
for  socializing  the  human  focus  of  its  theology  and 
practice.  The  historic  motivation  of  Protestantism 
has  been  the  regeneration  of  individuals  through 
direct  personal  union  with  God,  An  atomic  and  self- 
sufficient  conception  of  the  individual  permitted  the 
interpretation  of  this  regeneration  in  terms  practi- 
cally unrelated  to  the  societal  nature  of  indi- 
viduality. However,  with  the  growth  of  social 
understanding  in  recent  decades,  there  has  de- 
veloped within  an  increasing  area  of  Protestant 
thought  a  recognition  of  the  fact  that  the  regen- 


THE  SCROLL 215 

eration  of  individuals  involves  a  regeneration  of  the 
relationships  and  processes  which  root  the  indi- 
vidual in  society.  The  discovery  of  the  social  nature 
of  individuals  has  brought  with  it  the  conviction 
that  "the  gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation 
not  to  the  individual  or  society,  but  to  the  individual 
in  society." 

The  growth  of  social  understanding  within 
Protestantism  establishes  for  it  two  alternatives  in 
the  modern  world.  It  may  refuse  to  assimilate  the 
growing  social  consciousness  and  disclaim  any  re- 
sponsibility for  the  social  relationships  and 
processes  in  which  the  individual  is  involved. 
Such  a  course  in  an  age  acutely  conscious  of  its 
interdependence  would  probably  seal  the  fate  of 
Protestant  Christianity.  On  the  other  hand,  Prot- 
estantism may  permit  its  theology  and  program 
to  be  transformed  by  the  increasing  knowledge  of 
individuality  and  society.  Such  a  transformation 
would  restore  to  Protestantism  its  lost  sense  of 
social  responsibility  through  an  enlargement  of  its 
traditional  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  individual. 

The  promise  of  Protestantism  in  these  days  rests 
upon  the  growing  socialization  of  its  ideology  and 
program.  Within  its  preaching,  there  has  developed 
a  pregnant  social  consciousness  which  is  restoring 
a  positive  social  outreach  to  the  ministry  and 
activity  of  the  church.  Furthermore,  Protestantism 
sustains  countless  social  action  movements  which 
have  grown  out  of  the  sense  of  social  responsibility 
generating  within  it.  The  emergence  of  the  ecumeni- 
cal spirit,  and  the  desire  to  federate  all  religious 
interests  for  greater  effectiveness  in  the  modern 
world,  which  appear  in  contemporary  Protestant 
Christianity,  further  demonstrate  the  new  power 
resident  in  a  religion  of  regeneration  which  defines 
its  focus  in  terms  of  social  individuals  within  an 
ongoing  social  process. 


216 THE  SCROLL 

The  Wagner  Act  Again 

Henry  C.  Taylor,  Chicago 

I  have  read  with  much  interest  Alva  W.  Taylor's 
article  entitled  "Why  The  Wagner  Act?"  There  is 
one  question  which  arises  in  my  mind.  Is  there  not 
danger  that  in  our  fervent  advocacy  of  the  rights 
of  one  group  or  classification  of  people,  we  over- 
look others  ?  Is  there  not  danger  that  we  run  by  the 
goal?  Is  there  not  danger  that  in  pushing  a  class 
struggle  too  far  on  either  side,  a  righteous  cause 
may  become  unrighteous? 

It  is  the  belief  of  many  who  favor  collective  bar- 
gaining for  labor  that  the  Wagner  Act  runs  by  the 
goal.  The  Wagner  Act  enables  labor  to  organize 
for  a  whole  industry  such  as  steel,  automobile  manu- 
facturing or  farm  machinery  manufacturing.  This 
puts  organized  labor  in  a  position  to  do  to  each  of 
the  forty-odd  steel  companies  the  same  kind  of  a 
thing  each  company  used  to  be  able  to  do  to  indi- 
vidual laborers.  Does  not  balanced  justice  call  for 
the  organization  of  labor  for  collective  bargaining 
purposes  on  a  scale  commensurate  only  with  the 
company  which  employs  the  labor? 

There  is  another  aspect  of  this  question  which 
Alva  Taylor  has  apparently  overlooked.  When  or- 
ganized on  an  industry-wide  basis,  labor  in  one  in- 
dustry may  build  up  a  wage  scale  far  above  the  level 
possible  in  other  occupations.  These  monopoly 
wages  become  large  elements  in  costs  of  production 
and  as  common  costs  to  all  managements  are  trans- 
mitted into  prices  which  are  too  high  for  many 
potential  consumers.  This  throws  economic  life  out 
of  balance,  for  the  workers  in  one  occupation  can 
not  exchange  the  products  of  equal  skill  and  energy 
for  the  products  of  those  industries  where  excessive 
power  has  forced  the  wages  above  the  potential 
average.    The  building  industry  serves  as  an  ex- 


THE  SCROLL 217 

ample.  The  workers  in  practically  every  one  of  the 
building  trades  are  highly  organized  and  exact  ab- 
normally high  wage  scales  encouraged  by  the 
Government.  The  result  is  that  the  people  who 
most  need  better  houses  can  not  afford  them.  The 
man  who  earns  five  dollars  a  day  can't  afford  to  live 
in  a  house  built  by  men  who  receive  fourteen  dollars 
a  day. 

Another  example  is  the  effect  upon  those  in  agri- 
culture of  excessive  power  of  labor  to  fix  wages.  The 
farmer  produces  freely  and  efficiently  and  sells  his 
product  for  a  competitive  price.  He  buys  in  the 
market  many  products  which  are  produced  by  or- 
ganized labor  and  transported  by  organized  laborers 
who,  under  Federal  laws,  are  in  a  position  to  charge 
monopoly  wages  for  their  services,  which  monopoly 
wages  are  elements  in  an  excessive  price  which  the 
farmer  must  pay.  This  has  led  farmers  to  try  to 
limit  their  production  and  raises  prices,  but  in  the 
end  it  will  be  found  that  all  such  devices,  whether 
practiced  by  labor  or  by  agriculture,  will  not  en- 
hance, but  reduce  the  economic  well-being  of  the 
people  involved.  In  the  case  of  railways,  the  Presi- 
dent's Committee  of  six  has  issued  a  report  which  is 
interpreted  by  both  labor  and  management  as  call- 
ing for  an  increase  in  the  costs  of  the  competitors 
(buses,  trucks,  etc.)  to  the  point  where  the  railways 
can  compete  on  the  basis  of  the  present  high  costs. 
All  railway  presidents  are  not  in  favor  of  this  ac- 
tion, but  the  dominant  leadership  prefers  to  accept 
this  labor  point  of  view  apparently  seeing  no  alter- 
native available  at  the  present  time. 

Thus,  while  it  is  right  to  seek  justice  for  any 
class,  is  it  right  to  run  by  the  goal  and  do  injustice 
to  others?  It  is  certainly  right  for  the  Government, 
through  proper  legislation  and  administration,  to 
help  labor  "organize  and  strike  the  last  shackle  off 
its  wrists  as  freemen,"  but  with  freedom  must  come 
self-restraint  or  public  restraint.   With  the  passing 


218 THE  SCROLL 

of  feudalism  the  police  power  of  the  state  has  neces- 
sarily developed. 

Is  Alva  Taylor  sure  that  the  Wagner  Act  has  not 
riveted  more  shackles  on  the  wrists  of  freemen  than 
it  has  stricken  off?  When  men  who  would  like 
to  work  are  forced  to  be  idle  can  they  be  said  to  be 
free?  Should  not  the  Wagner  Act  be  revised  with 
a  view  to  establishing  justice  to  all — laborers,  cap- 
italists, and  consumers — that  is,  in  the  interest  of 
the  "general  welfare?" 

What  is  the  function  of  the  religious  forces  in  the 
solution  of  these  problems  of  the  production  and  the 
distribution  of  wealth?  Should  religious  leaders 
take  sides  in  the  intergroup  struggle  or  should  they 
promote  higher  ethical  attitudes  on  the  part  of  those 
business  men,  laborers,  and  farmers  who  are  guid- 
ing the  intergroup  struggle?  The  need  is  for  a  re- 
ligion of  the  general  welfare,  "a  religion  of  the 
whole  man  and  of  the  whole  society." 


"How  do  men  progress  toward  truth?  Some 
move  with  timid  starts  and  stops.  In  static  periods 
they  firmly  hug  as  final  truth  the  guide  posts  that 
merely  point  the  way.  And  while  thus  clinging  to 
partial  truth  they  look  with  fear  upon  courageous 
souls  who  go  the  way  the  guide  board  points  and 
seek  the  truth  that  lies  beyond.  But  when  the  pio- 
neers have  blazed  the  trail  and  cleared  the  path 
and  set  up  new  markers  to  show  the  way,  the  timid 
souls  relax  their  grip  on  older  posts  and  move 
ahead  to  grasp  the  new  guide  posts  as  final  truth, 
while  the  studious  pioneers  press  on  unperturbed 
by  the  critical  mood  of  those  who  think  they  know. 
Thus  slowly  moves  the  caravan  of  man  toward 
truth  and  God." 


THE  SCROLL 219 

Daniel  Sommer  Changes 

{From  the  Apostolic  Revieiv,  Feb.  2,  1937) 
For  a  brief  period  I  thought  that  "mutual  teach- 
ing and  exhortation"  should  be  the  order  at  the 
time  of  worship  without  what  is  called  "a  sermon." 
But  I  soon  learned  that  when  any  one  imitating  the 
apostle  Paul  as  a  preacher  was  present  at  such  a 
meeting  then  that  one  should  be  used  as  Paul  was 
at  Troas.  Then  for  a  brief  period  I  thought  that 
we  should  not  offend  the  objector  to  classifying 
children  and  others  in  order  to  teach  them  in  the 
meeting  house.  But  I  soon  learned  the  evil  results 
of  doing  nothing  special  for  children  on  Lord's  day, 
and  thus  I  turned  from  my  mistake  on  that  ques- 
tion. Finally,  I  thought  I  could  do  much  good  by 
conducting  Bible-readings  of  weeks  and  months,  to 
encourage  disciples  in  studying  the  Bible.  But  I 
soon  learned  that  such  readings  were  used  by  cer- 
tain ones  to  become  preachers  too  soon !  Therefore 
I  quit  conducting  such  readings.  To  this  I  should 
add  that  mental  philosophy  was  the  domain  of 
learning  in  which  I  found  my  greatest  natural  de- 
light. But  a  sister  said  to  me  that  my  preaching 
was  "metaphysical."  Then  I  laid  aside  my  books 
on  mental  philosophy  and  devoted  myself  wholly  to 
the  Bible.  That  was  when  I  was  about  27  years  of 
age.  And  from  that  time  onward  I  have  studied 
the  Bible  to  learn  what  it  declares  and  for  my  own 
spiritual  good. 

Benjamin  Franklin  (our  Gospel  preacher  and 
founder  of  the  Review)  was  misled  in  two  or  three 
particulars  in  his  earlier  years  as  a  preacher  and 
writer.  But  when  he  saw  the  evil  results  of  what 
he  had  adopted  in  those  particulars  he  turned  from 
them.  I  have  acted  on  the  same  principle.  The 
tree  is  known  by  its  fruit,  and  a  doctrine  is  known 
by  its  practical  outworkings  commonly  designated 
as  "results."     Franklin  told  me  that  he  thought  in 


220       THE  SCROLL 

his  early  years  that  he  could  endure  anything,  or 
as  he  said  to  me,  "I  thought  nothing  could  break 
me  down,"  But  I  was  different  from  him  in  that 
respect,  for  I  thought  that  if  I  could  maintain  good 
health  till  I  would  become  40  years  of  age,  I  might 
endure  a  while  longer,  I  am  at  this  date  (Jan.  1, 
1936)  within  eleven  days  of  completing  my  86th 
year,  and  still  in  good  health. 


E.  C,  Lindeman,  in  Survey  Graphic  says :  It  is 
extremely  difficult  to  write  about  John  Dewey's 
new  Logic  when  all  one's  impulses  lead  one  to  wish 
to  write  about  John  Dewey,  the  man.  As  his  eigh- 
tieth birthday  comes  near,  the  wonder  and  the 
greatness  of  him  cause  awe  to  arise  within  me.  It 
is  still  too  early  to  place  him  in  the  sequence  of  the 
great  American  thinkers  because  one  feels  that  he 
has  other  surprises  in  store  for  us ;  his  fertile  mind 
simply  will  not  stand  still  and  on  the  verge  of  eighty 
he  chooses,  not  some  light  and  airy  comment  upon 
contemporary  life,  but  rather  the  most  difficult  of 
all  tasks,  namely  the  explication  of  his  dynamic 
theory  of  logic.  I  know,  of  course,  where  Dewey 
stands  in  my  affections  as  well  as  in  historic  ap- 
praisal :  he  gives  luster  to  my  favorite  group  of 
American  greatness  which  includes  Emerson, 
Peirce,  James,  Holmes  and  Henry  Adams.  Out  of 
the  thought  of  this  group  of  thinkers  comes  the 
warp  and  woof  of  whatever  isi  characteristic  in 
American  philosophy. 

I  wish  I  knew  how  to  say  what  I  have  to  say  about 
Dewey's  logic  in  such  manner  as  to  entice  the  non- 
professionals ;  the  professional  philosophers  will 
read  this  book  as  a  matter  of  course,  but  it  has  an 
importance  and  a  timeliness  for  the  laymen  as  well 
and,  after  all,  what  good  is  there  in  developing  fine 
thinkers  among  the  professors  if  the  thinking  of 
the  masses  does  not  improve? 


THE  SCROLL 221 

Secretary  De  Groot's  Note 

Iwo  iron  men! 

See  how  they  work ! ! 

They  pay  your  dues  at  the  Institute, 

They  finance  your  squibs  in  the  Scroll,  to  boot, 

They  quiet  the  "Please !"  of  that  man  DeGroot, 

Two  iron  men! 

This,  gentle  reader,  hence  and  forever  is  the 
Treasurer's  Hymn  of  the  Campbell  Institute.  It  is 
the  brain  child  of  Fellow  E.  E.  Elliott,  Kansas  City's 
caterer  to  gentlemen's  gentlyemen. 

We  recommend  that  all  meetings  of  the  Institute 
be  opened  with  the  solemn  chanting  of  this  Declara- 
tion of  Fiscal  Principle,  done  in  moving  procession, 
the  same  filing  by  a  table  at  the  front  of  the  hall, 
whereupon  each  member  shall  lay  his  two  iron  men. 


'The  Curtain  CalT' 

Neva  Nicholson,  Pasadena,  California 
"Wilt  thou  move  forth  in  majesty,  my  Spirit, 
When  God's  great  organ  sounds  the  chords  for 

thee? 
Or  wilt  thou  come  gaily,  lightly,  like  a  bird  flitting 

liltingly? 
Wilt  thou  wait  for  marching  music,  0  my  Spirit, 
Fanfare  of  trumpets  and  roll  of  drums? 
Or  wilt  He  bid  thee  come  with  slow,  hushed  foot- 
falls. 
Softly  as  the  south  breeze  comes? 
0  spirit,  wilt  thou  leave  thy  earthly  temple 
While  joyous  anthems  echo  from  the  dome, 
Or  wilt  thou  come  rapturously  with  eager  laughter 
Like  a  child — speeding  straight  home? 
0  God,  whatever  music  Thou 

Mayest  choose  to  play  for  me. 
Help  my  heart  to  catch  the  rhythm, 
And  my  soul  keep  step  with  Thee!" 


222 THE  SCROLL 

Church  or  Churches? 

Does  "the  Church"  mean  to  you  a  general  term 
for  churches,  in  the  sense  that  "the  home"  is  a 
general  term  for  particular  homes,  and  "the  school" 
a  general  term  for  all  particular  schools?  Please 
answer  "yes"  or  "no"  and  add  comments,  typewrit- 
ten, within  the  space  of  a  postal  card. — Ed. 

W.  C.  Bower:  Yes,  I  think  of  the  church  as  you 
have  described  it  in  your  inquiry.  I  think  of  it  as 
a  general  term  for  many  specific  and  concrete  par- 
ticular instances  of  organized  groups  of  Christians. 
This  I  hope  to  be  true  not  only  of  many  contem- 
porary churches,  but  of  churches  in  their  historical 
development,  during  which  they  have  undergone 
many  changes  in  relation  to  their  changing  social 
and  cultural  environment. 

S.  C.  Kincheloe:  "The  church"  means  for  me  a 
general  term  for  churches  in  the  sense  that  "the 
home"  is  a  general  term  for  particular  homes  or 
"the  school"  a  general  term  for  particular  schools. 
My  answer  to  your  question  is  yes, 

Simon  M.  Davidian :  YES— when  I  think  of  "The 
Church"  it  means  to  me  ALL  those  "who  are  called 
out"  to  serve  Christ  and  the  Kingdom  of  God.  They 
may — and  many  are — members  of  a  visible  organi- 
zation but  there  are  countless  who  are  not.  Thus 
the  Church — to  me — are  the  "righteous"  and  those 
who  are  serving  the  spiritual  ends  we  find  in  our 
Christ.  I  never  think  of  "The  Church"  in  terms  of 
the  Disciples  or  even  the  Protestants  or  any  sepa- 
rate group.  My  prayer  is  that  our  Brotherhood 
might  be  a  very  valuable  part  of  "the  Church."  and 
our  chief  "work"  is  to  make  this  prayer  good. 

Fred  W.  Heifer:  A  safe  answer  is  yes  and  no.  I 
think  of  the  church  as  a  fellowship  of  those  who 
love  God,  who  love  one  another,  and  who  perform  a 
loving  ministry, 


THE  SCROLL  223 


Editor's  Notes 


We  hope  we  have  found  a  method  of  finding  out 
more  about  how  Disciple  men  think  concerning  im- 
portant questions.  The  prompt  replies  in  response 
to  the  inquiry  on  our  inheritance  are  encouraging. 

The  question  in  regard  to  the  meaning  of  church 
and  churches  will  have  further  answers  in  the  next 
issue.  Whether  the  answers  agree  is  not  so  im- 
portant as  it  is  to  find  out  what  we  think  and  to  stir 
further  thought  on  the  subject. 

The  Editor  has  been  moving  around  some  lately. 
He  got  as  far  as  New  York  on  February  6  to  visit 
Polly  who  was  giving  her  first  art  show.  We  saw 
Dr.  Idleman  and  George  Earl  Owen  and  wife,  and 
many  other  dear  friends.  Mrs.  Ames  stopped  at 
Cincinnati  on  the  way  back  to  see  our  great  grand- 
son, and  he  is  great!  Ye  editor  went  to  Bethany 
and  spoke  at  chapel  on.  The  Ministry  as  a  Profes- 
sion, and  interviewed  a  number  of  students  about 
our  new  scholarship  plan  in  the  Disciples  Divinity 
House.  On  the  eleventh  Dr.  Irvin  Lunger,  now  as- 
sociate minister  of  the  University  Church,  Chicago, 
was  married  to  Miss  Eleanor  Zink,  of  Steubenville, 
Ohio,  in  the  Methodist  Church  to  which  her  family 
belong.  She  is  a  graduate  of  Bethany  and  has  been 
teaching  English  in  the  Steubenville  high  school. 

Mr.  Harold  Lunger,  now  a  student  at  Yale,  is 
coming  to  Chicago  early  in  March  to  succeed  F.  E. 
Davison  as  minister  of  the  Austin  Boulevard 
Church.  When  and  where  has  it  happened  before 
that  two  brothers  were  ministers  in  the  same  city 
and  of  different  congregations  ?  We  expect  the  cause 
to  jump  forward  in  Chicago! 

Dr.  S.  Vernon  McCasland,  of  Goucher  College, 
Baltimore,  has  been  chosen  to  succeed  Professor  W. 
M.  Forrest  as  Professor  of  Religion  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Virginia  next  f^Il,    Professor  Forrest  is 


224 THE  SCROLL 

retiring  after  a  very  notable  work  in  that  old  and 
very  important  university. 

Robert  C.  Lemon,  of  the  Irving  Park  Church, 
Chicago,  has  been  chosen  to  take  charge  of  the  Chi- 
cago Disciples  Union.  He  will  not  be  expected  to 
do  all  the  things  that  Perry  J.  Rice  did  for  the  Chi- 
cago churches  but  he  will  be  a  middle  man  for  all 
of  our  interests.  You  will  see  by  Mr.  Davison's 
farewell  words  in  this  issue  how  he  and  "Bob" 
Lemon  were  bound  together  in  all  kinds  of  things 
in  the  last  fifteen  years. 

Look  at  the  "leading"  churches  of  Disciples  in 
this  country  listed  in  the  new  Year  Book  and  see 
how  many  of  the  first  hundred  have  Institute  men 
as  ministers.  They  get  members,  money,  and 
power  for  the  Cause. 

What  subjects  would  you  like  to  have  on  the 
program  of  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Institute 
during  the  first  two  weeks  of  next  August?  We 
hope  to  print  some  indication  of  the  matters  for 
discussion  in  the  next  number  of  this  organ  of  the 
faithful. 

The  Institute  members  in  the  vicinity  of  St. 
Louis  responded  to  a  call  from  Hampton  Adams  for 
a  regional  meeting  there  on  the  27th  of  January. 
Other  cities  should  arrange  for  such  meetings. 
They  hearten  us  all  and  sometimes  shed  light! 
Among  those  present  were  Adams,  Willett,  Arm- 
strong, Lhamon,  C.  E.  Lemmon,  Agee,  Shelton, 
Moseley,  Stone  and  Ames. 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVI  APRIL,  1939  No.  8 

Assessment  of  Replies 

Herbert  Martin,  University  of  Iowa 
The  question :  "Does  'the  Church'  mean  to  you  a 
general  term  for  churches,  in  the  sense  that  'the 
home'  is  a  general  term  for  particular  homes,  and 
'the  school'  a  general  term  for  all  particular 
schools?"    Answer  "Yes"  or  "No." 

Of  34  responses,  18  answered  definitely  "Yes." 
One  other,  possibly  two,  under  interpretation,  may 
bring  the  affirmative  replies  to  20.  Five  answered 
definitely  "No."  The  "No"  of  one,  in  his  comments, 
really  becomes  a  "Yes."  Another  by  interpretation 
may  be  added,  making  6  negative  replies  in  all. 
Four,  shall  we  say  more  agile  minds,  dissatisfied 
with  an  Aristotelian  "either-or"  logic,  following  He- 
gel responded  "Yes  and  No."  Employing  interpre- 
tation again,  this  number  may  be  increased  to  5. 
One  answered  "Yes  but"  which  later  emerges  as 
"Yes — and."  This  respondent  gently  protested  the 
intimation  of  the  Editor  of  the  Scroll  that  the  con- 
tent even  of  his  "and"  could  be  suggested  on  a  post- 
card. One  reply,  under  interpretation,  yielded  in 
substance  "I  know  until  you  ask  me."  One  remained 
uncertain  even  after  interpretation  had  done  its 
utmost. 

Among  the  "Yes"  responses  traces  of  mysticism 
are  discoverable.  There  is  no  negative  implication 
here  as  the  status  of  mysticism  seems  to  have  im- 
proved since  the  beginning  of  the  century.  "The 
Church"  is  strongly  Jesus-centered.  It  consists  of 
groups  of  persons  everywhere  who  sincerely  strive 
to  know  and  make  effective  the  will  of  God  as  re- 
vealed in  Jesus.  It  recognizes  and  includes  Non- 
Disciple  churches.  Its  motto  is  loyalty  to  the  JesUvS 
way.    There  is  no  emphasis  on  creeds 


226  THE  SCROLL 

Some  reasons  for  the  "No"  answers  are :  "The 
Church"  is  an  organic  concept  and,  therefore,  is 
more  than  the  aggregate  of  individual  churches.  It 
is  wider  than  Christian;  it  includes  all  workers  for 
righteousness  of  whatever  affiliation,  yes  and  non- 
affiliated as  well.  The  "Yes"  and  "No"  group  accord 
a  reality  to  "the  Church"  as  well  as  to  the  churches, 
the  meaning  depending  on  the  context. 

The  relation  of  "the  Church"  and  the  churches 
brings  up  the  old  medieval  question,  stemming  from 
Plato  and  Aristotle,  of  nominalism,  realism,  and 
conceptualism.  This  question  found  explicit  utter- 
ance in  one  response  and  is  present  by  implication 
in  others.  Does  the  universal  or  concept,  in  this 
instance  "the  Church",  exist,  as  for  Plato,  in  a  world 
apart  from  particular  things,  or  is  the  universal 
("the  Church")  but  a  general  name  applied  to  a 
class  of  particulars  (the  churches)  having  no  reality 
outside  these  particulars?  The  former  of  these  as 
we  understand  the  term  is  realism,  the  latter  nomi- 
nalism. Or,  on  the  other  hand,  are  universals  real 
but  existing  only,  as  for  Aristotle,  in  particulars? 
This  is  conceptualism.  Directly  the  issue  is,  is  "the 
Church"  a  reality  in  itself,  is  it  but  a  name  with  no 
objective  reality,  or  is  it  a  reality,  the  constitutive 
form  or  common  denominator  of  the  particular 
churches  without  which  the  churches  would  not  be 
churches,  just  as  oak  trees  would  not  be  oak  trees 
without  the  oak  "form"  or  oakness?  All  this  is  im- 
plied in  the  alternative  to  the  question  of  the  Editor, 
i.  e.,  if  "the  Church"  is  not  a  general  term  for 
churches,  what  is  it?  Perhaps  the  importance  of 
this  for  medievalism  in  some  degree  obtains  even 
outside  Catholicism  today.  The  recent  election  of 
Pius  XII  is  an  instance  of  its  significance  for  the 
Catholic  Church.  Perhaps  iH  is  involved  among 
the  Disciples  in  the  matter  of  representative  con- 
ventions, at  least. 


THE  SCROLL 227 

In  the  perusal  of  these  replies  stimuli  stream  in 
on  one.  In  the  suggestion  that  "the  Church"  in- 
cludes non-Christian  groups  one  remembers  Abe- 
lard's  view  that  the  distance  between  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments  is  greater  than  that  between  Pa- 
ganism and  the  Christian  gospel.  If  the  Christian 
church  is  an  institution  for  the  promotion  of  right- 
eousness, what  should  be  its  attitude  towards,  what 
is  its  relationship  to,  other  so-called  "isms"  each 
with  its  prophet  of  righteousness?  We  are  told  that 
righteousness  obtains  on  the  part  of  many  in  "the 
Church"  but  outside  membership  in  any  local  church. 
Does  this  not  necessitate  an  extension  of  our  view 
of  "the  Church"?  May  there  not  be  two  churches 
within  "the  Church" — ^the  visible  and  the  invisible? 
Are  we  not  one  in  the  invisible  church  of  the  spirit, 
while  division  belongs  in  the  visible  church?  It  is 
Dewey's  distinction  between  religions  and  the  re- 
ligious. The  religious  unites,  while  religions  divide. 
May  not  the  only  real  possible  and  desirable  unity 
of  the  Church  be  that  of  spirit  and  purpose  as  in 
the  invisible  church?  Should  organic  union  ever 
occur  in  the  visible  church  it  will  be  subsequent  to 
and  consequent  upon  the  unity  of  the  invisible 
church. 

Again,  is  there  a  danger  in  our  loyalty  to  the 
Church  of  making  it  a  fetish,  of  confusing  means 
with  ends,  of  forgetting  that  the  Church  is  an  or- 
ganization, an  agency  subsequently  established  for 
the  promotion  and  accomplishment  of  the  ideal  of 
Jesus — the  Kingdom  of  God?  In  respect  to  this  read 
in  the  Christian  Century,  issue  March  15th,  Stanley 
Jones'  assessment  of  the  Madras  Missionary  Con- 
ference. If  we  make  the  Kingdom  first,  then  the 
Church,  as  any  institution,  will  reshape  itself  ac- 
cording to  the  exigencies  of  the  times.  Today  the 
demands  of  the  Kingdom  outrun  the  historic  con- 
cept and  function  of  the  Church,    The  possibilities 


228 THE  SCROLL 

of  the  Kingdom,  the  God-life,  are  in  man.  As  Amiel 
the  philosopher  must  defend  the  humanity  in  man, 
so  the  Church  must  nurture  the  God-potential  in 
man. 

Pardon  two  resulting  observations  that  reveal  in 
me  the  pedagogue  rather  than  the  preacher.  In  my 
use  of  "interpretation"  it  was  interesting  to  me  to 
see  the  difficulty  experienced  in  some  cases  in  ascer- 
taining the  writer's  exact  meaning.  Clarity  of  ex- 
pression and  thought  are  very  intimately  related. 
Would  our  teaching  and  preaching  be  more  effective, 
would  our  professional  status  be  promoted,  by  our 
making  clear  thinking  and  precise  expression  a  defi- 
nite aim?  Then,  "I  knew  until  you  asked  me."  I 
remember  well,  when  Professor  Ladd  asked  his  class 
in  Philosophy  of  Religion  to  write  a  paper  on  Rea- 
sons for  Belief  in  God,  my  feeling  that  that  would 
be  easy  as  I  had  always  so  believed.  Nor  shall  I 
forget  my  embarrassment  when  I  tried  to  put  down 
on  paper  my  reasons,  one,  two,  three,  etc.  I  dis- 
covered that  my  satisfied,  dogmatic  slumber  was 
emotive,  not  reflective.  May  I,  therefore,  propose  as 
an  ideal — the  Preacher  as  Artist  in  Thought  and 
Expression. 


C.  M.  Chilto)!,  St.  Joseph,  Mo.— Yes.  I  think  of 
"the  church"  as  existing  in  a  great  variety  of  forms, 
and  of  some  as  truer  than  others,  but,  to  me,  they 
are  all  churches,  and  they  are  all  included  in  the 
general  term  "the  church." 

A.  L.  Cole,  Omaha,  Neb. — "The  Church"  is  a  gen- 
eral term  in  common  speech  until  someone  breaks  in 
and  says,  "Now  please  tell  me,  just  what  do  you 
mean  by  the  church?"  The  same  is  true  of  "the 
home."  Sad  indeed  that  such  interruptions  are 
necessary  before  the  sense  of  eternal  significance 
begins  to  stir. 

Myron  C.  Cole,  Orange,  Calif. — No.    The  church 


THE  SCROLL  229 

is  more  than  the  sum  total  of  individual  congrega- 
tions. I  consider  it  to  be  that  group  of  any  faith 
who  are  interested  in  the  higher  cultural  and  re- 
ligious state  of  men, 

George  Hamilton  Combs,  Kayisas  City,  Mo. — It 
isn't  a  "yes"  or  "no"  matter,  as  I  see  it.  It's  a  "yes 
but",  or,  more  accurately,  a  "yes — and."  A  book, 
not  a  post  card  sentence  is  in  that  "and." 

James  A.  Crain,  Indiafiapolis — For  many  years 
I  have  thought  of  "the  church"  as  embracing 
the  whole  family  of  God.  Denominations  and  par- 
ticular congregations  of  Christians  are  to  be  thought 
of  as  within  the  wider  term  "the  church."  These 
may  evoke  certain  loyalties,  but  such  loyalties  are 
always,  in  my  thinking,  subordinate  to  the  larger 
and  more  imperative  loyalty  of  the  individual  to  the 
church  as  a  whole. 

Claude  E.  Cummins,  Warren,  0. — My  answer  is 
"No."  I  think  of  the  church  first  and  primarily  as 
a  concrete  and  organized  expression  of  Christian 
cooperation.  It  is  a  congregation  of  believers  in  the 
Jesus  way  of  life  banded  together  for  mutual  sup- 
port and  helpfulness.  They  have  the  added  and 
vitalizing  purpose  of  making  that  way  effective  in 
community  and  world.  As  this  congregation,  or 
church,  recognizes  kindred  spirits  outside  the  or- 
ganized group  and  as  their  life  overflows  and  inter- 
penetrates there  comes  a  sense  of  universal  belong- 
ing which  might  be  termed  "the  church"  as  a  gen- 
eral term.  I  cannot  follow  the  current  trend  toward 
the  church  as  "given"  or  possessing  an  inate  "holy" 
quality  apart  from  the  ongoing  life  of  the  people 
who  make  the  church  what  it  is.  In  short  I  am  in 
no  way,  shape  or  form  a  "dualist."  I  would  grant 
a  psychological  inateness. 

John  L.  Davis,  Lynchburg ,  Va. — Yes.  I  find  it 
difficult  to  understand  those  otherwise  liberal  Chris- 
tians  who   would   make   observance   of  traditional 


230  THE  SCROLL 

forms  and  ceremonies  an  infallible  criterion  for  de- 
termining whether  or  not  a  congregation  or  com- 
munion have  a  place  within  "the  church." 

J .  R.  Ewers,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. — The  church  to  me, 
in  my  general  thinking,  is  an  institution.  It  is  like 
the  home,  the  school,  the  hospital,  the  theatre,  the 
store.  Made  up  of  individual  Christians,  built 
around  the  person  of  Christ,  nevertheless  it  seems 
to  me  to  be  an  institution  caring  for  the  culture  of 
religion,  as  the  hospital  cares  for  the  body.  All  sorts 
of  hospitals  make  up  the  medical  care  of  the  world. 
All  sorts  of  churches  make  up  the  care  for  the 
world's  soul.  By  "soul"  I  mean  the  highest  qualities 
of  men.  I  suppose  I  qualify  the  church  in  Christian 
terms.  By  church  I  do  not  think  of  synagogue  nor 
Buddhist  practice. 

Stephen  Fisher,  Champaign,  III. — To  me  the  term, 
"the  church,"  means  the  church  in  general,  not  any 
specific  church,  as  "First  Christian  Church",  or 
"Central  Church",  but  rather  the  church  as  we  think 
of  the  universal  Christian  movement  and  program. 

S.  G.  Fisher,  hidianapolis — Yes.  In  most  moods. 
Sometimes  I  have  a  "feel" — emotional?  mystical? — 
of  an  organism  as  if  a  hand  were  conscious  of  its 
far  reaching  fellowship  in  the  body — a  "feel"  that 
gives  me  something  of  the  same  thrill  as  that  which 
a  boy  described  as  his  most  joyous:  "of  running 
over  grass  in  the  morning." 

A.  W.  Fortinie,  Lexington,  Kij. — I  think  of  the 
church  as  something  more  than  a  general  term  for 
particular  churches.  If  all  the  particular  churches 
were  to  be  blotted  out,  the  church  as  "the  body  of 
Christ,"  that  is,  those  through  whom  Christ  is  mani- 
fest in  the  world,  would  still  exist.  The  church  of 
which  I  am  a  member  is  more  comprehensive  than 
Central,  or  the  Disciples,  or  all  the  denominations 
taken  together. 


THE  SCROLL  231 

A.  C.  GciTfiett,  Madisofi,  Wis. — No.  It  means  to 
me  that  psychological  group  whose  bond  of  unity 
is  a  common  loyalty  to  Christ  as  leader.  Its  organic 
unity  as  a  psychological  or  spiritual  body  arises 
from  that  common  loyalty.  Time  and  space  do  not 
divide  it.  Functional  organization  within  such  a 
body  may  be  more  or  less  integrated  but  it  does  not 
divide  it  except  in  so  far  as  it  results  in  loyalty 
to  subsidiary  leaders  being  put  before  loyalty 
to  the  Leader.  Churches  are  functional  units  within 
the  organism,  membership  in  which  constitutes 
membership  in  the  whole. 

Earl  N.  Griggs,  Dayton,  0.— "Yes"  or  "No"? 
Yes !  "and  add  comments" — well — Just  as  the  Naz- 
areth Carpenter's  body  was  an  instrument  through 
which  God's  spirit  functioned  then  and  there  so  the 
church  is  an  instrument  through  which  God's  spirit 
functions  now  and  here,  seeking  to  do  in  all  areas 
and  all  eras  that  which  was  done  on  a  few  scattered 
pathways  in  Palestine  during  a  few  years  in  that 
first  century. 

F.  H.  Groom,  Cleveland,  0. — The  church  means  to 
me  a  general  term  for  churches  because  I  think  of 
it  as  the  whole  Christian  world  regardless  of  name 
or  creed.  While  it  is  true  there  is  a  New  Testament 
pattern  for  congregational  organization  there  is  no- 
where authority  for  excluding  any  believer  in  Christ. 

A.  D.  Harmon,  Cable,  Wis. — YES.  When  a  lad 
the  church  meant  to  me  simply  Christian  Churches, 
namely,  churches  of  the  Campbellian  pronounce- 
ment. But  ..now  the  church  signifies  to  me  the  to- 
tality of  Christian  purpose  expressed  in  organized 
Christianity. 

E.  E.  Higdo7i,  Eureka,  III. — "The  Church"  means 
much  more  to  me  than  a  local  institution.  I  do  not 
identify  the  term  with  my  denomination.  I  do  not 
limit  the  term  to  Protestantism  or  to  the  churches  in 


232  THE  SCROLL 

any  one  country.  The  Church  to  me  means — organ- 
ized Christianity,  Christians  everywhere  worshiping: 
the  Christian  God,  doing  Christian  service  and  form- 
ing a  Christian  fellowship. 

R.  W.  Hoffmayi,  Springfield,  Mo. — No.  "The 
home"  and  "the  school"  refer  to  social  institutions 
within  the  total  group.  The  church  may  have  this 
meaning  but  in  its  full  meaning  it  connotes  some- 
thing more  ultimate.  It  involves  the  relationship 
of  persons  to  the  universe  together  with  all  values 
that  grow  out  of  cosmic  and  social  relationships. 

Richard  L.  James,  Birmingham,  Ala. — I  answer 
"yes"  to  your  question.  The  only  concept  of  the 
church  which  I  hold  is  that  derived  from  my  experi- 
ences in  connection  with  congregations  which  as- 
semble in  definite  locations.  This  experience  is  of 
two  kinds :  first  hand,  and  that  which  I  have 
through  the  lives  and  writings  of  others.  From 
these  experiences  come  the  significance  of  the  term 
"the  church."  But  apart  from  these  experiences 
there  is  no  meaning  to  that  term. 

B.  R.  Johnson,  Jackson,  Miss. — My  answer  is  Yes ! 
It  is  very  similar  to  the  concept  of  the  home.  I  think 
of  the  home,  as  the  basic  institution  of  the  race, 
and  it  is  a  universal  institution,  whether  a  tent  or 
a  palace.  Of  course  I  have  my  home  as  I  have  my 
church — the  place  where  I  live  and  where  I  wor- 
ship. The  church  is  a  term  connoting  a  general  idea. 
This  seems  to  me  to  be  the  New  Testament  concep- 
tion, for  what  else  is  meant  by  the  term,  "The 
churches  of  Galatia"?  In  this  one  universal  concept 
I  hold  all  bodies  of  people  who  call  themselves  Chris- 
tian, both  Protestant  and  Catholic.  In  this  sense 
there  is  the  basis  of  unity  for  Christendom. 

Edgar  DeWitt  Jones,  Detroit,  Mich. — Regarding 
your  inquiry  about  my  use  of  the  word  "church,"  I 
use  it  in  two  senses.     I  use  it  in  the  sense  of  the 


THE  SCROLL 233 

local  organization,  which  may  or  may  not  include 
the  building  but  usually  does ;  and  in  the  second 
sense  I  think  of  it  as  the  church  in  the  universal 
sweep — the  one  church,  the  mystical  body  of  Christ, 
and  toward  the  unity  of  this  I  work  and  pray.  I 
may  use  the  word  in  a  third  sense,  but  not  nearly 
so  important  as  these  two  uses.  When  I  say  the 
church  stands  for  this  or  that,  I  am  thinking  of 
the  body  of  truth  for  which  we  all  stand :  certain 
basic  fundamentals,  such  as  justice,  peace  and  right- 
eousness— which  to  a  greater  or  lesser  extent  are 
part  of  our  common  churchly  ideals. 

0.  F.  Jordan,  Park  Ridge,  III. — My  most  vivid  ex- 
perience of  the  church  is  that  in  my  local  congrega- 
tion where  the  practice  of  brotherhood  is  frequent 
and  oft  repeated.  However,  by  conventions,  corre- 
spondence and  common  tasks,  I  come  to  think  of  the 
church  as  being  the  fellowship  of  Christian  people 
throughout  the  world  particularly  known  to  the 
public  as  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  My  cooperation 
with  other  ministers  of  religion  is  largely  through 
this  kind  of  organization.  However,  the  formative 
ideas  that  enrich  my  preaching  often  come  to  me 
through  interdenominational  conventions  and  from 
books  written  by  men  of  various  denominations. 
These  make  me  feel  that  I  belong  to  a  church  that 
is  Catholic  in  the  sense  of  being  worldwide.  I  would 
wonder  then  if  I  am  quite  ready  to  vote  "y^s"  or 
"no"  on  your  questionnaire.  I  know  a  funny  story 
about  a  man  who  was  asked  to  vote  "yes"  or  "no" 
on  the  question  "Have  you  quit  beating  your  wife?" 

Robert  C.  Lemon,  Chicago — "The  church"  to  me 
is  a  general  term.  It  stands  for  all  churches  which 
are  concerned  with  the  problem  of  keeping  alive  and 
effective  the  spirit  and  teachings  of  Jesus,  both  in 
the  lives  of  individuals  and  in  the  life  of  our  world. 

W.  J.  Lhamon,  Columbia,  Mo. — In  your  question- 


234  THE  SCROLL 

naire  you  say,  "answer  yes  or  no."  I  answer  yes 
and  no.  The  term  "church"  is  either  generic  or  spe- 
cific according  to  the  context.  St.  Paul  uses  it  often 
specifically  for  this  or  that  local  congregation.  But 
generically  also  as  in  Gal.  1:13.  One  uses  the  term 
correctly  for  a  house  of  worship.  Also  for  a  local 
congregation.  Also  for  a  denomination.  Also  for 
such  a  politico-religious  institution  as  Roman  Cath- 
olicism. Also  for  "the  elect  of  God"  wherever, 
whenever  and  forever.  All  depends  on  connections 
and  context. 

Clinton  Lockhart,  Fort  Worth,  Tex. — Yes.  I  am 
accustomed  to  use  "the  church"  in  a  general  sense, 
restricted  by  the  context.  The  broadest  sense  is  the 
whole  body  of  believers  on  earth,  not  intending  to 
pass  judgment;  as,  "The  church  should  save  the  na- 
tion from  many  wrongs." 

,/.  W.  McKinney,  Wichita  Falls,  Tex. — Yes.  I  find 
that  the  word  "church"  is  finding  its  place  in  our 
everyday  vocabulary  as  referring  to  the  church  in 
general  as  does  the  word  "home"  refer  to  the  home 
in  general.  This,  no  doubt,  grows  out  of  the  fact 
that  more  and  more  people  are  coming  to  recognize 
that  the  church  is  not  bounded  by  the  denomina- 
tional lines  of  their  own  communions.  Such  recog- 
nition in  our  everyday  speech  is  surely  having  a 
unifying  effect  on  Christians  everywhere.  Denomi- 
national lines  are  becoming  dimmer  as  the  New 
Testament  conception  of  "the  church"  grows. 

Wilford  H.  McLain,  Norwood,  0. — No.  "The 
church,"  to  me,  means  that  every  growing  spiritual 
organism  composed  of  God  and  all  those  spirits  who 
have  been  and  are  growing  into  the  working  toward 
the  ideals  presented  by  Jesus,  including  the  influ- 
ences emanating  from  this  organism.  The  relation 
of  any  given  professing  Christian,  local  church  or 
denomination  to  this  organism  is  determined  by  the 


THE  SCROLL 235 

attitude  and  ideals  of  that  Christian  or  that  body. 

Raymond  Morgan,  Wilson,  N.  C. — Yes  and  No. 
Like  most  other  important  questions  yours  should 
be  answered  "yes"  and  "no."  "The  Church"  is  a 
general  term  for  churches,  but  it  is  more  than  that. 
"The  United  States"  means  more  than  the  collection 
of  48  states.  Many  wholes  are  more  than  the  sum 
of  their  parts.  "The  Church"  has  a  timeless  refer- 
ence denied  to  individual  churches.  All  the  Chris- 
tians of  the  past  have  fellowship  in  "the  church," 
as  do  those  yet  unborn.  "The  Church"  possesses  a 
unity  above  and  beyond  the  unity  of  existing 
churches.  If  there  were  no  churches  there  would 
be  no  "church,"  and  yet  "the  church"  is  more  than 
all  existing  churches  because  of  its  organic  struc- 
ture. And  I  believe  the  same  can  be  said  of  "the 
home"  and  "the  school." 

Warner  Muir,  Marion,  III. — No.  Just  as  many 
Christians  are  not  Christian  save  in  name,  many 
churches  are  not  churches  save  in  name.  "The 
Church"  must  be  an  idealistic  conception — a  stand- 
ard or  goal  for  the  churches.  The  term  "the  church- 
es" includes  all  types  and  forms  of  religious  groups, 
even  Jewish  and  (often)  pagan  or  humanist  groups. 
Some  of  these  churches  approximate  the  ideal,  oth- 
ers are  travesties  of  the  ideal.  "The  Church"  con- 
sists of  those  churches  and  those  individuals  (mem- 
bers of  any  church)  who  aproximately  express  the 
ideals  of  Jesus. 

Ralph  W.  Nelson,  Enid,  Okla.— Yes.  With  Wil- 
liam of  Occam,  I  am  a  nominalist  on  this  point. 
While  I  see  evidences  for  concluding  that  God  in- 
tended, and,  through  Jesus,  ordained  the  establish- 
ment of  the  social  institution  that  we  call  the  church 
by  the  apostles,  I  think  the  Holy  Spirit  deprived 
none  of  them  of  their  human  freedom.  In  short, 
Jesus  left  this  work  to  be  done  by  men  with  what- 


236 THE  SCROLL 

ever  perfection  their  success  in  learning  and  doing 
his  will  might  permit.  So,  today  the  Christians  of 
every  community  are  free  to  make  their  particular 
church  as  Christlike  as  their  own  touch  with  Jesus 
permits;  and  by  this  example  contribute  Christlike- 
ness  by  social  contagion  to  other  and  all  churches. 

Roger  T.  Nooe,  Nashville,  Tenn. — Yes  and  No.  To 
me,  the  Church  is  the  Ecumenical  Fellowship,  actual 
and  ideal,  with  all  its  potential  glory  and  it  is  the 
congregation  in  worship  and  work  in  Discipleship 
and  dynamic  influence. 

Kenneth  B.  Boweyi,  Covington,  Kij. — My  answer  to 
your  question  is  "Yes."  The  real  church  is  holy, 
catholic,  and  apostolic ;  and  is  far  greater  than  any 
current  institution  wearing  a  man-made  denomina- 
tional label.  The  true  "body  of  Christ"  is  cosmic ; 
hence  eternal,  spiritual,  mystical  and  holy.  To  add 
any  qualifying  adjective  to  the  church,  such  as: 
"Roman",  "Greek",  "Coptic",  Lutheran",  and  even 
"Campbellite",  disqualifies  such  an  institution  in 
claiming  to  be  ecumenical.  Merel}^  to  mention 
"Roman"  and  "Catholic"  in  the  same  breath ;  or 
"The  American  Dutch  Reformed  Protestant  Church 
of  China"  is  enough  to  make  the  archangels  weep. 
The  very  greatest  experience  we  had  at  the  Oxford 
Conference  on  Life  and  Work  has  been  summarized 
in  these  words :  "Men  and  women  went  there  think- 
ing of  the  churches  and  came  away  thinking  and 
talking  about  the  church — invisible,  eternal,  spirit- 
ual— more  real  than  the  broken  ranks  of  those  who 
call  themselves  Christian  and  forget,  when  they  use 
the  word,  that  there  can  be  only  one  family  of  the 
Lord,  however  many  earthly  homes  the  family  may 
inherit." 


THE  SCROLL     237 

Form  Criticism  and  Union 

ByS.  Verno7i  McCasland,  Gaucher  College,  Baltimore 

The  real  point  which  I  have  in  mind  is  to  indicate 
the  implication  of  present  New  Testament  scholar- 
ship in  particular  form  criticism,  for  the  Disciples 
plea  for  a  united  church.  Since  the  time  of  Camp- 
bell the  Disciples  have  called  for  union  on  the  basis 
of  the  New  Testament.  In  the  nature  of  the  case, 
space  is  too  limited  here  for  a  full  exposition  of  the 
subject.  What  I  shall  do  is  to  state  what  I  consider 
the  bearing  of  form  criticism  on  the  New  Testament 
and  to  indicate  the  kind  of  unity  which  existed 
among  the  disciples  of  the  first  century.  I  shall  have 
to  leave  to  the  reader  the  perhaps  more  difficult 
task  of  formulating  a  really  Biblical  plea  for  unity 
today. 

It  was  confidence  in  human  reason  which  drove 
Campbell  away  from  dogmatic  creeds  and  led  him 
back  to  the  New  Testament.  He  assumed  that  every 
intelligent  man  could  interpret  this  for  himself  and 
that  the  New  Testament  thus  approached  would 
speak  with  an  unambiguous  voice  for  the  unity  of 
the  church.  He  performed  his  service  and  stopped 
there.  It  was  for  the  Biblical  scholarship  of  a  cen- 
tury since  Campbell's  time  to  raise  the  radical  ques- 
tion whether  the  New  Testament  does  consistently 
speak  with  a  certain  voice  on  every  important  ques- 
tion of  Christian  faith  and  order. 

Form  criticism  happens  to  be  the  method  of  New 
Testament  study  which  is  getting  most  publicity  to- 
day. In  Germany  where  it  originated,  it  is  called 
Formgeschichte.  It  is  only  one  of  a  long  series  of 
methods  which  scholars  have  used  in  an  effort  to 
write  the  literary  and  religious  history  of  early 
Christianity  and  let  us  hope  that  it  will  not  be  the 
last. 


238 THE  SCROLL 

Form  criticism  began  in  the  Old  Testament  and 
was  afterwards  borrowed  by  New  Testament  schol- 
ars. It  deals  almost  exclusively  with  the  Gospels, 
It  is  concerned  with  literature  which  is  supposed  to 
be  anonymous  and  to  have  the  character  of  folklore. 
A  great  deal  of  Biblical  literature  is  anonymous.  Not 
a  single  historical  book  from  Genesis  to  the  Acts  of 
Apostles  has  an  author's  name  attached  to  it.  They 
are  all  anonymous.  That  is  true  of  the  Gospels.  The 
names  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John,  as  authors, 
do  not  occur  in  the  Gospels  themselves  but  have  been 
prefixed  by  traditional  editors.  The  Hebrew  attitude 
toward  historical  books  made  their  contents  com- 
munity material.  That  anonymous  character  sur- 
vives in  the  Gospels. 

Form  criticism  does  not  apply  to  any  truly  auto- 
graphic literature,  such  as  the  prophets  or  the  letters 
of  Paul,  unless  it  can  be  demonstrated  that  these 
writers  have  incorporated  elements  of  a  popular  na- 
ture in  their  books.  A  great  deal  of  our  New  Testa- 
ment does  not  come  within  the  province  of  form 
criticism,  and  must  still  be  approached  by  the  older 
methods  of  historical  and  literary  criticism. 

It  is  obvious  that  our  Gospels  are  anonymous,  but 
it  remains  to  be  proved  that  their  contents  are  all 
equally  anonymous  and  that  they  all  belong  to  the 
category  of  folklore.  My  book  on  the  Resurrection 
of  Jesus,  published  by  Nelson  in  1932,  was  the  first 
American  research  which  made  an  extensive  use  of 
form  criticism.  It  illustrates  the  application  of 
this  method  to  the  closing  scenes  of  the  Gospels. 

It  is  recognized  by  everyone  that  Jesus  did  not 
write  the  Gospels.  It  is  generally  thought  by  schol- 
ars that  about  forty  years  elapsed  between  the  death 
of  Jesus  and  the  writing  of  Mark,  and  that  the  other 
Gospels  were  still  later.  During  those  four  decades 
the  teachings  of  Jesus  and  stories  about  him  were 


THE  SCROLL 239 

preserved  mainly  by  oral  tradition.  They  were  car- 
ried in  the  memories  of  the  disciples.  The  church 
arose  first.  The  New  Testament  came  later.  It  came 
as  the  literary  expression  of  a  life  which  already  ex- 
isted in  the  church.  The  New  Testament  could  not 
possibly  have  been  the  basis  of  unity  in  the  early 
church.  For  forty  years  there  were  no  written  Gos- 
pels, save  perhaps  some  short  fragments ;  and  Jesus 
must  have  done  and  said  many  things  which  were 
not  written  down  and  so  were  forgotten. 

We  must  envisage  a  Christian  community,  in  fact 
many  of  them,  existing  for  forty  years  with  no  writ- 
ten Gospel  in  our  sense  of  the  word.  The  churches 
had  to  rely  on  what  the  older  disciples  who  had 
known  Jesus  could  remember  about  him.  The  only 
Bible  was  the  Old  Testament  which  was  taken  over 
from  Judaism.  Even  after  the  Gospels  were  writ- 
ten about  a  century  passed  before  they  began  to  be 
regarded  as  inspired  scripture  and  as  authoritative. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  letters  of  Paul,  which  were 
written  before  the  Gospels.  The  early  church  had 
no  generally  recognized  authoritative  New  Testa- 
ment until  near  the  close  of  the  second  century. 

What  the  church  relied  on  was  the  community's 
memory  of  Jesus  and  on  the  teaching  of  Christian 
prophets.  This  calls  attention  to  a  fact  about  early 
Christianity  which  has  been  almost  completely  over- 
looked. It  was  a  new  outburst  of  prophecy.  John 
and  Jesus  and  the  apostles,  and  great  numbers  of 
lesser  figures,  were  prophets.  They  believed  pro- 
foundly that  God  was  speaking  through  them.  They 
had  no  need  of  a  new  Christian  Bible.  God  was 
speaking  to  them  directly.  The  record  of  that  pro- 
phetic activity  fills  every  page  of  our  early  Christian 
literature.  Whatever  authority  there  was  in  the  early 
church  was  not  the  authority  of  a  New  Testament; 
it  was  not  an  ecclesiastical  organization  or  power ;  it 


240 THE  SCROLL 

was  purely  and  solely  such  influence  and  authority 
as  any  particular  prophetic  person  was  able  to  in- 
spire or  command. 

This  prophetic  character  of  early  Christianity  is 
the  main  cause  of  the  break  with  Judaism,  for  the 
Jews  believed  that  prophecy  had  ceased  and  that 
God's  will  was  to  be  learned  from  a  study  of  the 
Law.  To  the  Jews  it  seemed  blasphemous  for  these 
prophets  to  disregard  or  defy  the  Law.  The  break 
soon  became  inevitable. 

But  in  time  the  prophetic  activity  itself  began  to 
wane  and  the  older  disciples  who  had  known  Jesus 
began  to  die.  Thus  the  need  for  Gospels  arose.  Men 
began  to  write  down  what  was  remembered  about 
Jesus.  These  records  became  the  Gospels.  It  is  at  this 
point  that  the  history  of  form,  form  criticism,  has  its 
place.  The  Gospel  itself  is  unique  in  the  field  of 
world  literature.  It  is  a  new  literary  type  or  form. 
What  created  this  new  thing?  Within  the  Gospels 
are  separate  stories  and  sayings,  as  well  as  larger 
blocks  of  stories  and  sayings.  What  is  the  history 
behind  these  separate  forms  of  the  Gospel  ma- 
terials? 

Each  literary  form  originated  in  response  to  a 
definite  need  or  situation  in  the  church.  As  a  whole, 
the  Gospel  is  the  cult  story  of  the  new  religion.  It  is 
the  story  of  the  new  Lord.  It  gives  meaning  to  all 
the  ceremonies  practiced  by  early  Christians.  It  is 
the  basis  of  their  personal  experience  and  also  of  the 
community  life  and  fellowship.  We  can  recover  cer- 
tain interests  in  the  life  of  the  church  which  were 
especially  important.  Typical  examples  are  worship, 
the  preaching  to  Jews,  then  to  Greeks  and  Romans, 
the  instruction  of  young  converts,  ethical  regula- 
tions, the  organization  of  the  church  community,  etc. 
Sayings  and  stories  of  Jesus  related  to  any  partic- 
ular need  tended  to  form  a  cluster  and  be  remem- 


THE  SCROLL 241 

bered.  Thus  individual  items  and  also  definite  blocks 
of  material  survived. 

I  can  illustrate  best  by  reference  to  the  particular 
literary  form  w^hich  I  have  studied  most.  I  refer  to 
the  passion  story,  with  emphasis  on  the  resurrection. 
I  think  that  the  passion  and  resurrection  v^ere  the 
original  nucleus  of  the  Gospel  story.  The  first  dis- 
ciple to  believe  that  his  Lord  had  risen  from  the  dead 
was  Simon  Peter.  Of  him  it  was  said,  "The  Lord  is 
risen  indeed,  and  hath  appeared  unto  Simon."  That 
is  the  briefest  and  most  original  form  of  the  Gospel 
story.  In  it  is  the  heart  of  the  new  Christian  faith. 
This  brief  story  was  told  over  and  over.  Soon  other 
stories  and  sayings  of  Jesus  were  added  as  the  need 
caused  them  to  be  recalled.  So  a  process  was  begun 
out  of  which  the  Gospels  grew. 

We  may  assume  that  thus  the  sayings  and  stories 
came  to  have  a  fairly  definite  form  even  before  they 
were  finally  written  down.  In  other  words,  they 
acquired  essentially  their  final  form  during  the  four 
or  five  decades  of  the  oral  tradition.  It  is  on  this 
Gospel  forming  process  that  form  criticism  attempts 
to  throw  light.  It  is  probable  that  one  church  re- 
membered and  preserved  the  traditions  in  one  form, 
and  that  other  churches  remembered  them  some- 
what differently.  Thus  we  account  for  the  revisions 
of  Mark  which  lie  before  us  in  Matthew  and  Luke, 
and  for  John,  which  is  so  radically  diflferent  from 
them  all. 

But  it  is  clear  that  someone  had  to  write  down 
the  oral  tradition  in  each  case.  So  that,  while  it 
may  be  incorrect  to  say  that  the  different  Gospels 
had  authors  in  the  usual  sense,  it  is  obvious  that 
they  had  editors,  who  probably  exercised  some  free- 
dom in  selecting  the  materials,  and  had  much  in- 
fluence on  the  literary  style. 

After  all,  however,  form  criticism  is  purely  a 
literary  method.    It  is  another  step  beyond  the  old 


242 THE  SCROLL 

textual  criticism,  and  the  more  recent  historical  and 
literary  approaches,  but  its  limits  must  be  remem- 
bered. It  can  describe  processes  and  forms,  but  to 
say  that  a  certain  saying  or  story  is  false  or  true 
is  not  within  the  province  of  form  criticism.  That 
final  judgment  can  be  given  only  by  the  scholar  who 
knows  all  the  various  methods  of  literary  and  his- 
torical criticism  and,  in  addition,  is  well  grounded 
in  the  psychology  and  philosophy  of  religion.  Even 
then  he  will  let  fall  adverse  judgments  at  his  peril. 
There  are  many  uncertainties  involved  in  this  field. 
In  many  ways  we  are  groping  in  the  dark  in  regard 
to  the  history  and  life  of  the  early  church. 

The  modern  study  certainly  does  not  demonstrate 
the  falsity  of  the  Gospels.  But  it  throws  a  vivid 
light  on  the  vital  processes  which  formed  them. 
Especially,  it  reveals  the  freedom,  vitality,  and 
spontaneity  of  the  early  Christian  community.  It 
shows  us  the  churches  long  before  the  New  Testa- 
ment was  written,  when  they  were  guided  only  by 
memories  of  Jesus  and  prophetic  inspiration.  The 
prophets  believed  that  they  were  inspired  by  the 
spirit  of  Jesus  which  had  survived  the  grave. 

This  is  a  diflferent  picture  from  what  Alexander 
Campbell  had,  but  I  believe  that  he  would  have 
welcomed  it,  if  the  American  scholarship  of  his  day 
had  known  how  to  paint  it  for  him.  With  it,  his 
appeal  for  unity  would  perhaps  have  been  difl'erent- 
ly  stated,  but  just  as  persuasive,  and  possibly  even 
more  basically  sound.  In  the  early  church  there  was 
great  diversity  in  understanding,  in  practices,  in 
organization,  from  the  very  beginning.  But  there 
was  unity  in  the  faith  that  Jesus  had  risen  from 
the  dead.  Thus  he  had  shown  himself  to  be  the  Christ 
and  had  given  to  men  the  hope  of  immortality.  This 
is  the  Gospel  message  with  which  the  early  disciples 
set  out  to  win  the  world. 


THE  SCROLL _243 

The  Gadget  Worshippers 

Kelly  O'Neall,  Oklahoma  City 

All  hail  civilization,  Gadget  is  God!  We  push 
him,  we  pull  him,  we  turn  him,  we  twist  him.  He 
performs  inconceivable  services  for  us.  But  we  are 
his  slaves.  He  wields  complete  dominion  over  our 
lives.  Every  hour  of  every  day  we  pay  him  tribute 
of  energy  and  effort  and  devotion.  From  the  alarm 
clock's  early  ting-a-ling  to  the  ten-thirty  broadcast 
of  news,  and  so  to  bed,  every  little  moment  has  a 
gadget  all  its  own.  Now  please  let  us  make  it  clear 
at  the  outset  that  we  are  not  opposed  to  gadgets.  A 
gadget  is  harmless  enough  in  itself.  It  is  defined  by 
the  dictionary  (or  if  it  isn't,  it  ought  to  be) ,  as  "any 
instrument  or  device,  fashioned  or  found  by  man, 
and  employed  by  him  for  any  purpose  or  use." 

As  such  it  can  certainly  never  be  denied  that  the 
gadget  has  played  an  enormous  part  in  the  emer- 
gence of  man  from  his  primitive  stage  to  his  present 
stage.  In  fact  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that,  had 
genus  homo  not  possessed  and  used  the  ability  to 
fashion  gadgets,  he  would  be  today  but  a  furtive 
fugitive  hiding  in  the  fastnesses  of  some  remote 
wilderness,  or  long  ago,  he  would  have  been  rendered 
extinct  by  his  more  formidable  adversaries.  More- 
over, it  is  hardly  likely  that  any  sane  person  would 
wish  for  the  abandonment  of  the  business  of 
manipulating  gadgets  and  the  return  to  the  bare 
hand  conflict  with  nature.  Life  might  go  on  without 
can  openers  and  motor  cars,  but  we  should  probably 
find  it  difficult.  Even  the  nudists  seem  to  have  no 
fundamental  objections  to  the  use  of  gadgets  except 
in  the  matter  of  wearing  apparel.  But  it  is  the 
deification  of  the  gadget  that  intrigues  our  interest 
and  excites  our  curiosity.  It  is  the  enormous  adula- 
tion which  today  we  accord  the  gadget  possessor, 
as  such,  and  the  unction  with  which  we  protect  and 


244  THE  SCROLL 

parade  the  gadget  itself,  that  causes  us  to  ask  our- 
selves *'how  did  we  get  that  way?" 

Undeniably,  the  gadget  interest  bulks  far  larger 
than  does  any  other  in  the  mind  of  our  time.  The 
advertising  section  has  replaced  the  Bible  and  the 
classics  as  the  intellectual  and  spiritual  pabulum  of 
the  people.  Plato  and  Aristotle  we  know  not,  but  we 
are  altogether  familiar  with  the  symptoms  and  the 
gadgetary  treatment  for  pink  tooth  brush,  halitosis, 
B.  0.  and  the  schoolgirl  complexion.  We  are  a  little 
hazy  as  to  ethical  theory  and  epistemology,  but  we 
are  up  to  the  minute  on  propellers,  cracked  gasoline, 
bathroom  fixtures  and  scientific  management.  The 
average  woman  spends  ninety-five  per  cent  of  her 
waking  time  thinking  of  the  gadgets  she  needs  and 
the  average  man  spends  ninety-six  per  cent  of  his 
thinking  of  the  gadgets  he  makes  or  sells.  The  stark 
terror  that  pursues  us  all  is  that  there  may  be  some 
device  we  do  not  possess  to  perform  some  service  of 
which  we  never  heard. 

In  the  so-called  civilized  countries  today  most  men 
look  upon  the  gadget  as  the  supreme  power  of  the 
world.  They  do  not  deny  the  existence  of  a  meta- 
physical God.  But  they  do  not  know  nor  very  much 
care  whether  He  is  transcendent  or  immanent  in  His 
cosmos.  To  them  it  seems  a  long,  long  way  from 
the  breakfast  table  to  the  cosmos,  and  the  power  of 
any  deity  so  remote  seems  only  theoretical.  To  them 
it  is  Gadget  by  whom  are  all  things  made  that  are 
made  and  without  whom  is  not  anything  made  that 
is  made.  The  anthropologists  tell  us  that  it  has  re- 
quired approximately  thirty  thousand  years  for  man 
to  so  master  the  use  of  gadgets  as  to  accomplish  his 
present  conquest  of  nature.  We  are  led,  however,  to 
venture  the  statement  that  it  has  required  precisely 
the  same  length  of  time  for  man  to  render  himself 
a  complete  slave  and  an  abject  devotee  in  the  cult  of 
gadget  worshippers.     It  might  easily  be  imagined 


THE  SCROLL 245 

that  the  first  gadget  was  a  rock,  of  such  peculiar 
size  and  shape  as  to  render  it  useful  to  primitive 
man  as  a  missile  to  be  hurled  at  his  enemy  or  his 
prey.  Perhaps  the  second  was  a  club  or  a  stick  with 
which  he  might  increase  the  strength  of  his  blow  or 
the  length  of  his  arm.  It  was  a  great  day  when  man 
learned  that  with  one  rock  he  could  chip  off  the  edge 
of  another,  thus  rendering  it  sharper  and  m,ore  use- 
ful. Who  can  conceive  the  significance  of  moments 
such  as  the  one  when  he  discovered  the  utility  of 
round  gadgets  for  rolling  and  for  the  transportation 
of  burdens,  or  the  one  when  he  first  multiplied  his 
strength  with  a  gadget  of  leverage. 

But  we  are  not  concerned  with  the  history  of 
Gadget  except  as  it  has  a  bearing  upon  his  rise  to 
his  present  status  as  the  supreme  lord  of  human 
life.  Today,  everything  we  eat,  drink,  do  or  desire 
involves  in  some  way  the  operation  of  one  or  many 
mechanical  devices.  However,  it  is  not  this  inter- 
esting fact  that  constitutes  the  dominance  of  Gadget. 
Gadgets  have  long  since  advanced,  in  their  control 
of  human  life,  far  beyond  the  stage  of  their  utility 
or  their  usage.  The  value  of  any  particular  one  is 
no  longer  based  upon  the  answers  to  such  questions 
as,  "what  advantage  does  this  device  serve  in  the 
procuring  of  food  or  the  fabrication  of  garments  or 
shelter?"  "What  does  it  add  in  the  way  of  beauty  to 
nature's  picture  or  solution  to  nature's  mystery?" 
or  even  "How  much  fun  is  to  be  had  in  the  manipula- 
tion of  it?" 

There  undoubtedly  was  a  time  when  man 
treasured  his  implement  because  he  was  able  to 
shear  off  the  bark  of  a  stick  with  it,  pare  away  the 
overlong  nails  from  the  digits  of  his  pedal  extrem- 
ities with  it,  or  drag  his  winter  supply  of  food  over 
rough  ground  to  his  cave  in  it.  But  that  was  in  the 
long  long  ago.  The  gadget  is  no  longer  dependent 
upon  what  it  can  do.  It  is  now,  not  a  secondary  but 
a  primary  value,  not  a  contributory  but  an  ultimate 


246  THE  SCROLL 

good.    It  is  a  "ding  an  sich,"  a  thing  in  itself. 

We  ride  in  our  gadgets  not  because  we  desire  to 
view  and  enjoy  the  landscape,  but  because  gadgets 
are  to  be  ridden  in.  We  make  them  highpowered 
and  streamlined  so  that  we  can  assassinate  time  and 
eliminate  space  in  getting  from  here  to  there,  not 
because  happiness  and  contentment  are  more  avail- 
able in  one  place  than  in  another,  but  because  we 
must  race  and  outdistance  someone  else  in  the  pro- 
cess of  making  or  manipulating  gadgets.  We  stretch 
our  gadgets  across  oceans,  and  use  them,  primarily, 
to  send  each  other  messages  about  more  gadgets. 
And  then  when  the  messages  do  not  give  us  as  much 
advantage  as  we  desire  in  the  matter  of  gadget 
interchange,  we  construct  gadgets  to  destroy  the 
gadgets  of  each  other,  and  along  with  them,  each 
other.  We  devise  beautifully  sensitive  gadgets 
capable  of  filling  the  air  with  music  and  wisdom  and 
love,  and  then,  because  music  and  wisdom  and  love 
are  not  useful  for  the  purpose  of  advertising  gadgets 
we  construct  other  gadgets  and  with  them  fill  the 
air  with  horrible  noises  that  are  more  conducive 
to  this  advertising  purpose. 

There  was  a  time  when  a  gadget  was  a  thing  of 
loveliness,  its  beauty  being  imparted  to  it  by  the 
skillful  hand  of  its  maker.  In  such  a  day  of  course 
it  was  not  just  the  gadget  itself  that  was  admired. 
Its  beauty  was  only  the  reflection  of  the  artistry  of 
its  designer.  It  was  a  personal  and  not  a  purely 
mechanical  excellence.  That,  however,  was  before 
the  complete  development  of  the  system  of  gad- 
getolotry.  Such  is  no  longer  the  case.  We  now  make 
immense  gadgets  to  make  big  gadgets  to  make 
middle  sized  gadgets,  to  make  little  gadgets. 

Now  please  let  us  state  again  that  we  have  no 
particular  quarrel  either  with  Gadget  or  with  the 
gadgetoloters.  We  do,  however,  have  one  complaint. 
We   believe  that   life   would    probably   be   a    little 


THE  SCROLL 217 

simpler  and  more  enjoyabe  if,  in  practical  usage, 
the  gadget  should  be  returned  to  its  ancient  status 
as  a  utilitarian  instrument  and  compelled  to 
vindicate  its  value  on  the  basis  of  its  usefulness. 

Let  us  stop  fitting  the  man  to  the  gadget  and  fit 
the  gadget  to  the  man.  Let  us  have  gadgets,  to  be 
sure.  If  necessary,  let  us  build  them  bigger  and  bet- 
ter. If  men  desire,  let  them  continue  to. give  Gadget 
homage  and  tribute.  But  let  us  stop  operating  the 
world  to  build  gadgets  and  let  us  begin  building 
gadgets  to  operate  the  world.  This  could  be  done 
very  easily,  we  believe,  if  only  we  could  learn  to 
apply  a  very  simple  principle  to  our  general  attitude 
towards  life.  Some  would  call  this  principle  plain 
common  sense,  some  woud  call  it  the  ideal  of  human 
brotherhood,  and  some  would  call  it  the  spirit  of 
Christ. 

We  believe  that  the  present  gadget  procedure  in 
the  world  is  an  altogether  unnatural  perversion  of 
the  human  situation.  It  is  not  human  nature  that 
has  produced  the  gadget  scramble,  but  it  is  the 
gadget  scramble  that  has  perverted  human  nature. 
The  frenzy  of  the  gadget  phobia  is  a  result  of  man's 
misconception  of  the  gadget,  and  if  this  misconcep- 
tion were  corrected  that  frenzy  would  be  relaxed. 
If  human  beings  should  ever  learn  that  the  gadget 
was  made  for  man  and  not  man  for  the  gadget,  then 
they  would  stop  sacrificing  themselves  to  the  Great 
God  Gadget,  and  start  using  the  gadget  to  build 
themselves. 

We  believe  in  gadgets.  We  believe  that  man's 
achievement  in  establishing  himself  as  a  conqueror 
of  the  earth  in  the  short  interval  between  ice  ages  is 
altogether  due  to  his  ability  to  make  and  use  them. 
But  we  believe  that  the  ultimate  significance  that 
attaches  to  that  achievement  will  become  apparent 
only  when  he  succeeds  in  conquering  the  gadget  with 
which  he  has  conquered  the  earth, 


248 THE  SCROLL 

The  Story  of  My  Life 

Chas.  A.  Stevens,  Olathe,  Kansas 
My  father  was  born  in  Itzehoe,  province  of  Hol- 
stein,  Denmark,  in  January,  1805.  At  17  years  of 
age  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  carpenter  for  three 
years.  He  began  at  the  bottom  and  by  patience  and 
practice  became  a  skillful  carpenter,  besides  being 
a  good  millwright  and  draftsman.  To  avoid  mili- 
tary service  his  father  purchased  his  release  from 
the  closing  months  of  his  apprenticeship  and  ob- 
tained a  passport.  He  and  my  father  left  home  never 
to  return.  He  passed  along  the  southern  end  of  the 
Baltic,  went  almost  to  St.  Petersburg,  south  through 
Moscow  and  the  Balkan  regions,  through  Hungary, 
Austria,  Bohemia,  Bavaria,  Wurtenberg  and  Baden 
and  ending  at  Strassburg.  This  trip  was  made  on 
foot,  and  walking  and  working  covered  thirteen 
years.  At  Strassburg  he  took  the  diligence  via  Paris 
to  Havre  de  Grace  and  came  to  New  York,  and  set- 
tled in  Buffalo.  He  worked  in  and  around  Buffalo 
and  in  nearby  parts  of  Ontario,  then  called  Canada 
West. 

My  mother  was  born  in  1826  near  Minden  in 
Westphalia  on  March  28.  When  18,  in  company 
with  five  other  girls,  she  ticketed  for  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  via  Baltimore.  Almost  in  sight  of  land  a  sud- 
den squall  dismasted  the  ship  and  drove  them  out 
to  sea.  After  many  stormy  days  they  landed  in 
New  York  and  went  as  far  as  Buffalo.  They  were 
from  April  till  August  on  the  Atlantic.  She  told 
many  amusing  incidents  about  her  efforts  trying  to 
learn  English.  A  few  years  later  she  met  my 
father. 

I  was  born  on  Sept.  25,  1850,  the  second  child. 
The  first,  a  daughter,  died  very  early.  I  was  chris- 
tened in  St.  John's  Lutheran  Church  and  given  the 
name  of  Charles  August  for  two  uncles.  About  1855 
we  moved  to  Berlin  (now  Kitchener).    These  were 


THE  SCROLL 249 

the  days  of  bluepeach  switches  and  hardwood  rulers, 
and  shoulders,  hands  and  finger  tips  often  felt  their 
sting-.  There  were  two  teachers.  Mr.  Young  and 
Mr.  Strang,  and  the  latter  was  true  to  name.  He 
was  cruel  in  his  punishing.  My  own  right  hand 
felt  the  ferocity  of  his  blows  with  a  hardwood  ruler. 
Complaints  of  pupils  and  parents  finally  forced  his 
removal.  His  successor,  Mr,  Pearce,  was  a  different 
man.  He  kept  no  instruments  of  torture  in  his 
room,  always  had  good  order,  and  the  pupils  loved 
him. 

In  Berlin  mother  came  in  contact  with  the  Swed- 
enborgians  and  her  oldest  sister  and  husband  and 
herself  united  with  them.  Soon  after,  one  evening 
the  minister  and  some  of  the  members  came  to  our 
home  and  father,  my  oldest  sister  and  myself  were 
again  baptized  and  taken  into  membership. 

While  setting  up  machinery  in  a  tannery,  my 
father  became  acquainted  with  a  workman  in  it, 
named  Charles  Flohr.  He  had  a  sour,  morose  dis- 
position. He  suggested  a  partnership  to  my  father, 
and  father  accepted.  The  shipping  then  was  by  boat 
in  summer  and  by  team  and  sleigh  in  winter.  Lake 
Huron  was  at  the  door  and  plenty  of  hemlock  bark 
nearby  made  Port  Elgin,  Bruce  County,  Ontario,  a 
suitable  place. 

The  partnership  with  Flohr  did  not  last  many 
years.  At  the  close  of  the  partnership  father  had 
some  experience  added  but  less  money.  He  con- 
tinued the  business  with  the  aid  of  a  man  sent  up 
from  Berlin.  I  was  now  often  called  upon  to  help 
in  all  sorts  of  work,  and  had  to  be  both  apprentice 
and  master  workman.  When  our  man  left  us,  the 
most  of  the  work  fell  upon  me.  In  order  to  keep 
up  the  work,  many  a  night  did  I  stand  in  the  old 
tannery  and  work  until  12:00,  1:00,  and  even 
2:00  o'clock,  and  occasionally  all  night,  while  the 
rest  of  the  family  were  asleep. 


250 THE  SCROLL 

The  schools  of  Canada  have  usually  been  placed 
on  an  equality  with  those  of  the  United  States.  Our 
teachers  then  were  Samuel  N.  Moyer  and  his  wife. 
Mr.  Moyer  took  special  interest  in  such  as  showed  a 
real  desire  for  an  education.  He  took  me  as  far 
as  the  20th  problem  in  geometry  and  gave  a  good 
start  in  algebra.  He  opened  a  night  school  of  book- 
keeping, When  work  at  home  forbade  my  attend- 
ance at  school,  he  invited  me  to  his  home  for  eve- 
ning study.  I  tried  it  for  a  time,  but  the  work  de- 
manded too  much  of  my  strength  and  I  had  to  forego 
the  privilege.  He  strongly  urged  my  father  to  send 
me  to  the  Teachers  Normal  in  Toronto,  assuring 
him  that  I  could  in  a  few  years  repay  him,  but 
father  did  not  feel  able  to  take  the  risk.  The 
thought  of  him  and  his  interest  in  me  awakens  a 
feeling  of  deepest  gratitude  for  this  noble  teacher. 

In  a  large  family  there  is  always  much  for  mother 
to  do.  Spinning,  mending,  darning,  knitting,  and 
what  not.  Especially  in  winter,  she  would  hustle 
all  the  family  to  bed,  and  she  would  sit  up  alone 
until  midnight  and  work,  and  take  her  rest  in  the 
morning.  Usually,  while  knitting  she  would  have 
her  German  Lutheran  Hymnbook,  her  Bible,  and 
a  book  of  Hofacker's  sermons  or  Armdt's  Wahre 
Christenthum  on  the  table  before  her.  Many  a  night 
I  insisted  on  being  with  her.  for  I  did  not  like  to 
think  of  her  being  alone  and  at  work.  I  usually 
sat  upon  the  floor,  leaning  by  head  against  her  knee 
and  listening  to  her  singing  and  reading.  Occasion- 
ally, I  asked  her  questions,  many  of  which  she  could 
not  answer.  Doubtless,  this  had  much  to  do  with 
the  development  of  confidence  between  us  that  did 
not  exist  between  her  and  others  of  the  family.  To 
me  she  disclosed  many  a  heartache  that  the  rest 
did  not  know. 

Near  the  close  of  March,  1868,  mother  and  I  went 
to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.    My  mother  and  her  oldest  brother 


THE  SCROLL 251 

arranged  the  conditions  of  the  first  year  of  my  serv- 
ice and  I  started  out  to  become  a  plasterer  and  a 
bricklayer.  For  the  next  four  or  five  years  I  lived 
in  an  altogether  different  atmosphere.  Saloons  were 
plentiful  and  it  was  a  common  thing  to  drop  off  the 
work  and  get  a  drink.  At  home  I  had  learned  the 
taste  of  beer,  wine  and  liquor.  Our  mother  occa- 
sionally made  a  soup  of  beer  and  toasted  bread  of 
which  we  children  were  very  fond.  During  the 
second  year  of  my  service  my  eyes  were  opened  as 
never  before  to  the  evils  of  excess ;  sprees  were 
longer  and  more  frequent  with  some  of  the  best 
workmen,  and  I  resolved  that  I  would  not  travel  that 
way,  and  QUIT  the  habit.  I  must  say  to  the  credit 
of  the  men  with  whom  I  worked  that  they  com- 
mended me  for  it  and  never  again  invited  me  to 
drink  with  them, 

I  took  my  father's  advice  and  travelled  to  Kansas 
City,  Leavenworth,  Atchison,  St.  Louis,  Memphis, 
Nashville,  Louisville  and  Indianapolis.  My  longest 
working  periods  were  at  St.  Louis  and  at  Indian- 
apolis. Then  I  visited  Buffalo  for  a  week,  and  hear- 
ing that  the  chances  for  work  in  winter  were  better 
in  the  south,  I  made  directly  for  New  Orleans. 

In  April,  1873,  on  Easter  Sunday  I  was  in  St. 
Louis  and  on  my  way  to  Chicago.  Most  of  the  re- 
building after  the  great  fire  had  been  done,  and  the 
city  was  full  of  idle  men.  I  managed  to  get  some 
work  at  plastering  and  was  in  the  city  for  a  little 
more  than  a  month.  One  night  I  boarded  a  freight 
and  on  the  evening  of  June  3rd  found  myself  side- 
tracked at  Kendallville,  Ind.  I  was  now  near  the 
end  of  my  "wanderlust"  and  became  more  settled.  I 
inquired  at  a  meat  shop  about  a  contractor  of  mason 
work,  and  was  pointed  to  a  man  just  then  passing 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  I  obtained  work 
at  once,  and  worked  in  and  around  Kendallville  for 
several  years. 


252  THE  SCROLL 

Here  I  first  came  to  know  the  "Campbellites." 
My  employer  was  an  elder  in  the  church  here.  The 
framework  of  the  building  had  just  been  moved 
from  Lisbon,  two  miles  south  of  Kendallville.  I 
helped  to  lath  and  replaster  the  building  and  to  build 
the  baptistry.  I  attended  the  church,  sang  in  the 
choir  and  was  at  home  in  most  of  the  families  of 
the  church.  Here  I  began  to  find  answers  to  some 
of  my  boyhood  questions.  With  the  Demmon  fam- 
ily I  was  about  as  much  at  home  as  with  my  own 
folks.  The  oldest  son.  Prof.  I.  N.  Demmon,  was  a 
graduate  of  N.  W.  C  U.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  and  later 
was  professor  of  English  in  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and 
spent  the  rest  of  his  days  there.  In  the  fall  of  this 
year  I  took  up  my  permanent  home  with  Mrs.  Carrie 
Butterfield,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Demmon,  because  of 
the  friendship  between  her  son  John  and  myself. 
He  is  still  living  and  our  friendship  is  as  warm  as 
of  old. 

In  the  fall  of  1874  Bro.  M.  L.  Blaney,  a  son-in-law 
of  the  Demmon  family,  then  pastor  of  the  church, 
was  holding  a  revival  and  I  was  the  first  convert.  It 
was  a  surprise  to  almost  all,  for  I  had  been  written 
down  as  adamant  as  far  as  the  church  was  con- 
cerned. The  recital  of  my  experience  of  that  day, 
I  think,  would  be  very  aceptable  to  the  most  rigid 
Baptist  committee.  On  Sunday  evening,  Oct.  24, 
I  was  baptized  in  Bixler  Lake  and  on  Nov.  1st,  1874, 
I  received  the  right  hand  of  fellowship. 

My  awakening  to  a  desire  for  something  more 
permanent  than  brick  and  stone  was  brought  about 
by  the  suggestions  and  counsels  of  Mrs.  Butterfield. 
Her  husband  had  gone  with  another  woman,  leaving 
her  with  a  son,  John,  and  a  daughter,  Julia.  She 
made  her  living  by  sewing  for  tailors  and  at  times 
keeping  boarders.  In  the  evening  while  sewing  she 
would  talk  to  me  about  putting  my  talents  to  better 
use.  Though  I  rarely  left  with  her  feeling  that  she 
had  made  any  impression,  I  usually  lay  awake  for 


THE  SCROLL 253 

hours  thinking  of  the  wisdom  of  her  counsels  and 
suggestions. 

In  February  of  1875,  Bro.  Blaney  began  a  revival 
in  a  small  inland  village  near  LaGrange,  north  of 
Kendallville.  One  Thursday  evening  I  received  a 
short  note  from  him,  saying  that  he  would  not  be 
back  for  Sunday  as  he  had  been,  and  for  me  to 
prepare  a  sermon  on  The  Love  of  God  for  Sunday 
morning,  and  do  as  I  wished  in  the  evening.  When 
I  showed  the  note  to  Mrs.  Butterfield,  she  laughed 
and  said:  "What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?"  I 
replied  :   "I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  try." 


Secretary-Treasurer's  Page 

Wm.  Mullendore,  youthful  patriarch  of  Franklin, 
Indiana,  sends  in  his  annual  communication  along 
with  the  now  famous  "iron  men"  which  make  The 
Scroll  continue.  Fellowship,  one  of  the  purposes  of 
the  Institute,  is  made  real  through  the  greatly  ap- 
preciated letters  of  another  oldster,  C.  M.  Sharpe,  of 
McConnellsville,  N.  Y.,  and  two  hustling  sons  of  the 
south's  west,  C.  C.  Klingman,  Hamilton,  Texas,  and 
J.  Fred  Miller  of  the  University  YMCA,  Norman, 
Oklahoma. 

"My  conscience  hurt  me,  so  here  are  my  dues," 
writes  Howard  Anderson  of  Speedway  City,  Indian- 
apolis. That  needs  no  comment.  Fred  K.  Deming, 
St,  Louis,  Mo.,  extricates  himself  from  the  alpha- 
betical mess  of  pottage  with  which  we  circularized 
the  fellows,  as  does  G.  D.  Edwards,  Columbia,  Mo. 
All  these  wrote  at  least  brief  notes,  but  a  score  or 
two  others,  since  last  report,  used  the  silent  elo- 
quence of  checks  alone. 

We  have  raised  half  of  our  $600  expenses  thus 
far.  Last  year  we  came  the  nearest  in  some  time  to 
meeting  our  costs  by  means  of  dues  alone.  There 
ought  to  be  no  need  for  asking  special  gifts  this  year, 
Pon't  delay.    Brother,  are  you  fiscal? 


254 THE  SCROLL 

Surveying  the  Disciples 

E.  S.  Ames,  Chicago 

Literature.  The  most  influential  writing  among 
the  Disciples  has  been  that  of  journalism.  For  forty 
years  Alexander  Campbell  edited  the  Millenial  Har- 
binger. The  Christian  Standard,  the  Christian  Evan- 
gelist, and  other  less  notable  papers  have  led  and 
shaped  the  thought  and  practice  of  the  entire  body 
since  Campbell's  time.  Yet  this  journalism  is  tran- 
sient, changeable,  and  piecemeal.  It  is  so  transient 
that  today  it  is  impossible  to  locate  any  complete 
files  of  the  Standard  except  in  its  own  office  and  in 
the  Congressional  Library  at  Washington ! 

Probably  the  next  most  voluminous  and  histori- 
cally important  material  is  in  the  biographies  of 
leaders  like  Campbell,  Errett,  Stone,  Scott,  Pinker- 
ton,  Rogers,  Racoon  John  Smith,  Pinkerton,  Proctor 
and  McLean.  Doctrinal  writings  of  these  men  and 
Lamar,  Milligan,  McGarvey,  Franklin,  Everest  and 
a  considerable  number  of  books  of  sermons  are  also 
source  material.  Once  in  a  while  there  has  been  a 
didactic,  not  to  say  propagandist,  novel  such  as 
Dungan's  On  the  Rock.  Of  controversial  books,  in- 
cluding debates,  there  have  been  a  suflnciency. 

Some  younger  men  have  produced  books  of  travel, 
personal  experiences,  essays,  and  a  few  plays.  Gar- 
rison, Jenkins,  Jones,  Combs  have  touched  a  wider 
world  of  letters  and  life.  There  have  been  some 
books  on  philosophy,  theology,  religious  education, 
history,  science,  and  social  sciences  but  these  have 
by  necessity  been  less  denominational  and  therefore 
less  characteristic.  Unfortunately  Disciples  do  not 
seem  to  have  made  significant  contributions  to  edu- 
cation, political  science,  economics,  or  general  lit- 
erature, -r..,.-    ,     -  , 


THE  SCROLL 'Z55 

In  general  the  writings  named  have  been  closely 
identified  with  the  ministerial  interest  and  with  the 
immediate  household  of  the  "true  faith."  A  com- 
parison of  the  literature  produced  by  Disciples  with 
that  of  the  Universalists,  Unitarians,  Congregation- 
alists  and  others  would  seem  invidious.  Even  the 
missionaries  have  scarcely  given  the  world  anything 
quite  comparable  to  the  books  of  Grenfell,  Schweit- 
zer and  Stanley  Jones. 

Vachel  Lindsay  and  Thomas  Curtis  Clark  have 
published  important  poetry,  and  there  have  been 
some  useful  compilations  of  hymns,  and  a  few  devo- 
tional books.  It  is  interesting  and  revealing  that 
the  whole  brotherhood  of  Disciples  has  contributed 
no  great  hymns.  Is  it  because  we  are  not  a  devout 
people?  Is  it  because  we  do  not  have  a  singing 
soul?  Is  it  because  we  turned  away  too  much  from 
pietistic,  mystical  experiences  of  religion?  It  may 
be  conjectured  that  as  long  as  a  people  is  compelled 
to  sing  only  the  hymns  of  other  minds  and  hearts 
they  will  have  no  healthy,  natural  piety  of  their 
own.  It  is  a  marvel  that  decades  of  singing  dis- 
carded theology  has  not  left  a  deeper  impress  of  that 
theology  upon  us.  What  if  the  Disciples  had  literary 
works,  religious  writings,  poetry  and  hymnology 
of  their  own  to  equal  their  numbers,  their  archi- 
tecture, their  wealth,  and  their  convictions?  Or 
have  they? 


Notes 

The  program  for  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Camp- 
bell Institute  to  be  held  in  Chicago  the  first  week 
of  next  August  is  being  planned  and  will  be  pub- 
lished in  full  in  the  May  Scroll.  It  will  begin  on 
Monday  evening  with  a  Communion  Service  in  the 
Chapel  of  the  Holy  Grail.     On  acount  of  the  ses- 


256 THE  SCROLL 

sions  of  the  Pastors'  Institute,  the  Campbell  Insti- 
tute will  have  its  programs  as  usual  in  the  after- 
noons and  late  evenings,  Tuesday  afternoon  there 
will  be  a  review  of  the  current  articles  in  the  Chris- 
tian Century  dealing  with  the  Changes  of  Thought 
in  the  Last  Decade,  Then  reports  of  officers  and  a 
discussion  of  the  Present  State  of  the  Institute.  In 
the  evening  will  be  heard  the  President's  address, 
Wednesday  evening  will  be  given  to  a  study  of  the 
State  of  the  Disciples  as  shown  in  the  Year  Book 
and  other  sources,  Thursday  afternoon  the  subject 
will  be  the  Rural  and  the  Urban  Problem  of  the 
Disciples,  At  six  o'clock  will  come  the  Annual  Din- 
ner. Friday  afternoon  the  subject  will  be  Form 
Criticism  and  Preaching.  That  evening  the  question 
will  be,  How  Liberal  Are  the  Disciples?  Able  men 
are  to  lead  in  the  papers  and  discussions  of  these 
subjects.  Announcements  of  the  Pastors'  Institute 
will  be  published  April  first  and  a  rare  feast  will  be 
provided  in  these  two  programs.  For  several  years 
the  Disciples  have  had  more  than  a  hundred  men 
in  attendance  and  have  far  outnumbered  any  other 
group.  The  costs  are  low,  the  fellowship  is  the 
cream  of  a  national  convention,  and  the  weather  is 
problematical  with  probability  on  the  side  of  cool- 
ness and  comfort.  In  any  case  the  interest  and 
profit  will  be  so  great  as  to  make  the  weather  negli- 
gible. No  one  can  quite  appreciate  what  the  Camp- 
bell Institute  is  unless  they  have  attended  annual 
meetings.  The  midnight  sessions  at  the  Interna- 
tional Conventions  are  not  to  be  compared  with  the 
gatherings  and  programs  in  the  summer. 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVI.  MAY,  1939  No.  9 


Now  We  See  In  Part 

John  L.  Davis,  Lynchburg  College 
Among  the  membership  of  the  Campbell  Institute 
are  those  who  feel  that  our  meetings  and  programs 
emphasize  too  often  theological  points  of  view.  Ac- 
cording to  them  we  are  fighting  over  again  battles 
which  long  since  have  been  won.  This  group 
vehemently  assert  that  our  thinking  should  be  di- 
rected toward  the  social,  economic,  and  political 
issues  which  Christians  now  must  face.  For  some 
of  them  the  passion  for  improving  the  lot  of  the 
downtrodden  masses  is  so  intense  that  they  can 
think  of  Christianity  in  no  other  terms  than  its 
possible  usefulness  in  raising  the  standard  of  living 
of  the  less  fortunate  half  of  modern  society. 

Other  members  of  our  fellowship  are  equally  sure 
that  any  movement  on  the  part  of  government  or 
other  organizations  toward  "helping"  the  masses 
to  a  fairer  share  of  life's  necessities  and  luxuries 
only  means  in  the  end  their  further  degradation  and 
enslavement.  According  to  their  thought,  society 
must  always  have  its  underdogs  and  any  attempt  to 
lift  them  on  the  part  of  others  means  ultimately  that 
they  will  lose  what  little  self-reliance  and  pride  of 
accomplishment  they  now  have.  They  ask  with 
Emerson,  "Are  they  my  poor?"  And  like  him  they 
are  exasperated  with  those  who  would  have  them 
"put  all  poor  men  in  good  situations."  They  are 
suspicious  too  of  the  current  tendency  to  identify 
possession  of  things  with  human  welfare  and  hap- 
piness. 

This  difference  in  point  of  view,  which  in  most 
men  is  only  partially  recognized,  is  best  seen  when 
we   contrast  the   modern   humanitarian   with  the 


258 THE  SCROLL 

modern  humanist.  The  humanitarian  is  primarily 
concerned  with  rebuilding  society  by  means  of  im- 
proving environment  while  the  modern  humanist 
wishes  to  begin  at  the  opposite  extreme — with  the 
individual  person  and  to  reconstruct  society  only  as 
society  comes  to  be  made  up  of  finer,  more  highly 
cultivated  men  and  women.  Many  influential  Chris- 
tians tend  to  fall  into  one  or  the  other  of  these 
camps. 

Many  Christian  leaders  have  come  to  identify 
Christianity  with  the  formless,  naive,  and  all-em- 
bracing humanitarianism  which  is  now  dominant 
in  America.  The  essence  of  this  attitude  (for  it  can 
hardly  be  called  a  philosophy)  is  the  firm  conviction 
that  men  are  weak,  or  evil,  or  ignorant,  or  poor,  or 
diseased  through  no  fault  of  their  own  but  because 
they  live  under  an  economic  system  which  binds 
them  to  an  immutable  cycle  of  existence  from  which 
only  a  few  chance  to  escape.  Modern  drama,  for 
example,  is  based  upon  this  conception  of  life  and 
the  universe.  Men  are  not  responsible  for  their 
actions — they  are  the  victims  of  circumstance.  Such 
plays  as  Maxim  Gorki's  The  Lower  Depths,  Somer- 
set Maugham's  Our  Betters,  and  Eugene  O'Neill's 
The  Hairy  Ape  illustrate  the  point.  And  with  the 
modern  dramatist,  despite  Christianity's  traditional 
emphasis  on  the  individual  and  his  responsibility 
in  the  scheme  of  things,  many  Christian  leaders  are 
proclaiming  that  it  is  folly  to  preach  any  gospel  or 
any  philosophical  system  to  people  who  have  no 
chance  of  escape  from  economic  and  social  condi- 
tions which  doom  them  to  live  on  a  plane  little  above 
that  of  the  animal.  Remake  the  economic  order 
or  the  social  system,  they  cry,  and  then  you  may 
save  these  doomed  people. 

At  the  other  pole  of  thought  are  the  humanists 
— the  Norman  Foersters  and  Irving  Babbitts  and 
a  host  of  others  who  subscribe  more  or  less  con- 


THE  SCROLL _259 

sciously  to  their  views.  They  contend  that  society 
is  like  a  wave  on  the  seashore.  It  never  makes  any 
advance  without  a  corresponding  retrogression.  It 
is,  they  say,  only  the  individual  person  in  society 
who  develops,  who  becomes  wise  and  good,  who  cul- 
tivates his  finest  instincts  and  highest  aspirations 
and  who  gradually  makes  of  himself  a  strong,  noble, 
worthy  representative  of  the  human  race.  And 
when  such  a  man  dies,  his  wisdom,  learning,  and 
goodness  die  with  him  except  as  he  has  imparted 
them  by  teaching  and  example  to  his  disciples,  chil- 
dren, or  friends.  Thus  the  cycle  must  go  on  for 
each  human  being. 

It  is  interesting  to  note,  if  we  may  be  permitted 
to  turn  to  English  drama  again  for  an  illustration, 
how  perfectly  the  drama  of  Shakespeare  harmon- 
izes with  this  conception  of  the  individual  and 
society.  Modern  believers  in  the  rise  of  the  com- 
mon man  complain  that  Shakespeare  shows  no  evi- 
dence of  ever  having  conceived  that  the  lot  of  the 
common  folk  could  be  changed— and  they  are  right. 
Shakespeare's  plays  are  based  on  the  conception  of 
great  and  mighty  characters,  men  beset  with  storms 
of  adversity  who,  like  the  tall  oak  In  the  forest,  turn 
their  faces  heroically  toward  the  wind  and  who,  if 
go  down  they  must,  fall  in  majestic  struggle.  It 
is  drama  based  on  the  conception  that  a  strong  will 
or  soul  can  mold  the  face  of  nature,  overcome  ad- 
verse circumstances,  and  emerge  triumphant  if  it 
be  not  doomed  to  failure  by  defects  and  weaknesses 
within  itself.  To  compare  O'Neill's  or  Gorki's  char- 
acters with  those  of  Shakespeare,  therefore,  is 
folly  since  the  modern  dramatist  has  a  conception  of 
the  universe  and  of  humanity  which  is  basically  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  Shakespeare  and  the  Elizabeth- 
ans. To  the  modern,  man  is  a  helpless  victim  played 
on  by  environment  and  chance — to  the  Elizabethan, 
man  was  capable  of  dominating  his  environment 


260 THE  SCROLL 

and  changing  the  world  to  suit  himself  unless  de- 
feated by  his  own  weaknesses  or  defects  of  char- 
acter. 

With  this  latter  view  the  modern  humanist  is  in 
accord.  For  him  society  is  static — unchanging. 
Only  men  may  become  wise  and  good. 

If  we  ask  the  humanitarian :  What  must  man  do 
to  be  saved?  he  will  answer:  Change  his  environ- 
ment. Clear  the  slums,  build  better  schools  and 
homes.  Solve  the  problem  of  distribution  as  we 
have  solved  the  problem  of  production.  Level  off 
extremes  of  wealth  and  poverty.  Give  up  race  prej- 
udice, class  consciousness,  and  free  men  from  eco- 
nomic and  industrial  slavery.  Such  should  be  the 
tasks  of  the  Church.  For  us  to  spend  time  debat- 
ing theology  or  perfecting  a  system  of  thought 
about  God  and  the  nature  of  the  world  and  of  man 
is,  according  to  this  view,  as  heartless  and  inexcus- 
able as  Nero's  fiddling  while  Rome  burned — it  is 
not  only  inane  but  is  a  confession  of  complete  social 
blindness. 

If  we  ask  the  same  question  of  the  modern  human- 
ist, he  will  reply :  Man  must  trust  himself  and  keep 
his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  best  and  greatest  men  and 
traditions  of  the  past  for  guidance.  He  must  not 
suppose  that  circumstances,  no  matter  how  adverse, 
need  be  changed  in  order  for  him  to  achieve  a  satis- 
fying life.  He  must  be  strong  in  the  midst  of  storm 
and  stress  and  glorify  the  will  to  refrain  as  his 
noblest  instinct.  Each  man  must  develop  his  own 
powers  and  conceive  of  that  task  as  the  greatest 
contribution  which  he  can  make  to  his  fellow  men. 
He  must  beware  of  sentimental  attitudes  toward 
others  lest  he  pull  himself  down  instead  of  raising 
others  up ;  beware  of  enthusiasm  for,  as  the  Earl  of 
Roscommon  said  of  the  Methodists,  "For  every  one 
inspired,  a  hundred  are  possessed" ;  strive  not  to 
live  on  too  high  a  level  but  glorify  his  finest  instincts 


THE  SCROLL 261 

without  attempting  to  live  on  the  plane  of  a  God; 
beware  of  altruism  in  all  its  forms  lest  other  men 
should  be  made  less  self-reliant  and  the  altruistic 
one  squander  his  own  powers  and  means  of  self- 
development.  He  must  let  education  be  his  one 
avenue  of  altruistic  endeavor! 

Which  of  these  conflicting  points  of  view  are  we 
to  accept  as  "Christian" — if  either?  Or  shall  we 
conclude  that  Christianity  includes  what  is  sanest 
and  finest  in  both  attitudes  but  that  it  transcends 
both? 

To  those  who  would  transform  economic  and 
social  conditions  in  order  to  make  men  happy  and 
good,  I  can  cite  no  better  reply  than  the  uncouth 
and  profane,  but  penetrating  and  revealing  speech 
of  "Yank"  Smith  in  O'Neill's  The  Hairy  Ape.  Yank 
finds  himself  imprisoned  hopelessly  between  two 
mighty  forces.  His  evolutionary  development  as  a 
man  has  raised  him  only  to  the  misty  flats  between 
the  animal  from  which  human  beings  sprung  and 
the  cultured,  emancipated,  and  adjusted  men  and 
women  who  have  generations  of  cultivated  families 
behind  them.  Yank  has  awakened  to  the  soul  de- 
stroying knowledge  that  he  "don't  belong" — he  has 
no  realm  to  call  his  own  since  he  cannot  return  to 
the  animals  which  he  most  closely  resembles  and 
he  has  even  less  in  common  with  the  higher  strata 
of  humanity. 

Thus  he  sits  in  the  street,  where  he  has  been 
thrown  bodily  from  the  L  W.  W.  hall,  and  cries  out 
in  his  disillusionment  and  bitterness: 

"So  dem  boids  don't  tink  I  belong,  neider.  Aw, 
to  hell  wit  'em.  Dey're  in  de  wrong  pew — de  same 
old  bull — soap  boxes  and  Salvation  Army — no  guts ! 
Cut  an  hour  of  fen  de  job  a  day  and  make  me  happy ! 
Gimme  a  dollar  more  a  day  and  make  me  happy! 
Tree  square  a  day,  and  cauliflowers  in  de  front  yard 
— ekal  rights — a  woman  and  kids — a  lousy  vote — 


262 THE  SCROLL 

and  I'm  all  fixed  for  Jesus,  huh?  Aw,  hell  I  What 
does  dat  get  yuh?  Dis  ting's  in  your  inside,  but 
it  ain't  your  belly.  Feeding  your  face — sinkers  and 
coffee — dat  don't  touch  it.  It's  way  down — at  de 
bottom," 

He  closes  with  the  question,  asked  of  the  Man  in 
the  Moon,  "Where  do  I  get  off  at,  huh?" 

Yank  Smith  presents  perhaps  an  extreme  picture 
of  the  lot  of  the  common  man  who  finds  no  sense 
of  meaning  for  his  life.  For  him  there  can  be  no 
future  and  no  past.  For  him  life  can  have  no  mean- 
ing until  he  answers  in  some  satisfying  way  his 
question — Where  do  I  get  off?  Thus,  for  the  hu- 
manitarian who  is  busily  saving  the  world  by  cut- 
ting an  hour  off  the  job  or  adding  a  dollar  more  to 
the  daily  wage,  or  by  insuring  for  each  person  what 
he  calls  an  adequate  diet,  a  house  with  two  bath- 
rooms and  flowers  in  the  yard,  universal  suffrage 
or  whatever  the  reform  of  the  moment  may  be,  we 
would  raise  Yank's  question.  He  wants  an  answer. 
He  demands  to  know  something  of  life's  meaning. 
He  must  know  his  place  in  the  scheme  of  things. 
And  for  him  the  humanitarian  has  no  answer.  Only 
Christianity  has  any  satisfying  message  to  give  him 
but,  tragically  enough,  Christianity  has  become  for 
him  so  completely  identified  either  with  the  wealth- 
ier classes  or  with  the  charity  organizations  that 
he  has  no  faith  in  it.  In  his  present  mood,  it  can- 
not reach  him.  It  is  at  this  point  that  those  Chris- 
tians who  stress  economic  and  social  reform  may 
do  the  Church  the  greatest  service.  It  is  possible 
that  they  may  do  for  it  a  task  as  distinctive  and 
as  vital  as  that  which  Francis  of  Assissi  did  in  the 
thirteenth  century.  Perhaps  they  may  save  Chris- 
tianity as  St.  Francis  saved  the  Church. 

For  many  of  the  tenets  of  the  humanists,  we 
must  confess  a  nostalgic  admiration.  They  have  a 
message  that  is  especially  appealing  at  times.     In 


THE  SCROLL 263 

this  flabby  age  when  moral  standards  and  all  other 
standards  seem  to  be  considered  obsolete  or  use- 
less, when  self-reliance  has  become  almost  a  for- 
gotten concept,  when  college  students  approach  their 
alma  mater  with  no  other  thought  than  "how  much 
can  I  squeeze  out  of  her  in  the  form  of  a  scholar- 
ship, a  grant-in-aid,  or  aid  under  the  disguise  of 
a  job,"  when  millions  of  our  population  are  sup- 
ported at  public  expense  and  never  again  will  be- 
come self-supporting,  when  sensual  indulgence  in 
almost  all  forms  has  become  not  only  respectable 
but  cultivated  in  many  new  and  hitherto  untried 
ways,  when  the  great  minds,  traditions,  and  sys- 
tems of  thought  of  the  past  are  suspect  by  reason 
of  their  very  antiquity, — in  such  a  time  the  voice 
of  the  strong  soul  who  cries  out  to  the  few  to  be 
strong  in  the  midst  of  so  much  weakness,  to  refrain 
from  self-indulgence  when  no  one  else  is  attempt- 
ing restraint,  to  develop  oneself  to  the  highest  pos- 
sible point  as  one's  greatest  possible  contribution 
to  civilization,  to  do  the  difficult  thing  of  overcom- 
ing circumstance  and  bad  conditions  and  to  emerge 
triumphant  in  spite  of  adversity — in  such  a  time  as 
this  the  worth  of  such  a  message  must  be  apparent. 
But  the  worth  of  such  a  message  disappears  as 
soon  as  it  seeks  to  become  the  whole  message!  It 
is  only  a  part  of  a  greater  whole  as  the  humanitar- 
ian's cry  for  economic  and  social  reform  is  only  a 
part.  As  parts  of  this  whole  these  points  of  view 
are  indispensable.  But  to  assume  that  either  of 
them  may  stand  alone  is  to  leave  on  the  one  hand, 
Yank  Smith  sitting  in  the  street  with  his  questions 
unanswered  and,  on  the  other  hand,  a  humanist  like 
Matthew  Arnold  crying  out  in  vain: 
Ah,  love,  let  us  be  true 
To  one  another !  for  the  world,  .  .  . 


Hath  really  neither  joy,  nor  love,  nor  light, 


264 THE  SCROLL 

Nor  certitude,  nor  peace,  nor  help  for  pain ; 

And  we  are  here  as  on  a  darkling  plain 

Swept  with  confused  alarms  of  struggle  and 
flight, 

Where  ignorant  armies  clash  by  night. 
It  is  not  startling  that  the  brutal,  ape-like  stoker 
and  the  cultivated,  gifted,  and  lovable  poet  and  critic 
should  have  come  finally  to  look  upon  the  world 
with  kindred  eyes — however  different  the  language 
each  used  to  express  himself  and  however  wide  the 
social  and  cultural  gulf  which  separated  them. 

What  better  illustration  than  this  could  we  find 
of  the  need  of  Christianity  in  the  lives  of  men? 
The  Church,  which  the  illiterate  stoker  had  never 
known,  and  which  the  gifted  poet  felt  he  had  out- 
grown, alone  has  a  philosophy  which  can  penetrate 
their  despair. 

As  a  fellowship  then  let  us  cease  not  to  urge  re- 
form of  our  social  and  economic  life  until  men  learn 
to  live  together  in  peace  and  plenty,  but  let  us  be 
fully  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  peace  and  plenty 
which  shall  be  theirs  will  create  for  them  greater 
moral,  social,  and  religious  problems  than  they  now 
know  in  their  poverty  and  strife !  Let  us  cease  not 
to  urge  men  to  live  noble  and  satisfying  lives  in 
spite  of  circumstance,  but  again  let  us  realize  at 
the  same  time  that  their  very  strength  and  self- 
sufficiency  may  create  for  them  more  problems  than 
ambition  created  for  Macbeth  or  imperiousness  for 
King  Lear. 

Meanwhile,  it  may  be  necessary  for  us  to  fight 
over  again  and  to  win  anew  battles  which  preced- 
ing generations  within  the  fellowship  have  fought 
and  won.  In  short,  it  may  be  vitally  necessary  for 
us  to  keep  working  at  the  never-ending  task  of  cre- 
ating a  saner,  broader,  more  satisfying  interpreta- 
tion of  life's  meaning  for  humanity  and  of  man's  re- 
lationship to  his  universe  and  to  his  God! 


THE  SCROLL     265 

Missionary  Developments 

E.  K.  Higdon,  New  York  City 

In  the  last  ten  years,  many  of  the  men  and  women 
from  the  West  who  have  been  doing  Christian  serv- 
ice abroad  have  turned  their  attention  to  the  thou- 
sand million  people  who  live  in  rural  areas.  The 
League  of  Nations  estimates  that  the  entire  popu- 
lation of  the  world  is  one  thousand,  nine  hundred 
and  sixty-five  million.  Therefore,  more  than  half 
the  people  live  in  towns  and  villages  and  on  farms. 
In  India,  in  China,  in  the  Philippines,  in  Korea  and 
in  Japan  during  the  last  decade  these  "little  men" 
have  seemed  worthy  of  the  efforts  of  hundreds  of 
Christians.  Sam  Higginbottom  is  no  longer  the 
only  missionary  who  conquers  in  the  sign  of  the 
cross  and  the  plow.  Every  summer  the  University 
of  the  Philippines  opens  the  class  rooms  and  demon- 
stration centers  of  its  College  of  Agriculture  to  men 
and  women  who  do  Christian  work  in  rural  areas. 
Nanking  Theological  Seminary  has  a  rural  church 
department  headed  by  the  Rev.  Frank  Price,  who 
has  just  received  his  doctor  of  philosophy  degree 
at  Yale.  Dr.  Kagawa's  "Bible  agriculture,"  peasant 
schools  and  rural  cooperatives  indicate  the  direction 
this  movement  has  taken  in  Japan. 

Another  interesting  development  has  been  worked 
out  in  the  Philipine  Islands  by  an  American,  Dr. 
Frank  C.  Laubach,  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  He  devised  and  perfected  a  method  of 
teaching  illiterates.  It  is  so  simple  that  a  person 
who  has  never  read  a  word  can  learn  in  from  two 
to  six  hours.  Such  marvelous  results  have  been 
obtained  in  the  Philippines  that  Dr.  Laubach  was 
asked  to  go  to  India  and  to  Africa  to  see  if  he  could 
apply  his  method  to  the  dialects  and  vernaculars 
there.  In  1935  and  again  in  1936-37,  he  spent  sev- 
eral months  in  India  and  so  stimulated  work  among 


266 THE  SCROLL 

illiterates  in  eight  or  ten  of  the  main  vernaculars, 
that  boys  and  girls  who  could  not  read  at  all  six 
months  ago  now  read  their  Bibles,  newspapers  and 
other  printed  matter.  And  older  persons,  grand- 
fathers and  grandmothers,  also  have  learned  to 
read.  Herdboys  in  the  field  are  teaching  their  com- 
panions. What  formerly  required  a  man  six  years 
now  can  be  mastered  in  six  weeks.  As  long  as  more 
than  60  per  cent  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  can 
neither  read  nor  write,  no  church  gathering  can 
ignore  the  problem  of  illiteracy  and  still  deal  in 
vital  fashion  with  individual  and  group  salvation. 

Another  illustration  of  what  goes  on  abroad  these 
days  is  the  mass  movement  in  India.  When  I  at- 
tended the  meeting  at  Jerusalem,  one  of  the  things 
that  most  impressed  me  was  the  strain  of  sadness 
running  through  all  that  the  Indian  delegates  said. 
They  felt  that  in  order  to  become  Christians  in 
India,  they  had  to  tear  themselves  up  by  the  roots, 
leave  their  families,  their  villages,  their  communi- 
ties. Indian  Christians  were  to  a  great  degree  the 
real  men  without  a  country.  Now  entire  villages 
are  becoming  Christians  at  once.  The  elders  hold 
meetings,  discuss  the  matter  and  decide  that  they 
are  willing  to  leave  Hinduism  or  Mohammedanism 
and  go  into  Christianity.  Then  they  put  it  up  to 
the  entire  community.  When  the  decision  is  favor- 
able, the  next  step  is  to  go  to  the  Bishop  or  other 
church  leader  of  the  district  and  ask  for  a  teacher. 
The  teacher  settles  down  to  a  long  educational  proc- 
ess— a  year,  two  years  or  more — in  which  he  in- 
structs the  entire  village  and  prepares  the  people 
for  church  membership.  Of  course,  those  who  are 
able  to  grasp  the  significance  of  Christianity  the 
quickest  are  the  first  to  be  baptised.  Those  who 
move  more  slowly  are  baptized  later.  But  at  the 
end  of  two  or  three  years,  the  entire  community  has 
become  Christian  and  no  one  needs  to  leave  his  home 


THE  SCROLL 267 

environment  or  feel  that  he  is  an  outcaste  among- 
his  own  people. 

The  untouchables,  the  depressed  classes,  profit 
most  by  the  mass  movement  and  in  one  diocese, 
they  are  uniting  v^ith  the  Church  at  the  rate  of 
10,000  a  month;  and  in  all  India  more  than  100,000 
of  them  have  espoused  work.  Usually,  the  bishop 
speaks  four  of  the  native  languages  of  the  region  as 
well  as  the  two  European  ones,  Afrikaans  and  Eng- 
lish. He  is  in  charge  of  two  parishes  and,  in  addi- 
tion, of  an  extensive  social  activity  in  the  native 
townships. 


Rev.  Robert  C.  Mackie — "I  am  representing  the 
World's  Student  Christian  Federation  comprising 
national  student  movements  in  from  20  to  30  coun- 
tries. It  is  interesting  to  remember  that  Dr.  John 
R.  Mott,  the  Chairman  of  the  conference,  began  his 
international  Christian  work  as  first  secretary  of 
the  Federation.  I  am  visiting  students,  not  only 
in  India,  but  later  in  China,  Japan,  North  America. 
In  India  I  have  been  much  impressed  by  the  atten- 
tive hearing  given  me  by  non-Christian  students, 
and  by  the  way  in  which  Indian  students  generally 
have  responded  to  appeals  for  rebuilding  the  shat- 
tered university  life  of  China.  Everywhere  also  I 
have  met  students  who  made  their  contacts  with 
British  students  through  the  Student  Christian 
Movement. 


The  forty-third  annual  meeting  of  the  Campbell 
Institute  will  be  held  in  Chicago  July  31  to  August 
4,  1939.  This  will  also  be  the  first  week  of  the 
Pastors'  Institute.    See  page  288. 


268 THE  SCROLL 

The  Story  of  My  Life — II 

Chas.  A.  Stevens,  Olathe,  Kansas 

It  seemed  to  me,  that  on  this  Sunday  morning 
more  than  the  usual  number  of  people  had  decided 
to  attend  the  church.  I  stood  b.y  the  stove  in  the 
rear  of  the  audience  room,  and  when  the  bells  ceased 
ringing,  I  walked  up  the  side  aisle  and  onto  the 
platform.  There  was  a  very  perceptible  sound  of 
surprise  by  the  audience.  I  simply  said  that  Bro. 
Blaney  had  informed  me,  that  he  would  not  be  pres- 
ent, and  for  me  to  take  charge  of  the  service,  and 
that  I  would  do  the  best  I  could.  I  also  announced 
meeting  for  the  evening.  Early  in  the  week  Bro. 
Blaney  sent  for  me  to  come  to  him  and  help  in  the 
singing.  I  went  and  on  Saturday  was  left  to  con- 
duct the  revival  for  a  few  days  longer.  This  lit- 
tle experience  helped  me  to  decide  to  enter  the  min- 
istry. 

In  the  spring  I  went  to  Austin,  Minn.,  to  visit  my 
oldest  sister,  and  had  steady  work  there  until  De- 
cember. I  sent  for  a  catalogue  and  bought  the  neces- 
sary books  and  studied  at  night,  so  as  not  to  be  too 
far  behind  the  class  when  I  arrived  at  college.  I 
had  to  begin  as  a  *Trep."  Butler  then  was  still 
N.W.C.U.  and  the  change  to  Butler  made  no  small 
stir  the  next  year.  The  course  had  two  preparatory 
years  and  the  usual  four  collegiate  years.  Burgess 
was  President.  The  other  teachers  were  Benton, 
Butler,  Thrasher,  Anderson,  Jordan,  and  Miss 
Merrill. 

I  left  Austin  just  before  Christmas  and  went  via 
Kendallville,  Ind.,  to  Indianapolis.  Some  of  the 
good  women  of  Kendallville  had  gathered  together 
some  needful  articles  for  me,  which  were  surely 
much  appreciated.  I  started  in  right  after  New 
Year's  day,^  ready  to  "bach"  and  to  study,  and  with 
$12.00  left  to  face  over  five  months  of  school  work. 


THE  SCROLL 269 

It  is  not  necessary  to  say  that  I  neither  fared  sump- 
tuously daily  nor  was  clothed  in  purple  and  fine 
linen. 

Most  of  the  churches  around  Indianapolis  had 
preaching-  once  or  twice  a  month  by  some  regularly 
employed  minister.  The  other  Sundays  were  often 
filled  by  some  of  the  student  preachers.  My  first 
venture  was  at  Buck  Creek  chapel,  about  12  miles 
east  of  Irvington.  Sunday  morning  it  was  rain- 
ing hard,  but  Elder  Henry  Toon  and  I  walked  to 
the  chapel,  often  crossing  the  creek  on  footlogs,  and 
found  the  janitor  and  one  deacon  present.  I  was 
invited  to  come  again  the  next  Sunday.  I  went  by 
train  and  returned  counting  the  ties.  The  next  visit 
was  a  bit  more  pleasant.  The  day  was  fine.  I 
preached  on  Saturday  evening  and  twice  on  Sun- 
day. This  was  then  the  custom.  The  contribution 
was  75  cents.  Again  I  walked  to  Irvington.  I  often 
visited  this  church. 

One  morning  President  Burgess  handed  me  a  card 
asking  me  to  read  it  and  say  if  I  thought  I  could 
fill'  the  bill.  I  said:  ''I  can  try."  On  this  occasion 
I  was  initiated  as  a  baptist.  I  immersed  a  young 
man  in  a  stream  near  by.  I  was  entertained  in  the 
home  of  D.  R.  Van  Buskirk's  father.  This  time  the 
contribution  was  $3.75.  I  felt  myself  flattered.  By 
courage,  patience,  perseverance  and  rigid  economy 
I  managed  to  put  in  my  first  three  years  at  Butler. 

In  the  vacation  of  1879  I  worked  a  few  weeks  on 
a  farm,  and  then  found  opportunity  to  work  at  my 
trade  in  Washington  county,  Indiana.  Here  I  first 
came  in  contact  with  the  "antis,"  and  had  many  an 
argument  with  some  of  them.  Here,  too,  I  found 
myself  stricken  with  malaria,  and  in  February,  1880, 
I  was  compelled  to  leave  school.  I  went  to  Iowa, 
where  John  B.  Vawter  was  state  evangelist.  I  found 
him  holding  a  meeting  at  Winterset,  told  him  my 
reason  for  coming  to  see  him,  and  was  sent  to  El- 


270 THE  SCROLL 

dora.  D.  R.  Dungan  had  preached  there  not  long 
before  and  had  written  two  of  his  books  while  there. 
But  a  business  difficulty  between  an  elder  and  a  dea- 
con sadly  reduced  the  strength  of  the  church.  For 
some  years  they  had  paid  $1,000.00  to  $1,200.00  a 
year,  while  $450.00  was  all  they  were  able  to  pay 
me.  During  my  second  year  there,  I  was  married, 
and  they  raised  my  salary  to  $500.00.  While  here 
I  canvassed  the  county,  Hardin,  for  funds  to  build 
the  Disciples  Church  in  Washington,  D.  C. ;  deliv- 
ered the  memorial  address  in  honor  of  Jas.  A.  Gar- 
field; took  active  part  in  the  prohibition  campaign; 
and  had  many  interesting  experiences  at  the  Boys' 
Industrial  and  Reformatory  Institution.  I  also  gath- 
ered a  nucleus  for  a  Disciples  Church  at  Hubbard 
in  the  same  county. 

After  some  time  I  got  rid  of  my  malaria  and 
longed  to  return  to  Butler,  to  finish  my  education. 
A  contractor  in  a  nearby  town  invited  me  to  share 
in  a  couple  of  contracts  and  I  accepted.  I  had  sev- 
eral hundred  dollars  for  my  share,  and  felt  able  to 
risk  returning  to  school.  I  had  just  begun  my  stu- 
dies, when  a  sudden  occurrence  frustrated  my  plans 
and  sent  me  back  to  work.  I  then  had  a  wife  and 
a  daughter  a  few  months  old.  We  returned  to  Eldora 
for  some  months,  and  between  Sunday  service  for 
the  church  and  such  work  as  I  could  pick  up  man- 
aged to  get  along.  Then  came  another  opportunity 
to  work,  and  I  worked  in  Manning,  Iowa;  Omaha, 
Wahu,  and  Lincoln,  Nebraska.  While  at  Lincoln 
the  Nebraska  Disciples  held  their  state  convention 
there.  D.  R.  Lucas,  of  Des  Moines,  low^a,  was  one 
of  the  speakers.  The  church  in  Marshalltown  was 
then  without  a  pastor,  and  this  being  the  home 
church  of  N.  A.  McConnell,  with  whom  I  was 
acquainted,  I  wrote  him  to  present  an  application 
for  the  pulpit  for  me,  and  was  accepted.  I  began 
at  once  to  arrange  to  take  up  the  work,  when,  be- 


THE  SCROLL 271 

hold,  again  the  bubble  burst.  One  of  the  deacons 
was  not  at  the  meeting  but  had  agreed  to  abide  by 
what  was  done.  Now  he  was  counting  on  their  hold- 
ing to  a  decision  to  wait  until  the  state  convention 
that  was  soon  to  be  held  there.  He  at  once  began 
to  stir  up  trouble.  I  did  not  like  to  begin  work 
against  opposition  in  the  board,  and  would  not  be 
one  of  a  dozen  to  be  shaken  out  of  a  bag,  to  see  who 
came  out  first,  so  I  dropped  out,  and  went  to  Greens- 
burg,  Indiana,  where  my  wife  had  been  during  the 
summer.  After  a  short  visit  I  headed  west  again, 
and  in  Chicago  came  upon  my  Cedar  Falls  partner, 
who  at  once  urged  me  to  come  and  help  him.  I 
passed  down  through  Fairfield,  Iowa,  where  my 
wife  had  relatives  she  much  wished  me  to  see.  The 
Fairfield  church  had  been  without  a  minister  for 
some  months.  I  met  one  of  the  deacons  and  was 
urged  by  him  to  apply  for  the  pulpit.  While  help- 
ing my  old  partner  with  his  work,  I  kept  up  corre- 
spondence with  Fairfield,  and,  finally,  took  up  the 
work  there  for  two  years.  The  church  was  sadly 
divided  on  account  of  the  suicide  of  an  elder's  son 
because  the  daughter  of  a  deacon  had  become  alien- 
ated from  him  through  the  attentions  of  the  young 
preacher.  After  a  year  of  hard  work,  the  ice  was 
completely  melted  by  the  confession  of  the  oldest 
sister  of  the  suicide.  The  whole  congregation  wept. 
What  memories  would  it  not  call  up?  We  at  once 
began  a  meeting,  and  had  24  additions.  One  of 
these  was  Carl  C.  Davis,  who  later  became  a  min- 
ister, and  is  now  on  the  retired  list.  On  my  81st 
birthday  I  received  a  package  of  ten  letters  from 
those  of  the  church  who  still  remembered  my  work 
there. 

At  the  close  of  the  second  year  my  wife  was 
threatened  with  tuberculosis  and  I  accepted  an  invi- 
tation to  take  up  the  work  in  Trinidad,  Colorado. 
This  was  a  new  field  with  about  90  members  and 


272 THE  SCROLL 

every  family  had  been  represented  in  the  confeder- 
ate army.  They  met  in  an  old  adobe  building,  seat- 
ing about  100,  and  some  of  the  members  had  gone 
there  to  school.  When  I  passed  it  I  said  to  myself, 
if  I  preach  in  this  building  six  months,  it  will  be 
because  I  cannot  build  a  better  one.  We  reached 
Trinidad  Dec.  1st,  1885,  and  on  the  first  Sunday  in 
April,  1886,  we  held  the  last  service  in  that  old 
adobe. 

I  presented  a  sketch  of  what  I  had  in  mind  to 
build,  but  several  things  gradually  caused  changes 
until  we  were  in  for  about  twice  the  first  estimate. 
There  was  not  a  man  on  the  board  that  knew  any- 
thing about  building  and  very  early  the  whole  mat- 
ter was  thrown  upon  me,  and  I  was  to  some  extent 
architect,  money  raiser,  overseer,  workman,  treas- 
urer, and  what  not.  By  December  we  had  the  build- 
ing enclosed  and  the  basement  finished.  Here  we 
worshipped  for  a  couple  of  years.  During  most  of 
the  time  while  building  we  met  with  the  Presby- 
terians by  their  kind  invitation.  We  preachers  took 
turns  in  preaching. 

About  the  third  year  I  received  a  letter  from 
Jerry  N.  Hill,  of  Denver,  stating  that  the  State  Mis- 
sion Board  wanted  from  each  minister  then  active 
in  the  state  an  opinion  on  how  to  plan  the  state 
work  and  the  kind  of  man  to  carry  out  the  plan. 
In  a  few  days  I  was  surprised  to  get  the  reply,  that 
my  plan  was  a  good  one,  and  that  the  man  best 
fitted  to  carry  it  out  was  the  man  that  suggested  it. 
The  Board  urged  me  to  take  up  the  work,  and  I  did. 
I  traveled  over  the  state,  started  up  small  congre- 
gations where  possible  and  located  two  men  with 
two  churches  for  each  man  and  had  raised  their 
salaries.  After  about  seven  months  of  service  I 
gave  up  the  work,  partly  because  of  being  away 
from  home  so  much  and  my  wife  a  near  invalid. 

Meanwhile  the  senior  elder,  who  had  become  a 


THE  SCROLL 273 

little  ill-disposed  toward  me,  made  an  effort  to  bring 
back  a  former  minister  in  whom  we  had  great  con- 
fidence. The  minister  agreed  to  take  up  the  work, 
to  finish  the  church  and  to  help  in  raising  his  own 
salary,  and  desired  to  have  a  written  contract  signed 
by  the  board.  The  contract  was  signed  and  sent, 
and  soon  was  returned,  with  the  statement  that  he 
had  changed  his  mind,  and  that  his  congregation 
had  raised  his  salary  $200.00  rather  than  have  him 
leave.  This  experience  made  the  elder  say  to  the 
rest  of  the  board  henceforth  to  use  their  own  pleas- 
ure, and  I  was  reinstated. 

I  at  once  laid  plans  for  finishing  the  church  build- 
ing, which  this  elder  had  declared  I  was  unable  to 
do.  I  think  that  it  was  on  Nov.  9,  1891,  that  we 
dedicated  the  church. 


American  Youth 

Richard  L.  James,  Birmingham 

For  the  past  sixteen  years,  The  American  Asso- 
ciation of  School  Administrators  (a  department  of 
the  National  Education  Association  of  The  United 
States)  has  published  its  yearbook.  The  1938  Year- 
book, published  in  February,  1938,  and  entitled 
Youth  Education  Today,  is  filled  with  interesting 
data  concerning  the  habits,  needs  and  training  of 
our  younger  generation.  The  second  chapter, 
"Youth  Today,"  appears  to  be  significant  not  only 
to  educators  but  to  those  who  would  deal  with  the 
religious  problems  of  our  age.  What  follows  in  this 
paper  is,  therefore,  a  summary  of  the  said  chapter. 

While  the  period  following  the  World  War  in- 
tensified the  problems  of  America's  youth,  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  this  generation  of  young  per- 
sons is  not  the  first  to  have  its  problems.  The  col- 
onies had  their  problem  children,  many  of  which 


274 THE  SCROLL 

had  a  prominent  place  in  helping  to  conquer  the 
wilderness.  As  examples  of  the  youth  of  the  past, 
one  finds  Booker  T.  Washington  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-five serving  as  first  principal  of  Tuskegee,  Edi- 
son when  twenty-one  invented  the  electric  vote  re- 
corder, Burbank  developed  a  new  potato  when 
twenty-three,  Washington  Irving  wrote  his  Knick- 
erbocker history  of  New  York  when  twenty-six,  Bry- 
ant and  Poe  made  contributions  to  the  art  of  writ- 
ing before  twenty,  and  Theodore  Roosevelt  entered 
New  York  legislature  at  the  age  of  twenty-three. 

In  1930,  there  were  in  this  country  over  twenty 
million  persons  between  the  ages  of  15  and  26.  This, 
the  largest  number  of  young  people  ever  recorded 
by  the  census,  is  18.3  per  cent  of  the  population. 
This  proportion  of  youth  has  gradually  decreased 
since  1870,  when  they  were  20  per  cent  of  the  total 
population. 

At  every  age  level  from  16  to  24  there  are  a  lit- 
tle over  two  million  persons  divided  fairly  evenly 
between  the  sexes.  Of  every  100  males  in  the  total 
population  of  the  country,  34  are  single,  60  are 
married,  5  are  widowed  and  1  is  divorced.  But  of 
the  persons  between  fifteen  and  twenty-four,  for 
every  100  males,  there  are  15  married  and  85  sin- 
gle. For  every  100  young  women  between  fifteen 
and  twenty-four,  66  are  single,  32  married,  1  wid- 
owed and  1  divorced.  These  figures  reveal  the  vast 
difference  betwen  the  marital  status  of  the  sexes. 

Fourteen  in  every  100  youth  have  one  or  both 
parents  foreign  born  and  this  number  is  decreas- 
ing. Ten  in  every  hundred  are  of  Negro  stock  and 
six  in  each  hundred  belong  to  a  minor  racial  group. 
The  predominant  group  is  from  native  white  par- 
entage. 

According  to  the  1930  census,  56  per  cent  of  the 
total  number  of  young  people  are  living  in  cities 
of  2,500  or  more  population.     Twenty-six  per  cent 


THE  SCROLL 275 

are  living  on  farms,  with  18  per  cent  living  in  rural 
towns  and  villages  of  non-farming  occupation.  In 
the  ten  years  1920-1930,  the  proportion  of  youth  in 
cities  increased  5  per  cent  while  in  the  same  period 
the  proportion  decreased  about  the  same  percentage 
on  the  farms.  This  ^as  caused  largely  by  the  grad- 
ual migration  of  youth  to  the  cities. 

The  largest  percentage  of  children  come  from 
the  poor  families  of  the  nation.  The  lower  the  skill 
of  one's  occupation,  the  greater  the  tendency  to  re- 
produce.   As  one  authority  says: 

''Salaried  workers  with  the  highest  skills  have 
fewer  children  than  skilled  laborers  who,  in  turn, 
have  fewer  children  than  totally  unskilled  laborers. 
Within  each  skill  class,  the  more  precarious  the  em- 
ployment status  of  the  family  wage-earner,  the  more 
children  there  are  likely  to  be  in  the  family.  Where 
there  are  no  employed  workers  in  the  family,  the 
fertility  rates  are  highest.  On  the  other  hand, 
where  there  is  a  steady  income,  in  the  case  of  full- 
time  workers,  the  rates  of  fertility  are  lowest." 

There  are  plenty  of  evidences  that  parents  of 
highest  educational  training  and  intelligence  quo- 
tients also  have  the  lowest  fertility  ratings.  In  the 
college  graduates,  business  and  professional  people 
there  are  from  one-fourth  to  one-half  more  child- 
less marriages  than  in  the  unskilled  and  agricultural 
occupations.  Each  group  with  an  I.Q.  above  100 
is  growing  smaller  while  each  group  with  an  I.Q. 
below  100  is  growing  larger.  If  this  process  con- 
tinues, there  is  a  danger  that  the  I.Q.  for  the  total 
population  will  have  to  be  reduced  from  100  to  90, 
80  or  an  even  lower  number. 

The  status  of  American  youth  today  is  somewhat 
like  this.  Of  the  twenty  million  of  them,  4  million 
are  in  schools,  8  million  are  employed  in  gainful 
activity,  3  million  are  housewives  and  5  million  are 
unemployed. 


276 THE  SCROLL 

Of  the  employed  youth  in  1930,  23.3  per  cent  were 
in  agriculture,  26.7  per  cent  in  mining  and  manu- 
facturing, 16.7  in  trade  and  transportation,  13.3 
per  cent  in  clerical  service,  6.7  per  cent  in  public 
and  professional  service,  while  all  other  types  of 
occupations  had  13.3  per  cent. 

The  economic  problem  is  an  increasing  one  for 
youth  and  in  an  attempt  to  solve  this,  many  youth 
turn  to  crime.  In  1936,  35  per  cent  of  the  arrest 
records  examined  by  the  F.  B.  L  were  for  persons 
under  25  years  of  age  and  half  of  these  persons  were 
under  twenty-one.  Youth,  under  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  constitute  58  per  cent  of  those  ar- 
rested for  burglary,  53  per  cent  of  those  arrested 
for  robbery,  47  per  cent  of  those  arrested  for  rape, 
and  44  per  cent  of  those  arrested  for  violation  of 
traffic  laws. 

"I  live  in  an  age  of  transition,"  said  the  butter- 
fly as  she  emerged  from  her  cocoon  and  spread  her 
beautiful  wings,  ready  to  soar  high  over  the  fields 
and  adorn  the  petals  of  some  lovely  rose-garden.  It 
seems  to  be  the  part  of  youth  from  generation  to 
generation  to  live  in  such  periods  of  transition  and 
change.  The  adjustments  which  the  former  gen- 
eration made  to  their  situations  do  not  fit  the  next. 
Some  factors  are  constant  in  the  scene  but  many 
are  variables  and  must  be  dealt  with  by  each  crop 
of  young  persons  in  their  own  way.  Certainly,  these 
figures  present  a  challenge  to  those  who  presume 
to  preach  to  youth  today! 


Professor  Harley  L.  Smith  of  Culver-Stockton 
College  was  elected  Secretary  of  the  Disciples  Board 
of  Higher  Education  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Board  in  Indianapolis,  April  17. 


THE  SCROLL 277 

Pedants'  War  Parade 

Raymond  Morgan,  Wilson,  N.  C. 

In  these  days  of  preparation  for  war  it  is  good 
for  us  to  be  reminded  of  events  that  took  place  dur- 
ing the  tragic  years  of  1913-1918.  In  a  little 
pamphlet  of  forty-two  closely  packed  pages,  C.  H. 
Hamlin,  professor  of  History  in  Atlantic  Christian 
College,  relates  one  of  the  saddest  chapters  of  the 
sad  history  of  this  period  of  American  life.  He  en- 
titles the  study.  Educator's  Present  Arms. 

Beginning  with  an  outline  of  the  relation  of  the 
educational  system  to  the  Plattsburg  Movement 
originating  in  1913,  the  author  traces  the  develop- 
ment of  the  preparedness  campaign  carried  on  wil!h 
the  cooperation  of  school  officials  of  all  ranks.  The 
members  of  the  National  Security  League's  com- 
mittee on  "Patriotism  Through  Education"  consti- 
tute a  representative  "Who's  Who"  of  American 
education. 

After  our  entrance  into  the  war  the  colleges  of- 
fered themselves  to  the  government  without  reserve. 
The  Student  Army  Training  Corps  symbolizes  this 
surrender.  The  author  quotes  without  any  com- 
ment the  words  of  Elihu  Root  addressed  to  the  Co- 
lumbia University  Corps,  "A  new  era  beginsi  in 
which  all  the  learning  of  America  is  now  laid  upon 
the  altar  of  service." 

The  utmost  efforts  were  made  to  instruct  the 
children  in  our  schools,  from  the  kindergarten  up, 
as  to  our  reasons  for  entering  the  war,  the  ferocious 
brutality  of  the  "Huns,"  and  the  high  idealism  of  the 
Allies.  The  Universities  did  their  bit,  too,  notably 
Chicago,  Illinois,  Minnesota,  North  Carolina,  and 
South  Carolina.  Wisconsin  was  under  a  cloud  for 
a  time,  having  been  called  "a  bunch  of  damned 
traitors"  by  J.  M.  McElroy  of  the  National  Security 
League  for  inattention  during  a  two  hour  speech 


278  THE  SCROLL 

which  he  was  delivering  to  the  student  body.  To 
disprove  this  charge,  Wisconsin  joined  the  parade 
and  published  a  series  of  nineteen  pamphlets  on  the 
righteousness  of  our  participation  in  the  war. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  parts  of  the  study  is 
that  reporting  the  propaganda  use  of  periodicals 
and  textbooks  during  the  period.  The  History 
Teacher's  Magazine,  The  National  Education  Asso- 
ciation, and  textbook  publishers  all  suffer  under 
Mr.  Hamlin's  searching  gaze.  President  Wilson's 
war  message  took  its  place  along  with  the  Bible  as 
sacred  literature  throughout  our  schools. 

Women  students  were  not  overlooked  as  material 
for  propaganda,  as  Mr.  Hamlin  abundantly  proves. 
Negro  institutions  complained  of  inattention  from 
the  war  officials,  but  this  oversight  was  quickly  cor- 
rected with  very  satisfactory  results.  The  How- 
ard University  Record  for  1919  stated,  according  to 
the  author,  that  their  students  seemed  to  enjoy  the 
killing  business. 

Mr.  Hamlin  closes  his  report  with  an  account  of 
the  war  hysteria  in  the  colleges  which  made  im- 
possible anything  like  academic  freedom.  It  is  in- 
deed a  sorry  record  of  bigotry,  intolerance,  and  in- 
justice, a  blot  on  the  history  of  American  education 
which  cannot  be  removed.  But  there  is  a  way  to 
atone.  All  who  participate  in  the  Educational 
process  can  become  aware  of  what  happened  in 
1913-18  and  refuse  to  allow  again  "nationalism  in 
its  worship  of  tribal  gods  to  make  education  its  ad- 
junct." I  hope  that  Professor  Hamlin  will  expand 
this  pamphlet  into  a  full  size  book  which  we  all  shall 
read. 


Professor  Arthur  E.  Murphy,  of  Brown  Uni- 
versity, has  been  appointed  head  of  the  Department 
of  Philosophy  in  the  University  of  Illinois. 


THE  SCROLL 279 

Heritage  of  Disciple  Colleges 

sterling  Brown,  University  of  Oklahoma 

The  Disciple  college  came  into  existence  about  a 
hundred  years  ago  as  one  of  the  first  practical  oper- 
ations of  a  religious  movement  still  in  its  infancy 
as  a  separate  communion.  Thus  the  activities  of 
the  Disciples  in  the  realm  of  higher  education  were 
begun  second  only  to  those  of  the  local  church  and 
religious  journalism,  prior  to  missionary  enter- 
prises, organized  benevolence,  pensions  for  minis- 
ters, or  church  extension. 

It  is  supposed  by  some  that  the  Disciple  college 
was  entirely  a  unique  institution.  It  was  not.  The 
older  religious  bodies  were  already  active  in  the 
field  of  higher  education.  At  the  time  of  the  birth 
of  the  Disciple  college  American  culture  was  cast 
into  denominational  moulds,  and  the  first  institu- 
tions of  this  new  religious  movement  shared  with 
other  denominational  colleges  the  American  ideal 
of  a  religious  culture.  So  the  early  Disciple  col- 
lege patterned  its  primary  objective,  propagation  of 
the  faith,  after  that  of  other  denominational  col- 
leges. 

But  the  Disciple  college  has  from  the  first  had  a 
valid  claim  to  a  distinctive  character.  For  it  has 
emphasized  certain  functional  ideals  of  higher  edu- 
cation which  distinguished  it  from  other  denom- 
inational institutions.  These  ideals  constitute  the 
only  claim  it  has  to  distinctiveness.  It  is  even  more 
important  that  these  functional  ideals  form  the  leg- 
acy which  the  Disciple  college  of  the  past  has  left 
to  our  existing  institutions  of  higher  learning.  With 
slight  modification  and.  refinement  this  heritage  is 
potent  and  imperative  for  the  continued  function- 
ing of  the  Disciple  college  toward  making  a  contri- 
bution to  the  total  religious  and  educational  life  of 
America. 


280        THE  SCROLL 

In  the  earliest  educational  institutions  among  the 
Disciples  these  functional  emphases  were  but  re- 
flections of  the  peculiar  "plea"  or  view  of  religion 
which  distinguished  the  "reformers"  from  other 
religious  groups.  A  sane  vieiv  of  religion  is,  then, 
one  of  the  fundamental  elements  in  the  inheritance 
in  which  the  Disciple  college  of  today  is  the  recipi- 
ent. Oiur  first  institutions  of  higher  education  prop- 
agated a  reasonable  and  practical  religion.  This 
mixture  of  intellectual  and  common-sense  flavors 
was  indigenous  to  the  movement  itself  and  not  a 
later  appendage.  Because  of  this  fact  the  "Fathers" 
were  quick  to  establish  institutions  of  higher  learn- 
ing and  the  ideational  life  of  the  brotherhood  has 
since  had  at  its  center  the  Disciple  college. 

The  predominant  symbol  of  this  sane  view  of  re- 
ligion was  the  "open  Bible."  Bethany  College 
claimed  to  be  the  only  college  in  the  world  founded 
on  the  Bible,  which  was  its  core  text-book.  Each  of 
"Mother  Bethany's"  offspring,  of  which  there  were 
scores,  ran  true  to  form  and  made  available  for  all 
students  courses  in  the  Bible.  A  piece  of  research 
recently  revealed  this  emphasis  by  showing  that 
Disciple  colleges  offer  a  larger  number  of  biblical 
courses  than  other  denominational  colleges.  This 
emphasis  on  the  Bible  was  one  of  discrimination, 
each  book  being  studied  in  the  light  of  its  author- 
ship, its  purpose,  and  the  circumstances  under  which 
it  was  written.  The  early  Disciple  college  taught 
the  Bible  "without  interpretation,"  students  being 
left  free  to  make  their  own  interpretation.  Under 
the  influence  of  this  view  the  Bible  became  a  "liv- 
ing Bible,"  a  book  to  be  read  carefully,  understood 
clearly,  and  followed  loyally.  Thus  the  Disciple  col- 
lege became  known  for  its  nonsectarian  attitude  and 
its  emphasis  on  a  sane  view  of  religion. 

Another  element  in  this  intellectual  heritage 
which  is  the  possession  of  the  Disciple  college  of  to- 


THE  SCROLL 281 

day,  is  the  conception  of  a  consecrated  science.  The 
earliest  Disciple  colleges  conceived  all  knowledge  as 
being  sacred  in  the  sense  of  representing  the  work 
and  will  of  God.  Consequently,  the  "diffusion  of 
knowledge,"  an  objective  often  stated  in  the  char- 
ters of  the  earlier  Disciples  colleges,  was  conceived 
to  be  a  religious  task.  Christian  education  included 
literary  and  scientific  subjects.  True  science  was 
not  believed  to  be  antagonistic  to  Christianity.  The 
laws  of  the  universe  and  the  laws  of  God  were  synon- 
ymous. Scientific  knowledge  was  a  part  of  the  total 
educational  system  asd  was  disseminated  along  with 
the  classics  as  integral  parts  of  "Christian  Culture." 

This  view  of  a  consecrated  science  dedicated  to 
the  progress  of  society,  is  expressed  in  the  edu- 
cational philosophies  of  all  of  the  earlier  Disciple 
college  leaders  and  it  was  reflected  in  the  curricula 
by  courses  in  the  physical  and  "mental  sciences." 
Hence  the  Disciple  college  has  constantly  made  use 
of  the  findings  of  science  in  its  functional  operation 
as  the  creator  and  the  propagator  of  a  distinctly 
Christian  culture.  Students  attending  Disciple  col- 
leges have  been  urged  to  think  for  themselves  and 
to  "prove  all  things  and  hold  fast  that  which  is 
good."  Doubtless  this  warm  attitude  toward  science 
has  been  responsible  for  the  fact  that  more  than 
one  Disciple  college  administrator  has  been  selected 
from  the  ranks  of  eminent  scientists. 

A  third  element  in  the  intellectual  legacy  to  which 
the  Disciple  college  is  the  heir  is  the  conception  of 
an  experimental  education.  The  early  Disciple  col- 
lege conceived  its  process  of  education  to  be  "de- 
signed to  meet  the  needs  of  life."  The  curriculum 
was  planned  to  develop  the  whole  man  "mental, 
physical,  and  moral."  Alexander  Campbell  favored 
and  sponsored  what  he  conceived  as  an  education 
based  upon  the  "true  philosophy  of  man."  Educa- 
tion itself  was  referred  to  as  a  science,  an  ideal  for 


282  THE  SCROLL 

which  it  is  still  striving.  Because  of  this  view  of 
an  education  close  to  life  the  Disciple  college  has 
attempted  to  keep  its  process  of  education  flexible 
to  the  needs  of  the  individual  and  society.  Even  a 
casual  perusal  of  the  curricula  of  the  Disciple  col- 
leges of  the  past  will  reveal  "innovations."  New 
courses  and  new  schools  have  been  constantly  in- 
troduced, some  of  them  to  become  permanent  ele- 
ments in  the  institutional  life ;  others  being  dropped 
when  they  proved  to  be  educational  "fads." 

Alexander  Campbell  at  one  time  advocated  a 
scheme  to  develop  an  institution  including  the  home, 
the  church,  and  the  school.  He  gave  up  the  idea  as 
being  too  visionary.  It  must  not  be  forgotten,  too, 
that  he  experimented  with  academies,  a  seminary, 
and  a  religious  association  as  well  as  with  the  church 
and  the  church  college. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  this  experimental 
philosophy  of  education  has  been  responsible  for  the 
development  of  Discipledom's  two  most  unique  edu- 
cational institutions  one  an  affiliated  institution  with 
a  great  university ;  the  other  a  rural  community 
within  itself.  Doubtless  this  view  of  education  has 
also  been  responsible  for  the  success  of  some  of  our 
existing  institutions.  They  have  been  able  to  find 
their  function  within  their  regional  environment 
and  thus  defeat  the  exigencies  of  time  and  cir- 
cumstance. When  the  Disciple  college  has  rejected 
this  experimental  view  it  has  often  been  forced  by 
economic  necessity  to  return  to  it.  , 

The  Disciple  college  of  today  is  confused  and  per- 
plexed by  both  the  frustration  of  the  total  American 
system  of  education  and  the  pressure  of  economic 
struggle.  The  large  institutions  have  lost  their 
orientation  in  the  educational  maze ;  the  smaller 
ones  are  fighting  for  their  lives  in  the  face  of  mount- 
ing costs  and  diminishing  incomes.  But  the  Disciple 
college  will  never  find  its  function  merely  in  terms 


THE  SCROLL 283 

of  building  larger  buildings,  enrolling  bigger  stu- 
dent bodies,  or  producing  champion  football  teams. 
However  important  these  may  be  and  they  are  im- 
portant, they  do  not  constitute  the  true  educational 
function  of  the  church-related  college.  The  solution 
lies  in  the  direction  of  the  functional  quality  of 
the  educational  process  which  operates  within  the 
institution.  The  way  out  is  the  development  of  a 
distinctive  type  of  college  in  terms  of  quality.  This 
can  best  be  done  by  the  recognition  and  refinement 
of  the  heritage  of  the  Disciple  college.  This  herit- 
age being  made  up  of  the  aforementioned  elements, 
a  sane  view  of  religion,  a  consecrated  science,  and 
an  experimental  philosophy  of  education. 


Surveying  the  Disciples 

E.  S.  Ames,  Chicago 

Adaptability.  The  Disciples  of  Christ  arose  in  a 
frontier,  rural  environment  in  southwestern  Penn- 
sylvania early  in  the  nineteenth  century.  They 
fitted  the  scene,  for  they  were  democratic,  common- 
sense  people,  with  a  reasonable  view  of  religion, 
non-theological,  non-ecclesiastical.  In  it  all  there 
was  a  deep  sense  of  mission  which  matched  the 
political  experiment  in  which  they  were  engaged. 
No  wonder  the  millenium  seemed  near  with  such 
freedom,  material  resources,  and  a  generally  as- 
cending life. 

Since  1890  the  Disciples,  in  common  with  the 
whole  country,  have  confronted  new  situations.  The 
frontier  closed  with  the  settlement  of  Oklahoma. 
An  industrial  revolution  built  new  cities,  brought  in 
millions  of  foreigners,  and  produced  multimillion- 
aires with  new  luxuries  and  new  habits.  The  Dis- 
ciples were  not  geographically,  socially,  or  racially 


284 THE  SCROLL 

in  a  position  to  lead  in  these  developments.  They 
have  not  been  able  to  make  much  impression  upon 
the  cities,  the  foreigners,  or  the  rich.  Nor  have  they 
been  able  to  exert  much  influence  among  the  very 
poor.   They  are  distinctly  a  middle  class  movement. 

These  fifty  years  have  been  marked  by  the  most 
momentous  achievements  in  theoretical  and  applied 
science.  Biblical  criticism,  evolution,  and  the  cre- 
ation of  a  scientific  temper  of  mind  have  taken 
possession  of  the  educated  public  and  left  the  tradi- 
tional doctrines  of  orthodox  churches  in  the  discard. 
The  old  theology  may  still  largely  dominate  the 
liturgies  and  the  vocabularies  of  public  services  but 
these  are  widely  regarded  as  quaint,  poetic,  and  de- 
natured expressions  of  the  old  faiths.  Here  the 
Disciples  have  a  marvelous  opportunity  but  seem 
unable  to  grasp  it  with  comprehension  and  mastery. 
This  is  the  pathos  and  the  tragedy  of  the  Disciples 
today. 

Biblical  criticism  comes  nearest  being  accepted 
and  there  are  good  historic  reasons  for  this.  Alex- 
ander Campbell  adopted  the  method  on  several  is- 
siues.  He  held  that  the  Bible  should  be  read  as  any 
other  book  is  read.  One  has  a  right  to  read  it  so 
that  it  makes  sense.  Some  parts  are  more  important 
than  others.  The  new  Testament  is  superior  to  the 
Old  for  Christians.  Jesus  is  more  significant  than 
Paul.  One  may  be  a  Christian  without  believing  in 
the  deity  of  Jesus,  without  believing  in  the  substitu- 
tionary atonement,  without  believing  in  eternal 
punishment,  or  in  a  literal  second  coming.  The  one 
decisively  important  thing  is  a  practical  faith  in 
Jesus  and  devout  allegiance  to  his  spirit  and  to  his 
way  of  life.  The  union  of  Christians  is  demanded 
for  efficiency,  and  that  union  m^ust  be  a  union  in 
spirit  and  fellowship  rather  than  in  doctrine  or  or- 
ganization. If  the  Disciples  sensed  clearly  their  own 
inherited  emancipation  from  old  ideas  of  the  Bible 


THE  SCROLL 285 

they  would  be  more  receptive  to  new  ideas  of  evolu- 
tion, social  change,  and  experimentation.  The  fact 
that  they  have  been  so  slow  to  respond  to  federation, 
to  open-membership,  to  more  effective  organization 
and  methods  of  work,  is  evidence  of  very  little 
conscious  and  intentional  adaptation.  Much  adapta- 
tion has  taken  place  unconsciously  (and  sometimes 
surreptitiously)  but  very  little  adaptation  has  re- 
sulted from  definite  experimentation  and  courageous 
prosecution  of  new  methods.  Adequate  adaptation 
requires  better  education  of  ministers  and  of  lay 
leaders,  better  acquaintance  with  the  history  of  the 
Disciples,  and  a  greater  sense  of  duty  to  find  the 
genuine  religious  values  in  life  itself  and  in  its 
natural  possibilities  and  expansion. 

This  process  of  adaptation  would  also  have  vital 
bearing  upon  all  social  problems  such  as  peace,  social 
justice,  education,  and  the  casting  out  of  fear. 


Letter  from  E.  E.  Elliott 

"The  Story  of  My  Life,"  by  Charles  A.  Stevens, 
in  the  current  Scroll,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting- 
ly human  pieces  published  in  the  magazine  in  many 
months.  When  I  was  a  cub  reporter  on  an  Indian- 
apolis newspaper,  I  was  assigned  to  the  graduating 
exercises  at  Butler  College.  Among  those  receiving 
sheepskins  on  that  occasion  was  a  tall  man  with 
Van  Dyke  beard,  twenty  years  the  senior  of  the 
other  members  of  the  class.  That  man  was  Charles 
A.  Stevens,  the  subject  of  the  sketch  to  which  the 
recent  piece  referred.  The  other  members  of  the 
class  (which  included  my  sister  Rose)  spoke  of  him 
as  "Pa"  Stevens. 

His  home  now  is  nearby  and  whenever  he  comes 
to  the  city  we  have  little  visits  over  the  old  days. 
He  is  a  remarkable  physical  specimen  of  a  man  of 
his  age  (89  years)  and  his  mental  equipment  is  keen 
and  sharp.    He  lives  on  a  little  farm,  providing  a 


286 THE  SCROLL 

living  through  manual  toil,  preaching  occasionally. 
Incidentally,  he  is  intensely  interested  in  the  prog- 
ress of  liberal  thought  among  the  disciples  and  is 
able  to  discuss  theological  subjects  with  the  most 
advanced  thinkers. 

I  am  glad  that  you  gave  this  story  to  us  and  only 
wish  that  you  might  have  found  space  for  another 
paragraph  or  two  rounding  out  his  experiences  since 
he  entered  the  ministry. 


Secretary-Treasurer's   Page 

A.  T.  DeGroot,  Kalamazoo,  Mich. 

For  the  enlightenment  of  our  previously  fiscal 
brethren,  so  that  they  may  understand  some  of  the 
following  excerpts  from  epistles  of  the  Fellows,  I 
may  say  that  a  list  of  all  paid-up  members  was  made 
and  sent  to  the  delinquents,  with  a  rhetorical  (or 
Satanic)  query  at  the  top  asking  (as  if  I  didn't 
know!)  "Is  your  name  written  there?"  I  must 
hastily  testify  that  all  have  borne  up  like  men  under 
our  recurring  barbed  shafts  about  overdue  dues. 
Newton  J.  Robison,  Raleigh,  N.  C,  says,  "I  have 
enjoyed  (?)  the  variety  of  notices  about  our  delin- 
quencies, and  have  been  waiting  to  see  whether  you 
would  spell  lousy  with  a  *z'."  Henry  Pearce  Atkins, 
Cincinnati,  0.,  went  to  the  trouble  of  pasting  his 
name  into  the  proper  place  in  the  list — and  justified 
his  action  by  enclosing  a  check. 

John  Davis,  Dean  of  Lynchburg  College,  not  only 
sent  two  "iron  men,"  but  also  news  of  adopting  a 
second  child.  Charles  R.  Wakeley,  Chicago,  was  be- 
stirred of  conscience  and  sent  in  dues  for  two  years, 
along  with  a  cordial  note.  Travis  White,  Paris, 
Texas,  was  brief  and  to  the  point:  "A  sincere  plea 


THE  SCROLL 287 

that  my  name  may  be  written  there."  Other  pleas- 
ant notes  came  from  W.  F.  Bruce,  Cisco,  Texas,  and 
Earl  A.  Blackman,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

^'Jiust  about  the  time  FormgescMchte  has  me  con- 
vinced that  the  Campbellites  have  no  raison  d'etre, 
along  comes  the  postman  with  the  Scroll.  It's  my 
oasis,"  writes  Eldred  Johnston,  Paulding,  Ohio. 
Says  the  irrepressible  W.  J.  Lhamon,  Columbia,  Mo., 
"It  (the  Scroll)  is  as  good  as  anything  I  get  or  see 
in  its  varied  way  of  plain-talk  religion.  The  Scroll 
gets  back  to  John  Locke  and  Alexander  Campbell 
every  once  in  a  while  and  is  therefore  scarcely  less 
than  infallible  and  always  up  to  date." 

Chester  0.  Sommer  (yes,  one  of  the  Sommers) 
sends  a  newsy  brace  of  letters  from  Nobel,  Ontario 
— named  after  the  inventor  of  dynamite  and  Peace 
Prize  establisher.  With  supposedly  characteristic 
professional  preoccupation,  Marvin  Schafer,  Taco- 
ma.  Wash.,  enclosed  the  wrong  check,  which  we  re- 
gret that  our  conscience  would  not  permit  us  to 
keep,  for  it  would  have  paid  his  dues  years  in  ad- 
vance. W.  B.  Clemmer,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  rose  to  his 
full  heighth  (I  can  hear  him  say,  "Et  tu,  Brutus") 
and  dropped  in  the  letter  box  what  he  calls  his  "cast 
iron  men." 

How  fraught  with  perils  are  the  ways  of  treas- 
urers! Oliver  Harrison,  Pecos,  Texas,  broke  down 
and  confessed  why  he  (and  perhaps  others)  had  not 
sent  in  dues  earlier.  The  reason : — he  couldn't  con- 
jure up  a  literary  creation  worthy  of  accompanying 
the  wonderful  words  of  those  Fellows  whose  cere- 
breal  offspring  appear  on  the  Secretary-Treasurer's 
Page! 


The  Campbell  Institute 

July  21— August  4,  1939 

Monday,  July  31 

9:00  P.M.     Communion   Service.     Chapel   of  the 
Holy  Grail.  Conducted  by  A.  C.  Brooks. 
9:45  Social  hour  in  the  Common  Room. 

Tuesday,  August  1  ^ 

12:30  P.M.     Luncheon.    University    Church,    5655 

University  Avenue. 
2:00  Address — "Changes  of  Thought  in  a 

Decade."  A.  C.  Garnett,  Robert  Burns, 

Richard  L.  James. 

Discussion 
3:30  Reports  of  committees. 

9:00  P.M.     President's  Address.  John  L.  Davis. 

Wednesday,  August  2 

9:00  P.M.     Address — "Disciple  Statistics  and  Re- 
lated Problems." 
Virgil  A.  Sly,  J.  Edward  Moseley.        ■ 

Thursday,  August  3 

2 :00  P.M.     Address— "The  Church  in  Relation  to 

the  Rural  Situation."  Henry  C.  Taylor. 

Address — "The  Situation  in  the  Cotton 

South."  Alva  W.  Taylor. 

Address — "Urban  Church  Problems." 

Samuel  C.  Kincheloe. 
6:00  Annual   Dinner.   Dr.   Herbert  L.  Wil- 

lett,  presiding. 

Friday,  August  4 

2:00  P.M.     Address  —  "Form      Criticism      and 
Preaching."     Dr.  John  Knox. 
Leaders   of   Discussion — Myrddyn  W. 
Jones,  C.  B.  Tupper. 

9:00  Address — "Present  Status  of  Liberal- 

ism among  the  Disciples." 
In    Reference    to    Ideology — Irvin    E. 
Lunger.   In   Relation  to  Social   Prob- 
lems— Harold  L.  Lunger. 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVI.  JUNE,  1939  No.  10 

Charter  Members  Report 

The  six  living  charter  members  of  the  Institute 
were  asked  to  write  for  the  Scroll  a  brief  statement 
of  what  the  Institute  has  meant  to  them  and  to  add 
any  suggestions  for  its  improvement.  We  regret 
that  we  have  not  heard  from  the  other  two  as  yet, 
Professor  Clinton  Lockhart  and  Dr.  George  A. 
Campbell.     The  following  replies  have  come  in. 

Burris  Jenkins:  Any  man  would  look  back  with 
a  good  deal  of  pride  to  the  establishment  of  the 
Campbell  Instiutte  forty-three  years  ago  and  to 
having  a  hand  in  it.  For  one  I  am  proud  to  have 
been  a  charter  member  of  that  institution.  It  seems 
to  me  to  have  had  an  effect  in  preserving  the  confi- 
dence of  many  men  in  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  their 
freedom,  their  sincerity  and  honesty;  and  no  doubt 
it  has  kept  many  men  in  the  ranks  who  otherwise 
would  have  left  us  and  gone  to  some  freer  denomina- 
tion. Of  course  it  is  difficult  for  anyone  to  estimate 
the  influences  in  his  life  which  have  led  him  to  do 
what  he  has  done ;  but  it  does  seem  to  me  that  with- 
out the  Campbell  Institute  and  the  spirit  of  the  men 
who  are  in  it  I  would  have  become  yet  more  of  a 
free-lance  than  I  have  been,  and  there  is  no  telling 
how  far  I  might  have  run  when  I  got  started.  I  am 
grateful  for  the  Campbell  Institute. 

Herbert  L.  Willett:  As  one  of  the  original  mem- 
bers of  the  Campbell  Institute,  I  look  back  over  the 
more  than  two  score  years  of  its  existence  with  deep 
satisfaction.  Its  objects  were  ambitious  at  the  first, 
and  not  all  of  them  have  been  realized  in  the  precise 
manner  in  which  they  were  outlined.  But  the  scope 
and  activities  of  the  organization  have  steadily  wid- 
ened through  the  years,  and  its  growing  membership 


290 THE  SCROLL 

has  become  increasingly  conscious  of  the  services 
of  fellowship  and  inspiration  which  it  renders  to  all 
its  constituency. 

The  annual  meetings  in  Chicago  draw  ever  larger 
groups  of  Disciples,  younger  and  older,  for  social 
contacts  and  serious  consideration  of  matters  of 
moment  to  our  people  and  the  church  at  large.  Their 
relation  to  the  Pastors'  Conferences,  conducted  by 
the  cooperating  divinity  schools,  gives  them  special 
advantage  as  centers  of  social  and  intellectual  re- 
freshment. 

The  Institute  sessions  at  the  National  Conven- 
tions present  something  of  a  problem.  For  a  time 
they  drew  such  attendance  and  aroused  such  inter- 
est that  they  competed  with  the  most  attractive  fea- 
tures of  the  gatherings  in  popularity.  More  recent- 
ly they  have  lacked  somewhat  of  definiteness  of  aim, 
and  their  programs  in  so  far  as  they  had  such  were 
diffuse  and  unorganized.  This  had  the  advantage  of 
the  free  and  easy  type  of  conference,  such  as  gave 
them  attractiveness  at  first,  but  it  lessened  the  value 
of  the  occasions  for  numbers  who  felt  that  the  con- 
ventions needed  just  the  intellectual  stimulus  which 
the  Institute  was  competent  to  provide.  Then  too 
other  groups  took  advantage  of  the  late-evening 
idea,  and  thus  divided  the  interest  of  those  in  at- 
tendance. 

As  suggestions  regarding  future  operations  of  an 
organization  which  has  largely  replaced  the  Con- 
gress among  the  Disciples,  and  has  proved  of  such 
far-reaching  value  to  all  its  members,  one  might 
mention  the  following  items :  The  continuance  and 
strengthening  of  the  Summer  conferences  and  pro- 
grams, which  are  in  large  measure  the  center  of  the 
Institute's  activity;  the  widening  of  the  circulation 
of  the  Scroll  as  the  organ  of  information  and  influ- 
ence ;  more  careful  preparation  of  the  late-evening 
programs  at  the  National  Conventions,  and  if  pos- 


THE  SCROLL  ^ 291 

sible  some  agreement  with  other  groups  such  as  will 
avoid  conflicts ;  the  development  of  the  plan  of 
regional  meetings  of  Institute  members,  which  in  a 
number  of  instances  have  proved  of  distinct  value, 
and  offer  an  opportunity  for  attendance  and  contact 
on  the  part  of  numbers  who  cannot  avail  themselves 
of  the  more  formal  meetings.  Officers  of  the  organ- 
ization are  available  for  such  regional  gatherings 
under  the  auspices  of  colleges  or  churches  where 
they  are  invited,  and  where  a  nucleus  of  the  mem- 
bership is  accessible. 

The  longer  one  shares  the  fellowship  of  the  In- 
stitute the  more  its  value  and  its  influence  are  appre- 
ciated, and  the  more  eager  one  becomes  to  make  all 
necessary  sacrifices  to  attend  and  enjoy  its  meetings. 
It  is  the  most  effective  instrument  in  the  brother- 
hood for  the  widening  of  horizons,  the  strengthen- 
ing of  fellowship  and  the  deepening  of  the  religious 
life. 

W.  E.  Garrison:  The  Campbell  Institute  has 
passed  through  a  good  many  changes  in  structure 
and  function  during  its  forty-three  years,  but  I 
think  it  has  at  no  time  deviated  from  the  main  ob- 
jectives that  it  set  before  itself  ai  the  time  of  its 
organization.  The  original  constitution  contained 
a  statement  of  purpose  (and  the  records  seem  to  in- 
dicate that  I  wrote  it)  specifying  three  ends  which 
we  hoped  to  gain  by  associating  ourselves  together : 
(1)  to  encourage  and  support  each  other  in  the 
maintenance  of  whatever  scholarly  habits  we  might 
have  acquired,  in  the  hope  that,  by  mutual  counsel 
and  criticism,  we  might  make  some  contributions  of 
permanent  value;  (2)  to  keep  strong  and  warm,  as 
we  scattered  to  our  several  fields,  those  sustaining 
friendships  which  had  bound  most  of  us  together  in 
our  student  days;  (3)  to  develop  the  sense' of  devo- 
tion to  a  great  cause,  both  in  our  own  minds  and  in 
those  of  the  congregations  or  other  groups  to  which 


292 THE  SCROLL 

we  might  be  called  to  minister. 

We  outlined  a  rather  grandiose  scheme,  according 
to  which  each  member  was  enrolled  in  one  of  four  or 
five  ''chambers" — historical,  theological,  etc. — and 
each  chamber  had  a  "head"  whose  duty  was  to  su- 
pervise and  stimulate  the  scholarly  and  productive 
work  of  the  members  of  his  chamber.  This  did  not 
work  very  well,  perhaps  partly  because  the  heads 
were  not  notably  superior  to  those  whose  work  they 
were  expected  to  stimulate  and  supervise,  and  part- 
ly because  we  all  had  so  many  other  exigent  duties 
that,  while  our  studies  went  on,  they  seldom  went  on 
in  as  close  relation  to  the  Institute  as  had  been  an- 
ticipated. Aside  from  the  preparation  of  papers  for 
the  annual  meetings,  the  formal  support  which  the 
Institute  gave  to  our  "scholarly  habits"  and  to  our 
"productive  scholarship"  was  somewhat  less  than 
we  had  expected  it  to  be.  But  it  is  an  evidence  of 
the  flexibility  of  the  Institute  and  its  ready  adapta- 
tion to  the  realities  that,  when  this  scheme  turned 
out  to  be  not  very  serviceable,  we  never  let  it  bother 
us.  No  energy  was  wasted  in  trying  to  work  an  un- 
workable plan. 

Yet  I  am  confident  that,  though  this  particular 
method  of  encouraging  and  directly  study  did  not 
function  quite  in  accordance  with  our  first  prospec- 
tus, the  Institute  was  a  potent  influence  with  us  all 
in  the  matter  of  scholarship.  I  know  it  was  with 
me.  Perhaps  I  needed  it  more  than  some  of  the 
others,  for  I  was  soon  diverted  to  journalistic  and 
then  to  administrative  pursuits  —  both  notoriously 
hostile  to  scholarship — and  then  the  v»'hirling  wheel 
of  time  flung  me  from  its  rim  to  land  in  a  remote 
corner  of  the  Southwest  where  no  one  within  a  thou- 
sand miles  had  ever  heard  of  the  things  I  had  hith- 
erto been  most  interested  in.  It  is,  I  am  sure,  due 
more  to  the  Institute  than  to  any  other  cause  that  it 
was  possible  to  keep,  through  sixteen  years  of  aca- 


THE  SCROLL 293 

demic  exile,  a  sustaining  sense  of  still  "belonging." 
Scholarly  work,  in  the  meaning  we  had  given  to  that 
term,  was  in  abeyance,  and  I  did  not  even  venture 
to  contribute  the  chapter  that  was  requested  for  the 
Institute's  twenty-fifth  anniversary  volume,  "Prog- 
ress." But  in  the  pursuit  of  the  second  and  third 
purposes,  as  enumerated  in  the  Constitution,  the 
sense  of  an  unbroken  fellowship  with  the  men  of 
the  Institute  gave  great  aid  and  comfort. 

As  to  the  future,  the  chief  suggestion  I  have  to 
make  is  prompted  by  the  consideration  of  our  tender 
years  when  this  organization  was  formed.  We  were 
all  very  young — otherwise  we  would  not  be  on  the 
scene  and  still  more  or  less  active  forty-three  years 
later.  Practically  all  of  us  were  in  our  twenties,  and 
some  of  us  had  not  been  in  them  very  long.  My 
father  was  made  an  honorary  member,  for,  besides 
having  had  no  graduate  work  at  a  university  though 
wholly  in  sympathy  with  the  enterprise,  he  was 
much  too  old  for  regular  membership — being  then 
fifty-four!  The  suggestion  is  that,  if  young  men 
could  start  the  Institute,  young  men  can  run  it. 

It  is  not  that  I  feel  that  the  men  of  my  generation 
have  played  their  part  and  "linger  superfluous  on 
the  scene,"  but  that,  in  my  judgment,  the  Institute 
will  most  surely  continue  to  be  what  it  was  intend- 
ed to  be  if  it  continues  to  be  a  youth  movement,  and 
a  youth  movement  mainly  manned  and  directed  by 
youth,  not  one  manned  by  youth  and  directed  by 
age.  I  would  have  Dr.  Ames  go  on  editing  the 
Scroll  at  least  for  another  five  or  ten  years,  because 
it  was  never  as  good  as  it  is  now,  and  good  editors 
are  scarce.  But  for  the  determination  of  Institute 
policies,  the  promotion  of  its  interests  and  the  mak- 
ing of  its  programs,  by  word,  as  one  of  the  elder 
statesmen,  would  be :  Let  the  young  men  do  it. 

E.  S.  Ames :  I  have  sometimes  tried  to  imagine 
what  my  sense  of  the  ministry  and  of  fellowship 


294 THE  SCROLL 

among  the  Disciples  would  have  been  without  the 
Listitute.  This  "coterie  of  young  men"  developed  a 
fine  comraderie  through  common  experiences.  They 
had  teachers  together,  their  religious  inheritance 
was  the  same,  and  they  have  had  to  deal  with  much 
the  same  problems  whether  as  professors,  ministers, 
journalists,  or  plain  human  beings.  Jibes  at  their 
youth,  scorn  for  their  ideas,  and  appreciation  for 
things  accomplished,  have  all  contributed  to  push 
and  draw  the  members  into  close  and  kindred  feel- 
ing. Like  fellow  pilgrims  on  a  long,  exciting  jour- 
ney, they  know  the  same  hills  and  valleys,  deep 
rivers  and  mountain  peaks. 

The  original  fourteen  has  grown  to  five  hundred 
living  members  and  a  great  company  of  the  depart- 
ed. Although  widely  scattered  over  the  earth  and 
in  different  lines  of  work  the  bonds  of  this  fellow- 
ship endure.  These  bonds  should  be  made  still 
finer  and  stronger.  The  Institute  is  not  like  a  col- 
lege fraternity  which  is  most  valuable  in  college 
days.  It  is  a  society  which  has  the  possibility  of 
growing  vitality  and  loyalty  through  a  long  future 
because  it  exists  to  foster  the  great  cause  of  reli- 
gion. The  Institute  has  always  been  free  from  petty 
politics,  from  seeking  power  or  place  for  its  mem- 
bers. There  is  no  uniformity  of  opinions.  Some  are 
liberal  and  some  are  conservative  but  all  would 
like  to  think  of  themselves  as  open-minded.  Yale  and 
Chicago  are  the  two  universities  most  largely  repre- 
sented in  the  membership  but  the  organization  is 
not  bound  to  any  school  of  thought,  and  craves  for 
its  fellowship  all  open  minds  and  hearts  who  like  its 
purpose  and  spirit.  Men  who  wish  to  belong  may  do 
so  by  saying  so  and  paying  so  and  so!  People 
sometimes  ask  me  why  I  give  so  much  time  to  the 
Institute.  I  wonder  myself.  The  only  answer  I  can 
give  is  that  I  am  devoted  to  what  it  tries  to  do,  and  I 
enjoy  it! 


THE  SCROLL 295 

Secretory-Treasurer's  Page 

I  did  not  realize  how  many  facets  there  might 
appear  to  be  to  what  I  laughingly  refer  to  as  my  per- 
sonality until  I  began  receiving  dues — plus  com- 
ments accompanying  same — for  the  Campbell  In- 
stitute. Robert  C.  Lemon,  new  Executive  Secretary 
of  the  Chicago  Disciples  Union,  sends  his  dues  and 
adds,  "I  suppose  I'll  have  to  do  it  to  keep  in  the  good 
graces  of  the  Secretary-Treasurer."  Bill  Ackerman 
of  Clyde,  Ohio,  says,  "I  send  them  (paper  substitutes 
for  two  iron  men)  largely  for  the  reason  that  I  can 
better  appreciate  the  humor  of  your  page  in  the 
Scroll." 

John  F.  Stubbs,  Healdsburg,  California,  writes 
sympathetically  about  "the  trials  of  a  Treasurer." 
W.  P.  Harman,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  sent  back  our  list 
of  paid-up  members  with  a  check  and  a  plea  that  he 
be  enrolled  among  the  ''saints."  We  will  take  this 
matter  up  at  the  meeting  of  the  College  of  Bishops 
— the  C.  I.  Summer  Sessions.  Roger  T.  Nooe,  also 
of  Nashville,  sent  two  checks  to  make  sure  that  he 
fulfilled  every  requirement. 

The  most  succinct  explanation  came  from  Charles 
F.  McElroy,  Chicago.  "Jest  plain  procrusteanation 
— emphasis  on  the  crust."  "I  wish  to  keep  in  good 
standing  always  with  Campbell  Institute,"  writes  F. 
H.  Groom,  of  Franklin  Circle  Church,  Cleveland.  0. 
A.  Rosboro  of  Chicago  set  an  example  which  we 
commend — he  paid  his  own  dues  and  those  of  a 
young  minister  whom  he  wanted  to  share  the  fel- 
lowship of  the  Institute. 

Greatly  appreciated  notes  came  from  Wayne  L. 
Braden,  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  W.  G.  Eldred,  Law- 
renceburg,  Ky.  Sometimes  our  mail  frightens  us — 
as  when  that  mentally  indefatigable  fellow  alumnus 
(he  graduated  from  Butler  in  1879)  comments  upon 
this  writer's  article  in  the  Christian-Exangelist  on 


296  THE  SCROLL 


"The  Divisions  in  Our  Brotherhood"  by  detecting  a 
certain  legalism  in  the  Campbells  during  their 
earlier  days  and  concluding  that  "We  must  out-grow 
Thomas  and  Alexander." 

We  commend  to  your  comradeship  two  new  mem- 
bers, R.  H.  Eads,  324  S.  Main  St.,  Delavan,  Wiscon- 
sin, and  Henry  K.  Shaw,  Medina,  Ohio.  The  latter 
has  produced  an  excellent  historical  publication  in 
book  form  concerning  Disciple  origins  in  the  West- 
ern Reserve. 

Brethren,  I  must  conclude  with  some  pointed  ob- 
servations. Our  aim  is  to  set  a  new  record  this  year 
by  meeting  all  expenses  of  the  Scroll,  which  total 
something  over  $600,  by  payments  of  dues  alone  and 
without  any  special  solicitation  of  extra  gifts,  as 
has  had  to  be  done  in  the  past.  We  must  receive 
about  $225  before  the  August  meeting  if  we  are  to 
report  all  bills  paid.  There  are  more  than  enough 
members  who  have  not  paid  their  dues  to  enable  us 
to  set  this  new  record,  if  they  will  pay  up !  Come 
on,  men,  let's  make  it  clear  that  we  believe  in  the 
ideals  of  the  Institute.    Send  that  $2  today! 

Postscript :  I  write  from  our  new  Summer  loca- 
tion, 1324  West  Lake,  Route  6,  Kalamazoo,  Michi- 
gan. My  desk  is  in  the  sun  room  of  a  delightful  cot- 
tage atop  a  rise  overlooking  the  beauty  of  West 
Lake,  not  fifty  feet  from  the  water,  and  nine  miles 
from  the  church  we  serve.  Stew  away,  my  land- 
locked fellows — until  you  have  enough  insight  to 
seek  the  rewards  of  work  in  Michigan. 


E.  S.  Ames  gave  the  baccalaureate  sermon  at 
William  Woods  College  on  May  28.  William  Woods 
is  a  junior  college  for  young  women  and  the  presi- 
dent is  Henry  G.  Harmon  who  organizes  and  directs 
his  work  with  great  efficiency  and  fine  taste.  W.  G. 
Alcorn  is  the  minister  of  the  church  wiiere  the 
service  was  held. 


THE  SCROLL  297 


Another  fellow  of  the  Institute  has  gone  on  the 
long  last  journey.  E.  E.  Elliott,  of  Kansas  City, 
was  one  of  the  most  interested  and  faithful  of  our 
members.  He  was  a  business  man  but  he  felt  at 
home  among  us  and  often  contributed  suggestions 
and  criticisms  of  value.  A  gleam  of  his  own  spirit 
shows  through  the  tribute  he  paid  to  Chas.  A.  Ste- 
vens in  the  May  Sci^oll. 

Dr.  Willett,  Edgar  De  Witt  Jones,  Perry  J.  Rice, 
E.  M.  Bowman,  Jesse  Bader,  and  the  editor  of  the 
Scroll,  have  recently  been  in  California,  and  Samuel 
Kincheloe  is  going  soon.  Perry  Rice  hopes  to  be  in 
Chicago  for  our  annual  meeting  the  first  week  in 
August.  E.  M.  Bowman  was  stricken  with  a  coro- 
nary thrombosis  a  few  weeks  ago  and  is  still  confined 
to  the  hospital  in  Pasadena. 

E.  S.  Ames  went  to  Pasadena  to  visit  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Martha  Nicholson  and  her  family.  Miss  Neva 
Nicholson  is  home  from  her  mission  post  in  India 
for  this  year.  Misses  Carrie  and  Helen  are  teachers 
and  the  son,  Seth,  is  an  astronomer  on  Mt.  Wilson. 
He  specializes  in  the  study  of  sun  spots.  The  traveler 
enjoyed  the  San  Francisco  Fair,  was  drafted  to 
speak  to  the  union  meeting  of  the  C.W.B.M.,  to  a 
luncheon  given  by  the  ministers  around  the  Bay, 
to  a  dinner  at  Herbert  Shaw's  West  side  Church. 
The  cordiality  of  ministers  and  other  friends  was 
most  generous  and  gracious.  It  was  a  joy  to  see  Sam 
Nesbit  again  after  fifty  years  had  passed  since  our 
graduation  at  Drake  in  the  class  of  1889. 

The  Scroll  comes  this  month  to  the  end  of  its 
thirty-six  years.  It  is  too  bad  that  it  could  not  have 
recorded  all  the  forty-three  years  of  the  life  of  the 
Institute,  but  those  who  have  preserved  the  files  will 
find  many  things'  of  interest  in  re-reading  them. 


298 THE  SCROLL 

Surveying  the  Disciples 

E.  S.  Ames 

Last  September  ye  editor  promised  his  own  sur- 
vey of  the  Disciples  month  by  month  during  the 
year.  With  this  issue  the  time  and  task  become  com- 
plete. The  promise  was,  ''to  look  at  this  religious 
movement  in  terms  of  Time,  Place,  Ideas,  Personnel, 
Conflicts,  Organization,  Education,  Literature, 
Adaptability,  Destiny."  He  is  moved  to  express  ap- 
preciation for  the  universal  endorsement  of  the 
views  expressed,  judging  by  the  ancient  rule  that 
"silence  gives  consent!" 

Destiny.  The  forecast  of  any  social  phenomenon 
is  always  hazardous,  especially  in  such  swift  mov- 
ing times  as  our  own.  Nevertheless,  on  the  basis  of 
evident  tendencies,  it  is  interesting  to  conjecture. 
All  organisms  in  this  world  seem  destined  to  fulfill 
a  cycle  of  years  and  pass  away,  Protestant  denomi- 
nations are  now  facing  their  demise.  They  are  about 
four  hundred  years  old  and  their  last  struggle  is  to 
defeat  death  by  fusion.  In  this  process  a  new  being 
may  be  born  but  it  is  not  likely  to  be  a  perpetuation 
of  any  of  the  old  orders.  The  sign  of  their  death  is 
the  surrender  of  their  old  creeds  and  doctrines. 
Edinburgh  gives  way  to  Oxford,  which  is  to  say  that 
"faith  and  order"  recede,  and  "life  and  work"  be- 
come vital.  That  this  process  is  not  clear  to  the 
theologians  is  shown  in  their  desperate  attempts  to 
save  the  old  dogmas  by  dialectical  and  mystical  in- 
terpretations. 

What  hope  is  there  that  the  Disciples  can  survive 
such  an  epoch?  The  one  hope  lies  in  their  refusal 
to  take  up  the  cause  of  the  old  creeds.  They  may 
continue  their  original  insistence  upon  a  practical 
religion  of  loyalty  to  the  spirit  of  the  religion  of 
Jesus  and  the  embodiment  of  this  spirit  in  all  per- 
sonal and  social  relations.  Practical  living  is  of  first 


THE  SCROLL 299 

importance  and  the  intellectual  function  is  a  process 
of  criticism  and  of  constructive  imagination  toward 
ever  better  vi^ays  of  living.  Practical  people  such  as 
farmers,  doctors,  artists,  aviators,  do  not  find  their 
associations  primarily  upon  an  intellectual  or  the- 
oretical basis  but  upon  the  basis  of  interests  and 
skills  and  desire  for  improvement.  The  same  is  true 
of  scientists.  The  same  should  be  true  of  religious 
people.  Life,  and  life  more  abundant,  is  the  objec- 
tive of  the  religious  man  and  no  phase  of  life  is 
foreign  to  his  interest.  At  best  he  is  seeking  to  be 
more  ethical,  aesthetic,  and  scientific.  Doing  these 
things  is  v^^hat  makes  him  religious,  for  nothing  can 
be  significantly  religious  that  is  not  good  and  beau- 
tiful and  true. 

Practical  religion  does  not  seek  power.  Therefore 
it  does  not  seek  an  organization  through  which  to 
force  itself  upon  the  world.  Its  only  justifiable  or- 
ganization is  a  fellowship  of  good  will,  of  mutual 
criticism,  and  of  experimentation.  Churches  have 
traditionally  been  organized  to  keep  people  out 
rather  than  to  take  them  in.  They  have  propounded 
doctrines  to  be  rejected  only  on  pain  of  damnation. 
But  the  Disciples  have  never  required  any  accept- 
ance of  dogmas,  for  whatever  ideas  they  taught 
have  been  subject  to  any  and  all  reservations  and 
interpretations  of  individuals,  so  long  as  those  indi- 
viduals sought  and  manifested  the  spirit  of  Christ. 
That  is  the  position  toward  which  the  great  denomi- 
nations are  now  more  or  less  blindly  striving,  for 
they  do  not  dare  try  to  enforce  their  doctrines  upon 
candidates  either  for  the  ministry  or  for  member- 
ship in  the  local  church.  It  is  notorious  that  no  mod- 
ern minister  insists  that  a  person  shall  really  believe 
the  creed  of  the  church  in  order  to  join  or  to  be  in 
good  standing. 

The  Disciple  minister  is  in  the  fortunate  position, 
if  he  knows  the  temper  of  the  people  to  whom  he 


300       THE  SCROLL 

belongs,  of  not  having  to  require  any  uniformity  of 
doctrine,  for  the  fellowship  he  represents  is  a  fel- 
lowship of  good  will  and  high  endeavor.  If  the  Dis- 
ciples can  recover  that  view  as  their  fathers  held  it 
and  put  it  into  modern  language  and  use,  they  will 
be  destined  to  a  long  and  glorious  career. 

But  this  practical  attitude  is  not  easy  to  maintain. 
It  requires  more  and  better  education  for  the  min- 
ister, an  education  that  combines  breadth  of  cul- 
ture with  tolerance  and  yet  deep  conviction.  There 
needs  must  be  insight  into  the  history  of  institutions 
and  into  human  nature.  The  presupposition  con- 
cerning the  nature  of  man  cannot  include  the  old 
idea  of  depravity  but  needs  the  tempering  apprecia- 
tion of  the  limitation  of  knowledge  and  confidence 
in  such  understanding  as  we  may  have.  It  ought  to 
be  clear  that  the  traditional  education  of  the  min- 
ister is  too  much  bound  up  with  a  distrust  of  knowl- 
edge but  does  not  sufficiently  realize  the  fallacies  of 
a  theology  based  upon  that  distrust ! 

The  minister  should  catch  the  spirit  of  free  in- 
quiry and  achieve  the  ability  to  look  all  facts  in  the 
face  and  have  the  courage  to  experiment  with 
methods  and  institutional  devices  for  the  release  and 
enrichment  of  life.  The  test  of  all  ideas  and  practices 
is  their  fruits.  The  gospel  must  be  for  those  "who 
are  neither  poor,  ignorant  nor  depraved,"  as  well 
as  for  the  simple,  the  unfortunate,  and  the  dis- 
possessed. There  needs  must  be  plenty  of  symbolism, 
poetry,  drama  and  song,  but  always  such  as  can 
give  an  accounting  of  itself  upon  demand  to  what  is 
reasonable  and  believable.  Religion  must  make  sense 
but  it  also  must  make  a  beautiful  and  comforting 
faith.  No  range  of  evil  or  defeat  should  escape  its 
care  and  cure,  and  no  heights  of  aspiration  or  en- 
joyment be  denied.  Its  eye  must  turn  more  upon 
the  human  scene  but  it  cannot  afi^ord  to  miss  the 
illimitable  perspectives  of  the  possibilities  of  faith, 


THE  SCROLL 301 

hope  and  love.  Such  a  religion  will  be  non-partisan, 
non-sectarian,  non-denominational.  It  will  have  the 
capacity  to  generate  a  union  of  souls  through  the 
ideals  it  pursues  and  the  spirit  it  begets. 


Matthew  and  the  Jews 

G.  L.  Messenger,  Jr.,  Chicago 

Even  a  superficial  reading  of  the  First  Gospel 
leaves  the  reader  with  mixed  impressions.  Part  of 
the  material  seems  to  be  thoroughly  Jewish.  Por- 
tions of  it  seem  definitely  universalistic,  while  other 
areas  appear  to  have  extreme  anti-Jewish  polemic. 
The  orthodox  position  is  that  Matthew  was  written 
to  and  for  the  Jews.  However,  this  interpretation 
does  not  adequately  take  into  consideration  the  large 
amount  of  universalistic  and  anti-Jewish  materials. 

Tradition  has  it  that  there  was  severe  and  bitter 
antagonism  between  Jesus  and  his  fellow  Jews,  par- 
ticularly between  him  and  the  scribes  and  Pharisees. 
The  foundation  for  this  idea  lies  in  the  belief  that 
the  Pharisees  were  in  a  condition  of  religious  "dry- 
rot."  Modern  scholars  such  as  George  Foot  Moore, 
Herford,  and  Abrahams  have  discovered  that  first 
century  Pharisaism  was  vital  and  meaningful,  and 
that  much  of  the  m^aterial  recorded  as  the  source  of 
controversy  between  Jesus  and  the  Pharisees  was 
common  ground  for  both  of  them.  However,  there  is, 
at  the  same  time,  practical  unanimity  that  some  de- 
gree of  conflict  existed  between  Jesus  and  the  re- 
ligious leaders  of  his  day,  although  it  was  neither 
as  acute  nor  as  vehement  as  depicted  in  the  Gospels. 

Only  a  short  time  after  the  death  of  Jesus,  sharp 
hostility  arose  between  the  orthodox  Jews  and  those 
who  believed  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah.  This  is  evi- 
denced by  Paul's  activities  as  persecutor  of  the  em- 
bryonic movement,  of  which  he  testifies  as  well  as 
does  the  author  of  Acts.    We  know,  too,  that  Paul 


302 THE  SCROLL 

suffered  persecution  at  the  hands  of  the  Jews 
throughout  the  period  of  his  missionary  activity.  It 
is  the  opinion  of  virtually  all  scholarship  that  this 
Jewish-Christian  hostility  became  increasingly  bit- 
ter after  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  in  70  A.D.,  during  the 
Gospel-writing  period. 

Against  this  background  a  careful  study  was 
made  of  the  Gospel  of  Matthew.  The  traditional  view 
that  Matthew  was  written  to  the  Jews  is  based  pri- 
marily upon  four  elements :  the  extensive  use  of 
Jewish  Scripture  in  the  Gospel ;  the  portrait  of 
Jesus  as  the  Second  Moses  with  his  five  discourses 
paralleling  the  five  books  of  Moses;  Jesus'  explicit 
instructions  to  his  disciples  to  go  to  the  lost  sheep 
of  Israel's  house ;  and  that  Jesus'  genealogy  is  traced 
from  Abraham  as  contrasted  with  Luke's  list  that 
goes  back  to  Adam. 

The  universalistic  note  is  sounded  in  the  story  of 
the  Magi,  which  clearly  signifies  the  world-wide  im- 
portance of  the  birth  of  Jesus.  Matthew  emphasizes 
the  cases  of  a  few  Gentiles,  whose  faith  was  so  great 
that  Jesus  could  not  ignore  them,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  he  limited  his  mission  to  the  Jews.  The  Gospel 
ends  with  this  same  emphasis — "Go  and  make  dis- 
ciples of  all  the  heathen  .  .  ." 

A  thorough  study  of  the  First  Gospel  reveals  that 
the  author's  anti-Jewish  polemic  is  directed  almost 
exclusively  against  the  Jewish  religious  leaders — 
scribes,  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  elders,  and  chief 
priests.  Since  these  groups  of  leaders  represented 
the  Jewish  religion,  we  can  imagine  that  Matthew's 
scurrilous  attacks  upon  them  would  alienate  rather 
than  convert  the  ordinary  Jew. 

What  purpose  could  the  author  of  the  First  Gospel 
have  had  in  mind  when  he  included  in  his  book  these 
extremely  conflicting  elements?  Certainly  he  was 
not  trying  to  convert  the  Jews,  but  rather  he  was 
trying  to  answer  the  query  of  the  Gentiles — If  Jesus 


THE  SCROLL 303 

was  the  Messiah,  why  did  the  Jews,  his  own  people, 
reject  him?  Matthew's  answer  is  evident.  He  be- 
lieved that  it  was  because  of  the  perversity  of  the 
Jewish  religious  leaders.  They  did  know  Jesus  was 
the  Messiah — ^they  informed  the  Magi  correctly  as 
to  where  he  should  be  born;  they  also  knew  that 
Jesus  had  risen  from  the  dead,  but  they  bribed  the 
soldiers  who  guarded  the  tomb  to  tell  no  one,  in 
order  that  the  people  might  not  learn  about  it !  In 
the  light  of  this  fact  we  can  understand  why  Mat- 
thew places  the  following  saying  at  the  beginning 
of  his  famous  section  of  "Woes"  against  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  "But  alas  for  you  hypocritical  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  for  you  lock  the  doors  of  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven  in  men's  faces,  for  you  will  neither 
go  in  yourselves  nor  let  those  enter  who  are  trying 
to  do  so."  (23:14) 

With  his  solution  of  this  troublesome  question 
thus  worked  out,  Matthew  felt  that  he  could  convince 
all  Gentiles  of  the  validity  of  the  Christian  faith.  As 
for  the  Jews,  once  Matthew  had  explained  their 
rejection  of  Jesus  as  Messiah,  he  was  entirely  in- 
different toward  and  their  fate. 


Paul  Lineback  of  Emory  University,  Atlanta,  Ga., 
died  last  month.  He  was  Professor  in  the  Medical 
School  of  that  university  for  many  years,  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Campbell  Institute  although 
seldom  able  to  attend  our  meetings.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Peachtree  Christian  Church. 


Mr.  Paul  Wassenich,  a  graduate  of  T.  C.  U.,  who 
also  received  an  A.M.  in  Soiology  at  the  State  Uni- 
versity of  Texas,  is  receiving  his  D.B.  at  Chicago 
this  month  and  has  been  called  to  the  pastorate  in 
Hicksville,  0.  He  and  Rolland  Sheafor  and  Ernest 
Harrold  will  be  near  enough  neighbors  to  have 
conferences  occasionally. 


304 THE  SCROLL 

The  Church  and  the  Family 

Lloyd  V.  Chaymels,  El  Paso,  Illinois 

The  modern  American  family  stands  today  in  the 
peculiar  position  of  being  regarded  by  many  as  both 
the  object  and  the  agent  of  salvation.  Along  with 
many  other  institutions  it  has  been  going  through 
a  period  of  transition  in  which  its  structure  and  its 
functions  have  been  changing.  Some  believe  that 
the  family  as  we  know  it  today  will  disappear,  but 
an  increasing  number  of  agencies  and  individuals, 
convinced  that  the  family  must  remain  the  basic 
primary  group  of  society,  have  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  the  strengthening  and  preservation  of  the 
family.  Among  these  are  educational  agencies,  re- 
search groups,  social  workers,  and  religious  leaders. 
Many  of  these  believe  that  the  family  must  be  saved, 
not  only  for  its  own  sake,  but  because  it  is  the  agent 
which  can  save  the  whole  of  society. 

The  section  of  the  report  on  Recent  Social  Trends 
in  the  United  States  which  deals  with  the  family  and 
its  functions  points  out  that  the  commission  which 
studied  the  problem  reached  two  outstanding  con- 
clusions. The  first  of  these  was  that  there  has  been 
a  decline  in  the  institutional  functions  of  the  family. 
The  family  has  surrendered  to  other  institutions 
those  recreational,  educational,  economic,  protective, 
and,  to  a  considerable  extent,  the  religious  functions 
which  it  used  to  perform.  The  second  conclusion 
indicated  by  the  data  on  changes  in  family  life  is  a 
corollary  of  the  first.  With  the  decline  of  other  func- 
tions the  personality-forming  functions  of  the  fam- 
ily have  now  become  of  paramount  importance. 
These  are  the  functions  which  provide  for  mutual 
adjustments  between  husbands  and  wives,  parents 
and  children,  and  for  the  adjustment  of  all  of  these 
to  the  outside  world.  These  have  always  been  func- 
tions of  the  family,  but  it  has  been  only  recently, 


THE  SCROLL 305 

when  the  family  has  been  seen  against  the  back- 
ground of  a  culture  that  is  mechanistic  and  imper- 
sonal, that  they  have  been  recognized  as  the  most 
important  contributions  which  the  family  makes  to 
society.  Folsom  suggests  that  when  we  take  a  broad, 
cultural  view  of  the  modern  family,  and  not  a  nar- 
row view  of  particular  families  in  particular  neigh- 
borhoods, the  process  which  we  see  is  not  one  of  dis- 
organization but  of  cultural  transvaluation.  Instead 
of  becoming  less  important  the  family  has  become 
essential  as  a  source  of  emotional  security,  and  a 
potential  stabilizer  in  the  midst  of  a  confusion  of 
choices  and  a  variety  of  values. 

While  thus  giving  new  emphasis  to  the  always  im- 
portant personality-forming  functions  of  the  family, 
modern  cultural  processes  and  developments  have 
made  the  performance  of  these  functions  more  diffi- 
cult. A  long  list  of  influential  factors  might  be  made. 
One  of  them  is  the  transiency  of  modern  population, 
which  exerts  an  influence  so  universal  and  so  varied 
in  its  manifestations  as  to  put  it  beyond  measure- 
ment. Elliott  and  Merrill,  in  a  volume  on  Social  Dis- 
organization, sum  up  the  demoralizing  effects  of  the 
mobility  of  population  in  one  phrase,  "the  break- 
down of  primary  group  controls."  The  controlling 
influence  of  community  and  neighborhood  is  gone 
for  those  who  move  frequently,  and  with  it  all  sense 
of  community  responsibility.  The  multiplication  of 
contacts  breaks  down  the  standards  of  right  and 
wrong,  the  traditions  and  sentiments  and  memories 
of  the  neighborhood  group.  "As  the  neighborhood 
vanishes,  as  it  tends  to  do  in  areas  of  high  mobility, 
the  family  therein  loses  its  sense  of  direction,  and, 
torn  loose  from  its  moorings,  becomes  mere  flotsam 
on  the  cultural  currents  of  the  time." 

Other  factors  which  affect  the  life  of  the  family 
and  the  formation  of  personality  are  the  overstimu- 
lation and  the  insecurity  in  modern  life.  Overstimu- 


306 THE  SCROLL 

lation,  a  superabundance  of  activities  and  of  con- 
tacts with  people  and  things,  makes  for  superficiality 
and  nervous  tension.  One  hits  only  the  high  spots 
in  life,  never  taking  time  to  plumb  to  the  depths. 
The  lack  of  security,  economic,  emotional,  and  men- 
tal, is  an  even  more  basic  factor,  A  sense  of  security, 
essential  to  the  development  of  stable  personality 
and  emotional  life,  is  denied  to  millions  of  persons 
today. 

To  the  Church,  and  to  the  minister  and  religious 
educator  v^ho  sees  his  task  as  that  of  the  develop- 
ment of  wholesome  Christian  personality  and  char- 
acters, all  of  this  is  very  important.  The  importance 
of  the  family  as  an  institution  which  fosters  the  de- 
velopment of  personality  and  character,  makes  that 
institution  very  much  akin  to  the  Church,  one  of 
whose  functions  is  the  fostering  of  associations  be- 
tween persons  devoted  to  a  common  cause,  which 
will  result  in  the  transformation  and  progressive 
development  of  human  personality.  The  fact  that 
the  Church  weakens  as  family  life  weakens,  and  the 
fact  that  their  functions  are  so  similar,  makes  pos- 
sible and  desirable,  indeed  almost  necessary,  a  close 
cooperation  between  the  family  and  the  Church.  A 
bond  unites  the  two  institutions  which  is  essential 
to  the  vitality  of  each.  This  bond  must  be  discov- 
ered and  its  requirements  understood. 

The  two  outstanding  agencies  of  protestant  co- 
operative effort  in  this  country.  The  Federal  Coun- 
cil, and  the  International  Council  of  Religious  Edu- 
cation, have  done  much  through  conferences  and 
the  publishing  of  books  and  study  materials  to  stim- 
ulate ministers  to  a  sense  of  the  importance  of  fam- 
ily life  to  the  Church.  It  is  doubtful,  however, 
whether  more  than  a  small  minority  of  our  churches 
have  developed  any  systematic  program  in  this  field. 
All  of  the  work  of  the  Church  including  preaching, 
counseling,  education,  etc.,  is  related  in  some  way 


THE  SCROLL 307 

to  family  life,  but  there  is  need  for  more  explicit 
and  specific  training  and  study,  especially  in  com- 
munities which  have  no  adult  education  group  and 
where  young  people  commonly  enter  marriage  with 
no  real  preparation  for  the  establishment  of  ade- 
quate family  life. 

Recent  publications  dealing  with  the  relation 
of  the  Church  to  society  have  made  much  of  the  need 
for  the  growth  of  small  groups  "who  will  seek  to 
realize  among  themselves  the  relations  of  mutual 
trust  and  support  and  responsibility  which  are  char- 
acteristic of  the  Christian  society."  "The  only  order 
which  can  be  a  really  better  order  is  one  in  which 
there  is  a  greater  sense  of  responsibility  of  men 
toward  men,  and  that  responsibility  is  something 
that  grows  through  exercise  and  must  be  learned 
and  practised  in  lesser  spheres  before  it  can  be  ef- 
fectively exercised  in  wider  fields." 

If  the  Church  is  looking  for  "cells"  in  which 
Christian  principles  can  be  exemplified  and  lived 
out,  it  would  do  well,  it  seems,  to  turn  its  attention 
to  the  family  groups  which  already  exist  in  which 
personality  is  formed  and  shaped  and  in  which 
Christianity  can  be  practised  better  than  any  other 
place. 


Robert  Burns,  minister  of  the  great  Peachtree 
Christian  Church,  Atlanta,  Ga.,  had  a  retreat  for 
his  men  in  a  camp  near  the  city,  June  3-5.  E.  S. 
Ames  led  the  discussions  on  the  history  and  the 
thought  of  the  Disciples,  and  a  grand  time  was 
had  by  all. 


The  subject,  "Changes  of  Thought  in  a  Decade," 
in  the  Institute  program  for  August  1st,  refers  to 
the  articles  under  that  title  which  have  been  run- 
ning in  The  Christian  Century  for  several  months. 
Prepare  for  the  discussion  by  reading  them! 


308 THE  SCROLL 

The  Lectionary  of  Constantine 

David  Pellett,  Chicago 

One  day  when  the  thirteenth  century  was  draw- 
ing to  a  close,  or  it  may  have  been  during  the  early 
years  of  the  next  century,  a  man  who  had  been 
hunched  over  a  writing  desk  for  some  time  breathed 
a  tremendous  sigh  of  relief  as  he  came  to  the  end 
of  a  long  and  painstaking  task.  The  scene  is  in  the 
scriptorium  of  a  monastery  somewhere  among  the 
Eastern  Orthodox.  As  the  writer  copies  the  last 
lines  of  his  Greek  text  and  finishes  his  task,  he 
straightens  his  back  and  stretches  his  cramped  fin- 
gers. But  after  a  moment  he  again  seizes  his  pen, 
dips  it  in  his  pot  of  black  ink,  and  in  the  lower  right 
corner  of  the  last  leaf  of  parchment  he  writes  in  a 
firm  and  large  hand  a  few  lines  in  his  native  tongue, 
which  was  also  Greek.  The  words  which  he  wrote 
give  a  touch  of  life  and  warmth  to  the  otherwise 
dry  barrens  of  textual  criticism  and  manuscript 
study.  They  may  be  freely  translated  as  follows : 
"Guard,  O  Christ,  him  who  has  written  these  scrip- 
tures and  prepare  him  for  living  happiness,  O  eter- 
nal Son  of  the  everlasting  Father.  The  Virgin 
Mother  is  present  to  him  who  sorrows.  As  exiles 
rejoice  to  see  again  their  fatherland,  so  also  do 
scribes  rejoice  to  see  the  end  of  a  book.  Accept  these 
little  scriptures  of  mine,  0  Christ,  as  great.  This 
evangelary  was  finished  by  the  hand  of  Constantine 
the  Reader  of  the  Theologete." 

At  present  there  is  no  definite  knowledge  about 
this  Theologete,  but  it  was  likely  an  Eastern  mon- 
astery. Perhaps,  as  its  derivation  might  indicate, 
it  was  an  Eastern  version  of  the  Divinity  School! 
In  any  case,  Constantine  had  been  writing  labori- 
ously and  carefully  for  many  weeks  on  the  268  pages 
of  stiff  parchment.  In  certain  places  he  also  added 
a  touch  of  color  with  the  use  of  large,  grotesque. 


THE  SCROLL 309 

capital  letters  of  bright  red.  They  may  not  seem 
to  be  artistic  today,  but  they  were  no  doubt  the  pride 
of  Constantine's  heart. 

It  was  no  ordinary  manuscript  which  Constantine 
made,  for  it  was  a  lesson  book  of  the  gospels  from 
which  the  priest  would  read  during  the  liturgy  and 
on  special  days  in  the  year.  The  brief  passages  or 
lections  had  been  arranged  according  to  a  certain 
order  bj^  years  of  custom.  Like  most  of  the  Greek 
gospel  lectionaries,  the  Lectionary  of  Constantine 
is  a  Saturday  and  Sunday  lectionarj^  and  has  no  lec- 
tions for  ordinary  week-days.  The  first  part  of  the 
lectionary  has  the  lessons  for  the  movable  church 
year  and  is  called  the  synaxarion  and  begins  imme- 
diately after  Easter.  The  gospels  are  in  the  order 
of  John,  Matthew,  Luke,  and  Mark,  indicating  their 
ranking  in  the  estimation  of  the  church.  The  lec- 
tions for  Holy  Week  are  taken  from  all  four  gospels. 
Following  the  synaxarion  is  the  menologion  which 
contains  lections  for  saints'  days  for  each  month  be- 
ginning with  September.  The  number  per  month 
varies  with  the  number  of  saints'  days,  but  in  Con- 
stantine's lectionary  there  are  fifty-three  lessons. 

At  the  beginning  of  each  lesson  the  gospel  from 
which  it  is  taken  is  indicated  and  also  the  occasion. 
Some  of  the  data  is  interesting.  For  example.  Car- 
nival Week,  which  immediately  precedes  Lent,  is 
known  as  the  week  of  the  Cheese-eater  because  only 
eggs  and  cheese  were  to  be  eaten  then.  Holy  Week 
is  known  as  the  Great  Week  and  the  eve  of  Easter 
as  the  Great  Sabbath.  Usually  the  opening  words  of 
each  lesson  are  altered  and  added  to  in  order  to 
adapt  the  passage  to  be  read  by  itself.  It  is  believed 
that  some  of  these  variations  may  have  even  crept 
into  standard  New  Testament  manuscripts  in  this 
way.  Frequently  in  a  lectionary  manuscript  there 
are  no  lessons  given  for  certain  days,  but  the  reader 
is  directed  by  a  reference  to  another  place  in  the 


310 THE  SCROLL 

manuscript  where  the  same  passage  is  found. 

The  Lectionary  of  Constantine  the  Reader  was  se- 
cured in  Leyden  by  Miss  Naomi  Donnelley  and  given 
in  December  of  1934  to  the  University  of  Chicago. 
The  manuscript  is  not  complete,  for  the  first  three 
quires  are  missing.  In  its  present  state  it  contains 
fourteen  quires,  and  each  quire  contains  eight  leaves 
except  the  last  which  has  only  six.  It  has  been  ex- 
cellently preserved  and  is  quite  legible.  Many  ad- 
ditions and  corrections  have  been  made  by  various 
scribes  since  Constantine  wrote  it.  In  some  cases 
whole  paragraphs  were  added  in  the  margin,  but 
this  writing  has  been  partly  trimmed  off  when  the 
manuscript  was  re-bound.  Although  the  manuscript 
received  special  care  as  a  lesson  book  for  the  church, 
yet  it  contains  many  errors  and  variations.  For 
example,  in  the  eleven  lenten  lections  there  are  a 
total  of  235  variations  from  the  Textus  Receptus 
in  a  block  of  138  verses.  Thirty  of  these  agree  with 
the  common  text  of  Greek  gospel  lectionaries.  Sixty- 
six  other  variants  are  capable  of  grammatical  ex- 
planation but  are  not  supported  by  other  manu- 
scripts. This  leaves  139  variations  which  are  mean- 
ingless and  cannot  be  explained  except  as  scribal 
errors.  Many  of  them  are  changes  of  letters  due 
to  their  similarity  in  sound,  for  the  text  was  often 
read  to  the  scribe  as  he  copied  it. 

The  study  of  a  manuscript  also  includes  an  at- 
tempt to  identify  the  type  of  text  which  it  contains. 
In  the  case  of  Constantine's  lectionary  it  agrees  with 
the  common  text  of  most  Greek  gospel  lectionaries 
and  like  them  is  heterogeneous  in  type.  This  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  each  lection  or  group  of  lections  was 
handed  down  as  a  unit  and  thus  might  have  a  text 
different  in  type  from  other  lections. 

The  reader  is  likely  to  ask  what  contribution  is 
made  by  such  a  study  of  a  manuscript.  The  pri- 
mary purpose  is  not  to  attempt  to  recover  the  orig- 


THE  SCROLL 311 

inal  words  of  the  writers  of  the  gospels,  for  that 
can  be  done  better,  if  it  is  possible,  with  the  use  of 
non-lectionary  manuscripts.  The  study  of  lection- 
aries  is  valuable  for  the  light  which  it  throws  on  the 
history  of  the  text  of  the  New  Testament,  revealing 
the  influence  of  the  lectionary  system.  Such 
studies  are  valuable  to  the  historian  of  the  Eastern 
churches  and  especially  to  those  interested  in  the 
history  of  liturgy.  The  scholars  of  the  West  are 
only  beginning  to  find  out  how  interesting  and  im- 
portant are  the  many  phases  of  the  history  of  the 
churches  of  the  East. 


The  Disciples  In  Texas 

Carter  E.  Boren,  Houston,  Texas 

The  appearance  of  the  Anglo-Americans  in  Texas 
also  marks  the  appearance  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ 
in  Texas.  As  early  as  September  15,  1824,  when 
Texas  was  still  a  province  of  Mexico  and  just  two 
years  after  the  Anglo-Americans  were  given  the 
right  to  enter  Texas  peacefully  upon  the  condition 
of  their  identification  with  the  Catholic  Church,  one 
of  the  first  Disciple  families,  the  McKinney  family, 
halted  near  the  present  town  of  Texarkana.  Collin 
McKinney  was  the  head  of  the  McKinney  clan. 
Though  not  a  minister,  he  was  a  devout  Christian 
and  provided  opportunities  for  worship  for  the  large 
McKinney  clan,  as  well  as  for  the  few  scattered 
neighbors  before  a  church  was  formally  organized. 
Not  until  the  winter  of  1841  was  such  a  church 
organized  for  this  group  of  people  on  Hickman's 
Prairie,  now  Bowie  County.  This  church  continued 
until  1847,  when  the  last  of  the  McKinney's  moved 
from  that  area.  By  1847,  all  of  the  clan  had  re- 
assembled near  the  present  town  of  Van  Alstyne. 
The  church  which  they  established  here  on  the  sec- 
ond Sunday  in  September  1846  with  sixteen  original 


312 THE  SCROLL 

members,  eleven  whites  drawn  from  the  McKinney 
and  Wilmeth  families  and  five  colored  slaves,  is  to- 
day the  oldest  existing  Disciple  church  in  Texas. 
It  became  the  parent  of  all  the  Disciple  churches  of 
North  Texas,  and  of  some  churches  afar  off.  A  son 
of  one  of  its  members  moved  to  Galveston,  and  miss- 
ing a  church  home,  sent  back  to  this  center  of  Dis- 
ciple activity  for  the  preacher  who  organized  the 
church  at  Galveston. 

During  this  time  another  group  of  Disciples  had 
made  their  appearance  in  Texas  in  the  year  1836.  It 
cannot  be  ascertained  whether  or  not  there  was  a 
Disciple  church  in  Texas  before  1836,  but  in  that 
year  a  whole  church  arrived  on  Texas  soil.  This 
group  of  Disciples  who  considered  themselves  to  be 
a  church  came  from  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  Ten- 
nessee. Two  Disciple  ministers  accompanied  the 
group,  Lynn  D'Spain  and  Mansil  W.  Matthews.  It 
was  a  church  on  wheels  and  on  horseback.  The  lit- 
tle traveling  church  arrived  at  Fort  Clark  (now 
Clarksville)  on  January  17,  1836.  Although  this 
first  church  on  Texas  soil  continued  until  sometime 
after  1840,  the  group  began  to  disband  and  scatter 
abroad  just  after  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto.  Hence, 
its  members  were  spread  afar  to  establish  other 
churches  in  Texas  with  the  arrival  of  other  mem- 
bers of  their  group  from  the  United  States. 

Texas  became  an  independent  republic  in  1836. 
and  remained  so  until  its  admission  into  the  United 
States  in  1846,  The  part  played  by  these  early 
leaders  of  the  Disciples,  Collin  McKinney  and  Man- 
sil W.  Matthews,  in  the  political,  social,  and  eco- 
nomic life  of  the  state  indicates  the  type  of  leader- 
ship to  which  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  Texas  fell 
heir.  Suffice  it  among  many  things  to  say,  Collin 
McKinney  not  only  signed  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence from  Mexico,  he  wrote  it ;  and  both  of  the 
men  gave  invaluable  services  in  the  state  legislature. 


THE  SCROLL 313 

Prior  to  1886  there  was  no  organized  systematic 
procedure  of  the  movement  of  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  in  Texas.  Furthermore,  the  characteristic 
informal  procedure  of  the  Disciples  in  which  they 
have  not  been  given  to  keeping  records  and  minutes 
has  left  the  knowledge  of  their  history  in  this  early 
period  most  fragmentary.  It  is  not  possible  to  lo- 
cate every  one  of  the  fifty  churches  which  came  into 
existence  previous  to  1886,  the  year  of  state  organi- 
zation. This  is  significantly  borne  out  when  con- 
sideration is  taken  of  the  frequency  with  which 
these  early  settlers  moved  about.  However,  there  is 
enough  available  information  to  show  that  while 
Texas  was  yet  a  Republic,  the  Disciples  were  scat- 
tered over  a  verifiable  distance.  North  and  South, 
from  the  Red  River  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  with- 
in one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the  Rio  Grande 
River.  As  early  as  the  1840's,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  North  Texas  was  the  center  of  activity  for 
the  Disciples  in  Texas,  there  were  numerous  little 
groups  of  them  scattered  along  the  southern  edge 
of  the  state  from  Houston  and  Galveston  to  San 
Patricio  on  the  Nueces  River,  near  Corpus  Christi. 
Today,  in  the  city  of  Houston  alone  there  are  five 
thousand  Disciples  in  eight  churches. 

Although  the  Disciples  in  Texas  had  been  for  ten 
or  fifteen  years  meeting  together  for  very  informal 
State  meetings,  in  the  year  1886  fhey  came  together 
at  Austin  as  a  body  of  people  more  determined  to 
share  together  the  responsibility  in  a  united  pro- 
gram for  the  advancement  of  their  plea.  In  this 
meeting  they  organized  a  State  Convention,  a  Texas 
Christian  Missionary  Society,  established  a  state  re- 
ligious journal,  and  organized  other  features  of 
their  movement  on  a  more  systematic  and  coopera- 
tive basis.  Those  Disciples  who  made  history  in 
the  period  from  1824  to  1886  were  only  the  pre- 
cursors of  a  greater  movement  to  follow,  but  they 


314 THE  SCROLL 

deserve  their  place  in  the  chronicles  of  history  as 
men  and  women  who  laid  the  foundations  for  the 
possibility  of  a  movement  that  today  bears  record 
of  four  hundred  and  thirty-five  churches  in  Texas 
v/ith  a  membership  of  ninety  thousand  people. 

This  modern  religious  movement  sponsors  an  edu- 
cational program  in  Texas  which  comprises  Texas 
Christian  University,  a  university  affiliated  with  the 
highest  American  associations  of  colleges,  has  build- 
ingand  equipment  valued  at  two  million  dollars,  an 
endowment  of  three  million  dollars,  and  an  annual 
enrollment  of  1600  students;  Jarvis  Christian  Col- 
lege at  Hawkins,  Texas,  which  sponsors  a  four  year 
college  course  for  negroes,  and  the  Mexican  Chris- 
tian Institute  in  San  Antonio.  For  thirty  years  the 
Disciples  of  Texas  have  maintained  in  Austin  a  Bi- 
ble Chair  whose  work  is  correlated  with  the  Univer- 
sity of  Texas.  In  Dallas  there  is  maintained  the 
Juliet  Fowler  Homes  for  children  and  the  aged, 
caring  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  children  and  thirty 
aged  folks.  For  fifty  years  Texas  Disciples  have 
been  enhanced  by  a  State  Missionary  organization 
whose  function  is  the  direction  of  church  organi- 
zation for  the  state. 

In  whatever  manner  the  early  day  Disciples  in 
Texas  may  have  regarded  their  movement,  they  de- 
serve ample  recognition.  Without  their  work  there 
could  never  have  come  about  those  ninety-thousand 
Disciples  in  Texas  today,  who  on  the  whole,  have  be- 
come more  and  more  aware  of  the  significance  of 
their  nineteenth  century  setting  in  America,  a  cen- 
tury which  began  to  feel  the  influence  of  that  spirit 
of  liberalism  which  comes  of  new  discoveries  in 
human  life  and  religion.  Aware  of  a  culture  that 
is  distinguished  by  the  characteristics  of  empiri- 
cism, common  sense,  democracy,  and  practical  re- 
ligious faith,  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  Texas  are 
making  their  contributions  to  such  a  tradition. 


THE  SCROLL 315 

Preaching  Values  in  Contemporary 


Paul  G.  Wassenich,  HicksviUe,  Ohio 

A  careful  study  of  six  great  preachers — their  en- 
vironment, problems,  thought  and  technique — re- 
veals the  following  generalizations  which  may  be 
considered  as  values  and  herein  called  preaching 
values. 

1)  In  the  cases  of  Chrysostom,  Hugh  Latimer  and 
H.  E.  Fosdick  the  preacher  represents  the  best  con- 
science of  his  day.  These  men  defended  the  poor; 
denounced  the  misuse  of  political  power;  stood  un- 
alterably for  justice;  cleansed  both  church  and  state 
of  hypocrisies;  opposed  the  social  evils  of  their 
day. 

2)  Jonathan  Edwards,  Horace  Bushnell  and  Fos- 
dick are  outstanding,  but  not  alone,  among  ministers 
in  that  they  interpreted  new  thought  and  knowledge 
to  the  religious  people  of  their  day.  In  all  of  the 
six  men  studied  their  was  scrupulous  honesty  and 
thoroughgoing  sincerity. 

3)  Bernard  of  Clairvaux,  and  to  some  extent 
Bushnell  and  Edwards,  despite  the  variety  of  their 
thought,  had  a  rather  mystic  sense  of  the  reality  of 
God.  This  does  not  mean  that  they  held  tenaciously 
to  the  old  conceptions,  but  they  held  to  the  reality 
and  strove  to  give  it  new  expression  in  terms  of 
their  experience. 

4)  Bushnell  and  Fosdick,  men  of  the  scientific  era, 
stand  apart  from  the  others  in  that  they  preached 
a  consistently  firm  conviction  of  the  dignity  and 
value  of  man.  Bushnell  opposed  the  extreme  Cal- 
vinism of  his  day,  Fosdick  has  utilized  the  recently 
developed  disciplines  of  psychology  and  sociology  in 
conjunction  with  the  Christian  heritage  in  present- 
ing his  conviction  in  this  matter.    All  of  these  men 


316 THE  SCROLL 

held  a  conception  of  immortality.  Fosdick  developed 
a  conception  in  terms  of  the  enduring  value  of  per- 
sonality which  has  been  widely  accepted  by  thought- 
ful religious  people  of  his  day. 

5)  Chrysostom,  Latimer  and  Fosdick  are  espe- 
cially significant  as  preachers  who  demand  righte- 
ousness. Each  faced  the  particular  evils  of  his  age 
with  fresh  interpretations  of  righteousness.  Chang- 
ing sex  customs,  family  patterns,  labor  conditions, 
recreation  habits  needed  and  received  new  moral 
orientation. 

II 

The  religious  needs  of  the  contemporary  age  are 
numerous  and  closely  related  to  the  five  values  above 
stated  which  characterize  the  preaching  and  activity 
of  these  great  preachers. 

Because  of  the  contemporary  social  emphasis 
there  is  danger  of  losing  sight  of  the  unique  value  of 
individuals.  There  is  a  related  widespread  and 
overwhelming  sense  of  despair. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Freudian  fear  of  repres- 
sion has  led  to  a  "lowering  of  the  conscience  thres- 
hold" which  is  creating  social  problems  as  fast  as  it 
solves  personal  problems.  Boisen  and  Hocking  con- 
sider conscience  "the  growing  edge  of  human  na- 
ture." 

Another  religious  need  of  the  age  is  an  agreement 
about  worthy  ends  for  utilizing  the  new  means 
which  have  been  developed. 

The  post-war  morality  has  wrecked  havoc  with 
family  life  and  it  needs  reorientation.  No  substitute 
has  been  discovered  that  will  provide  the  individual 
with  the  needed  intimate  group  relationship  that  the 
family  formerly  provided. 

Inroads  on  the  concepts  of  immortality  and  God 
have  left  many  individuals  without  any  significant 
religious  orientation. 

Numerous  social  problems  are  demanding  atten- 


THE  SCROLL 317 

tion  and  significant  thought  and  treatment  from  the 
preacher.  Some  of  these  are :  war,  unemployment 
and  the  class  struggle,  changing  forms  of  govern- 
ment, treatment  of  the  criminal,  the  aged,  the  in- 
sane, etc. 

Ill 
.  The  liberal  minister  is  making  increasing  use  of 
all  literature  which  deals  helpfully  with  the  reli- 
gious problems  of  the  age.  Since  Ibsen  drama  has 
developed  numerous  playwrights  who  are  dealing 
with  practically  all  of  the  values  and  needs  here- 
inbefore iterated.  Because  of  its  setting  in  life  and 
experience  drama  argues  a  point  with  a  combination 
of  reason  and  emotion  that  is  a  needed  supplement 
to  more  academic  treatments.  After  surveying  the 
subject  matter  of  modern  drama  we  will  discuss  its 
possible  uses  by  the  minister. 

Plays  dealing  with  social  problems  are  more  nu- 
merous than  those  dealing  with  any  of  the  other 
needs.  Strife  between  capital  and  labor  with  its  in- 
evitable costs  is  depicted  by  the  following:  Gals- 
worthy, Strife;  Rice,  We,  the  People;  Flavin,  Amaco 
and  others.  Indirect  implications  of  the  capitalistic 
system  are  set  forth  by  Kingsley  in  Dead  End  where 
the  slums  wreck  their  inevitable  havoc  on  personal- 
ity before  the  eyes  of  the  audience. 

Race  prejudice  is  dealt  with  directly  in  Green's, 
In  Abraham's  Bosom  and  Galsworthy's  Loyalties; 
indirectly  in  Anderson's  Winterset. 

The  costs  of  war,  its  futile  and  assinine  character 
are  dealt  with  in  Sherwood,  Idiot's  Delight;  Shaw, 
Bury  the  Dead  and  Sklar  and  Maltz,  Peace  on  Earth. 
Bury  the  Dead  and  Peace  on  Earth  recommend 
pacifism  and  protest.  Kennedy's  The  Terrible  Meek 
recommends  a  fundamental  change  in  attitude — love 
instead  of  "duty." 

Vane's  Outward  Bound  reflects  a  changed  atti- 
tude toward  after-life.     It  stresses  the  importance 


THE  SCROLL 


of  facing  life  as  we  find  it.  Levy's  The  Devil  Passes 
presents  a  group  of  individuals  v^ith  temptations 
and  shows  how  conscience  forces  them  to  choose  the 
nobler  alternative, 

Shaw's  Saint  Joan  gives  a  deft  and  effective 
picture  of  religious  genius  in  conflict  with  institu- 
tional religion.  Somewhat  the  same  thing  is  accom- 
plished by  T.  S.  Eliot  in  his  brilliant  choral  drama, 
Murder  hi  the  Cathedral  and  by  Palmer  and  Good- 
rich in  their  stage  version  of  Browning's  Ring  and 
the  Book,  titled  Caponsacchi.  O'Neill's  attempt  to 
state  the  necessity  of  religious  commitment  ap- 
peared in  Days  Without  End.  It  recognizes  the  cur- 
rent intellectual  cynicism  and  attempts  to  refute  it. 
The  character  Ivan  in  Copeau  and  Croue's  adapta- 
tion of  Dostoievsky's  The  Brothers  Karamazov  is 
an  excellent  study  of  the  same  problem. 

Some  varieties  of  religious  experience  are  well 
set  forth  in  Carroll's  successful  Shadow  and  Sub- 
stance. 

The  values  of  democracy  are  made  appealing,  and 
new  appreciation  for  American  democracy  gained, 
by  reading  or  seeing  Anderson's  Valley  Forge  and 
Sherwood's  Abe  Lincoln  in  Illinois. 

Two  plays  which  reflect  the  breakdown  of  family 
life  are  Atlas'  Wednesday's  Child  and  Crothers' 
Susan  and  God.  Numerous  plays  deal  directly  or  in- 
directly with  changing  sex  standards. 

Drama  can  be  the  means  of  giving  needed  fresh- 
ness and  artistic  contemporaneousness  to  preaching. 
It  sometimes  lends  keen  insights  into  personal  or 
social  problems  which  the  preacher  may  utilize. 
Practically  without  exception  the  above  plays  in- 
clude lines  w^iich  can  be  used  illustratively  in 
preaching  on  those  subjects.  A  sermon  may  well 
be  built  around  a  character  in  a  play  who  is  typical 
of  some  parishioners  without  giving  oft'ense  to  the 
parishioners,  yet  enabling  constructive  analysis  and 


THE  SCROLL 319 

suggestion.  Dramatic  technique  can  be  studied  and 
incorporated  into  one's  preaching  technique  with 
great  effectiveness.  And  drama  can  be  used  in 
counselling  with  parishioners.  It  can  be  the  means 
of  pointing  out  or  clarifying  a  person's  problem,  or 
of  aiding  in  developing  appreciations  which  have 
been  germinated  through  preaching. 


Mr.  Carter  E.  Boren,  who  receives  his  D.B.  de- 
gree this  month  from  the  Divinity  School  of  The 
University  of  Chicago,  has  been  called  to  be  the 
minister  of  the  South  End  Christian  Church  in 
Houston,  Texas,  for  this  summer  and  probably  for 
a  longer  period.  The  minister,  J.  K.  O'Heeron,  has 
been  in  poor  health  for  some  time  and  recently  was 
ordered  by  his  physician  to  discontinue  active  work 
for  the  present. 


All  the  men  whose  names  appear  on  the  program 
on  the  last  page  of  this  issue  have  agreed  to  be 
present  and  take  the  parts  assigned  to  them.  This, 
itself,  is  a  guarantee  of  an  unusually  good  program. 


Dr.  Charles  Clayton  Morrison  made  a  notable  rec- 
ord in  his  recent  Lyman  Beecher  Lectures  at  Yale. 
All  thoughtful  Disciples  will  be  eager  to  read  them  in 
the  book  form  which  is  promised  for  the  coming 
autumn. 


Mr.  Barnett  Blakemore  has  returned  'from  his 
year  abroad  on  a  special  Fellowship  given  by  the 
Disciples  Divinity  House  of  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago. He  has  been  appointed  to  a  fellowship  in 
theology  in  the  Divinity  School  for  the  coming  year 
and  will  work  toward  a  doctor's  degree. 


3 

:30 

9 

:00 

P.M. 

9 

:00 

P.M. 

320 THE  SCROLL 

The  Campbell  Institute 

July  31— August  4,  1939 

Monday,  July  31 

9:00  P.M.     Communion   Service.      Chapel   of  the 
Holy  Grail.  Conducted  by  A.  C.  Brooks. 
9 :45  Social  hour  in  the  Common  Room. 

Tuesday,   August-    1 

12:30  P.M.     Luncheon.    University    Church,   5655 
University  Avenue. 
2:00  Address — "Changes  of  Thought  in  a 

Decade."  A.  C.  Garnett,  Robert  Burns, 

Richard  L.  James. 
Discussion 

Reports  of  committees. 
President's  Address.  John  L.  Davis. 

Wednesday,  August  2 

Address — "Disciple  Statistics  and  Re- 
lated Problems." 
Virgil  A.  Sly,  J.  Edward  Moseley. 

Thursday,  August  3 

2:00  P.M.     Address— "The  Church  in  Relation  to 

the  Rural  Situation."  Henry  C.  Taylor. 

Address — "The  Situation  in  the  Cotton 

South."    Alva  W.  Taylor. 

Address — "LIhban  Church  Problems." 

Samuel  C.  Kincheloe. 
6:00  Annual  Dinner.     Dr.  Herbert  L.  Wil- 

lett,  presiding. 

Friday,  August  4 

2:00  P.M.     Address  —  "Form      Criticism      and 
Preaching."    Dr.  John  Knox. 
Leaders  of  Discussion — Myrddyn  W. 
Jones,  C.  B.  Tupper. 

9:00  Address — "Present  Status  of  Liberal- 

ism among  the  Disciples." 
In   Reference   to    Ideology — Irvin    E. 
Lunger.   In  Relation  to   Social  Prob- 
lems— Harold  L.  Lunger. 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVII.        SEPTEMBER,  1939  No.  1 


The  Richmond    Convention 

Sessions  of  the  Campbell  Institute  during  the 
Richmond  convention  will  be  held  four  nights  fol- 
lowing the  adjournment  each  evening  of  the  Inter- 
national Convention  programs.  A  room  in  the  John 
Marshall  Hotel  has  been  reserved  for  meetings  and 
this  hotel  has  been  designated  as  the  official  head- 
quarters of  the  Institute.  Thursday,  Friday,  Sat- 
urday, and  Monday  nights  are  those  chosen  for  the 
discussion  meetings.  A  capable  program  commit- 
tee under  the  chairmanship  of  Dr.  W.  E.  Garrison 
insures  vital  topics  and  capable  discussion  leaders. 

In  a  world  that  again  struggles  in  a  welter  of 
passion  and  confusion  incident  to  a  great  war,  it  is 
all  the  more  necessary  that  an  organization  such  as 
the  Campbell  Institute  should  function  to  the  full- 
est. War  always  gives  rise  to  violence  of  the  mind 
as  well  as  of  the  body.  Against  both  these  our  fel- 
lowship must  do  its  utmost  to  preserve  intelligenee 
of  thought  and  action.  There  never  has  been  an 
occasion  when  the  type  of  discussions  in  which  the 
Institute  specializes  will  be  more  needed  or  more 
timely  than  in  our  coming  sessions  at  Richmond. 
Paul  E.  Becker,  President 
Bethany  Church,  Lincoln,  Nebraska. 


322  THE  SCROLL 


rner  usscipiesr 

Edward  Scribner  Ames,  Chicago 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  have  had  a  century  and 
more  of  rapid  growth  and  have  reached  a  notable 
place  among  the  half  dozen  largest  denominations 
of  America.  The  characteristics  which  have  en- 
abled them  to  achieve  this  success  may  briefly  be 
summarized  as  follows :  They  have  been  deeply 
Christian  in  the  sense  of  loyalty  to  Christ.  This 
loyalty  has  been  conceived  as  personal  and  collec- 
tive devotion  to  the  spirit  and  ideals  of  Jesus  in  a 
practical  and  ardent  enthusiasm.  Such  devotion  has 
been  held  to  be  the  way  toward  vital  and  effective 
Christian  union.  To  remove  the  scandals  of  division 
and  to  evangelize  the  world  churches  must  unite. 
Disciple  interpretation  of  Christianity  has  been  in 
terms  of  New  Testament  teaching,  involving  an  in- 
timate and  ready  knowledge  of  the  text  and  of  proof- 
texts.  Since  the  Bible  was  everywhere  accepted  as 
the  stronghold  of  Protestantism,  this  familiarity 
with  the  words  of  scripture  had  a  telling  effect  in 
sermons  and  in  conversations.  The  interpretations 
were  in  the  direct  and  simple  language  of  the  Bible 
without  speculative  or  traditional  reference.  For 
them  there  was  no  need  for  the  creeds,  since  these 
creeds  were  only  human  systematizations  of  the 
speculations  of  certain  individuals  and  parties.  The 
Disciples  stressed  the  idea  that  they  represented  a 
new,  modern,  and  scholarly  exposition  of  scriptures, 
putting  in  plain  terms  the  divine  plan  of  salvation 
which  every  one  could  verify  for  himself  on  the 
pages  of  the  open  word  of  God.    They  believed  that 


*At  the  request  of  the  program  committee  of  the  Campbell  Institute 
sessions  at  the  International  Convention  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1939,  this  paper  is  offered  for  discussion  on  Monday  evening, 
October    23. 


THE  SCROLL  323 

the  revelation  of  the  divine  will  was  meant  to  be 
within  the  understanding  of  ordinary  men  and  this 
appeal  to  the  native  intelligence  of  man  produced 
a  profound  effect  by  contrast  upon  those  accustomed 
to  prevalent  teaching  about  human  depravity  and 
the  impotence  of  the  natural  man  to  discern  spiritual 
matters.  Such  teaching  found  ready  response 
among  the  independent  frontiersmen  of  the  new 
world  who  believed  in  themselves  and  in  a  com- 
mon-sense idea  of  a  God  capable  of  making  his  will 
clear  to  his  children.  The  Disciples  felt  themselves 
well  armed  with  this  knowledge  of  the  scriptures 
and  the  way  of  salvation  taught  therein,  and  they 
proclaimed  it  with  conviction,  resourcefulness  and 
impressive  results.  The  recital  of  this  body  of  teach- 
ing today  does  not  of  itself  give  an  adequate  im- 
pression of  the  uniqueness  and  importance  which 
the  Disciples  attached  to  their  ''plea."  Other  bodies 
of  Protestants  differed  among  themselves  on  par- 
ticular points  of  Calvinism  or  Lutheranism,  on 
forms  or  organization,  but  the  Disciples  felt  them- 
selves to  be  a  peculiar  people  in  contrast  to  all  the 
rest  in  having  no  formal  creed  and  in  making  the 
New  Testament  their  sole  authority.  In  keeping 
with  this  position  they  permitted  great  variation  in 
individual  interpretation  so  long  as  individuals  held 
to  the  central  attitude  of  loyalty  to  Christ  in  all  sin- 
cerity. Emphasis  upon  the  independence  of  local 
congregations  and  their  freedom  to  conduct  all  mat- 
ters in  keeping  with  their  understanding  of  New 
Testament  teaching  made  union  possible  without 
intellectual  uniformity  in  doctrine.  It  is  little  won- 
der that  the  religious  world  around  them  was  scepti- 
cal of  the  possibility  of  building  effective  Christian 
churches  upon  such  a  basis.  It  seemed  to  many  to 
be  the  extreme  of  antinomianism.  Such  judgments 
upon  this  attempt  at  a  thorough-going  democracy 
in  religion  were  similar  to  those  which  Europeans 


324 THE  SCROLL 

made  upon  the  American  experiment  in  democracy. 
It  was  difficult  to  conceive  how  such  sacred  matters 
could  be  trusted  to  the  common  people.  Thus  a 
movement  which  began  in  an  effort  to  unite  all 
Christians  upon  fellowship  with  Christ  found  itself 
quickly  a  separate  communion  set  off  as  a  new  sect, 
and  regarded  by  others  as  a  departure  from  true 
Christianity  rather  than  as  a  more  adequate  ful- 
fillment of  what  Christ  intended  his  church  to  be. 
But  in  spite  of  all  opposition  and  misunderstanding 
the  Disciples  continued  to  gain  numbers  at  an  un- 
precedented rate,  and  with  the  general  disappear- 
ance of  sectarian  bitterness,  came  to  be  recognized 
as  an  acceptable,  though  a  decidedly  "peculiar"  peo- 
ple. Undoubtedly  the  Disciples  themselves  have  lost 
much  of  their  old  sense  of  distinction. 

A  New  Intellectual  Climate 

The  question  which  this  paper  seeks  to  consider 
is  this:  What  do  Disciples  think  of  themselves  to- 
day, especially  educated  Disciples  who  are  equipped 
by  modern  education  in  the  fields  of  biblical  study, 
church  history,  and  philosophy?  How  much  is  left 
of  the  central  contentions  of  the  early  Disciple  lead- 
ership? What  of  the  future  of  this  movement? 
Probably  many  ministers  and  lay  people  continue 
within  the  fellowship  largely  because  they  were  born 
in  it,  and  because  of  the  inertia  which  tends  to  keep 
them  within  the  social  bonds  familiar  through  long 
association  and  vocational  habit.  Many  influences 
press  upon  all  thoughtful  Disciples  to  think  about 
their  present  position  in  the  religious  world,  and 
to  make  assessment  of  themselves  in  a  new  intellect- 
ual climate,  and  in  the  light  of  many  changes  in  re- 
ligious thought  and  practical  developments.  One 
might  also  ask  how  well  equipped  are  the  Disciples 
to  pass  judgment  upon  their  own  work  and  sifnifi- 


THE  SCROLL 325 

cance.  Large  numbers  of  their  best  educated  men 
have  received  their  education  in  universities  and 
seminaries  dominated  by  thought-patterns  and  at- 
titudes of  the  older  denominations  where  the  Dis- 
ciples are  little  known  or  understood.  It  is  only  in 
recent  years  that  Disciple  colleges  or  training 
schools  for  the  ministry  have  given  attention  to 
careful  study  of  the  history  of  the  Disciples  and  of 
their  place  in  the  religious  world.  Many  influences 
in  practical  religious  life,  as  on  the  mission  field 
and  in  social  reforms,  have  tended  to  minimize  in- 
tellectual differences  and  to  encourage  union  enter- 
prises regardless  of  traditional  beliefs.  Doctrinal 
matters  are  left  in  the  background  but  still  affect 
the  general  religious  outlook  and  the  practices  of 
all  denominations.  Communions  which  train  their 
clergy  in  much  of  the  old  theology  and  hold  tena- 
ciously to  traditional  conditions  of  "getting  religion" 
and  joining  churches,  obscure  these  governing  ortho- 
doxies in  their  public  pronouncements  and  interde- 
nominational activities.  This  is  not  done  with  any 
intention  to  mislead  anyone,  but  is  a  more  or  less 
unconscious  procedure.  Patterns  of  long  indoctri- 
nation hold  quite  firmly  even  after  radical  change 
in  verbalization  and  outward  behavior. 

It  is  my  purpose  to  show  that  the  Disciples  have 
an  underlying  background  of  modernity  and  liberal- 
ism, with  a  surface  appearance  of  traditionalism  and 
conservatism.  In  contrast,  most  Protestant  bodies 
have  a  fundamentalist,  authoritarian  history  with 
individuals  among  them  who  have  found  their  way 
out  into  liberalism.  From  the  standpoint  of  the  old 
creeds  all  Disciples  are  "heretics."  Among  the  Dis- 
ciples there  are  so-called  orthodox  and  progressives, 
but  the  former  are  not  orthodox  in  terms  of  Prot- 
estant doctrine.  The  most  orthodox  Disciples  do  not 
accept  the  creeds,  nor  the  idea  of  human  depravity, 
nor  the  conception  of  passive  conversion,  nor  the 


326  THE  SCROLL 

authority  of  ecclesiastical  organizations.  The  one 
thing  more  than  any  other  that  makes  them  appear 
conservative  is  their  insistence  upon  baptism  by  im- 
mersion. This  question  will  be  discussed  later  in 
this  paper. 

Modernity  of  the  Disciples 

The  modernity  of  the  Disciples  is  symbolized  by 
the  fact  that  they  had  their  beginnings  in  the  early 
nineteenth  century  when  the  English  Enlightenment 
of  the  eighteenth  century  definitely  found  expression 
in  America.  This  Enlightenment  in  turn  had  its 
source  in  the  seventeenth  century  in  the  minds  of 
men  like  Francis  Bacon  and  John  Locke.  It  was 
not  an  accident  that  the  Disciples  named  their  first 
college  Bacon  College,  after  Francis  Bacon.  The 
inaugural  address  of  the  first  President  of  that  in- 
stitution, Walter  Scott,  was  an  exposition  of  the 
Baconian  view  of  science  and  its  significance  for 
education  in  a  Christian  college.  It  is  a  familiar 
fact  that  Alexander  Campbell  was  directly  indebted 
for  many  of  his  ideas  to  John  Locke's  Essay  on  the 
Human  Understanclmg .  This  was  shown  conclusive- 
ly by  W.  E.  Garrison  in  his  book,  Alexander  Camp- 
bell's Theology.  Bacon  and  Locke  represent  the 
spirit  and  thought  of  the  Renaissance  rather  than 
the  Reformation  of  the  sixteenth  century.  It  was 
in  the  pre-scientific  sixteenth  century  that  the  great 
creedal  statements  of  Protestant  Orthodoxy  were 
laid  down  in  the  writings  of  Martin  Luther  and 
John  Calvin.  Protestant  churches  still  labor  under 
the  burden  of  those  theologies.  They  strive  to  re- 
interpret or  rationalize  them  to  make  them  service- 
able for  minds  of  the  present  day. 

The  Disciples  were  free  from  those  theologies 
from  birth  and  have  never  been  in  bondage  to  them. 
But  it  is  not  enough  to  rebel  against  outworn  forms 


THE  SCROLL 327 

of  thought.  It  is  important  to  develop  more  ade- 
quate ideologies  and  if  possible  gain  a  method  of 
criticism  and  reconstruction  which  shall  provide  for 
meeting  new  problems  and  for  achieving  further 
growth.  An  important  item  in  Disciple  teaching 
from  the  first  has  been  the  idea  of  progressive  reve- 
lation and  the  conviction  that  new  light  is  yet  to 
come  from  the  word  of  God  and  from  the  growing 
church.  One  of  the  pioneer  preachers  of  Indiana 
used  to  say  that  he  once  heard  Alexander  Campbell 
declare  that  the  worst  thing  that  could  happen  to 
this  religious  movement  would  be  for  some  one  to 
drive  a  stake  and  try  to  tie  the  Disciples  to  it.  Other 
leaders  in  different  periods  could  be  quoted  to  the 
same  effect.  This  spirit  is  the  essence  of  liberalism, 
a  word  so  much  misused  and  so  much  misunder- 
stood. Liberalism  is  open-mindedness  in  the  search 
for  truth  and  progress.  It  implies  an  outgoing  and 
experimental  tendency.  It  is  the  foe  of  the  static 
and  the  inflexible.  It  looks  to  the  future  and  to  pos- 
sible improvement.  The  word  is  as  important  in 
religion  as  in  politics,  philosophy,  science,  or  art, 
and  has  the  same  meaning  in  all. 

Evidence  of  the  liberalism  of  the  Disciples  may 
be  shown  in  reference  to  the  religious  ideas  and 
practices  which  have  been  most  characteristic.  It 
would  be  too  much  to  claim  that  this  attitude  has 
been  consciously  held  by  all  Disciples  or  that  it  is 
clearly  voiced  by  the  most  popular  leaders  today. 
It  is,  however,  the  underlying  presupposition  of  Dis- 
ciple history  and  is  the  implicit  assumption  even  of 
those  who  do  not  bring  it  to  verbal  expression  or 
to  articulate  pronouncement.  There  are  doubtless 
persons  who  do  not  see  the  importance  of  showing 
and  emphasizing  this  historical  background.  For 
them  the  continuity  between  the  past  and  the  pres- 
ent is  not  clear,  but  most  individuals  realize  that  the 
temper  and  direction  of  a  religious  movement  are 


328 THE  SCROLL 

revealed  in  the  circumstances  of  its  beginning  and 
in  the  course  of  its  development.  The  history  of 
the  Disciples  is  so  short,  and  the  whole  of  the  mod- 
ern period  is  so  recent  that  it  should  not  be  diffi- 
cult to  realize  that  the  history  dealt  with  here  is  a 
living  part  of  the  present.  There  has  scarcely  been 
time  for  the  formative  impulsions  to  spend  them- 
selves or  to  pass  into  rigid  formulations.  Besides, 
a  movement  which  began  with  the  conviction  that 
revision  and  reinterpretation  should  be  expected, 
should  be  able  to  profit  immensely  by  keeping  alive 
a  knowledge  of  its  own  history.  It  would  thus  be 
able  to  deal  with  new  problems  and  new  conditions. 
There  are  two  basic  principles  of  Christianity  that 
the  Disciples  have  undertaken  to  make  central  and 
controlling.  These  have  been  the  sources  of  their 
strength  in  the  past  and  they  are  the  promise  for  a 
significant  future.  These  two  principles  are  love 
and  wisdom.  The  application  of  these  two  princi- 
ples has  had  profound  effects  in  the  whole  Disciple 
ideology  and  procedure.  Some  of  these  effects  will 
be  set  forth  here. 

Love  f-he  One  Essential 

The  principle  of  love  was  seen  to  be  the  true  bond 
between  the  believer  and  Christ.  This  love  expressed 
itself  in  affectionate  loyalty  to  Jesus  as  Lord  and 
Saviour.  Faith  in  Christ  meant  this  fidelity.  It 
was  trust  in  Christ  as  the  revelation  of  God,  of  his 
goodness,  companionship,  and  saving  power.  Con- 
fession of  faith  in  Christ  was  committment  to  his 
will  and  way.  Such  faith  was  a  practical  attitude, 
not  primarily  a  matter  of  doctrine.  Theological 
terms  were  consistent  with  it  only  as  they  expressed 
devotion  to  Christ  and  a  disposition  to  follow  his  life 
of  unselfishness  and  service.  One  might  well  assert 
belief  in  Jesus  Christ  as  the  son  of  God  but  the 


THE  SCROLL 329 

significance  of  this  form  of  words  was  honorific.  It 
was  a  supreme  assertion  of  the  goodness  and  great- 
ness of  Christ.  It  was  not  the  declaration  of  a 
metaphysical  doctrine  of  the  deity  of  Christ,  nor  a 
committment  to  a  trinitarian  conception.  An  in- 
dividual might  hold  such  a  theological  view  but  it 
could  have  vital  meaning  only  as  it  embodied  the 
will  to  render  the  kind  of  devotion  a  divine  being 
would  elicit.  The  form  of  words  is  not  mandatory. 
The  biblical  terms  Son  of  Man,  Messiah,  Lord,  Mas- 
ter, and  a  variety  of  other  figurative,  symbolic  names 
are  preferable  to  theological  designations  which  im- 
ply systems  of  thought  foreign  to  the  New  Testa- 
ment. The  Disciples  have  always  refused  to  com- 
mit themselves  either  to  a  trinitarian  or  unitarian 
usage  or  doctrine  and  thereby  escaped  problems  and 
confusions  which  continue  to  distract  the  minds  of 
many  devout  men. 

Whoever  loves  Jesus  Christ  and  endeavors  to  fol- 
low him  to  the  best  of  his  understanding  and  ability 
is  a  Christian.  This  is  the  bond  which  binds  the 
individual  to  the  Christian  life,  and  it  is  the  bond 
which  unites  individuals  with  one  another  in  the 
church.  Without  this  love  all  faith,  knowledge,  self- 
sacrifice,  and  good  works,  are  but  sounding  brass 
and  a  tinkling  cymbal  as  the  apostle  Paul  said.  This 
is  the  only  effective  and  fruitful  basis  of  Christian 
union.  It  is  the  oneness  of  the  Father  and  the  Son, 
and  it  is  the  only  significant  way  in  which  Christians 
can  be  one.  Unity  of  intellectual  beliefs  has  been 
proved  impossible  by  the  whole  history  of  Christian- 
ity, and  every  church  of  whatever  name  or  doctrine 
realizes  unity  within  itself  and  with  other  Chris- 
tians only  to  the  degree  in  which  this  fellowship  of 
love  prevails.  The  Disciples  have  recognized  this 
fact  and  have  refused  to  make  any  theological  doc- 
trines the  condition  of  church  membership.  Promi- 
nent leaders  from  the  earliest  days  have  been  known 


330  THE  SCROLL 

to  question  such  beliefs  as  the  Virgin  Birth,  the  phy- 
sical resurrection,  endless  punishment  of  the  wick- 
ed, the  inerrancy  of  the  scriptures,  the  assertions  of 
the  ''Apostles  Creed,"  baptismal  regeneration,  and 
the  original  and  inherent  sinfulness  of  man.  The 
one  and  only  "essential"  has  been  Love — the  love  of 
Christ  in  God,  and  the  love  of  fellow  man.  Loving 
Christ  and  fellow  man  is  loving  God.  To  insist  that 
Christ  must  be  conceived  in  terms  of  a  predefined 
idea  of  God  is  a  reversal  of  the  basic  Christian  faith. 
To  approach  faith  in  God  through  Christ  is  the  valid 
procedure,  for  it  is  of  the  very  genius  of  Christianity 
to  take  Christ  as  the  way  to  God.  And  it  is  the  love 
of  Christ,  and  not  any  doctrine  about  him,  that  leads 
to  a  vital  and  effective  love  of  God.  In  this  love  all 
Christians  may  be  one  and  they  cannot  find  unity 
through  any  uniformity  of  intellectual  beliefs. 

This  love  at  the  heart  of  the  Christian  religion 
is  not  some  peculiar  ecclesiastical  or  theological 
love.  It  is  the  natural  love  of  the  human  heart  de- 
veloped and  manifest  in  the  life  of  Jesus.  He  con- 
sistently taught  that  the  love  he  magnified  as  the 
substance  of  his  religion  appears  in  all  men  in  some 
degree.  Any  father  loves  his  son  enough  not  to  give 
a  stone  when  the  son  asks  bread.  Gentiles  love  one 
another  and  Jesus  exhorted  his  disciples  to  carry 
this  love  even  to  include  enemies.  All  men  practice 
some  forgiveness  but  he  urged  them  to  multiply  in- 
definitely the  number  of  times  they  would  forgive. 
It  is  not  uncommon  to  give  one's  coat  to  the  needy 
but  it  is  possible  to  give  one's  cloak  also.  He  pic- 
tured the  righteous  in  the  judgment  scene  as  those 
who  gave  food  and  drink  to  the  famished,  clothing 
to  the  naked,  comfort  to  the  sick,  and  companion- 
ship to  those  imprisoned.  He  said  not  a  word  there 
about  doctrine  or  belief  nor  did  he  limit  saving  deeds 
to  those  who  bore  a  religious  label.  Indeed  he  warn- 
ed those  who  trusted  in  calling  him,  "Lord,  Lord." 


THE  SCROLL 331 

The  assumption  that  to  love  Christ  religiously  in- 
volves some  kind  of  theological  doctrine  about  him 
has  limited  the  appeal  of  the  churches  and  continues 
to  prevent  many  people  from  being  avov^edly  his 
followers  though  they  revere  his  character  and 
acknowledge  the  supreme  wisdom  of  his  teaching. 
The  Disciples  of  Christ  have  renounced  all  this  theo- 
logical impedimenta  and  have  honored  the  natural 
love  and  devotion  of  the  human  heart  when  it  is 
centered  upon  Christ.  When  the  aifections  and  the 
will  are  earnestly  focused  upon  him  a  man's  life  is 
transformed.  He  thus  becomes  a  true  Christian  and 
is  on  the  way  to  grow  in  all  those  things  which  be- 
long to  the  religious  life.  No  one  perfectly  achieves 
this  high  goal  but  the  will  to  do  so  carries  the  soul 
to  great  heights  as  the  lives  of  many  Christians  in 
all  ages  testify.  Doctrinal  bases  of  fellowship  al- 
ways exclude  many  honest  and  worthy  people,  and 
even  when  reduced  to  the  simplest  minimum,  these 
doctrines  tend  to  differences  of  understanding  and 
division,  but  "Love  never  faileth."  Those  who  live 
together  in  goodwill  and  sincere  sympathy  may  tol- 
erate many  variations  of  belief  and  become  wiser 
and  stronger  and  freer  by  virtue  of  honest  doubts 
and  differences. 

Wisdom  Implements  Love 

The  second  basic  principle  of  Christianity  is  wis- 
dom. It  is  incorporated  in  the  operation  of  love  it- 
self for  love  requires  the  whole  mind.  That  was  the 
form  of  the  ancient  commandment :  Thou  shalt  love 
with  all  thy  mind.  Wisdom  is  energized  and  pur- 
poseful knowledge.  A  tragic  consequence  has  fol- 
lowed human  life  when  knowledge  has  been  made 
abstract  and  sterilized  by  separation  from  living 
ends  and  objectives.  The  knowledge  which  Jesus 
stressed  as  important  for  men  is  knowledge  as  a 


332 THE  SCROLL 

means  to  worthy  ends.  Then  it  becomes  wisdom 
which  is  justified  of  her  children.  Wisdom-knowl- 
edge makes  men  free.  Love  by  itself,  if  such  a 
thing  were  possible,  would  be  soft,  sentimental,  and 
blind,  just  as  knowledge  by  itself  is  impotent  and 
may  be  disastrous. 

Wisdom  has  greatly  increased  in  the  world  with 
the  search  for  knowledge  in  the  interest  of  the  ends 
of  love.  Love  in  the  form  of  the  will  to  rid  the  world 
of  disease  and  suffering  has  cultivated  not  merely 
the  knowledge  of  the  sciences  which  enter  into  mod- 
ern medicine  but  also  the  skills  which  make  effective 
application  of  that  knowledge  in  the  cure  and  pre- 
vention of  sickness  and  attendant  suffering.  Un- 
derstanding of  human  nature  and  social  relations 
through  the  sciences  of  psychology,  sociology,  eco- 
nomics, and  education,  is  not  adequate  when  only 
gathered  into  doctors'  theses  and  scholarly  books. 
It  requires  to  be  brought  home  to  the  sore  spots 
of  the  world  and  made  operative  in  securing  greater 
happiness  and  justice.  The  scientists  themselves 
recognize  this  fact  more  clearly  than  ever  before 
and  the  leading  men  of  science  are  proclaiming  their 
increasing  sense  of  social  responsibility.  Educators 
realize  with  a  new  conscience  that  education  should 
not  merely  impart  knowledge  but  should  make  men 
wise  with  the  wisdom  that  comes  from  the  use  and 
application  of  things  learned.  This  development  in 
making  intelligence  serve  important  ends  is  the 
growth  of  true  wisdom.  It  is  a  new  note  in  the 
modern  world  and  it  began  with  the  Renaissance 
when  men  began  to  turn  their  attention  from  knowl- 
edge of  books  and  speculative  dialectics  to  the  real 
world  of  nature  and  man.  They  advocated  the  study 
of  God's  revelation  in  the  facts  of  nature,  as  well 
as  in  words  of  scripture. 

The  Disciples  have  accepted  this  point  of  view 
which  has  played  so  large  a  part  in  modern  scientific 


THE  SCROLL . 333 

and  philosophical  thought.  They  have  regarded  in- 
telligence as  an  instrument  for  achieving  practical 
ends  of  life  and  not  as  abstract  "reason"  concerned 
with  metaphysical  truth.  Their  opposition  to  "philo- 
sophical and  theological  speculation"  has  not  meant 
the  rejection  of  all  philosophy  but  of  the  traditional 
philosophy  which  has  sought  transcendental  knowl- 
edge of  absolutes  independent  of  the  real  world  of 
living  experience.  They  have  clung  to  the  more 
practical  kind  of  knowledge  which  can  be  tested  by 
its  fruits.  It  was  the  influence  of  Greek  thought 
which  established  in  philosophy  the  conception  of  a 
realm  of  "Truth"  above  and  remote  from  the  natural 
world  of  common  things  and  concrete  interests.  The 
philosophers  of  Greece  were  aristocratic  scholars 
for  whom  the  life  of  thought  was  detached  from  the 
daily  struggles  of  workers  and  artisans.  Menial 
work,  in  the  great  days  of  Athens,  was  done  by 
slaves  and  by  craftsmen  who  had  not  the  leisure 
or  the  wealth  to  live  the  life  of  reason  and  reflection. 
Philosophers  thought  the  occupations  of  cooks  and 
carpenters  was  beneath  the  dignity  of  rational  be- 
ings and  belonged  only  to  the  sphere  of  opinion  and 
of  base  material  things.  The  philosophers  devoted 
themselves  to  logic,  dialectics,  and  "pure"  metaphy- 
sics. They  divided  the  world  into  a  dualism  of  spirit 
and  matter,  of  mind  and  body.  For  them  the  intel- 
lectual life  concerned  itself  with  the  supernatural, 
and  held  itself  superior  to  the  physical  and  the  ma- 
terial. 

In  contrast,  the  application  of  intelligence  to  the 
concrete  realm  of  nature  and  the  practical  facts  of 
daily  concern,  has  been  characteristic  of  the  sci- 
entist and  the  man  of  affairs.  The  scientist  has  not 
hesitated  to  put  his  hands  into  the  stuff  of  the  earth 
and  to  devote  himself  in  his  laboratory  to  the  patient 
search  for  an  understanding  of  the  humblest  and 
meanest  phenomena  of  nature.    The  results  of  this 


334 THE  SCROLL 

inquiry  into  the  commonplace  realities  of  earth  and 
sea  and  sky,  of  the  human  body  in  health  and  in 
disease,  of  animals,  insects,  plants,  rocks  and  soil, 
have  rewarded  these  intelligent  workers  with  power 
over  the  elements  and  over  the  conditions  that  deep- 
ly affect  all  phases  of  man's  life.  For  the  most 
part,  theologians  and  religious  people  have  kept  to 
the  old  tradition  of  seeking  Truth  and  "spiritual" 
satisfaction  in  a  supernatural  world  by  means  of 
revelation,  reason,  and  faith.  They  have  doubted 
the  ability  of  the  natural  man  to  deal  with  the  most 
important  realities.  They  have  often  taken  the  Bible 
as  a  sacrosanct  book  of  mysteries  inaccessible  to 
ordinary  intelligence  but  yet  to  be  received  on  un- 
questionable authority  and  implicitly  obeyed.  It  is 
not  strange  therefore  that  religion  is  often  felt  to 
be  something  that  defies  understanding  and  intel- 
ligent inquiry.  Sometimes  the  churches  appear  to 
be  places  of  magic  and  superstition,  relying  upon 
ceremonies  and  prayers  that  have  the  support  of  long 
and  deep  seated  custom  and  widespread  use  as  their 
chief  recommendation.  From  such  conceptions  the 
use  of  systematic,  fruitful  scientific  knowledge  is 
withdrawing  educated  people  more  and  more.  The 
old,  childhood  habits  and  sentiments  create  tender 
regard  for  the  old  faith  which  make  it  immune  from 
outright  criticism  and  rejection,  but  leave  it  without 
vital  appeal.  Frequently  those  who  have  learned 
religion  in  these  old  forms  feel  no  urgency  to  con- 
sider other  possibilities  of  a  living  faith.  Different 
interests  fill  their  lives. 

Intelligent  Reading  of  Bible 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  broke  with  the  historic 
forms  of  Protestantism  more  than  a  century  ago, 
and  the  significance  of  their  revolt  was  in  their  re- 
jection of  the  old  metaphysical  doctrines  and  the 


THE  SCROLL 335 

adoption  of  a  new  idea  of  reasonableness  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  great  religious  ideals.  They  began 
with  the  conviction  that  the  Bible  should  be  read 
as  any  other  book,  that  the  laws  of  grammar,  syn- 
tax, and  exegesis  were  not  different  in  this  liter- 
ature. Any  book  can  be  understood  only  when  the 
reader  holds  a  sympathetic  and  receptive  attitude  of 
mind  in  seeking  to  learn  what  it  teaches.  It  is  ap- 
propriate to  apply  to  the  scriptures  the  same  rules 
of  interpretation  that  are  used  elsewhere.  These 
books  are  to  be  studied  in  the  light  of  their  author- 
ship, the  circumstances  and  occasion  of  their  com- 
position, the  purpose  for  which  they  were  written, 
and  their  relation  to  other  writings  of  the  peoples 
and  times  in  which  they  appear.  It  must  be  noted 
that  the  Bible  includes  a  wide  range  of  literary 
forms, — history,  poetry,  proverbs,  parables,  apoc- 
alypses, moral  precepts,  dramas,  myths  and  cos- 
mologies. Conceptions  of  creation,  government, 
morals,  psychology,  punishment,  demons,  angels, 
spirits,  and  deity  vary  from  savage  simplicity  to 
exalted,  noble  ideals  and  aspirations.  To  discrimi- 
nate among  these  levels  of  insight  and  moral  worth 
is  the  work  of  intelligent  analysis  and  judicious 
evaluation.  This  use  of  intelligence  was  recognized 
and  cultivated  by  Disciple  leaders  in  the  manner  and 
spirit  of  what  has  come  to  be  developed  more  fully 
and  to  be  called  "higher  criticism."  At  one  stroke, 
following  this  method,  Alexander  Campbell,  in  his 
Sermon  on  the  Laiv,  set  aside  the  Old  Testament  as 
belonging  to  the  pre-Christian  dispensation,  and  in- 
sisted that  the  New  Testament  is  the  proper  source 
for  the  teaching  and  direction  of  Christians.. 

The  writings  of  John  Calvin,  as  is  now  generally 
recognized,  were  based  mainly  upon  the  Old  Testa- 
ment and  its  theocratic  religious  conceptions.  Yet  it 
is  Calvinism  which  lies  in  the  background  of  the 
teaching  of  most  Protestants  and  continues  to  shape 


336  '  '  f  HE  SGRQLL 

and  color  their  thinking.  In  that  system  human  in- 
telligence has  little  recognition  as  a  fruitful  source 
or  instrument  of  religious  conduct.  It  magnifies 
the  omnipotence  of  the  will  of  God  at  the  expense 
of  the  will  of  man.  It  is  this  Calvinistic  type  of 
thought  which  has  had  an  amazing  resurgence  in 
Protestantism  in  the  form  of  Barthianism.  It  has 
swept  away  for  the  time  being  the  incipient  tenden- 
cies toward  reasonableness  in  religion  which  were 
beginning  to  appear  in  many  young  liberals  who 
now  boast  that  they  have  recovered  from  the  super- 
ficial liberalism  of  their  adolescent  years.  They  pro- 
claim the  sense  of  complete  ignorance  and  mystery 
about  God  as  evidence  of  their  piety!  They  accept 
his  inscrutable  decrees  and  arbitrary  will  with  blind 
faith. 

It  is  interesting  that  this  revived  Calvinism  has 
made  scarcely  any  appeal  to  the  Disciples  of  Ghrist. 
On  the  whole  they  have  been  made  immune  from  it 
by  their  inheritance  of  a  practical  conception  of  in- 
telligence or  reasonableness  as  an  important  means 
of  estimating  the  works  of  God.  They  have  not 
hesitated  to  dismiss  many  famous  theological  con- 
troversies as  unprofitable  and  wasteful  of  talents 
which  might  be  better  directed. 

Intelligent  Conversion 

One  of  the  crucial  problems  in  the  controversies 
of  the  theologians  has  been  that  of  conversion.  It 
has  been  a  common  idea  among  them  that  conver- 
sion is  accomplished  by  divine  grace  alone.  Man  as 
hopelessly  sinful  is  held  to  be  unable  to  take  any 
initiative  in  the  matter.  He  can  only  await  a  di- 
vine visitation  to  awaken  in  him  a  sense  of  his  lost 
estate  and  the  impulse  to  turn  away  from  his  sin. 
The  visitation  has  often  been  thought  to  come  in 
the  form  of  a  vision,  an  agony  of  remorse,  or  some 


THE  SCROLL 337 

kind  of  unaccountable  summons.  Individuals  have 
frequently  reported  their  experience  of  suffering  and 
anxiety  as  they  waited  for  a  sign  of  a  change  within 
themselvs  which  might  be  a  token  of  hope  that  God 
had  not  passed  by  them. 

This  doctrine  seems  wholly  incredible  to  the  Dis- 
ciple way  of  thinking.  It  appears  as  unworthy  of 
God  and  out  of  harmony  with  the  spirit  and  manner 
of  Jesus.  He  invited  all  kinds  and  conditions  of  men 
by  saying,  "Come,  follow  me."  The  story  of  the 
prodigal  son,  a  dramatic  epitome  of  the  gospel  of 
Jesus,  is  the  recital  of  an  oft  repeated  human  scene. 
Worn  and  weary  with  his  squandered  life,  "he  comes 
to  himself,"  and  gets  up  and  goes  to  his  father's 
house.  There  is  no  evidence  that  the  father  had 
hunted  for  him !  The  son  had  reason  enough  to  be- 
lieve that  his  father  would  receive  him  if  he  returned. 
In  the  same  way  any  really  Christian  conception  of 
God  includes  the  idea  of  love  for  his  children  and  of 
his  readiness  to  meet  them  more  than  half  way  when 
they  seek  him.  Conversion  is  a  "turning  round"  in 
order  to  go  in  a  different  and  more  promising  direc- 
tion. It  is  the  result  of  dissatisfaction  with  one's 
present  state  which  may  come  about  by  the  pangs 
of  a  guilty  conscience,  or  by  the  discovery  of  the 
possibility  of  a  better  way  of  life.  One  who  is  called 
a  good  man  may  experience  conversion  to  something 
better  than  he  has  known.  It  is  natural  for  men  to 
wish  to  improve  themselves  and  to  reach  more  satis- 
fying levels  of  life.  To  an  open  and  teachable  mind, 
the  process  of  conversion  is  not  completed  at  a  step 
but  recurs  and  continues  at  every  stage  of  further 
growth.  In  the  religious  life  one  not  only  may  have 
a  second  birth  but  needs  to  be  born  again  and  again 
into  new  relationships  and  understandings. 

The  Disciples  brought  relief  and  cheer  to  many 
people  who  had  been  unable  to  "get  religion"  in 
terms  of  the  old  theology.    Such  people  found  new 


338 THE  SCROLL 

zest  and  joy  for  living  when  they  were  told  that  the 
Bible  promised  "salvation"  upon  certain  conditions ; 
that  God  has  offered  a  "covenant"  and  it  was  only 
necessary  for  man  to  comply  with  the  conditions  of 
the  covenant  in  order  to  become  the  beneficiary  of 
the  covenant.  The  Disciples  taught  that  God  had 
made  clear  the  terms  of  his  will  and  invited  men 
through  Christ  to  do  their  part.  There  was  a  cer- 
tain matter-of-fact  quality  in  the  greatest  transac- 
tion of  life  as  the  Disciples  conceived  it  to  be  taught 
in  the  New  Testament.  It  was  a  kind  of  contract 
relation  not  essentially  different  from  the  familiar 
contract  relation  between  man  and  man.  Other 
analogies  were  used.  Entering  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  was  like  being  naturalized  as  a  citizen  of  a 
state.  The  conditions  were  public  and  open  to  the 
knowledge  of  any  one.  Conversion  was  the  experi- 
ence of  adopting  this  citizenship  and  accepting  the 
obligations  which  it  involved.  In  order  to  intelli- 
gently comply  with  the  terms  of  any  covenant  or 
contract  it  was  important  that  the  conditions  be  pub- 
lished abroad,  and  that  was  held  to  be  the  task  of 
the  preacher.  He  was  the  herald  to  proclaim  the 
good  news  of  the  Gospel,  for  in  order  to  be  effective 
men  must  hear  it,  think  about  it,  and  respond  to  it 
with  faith  in  it  and  in  its  author.  Acting  in  keep- 
ing with  this  faith  was  conversion.  It  involved  both 
an  entrance  upon  a  new  way  of  life  and  the  succes- 
sive developments  through  further  stages  of  growth. 
In  the  first  instance  it  was  like  matriculating  in 
school,  or  signifying  acceptance  of  the  laws  of  the 
land.  A  more  adequate  figure  would  be  that  of  form- 
ing and  growing  a  friendship.  Jesus  himself  called 
his  followers  friends.  The  beginning  of  this  friend- 
ship with  him  and  the  committment  which  it  implies 
is  conversion.  It  is  a  mutual  relation  and  cannot  be 
fulfilled  by  either  party  alone.  Each  contributes  to 
it  and  helps  to  make  it  significant.  This  relationship 


THE  SCROLL       339 

is  not  fundamentally  different  in  religion  from  that 
in  social  relationships  between  men.  Its  reality  and 
vitality  require  mutual  interaction  and  sympathetic 
understanding. 

The  Ordinances 

It  would  be  too  much  to  claim  that  the  Disciples 
of  Christ  worked  out  fully  and  adequately  all  details 
of  the  use  of  intelligence  in  discovering  and  realiz- 
ing the  meaning  and  application  of  the  principle  of 
love  as  the  heart  of  the  religious  life.  In  an  age 
when  the  Bible  was  universally  conceived  to  be  the 
source  of  the  Christian  religion  it  was  not  a  simple 
thing  to  escape  all  legalisms.  But  the  Disciples 
sought  earnestly  to  make  an  intelligent  and  reason- 
able use  of  it.  They  recognized  the  right  of  private 
interpretation  and  put  the  spirit  above  the  letter. 
In  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  they  did  not 
practice  "close  communion"  nor  did  they  require 
stated  participation.  They  observed  it  as  a  memorial 
institution  and  looked  upon  it  as  a  privilege  and  a 
profoundly  important  means  of  cultivating  fellow- 
ship with  Christ  and  with  fellow  Christians.  It 
was  not  regarded  as  a  "sacrament"  in  the  ecclesias- 
tical sense  but  as  a  helpful  dramatic  re-enactment 
of  the  Last  Supper. 

It  was  the  observance  of  Baptism  which  led  to 
difficulty.  A  careful  study  of  the  New  Testament 
convinced  Alexander  Campbell  that  the  Greek  word 
meant  immersion,  and  he  was  certain  that  the  early 
church  administered  it  in  that  form.  He  did  not 
commit  himself  to  the  doctrine  of  baptismal  regen- 
eration but  argued  that  it  was  the  authorized  public 
means  of  witness  to  one's  discipleship.  It  was  an- 
alogous to  the  marriage  ceremony  which  ushers  the 
parties  into  a  new  state  though  it  does  not  create 
the  love  that  binds  them  together.    Or  it  is  like  the 


340 THE  SCROLL 

formal  naturalization  of  a  person  into  citizenship. 
It  conditions  the  status  of  the  individual  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state.  But  it  is  significant  only  when 
other  requirements  have  been  fulfilled.  The  im- 
mersion of  an  impenitent  man  is  not  baptism.  Bap- 
tism of  infants  cannot  fulfill  the  design  of  the  ordi- 
nance which  should  be  preceded  by  intelligent  love 
and  voluntary  acceptance  of  Jesus  Christ  He  there- 
fore insisted  that  baptism  of  adult  believers  was  a 
New  Testament  requirement  for  membership  in  the 
church,  and  was  therefore  one  of  the  biblical  con- 
ditions for  the  union  of  all  Christians.  In  spite  of 
what  now  seems  an  evident  inconsistency  he  did, 
nevertheless,  recognize  that  there  are  Christians  in 
all  denominations  and  that  his  very  plea  for  the 
union  of  all  Christians  was  an  admission  of  this  fact. 
It  is  also  true  that  other  early  leaders  did  not  wholly 
agree  with  Alexander  Campbell  in  his  insistence 
upon  immersion.  His  father,  Thomas  Campbell, 
urged  that  it  be  made  a  matter  of  "forbearance" 
though  he  himself  submitted  to  it.  In  the  course  of 
the  century  the  question  as  to  what  should  be  the 
requirements  concerning  baptism  has  become  more 
prominent  and  not  a  few  leaders  are  now  advocat- 
ing that  the  observance  of  baptism  be  made  optional 
as  has  been  the  case  with  reference  to  the  Lord's 
Supper.  These  leaders  have  not  taken  this  position 
lightly,  nor  in  disregard  of  New  Testament  teach- 
ing, but  have  been  influenced  by  the  results  of  de- 
vout scholarship  in  this  field,  by  increasing  interest 
in  Christian  union,  and  by  growing  appreciation  of 
the  spiritual  quality  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  over 
against  any  authoritarian,  legalistic  view  of  it.  The 
use  of  intelligence  in  finding  out  how  love  may 
fulfill  itself  is  well  illustrated  in  this  problem.  In- 
telligence, in  the  pursuit  of  historical,  textual,  and 
literary  studies,  has  made  many  discoveries  concern- 
ing the  scriptures,  the  early  church,  and  the  teach- 


THE  SCROLL 341 

ing  of  Jesus.  Love  seeks  fellowship.  It  has  been 
hindered  by  unreal  and  baseless  doctrines  and  prac- 
tices which  have  interferred  with  a  wider  fellow- 
ship of  Christians.  Dean  Kershner,  Dean  of  the 
School  of  Religion  in  Butler  University,  has  right- 
ly pointed  out  that  it  is  now  known  that  the  early 
churches  had  no  uniform  pattern  of  doctrine,  or- 
ganization, or  worship,  and  that  their  unity  con- 
sisted in  their  loyalty  to  Christ.  Love  of  him  was 
their  one  bond.  (The  address  referred  to  was  de- 
livered at  the  International  Convention  of  Disciples 
in  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  published  in  the  report 
of  that  convention) . 

In  the  years  of  their  beginnings  the  Disciples  were 
convinced  that  it  was  possible  to  restore  primitive 
Christianity  and  that  that  was  the  means  by  which 
the  union  of  Christians  could  be  achieved.  From  that 
presupposition,  and  with  their  conviction  that  the 
Bible  authorized  immersion,  the  Disciples  armed 
themselves  with  a  heavy  battery  of  proof -texts  to 
advocate  its  universal  practice.  It  was  a  source  of 
power  in  their  evangelism.  It  offered  a  definite  act — 
something  to  do — ^to  express  their  faith  and  to  wit- 
ness separation  from  their  old  life.  But  the  very 
force  of  their  contention  was  not  without  danger. 
It  tended  to  exalt  the  form  above  the  spirit.  The 
symbol  threatened  to  become  an  essential.  But 
others,  holding  a  sacramental  view  of  the  ordinance, 
were  accustomed  to  use  a  different  form,  unauthor- 
ized in  scriptures,  and  to  administer  it  to  improper 
subects,  to  infants.  The  Disciples  as  advocates  of 
adult  believers  immersion  held  a  great  advantage. 
They  were  reasonable  and  intelligent  about  it,  as 
they  then  understood  the  Bible. 

But  today  the  case  is  different.  What  was  so  long 
a  support  to  their  cause  is  now  suspected  of  being 
si  burden.  New  Testament  textual  criticism  has  uri- 
derfflined  the  last  proof-text  by  showing  that  the 


342 THE  SCROLL 

baptismal  formula  of  the  "great  commission"  bears 
the  marks  of  being  no  earlier  than  the  third  century 
since  that  formula  is  trinitarian  in  its  wording.  Thus 
the  assumption  that  Jesus  explicitly  commanded 
baptism  falls,  and  the  last  element  of  formalism  is 
removed  from  his  teaching.  This  enables  the  Dis- 
ciples to  strengthen  their  advocacy  of  Christian 
union  in  all  good  conscience  and  justifies  anew  their 
trust  in  loyalty  to  Christ  and  his  religion  of  the 
spirit  as  all  sufficient.  It  also  makes  more  signifi- 
cant and  unequivocal  their  recognition  of  the  full 
Christian  character  of  members  of  other  com- 
munions. It  removes  any  vestige  of  inconsistency  in 
the  practice  of  "open-membership"  and  gives  fresh 
impetus  to  their  movement  for  union.  These  con- 
clusions and  consequent  emancipations  from  even 
the  minimum  of  the  old  dogmas  of  Protestantism 
have  already  begun  to  create  deep  enthusiasm  for 
the  practical,  non-theological  position  which  the  Dis- 
ciples sought  in  the  face  of  many  obstacles  a  century 
ago.  Many  ministers  and  lay  people  who  have  been 
identified  with  the  Disciples  because  of  their  ad- 
vocacy of  a  liberal,  undogmatic  faith,  have  been 
troubled  by  what  seemed  to  them  a  narrow,  legal- 
istic emphasis  upon  immersion.  People  of  this  type 
who  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  be  in  Disciple 
churches  which  welcome  Christians  to  fellowship 
from  every  quarter  without  demanding  immersion, 
have  realized  the  satisfaction  and  increased  religious 
vitality  of  such  fellowship.  The  old  apologetics  and 
arguments  are  no  longer  heard,  and  such  churches 
are  felt  to  have  risen  above  the  kind  of  denomina- 
tional or  sectarian  spirit  which  is  inevitable  where 
any  doctrine  or  practice  excludes  from  its  member- 
ship any  sincere  Christian  man  or  woman. 

It  is  impossible  to  know  the  number  of  Disciple 
churches  who  have  adopted  this  basic  union  pro- 
gram, but  there  are  many  who  have  made  announce- 


THE  SCROLL 343 

ment  of  the  fact  and  many  more  who  have  quietly 
adopted  the  practice  in  individual  cases.  Con- 
versations and  correspondence  with  ministers  and 
others  indicate  that  the  question  is  one  of  increasing 
concern  and  of  favorable  consideration.  Certainly 
opposition  to  it  has  lessened  and  there  is  very  little 
effort  made  to  ostracise  ministers  and  churches 
known  to  have  broadened  thir  fellowship  in  this 
way.  Change  in  a  matter  to  which  so  much  im- 
portance has  been  attached  has  been  easier  among 
the  Disciples  because  of  their  general  non-theolog- 
ical and  non-sacramentarian  views,  and  also  be- 
cause of  their  extreme  congregational  form  of  gov- 
ernment. Each  local  church  is  independent  and 
autonomous.  There  is  no  overhead  association  or 
presbytery  or  synod.  Under  this  system  it  is  im- 
possible to  have  a  "heresy"  trial,  and  therefore  there 
is  complete  freedom  for  experiments  and  new 
methods  of  various  kinds  within  each  congregation. 
Under  these  circumstances  there  is  excellent  oppor- 
tunity, perhaps  unparalleled  opportunity,  to  apply 
intelligence  in  an  experimental  way  in  finding  the 
ways  in  which  love  may  best  fulfill  itself.  Many 
churches  are  not  free  to  utilize  the  best  ideas  of 
members  and  ministers  because  churches  are  still  so 
much  inhibited  by  old  traditions,  and  by  self-ap- 
pointed guardians  of  assumed  "right  ways"  of  doing 
things,  and  of  proprieties  some  one  says  must  be 
observed  in  the  customary  manner.  Some  con- 
gregations are  burdened  with  a  Sunday  evening 
service,  or  a  prayer  meeting,  or  an  every-member 
canvass,  because  they  do  not  realize  that  they  are 
free  to  test  the  value  of  such  things  by  experiment- 
ing for  a  time  with  their  discontinuance. 

Experimenting  with    Differences 

The  principle  of  experimentation  is  capable  of 
being  carried  into  every  phase  of  church  life.     It 


344  THE  gCROLL 

may  even  be  fruitful  concerning  the  central  ideas  of 
the  religious  life.  When  a  church  has  freed  itself 
from  creeds  and  doctrines  as  tests  of  fellowship  then 
it  may  be  able  profitably  to  discuss  questions  of  be- 
lief. It  is  often  difficult  to  secure  open,  frank  discus- 
sion of  religious  problems  in  a  Sunday  School  class 
of  adults  because  there  is  likely  to  be  some  fear  of 
being  misunderstood,  or  of  stirring  up  doubt  in 
other  minds.  But  it  is  unfortunate  when  thoughtful 
persons  are  not  at  liberty  to  express  themselves  in  a 
church  group,  and  to  listen  to  the  opinions  of  others 
in  turn.  If  sympathy  and  good  will  exist,  and  are 
consciously  cultivated,  it  should  be  possible  to  have 
differences  of  ideas  and  to  exchange  them  without 
undue  tension  or  friction.  As  long  as  no  one  seeks 
to  impose  his  ideas  by  undue  influence,  he  should 
have  a  chance  to  state  his  views.  Even  the  minister 
from  the  pulpit  speaks  subject  to  the  judgment  of 
his  hearers,  and  any  suggestion  that  he  is  trying  to 
impose  his  ideas  because  spoken  from  the  pulpit,  de- 
feats the  larger  purpose  he  should  serve.  That  pur- 
pose is  to  quicken  thought,  awaken  interest  in  life 
at  its  best,  offer  larger  perpectives  for  common  ex- 
periences, convey  to  men  and  women  often  hard 
pressed,  the  sense  of  companionship  and  the  possi- 
bility of  finding  ways  out  of  their  difficulties.  Re- 
ligious people  ought  to  feel  that  it  is  their  duty  to 
look  at  different  sides  of  problems,  to  cultivate  social 
imagination  for  the  perplexities  other  people  feel.  It 
is  natural  and  human  to  wish  to  hear  opinions  on 
any  vital  subject,  but  it  is  distressing  to  be  told 
that  it  is  necessary  to  think  only  in  one  way  about 
large,  complex  subjects.  A  religious  man  is  likely 
to  want  some  kind  of  philosophy.  In  the  past  the 
church  authorities  fixed  it  for  him  and  told  him  just 
what  he  must  believe.  They  can  no  longer  success- 
fully do  this,  but  they  can  encourage  significant  sys- 
tems of  ideas  or  ideologies  for  consideration.     Re- 


THE  SCROLL 345 

ligious  people  need  an  ideology,  a  body  of  ideas 
worked  into  a  sound  outlook  upon  the  whole  world 
and  serving  as  a  stabilizer  and  guide  in  practical 
living. 

Against  Isolation  of  Religion 

The  logic  of  the  position  which  the  Disciples  have 
taken  goes  to  the  heart  of  a  difficulty  which  plagues 
the  religious  world  today.  This  difficulty  arises  from 
the  widely  held  view  that  the  religious  life  is  bound 
up  in  its  own  peculiar  types  of  experience  and 
processes  of  control.  Theologians  are  commonly  dis- 
trustful of  natural  powers  of  intelligence  to  deal 
with  religious  matters.  They  turn  to  some  form  of 
revelation,  or  inspiration,  or  supernatural  guidance. 
For  them  plain  human  thinking  is  vitiated  by  the  in- 
herent sinfulness  of  the  natural  man,  and  is  there- 
fore regarded  as  incapable  of  dealing  with  "spir- 
itual" concerns.  Only  the  visitation  of  divine  grace 
can  equip  mere  man  to  understand  and  fruitfully 
treat  the  supreme  questions.  Consequently  much 
theological  discussion  employs  concepts  and  vo- 
cabularies peculiar  to  itself.  Emotional  antipathies 
have  thus  been  developed  against  those  reasonable 
and  scientific  ways  of  thinking  which  have  proved 
so  useful  in  secular  life.  "Science"  has  been  set  off 
on  the  other  side  of  the  dualistic  division  of  the 
sacred  and  the  secular.  The  Disciples  have  never 
been  wholly  under  this  traditional  theological  type 
of  thought.  They  have  taken  a  common  sense  view 
of  biblical  interpretation,  of  conversion,  of  the 
teaching  of  Jesus,  and  of  "good  works."  The  whole 
fallacy  appears  in  this  conception  of  good  works. 
It  is  the  usual  churchly  contention  that  good  works 
are  as  "filthy  rags"  since  the  orthodox  hold  that 
man  cannot  work  out  his  own  salvation  in  any  real 
way.    Yet  nothing  seems  clearer  in  the  teaching  of 


346  THE  SCROLL 

Jesus  than  his  emphasis  upon  good  deeds  in  the 
story  of  the  Good  Samaritan,  and  in  the  allegory  of 
the  Last  Judgment.  Other  parables  magnify  the 
simple  laws  of  experience  as  applicable  to  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  A  man  reaps  v/hat  he  sows  and  in 
proportion  to  the  soil,  the  labor,  and  the  cooperation 
involved.  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  Law  and  the 
Prophets,  and  this  love  as  described  by  Jesus,  and  by 
Paul  in  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  First  Corinthians, 
is  the  natural  affection  of  the  heart  as  all  men  know 
it.  The  psychology  of  the  Christian  virtues  is  that 
which  is  familiar  in  the  work-a-day  world  of  com- 
mon personal  contacts  and  reactions.  "Judge  not 
that  ye  be  not  judged,  for  with  what  judgment  ye 
judge,  ye  shall  be  judged." 

The  foresight  commended  in  the  wise  virgins,  in 
the  man  laying  foundations  for  a  house,  in  a  king 
going  to  war,  in  the  farmer  sowing  his  fields,  in  a 
man  or  woman  seeking  pearls  and  coins  and  for- 
giveness of  sins,  is  all  in  the  vernacular  of  the 
plain  man  and  in  terms  of  homely,  simple  wisdom. 
The  question  Jesus  put  to  a  mixed  company  of 
friends  and  enemies  is  still  pertinent  to  an  average 
crowd,  "Why  do  ye  not  of  your  own  selves  judge 
righteous  judgment?"  His  parables,  warnings,  ex- 
hortations, and  other  precious  words  assumed  the 
ability  of  the  natural  man  to  understand  them, 
though  he  recognized  that  many  ears  were  dull  and 
many  hearts  were  hard  through  inattention,  per- 
verse habits,  or  prejudice.  He  believed  in  the  native 
light  of  intelligence,  the  light  that  lighteth  every 
man  that  cometh  into  the  world.  The  beatitudes  he 
taught  the  multitudes,  the  prayer  he  gave  his  dis- 
ciples, the  first  and  second  commandments  as  the 
greatest  of  all  commandments,  are  not  beset  by  hid- 
den mysteries,  or  reserved  for  those  specially  en- 
dowed or  illuminated.  They  are  direct  words  whose 
profound  importance  is  accessible  to  ordinary  minds. 


THE  SCROLL 347 

In  them  was  the  "authority"  of  experience  and  of 
daily  wisdom  which  so  astonished  his  hearers.  They 
had  often  been  unable  to  understand  the  officials  of 
religion,  the  Scribes  and  the  Pharisees.  Many  re- 
jected his  teaching  because  it  did  not  have  the 
marks  of  the  religious  discourses  to  which  they  were 
accustomed.  Even  then  there  were  people  who 
wanted  a  prophet  to  be  mysterious,  occult,  and  unin- 
telligible. The  apostle  Paul  encountered  such  people 
and  to  them  he  said,  ''I  would  rather  speak  five 
words  with  my  understanding  than  ten  thousand 
words  in  an  unknown  tongue."  He  also  said  prayers 
should  be  sensible,  uttered  with  reasonableness. 

Many  seem  to  think  that  religion  loses  its  power 
when  it  is  understood.  The  Disciples  of  Christ  have 
not  been  of  that  class.  They  have  favored  new 
translations  of  the  scriptures  which  make  the  mean- 
ings of  words  clearer.  They  have  encouraged  their 
preachers  to  speak  and  write  in  common  language. 
Their  writings  have  been  little  given  to  obscure 
questions,  such  as  "soul  sleeping,"  the  final  state 
of  the  wicked,  the  cryptic  passages  in  the  apocalypse, 
the  unpardonable  sin,  the  doctrine  of  two  natures 
in  Christ,  the  precise  time  of  the  second  coming,  and 
numerous  others.  Where  the  scriptures  are  silent, 
the  Disciples  have  been  silent  so  far  as  requiring 
acceptance  of  doctrines,  but  they  have  felt  free  to 
speak  their  individual  opinions  or  to  undertake 
practical  enterprises  for  which  the  authority  of 
specific  texts  could  not  be  cited.  If  some  plan  or 
method  promised  greater  efficiency  in  spreading  the 
faith  or  in  conducting  local  churches  they  freely  ex- 
perimented and  regarded  the  results  as  sufficient 
reason  for  continuing  or  discontinuing  any  practice. 
By  adopting  this  "liberty  of  silence"  in  interpreting 
the  Bible,  many  institutions  and  customs  have  been 
built  up  in  these  churches.  Practical  enterprises  in 
education,   missionary  organizations,   interdenomi- 


348 THE  SCROLL 

national  federations,  and  activity  in  social  move- 
ments of  various  kinds,  have  had  Disciple  support. 

Ufilizing  Science 

With  such  liberty,  and  with  such  sympathy  for 
reasonableness  in  the  religious  life,  the  Disciples  are 
in  a  uniquely  fortunate  position  to  utilize  the  re- 
sources of  intelligence  in  this  marvelous  age  of  sci- 
ence. They  might  well  consider  with  new  zest  the 
significance  of  their  early  enthusiasm  for  the  ideas 
of  Francis  Bacon  and  the  success  which  those  ideas 
have  had  since  his  time  in  their  development  and 
application  in  various  fields.  No  other  religious 
body  is  in  better  intellectual  and  practical  attitude 
to  adopt  the  method  and  the  results  of  science  in  the 
service  of  the  religious  life.  While  traditional 
theologians  are  still  standing  aloof  from  the  whole 
hearted  recognition  of  the  spirit  and  objectives  of 
the  scientists  as  having  religious  value,  there  is 
needed  a  new  consideration  of  the  ways  by  which 
a  better  understanding  and  procedure  may  be  won. 
Scientists  offer  their  achievements  to  any  who  will 
appropriate  and  use  them.  If  selfish  and  violent 
men  use  science  for  war  and  for  merciless  compe- 
tition, that  is  no  reason  why  men  of  goodwill  and 
idealism  should  not  use  science  for  their  ends  also. 
Indeed  it  would  appear  to  be  obvious  that  good  men 
have  as  much  or  more  reason  to  be  intelligent. 
Christians  need  to  be  wiser  than  serpents  if  they  are 
also  to  be  as  harmless  as  doves.  Science  is  organ- 
ized knowledge.  It  is  the  systematic,  experimntal 
search  for  understanding.  It  is  a  prerequisite  for 
wisdom  which  implies  effective  direction  of  activity 
in  fruitful  ways.  It  is  strange  that  so  many 
Christian  leaders  fail  to  see  that  when  scientific 
knowledge  furthers  religious  ends  it  takes  on  re- 
ligious value.     Healing  of  the  sick,  allaying  pain, 


THE  SCROLL 349 

saving  life,  providing  food,  extending  communica- 
tion, creating  beauty,  enlarging  sympathy  and  im- 
agination are  universally  considered  good,  and  for 
religious  people  to  regard  this  good  as  negligible  or 
inferior  is  to  weaken  religion  and  drive  it  away  from 
reality.  But  scientific  wisdom  goes  further  into  re- 
ligious values.  It  begets  wonder  and  awe.  It 
humbles  the  spirit  of  man  and  also  exalts  his  sense 
of  power,  both  of  which  are  vitally  religious. 

Still  more  appreciable  for  religion  is  the  fact  that 
science  is  moving  into  the  central  problems  of  per- 
sonality and  character,  seeking  to  discover  the  con- 
ditions which  mold  and  fashion  human  beings.  Al- 
ready sufficient  progress  has  been  made  to  justify 
the  hope  that  even  the  complexity  of  the  task  is  not 
an  impossible  obstacle.  The  psychologists  have 
found  that  the  infant  oganism  is  possessed  at  birth 
of  certain  definite  reactions  such  as  love,  anger,  and 
fear,  which  develop  into  habits  and  attitudes  under 
the  influences  of  environment.  Methods  of  care  and 
training  have  been  tested  which  facilitate  the  attain- 
ment of  orderly  habits  and  harmonious  disposition. 
Avoidance  of  tantrums,  of  shyness  and  destructive- 
ness,  and  securing  of  courage,  cooperation,  care  of 
possessions,  and  regard  for  the  things  of  others, 
have  been  found  to  be  subject  to  a  degree  of  con- 
trol by  patient,  intelligent  management.  What  has 
long  been  accomplished  in  these  things  here  and 
there  by  wise  mothers  and  fathers  through  methods 
springing  from  parental  affection  and  common  sense 
has  become  the  conscious  goal  of  scientific  experts 
and  educators.  The  psychiatrists  have  boldly  set 
themselves  to  understand  why  children  are  so  often 
thwarted  and  undeveloped  in  the  desirable  human 
traits.  They  realize  the  magnitude  of  the  task  but 
they  perseveringly  pursue  it  and  faith  in  the  possi- 
bilities grows  with  the  endeavor.  As  a  single  illus- 
tration of  these  studies  which  could  be  multiplied 


350 __^ THE  SCROLL 

many  times  from  recent  publications,  a  passage  is 
quoted  from  an  article  on,  Parents  Against  Chil- 
dren, in  the  Atlantic  Mo7ithly  of  August  this  year. 
"If  hate  arises  instinctively  within  us,  so  does  love, 
and  if  one  can  be  stimulated,  so  can  the  other.  More 
than  that,  we  know  that  both  hate  and  love  can  be 
controlled,  to  some  extent.  .  .  .  Any  program  which 
our  intelligence  and  science  can  devise  for  the  miti- 
gation of  hate  in  the  world  must  look  to  the  culti- 
vation of  love  as  its  central  theme.  ...  It  is  not  im- 
possible to  conceive  of  a  day  when  the  expression  of 
love  will  be  as  natural  and  as  spontaneous  as  is  the 
expression  of  rage  and  hostility  now.  But  before 
that  day  arrives  the  study  of  the  child  and  his  prop- 
er nurture  and  training  must  come  to  be  recognized, 
not  as  a  pretty  little  hobby  for  a  few  earnest  zealots 
and  pedants,  but  as  a  task  equal  in  importance  to 
the  study  of  armaments  and  the  compounding  of 
poisonous  gases.  Someone  of  great  faith  might  go 
further  and  dream  of  a  time  when  we  shall  have  the 
wisdom  to  spend  as  much  on  the  cultivation  of  love 
as  we  do  now  on  the  preparation  for  war." 

It  is  a  pathetic  fact,  yet  understandable,  that  re- 
ligious leaders  have  so  often  been  sceptical  if  not 
antagonistic  toward  the  inquiries  of  the  scientists, 
especially  where  these  inquiries  touched  upon  mat- 
ters of  religious  concern.  It  was  so  with  the  scien- 
tific study  of  biblical  literature,  evolution,  geology, 
psychology  and  the  psychology  of  religion.  But  the 
victories  have  always  been  on  the  side  of  the  scien- 
tists. Those  who  still  think  the  scientists  in  these 
fields  have  not  gained  important  results  thereby  con- 
fess themselves  to  be  uninformed.  That  there  is  a 
growing  accord  between  science  and  religion  is  not 
enough.  The  importance  of  scientific  method  and  its 
applicability  in  religious  problems  needs  to  be  rec- 
ognized in  order  that  religion  may  find  its  place 
within  modern  culture  and  not  outside  it.     Science 


THE  SCROLL 351 

also  should  have  the  support  and  more  rapid  ex- 
tension which  religious  forces  could  give  it. 

Conclusion 

The  thesis  of  this  paper  is  that  the  central  princi- 
ples of  the  Christian  religion  are  love  and  wisdom 
and  these  are  really  one  in  their  actual  operation. 
Love  is  the  dynamic.  Wisdom  is  the  guide.  Neither 
one  is  complete  or  perfected.  They  have  their  sources 
in  life  itself  and  their  strengthening  and  growth  de- 
pend upon  many  factors,  but  they  do  not  make  gains 
in  the  world  without  earnest  devotion  and  coopera- 
tion. The  course  of  human  history  is  long  and 
tortuous,  and  there  is  no  absolute  guarantee  of  the 
outcome.  It  is  a  venture  of  faith.  The  Disciples  of 
Christ  set  out  upon  an  hitherto  untried  experiment 
to  offer  to  the  world  a  creedless  practice  of  the  re- 
ligious way  taught  and  exemplified  by  Jesus.  They 
realized  that  only  love  toward  God  and  Christ  and 
fellow  man  could  be  a  sufficient  bond  of  fellowship 
and  a  sufficient  incentive  for  the  Christlike  way. 
They  have  been  tempted  from  that  path  by  many 
influences  within  themselves  and  by  influences  from 
without.  Their  appeal  has  met  with  a  remarkable 
response  but  the  clarity  and  force  of  that  appeal 
needs  restatement  and  wider  application  in  the 
practical  life  of  today.  They  have  a  great  company, 
rapidly  increasing,  of  highly  trained  young  minis- 
ters who  have  the  resources  and  the  opportunity  to 
make  this  "plea"  of  a  free,  undogmatic  faith  a  far 
more  fruitful  contribution  to  American  Christianity 
than  it  has  ever  been.  If  these  men  can  be  brought 
to  see  and  feel  the  full  significance  of  the  deeper 
message  given  to  their  keeping,  they  will  be  inspired 
to  make  this  second  century  of  Disciple  history  a 
still  more  vital  era  of  undogmatic  religious  faith  and 
of  progress  in  the  spiritual  union  of  Christian 
people. 


352 THE  SCROLL 

Secretary  -  Treasurer's  Page 

A.  T.  DeGroot, 
1324  West  Lake,  R.  6,  Kalamazoo,  Michigan 

Think  of  it — we  have  so  many  things  to  report 
that  we  need  only  pick  and  choose  among  them! 
Some  poetry  written  especially  for  this  page  will 
have  to  wait  until  next  issue. 

The  important  news  is  that  the  1939  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  Campbell  Institute  received  a  financial  re- 
port showing  receipts  in  excess  of  any  previous 
year's  income.  Our  full  joy  was  tempered  by  the 
fact  that  we  ran  one  hundred  dollars  in  the  red ;  but, 
like  certain  business  concerns  and  political  parties, 
we  could  claim,  at  least,  that  our  deficit  was  much 
smaller  than  heretofore.  Although  the  SCROLL  in  its 
fine  form  is  brought  out  at  considerable  expense,  we 
are  having  a  growing  membership  and  a  mounting 
percentage  of  dues  paid,  which,  at  the  present  rate 
of  increase,  should  see  all  expenses  met  this  year. 
Gentlemen  of  the  Institute,  I  unveil  before  your  eyes 
this  year's  WPA  (Wondrous  Phiscality  Achieve- 
ment) project — -a  full  dinner  pail  for  the  printer 
without  borrowing  the  pie. 

Just  to  show  you  that  Institute  enthusiasm  is 
climbing  to  new  highs,  I  give  you  the  intelligence 
(as  A.  Campbell  used  to  put  it)  that  Fellow  Albert 
Esculto  handed  us  a  wad  of  bills  to  pay  his  dues 
through  the  Jubilee  Year  of  the  organization,  1946- 
47.  I  did  not  have  the  historical  data  available  at  the 
moment  the  money  was  offered  but,  treasurer-like, 
I  took  the  money  first  and  decided  to  consult  the  rec- 
ord later.  So,  brothers,  I  ask  you:  did  I  do  right? 
Or  rather,  did  I  reckon  right?  Write  and  tell  me. 
P.  S.  With  your  reply  enclose  the  top  check  of  your 
check  book,  or  facsimile  of  same.  P.  S.  No.  2. :  I 
don't  like  facsimiles — and  never  heard  of  anyone 
winning  a  contest  with  one. 


-  J 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVII.  OCTOBER,  1939  No.  2 


Campbell  Institute  Program 

"Midnight  Sessions" 

Richmond,     Virginia 

John  Marshall  Hotel 

October  19-25 

Thursday,  9:30  P.M. — Evangelism  in  a  Liberal  Church 

Paul  Becker,  Lincoln,  Neb. 

Discussion :  Robert  Burns,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

Perry  Gresham,  Fort  Worth,  Tex. 

Friday,  9:30   P.M. — The  Church   in  a  Time  of  War 

Myron  Hopper,  Lexington,  Ky. 
Discussion :  Burris  A.  Jenkins,  Kansas  City. 
J.  B.  Robertson,  Mexico,  Mo. 

Saturday,  9:30   P.M. — The  Life   History  of  the 
Ministry: 

Enlistment — Education — Ordination  —  Place- 
ment, Retirement  and  Pension. 
Carl  Agee,  Columbia,  Mo. 
Discussion:  C.  E.  Lemmon,  Columbia,  Mo. 

R.  B.  Montgomery,  Lynchburg,  Va. 

Osborne  Booth,  Bethany,  W.  Va. 

Monday,  9:30  P.M. — Whither  Disciples? 

Discussion  of  paper  in  September  Scroll. 
Scroll. 

Opened  by  E.  S.  Ames,  Chicago,  111.,  and  C.  B. 
Tupper,  Springfield,  111. 

Discussion:  Marvin  0.  Sansbury,  Des  Moines, 
la. 


34  THE  SCROLL 


Symposium— Whither  Disciples? 

The  following  comments  on  the  article  in  the  Sep- 
tember Scroll  should  add  interest  to  the  discussion  of 
the  subject  at  the  session  in  Richmond,  October  23, 
at  9:80  P.M.  in  the  John  Marshall  Hotel. 

A.  T.   DeCroot,   Kalamazoo,   Michigan 

If  anyone  does  not  like  the  giving  up  of  all  the  Sep- 
tember Scroll  to  a  single  article  which  could  bear 
the  slangy  but  meaningful  title  "What  Have  We 
Got?",  the  blame  may  be  laid  on  me.  I  persuaded 
the  program  committee  to  request  it,  and  to  make  it 
the  basis  of  one  evening's  discussion  at  the  conven- 
tion Institute  sessions. 

Some  of  the  younger  Fellows  may  have  hoped  to 
have  answers  to  the  above  query  enumerated  in  suc- 
cinct 1,  2,  3  order,  perhaps  even  with  chapter  and 
verse  accompaniment,  e.g.,  "We  have  .  .  .  and  the  de- 
nominations don't  have  it."  If  what  the  Disciples 
have  were  as  simple  as  that,  our  most  evangelistic 
sectors  would  not  be  slowed  down  from  our  former 
spectacular  rate  of  increase.  Any  superiority  of 
message  and  program  which  we  may  have  inherited 
must  lie  in  the  area  of  fundamental  ideas  and  psy- 
chologies rather  than  among  the  more  variable  dif- 
ferentia of  forms,  written  or  "understood"  theologi- 
cal creeds,  and  traditionally  fixed  ways  of  working. 

To  me,  the  Ames  Prolegomenon  to  a  Purpose  and 
Program  is  a  mighty  rising  up  and  possessing  of  our 
liberty  as  Disciples  of  Christ.  I  am  enthusiastic 
about  its  significance.  If  the  Campbell  Institute  was 
accustomed  to  advertising  its  virtues  and  seeking 
members  by  forced  draft  publicity,  I  would  make  a 
motion  that  we  sow  down  the  brotherhood  with  the 
September  issue  so  that  I  might  put  a  bushel 
basket  in  which  the  postman  could  deposit  an  over- 
flow  mail  flooded  with  new  memberships. 


THE  SCROLL 35 

In  fact,  I  could  go  through  the  article  and  extract 
some  of  the  1,  2,  3  items  that  "we  have  and  the  de- 
nominations don't."  For  example,  one  thing  we  have 
is  the  lack  of  inbred  inhibitions  arising  from  an  out- 
moded theology.  This  curse  of  Christendom  in  1939 
prevented  a  great  band  of  young  people  at  Amster- 
dam, close-knit  in  bonds  of  Kingdom  endeavor,  from 
sharing  their  unity  at  the  Lord's  Table.  This  scan- 
dalous betrayal  of  the  aspirations  of  youths  who 
would  be  united  in  Christian  work  and  worship  if 
their  elders  would  leave  them  alone,  is  symbolic  of 
the  theological  inhibitions  of  Protestantism.  Our 
freedom  carries  us  beyond  Protestantism,  with  its 
haunting  hangover  of  distrust  in  man,  into  a  truly 
new  liberty.  Other  items  could  be  lifted  from  this 
new  "Watchword  of  the  Restoration  Vindicated." 

Paul  E.  Becker,  Lincoln,  Nebraska 

Our  Fellow  and  Editor  provides  us  in  the  Septem- 
ber Scroll  with  the  meat  for  a  lively  session  at  the 
Richmond  Convention.  He  writes  about  the  Dis- 
ciples in  terms  of  history,  analysis  and  prophecy, 
with  a  dash  of  homily  and  scriptural  exposition 
thrown  in  for  good  measure.  His  article  expresses 
a  definite  point  of  view,  and  therefore  is  not  lacking 
in  handles  for  eager  discussers  to  take  hold  of. 

May  I  raise  two  questions  which  his  presentation 
suggests  and  which  seem  to  me  to  be  important 
enough  to  consider.  He  points  out  that  Alexander 
Campbell  was  much  farther  along  the  road  toward 
the  historical  interpretation  of  the  Bible  than  others 
of  his  day.  On  this  point  there  can  be  little  if  any 
disagreement.  However,  Mr.  Campbell  also  dis- 
tinguished between  reason  and  revelation.  While  the 
area  of  man's  part  in  religion  was  much  greater  in 
his  mind  than  in  the  mind  of  John  Calvin,  for  exam- 
ple, yet  Campbell  held  to  the  reality  of  the  super- 
natural in  pretty  much  the  orthodox  sense.  He 
pushed  it  farther  back,  and  made  more  room  for  the 
human  understanding,  but  it  was  still  there  with  all 


36 THE  SCROLL 

its  sanctity  and  inscrutability.  His  belief  in  the  su- 
pernatural as  something  transcendent  was  probably 
as  strong  as  that  of  other  religious  leaders  of  his 
time. 

Is  it  fair,  then,  to  conclude  that  he  is  practically  a 
modern,  and  that,  had  he  lived  a  century  later  he 
could  be  counted  among  the  front-seat  liberals? 

Another  question.  If  the  background  of  the  Dis- 
ciples is  so  favorable  to  science  and  scholarship,  v^hy 
have  we  given  the  world  so  few  men  of  eminence  in 
this  field?  Dr.  Ames  will  probably  reply  that  the 
reason  lies  in  our  failure  to  understand  ourselves 
and  our  history.  He  will  contend  that  instead  of  ex- 
ploiting our  affinity  with  enlightment  we  have  fool- 
ishly been  obscuring  it.  Yet,  are  the  Disciples  not 
about  average  among  the  Protestant  churches  in 
their  attitude  toward  the  Bible  and  in  other  matters 
that  make  up  traditional  orthodoxy?  Dr.  Ames 
rightly  insists  that  we  are  more  practical  and  less 
theological  than  they.  Why,  then,  have  we  not  given 
the  nation  the  scholarship  that  certain  other 
churches  have  who  equal  or  exceed  us  in  their  devo- 
tion to  traditionalism?  The  fact  that  we  do  not  even 
have  a  great  university  to  our  credit  must  also  be 
explained  if  we  are  to  insist  that  we  are  a  people 
whose  theological  soil  is  congenial  to  scholarship. 

There  is  much  in  our  beloved  Editor's  article  that 
impresses  and  enchants  me,  and  about  that  I  could 
write  with  enthusiasm.  However,  in  the  Institute 
we  encourage  men  to  air  their  doubts  as  well  as  their 
declarations,  and  hence  the  above. 

Dwight-  E.  Stevenson,  Bethany,  W.  Va. 

"Whither  Disciples"  in  the  September  issue  of 
The  Scroll  is  a  lucid  and  forceful  statement  of  what 
the  Disciples  of  Christ  may  become  in  the  distant 
future  if  brotherhood  leadership  is  intelligent  and 
courageous  enough  and  laymen  are  loyal  enough  to 
rethink  and  recast  our  faith.  I  would  like  to  have 
about  a  dozen  copies  of  your  article  to  distribute 


THE  SCROLL 37 

among  my  professors  who  need  just  such  a  state- 
ment. 

I  can't  help  but  feel,  however,  that  you  are  overly 
optimistic  about  the  Disciples'  ''intelligent  reading 
of  the  Bible."  We  have  not — as  churches — kept 
abreast  of  the  findings  of  the  historical  study  of  the 
scriptures.  More  and  more  of  our  ministers  have 
been  introduced  to  the  modern  scholarly  view  but 
their  preaching  and  their  conduct  seem  to  be  based 
on  the  assumption  that  such  disturbing  knowledge 
is  not  good  for  the  laymen,  that  it  would  stir  up 
trouble  and  get  them  dismissed  from  their  highly  de- 
sirable leadership  of  these  laymen.  I  think  the  truth 
about  the  Bible  would  explode  like  a  bombshell  if  it 
were  ever  released  by  our  timid  ministry  for  the 
hearing  of  the  whole  church,  and  I  think  we  are  in 
need  of  just  such  a  bombshell  to  clear  away  the  de- 
bris of  literalism  and  sacramentalism  which  is  fast 
accumulating  about  "our  plea." 

Whether  we  do  this  necessary  thing  will  depend  on 
our  courage  and  insight,  but  it  will  also  depend  on 
the  development  of  a  technique  of  Christian  Educa- 
tion a  good  deal  more  effective  than  "indoctrination" 
through  sermons.  Laymen  must  be  taught  to  trust 
and  respect  the  honesty  of  those  who  differ  with 
them  and  they  must  be  led  to  seek  historical  facts 
about  the  Bible.  This  probably  leads  to  adult  study 
groups  and  ultimately  to  a  revision  of  our  whole  edu- 
cational approach.  We  have  done  next  to  nothing  in 
this  area.  Your  own  Sunday  Morning  forums,  and 
like  activities  elsewhere,  are  steps  in  the  right  di- 
rection. 

The  future  health  of  the  church,  the  Disciples  in- 
cluded, will  also  depend,  it  seems  to  me,  upon  devel- 
oping rather  specific  personal  and  social  strategies  of 
Christian  living.  These  strategies  should  never  be 
imposed  by  church  discipline,  legislated  into  being, 
or  stratified  into  a  code,  but  they  should  be  vital  sug- 
gestions growing  out  of  group  thought  and  held  as 


38 THE  SCROLL 

alluring  possibilities  before  Christian  people.  We 
have  concentrated  on  message  while  neglecting  the 
method  of  making  the  message  work.  For  instance : 
we  have  preached  peace  but  we  have  done  very  little 
to  outline  the  positive  steps  to  be  taken  by  individ- 
uals in  attaining  it.  We  have  done  the  same  thing 
in  the  realm  of  social  justice.  Church  life  that  does 
not  tear  into  these  problems  in  the  form  of  purpose- 
ful action  is  liable  to  the  loss  of  its  future. 

A  great  deal  of  the  organized  activity  that  goes 
on  under  the  name  of  "church  work"  can  be  called 
such  only  by  virtue  of  the  roof  of  the  church  building 
that  shelters  its  meetings  and  the  church  treasuries 
that  receive  its  moneys.  In  methods  of  working  and 
in  ultimate  goals  for  human  betterment  many  of 
these  church  groups  are  even  less  Christian  than 
many  secular  social  service  organizations.  We  need 
a  clear  understanding  of  the  nature  of  "Church 
work"  and  church  organization  that  will  deliver  the 
church  from  the  sterile  activity  that  is  engaged  in 
for  its  own  sake  and  which  makes  the  church  an  end 
rather  than  a  means. 

This  is  no  place  for  a  prolonged  statement  on  my 
philosophy  of  the  church,  so  I  desist.  These  scat- 
tered reflections  which  I  have  hastily  set  down  were 
provoked  by  your  stimulating  presentation  in  The 
Scroll.  I  hope  we  will  leave  Richmond  wiser  and 
better  Disciples. 

Henry  C.  Taylor,  Chicago 

Your  article  entitled  "Whither  Disciples?"  is  clear 
and  constructive.  It  has  a  ripeness  and  a  warmth 
which  should  commend  it  to  every  person  interested 
in  the  progress  of  Christianity. 

Your  paper  is  peculiarly  valuable  because  of  the 
way  in  which  it  emphasizes  essentials  and  points 
the  way  toward  disentangling  these  essentials  from 
the  non-essentials  which,  through  the  centuries,  have 
attached  themselves  to  the  central  theme — love  and 
wisdom,    Christianity  is  of  course  yeast,  and  yeast 


THE  SCROLL 39 

must  be  intermingled  with  the  substance  it  is  to  in- 
fluence in  order  to  be  effective.  The  substances  with 
which  it  intermingles  may  carry  much  that  is  un- 
necessary or  even  undesirable  but  it  is  only  by  inter- 
mingling that  the  yeast  can  work.  Did  Christianity 
improve  or  harm  Roman  civilization?  It  certainly 
intermingled  and  as  a  result  Roman  Christianity 
seems  to  carry  much  besides  the  original.  The  Middle 
Ages  seem  to  have  added  a  very  great  deal  which  is 
not  acceptable  to  the  modern  mind,  and  the  problem 
has  been  how  to  pull  up  the  tares  without  pulling  up 
the  wheat  also.  I  think  your  life  experience  has 
taught  you  that  a  vast  proportion  of  mankind  seem 
to  prefer  the  wheat  mixed  with  the  tares  once  they 
have  become  accustomed  to  the  combination,  and  will 
put  up  a  real  fight  to  conserve  the  tares,  apparently 
unable  to  clearly  discriminate  between  the  two.  More 
and  more  in  these  days,  however,  people  are  wanting 
the  simple  truth  and  are  willing  to  discard  the  un- 
necessary as  well  as  the  evil  elements  intermingled 
with  Christian  ideas.  It  is  a  blessing  that  in  your 
later  years  you  may  enjoy  the  sunshine  which  has 
both  cleared  and  warmed  the  religious  atmosphere  of 
American  people. 

In  a  large  measure  disciples  have  been  and  are  a 
rural  people.  The  guiding  principles  followed  by 
the  farmer  in  carrying  on  his  agricultural  activities 
have  gradually  been  changed,  in  the  past  half  cen- 
tury, from  folk  lore  and  mythology  to  scientific  prin- 
ciples. Farm  folks  are  peculiarly  ready,  therefore, 
to  receive  a  straightforward  simple  gospel  that  has 
to  do  with  the  adjustment  of  the  life  of  the  indi- 
vidual to  those  about  him  and  to  the  whole  world 
in  which  he  lives.  I  believe  that  if  the  church  con- 
tinues to  teach  farm  folk  an  unreasoned  mythical 
philosophy  of  life,  they  will  become  disinterested 
and  drift  away  from  the  church.  On  the  other  hand, 
I  believe  that  this  is  exactly  the  time  for  renewing 
the  campaign  of  100  years  ago  to  spread  through- 


40 THE  SCROLL 

out  the  countryside  the  Christian  gospel  of  love  and 
wisdom  in  life  relations.  This  gospel,  clearly  con- 
ceived, is  in  harmony  with  the  science  which  the 
farmer  is  using  in  adjusting  himself  to  the  physical, 
biological  and  economic  world  of  which  he  is  a  part. 
The  two  supplement  each  other.  Both  are  essential 
to  the  abundant  life. 

In  a  measure  it  is  probably  still  true  that  some 
tares  had  better  be  left  to  grow  along  side  of  the 
wheat  until  the  harvest,  but  by  cleaning  the  seed 
and  sowing  nothing  but  wheat,  the  tares  will  in  time 
disappear  from  the  fields.  In  the  meantime,  so  long 
as  there  are  different  quantities  of  tares  mixed  with 
the  wheat  sown  in  the  fields  cultivated  by  the  dif- 
ferent churches,  how  can  there  be  church  union? 
In  the  rural  areas  especially,  church  union  is  needed 
for  economic  reasons.  The  time  has  come  when  one 
rural  church  should  be  made  to  thrive  where  three 
are  languishing  if  not  dead.  This  can  be  promoted 
through  the  joint  effort  of  all  Christians  in  common 
tasks,  that  is,  by  Christian  union  as  distinguished 
from  church  union,  accompanied  by  careful  cleaning 
of  the  seed  sown  by  all  churches  in  the  rural  field. 

Herbert-  Martin,   Iowa  City,   Iowa 

Congratulations  on  that  magnificent  article.  This 
Analysis  and  Interpretation  should  rank  with  the 
Disciples  as  Campbell's  Declaration  and  Address  to 
the  religious  world.  It  is  an  epochal  pronouncement 
that  may  well  prove  of  significance  beyond  the  area 
of  Disciple  interest. 

May  I  suggest  that  love  may  need  reinterpreta- 
tion.  Possibly  the  idea  implied  needs  new  phrasing. 
Your  emphasis  may  be  taken  as  a  "sop  to  Cerberus," 
or  as  but  an  empty  because  purely  emotional  echo 
of  traditional  usage.  It  needs  to  be  challenged,  psy- 
chologized, if  you  will.  It  is  probable  that  love  to 
Jesus  is  but  a  phrase  descriptive  of  one's  attitude, 
of  the  spirit  in  which  one  shares  in  the  Jesus  phil- 


THE  SCROLL 41 

osophy  and  practice  of  life.  It  is  not  an  isolated 
transaction  or  experience.  Love  does  not  occur  in 
a  vacuum.  While  "faith,  knowledge,  self-sacrifice, 
and  good  works"  without  love  maij  be  "but  sounding 
brass,"  etc.,  it  does  not  follow  that  love  can  be  with- 
out these.  That  faith,  self-sacrifice,  and  good  works 
can  be  loveless  is  not  to  be  accepted  unreflectively. 
One  may  begin  to  laugh  mechanically,  but  the  spirit 
of  laughter  soon  possesses  him.  Continuance  of 
good  works  usually  yields  will,  attitude,  and  dispo- 
sition thereto.  Love  to  Jesus  probably  means  little 
more  than  belief  in  his  principles,  acceptance  of  his 
self -verifying  way  of  life.  Such  practice  eventuates 
naturally  in  feeling  or  emotional  attachment,  in  a 
balanced  intelligent  feelingful  appreciation  of  him 
and  his  way  of  life.  In  extreme  form  this  normal 
emotional  experience  becomes  a  fanatical  devotion, 
drawn  off,  a  thing  by  itself  called  love.  Time  fails 
me  to  speak  approvingly  of  your  sentence  "Loving 
Christ  and  fellow  man  is  loving  God,"  or  that  con- 
version is  a  continuing  process  rather  than  an  event. 

It  is  not  clear  to  me  that  "Wisdom  is  energized 
and  purposeful  knowledge."  If  it  is  knowledge  at 
all,  it  is  a  super-knowledge;  it  is  distilled,  subli- 
mated knowledge,  that  which  is  left,  someone  has 
said,  after  one  has  forgotten  all  he  learned.  It  is  a 
filtration  of  the  intractable  data  of  experience  at 
an  earlier  stage  of  development.  Wisdom  has  per- 
spective and  poise,  it  sees  things  from  above,  is 
genial  and  gentle,  quiet  and  controlled.  It  is  the 
twilight-calm  after  a  stressful  day. 

I  wish  there  were  no  such  word  as  "implements." 
To  say  that  "Practical  enterprises  in  education, 
missionary  organizations,  etc.,  have  had  Disciple 
support"  is  a  weak,  an  under  statement.  I  am  won- 
dering wherein  your  delightful  presentation  differs 
from  the  Unitarian  view.  This  question  is  without 
prejudice. 


42 THE  SCROLL 

Ralph  W.  Nelson,  Enid,  Oklahoma 

May  I  shout  *'Amen !"  to  your  emphasis  on  wis- 
dom as  "the  guide?"  But  whose  word  is  wisdom  in 
this  or  that  situation?  Here  we  confront  our  need 
for  a  workable  criterion  of  truth. 

Our  fathers  saw  that  creeds  could  not  be  this  cri- 
terion ;  and  they  turned  to  the  Bible.  But  with  their 
minds  full  of  the  same  philosophy  that  had  led 
Christians  from  the  third  century  on  to  formulate 
creeds,  all  that  the  Campbells  could  do  was  to  make 
a  verbal  creed  of  the  Bible.  That  is,  in  perfectly 
creedal  fashion,  they  stressed  its  words  with  a  liter- 
alism and  legalism  that  quenched  its  "spirit  that 
giveth  life."  This  is  what  anyone  does  who  reads 
the  Bible  under  the  guidance  of  Socrates'  criterion 
of  truth,  which  I  have  called  the  tap-root  of  all 
creeds. 

If  we  are  a  Restoration  Movement,  why  don't  we 
restore  the  criterion  of  truth  proposed  by  Jesus  and 
the  prophets :  the  criterion  that  was  accepted  and 
used  by  the  Church  for  its  first  two  centuries  ?  Why 
don't  we  discard  Greek  modes  of  knowing  and  re- 
store Jesus'  criterion,  which  subordinates  words  to 
deeds?  If  true  prophets  are  to  be  distinguished 
from  false  prophets  "by  their  fruits,"  then  even  the 
words  of  human  language  spoken  by  God's  prophets 
or  God's  Christ  are  only  God's  stimuli  calling  us  to 
respond  with  the  fruits  of  Godlike  lives. 

Perhaps  it  is  meet  to  suggest  that  my  insistence 
on  the  necessity  of  restoring  this  logic  of  Jesus  has 
been  seconded  recently  by  Professor  John  Macmur- 
ray  of  the  University  of  London  in  his  book,  The 
Clue  to  History.  He  says  that  the  saving  of  western 
civilization  depends  on  our  learning  to  accept  Chris- 
tianity as  "essentially  Jewish"  instead  of  continuing 
our  efforts  to  understand  it  as  an  integral  part  of 
our  own  "pagan  culture." 


THE  SCROLL 43 

Perry  J.   Rice,   Chicago 

Responding  to  your  request  to  write  any  reactions 
I  may  have  had  after  reading  your  article  on 
"Whither  Disciples?"  in  the  September  Scroll,  will 
say  that  I  read  the  article  with  pleasure  and  deep 
satisfaction.  I  was  not  surprised  by  anything  in  it 
since  by  long  and  rather  intimate  association  with 
you  I  have  come  to  understand  fairly  well  your  feel- 
ing and  attitude  with  reference  to  the  position  and 
plea  of  the  Disciples,  but  I  do  feel  that  in  this  article 
you  have  given  a  clearer  and  more  comprehensive 
and  understandable  statement  of  what  you  believe 
than  in  any  other. 

Your  declaration  that  the  "two  basic  principles 
of  Christianity"  are  love  and  wisdom  seems  to  me 
to  be  both  true  and  timely  and  as  you  proceed  to 
show  how  these  principles  operate  in  human  life 
the  importance  of  them  becomes  increasingly  clear. 
In  my  judgment  it  will  be  a  great  day  in  the  life  of 
the  world  when  the  conception  of  Christianity  as 
love  directed  by  wisdom  and  wisdom  tempered  by 
love  becomes  prevalent. 

I  was  also  impressed  by  your  emphasis  on  the 
attitude  of  Disciples  in  an  approach  to  every  prob- 
lem of  religion.  Doctrines  have  both  blessed  and 
cursed  us.  When  they  are  understood  as  mile  posts 
in  our  progress  toward  truth  they  have  served  a 
worthy  purpose  but  when  they  have  been  made  to 
serve  as  lids  nailed  down  upon  us  to  darken  our 
horizons  they  have  been  detriments  to  freedom  and 
fellowship.  I  have  often  been  amazed  to  hear  men 
of  professed  intelligence  decry  the  "mixture  of 
human  opinions"  with  Christian  teaching  and  al- 
most in  the  same  breath  insist  upon  Nicean  doctrine 
of  the  nature  of  Christ  as  if  it  had  sprung  up  fresh 
from  the  pages  of  the  New  Testament  without  any 
effort  on  the  part  of  men  to  deduce  it  or  interpret  it. 

I  trust  that  the  discussion  of  this  article  may  be 


44 THE  SCROLL 

held  closely  to  its  main  thesis  and  that  its  implica- 
tions may  be  made  to  stand  out  boldly. 

Alfred  L.  Severson,  Des  Moines,  Iowa 

The  "central  principles"  of  the  Christian  religion 
are  "love  and  wisdom."  The  Disciples  are  in  a  par- 
ticularly fortunate  position  to  promote  these  prin- 
ciples since  they  are  relatively  free  from  the  binding 
cords  of  old  theologies.  They  have  "an  underlying 
background  of  modernity  and  liberalism  with  a  sur- 
face appearance  of  traditionalism  and  conserva- 
tism." This  I  take  to  be  the  gist  of  Dr.  Ames'  article. 

The  historical  background  of  the  Disciples  has 
been  threshed  over  frequently  at  Campbell  Institute 
sessions,  which  makes  it  probable  that  the  discus- 
sion of  the  paper  will  center  about  "love  and  wis- 
dom." The  discussion  ought  to  be  lively  since  "love" 
and  "wisdom"  are  subject  to  so  many  interpreta- 
tions. If  the  words  click  with  us,  each  can  read  into 
them  his  interpretations  and  then  argue  to  his 
heart's  content.  Which  leads  me  to  remark  that 
what  the  Disciples  need  is  a  good  slogan !  A  slogan 
that  is  ambiguous  enough  and  concise  enough  to 
orient  us  in  doing  the  many  things  we  are  going  to 
do  anyway!  A  slogan  close  enough  to  traditional 
Christianity  and  close  enough  to  modern  life  to  tie 
the  strands  together.  Instead  of  a  laborious  discus- 
sion of  the  abstractions  "love"  and  "wisdom"  let's 
have  a  discussion  of  "love  and  wisdom"  as  a  collec- 
tive symbol,  a  slogan.  Let's  have  other  suggestions 
for  slogans.  I'm  sorry  I  can't  be  there  to  put  in  my 
"lick"  in  defense  of  the  proposition  that  what  we 
need,  among  other  things,  is  a  good  slogan ! 

Sam  Freeman,  Bloomington,  III. 

My  first  reaction  to  "Whither  Disciples"  was  to 
form  a  class  in  my  church  composed  of  about 
twenty-five  of  the  most  alert  members  and  use  sev- 
eral copies  of  ''The  Scroll"  as  a  basis  for  teaching 
in  open  discussion.    It  would  do  these  disciples  much 


THE  SCROLL 45 

good  to  catch  the  forward  moving  view  and  living 
spirit  here  presented.  This  thought  has  not  de- 
parted. Another  reaction  followed  impelling  an  at- 
tempt toward  several  brief  comments  which  would 
endeavor  to  raise  certain  questions. 

Appreciative  of  those  disciple  leaders  who  have 
received  "proper"  higher  educational  exposure  my 
interest  turns  to  that  larger  group  of  well  educated 
men  who  have  received  their  education  in  universi- 
ties and  seminaries  dominated  by  thought  patterns 
and  attitudes  foreign  to  disciple  background  and 
understanding.  They  appear  to  think  and  react 
very  much  like  their  educational  brothers  having 
the  older  denominational  heritage.  This  violates 
my  own  experience  in  which  I  well  remember  con- 
sciously trying  to  acquire  the  ''religious  warmth" 
of  a  methodist  experience  presented  by  a  New  Testa- 
ment professor  of  a  higher  education  class.  My 
limited  experience  with  many  of  these  disciples  of 
the  "foreign  education"  forces  me  to  the  tentative 
conclusion  that  the  writer  of  this  paper  gives  a 
larger  place  to  intellectual  heritage  than  facts  war- 
rant. Both  statements  may  be  in  considerable  need 
of  more  facts.  Lately  many  strange  "theological 
odors"  have  been  located  in  the  midst  of  disciples. 

Another  minor  point  provoking  a  degree  of  ques- 
tioning in  this  paper  is  the  writer's  insistence  on 
the  existence  of  a  mere  "surface  appearance  of  tra- 
ditionalism and  conservatism,"  and  I  am  aware  of 
the  historical  facts  of  disciple  "heresy"  in  relation 
to  other  religious  groups.  Since  "liberalism"  is 
open-mindedness  in  the  search  for  truth  and  prog- 
ress, and  granting  that  the  Disciples  not  only  re- 
belled against  certain  traditionalisms  but  took  a 
step  toward  progressive  revelation;  is  it  not  true 
that  this  one  step  immediately  crystallized  itself, 
becoming  a  static  and  gross  violation  to  the  liberal 
spirit?  This  would  bring  one  to  the  former  protec- 
tive statement  of  the  writer  in  his  allusion  to  the 


46 THE  SCROLL 

improbability  of  evaluating  his  own  history  and 
present  status  well. 

Throughout  the  paper  there  seems  a  strong  ten- 
dency to  consider  the  exceptional  disciples  "The 
Disciples  of  Christ."  Has  not  the  "average  disciple" 
had  considerable  difficulty  concerning  such  questions 
as  the  Virgin  Birth,  the  physical  resurrection,  the 
inerrancy  of  the  scriptures,  baptismal  regeneration, 
and  even  the  trinity?  It  would  seem  to  me  that  it  is 
rather  a  limited  group  among  Disciples  who  have 
accepted  the  scientific  point  of  view. 

To  point  out  and  comment  appreciatively  on  the 
many  excellent  contentions  of  this  paper  would  be 
to  write  a  longer  paper  than  the  original  one.  The 
thought  of  this  growing  company  of  highly  trained 
young  ministers,  true  to  their  best  heritage,  "having 
the  resources  and  the  opportunity  to  make  this  'plea' 
of  a  free,  undogmatic  faith"  as  our  contribution  to 
Christianity  lifts  me  and  presents  a  real  challenge. 

O.  F.  Jordan,  Park  Ridge,  III. 

Your  essay  in  the  Scroll  "Whither  Disciples?"  has 
been  read  with  care.  It  is  an  excellent  statement  of 
the  best  things  in  the  Disciples  history.  You  would 
not  pretend  that  it  describes  the  attitude  of  all 
Disciples,  but  to  a  large  degree  it  describes  the  be- 
liefs and  attitudes  of  those  who  have  best  known 
their  religion.  It  is,  therefore,  not  exactly  a  factual 
description  of  majorities,  but  rather  the  presenta- 
tion of  a  more  or  less  idealized  picture  of  a  group. 
I  think  your  point  is  that  the  actual  group  of  today 
should  make  a  larger  use  of  the  fine  things  in  its 
heritage  and  a  larger  use  of  its  freedom  to  employ 
modern  scientific  techniques  in  the  handling  of  hu- 
man life. 

I  think  I  could  have  wished  that  you  had  con- 
ceded a  little  more  of  this  quality  of  religion  to  non- 
Disciples.  Though  they  have  travelled  a  different 
way,  many  of  them  have  come  as  near  this  goal  of 


THE  SCROLL 47 

religion  as  we  are  ourselves.  Many  ministers  sup- 
posedly creed-bound  make  only  a  polite  bow  in  the 
direction  of  some  ancient  formula,  holding  it  only 
true  so  far  as  it  may  be  defended  by  the  Word  of 
God.  For  them  the  Word  of  God  is  no  literalistic 
handling  of  Bible  texts.  And  many  of  our  sister 
denominations  have  abolished  their  creeds.  I  take 
it  what  we  are  really  interested  in  is  that  all  men 
everywhere  shall  share  the  beautiful  religion  you 
have  so  vividly  portrayed,  whether  or  not  they  ever 
join  a  Disciples  church. 

That  you  should  call  convention-goers  to  consider 
their  underlying  thought  problems  in  religion  is 
most  important.  We  are  apt  to  get  lost  in  conven- 
tion machinery.  I  can  imagine  the  "midnight  meet- 
tings"  as  being  the  most  important  part  of  the  con- 
vention at  Richmond.  Paul  once  preached  at  mid- 
night, and  held  all  his  hearers  except  one.  I  hope 
we  shall  have  no  similar  casualty  at  Richmond. 

A.  D.  Harmon,  Cable,  Wiscansin 

I  have  just  read  your  thesis  entitled  "Whither 
Disciples,"  in  the  September  issue  of  the  Scroll.  It 
is  a  masterful  exposition  of  the  historic  background 
and  founding  ideology  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  I 
could  wish  myself  capable  of  such  a  paper. 

Your  statement  that  the  Disciples  stem  out  of  the 
philosophy  of  John  Locke  and  Francis  Bacon  is  ger- 
main  to  an  adequate  understanding  of  the  genius  of 
this  people.  Otherwise  our  founding  fathers  were 
a  quartette  of  dissatisfied  Presbyterian  preachers 
who  joined  the  Baptist  church;  and  then,  upon  meet- 
ing opposition  in  their  new  environment  sought  free- 
dom by  settig  up  their  own  denomination. 

I  read  your  article  critically.  For  a  time  I  thought 
you  were  rationalizing  the  shortcomings  of  the 
Disciples.  I  tried  to  get  a  toe-hold  to  set  up  resis- 
tance. But  I  discovered  in  reality  you  were  setting 
out  what  the  Disciples  should  be  in  the  light  of  their 


48 THE  SCROLL 

ideological  pre-suppositions.  Though  the  Disciples 
have  imperfectly  followed  their  founding  philoso- 
phy, yet  it  is  the  control  of  this  thought  over  their 
conduct  that  has  saved  them  from  their  own  blund- 
ers. The  absence  of  theologies  and  authoritarian 
standards  over  their  body  of  thought  provided  poor 
facilities  for  heresy  trials.  For  nearly  two  decades 
in  our  history  it  looked  as  though  a  heresy  purge 
were  imminent.  But,  the  purge  never  took  place.  It 
just  couldn't  get  into  action.  The  untheological 
genius  of  the  movement  made  it  incapable  of  such 
procedure. 

The  movement  in  the  by  and  large  ought  to  be 
conscious  of  its  historic  philosophy.  It  is  not.  Too 
many,  both  of  preachers  and  laity,  are  ignorant  of 
the  beginnings  of  this  people  which  is  the  thing  that 
differentiates  them  from  other  Protestant  bodies 
and  gives  them  validity.  To  our  own  following  we 
are  becoming  just  one  of  the  denominations  and 
nothing  more.  And,  with  our  church  increasingly 
demanding  a  ministry  with  advanced  training  and 
with  that  ministry  increasingly  trained  in  institu- 
tions that  tie  into  the  authoritarian  and  Calvinistic 
background,  Whither  Disciples? 

Charles   B.  Tupper,  Springfield,   III. 

Dr.  Ames  succeeds  admirably  in  showing  that 
"the  Disciples  have  an  underlying  background  of, 
modernity  and  liberalism"  and  I  only  wish  I  could 
share  his  optimism  that  there  is  "sl  surface  appear- 
ance of  traditionalism  and  conservatism."  The  paper 
appears  to  me  to  be  more  nearly  a  statement  of  what 
the  Disciples  should  be  than  of  what  they  are.  For, 
in  reality  I  fail  to  see  how  the  Disciples  as  a  whole 
can  be  classified  as  liberals. 

For  example,  the  insistence  with  which  some 
Disciples  refrain  from  subscribing  to  denomina- 
tional creeds  is  matched  only  by  the  enthusiasm  with 
which  they  castigate  others  who  depart  from  their 


THE  SCROLL  49 

interpretation  of  the  faith  of  the  Disciples.  And 
just  where  is  the  distinction  between  accepting  "the 
authority  of  ecclesiastical  organizations"  and  ac- 
cepting the  authority  of  a  publishing  house  or  a 
college?  And  has  Dr.  Ames  never  heard  of  a  Disciple 
preacher  who  has  been  severely  criticized  on  the 
mere  suspicion  that  he  might  not  believe  in  the  Vir- 
gin Birth  or  the  bodily  resurrection?  That  is,  it 
appears  to  me  that  there  has  been  and  still  is  a  most 
serious  deflection  from  the  spirit  and  practice  of 
true  liberalism  by  the  Disciples.  Would  that  we  had 
remained  true  to  our  heritage!  But  no  useful  pur- 
pose is  served  by  failing  to  take  cognizance  of  the 
facts. 

Even  in  the  realm  of  biblical  interpretation  where 
it  might  be  expected  that  we  would  follow  the  im- 
plications of  Campbell's  "Sermon  on  the  Law"  we 
apply  them  hesitantly  to  the  Old  Testament  and 
negligibly  to  the  New  Testament  and  then  negative 
what  we  do  apply  by  our  "proof  text"  preaching. 

"Whither  Disciples?"  Take  the  basic  assumptions 
of  the  paper  with  reference  to  the  historical  heritage 
and  purpose  of  the  Disciples  and  make  them  real  and 
operative  in  the  total  group  now.  Raise  the  standard 
of  training  for  the  ministry  in  order  that  these  as- 
sumptions may  be  understood  and  intelligently  ap- 
plied. Let  both  liberals  and  conservatives  be  Chris- 
tian in  their  attitudes  toward  each  other.  And  with 
all  the  fervor  of  a  holy  crusade  "let  the  Disciples 
be  the  Disciples." 

W.  E.  Garrison,  Chicago 

Every  religious  movement  faces  a  dilemma  as  soon 
as  it  acquires  a  substantial  following,  becomes  an 
actual  functioning  group  among  other  groups,  and 
prepares  to  wage  a  long  campaign  for  the  spread  of 
its  message.  It  must  either  resist  or  yield  to  the 
pressures  which  tend  to  mold  it  into  the  standard- 
ized pattern  to  which  established  and  respectable 


50 THE  SCROLL 

religious  groups  conform.  Beginning  as  a  ''peculiar 
people,"  it  must  decide  whether  it  wants  to  continue 
to  be  peculiar.  Actually,  the  problem  is  never  so 
simple  as  that,  for  there  are  degrees  and  modes  of 
peculiarity. 

The  Disciples  began  by  being  very  peculiar. 
Neither  they  nor  their  critics  doubted  that  they  were 
different  from  others.  They  themselves  early  ac- 
quired the  habit  of  referring  to  all  other  religious 
bodies  as  "the  sects."  Though  Mr.  Campbell  had  not 
hesitated  to  apply  to  the  Disciples  the  term  "de- 
nomination" and  to  speak  of  "our  denominational 
existence,"  this  word  came  to  be  generally  repudi- 
ated. On  the  other  hand,  Methodists,  Baptists  and 
Presbyterians  looked  upon  the  Disciples  as  a  sect 
of  the  most  sectarian  sort  but  not  a  respectable  sect. 
On  both  sides  it  was  agreed  that,  for  better  or  worse, 
they  were  different.  They  were  not  equal  and  well 
behaved  members  of  the  family  of  denominations. 

And  yet,  the  more  they  succeeded  the  more  they 
came  to  act  and  look  like  a  respectable  denomina- 
tion. Acrimonies  diminished,  behavior  patterns 
were  assimilated  to  the  general  type  of  denomina- 
tional good  manners,  and  presently  the  Disciples 
were  claiming  and  receiving  an  equal  status  among 
the  bodies  from  which  they  had  formerly  stood 
proudly  aloof.  It  mattered  little  that  they  were  still 
chary  about  calling  themselves  a  denomination  when 
their  behavior  clearly  proclaimed  that  they  were  one. 

The  practical  dilemma — or  perhaps,  in  deference 
to  modern  terminology,  one  should  call  it  a  "dialec- 
tic"— is  this.  If  a  group  embodying  a  principle  of 
reform  insists  upon  remaining  "peculiar,"  it  be- 
comes encysted  in  its  peculiarities,  increasingly  in- 
sulated from  those  whom  it  wishes  to  influence,  and 
the  effective  delivery  of  its  message  to  the  world  is 
sacrificed  to  the  perpetuation  of  its  distinctiveness. 
(As  extreme  cases,  consider  the  Mennonites  and  the 
Amish.)     But  if  it  becomes  assimilated  to  its  en- 


THE  SCROLL 51 

vironment,  it  is  in  danger  of  having  no  message  to 
deliver.  Of  these  two  dangers,  the  latter  is  perhaps 
the  greater. 

The  early  Disciples  who  were  Ishmaelites  among 
the  Christians  of  their  day  and  the  later  conserva- 
tives who  refused  to  be  called  a  denomination  and 
who  cherished  the  peculiarities  that  set  them  off 
from  their  neighbors  "had  something."  However, 
their  method  of  maintaining  their  distinctiveness 
stultified  the  most  important  and  permanent  part  of 
their  message.  The  plea  for  the  "restoration  of  a 
particular  ecclesiastical  order"  was  a  program  that 
had  no  future  in  a  world  of  advancing  intelligence. 
But  the  plea  for  unity  on  the  basis  of  a  non-creedal 
Christianity  was  a  message  which  has  permanent 
validity.  This  was  the  thing  that  really  made  the 
Disciples  a  peculiar  people.  A  century  ago  it  was 
accounted  a  wild  heresy.  Today  it  makes  a  wide 
appeal  even  in  many  churches  which  then  scorned 
the  Disciples  because  they  had  no  creed  or  sought 
to  embarrass  them  by  proving  that  they  had  a  bad 
one. 

There  was  a  time  when  enthusiastic  Disciples 
cherished  the  hope  that  the  whole  Christian  world 
would  soon  come  to  "our  position" — meaning  by 
that  the  teaching  of  Campbell  and  Scott  about  the 
organization  of  the  church,  the  priority  of  faith  to 
repentance,  and  immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins 
as  a  divine  requirement  for  church  membership. 
Meanwhile,  the  Christian  world  actually  has  been 
moving  toward  what  is  the  real  essential  of  our 
position — the  union  of  Christians  upon  a  non-creedal 
loyalty  to  Jesus  Christ  and  freedom  in  the  inter- 
pretation of  his  teaching. 

We  need  not  go  out  of  our  way  to  argue  that  we 
have  any  exclusive  claim  to  this  position.  The  more 
others  accept  it,  the  better  we  should  be  pleased. 
But  Disciples  can  achieve  a  practical  solution  of 


52 THE  SCROLL 

their  "dialectic"  by  remembering  that  this,  and  not 
some  particular  pattern  of  ecclesiastical  procedure 
or  of  conversion  technique,  is  the  thing  that  made 
them  a  peculiar  people  in  the  beginning  and,  if  they 
will  be  faithful  to  it,  will  make  them  still  as  peculiar 
as  they  need  to  be. 

R.  B.  Monf-gomery,  Lynchburg,  Va. 

"Whither  Disciples"  is  an  enlightening  and  pro- 
vocative paper.  It  stresses  important  elements  in 
Disciples  of  Christ  history  which  have  not  had  prop- 
er emphasis  in  our  development  as  a  religious  group. 
We  have  claimed  freedom  from  theological  bondage 
and  ecclesiastic  control  and  often  expressed  that 
freedom  in  extreme  individualistic  ways  without 
adequate  understanding  or  appreciation  of  the  sig- 
nificant grounds  on  which  our  claims  were  based. 
This  paper,  in  its  review  and  analysis,  gives  us  in 
summary  fashion  an  insight  into  our  true  heritage. 

The  designation  of  love  and  wisdom  as  the  under- 
lying principles  on  which  our  life  as  a  people  oper- 
ates seems  to  me  to  offer  a  wide  range  for  thought 
and  action  but  also  to  lay  heavy  obligations  on  our 
religious  loyalties  in  every  area  of  human  experience. 

The  paper  failed  to  carry  the  forecast  which  I  had 
expected  from  its  title.  I  can  appreciate  fully  that 
the  future  of  our  Brotherhood  depends  upon  an  un- 
derstanding of  our  philosophical  backgrounds  and 
historical  development,  but  I  am  perturbed  over  our 
future.  The  coming  generations  may  go  on  to  more 
glorious  achievements  than  the  past  or  they  may 
fail.  The  guarantees  are  in  our  leadership.  The 
problem  which  I  feel  needs  immediate  consideration 
is  that  of  the  sources  and  education  of  our  leader- 
ship. The  outcome  of  this  problem  will  answer  the 
question  of  "Whither?". 


THE  SCROLL 53 

Theological  Education 

Charles  Lynn  Pyatt,  Lexington,  Ky. 

For  good  or  ill  the  Disciples  came  into  the  world 
with  a  well  defined  and  conscious  conviction  against 
"theology."  This,  of  course,  did  not  mean  that  reli- 
gious men  were  to  pay  no  attention  to  the  intellec- 
tual aspects  of  faith  and  religion,  nor  that  a  man 
was  to  have  no  definite  theories  or  opinions  about 
such  matters.  On  the  contrary,  in  this  respect  the 
Disciples  were  so  alert  intellectually  that  they  were 
freauently  called  Rationalists. 

This  attitude  did  mean  that  the  Disciples  had  a 
distrust  of  theology  as  they  knew  it.  They  were 
rather  inclined  to  believe  that  it  was  cold  and  bar- 
ren of  spiritual  results.  Especially  did  they  cherish 
the  opinion  that  theology  was  the  outgrowth  of 
metaphysical  speculation  rather  than  a  development 
from  the  religious  experiences  of  the  early  Chris- 
tians and  the  genuine  realities  of  religious  life.  It 
was  against  such  a  theology  that  they  protested. 

In  addition  to  this,  the  Disciples  generally  had  a 
very  definite  conviction  that  theology  was  used  prin- 
cipally as  a  test  of  faith  or  a  preliminary  to  Chris- 
tian fellowship.  In  other  words,  it  was  creedal  in 
its  essence.  Anything  which  partook  of  such  a  qual- 
ity was  of  course  out  of  the  question  with  them. 
They  were  not  the  only  ones  who  shared  that  suspi- 
cion, and  when  due  charity  is  exercised  in  judgment 
toward  some  of  the  efforts  of  that  day  we  still  feel 
that  there  was  much  to  warrant  popular  distrust. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  there  was  present  in 
early  Disciple  educational  efforts  some  suspicion  of 
theological  education  as  such.  Certainly,  if  it  were 
called  "theological,"  or  if  the  term  "divinity"  was 
used,  such  a  response  would  be  forthcoming. 

This,  in  turn,  is  probably  an  outgrowth  of  another 


54 THE  SCROLL 

pronounced  conviction  of  the  early  Disciples,  namely 
— that  there  should  be  no  line  of  demarcation  be- 
tween the  clergy  and  the  laity.  This  was  due  to 
many  things  inherent  in  the  situations  out  of  which 
they  came  and  they  flatly  refused  to  make  distinc- 
tions between  Christians.  Doubtless  many  of  the 
opinions  on  this  matter  were  exceedingly  individual- 
istic and  generally  they  needed  clarification,  but 
such  a  reaction  was  certainly  both  present  and  pro- 
nounced. The  strong  currents  of  democratic  feeling 
then  running  in  America  west  of  the  Alleghenies 
doubtless  contributed  a  great  deal  toward  such  an 
attitude.  It  was  believed  that  the  church  is  a  democ- 
racy not  a  hierarchy,  that  the  congregation,  not  the 
minister,  was  the  center  of  authority.  The  preacher 
should  take  his  place  with  other  Christians  in  the 
work  of  the  church.  Such  opinions  may  have  needed 
modifications  and  the  conclusion  drawn  may  not 
always  have  been  logical,  but  they  were  the  out- 
growth of  a  strong  democratic  instinct.  The  min- 
ister's leadership  may  have  been  replaced  for  good 
or  evil  by  some  substitute  such  as  "a  ruling  elder," 
a  situation  still  somewhat  prevalent.  Nevertheless, 
theoretically  no  clerical  overlordship  or  ecclesiasti- 
cism  w^ould  be  recognized  as  that,  rather  there  must 
be  an  equality  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord. 

Into  this  picture  we  may  fit  somewhat  the  story 
of  the  founding  of  our  colleges.  Here  again  I  may 
be  following  one  of  my  fads,  but  I  believe  that  theo- 
logical education  was  not  the  main  motive  in  the 
founding  of  our  colleges  before  1865.  I  doubt  if  it 
was  even  a  very  prominent  motive.  I  am  reasonably 
certain  that  such  a  course  as  we  would  call  a  minis- 
terial A.B.  was  unknown  in  Bacon  or  Bethany  Col- 
leges before  1865.  Rather  our  fathers  seem  to  have 
shared  the  ideal  which  prevailed  in  early  American 
history.  They  seem  to  have  believed  that  ministers 
should  take  pretty  much  of  the  same  type  of  course 


THE  SCROLL 55 

as  that  pursued  by  others.  This  in  itself  was  con- 
sidered reasonably  good  preparation.  If  further 
training  was  needed  it  could  be  found  by  reading, 
study,  or  practice  with  some  successful  minister. 

About  1890  something  strange  appeared  in  the 
Disciple  firmament.  A  few  younger  men  began  to 
attend  theological  schools  supported  by  other  broth- 
erhoods. Yale  was  probably  by  all  odds  the  favorite. 
This  tendency  increased  gradually  but  noticeably, 
and  has  become  a  factor  which  must  be  considered 
under  the  general  topic  of  theological  education 
among  the  Disciples.  Here  it  can  only  be  mentioned 
and  suggested  for  discussion. 

I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  leaders  in  our  edu- 
cational efforts  had  for  a  long  time  a  certain  sense  of 
self-sufficiency.  Religiously  and  educationally  we 
were  quite  independent,  sometimes  with  a  vengeance. 
It  was  thought  that  we  had  no  need  to  worry  about 
what  others  might  think  of  us.  The  result  of  this  was 
that  many  of  our  schools  awoke  to  find  themselves 
outside  of  the  main  currents  of  American  religious 
and  educational  life.  Considering  our  social  back- 
ground I,  for  one,  think  that  this  was  a  tragic  denial 
of  one  element  of  the  genius  of  our  people  and  I  re- 
joice that  it  is  no  longer  common  among  our  leaders. 

By  1910  conditions  were  beginning  to  change.  Our 
schools  were  beginning  to  seek  relations  to  other 
colleges  and  educational  associations.  Our  Bible 
colleges  were  coming  to  be  concerned  about  theo- 
logical education  similar  to  that  given  by  other 
churches,  not  primarily  because  they  were  concerned 
so  much  about  conformity  as  because  they  began  to 
recognize  the  need  of  more  and  better  training  than 
such  schools  were  giving.  From  about  that  time 
until  the  present  most  of  our  Bible  colleges  have  been 
making  progress  both  in  the  field  of  improving 
standards  and  educational  practices  and  also  in  the 
matter  of  relation  to  other  institutions. 


56     THE  SCROLL 

The  study  of  theological  education  revealed  ac- 
curately a  good  many  things. 

First  of  all,  I  think  we  will  be  inclined  to  accept 
the  conception  of  the  ministry  and  the  standard  of 
preparation  which  prevailed  in  that  study.  Notably 
in  the  opinion  that  adequate  preparation  for  the 
ministry  includes  both  college  and  seminary  training. 

The  survey  revealed  that  in  America  35.1%  of 
Protestant  ministers  meet  these  ideals;  14.7%  are 
graduates  of  college  but  not  of  seminary;  11%  are 
graduates  of  seminary  but  not  of  college,  while  39% 
are  graduates  of  neither. 

The  situation  among  the  Disciples  shows  that 
17.2%  of  our  ministers  are  graduates  of  both  college 
and  seminary.  This  is  about  V2  the  percentage 
shown  by  the  general  average.  36.7%  are  graduates 
of  college  but  not  of  seminary.  In  this  class  the 
general  average  is  14.7%?.  4.1%  among  the  Disciples 
graduated  from  seminary  but  not/  from  college, 
whereas  the  general  average  is  11%.  42%  of  our 
ministers  are  graduates  of  neither  college  nor  semi- 
nary. This  is  about  3%  above  the  general  average. 

Among  the  Disciples  the  prevailing  situation 
seems  to  be  as  follows  as  far  as  institutions  are  con- 
cerned.   The  order  of  grouping  has  no  significance. 

First,  we  have  a  group  of  standard  colleges,  I 
think  each  of  these  offers  a  course  at  least  approach- 
ing a  ministerial  A.B.,  though  such  courses  are  not 
being  emphasized  as  they  were  a  generation  ago. 

Second,  there  is  a  group  of  non-accredited  colleges. 
Some  of  these  emphasize  ministerial  training  and 
give  a  large  proportion  of  theological  courses,  others 
follow  a  practice  about  like  that  of  the  accredited 
colleges. 

Third,  we  also  have  a  group  which  we  might  call 
ministerial  training  schools,  though  it  is  difficult  to 
find  a  term  acceptable  to  all.  Most  of  these  offer 
Arts  degrees  though  the  work  is  largely  theological. 


THE  SCROLL 57 

Their  chief  aim  and  purpose  is  the  training  of 
ministers  rather  than  the  teaching  of  the  usual  arts 
and  science  subjects.  Some  of  these  are  located  near 
other  educational  institutions. 

Fourth,  we  have  a  group  of  foundations  or  insti- 
tutions affiliated  with  theological  seminaries  or  uni- 
versities. 

Fifth,  there  is  a  group  of  five  institutions,  four  of 
which  are  called  College  of  the  Bible,  one  College 
of  Religion.  Each  offers  a  B.D.  degree.  I  think  four 
still  use  the  so-called  telescopic  plan,  six  years  for 
the  combined  A.B.-B.D.  course.  I  have  been  told 
that  one  of  this  four  is  planning  to  accept  the  stand- 
ards of  the  American  Association  of  Theological 
Schools.  Others  are  considering  standardization. 
One  of  the  five  has  accepted  the  standards  and  has 
been  accredited  by  the  American  Association  of 
Theological  Schools. 

Sixth,  a  number  of  men  preparing  for  the  ministry 
are  securing  their  training  in  theological  seminaries 
supported  by  other  denominations.  Most  of  them 
have  already  secured  an  A.B.  from  one  of  our  own 
colleges  though  the  number  of  men  who  have  secured 
their  undergraduate  training  in  tax-supported 
schools  or  colleges  of  other  churches  is  increa'sing, 
not  only  in  such  schools  but  in  almost  all  others. 

Disregarding  many  details  and  variations  these 
seem  to  me  to  be  the  natural  grouping  of  institutions 
and  methods  by  which  our  ministers  are  being 
trained  at  present.    What  of  the  future? 


The  paper  on,  "The  Present  Status  of  Liberalism 
among  the  Disciples,"  read  by  Irvin  E.  Lunger,  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  Institute,  will  appear  in 
the  November  Scroll.  It  carries  further  the  consid- 
eration of  the  theme  of  these  first  two  issues. 


58 THE  SCROLL 

Early  Religion  in  Hiram 

Harold  E.  Davis,  Hiram,  Ohio 

Two  tendencies,  particularly  strong  among  the 
New  Englanders  who  came  to  settle  in  the  Western 
Reserve,  or  who  came  as  missionaries  of  the  New 
England  Churches  under  the  missionary  Plan  of 
Union  adopted  in  1801,  are  well  worth  marking.  They 
derived  ultimately  from  the  seventeenth  and  eigh- 
teenth century  rationalism  of  England  and  France, 
especially  from  John  Locke. 

Along  with  the  optimism  and  rationalism  of  the 
Universalists  and  Unitarians  came  the  pietism  of 
Moravians,  Shakers  and  other  continental  sects,  the 
mystic  evangelicalism  of  the  Methodists,  and  the 
revivalistic  methods  of  the  camp  meeting,  and  gospel 
songs  now  known  as  spirituals.  Baptists  appealed  to 
the  frontier  because  of  their  basic  democracy,  and 
their  congregational  government.  A  certain  spirit 
of  democratic  tolerance,  and  a  loose  flexible  or- 
ganization, made  them  accept  divergences  from  their 
traditional  Calvinism  more  readily  than  did  the 
Presbyterians  who  seemed  to  find  their  destiny  in 
perpetual  division :  one  schism  after  another.  The 
Baptists  were  thus  more  adaptable  to  the  frontier, 
because  of  their  flexibility. 

All  these  elements  and  more  were  present  in  the 
religion  of  the  Western  Reserve  and  in  Hiram  dur- 
ing the  years  of  settlement  (in  Hiram  this  may  be 
taken  to  mean  from  about  1815,  to  the  founding  of 
the  Hiram  Church  in  1835).  As  early  as  1804 
Thomas  Robbins,  Congregationalist  missionary  from 
New  England  under  the  Plan  of  Union,  visited 
Hiram,  finding  seven  families,  a  small  school,  and  a 
group  which  could  be  gathered  together  for  religious 
meetings.  Congregationalist-Presbyterian  influence. 
however,  apparently  never  became  strong.  The  early 


THE  SCROLL 59 

New  England  families  leaned  toward  irreligion  as 
evidenced  by  membership  in  the  Masonic  Order  or 
toward  Universalism,  which  evidently  gained  some 
strength  in  the  early  days.  Baptists  were  present 
in  the  Baptist  Church  of  Bethesda  in  Nelson  which 
served  a  large  part  of  the  county.  This  was  the 
parent  church  of  the  Hiram  Church,  although  ap- 
parently it  had  few  members  from  Hiram  during 
the  first  decade  and  a  half  after  its  organization  in 
1808.  It  was  in  1824  that  the  liberals  of  the  Beth- 
esda Church,  including  apparently  most  of  the 
Hiram  members,  meeting  in  the  south  schoolhouse  in 
Hiram,  voted  to  lay  aside  the  Philadelphia  Con- 
fession of  Faith  (Baptist)  as  stated  in  the  1808 
Articles  of  the  Bethesda  Church  and  "To  take  the 
word  of  God  for  our  rule  of  faith  and  practice."  The 
liberals  were  promptly  expelled  by  the  Nelson 
Church,  but  they  had  the  support  of  the  community 
and  continued  to  be  the  church  of  Hiram. 

I  have  said  that  two  main  streams  of  influence 
characterized  this  early  development  of  frontier  re- 
ligion here  in  Hiram  and  in  the  Western  Reserve. 
One,  the  Universalist-Unitarian-Rationalist-Ma- 
sonic-Thomas  Paine  (I  might  add  Jeffersonian- 
democratic)  tendency  which  emphasizes  the  indi- 
vidual, his  intelligence,  and  the  role  of  his  reason  in 
matters  of  religion  as  in  politics,  and  calls  for  demo- 
cratic co-operation  of  individuals  in  congregational 
church  governments.  The  second  stream  combines 
many  inconsistent  elements  such  as  the  Calvinism  of 
the  Baptists  (doctrines  of  the  depravity  of  man,  the 
damnation  of  all  but  the  elect,  etc.)  with  mystic 
evangelicalism  of  the  Wesleyans,  the  fervid  emotion- 
alism of  the  camp  meetings,  Christian  Communism 
(as  urged  by  the  Mormons,  German  pietists  and 
some  early  followers  of  the  Campbells),  with  re- 
ligious primitivism,  millenarianism,  scriptural  lit- 
eralism, and  zeal  for  social  (Christian)  reform.  The 


60 THE  SCROLL 

first  tendency  predominated  up  to  about  1830  in 
Hiram  as  in  the  Western  Reserve  generally.  The 
Baptist  churches  of  the  Mahoning  Valley  Associa- 
tion, including  the  liberal  wing  of  the  Nelson 
Church  after  1824,  adopted  beliefs  substantially  like 
that  written  for  the  Wellsburg  Church  by  Alexan- 
der Campbell  in  1923.  Walter  Scott,  famous  evan- 
gelist and  follower  of  the  Campbells,  reduced  these 
rational  principles  to  a  simple  five  finger  exercise  in 
his  famous  sermon  which  explained  the  nature  of 
religious  life  and  salvation  in  live  steps :  faith,  upon 
proof ;  repentance,  relying  upon  Divine  promises ; 
baptism  in  obedience  to  command ;  the  remission  of 
sins ;  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  fulfillment  of 
the  promises.  The  Disciples  in  the  Hiram  Church 
as  elsewhere  have  continued  to  bear  the  mark  of 
this  early  emphasis  upon  the  test  of  the  reasonable 
intelligence  in  the  individual  made  by  Alexander 
Campbell. 

But  about  1830  social  and  religious  forces  were  at 
work  creating  a  greater  emphasis  upon  the  elements 
of  primitivism  and  emotionalism.  In  society  at  large 
it  appeared  as  humanitarian  reform  (abolitionism, 
women's  rights,  vegetarianism,  prison  reforms, 
common  school  reform,  the  wearing  of  beards) .  It 
expressed  itself  in  Jacksonian  Democracy,  in  the 
rise  of  labor  unions,  and  in  the  piety  of  presidential 
aspirants,  who  began  to  take  pains  to  parade  their 
church  membership.  The  rise  of  Oberlin  as  a  center 
of  reform  is  indicative  of  the  combination  of  many 
of  these  seemingly  diverse  currents.  This  tendency 
showed  itself  in  the  Western  Reserve  in  striking 
fashion  in  an  almost  unanimous  turn  against  the 
Masonic  lodges  after  the  Morgan  kidnapping  inci- 
dent. A  strong  anti-Masonic  political  party  was 
created  throughout  the  Western  Reserve,  with  the 
backing  of  the  churches  in  most  places,  including 


THE  SCROLL 61 

Hiram,  It  drove  out  of  existence  Masonic  lodges  in 
Atwater,  Randolph,  Mantua  and  Parkman. 

The  same  influence  of  primitivism  and  emotional- 
ism may  be  seen  in  the  headway  gained  by  the  Mor- 
mons within  several  of  the  Baptist  churches  which 
had  followed  Alexander  Campbell,  Much  of  the 
theology  of  the  Mormon  Church  was  that  of  the  Dis- 
ciples, actually  contributed  to  in  many  cases  by 
former  followers  of  Campbell  like  Sidney  Rigdon  to 
whom  William  Alexander  Linn,  in  his  history  of  the 
Mormons,  attributes  the  theological  interpolations  in 
the  Book  of  Mormon.  Where  the  Mormons  difi:"ered 
was  in  their  greater  emphasis  upon  the  miraculous, 
upon  revelation  (and  it  is  interesting  to  notice  that 
thirteen  of  the  revelations  of  Joseph  Smith  are  dated 
at  Hiram)  and  upon  the  idea  of  communistic  own- 
ership of  goods.  This  last  idea  which  had  some 
early  standing  among  the  Campbellites  began  about 
this  time  to  disappear  among  them,  but  was  given 
new  emphasis  by  the  Mormons  after  the  Hiram 
revelation  which  seemed  to  direct  all  members  of 
the  church  to  place  their  goods  in  the  hands  of  the 
church. 

The  Mormon's  stay  in  Hiram  was  a  short  one, 
from  the  middle  of  1831  to  March  1832,  but  long 
enough  to  reveal  certain  striking  similarities  be- 
tween the  two  religious  groups,  then  to  produce  a 
profound  reaction  in  the  Hiram  Church  against  re- 
ligious Communism,  and  finally  to  produce  a  fine 
example  of  lynching  for  religious  views.  When 
Joseph  Smith  and  Sidney  Rigdon  were  awaked  one 
March  night,  tarred  and  feathered,  and  ridden  out  of 
town  on  a  rail,  the  history  of  Mormonism  was  ended 
in  Hiram,  but  a  Mormon  martyrdom  had  occurred, 
and  the  way  was  paved  in  Hiram  for  the  develop- 
ment of  an  especially  strong  and  enthusiastic  church 
of  Campbellite  beliefs. 

As  the  years  went  by  the  Hiram  Church,  lik© 


62 THE  SCROLL 

others  of  the  Campbell  movement,  showed  a  strong 
tendency  to  develop  denominationalism :  to  em- 
phasize conformity  to  certain  "scriptural"  practices 
like  baptism  by  immersion  and  weekly  communion, 
and  to  emphasize  fervent  enthusiasm  and  emotional- 
ism in  religion,  contrary  to  the  ideas  of  its  original 
founders.  Along  with  these  ideas  came  an  interest 
in  social  Christianity,  education,  missions,  social 
reforms.  But  it  never  escaped  entirely  the  emphasis 
upon  man's  reason  and  intelligence  as  the  best  guide 
to  religious  truth:  never  gave  up  its  distrust  of 
authority  and  tradition  as  represented  in  authorita- 
tive creeds ;  never  returned  wholeheartedly  to  the 
fire  and  brimstone  of  the  Calvinistic  doctrine  of 
man's  fall  and  depravity.  Rather  it  continued  to 
believe  in  the  basic  importance  of  educating  man's 
intelligence  (i.e.  general  education,  as  the  best  means 
to  discover  religious  truth) ,  continued  to  recognize 
a  large  field  for  individual  differences  of  opinion  in 
religious  matters,  and  to  practice  a  certain  broad 
tolerance;  principles  which  made  it  possible  for  them 
to  bring  into  co-operation  with  the  local  church  in- 
dividuals whose  beliefs  not  only  refused  to  be  con- 
fined within  any  "creed,"  but  even  those  whose  views 
were  in  direct  conflict  with  any  known  Christian 
creed. 


The  editor  has  taken  liberties  with  two  articles 
from  which  extracts  appear  in  this  issue  of  the 
Scroll.  One  is  "Early  Religion  in  Hiram"  and  the 
other,  "Theological  Education  among  the  Disciples." 
We  trust  the  authors  will  not  be  offended  by  this 
piracy ! 


Readers  will  notice  that  nothing  is  said  in  this 
issue  about  the  war.  This  is  because  it  is  so  much 
in  evidence  everywhere  else! 


THE  SCROLL  63 


Reviewing  Ourselves 

Dean  John  L.  Davis,  in  his  presidential  address 
at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Institute  in  August, 
opened  up  an  interesting  vein  for  research  and  re- 
flection. He  made  an  analysis  of  the  book,  Progress, 
which  the  Institute  members  wrote,  and  published 
in  1917  in  celebration  of  the  twentieth  anniversary 
of  the  organization.  (Some  copies  of  this  book  are 
still  available  and  may  be  obtained  through  the  Sec- 
retary at  twenty-five  cents.)  The  Dean  found  in  his 
restudj''  of  it  that  the  book  was  marked  by  the  op- 
timism of  the  period  with  reference  to  "progress" 
and  that  it  did  not  much  take  account  of  social  prob- 
lems. Mr,  Rice  criticized  the  criticisms  and  a  good 
time  was  had  by  all. 

This  procedure  suggests  the  possibility  and  fruit- 
fulness  of  a  study  of  the  files  of  the  Scroll  through 
more  than  thirty  years  with  a  view  to  finding  what 
Institute  men  have  been  thinking  and  how  their 
minds  have  changed.  This  might  be  an  index  to  the 
psychology  of  Disciples,  for  if  the  college  men  are 
thinking  and  producing  and  seriously  trying  to  get 
somewhere  with  the  Disciple  Cause  their  published 
thoughts  and  purposes  through  three  or  four  decades 
ought  to  have  real  significance.  Incidentally,  to  have 
these  records  at  hand  is  a  very  real  reason  for  keep- 
ing the  files  of  the  Scroll  through  the  years.  Such  a 
study  could  be  extended  to  books,  addresses,  articles, 
sermons.  Students  who  are  looking  for  subjects  for 
a  master's  thesis  should  make  note  of  this  idea! 

The  Disciples  should  be  arriving  at  a  sufficient 
stage  of  maturity  to  be  able  to  look  at  themselves 
objectively  without  losing  all  faith  in  themselves, 
and  such  inquiry  might  be  a  means  of  realizing  the 
directions  in  which  we  have  drifted  and  whether  the 
ship  is  headed  for  deep  waters  or  for  shoals  and 
reefs, 


64  THE  SCROLL 


Notes 


Dr.  Willett  was  ordered  to  the  hospital  the  first 
day  of  August  for  a  serious  operation  from  which  he 
is  slowly  recovering.  He  has  also  suffered  from 
acute  arthritis.  He  was,  therefore,  unable  to  preside 
at  the  Institute  dinner.  Dr.  Garrison  was  drafted  to 
take  his  place  and  was  in  his  liveliest  mood  for  the 
event. 


In  the  Christian  Unity  number  of  the  Christian 
Evangelist,  President  Albert  W.  Palmer,  speaking 
of  possible  union  of  the  Congregationalists  and  Dis- 
ciples, offers  this  comment :  "It  is  probably  the  well 
known  liberalism  of  the  Congregationalists  which 
would  in  many  cases  be  unacceptable  to  the  Disciples 
who,  on  the  whole,  doubtless  lay  emphasis  upon  a 
much  more  traditional  theology."  How  does  this 
statement  square  with  the  article  on  "Whither  Dis- 
ciples?"? 


Members  of  the  Institute  are  increasingly  ap- 
preciative of  the  effective  work  of  our  secretary- 
treasurer,  A.  T.  DeGroot.  Under  his  vigilant  care 
the  Institute  has  received  many  new  members  and 
unprecedented  financial  support. 


Several  inquiries  have  come  in  for  extra  copies  of 
the  article,  "Whither  Disciples?"  If  enough  are 
wanted  there  will  be  reprints  at  five  cents  each. 


The  paging  of  this  number  has  been  made  to  fit 
the  fact  that  this  is  the  second  issue  of  this  volume. 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVII.  NOVEMBER,  1939  No.  3 

Statistics  of  the  Disciples 

By  J.  EDWARD  MOSELY,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Associate  Editor  of  the  Christian  Evangelist 

Are  the  churches  of  the  United  States  advancing 
or  retreating?  What  is  the  status  of  religion,  in 
the  minds  of  most  of  our  citizens?  According  to  a 
survey  published  by  FoHune  magazine  in  January, 
1937,  based  on  4,500  interviews  by  the  magazine's 
investigators,  a  large  majority  feel  that  religion  is 
losing  ground.  The  question  asked  was,  "Is  religion 
in  America  today  gaining  or  losing  ground?"  The 
results  were :  1.3  per  cent  think  it  has  no  influence, 
6.8  per  cent  do  not  know,  17.2  per  cent  think  it  is 
marking  time,  24.8  per  cent  think  it  is  gaining,  and 
49.9  per  cent  think  it  is  losing.  Of  the  last  two 
groups — those  definitely  believing  that  religion  is 
either  gaining  or  losing  —  more  than  two-thirds 
66.79  per  cent)  are  of  the  opinion  that  religion  is 
losing  ground.  The  survey  was  conducted  in  all 
major  geographical  areas,  in  rural  and  urban  com- 
munities, and  among  various  economic  groups. 

But  we  must  not  fail  to  realize  that  though  these 
results  were  obtained  by  scientific  sampling,  they 
are  opinions — subjective  value  judgments — and  as 
such  do  not  represent  an  analysis  of  objective 
facts.  A  significant  picture  of  present-day  Disciple- 
dom  is  to  be  obtained,  not  by  following  a  procedure 
that  would  show  us  what  we  think  of  ourselves,  as 
interesting  as  that  would  be,  but  by  interpreting 
the  statistics  and  facts  available  and  discovering 
others.  We  are  not  aware  of  the  existence  of  any 
recent  comprehensive  scientific  studies  regarding 
Disciples  of  Christ.  The  Survey  of  Service  was 
published  in  1928.     The  Education  of  Ministers  of 


66  THE  SCROLL 

Disciples  of  Christ  by  Riley  B.  Montgomery  came 
from  the  press  in  1931.  S.  C.  Kincheloe's  Research 
Memoranduin  on  Religion  171  the  Depression  is,  as 
the  title  suggests,  a  study  covering  the  effect  of  the 
depression  on  churches  in  general. 

The  lack  of  any  significant  analysis  of  statistics 
of  Disciples  suggests  the  possibility  of  a  thesis  for 
some  enterprising  student.  This  present  interprc- 
tion  by  an  amateur  in  the  field  of  statistics  is  based 
primarily  upon  the  Year  Book  of  Disciples  for  1938. 

It  need  not  be  pointed  out  to  any  one  who  has 
an  understanding  of  the  history  of  our  brotherhood 
that  the  Year  Book  is  an  innovation.  It  is  not 
scriptural.  Such  an  attitude  accounts  in  part  for 
the  fact  that  our  first  Year  Book  was  not  published 
until  1888.  Statistics  were  no  easier  to  gather  fifty 
years  ago  than  they  are  today.  Yet  our  forefathers 
came  to  recognize  the  need  and  the  value  of  an  an- 
nual report  and  a  compilation  of  statistics.  That  is 
the  only  way  that  we  can  account  for  a  statistical 
secretary  which  we  had  for  fifteen  years  in  the  per- 
son of  G.  A.  Hoffman.  A  study  of  our  Year  Book 
is  revealing.  It  would  be  particularly  interesting 
to  a  statistician  if  he  were  fortunate  enough  to  ob- 
tain the  old  Year  Books  unmutilated. 

The  Year  Book  is  the  one  volume  of  our  brother- 
hood which  attempts  to  portray  the  activities  of  the 
agencies  reporting  to  the  International  Convention 
and  the  financial  support  given  these  activities  by 
the  local  congregations.  It  has  much  information, 
also  gathered  from  many  nations,  about  the 
churches  of  Disciples.  Increased  sale  and  distribu- 
tion of  this  volume  indicates  more  interest  in  the 
statistics  of  our  people.  Just  recently,  H.  B.  Hollo- 
way,  executive  secretary  of  the  Year  Book  Publica- 
tion Committee,  reported:  "As  of  June  30,  1939,  the 
year  closed  with  all  Year  Book  and  Annual  Reports 
bills  paid  and  a  cash  balance  of  $32.86.  This  is 
the  first  time  that  the  Year  Book  has  been  fully  self- 
sustaining." 


THE  SCROLL 67 

It  should  be  apparent  that  the  Year  Book  is  in- 
complete and  inaccurate.  It  is  striking  evidence  of 
our  individualism  and  of  our  satisfaction  with  do- 
ing things  in  a  rather  slipshod  fashion.  Greater  care 
on  the  part  of  all  concerned  —  ministers,  church 
clerks,  treasurers,  and  state  secretaries — in  prepar- 
ing the  reports  for  submission  to  the  Year  Book 
Committee  will  help  to  improve  the  value  of  the 
volume.  The  state  secretaries  are  mentioned  here 
because  we  found  that  the  reports  of  twelve  of  these 
gentlemen  are  not  included  in  the  two  pages  of  the 
current  Year  Book  depicting  their  activities  and 
work.  The  miracle  is  that  our  Year  Book  is  so  com- 
plete and  that  it  can  tell  us  so  many  things  about 
ourselves. 

In  line  with  what  sems  to  be  a  general  trend 
in  the  United  States  the  number  of  our  churches 
has  decreased  in  the  last  generation.  In  1907  we 
had  11,907  churches  throughout  the  world — an  all- 
time  high.  In  1912  a  total  of  9,999  were  reported. 
The  number  in  1916  had  risen  again,  to  10,333 ;  this 
was  the  last  year  we  reported  more  than  10,000. 
For  the  last  two  years  we  have  reported  less  than 
nine  thousand  (8,921  in  1938).  Accepting  figures 
quoted  by  the  late  Professor  Emory  C.  Cameron  in 
an  address  at  the  1936  Kansas  City  International 
Convention,  we  are  assured  that  the  decline  in  the 
number  of  our  churches  has  been  due  to  the  death 
of  many  in  the  rural  areas.  In  that  address  he 
stated  that  Disciples  lost  a  total  of  5,209  rural 
churches  from  the  time  of  our  centennial  in  1909  to 
1930.  Doubtless  we  have  lost  many  more  during 
this  decade. 

The  population  trend,  at  least  until  the  depres- 
sion, was  toward  urban  centers.  In  1890  a  total  of 
35.4  per  cent  of  the  total  population  of  the  United 
States  resided  in  urban  territory — in  1,417  places. 
By  1910  this  had  increased  to  45.8  per  cent-— 2,313 
places.    In  1930  the  percentage  had  jumped  to  56.2 


68 THE  SCROLL 

—  in  3,165  places.  In  1930  approximately  two- 
thirds  (67.8  per  cent)  of  Pennsylvania's  and  Ohio's 
population  was  urban,  about  three-fourths  of  Illi- 
nois' (73.9),  about  one-half  of  both  Indiana  and 
Missouri  (55.5  and  51.2  respectively),  and  about 
one-third  of  Kentucky's  (30.6).  California's  percen- 
age  was  about  the  same  as  that  of  Illinois.  New 
York's  was  the  highest,  83.6. 

The  trend  towards  urban  centers  accounts  in  part 
certainly  for  the  decline  in  the  number  of  our  rural 
churches,  where  we  were  always  strong  in  the  last 
century.  But  even  though  our  movement  grew  up 
on  the  frontier,  and  recognizing  that  many  of  our 
congregations  are  yet  rural  and  contributing  a  ma- 
jority of  the  leaders  of  our  city  churches,  we  can- 
not feel  that  Disciples  need  despair.  The  leaders 
of  America  last  century  resided  in  rural  areas  for 
the  most  part,  but  they  v/ere  cultured  and  educated. 
The  message  proclaimed  by  our  forefathers  can  be 
made  just  as  appealing  and  just  as  intellectually 
tenable  to  the  modern  sophisticated  city-dwalier  as 
to  rural  America  in  the  last  century.  Whether 
Americans  in  general  are  losing  interest  in  religion 
is  another  matter,  but  one  certainly  not  unrelated 
to  the  understanding  of  our  task  today. 

If  Disciples  are  a  rural  people  by  heritage  and 
nature,  we  are  also  a  city  people.  We  grew  up  in 
many  cities  as  they  developed.  Our  publishing 
houses  and  institutions,  including  some  of  the  col- 
leges, are  located  in  the  cities  of  the  middle  west. 
New  York,  and  other  eastern  cities  whsre  Disciples 
are  not  numerically  strong  are  the  only  cities  where 
Disciples  are  not  recognized  for  outstanding  build- 
ings. Often  in  cities  where  we  are  not  strong  quar- 
rels in  or  among  local  churches  prevented  growth. 
Urban  centers  having  the  largest  number  of  our 
churches  now  are  Indianapolis  (44)  and  Kansas 
City,  Missouri  and  Kansas  and  their  counties  (51), 
and  Melbourne,  Victoria,  Australia,  with  more  than 
60. 


THE  SCROLL 69 

The  interesting  thing  is  that  while  the  number  of 
our  churches  has  decreased  the  number  of  our  mem- 
bers has  increased.  From  1850  to  1880  we  gained 
10,000  members  a  year.  The  next  decade,  1880  to 
1890,  the  gain  was  15,000  a  year.  From  1890 
to  1897  the  annual  gain  was  35,000.  During  the 
year  of  1897  the  gain  was  more  than  100  a  day.  In 
more  recent  years  we  have  shown  losses  for  certain 
years,  large  gains  in  others.  The  gain  in  our  total 
world  membership  has  been  fairly  steady  since  1897 
when  we  already  reported  more  than  a  million. 

The  Fear  Book  shows  that  the  income  of  our  co- 
operating national  boards  has  been  increasing  since 
1934,  when  the  income  was  approximately  two  and 
one-half  millions,  to  1938  when  the  figure  was  more 
than  five  and  one-half  millions.  This  last  figure, 
however,  is  unusually  high  since  it  includes  a  gift  of 
nearly  two  million  dollars  to  the  trust  fund  of 
one  agency.  In  contrast  the  giving  by  churches  for 
local  expenses  for  the  fiscal  year  of  1938  totaled 
more  than  ten  millions.  The  average  per  capita  for 
the  United  States  and  Canada  is  $1.13.  Hundreds 
of  churches  making  no  contribution  to  the  brother- 
hood causes  greatly  decrease  the  per  capita  figure. 
The  largest  average  per  capita  for  a  state,  is  New 
Jersey  ($5.05) .  The  highest  average  per  capita  giv- 
ing among  Negroes  is  in  Illinois  (.60)  ;  the  lowest  is 
North  Carolina  (with  166  churches,  including  one 
with  a  total  estimated  membership  of  1,281)  at  .01. 

The  1938  Year  Book  shows  that  5,284  churches 
and  their  organizations  made  some  offering  for  the 
year  while  2,862  made  no  offering.  This  means  that 
the  giving  churches  are  about  two-thirds  of  our 
total  number  while  the  non-contributing  represent 
approximately  one-third.  The  two-thirds  of  the 
giving  churches  includes  3,008  (56.92  per  cent)  giv- 
ing less  than  $100.00;  1,548  (29.30  per  cent)  giv- 
ing from  $100.00  to  $500.00;  365  (6.91  per  cent) 
giving  from  $500.00  to  $1,000.00;  and  363  (6.87  per 
cent)  giving  over  $1,000.00. 


70 THE  SCROLL 

Say  what  you  will  about  the  largest  churches, 
based  on  resident  membership,  and  we  have  com- 
piled a  list  of  100  with  the  last  one  on  the  list  hav- 
ing more  than  1,100  members,  the  fact  is  that  it  is 
this  group  of  churches  v/ho  are  giving  the  largest 
contributions  to  the  brotherhood  causes.  A  study 
made  by  Virgil  A.  Sly  and  based  on  the  1936  Year 
Book  shows  that  491  churches  with  membership  of 
700  or  over  gave  more  than  four  million  dollars  for 
local  expenses  and  more  than  $800,000  to  brother- 
hood and  miscellaneous  causes.  Churches  with  mem- 
berships up  to  125,  estimated  to  total  4,509,  gave 
$840,000  for  local  expenses  and  less  than  $100,000 
for  brotherhood  and  miscellaneous  causes. 

There  is  not  a  great  deal  of  information  in  the 
Yea?'  Book  in  regard  to  our  ministers.  Yet  the  list 
of  ministers'  names  and  addresses  is  probably  used 
as  much  as  any  section  of  the  volume.  The  names  of 
110  ministers  and  three  missionaries  who  died  dur- 
ing the  year  ending  June  30,  1938,  are  listed.  From 
constant  editorial  work  on  obituaries  we  are  confi- 
dent that  list  is  not  complete.  There  is  no  tabula- 
tion as  to  how  many  of  the  ministers  are  Negroes, 
how  many  are  evangelists,  how  many  are  engaged 
in  business  part  of  the  time,  etc.  Only  a  careful 
check  of  the  last  two  Year  Books  would  reveal  the 
number  of  ministers  who  retired  during  the  last 
year  and  that  list  would  likely  be  quite  incomplete 
for  what  minister  wants  to  admit  that  he  has  re- 
tired! Nor  do  you  find  from  the  Year  Book  a  list 
of  young  ministers  completing  their  seminary  work. 
The  report  of  the  Commission  on  Ordination,  ap- 
proved at  the  Denver  International  Convention,  Oc- 
tober, 1938,  proposes  to  list  in  each  Year  Book  the 
names  of  young  men  who  are  ordained  according  to 
the  specifications  of  the  commission.  Only,  how- 
ever, by  knowing  some  of  these  facts  can  we  de- 
termine if  the  supply  of  ministerial  students  who 
are  qualified  and  well  educated  is  meeting  the  de- 
mand, or  if  the  demand  is  greater  than  the  supply. 


THE  SCROLL 71 

In  1897  we  had  5,500  ministers.  In  the  introduc- 
tion to  the  Year  Book  of  that  year,  G.  A.  Hoffman, 
the  editor,  said :  "If  you  have  the  name  and  post  of- 
fice of  every  one  (of  the  ministers)  today,  seven  will 
have  moved  in  24  hours  and  over  200  in  a  month." 
And  we  think  our  problem  of  ministerial  placement 
is  more  acute  now!  Last  year  our  total  number  of 
ministers  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  was 
7,307.  This  includes  probably  quite  a  number  of 
men  who  are  also  listed  with  other  communions 
since  they  wish  to  continue  their  fellowship  with 
Disciples  even  while  serving  as  pastors  in  Congrega- 
tional, Baptist,  or  other  churches.  Some  men  are 
listed  in  the  Year  Book  who  had  just  as  soon  their 
names  were  not  written  there. 

The  annual  report  of  the  Pension  Fund  shows 
that  171  new  members  were  enrolled  for  the  year 
1937  and  255  churches  began  to  pay  their  appor- 
tionment of  the  pension  plan.  But  there  is  no  men- 
tion, or  we  missed  it,  of  the  total  number  of  our 
ministers  in  the  pension  plan. 

Missionaries  are  listed  in  a  separate  section.  But 
this  list  does  not  include  any  of  the  independent 
missionaries,  who  are  surely  a  part  of  the  brother- 
hood. Unless  the  independent  missionary  returns 
to  the  United  States  and  accepts  the  pastorate  of 
one  of  our  churches  it  is  not  likely  that  he  will  be 
listed  anywhere  in  our  Yea?^  Book.  Even  though 
these  workers  may  differ  from  others  of  us  in  theo- 
logical and  social  outlook  and  in  methods  for  mis- 
sionary work,  they  should  not  be  ignored  in  this  way. 

It  is,  of  course,  fairly  easy  to  examine  the  Year 
Book  and  point  out  what  it  does  not  contain,  as  well 
as  to  make  suggestions  as  to  improvements.  But 
we  are  concerned  over  the  lack  of  information  about 
our  educational  institutions;  not  even  a  complete 
list  of  them.  No  one  would  know  from  examining 
the  Year  Book  that  the  Disciples  Divinity  House  has 
a  productive  endowment  of  $528,696.67,  and  that 
there  is  no  indebtedness  on  the  property.     Again 


72 THE  SCROLL 

you  cannot  find  in  the  Year  Book  that  the  total  pro- 
ductive and  non-productive  endowment  of  all  our 
accredited  educational  institutions  is  more  than 
$15,000,000,  that  the  indebtedness  on  these  proper- 
ties is  less  than  two  millions,  and  that  the  total  net 
worth  of  these  institutions  is  almost  27  millions. 

Yet  the  1897  Year  Book  has  a  page  schedule  ot 
universities,  colleges,  institutes,  and  schools  of  Dis- 
ciples showing  the  name,  location,  officers,  when 
founded,  ownership  (as  general  or  personal),  value 
of  property,  amount  of  endowment,  whether  coedu- 
cational, number  of  students,  number  of  graduates, 
number  of  alumni  and  number  studying  for  the  min- 
istry. The  43  educational  institutions  listed  in  that 
year  of  1897  showed  a  total  endowment  of  $1,348,- 
479,  the  largest  being  held  by  Butler,  Translyvania, 
Drake,  and  Hiram,  in  that  order.  Today  the  Big 
Four  are  Texas  Christian,  Butler,  Bethany,  and 
Drake,  in  that  order.  At  The  College  of  the  Bible 
in  Lexington,  Kentucky,  in  1897,  there  were  156 
studying  for  the  ministry,  at  Hiram,  116,  and  at 
Drake,  110. 

The  current  Year  Book  lists  forty-nine  papers 
published  by  Disciplles.  This  list  is  far  from  com- 
plete. Our  people  have  thrived  on  journalism  and 
during  the  course  of  the  history  of  the  Disciples 
have  published  a  grand  total  of  more  than  six  hun- 
dred papers.  The  circulation  of  the  state  publica- 
tions is  listed  at  47,900  as  against  60,100  ten  years 
before.  But  add  this  figure  to  the  circulation  of  the 
general  and  main  Sunday  school  papers  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati and  St.  Louis  publishing  houses  and  the 
monthly  mission  journal,  and  you  have  almost  a 
quarter  of  million  subscribers  to  Disciples  periodi- 
cals— and  the  readers  perhaps  number  twice  that 
many. 

We  need  to  know  more  about  ourselves  than  the 
Year  Book  reveals.    How  many  city  churches  have 


THE  SCROLL 73 

we  lost  through  the  years?  Have  we  lost  more  of 
them  than  we  have  gained  ?  How  many  churches  in 
cities  of  100,000  or  more  do  we  now  have?  What  is 
the  number  and  condition  of  all  our  educational  in- 
stitutions— colleges,  universities,  seminaries,  stu- 
dent foundations — of  our  benevolent  and  missionary 
institutions?  How  many  preachers  do  we  now  have 
with  seminary  training?  What  is  the  salary  sched- 
ule of  our  ministers?  Strangely  enough  while  the 
Year  Book  is  issued  under  the  auspices  of  a  com- 
mittee which  represents  the  agencies  reporting  to 
the  International  Convention,  no  mention  is  made 
of  the  resolutions  approved  by  the  convention  itself. 

Therefore,  we  are  like  our  colored  brother  in  a 
North  Carolina  town  who  worked  the  barber  trade 
and  preached  for  a  Disciples  church.  One  day  a 
white  Disciple  preacher  went  into  his  shop  for  a 
haircut.  While  there  a  colored  woman  entered  and 
talked  with  the  barber  awhile.  When  she  left  the 
white  man  said : 

"I  heard  you  mention  the  Disciples  church.  What 
do  you  do  over  there?" 

"Fse  'de  rector,"  was  the  reply. 

"But  I'm  a  Disciple  preacher  and  we  don't  have 
any  rectors.  We  have  preachers,  or  ministers,  or 
pastors,  but  not  rectors." 

"Oh,"  said  the  Negro,  "then  ah,  ain't  who  ah 
thought  ah  was." 


Chas.  A.  Stevens,  Box  343,  Olathe,  Kansas, 
writes :  I  have  finished  my  first  month  of  my  90th 
year.  I  just  finished  reinforcing  part  of  the  foun- 
dation of  a  dwelling.  Have  been  asked  to  build  a 
brick  house  on  a  farm  east  of  town.  But  I  am  hesi- 
tating. 


74 THE  SCROLL 

The   Problem   of  Christian   Union 

Earle  Marion  Todd,  Harlingen,  Texas 

For  many  years  Mr.  C.  C.  Morrison,  through  his 
paper,  The  Christian  Century,  has  earnestly  and 
most  ably  sought  to  bring  about  a  rapprochement 
among  those  religious  bodies  practicing  different 
forms  of  Christian  baptism.  He  rightly  recognized 
the  baptismal  question  as  a  stumbling  block  in  the 
way,  not  only  of  Christian  union,  but  even  of  effect- 
ive co-operation  in  advancing  those  causes  in  which 
the  churches  are  interested.  This  stumbling  block 
he  set  himself  with  passionate  eloquence  to  remove. 
In  pursuit  of  this  aim  he  developed  a  somewhat 
novel  theory  of  Christian  baptism.  But  his  pro- 
posals, while  generally  regarded  as  an  interesting 
contribution  to  the  discussion,  have  failed  to  resolve 
the  conflict.  There  is  clearly  an  inner  contradic- 
tion in  Mr.  Morrison's  views:  they  are  at  once  au- 
thoritarian and  libertarian, 

Mr.  Morrison  maintains  that  Christia'n  baptism 
originated  in  a  command  of  Jesus  and  that  its  con- 
tinued practice  is  mandatory  on  his  church.  The 
early  church  practiced  immersion  in  water  in  the 
Name  of  Christ  in  obedience  to  a  command  of  Christ, 
but  the  act  of  immersion  and  even  the  element 
(water)  in  which  it  took  place  were  merely  inci- 
dental and  not  essential  to  the  validity  of  the  ordi« 
nance.  Almost  any  act  by  which  the  convert  signi- 
fied his  acceptance  of  the  "yoke"  of  Christ  and  his 
desire  to  become  a  member  of  his  church  constituted 
Christian  baptism.  The  convert,  as  he  made  known 
his  desire,  might  no  more  than  hold  up  his  right 
hand  or  sign  the  church  register  and  that  act  would 
constitute  Christian  baptism, 

Mr.  Morrison  thus  completely  strips  the  word  of 
its  lexicographical  meaning,  while  at  the  same  time 


THE  SCROLL 75 

he  destroys  the  significant  symbolical  meaning 
which  the  ordinance  came  to  have  in  the  thought  of 
Paul.  The  lexicographical  meaning  does  not,  of 
course,  exhaust  the  meaning  of  baptism.  Christian 
baptism,  as  practiced  by  Baptists  and  Disciples,  is 
very  much  more  than  mere  immersion  in  water;  it 
is  doubtless  as  well  that  the  word  v/as  never  trans- 
lated but  simply  transliterated  in  our  English  ver- 
sions. But  its  lexicographical  meaning  is,  neverthe- 
less, a  fundamental  and  unchangeable  part  of  that 
meaning,  and  without  immersion  in  water,  no  mat- 
ter how  much  meaning  one  may  put  into  a  substitute 
act,  there  can  be  no  baptism  in  the  New  Testament 
meaning  of  the  word. 

From  this  point  of  view  it  would  seem  that  the 
discussion  has  come  to  an  impasse,  for  there  is  no 
human  possibility  that  Baptists  will  ever  persuade 
Affusionists  to  accept  immersion  or  that  Af- 
fusionists  will  ever  persuade  Baptists  to  ac- 
cept affusion  or  that  either  one  will  ever 
persuade  the  Friends  and  other  groups  to  ac- 
cept baptism  in  any  form.  Fortunately  there  is 
no  need  to  despair  of  a  solution,  for  at  this  point 
scholarship  comes  in  to  solve  the  problem  for  us. 
It  was  inevitable  that  the  Fathers  a  hundred  years 
ago,  following  a  wholly  uncritical  reading  of  the 
Gospels  and  before  the  historical  criticism  was  a 
recognized  method  of  Bible  study,  should  have  fixed 
on  baptism  as  a  definite  command  of  Christ  and 
given  it  a  prominent  place  in  their  movement  to  re- 
store New  Testament  Christianity.  But  the  histor- 
ical study  of  the  Gospels  has  made  great  progress 
since  their  day  and  those  narratives,  read  in  the 
light  of  that  study,  now  make  it  clear  that  Jesus  did 
not  in  any  way  concern  himself  about  the  ordinance. 

Those  Gospel  texts  which  seem  to  place  baptism 
in  the  category  of  a  divine  command  are,  when  sub- 
jected to  the  ordinary  canons  of  literary  and  histori- 


76 THE  SCROLL 

cal  criticism,  seen  to  be  alien  to  the  context  and 
clearly  a  later  addition  to  the  record.  It  is  impos- 
sible, in  the  space  at  my  disposal,  even  to  refer  to 
the  evidence  that  might  be  adduced  in  support  of 
this  statement.  This  evidence  is,  however,  available 
to  all  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  familiarize  them- 
selves with  the  literature.  There  are  some,  of  course, 
to  whom  the  received  text  of  the  New  Testament  is 
sacrosanct  and  to  whom  any  tampering  with  that 
text  will  be  regarded  as  sacrilege.  In  their  case 
we  shall  have  to  await  the  adjudication  of  time — 
they  will,  in  time,  come  to  accept  the  findings  of  the 
literary  and  historical  criticism  as  they  have  already 
accepted  the  findings  of  the  textual  criticism. 

There  is  a  question  in  the  minds  of  some  of  our 
most  competent  and  careful  students  as  to  the  best 
manner  of  approach  to  the  problem :  should  it  be 
approached  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  literary 
critic  or  by  some  more  devious  route?  Many  feel 
that  it  could  be  better  dealt  with  by  what  may  be 
called  the  method  of  silence — i.e.,  by  not  dealing 
with  it  at  all  but  by  simply  being  silent  about  it, 
letting  it  fade  out  of  our  religious  consciousness 
and  die.  This  method,  as  now  pursued  by  many 
Disciples'  leaders,  is  conscious,  deliberate  and  pur- 
poseful and  pursued  with  the  utmost  sincerity  and 
the  highest  idealism.  In  other  cases  it  is,  perhaps, 
an  unreasoned  but  sound  and  somewhat  subcon- 
scious temperamental  response  to  a  heightened  sense 
of  values.  For  there  are  many  who,  while  not  defi- 
nitely formulating  a  policy,  are  so  deeply  concerned 
with  the  really  vital  issues  of  religion  that  mere 
formal  matters  are  crowded  out;  they  instinctively 
feel  that  emphasis  on  the  formal  and  external  tends 
to  blunt  the  edge  of  the  Gospel  sword.  This  method 
of  silence  has  much  in  the  way  of  strategy  to  com- 
mend it  and  it  is  probably  the  only  method  that  of- 
fers hope  for  the  immediate  present — we  are  as  yet 


THE  SCROLL 77 

too  conservative  to  make  possible  a  more  realistic 
approach.  But  let  us  be  under  no  illusions:  this 
is  no  solution;  the  problem  will  remain  so  long  as 
Matt.  28:18-20,  and  other  passages  dealing  with 
organizational  and  procedural  matters,  are  allowed 
to  stand  as  genuine  utterances  of  Jesus.  Further- 
more, the  method  seems  somewhat  disingenuous. 
Many  of  us  have  for  long  followed  this  method,  but 
there  is  an  increasingly  insistent  feeling  that  a  more 
open  course  is  desirable.  The  time  seems  to  have 
come  when  scholarship  makes  possible  a  direct  as- 
sault on  the  citadel  of  authoritarianism.  Hence  it 
seems  desirable  to  face  the  issue  at  once  and  have 
done  with  it.    We  will  then  know  where  we  are. 

We  therefore  seem  justified  in  drawing  certain 
hypothetical  conclusions : 
//  it  is  agreed — 

That  Jesus  concerned  himself  not  at  all  with  the 
externals  of  religion  and  that  he  left  no  directions 
dealing  with  organizational,  sacramental,  proced- 
ural or  ceremonial  matters ; 

That  he,  of  set  purpose,  left  his  disciples  in  all 
generations  free,  under  the  guidance  of  His  Spirit, 
to  develop  the  organs  of  religion  as  the  need  arose 
and  the  occasion  might  require,  and  to  adapt  those 
organs  to  human  and  social  needs  as  times  and  con- 
ditions changed; 

That,  consequently,  The  Church  as  an  institution, 
its  Ministry,  the  Sacraments,  the  Lord's  Day,  spe- 
cial feast  and  fast  days  and  seasons  and  the  rites 
and  ceremonies  of  religion  together  with  all  the 
administrative  agencies  of  the  church  find  their 
sanctions  in  human  efforts  to  meet  spiritual  needs 
and  in  their  continuing  spiritual  usefulness  and  not 
in  the  equivocal  authority  of  a  divine  command ; 
Then  it  would  seem  to  follow — 

That  the  way  was  open  for  the  fraternal  tolera- 
tion of  greater  differences  in  church  organization 


78 THE  SCROLL 

and  discipline  and  sacramental  form  than  the  Chris- 
tian church  has  ever  known ; 

That  episcopal  or  other  ordination,  desirable  in 
some  form  as  contributing  to  the  dignity  and  au- 
thority of  the  office  of  the  Ministry,  is  not  essential 
to  its  validity  but  is  simply  an  optional  ceremonial 
induction  to  office,  the  omission  of  which  by  any 
group  in  no  wise  invalidates  its  Ministry; 

That  such  groups  as  the  Friends  and  the  Salva- 
tion Army  which  dispense  with  the  Sacraments  and 
many  other  conventional  forms,  as  well  as  denomi- 
nations like  the  English  Baptists  and  groups  like 
many  Disciples'  congregations  which  make  baptism 
optional  with  the  individual,  are  acting  within  the 
limits  of  Christian  liberty  in  following  their  rea- 
soned judgments  in  these  matters; 

That  those  bodies,  impressive  alike  for  their  long 
and  honorable  history  and  their  numerical  strength 
as  well  as  for  their  monumental  contributions  to 
the  great  traditions  of  the  Christian  church,  are  jus- 
tified by  the  very  genius  of  Christianity  in  follow- 
ing traditional  organizational  and  sacramental 
forms  differing  widely  from  those  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment church  but  which  have,  through  the  centuries, 
proved  themselves  socially  and  religiously  valid  and 
desirable ; 

That  thus  formidable  barriers  that  have  for  cen- 
turies kept  Chris.tians  apart,  fostered  controversy 
and  bitterness  and  even  persecution  and  paralyzed 
the  church  in  its  fight  against  wrong,  melt  down 
into  nothingness  and  leave  the  way  open  for  close 
co-operation  between  groups  differing  widely  in 
form  of  organization  and  worship ; 

That  the  major  barriers  to  organic  union  will  thus 
have  been  broken  down  and  the  ground  cleared  for 
the  building  of  a  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST. 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  began  a  hundred  years 


THE  SCROLL 79 

ago  by  accepting  and  putting  into  practice  the  most 
advanced  scholarship  of  their  day.  Its  leaders  were 
in  the  front  rank  of  progressive  American  thinkers 
and  innovators.  By  breaking  with  precedent  and 
following  scholarship  they  became  the  heralds  of  a 
new  era  in  American  Christianity.  No  body  of 
Christians  is  today  freer  to  follow  the  light  and 
move  forward  to  new  and  advanced  positions  than 
the  Disciples  of  Christ.  Loyalty  to  the  Fathers 
means  loyalty  to  the  lead  of  scholarship  and  to  the 
ideal  of  independent  progressive  thinking  and  act- 
ing. "Our  Plea,"  as  it  was  originally  conceived,  was 
not  a  static  but  a  dynamic  thing  that  would  change 
as  new  light  dawned.  New  light  has  dawned  in 
our  day,  a  marvelously  revealing  and  emancipating 
light,  and  with  it  has  come  an  opportunity  of  serv- 
ice to  the  Christian  cause  as  great  and  distinctive 
as  that  which  came  to  the  Fathers  a  hundred  years 
ago. 

What  better  preparation  could  there  be  for  our 
participation  as  a  positive,  constructive  force  and 
with  a  truly  catholic  message  in  the  epochal  con- 
ferences of  the  universal  Church  planned  for  the 
years  ahead! 


The  meetings  at  the  Richmond  Convention  of  the 
Institute  were  carried  out  as  planned.  They  were 
well  attended  in  spite  of  too  great  a  distance  from 
the  Mosque.  Perhaps  another  year  we  can  be  cer- 
tain of  better  quarters,  still  better  organized  pro- 
grams, and  more  snappj^  discussions  from  the  floor. 
The  program  committee  for  the  annual  meeting 
might  well  make  the  arrangement  for  the  Conven- 
tion meeting. 


80 THE  SCROLL 

Liberalism  Among  the  Disciples 

Irvin  E.  Lunger,  Chicago 

For  over  four  decades  the  Campbell  Institute  has 
been  actively  identified  with  liberal  thought  and 
practice.  It  has  been  a  persistent  and  liberalizing 
force  among  the  Disciples.  Despite  the  continued 
efforts  of  unsympathetic  friends  to  discredit  it  as 
"the  lunatic  fringe"  or  as  "an  insignificant  marginal 
clique,"  it  has — like  01'  Man  River — just  kept  roll- 
ing along.  Likewise,  the  liberal  mind  which  it  has 
cherished  has  continued  its  leavening  function  de- 
spite a  multitude  of  unfavorable  social  and  academic 
developments. 

I 

Since  all  liberal  movements  appear  to  rise  and 
fall  together,  we  may  preface  our  examination  of 
liberalism  among  the  Disciples  with  a  cursory  sur- 
vey of  the  status  of  liberalism  in  general  in  these 
days.  Actually  the  shifts  in  liberal  thought  and 
practice  in  the  larger  ranges  of  our  culture  provide 
the  environment  and  conditioning  influence  for  ex- 
pressions of  liberalism  among  the  Disciples. 

Twentieth  century  liberalism — like  the  man  on 
the  Jericho  road — has  been  beaten,  stripped  and 
left  for  dead.  But — like  the  man  on  the  Jericho 
road — it  has  been  nursed  back  to  good  health  again. 
If  the  theory,  "Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child," 
is  correct,  liberalism  will  never  be  spoiled.  It  has 
been  attacked,  ignored,  refuted,  trampled  down — 
but  not  destroyed. 

Liberalism  in  the  opening  years  of  this  century 
pointed  the  way  to  social  salvation  and  described 
the  techniques  of  salvation.  But  pointing  and  de- 
scribing was  not  suflficient  as  the  passing  years  have 
proved.  The  liberalism  of  yesterday  never  lacked 
assurances,  idealism  or  devotion.     It  did  lack  ade- 


THE  SCROLL 81 

quate  insight  into  the  sluggishness  of  humanity  to 
radically  alter  its  way  of  life.  It  over-estimated 
the  control  which  intellect  exerted  over  emotion,  be- 
lieving that  knowledge  guaranteed  action  and  that 
intellect  was  the  master  of  will. 

The  currents  which  have  washed  across  the  lib- 
eralism of  yesterday  are  too  well  known  for  me  to 
linger  in  discussing  them — the  post-war  confusions, 
the  rise  of  totalitarianism,  the  retreat  of  democracy, 
the  depressions  and  insecurity,  the  advance  of  pessi- 
mism, the  return  to  power  politics,  the  emergence 
of  the  "Follow  the  Leader"  complex,  and  the  ab- 
dication of  intelligence  in  favor  of  emotion.  Lib- 
eralism has  been  generally  lampooned  and  ridiculed 
in  recent  years  because  of  its  failure  to  dam  ramp- 
ant emotion  and  confusion. 

The  significant  thing  in  these  days  is  not  the  trend 
away  from  liberalism.  It  is  rather  that  liberals 
who  knew  they  were  liberals  and  whose  liberalism 
was  a  deep-seated  conviction  have  persisted  in  their 
aflfirmative  attitude  undaunted  by  hostile  currents. 
Liberals  who  stand  by  the  tenets  of  empirical  and 
humanitarian  faith  in  these  days  are  not  like  the 
rats  destined  to  go  down  with  a  doomed  ship  or 
be  the  last  to  flee  from  it — they  are  like  the  able- 
bodied  seamen  who  stay  with  the  ship  because  they 
know  the  real  strength  of  their  vessel  and  are  con- 
fident that  it  will  ride  out  this  storm.  These  lib- 
erals are  those  who  have  tended  the  fire  of  faith  in 
God  and  in  man,  who  have  relied  upon  freedom  and 
justice  and  truth,  and  who  have  placed  their  trust 
in  the  inherent  goodness  of  life.  These  are  those 
who  today  are  called  the  "unrepentent"  or  "con- 
firmed" liberals.  The  recent  series  of  autobiograph- 
ical studies  in  the  Christian  Century  reveals  these 
liberals  stating  their  faith  with  unfaltering  assur- 
ance. 

Liberalism,  it  is  true,  has  been  chastened.    It  has 


82 THE  SCROLL 

been  weighed  in  the  balance — but  it  has  not  been 
destroyed.  It  has  been  tempered  and  strengthened 
even  though  many  of  its  adherents  have  forsaken 
it.  It  is  indeed  a  v^iser  way  of  thought  and  action. 
Its  proponents  know  that  something  more  than 
emancipation  from  closed  authority  is  needed.  Opti- 
mism and  enthusiasm  are  not  enough  to  insure  the 
achievement  of  the  salvation  of  human  life  and 
society.  More  is  needed  than  fingers  pointing  the 
way  or  voices  describing  the  techniques  of  salvation. 

Liberal  thinkers  have  rolled  up  their  sleeves  and 
gone  to  work.  Wishful  thinking  and  preaching  are 
being  replaced  by  sober  insistence  upon  scientific 
objectivity  set  within  the  frame  of  reference  of  sig- 
nificant commitments.  Science  for  science  sake  is 
being  supplanted  by  considerations  for  science  re- 
sponsible for  and  responsive  to  the  use  and  abuse  of 
its  findings.  Liberalism  instead  of  pointing  the 
way  is  increasingly  assuming  the  responsibility  for 
leading  the  way.  Instead  of  describing  techniques 
of  social  advance,  it  is  increasingly  leading  in  the 
interpretation  and  application  of  them.  The  basic 
attitudes  and  emphases  of  liberalism  have  become 
more  serious  and  intent.  Attitudes  are  being  wedded 
to  acts,  objectivity  to  truth  and  to  commitment.  Lib- 
erals are  moving  from  a  passive  to  an  active  faith 
in  the  open  mind  and  in  the  acceptance  and  appli- 
cation of  new  facts  and  techniques. 

The  basic  failure  in  the  past  has  been  with  lib- 
erals rather  than  with  liberalism.  The  attempt  by 
certain  liberals  to  create  a  content  or  body  of  belief 
and  to  propagate  it  as  liberalism  was  indeed  a  dis- 
tortion of  liberalism.  The  confusion  which  has 
marked  the  ranks  of  liberals  in  recent  decades  has 
grown  from  a  failure  to  realize  that  liberalism  is 
a  way  of  thought,  a  manner  of  approaching  life  and 
its  problems,  an  empirical  faith  and  program.  Lib- 
eralism is  not  an  ideology  nor  is  it  theory  sepa- 


THE  SCROLL 83 

rated  from  practice.  It  is  a  devoted  and  scientific 
approach  to  life  and  to  the  problems  of  living;  it 
is  a  deep  faith  in  the  ability  of  men  and  women  to 
achieve  their  salvation. 

Despite  the  wave  of  pessimism  and  defeatism 
which  Barthianism  has  provoked,  the  basic  intents 
and  attitudes  of  liberalism  are  being  widely  reaf- 
firmed in  these  days.  Such  books  as  those  written 
by  Harold  Bosley  on  tentativeness  in  religion  and 
by  Cecil  Cadoux  in  defense  of  evangelical  modern- 
ism indicate  the  trend.  Other  clear  evidences  ap- 
pear in  the  popular  interpretations  of  the  higher 
criticism  of  the  Bible  introduced  by  Edgar  Good- 
speed's  Story  of  the  Bible  and  Harry  Emerson  Fos- 
dick's  Chiide  to  the  Understanding  of  the  Bible,  So- 
cial studies  and  psychological  investigations  are  pro- 
viding further  information  and  inspiration  for  ef- 
forts aimed  at  the  betterment  of  life. 

The  quantity  of  liberalism  in  these  days  may  have 
been  diminished  by  the  developments  of  the  past 
few  decades.  The  quality  of  liberal  leadership,  how- 
ever, has  vastly  improved  in  these  days.  In  every 
area  of  our  common  life,  its  invigorating  spirit  may 
be  felt.  An  examination  of  liberalism  in  these  times 
leaves  us  confident  and  encouraged.  It  tends  to 
reaffirm  our  individual  affirmations. 

II 

Within  this  evolution  in  liberalism  from  emanci- 
pation from  to  emancipation  for  specific  action,  the 
Campbell  Institute  has  had  its  place.  To  examine 
the  status  of  liberalism  within  the  Disciples,  we 
may  turn  to  two  areas  of  our  brotherhood.  We  may 
examine  the  status  of  liberalism  as  recognized  by 
the  more  conservative  members  of  our  brotherhood, 
and  we  may  examine  the  status  of  liberalism  as 
recognized  by  liberals  themselves.  It  is  from  the 
more  conservative  brethren  that  the  more  accurate 
statistics  come. 


84 THE  SCROLL 

If  the  Campbell  Institute  represents  liberalism 
among  the  Disciples,  consider  the  information  of- 
fered by  Edwin  R.  Errett  in  "The  Way  to  Peace" 
published  in  the  March  25th  (1939)  issue  of  The 
Christian  Standard. 

"...  the  Campbell  Institute,  centering  in  Chi- 
cago, is  on  the  extreme  edge  of  things  in  this  bro- 
therhood. .  .  .  Certainly  no  one  questions  that  the 
Chicago  group  constitutes  the  limit  in  that  direc- 
tion. No  one  thinks  of  anything  more  liberal  than 
they  are. 

"The  clique  gains  a  disproportionate  representa- 
tion in  the  organizational  life  of  the  larger  group. 
The  Campbell  Institute  published  in  its  October 
(1938)  issue  of  its  organ,  The  Scroll,  the  list  of  its 
membership — a  total  of  473  .  .  .  the  Year  Book 
carries  a  total  list  of  over  7300  preachers  alone. 

"Observe  first  the  International  Convention.  The 
president,  two  of  the  three  vice-presidents  and  the 
general  secretary  chosen  at  Denver  and  now  serv- 
ing are  members  of  the  Campbell  Institute.  As  for 
the  Executive  Committee,  three  of  the  five  members 
whose  terms  expired  in  1938  are  members  of  the 
Campbell  Institute,  and  three  of  the  five  whose 
terms  expire  in  1939  are  members  of  the  Campbell 
Institute.  Only  one  of  those  whose  terms  expire 
in  1939  is  a  member  of  the  Campbell  Institute.  ()nly 
one  of  those  whose  terms  expire  in  1940  is  so  con- 
nected, she  being  the  wife  of  a  member  of  the  Camp- 
bell Institute,  but  four  of  the  five  in  the  class  of 
1941  (the  ones  elected  at  Denver)  are  Campbell  In- 
stitute men.  Eight  of  the  present  fifteen  members, 
not  to  mention  the  fact  that  the  fifth  in  the  1941 
class  is  the  wife  of  the  minister  of  a  community 
church. 

"In  the  Committee  on  Recommendations  elected 
to  serve  at  Denver,  33  members  were  Campbell  In- 
stitute men  or  their  wives. 

"Looking  over  the  presidents  of  the  International 
Convention  in  recent  years,  we  find  that  six  of  the 
last  eight  presidents  have  been  members  of  that 
clique. 


THE  SCROLL 85 

"It  is  scarcely  a  surprise,  therefore,  to  discover 
that  the  Campbell  Institute  dominates  the  commit- 
tees and  commissions  of  the  convention.  Six  out 
of  the  seven  members  of  the  Committee  on  Ordina- 
tion of  Ministers  are  Campbell  Institute  men.  Fif- 
teen of  the  twenty-six  members  of  the  Commission 
on  Restudy  are  so  related;  likewise,  twelve  of  the 
eighteen  members  of  the  Commission  on  Structure 
and  Function,  which  came  to  an  end  without  giv- 
ing the  brotherhood  any  important  advance.  All 
five  of  the  Committee  on  Nominations  at  Denver 
were  Campbell  Institute  men.  Three  of  the  five 
members  of  the  Committee  on  Chaplaincy  are  from 
the  Institute,  and  all  three  of  the  Committee  on 
Temperance.  There  is  nothing  amazing,  therefore, 
in  the  discovery  that  five  of  the  twelve  members 
of  the  Commission  on  Budgets  and  Promotional  Re- 
lationships, and  ten  of  the  twenty-four  members  of 
the  board  of  directors  of  Unified  Promotion,  are 
members  (or  in  one  case  the  wife  of  a  member)  of 
the  Institute. 

"When  we  turn  to  the  boards,  we  find  that,  in  the 
United  Society,  thirty-five  of  the  116  members  of 
the  Board  of  Managers  are  Institute  men  or  the 
wives  of  Institute  men.  Five  of  the  ten  from  Indi- 
ana, three  of  the  six  from  Iowa,  three  of  the  eight 
from  Illinois,  three  of  the  six  from  Kentucky,  three 
of  the  seven  from  Ohio  are  such.  It  is  not  surpris- 
ing, therefore,  to  find  nine  of  the  twenty-one  mem- 
bers of  the  Board  of  Trustees  (the  real  directing 
body)  either  members  or  wives  of  members  of  the 
Institute.  The  future  is  protected,  too,  for  eight  of 
the  eighteen  members  of  the  society's  nominating 
committee  for  next  year  are  of  the  same  group. 

"The  Board  of  Church  Extension,  by  contrast, 
seems  to  have  been  neglected,  for  only  a  third  of 
its  trustees  are  Institute  men.  The  Pension  Fund 
has  been  almost  ignored;  only  four  of  its  fifteen 
members  are  Institute  men. 

"When  we  come  to  the  College  Association,  we 
are  prepared  to  discover  that  twenty-seven  of  its 
board  of  fifty-seven  are  from  the  Institute  roll. 


^6 THE  SCROLL 

"...  the  Association  for  the  Promotion  of  Chris- 
tian Unity  .  .  .  assumes  to  represent  the  brother- 
hood in  negotiations  for  unity  and  particularly  for 
mergers.  ...  Of  the  24  members  of  the  Associa- 
tion's board,  20  are  on  the  roll  of  the  Institute  which 
is  the  rallying  center  of  the  extreme  fringe  of  our 
brotherhood." 

Mr.  Errett's  statistics  were  designed  to  show 
how  generally  liberal  men  and  women  were  rising 
into  places  of  responsibility  within  the  brotherhood. 
Although  he  calls  the  liberals  among  us  members  of 
the  "lunatic  fringe"  and  of  a  "marginal  clique,"  his 
survey  of  liberal  participation  actually  refutes  what 
he  started  out  to  prove.  It  is  evident  that  a  liberal 
leadership  is  rising  among  the  Disciples.  Since  lib- 
eralism is  to  be  measured  by  the  influence  of  liberal 
men  and  women,  the  estimate  provided  by  our  more 
conservative  friends  indicates  that  liberalism  among 
the  Disciples  is  a  significant  force. 

If  we  turn  to  the  liberals  themselves  for  an  index 
as  to  the  status  of  liberalism  among  the  Disciples, 
evidence  to  confirm  the  findings  of  Mr.  Errett  is 
to  be  found  in  abundance.  Disciples  are  exerting  a 
liberalizing  influence  and  leadership  in  wide  areas 
of  cooperative  and  related  activity.  In  interdenom- 
inational councils  and  in  ecumenical  activity,  liberal 
Disciple  leadersip  abounds.  In  journalism,  the  lib- 
eralizing spirit  of  the  Disciples  is  well  established. 
In  areas  of  investigation  related  to  religion,  Disciple 
liberalism  is  apparent. 

While  it  is  impossible  to  measure  the  exact  influ- 
ence of  liberalism  among  the  Disciples,  significant 
indices  are  supplied  by  brotherhood  publications, 
convention  addresses,  sermons  from  the  pulpit,  par- 
ticipation in  social  action  and  reconciliatory  organ- 
izations, leadership  in  the  movements  of  a  larger 
Christendom,  books  written  and  emphasized,  and 
the  concerns  of  the  laymen  and  ministers.  Through 
all  these  areas,  a  deepening  and  broadening  spirit 


THE  SCROLL 87 

of  liberalism  is  to  be  felt.  As  we  examine  liberalism 
among  the  Disciples,  we  note  that  liberalism  is 
growing  and  that  the  terms  by  which  liberalism  was 
known  a  few  decades  ago  rarely  are  used.  The 
phrases  of  liberalism  are  being  thrust  aside  by  a 
more  genuine  and  transforming  liberal  spirit. 

Among  the  Disciples,  liberalism  is  not  a  fad.  It 
is  the  very  life  blood  of  the  democratic  and  com- 
mon-sense interpretation  of  Christianity  which 
brought  the  Disciples  into  being.  Liberalism  to  Dis- 
cipledom  is  not  a  philosophical  parlor  game;  it  is 
their  genius — their  way  of  life  and  their  way  to 
life.  Liberalism  in  religion  is  the  movement  of  the 
Christian  spirit  away  from  doctrines  of  au- 
thority and  sectarianism  to  attitudes  which 
release  the  mind  and  spirit  to  interpret  the 
gospel  of  Christ  in  terms  of  the  urgent  needs  and 
experiences  of  daily  life. 


An  evidence  of  the  effectiveness  of  Congregation- 
alism is  in  administration  of  the  ordinances  or  sac- 
raments. Great  and  millenium-lasting  controversies 
and  divisions  have  arisen  over  the  administration  of 
the  ordinances. 

A  centralized  authority  must  interpret  the  admin- 
istration of  baptism,  whether  sacramentarian  or' 
otherwise,  and  prescribe  the  procedure  of  admin- 
istration and  the  limitation  of  membership  in  con- 
nection therewith.  Congregational  bodies  on  the 
other  hand  must  allow  some  freedom  for  local  prac- 
tice. And  this  freedom  does  not  exclude  nor  disrupt 
the  inner  and  vital  unity  of  a  congregational  com- 
munion. 

F.  W.  Burnham  in  World  Call. 


88 THE  SCROLL 

On,  "Whither  Disciples?" 

Sterling  W.  Broivn,  University  of  Oklahoma 

I  want  to  express  my  appreciation  for  your  arti- 
cle "Whither  Disciples?"  appearing  in  the  Scroll.  It 
sums  up  in  terse  language  many  of  the  things  you 
have  been  saying  for  several  years.  In  this  article 
you  say  them  in  concise  language  and  in  more  con- 
nected form  than  previously. 

I,  too,  feel  that  the  Disciples  have  unique  re- 
sources for  the  practice  and  propagation  of  the  prac- 
tical religion  of  Jesus  as  a  phase  of  modern  culture 
rather  than  as  a  parasitic  growth.  The  religions 
that  have  made  the  most  significant  contributions 
to  the  life  of  humanity  have  been  those  within  cul- 
ture. But  I  can  see  clearly  some  drawbacks  which 
block  immediate  utilization  of  these  resources. 
These  obstacles  will  have  to  be  "taken  out  of  the 
play"  before  any  effective  ground-gaining  can  be 
chalked  up  by  the  Disciples.  I  enumerate  some  of 
these  obstructions  in  the  spirit  of  fair  play  and  the 
strategy  of  "dark  gray  optimism"  which  dictates 
a  long  hard  drive  toward  the  distant  goal. 

1)  The  widespread  lack  of  a  thorough  knowledge 
and  appreciation  of  the  true  genius  of  the  Disciple 
movement. 

2)  The  adherence  to  traditional  practices  and 
techniques  that  were  developed  on  the  Calvinistic 
basis,  rather  than  the  development  of  procedures 
consistent  with  the  true  heritage  of  the  Disciples, 

3)  Much  talk  about  Christian  unity  but  little 
practice  of  union  with  other  religious  bodies. 

4)  The  absence  of  a  sustaining  fellowship  among 
the  liberal  men  of  our  movement.  Instead  there  is 
rank  individualism.  (The  notable  exception  is  the 
Campbell  Institute.) 


THE  SCROLL 89 

5)  The  lack  of  a  sense  of  mission  which  motivates 
religious  bodies  in  the  accomplishment  of  worthy 
objectives. 

FroTTi  Charles  M.  Skarpe,  McConnellsville,  N.Y. 

Dr.  Ames  has  written  a  most  interesting  and  chal- 
denging  brochure  upon  his  theme.  It  should  take 
rank  with  such  historically  important  statements  as 
that  of  Isaac  Errett's  tract,  "Our  Position,"  and 
we  could  v/ell  wish  it  might  have  the  circulation  and 
receive  the  attention  given  that  famous  document. 

With  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  his  argument  I 
am  sure  that  practically  all  members  of  the  Camp- 
bell Institute  will  find  themselves  in  cordial  agree- 
ment. We  do  believe  that  at  the  heart  of  the  move- 
ment there  has  ever  been  and  still  is  a  fundamental 
religious  insight  which  needs  only  to  be  rightly  ap- 
prehended and  validly  developed  in  relation  to  the 
assured  knowledge  of  our  time  in  order  to  re-vital- 
ize the  cause  and  send  it  forward  to  still  greater 
service  in  the  on-going  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  This 
central  faith  and  loyalty  is  rightly  declared  to  be 
the  supremacy  and  spiritual  authority  of  the  per- 
sonal Christ  who  was  the  historical  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth— prophet-teacher,  sufferer  and  victor  upon  the 
cross  of  Calvary,  and  revealer  of  God's  will  and  pur- 
pose for  and  toward  men. 

But  I  am  sure  the  author  would  much  prefer  that 
we  discuss  and  test  his  thesis  and  arguments,  rather 
than  that  we  should  praise  them.  Hence  I  have 
considered  that  my  own  best  contribution  may  well 
be  the  raising  of  certain  questions  which,  in  the 
light  (or  darkness)  of  my  own  modest  studies 
of  this  religious  movement,  are  not  adequately  treat- 
ed in  the  essay  under  discussion. 

For  example.  Has  the  Lockeian  influence  upon  the 
movement  really  been  as  beneficial  as  the  author 
suggests,  and  is  there  any  appreciable  value  in  a 
present  day  emphasis  upon  Locke  in  appealing  to 


90 THE  SCROLL 

Disciples  for  hospitality  toward  science  and  mod- 
ern learning  in  the  service  and  support  of  religion? 
Is  it  not  rather  a  fact  that  Mr.  Campbell  and  his 
associates  were  diverted,  though  unconsciously, 
from  a  loyalty  to  their  original  insight  of  faith  and 
obedience  toward  the  personal  Jesus  in  the  central 
import  of  his  ethical  and  spiritual  attitudes  and 
teaching  precisely  by  their  philosophical  and  theo- 
logical presuppositions?  Under  the  double  influ- 
ence of  Locke's  Rationalism — for  he  was  a  rational- 
ist rather  than  an  empiricist  in  all  his  dealing  with 
matters  of  religion — and  of  the  Covenant  Theology, 
which  was  essentially  Calvinian  though  somewhat 
reduced  in  its  biblicistic  range  and  legalistic  rigor, 
did  not  Mr.  Campbell  and  his  associates  really  make 
of  Jesus  not  "a  person"  but  "a,  thing"?  Did  they 
not  adopt  a  doctrine  of  his  person,  a  christological 
theory  in  accord  with  which  they  proceeded  to  con- 
struct a  so-called  Christian  System?  Thus  instead 
of  coming  directly  to  the  Jesus  of  the  gospels  in 
order  to  find  in  his  actual  personality — his  life  and 
teaching — the  guiding  principles  and  dynamic  of 
the  Christian  life,  were  they  not  committed  to  a 
formal,  even  though  simplified,  legalistic  system  ?  As 
for  Locke's  sensational  psychology  was  not  that  re- 
sponsible for  the  crass  ''word  alone"  theory  of  con- 
version which  surely  no  psychologically  trained  Dis- 
ciple would  now  care  to  maintain?  Even  success- 
ful evangelists  among  us  will  know  better.  Was  it 
not  the  misleading  "clearness  and  distinctness"  prin- 
ciple of  the  Enlightenment  philosophy  that  contrib- 
uted to  the  Campbellian  idea  of  one  clearly  defined 
Neiv  Testament  Church  with  all  its  essential  doc- 
trine, form,  order  and  practice  (See  Declaration 
and  Address)  which  now  so  good  a  scholar  and  ex- 
cellent christian  as  Dean  Kershner  admits  to  have 
been  an  error?  Through  such  influences  Mr.  Camp- 
bell and  his  followers  have  themselves  unwittingly 


THE  SCROLL 91 

and  unintentionally  driven  down  stakes  for  the 
movement  which  instinctively  they  felt  should  be 
free  and  unfettered. 

Again,  to  what  extent,  if  any,  are  the  Disciples 
in  advance  of  other  Protestant  bodies  in  their  ac- 
ceptance and  advocacy  of  the  great  objectives  of  the 
highest  intellectual,  and  ethical  insights  of  our 
times  ?  Has  the  way  of  the  transgressor  really  been 
less  hard  among  the  Disciples  than  among  some  oth- 
er communions,  and  have  they  really  been  more  hos- 
pitable toward  free  and  progressive  spirits  in  the 
fields  of  biblical  scholarship,  scientific  investigation 
and  experimentation,  and  in  respect  of  the  social 
implications  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus?  I  could  be- 
come very  specific  here  and  mention  many  instances 
of  disciplinary  severity  or  even  injustice  upon  the 
part  of  boards,  newspapers,  conventions,  and  indi- 
viduals unduly  zealous  for  the  safety  of  the  ark  of 
the  Lord.  But  this  would  be  too  painful  for  some 
and  would  serve  no  useful  purpose. 

It  has  been  pointed  out  that  the  extreme  congre- 
gational independence  of  the  Disciples'  form  of  gov- 
ernment has  been  of  advantage  in  affording  a  meas- 
ure of  safety  to  the  individual.  But  has  not  this 
also  had  its  disadvantages  in  that,  lacking  general 
courts  of  appeal  by  which  the  individual  might  have 
his  cause  determined  and  be  effectively  defended 
when  justified,  he  has  been  at  the  mercy  of  self- 
appointed  popes  whether  newspapers,  boards,  or 
heresy-hunting  hounds  of  the  Lord?  Has  there  been 
any  religious  body  in  which  a  bushwhacking  con- 
flict has  been  more  in  evidence  than  among  the  Dis- 
ciples? 

The  general  drift  of  these  queries  will  be,  of 
course,  to  raise  the  further  question  whether  we  may 
not  be  in  danger  of  so  magnifying  the  imputed  and 
wished-for  liberalism  of  our  movement,  up  to  date, 
that  we  will  fall  behind  the  marching  column  of  the 


92 THE  SCROLL 

real  Kingdom  of  God  in  our  day.  Dr.  Ames  does  not 
fall  into  that  error  himself.  I  note  that  although, 
according  to  the  tenor  of  his  general  thesis  he  might 
claim  for  the  Disciples  a  distinct  superiority  at  this 
point,  he  is  content  to  say  in  respect  of  the  scien- 
tific interest  that  "no  other  religious  body  is  in  bet- 
ter intellectual  and  practical  attitude  to  adopt  the 
method  and  results  of  science  in  the  service  of  the 
religious  life."  He  might  have  vi^ritten,  "so  good" 
instead  of  "better."  Is  it  that  his  cautious  scien- 
tific empiricism  here  prevails  over  his  wishful  ideal- 
ism, or  is  this  but  an  instance  of  his  v^^ell-known 
moderation  and  "sweet  reasonableness"? 

But  I  far  exceed  the  space  allotted  me.  In  con- 
clusion let  me  say  that,  although  the  interrogative 
form  employed  may  well  suggest  an  undue  negative 
attitude  and  even  pessimism  upon  my  part,  it  is 
not  really  so.  But  I  do  suspect  that,  as  yet,  no  suffi- 
ciently extensive  studies  and  analyses  of  the  Disci- 
ples' movement  have  been  made  in  order  to  the  effec- 
tive restatement  of  its  thought  and  program.  That, 
it  seems  to  me,  must  be  the  work  of  younger  scholars 
and  prophets  in  the  years  immediately  ahead. 


I  appreciate  the  contribution  you  have  made  in 
the  September  issue  of  The  Scroll  entitled  "Whith- 
er Disciples  ?"  You  have  stated  the  moods  and  tem- 
peraments of  the  Disciples  accurately  and  concisely 
and  I  doubt  if  a  clearer  statement  on  this  theme 
could  be  given  by  anyone  within  or  without  our  fel- 
lowship. 

A.  C.  Brooks. 


THE  SCROLL 93 

Realty  and   Value: 

An   Introduction  to  Metaphysics  and  An  Essay 
on  the  Theory  of  Value 

By  A.  Campbell  Garnett.     Yale  University  Press, 
1937.    Pp.  320.    $3.00. 

A  Review  by  Charles  Hartshome, 
University  of  Chicago 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  review  this  book.  Its  appear- 
ance is  one  more  sign  that  "realism"  has  ceased  to 
mean  primarily  an  opposition  to  idealism,  and  has 
become  a  highly  affirmative  and  ample  philosophy.  It 
is  also  one  of  the  many  signs  that  our  age  is  not 
about  to  adopt  positivism.  It  is  true  that  in  accept- 
ing philosophic  responsibility  realism  becomes  less 
sharply  distinguishable  from  some  forms  of  ideal- 
ism; but  in  so  doing,  it  testifies  to  the  soundness  of 
the  general  philosophic  method  which  it  necessarily 
shares  with  the  philosopers  it  opposes.  In  this  book 
matter  is  contrasted  to  mind,  but  common  to  both, 
and  the  ground  of  their  interaction,  is  at  least  time, 
the  "mind  of  space"  (S.  Alexander),  involving  an 
element  of  spontaneity,  though  not  necessarily  of 
sentience  or  value;  and  as  the  principle  of  order  in 
both  mind  and  matter  we  must  admit  an  eternal  or- 
dering "will."  Also  eternal  is  the  potentiality-con- 
tinuum or  "Eternal  Object"  (in  the  singular!) 
which,  being  broken  up  in  time,  forms  the  interac- 
tion of  mind  and  physical  things,  and  produces  the 
"neutral"  secondary  qualities,  and  the  qualities  of 
feeling  and  value.  The  Eternal  Object,  like  the 
forms  in  Plato,  is  not  assimilated  even  to  the  Eter- 
nal Will,  though  it  is  said  that  both  together,  with 
time  as  the  mind  or  life  of  the  Eternal  Will,  con- 
stitute God  or  the  Absolute.    On  this  point  I  cannot 


94 THE  SCROLL 

but  suspect  that  the  divergence  from  idealism,  miti- 
gated as  it  is,  is  still  somewhat  exaggerated. 

Especially  brilliant  is  the  attempt  to  show  that 
matter  and  motion  are  directly  intuited  not  through 
secondary  qualities  given  in  external  perception  but 
by  an  internal  organic  perception  (suggesting 
Whitehead's  "causal  efficacy")  which  exhibits  mat- 
ter as  having  qualities  of  its  own  like  "pressure, 
energy,  resistance,  and  inertia."  Whether  such  qual- 
ities are  concrete  and  definite  enough  to  justify  the 
distinction  of  matter  from  mind,  or  of  realism  from 
panpsychism,  is  a  question  only  to  be  mentioned 
here. 

The  finest  part  of  the  book  is  the  theory  of  value, 
which  to  my  mind  is  scarcely  surpassed  in  con- 
temporary writing.  Equal  justice  is  done  to  aesthe- 
tic, ethical  and  cognitive  values.  It  is  shown  that 
much  of  ethics  can  be  grounded  on  the  principle  that 
the  individual  will  seeks  to  express  itself  in  ever 
varied  but  ever  harTnonized,  or  somehow  unified  ac- 
tivities of  doing  and  knowing  and  contemplating.  A 
hierarchy  of  values,  such  as  puts  the  merely  sensory 
below  aesthetic,  intellectual,  or  moral,  results  from 
the  idea  of  the  self-harmony  of  the  will,  and  thus 
corrects  hedonism.  Also  a  certain  amount  of  help- 
fulness toward  others  follows,  since  other-regard- 
ing tendencies  are  present  in  all,  even  animal,  or- 
ganisms, and  these  if  not  expressed  in  action  pro- 
duce internal  disharmony.  But  universal  brotherly 
loye  cannot  be  reached  in  this  way,  since  it  is  just 
as  natural  to  set  limits  to  one's  sympathies  as  to 
have  them.  It  is  family  against  strangers,  tribe 
against  foreigners,  that  one  cannot  but  love  in  some 
degree  and  with  some  measure  of  consistency.  Aris- 
totle and  Plato  are  shown  not  to  have  overcome  this 
limitation.  Universal  altruism  is  an  ideal  which 
arose  in  prophetic  religions  and  which  is  clearly 
intelligible  only  as  the  immanence  of  a  universal  or 


THE  SCROLL 95 

all-loving  Will  in  our  will.  Furthermore,  it  is  this 
Will  which  explains  the  emergence  of  ever  ampler 
forms  of  mutual  aid  in  the  course  of  evolution.  The 
author  joins  Bergson  here.  Acute  criticisms  are  of- 
fered of  attempts  to  demonstrate  the  validity  of 
the  ideal  of  pure  altruism  from  other  premises  than 
that  of  a  real  universal,  that  is,  divine  Will.  The 
author  shows  also  that  a  universal  ideal  does  not 
mean  a  rigid  universal  code  or  set  of  moral  rules. 

I  have  stated  some  of  the  conclusions  of  the  book. 
But  the  clearness,  strength,  and  sincerity  of  the  rea- 
soning I  cannot  reproduce.  I  personally  believe  that 
some  of  the  main  positions  can  be  rendered  stronger 
by  refining  still  further  the  oppositions  to  idealism 
and  older  theologies ;  particularly  the  almost  crassly 
stated  opposition  to  the  ancient  conception  of  God  as 
the  "soul  of  the  world";  but  I  think  the  book  does 
show  the  value  of  the  contemporary  fresh  departure, 
and  of  avoiding  to  the  end  some  at  least  of  the  older 
conclusions,  such  as  the  unreality  or  secondary  real- 
ity of  time  and  spontaneity.  The  modern  world  does 
not  have  to  renounce  cosmic  value,  the  ground  of  ob- 
jectivity of  all  values,  and  the  only  conception  that 
does  justice  to  human  values  (man  being  cosmically 
minded)  in  order  to  avoid  these  and  other  hoary  but 
less  than  inspiring  doctrines.  This  age  is  metaphys- 
ically unique,  rather  than  metaphysically  lost, 
strayed  or  stolen  ,by  the  special  sciences. 


"Whither  Disciples?"  is  being  reprinted  from 
the  September  Scroll,  and  may  be  obtained  for  five 
dollars  per  hundred,  or  in  other  quantities  at  that 
rate. — Ed. 


Anglo-Saxony  and  Its  Tradition,  by  George  Cat- 
lin,  Macmiilan  Co.,  is  a  book  which  ought  to  be  read 
by  all  who  would  like  to  know  m.ore  about  the  back- 
ground of  Disciple  thought  and  its  importance.  This 
book  puts  John  Locke  in  his  proper  place! 


96 THE  SCROLL 

Secretary-Treasurer's  Page 

A.  T.  DeGroot 

Who  am  I  to  question  the  workings  of  Provi- 
dence? Just  when  I  was  looking  for  a  good  excuse 
to  send  out  a  card  to  those  who  have  not  paid  their 
dues  for  1939-40,  it  arrived.  At  the  Richmond,  Va., 
Campbell  Institute  sessions  sundry  brethren 
marched  by  the  seat  of  custom,  deposited  two  iron 
men  and,  characteristically  of  the  human  vspecies, 
enunciated  their  names  with  more  or  less  distinct- 
ness. Have  you  ever  noticed  how  we  take  for  grant- 
ed that  everyone  knows  our  name  down  to  the  spell- 
ing of  the  final  letter  and  needs  only  a  mumble  of 
one  syllable  in  it  in  order  to  be  advised  of  the  whole? 
Well,  to  abbreviate  my  narrative,  one  affluent  broth- 
er of  the  thirty-eight  who  paid  their  dues  at  Rich- 
mond, got  by  without  my  catching  his  legal  designa- 
tion. Thus  I  am  obliged  to  send  out  a  card  to  all 
whose  records  are  still  un-fiscal,  about  as  follows: 
"Kind  sir:  It  is  entirely  possible  (but,  oh!  how 
improbable!)  that  you  are  paid  up,  for  I  have  two 
dollars  the  origin  of  which  I  know  not.  Please  ad- 
vise as  to  your  fiscality.  P.  S.  If  more  than  one 
brother  claims  these  orphaned  iron  men  I  will  issue 
a  scathing  pronunciamento  entitled  'How  my  mind 
has  changed  since  I  became  the  Treasurer  of  the 
Campbell  Institute.'  " 

The  supreme  court  of  fate  brought  us  Nine  New 
Men  as  C.  I.  members  during  the  Richmond  con- 
vention.   Here  they  are : 

Hoke  Dickinson,  Valdosta,  Ga. ;  B.  P.  Edwards, 
Blacksburg,  Va.;  Chas.  B.  Holder,  Griffin.  Ga.;  I. 
R.  Kelso,  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.;  Harrison  McMains, 
Jr.,  Jasper,  Ala.;  Wm.  S.  Noble,  North  Baltimore, 
Ohio ;  R.  H.  Peoples,  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  Morris 
Craig  Schollenberger,  Baltimore,  Md. ;  Jack  Wol- 
ford,  Radford,  Va.  This  doubles  our  membership  in 
Georgia.  As  for  what  it  does  to  Alabama,  words 
fail  me! 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVII.        DECEMBER,  1939  No.  4 

The  Ideology  ©f  Oyr  Trac 

E.  S.  Ames 

The  stream  of  life  and  thought  in  which  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ  have  their  development  belongs  to 
the  last  three  hundred  years,  to  the  period  be- 
ginning with  the  Renaissance  and  flowering  in  the 
scientific  spirit  and  method  which  are  now  trans- 
forming the  practical  world  of  affairs  and  basic 
philosophies  of  life.  This  movement  arose  in  a  new 
interest  in  nature  and  in  human  nature.  Respect 
for  all  natural  things  took  the  place  of  disdain  and 
indifference.  Francis  Bacon  saw  possibilities  of 
discoveries  and  inventions  which  would  benefit  man- 
kind, enlarge  human  horizons,  and  afford  means  of 
control.  "Knowledge  is  power,"  he  said.  Before 
him  knowledge  jvas  regarded  as  contemplation  and 
vision,  yielding  piety  and  awe,  inducing  worship. 

The  change  is  illustrated  in  reference  to  the  con- 
ditions and  circumstances  under  which  men  live. 
Poverty,  disease,  slavish  subjection  to  authority  in 
state  and  church,  were  thought  of  as  belonging  to 
the  divinely  established  order  of  things.  To  com- 
plain of  one's  lot,  however  debased  was  felt  to  be 
irreligious  and  sinful  rebellion  against  God. 
Obedience,  patience,  and  passive  endurance  were 
the  virtues  extolled.  Old  superstitions  hindered 
studies  and  experiments.  The  Copernican  revolution 
in  astronomy  was  met  by  opposition  and  persecu- 
tion even  when  Galileo's  telescope  revealed  the 
movement  of  the  planets.  Medicine  was  thwarted 
by  prejudice  against  studies  of  anatomy.  Geology 
pointed  to  facts  of  changes  in  the  earth's  crust 
which  the  idea  of  direct  creation  stubbornly  re- 
jected.   But  the  sciences  gradually  established  their 


98 THE  SCROLL 

claims  and  finally  transformed  the  whole  conception 
of  the  natural  world  and  the  general  conception  of 
evolution  which  is  universally  accepted  today  by  all 
who  are  informed  about  these  matters. 

The  same  methods  of  observation  and  reinterpre- 
tation  have  been  extended  into  the  realms  of  human 
behavior  by  anthropology,  psychology,  economics, 
and  religion.  Inventions  in  transportation,  com- 
munication, and  production  have  changed  the  con- 
ditions of  living,  have  extended  human  life,  and 
have  created  new  opportunities  and  new  possi- 
bilities in  man's  spiritual  adventures. 

Changed  Conception  of  Ideas 

To  understand  what  is  meant  by  "ideology"  it  is 
important  to  realize  the  nature  of  ideas  themselves. 
They  are  no  longer  regarded  as  mere  impressions 
in  the  mind,  but  are  rather  active  energies  of  the 
organism  expressing  directions  of  effort  toward 
more  satisfying  overt  action.  When  we  confront  the 
problem  of  "what  to  do"  in  any  situation,  we  run 
over  in  imagination  possible  lines  of  procedure  and 
try  out  in  thought  various  plans.  When  one  seems 
to  promise  success,  we  put  it  to  the  test  of  outward 
deeds.  The  results  furnish  the  test  of  the  "validity" 
of  the  chosen  idea.  This  process  may  be  very  simple, 
as  in  deciding  whether  to  carry  an  umbrella  today, 
or  it  may  be  very  complex,  as  in  deciding  whether 
to  join  a  church.  Real  ideas  always  have  a  pull  to- 
ward full  action.  They  are  not  merely  notions  to 
be  "believed"  or  contemplated.  They  are  movements 
of  the  living  human  being. 

It  is  in  the  light  of  such  psychological  facts  that 
the  nature  of  an  ideology  should  be  considered  in 
contrast  to  a  creed.  A  creed  is  the  formulation  of 
a  series  of  propositions  to  be  accepted  as  formu- 
lated. It  is  to  be  "believed,"  contemplated,  cherished. 
It  is  presented  as  stating  fixed,  absolute  truths.  For 
example,  the  idea  of  God  is  given  in  terms  of  exist- 


THE  SCROLL 99 

ence,  and  the  attributes  of  deity  are  enumerated  as 
final,  fixed  qualities.  A  creed  is  something  that 
demands  assent,  acceptance,  and  is  imposed  by 
authority.   Note  the  following  further  contrasts : 

A  creed  is  static.   An  ideology  is  dynamic. 

A  creed  looks  to  the  past.  An  ideology  looks  to 
the  future. 

A  creed  is  for  contemplative  belief.  An  ideology 
is  to  be  enacted. 

A  creed  is  given  as  absolute.  An  ideology  is  open 
to  revision. 

A  creed  is  based  upon  revelation.  An  ideology  is 
achieved  in  experience. 

A  creed  emphasizes  something  given.  An  ideol- 
ogy points  to  possibilities. 

A  creed  may  be  believed.  An  ideology  is  some- 
thing to  be  lived. 

A  creed  demands  uniformity.  An  ideology  invites 
experiment  for  improvement. 

A  creed  discounts  human  knowledge.  An  ideology 
magnifies  human  initiative. 

The  Ideas  of  Our  Ideology 

1.  A  Christian  is  one  who  seeks  to  the  best  of  his 
ability  to  realize  the  spirit  and  ideals  of  Jesus  in 
personal  and  social  life.  This  idea  is  a  practical 
attitude  and  allows  differences  of  interpretation  in- 
the  interest  of  its  fulfillment. 

2.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  something  to  be  ac- 
complished. "Thy  kingdom  come."  Men  further  or 
hinder  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  by  their  spirit 
and  conduct. 

3.  The  Scriptures,  interpreted  in  the  light  of 
their  own  highest  passages,  such  as  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount  and  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  First 
Corinthians,  afford  examples  and  inspiration  for 
the  religious  life. 

4.  Churches  are  channels  through  which  this 
religious  faith  is  cherished  and  shared  in  a  fellow- 


100 THE  SCROLL 

ship  that  sustains  and  stren^hens  members  in  this 
way  of  life.  Through  churches  this  way  of  life  is 
witnessed  and  radiated  in  the  world  with  leavening 
power. 

5.  By  this  religious  faith,  operating  through 
individuals  and  institutions  with  their  manifold 
ministries,  men  are  changed,  converted,  and  led 
through  repentance  and  new  loyalties  into  participa- 
tion in  the  better  life. 

6.  God  is  spirit,  the  spirit  of  love.  He  is  the 
ground  and  power  of  the  good.  The  idea  of  God  is 
dynamic.  It  sets  those  who  really  cherish  it,  in  the 
way  of  working  for  justice,  mercy  and  truth.  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  revelation  of  God  through  his  heroic 
devotion  to  the  realization  of  the  will  of  God. 

7.  This  way  of  life  generates  love  of  fellow  men 
through  which,  in  its  widening  ranges,  is  constantly 
experienced  and  realized  that  love  which  is  God. 

8.  This  way  of  life  involves  the  cultivation  of  bet- 
ter social  relations,  and  all  those  aids  to  the  good 
life  such  as  the  arts,  sciences,  and  other  interests 
which  are  inherent  in  the  growing  resources  of 
civilized  life. 

9.  The  characteristics  of  this  "tradition"  are 
"respect  for  personality,  liberty,  experimentalism, 
tolerance,  accommodation  in  social  method,  federal- 
ism, and  democracy." 

10.  The  religious  life,  so  conceived,  works  for  all 
the  great  values,  and  the  test  of  its  significance  is 
the  degree  and  efficiency  with  which  it  fulfills  those 
values.  

If  any  one  is  moved  to  be  particularly  generous, 
he  may  say  a  creed  when  softened  by  criticism  be- 
comes an  ideology.  Or,  an  ideology,  when  hardened, 
becomes  a  creed.  The  point  is  that  the  Disciples  in- 
tended to  keep  their  beliefs  open  to  revision,  and  not 
to  insist  upon  doctrinal  uniformity.  To  live  and 
grow  they  must  keep  an  open  mind. 


THE  SCROLL 101 

Oyr  Heritage  and  Destiny 

Charles  W.  Phillips,  Chicago 
In  order  to  consider  "the  rock  whence  we  are 
hewn  and  the  root  whence  we  are  sprung"  and 
further  to  assert  the  implications  of  this  for  our 
living  now  and  in  the  future,  Mr.  George  Catlin, 
former  professor  of  politics  at  Cornell  University 
has  written  what  has  proved  to  be  an  important 
and  thought-provoking  book.^  It  is  bold  in  its  pro- 
posals, aggressive  in  dealing  with  totalitarian 
ideologies,  and  vigorous  in  asserting  the  strength 
and  values  of  our  Anglo-Saxon  heritage  for  he  be- 
lieves that  those  of  us  who  do  not  relish  rule  by 
either  of  the  myths  of  race  or  Class  ought  not  drift 
on  in  a  "flaccid  acquiescence"  before  the  powers  that 
oppose  us  in  the  world  today.  The  author  is  no  mere 
anti-Nazi  or  anti-Bolshevist  concerned  only  with 
the  present  conflict — nothing  as  ordinary  and  trite 
as  that.  His  horizon  is  nothing  less  than  the  whole 
future  and  destiny  of  men ;  his  interest  is  in  the 
dignity  and  peace  of  men  and  nations  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  discipline  of  liberty  instead  of  a  dis- 
cipline of  despotism  for  regulating  life  and  de- 
termining its  values.  Beneath  his  proposals  he  has 
provided  a  careful  and  incisive  analysis  of  the  "Tra- 
dition" which  he  believes  to  be  the  only  basis  for 
achieving  the  goals  and  preserving  the  free  spirit 
of  man. 

There  must  first  of  all  be  a  world-commonwealth, 
because  there  can  be  neither  peace  nor  justice  so 
long  as  absolutely  sovereign  nations  continue.  This 
is  no  new  theory,  but  most  men  who  suggest  it 
either  allow  the  matter  to  rest  there,  or  if  they  at- 
tempt to  become  constructive,  build  some  kind  of  a 
Utopia  belonging  to  a  far-distant  future.  Mr. 
Catlin  is  more  specific.    We  should   return   to   the 


^Catlin,   George,  Anglo-Saxony  and  Its  Tradition.     New  York,   Macmillan; 
1939;   $3.00. 


102 THE  SCROLL 

Genevan  idea  and  make  the  governing  idea  of  this 
state  federal,  not  imperial  or  fascist.  A  preliminary 
step  to  the  formation  of  a  world-state  is  the  federa- 
tion of  Western  civilization,  and  in  turn  the  neces- 
sary prelude  to  this  is  a  confederation  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  bloc  of  nations,  at  the  center  of  which  lies 
the  United  States.  This  bloc  covers  in  its  total 
area,  more  than  a  quarter  of  the  earth's  surface.  It 
is  urgent  that  we  begin  soon.  First,  says  the  author, 
we  must  have  a  "blazing  conviction"  of  the  grandeur 
of  Anglo-Saxon  culture  as  a  "spiritual  reality,"  and 
this  within  the  next  four  years! 

Just  what  is  the  nature  of  this  Anglo-Saxon  tradi- 
tion? Is  it  a  "spiritual  reality"  in  which  one  can 
have  such  conviction?  What  are  the  expressions  of 
it?  These  and  other  pertinent  questions  about  it 
are  the  concern  of  the  major  part  of  the  book. 

There  is  first  of  all  running  through  history  a 
"Grand  Tradition"  in  human  values,  a  "pattern  of 
values"  that  has  been  relatively  distinct,  even  in 
the  so-called  Dark  Ages.  This  "Grand  Tradition" 
in  the  West  separates  from  that  of  the  East,  but  is 
not  in  conflict  with  it.  In  the  West  it  was  shaped  by 
the  Greeks,  but  Judea  and  Rome  fuse  with  it  to  form 
a  great  syncretism.  The  pattern  is  carried  on  and 
moulded  by  Christian  civilization  and  by  the  tradi- 
tion of  Humanism  coming  out  of  the  Renaissance. 
This  humanistic  tradition  indeed  is  the  link  which 
connects  the  greater  tradition  of  values  with  the 
Anglo-Saxon  tradition.  It  is  essential  to  note  that 
this  latter  is  a  tradition  of  values,  and  culture.  The 
author  disclaims  any  effort  to  promote  some  new 
racialism  or  nationalism.  Rather  "...  when  we 
speak  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  world,  we  speak,  not  of 
a  State  or  indeed  of  an  Empire,  but  of  a  civilization, 
a  culture  which  carries,  latent  in  it,  a  philosophy 
and  an  outlook  in  living."  The  philosophic  founda- 
tions of  this  tradition  are  to  be  found,  first  in  the 
hints  of  Roger  Bacon,  Duns  Scotus,  and  Francis 


THE  SCROLL 103 

Bacon.  Later  it  was  given  a  "coherent  structure" 
in  the  philosophy  of  John  Locke,  to  which  the 
Utilitarians  still  later,  and  the  pragmatists  James 
and  Dewey,  have  added.  Lord  Russell  has  also 
helped  form  it. 

The  dominant  notes  of  the  tradition  have  been 
those  of  humanism,  freedom,  experiment,  tolerance, 
democracy,  accommodation,  federalism,  moralism, 
and  public  spirit.  These  are  not  isolated  elements, 
but  connect  with  and  support  one  another  to  form 
a  unity  in  the  tradition.  The  "keystone"  of  the  whole 
is  its  experimentalism,  its  empiricism.  "Knowledge 
of  truth  is  a  matter  where  we  are  talking  of  society 
and  valueb,  of  approximation,  experiment,  and  grop- 
ing." The  conflict  between  dogmatism  and  em- 
piricism with  respect  to  an  approach  to  a  knowledge 
of  value,  was  fought  out  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  ground 
as  it  has  been  fought  nowhere  else,  and  from  Bacon 
to  the  present,  Catlin  brilliantly  outlines  the 
struggle.  The  result  was  the  establishment  of  a  tra- 
dition of  experimentalism,  from  which  has  stemmed 
the  ideas  of  Liberty  and  Tolerance,  as  well  as  the 
note  of  practical  moralism  and  a  distinctive  political 
philosophy  of  democracy.  We  must  recognize  this 
tradition  soon  for  the  alternatives  of  Tradition  or 
Coercion  are  upon  us.  We  must  either  accept  a  dis- 
cipline of  Law  imposed  from  without  or  submit  to 
the  self-imposed  discipline  of  our  Tradition,  a  dis- 
cipline of  Liberty  and  Experiment.  We  dare  not 
disclaim  this  permanency  of  value  in  our  own  tradi- 
tion, else  our  thinking  "will  be  done  for  us  by  more 
vigorous  minds."  We  must  become  alive  to  our 
heritage. 

In  addition  to  this  being  the  first  step  towards 
the  formation  of  a  world  commonwealth,  the 
recognition  of  our  common  cultural  heritage,  of  an 
outlook  that  makes  enterprise  and  imagination 
possible,  it  is  the  best  bridge  over  to  other  cultures 
and  provides  a  means  to  the  author's  other  object 


104 THE  SCROLL 

which  is  "the  spiritual  redintegration  of  culture." 
We  must  be  clear  here  that  Christianity,  Protestant 
and  Catholic,  ''is  today  on  the  defensive  in  a  fight 
that  threatens  death,  against  resurgent  paganism 
and  against  dogmatic  materialism."  If  we  fail  to  go 
ahead  with  a  world  program,  either  Bolshevism  or 
the  German  Reich  will  go  ahead.  We  have  no  right 
to  despise  them  or  their  self-sacrifice,  for  the  author 
sees  values  on  the  other  side.  It  is  rather  for  us  to 
"do  as  well,  as  hrmly,  as  proudly,  and  more  richly." 
Many  things  in  this  book  may  disturb.  Some  will 
wish  that  Mr.  Catlin  were  not  an  Englishman. 
Others  may  feel  that  this  is  a  romantic  glorification 
of  great  English  statesmen  and  men  of  letters  and 
that  this  is  not  enough  to  sustain  the  thesis.  Still 
again  it  may  be  felt  that  the  canalization  of  so  much 
of  the  great  tradition  of  human  values  (if,  indeed 
the  existence  of  this  is  not  criticized)  into  a 
peculiarly  "Anglo-Saxon"  tradition  is,  if  not  falla- 
cious, at  least  overdrawn  albeit  unconsciously  due 
to  the  pressure  of  world  events  at  the  moment,  just 
before  the  present  war  broke.  Absolutists  had  bet- 
ter not  pick  it  up,  it  won't  suit  their  temper.  For  the 
rest  it  commends  itself  because  it  is  a  vigorous  at- 
tempt at  an  analysis  of  our  modern  difficulties  as 
well  as  an  effort  to  be  realistic,  practical,  and  con- 
structive in  the  answer  to  the  modern  problem  of 
finding  values  we  can  live  by  and  have  faith  in. 


The  Disciples  need  to  see  themselves  in  a  longer 
perspective,  both  with  reference  to  the  historical 
movements  before  Alexander  Campbell,  and  also 
with  reference  to  what  comes  after  him.  Francis 
Bacon  on  one  side  and  William  James  on  the  other 
serve  to  map  the  route  and  the  direction  of  this  in- 
tellectual and  religious  pilgrimage. — Ed. 


THE  SCROLL 105 

The  Richmond  Convention 

Paul  E.  Becker 

One  of  the  features  of  the  recent  International 
Convention,  as  I  experienced  it,  tends  to  confirm  the 
contention  of  the  Editor  of  The  Scroll  that  the  Dis- 
ciples are  still  an  adventurous  rather  than  a  tradi- 
tion-bound people.  I  refer  to  the  Christian  Interest 
Forums  which  were  held  on  two  forenoons  of  the 
convention. 

The  section  I  attended  was  the  one  dealing  with 
"Disciples  and  Social  Action,"  which  met  on  Mon- 
day morning.  Following  the  worship  period  two 
addresses  were  presented  which  threw  into  relief 
the  two  poles  of  thinking  upon  the  question  of  demo- 
cratic social  change.  Pres.  Daniel  S.  Robinson,  of 
Butler,  identified  socialism  with  communism  and 
condemned  both  outright  as  naturalistic  and 
atheistic.  "There  can  be  no  such  thing  as  Christian 
socialism,"  he  said.  His  position  was  based  upon  a 
philosophical  approach  rising  from  a  background 
of  mystical  theism. 

Dr.  Robinson  was  followed  by  Prof.  Joseph  N. 
Leinbach,  of  Lynchburg,  who  dealt  with  the  ques- 
tion of  democracy  factually  rather  than  philo- 
sophically. He  clashed  frontally  with  the  first 
speaker,  and  the  two  set  the  stage  for  a  most  virile 
general  discussion.  It  became  evident  that  the 
majority  of  those  who  spoke  from  the  floor  took 
serious  issue  with  the  position  of  Dr.  Robinson. 
Everything  considered,  the  discussion  was  a  real 
mind-stretcher,  one  of  the  kind  that  might  have 
done  credit  even  to  the  Campbell  Institute. 

The  session  closed  with  a  sermon  on  "Christianity 
in  a  World  of  Rivals,"  by  A.  L.  Cole,  of  Omaha.  In 
crisp,  stabbing  sentences  he  described  and  analyzed 
Communism,  Nazism  and  Fascism,  pointing  out  how 
each  was  the  logical  result  of  popular  desperation. 
He  laid  squarely  upon  Christianity  the  responsi- 


106 THE  SCROLL 

bility  for  building  a  world  in  which  normal  human 
cravings  shall  not  be  permitted  to  turn  acid  with 
stark  despair.  His  message  was  for  me  the  most 
moving  word  I  heard  at  the  convention. 

I  cite  this  session  as  proof  that  the  pioneering 
spirit  of  the  Disciples  is  capable  of  revival  in  our 
conventions.  It  was  utterly  refreshing  in  contrast 
to  the  stereotyped  patterns  that  for  the  most  part 
govern  our  official  assemblies. 


ither  Disciples^ — At 


Marshon  De  Poister,  Rensselaer,  Indiana 

Well,  "the  little  periphery  of  inconsequential 
Disciples"  got  together  at  the  Richmond  Convention. 

As  always,  we  just  began  to  get  down  to  business 
and  accomplish  something  in  our  discussions  when 
someone  happened  to  remember  that  it  was  mid- 
night or  past,  and  that  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning 
comes  disconcertingly  early!  All  of  which  leads  me 
to  wonder,  sadly,  why  the  Institute  must  scramble 
for  the  crumbs  of  time  which  fall  from  the  main 
table  of  the  convention  program.  I  wish  profoundly 
that  it  might  be  otherwise.  Many  attend  the  con- 
vention who  cannot  be  at  the  summer  Institute 
meetings. 

But,  back  to  the  problem  at  hand.  Dr.  Ames  intro- 
duced the  material  for  discussion.  He  generalized 
on  the  material  in  his  SCROLL  article,  and  then  he 
supplemented  a  very  broad  explanation  of  the 
trends  of  modern  thought.  He  put  the  Disciples 
down  right  in  the  middle  of  this  melee  of  thought, 
and  then  he  baited  his  line  with,  "All  right,  where 
are  we?   And  where  are  we  going?" 

Since  C.  B.  Tupper  was  slated  to  help  introduce 
the  subject  matter,  and  since  he  was  one  of  the  few 
at  the  meeting  who  admittedly  had  read  the  article 


THE  SCROLL 107 

in  the  SCROLL,  he  spoke  next.  His  conclusion 
seemed  to  hang  on  this  general  assumption:  "It  is 
a  nice  idea,  and  we,  indeed,  do  have  a  liberal  and 
fine  heritage,  but  I  am  not  convinced  it  will  work 
in  a  Brotherhood  which  has  the  crosscurrents  of 
thoughts  evident  today."  Mr.  Tupper  ventured  to 
speculate  that  there  were  fine  folk  "on  the  other 
side  of  the  fence,"  who  are  as  much  Disciples  as  we 
who  are  slightly  more  liberal  in  our  interpretation 
of  our  heritage. 

If  I  were  replying  to  Mr.  Tupper,  which  I  am  not, 
I  should  say,  "That  is  all  very  true.  But  we  are  not 
just  now  weighing  up  the  admirable  qualities  of 
contemporaries;  but  rather  we  are  trying  to  get  at 
truths  about  our  background,  and  on  the  basis  of 
that  we  are  trying  to  chart  a  course  for  the  future. 

Professor  MacCasland  took  the  floor  after  Mr. 
Tupper,  It  was  Professor  McCasland's  general 
observation  that  the  Disciples  of  Christ  did  not  need 
so  much  to  establish  the  fact  of  a  "unique"  back- 
ground, as  they  need  to  create  a  theology.  He 
pointed  out  that  the  Disciples  had  never  produced 
a  theology,  and  that  what  we  need  most  is  a  tangible 
theology. 

Well,  "theology,"  can  cover  a  multitude  of  sins 
under  its  canopy.  What  kind  of  a  theology  does  the 
professor  want?  Out  of  a  group  of  highly  intelligent 
men  in  that  meeting,  I  venture  to  guess  that  no  two 
could  get  together  on  a  theology — much  less  the 
Disciples  of  Christ  everywhere,  with  their  antipathy 
for  even  the  word  itself.  So,  "theology"  would  take 
volumes  of  explanation,  which  Professor  McCas- 
land  did  not  offer  to  give.  Besides,  the  convention 
ended  in  two  more  days! 

Dr.  Garrison  spoke  briefly.  He  introduced  a  new 
book  to  us,  Catlin— Anglo-Saxony  and  Its  Tradi- 
tions. In  it,  Dr.  Garrison  pointed  out  that  the 
majority  of  religious  faiths  which  came    to    this 


108 THE  SCROLL 

country,  with  roots  in  the  old  world  culture,  had 
brought  with  them  the  theologies  of  the  time.  The 
Disciples  of  Christ  have  escaped  all  this  kind  of 
heritage.  Well  and  good.  That  makes  sense  to  me. 
I  was  sorry  Dr.  Garrison  did  not  go  further. 

All  in  all,  I  felt  that  the  discussion  was  not  up  to 
the  high  standard  which  the  Institute  maintains. 
We  did  not  get  down  to  "brass  tacks"  of  facts  and 
experiences.  It  is  an  old  story,  but  it  seems  to  fit 
here.  Dr.  Paul  Douglas  once  described  the  Camp- 
bell-Owen debate  as  two  swiftly  moving  trains  bear- 
ing down  on  each  other  from  opposite  directions. 
But  just  as  they  seem  certain  to  hit  head-on,  they 
pass  harmlessly  on  separate  tracks.  I  may  be  wrong 
— I  frequently  am — but  it  seems  to  me  that  those 
who  talked  did  a  good  job,  but  they  missed  the  ideas 
which  Dr.  Ames  had  hoped  to  bring  out  in  discus- 
sion. I  would  not  say  that  they  missed  the  point 
entirely;  at  least  there  was  a  great  flurry  of  air  in 
the  general  vicinity  of  the  point  under  discussion. 
But  when  the  smoke  had  cleared,  the  target  was 
still  there  .  .  .  intact! 

I  would  suggest  that  every  "Instituter"  read 
Stuart  Chase's,  The  Tyranny  of  Words.  And  after 
re-reading  what  I  have  written,  I  think  that  I  shall 
read  the  book  for  the  third  time !  I  hope  I  have  not 
missed  the  point,  too. 


Dr.  McCasland  is  right  when  he  says  the  Disciples 
need  to  systematize  their  thinking.  It  would  be  bet- 
ter to  say  they  need  an  ideology  rather  than  to  say 
they  need  a  theology.  Words  do  make  a  difference 
and  the  old  theological  terms  play  tricks  upon  us  and 
upon  all  who  use  them.  "Ideology"  is  a  new,  clean 
word.    It  fits  our  need. — Ed, 


THE  SCROLL 109 

Testing  the  Doctrine 

From  A  Recent  Letter 

In  re-reading  the  article,  "Whither  Disciples?"  it 
came  forcefully  home  to  me  that  the  discussion  was 
predicated  upon  the  thought  that  the  ideas  therein 
are  primarily  those  of  "educated  Disciples  who  are 
equipped  by  modern  education  in  the  fields  of 
biblical  study,  church  history,  and  philosophy." 

But  most  of  us  in  the  local  pastorate  are  not  deal- 
ing with  people  who  are  equipped  by  modern  educa- 
tion in  the  fields  of  biblical  study.  In  fact,  a  large 
portion  of  our  congregations  are  not  even  high 
school  graduates.  If  that  is  true,  what  then  do  the 
Disciples  look  like  to  them?  This,  of  course,  is  just 
another  way  of  putting  the  question  that  has  been 
raised  so  many  times.  Is  this  interpretation  of  Dis- 
ciples chiefly  wishful  thinking? 

At  length  my  curiosity  got  the  better  of  me  and 
I  decided  to  put  the  question  to  a  test.  My  congrega- 
tion is  made  up  of  people  who  are  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  in  other  occupations  typical  of  the  small 
village.  There  are  few  college  graduates  in  the 
church  and  many  never  finished  high  school.  It  was 
upon  this  group  that  I  sprang  "Whither  Disciples?" 

In  my  presentation  of  the  subject  I  used  virtually 
all  of  the  basic  ideas  included  in  every  section  of 
the  paper.  The  reception  given  these  ideas  positively 
amazed  me.  I  have  never  made  a  presentation  of 
anything  that  was  more  enthusiastically  received.  A 
month  has  passed  since  I  presented  "Whither  Dis- 
ciples?" and  reactions  are  still  coming  in — all  favor- 
able. And,  most  interesting  of  all,  my  most  con- 
servative people  are  the  most  enthusiastic.  More- 
over, my  only  concession  to  "conservatism"  was  to 
avoid  using  controversial  words.  The  ideas  were 
expressed  but,  when  such  labels  as  "modernism," 
"higher  criticism"  and  "open-membership"  were 
avoided,  those  ideas  were  not  at  all  repugnant.  Thus, 


110 THE  SCROLL 

I  am  convinced  that  the  ideas  expressed  in  "Whither 
Disciples"  are  not  alone  the  property  of  the  "intel- 
lectuals" but  rather  are  the  common  property  of 
large  portions  of  our  brotherhood. 


Baptism  and  Christian  Unity 

Edwin  H.  Yeiser,  Austin,  Texas 

James  Harvey  Garrison  {Historical  Documents 
Advocating  Christian  Union,  pp.  364  &  344)  said: 

"Let  us  hear  with  patience  and  with  brotherly  re- 
spect the  honest  convictions  of  every  one  who  be- 
lieves he  has  a  new  truth,  or  a  new  view  of  an  old 
truth,  to  communicate  to  us. 

"This  is  not  to  be  lenient  to  error,  it  is  to  be  loyal 
to  truth. 

"We  have  wisely  refused  to  stereotype  by  formu- 
lating a  written  creed,  having  profited  by  the  exper- 
ience of  others,  and  if  we  shall  succeed  in  avoiding 
the  more  subtle  danger  of  stereotyping  by  the  un- 
written law  of  usage,  or  tradition,  preferring  life 
to  crystallization,  there  is  no  reason  why  our  plea, 
in  its  fundamental  principles,  should  ever  be 
obsolete." 

I  think  that  the  above  quotations  will  admit  of 
my  saying :  We  have  no  creed  but  Christ,  we  should 
have  no  plea  but  back  to  Jesus  for  all  authority. 

Now  that  I  have  anchored,  I  ai!irm  on  the 
authorities  quoted  hereinafter,  and  without  any 
suspicion  that  I  am  transgressing  at  any  place  a 
thus  sayeth  the  Lord  that: 

The  ordinance  of  baptism  was  an  early  cause  of 
divisions  in  the  Church : 

"For  it  hath  been  signified  unto  me  concerning 
you,  my  brethren,  by  them  that  are  of  the  household 
of  Chloe,  that  there  are  contentions  among  you.  Now 
this  I  mean,  that  each  of  you  sayeth,  I  am  of  Paul ; 
and  I  am  of  Apollos ;  and  I  am  of  Cephas ;  and  I  am 


THE  SCROLL 111 

of  Christ.  Is  Christ  divided?  was  Paul  crucified  for 
you?  or  were  you  baptized  into  the  name  of  Paul? 
I  thank  God  that  I  baptized  none  of  you,  save 
Crispus  and  Gaius;  lest  any  man  should  say  that 
you  were  baptized  into  my  name.  And  I  baptized 
also  the  household  of!  Stephanas;  and  besides,  P 
know  not  whether  I  baptized  any  other.  For  Christ 
sent  me  not  to  baptize,  but  to  preach  the  gospel ;  not 
with  wisdom  of  words,  less  the  cross  of  Christ 
should  be  made  void."    (I  Cor.  1 :11-17). 

The  ordinance  of  baptism  is  likely  a  greater  cause 
of  divisions  now  than  it  was  then.  The  divisions  are 
not  confined  to  the  clergy,  but  ministers  are  not  now 
at  liberty  to  question  sound  doctrine,  as  our  historic 
position  on  this  one  matter  has  crystallized  into  a 
creedal  pronouncement  by  the  unwritten  law  of 
usage  and  tradition  and  we  have  unwittingly  become 
a  creed  bound  people  on  this  point. 

A  good  member  of  ours  recently  remarked,  "The 
only  thing  in  the  way  of  Christian  Union  is  bap- 
tism, but  we  can  not  compromise  our  position."  The 
question  should  be,  Have  we  compromised  the  posi- 
tion of  Jesus? 

Our  position  has  been  tested  for  over  one  hun- 
dred years  and  we  have  found  it  a  cause  of  division 
in  place  of  a  platform  for  unity.  Because  of  this 
failure,  we  should  carry  the  matter  back  to  Jesus 
as  the  one  of  all  authority. 

What  did  Jesus  mean  when  he  said:  "Baptizing 
them  into  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Spirit?". 

In  construing  other  sacred  words,  we  are  admon- 
ished, "If  any  man  shall  add  unto  them,  God  shall 
add  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are  written  in  this 
book,"  (Rev.  22-16) .  Have  we  added  unto  the  words 
of  Jesus?  We  have  added  WATER,  unto  the  words 
of  Jesus.  This  great  commission  is  _  found  in 
Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John,  and  Acts,  and  water 
is  not  mentioned  in  any  of  them. 


112 THE  SCROLL 

We  have  assumed,  and  likely  without  question  or 
even  thought,  that  Jesus  referred  to  the  baptism  of 
John,  as  continued  by  the  apostles  other  than  Paid. 
Paul's  rebellion  should  not  go  without  notice,  with- 
out investigation,  and  as  he  was  concerned  about  the 
divisions,  we  should  be  equally  concerned  about  our 
divisions. 

As  there  are  a  number  of  baptisms  mentioned  in 
the  New  Testament,  we  should  examine  all  of  the 
references  to  see  if  we  can  know  which  baptism 
Jesus  had  in  mind. 

We  read  of  the  baptism  in  the  cloud  unto  Moses 
(I  Cor.  1-2)  ;  the  baptism  for  the  dead  (I  Cor,  15- 
29)  ;  the  baptism  of  John  (Matt.  3-11)  ;  the  bap- 
tism with  which  Jesus  was  baptized  (Mark  10:38- 
39)  ;  the  baptism  of  suffering  that  Jesus  spoke  of 
(Luke  12:50)  j  and  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
(Matt.  3:11;  Mark  1:8;  Luke  3:16;  John  1:33; 
Acts  1:5). 

John  said  that  he  baptized  with  water  or  into 
water,  but  that  He  who  should  come  after  him  would 
baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire  (Matt. 
3:11;  Mark  1 :8)  ;  Luke  3 :16 ;  John  1-26-34) .  "And 
I  knew  him  not:  but  he  that  sent  me  to  baptize  in 
water,  he  said  unto  me.  Upon  whomsoever  thou 
shall  see  the  Spirit  descending,  and  abiding  upon 
him,  the  same  is  he  that  baptizeth  in  the  Holy 
Spirit."  Jesus  was  baptized  by  John,  but  was  im- 
mediately thereafter  baptized  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
What  a  contrast. 

Jesus  said :  "For  John  baptized  with  water,  but  ye 
shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many 
days  hence."  (Acts  1-5). 

From  the  above  quotations  it  will  be  observed  that 
baptism  was  not  always  used  in  a  literal  sense,  and 
that  therefore  the  baptism  of  John  will  not  satisfy 
the  context  in  every  place  where  baptism  is  used. 

Jesus  referred  to  the  baptism  of  John  (Mark 
11:30),  but  did  not  adopt  it,  it  being  clearly  stated 


THE  SCROLL 113 

that  while  the  disciples  of  Jesus  baptized,  he  bap- 
tized not  (John  4-2).  The  fact  that  Jesus  did  not 
baptize  in  water,  the  fact  that  we  have  no  record 
that  the  apostles  were  baptized  except  by  John  and 
that  Paul  abandoned  the  practice,  as  divisive,  should 
cause  us  more  concern  about  our  creedal  practice, 
and  test  of  fellowship  arrived  at  by  argument  rather 
than  a  thus  sayeth  the  Lord. 

It  has  always  occurred  to  me  that  in  construing 
the  words  of  Jesus,  we  should  seek  to  give  them 
the  largest  meaning  possible.  Such  is  attained  only 
by  the  spiritual  construction.  The  letter  killeth  the 
spirit  maketh  alive.  God  is  spirit  and  those  who 
worship  him  must  worship  in  spirit  and  truth.  By 
again  referring  to  the  quotations  above  mentioned, 
where  the  word  baptism  is  used,  it  will  be  observed 
that  the  word  was  often  used  in  a  spiritual,  figura- 
tive sense  as  distinguished  from  its  literal  sense. 
Many  who  are  opposed  to  the  spiritual  construction 
fail  to  reflect  that  one  of  our  greatest  treasures  in 
construction  is  reached  in  this  way — that  of  the 
correct  understanding  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Bap- 
tism and  the  Lord's  Supper  are  twin  ordinances 
and  should  be  construed  alike. 

All  admit  that  there  is  no  virtue  in  the  water,  but 
that  baptism  is  a  spiritual  act;  others  contend  that 
the  virtue  is  in  obedience,  as  if  it  were  a  stronger 
test  of  obedience  than,  "Love  your  enemies." 

If  we  are  to  cure  our  divisions,  we  must  seek  out 
the  One  Lord,  One  Faith  and  One  Baptism.  It  was 
Paul  who  mentioned  this  one  baptism,  so  it  must  be 
the  one  of  which  Paul  approved,  not  the  one  that 
he  discontinued. 

Why  should  Jesus  have  adopted  the  baptism  of 
John?  Does  it  not  seem  more  reasonable  to  assume 
that  he  instituted  something  in  keeping  with  His 
spiritual  kingdom?  "No  man  rendeth  a  piece  from 
a  new  garment  and  putteth  it  upon  an  old  garment ; 
else  he  will  rend  the  new,  and  also  the  piece  from 


114 THE  SCROLL 

the  new  will  not  agree  with  the  old."  "No  man 
putteth  new  wine  into  old  wine-skins."  Why  not 
construe  the  language  of  Jesus  as  it  is  written,  and 
refuse  to  read  "water"  into  this  language,  as  the 
word  water  is  not  included  in  any  of  the  five  pas- 
sages where  the  great  commission  is  found.  As 
written  the  words  admit  only  of  the  spiritual  con- 
struction, as  we  are  to  baptize  into  names  (med- 
iums, characters,  environment)  and  the  figure  is  not 
unlike  that  in  John  17:12,  "While  I  was  with  them 
I  kept  them  in  thy  name" ;  and  the  figure  of  Paul 
where  he  speaks  of  being  baptized  in  the  name  of 
Jesus. 

At  best  baptism  in  water  is  symbolic,  a  symbol  of 
cleansing;  so  it  cannot  be  so  important  as  the  med- 
ium that  washes  the  spirit.  It  was  certainly  this 
medium  that  was  referred  to  by  Jesus  when  he 
spoke  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  On  the 
other  hand.  Is  not  the  baptism  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as 
a  spiritual  medium  a  larger  conception  than  that  of 
baptism  in  water?  "In  God  we  live  and  move  and 
have  our  being."  If  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  cause 
our  converts  to  enter  this  medium,  then  we  have  lost 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

The  experiences  of  Thomas  Campbell  with  divi- 
sions in  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  likely 
resulted  in  our  proper  interpretation  of  it  as  sym- 
bolic. Would  it  not  prove  to  our  advantage  for  its 
twin  ordinance,  baptism,  to  receive  a  like  construc- 
tion, as  our  construction  of  the  two  is  inconsistent? 
We  admit  all  to  the  communion,  we  exclude  near 
ninety  per  cent  from  taking  membership  with  us, 
and  thereby  question  even  the  spiritual  part  of  their 
baptism  into  Christ,  and  at  the  same  time  we 
recognize  them  as  Christians.  These  inconsistencies 
should  receive  the  consideration  of  the  best  minds 
and  hearts  of  our  brotherhood. 


THE  SCkOLL  115 

Personalized  Evil  in  Religion 

By  Connor  G.  Cole 

The  mind  of  primitive  man  was  highly  suscept- 
ible to  superstition  and  diabolical  speculation.  As 
he  began  to  wonder  about  the  forces  which  were 
outside  his  realm  of  experience  he  found  plenteous 
sources  for  more  and  more  elaborate  speculations. 
Often  dwelling  in  unhospitable  environments,  sub- 
ject to  hostile  geographical  conditions,  struggling 
against  odds  of  tremendous  size  from  unfriendly 
powers  of  nature,  it  was  not  long  before  all  of  these 
became  personalized  into  terrible  demons  with  half- 
human  half -animal  forms  and  features.  Anthropo- 
morphism and  anthropopathism  were  logical  steps, 
for  it  has  always  been  convenient  to  personalize 
objects  with  which  man  has  come  into  close  con- 
tact. It  was  true  of  the  gods,  it  was  also  true  of 
the  devils.  Man  could  not  conquer  or  control  the 
forces  of  nature,  so  in  his  history  all  uncontrollables 
have  become  either  gods  or  devils,  subject  to  either 
great  respect  or  great  hate  or  both,  depending  upon 
their  effect  on  humanity. 

The  contrast  between  the  ought  to  be  and  the 
actual  has  given  rise  to  the  ought  not  to  be  which, 
when  personalized,  becomes  a  Persian  Ahriman,  a 
Jewish  or  Christian  Satan,  or  Moslem  Iblis.  Early 
man  knew  only  too  well  the  benefits  of  light  and 
sunshine,  of  safety  and  of  certainty;  he  knew  well 
enough  that  he  must  have  his  desires  satisfied  if  he 
were  to  experience  happiness  and  contentment.  He 
was  aware  that  if  he  were  to  have  good  crops,  fer- 
tile lands,  clear  water,  good  friends,  long  life,  many 
children,  and  personal  contentment  he  must  have 
protection  from  opposites  which  threatened.  His 
natural  refuge  was  found  in  the  gods  but  the  gods 
were  not  enough.  Surely  if  there  were  gods  sponsor- 
ing these  beneficial  needs  there  were  devils  which 
threatened  his  welfare.    The  devils  were  promptly 


116 THE  SCROLL 

given  prominence  and  were  soon  more  menacing 
than  ever,  due  to  the  extreme  complexities  of  man's 
imagination. 

Man  learned  early  to  yield  to  his  underlying  de- 
sires rather  than  his  intellect.  They  sufficed  for  a 
time  and  were  seemingly  adequate  sedatives  for  his 
fears.  Unwilling  to  probe  further  unless  the  case 
were  exceptional  he  remained  quite  content  to  rely 
upon  emotion  rather  than  intelligence.  Thus  has 
he  been  made,  even  to  the  present  day,  a  tool  in  the 
hands  of  the  philosopher,  the  linguist,  and  the 
exploiter. 

In  the  four  great  religions,  Zoroastrianism,  Juda- 
ism, Christianity,  and  Mohammedanism,  as  in 
others  before  and  since,  it  is  plainly  evident  that  the 
concepts  of  personalized  evil  were  real.  Although  it 
can  be  adequately  explained  that  they  never  have 
and  never  will  have  existence  outside  the  actual 
realms  of  man's  experience,  it  can  nevertheless  be 
said  empirically  that  in  the  realms  of  experience 
their  existence  has  been  manifest  in  all  the  gro- 
tesque forms  that  men  have  pictured  them  as  hav- 
ing. As  the  desires  of  man  were  thwarted  he 
actually  saw  the  causes  behind  them.  He  talked  to 
them,  he  cursed  them,  he  pled  with  them,  and  he 
made  every  possible  effort  to  conquer  them.  But  to 
little  avail,  for  so  long  as  the  desires  remained 
thwarted  so  long  did  the  concepts  exist.  Many  have 
vanished  over  these  long  centuries  spanning  the 
years  between  ancient  Persia  and  the  modern  world. 
But  many  remain  to  frustrate  the  attempts  of  man. 
They  probably  will  remain  until  that  day  in  the  far 
distant  future  that  man  overcomes  his  fears  and 
heartaches  by  trying  once  again  the  age-old  addage, 
"Fight  till  you  conquer!" 

In  the  face  of  defeat  and  death  he  has  struggled 
against  the  heavy  odds  of  evil  in  nature  and  human 
nature.  In  the  face  of  defeat  and  death  he  again 
will  take  up  the  cry  against  the  forces  old  and  new 


THE  SCROOL 117 

which  inhibit  his  attempts  for  the  good  life.  And 
the  devils  will  be  there,  though  perhaps  not  in  name 
or  figure,  laughing  at  his  idle  attempts,  flinching  at 
his  determined  will,  and  dying  with  his  successes. 
The  face  of  the  dreaded  Ahriman  will  flash  in  its 
most  hideous  form  as  disease  and  drought  threaten 
man's  welfare;  the  Satans  will  rise  from  their 
nether-world  to  capture  the  wrong-doers;  and  Iblis 
will  indignantly  raise  his  horny  hand  in  fiendish 
glee  at  the  prospect  of  more  souls  to  feed  his  fires. 
All  will  share  as  in  years  past  in  man's  repeated  at- 
tempts and  failures.  Neither  old  or  new  religious 
beliefs  can  relieve  these  demons  of  their  dreams' 
fulfillment  until  man's  grapplings  with  opposing 
forces  may  find  their  goal ;  not  a  far  off  goal  in  a 
distant  land  after  he  has  returned  to  dust  and  ashes, 
but  a  present  goal  made  possible  through  struggle 
toward  the  ever-enfolding  benefits  of  the  good  life 
here  together.  Heaven  and  hell  can  and  must  wait ! 
Our  task  is  not  to  prove  the  existence  of  either  the 
supernatural  or  its  habitation.  Our  task  is  to  meet 
the  maladjustment,  turn  our  faces  to  the  task,  and 
thank  the  gods  and  devils  for  making  us  see  the 
values  of  working  together  towards  the  goal  of  the 
good  life.  Their  task  is  finished;  our  is  just  begun; 
the  strength  of  our  efforts  should  find  their  measure 
in  the  satisfaction  of  our  results. 


Slowly  the  Bible  of  the  race  is  writ. 

And  not  on  paper  leaves  nor  leaves  of  stone; 
Each  age,  each  kindred,  adds  a  verse  to  it. 

Texts  of  despair  and  hope,  of  joy  and  moan. 
While  swings  the  sea,  while  mists  the  mountains 
shroud, 
While  thunders'  surges  burst  on  cliff  of  cloud. 
Still  at  the  prophets'  feet  the  nations  sit. 

James  Russell  Lowell — Bibliolaters. 


118  THE  SCROLL 

Dr.  Jenkins  and  Fire 

You  want  to  know  how  I  felt?   All  right: 

As  I  watched  that  fire  I  thought  maybe  this  is 
the  Almighty  telling  me  it  is  time  to  stop,  to  retire, 
take  it  easy  while  I  sat  back  in  carpet  slippers  and 
advised  some  young  fellow  how  to  rebuild. 

Then  I  knew  that  could  not  be  it.  On  the  contrary 
He  must  be  saying  to  me,  if  He  was  saying  any- 
thing, "Get  up,  old  boss,  and  do  some  more  trotting." 
Actually  those  are  the  very  thoughts  that  occurred 
to  me  that  night  and  I  think  that  is  about  the  sum 
and  substance  of  my  thoughts  even  now.  I  can  see 
that  it  would  be  impossible  for  anybody  to  recon- 
struct this  church  and  this  work  without  my  active 
participation,  and  that  is  something  worth  seeing  at 
three  score  and  ten. 

Bishop  Robert  Nelson  Spencer,  of  the  Episcopal 
Diocese,  wrote  me  that  he  went  through  a  similar 
experience  many  years  ago  and  a  fellow  cleric  was 
kind  enough  to  suggest  that  God  had  burned  his 
church  down  because  He  was  displeased  with  Rob- 
ert Nelson's  sins.  Then  Robert  Nelson  submitted 
the  matter  to  a  Jewish  lawyer  who  replied,  "Non- 
sense, the  Almighty  doesn't  even  know  your  church 
was  burned  down."  That  letter,  too,  comforted  me 
a  lot. 

Bill  Stidger  wrote  me,  "GLORY  BE!  HALLE- 
LUJAH! It  isn't  every  preacher  of  your  age  who 
gets  a  chance  to  build  a  hew  church." 

Besides  I  have  got  right  beside  me  a  six-foot, 
180-pounder  who  can  charge  through  anybody's  line 
and  tackle  any  bunch  of  circumstances. 


Dr.  Jenkins'  great  Linwood  Church  in  Kansas 
City  was  destroyed  by  fire  November  1.  It  would  be 
just  like  him  at  70  to  build  a  bigger  and  better  one 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  already  has  one  foot  in 
the  grave! — Ed. 


THE  SCROLL 119 

Drake  and  Graduate  Study 

Last  year  Drake  University  granted  fifteen  de- 
grees to  thirteen  ministerial  students.  Five  students 
received  the  degree,  Bachelor  of  Divinity ;  three  the 
Master  of  Arts ;  two  the  Bachelor  of  Sacred  Litera- 
ture, and  four  the  Bachelor  of  Arts.  Six  of  the  thir- 
teen are  continuing  their  graduate  study.  Two  of 
them  have  received  their  B.D.  degree  from  Drake 
University. 

Drake  University  has  never  led  the  Brotherhood 
in  the  number  of  students  receiving  degrees  and  yet 
has  stood  either  first  or  close  to  it  through  all  the 
years  in  the  number  of  students  doing  graduate 
work.  Two  years  ago  when  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago published  the  number  of  graduate  students 
who  had  taken  work  in  the  Divinity  School  of  the 
University  from  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  Drake 
University  led  the  list.  We  lead  the  other  colleges 
at  Colgate  Rochester.  We  stand  among  the  highest 
at  Yale. 

Drake  University  has  always  emphasized  scholar- 
ship. She  has  been  highly  rewarded  through  the 
prominence  given  to  her  graduates  in  the  life  of  the 
Brotherhood.  These  days  more  than  ever  before  de- 
mand a  highly  educated  ministry.  Any  student  that 
has  the  capacity  for  real  study  and  the  ambition  to 
pursue  that  study  through  a  period  of  six  to  eight 
years  will  find  the  Drake  Bible  College  a  very  happy 
place  in  which  to  work.  One  of  the  reasons  for  the 
success  of  the  Drake  men  in  graduate  study  has  been 
the  fact  that  they  have  had  very  little  to  unlearn  as 
they  entered  the  larger  universities. 

Any  university  or  college  that  inspires  its 
students  to  seek  more  and  more  education  is  giving 
to  them  one  of  the  greatest  heritages  any  school  can 
offer.  All  too  frequently  the  church  and  the  college 
have  led  their  members  to  feel  a  contentment  with  a 


120 THE  SCROLL 

minimum  of  training.  In  speaking  to  ministerial 
groups  about  continuing  one's  education  after  col- 
lege days  I  often  have  it  said  to  me,  "I  am  a  grad- 
uate with  such  and  such  a  degree,"  as  though  that 
represented  the  sum  total  of  learning.  The  true 
scholar  is  one  who  ever  feels  his  limitations  and 
seeks  to  broaden  his  horizons  of  knowledge.  For 
any  man  to  feel  content  with  what  he  has  received 
means  stagnation  and  ultimate  defeat  for  that  per- 
son. Our  world  calls  for  increasing  understanding 
of  the  human  problem.  The  minister  must  be  chal- 
lenged to  face  his  world  with  all  the  knowledge  he 
can  command.  He  must  never  come  to  the  place 
where  he  feels  he  expresses  his  message  in  the  finest 
literary  form  that  is  possible  for  him,  or  that  he 
has  penetrated  to  the  full  truth  of  the  meaning  of 
the  Christian  confession  and  life.  The  ministry 
must  be  eager,  alert  and  dissatisfied  with  what  it 
has  attained. 

Drake  University  is  to  be  commended  for  the 
spirit  of  study  and  research  that  it  has  given  to  its 
students.  May  that  spirit  grow  stronger  through 
the  years.  In  fact,  that  spirit  of  facing  life  as  it  is 
should  make  our  graduates  better  students  of  world 
conditions  and  therefore  more  open-minded  in  their 
use  of  new  methods  which  would  more  realistically 
deal  with  the  situation. 

Who  is  content  with  the  progress  the  church  is 
making  today  in  solving  the  evils  of  war  and  race 
and  social  inequality?  Can  a  minister  'be  truly 
Christian  and  unconcerned  with  such  situations? 
But  how' much  intelligence  can  he  bring  to  the  prob- 
lem unless  he  has  a  background  of  understanding 
the  human  race  and  a  desire  to  apply  his  knowledge 
to  the  world  in  which  he  lives.  Drake  University 
and  every  university  must  consider  it  a  part  of  its 
normal  program  to  inspire  its  students  with  a  sense 
of  the  need  of  the  human  family  and  then  teach 
them  that  God  wants  the  best  of  mind  and  heart 


THE  SCROLL 121 

that  they  have  for  the  task.  Which  should  mean 
that  our  students  become  hungry  for  more  complete 
knowledge.  God  must  have  the  best  we  have  if  he 
is  to  build  a  society  of  Christian  people. 


The  Christion  Register 

The  Boston  Transcript  recently  made  the  follow- 
ing observations  on  the  passing  of  The  Christian 
Register  into  the  hands  of  the  American  Unitarian 
Association,  after  118  years  as  an  independent 
organ  of  religious  opinion.  This  is  the  oldest  church 
paper  in  America  bearing  its  original  title.  After 
the  first  of  next  January  the  Register  will  be  a  de- 
nominational house  organ.  Many  Unitarians  do  not 
like  this.  In  the  past  seven  years  the  paper  has  de- 
clined in  circulation.  This  has  been  quite  generally 
true  of  church  papers.  They  do  not  pay  their  way. 
The  Register,  except  in  a  flourishing  period  after 
1918,  never  had  a  circulation  larger  than  at  present. 
It  has  been  supported  by  special  gifts  but  it  was 
independent.  There  is  a  feeling  akin  to  horror  at 
the  thought  of  the  paper  becoming  "official," 
cabined,  cribbed  and  confined  by  the  heavy  hand  of 
administrators  and  headquarters.  Thereare  those 
who  do  not  think  the  Register  should  die  such  a 
death  and  be  transformed  into  such  a  thing  as  an 
ecclesiastical  trade  paper,  full  of  meetings  and 
programs. 

Of  course  an  independent  church  paper  is  not  a 
success  commercially.  And  neither  is  a  symphony 
orchestra,  a  college,  an  art  museum,  a  hospital,  a 
missionary  board  .  .  .  The  whole  thing  is  just  too 
silly  for  argument,  that  a  church  paper  should  die 
if  it  does  not  pay.  And  when  the  version  of  the 
Register  beginning  in  1940  is  well  launched,  that 
also  will  not  pay ;  it  will  cost.  There  will  be  no  on- 
coming readers  to  the  paper  except  busy  workers 
in  general  Unitarian  organizations.    The  Register 


122 THE  SCROLL 

which  is  not  primarily  a  journal  of  thought,  with  a 
crusading  spirit  for  a  better  tomorrow,  in  the  front 
line  of  all  great  causes,  with  a  soul  of  glowing 
spiritual  religion  and  a  mind  of  consecrated  incisive- 
ness  and  integrity,  will  be  a  Register  fatuous,  futile, 
a  failure  from  the  start. 


Notes 

Mr.  Carroll  Odell  has  been  called  as  assistant 
minister  to  Robert  E.  Henry,  Taylorville,  Illinois. 
Mr.  Odell  was  ordained  there  November  26,  State 
Secretary  and  C.  B.  Tupper  officiating.  Mr.  Odell 
has  been  a  student  in  the  Disciples  Divinity  House 
in  two  different  periods  of  residence  during  the  past 
five  years.  His  experience  in  CCC  Camps  and 
student  preaching  give  promise  of  very  successful 
pastoral  work. 


The  Chicago  Disciples  Union  held  a  dinner  Mon- 
day evening,  November  27,  at  which  Robert  M.  Hop- 
kins was  the  principal  speaker.  It  was  good  to  have 
the  former  Secretary  of  this  Union,  Perry  J.  Rice, 
and  Mrs.  Rice  present  and  in  good  health.  Dr.  Wil- 
lett  was  also  present,  having  made  a  fine  recovery 
from  severe  illness  which  has  confined  him  to  the 
hospital  and  to  his  home  since  the  first  of  August. 
Professor  W.  C.  Bower  was  toast  master,  and  Rob- 
ert C.  Lemon,  the  new  secretary  of  the  Union,  re- 
ported on  the  state  of  the  cause. 


A.  LeRoy  Huff  has  resigned  from  the  pastorate 
of  the  North  Shore  Church  after  five  years  of 
strenuous  work.  He  continues  his  teaching  in  the 
North  Park  Junior  College. 


Miss  Damaris  Ames  and  Professor  Bernadotte 


THE  SCROLL 123 

E.  Schmitt  were  married  in  a  quiet  home  wedding, 
November  22.  Professor  Schmitt  is  professor  of 
Modern  European  History  in  the  University  of 
Chicago. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Edwards,  missionaries  in 
Africa  for  nearly  thirty  years,  are  now  living  at 
5804  Maryland  Ave.,  Chicago.  Their  son  Donald 
is  a  student  in  the  Disciples  House.  They  had  a 
thrilling  escape  from  the  steamship,  Athenia. 


"World  Christianity"  is  another  religious  per- 
iodical which  has  had  to  give  up  after  three  years 
of  good  work.  Members  of  the  Campbell  Institute 
ought  to  be  appreciative  of  the  fact  that  the  Scroll 
is  now  in  its  thirty-seventh  year,  though  its  demise 
has  been  hopefully  expected  by  certain  people  for 
a  long  time. 


The  University  Church,  Chicago,  is  already  plan- 
ning to  celebrate  the  forty  years  of  the  present  pas- 
torate next  October.  Among  other  things  they  are 
asking  the  minister  to  complete  his  autobiography 
for  publication  by  that  date.  The  general  commit- 
tee in  charge  are,  Henry  C.  Taylor,  W.  C.  Bower, 
W.  E.  Garrison,  Roy  Ross,  B.  Fred  Wise  and  Irvin 
E.  Lunger. 

Carter  Boren,  since  the  death  of  J.  K.  O'Heeron, 
has  become  the  pastor  of  the  South  End  Church  in 
Houston,  Texas.  Mr.  Boren  received  the  B.D.  de- 
gree at  the  University  of  Chicago  last  June.  He  is 
so  busy  no  one  can  get  him  to  write  a  letter ! 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Campbell  Institute  will 
begin  either  July  29  or  August  5  next  summer.  If 
any  one  has  any  preference,  let  him  say  it  now. 


124 THE  SCROLL 

Secretary-Treasyrer's  Page 

My  dear  DeGroot, 

Your  plaintive  suit 

Upsets  my  calm  decision. 

Now  here's  two  bucks, 

They're  big  as  trucks 

To  my  near  sighted  vision. 

I  hope  you'll  keep  me  thru  the  year 

Enrolled  and  in  good  standing; 

And  please  to  quit  from  this 

Day  forth,  your  everlasting  ranting. 

Future  anthologies  of  verse  may  yet  have  to 
reckon  with  this  page.  C.  M.  Ridenour  of  Seattle 
was  stirred  to  the  creation  of  the  above  lines  in  the 
process  of  parting  with  two  iron  men  for  his  dues. 
I  willingly  accept  the  charge  of  having  the  voice  of 
Socrates  (the  ranter)  but  the  hand  of  Levi  (Doyle 
Mullen's  accusation  at  Richmond,  in  effect) ,  so  long 
as  it  means  spelling  Campbell  Institute  as  follows: 
f-i-s-c-a-1-i-t-y  ! 

But  hold!  the  end  is  not  yet.  That  delightful 
gentleman,  C.  M.  Sharpe,  has  also  been  moved  to 
verse !     " 

Draws  toward  its  close  the  "Fiscal  Year" — 
Your  record — how  doth  it  appear? 
Two  "Iron  Men"  will  clear  the  score 
Or,  if  not,  doubtless  two  the  more. 
Arise  then,  speed  thee  to  the  goal — 
Thine  honor  win  and  save  thy  soul. 
Thy  name  shall  shine  with  lustre  bright 
Like  Adhem's  on  the  "Scroll"  of  Light. 

The  past  month  has  been  the  most  delightful  per- 
iod of  my  incumbency  in  this  office.  Checks,  cash, 
and  money  orders,  to  say  nothing  of  promises,  have 
rolled  in  from  all  sectors  in  such  volume  that  I  am 
afraid  that  the  postal  officers  will  have  me  reported 


THE  SCROLL 125 

as  suspected  of  gathering  intelligence  for  Der  Tag! 
The  printer  was  reliably  reported  to  have  smiled 
(which  I  think  is  an  understatement;  I  wager  he 
laughed  out  loud)  upon  receipt  of  prompt  payment 
for  three  issues  of  the  SCROLL.  When  I  was  a 
hostler's  helper  in  the  railroad  yards  we  used  to 
shout  to  the  engineers  in  their  great  locomotives, 
"Keep  'er  rollin'!"    So  say  I  now. 

In  addition  to  receipts  from  Fellows  who  were 
long  on  dues  but  short  on  communication  of  news, 
delightful  notes  were  received  with  the  dues  of  Rich- 
ard Dickinson  of  Eureka,  111.,  E.  K.  Higdon  of  Indi- 
anapolis, F.  A.  Henry  of  Geauga  Lake,  0.,  T.  Hassel 
Bo  wen  of  Harrodsburg,  Ky,,  0.  J.  Grainger  of 
Lynchburg  College,  Wendell  P.  Monroe  (engineer, 
now  on  the  new  Chicago  subway),  Dean  Lacy  Left- 
wich  of  Drury  College,  Emory  Ross  of  New  York, 
Warner  Muir  of  Seattle,  F.  F.  Grim  of  Wilson,  N.  C, 
Lt.  Col.  W.  B.  Zimmerman  of  Ft.  Myer,  Va.,  Leland 
Cook  of  San  Diego,  F.  W.  Burnham  of  Richmond, 
Va.,  Frank  Jewett  of  Austin,  Texas,  G.  Edwin 
Osborne  of  Enid,  Okla.,  F.  H.  Groom  of  Cleveland, 
Sherman  Kirk  of  Des  Moines,  W.  G.  Moseley  of 
Spokane,  W.  Oliver  Harrison  of  Pecos,  Texas,  D. 
W.  McElroy  of  Brownsville,  Texas  (this  country,  I 
have  been  informed,  is  south  of  the  United  States 
and  north  of  Mexico),  H.  P.  Atkins  of  Cincinnati, 
Ralph  W.  Nelson  of  Enid,  Charles  Darsie  of  Greens- 
boro, N.  C,  Wm.  F.  Rothenburger  of  Indianapolis, 
W.  Marion  Rowlen  of  Shelby ville,  111.,  John  Rogers 
of  Tulsa,  and  A.  L.  Ward  of  NoblesviHe,  Ind. 

No  one  has  claimed  that  undocumented  $2  yet ! 


Mr.  DeGroot  has  passed  his  final  examinations  for 
the  Ph.D.  degree  at  the  University  of  Chicago  and 
will  receive  the  Doctor's  hood  at  the  Convocation 
this  month.     Congratulations. 


126 THE  SCROLL 

Let  Us  Lau 

"Your  hair  will  be  gray  if  it  keeps  on." 
"If  it  only  keeps  on  I  don't  care  what  color    it 
becomes." — Exchange. 


Vicar  (benevolently)  :  "And  what  is  your  name, 
my  little  man?" 

Small  Boy:  "Well,  if  that  ain't  the  limit!  Why,  it 
was  you  that  christened  me." 

— Pittsburg  Gazette. 

Teacher  in  Church  School:  "Now  boys,  if  Alex- 
ander Campbell  were  living  today,  what  would  he 
be  doing?" 

Smart  Alec:  "Drawing  an  old  age  pension." 

— Anon. 


"If  all  the  theologians  in  the  world  were  laid  end 
to  end,  they  would  never  reach  a  conclusion." 

— Kablegrams. 
— 0 — 
Grandmother:  "There  are  two  words  I  wish  you 
wouldn't  use.   They  are  'rotten'  and  'lousy'." 

Modern  Co-ed :  "All  right  Granny.  What  are  the 
words?" — Exchange. 

A  teacher  was  explaining  to  his  class  that  "ous" 
at  the  end  of  a  word  meant  "full  of,"  and  he  gave 
as  an  example,  "joyous,"  which  he  explained  meant 
full  of  joy. 

"Now,  boys,"  said  he,  "give  me  another  example." 
Up  went  a  small  hand.  "Please,  sir,  *pius'." 

— The  Lookout. 

He:  "I  came  a  thousand  miles  through  ice  and 
snow  with  my  dog  team  just  to  tell  you  I  love  you. 
She :  "That's  a  lot  of  mush."— The  Keel. 


THE  SCROLL 127 

Two  small  boys  at  the  Salvation  Army  dinner  put 
their  grimy  hands  side  by  side  on  the  tablecloth. 

"Mine's  dirtier  'n  yourn!"  exclaimed  one,  tri- 
umphantly. 

"Huh,"  said  the  other  disdainfully,  "you're  two 
years  older  'n  me." — The  War  Cry. 

— 0 — 

Teacher:  "What  happened  in  the  year  1809? 
Johnny:  "Lincoln  was  born." 
Teacher:  Correct.   Now  what  happened  in  1812? 
Johnny   (after  pause)  :  "Lincoln  had    his    third 
birthday." — Exchange. 

Professor :  "I'll  wait  until  that  fellow  stops  mak- 
nig  a  fool  of  himself;  then  I'll  begin. — Anon. 

— 0 — 

"Sonny,  what  are  you  running  for?"  said  the  man. 
"To  keep  two  boys  from  fighting,"  said  the  boy. 
"Who  are  they?" 
"Me  and  Jimmy  Brown," 

"A  secret  is  something  you  tell  one  person  at  a 
time." 

— 0 — 
George  Campbell  is  the  inventor  of  the  word  "sur- 
reptitious membership"  though  not  of  the  practice! 

— 0 — 

The  Christian  Standard  advertises  and  magnifies 
the  importance  of  the  Campbell  Institute  by  inter- 
esting statistics.  We  could  not  do  it  better  or  more 
thoroughly  ourselves. 

It  is  hoped  that  this  department  of  "laughs"  will 
be  appreciated  and  helped  by  contributions  from 
many  directions ! 


128 


THE  SCROLL 


A  Christmas  Carol 


The  Christ-Child  lay  on  Mary's  lap, 

His  hair  was  like  a  light. 
(0  weary,  weary  were  the  world, 

But  here  is  all  aright.) 

The  Christ-Child  lay  on  Mary's  breast, 
His  hair  was  like  a  star. 
(0  stern  and  cunning  are  the  kings, 
But  here  the  true  hearts  are.) 

The  Christ-Child  lay  on  Mary's  heart. 

His  hair  was  like  a  fire. 
(0  weary,  weary  is  the  world, 

But  here  the  world's  desire.) 

The  Christ-Child  stood  at  Mary's  knee, 
His  hair  was  like  a  crown. 

And  all  the  flowers  looked  up  at  him, 
And  all  the  stars  looked  down. 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVII.        DECEMBER,  1939  No.  4 

The  Ideology  of  Our  Tradition 

E.  S.  Ames 

The  stream  of  life  and  thought  in  which  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ  have  their  development  belongs  to 
the  last  three  hundred  years,  to  the  period  be- 
ginning with  the  Renaissance  and  flowering  in  the 
scientific  spirit  and  method  which  are  now  trans- 
forming the  practical  world  of  affairs  and  basic 
philosophies  of  life.  This  movement  arose  in  a  new 
interest  in  nature  and  in  human  nature.  Respect 
for  all  natural  things  took  the  place  of  disdain  and 
indifference.  Francis  Bacon  saw  possibilities  of 
discoveries  and  inventions  which  would  benefit  man- 
kind, enlarge  human  horizons,  and  afford  means  of 
control.  "Knowledge  is  power,"  he  said.  Before 
him  knowledge  ^vas  regarded  as  contemplation  and 
vision,  yielding  piety  and  awe,  inducing  worship. 

The  change  is  illustrated  in  reference  to  the  con- 
ditions and  circumstances  under  which  men  live. 
Poverty,  disease,  slavish  subjection  to  authority  in 
state  and  church,  were  thought  of  as  belonging  to 
the  divinely  established  order  of  things.  To  com- 
plain of  one's  lot,  however  debased  was  felt  to  be 
irreligious  and  sinful  rebellion  against  God. 
Obedience,  patience,  and  passive  endurance  were 
the  virtues  extolled.  Old  superstitions  hindered 
studies  and  experiments.  The  Copernican  revolution 
in  astronomy  was  met  by  opposition  and  persecu- 
tion even  when  Galileo's  telescope  revealed  the 
movement  of  the  planets.  Medicine  was  thwarted 
by  prejudice  against  studies  of  anatomy.  Geology 
pointed  to  facts  of  changes  in  the  earth's  crust 
which  the  idea  of  direct  creation  stubbornly  re- 
jected.   But  the  sciences  gradually  established  their 


98 THE  SCROLL 

claims  and  finally  transformed  the  whole  conception 
of  the  natural  Vv^orld  and  the  general  conception  of 
evolution  which  is  universally  accepted  today  by  all 
who  are  informed  about  these  matters. 

The  same  methods  of  observation  and  reinterpre- 
tation  have  been  extended  into  the  realms  of  human 
behavior  by  anthropology,  psychology,  economics, 
and  religion.  Inventions  in  transportation,  com- 
munication, and  production  have  changed  the  con- 
ditions of  living,  have  extended  human  life,  and 
have  created  new  opportunities  and  new  possi- 
bilities in  man's  spiritual  adventures. 

Changed  Conception  of  Ideas 

To  understand  what  is  meant  by  "ideology"  it  is 
important  to  realize  the  nature  of  ideas  themselves. 
They  are  no  longer  regarded  as  mere  impressions 
in  the  mind,  but  are  rather  active  energies  of  the 
organism  expressing  directions  of  effort  toward 
more  satisfying  overt  action.  When  we  confront  the 
problem  of  "what  to  do"  in  any  situation,  we  run 
over  in  imagination  possible  lines  of  procedure  and 
try  out  in  thought  various  plans.  When  one  seems 
to  promise  success,  we  put  it  to  the  test  of  outward 
deeds.  The  results  furnish  the  test  of  the  "validity" 
of  the  chosen  idea.  This  process  may  be  very  simple, 
as  in  deciding  whether  to  carry  an  umbrella  today, 
or  it  may  be  very  complex,  as  in  deciding  whether 
to  join  a  church.  Real  ideas  always  have  a  pull  to- 
ward full  action.  They  are  not  merely  notions  to 
be  "believed"  or  contemplated.  They  are  movements 
of  the  living  human  being. 

It  is  in  the  light  of  such  psychological  facts  that 
the  nature  of  an  ideology  should  be  considered  in 
contrast  to  a  creed.  A  creed  is  the  formulation  of 
a  series  of  propositions  to  be  accepted  as  formu- 
lated. It  is  to  be  "believed,"  contemplated,  cherished. 
It  is  presented  as  stating  fixed,  absolute  truths.  For 
example,  the  idea  of  God  is  given  in  terms  of  exist- 


THE  SCROLL 99 

ence,  and  the  attributes  of  deity  are  enumerated  as 
final,  fixed  qualities.  A  creed  is  something  that 
demands  assent,  acceptance,  and  is  imposed  by 
authority.   Note  the  following  further  contrasts : 

A  creed  is  static.   An  ideology  is  dynamic. 

A  creed  looks  to  the  past.  An  ideology  looks  to 
the  future. 

A  creed  is  for  contemplative  belief.  An  ideology 
is  to  be  enacted. 

A  creed  is  given  as  absolute.  An  ideology  is  open 
to  revision. 

A  creed  is  based  upon  revelation.  An  ideology  is 
achieved  in  experience. 

A  creed  emphasizes  something  given.  An  ideol- 
ogy points  to  possibilities. 

A  creed  may  be  believed.  An  ideology  is  some- 
thing to  be  lived. 

A  creed  demands  uniformity.  An  ideology  invites 
experiment  for  improvement. 

A  creed  discounts  human  knowledge.  An  ideology 
magnifies  human  initiative. 

The  Ideas  of  Our  Ideology 

1.  A  Christian  is  one  who  seeks  to  the  best  of  his 
ability  to  realize  the  spirit  and  ideals  of  Jesus  in 
personal  and  social  life.  This  idea  is  a  practical 
attitude  and  allows  differences  of  interpretation  in 
the  interest  of  its  fulfillment. 

2.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  something  to  be  ac- 
complished. "Thy  kingdom  come."  Men  further  or 
hinder  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  by  their  spirit 
and  conduct. 

3.  The  Scriptures,  interpreted  in  the  light  of 
their  own  highest  passages,  such  as  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount  and  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  First 
Corinthians,  afford  examples  and  inspiration  for 
the  religious  life. 

4.  Churches  are  channels  through  which  this 
religious  faith  is  cherished  and  shared  in  a  fellow- 


100  THE  SCROLL 

ship  that  sustains  and  strengthens  members  in  this 
way  of  life.  Through  churches  this  way  of  life  is 
witnessed  and  radiated  in  the  world  with  leavening 
power. 

5.  By  this  religious  faith,  operating  through 
individuals  and  institutions  with  their  manifold 
ministries,  men  are  changed,  converted,  and  led 
through  repentance  and  new  loyalties  into  participa- 
tion in  the  better  life. 

6.  God  is  spirit,  the  spirit  of  love.  He  is  the 
ground  and  power  of  the  good.  The  idea  of  God  is 
dynamic.  It  sets  those  who  really  cherish  it,  in  the 
way  of  working  for  justice,  mercy  and  truth.  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  revelation  of  God  through  his  heroic 
devotion  to  the  realization  of  the  will  of  God. 

7.  This  way  of  life  generates  love  of  fellow  men 
through  which,  in  its  widening  ranges,  is  constantly 
experienced  and  realized  that  love  which  is  God. 

8.  This  way  of  life  involves  the  cultivation  of  bet- 
ter social  relations,  and  all  those  aids  to  the  good 
life  such  as  the  arts,  sciences,  and  other  interests 
which  are  inherent  in  the  growing  resources  of 
civilized  life. 

9.  The  characteristics  of  this  "tradition"  are 
"respect  for  personality,  liberty,  experimentalism, 
tolerance,  accommodation  in  social  method,  federal- 
ism, and  democracy." 

10.  The  religious  life,  so  conceived,  works  for  all 
the  great  values,  and  the  test  of  its  significance  is 
the  degree  and  eificiency  with  which  it  fulfills  those 
values.  

If  any  one  is  moved  to  be  particularly  generous, 
he  may  say  a  creed  when  softened  by  criticism  be- 
comes an  ideology.  Or,  an  ideology,  when  hardened, 
becomes  a  creed.  The  point  is  that  the  Disciples  in- 
tended to  keep  their  beliefs  open  to  revision,  and  not 
to  insist  upon  doctrinal  uniformity.  To  live  and 
grow  they  must  keep  an  open  mind. 


THE  SCROLL 101 

Our  Heritage  and  Destiny 

Charles  W.  Phillips,  Chicago 
In  order  to  consider  "the  rock  whence  we  are 
hewn  and  the  root  whence  we  are  sprung"  and 
further  to  assert  the  implications  of  this  for  our 
Hving  now  and  in  the  future,  Mr.  George  Catlin, 
former  professor  of  politics  at  Cornell  University 
has  written  what  has  proved  to  be  an  important 
and  thought-provoking  book.^  It  is  bold  in  its  pro- 
posals, aggressive  in  dealing  with  totalitarian 
ideologies,  and  vigorous  in  asserting  the  strength 
and  values  of  our  Anglo-Saxon  heritage  for  he  be- 
lieves that  those  of  us  who  do  not  relish  rule  by 
either  of  the  myths  of  race  or  Class  ought  not  drift 
on  in  a  "flaccid  acquiescence"  before  the  powers  that 
oppose  us  in  the  world  today.  The  author  is  no  mere 
anti-Nazi  or  anti-Bolshevist  concerned  only  with 
the  present  conflict — nothing  as  ordinary  and  trite 
as  that.  His  horizon  is  nothing  less  than  the  whole 
future  and  destiny  of  men ;  his  interest  is  in  the 
dignity  and  peace  of  men  and  nations  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  discipline  of  liberty  instead  of  a  dis- 
cipline of  despotism  for  regulating  life  and  de- 
termining its  values.  Beneath  his  proposals  he  has 
provided  a  careful  and  incisive  analysis  of  the  "Tra- 
dition" which  he  believes  to  be  the  only  basis  for 
achieving  the  goals  and  preserving  the  free  spirit 
of  man. 

There  must  first  of  all  be  a  world-commonwealth, 
because  there  can  be  neither  peace  nor  justice  so 
long  as  absolutely  sovereign  nations  continue.  This 
is  no  new  theory,  but  most  men  who  suggest  it 
either  allow  the  matter  to  rest  there,  or  if  they  at- 
tempt to  become  constructive,  build  some  kind  of  a 
Utopia  belonging  to  a  far-distant  future.  Mr. 
Catlin  is  more  specific.    We  should   return   to   the 


^Catlin,   George,  Anglo-Saxony  and  Its  Tradition.     New  York,   Macmillan; 
1939;  $3.00. 


102 THE  SCROLL 

Genevan  idea  and  make  the  governing  idea  of  this 
state  federal,  not  imperial  or  fascist.  A  preliminary 
step  to  the  formation  of  a  v^orld-state  is  the  federa- 
tion of  Western  civilization,  and  in  turn  the  neces- 
sary prelude  to  this  is  a  confederation  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  bloc  of  nations,  at  the  center  of  v^hich  lies 
the  United  States.  This  bloc  covers  in  its  total 
area,  more  than  a  quarter  of  the  earth's  surface.  It 
is  urgent  that  we  begin  soon.  First,  says  the  author, 
v^e  must  have  a  "blazing  conviction"  of  the  grandeur 
of  Anglo-Saxon  culture  as  a  "spiritual  reality,"  and 
this  v^ithin  the  next  four  years! 

Just  what  is  the  nature  of  this  Anglo-Saxon  tradi- 
tion? Is  it  a  "spiritual  reality"  in  which  one  can 
have  such  conviction?  What  are  the  expressions  of 
it?  These  and  other  pertinent  questions  about  it 
are  the  concern  of  the  major  part  of  the  book. 

There  is  first  of  all  running  through  history  a 
"Grand  Tradition"  in  human  values,  a  "pattern  of 
values"  that  has  been  relatively  distinct,  even  in 
the  so-called  Dark  Ages.  This  "Grand  Tradition" 
in  the  West  separates  from  that  of  the  East,  but  is 
not  in  conflict  with  it.  In  the  West  it  was  shaped  by 
the  Greeks,  but  Judea  and  Rome  fuse  with  it  to  form 
a  great  syncretism.  The  pattern  is  carried  on  and 
moulded  by  Christian  civilization  and  by  the  tradi- 
tion of  Humanism  coming  out  of  the  Renaissance. 
This  humanistic  tradition  indeed  is  the  link  which 
connects  the  greater  tradition  of  values  with  the 
Anglo-Saxon  tradition.  It  is  essential  to  note  that 
this  latter  is  a  tradition  of  values,  and  culture.  The 
author  disclaims  any  effort  to  promote  some  new 
racialism  or  nationalism.  Rather  "...  when  we 
speak  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  world,  we  speak,  not  of 
a  State  or  indeed  of  an  Empire,  but  of  a  civilization, 
a  culture  which  carries,  latent  in  it,  a  philosophy 
and  an  outlook  in  living."  The  philosophic  founda- 
tions of  this  tradition  are  to  be  found,  first  in  the 
hints  of  Roger  Bacon,  Duns  Scotus,  and  Francis 


THE  SCROLL 103 

Bacon.  Later  it  was  given  a  "coherent  structure" 
in  the  philosophy  of  John  Locke,  to  which  the 
Utihtarians  still  later,  and  the  pragmatists  James 
and  Dewey,  have  added.  Lord  Russell  has  also 
helped  form  it. 

The  dominant  notes  of  the  tradition  have  been 
those  of  humanism,  freedom,  experiment,  tolerance, 
democracy,  accommodation,  federalism,  moralism, 
and  public  spirit.  These  are  not  isolated  elements, 
but  connect  with  and  support  one  another  to  form 
a  unity  in  the  tradition.  The  "keystone"  of  the  whole 
is  its  experimentalism,  its  empiricism.  "Knowledge 
of  truth  is  a  matter  where  we  are  talking  of  society 
and  values,  of  approximation,  experiment,  and  grop- 
ing." The  conflict  between  dogmatism  and  em- 
piricism with  respect  to  an  approach  to  a  knowledge 
of  value,  was  fought  out  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  ground 
as  it  has  been  fought  nowhere  else,  and  from  Bacon 
to  the  present,  Catlin  brilliantly  outlines  the 
struggle.  The  result  was  the  establishment  of  a  tra- 
dition of  experimentalism,  from  which  has  stemmed 
the  ideas  of  Liberty  and  Tolerance,  as  well  as  the 
note  of  practical  moralism  and  a  distinctive  political 
philosophy  of  democracy.  We  must  recognize  this 
tradition  soon  for  the  alternatives  of  Tradition  or 
Coercion  are  upon  us.  We  must  either  accept  a  dis- 
cipline of  Law  imposed  from  without  or  submit  to 
the  self-imposed  discipline  of  our  Tradition,  a  dis- 
cipline of  Liberty  and  Experiment.  We  dare  not 
disclaim  this  permanency  of  value  in  our  own  tradi- 
tion, else  our  thinking  "will  be  done  for  us  by  more 
vigorous  minds."  We  must  become  alive  to  our 
heritage. 

In  addition  to  this  being  the  first  step  towards 
the  formation  of  a  world  commonwealth,  the 
recognition  of  our  common  cultural  heritage,  of  an 
outlook  that  makes  enterprise  and  imagination 
possible,  it  is  the  best  bridge  over  to  other  cultures 
and  provides  a  means  to  the  author's  other  object 


104 THE  SCROLL 

which  is  *'the  spiritual  redintegration  of  culture." 
We  must  be  clear  here  that  Christianity,  Protestant 
and  Catholic,  *'is  today  on  the  defensive  in  a  fight 
that  threatens  death,  against  resurgent  paganism 
and  against  dogmatic  materialism."  If  we  fail  to  go 
ahead  with  a  world  program,  either  Bolshevism  or 
the  German  Reich  will  go  ahead.  We  have  no  right 
to  despise  them  or  their  self-sacrifice,  for  the  author 
sees  values  on  the  other  side.  It  is  rather  for  us  to 
"do  as  well,  as  firmly,  as  proudly,  and  more  richly." 
Many  things  in  this  book  may  disturb.  Some  will 
wish  that  Mr.  Catlin  were  not  an  Englishman. 
Others  may  feel  that  this  is  a  romantic  glorification 
of  great  English  statesmen  and  men  of  letters  and 
that  this  is  not  enough  to  sustain  the  thesis.  Still 
again  it  may  be  felt  that  the  canalization  of  so  much 
of  the  great  tradition  of  human  values  (if,  indeed 
the  existence  of  this  is  not  criticized)  into  a 
peculiarly  "Anglo-Saxon"  tradition  is,  if  not  falla- 
cious, at  least  overdrawn  albeit  unconsciously  due 
to  the  pressure  of  world  events  at  the  moment,  just 
before  the  present  war  broke.  Absolutists  had  bet- 
ter not  pick  it  up,  it  won't  suit  their  temper.  For  the 
rest  it  commends  itself  because  it  is  a  vigorous  at- 
tempt at  an  analysis  of  our  modern  difficulties  as 
well  as  an  effort  to  be  realistic,  practical,  and  con- 
structive in  the  answer  to  the  modern  problem  of 
finding  values  we  can  live  by  and  have  faith  in. 


The  Disciples  need  to  see  themselves  in  a  longer 
perspective,  both  with  reference  to  the  historical 
movements  before  Alexander  Campbell,  and  also 
with  reference  to  what  comes  after  him.  Francis 
Bacon  on  one  side  and  William  James  on  the  other 
serve  to  map  the  route  and  the  direction  of  this  in- 
tellectual and  religious  pilgrimage. — Ed. 


THE  SCROLL 105 

The  Richmond  Convention 

Paul  E.  Becker 

One  of  the  features  of  the  recent  International 
Convention,  as  I  experienced  it,  tends  to  confirm  the 
contention  of  the  Editor  of  The  Scroll  that  the  Dis- 
ciples are  still  an  adventurous  rather  than  a  tradi- 
tion-bound people.  I  refer  to  the  Christian  Interest 
Forums  which  were  held  on  two  forenoons  of  the 
convention. 

The  section  I  attended  was  the  one  dealing  with 
"Disciples  and  Social  Action,"  which  met  on  Mon- 
day morning.  Following  the  worship  period  two 
addresses  were  presented  which  threw  into  relief 
the  two  poles  of  thinking  upon  the  question  of  demo- 
cratic social  change.  Pres.  Daniel  S.  Robinson,  of 
Butler,  identified  socialism  with  communism  and 
condemned  both  outright  as  naturalistic  and 
atheistic.  "There  can  be  no  such  thing  as  Christian 
socialism,"  he  said.  His  position  was  based  upon  a 
philosophical  approach  rising  from  a  background 
of  mystical  theism. 

Dr.  Robinson  was  followed  by  Prof.  Joseph  N. 
Leinbach,  of  Lynchburg,  who  dealt  with  the  ques- 
tion of  democracy  factually  rather  than  philo- 
sophically. He  clashed  frontally  with  the  first 
speaker,  and  the  two  set  the  stage  for  a  most  virile 
general  discussion.  It  became  evident  that  the 
majority  of  those  who  spoke  from  the  floor  took 
serious  issue  with  the  position  of  Dr.  Robinson. 
Everything  considered,  the  discussion  was  a  real 
mind-stretcher,  one  of  the  kind  that  might  have 
done  credit  even  to  the  Campbell  Institute. 

The  session  closed  with  a  sermon  on  "Christianity 
in  a  World  of  Rivals,"  by  A.  L.  Cole,  of  Omaha.  In 
crisp,  stabbing  sentences  he  described  and  analyzed 
Communism,  Nazism  and  Fascism,  pointing  out  how 
each  was  the  logical  result  of  popular  desperation. 
He  laid  squarely  upon  Christianity  the  responsi- 


106 THE  SCROLL 

bility  for  building  a  world  in  which  normal  human 
cravings  shall  not  be  permitted  to  turn  acid  with 
stark  despair.  Kis  message  was  for  me  the  most 
moving  word  I  heard  at  the  convention. 

I  cite  this  session  as  proof  that  the  pioneering 
spirit  of  the  Disciples  is  capable  of  revival  in  our 
conventions.  It  was  utterly  refreshing  in  contrast 
to  the  stereotyped  patterns  that  for  the  most  part 
govern  our  official  assemblies. 


'Whither  Disciples— At 


Marshon  De  Poister,  Rensselaer,  Indiana 

Well,  "the  little  periphery  of  inconsequential 
Disciples"  got  together  at  the  Richmond  Convention. 

As  always,  we  just  began  to  get  down  to  business 
and  accomplish  something  in  our  discussions  when 
someone  happened  to  remember  that  it  was  mid- 
night or  past,  and  that  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning 
comes  disconcertingly  early!  All  of  which  leads  me 
to  wonder,  sadly,  why  the  Institute  must  scramble 
for  the  crumbs  of  time  which  fall  from  the  main 
table  of  the  convention  program.  I  wish  profoundly 
that  it  might  be  otherwise.  Many  attend  the  con- 
vention who  cannot  be  at  the  summer  Institute 
meetings. 

But,  back  to  the  problem  at  hand.  Dr.  Ames  intro- 
duced the  material  for  discussion.  He  generalized 
on  the  material  in  his  SCROLL  article,  and  then  he 
supplemented  a  very  broad  explanation  of  the 
trends  of  modern  thought.  He  put  the  Disciples 
down  right  in  the  middle  of  this  melee  of  thought, 
and  then  he  baited  his  line  with,  "All  right,  where 
are  we?   And  where  are  we  going?" 

Since  C.  B.  Tupper  was  slated  to  help  introduce 
the  subject  matter,  and  since  he  was  one  of  the  few 
at  the  meeting  who  admittedly  had  read  the  article 


THE  SCROLL 107 

in  the  SCROLL,  he  spoke  next.  His  conclusion 
seemed  to  hang  on  this  general  assumption :  "It  is 
a  nice  idea,  and  we,  indeed,  do  have  a  liberal  and 
fine  heritage,  but  I  am  not  convinced  it  will  work 
in  a  Brotherhood  which  has  the  crosscurrents  of 
thoughts  evident  today."  Mr.  Tupper  ventured  to 
speculate  that  there  were  fine  folk  "on  the  other 
side  of  the  fence,"  who  are  as  much  Disciples  as  we 
who  are  slightly  more  liberal  in  our  interpretation 
of  our  heritage. 

If  I  were  replying  to  Mr.  Tupper,  which  I  am  not, 
I  should  say,  "That  is  all  very  true.  But  we  are  not 
just  now  weighing  up  the  admirable  qualities  of 
contemporaries;  but  rather  we  are  trying  to  get  at 
truths  about  our  background,  and  on  the  basis  of 
that  we  are  trying  to  chart  a  course  for  the  future. 

Professor  MacCasland  took  the  floor  after  Mr. 
Tupper.  It  was  Professor  McCasland's  general 
observation  that  the  Disciples  of  Christ  did  not  need 
so  much  to  establish  the  fact  of  a  "unique"  back- 
ground, as  they  need  to  create  a  theology.  He 
pointed  out  that  the  Disciples  had  never  produced 
a  theology,  and  that  what  we  need  most  is  a  tangible 
theology. 

Well,  "theology,"  can  cover  a  multitude  of  sins 
under  its  canopy.  What  kind  of  a  theology  does  the 
professor  want?  Out  of  a  group  of  highly  intelligent 
men  in  that  meeting,  I  venture  to  guess  that  no  two 
could  get  together  on  a  theology — much  less  the 
Disciples  of  Christ  everywhere,  with  their  antipathy 
for  even  the  word  itself.  So,  "theology"  would  take 
volumes  of  explanation,  which  Professor  McCas- 
land  did  not  offer  to  give.  Besides,  the  convention 
ended  in  two  more  days! 

Dr.  Garrison  spoke  briefly.  He  introduced  a  new 
book  to  us,  Catlin — Anglo-Saxony  and  Its  Tradi- 
tions. In  it,  Dr.  Garrison  pointed  out  that  the 
majority  of  religious  faiths  which  came    to    this 


108 THE  SCROLL 

country,  with  roots  in  the  old  world  culture,  had 
brought  with  them  the  theologies  of  the  time.  The 
Disciples  of  Christ  have  escaped  all  this  kind  of 
heritage.  Well  and  good.  That  makes  sense  to  me. 
I  was  sorry  Dr.  Garrison  did  not  go  further. 

All  in  all,  I  felt  that  the  discussion  was  not  up  to 
the  high  standard  which  the  Institute  maintains. 
We  did  not  get  down  to  "brass  tacks"  of  facts  and 
experiences.  It  is  an  old  story,  but  it  seems  to  fit 
here.  Dr.  Paul  Douglas  once  described  the  Camp- 
bell-Owen debate  as  two  swiftly  moving  trains  bear- 
ing down  on  each  other  from  opposite  directions. 
But  just  as  they  seem  certain  to  hit  head-on,  they 
pass  harmlessly  on  separate  tracks.  I  may  be  wrong 
— I  frequently  am — but  it  seems  to  me  that  those 
who  talked  did  a  good  job,  but  they  missed  the  ideas 
which  Dr.  Ames  had  hoped  to  bring  out  in  discus- 
sion. I  would  not  say  that  they  missed  the  point 
entirely;  at  least  there  was  a  great  flurry  of  air  in 
the  general  vicinity  of  the  point  under  discussion. 
But  when  the  smoke  had  cleared,  the  target  was 
still  there  .  .  .  intact! 

I  would  suggest  that  every  "Instituter"  read 
Stuart  Chase's,  The  Tyranny  of  Words.  And  after 
re-reading  what  I  have  written,  I  think  that  I  shall 
read  the  book  for  the  third  time !  I  hope  I  have  not 
missed  the  point,  too. 


Dr.  McCasland  is  right  when  he  says  the  Disciples 
need  to  systematize  their  thinking.  It  would  be  bet- 
ter to  say  they  need  an  ideology  rather  than  fo  say 
they  need  a  theology.  Words  do  make  a  difference 
and  the  old  theological  terms  play  tricks  upon  us  and 
upon  all  who  use  them.  "Ideology"  is  a  new,  clean 
word.    It  fits  our  need. — Ed. 


THE  SCROLL 109 

Testing  the  Doctrine 

From  A  Recent  Letter 

In  re-reading  the  article,  "Whither  Disciples?"  it 
came  forcefully  home  to  me  that  the  discussion  was 
predicated  upon  the  thought  that  the  ideas  therein 
are  primarily  those  of  "educated  Disciples  who  are 
equipped  by  modern  education  in  the  fields  of 
biblical  study,  church  history,  and  philosophy." 

But  most  of  us  in  the  local  pastorate  are  not  deal- 
ing with  people  who  are  equipped  by  modern  educa- 
tion in  the  fields  of  biblical  study.  In  fact,  a  large 
portion  of  our  congregations  are  not  even  high 
school  graduates.  If  that  is  true,  what  then  do  the 
Disciples  look  like  to  them?  This,  of  course,  is  just 
another  way  of  putting  the  question  that  has  been 
raised  so  many  times.  Is  this  interpretation  of  Dis- 
ciples chiefly  wishful  thinking? 

At  length  my  curiosity  got  the  better  of  me  and 
I  decided  to  put  the  question  to  a  test.  My  congrega- 
tion is  made  up  of  people  who  are  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  in  other  occupations  typical  of  the  small 
village.  There  are  few  college  graduates  in  the 
church  and  many  never  finished  high  school.  It  was 
upon  this  group  that  I  sprang  "Whither  Disciples?" 

In  my  presentation  of  the  subject  I  used  virtually 
all  of  the  basic  ideas  included  in  every  section  of 
the  paper.  The  reception  given  these  ideas  positively 
amazed  me.  I  have  never  made  a  presentation  of 
anything  that  was  more  enthusiastically  received.  A 
month  has  passed  since  I  presented  "Whither  Dis- 
ciples ?"  and  reactions  are  still  coming  in — all  favor- 
able. And,  most  interesting  of  all,  my  most  con- 
servative people  are  the  most  enthusiastic.  More- 
over, my  only  concession  to  "conservatism"  was  to 
avoid  using  controversial  words.  The  ideas  were 
expressed  but,  when  such  labels  as  "modernism," 
"higher  criticism"  and  "open-membership"  were 
avoided,  those  ideas  were  not  at  all  repugnant.  Thus, 


110 THE  SCROLL 

I  am  convinced  that  the  ideas  expressed  in  "Whither 
Disciples"  are  not  alone  the  property  of  the  "intel- 
lectuals" but  rather  are  the  common  property  of 
large  portions  of  our  brotherhood. 


Baptism  and  Christian  Unity 

Ediuin  H.  Yeiser,  Austin,  Texas 

James  Harvey  Garrison  (Historical  Documents 
Advocating  Christian  Union,  pp.  364  &  344)  said: 

"Let  us  hear  with  patience  and  with  brotherly  re- 
spect the  honest  convictions  of  every  one  who  be- 
lieves he  has  a  new  truth,  or  a  new  view  of  an  old 
truth,  to  communicate  to  us. 

"This  is  not  to  be  lenient  to  error,  it  is  to  be  loyal 
to  truth. 

"We  have  wisely  refused  to  stereotype  by  formu- 
lating a  written  creed,  having  profited  by  the  exper- 
ience of  others,  and  if  we  shall  succeed  in  avoiding 
the  more  subtle  danger  of  stereotyping  by  the  un- 
written law  of  usage,  or  tradition,  preferring  life 
to  crystallization,  there  is  no  reason  why  our  plea, 
in  its  fundamental  principles,  should  ever  be 
obsolete." 

I  think  that  the  above  quotations  will  admit  of 
my  saying:  We  have  no  creed  but  Christ,  we  should 
have  no  plea  but  back  to  Jesus  for  all  authority. 

Now  that  I  have  anchored,  I  affirm  on  the 
authorities  quoted  hereinafter,  and  without  any 
suspicion  that  I  am  transgressing  at  any  place  a 
thus  sayeth  the  Lord  that: 

The  ordinance  of  baptism  was  an  early  cause  of 
divisions  in  the  Church : 

"For  it  hath  been  signified  unto  me  concerning 
you,  my  brethren,  by  them  that  are  of  the  household 
of  Chloe,  that  there  are  contentions  among  you.  Now 
this  I  mean,  that  each  of  you  sayeth,  I  am  of  Paul ; 
and  I  am  of  Apollos ;  and  I  am  of  Cephas ;  and  I  am 


THE  SCROLL 111 

of  Christ.  Is  Christ  divided?  was  Paul  crucified  for 
you?  or  were  you  baptized  into  the  name  of  Paul? 
I  thank  God  that  I  baptized  none  of  you,  save 
Crispus  and  Gains;  lest  any  man  should  say  that 
you  were  baptized  into  my  name.  And  I  baptized 
also  the  household  of!  Stephanas;  and  besides,  I 
know  not  whether  I  baptized  any  other.  For  Christ 
sent  me  not  to  baptize,  but  to  preach  the  gospel ;  not 
with  wisdom  of  words,  less  the  cross  of  Christ 
should  be  made  void."    (I  Cor.  1:11-17). 

The  ordinance  of  baptism  is  likely  a  greater  cause 
of  divisions  now  than  it  was  then.  The  divisions  are 
not  confined  to  the  clergy,  but  ministers  are  not  now 
at  liberty  to  question  sound  doctrine,  as  our  historic 
position  on  this  one  matter  has  crystallized  into  a 
creedal  pronouncement  by  the  unwritten  law  of 
usage  and  tradition  and  we  have  unwittingly  become 
a  creed  bound  people  on  this  point. 

A  good  member  of  ours  recently  remarked,  "The 
only  thing  in  the  way  of  Christian  Union  is  bap- 
tism, but  we  can  not  compromise  our  position."  The 
question  should  be.  Have  we  compromised  the  posi- 
tion of  Jesus? 

Our  position  has  been  tested  for  over  one  hun- 
dred years  and  we  have  found  it  a  cause  of  division 
in  place  of  a  platform  for  unity.  Because  of  this 
failure,  we  should  carry  the  matter  back  to  Jesus 
as  the  one  of  all  authority. 

What  did  Jesus  mean  when  he  said:  "Baptizing 
them  into  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Spirit?" 

In  construing  other  sacred  words,  we  are  admon- 
ished, "If  any  man  shall  add  unto  them,  God  shall 
add  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are  written  in  this 
book,"  (Rev.  22-16) .  Have  we  added  unto  the  words 
of  Jesus?  We  have  added  WATER,  unto  the  words 
of  Jesus.  This  great  commission  is  found  in 
Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John,  and  Acts,  and  water 
is  not  mentioned  in  any  of  them. 


112 THE  SCROLL 

We  have  assumed,  and  likely  without  question  or 
even  thought,  that  Jesus  referred  to  the  baptism  of 
John,  as  continued  by  the  apostles  other  than  Paul. 
Paul's  rebellion  should  not  go  without  notice,  with- 
out investigation,  and  as  he  was  concerned  about  the 
divisions,  we  should  be  equally  concerned  about  our 
divisions. 

As  there  are  a  number  of  baptisms  mentioned  in 
the  New  Testament,  we  should  examine  all  of  the 
references  to  see  if  we  can  know  which  baptism 
Jesus  had  in  mind. 

We  read  of  the  baptism  in  the  cloud  unto  Moses 
(I  Cor.  1-2)  ;  the  baptism  for  the  dead  (I  Cor.  15- 
29)  ;  the  baptism  of  John  (Matt.  3-11)  ;  the  bap- 
tism with  which  Jesus  was  baptized  (Mark  10:38- 
39)  ;  the  baptism  of  suffering  that  Jesus  spoke  of 
(Luke  12:50)  ;  and  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
(Matt.  3:11;  Mark  1:8;  Luke  3:16;  John  1:33; 
Acts  1:5). 

John  said  that  he  baptized  with  water  or  into 
water,  but  that  He  who  should  come  after  him  would 
baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire  (Matt. 
3:11;  Mark  1:8)  ;  Luke  3:16;  John  1-26-34).  "And 
I  knew  him  not :  but  he  that  sent  me  to  baptize  in 
water,  he  said  unto  me.  Upon  whomsoever  thou 
shall  see  the  Spirit  descending,  and  abiding  upon 
him,  the  same  is  he  that  baptizeth  in  the  Holy 
Spirit."  Jesus  was  baptized  by  John,  but  was  im- 
mediately thereafter  baptized  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
What  a  contrast. 

Jesus  said :  "For  John  baptized  with  water,  but  ye 
shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many 
days  hence."  (Acts  1-5). 

From  the  above  quotations  it  will  be  observed  that 
baptism  was  not  always  used  in  a  literal  sense,  and 
that  therefore  the  baptism  of  John  will  not  satisfy 
the  context  in  every  place  where  baptism  is  used. 

Jesus  referred  to  the  baptism  of  John  (Mark 
11:30),  but  did  not  adopt  it,  it  being  clearly  stated 


THE  SCROLL 113 

that  while  the  disciples  of  Jesus  baptized,  he  bap- 
tized not  (John  4-2).  The  fact  that  Jesus  did  not 
baptize  in  water,  the  fact  that  we  have  no  record 
that  the  apostles  were  baptized  except  by  John  and 
that  Paul  abandoned  the  practice,  as  divisive,  should 
cause  us  more  concern  about  our  creedal  practice, 
and  test  of  fellowship  arrived  at  by  argument  rather 
than  a  thus  sayeth  the  Lord. 

It  has  always  occurred  to  me  that  in  construing 
the  words  of  Jesus,  we  should  seek  to  give  them 
the  largest  meaning  possible.  Such  is  attained  only 
by  the  spiritual  construction.  The  letter  killeth  the 
spirit  maketh  alive.  God  is  spirit  and  those  who 
worship  him  must  worship  in  spirit  and  truth.  By 
again  referring  to  the  quotations  above  mentioned, 
where  the  word  baptism  is  used,  it  will  be  observed 
that  the  word  was  often  used  in  a  spiritual,  figura- 
tive sense  as  distinguished  from  its  literal  sense. 
Many  who  are  opposed  to  the  spiritual  construction 
fail  to  reflect  that  one  of  our  greatest  treasures  in 
construction  is  reached  in  this  way — that  of  the 
correct  understanding  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Bap- 
tism and  the  Lord's  Supper  are  twin  ordinances, 
and  should  be  construed  alike. 

All  admit  that  there  is  no  virtue  in  the  water,  but 
that  baptism  is  a  spiritual  act;  others  contend  that 
the  virtue  is  in  obedience,  as  if  it  were  a  stronger 
test  of  obedience  than,  **Love  your  enemies." 

If  we  are  to  cure  our  divisions,  we  must  seek  out 
the  One  Lord,  One  Faith  and  One  Baptism.  It  was 
Paul  who  mentioned  this  one  baptism,  so  it  must  be 
the  one  of  which  Paul  approved,  not  the  one  that 
he  discontinued. 

Why  should  Jesus  have  adopted  the  baptism  of 
John?  Does  it  not  seem  more  reasonable  to  assume 
that  he  instituted  something  in  keeping  with  His 
spiritual  kingdom?  "No  man  rendeth  a  piece  from 
a  new  garment  and  putteth  it  upon  an  old  garment ; 
else  he  will  rend  the  new,  and  also  the  piece  from 


114 THE  SCROLL 

the  new  will  not  agree  with  the  old."  "No  man 
putteth  new  wine  into  old  wine-skins."  Why  not 
construe  the  language  of  Jesus  as  it  is  written,  and 
refuse  to  read  "water"  into  this  language,  as  the 
word  water  is  not  included  in  any  of  the  five  pas- 
sages where  the  great  commission  is  found.  As 
written  the  words  admit  only  of  the  spiritual  con- 
struction, as  we  are  to  baptize  into  names  (med- 
iums, characters,  environment)  and  the  figure  is  not 
unlike  that  in  John  17:12,  "While  I  was  with  them 
I  kept  them  in  thy  name";  and  the  figure  of  Paul- 
where  he  speaks  of  being  baptized  in  the  name  of 
Jesus. 

At  best  baptism  in  water  is  symbolic,  a  symbol  of 
cleansing;  so  it  cannot  be  so  important  as  the  med- 
ium that  washes  the  spirit.  It  was  certainly  this 
medium  that  was  referred  to  by  Jesus  when  he 
spoke  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  On  the 
other  hand,  Is  not  the  baptism  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as 
a  spiritual  medium  a  larger  conception  than  that  of 
baptism  in  water?  "In  God  we  live  and  move  and 
have  our  being."  If  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  cause 
our  converts  to  enter  this  medium,  then  we  have  lost 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

The  experiences  of  Thomas  Campbell  with  divi- 
sions in  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  likely 
resulted  in  our  proper  interpretation  of  it  as  sym- 
bolic. Would  it  not  prove  to  our  advantage  for  its 
twin  ordinance,  baptism,  to  receive  a  like  construc- 
tion, as  our  construction  of  the  two  is  inconsistent? 
We  admit  all  to  the  communion,  we  exclude  near 
ninety  per  cent  from  taking  membership  with  us, 
and  thereby  question  even  the  spiritual  part  of  their 
baptism  into  Christ,  and  at  the  same  time  we 
recognize  them  as  Christians.  These  inconsistencies 
should  receive  the  consideration  of  the  best  minds 
and  hearts  of  our  brotherhood. 


THE  SCROLL 115 

Personalized  Evil  in  Religion 

By  Connor  G.  Cole 

The  mind  of  primitive  man  was  highly  suscept- 
ible to  superstition  and  diabolical  speculation.  As 
he  began  to  wonder  about  the  forces  which  were 
outside  his  realm  of  experience  he  found  plenteous 
sources  for  more  and  more  elaborate  speculations. 
Often  dwelling  in  unhospitable  environments,  sub- 
ject to  hostile  geographical  conditions,  struggling 
against  odds  of  tremendous  size  from  unfriendly 
powers  of  nature,  it  was  not  long  before  all  of  these 
became  personalized  into  terrible  demons  with  half- 
human  hall-animal  forms  and  features.  Anthropo- 
morphism and  anthropopathism  were  logical  steps, 
for  it  has  always  been  convenient  to  personalize 
objects  with  which  man  has  come  into  close  con- 
tact. It  was  true  of  the  gods,  it  was  also  true  of 
the  devils.  Man  could  not  conquer  or  control  the 
forces  of  nature,  so  in  his  history  all  uncontrollables 
have  become  either  gods  or  devils,  subject  to  either 
great  respect  or  great  hate  or  both,  depending  upon 
their  effect  on  humanity. 

The  contrast  between  the  ought  to  be  and  the 
actual  has  given  rise  to  the  ought  not  to  be  which, 
when  personalized,  becomes  a  Persian  Ahriman,  a 
Jewish  or  Christian  Satan,  or  Moslem  Iblis.  Early 
man  knew  only  too  well  the  benefits  of  light  and 
sunshine,  of  safety  and  of  certainty;  he  knew  well 
enough  that  he  must  have  his  desires  satisfied  if  he 
were  to  experience  happiness  and  contentment.  He 
was  aware  that  if  he  were  to  have  good  crops,  fer- 
tile lands,  clear  water,  good  friends,  long  life,  many 
children,  and  personal  contentment  he  must  have 
protection  from  opposites  which  threatened.  His 
natural  refuge  was  found  in  the  gods  but  the  gods 
were  not  enough.  Surely  if  there  were  gods  sponsor- 
ing these  beneficial  needs  there  were  devils  which 
threatened  his  welfare.    The  devils  were  promptly 


116 THE  SCROLL 

given  prominence  and  were  soon  more  menacing 
than  ever,  due  to  the  extreme  complexities  of  man's 
imagination. 

Man  learned  early  to  yield  to  his  underlying  de- 
sires rather  than  his  intellect.  They  sufficed  for  a 
time  and  were  seemingly  adequate  sedatives  for  his 
fears.  Unwilling  to  probe  further  unless  the  case 
were  exceptional  he  remained  quite  content  to  rely 
upon  emotion  rather  than  intelligence.  Thus  has 
he  been  made,  even  to  the  present  day,  a  tool  in  the 
hands  of  the  philosopher,  the  linguist,  and  the 
exploiter. 

In  the  four  great  religions,  Zoroastrianism,  Juda- 
ism, Christianity,  and  Mohammedanism,  as  in 
others  before  and  since,  it  is  plainly  evident  that  the 
concepts  of  personalized  evil  were  real.  Although  it 
can  be  adequately  explained  that  they  never  have 
and  never  will  have  existence  outside  the  actual 
realms  of  man's  experience,  it  can  nevertheless  be 
said  empirically  that  in  the  realms  of  experience 
their  existence  has  been  manifest  in  all  the  gro- 
tesque forms  that  men  have  pictured  them  as  hav- 
ing. As  the  desires  of  man  were  thwarted  he 
actually  saw  the  causes  behind  them.  He  talked  to 
them,  he  cursed  them,  he  pled  with  them,  and  he 
made  every  possible  effort  to  conquer  them.  But  to 
little  avail,  for  so  long  as  the  desires  remained 
thwarted  so  long  did  the  concepts  exist.  Many  have 
vanished  over  these  long  centuries  spanning  the 
years  between  ancient  Persia  and  the  modern  world. 
But  many  remain  to  frustrate  the  attempts  of  man. 
They  probably  will  remain  until  that  day  in  the  far 
distant  future  that  man  overcomes  his  fears  and 
heartaches  by  trying  once  again  the  age-old  addage, 
"Fight  till  you  conquer!" 

In  the  face  of  defeat  and  death  he  has  struggled 
against  the  heavy  odds  of  evil  in  nature  and  human 
nature.  In  the  face  of  defeat  and  death  he  again 
will  take  up  the  cry  against  the  forces  old  and  new 


THE  SCHOOL 117 

which  inhibit  his  attempts  for  the  good  life.  And 
the  devils  will  be  there,  though  perhaps  not  in  name 
or  figure,  laughing  at  his  idle  attempts,  flinching  at 
his  determined  will,  and  dying  with  his  successes. 
The  face  of  the  dreaded  Ahriman  will  flash  in  its 
most  hideous  form  as  disease  and  drought  threaten 
man's  welfare;  the  Satans  will  rise  from  their 
nether-world  to  capture  the  wrong-doers;  and  Iblis 
will  indignantly  raise  his  horny  hand  in  fiendish 
glee  at  the  prospect  of  more  souls  to  feed  his  fires. 
All  will  share  as  in  years  past  in  man's  repeated  at- 
tempts and  failures.  Neither  old  or  new  religious 
beliefs  can  relieve  these  demons  of  their  dreams' 
fulfillment  until  man's  grapplings  with  opposing 
forces  may  find  their  goal;  not  a  far  off  goal  in  a 
distant  land  after  he  has  returned  to  dust  and  ashes, 
but  a  present  goal  made  possible  through  struggle 
toward  the  ever-enfolding  benefits  of  the  good  life 
here  together.  Heaven  and  hell  can  and  must  wait ! 
Our  task  is  not  to  prove  the  existence  of  either  the 
supernatural  or  its  habitation.  Our  task  is  to  meet 
the  maladjustment,  turn  our  faces  to  the  task,  and 
thank  the  gods  and  devils  for  making  us  see  the 
values  of  working  together  towards  the  goal  of  the 
good  life.  Their  task  is  finished;  our  is  just  begun; 
the  strength  of  our  efforts  should  find  their  measure 
in  the  satisfaction  of  our  results. 


Slowly  the  Bible  of  the  race  is  writ. 

And  not  on  paper  leaves  nor  leaves  of  stone; 

Each  age,  each  kindred,  adds  a  verse  to  it. 
Texts  of  despair  and  hope,  of  joy  and  moan. 

While  swings  the  sea,  while  mists  the  mountains 
shroud, 
While  thunders'  surges  burst  on  cliff  of  cloud, 

Still  at  the  prophets'  feet  the  nations  sit. 

James  Russell  Lowell — Bibliolaters. 


118 THE  SCROLL 

Dr.  Jenkins  and  Fire 

You  want  to  know  how  I  felt?   All  right: 

As  I  watched  that  fire  I  thought  maybe  this  is 
the  Almighty  telling  me  it  is  time  to  stop,  to  retire, 
take  it  easy  while  I  sat  back  in  carpet  slippers  and 
advised  some  young  fellow  how  to  rebuild. 

Then  I  knew  that  could  not  be  it.  On  the  contrary 
He  must  be  saying  to  me,  if  He  was  saying  any- 
thing, "Get  up,  old  boss,  and  do  some  more  trotting." 
Actually  those  are  the  very  thoughts  that  occurred 
to  me  that  night  and  I  think  that  is  about  the  sum 
and  substance  of  my  thoughts  even  now.  I  can  see 
that  it  would  be  impossible  for  anybody  to  recon- 
struct this  church  and  this  work  without  my  active 
participation,  and  that  is  something  worth  seeing  at 
three  score  and  ten. 

Bishop  Robert  Nelson  Spencer,  of  the  Episcopal 
Diocese,  wrote  me  that  he  went  through  a  similar 
experience  many  years  ago  and  a  fellow  cleric  was 
kind  enough  to  suggest  that  God  had  burned  his 
church  down  because  He  was  displeased  with  Rob- 
ert Nelson's  sins.  Then  Robert  Nelson  submitted 
the  matter  to  a  Jewish  lawyer  who  replied,  "Non- 
sense, the  Almighty  doesn't  even  know  your  church 
was  burned  down."  That  letter,  too,  comforted  me 
a  lot. 

Bill  Stidger  wrote  me,  "GLORY  BE!  HALLE- 
LUJAH! It  isn't  every  preacher  of  your  age  who 
gets  a  chance  to  build  a  new  church." 

Besides  I  have  got  right  beside  me  a  six-foot, 
180-pounder  who  can  charge  through  anybody's  line 
and  tackle  any  bunch  of  circumstances. 


Dr.  Jenkins'  great  Linwood  Church  in  Kansas 
City  was  destroyed  by  fire  November  1.  It  would  be 
just  like  him  at  70  to  build  a  bigger  and  better  one 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  already  has  one  foot  in 
the  grave! — Ed. 


THE  SCROLL 119 

Drake  and  Graduate  Study 

Last  year  Drake  University  granted  fifteen  de- 
grees to  thirteen  ministerial  students.  Five  students 
received  the  degree,  Bachelor  of  Divinity;  three  the 
Master  of  Arts ;  two  the  Bachelor  of  Sacred  Litera- 
ture, and  four  the  Bachelor  of  Arts.  Six  of  the  thir- 
teen are  continuing  their  graduate  study.  Two  of 
them  have  received  their  B.D.  degree  from  Drake 
University. 

Drake  University  has  never  led  the  Brotherhood 
in  the  number  of  students  receiving  degrees  and  yet 
has  stood  either  first  or  close  to  it  through  all  the 
years  in  the  number  of  students  doing  graduate 
work.  Two  years  ago  when  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago published  the  number  of  graduate  students 
who  had  taken  work  in  the  Divinity  School  of  the 
University  from  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  Drake 
University  led  the  list.  We  lead  the  other  colleges 
at  Colgate  Rochester.  We  stand  among  the  highest 
at  Yale. 

Drake  University  has  always  emphasized  scholar- 
ship. She  has  been  highly  rewarded  through  the 
prominence  given  to  her  graduates  in  the  life  of  the 
Brotherhood.  These  days  more  than  ever  before  de- 
mand a  highly  educated  ministry.  Any  student  that 
has  the  capacity  for  real  study  and  the  ambition  to 
pursue  that  study  through  a  period  of  six  to  eight 
years  will  find  the  Drake  Bible  College  a  very  happy 
place  in  which  to  work.  One  of  the  reasons  for  the 
success  of  the  Drake  men  in  graduate  study  has  been 
the  fact  that  they  have  had  very  little  to  unlearn  as 
they  entered  the  larger  universities. 

Any  university  or  college  that  inspires  its 
students  to  seek  more  and  more  education  is  giving 
to  them  one  of  the  greatest  heritages  any  school  can 
offer.  All  too  frequently  the  church  and  the  college 
have  led  their  members  to  feel  a  contentment  with  a 


120      THE  SCROLL 

minimum  of  training.  In  speaking  to  ministerial 
groups  about  continuing  one's  education  after  col- 
lege days  I  often  have  it  said  to  me,  "I  am  a  grad- 
uate with  such  and  such  a  degree,"  as  though  that 
represented  the  sum  total  of  learning.  The  true 
scholar  is  one  who  ever  feels  his  limitations  and 
seeks  to  broaden  his  horizons  of  knowledge.  For 
any  man  to  feel  content  with  what  he  has  received 
means  stagnation  and  ultimate  defeat  for  that  per- 
son. Our  world  calls  for  increasing  understanding 
of  the  human  problem.  The  minister  must  be  chal- 
lenged to  face  his  world  with  all  the  knowledge  he 
can  command.  He  must  never  come  to  the  place 
where  he  feels  he  expresses  his  message  in  the  finest 
literary  form  that  is  possible  for  him,  or  that  he 
has  penetrated  to  the  full  truth  of  the  meaning  of 
the  Christian  confession  and  life.  The  ministry 
must  be  eager,  alert  and  dissatisfied  with  what  it 
has  attained. 

Drake  University  is  to  be  commended  for  the 
spirit  of  study  and  research  that  it  has  given  to  its 
students.  May  that  spirit  grow  stronger  through 
the  years.  In  fact,  that  spirit  of  facing  life  as  it  is 
should  make  our  graduates  better  students  of  world 
conditions  and  therefore  more  open-minded  in  their 
use  of  new  methods  which  would  more  realistically 
deal  with  the  situation. 

Who  is  content  with  the  progress  the  church  is 
making  today  in  solving  the  evils  of  war  and  race 
and  social  inequality?  Can  a  minister  'be  truly 
Christian  and  unconcerned  with  such  situations? 
But  how'  much  intelligence  can  he  bring  to  the  prob- 
lem unless  he  has  a  background  of  understanding 
the  human  race  and  a  desire  to  apply  his  knowledge 
to  the  world  in  which  he  lives.  Drake  University 
and  every  university  must  consider  it  a  part  of  its 
normal  program  to  inspire  its  students  with  a  sense 
of  the  need  of  the  human  family  and  then  teach 
them  that  God  wants  the  best  of  mind  and  heart 


THE  SCROLL 121 

that  they  have  for  the  task.  Which  should  mean 
that  our  students  become  hungry  for  more  complete 
knowledge.  God  must  have  the  best  we  have  if  he 
is  to  build  a  society  of  Christian  people. 


The  Christian  Register 

The  Boston  Transcript  recently  made  the  follow- 
ing observations  on  the  passing  of  The  Christian 
Register  into  the  hands  of  the  American  Unitarian 
Association,  after  118  years  as  an  independent 
organ  of  religious  opinion.  This  is  the  oldest  church 
paper  in  America  bearing  its  original  title.  After 
the  first  of  next  January  the  Register  will  be  a  de- 
nominational house  organ.  Many  Unitarians  do  not 
like  this.  In  the  past  seven  years  the  paper  has  de- 
clined in  circulation.  This  has  been  quite  generally 
true  of  church  papers.  They  do  not  pay  their  way. 
The  Register,  except  in  a  flourishing  period  after 
1918,  never  had  a  circulation  larger  than  at  present. 
It  has  been  supported  by  special  gifts  but  it  was 
independent.  There  is  a  feeling  akin  to  horror  at 
the  thought  of  the  paper  becoming  "official," 
cabined,  cribbed  and  confined  by  the  heavy  hand  of 
administrators  and  headquarters.  Thereare  those 
who  do  not  think  the  Register  should  die  such  a 
death  and  be  transformed  into  such  a  thing  as  an 
ecclesiastical  trade  paper,  full  of  meetings  and 
programs. 

Of  course  an  independent  church  paper  is  not  a 
success  commercially.  And  neither  is  a  symphony 
orchestra,  a  college,  an  art  museum,  a  hospital,  a 
missionary  board  .  .  .  The  whole  thing  is  just  too 
silly  for  argument,  that  a  church  paper  should  die 
if  it  does  not  pay.  And  when  the  version  of  the 
Register  beginning  in  1940  is  well  launched,  that 
also  will  not  pay ;  it  will  cost.  There  will  be  no  on- 
coming readers  to  the  paper  except  busy  workers 
in  general  Unitarian  organizations.    The  Register 


122 THE  SCROLL 

which  is  not  primarily  a  journal  of  thought,  with  a 
crusading  spirit  for  a  better  tomorrow,  in  the  front 
line  of  all  great  causes,  with  a  soul  of  glowing 
spiritual  religion  and  a  mind  of  consecrated  incisive- 
ness  and  integrity,  will  be  a  Register  fatuous,  futile, 
a  failure  from  the  start. 


Notes 


Mr.  Carroll  Odell  has  been  called  as  assistant 
minister  to  Robert  E.  Henry,  Taylorville,  Illinois. 
Mr.  Odell  was  ordained  there  November  26,  State 
Secretary  and  C.  B.  Tupper  officiating.  Mr.  Odell 
has  been  a  student  in  the  Disciples  Divinity  House 
in  two  different  periods  of  residence  during  the  past 
five  years.  His  experience  in  CCC  Camps  and 
student  preaching  give  promise  of  very  successful 
pastoral  work. 


The  Chicago  Disciples  Union  held  a  dinner  Mon- 
day evening,  November  27,  at  which  Robert  M.  Hop- 
kins was  the  principal  speaker.  It  was  good  to  have 
the  former  Secretary  of  this  Union,  Perry  J.  Rice, 
and  Mrs.  Rice  present  and  in  good  health.  Dr.  Wil- 
lett  was  also  present,  having  made  a  fine  recovery 
from  severe  illness  which  has  confined  him  to  the 
hospital  and  to  his  home  since  the  first  of  August. 
Professor  W.  C.  Bower  was  toast  master,  and  Rob- 
ert C.  Lemon,  the  new  secretary  of  the  Union,  re- 
ported on  the  state  of  the  cause. 


A.  LeRoy  Huff  has  resigned  from  the  pastorate 
of  the  North  Shore  Church  after  five  years  of 
strenuous  work.  He  continues  his  teaching  in  the 
North  Park  Junior  College. 


Miss  Damaris  Ames  and  Professor  Bernadotte 


THE  SCROLL 123 

E.  Schmitt  were  married  in  a  quiet  home  wedding, 
November  22.  Professor  Schmitt  is  professor  of 
Modern  European  History  in  the  University  of 
Chicago. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Edwards,  missionaries  in 
Africa  for  nearly  thirty  years,  are  now  living  at 
5804  Maryland  Ave.,  Chicago.  Their  son  Donald 
is  a  student  in  the  Disciples  House.  They  had  a 
thrilling  escape  from  the  steamship,  Athenia. 


"World  Christianity"  is  another  religious  per- 
iodical which  has  had  to  give  up  after  three  years 
of  good  work.  Members  of  the  Campbell  Institute 
ought  to  be  appreciative  of  the  fact  that  the  Scroll 
is  now  in  its  thirty-seventh  year,  though  its  demise 
has  been  hopefully  expected  by  certain  people  for 
a  long  time. 


The  University  Church,  Chicago,  is  already  plan- 
ning to  celebrate  the  forty  years  of  the  present  pas- 
torate next  October.  Among  other  things  they  are 
asking  the  minister  to  complete  his  autobiography 
for  publication  by  that  date.  The  general  commit- 
tee in  charge  are,  Henry  C.  Taylor,  W.  C.  Bower, 
W.  E.  Garrison,  Roy  Ross,  B.  Fred  Wise  and  Irvin 
E.  Lunger. 

Carter  Boren,  since  the  death  of  J.  K.  O'Heeron, 
has  become  the  pastor  of  the  South  End  Church  in 
Houston,  Texas.  Mr.  Boren  received  the  B.D.  de- 
gree at  the  University  of  Chicago  last  June.  He  is 
so  busy  no  one  can  get  him  to  write  a  letter ! 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Campbell  Institute  will 
begin  either  July  29  or  August  5  next  summer.  If 
any  one  has  any  preference,  let  him  say  it  now. 


124 THE  SCROLL 

Secretary-Treasurer's  Page 

My  dear  DeGroot, 

Your  plaintive  suit 

Upsets  my  calm  decision. 

Now  here's  two  bucks, 

They're  big  as  trucks 

To  my  near  sighted  vision. 

I  hope  you'll  keep  me  thru  the  year 

Enrolled  and  in  good  standing; 

And  please  to  quit  from  this 

Day  forth,  your  everlasting  ranting. 

Future  anthologies  of  verse  may  yet  have  to 
reckon  with  this  page.  C.  M.  Ridenour  of  Seattle 
was  stirred  to  the  creation  of  the  above  lines  in  the 
process  of  parting  with  two  iron  men  for  his  dues. 
I  willingly  accept  the  charge  of  Having  the  voice  of 
Socrates  (the  ranter)  but  the  hand  of  Levi  (Doyle 
Mullen's  accusation  at  Richmond,  in  effect) ,  so  long 
as  it  means  spelling  Campbell  Institute  as  follows: 
f-i-s-c-a-1-i-t-y  ! 

But  hold!  the  end  is  not  yet.  That  delightful 
gentleman,  C.  M.  Sharpe,  has  also  been  moved  to 
verse ! 

Draws  toward  its  close  the  "Fiscal  Year" — 
Your  record — how  doth  it  appear? 
Two  "Iron  Men"  will  clear  the  score 
Or,  if  not,  doubtless  two  the  more. 
Arise  then,  speed  thee  to  the  goal — 
Thine  honor  win  and  save  thy  soul. 
Thy  name  shall  shine  with  lustre  bright 
Like  Adhem's  on  the  "Scroll"  of  Light. 

The  past  month  has  been  the  most  delightful  per- 
iod of  my  incumbency  in  this  office.  Checks,  cash, 
and  money  orders,  to  say  nothing  of  promises,  have 
rolled  in  from  all  sectors  in  such  volume  that  I  am 
afraid  that  the  postal  officers  will  have  me  reported 


THE  SCROLL 125 

as  suspected  of  gathering  intelligence  for  Der  Tag! 
The  printer  was  reliably  reported  to  have  smiled 
(which  I  think  is  an  understatement;  I  wager  he 
laughed  out  loud)  upon  receipt  of  prompt  payment 
for  three  issues  of  the  Scroll.  When  I  was  a 
hostler's  helper  in  the  railroad  yards  we  used  to 
shout  to  the  engineers  in  their  great  locomotives, 
"Keep  'er  rollin'!"    So  say  I  now. 

In  addition  to  receipts  from  Fellows  who  were 
long  on  dues  but  short  on  communication  of  news, 
delightful  notes  were  received  with  the  dues  of  Rich- 
ard Dickinson  of  Eureka,  111.,  E.  K.  Higdon  of  Indi- 
anapolis, F.  A.  Henry  of  Geauga  Lake,  0.,  T.  Hassel 
Bo  wen  of  Harrodsburg,  Ky.,  0.  J.  Grainger  of 
Lynchburg  College,  Wendell  P.  Monroe  (engineer, 
now  on  the  new  Chicago  subway).  Dean  Lacy  Left- 
wich  of  Drury  College,  Emory  Ross  of  New  York, 
Warner  Muir  of  Seattle,  F.  F.  Grim  of  Wilson,  N.  C, 
Lt.  Col.  W.  B.  Zimmerman  of  Ft.  Myer,  Va.,  Leland 
Cook  of  San  Diego,  F.  W.  Burnham  of  Richmond, 
Va.,  Frank  Jewett  of  Austin,  Texas,  G.  Edwin 
Osborne  of  Enid,  Okla.,  F.  H.  Groom  of  Cleveland, 
Sherman  Kirk  of  Des  Moines,  W.  G.  Moseley  of 
Spokane,  W.  Oliver  Harrison  of  Pecos,  Texas,  D. 
W.  McElroy  of  Brownsville,  Texas  (this  country,  I 
have  been  informed,  is  south  of  the  United  States 
and  north  of  Mexico),  H.  P.  Atkins  of  Cincinnati, 
Ralph  W.  Nelson  of  Enid,  Charles  Darsie  of  Greens- 
boro, N.  C,  Wm.  F.  Rothenburger  of  Indianapolis, 
W.  Marion  Rowlen  of  Shelby ville,  111,,  John  Rogers 
of  Tulsa,  and  A.  L.  Ward  of  Noblesville,  Ind. 

No  one  has  claimed  that  undocumented  $2  yet ! 


Mr.  DeGroot  has  passed  his  final  examinations  for 
the  Ph.D.  degree  at  the  University  of  Chicago  and 
will  receive  the  Doctor's  hood  at  the  Convocation 
this  month.     Congratulations. 


126  THE  SCROLL 


Let  Us  Laugh 


"Your  hair  will  be  gray  if  it  keeps  on." 
**If  it  only  keeps  on  I  don't  care  what  color    it 
becomes." — Exchange. 


Vicar  (benevolently)  :  "And  what  is  your  name, 
my  little  man?" 

Small  Boy :  "Well,  if  that  ain't  the  limit !  Why,  it 
was  you  that  christened  me." 

— Pittsburg  Gazette. 

Teacher  in  Church  School:  "Now  boys,  if  Alex- 
ander Campbell  were  living  today,  what  would  he 
be  doing?" 

Smart  Alec:  "Drawing  an  old  age  pension." 

— Anon. 
— 0 — 
"If  all  the  theologians  in  the  world  were  laid  end 
to  end,  they  would  never  reach  a  conclusion." 

— Kablegrams. 


Grandmother:  "There  are  two  words  I  wish  you 
wouldn't  use.   They  are  'rotten'  and  'lousy'." 

Modern  Co-ed :  "All  right  Granny.  What  are  the 
words?" — Exchange. 


A  teacher  was  explaining  to  his  class  that  "ous" 
at  the  end  of  a  word  meant  "full  of,"  and  he  gave 
as  an  example,  "joyous,"  which  he  explained  meant 
full  of  joy. 

"Now,  boys,"  said  he,  "give  me  another  example." 
Up  went  a  small  hand.  "Please,  sir,  'plus'." 

— The  Lookout. 

He:  "I  came  a  thousand  miles  through  ice  and 
snow  with  my  dog  team  just  to  tell  you  I  love  you. 
She :  "That's  a  lot  of  mush."— The  Keel. 


THE  SCROLL 127 

Two  small  boys  at  the  Salvation  Army  dinner  put 
their  grimy  hands  side  by  side  on  the  tablecloth. 

''Mine's  dirtier  'n  yourn!"  exclaimed  one,  tri- 
umphantly. 

"Huh,"  said  the  other  disdainfully,  "you're  two 
years  older  'n  me." — The  War  Cry. 

— 0 — 

Teacher:  "What  happened  in  the  year  1809? 
Johnny:  "Lincoln  was  born." 
Teacher:  Correct.   Now  what  happened  in  1812? 
Johnny   (after  pause)  :  "Lincoln  had    his    third 
birthday." — Exchange. 

Professor:  "I'll  wait  until  that  fellow  stops  mak- 
nig  a  fool  of  himself;  then  I'll  begin. — Anon. 

— 0 — 

"Sonny,  what  are  you  running  for?"  said  the  man. 
"To  keep  two  boys  from  fighting,"  said  the  boy. 
"Who  are  they?" 
"Me  and  Jimmy  Brown." 

— 0 — 
"A  secret  is  something  you  tell  one  person  at  a 
time." 

George  Campbell  is  the  inventor  of  the  word  "sur- 
reptitious membership"  though  not  of  the  practice! 

The  Christian  Standard  advertises  and  magnifies 
the  importance  of  the  Campbell  Institute  by  inter- 
esting statistics.  We  could  not  do  it  better  or  more 
thoroughly  ourselves. 

— 0 — 

It  is  hoped  that  this  department  of  "laughs"  will 
be  appreciated  and  helped  by  contributions  from 
many  directions! 


128 


THE  SCROLL 


^ 


Sg 


A  Christmas  Carol 

The  Christ-Child  lay  on  Mary's  lap, 

His  hair  was  like  a  light. 
(0  weary,  weary  were  the  world, 

But  here  is  all  aright.) 

The  Christ-Child  lay  on  Mary's  breast, 
His  hair  was  like  a  star. 
(0  stern  and  cunning  are  the  kings. 
But  here  the  true  hearts  are.) 

The  Christ-Child  lay  on  Mary's  heart. 

His  hair  was  like  a  fire. 
(0  weary,  weary  is  the  world. 

But  here  the  world's  desire.) 

The  Christ-Child  stood  at  Mary's  knee, 
His  hair  was  like  a  crown. 

And  all  the  flowers  looked  up  at  him, 
And  all  the  stars  looked  down. 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVIL        DECEMBER,  1939  No.  4 

Divisions  Among  Disciples 

By  A.  T.  DeGroot,  Kalamazoo,  Michigan 
(Summary  of  thesis  for  Ph.D.) 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  in  North  America  num- 
bered 1,630,393  members  in  1938.  The  centennial  of 
their  existence  was  celebrated  in  1909,  in  recogni- 
tion of  the  representative  character  of  Thomas 
Campbell's  Declaration  and  Address,  written  and 
published  in  1809,  the  magna  eharta  of  their  move- 
nent. 

The  Restoration  movement  was  a  program  to  se- 
cure unity  in  the  church  universal  by  means  of  re- 
storing the  essential  features  of  the  primitive,  apos- 
tolic church.  The  simplicity  of  this  plan  commend- 
ed it  to  hosts  of  Christians  who  were  conscious  of 
the  great  sin  of  the  church,  which  was  its  ineffec- 
tiveness because  of  its  fragmentation  into  hostile  or 
at  least  competitive  denominations.  "Our  Plea,"  as 
this  program  for  restoring  the  ancient  order  was 
affectionately  termed,  soon  established  its  own  dis- 
tinctive churches  within  the  total  Christian  com- 
munity. 

In  an  age  when  the  principle  of  evolution  was  un- 
heard of,  and  the  Bible  throughout  was  esteemed  to 
be  of  a  consistent  and  unvarying  level  of  inspira- 
tion, it  was  easy  to  assume  that  "the  church"  of  the 
New  Testament  was  equally  consistent  and  unvary- 
ing in  its  unfolding  from  the  minds  of  the  early 
evangelists.  The  orthodox  teaching  of  the  Restora- 
tion leaders  was  that  the  New  Testament  contained 
perfectly  discernable  blue  prints  and  specifications 
of  a  one~and-only  church.  This  remains  as  the  as- 
sumption of  the  present  day  Churches  of  Christ,  and 


130 THE  SCROLL 

of  the  conservative   Disciples.     An   article   in  the 
Gospel  Advocate  for  1933  said : 

God  gave  Moses  a  blue  print  of  the  tabernacle. 
...  If  God  were  particular  that  the  tabernacle  in 
the  wilderness  be  made  exactly  according  to  speci- 
fications, surely  he  would  be  more  so  concerning 
the  true  tabernacle  "which  the  Lord  pitched,  and 
not  man."    The  Lord  gave  to  the  Apostles,  there- 
fore, a  model  of  the  church. 
Chapter  I,  "Formative  Years   (Unity  Proposed: 
the  Era  of  Isms,  1800-1860)"  relates  in  detail  that 
the  formative  years  of  the  Restoration  movement 
constituted  an  era  of  almost  countless  experiments 
in  religion.  The  significant  fact  to  be  noted  in  this 
welter  of  "isms"  is  that,  almost  alone  among  them, 
the  Disciples  came  to  noteworthy  power.    They  pro- 
claimed not  only  a  protest    (against  church  divi- 
sions) ;  they  announced  also  a  plan  (the  restoration 
of  the  primitive  church) .     The  main  body  of  the 
movement,  the  present  day  Disciples  of  Christ,  grad- 
ually modified  the  concept  of  restoration,  in  its  prac- 
tical  aspects,   to   permit   adjustment   to   changing 
needs. 

The  measure  of  success  which  came  to  the  Dis- 
ciples in  the  first  century  of  their  existence  is  a 
matter  of  widely  known  historical  record.  Today, 
however,  the  church  union  enterprise  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Century  Reformation  is  itself  divided.  The 
more  or  less  unified  movement  of  the  first  and  sec- 
ond generations  now  has  fallen  into  two  groups  of 
churches  which  are  listed  separately  in  the  United 
States  Census  of  Religious  Bodies,  while  real  and 
apparently  irremedial  sub-schisms  have  taken  place 
in  one  of  these  two  major  branches  of  the  parent 
stock.  A  third  segment  of  the  movement,  including 
over  100,000  members,  united  with  the  Congre- 
gationalists  in  1930.  This  spectacle  of  divided 
unionists  is  the  most  obvious  indication  that  some- 


THE  SCROLL 131 

where  in  the  program  of  the  movement  is  to  be 
found  a  cause  for  schism.  Certainly  a  century  and  a 
quarter  of  experiment  with  the  proposals  of  the 
founders  is  suflEicient  time  to  demonstrate  their  con- 
stitutional strength  and  weakness,  genius  and  folly, 
truth  and  error. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  the  present  work  to  trace  the 
genesis  and  exodus  of  the  schisms  which  have  come 
to  pass  in  the  Restoration  movement.  In  the  process 
of  this  uncovering  we  shall  endeavor  to  ascertain 
the  generating  cause  of  these  schisms.  Having  made 
our  investigations  in  advance  of  this  writing,  we  are 
ready  to  set  forth  our  thesis,  namely :  that  the  prin- 
ciple of  restoring  a  fixed  pattern  of  a  primitive 
Christian  church  is  divisive  and  not  unitive. 

One  emphasis  in  Chapter  I  is  that  Disciple  his- 
torians have  been  slow  to  credit  the  prevalence  of 
Bible  Christianity  churches  and  groups  of  churches 
in  America,  and  the  widespread  sentiment  on  the 
frontier  in  favor  of  this  simple  form  of  church  life 
and  organization,  as  significant  contributory  factors 
in  the  rise  and  successful  growth  of  the  total  Dis- 
ciple movement.  Shortly  after  the  Campbells  sepa- 
rated from  the  Baptists,  in  1830,  and  became  out- 
and-out  Restorationists,  or  New  Testament  Chris- 
tians, they  became  the  dominant  leaders  of  these 
scattered  congregations,  and  provided  the  leader- 
ship, the  education,  the  promotional  ability  (e.g., 
through  their  magazines,  debates,  etc.)  and  the  cul- 
tural standing  to  which  their  lesser  co-laborers 
could  point  with  pride — which,  all  together,  were  to 
mean  so  much  for  the  securing  of  status  as  a  Church. 
Because  of  this  the  names  of  earlier  leaders  in  the 
same  movement  generally  have  been  overlooked. 

Restoration  ideals — seen  especially  in  the  use  of 
Bible  names,  opposition  to  human  creeds,  and  church 
independency,  especially  of  organized  missions  and 
even  of  Baptist  Associations — had  a  lengthy  pre- 


132 THE  SCROLL 

Campbell  history  on  the  frontier.  This  was  pe- 
culiarly true  in  Kentucky,  the  first  frontier  state 
to  be  widely  settled.  Because  the  emergence  of 
Restoration  ideals  in  widespread  fashion  among 
early  Kentucky  Baptists  has  never  been  noticed  in 
previous  writings,^  some  space  is  allowed  for  a  short 
development  of  this  subject.  A  shorter  treatment  is 
given  to  Indiana  independency  as  a  source  of  the 
Disciple  movement,  which  has  at  least  been  recog- 
nized before.  Both  of  these  states  were  settled  prin- 
cipally by  North  Carolina  emigrants,  however,  so  a 
brief  notice  is  given  to  Bible  Christianity  there.  Ex- 
tensive use  is  made  of  J.  H.  Spencer's  History  of 
Kentucky  Baptists  (Cincinnati:  J.  R.  Baumes, 
1885),  2  vols.,  in  this  account.  The  list  of  Disciple 
elements  treated  includes : 

The  forerunners :  frontier  Baptists  and  other 
Independents 

O'Kelly  and  Republican  Methodists 

Scotch  Baptists 

New  England  Baptists 

Barton  W.  Stone 

The  Campbells 

Later  Independents 
Chapter  II,  "The  Power  of  a  Slogan  (Unity  Be- 
comes a  Fact;  the  Disciples  and  the  Civil  War)" 
relates  the  story  of  how  the  Disciples  became  the 
only  religious  body  of  size  and  wide  dispersion  in 
the  United  States  M^hich  did  not  divide  over  Civil 
War  issues.  Since  this  subject  never  had  been 
treated  in  detail  before,  and  was  of  interest  in  itself 
apart  from  this  thesis,  the  chapter  was  published 
separately  in  pamphlet  form,  entitled  The  Power  of 
a  Slogan  (Advance,  Ind. :  Hustler  Print,  1935). 


^A.  W.  Fortune's  The  Disciples  in  Kentucky  (Published  by  the  Conven- 
tion of  the  Christian  Churches  in  Kentucky,  1932)  fails  to  see  this  fact. 
He  says,  "Among  the  Baptist  churches,  the  reform  movement  .  .  .  began 
in  Pennsylvania  ...  in  1809"  (p.  65).  Yet  there  were  numerous  instances 
of  pre-Campbell  reform  movements  among  the  Baptists  in  the  very  state  of 
which   he  wrote. 


THE  SCROLL 133 

Chapter  III,  "Intergration  and  Disintegration 
(Unity  Becomes  a  Problem:  Events  to  the  Census  of 
1906)"  comes  directly  to  the  subject  proper,  and  sets 
forth  the  grounds  of  divisions  in  the  Restoration 
movement  under  heads  of — 

Instrumental  Music 

Societies 

The  Pastor  System 

Lesser  Issues 

Lying  back  of  these  easily  detected  issues,  hovi^- 
ever,  was  a  primary  and  generating  factor  which 
waited  to  trip  the  feet  of  this  triumphantly  march- 
ing American  religious  host.  It  was  the  tendency 
resident  in  every  religion  of  a  Book,  to  interpret 
that  religion  in  a  very  literal  manner,  involving  an 
exact  reproduction  of  the  forms  and  methods  of  the 
ancient  faith.  Over  against  this  was  the  desire  to 
make  central  in  its  purpose  the  great  ideals  of  the 
religion,  and  to  judge  its  formal  expressions  as  sec- 
ondary to  the  inner  convictions. 

It  is  the  tendency  of  likeminded  elements  within 
groups  to  gravitate  toward  centers  of  doctrine  and 
organization  which  provide  a  congenial  association. 
As  years  went  by  and  the  Restoration  movement  en- 
larged its  fellowship  with  many  tens  of  thousands 
of  Christians  of  varied  experiences  and  opinions,  the 
preservation  of  unity  became  increasingly  a  prob- 
lem. All  that  was  needed  to  precipitate  the  dividing 
process  was  a  cause  or  causes  which  would  overcome 
the  unitive  ideals.  The  items  enumerated  above  set 
this  process  in  motion. 

The  actual  separation  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ 
and  the  Churches  of  Christ  may  be  dated  in  1906, 
the  year  of  the  United  States  Census  of  Religious 
Bodies.  The  correspondence  leading  to  the  separate 
listing  of  the  two  bodies  in  the  census  never  has 
been  assembled  before,  but  is  given  here  in  detail. 

The  appearance  of   the   Preachers  List   of  the 


134 THE  SCROLL 

Churches  of  Christ  in  1906  called  for  some  recog- 
nition of  the  schism  in  the  Restoration  movement. 
The   American    Christian   Missionary    Society   had 
been  using  one  issue  of  its  magazine,  The  American 
Home  Missionary,  each  year  to  include  a  "Year 
Book"  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  (Disciples).   The 
Gospel  Advocate  and  the  Christian  Leader,  for  ex- 
ample, were  included  in  the  list  of  "Periodicals  Pub- 
lished by  the  Disciples  of  Christ"  up  to  and  includ- 
ing 1905,  but  were  dropped  in  1906.  The  1907  Year 
Book  made  a  new,  classified  listing  of  the  journals, 
marking  these  two  papers  with  an  "o",  which  was 
explained  in  the  legend  as  meaning  "Opposed  to  Mis- 
sionary Societies."    After  that  year  the  listing  of 
periodicals  was  discontinued,  perhaps  as  a  solution 
of  the  problem  of  what  journals  should  be  called 
"ours."   The  first  mention  of  a  division  existing  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Disciples  was  made  in  the  1910  Year 
Book.   W.  R.  Warren,  Statistical  Secretary,  wrote: 
For  several  years  past  each  annual  publication 
of  our  statistics  has  called  forth  an  outcry  of  sur- 
prise and  disappoinment.  This  year  this  will  natu- 
rally be  louder  and  more  general  than  ever.    In 
the  face  of  the  tremendous  success  of  our  evang- 
elists, the  marvelous  growth  of  our  Bible-schools, 
and  the  general  prosperity  of  our  churches,  why 
does  it  appear  that  we  are  actually  losing  in  our 
total  membership? 

1.  Because  of  the  defection  of  the  anti-society 
brethren,  in  the  South  especially.    From  year  to 
year  fewer  of  their  church  members  have  been  in- 
cluded by  the  State  Secretaries  in  their  reports, 
but  a  larger  amount  of  this  loss  has  been  charged 
off  this  year  than  ever  before. 
Chapter  IV,  "A  Portrait  of  a  Disaster    (Owen 
County,  Indiana:  a  Case  Study  in  Differentiation)" 
is  a  unique  approach  to  the  study  of  Disciple  di- 
visions, on  the  basis  of  an  investigation  of  the  entire 


THE  SCROLL 135 

representative  area's  churches.  In  Owen  County, 
Indiana,  are  to  be  found  churches  of  all  three  of  the 
major  groups  into  which  the  Restoration  movement 
has  subdivided  (1,  Disciples  of  Christ;  2,  Churches 
of  Christ;  3,  New  Light  Christians — merged  with 
the  Congregationalists  in  1930).  To  eliminate  from 
this  thesis  a  great  bulk  of  material  about  these 
churches  which  did  not  bear  upon  the  matter  of  their 
schisms,  but  which  needed  to  be  on  record  as  docu- 
mentary evidence  in  support  of  items  here  employed, 
a  separate  book  of  some  200  pages  was  published.^ 
The  same  causes  of  division  as  are  enumerated  in 
Chapter  III  were  found  to  be  operative  here. 

Chapter  V,  "The  Camps  of  a  Divided  Army 
(Unity:  a  Bond  of  Hope  Among  the  Fragments)" 
exhibits  the  progressive  subdivision  of  the  Churches 
of  Christ  as  this  conservative  body  has  endeavored 
to  follow  the  orthodox  program  of  the  Restoration 
movement  for  reproducing  a  specific  pattern  of  a 
church,  the  "blue  prints"  of  which  are  conceived  to 
be  in  the  New  Testament.  The  practice  of  exclusion 
and  division  having  once  been  embraced,  its  natural 
work  and  its  logical  extension  have  proceeded  apace 
among  the  Churches  of  Christ.  This  body  signalized 
its  distinct  existence  apart  from  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  by  publishing  a  List  of  Preachers  of 
Churches  of  Christ  in  1906,  including  the  names  of 
657  "loyal"  ministers.  The  annual  issuance  of  this 
volume  found  increasing  numbers  of  preachers  who 
were  identified  with  the  Church  of  Christ  cause. 
By  1925  the  list  had  grown  to  about  2,400  names. 
However,  in  that  year  the  Apostolic  Way,  a  journal 
issued  from  Dallas,  Texas,  brought  out  A  Year  Book 
Containing  List  of  Preachers  of  Churches  of  Christ. 
It  contained  only  about  150  names.  The  Apostolic 
Way  was  an  anti-Sunday  School  paper,  and  included 


^A.   T.    DeGroot,     The     Churches    of    Christ    in    Owen     County,     Indiana 
(Spencer,   Ind. :  by  the  author,    1935). 


136  THE  SCROLL 

in  its  Year  Book  only  those  men  whom  it  calculated 
agreed  with  its  position.  Further  evidence  of  this 
sense  of  separation  from  the  main  stream  of  the 
Churches  of  Christ  was  given  in  the  first  Church 
Directory  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  compiled  by  E.  N.  Glenn  in  1926. 
Its  introduction  said:  "Many  churches  that  oppose 
'Bible  schools'  did  not  list  with  us ;  neither  did  those 
list  who  oppose  'Sunday  school.'  Approximately  one- 
third  of  the  number  of  'Churches  of  Christ'  are  not 
listed  in  this  directory."  If  the  free  movement 
among  all  the  Churches  of  Christ  and  the  inclusion 
of  their  names  in  a  Year  Book  professing  to  repre- 
sent the  "loyal"  ministers  and  the  "true"  phase  of 
the  movement  are  the  criteria  of  unity,  a  split  in  the 
Churches  of  Christ  had  then  occurred  over  the  Sun- 
day school  question. 

In  the  same  fashion  details  are  given  in  this  chap- 
ter of  other  divisions  over  (2)  the  college  question, 
sponsored  especially  by  Daniel  Sommer  and  his 
Apostolic  Revieiv;  (3)  premillennialism,  or  "Boll- 
ism"  (from  R.  H.  Boll,  editor  of  Word  and  Work)  ; 
(4)  the  one  cup  question,  which  enjoys  the  support 
of  such  papers  as  The  Truth,  Menal  Diet,  and  the 
Old  Paths  Advocate.  A  letter  from  Mr.  Waller  to 
this  writer,  dated  June  20,  1939,  indicated  that  the 
pursuance  of  the  questions  involved  has  led  to  mul- 
tiple fragmentation  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  the 
town  where  his  paper  {Mental  Diet,  McKinney, 
Texas)  is  published.  He  said:  "There  are  four  as- 
semblies or  Churches  of  Christ  in  this  small  village, 
with  four  different  beliefs." 

Another  division  among  the  Churches  of  Christ 
is  now  developing  to  a  significant  extent,  and  is  like- 
ly to  grow  in  importance  because  its  special  doc- 
trinal point  of  distinction  lies  in  precisely  the 
area  most  sacred  and  carefully  guarded  from  all 
"humanisms,"  that  is,  the  worship  service.   Two  of 


THE  SCROLL 137 

the  three  journals  last  named,  the  Truth  and  Mental 
Diet,  insist  that  the  items  in  a  truly  Christian  order 
of  worship  should  always  be  exactly  the  same  as 
the  sequence  set  forth  in  Acts  2 :42.  The  circulation 
of  these  periodicals  is  counted  in  thousands,  and 
reaches  practically  every  State  in  the  Union  as  well 
as  fourteen  foreign  countries.  The  Truth  takes  re- 
sponsibility for  securing  the  support  of  a  missionary 
family  in  India. 

The  foregoing  account  of  five  distinct  camps 
within  the  Churches  of  Christ  does  not,  of  course, 
exhaust  the  tendencies  toward  schism  in  this  body. 
As  is  the  case  in  most  religious  groups,  there  are 
lesser  causes  of  division  operating  within  each  of 
these  sections,  and  other  movements  are  at  work 
which  may  eventuate  in  new  schisms.  For  example, 
a  most  likely  subject  of  division  has  arisen  recently 
by  the  establishment  of  an  agency  or  society  called 
the  "Morrow  Bible  and  Testament  Foundation." 
S.  F.  Morrow  organized  this  foundation  in  Septem- 
ber, 1925,  to  distribute  scriptures  without  profit.  At 
the  present  writing  the  Morrow  Foundation  does 
not  have  a  journal  to  advocate  its  position,  with 
the  result  that  it  goes  quietly  about  its  work  and 
gets  little  publicity.  Condemned  as  a  society,  how- 
ever, it  continues  to  function.  This  is  a  significant 
fact  in  Church  of  Christ  history. 

Differentiation  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ  is  of 
a  somewhat  different  nature.  When  one  moves  out 
of  the  area  of  the  proof -text  type  of  mentality,  with 
its  either-or  philosophy,  the  problem  of  unity  be- 
comes less  brittle  and  less  subject  to  sudden  di- 
vision over  some  strain  upon  the  body  occasioned 
by  the  rediscovery  of  an  old  text  having  a  new  im- 
portance. The  Disciples  of  Christ  find  their  tend- 
encies toward  differentiation  expressed  in  terms  of 
the  liberal  or  conservative  leanings  of  their  people. 
Higher  criticism,  federation  connections  with  other 


138 THE  SCROLL 

Christian  bodies,  open  membership,  a  delegate  con- 
vention, and  the  unification  of  missionary  and  other 
co-operative  activities  are  the  problems  which  have 
disturbed  the  Disciples.  Certain  publishing  houses 
have  identified  themselves  with  distinct  points  of 
view  on  these  questions.  The  moderate  or  middle- 
of-the-road  policy  has  for  some  time  been  encour- 
aged by  the  Christian-Evangelist.  The  right  wing  or 
conservative  side  is  supported  by  the  Christian 
Standard  and  the  Restoration  Herald.  Liberalism 
and  freedom  of  inquiry  and  experimentation  were 
championed  by  the  Christian  Century,  which  was 
distinctly  a  journal  of  the  Disciples  until  it  reached 
so  large  an  audience  that  it  began  to  serve  the  inter- 
denominational field.  The  SCROLL,  organ  of  the 
Campbell  Institute,  and  not  identified  with  a  pub- 
lishing house,  has  been  a  voice  of  liberal  religion 
among  the  Disciples  of  Christ  from  its  origin  in 
1903.  The  lineup  of  papers  is  exhibited  by  short 
histories  of  the  problems  of  (1)  Open  membership, 
and  (2)  Federation.  A  section  entitled  "Toward  a 
Restoration  Denomination"  details  the  endeavor, 
now  relaxing,  to  draw  off  a  part  of  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  into  a  separate  body  apart  from  the  middle 
and  liberal  sections.  This  movement  had  its  primary 
impetus  in  a  short  lived  organ,  the  Touchstone,  pub- 
lished by  the  Standard  Publishing  Company,  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  and  was  taken  up  by  the  Restoration 
Herald,  a  journal  created  to  advance  the  cause  of  in- 
dependent missions  (independent  of  the  Disciple  or- 
ganizations). The  recent  break  of  the  Standard 
Herald  seems  to  have  removed,  for  the  present,  the 
likelihood  of  schism. 

The  "Epilogue"  to  this  thesis  finds  a  modern  tok- 
en of  allegiance  to  the  blue-print  theory  of  New 
Testament  Christianity,  on  the  part  of  a  thorough- 
ly trained  young  leader  of  conservative  Disciples, 
in  the  book  Adventuring  for  Christian  Unity,  by 


THE  SCROLL  139 

D,  E.  Walker.  The  author,  who  has  studied  in  con- 
servative Disciple  institutions  and  spent  two  years 
in  the  University  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  treats  of  the 
church  "as  revealed  in  the  New  Testament  in  ex- 
press terms  or  approved  precedent/'  These  express 
terms  or  approved  precedents  are  a  species  of  will- 
o'-the-wisp  which  has  ever  intrigued  the  mind  of  the 
Disciples  of  Christ.  If  such  things  exist  it  should 
be  a  simple  matter  to  exhibit  them  in  1,  2,  3  order. 
A  commonly  used  illustration  of  Christian  unity,  in 
terms  of  a  burned  meeting  house  being  restored  in 
accordance  with  its  rediscovered  blue  prints,  would 
be  more  honest  historically  if  it  brought  its  account 
up  to  date  by  adding  that  when  several  carpenters 
went  to  wurk  on  the  basis  of  several  pages  of  blue 
prints,  they  ended  by  building  a  three  room  apart- 
ment instead  of  a  single  auditorium.  This  is  precise- 
ly what  happened  as  the  New  Testament  has  been 
consulted  as  a  pattern  for  the  church.  If  more  than  a 
century  of  demonstration  may  be  termed  historical 
proof,  it  should  be  clear  that  there  is  no  blue  print 
of  a  single  church  in  the  New  Testament. 

It  has  been  the  growing  belief  of  less  conservative 
Disciples,  however,  that  a  proper  reading  of  the 
New  Testament  sees  the  matter  of  church  unity  in 
it  as  something  sought  and  not  something  attained. 
The  question  was  then  and  is  now,  How  can  we  get 
it,  and  not.  How  can  we  preserve  or  restore  it.  With 
an  increasing  portion  of  the  human  race  the  non- 
conservative  Disciples  have  come  to  view  as  illusory 
the  idea  that  a  Golden  Age  of  perfect  men  and  in- 
stitutions existed  in  the  past.  They  distrust  "let's- 
go-back"  defeatism.  They  seek  unity  as  Jesus  prayed 
for  it,  not  as  achieved  but  as  a  necessary,  attainable 
ideal,  indispensable  to  effective  Christian  life. 

The  foregoing  recital  is  more  than  the  history  of 
a  church ;  it  is  a  part  of  the  life  story  of  an  idea. 
It  is,  to  the  writer  at  least,  evidence  in  abundance 
that  the  principle  of  restoring  a  fixed  pattern  of  a 
primitive  Christian  church  is  divisive  and  not 
unitive. 


140 THE  SCROLL 

A  Letter  of  Warning 

By  F.  E.  Davison,  South  Bend,  Indiana 
Dear  Edward : 

Your  letter  came  yesterday  and  it  was  good  to 
hear  from  you.  I  was  delighted  to  hear  that  you  are 
about  to  graduate  from  college  and  I  congratulate 
you  upon  your  achievements. 

It  was  no  great  surprise  to  learn  that  you  are 
thinking  of  entering  the  ministry  but  it  was  a  sur- 
prise to  me  to  be  asked  to  give  you  counsel.  I  am 
not  among  those  who  have  climbed  the  dizzy  heights 
of  success  in  the  ministry.  I  still  have  my  feet  on 
the  bottom  rungs  but  you  'asked  for  it'  so  here  goes. 

"Look  twice  before  you  leap"  is  an  old  saying  but 
my  advice  to  you,  Edward,  is  to  "Look  all  directions 
before  you  jump  into  the  ministry."  The  Christian 
ministry  is  not  something  that  you  fall  into  but 
something  you  should  climb  up  to.  However,  your 
letter  states  that  you  have  already  decided  to  be  a 
minister  but  you  want  to  know  whether  your  lot 
should  be  cast  with  a  group  of  people  known  as  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ. 

I  am  not  a  denominationalist.  I  have  great  respect 
and  due  appreciation  of  Thomas  and  Alexander 
Campbell  but  during  the  past  several  years  I  have 
heard  so  much  about  these  two  brethren  (both  from 
conservatives  and  liberals)  that  I  have  searched 
everywhere  in  the  Bible  to  see  if  their  names  were 
not  listed  there.  I  am  not  interested  in  making  our 
Brotherhood  a  great  denomination  but  I  am  inter- 
ested in  building  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  helping 
our  people  carry  forward  the  program  of  Christian 
Unity  among  all  Christian  people. 

As  you  survey  the  various  fields  for  your  service 
as  a  minister  I  want  to  say  frankly  to  you  that  you 
will  find  more  formalism  and  theological  certainty 
in  the  Catholic,  Lutheran,  or  Episcopal  church.  You 


THE  SCROLL 141 

will  find  more  generous  giving  and  higher-salaried 
pulpits  among  the  Presbyterians  and  the  Congre- 
gationalists.  You  will  discover  more  fervor  and,  per- 
haps, more  security  in  the  great  Methodist  church. 
If  you  like  'high  jumping'  and  ecstatic  experiences, 
then  by  all  means  go  among  the  Nazarenes,  the  Holy 
Rollers,  or  a  hundred  other  groups  on  the  fanatical 
fringe. 

But,  Edward,  if  you  really  want  to  enjoy  your 
ministry  and  feel  twenty-five  years  later  that  you 
made  no  mistake  in  your  choice,  you  must  become  a 
minister  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  We  are  not 
a  perfect  people — that  is  what  makes  life  so  in- 
teresting. We  are  sometimes  frightfully  informal 
and  even  crude  but  that  should  challenge  you  to  come 
on  in  and  lead  us  to  new  and  more  effective  forms 
of  worship.  We  are  a  stingy  people  and  have  very 
few  high-salaried  pulpits  but  no  doubt  you  will  be 
able  to  teach  our  people  a  new  sense  of  stewardship 
— you  must  remember,  Edward,  that  no  preacher 
who  is  worth  his  salt  ever  accumulates  any  money 
unless  he  gets  it  by  patrimony  or  matrimony.  We 
are  sometimes  accused  of  having  no  religious  fervor 
— a  head  religion  but  no  heart  religion — but  do  not 
let  that  worry  you  for  many  of  us  have  so  little  in 
our  heads  that  if  we  have  any  religion  at  all  it  has  to 
be  a  heart  religion. 

Then  too,  I  must  remind  you  of  the  freedom  you 
will  have  among  the  Disciples — more  freedom  than 
you  will  find  anywhere  else — maybe  too  much  free- 
dom. You  can  believe  in  the  Second  Coming,  the 
Virgin  Birth,  the  Bodily  Resurrection,  the  theory  of 
Evolution,  the  doctrine  of  Humanism,  Barthianism, 
Pragmatism,  or  Buchmanism  and  still  be  an  accept- 
ed and,  perhaps,  an  acceptable  minister  among  the 
Disciples.  You  can  go  to  conventions  or  stay  at 
home — you  can  move  every  year  or  stay  in  one  pul- 


142 THE  SCROLL 

pit  thirty  years  too  long — you  can  be  a  saint  or  a 
devil  and  still  continue  in  the  Disciple  ministry. 

Should  you  have  political  ambitions,  Edward,  you 
will  not  be  lonesome  among  the  Disciples.  Disciple 
politicians  quite  often  make  Methodist  Bishops  or 
members  of  a  Democratic  caucus  look  like  shrinking 
violets.  Three  or  four  people  will  meet  behind  closed 
doors  and  choose  a  leader  for  a  constituency  that  in- 
volves hundreds  of  churches  and  thousands  of 
church  members  and  then  come  forth  from  their 
meeting  as  champions  of  a  pure  democracy.  As  a 
religious  people  we  believe  in  democracy — in  fact, 
we  were  rocked  in  the  cradle  of  democracy — but  oft 
times  in  the  local  church  and  in  state  and  national 
organizations  we  are  ruled  by  a  benevolent  dic- 
tatorship which  is  not  always  benevolent. 

My  chief  reason,  Edward,  for  urging  you  to  line 
up  in  the  ranks  of  the  Disciple  ministry  lies  in  the 
glorious  fellowship  you  will  have  with  your  brother 
ministers.  In  no  other  religious  body  will  you  find 
such  warm  and  worthwhile  friends.  They  will  love 
you  whether  you  have  a  large  or  a  small  parish — 
whether  you  wear  a  robe,  a  frock  coat,  or  your  other 
suit — whether  your  English  is  perfect  or  considered 
a  bit  'sloppy' — whether  you  have  memorized  Emily 
Post  or  balance  the  peas  on  your  knife.  How  do  I 
know  ?  Well,  the  fact  is,  Edward,  I  have  been  among 
the  chief  sinners  but  I  count  my  friends  in  the 
Disciple  Ministry  my  greatest  asset. 

If  you  are  willing  to  pay  the  price,  I  urge  you, 
Edward,  to  go  on  and  enter  the  ministry  among  the 
Disciples.  My  only  brother  is  four  years  my  senior 
and  when  I  told  him  I  was  going  to  be  a  preacher  he 
said  "I  have  no  objections  if  you  will  really  be  a 
good  preacher."  My  brother  was  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment but  I  pass  on  this  advice  of  a  farmer  to 
you.  I  want  you  to  be  a  good  preacher.  I  want  you 
to  be  as  intelligent  and  gracious  as  Willett  and  Ames ; 


THE  SCROLL 143 

as  dramatic  and  effective  as  Jones  and  Jenkins;  as 
prophetic  and  poetic  as  Idleman  and  Combs ;  as  good 
an  organizer  as  Rothenberger  and  Welshimer;  as 
simple  and  direct  as  Clarence  Lemmon  and  Chilton ; 
as  good  a  story  teller  as  Graham  Frank  and  Abe 
Cory;  as  diligent  a  reader  as  Garrison  and  Rice;  as 
pungent  a  writer  as  Morrison  and  Jordan ;  as  sweet- 
spirited  as  Steve  Corey  and  Charlie  Tupper.  When 
you  have  achieved  this  goal  just  drop  me  a  line  and 
I  will  give  you  some  more  free  advice. 

Hoping  that  you  will  join  our  team  and  play  the 
game  according  to  the  rules  I  want  always  to  be, 
Your  friend,  F.  E.  Davison. 


Shall  I  Enter  the  Ministry 

By  Orvis  F.  Jordan,  Park  Ridge,  Illinois 
The  young  man  who  stands  at  the  cross  roads  of 
life  is  often  an  idealist  who  would  gladly  give  him- 
self to  a  cause.  Whether  he  is  to  find  that  cause  in 
social  service,  in  education  or  in  politics  is  to  be  con- 
sidered. There  are  open  doors  in  all  these  fields  for 
the  man  who  loves  humanity.  The  Christian  minis- 
try should  also  have  consideration  by  such  a  man. 

Not  for  a  long  time  has  the  world  been  so  confused 
as  in  our  generation  with  regard  to  the  proper  goals 
of  life.  The  Great  Teacher  would  say  of  us  as  of 
the  men  of  his  day,  "They  are  as  sheep  without  a 
shepherd."  False  Bibles  compete  with  the  ancient 
scriptures  upon  which  we  have  reared  our  civiliza- 
tion. These  Bibles  would  make  the  economic  in- 
terests of  man  supreme,  or  build  up  in  a  nation  a 
false  sense  of  superiority  to  other  peoples.  The  dis- 
ciples of  Epicurus  and  of  Lucian  expound  their 
doctrines  of  selfish  pleasure  with  merry  quip  and  a 
laughter  that  is  hollow.  The  spiritual  shepherd  who 
can  help  people  to  find  their  way  in  these  times 
renders  a  service  of  primary  importance. 


144 THE  SCROLL 

These  shepherds  will  help  people  to  make  life 
beautiful.  Through  worship,  through  the  practice 
of  meditation,  through  comradeship  with  the  great 
souls  of  religious  literature,  life  takes  on  a  quality 
different  from  the  brutishness  of  those  who  seek 
only  physical  satisfactions. 

The  ministry  offers  an  opportunity  of  understand- 
ing helpfulness.  The  amount  of  unhappiness  among 
both  rich  and  poor  is  an  amazing  fact  of  society. 
There  are  those  who  are  always  torn  by  the  forces 
of  duty  and  desire  with  no  real  unity  in  their  lives. 
Many  are  but  frightened  children  who  create  the 
specters  that  torment  them.  Some  nurse  ugly  hates 
all  their  lives  long  that  embitter  life  and  divert  its 
energies.  The  true  minister  knows  the  sorrows  of 
his  people,  and  knows  how  to  alleviate  them. 

Outside  the  big  cities,  the  smaller  communities 
struggle  along  without  leadership  in  the  things  that 
make  for  a  good  community  life.  Public  health  may 
be  neglected,  recreation  in  the  hands  of  commercial 
interests,  adult  education  unknown,  and  civic  beauty 
undreamed  of.  The  school  principal  may  need  an 
outside  voice  to  defend  policies  of  progress.  The 
community  may  have  parasitical  vices  preying  upon 
it.  The  wide-awake  and  public-spirited  young 
minister  may  soon  become  far  more  important  than 
mayor  or  city  council  in  that  he  furnishes  an  engi- 
neering service  to  the  community  life. 

The  great  original  shepherd  of  souls  was  Jesus 
Christ.  His  life  and  ministry  furnish  models  that 
will  never  be  out  of  date.  I  am  just  now  reading  the 
novel  "The  Nazarene."  I  am  amazed  that  this  novel 
which  is  little  more  than  a  paraphrasing  of  the  New 
Testament  with  a  mere  skeleton  of  a  plot  should  be 
our  city's  best  seller.  It  must  be  that  there  is  some- 
thing in  the  ministry  of  the  Nazarene  that  captures 
the  imagination  of  a  city  that  has  been  shocked 
sober  by  recent  events  in  the  world.    The  faith,  the 


THE  SCROLL 145 

courage  and  the  good-will  of  our  great  Over-shep- 
herd furnish  a  model  for  the  noblest  kind  of  service 
to  the  human  race. 

Some  such  thing  as  this  would  be  my  defence  of 
the  ministry  after  forty  years  of  service  spent  in  it. 
As  for  reasons  why  such  a  ministry  should  be  car- 
ried out  in  cooperation  with  the  Disciples,  one  must 
select  the  best  social  set-up  for  one's  ministry. 

Many  will  respond  to  the  idea  that  since  their  own 
religious  life  has  been  shaped  at  the  hands  of  the 
Disciples,  they  have  a  debt  to  pay.  It  was  so  with 
me.  The  young  minister  will  want  such  freedom 
as  will  enable  him  to  preach  the  truth  as  he  appre- 
hends it,  and  carry  out  such  ministries  as  he  thinks 
the  people  need.  To  me  this  freedom  has  been  very 
precious.  It  is  important  not  to  carry  too  much  ex- 
cess baggage  along  with  one  in  the  ministry  in  the 
form  of  out-grown  creeds  and  ideas,  and  in  the  way 
of  antiquated  customs  and  mores.  Sometimes  the 
latter  are  a  greater  handicap  than  the  former.  My 
various  experiences  through  the  years  have  brought 
me  into  contact  with  many  protestant  groups.  I  have 
learned  to  appreciate  all  of  them.  But  I  see  that  the 
freedom  of  the  ministry  is  nowhere  greater  than 
among  the  Disciples,  even  in  small  denominations 
accounted  to  be  "liberal." 

The  vitality  and  enthusiasm  of  the  Disciples,  their 
re-awakened  interest  in  education,  their  growing  in- 
terest in  social  welfare  make  them  a  group  that  will 
be  stimulating  to  any  young  minister.  We  all  need 
to  warm  our  hearts  at  the  fireside  of  our  brethren 
at  times.  Among  the  Disciples  is  a  piety  that  is  rea- 
sonable, and  a  love  of  God  that  is  consonant  with 
true  soul  culture. 


Germans  have  composed  more  than  one  quarter  of 
all  Christian  hymns. — M.  B.  L. 


146 THE  SCROLL 

The  Transition 

Wm.  H.  Erskine,  Pastor,  Uhrichsville,  Ohio 
"Life  begins  at  fifty-five"  was  a  new  'must'  in  my 
outlook  on  life,  when  the  U.C.M.S.  yielded  to  the 
Japanese  Boycott  and  decided  to  give  up  its  work 
in  Japan.  "Religion  says  you  can"  had  to  be  adopted 
as  a  slogan.  For  after  twenty-nine  years  of  work- 
ing in  Japan  and  with  the  Japanese  language,  and 
so  Japanizing  myself  that  a  fellow  missionary  said, 
"if  you  could  only  preach  in  English  as  well  as  you 
do  in  Japanese!"  the  depression  necessitated  con- 
stricting the  missionary  work  and  compelled  me  to 
establish  myself  in  America  as  an  American  Eng- 
lish preacher.  It  is  of  this  transition  from  the  in- 
ternational life  of  the  missionary  to  the  provincial 
life  of  the  small  town  pastor  that  Dr.  Ames  asks  me 
to  write. 

When  you  become  one  among  50  other  ministers 
trying  for  the  same  pulpit,  you  do  become  a  com- 
petitor as  well  as  one  who  must  prove  that  he  is  not 
a  "has  been."  The  competing  ministers  will  remind 
you  that  you  have  been  in  Japan  too  long,  you  just 
can  not  make  it.  We  had  two  children  in  the  midst 
of  their  education  and  had  to  make  it  for  their  sakes. 
The  difficulties  and  discouragements  of  those  first 
two  years  of  the  transition  were  infinitely  worse 
than  any  I  have  had  to  face  before  or  since.  Five 
years  of  work  have  rolled  under  the  bridge  since 
then  and  so  I  do  not  need  to  apologize  for  the  ap- 
parent pride  nor  ask  for  pity.  I  thank  God  that  I 
have  kept  my  health,  my  head  and  my  faith.  The 
loss  of  any  one  of  these  is  a  major  calamity  which 
faces  the  missionary  at  home  or  abroad. 

Just  as  the  transition  from  a  bishop  to  a  pastor 
is  very  trying  to  our  Methodist  friends,  so  it  is  dif- 
ficult to  change  from  a  large  field  with  16  Christ- 
mas programs  to  a  local  church  with  only  one  Christ- 


THE  SCROLL 147 

mas  program;  from  six  days  as  a  teacher  and  one 
day  as  evangelist — a  seven  day  week — to  a  one  day 
open  church  program;  from  hob-nobbing  with  na- 
tionally recognized  business  men  who  dealt  in  5,  6 
and  even  7  figure  numbers  to  the  group  to  whom  a 
nickel  is  all  important. 

Some  of  the  jolts,  pleasant  and  otherwise,  of  the 
transition  were  to  find  after  using  as  lecture  ma- 
terial the  idea  that  bread  is  more  healthful  than  rice, 
that  women  here  had  turned  against  bread  and  pre- 
ferred to  keep  their  figure  rather  than  their  health. 
And  instead  of  depending  on  the  charity  of  the 
American  pastors  to  send  us  good  books  which  they 
had  read  we  find  here  in  our  small  town  a  good  li- 
brary, where  we  can  get  the  best  and  the  latest  books 
as  soon  as  published,  for  in  the  last  six  months  I 
have  read  Adamic's  "My  America,"  William  Lyon 
Phelps'  "Autobiograhy,"  Van  Paassen's  "Days  of 
Our  Years,"  Maugham's  "The  Summing  Up," 
Sheean's  "Not  Peace  but  a  Sword"  and  others  just  as 
inspiring. 

The  missionary  being  far  away  is  liable  to  think 
that  since  he  gets  a  book  very  late  that  everybody 
has  read  it.  He  is  gripped  by  such  a  book  as  Mar- 
garet Wilson's  "The  Able  McLaughlins"  which  real- 
ly contains  the  oriental  interpretation  of  the  birth 
of  Jesus  placing  the  emphasis  on  the  greatness  of 
Joseph  which  idea  he  feels  sure  is  then  capturing  the 
imagination  of  the  Occident,  only  to  be  disillusioned 
and  find  that  the  Catholic  tradition  is  still  read  be- 
tween the  lines  of  scripture. 

The  many  book-religions  in  the  Orient  soon  com- 
pel the  thinking  missionary  to  cease  the  chapter- 
and-verse  type  of  preaching  and  subject  his  teach- 
ing to  their  test  of  "Is  it  true?  Is  it  in  accordance 
with  the  experience  of  the  best  men?"  You  get  your 
message  across  best  when  you  use  your  Bible  as  a 


148 THE  SCROLL 

reference  book  of  a  progressive  revelation  rather 
than  by  quoting  it  as  the  only  authority. 

The  habit  of  listening  and  judging  a  sermon  with 
a  view  to  translating  it  into  a  foreign  language  and 
in  such  manner  as  to  appeal  to  a  people  without  the 
western  cultural  background  became  second  nature 
to  me.  Try  to  interpret  a  speaker  whose  only  virtue 
is  a  great  voice,  and  you  will  understand  what  the 
interpreter  meant  when  he  said,  "some  more  voice," 
or  the  wordy  speaker  who  gets  the  translation, 
''more  words,"  or  the  man  who  uses  an  accumulation 
of  adjectives,  "more  adjectives  for  'good'."  Imagine 
the  sermon  based  on  a  play  on  words  translated  into 
seven  different  words  with  no  connection,  like  ser- 
mons on  vision  and  truth,  the  stand-bys  of  American 
preachers  visiting  the  Orient. 

Our  prince  of  speakers,  H.  L.  W,,  always  has  a 
message  that  gets  across  in  another  language  and 
which  he  helps  get  across  with  his  smile  and  con- 
fidence which  continue  to  speak  while  the  inter- 
preter is  translating.  In  contrast,  one  of  the  great 
missionary  leaders  of  America  kills  his  speech  by 
his  evident  concern  and  activities  preparing  the  next 
point  while  the  interpreter  is  doing  his  utmost  to 
make  a  telling  point  of  the  last  one,  the  distracting 
activities  of  the  preacher  speaking  so  loudly  that  the 
audience  can  not  hear  what  is  being  said  to  them 
in  their  own  language  by  the  interpreter. 

Two  great  evangelistic  sermons  got  into  the  hearts 
and  lives  of  the  Japanese,  one  by  F.  M.  Rains,  a 
mission  secretary,  and  the  other  by  Dean  Case,  a 
university  scholar.  Two  great  flops  were  by  two 
of  our  own  evangelists,  one  took  over  half  the  ser- 
mon to  tell  what  he  accomplished  in  great  meetings, 
when  the  people  were  anxious  to  know  what  Christ 
could  do  for  them.  The  other  was  a  sermon  on  "the 
Lost  Son  John"  which  was  given  in  such  a  dra- 
matic way  that  he  was  encored,  for  he  had  enter- 


THE  SCROLL 149 

tained  as  a  successful  story-teller  and  not  preached 
as  he  had  hoped,  for  convictions. 

The  complex  where  you  love  one  man  from  the 
neck  up  and  the  other  from  the  neck  down,  is  ever 
present.  There  are  divers  ways  and  divers  manners 
and  divers  types  of  workers,  and  no  one  has  a  patent 
except  on  his  own  way  as  it  reaches  those  who  are 
in  tune  with  him.  But  on  the  mission  field,  when 
two  such  types  must  work  together  and  allow  each 
to  have  a  say  about  the  other's  work  and  the  use  of 
mission  funds,  the  fur  flies  and  often  one  takes  a 
trip  to  the  steamship  office.  In  America  these  ad- 
verse types  can  be  in  the  same  town  and  have  noth- 
ing in  common  but  the  chance  to  preach  the  un- 
searchable riches  in  Christ  Jesus  to  their  different 
cultural  level  groups. 

The  opportunity  to  be  associated  with  the  great 
Christian  leaders  among  the  native  workers  is  one 
greatly  missed,  for  who  would  not  miss  the  associ- 
ation with  a  Kagawa,  a  Miyagawa  et  al.  But  this 
is  compensated  for  by  the  unique  union  activities 
of  our  Twin  City  Ministerial  Association.  Our 
Methodists  here  feel  that  there  is  something  greater 
than  enlarged  Methodism.  Our  Disciples,  members 
and  non-members  of  the  Campbell  Institute,  are  re- 
reading the  Sermon  on  the  Law  by  our  ancestral 
founder  and  finding  that  the  progressive  revelation 
of  Alexander  Campbell  is  a  fact  in  the  scriptures. 
Some  of  us  have  been  able  to  get  at  least  two  dis- 
pensations, the  Old  and  the  New,  but  the  good  book 
tells  of  the  Christian,  the  Jewish,  the  Hebrew,  and 
the  pre-Hebrew  days.  Those  first  11  chapters  of 
Genesis  tell  of  the  Quest  of  the  Ages  before  the 
Monotheism  of  the  Jews  or  the  later  Prophets' 
ethico-religious  concepts  had  filtered  into  the  soul  of 
man.  John  Dewey  is  right  in  objecting  to  Compar- 
ative Religions  and  insisting  on  the  religious  atti- 
tude.   To  non-Christian  people  these  religious  atti- 


150  ■ THE  SCROLL 

tudes  become  an  Old  Testament,  "The  School- 
master," to  lead  them  to  Christ  who  can  teach  men 
to  have  faith  in  the  Father-God,  and  to  seek  to  live 
cooperatively  with  one's  fellowmen.  The  saints  of 
Shintoism,  Buddhism  and  Confucianism  who  have 
trusted  me  have  blessed  my  life  and  I  miss  their 
fellowship. 

My  transition  is  much  like  the  university  student 
who  must  turn  from  the  abstract  to  the  concrete  and 
recognize  that  bread  and  butter  or  the  new  cos- 
metic is  the  item  of  greatest  interest  to  his  folk. 
One  man  would  ask  for  the  resignation  of  his  church 
board,  and  another  would  hand  in  his  resignation 
on  the  day  of  his  installation,  and  both  get  by  with 
it.  But  other  preachers  run  into  "the  one  family 
church,"  "the  benevolent  dictator  elder,"  and  "must 
hold  the  young  people"  and  "keep  the  church 
treasury  out  of  the  red."  These  were  unexpected 
hurdles  to  me  and  I  have  had  to  meet  them  all.  As 
a  missionary  I  was  the  Bishop-dictator,  as  a  teacher 
I  was  highly  honored,  yea  beyond  my  desert,  and  the 
U.C.M.S.  worried  about  the  raising  of  my  salary  and 
keeping  the  budget  out  of  the  red. 

Great  men  came  to  us  in  Japan.  Here  in  America 
one  must  go  to  the  University  towns  to  meet  them 
and  then  you  are  only  one  in  an  audience  of  hun- 
dreds, necessarily  at  a  distance.  There  is  a  thrill 
in  introducing  a  British  Ambassador.  It  is  walking 
on  sacred  ground  to  present  Canon  Streeter  to  a 
missionary  gathering,  and  then  a  shock  to  see  him 
sit  on  the  communion  table  and  with  ankles  crossed 
and  swinging  feet,  hear  him  speak  on  Immortality 
and  be  led  into  the  mysteries  of  the  Unseen.  Eating 
eel  with  Harry  Ward  in  a  Japanese  slums  res- 
taurant ;  having  your  picture  taken  with  a  Prof.  Kil- 
patrick;  directing  a  conference  of  workers  with 
Sherwood  Eddy  and  Kirby  Page ;  meeting  the  great 
and  the  near  great  on  their  arrival  in  Japan ;  teach- 


THE  SCROLL 151 

ing  some  of  them  the  dignity  of  the  "co-educationar' 
Japanese  bath;  getting  behind  the  scenes  with  a 
Prof.  Starr  at  both  temples  and  shrines;  guiding  a 
Rothenburger  and  his  intelligent  wife  through  the 
gardens,  temples,  and  pagodas;  stretching  your 
elastic  hospitality  to  entertain  a  Guy  Sarvis  and  his 
party  of  eight.  These  are  some  of  the  high  lights 
of  the  wonderful  opportunity  of  being  a  missionary. 

The  habit  of  guiding  parties  had  grown  on  me 
so  that  I  now  enjoy  taking  every  guest  to  Schoen- 
brun  Park,  the  restored  Indian  village  of  the  first 
Moravian  mission  work,  and  to  Gnadenhutten  to 
see  the  monument  honoring  the  90  Indian  Chris- 
tians, the  first  American  Pacifists  slain  by 
Americans  because  they  would  neither  fight 
against  nor  for  the  colonists,  and  with  pride 
calling  attention  to  the  graceful  way  of  saying 
a  horrible  thing.  It  does  not  say  "The  90  massacred 
Indians,"  but  "The  90  who  here  triumphed  in 
death,"  and  on  the  tomb  stone,  "A  great  sufferer 
has  entered  the  land  of  the  well." 

Travellers  in  the  Orient  soon  learn  what  the 
"Lady  of  the  Decoration"  discovered,  that  the  mis- 
sionaries are  a  discerning  group  and  that  to  enjoy 
the  Orient  you  must  abide  with  them  and  rise  to 
their  level  of  appreciation  of  the  Orient.  My  pres- 
ent task  is  to  enjoy  the  Occident. 


One  thorn  of  experience  is  worth  a  wilderness  of 
warning. — Lotvell. 


Thought  from  the  eye  closes  the  understanding, 
but  thought  from  the  understanding  opens  the  eye. 
— Swedenborg. 


The  average  membership  of  Four  -  Square 
churches  is  40  members.  The  average  number  of 
preachers  for  each  congregation  is  seven. — Anon. 


152 THE  SCROLL 

Trends  in  American  Religion 

sterling  W.  Broivn,  University  of  Oklahoma 
In  the  United  States  of  America,  a  country  func- 
tioning as  a  union  in  its  political,  economic,  and  cul- 
tural life,  there  is  to  be  found  the  most  complex  re- 
ligious scene  of  any  country  in  the  world  with  the 
possible  exception  of  India.  The  last  official  U.  S. 
Census  lists  213  separate  religious  denominations. 
This  multiplicity  of  sects  and  denominations  in- 
cludes bodies  ranging  from  as  few  as  twenty-five 
members  to  the  largest  with  fourteen  million  com- 
municants. The  population  of  the  United  States  in 
1935,  thirteen  years  of  age  or  over,  was  eighty-seven 
millions.  According  to  the  Year  Book  of  American 
Churches,  the  total  membership  of  the  churches  in 
1937  was  something  over  fifty-one  millions.  This 
number  indicates  that  approximately  fifty-eight  per 
cent  of  our  adult  population  holds  membership  in 
religious  organizations.  There  is  a  total  of  245 
thousand  churches  and  synagogues  in  this  country. 
The  total  expenses  of  these  institutions  (exclusive 
of  their  property  evaluations)  averages  more  than 
817  millions  of  dollars  annually.  This  is  forty  per 
cent  as  large  as  the  annual  expenditure  for  public 
schools.  The  following  table  shows  the  major  re- 
ligious groups  in  the  United  States. 

Evangelical  Protestants 31,303,274 

Roman  Catholics 14,794,479 

Jewish 2,930,332 

Eastern  Orthodox 796,061 

Mormons 604,611 

Christian  Scientists 234,592 

Miscellaneous  Catholics 126,450 

Eastern  Separated   96,119 

Spiritualists 14,703 

Buddhists   7,376 

Theosophists    5,974 


THE  SCROLL 153 

Baha'is   3,035 

Mohammedans     1,350 

The  causes  for  this  complexity  in  the  American 
religious  scene  are,  of  course,  rooted  in  the  historical 
development  of  America.  It  is  generally  agreed 
among  church  historians  that  the  following  factors 
are  largely  responsible  for  this  multiplicity  of  re- 
ligious groups:  (1)  The  settlement  of  the  original 
colonies  by  religious  radicals;  (2)  The  varied  racial 
background  of  other  immigrants  coming  to  this 
country;  (3)  The  adoption  of  the  principle  of  com- 
plete separation  of  church  and  state;  (4)  The  in- 
fluence of  the  frontier  as  a  divisive  factor  in  reli- 
gious life;  (5)  Revivalism  with  its  sectarianism  and 
schismatic  tendency;  (6)  The  slavery  controversy 
and  resulting  sectionalism. 

Against  the  background  of  this  religious  com- 
plexity it  is  interesting  to  note  the  significant  trends 
in  the  organized  religious  life  in  the  United  States, 
with  especial  reference  to  the  last  three  decades.  A 
predominant  tendency  has  been  the  hreakdoivn  of 
deno7ninational  harriers  between  the  larger  Protest- 
ant bodies.  They  now  recognize  each  other  as  fellow 
members  of  the  larger  Christian  family.  This  spirit 
of  tolerant  mutuality  has  manifested  itself  in  co- 
operative religious  organizations — schools  of  re- 
ligion, religious  education  associations,  councils  of 
churches,  ministerial  associations,  and  various  other 
interdenominational  enterprises.  A  more  subtle  but 
nevertheless  significant  evincement  of  this  trend  is 
the  practice  of  many  local  churches  of  accepting  into 
their  membership,  without  orthodox  ceremonial  or 
creedal  requirements,  individuals  from  other  denom- 
inations. This  practice  of  union  is  the  logical  fulfil- 
ment of  the  recognition  by  one  religious  body  of  the 
validity  of  other  bodies. 

A  second  trend  has  inevitably  followed  this  grow- 
ing  spirit   of   tolerance;    the    union    of   churches. 


154 THE  SCROLL 

During  the  last  few  decades  there  have  been  at  least 
a  half  dozen  major  unifications.  The  most  notable 
have  been  those  among  the  Lutherans,  Presby- 
terians, Congregationalists  and  Christians,  and 
Methodists.  Conversations  about  union  have  been 
and  are  being  carried  on  between  the  Disciples  and 
the  Northern  Baptists,  the  Presbyterians  and  Epis- 
copalians, and  the  Disciples  and  the  Congregational- 
Christians.  While  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  whether 
these  unions  have  been  motivated  entirely  by  posi- 
tive desire  or  by  economic  necessity,  the  results  are 
positive  and  valid.  Perhaps  both  factors  have  been 
operative  in  producing  this  fruitful  trend. 

The  last  two  decades  have  produced  a  third  trend 
which  is,  to  say  the  least,  arresting.  This  is  the  phe- 
nomeyial  growth  of  the  small  sects.  Among  the  most 
rapidly  growing  are  the  Assemblies  of  God,  the 
Church  of  God,  the  Christian  Missionary  Alliance, 
the  Pilgrim  Holiness,  and  the  Church  of  the  Living 
God.  Some  of  these  have  grown  as  much  as  498 
per  cent  within  one  decade ;  none  has  grown  less  than 
125  per  cent.  More  than  ten  million  American  people 
receive  their  religious  instruction  and  inspiration 
from  these  and  other  sects  of  the  disinherited.  Some 
of  these  sects  have  a  long  history ;  others  are  prod- 
ucts of  our  own  times.  These  religious  groups  are 
characterized  by  a  constituency  drawn  from  the 
lower  economic  brackets,  their  belief  that  their  own 
view  of  religion  is  the  only  "true  faith,"  their  ac- 
ceptance of  the  Bible  as  a  literal  pattern  for  their 
behavior,  and  their  strange  and  erratic  doctrines.  It 
seems  that  every  conceivable  vagary  of  the  intellect 
is  found  exemplified  in  these  beliefs.  The  Church  of 
God — Saints  of  Christ,  holds  the  view  that  negroes 
are  the  descendants  of  the  Lost  Tribes  of  Israel  and 
consequently  the  only  true  Jews.  The  Church  Tri- 
umphant believes  implicitly  that  the  world  is  a  hol- 
low ball.    The  Church  of  the  Living  God,  Christian 


THE  SCROLL 155 

Workers  for  Fellowship,  believes  that  Jesus  Christ 
was  a  negro  because  his  ancestor,  David,  wrote,  "I 
am  become  like  a  bottle  of  smoke."  One  who  regards 
this  as  an  "age  of  doubt"  has  evidently  failed  to 
study  the  convictions  of  these  smaller  sects.  One 
factor  which  has  contributed  to  their  rapid  growth 
is  the  fact  that  many  people  have  been  economically 
squeezed  out  of  the  middle  class  churches.  The  eco- 
nomic depression  intensified  this  process.  It  is  like- 
wise true  that  many  people  in  the  lower  economic 
brackets  have  turned  to  these  sects  as  an  escape 
from  a  world  V\7hich  offered  little  security,  few  satis- 
factions, and  no  luxuries. 

Aside  from  these  institutional  and  organizational 
changes  in  the  religious  scene  in  America  there  are 
certain  ideological  trends.  These  changes  are  con- 
temporary only  in  the  sense  that  they  have  eventu- 
ated in  certain  definite  trends  in  religious  thinking 
since  the  opening  of  this  century.  They  are  changes 
in  the  intellectual  base  of  religion  rooted  in  the  his- 
tory of  modern  culture — certainly  so  far  back  as 
the  Reformation  and  Renaissance.  The  first  of  these 
is  a  shift  away  from  the  traditional  conception  of 
religion  as  a  supernatural  revelation  of  the  Divine 
order,  intruded  from  outside  the  order  of  reality  as 
we  know  it.  This  trend  of  the  last  few  decades  is 
definite  in  spite  of  the  current  tendency  in  certain 
areas  of  Christian  thinking  to  revert  to  a  position 
in  the  direction  of  but  stopping  short  of  the  tradi- 
tional concept  of  Christianity.  (This  reversion,  neo- 
supernaturalism  and  Barthianism,  is  not  a  return  to 
Fundamentalism.)  After  considerable  research  on 
this  problem  a  recognized  scientist  in  the  field  of  re- 
ligion, James  H.  Leuba,  reports  his  findings  as  fol- 
lows: 

The  situation  in  the  United  States  with  re- 
gard to  the  traditional  churches  appears  as  fol- 
lows :  Half  of  all  the  business  men,  lawyers,  and 


156 THE  SCROLL 

writers  listed  in  Who's  Who  In  America;  two- 
thirds  of  the  23,000   scientists  named   in   the 
American  Men  of  Science,  and  a  much  larger 
proportion  of  the  more  distinguished  of  them; 
and  an  unknown  but,  in  my  opinion,  a  very 
large  proportion  of  the  proletarian  masses  re- 
ject the  God  of  the  Christian  Churches  and, 
therefore,    the    specific    means    used    by    the 
churches  to  attain  their  ends :  namely,  appeal 
to,  and  reliance  upon  a  superhuman  Being  in 
direct  intellectual  and  effective  relation  with 
men. 
This  trend  away  from  traditional  religious  concepts 
has    naturally    spread    religious    indifference,    for 
people  have  been  taught  that  religion  is  inseparably 
connected  with  the  peculiar  concepts  held  by  the  or- 
thodox churches.    But  the  history  of  religions  shows 
them  to  be  developmental.    Static  conceptions  of  di-< 
vine  power  have  crumbled.    So  the  task  before  con- 
temporary society  seems  to  be  to  rescue   religion 
from  its  traditional  connection  with  an  idea  of  God 
which  stands  in  opposition  to  modern  knowledge. 
A  second  intellectual  trend  in  the  philosophical 
base  of  religion  is  the  reaivakening  of  the  churches 
to  their  responsibility  for  the  character  of  society. 
This  is  not  a  new  concern  of  Christianity  but  a  re- 
newal of  its  emphasis  on  social  morality.    This  con- 
temporary trend  had  its  genesis  in  the  social  think- 
ing of  Josiah  Strong  and  Walter  Rauschenbusch. 
The  last  few  decades  have  brought  this  social  gospel 
into  wide  acceptance  by  all  the  major  Protestant 
bodies.     To  some  extent  it  has  been  accepted  by 
Catholicism.   The  records  of  all  the  major  religious 
groups  show  abundant  evidence  of  this  trend.   Sev- 
eral major  Protestant  bodies  have  organized  coun- 
cils of  social  action  to  administer  practical  efforts  in 
line  with  the  social  gospel.   The  whole  span  of  this 
social  interest  includes  the  extremes  of  the  most 


THE  SCROLL 157 

conservative  statement  to  something  like  economic 
and  political  radicalism.  The  usual  form  which  this 
social  emphasis  takes  is  the  attempt  to  make  the 
ideals  of  Jesus  the  basis  of  action  in  all  social 
groups.  The  total  effect  of  this  renew^ed  social  re- 
sponsibility has  been  in  the  direction  of  conceiving 
religion  to  be  concerned  v^ith  human  relationships 
as  involved  in  all  economic,  political,  and  cultural 
circumstances  of  organized  society. 

There  is  a  third  trend  in  religious  thinking:  the 
grotving  conception  that  religion  is  a  phase  of  the 
cultural  life  of  mankind — ati  expression  of  inner 
development,  like  art,  literature,  or  music.  This 
trend  is  rooted  in  the  Renaissance  but  its  contem- 
porary expression  began  with  the  birth  of  the  psy- 
chology of  religion.  Pioneers  in  this  field  were 
George  A.  Coe,  E,  D.  Starbuck,  and  William  James. 
This  point  of  view  holds  that  religion  is  older  than 
recorded  history ;  that  it  must  have  been  coincident 
with  man's  emergence  into  conscious  existence  as  a 
human  being.  Religion  is  conceived  to  be  a  natural 
and  characteristic  elem.ent  of  human  life.  It  is  not 
a  revelation  in  the  orthodox  sense.  It  is  not  a  su- 
perstition. It  is  simply  a  part  of  the  experience  of 
the  race,  an  expression  of  human  nature  in  its  nobler 
ranges.  Religion  is  thus  conceived  to  be  more  psy- 
chological than  theological,  and  is  to  be  tested  by  in- 
ward attitude  rather  than  by  outward  form. 

Although  there  have  been  several  intense  reac- 
tions to  this  interpretation  of  religion,  it  is  an  ob- 
vious fact  that  it  is  a  spreading  conviction  of  en- 
lightened and  mature  people  in  our  time.  It  is  now 
the  reasoned  conclusion,  based  upon  scientific  data, 
of  the  scholarship  of  this  modern  age.  Students  of 
history  are  now  investigating  the  nature,  function, 
and  development  of  religion  with  the  same  objec- 
tivity with  which  they  investigate  the  origin  and 
development  of  art,  or  music,  or  government.    The 


158 THE  SCROLL 

conclusion  of  the  matter  is  that  whatever  brings 
man  into  a  deeper,  truer,  and  more  enduring  ad- 
justment to  his  world,  in  whatever  field  it  operates, 
is  religious. 


Change  In  Preaching 

Simon  M.  Davidian,  Lima,  Ohio 
Has  our  preaching  changed  in  the  last  ten  years? 
Absolutely!  We've  been  doing  it  for  21  years,  and 
more  and  more  we  are  under  the  conviction  that 
"biblical  preaching"  is  the  most  helpful  to  our  hear- 
ers and  more  lasting  for  our  Ministry.  Gone  with 
the  Ten  Years — is  Book  Reviews,  ethical,  and  the 
pure  social  gospel,  the  philosophic  and  academic 
style-stuff.  Of  course  some  of  this  is  pushed  into 
a  sermon ;  in  fact  a  lot  of  it — but  Biblical  preaching 
put  down  to  our  needs  seems  to  be  the  current  trend. 
Let's  give  men  Christ — not  Hitler,  Stalin,  plus. 

May  we  add  that  three  tremendous  convictions 
have  over-powered  us  in  these  latter  days :  that  War 
hasn't  anything  to  stand  on ;  that  we  must  not  enter 
into  any  European  war;  that  the  old  world  feuds 
and  f  ussings  are  no  concern  of  ours ;  that  Christ  and 
His  Spirit  is  our  tremendous  need. 


A  well-known  analyst  of  retail  sales  points  out 
that  women  spend  85  cents  of  every  dollar.  Such  a 
wife  is  a  jewel.  So  many  spend  $1.37. — Menthol- 
ogy. 

Friend :  "So  the  college  president  expelled  you. 
How  did  you  take  it?" 

Ex-Student:  "Oh,  I  congratulated  him  on  turning 
out  such  a  fine  young  man." — Pathfinder. 


THE  SCROLL 159 

Secretary-Treasurer's  Page 

A.  T.  DeGroot 

"Pretty  good  world,  if  you  take  it  all  round — 
Pretty  good  world,  good  people !" 

Frank  L.  Stanton's  three  stanzas  which  repeat  the 
above  refrain  reflect  the  attitude  with  which  to  greet 
the  new  year.  Ed.  H.  Yeiser,  land  lawyer  of  Austin, 
Texas,  peps  up  our  optimism  by  ordering  extra 
copies  of  last  month's  Scroll  to  use  in  securing  new 
memberships.  New  Fellows  received  during  the 
month  include  Vere  H.  Rogers,  Savannah,  Ga.,  Ken- 
neth E.  Thorne,  Greensburg,  Indiana,  and  Wm.  H. 
Alexander,  Chicago,  111.  If  any  one  who  reads  this 
will  send  me  one  or  more  names  of  likely  prospects 
for  Institute  membership,  I  will  send  a  communica- 
tion to  the  same  with  an  invitation  to  walk  with  us 
in  the  way  of  the  True  Faith. 

My  query  of  recent  date  as  to  whether  the  breth- 
ren were  righteous  and  fiscal  continues  to  bring  re- 
plies usually  couched  in  due  tones  of  humility  con- 
cerning item  (1)  but  with  brave  eloquence  respect- 
ing item  (2).  Those  who  were  fraternal  enough  to 
indite  us  a  personal  note  along  with  their  fiscality 
fixers  include  Lt.  Col.  W.  B.  Zimmerman  of  Ft. 
Myer,  Va. ;  S.  J.  Carter,  St.  Petersburg,  Fla.,  and 
Clarence  G.  Baker  of  the  Hawthorne  Social  Service 
Ass'n,  Indianapolis,  Ind.  The  latter  said,  "Your 
teasing,  probing,  provoking,  accusing  and  entreat- 
ing cards  and  letters  are  enough  to  melt  a  heart  of 
stone  and  I  just  can't  stand  it."  With  appropriate 
military  snap,  Zimmerman  said  simply,  "You  win!" 

One  other  communication  I  suppose  I  had  better 
reveal  for  fear  some  brother  (?)  learns  of  it  and 
tells  the  story,  refurbished  a  la  Graham  Frank.  Oh, 
the  shame  of  it!  Yes,  I  must  confess  that,  by  mis- 
take of  envelope  addressing,  I  invited  a  woman — 


160 THE  SCROLL 

nay,  a  lady — to  join  the  Campbell  Institute!  She 
was  good  enough  to  give  me  the  privilege  of  with- 
drawing the  bid,  although  she  acknowledged  attend- 
ance at  CI  convention  sessions  and,  more  to  the 
point,  confessed  that  she  frequently  borrowed  the 
Scroll  from  some  Privileged  Person  (meaning  a 
male — the  only  element  of  the  human  species  that 
may  join  our  fellowship).  Some  day  I  must  inquire 
about  and  write  down  the  story  of  the  only  woman 
who  ever  did  become  a  member  of  the  Institute. 
There  was  one — and  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  this 
flagrant  case  of  open  membership.  To  prove  my 
orthodoxy  in  the  present  instance,  I  replied  imme- 
diately to  the  lady  in  the  case  and  politely  but 
promply  repelled  her  to  the  outer  darkness. 

Lastly,  let  me  ask  you  to  ransack  your  magazine 
files  and  see  if  you  can  provide  me  with  the  May, 
1937,  and  the  January,  1934,  Scrolls.  For  these  doc- 
uments, lacking  to  complete  a  file  of  some  years,  I 
will  gladly  pay  any  price  (up  to  25c). 


Let  Us  Laugh  and  Think 

"Mr.  Jenkins,   I  have  been  coming  to  see  your 
daughter  every  night  for  fifteen  years." 

"Well,  what  do  you  want?" 

"Why,  I  want  to  marry  her." 

"Is  that  ail?    I  thought  you  wanted  a  pension  or 
something." — Herald, 

— 0 — 

Waiter :    "These  are  the  best  eggs  I  have  had  for 
years." 

Diner:  "Well,  bring  me  some  you  haven't  had  so 
long." — Pepper  Box. 

Pullman  Passenger:  "Can  I  get  on  No.  2  before  it 
starts?" 

Porter:  "You'll  have  to,  madam," — Advocate, 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVIL  FEBRUARY,  1940  No.  6 


Earle  M.  Todd  died  at  his  home  in  Harlingen, 
Texas,  January  13.  He  had  lived  there  with  his 
sister,  Miss  Flora  Todd,  for  many  years.  He  was, 
years  ago,  pastor  of  the  University  Church  in  Des 
Moines.  In  recent  years,  until  his  health  failed,  he 
was  engaged  in  community  social  work  in  Harlingen. 
He  was  a  devoted  and  helpful  member  of  the  In- 
stitute and  often  contributed  stimulating  articles  for 
our  readers.  He  was  a  mystic  and  his  religious  con- 
victions were  profound  and  steadfast  to  the  end. 
So  recently  as  last  November  he  contributed  a 
notable  article  on  Christian  union,  which  offers  a 
real  solution  for  the  problem.  We  shall  miss  his  wis- 
dom and  his  enthusiasm. 


The  Editor  is  grateful  for  the  many  responses  to 
his  letter  of  December  27,  several  of  which  are 
printed  in  this  issue.  Others  will  appear  next  month 
and  papers  on  any  of  these  subjects  will  be  welcome 
any  time  from  any  members.  The  questions  will  be 
found  on  page  185, 


President  Paul  Becker  has  appointed  a  program 
committee  for  the  meeting  next  summer  during  the 
week  beginning  July  29.  F.  E.  Davison,  of  South 
Bend,  Indiana,  is  the  chairman.  Subjects  and  papers 
may  be  offered  to  him. 


The  SCROLL  is  the  only  Disciple  publication 
which  does  not  depend  upon  advertisements,  nor 
salaried  writers,  nor  any  Board.  It  is  free,  and 
open  to  all  points  of  view. 


162  THE  SCROLL 


Two  Problems 


By  M.  W.  Nilsson,  Brookfield,  Mo. 

The  chief  problem  in  the  ministry  of  my  church 
is  one  which  I  am  sure  is  not  peculiar  to  my  own 
situation,  for  this  is  not  a  day  when  spiritual  values 
are  being  widely  acclaimed.  I  find  that  outside  of  a 
few  rare  souls  there  is  little  audible  desire  for  the 
things  of  the  spirit.  Only  in  the  very  occasional 
home  is  there  either  the  request  or  the  opportunity 
for  prayer  when  the  minister  calls.  Our  congre- 
gation is  certainly  average,  as  congregations  go  in 
these  times,  yet  in  the  adult  department  of  the 
Church  School  the  poverty  of  the  prayer  life  is  woe- 
fully evident  where  nothing  is  ever  heard  except 
the  Lord's  prayer.  The  office  of  elder  languishes 
owing  to  the  fact  that  men  are  unwilling  to  ask  the 
blessing  at  the  table  of  the  Lord.  One  can  only 
wonder  regarding  the  blessing  at  the  meal  in  their 
own  homes.  Our  people  prefer  a  dignified  type  of 
worship  at  the  Sunday  morning  hour  and  the  at- 
tendance is  reasonably  good,  although  I  have  a  feel- 
ing that  even  here  where  perhaps  we  come  nearest 
to  a  worship  experience  the  results  are  far  from 
fanning  the  flame  of  the  Spirit. 

A  second  problem  which  really  is  closely  asso- 
ciated with  the  first  is  the  difficulty  of  bringing  the 
people  to  believe  thoroughly  in  the  church  as  an  in- 
strument of  God  and  a  power  for  good  and  right- 
eousness in  the  world.  It  is  all  so  superficial,  such 
a  feeble  clue  to  the  divine  initiative  that  called  the 
church  into  existence.  The  mighty  truths  of  the 
Bible,  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  the  salvation  of  men 
through  the  living  Christ,  even  the  mission  of  the 
church  are  acknowledged.  But  the  acknowledg- 
ment is  so  perfunctory.  Offerings  made  for  the 
brotherhood  work  are  not  insignificant,  but  they 
are  almost  entirely  at  the  behest  of  the  pastor  and 
under  urgency  from  the  various  agencies.     In  the 


THE  SCROLL  163 

hearts  of  the  people  themselves  there  is  lacking  that 
holy  consciousness  of  the  task  of  the  church  as  a 
mighty  instrument  of  God's  redemption  in  a  world 
sick  unto  death  from  its  debauchery  of  selfishness, 
greed,  injustice  and  every  conceivable  form  of  sin. 
The  church  is  in  grave  danger  of  substituting  for 
the  mind  of  Christ  the  mind  of  the  v^orld  as  it  might 
be  reflected  in  just  another  organization.  Unless 
the  church  awakens  from  this  lethargy  and  indiffer- 
ence to  the  divine  task  to  which  it  has  been  called 
the  world  will  one  of  these  days  come  to  the  same 
conclusion  as  that  adopted  by  Russia  and  Germany. 
They  who  would  point  the  way  for  others  must  so 
conduct  themselves  that  men  will  say,  as  it  was  said 
of  the  disciples,  "they  have  been  with  Jesus",  for 
"he  that  cometh  to  God  must  believe  that  he  is,  and 
that  he  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  seek  after  him." 
These  seem  to  me  to  be  my  two  major  problems. 
All  others,  such  as  that  of  evangelization  and  the 
securing  of  trained  and  consecrated  workers,  et 
cetera,  would  adjust  themselves  within  the  orbit  of 
these  more  fundamental  ones.  It  is  indeed  a  great 
challenge  to  the  Christian  minister  to  lead  his  peo- 
ple in  attempting  to  work  out  such  baffling  prob- 
lems; but  it  is  the  need  of  the  hour. 


Now  that  Secretary  DeGroot  is  free  from  the  gall- 
ing yoke  of  writing  a  thesis  and  taking  exams  for 
his  doctorate,  he  is  out  with  all  his  great  energy  to 
recruit  several  hundred  men  for  membership  in  the 
Institute.  More  power  to  him!  Why  don't  we  all 
help  him  with  names  of  the  men  who  would  enjoy 
being  in  if  they  once  came  in? 


The  demand  for  reprints  of  "Whither  Disciples" 
has  been  surprising  and  they  are  now  available  by 
the  thousands!  One  dollar  for  20  is  the  price,  with 
postage  prepaid.  No  one  gets  any  profit  except  the 
reader. 


164  THE  SCROLL 


By  Paul  Becker,  Lincoln,  Nebraska 
The  problems  that  have  come  in  with  the  in- 
creased specialization  of  life  and  its  functions  have 
not  left  unaffected  the  field  of  religion.  The  trained 
leader,  whether  in  the  seminary  or  the  church,  and 
particularly  the  latter,  is  confronted  by  an  educa- 
tional chasm  that  separates  him  from  his  people, 
and  this  separation  grows  steadily  wider  with  the 
growth  of  specialization. 

This  condition  may  be  rendered  more  apparent  if 
we  observe  first  what  has  taken  place  in  another  of 
the  traditional  professions,  namely,  medicine.  Not 
long  ago  a  plea  was  sounded  for  a  return  of  the 
good  old  family  doctor,  the  man  who  was  more  like 
a  friend  than  a  professionalist.  Such  an  appeal  is 
an  indication  of  the  chasm  that  specialization  has  ^ 
cut  in  the  healing  art.  In  some  cities  a  physician 
today  seldom  enters  a  private  home.  To  receive  his 
services  you  must  either  go  to  his  office  or  to  the 
hospital.  Only  in  cases  of  sternest  emergency  does 
he  violate  that  practice.  Perhaps  after  the  patient 
has  met  his  conditions  in  this  respect  he  finds  that 
he  has  the  wrong  kind  of  doctor,  and  must  consult 
another  member  of  the  clinic.  One  of  the  chief 
complaints  of  doctors  against  socialized  medicine 
has  to  do  with  the  threatened  elimination  of  the  per- 
sonal relationship  that  is  said  to  be  helpful  between 
doctor  and  patient.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  medical 
profession  itself  has  gone  a  long  way  toward  such 
an  outcome. 

We  are  not  here  singling  out  medicine  with  any 
invidious  intent,  but  merely  as  one  illustration  of 
what  has  taken  place  in  e^very  profession.  Religion 
is  no  exception.  Many  a  director  of  religious  educa- 
tion has  been  smashed  against  the  rocks  of  popular 
misunderstanding  of  his  purpose.  The  social  ap- 
plication of  religion  also  seems  strange,  secondary 


THE  SCROLL  165 

and  remote  to  people  who  chiefly  yearn  for  personal 
assurance.  Biblical  scholarship  is  another  respect 
in  which  the  layman  is  bewildered.  If  the  Bible 
is  not  the  Word  of  God,  pure  and  simple,  and  un- 
adulterated, what  is  it?  Then,  there  is  theology, 
which  just  now  is  moving  in  strange  and  irj*egular 
gyrations,  in  keeping  with  this  desperate  world.  In 
all  these  phases  the  teacher  and  preacher  of  religion 
today  is  faced  with  the  difficult  business,  both  of  get- 
ting the  layman  to  understand  what  it  is  all  about, 
and  also  of  making  him  see  its  importance. 

No  doubt  this  situation  explains  in  great  measure 
the  rise  of  the  extreme  and  emotional  sects  which 
have  registered  such  a  phenomenal  growth  in  recent 
years.  People  have  been  impatient  to  reach  the  goal. 
They  want  God,  just  as  the  sick  man  wants  health. 
The  quack,  both  in  religion  and  in  healing,  has  not 
been  slow  to  take  advantage  of  this  opportunity.  Be- 
cause the  layman  has  not  been  able  to  understand 
the  approach  of  his  pastor  to  the  questions  of  life 
and  eternity,  he  lends  an  ear  \o  the  person  who 
promises  him  immediate  satisfaction.  Economic 
stratification  may  explain  in  part  the  growth  of  ir- 
regular sects,  but  the  promise  of  a  short-cut  is  also 
responsible. 

Many  ministers  sense  this  difficulty,  either  vague- 
ly or  clearly,  and  are  trying  to  surmount  it  in  one 
way  or  another.  Some  are  redoubling  their  personal 
contacts  with  their  people  through  increased  visit- 
ing. Fortunately  the  minister  still  does  go  into 
people's  homes.  Others  are  appealing  to  the  longing 
of  average  persons  for  gaiety  and  happiness  and 
are  brightening  and  popularizing  their  services. 
They  seem  to  have  taken  a  cue  from  the  service 
clubs.  A  few,  sensing  the  wide-spread  craving  for 
security,  have  returned  to  a  religion  of  authority 
and  dogma,  a  move  in  the  direction  of  funda- 
mentalism. 

It  may  be  questioned,  however,  whether  funda- 


166  THE  SCROLL 

mentalism,  especially  among  the  Disciples,  is  going 
to  stem  the  tide  of  the  emotional  sects.  These  can 
out-fundamentalize  our  fundamentalists.  Many  of 
them  practice  immersion  as  baptism  and  have  cer- 
tain slogans  that  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  tra- 
ditional Disciple  conservatism.  Really  a  very  slight 
margin  separates  the  two.  Add  a  belief  in  spirit- 
possession  and,  in  some  cases,  faith-healing,  and  the 
conservative  Disciple  makes  a  good  holiness  recruit. 
Fundamentalism  does  not  afford  a  sure  antidote  to 
the  holiness  trend,  even  if  a  minister  can  reconcile 
it  with  his  conscience. 

Most  people,  even  those  of  humble  mental  attain- 
ments, still  place  some  value  upon  common  sense.  It 
seems  to  me  the  religious  leader  must  constantly 
keep  this  in  mind.  He  must  try  to  translate  the 
ideas  and  methods  he  has  acquired  through  his  spe- 
cialized training  into  practical  and  understandable 
language.  This  is  by  no  means  as  easy  as  it  sounds, 
and  try  as  he  will,  there  will  be  certain  impatient 
souls  who  insist  upon  reaching  heaven  at  a  single 
bound.  All  considered,  however,  the  leader  who  can 
popularize  (in  the  best  sense)  and  humanize  his 
message  and  program  will  be  best  able  to  maintain 
a  unified  and  progressive  congregation. 


in 

By  Chauncey  R.  Piety,  Girard,  Illinois 
Each  truth  agrees  with  every  other 

Of  small  or  great  design; 
And  none  is  truer  than  its  brother, 

Your  own,  or  God's,  or  mine. 


"Your  methods  of  cultivation  are  hopelessly  out 
of  date,"  said  the  AAA  crop  advisor  to  the  old 
farmer.  "Why  I'd  be  astonished  if  you  got  even  10 
pounds  of  apples  from  that  tree." 

"So  would  I,"  replied  the  farmer,  "it's  a  peach 
tree." 


THE  SCROLL  167 

A  Minor  Voice  of  Experience 

By  William  Gay  Eldred,  Lawrenceburg,  Ky. 

Having  been  reared  in  a  congregation  of  Disciples 
of  Christ  that  was  strenuously  opposed  both  to  the 
organ  in  worship,  and  to  organized  missions  in  the 
church;  and  having  made  the  stern  pilgrimage 
through  the  labyrinths  of  theological  interpretation, 
higher  criticism,  and  the  historical  approach  to 
sacred  literature;  and  having  arrived  at  last  at  the 
wayside  inn  of  a  constructive  liberalism, — so  ade- 
quately expressed  in  Dr.  E.  S.  Ames'  article, 
''Whither  Disciples"  in  the  September  Scroll, — I 
feel  that  we  Disciples  should  be  neither  puffed  up 
by  over-confidence,  nor  discouraged  by  a  sense  of 
failure.  I  think  we  should  be  deeply  conscious  of 
two  things, — a  sense  of  definite  achievement  in  spite 
of  our  mistakes,  and  a  sense  of  deep  responsibility 
for  the  future. 

If  we  can  faithfully  apply  the  two  great  prin- 
ciples, "Love"  and  "Wisdom,"  which  Dr.  Ames  em- 
phasizes, I  believe  the  future  holds  promise  of  vital 
achievement. 

And  I  should  not  hesitate  to  advise  promising 
young  men  graduating  from  college,  to  prepare  for 
the  ministry  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  because 
of  two  things, — an  ideal  freedom  of  the  mind  from 
ecclesiastical  control  and  standardization,  and  be- 
cause I  believe  that  the  dominant  passion  of  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ  in  the  future  is  going  to  be  a  burn- 
ing desire,  not  for  organic  ecclesiasical  unity,  but 
for  a  spiritual  oneness  that  answers  the  prayer  of 
our  Lord.  And  because  I  believe  that  these  two 
things  are  vitally  essential,  not  only  to  our  future, 
but  to  the  future  of  Christianity. 

As  an  active,  experiencing  witness  of  the 
struggles,  conflicts,  mistakes,  confusion,  and  prog- 
ress of  the  last  half  century  of  our  history,  I  desire 
to  dedicate  the  following  original  poem  to  the  Dis- 


168  THE  SCROLL 

ciples  of  Christ,  as  suggestive  of  those  experiences. 
THE  TANGLED  WEB 
0,  what  a  tangled  web  we  weave, 
The  weavers  lamented;  i 

But  never  consented 
To  cease  from  the  pleasure  of  weaving. 
With  colors  resplendent. 
For  beauty  transcendent, 
We'll  weave  till  the  shadows  of  evening. 

The  fabric  of  our  dream  is  fair, 

The  weavers  asserted, 

Tho  often  perverted 

By  hands  at  the  loom  unskilled. 

But  we  shall  endeavor. 

Unceasing,  forever. 

That  the  Pattern  shall  be  fulfilled. 


How  My  Preaching  Has  Changed 

By  William  Dunn  Ryan,  Baton  Rouge,  La. 

I  have  just  been  examining  the  bottom  and  the 
top  of  my  sermon  barrel.  Taken  from  its  nether- 
most stratum  are  outlines  of  a  half  dozen  sermons  I 
preached  in  my  first  pastorate,  forty  years  ago. 
Here  are  the  topics :  'The  Devil  and  a  Backslider," 
"The  One  True  Church,"  "Power  in  the  Blood," 
"How  the  World  Was  Created,"  "God's  Demand  for 
Complete  Obedience,"  "How  Shall  We  Escape?" 

A  half  dozen  sermons  from  the  top  of  the  barrel, 
preached  in  the  last  few  months,  have  these  cap- 
tions :  "The  Pioneer  of  Life,"  "The  All-suflSciency  of 
Love,"  "The  Eternal  God  Is  Thy  Refuge,"  "When 
Calvary  Becomes  Real,"  "Living  the  Abundant 
Life,"  "The  Business  of  Growing  Up,"  "How  the 
Great  Guest  Came — and  Still  Comes." 

Perhaps  the  changes  of  the  last  forty  years,  not 
only  in  my  own  thinking  and  preaching,  but  in  what 
the  pew  is  demanding  may,  in  some  measure  be 


THE  SCROLL  169 

seen  reflected  in  these  sets  of  sermon  themes.  Of 
course  one  can  detect  the  change  in  emphasis  from 
the  theoretical  to  the  real,  from  the  dogmatic  to  the 
vital,  from  the  legal  to  the  spiritual. 

Something  must  be  said  for  the  preaching  of  forty 
years  ago.  There  is  power  in  dogmatism  and  legal- 
ism. A  crisis  theology  is  always  more  effective  in 
securing  immediate  commitments  than  a  vital  the- 
ology. I  am  humiliated  by  the  fact  that  my  preach- 
ing in  the  last  year  has  not  been  as  evangelistic  as 
in  the  first  year  of  my  ministry.  There  are  so  many 
things  which  I  then  proclaimed  as  absolutely  certain 
which  I  now  regard  as  all  the  way  from  doubtful  to 
untrue.  I  do  not  mean  that  my  faith  in  the  Eternal 
Verities  is  weaker ;  it  is  stronger.  But  a  good  many 
time-honored  doctrines  which  are  powerfully  con- 
vincing to  a  good  many  minds,  I  can  no  longer  pro- 
claim. 

However,  I  am  sure  that  the  results  of  the 
changes  in  thinking  and  preaching,  in  these  four 
decades  are  more  than  worth  while.  Surely  it  is 
more  desirable  to  possess  the  spirit  of  Christ  than 
to  hold  to  supposedly  correct  theories  as  to  his  life 
and  work.  Surely  it  is  better  to  grow  in  grace  than 
to  flatter  one's  self  that  he  and  his  party  are  in 
possession  of  all  the  unchanging  truth. 

I  am  convinced  that  our  young  ministers  will  do 
well  to  place  emphasis  upon  the  vital  and  the  spir- 
itual and  to  refuse  to  give  lip  service  to  doctrines 
and  customs  which  they  do  not,  from  the  heart, 
cherish.  It  may  well  be  that  the  coming  forty  years 
will  bring  to  them  a  more  satisfying  sense  of 
achievement  than  we  of  the  old  guard  are  experi- 
encing. 


Doctor :  "I  don't  like  to  mention  it,  but  that  check 
you  gave  me  has  come  back." 

Patient:  "Well,  that  sure  is  funny.  Doc,  so  did 
my  lumbago." 


170  THE  SCROLL 

Religion  and  Psychiatry 

By  Robert  C.  Lemon,  Irving  Park,  Chicago 

I  have  been  in  the  ministry  now  for  a  quarter  of 
a  century,  sixteen  years  of  which  have  been  spent 
in  one  pastorate  in  the  second  largest  city  of  our 
country.  These  years  have  brought  to  me  an  in- 
creasing respect  and  appreciation  of  religion  as  a 
constructive,  upbuilding  force  of  life. 

There  is  no  other  truth  of  life  more  evident  to 
me  than  the  well-known  words  of  the  prophet, 
"They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their 
strength."  Faith  in  God  as  a  power  not  ourselves 
that  makes  for  order  and  righteousness,  both  in  in- 
dividuals and  society,  and  devotion  to  the  ideals 
and  tasks  of  the  Kingdom  of  God ;  and  faith  in  our- 
selves and  our  fellowmen,  and  the  commitment  of 
our  lives  to  the  ways  of  understanding  and  love,  to 
contribute  to  the  health  and  strength  of  men. 

Fifty  per  cent,  conservatively  speaking,  of  the 
people  who  are  ill,  are  suffering  from  no  particular 
physical  ailment,  but  rather  from  mental  conflicts, 
or  emotional  disorders,  and  intelligent,  wholesome 
religion  is  usually  beneficial  in  these  types  of 
disease. 

I  have  had  the  privilege  in  my  pastoral  work 
within  recent  years  of  being  rather  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  a  psychiatrist;  a  well-known  lecturer, 
author  and  a  successful  practitioner,  who  has  given 
me  a  new  insight  into  the  power  of  the  mind  and 
emotions  over  the  body. 

He  has  taught  me  to  see  what  I  have  always  more 
or  less  understood,  but  never  fully  appreciated,  that 
sins  of  the  mind  and  emotions  while  subtler  may  be 
as  destructive  if  not  more  destructive  than  the  sins 
of  the  body.  That  a  respectable  family  man  who 
would  not  be  guilty  under  any  circumstances  of 
promiscuous  sexual  relationships  still  may  allow  his 


THE  SCROLL  171 

thoughts  and  emotions  to  be  so  preoccupied  with 
other  women  that  he  upsets  his  own  moral  balance, 
and  destroys  the  happiness  of  his  home.  And  be- 
cause there  is  no  sense  of  guilt  there  is  but  little 
chance  of  cure  unless  he  happens  to  experience  more 
of  the  transforming  power  of  religion,  or  drifts  into 
the  hands  of  an  effective  psychiatrist. 

The  psychiatrist  with  whom  I  am  working  is  as 
much  concerned  about  the  place  and  importance  of 
the  child  in  the  home  as  any  good  pastor.  In  fact 
he  has  this  slogan  which  he  uses  frequently  in  his 
conferences  and  conversations  with  his  patients: 
"No  home  without  a  child  and  no  child  without  a 
home."  We  parents  know  that  however  much  care 
and  anxiety  our  children  may  be  we  receive  as  much 
or  more  from  them  than  they  receive  from  us.  And 
we  pastors  know  that  it  is  the  childless  homes  in 
our  parish  that  are  exposed  to  the  most  misunder- 
standings and  threatened  by  the  greatest  dangers. 
That  it  is  in  the  relationships  of  the  parents  with 
the  children  in  the  good  home  that  we  find  the  most 
complete  expression  of  the  way  of  Christ, — ^the  way 
of  understanding  love. 

At  the  close  of  a  recent  conference  with  a  child- 
less woman  whose  home  had  broken  down,  leaving 
her  alone  in  the  world,  the  psychiatrist  said,  "You 
have  paid  for  your  religion  through  the  years,  now 
use  it."  Her  pastor  interrupted  explaining,  "She 
and  her  husband  have  been  unusually  generous  to 
the  church."  The  psychiatrist  concluded  "Then  use 
your  religion  for  there  is  no  other  power  in  the 
world  that  can  help  you  so  effectively  now." 


Landlady:  "I'll  give  you  just  three  days  in  which 
to  pay  your  board." 

Student :  "All  right,  I'll  pick  the  Fourth  of  July, 
Christmas  and  Easter." 


172  THE  SCROLL 

The  New  Song 

By  C.  M.  Small,  Valparaiso,  Indiana 

The  New  Day  calls  for  a  New  Song.  For  a  genera- 
tion the  liberals  of  the  world  have  felt  that  the  New 
Day  was  dawning;  before  long  they  would  see  a 
breaking  down  of  all  barriers  between  nations — at 
least  they  grouped  the  families  around  a  figurative 
common  fireside.  This  hope  expressed  itself  in  songs 
of  peace,  so  the  editors  of  new  hymn  books  included 
a  dozen  or  more  new  hymns  of  peace.  Now  the 
peace  loving  people  seek  them  with  avidity,  and 
sing  them  more  intelligently  than  ever.  In  accord- 
ance with  the  peace-making  efforts,  at  the  sunrise 
of  the  New  Day,  the  people  will  sing  The  New  Song. 

I  was  reared  in  a  home  made  melodious  by  cre- 
ative music  and  much  improvising,  with  an  occa- 
sional yodle  which  resounded  from  hill  to  vale.  As 
a  novice,  I  plunged  into  music  with  the  delight  of 
Henry  Van  Dyke : 

"Music,  I  yield  to  thee ; 
As  swimmer  to  the  sea, 
I  give  my  spirit  to  the  flood  of  song." 
The  hymns  I  sang  in  the  country  church,  became 
a  part  of  my  Christian  culture.    Many  of  them  were 
sung  with  a  lilt,  repetitions  in  the  refrain,  which 
gave  me  a  poesy  of  soul — a  background  of  phrasing, 
and  an  outlet  of  expression,  that  has   ever  since 
modified  me  in  religious  devotion.    I  have  sung  my 
way  into  the  larger  fellowship,  the  bonds  of  peace, 
and  the  well  established  fraternal  relations.    What 
has  happened  in  my  hymnody  is,  in  the  words  of 
Paul  paraphrased,  "When  I  was  a  child,  I  sang  as  a 
child,  now  that  I  have  become  a  man,  I  have  put 
away  childish  hymns." 

Some  of  the  hymns  of  "forty  years  ago"  and  "lost 
awhile,"  I  will  name  and  give  a  passing  remark  on 
them.    "Sweet  Bye  and  Bye"  is  one  of  them  which 


THE  SCROLL  173 

has  the  eternal  thought,  "by  faith  we  shall  see  it 
afar"  i.e.  "the  land  that  is  fairer  than  day."  This 
hymn  prominently  takes  stock  in  the  other  world. 
"Sweet  Peace  the  Gift  of  God's  Love"  is  another, 
wherein  a  part  of  a  stanza  voices,  "My  debt  by  his 
death  was  all  paid,"  which  does  not  square  with  my 
empirical  sense.  "At  the  Cross"  comes  to  mind,  with 
the  question,  "Would  he  devote  that  sacred  head  for 
such  a  worm  as  I?"  Of  course  the  worm  can  turn, 
but  the  comparison  is  broadly  comical.  And  for 
militancy,  "Onward  Christian  Soldiers"  and  "Sound 
the  Battle  Cry"  are  only  outdone  by  some  of  the  na- 
tional anthems.  Consider  the  verse,  "Marching  as 
to  war,  (absurd)  wfth  the  cross  of  Jesus  going  on 
before."  The  second  mentioned  militant  hymn  has 
about  all  the  armor  of  the  Apostle  Paul  to  put  man 
called  a  foe,  in  his  place.  With  great  industry  and 
vivid  imagination,  Knowles  Shaw  produced  the 
hymn,  "Bringing  in  the  Sheaves."  While  it  has  rug- 
gedness  of  harvesting  and  rewarding  achievement, 
yet  it  lacks  readiness  of  expression  to  be  used  in  our 
day. 

The  shift  in  population  from  rural  to  urban  life, 
twenty-five  per  cent  in  the  country  to  seventy-five 
per  cent  in  the  cities,  reflects  in  the  lessened  use  of 
the  hymn,  "The  Ninety  and  Nine."  Although  it  is 
as  biblical  as  the  parable  of  the  lost  sheep,  the  il- 
lustration is  not  so  appealing  as  it  once  was  on 
account  of  population  location.  "Come  Thou  Fount 
of  Every  Blessing"  has  in  it  the  line,  "Here  I'll 
raise  my  Ebenezer"  which  always  needed  interpre- 
tation. "Shall  We  Gather  at  the  River  ?^'  is  another 
hymn  of  other  world  significance  which  was  used 
incongruously  on  the  occasion  of  baptism  performed 
in  a  stream  of  water  in  the  country.  This  incom- 
patible and  irreconcilable  strain  on  sentiment  caused 
the  hymn  to  fall  into  disuse.  Although  Dvorak  can 
still  move  us  with  strong  heart  appeal  in  "Going 
Home,"  yet  home  sentiment  is  waning  because  of 


174  THE  SCROLL 

changing  habits.  We  are  prone  to  delete,  "Home 
Sweet  Home,"  notwithstanding,  it  contains  the 
thought,  "and  feel  in  the  presence  of  Jesus  at  home." 

We  know  some  of  the  hymns  of  long  since  are 
not  being  sung  today  because  they  have  not  been 
brought  forward  by  the  editors  of  the  hymn  books. 
I  have  in  mind  two  hymns  that  have  much  value  for 
me,  "Whiter  Than  Snow"  by  James  Nicholson,  and 
"Whosoever  Will"  by  P.  P.  Bliss,  both  of  which  are 
left  out  of  many  of  the  new  editions  because  of 
repetition,  and  lack  of  strength  in  poetry.  The  kind 
of  hymns  we  use  for  our  day  depend  on  the  recent 
situations,  the  choice  of  the  editors  and  the  uses  of 
hymns  selected  by  individuals  for  certain  emphases. 

However,  some  of  the  hymns  used  three  and  four 
decades  ago  are  still  used  by  me  appreciatively. 
Here  are  a  few:  "Lead  Kindly  Light,"  "0  Little 
Town  of  Bethlehem,"  "Jesus  Lover  of  My  Soul," 
"Rock  of  Ages  Cleft  for  Me,"  "The  Lord  Is  My 
Shepherd,"  "When  I  Survey  the  Wondrous  Cross," 
"0  for  a  Thousand  Tongues  to  Sing,"  "What  a 
Friend  We  Have  in  Jesus,"  "Jerusalem  the  Golden," 
and  "Nearer  My  God  to  Thee."  As  singing  opened 
the  prison  doors  for  Paul  and  Silas,  likewise,  many 
doors  for  Christ  have  been  opened  for  me. 

We  have  come  a  long  way  in  cultural  development 
to  an  appreciation  of  hymns  by  Frank  Mason  North, 
Earl  Marlott,  Hallam  Tweedy,  Sidny  Lanier, 
William  Walsham  How,  Henry  Van  Dyke,  W.  Rus- 
sell Bowie,  Laura  S.  Copenhaver,  Arthur  C.  Ainger, 
Samuel  Wolcott,  George  Matheson,  William  Merrill 
Vories,  Ozora  S.  Davis,  John  Haynes  Holmes, 
William  Pierson  Merrill,  Edward  Rowland  Sill, 
Henry  Scott  Holland,  Frances  R.  Havergal,  Felix 
Adler,  Irving  Maurer,  and  Norman  E.  Richardson. 
I  can  look  back  over  the  last  decade  and  sing  with 
F.  W.  Faber : 

"There's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy, 
Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea; 


THE  SCROLL  175 

There  is  kindness  in  His  justice, 

Which  is  more  than  liberty." 
For  the  use  of  hymns  in  the  liturgy  of  the  church, 
I  would  urge  a  course  in  musical  appreciation.  After 
I  had  been  in  the  ministry  fourteen  years  I  was  for- 
tunate enough  to  have  the  privilege  of  such  a  study 
directed  by  Professor  John  Finley  Williamson,  now 
in  the  Westminster  Choir  School,  Princeton,  New 
Jersey.  Every  pastor  should  aim  for  a  ministry  of 
music  in  his  church.  It  is  one  of  the  best  means  of 
fusing  the  elements  of  the  congregation  and  fur- 
nishes a  good  opportunity  for  youth  in  active  work. 
It  is  possible  to  cultivate  a  desire  for  the  type  of 
hymn  which  was  a  favorite  of  Alexander  Campbell, 
"How  sweet  the  name  of  Jesus  sounds  to  a  believer's 
ear"  by  John  Newton. 


Advising  Men  to  Preach 

By  Perry  J.  Rice,  Chicago 
If  I  should  meet  a  young  man  of  character,  per- 
sonality and  intelligence  who  had  just  graduated 
from  college  and  who  was  undecided  what  profes- 
sion to  enter,  and  if  I  should  come  to  know  him  suf- 
ficiently well  to  talk  with  him  intimately  concerning 
his  future  I  should  encourage  him  to  enter  the  min- 
istry in  the  fellowship  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ. 
I  should  recite  for  him  my  own  experience  of  over 
fifty  years  in  the  ministry  and  call  his  attention  to 
the  position  of  the  Disciples  in  relation  to  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  to  Christian  Unity  and  emphasize  their 
freedom  from  bondage  to  any  and  all  formal  state- 
ments of  truth.  I  should  urge  him  to  prepare  him- 
self thoroughly  by  taking  graduate  work  in  a  uni- 
versity of  the  first  rank  and  to  preach  as  often  as 
opportunity  offered.  I  should  do  this  on  the  basis 
of  the  conviction  that  preaching  makes  preachers 
and  is  as  essential  in  their  training  as  any  other 
single  element. 


176  THE  SCROLL 

Decide  Early 

By  L.  N.  D.  Wells,  Dallas,  Texas 

The  question  has  just  reached  me  from  the  Scroll 
office,  "What  would  you  say  to  a  young  man  just 
graduating  from  college  to  encourage  him  to  pre- 
pare for  the  ministry  among  the  Disciples  of 
Christ?" 

My  answer  would  be  that  if  he  had  never  given 
serious  consideration  to  the  ministry  until  he  had 
become  a  college  graduate  I  would  say  nothing  to 
him  to  encourage  him  to  enter  the  ministry.  Some 
one  long  ago  said,  "Young  man,  do  not  preach  if  you 
can  help  it."  I  know  what  he  meant,  and  I  have  a 
great  deal  of  reverence  for  the  idea.  I  do  not  quite 
know  what  "a  call  to  the  ministry"  is,  but  I  still 
believe  in  it  with  my  whole  heart. 

A  call  may  be  only  a  sense  of  the  supreme  need 
for  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  plus  a  consciousness 
that  one  may  be  able,  in  a  humble  way,  to  answer 
that  need.  I  cannot  quite  get  away  from  the  idea 
that  a  man  who  ought  to  preach  will  have  a  con- 
sciousness that  he  ought  to  do  it  from  his  early 
youth.  I  may  be  wrong  in  this,  I  have  been  wrong 
once  or  twice  before. 


A  Valentine 

By  Henry  C.  Taylor,  Chicago 

A  student,  but  not  a  disciple ; 

A  friend,  but  not  a  Quaker; 

A  catholic,  but  not  a  Roman; 

A  Lincoln  Democrat,  but  a  Republican. 


"I'm  a  self-made  man." 

"You're  lucky.     I'm  the  revised  work  of  a  wife 
and  three  daughters." 


THE  SCROLL  177 

My  Preaching  Then  and  Now 

By  L.  Ward  McCreary,  East  Orange,  N.  J. 

Thanks  for  the  question,  "How  has  your  preach- 
ing changed  in  the  past  ten  years?"  I  am  not  good 
at  self-analysis,  but  fortunately  I  have  all  the 
vouchers  for  a  thorough  invoice  of  myself  in  regard 
to  preaching.  For  the  last  fifteen  years  I  have  writ- 
ten each  sermon  in  full.  I  have  also  done  a  thing 
I  should  regard  as  dangerous  had  I  not  remained  in 
the  same  pulpit  throughout  this  period  of  time.  I 
have  kept  all  these  sermons.  I  have  gone  back  to 
pre-depression  years  and  compared  the  sermons 
then  with  sermons  last  year  before  the  outbreak  of 
the  present  war.   Here  are  the  results : 

1.  I  am  preaching  more  from  the  New  Testament 
than  ten  years  ago.  Religion  "lives  and  moves  and 
has  its  being"  in  a  vastly  different  climate  in  the 
New  Testament  times  to  that  of  the  Old  Testament. 
The  New  Testament  furnishes  the  exhilerating  at- 
mosphere I  want  my  people  to  breathe. 

n.  I  am  using  more  Biblical  material  today.  The 
eternal  principles  of  truth,  justice,  and  love  are  set 
forth  in  the  Bible  as  no  where  else  in  history,  litera- 
ture, or  contemporary  life. 

ni.  There  is  more  of  social  content  in  my  pres- 
ent sermons.  This  is  inevitable  if  one  is  at  all 
sensitive  to  what  is  going  on  in  the  world  about  one. 

IV.  I  am  far  more  concerned  today  with  the 
inner  quality  of  Christians  than  with  the  outward 
forms  and  expressions  of  religion.  It  is  one  thing 
to  voice  the  principles;  it  is  quite  another  thing  to 
live  them. 

There  is  nothing  very  startling  about  these  dis- 
coveries, but  I  am  rather  proud  to  note  them.  I 
should  be  ashamed  of  myself  and  feel  that  I  had 
been  a  most  "unprofitable  servant"  had  there  been 
no  growth  in  these  directions.  My  philosophy  of 
preaching  can  be  summed  up  in  a  single  sentence. 
Ministers  should  be  the  living  exponents  of  that 
which  they  themselves  have  experienced. 


178  THE  SCROLL 

Change  in  Message 

By  Edwin  C.  Boynton,  Huntsville,  Texas 

I  have  been  asked  to  contribute  to  the  "Scroll"  an 
article  outlining,  among  other  possibilities,  my  per- 
sonal reaction,  during  the  last  ten  years,  to  the 
preacher's  problem  and  duty — in  what  way  I  may 
have  changed  my  form  of  message. 

Having  a  good  old-fashioned  Disciple  upbringing, 
with  my  first  preparation  under  President  John  W. 
McGarvey,  my  ministry  had  always  stressed  what 
has  long  been  known  among  us  as  "First  Prin- 
ciples." I  still  am  very  fond  of  that  scheme  of  re- 
ligious thought;  but  for  the  period  named,  it  has 
seemed  that  emphasis  must  be  rather  radically 
changed  from  that  placed  upon  the  well-worn  "suc- 
cessive steps"  of  "the  plan  of  salvation"  to  a  more 
intimate  setting  forth  of  the  proper  conception  back 
of  the  individual's  acceptance  of  the  gospel.  Bap- 
tism, for  example,  is  no  less  important  than  before ; 
but  it  no  longer  represents  something  the  candidate 
does  specifically  for  his  own  benefit  or  as  a  matter 
of  his  own  individual  duty.  Baptism  now  appears 
as  definitely  and  perhaps  chiefly,  a  social  act  in 
which  the  one  baptized  is  consciously  entering  into 
not  only  the  spiritual  but  the  social  program  and 
environment  of  the  group  whose  fellowship  he  seeks. 
And  here  seems  to  lie  the  true  spiritual  significance 
of  the  act :  Not  a  half -frightened  attempt  to  escape 
from  sin,  though  the  experience  is  one  of  turning 
away  from  a  sinful  life ;  but  a  seeking  of  group  val- 
ues, a  response  to  a  summons  to  a  fuller,  richer  life, 
recognizing  God  first  in  one's  life,  and  the  neighbor 
next.  And  this  interpretation  holds  all  along  the 
line,  from  the  first  outreach  of  "faith"  onward. 

This  tendency  to  feel  the  "otherness"  of  the  whole 
Christian  reaction  to  the  gospel  and  to  life  has  been 
helped  by  a  participation  for  a  number  of  years,  in 
faculty   service   in   Youth's   Summer   Conferences. 


THE  SCROLL  179 

Here  one  feels  the  personality  of  the  problem  con- 
fronting young  life,  and  the  insistence  of  that  prob- 
lem, growing  out  of  the  complex  environment  of  the 
youth  of  today.  And  in  a  like  direction  the  pulpit 
message  of  the  last  few  years  has  been  influenced 
by  some  considerable  activity  in  Leadership  Train- 
ing Schools,  most  of  which  have  been  under  Metho- 
dist auspices,  with  some  Disciple  cooperation.  This 
has  all  tended  to  change  the  usual  pulpiteer  style  of 
preaching  from  that  more  general  type  into  a  direct 
and  definite  effort  to  lead  the  auditors  into  a  study 
mood — into  an  attempt  to  interpret  rather  than 
simply  accept  a  given  view.  When  one  begins  to  try 
to  interpret  religion  to  himself,  he  soon  almost  un- 
consciously is  seeking  fellowship  with  all  others  who 
themselves  are  engaged  in  the  same  mode  of  ap- 
proach to  truth. 


Disciples  and  Preacher- 
Placement 

By  J.  W.  McKinney,  Guthrie,  Oklahoma 

The  uncounted  years  of  service  lost  to  both  min- 
isters and  churches  among  the  Disciples  in  the  pres- 
ent systemless  method  of  making  changes  in  pastors 
should  present  a  challenge  to  every  thinking  leader 
among  us. 

It  is  not  unusual  for  a  minister  to  be  having  diffi- 
culties which  he  believes  possible  to  overcome  and 
to  which  he  is  giving  his  whole  time  and  thought, 
to  be  suddenly  notified  that  a  secret  meeting  of  the 
board  of  elders  or  general  board  has  been  held  and 
"it  was  decided  that  we  should  have  a  change  in 
pastors."  Such  action  usually  is  taken  without  a 
very  general  survey  of  the  congregation  for  their 
opinions  concerning  the  minister.  It  roots  frequent- 
ly in  a  personal  dislike  a  member  of  the  board  may 
have  for  the  minister,  and  this  member  being  inf lu- 


180  THE  SCROLL 

ential  enough  to  have  a  meeting  called  and  brazen 
enough  to  make  unfounded  statements  and  charges 
creates  a  sort  of  panic  among  the  less  belligerent 
members  with  the  result  that  they  immediately  be- 
come willing  for  the  minister  to  seek  another  field. 
From  the  day  of  notice  of  such  action  for  which 
might  have  been  substituted  a  vote  of  confidence  and 
appreciation,  the  minister  has  no  program  nor  heart 
with  which  to  perform  the  routine  tasks  of  the  pas- 
torate. The  time  it  takes  to  find  a  new  field  and  get 
located  depends  upon  many  factors.  Perhaps  there 
are  no  suitable  pastorates  open  in  the  area  where 
one  would  like  to  serve.  Perhaps  contacts  are  made 
with  churches  but  investigating  committees  are 
given  the  "low-down"  by  unscrupulous  enemies  of 
the  retiring  pastor.  Perhaps  the  church  the  minister 
would  like  to  serve  has  a  hundred  applicants  with 
many  other  preachers  having  the  inside  track.  Per- 
haps, perhaps,  perhapses!  It  is  all  so  indefinite. 
There  is  no  date  on  preacher-changes  among  Dis- 
ciples. They  may  occur  just  any  time  and  that  means 
that  a  minister  who  wishes  to  find  another  pastorate 
must  just  ''look  around."  If  it  takes  longer  than  his 
opponents  think  it  should,  "hellzapoppin." 

Friends  of  the  church  and  the  ousted  pastor 
usually  resist  the  action  of  secret  sessions  and  add 
to  the  diflficulty  of  the  situation  for  the  church.  If 
such  resistance  is  made  it  would  be  better  to  bring 
the  matter  to  a  congregational  vote  and  thus  have 
a  show  of  hands  early  in  the  confusion.  If  there  is 
no  thought  of  a  congregational  balloting  being 
made,  it  would  be  wise  for  everybody  to  be  very 
quiet  until  the  minister  has  been  able  to  make  a 
satisfactory  change  under  whatever  subterfuge  he 
may  have  chosen  to  employ. 

But,  telling  a  congregation  of  Disciples  what  to  do 
in  any  given  situation  is  like  the  proverbial  pouring 
of  water  on  the  duck's  back.  The  rank  independence 
of  the  average  Disciples  church  would  put  the  pro- 


J 


THE  SCROLL  181 

verbial  Republican  rugged  individualism  to  shame. 
Such  attitude  has  become  a  menace  to  our  brother- 
hood life.  It  has  resulted  in  turning  back  many 
fine  prospectively  great  ministers  and  has  kept 
many  fine,  young  men  from  accepting  the  responsi- 
bilities of  the  ministry  among  the  Disciples.  Some 
will  say,  "Well,  they  were  no  good  anyway."  You 
know,  like  Baptist  backsliders. 

The  answer?  No  one  has  it  under  our  present 
systemless  method.  Only  a  change  in  our  set-up  as 
a  brotherhood  will  enable  us  to  make  satisfactory 
changes  in  preacher  placement.  The  fact  remains 
that  uncounted  years  are  lost  in  making  changes  of 
pastors  among  Disciples.  An  outstanding  (not  out- 
worn in  this  instance)  minister  among  us  told  me 
of  an  experience  he  had  several  years  ago.  A  church 
wanted  him  as  its  minister.  It  would  have  been  a 
satisfactory  change  from  his  viewpoint.  He  called 
his  elders  together  and  asked  them  if  there  was  any 
thought  of  a  change  in  pastors  for  several  years.  A 
great  business  man  on  the  board  of  elders  asked, 
"How  long  would  it  take  you  to  become  as  well  ac- 
quainted in  the  new  field  as  you  are  in  this  city?" 
"Probably  ten  years,"  was  the  reply.  "And  your 
successor  would  probably  need  ten  years  to  become 
as  well  acquainted  here  as  you  are  now.  Why  waste 
ten  years  of  your  time,  ten  years  of  a  successor's 
time  and  ten  years  of  the  church's  time,  thirty  years 
of  Kingdom  Service?"  That  is  good  reasoning.  Big 
men  see  big  things.  Little  men  become  cheap  church 
politicians. 


When  Children  Ask 

This  is  the  title  of  a  very  wise  and  interesting 
book  by  Marguerite  Bro,  just  published  by  Willett, 
Clark  and  Company.  We  predict  for  it  big  sales  and 
the  popularity  of  a  best  seller. 


182  THE  SCROLL 

An  Appreciation  of  G.  I.  Hoover 

By  Ephraim  D.  Lowe,  Joel  Lee  Jones, 
Ray  H.  Montgomery 

Dr.  Guy  Israel  Hoover  presented  his  resignation 
to  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Indiana  Christian 
Missionary  Association  at  the  July,  1939,  meeting; 
asking  for  retirement  as  its  executive  secretary,  as 
soon  as  congenial  arrangements  can  be  made.  He  is 
now  serving  in  his  fourteenth  year  as  the  general 
secretary  of  the  State  Association.  1 

Mr.  Hoover  is  the  son  of  Giles  W.  and  Lucreta 
Green  Hoover,  and  was  born  in  Licking  County, 
Ohio,  on  November  12,  1872.  This  county  is  the 
seat  of  the  famous  Denison  University.  He  comes 
from  three  generations  of  devoted  members  of  the 
Christian  church.  His  father  was  an  elder  in  our 
church  at  Croton,  Ohio,  for  several  years.  He  has 
been  taught  from  childhood  the  genius  and  necessity 
of  the  Restoration  Movement.  Throughout  his  en- 
tire ministry  of  forty-five  years,  he  has  had  a  holy 
passion  for  the  building  of  churches  and  for  cul- 
tivating them  in  the  ideals  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
He  has  in  a  marked  way  certain  qualifications  of 
mind  and  heart  that  are  rarely  found.  Brother 
Hoover  is  a  Christian  statesman,  and  his  counsel  is 
sought  by  many.  His  belief  in  our  people  has  been 
easily  discerned,  as  he  has  often  expressed  their 
mission  in  the  world. 

As  a  writer,  he  has  contributed  much  to  the  lit- 
erature of  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  The  pages  of  our 
religious  journals  are  dotted  with  articles  from  his 
pen  as  they  have  appeared  over  the  span  of  the 
years.  Many  tracts  have  been  written,  illustrating 
the  life  and  work  of  our  churches.  His  editorship 
of  "The  Indiana  Christian,"  a  monthly  publication, 
is  superb,  and  is  appreciated  by  the  hundreds  of 
subscribers. 


J 


THE  SCROLL  183 

Educationally,  he  did  his  preparatory  work  in 
Granville  Academy,  in  his  native  county,  and  at 
Hiram  Preparatory  School.  For  family  reasons,  he 
did  his  regular  college  work  both  in  Denison  Uni- 
versity and  in  Hiram  College;  having  received  the 
A.  B.  degree  in  1899  from  the  latter  institution.  In 
the  midst  of  his  college  work  he  served  two  years 
as  the  minister  of  the  First  Christian  Church  of 
Zanesville,  Ohio.  Upon  the  completion  of  his  work 
at  Hiram  he  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  First 
Christian  Church  of  Minerva,  Ohio,  where  he  served 
for  four  years  and  four  months.  During  that  time  he 
received  more  than  two  hundred  people  into  the 
church,  besides  reaching  a  like  number  in  evangelis- 
tic activities  outside  his  parish. 

Mr.  Hoover  moved  to  Chicago  in  1903,  that  he 
might  have  the  experience  of  work  in  a  metropoli- 
tan city,  and  avail  himself  of  the  educational  ad- 
vantages which  the  city  offered.  He  was  enrolled  in 
the  University  of  Chicago  for  five  years,  receiving 
the  B.D.  and  M.A.  degrees,  and  spent  one  additional 
year  in  graduate  study.  While  in  Chicago,  Brother 
Hoover  was  the  pastor  of  the  First  Christian  Church 
for  two  years,  and  of  the  West  Pullman  Christian 
Church  for  the  remaining  four  years. 

In  1909,  Mr.  Hoover  became  the  pastor  of  the 
West  Street  Christian  Church  of  Tipton,  Indiana, 
where  he  remained  until  1914.  From  this  pastorate 
he  became  the  state  evangelist  of  the  Eastern  Dis- 
trict of  the  Indiana  Christian  Missionary  As- 
sociation, and  served  for  seven  and  one-half  years. 
The  late  H.  0.  Pritchard  said  of  his  work  in  this 
capacity:  "It  is  conservative  to  say  that  the  work 
which  he  did  during  those  years  in  the  way  of  or- 
ganizing, strengthening  and  building  up  the 
churches,  has  never  been  surpassed  in  any  state  or 
district  of  our  nation." 

Dr.  Hoover  was  then  called  to  be  promotional 
secretary  of  the  National  Board  of  Education.    In 


184  THE  SCROLL 

this  relationship,  the  following  was  recorded  in 
"World  Call:"  "Brother  Hoover  brings  to  his  new 
work  a  knowledge  of  the  local  church  and  its  needs ; 
the  problems  of  the  minister  and  his  viewpoint;  an 
evangelistic  passion,  which  has  borne  rich  fruitage ; 
an  acquaintance  and  sympathy  with  all  the  work 
that  we  as  a  people  are  seeking  to  do;  and  a  train- 
ing that  gives  him  a  true  perspective."  The  five  and 
one-half  years  in  this  work  called  him  into  every 
state  in  the  Union. 

On  September  1,  1926,  Brother  Hoover  became 
the  executive  secretary  of  the  board  of  directors  of 
the  Indiana  Christian  Missionary  Association;  and 
the  general  secretary  of  the  work  of  the  churches. 
To  this  work  he  brought  the  devoted  heritage  of  his 
birth;  the  careful  training  of  years  in  the  class 
room;  an  enriched  heart,  made  so  by  the  pastoral 
oversight  of  the  churches,  and  a  largeness  of  pur- 
pose, coming  from  his  contacts  with  the  state  and 
national  Boards  of  our  people.  Before  taking  this 
position,  he  had  served  three  years  on  the  board 
of  directors  of  the  State  Association,  and  on  the 
executive  committee.  While  in  this  position  he  has 
taught  part  time  in  the  College  of  Religion  of  Butler 
University. 

Besides  serving  upon  the  National  Board  of  Edu- 
cation, he  was  a  director  of  the  National  Evangelis- 
tic Association  from  1918  until  1938.  He  was  on  the 
executive  committee  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
Pension  fund  for  nine  years;  and  has  belonged  to 
the  National  State  Secretaries'  Association  since  be- 
ginning his  present  work. 

Dr.  William  A.  Shullenberger,  for  many  years  the 
pastor  of  the  old  historic  Central  Christian  Church 
of  Indianapolis,  very  recently  said  of  Brother  Hoov- 
er's work:  "Coming  into  office  at  a  difficult  time, 
and  continuing  through  days  of  depression,  upset, 
and  exacting  reconstruction;  Brother  Hoover  has 
proved  himself  an  exceptional  person.    His  work 


THE  SCROLL  185 

has  been  constructive ;  his  spirit  admirable ;  and  his 
contacts  universally  acceptable.  Discipledom  of 
Indiana  accords  Brother  Hoover  much  merited  love 
and  esteem." 

Now  that  he  has  given  notice  of  his  retirement, 
at  least  from  so  many  larger  responsibilities,  we 
know  that  he  will  not  lose  his  zeal  for  the  work  of 
the  churches ;  and  we  hope  that  he  may  be  permitted 
to  put  into  manuscript  form  some  of  the  findings 
of  his  rich  and  fruitful  ministry. 

It  will  therefore  be  seen  that  Brother  Hoover  has 
served  our  State  Association  in  three  different  re- 
lationships :  three  years  on  its  board  of  directors ; 
seven  and  one-half  years  as  the  evangelist  in  the 
Eastern  District;  and  fourteen  years  as  the  exec- 
utive secretary  of  the  board  of  directors.  This  Board 
wishes  to  record  its  sincere  appreciation  for  his 
fidelity  in  the  service  rendered ;  for  the  pleasant  as- 
sociations between  him  and  the  Board;  and  for  the 
statesmanlike  leadership  which  he  has  given  to  the 
total  cause  of  our  churches  in  Indiana. 


Questions  for  Our  Readers 

1.  What  would  you  say  to  a  young  man  just 
graduated  from  college  to  encourage  him  to  prepare 
for  the  ministry  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ? 

2.  Name  ten  once  popular  hymns  seldom  used 
by  you  now. 

3.  How  has  your  preaching  changed  in  ten 
years  ? 

4.  What  are  your  most  diflScult  problems  in  the 
leadership  of  your  church? 

5.  What  suggestions  have  you  for  the  improve- 
ment of  The  Scroll  and  the  Campbell  Institute? 


186  THE  SCROLL 

The  Northwest  Takes  Me  In 

By  Warner  Miiir,  Seattle,   Washington 

Until  September,  1939,  the  Pacific  Northwest 
was  a  nebulous  territory  to  me,  chiefly  distinguished 
by  its  distance  from  the  United  States.  I  had  heard 
of  its  wonders  from  a  few  of  my  friends  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley  who  had  enough  money  to  travel 
to  the  "evergreen  playground."  On  one  or  two  oc- 
casions I  had  listened  to  the  ecstatic  descriptions  of 
Puget  Sound  by  enthusiasts  like  W.  G.  Moseley; 
but  there  was  an  insistent  extravagance  about  the 
words  of  these  spokesmen  that  made  me  a  little  fear- 
ful lest  their  extended  residence  on  the  outskirts  of 
civilization  had  induced  a  psychopathic  strain  in 
them.  Once,  in  a  grade-school  class  in  geography 
I  had  recited  certain  information  (which  text-book 
had  supplied)  to  the  effect  that  the  Olympic  and 
Cascade  Ranges  forced  the  clouds  to  spill  their 
water  along  the  coast,  and  left  the  valleys  farther 
east  dry  and  hot.  In  that  same  class  I  learned  to 
spell  the  word,  "Seattle,"  and  thought  it  a  very  odd 
name. 

Upon  the  invitation  of  the  First  Christian  Church 
of  Seattle,  I  visited  the  Northwest,  and  was  so 
delighted  with  its  people  and  its  scenery  that  I 
decided  to  move  in. 

First  impressions  may  not  be  lasting,  but  they 
are  interesting.  The  first,  "first  impression"  of  a 
new  resident  in  the  Northwest  is  that  of  being  sur- 
rounded by  one  of  nature's  most  beautiful  make- 
ups. From  our  dining-room  window  we  often  see 
Mt.  Rainier.  At  this  time  of  the  year  (January) 
Rainier  is  dark  blue  in  the  morning  and  glisten- 
ing pink  in  the  afternoon.  I  was  born  in  a  region 
where  there  were  no  lakes  and  few  streams.  Every 
summer  the  "old  swimming  hole"  dried  up.  As  a 
boy  I  longed  to  see  water  in  vast  quantities,  and 


THE  SCROLL  187 

lakes  and  mountain  streams  and  the  ocean  have  al- 
ways been  objects  of  fascination  to  me.  There  are 
so  many  bodies  of  water  around  Seattle  that  one 
sometimes  wonders  how  the  city  keeps  from  slip- 
ping off  the  ridges  into  the  lakes  or  the  Sound.  On 
New  Year's  Day  we  drove  to  the  snow-clad  summit 
of  the  Cascades,  past  foaming  waterfalls  and  rac- 
ing rapids. 

Then,  there  are  the  trees.  God  is  at  his  extrava- 
gant best  as  a  gardener  when  he  grows  giant  ever- 
greens. In  the  Snoqualamie  Forest  there  are  trees 
a  hundred  feet  high — the  original  timber  has  been 
preserved.  Standing  beneath  them  is  like  standing 
for  the  first  time  in  a  broadcasting  studio ;  all  the 
sounds  are  muted,  and  one  is  painfully  aware  of 
being  by  himself  in  the  presence  of  a  great  miracle. 

Of  course  it  rains  in  the  Northwest.  There  are 
only  about  forty-five  days  during  the  year  when  the 
sun  shines  uninterruptedly  from  sunrise  to  sunset. 
An  elderly  lady  in  Illinois  told  me  that  the  fogs  in 
Seattle  were  so  heavy  pedestrians  wore  fog-horns; 
but  as  yet  I  haven't  seen  any  of  the  citizens  thus 
equipped.  Besides,  the  rain  here  is  a  different  kind. 
The  people  don't  mind  it.  One  of  the  popular  local 
jokes  tells  of  a  man  from  Dallas  who  fell  into  con- 
versation with  dwellers  in  Butte,  Montana  and 
Seattle.  They  began  to  talk  about  the  weather. 
"Doesn't  it  get  hot  in  Texas  ?"  they  asked  the  Dallas 
inhabitant.  "Oh,  yes,"  was  his  reply.  "But  it's  a 
dry  heat.  You  don't  feel  it."  "You  must  have  cold 
winters  in  Montana,"  they  said.  "That's  right,"  ad- 
mitted the  man  from  Butte.  "But  it's  dry  cold.  You 
don't  feel  it."  "You  have  a  lot  of  rain  in  the  North- 
west, don't  you?"  was  the  question  directed  at  the 
Seattle-ite.  "Yes,"  he  replied.  "But  it's  such  a  dry 
rain.   You  don't  feel  it." 

Aside  from  the  natural  beauty  of  the  Northwest, 
one  is  impressed  by  the  attitude  of  the  people.  They 
are  cosmopolitan.  They  come  from  everywhere.  One 


188  THE  SCROLL 

hears  the  brogues  of  the  British  Isles  so  often  that 
he  sometimes  wonders  whether  he  has  been  carried 
into  Albion.  It  is  hard  to  find  a  native  of  the  state 
of  Washington.  One  meets  Missourians,  lowans, 
Illinoisans,  Kansas,  New  Yorkers,  Michiganders. 
The  strange  thing  about  them  is  that  they  do  not 
want  to  go  back.  A  tall  Kentuckian  told  me  that  he 
kept  his  respect  for  the  state  of  his  birth  until  he 
went  back  for  a  visit.  He  advised  me  never  to  re- 
turn to  my  own  native  state  (Missouri,)  that  it 
would  be  better  to  cherish  it  in  memory  as  an  ideal 
than  to  return  and  be  disillusioned  by  comparing 
it  with  Washington. 

The  people  here  seem  closer  to  world  affairs  than 
in  some  other  parts  of  the  United  States.  Visitors 
from  Alaska  often  drop  in  for  church  services.  The 
young  people  talk  glibly  about  Hawaii  and  Yoko- 
hama. South  America  is  "just  down  the  coast." 
Last  week  I  had  lunch  with  a  college  graduate  who 
"finished"  his  education  by  taking  tramp  steamer 
rides  around  the  orient. 

Here  one  is  impressed  by  a  sense  of  bigness. 
Possibly  this  feeling  is  the  complement  of  my  shift 
from  a  town  to  a  city,  but  I  hardly  think  that  ac- 
counts for  all  of  it.  The  Northwest  is  really  big. 
Its  peaks  are  high.  Its  fruit  is  over-size.  There  is  a 
consciousness  of  mass  and  achievement  in  the  busi- 
ness life  of  the  section.  Strikingly  evident  is  the 
feeling  that  there  is  room  for  expansion.  What  else 
can  be  expected  from  an  area  swelling  with  re- 
sources and  aware  of  growing  pains.  I  have  been 
informed  that  the  only  important  American  con- 
tribution to  myth  and  legend  came  from  the  North- 
west— the  colossal  yarn  about  Paul  Bunyan.  No 
hero  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  can  equal  the 
stature  of  Paul  Bunyan.  Paul  cut  down  a  hemlock 
tree  and  dragged  it  along  to  make  Puget  Sound. 
Yes  sir,  it's  a  big  country! 


THE  SCROLL  189 

The  Disciples'  Ministry 

By  Don  Von  Hata 

I  would  not  encourage  any  young  man  to  enter 
the  ministry  of  any  church  today.  I  am  emphatic 
in  the  opinion  that  I  would  not  encourage  him  to 
enter  the  Disciples'  ministry.  Neither  have  I  en- 
couraged my  son  to  enter  the  ministry.  If  he  should 
choose  the  ministry,  show  an  eagerness  for  the 
church,  the  Bible,  and  this  holy  calling,  I  should 
be  very  happy.  I  early  saw  that  he  had  no  in- 
clination to  choose  my  Calling,  and  secretly  I  was 
very  happy.  Yet  in  voice,  social  experience,  edu- 
cational opportunity,  and  general  fitness  he  is  far 
superior  to  me.  Why  am  I  happy  that  he  has  not 
chosen  the  Disciples  ministry? 

I  would  not  again  enter  the  Disciples  ministry 
myself.  I  entered  it  in  the  beginning  because  it  was 
the  church  of  my  childhood  and  my  parents  greatly 
loved  this  movement.  I  believe  in  the  spirit  of  the 
Disciples  movement,  but  I  do  not  believe  in  their 
Bibliolatry,  nor  their  authoritarian  theologies.  And 
to  succeed  in  their  ministry  one  has  only  a  very 
limited  number  of  congregations  that  believe  a 
minister  can  serve  the  Kingdom  with  a  liberal  mind. 
The  founders  of  the  movement  were  liberal  minded. 
The  ruling  elders  in  too  many  cases  are  the  enemies 
of  the  church's  future. 

The  Disciples  make  too  much  of  the  minister 
and  too  little  of  the  ministry.  The  ministry  is  great- 
er than  the  minister.  Disciples  churches  have  never 
had  a  very  high  regard  for  the  ministry.  Some  one 
glib  of  speech,  with  a  reputation  of  packing  the 
Sunday  school,  building  a  huge  plant,  and  making 
the  theological  wheels  hum  has  been  eagerly  sought 
— and  often  as  eagerly  fought.  The  attitude  of  the 
Disciples  to  the  ministry  is  too  evidently  portrayed 
in  the  lack  of  system  we  have  in  selecting  young 


190  THE  SCROLL 

men  for  the  ministry  and  for  ordination,  our  op- 
position to  higher  education  and  special  training, 
and  the  subtle  opposition  many  congregations  gave 
to  the  pension  plan  when  all  other  churches  were 
doing  something  to  exalt  the  office  and  calling  of 
the  ministry. 

Some  will  say  that  the  minister  should  change 
the  mind  of  his  congregation  on  these  matters.  And 
what  a  record  we  have  from  one  end  of  this  con- 
tinent to  the  other  of  a  few  bold  and  audacious  spir- 
its who  tried  to  do  that  thing.  And  many  of  the 
foulest  blows  they  got  came  from  their  own  com- 
rades of  the  cloth.  The  minister  who  has  to  look 
to  his  congregation  for  his  bread  and  butter  is  do- 
ing a  hazardous  thing  when  he  tries  to  change  their 
theology.  Now  I  am  ready  to  say  my  final  sen- 
tences. The  Disciples  ministry  has  never  attracted 
very  many  of  the  sons  of  its  wealthy  and  better  to 
do  families.  I  wonder  why?  Why  have  not  the  sons 
of  the  rich  entered  the  ministry.  They  had  the 
means  for  higher  education,  travel,  and  social  se- 
curity. They  would  have  been  free  of  the  ruling 
powers  who  used  the  minister's  financial  limitations 
to  compel  him  to  give  up  his  prophecies  for  their 
prejudices.  I  think  it  was  Ex-President  William 
Howard  Taft  who  recommended  to  the  sons  of  the 
rich  to  enter  the  ministry.  Why  haven't  they?  It  is 
my  candid  opinion  that  the  ministry  is  losing  in 
prestige  rapidly.  So  rapidly  that  only  a  few  daring 
spirits  will  choose  to  submit  to  all  its  exacting  study 
and  training  for  so  meager  appreciation  and  re- 
wards. Modern  young  men  who  have  the  desire  to 
serve  their  generation  will  choose  the  ministry  of 
medicine,  engineering,  teaching,  and  the  law,  I 
write  this  knowing  that  I  have  been  fortunate  in 
the  ministry  and  greatly  blessed,  knowing  also  that 
I  might  have  rendered  a  great  service  to  the  king- 
dom had  I  chosen  some  other  calling  with  the  zeal 
and  sacrifices  I  have  made  in  the  ministry. 


THE  SCROLL  191 

Hiram's   President-Elect 

By  Fred  W.  Heifer,  Hiram,  Ohio 

Dr.  Paul  Henry  Fall,  professor  of  chemistry  in 
Williams  College,  Williamstown,  Mass.,  has  just 
been  elected  to  the  presidency  of  Hiram  College  to 
succeed  Dr.  K.  I  .Brown,  who  goes  to  Dennison  next 
June.  Dr.  Fall  is  no  newcomer  to  Hiram  Hill.  He 
taught  chemistry  in  Hiram  College  for  sixteen  years 
before  going  to  Williams  three  years  ago.  He  has 
an  A.B.  (1914)  and  an  A.M.  (1918)  from  Oberlin 
and  received  his  Ph.D.  from  Cornell  in  1925.  He 
was  given  the  honorary  L.L.D.  by  Houghton  College 
in  1937  when  he  delivered  the  Founder's  Day  ad- 
dress at  that  New  York  institution. 

Dr.  Fall  was  born  in  1892  in  Fountain  City,  Indi- 
ana, the  son  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  L. 
Fall.  He  married  a  daughter  of  the  manse,  Miss 
Dorothy  Jennings,  whose  parents  were  the  Rev.  Mr. 
and  Mrs,  A.  T.  Jennings.  The  Falls  have  two  sons : 
David,  twelve  years  of  age,  and  William  Arthur, 
six  years  old. 

The  President-elect  will  bring  to  Hiram  a  leader- 
ship which  has  grown  out  of  a  wide  experience.  He 
was  raised  in  a  minister's  home.  He  has  taught  in 
high  school  and  college.  He  spent  several  weeks  as 
research  chemist  for  the  Du  Pont  Company.  He  is 
a  national  officer  of  the  American  Chemical  Society. 
He  has  written  a  text  book  in  chemistry  and  has 
contributed  various  articles  to  educational  publica- 
tions. 

The  fact  that  he  taught  in  Hiram  for  so  many 
years  is  a  valuable  asset  both  to  him  and  to  the 
college.  A  number  of  college  generations  know  him 
personally  and  hold  him  in  high  esteem.  These 
alumni  have  been  most  enthusiastic  in  the  choice 
which  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Hiram  has  made. 
They  will  honor  him  and  work  whole-heartedly  with 
him  for  the  support  of  Hiram. 

In  Hiram  village  and  township  no  man  was  ever 


192  THE  SCROLL 

more  highly  respected  and  loved  than  Prof.  Fall. 
Villagers  and  farmers  alike  think  of  him  as  a  friend. 
As  mayor  of  the  village  he  showed  his  ability  to 
organize  and  administer  public  affairs.  His  persist- 
ence in  getting  the  local  municipal  light  plant  in  the 
face  of  many  obstacles  had  demonstrated  his  ca- 
pacity to  deal  with  men  of  influence.  He  has  the 
reputation  of  being  able  to  do  the  work  of  several 
men. 

It  is  as  a  churchman,  especially,  that  Dr.  Fall 
stands  out  in  the  writer's  mind.  He  was  a  faithful 
elder  in  the  Hiram  Church  for  many  years.  His 
presence  at  the  Lord's  Table  and  his  prayers  were  a 
sweet  benediction  to  all.  There  was  no  pretense 
about  him  and  no  merely  formal  membership  in  the 
Church.  He  is  a  Christian  through  and  through. 
He  is  a  man  of  conscience,  sentiment  and  character. 
What  an  influence  he  is  for  righteousness  with 
young  people.  He  is  the  kind  of  man  that  the  local 
Church  and  the  larger  Brotherhood  may  well  be 
proud  of. 

Dr.  Fall  is  a  man  of  great  industry.  He  is  a 
scholar,  a  Christian,  a  real  man  among  men.  He  is 
approachable,  lovable,  gracious  and  very  capable 
and  efficient.  He  meets  people  with  ease.  He  wins 
people's  confidence.  He  wears  well.  He  has  out- 
standing ability.  Old  friends  will  support  him  in 
the  presidency  of  Hiram.  New  friends  will  be  won 
to  his  side. 

To  the  Hiram  faculty  Dr.  Fall  will  be  a  comrade. 
To  the  alumni  he  is  already  a  respected  leader.  To 
the  students  he  will  soon  become  a  friend  and  coun- 
sellor. The  community  and  the  Hiram  Church  will 
welcome  him  back  with  open  arms. 

In  the  early  days  of  its  history  Hiram  turned  to 
Williams  College  and  called  the  Hon.  James  A.  Gar- 
field to  the  presidency  of  this  Disciple  institution. 
The  present  Board  of  Trustees  likewise  have  shown 
great  wisdom  in  atrain  turning  to  Williams  to  re- 
quest Dr.  Paul  H.  Fall  to  become  the  President  of 
Hiram  College. 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVII.  MARCH,  1940  No.  7 

Why  Enter  the  Ministry? 

By  Herbert  L.  Willett,  Kenihvorth,  Illinois 
The  reasons  for  entering  the  ministry  as  a  voca- 
tion are  numerous  and  convincing.  It  is  the  noblest 
of  callings,  and  the  most  essential  to  the  moral  and 
spiritual  culture  of  humanity.  Without  the  religious 
leadership  which  the  ministry  offers  communities  are 
left  without  that  authentic  and  creative  direction 
which  is  the  basis  and  inspiration  of  growth  in  the 
attainment  of  ethical  and  religious  character.  The 
minister's  function  is  to  give  his  people  vision,  and 
where  there  is  no  vision  the  people  perish.  He  is 
both  prophet  and  priest  to  his  congregation,  and 
with  the  right  preparation  and  proper  devotion  he 
is  the  source  of  wisdom  and  of  power  to  the  wider 
circle  of  believers  to  which  they  belong. 

Beyond  this  general  area  of  churchly  leadership, 
which  offers  significant  opportunities  for  personal 
as  well  as  vocational  enrichment,  there  is  the  par- 
ticular field  of  service  among  the  Disciples  which  in 
the  present  generation  presents  exceptional  occa- 
sions for  the  exercise  of  a  forceful  and  needed  di- 
rection among  perhaps  the  most  virile  and  aggres- 
sive of  American  religious  bodies. 

The  Disciples  are  the  youngest  of  evangelical  com- 
munions in  the  United  States,  save  those  that  have 
resulted  recently  from  the  union  of  older  denomina- 
tions. As  such  it  possesses  the  youthfulness  and 
vivacity  which  belong  to  an  unfinished  and  expec- 
tant organization,  with  many  forms  of  expression, 
both  progressive  and  conservative.  It  has  inherited 
the  passion  for  freedom  in  religious  thinking  which 
characterized   the   fathers   of  the   movement,   and 


194 THE  SCROLL 

has  encouraged  their  followers  to  such  experimenta- 
tion in  church  activities  as  has  proved  useful  in  the 
promotion  of  Christian  life. 

The  Disciples  share  with  other  communions  the 
essential  beliefs  and  practices  of  Christianity.  These 
include  belief  in  God  as  Creator  and  Father,  in 
Jesus  Christ  as  Lord  and  Savior,  in  the  Bible  as 
the  record  of  the  two  most  significant  chapters  in 
the  history  of  religion,  the  Hebrew  national  life 
with  its  manifestation  of  the  prophetic  spirit,  and 
the  Christian  church;  in  the  program  of  Jesus  as 
applicable  to  every  age  and  all  mankind ;  in  the  holy 
life  of  worship  and  good  will;  and  in  the  life  eter- 
nal. Together  with  all  other  Christians  they  ob- 
serve the  two  apostolic  ordinances,  Baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper, 

The  Disciples,  accepting  the  broad  principle  of 
the  Protestant  reformation,  formulate  no  creed 
as  a  test  of  fellowship,  but  hold  the  right  of  indi- 
vidual judgment  in  the  light  of  biblical  teaching  and 
the  expanding  character  of  the  Christian  movement 
in  the  world.  This  involves  the  right  and  duty  of 
dealing  hospitably  with  scientific  and  biblical  knowl- 
edge, as  these  are  disclosed  by  competent  inquiry. 

The  importance  of  the  place  to  which  the  Disci- 
ples have  come  among  the  religious  bodies  in  the 
United  States  lays  upon  their  ministry  the  particu- 
lar satisfaction  and  responsibility  of  helping  to 
shape  the  thought  of  this  host  of  forceful  and  ag- 
gressive people  in  an  intelligent  and  timely  interpre- 
tation of  the  gospel  message  as  a  world-wide  evan- 
gel; to  save  them  from  crude  and  belated  ideas  re- 
garding the  Bible  and  the  nature  of  the  Christian 
enterprise;  to  avoid  the  dangers  of  a  superficial 
and  emotional  evangelism  which  weakens  the 
churches  by  emphasis  upon  members  at  the  expense 
of  the  abiding  virtues  of  vision  and  character;  to 
lead  their  people  in  the  appreciation  of  such  forms 


THE  SCROLL 195 

of  beauty  in  church  architecture  and  worship  as 
shall  give  dignity  and  impressiveness  as  leaders  of 
church  life  in  the  communities. 

Most  of  all  the  ministry  of  the  Disciples  offers  tne 
opportunity  and  obligation  to  emphasize  the  most 
needed  feature  of  the  Christian  movement  in  our 
generation,  the  unity  of  the  followers  of  our  Lord 
in  spirit  and  behavior.  This  is  the  historic  mission 
of  the  Disciples ;  neglecting  it  they  are  recreant  to 
their  God-given  mission  and  responsibility,  a  mis- 
sion and  responsibility  which  have  been  assumed  by 
no  other  religious  body,  and  yet  which  all  Christians 
increasingly  perceive  to  be  the  outstanding  need  of 
the  hour.  Toward  this  consummation  the  forward- 
looking  forces  of  all  the  churches  are  moving.  The 
Disciples  of  Christ  have  accepted  this  ideal  as  their 
supreme  motive  and  slogan.  They  have  now  the 
opportunity  to  manifest  their  leadership  in  its  real- 
ization. To  such  a  high  task  the  young  men  in  the 
ministry  of  the  Disciples  are  now  summoned,  and 
the  signs  of  the  times  are  bright  with  promise  that 
this  next  step  in  Christian  history,  on  which  most 
of  the  needed  reforms  and  advances  in  church  life 
depend,  is  practicable  and  on  the  way  to  attainment. 
To  this  historic  purpose  the  Disciples  are  committed 
by  every  motive,  and  in  loyalty  to  this  ideal  in 
preaching  and  in  practice  they  stand  or  fall. 


Members  have  been  doing  better  than  ever  in 
answering  my  letters  and  sending  in  contributions. 
Many  compliments  have  been  received  on  recent 
numbers,  largely  by  those  who  have  written  the  ar- 
ticles. Davison  saj-'s  it  is  like  the  old  lady  who  said 
she  noticed  that  they  had  a  better  prayer  meeting 
when  she  took  part ! 


196 THE  SCROLL 

Men  for  the  Ministry 

By  0.  T.  Mattox,  Bloomington,  Illinois 
I  have  just  finished  reading  the  February  issue 
of  The  Scroll.  Among  the  many  interesting  things 
I  found  in  it  was  the  ''Questions  for  Our  Readers." 
The  particular  question  that  I  feel  moved  to  reply 
to  is  the  one  regarding  new  personnel  for  the  min- 
istry. It  reads,  "What  would  you  say  to  a  young 
man  just  graduated  from  college  to  encourage  him 
to  prepare  for  the  ministry  among  the  Disciples  of 
Christ?"  This  question  I  have  faced  many  times 
during  the  past  15  years  in  the  53  Young  People's 
Summer  Conferences  I  have  directed.  Among  that 
long  list  I  have  faced  this  question  with,  today  we 
have  32  of  them  filling  pulpits  in  Illinois  and 
throughout  our  Brotherhood. 

First,  should  we  wait  until  he  has  graduated  from 
college  before  we  begin  to  encourage  him  to  enter 
the  ministry?  My  reaction  to  that  issue  is  that 
very  definitely  a  part  of  the  regular  college  train- 
ing of  one  looking  toward  the  ministry  should  be 
taken  with  that  in  view,  the  same  as  pre-medical, 
pre-engineering,  teaching,  etc.  I  do  feel  however 
that  we  should  encourage  young  men  to  go  on  be- 
yond their  college  training  and  take  graduate  work 
to  be  a  minister  in  this  day  and  age,  the  same  as  is 
required  in  medicine  and  many  other  fields.  The 
training  of  the  man  in  the  pulpit  should  be  second 
to  none  if  he  is  to  minister  efl^ciently.  The  highest 
calling  in  the  world  demands  the  most  thorough 
preparation. 

Second,  I  feel  that  when  we  do  encourage  a  young 
man  to  enter  the  ministry,  we  should  avoid  bring- 
ing pressure  to  bear  on  it,  at  a  time  when  he  is 
highly  emotionalized.  Some  of  our  Summer  Young 
People's  Conferences  during  the  closing  Friendship 
Circle  ritual,  when  the  Young  People  are  highly 


THE  SCROLL 197 

emotionalized,  call  for  volunteers  for  the  ministry, 
and  other  leadership  responsibilities.  Under  such 
pressure  many  Young  People  volunteer  for  the  mis- 
sion field,  etc.,  and  many  of  them  fail  to  carry  out 
vows  made  in  such  atmosphere.  Surely  cool,  level 
headed,  sane  intelligence  as  well  as  strong  emotion- 
alism, should  play  an  important  part  in  one's  deci- 
sion on  as  significant  a  matter  as  preparing  himself 
for  the  ministry.  "Half-cocked"  convictions  are  out 
of  order  here. 

Third,  I  have  had  some  young  men  ask  for  coun- 
sel on  the  subject,  whom  I  felt  did  not  have  what  it 
takes,  and  I  frankly  discouraged  them.  Some  of 
them  did  not  take  my  advice,  but  went  on  anyway 
and  have  made  good.  Still  I  feel  that  the  principle 
I  am  advocating  should  not  be  abandoned  just  be- 
cause we  find  exceptions  to  it.  The  example  of 
Charles  A.  Lindbergh  being  pronounced  incapable 
in  his  chosen  field  is  a  clear  illustration  of  an  excep- 
tion to  a  given  principle  that  I  still  feel  is  valid 
even  though  we  do  have  the  exception.  Personally 
I  feel  we  should  go  after  young  men  for  the  min- 
istry who  are  red  blooded  and  have  everything  on 
the  ball.  While  we  may  not  always  succeed  all  the 
way,  this  principle  holds. 

Fourth,  we  certainly  should  be  careful  not  to  leave 
the  impression  that  certain  academic  training  should 
determine  the  size  of  salary  one  should  get,  the  size 
of  church  he  should  have,  and  the  size  of  the  city 
he  should  live  in.  We  have  actually  had  letters  come 
to  our  state  office  where  candidates  have  said  that 
now  since  they  have  their  B.D.  degree  from  a  rec- 
ognized University,  they  are  entitled  to  a  church  in 
a  city,  that  will  pay  $2,400.00  annual  salary  and 
parsonage.  Where  they  got  the  idea  is  hard  to  dis- 
cover. Nevertheless  they  had  it.  In  counselling 
with  young  men  for  the  ministry,  we  should  be  care- 
ful not  to  paint  any  such  rosy  utopia  materially  as 


198 THE  SCROLL 

that.     Some  get  that  and  more  but  that  should  not 
be  held  up  so  candidates  strive  for  it  as  an  end. 

Fifth,  on  the  positive  side  I  feel  that  the  following 
things  should  be  held  up  and  eulogized  in  encourag- 
ing young  men  to  enter  the  ministry : 

(1)  The  church  is  the  oldest  institution  in  ex- 
istence today  that  has  produced  idealism  continuous- 
ly that  has  influenced  the  world. 

(2)  The  church  has  through  the  ages  been  the 
custodian  of  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus. 

(3)  The  church  has  produced  and  contributed 
to  civilization  some  results  that  are  worthy  of  be- 
ing studied,  and  not  passed  up  too  lightly  or  casual- 
ly.   It  has  pioneered  in : 

a.  Our  educational  system 

b.  Our  hospitalization  system 

c.  Benevolence  and  the  ministry  of  mercy 

d.  Social  service  and  public  welfare 

e.  Dramatic  art  and  many  other  arts 

(4)  The  church  in  spite  of  reports  to  the  con- 
trary has  been  the  most  consistent  critic  of  the 
"Status  Quo"  and  has  had  the  courage  to  speak  out 
on  such  matters  as :  war,  temperance,  labor,  capitol, 
gambling,  social  reform,  etc. 

(5)  The  church  has  specialized  in  a  democratic 
culture  for  humanity.  The  church  and  democracy 
have  paralleled  each  other  throughout  their  history. 
A  free  people,  free  speech,  free  religion,  free  press, 
free  meetings,  and  liberty  in  general  did  not  just 
happen.  It  is  largely  due  to  the  influence  of  the 
church. 

(6)  The  church  is  the  greatest  asset  a  democratic 
government  ever  had.  Democracy  and  Christianity 
rise  and  fall  together. 

(7)  The  church  is  the  institution  ordained  of  God 
to  carry  out  his  program  for  his  children,  which  is 
"Abundant  living." 


J 


i 


THE  SCROLL 199 

Now,  young  man,  are  you  ready  in  the  light  of 
the  best  you  know  to  put  yourself  and  what  you  may 
gain  in  the  background,  and  give  yourself  wholly 
and  sacrificially  to  the  task  of  helping  to  make  the 
ideals  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  a  reality  as  a  means 
of  helping  to  save  a  lost  world? 


A  Strenyous  Calling 

By  Wayne  L.  Braden,  Marietta,  Ohio 
What  would  you  say  to  a  young  man  just  gradu- 
ated from  college  to  encourage  him  to  prepare  for 
the  ministry  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ?  First, 
I  would  prefer  to  qualify  the  question  by  omitting 
the  last  phrase.  I  have  served  both  Disciple  and 
Congregational  churches  and  I  would  say  the  same 
words  to  a  candidate  for  the  ministry  in  either  de- 
nomination or  in  most  of  the  major  denominations 
having  a  considerable  number  of  liberal  minded 
churches. 

Right  at  the  start  I  would  assure  the  young  man 
that  the  ministry  today  is  no  sinecure,  if  it  ever  was. 
It  will  call  forth  every  ounce  of  intelligence,  energy, 
resource,  faith  and  courage  that  he  possesses.  He 
will  be  challenged  by  voluble  opposition  outside  the 
church  and  by  indifference  and  inertia  within.  He 
will  face  the  keenest  competition  from  movies,  clubs, 
dances  and  a  legion  of  other  high  powered  attrac- 
tions as  well  as  the  competition  of  other  churches 
which  will  probably  have  greater  prestige  and  finan- 
cial resources  than  his  own. 

More  significantly,  he  will  seek  leadership  in  a 
chaotic  world.  There  is  world-wide  disturbance  on 
every  front:  political,  economic,  social,  religious. 
The  old  sureties  have  largely  crumbled.  People  used 
to  sin  with  their  eyes  open;  now  they  question  the 
reality  of  sin,  and  doubt  if  there  is  any  certain  way 
of  distinguishing  right  from  wrong.     Church  peo- 


200 THE  SCROLL 

pie  and  non-church  people  are  restless,  impatient, 
critical. 

Yet  with  all  this  disillusionment  there  exists  a 
wistful  eagerness  for  light  and  reasonable  assur- 
ance. They  want  to  find  life  worth  living.  All  this 
makes  a  fluid  culture  capable  of  being  directed  or 
misdirected.  It  is  being  misdirected  in  multitudi- 
nous ways  by  forces  appealing  to  cupidity,  fear,  hate 
and  envy.  Here  is  the  call  for  such  a  young  man 
to  count  with  all  his  might  on  the  side  of  light  and 
right.  It  will  be  a  strenuous  calling,  a  disturbing, 
perplexing  one,  but  one  in  which  a  man  can  develop 
to  the  limit  every  talent  he  owns  and  may  become  a  ^ 
real  directing  force  for  righteousness.  l| 

The  minister  today  has  opportunities  which  few 
of  his  predecessors  have  had  for  really  understand- 
ing and  helping  people.  More  of  them  are  up  to 
his  educational  level,  there  are  no  barriers  of  mock 
dignity  and  specious  piety  separating  him  from 
them.  The  modern  study  of  psychology,  sociology 
and  allied  branches  aid  him  in  understanding  his 
parishioners.  The  world  is  his  parish.  Every  de- 
partment of  human  knowledge  is  his  specialty. 


The  following  charter  members  of  the  Institute 
are  living  and  busily  at  work:  H.  L.  Willett,  Clin- 
ton Lockhart,  B.  A.  Jenkins,  George  A.  Campbell, 
W.  E.  Garrison  and  E.  S.  Ames.  There  were  four- 
teen charter  members  when  the  Institute  was  or- 
ganized at  the  national  convention  in  October,  1896, 
at  Springfield,  Illinois.  Three  of  the  original  four- 
teen have  died  since  "Progress"  was  published  in 
1917,  L.  W.  Morgan,  Levi  Marshall,  and  C.  C.  Row- 
lison.  Of  those  now  living,  Clinton  Lockhart  is  the 
oldest  and  W.  E.  Garrison  the  youngest.  There  is 
sixteen  years'  difference  in  their  ages.  See  Who's 
Who! 


THE  SCROLL 201 

How  My  Preaching  Has  Changed 

By  R.  W.  Lilley,  Steubenville,  Ohio 
I  keep  a  record  of  my  sermon  subjects.  Going 
over  them  for  the  last  ten  years  I  find  an  increase 
of  sermons  on  the  Revelation  of  God  in  human  his- 
tory, and  especially  in  the  life  and  teaching  of  Jesus. 
To  some  extent  this  has  come  about  by  past  experi- 
ence— When  I  began  my  ministry  I  had  but  little 
use  for  God.  I  loved  Jesus.  He  was  my  God.  The 
reason  for  this  was  God  had  been  represented  to 
me  by  my  teachers  and  the  preachers  I  heard  as  a 
God  of  vengeance,  a  great  detective.  I  could  not 
love  him.  All  the  time  I  felt  there  was  something 
wrong,  I  felt  cramped  in  spirit.  My  sermons  were 
thin,  composed  largely  of  Bible  quotations  gathered 
at  random  interspersed  with  illustrations.  I  was 
tempted  to  leave  the  ministry.  One  day  I  found  in 
a  second  hand  book  store  a  volume  of  sermons  by 
Amory  Bradford.  The  title  of  the  book  was  "The 
Growing  Revelation."  The  first  sermon  was  titled, 
"The  Vision  of  God."  When  I  had  finished  reading 
it  light  began  to  break.  I  re-read  the  chapter.  I 
found  the  second  sermon  still  more  interesting  the 
subject  of  which  was,  "Interpret  God  By  His 
Fatherhood."  This  sent  me  to  the  Gospels, — ^to  the 
teaching  of  Jesus  in  word  and  life.  Here  I  began 
to  find  the  God  my  heart  had  hungered  for.  So 
there  has  been  in  my  ministry  a  change  of  basis  of 
the  most  fundamental  thing  or  belief  that  can  come 
to  one's  life.  The  last  ten  or  fifteen  years  of  my 
ministry  have  been  years  of  great  joy.  If  I  preach 
an  evangelical  sermon,  which  I  do  often,  God  the 
Father  is  calling  for  his  children  that  are  lost  to 
return,  your  Father  is  looking  for  you."  When  I 
preach  on  social  and  political  questions  I  turn  to 
the  Great  Prophets  of  Israel  where  I  find  God  speak- 
ing to  the  rulers  of  the  nation  and  to  the  leaders  of 
the  industrial  and  social  life  of  the  people.  This  in 
brief  is  what  I  find  when  I  turn  to  my  sermon  notes 
of  the  last  ten  or  fifteen  years  of  my  ministry. 


202 THE  SCROLL 

Tending  the  Sheep 

By  Neal  K.  McGowan,  Woodland,  California 

The  fellow  who  is  always  taking  out  and  never 
putting  in  is  something  of  a  "moocher."  That  is 
what  I  have  been  toward  that  fine  little  prod,  The 
Scroll.  So,  I  am  going  to  do  as  you  suggest  in  your 
recent  letter  and  contribute  a  few  words.  There  are 
many  available  themes  but  I  feel  like  discussing  this 
morning  that  little  problem,  "Tending  the  Sheep." 

Aye,  there's  the  rub.  Try  and  "tend"  them.  First 
it  is  the  requirement  of  hours  of  reading  in  the 
preparation  of  sermons,  addresses  and  just  "talks"; 
then,  it  is  the  necessity  of  community  service  such 
as  is  represented  in  board  membership  in  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  committee  service  in  the  Rotary  Club,  chair- 
manship of  the  County  Red  Cross  chapter  and  at- 
tendance upon  numerous  and  sundry  community 
functions  to  "invoke,"  to  "dismiss"  or  just  to  sit; 
and  yet  again,  but  not  finally,  there  are  the  intrica- 
cies of  functions  within  the  complicated  machinery 
of  the  present  day  ecclesia.  These  and  related  drains 
upon  one's  time,  talent  and  treasure  seriously  re- 
duce, almost  to  the  vanishing  point,  indulgence  in 
that  lost  art,  the  shepherding  of  the  sheep. 

Here  I  am  reminded  of  that  stricture  of  Jesus, 
"These  ye  ought  to  have  done,  but  not  to  have  left 
the  other  undone."  It  is  possible  that  we  may  be 
doing  a  bit  of  shepherding  while  functioning  as 
peripatetic  purveyors  of  piffle,  but  it  could  only  be 
an  indirect  modicum. 

One  of  my  luminous  problems  lies  just  in  this 
area.  There  is  an  awareness  in  my  mind  and  heart 
that  my  little  flock  should  be  led  in  green  pastures 
and  that  it  is  my  privilege  to  lead  them.  But  the 
voice  of  a  stranger  will  they  not  follow.  I  must 
adjust  my  time  schedule  so  as  to  permit  sustained 
personal  contact  with  my  people.  When  mine  own 
know  me  and  I  can  call  them  by  name,  my  deliveries 
from  the  rostrum,  common  or  unusual,  will  be  meat 
and  drink  to  their  famished  souls. 


THE  SCROLL 203 

Answers 

Arthur  N.  Lindsay,  Clinton,  Mo. 

1.  What  would  you  say  to  a  young  man  who  just 
graduated  from  college  to  encourage  him  to  prepare 
for  the  ministry  among  the  disciples  of  Christ? 

1.  I  would  advise  him  to  get  a  King  James  trans- 
lation of  the  New  Testament  and  memorize  the  red 
lettered  portions  until  he  is  as  familiar  with  the 
sayings  of  Christ  as  with  his  ABC's, 

2.  I  would  advise  him  to  possess  himself  of  "a 
pure  heart."  Through  a  pure  heart  as  a  gazing 
stone  or  the  stone  of  great  price,  he  can  see  God 
always,  his  fellowman  and  himself,  and  grasp  the 
solid  geometry  of  human  relations,  and  understand 
the  mysteries  of  the  eternal  triangle.  Father,  Son 
and  Holy  Spirit.  (The  New  Testament  was  my  first 
book  and  the  first  book  I  read  through  from  begin- 
ning to  end  at  the  age  of  ten.  I  am  increasingly 
thankful  that  I  read  it  with  great  interest  when 
there  were  no  competing  ideas  and  theories  in  my 
child  mind.  I  associate  my  idea  of  a  pure  heart 
with  the  statement  of  the  Master,  that  you  must 
become  as  a  little  child  to  enter  into  the  mysteries  of 
the  Kingdom  of  God.  I  have  ever  in  mind  the  pic- 
ture of  the  Christ-child  asking  and  answering  ques- 
tions of  the  doctors  in  the  Temple.) 

2.  Name  ten  hymns  seldom  used  now. 

Rock  of  Ages,  How  Firm  a  Foundation,  Saved  by 
Grace,  Beautiful  Valley  of  Eden,  Sometimes  the 
Shadows  are  Deep,  I  Love  to  Tell  the  Story,  Jesus, 
Lover  of  My  Soul,  Marching  to  Zion,  Wonderful 
Peace,  Sweet  Bye  and  Bye. 

3.  .How  has  the  preaching  changed  in  the  last 
ten  years? 

1.  "Subjects":  (a)  An  increased  emphasis  on 
the  sovereignty  of  Christ,  (b)  Supremacy  of  his 
Words,  (c)  The  Holy  Spirit's  answer  to  the  great 
question  of  the  Soul,     (d)   His  prayer  in  the  17th 


204 THE  SCROLL 

Chapter  of  John. 

2.  "Evangelistic  quality":  (a)  A  church's  ac- 
ceptance of  commercialized  evangelism  left  me  cold. 

3.  "Biblical  material":  Primarily  the  New 
Testament  always. 

4.  "Political  and  Social  Issues":  I  believe  that 
Christianity  is  applicable  to  the  intelligent  discus- 
sion in  the  pulpit  of  all  things  in  the  human  field  of 
endeavor. 

4.  What  are  your  most  difficult  problems  in  the 
leadership  of  your  church? 

1.  To  overcome  the  moral  inertia  and  spiritual 
inaptitude  of  the  mass  mind. 

2.  Behaviorism  has  invaded  the  church  to  the 
expulsion  of  the  christian  virtues  that  are  resistant 
to  all  ungodliness. 

5.  What  suggestions  have  you  for  the  improve- 
ment in  The  Scroll  and  in  the  Campbell  Institute? 

It  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  suggest  anything 
for  its  improvement.  It  is  mighty  good  as  it  is.  I 
have  a  personal  distaste  for  the  words,  religion,  and 
religious.  I  think  a  lot  of  people  have.  Religion  is 
a  term  that  is  filled  with  a  million  mirrors  reflecting 
everything  from  the  original  medicine  man  to 
Stalin.  The  trend  is  to  make  a  religion  out  of  every 
ism,  political,  social  or  otherwise,  that  is  of  human 
ingenuity.  I  notice  in  The  Scroll,  that  you  use 
the  words,  Christianity,  and  christian,  most  fre- 
quently in  lieu  of  the  words,  religion  and  religious. 
In  this,  I  think  you  do  well.  There  is  no  mistaking 
of  the  contents  of  the  latter  words.  Few,  if  any,  are 
infidel  to  Christ  or  a  christian  virtue. 


The  Librarian  of  the  Butler  School  of  Religion 
wants  to  get  together  complete  files  of  the  Scroll,  and 
the  Divinity  School  Librarian  in  the  University  of 
Chicago  also  expresses  the  same  desire.  Some  little 
things  gain  importance  with  time ! 


THE  SCROLL 205 

Difficult  Problems 

By  H.  M.  Redford,  Hereford,  Texas 

A  pastor  who  possesses  any  appreciative  degree 
of  awareness  of  the  real  situation  in  which  he  finds 
himself  is  conscious  of  many  problems.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  point  out  the  most  difficult.  However,  three 
problems,  among  numerous  others,  are  extremely 
difficult  for  me. 

The  first  problem  is  that  of  establishing  and  main- 
taining rapport  with  the  people  of  the  Church  I  am 
serving  as  well  as  with  the  people  of  the  community. 

The  difficulty  of  establishing,  maintaining  and 
strengthening  rapport  can  be  attributed  to  two  basic 
causes,  one  of  which  lies  in  the  realm  of  ideology 
and  the  other  in  the  area  of  behavior  patterns. 

As  a  result  of  my  years  of  College  and  Seminary 
training  I  emerged  with  an  ideology  which  definite- 
ly separates  me  from  the  religious  thought  world 
of  the  majority  of  the  people  with  whom  I  am  com- 
pelled to  work.  I  became  increasingly  aware  of  this 
fact  last  fall  while  conducting  evangelistic  services 
in  country  schoolhouses.  The  most  exacting  task 
in  sermon  preparation  was  not  what  to  preach,  but 
how  to  relate  what  I  wanted  to  say  to  the  ideas  that 
I  knew  obtained  in  the  minds  of  the  people  who 
would  hear  me.  I  could  not  cast  my  message  in 
the  old  thought  categories  to  which  they  were  accus- 
tomed and  maintain  my  own  self-respect  and  in- 
tegrity of  soul.  Even  when  I  tried  to  be  a  conserva- 
tive and  cautious  as  conscience  would  permit,  I  dis- 
covered by  listening  to  their  public  prayers  that 
there  was  a  deep  ^nd  wide  ideological  gulf  between 
us.  Faced  with  this  situation  it  was  not  always  pos- 
sible to  have  my  sermons  charged  with  that  emo- 
tional evangelistic  fervor  to  which  my  listeners  were 
accustomed.    I  felt  that  many  times  they  went  away 


206 THE  SCROLL 

not  having  received  the  emotional  satisfaction  for 
which  they  hungered.  The  basic  ideas  to  which  I 
could  and  did  respond  emotionally  Vv^ere  not  the  ones 
that  stirred  their  emotions. 

This  problem  of  establishing  rapport  is,  I  think, 
much  more  difficult  for  a  liberal  Disciple  minister 
than  for  a  minister  who  gets  his  basic  ideas  from 
the  Protestant  tradition,  handed  down  from  Luther 
and  Calvin.  The  Protestant  ministers  with  whom  I 
am  now  associated  apparently  do  not  have  this  prob- 
lem. In  preaching  they  merely  emotionalize  the 
basic  ideas  their  listeners  already  have. 

Turning  to  the  area  of  behavior  patterns,  here 
again,  there  is  something  in  the  Disciple  tradition 
which  makes  a  difference  in  the  kind  of  conduct  one 
conceives  to  be  Christian.  A  person  reared  in  the 
Disciple  tradition  believes  in  participating  in  those 
activities  which  stimulate  and  develop  normal  per- 
sonality-releasing behavior  patterns.  He  may  not 
dance,  play  cards,  or  smoke — especially  if  he  is  a 
minister — because  he  does  not  feel  the  need  of  these 
forms  of  recreation,  or  because  of  his  regard  for 
the  feelings  of  those  who  are  opposed  to  them,  but 
the  average  Disciple  minister  does  not  make  an  issue 
of  these  and  other  practices  he  considers  quite  sec- 
ondary in  importance.  The  real  difficulty  lies  in 
the  fact  that  so  many  of  the  people  to  whom  he 
preaches  and  with  whom  he  must  work  think  of 
Christianity  as  being  a  way  of  behavior  pruned  of 
these  and  other  secondary  individual  matters  of  con- 
duct. Ministers  who  continue  to  speak  the  language 
of  such  evangelists  as  Moody,  Billy  Sunday  and 
Gypsy  Smith  succeed  in  establishing  rapport  with 
people — at  least  in  some  sections  of  the  country — 
much  more  readily  than  a  minister  endeavoring  to 
develop  a  social  conscience. 

Another  difficult  problem  is  that  of  developing  in 
people  an  understanding  and  appreciation  of  the 


THE  SCROLL 207 

Church.  This  difRculty  is  due  in  large  measure  to 
the  fact  that  Protestantism  has  no  place  for  the 
Church  in  its  philosophy  of  conversion.  Salvation 
is  the  result  of  the  direct  operation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  The  Disciples  give  a  large  place  to  the  Bible 
and  to  the  Church  in  the  conversion  process.  An- 
other reason  for  this  difficulty  is  that  people  have 
not  been  taught  to  think  of  the  Church  as  one  of 
the  necessary  and  powerful  social  transforming  in- 
stitutions, equipped  because  of  its  very  nature  to 
do  some  things  in  the  social  order  that  no  other  in- 
stitution can  do.  Personally  I  feel  that  if  we  could 
succeed  in  developing  an  adequate  understanding 
and  appreciation  of  the  Church,  it  would  help  solve 
some  of  our  problems  of  leadership,  church  loyalty, 
and  attendance. 

Finally,  I  find  it  difficult  in  my  church  leadership 
to  make  the  best  possible  use  of  my  time.  It  is  no 
easy  task  for  a  pastor  to  properly  evaluate  and  use 
wisely  his  time.  Every  morning  he  must  choose  to 
do  a  few  of  the  large  number  of  things  that  are 
clamoring  to  be  done.  I  am  not  so  sure  but  that  the 
pastor's  ability  to  use  wisely  his  time  is  the  major 
factor  that  spells  success  or  failure. 


Do  you  realize  that  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the 
Campbell  Institute  will  arrive  in  1946,  and  that  it 
will  require  all  of  these  six  years  to  prepare  an  ade- 
quate jubilee  celebration?  Books  should  be  written, 
and  poems,  and  music.  Perhaps  by  that  time  we 
may  be  able  to  get  an  endowment  for  the  Institute, 
and  have  life-time  Fellows  maintained  by  the  Insti- 
tute to  be  scholars  and  authors  of  first  magnitude. 
There  might  well  be  a  preaching  Order  developed 
which  would  send  men  through  the  churches  with  a 
flaming  message  of  religious  conviction  based  upon 
the  best  knowledge  and  skill  attainable. 


208 THE  SCROLL 

It's  Great  Fun! 

By  C.  F.  Stevens,  Denver,  Colorado 
It's  fun  to  read  The  Scroll.  Anyone  interested 
in  psychology  should  get  a  great  kick  out  of  it.  It's 
a  sort  of  Hyde  Park  where  every  man  may  use  his 
own  soap-box  to  his  heart's  content  without  fear  of 
persecution,  since  it  does  not  circulate  generally.  It's 
a  sportsman's  preserve  where  there  are  no  game 
laws  and  no  restrictions  as  to  the  kind  of  ammuni- 
tion the  hunter  may  use;  a  safety-valve  that  pre- 
vents explosions  in  certain  portions  of  the  brother- 
hood. 

The  February  issue  is  just  to  hand.  It  is  funny, 
too.  It  is  revealing.  Preachers  are  certainly  an 
interesting  group.  They  are  sensitive,  lovable, 
moody,  earnest,  and,  I  verily  believe,  the  saviors  of 
the  world.  But  how  diverse  are  the  viewpoints  and 
experiences  of  the  men  who  write  for  The  Scroll. 
Here  is  one  man  writing  in  this  last  issue  saying 
that  he  would  not  advise  any  young  men  to  enter  the 
ministry,  much  less  the  ministry  of  the  Disciples. 
He  would  not  do  it  again,  and  he  would  not  advise 
his  son  to  do  it.  And  here  is  another  who  would  ad- 
vise any  young  men  of  character,  ability  and  proper 
preparation  to  enter  the  ministry,  especially  the 
ministry  of  the  Disciples.  To  one  the  work  of  the 
ministry  is  a  place  of  thralldom,  to  the  other  a  call 
to  freedom,  especially  with  the  Disciples.  One  of 
these  men  I  know  slightly  and  I  am  sure  he  has 
had  a  fruitful  ministry;  the  other  man  I  do  not 
know  but  he  confesses  to  a  measure  of  success  in 
the  ministry. 

Why  the  difference?  It  is  a  problem  for  the  psy- 
chologist. It  would  be  a  worthy  thesis  for  a  candi- 
date for  a  Ph.D.  in  Chicago  University.  I  suspect  it 
is  partly  a  problem  of  moods.  Probably  one  wrote 
on  Monday,  the  other  on  Wednesday.     Or,  possibly 


THE  SCROLL 209 

one  wrote  when  he  was  up  against  the  problems  of 
his  parish ;  the  other  when  on  vacation.  But  that's 
the  fun  of  reading  The  Scroll.  I  have  wondered  if 
I  could  afford  it.  But  it  is  really  cheaper  than  golf 
and  equally  exhilarating.  But,  let  me  say  a  further 
word ;  I  do  believe  The  Scroll  has  a  serious  purpose ; 
I  vote  for  its  continuance.    Here's  my  check. 


Revising  the  Membership  Roll 

By  David  E.  Todd,  Brimfield,  Illinois 

It  is  a  fact  almost  universally  recognized  that  the 
membership  roll  of  most  churches  is  sadly  in  need 
of  a  thoroughgoing  housecleaning.  Here  is  a  prob- 
lem that  has  called  forth  much  comment  but  little 
action.  Recently  the  Board  of  Deacons  decided  to 
get  out  the  vacuum  cleaner  and  go  to  work. 

The  Union  Church,  Brimfield,  Illinois,  has  been 
a  going  institution  as  a  community  church  since 
1926.  At  that  time  the  Congregational  and  Metho- 
dist churches  merged  to  form  its  organization.  One 
hundred  twelve  persons  from  the  Congregational 
and  eighty  from  the  Methodist  moved  their  mem- 
bership by  letter  along  with  nineteen  who  came  on 
confession  of  faith,  and  twenty-three  by  transfer 
from  other  organizations  became  the  original  mem- 
bers of  The  Union  Church. 

During  the  intervening  years  some  have  died,  a 
few  have  transferred  to  other  communities  where 
they  now  reside,  and  still  others  have  dropped  from 
active  participation  in  Church  life.  No  attempt  had 
been  made  during  that  time  to  clear  up  the  status 
of  inactive  members.  A  preliminary  discussion  of 
the  problem  led  to  a  decision  to  list  the  names  under 
five  headings :  Active  members,  In-active  members. 
Non-resident  members,  Home  members,  and  those 
to  be  dropped.    A  careful  analysis  of  the  total  mem- 


210 THE  SCROLL 

bership  brought  the  classification  totals  as  follows: 

Active  members    118 

In-active  members   75 

Non-resident  members    57 

Home  members 9 

To  be  dropped 36 

Total   295 

Home  members  are  easily  segregated  as  the  sick, 
cripples  and  aged.  A  non-resident  member  is  de- 
termined by  his  place  of  abode,  some  of  whom  con- 
tribute financially  and  attend  church  services  when 
back  on  a  visit.  Even  names  to  be  dropped  are  not 
difficult  to  detect,  as  dead  timber  is  distinguished 
from  green,  living  trees. 

But  what  constitutes  an  in-active  member?  He 
still  resides  in  the  home  community.  He  hears  the 
church  bells  ring,  which  should  remind  him  of  his 
spiritual  relationships.  But  he  never,  or  seldom 
ever,  attends  (funerals  not  counted).  Should  he  be 
classified  as  active  if  he  gives  five  or  ten  dollars  a 
year  when  he  is  financially  able  to  give  fifty  or  a 
h*undred?  Where  do  you  classify  him  if  he  comes  to 
church  on  Easter  Sunday  and  perhaps  the  Christ- 
mas program,  but  not  the  regular  services?  What 
if  he  tells  you  he  believes  in  religion,  but  that  he 
will  not  darken  the  church  doors  as  long  as  "old 
so-and-so"  is  running  things,  meaning  the  Chairman 
of  the  Trustees,  who  almost  never  misses  a  service 
and  who  is  the  most  substantial  giver  in  the  church? 
How  do  you  designate  the  man  whose  work  prevents 
attendance  on  Sunday  morning  and  there  are  no 
evening  services?  What  about  the  rather  large 
group  of  men  who  are  almost  always  found  at  the 
meetings  of  the  Men's  Brotherhood  and  the  All- 
church  pot-luck  dinner,  but  not  the  worship  serv- 
ices? Then  there  is  the  man  who  sends  his  children 
to  Sunday  School,  but  never  comes  himself? 


THE  SCROLL 211 

Many  puzzling  questions  of  this  kind  crowd  one's 
mind  as  he  goes  over  a  role  of  members.  Try  to  es- 
tablish an  arbitrary  rule,  or  set  of  rules,  with  ref- 
erence to  each  and  you  soon  find  yourself  in  a  quan- 
dary. Be  strict  in  your  construction  of  what  consti- 
tutes "active"  and  that  list  will  become  woefully 
small.  Be  generous  and  give  each  the  benefit  of  the 
doubt,  and  when  you  survey  your  finished  product, 
you  will  wonder  why  you  called  this  a  list  of  active 
members. 

Our  Deacons  found  that  rules  didn't  help  much; 
there  are  too  many  qualifying  elements  to  consider. 
Hence,  they  fell  back  on  their  good  judgment,  doubt- 
less having  made  some  mistakes,  but  were  probably 
more  often  right  than  wrong. 

One  other  problem  presented  itself.  How  proceed 
to  drop  the  dead  members?  Just  to  strike  out  their 
names  seemed  something  less  than  just  or  fair. 
Hence  it  was  decided  to  write  to  each,  call  their  at- 
tention to  their  status,  and  ask  them  to  write  or  call 
us  about  it.  In  a  word,  let  them  decide  the  issue.  The 
letter  was  worded  so  as  to  make  the  recipient  feel 
that  he  was  still  wanted.  Accordingly,  a  beginning 
was  made  by  sending  letters  to  forty-two  where  ad- 
dresses could  be  secured.  It  is  too  early  yet  to  pre- 
dict the  final  outcome  of  the  effort.  Three  replies 
have  come  in,  one  with  a  five  dollar  check  enclosed, 
who  needless  to  say,  wished  to  remain  on  our  roll. 
(They  attend  a  Christian  Church  but  refuse  to  be 
immersed. )  One  stated  that  she  had  changed  mem- 
bership. The  third  indicated  that  she  wished  to  re- 
main on  our  roll  until  she  decided  on  a  church  to 
which  to  transfer.  Another,  whose  answer  came 
personally,  also  expected  to  transfer  when  she  could 
decide  between  a  Baptist  and  a  Presbyterian  group. 
She  had  been  brought  up  in  a  Methodist  church.  Re- 
sponses should  come  from  others  from  whom  no  re- 
ply has  yet  been  received. 


212 THE  SCROLL 

As  to  our  future  course,  probably  another  effort 
will  be  made  to  revive  some.  No  one  will  be  dropped 
until  a  real  attempt  has  been  made  to  re-build  his 
loyalty.  When  all  trials  have  failed,  upon  recom- 
mendation of  the  Deacons  (who  have  spiritual  over- 
sight here) ,  the  congregation  will  vote  to  drop  them 
— at  any  rate  I  suppose  they  will.  Personally,  I 
have  about  convinced  myself  that  we  need  to  make 
Church  membership  a  high  privilege,  more  difficult 
to  attain  and  more  difficult  to  maintain. 


Aldous  Huxley  and  Religion 

By  William  S.  Noble,  North  Baltimore,  Ohio 

In  reading  Aldous  Huxley's  recent  work,  one  can- 
not help  feeling  somewhat  of  a  thrill  in  the  realiza- 
tion that  another  keen  intelligence  has  seen  the  fu- 
tility and  ineluctable  harmfulness  of  self-centered 
living,  and  has  grown  into  a  profound  conviction  of 
the  necessity  for  "unity,"  for  a  person  identifying 
himself  through  love  with  other  human  beings. 

For  that  is  precisely  what  Huxley  has  done.  Even 
the  most  casual  reader  of,  for  example,  Point  Coun- 
ter Point,  is  aware  of  the  author's  atomism.  But  in 
Eyeless  in  Gaza,  Huxley  has  portrayed  a  character, 
Anthony  Beavis,  who  went  from  what  Roger  T. 
Nooe  has  called  a  Ptolomaic  world  into  a  Coper- 
nican.  Desiring  to  elucidate  his  discovery  without 
the  equivocation  made  necessary  by  fictional  treat- 
ment, Huxley  wrote  Ends  and  Means,  which  is  quite 
a  thought-provoking  book  even  for  the  person  who 
cannot  agree  with  all  the  conclusions  to  which  the 
author  came. 

"Evil,"  declared  Huxley  in  Eyeless,  "is  the  ac- 
centuation of  division;  good,  whatever  makes  for 
unity  with  other  lives  and  other  beings.  Pride, 
hatred,  anger — the  essentially  evil  sentiments;  and 


THE  SCROLL 213 

essentially  evil  because  they  are  all  intensifications 
of  the  given  reality  of  separateness,  because  they  in- 
sist on  division  and  uniqueness.  .  .  .  Lust  and  greed 
are  also  insistences  upon  uniqueness  .  .  ."  (Page 
468.)  This  is  no  new  idea,  as  everyone  knows.  It 
was  known  in  the  middle  ages,  as  readers  of  Earn- 
est Raymond's  In  the  Steps  of  St.  Francis  can  tes- 
tify; and  more  than  a  thousand  years  before  that 
saint  lived,  Jesus  recognized  it  in  the  doctrine  of  the 
brotherhood — the  unity — of  mankind. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  agree  with  that,  and  I  write 
it  primarily  as  another  bit  of  evidence  that  intelli- 
gent people  are  coming,  albeit  by  a  tortuous  and 
sometimes  wasteful  process,  to  a  position  that  has 
been  held  by  Christians  of  penetrating  insight  for 
many  centuries. 

Probably  not  so  many  will  agree  with  Huxley's 
statement,  also  in  Eyeless  in  Gaza,  that  there  are 
subterranean  resemblances  between  the  Webb-Sov- 
iet conception  of  communism  on  one  hand  and  Ca- 
tholicism on  the  other  (page  432) . 

From  a  Catholic  point  of  view,  says  he,  this  is  a 
"sacramental  age";  and  by  this  is  meant  simply — 
I  point  out  the  obvious — that  the  sacraments  of  the 
church  are  regarded  as  sufficient  for  salvation* 
"Mental  prayer  is  conspicuously  absent." 

The  Webbs  and  Soviets,  Huxley  goes  on,  conceive 
of  progress  from  without,  "through  machinery  and 
efficient  organization.  For  English  Catholics,  sacra- 
ments are  psychological  equivalents  of  tractors  in 
Russia." 

I  wonder  if  Huxley  might  not  have  included,  with 
some  justice,  certain  brands  of  Fundamentalism 
with  Catholicism  and  communism,  for  it  appears 
to  me  there  are  present  here  these  same  subterra- 
nean resemblances.  The  communists  needs  as  indi- 
viduals do  nothing  about  the  world.  The  leader  will 
"liquidate   undesirables,    distribute   enough   money 


214 THE  SCROLL 

and  goods — and  all  will  be  well.!'  The  Catholic  needs 
trust  in  the  Church,  and  following  its  dictums  and 
practices,  he  will  be  saved.  While  the  Fundamen- 
talist places  his  trust  and  faith  in  a  supernatural 
Christ  who  will  stage  some  day  a  Second  Coming, 
when  he  will  establish  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth. 
Hence,  there  is  nothing  for  the  individual  Christian 
to  do  but  believe,  and  all  will  be  well.  There  are, 
likewise,  additional  points  wherein  the  Fundamen- 
talist places  himself  on  the  same  level  with  political 
mechanism. 

If  this  be  valid,  and  if  communism  and  Catholi- 
cism be  equivalents  of  Fundamentalism  in  at  least 
this  respect,  then  there  is  a  great  and  imperative 
need  for  liberals  who  believe  in  the  individual — not 
as  a  conformant  to  definite  patterns,  but  as  a  soul 
to  realize  the  highest  good  through  unity — to  do  two 
things.  First,  to  divest  Christian  thought  of  those 
mechanisms  upon  which  men  have  so  long  placed 
an  over-emphasis ;  and  second,  to  point  out  an  alter- 
native ideal  with  its  implementation.  The  first  is 
negative,  and  somewhat  iconoclastic.  The  second 
is  positive,  and  requires  ethical  insight  and  all  the 
homiletic  skill  and  personal  example  of  which  one 
might  be  capable.  For  this  second  duty  consists  in 
building  up  an  awareness  of  the  truth  that  individ- 
uals as  Christians  can  find  freedom  and  fulfillment 
of  all  their  potentialities,  not  in  external  events,  but 
in  what  Coleridge  called  "the  process  of  individua- 
tion," in  identifying  themselves  with  all  other  liv- 
ing beings.  This  process,  beginning  within  one's 
own  spirit,  is  to  be  naturally  extended  into  the  social 
structure. 

Huxley  does  not  extend  his  thinking  to  this  point. 
I  have  used  that  stimulating  author  only  as  a  start- 
ing point.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  Huxley,  despite 
his  limitations  thus  far,  is  on  the  road  to  Christian 
thinking.     True,  in  E^ids  and  Memis,  he  flouts  the 


THE  SCROLL 215 

idea  of  Bakhti-marga,  devotion  to  a  person,  as  in- 
sufficient and  highly  dangerous  as  doctrine  or  prac- 
tice. But  it  seems  to  me  nevertheless  that  it  is  in 
this  very  thing,  devotion  to  a  person,  the  divine 
Christ,  that  unity  and  the  interior  resources  for  the 
fulfillment  of  the  best  that  is  in  us  can  be  found. 
This  Christ,  who,  as  Edward  Scribner  Ames  pointed 
out  in  a  little  book  long  ago,  like  Shakespeare  in  the 
drama  and  Newton  in  science,  "created  the  stand- 
ards by  which  his  work  is  judged,"  is  divine.  And 
in  devotion  to  him  there  is  release  from  futile  faith 
in  mechanical  externals,  and  a  glorious  fulfillment 
of  life. 


Making  Marriages  More 
Successful 

By  Harry  G.  Parsons,  Hastings,  Nebraska 

All  of  us  ministers  many  times  have  repeated 
words  to  the  effect  that  marriage  is  an  holy  estate, 
ordained  of  God  to  afford  the  highest  happiness 
known  to  mankind.  True  marriages  are  supposed 
to  be  made  in  heaven,  but  a  large  number  of  wed- 
dings today  evidently  don't  bear  the  right  stamp  or 
trade  mark,  and  must  be  inferior  products  manufac- 
tured, or  shall  we  say  "thrown  together"  in  the 
devil's  domain.  At  least  the  facts  indicate  that  a 
great  many  unsuccessful  and  unhappy  marriages 
bring  plenty  of  hell  on  earth  to  thousands,  even  mil- 
lions, of  otherwise  intelligent  persons  in  this  sup- 
posedly enlightened  land  of  ours. 

There  are  approximately  thirty  million  marriages 
in  the  United  States.  Every  year  there  are  about  a 
million  marriages  performed,  meaning,  of  course, 
that  around  two  million  persons  enter  into  this  re- 


216 THE  SCROLL 

lationship,  a  new  experience  for  most  of  them.  No 
doubt  they  all  feel  that  they  deserve  and  can  ex- 
pect to  be  happily  married.  At  least  one-fourth  of 
them,  however,  will  be  disappointed  seriously,  for 
nearly  two  hundred  thousand  of  the  million  newly 
married  couples  in  the  present  year  will  end  in  the 
divorce  courts,  and  others,  even  though  their  mar- 
riage will  not  be  outwardly  broken,  will  be  miser- 
able in  their  new  estate.  This  matter  of  one  out  of 
every  five  or  six  weddings  in  the  United  States  end- 
ing in  the  divorce  courts,  and  so  many  others  bring- 
ing untold  grief  and  disillusionment,  is  really  an 
appalling  tragedy  too  long  condoned.  Certainly 
Christian  leaders,  above  all  others,  ought  to  strive 
for  some  genuine  and  lasting  solution  to  the  whole 
problem. 

Divorcees  live  only  half  as  long  as  non-divorcees, 
on  the  whole,  and  they  are  three  or  four  times  as 
likely  to  commit  suicide.  Even  so,  statistics  show 
that  married  men  live  longer  than  bachelors,  on  the 
average.  Divorcees  are  three  or  four  times  as  likely 
to  go  insane.  Our  rising  divorce  rate  is  a  strong 
contributing  factor  in  the  increasing  number  of 
neurotic  and  psychopathic  cases  throughout  the 
country.  For  instance,  in  the  Illinois  State  Hospital 
the  divorcees  exceed  their  quota  by  1100%  !  Di- 
vorcees are  proportionately  high  in  number  in  the 
penitentiaries,  too.  Sterility  is  found  to  be  more 
prevalent  among  divorcees,  many  cases  of  which 
are  due  to  biological  causes,  of  course,  but  many 
more  of  which  are  due  to  psychological  causes  which 
could  be  rectified  with  the  proper  treatment.  Not 
more  than  half  of  the  number  of  divorcees  remarry, 
and  only  about  half  of  those  who  remarry  do  so 
happily.  It  seems  to  be  a  sifting  process.  The  after 
effects  of  divorce  often  bring  more  problems  than 
before.  The  third  party  in  a  marriage  triangle  is 
usually  an  unscrupulous  divorcee.     New  habits  of 


THE  SCROLL 217 

life  are  necessary  for  divorcees,  of  course,  and  ad- 
justments are  difficult,  sexually  and  otherwise.  Eco- 
nomic readjustments  are  often  very  trying.  A 
woman  with  no  children  usually  gets  no  alimony 
when  divorced.  Others  who  supposedly  do,  have 
great  difficulty  in  collecting  as  it  often  happens, 
especially  if  the  husband  moves  out  of  the  court's 
jurisdiction.  Readjustment  of  social  life  is  hard 
also  for  divorcees.  The  social  contacts  as  well  as 
the  property  often  have  to  be  divided  between  hus- 
band and  wife.  Then  there  are  the  emotional  re- 
adjustments to  be  made,  for  an  emotional  shock  is 
usually  inevitable  with  the  injury  that  is  done  to 
self-esteem  when  divorce  comes. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  injury  of  all  is  done  to  the 
children  of  divorcees.  The  quarreling  influence  of 
a  contentious  home  where  the  parents  are  incom- 
patible is  bad  enough,  but  the  broken  home  is  worse. 
Children  from  such  homes  naturally  believe  that 
those  who  get  divorces  are  of  inferior  stock.  The 
inferiority  complexes  that  result  and  the  starved 
emotions,  the  loneliness,  the  lack  of  companionship 
and  guidance,  bring  much  suffering  in  their  wake 
and  are  proved  to  be  the  cause  of  a  tremendous 
amount  of  juvenile  delinquency. 

Fortunately,  children  constitute  the  greatest  in- 
fluence in  the  home  to  prevent  divorce.  Where  there 
are  no  children  born  to  the  marriage  the  chances 
for  divorce  are  71  out  of  every  100  cases.  If  there 
is  one  child  the  chances  are  reduced  to  eight  in  a 
hundred.  Every  additional  child  cuts  the  chances 
for  divorce  in  half.  Strange  as  it  seems,  the  aver- 
age divorce  comes  after  ten  years  of  marriage.  That 
means  the  outward  break,  of  course.  No  doubt  in 
the  average  case  there  is  disharmony,  incompati- 
bility, no  real  marriage  for  years  before  the  final 
break  develops.  Not  always,  but  often,  where  there 
is  no  child  born  to  the  marriage,  the  husband,  or 


218  THE  SCROLL 

wife,  or  both,  have  maintained  a  self-centered,  in- 
fantile outlook  on  life.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  such 
an  attitude  leads  to  conflict  and  divorce.  Where 
there  is  a  child  involved  in  a  case  of  divorce,  one  or 
both  parents  will  contend  that  he  or  she  is  trying 
to  save  the  child  from  the  other  parent. 

While  there  is  no  easy  way  to  measure  the  divorce 
rate  in  the  United  States,  and  while  the  depression 
brought  a  decrease  in  marriages  and  divorces,  the 
general  trend  of  divorce  still  seems  to  be  on  the  in- 
crease. Western  states  are  the  worst  for  divorce. 
Los  Angeles,  especially  Hollywood,  has  a  national 
and  international  reputation  for  divorce.  It  hap- 
pens that  Seattle,  Portland  and  Denver  have  a  high- 
er rate  than  Los  Angeles,  in  spite  of  Hollywood,  we 
should  point  out  in  fairness  to  Los  Angeles.  Ore- 
gon, Oklahoma,  Montana,  and  Texas  have  the  high- 
est divorce  rates  as  states.  Nevada,  even  with  its 
famous  Reno,  isn't  one  of  the  first  four,  according 
to  the  statistics  we  have.  The  West  has  a  higher 
per  cent  of  the  restless,  migratory  type  of  person 
who  has  broken  away  from  old  family  ties  and  so- 
cial groups  such  as  one  feels  to  be  most  binding  in 
such  a  section  as  New  England,  for  instance.  That 
in  large  measure  accounts  for  the  diflference,  per- 
haps. It  is  reflected  too  in  the  greater  leniency  in 
divorce  laws  in  the  West  as  a  whole,  which  makes 
it  easier  to  secure  divorces.  There  is  a  need  for 
greater  uniformity  of  divorce  laws,  students  of  the 
problem  feel,  even  though  only  about  S^r  of  the 
divorces  are  migratory  in  nature,  in  spite  of  Reno. 
Some  states  permit  divorce  on  practically  any 
grounds  of  incompatibility,  while  many  permit  it 
only  in  the  case  of  adultery,  and  South  Carolina  ad- 
ministers no  divorce  at  all.  Many  South  Carolinans, 
however,  go  to  Augusta,  Georgia,  to  secure  a  divorce, 
we  are  told.  As  a  rule,  lawyers  take  whatever 
grounds  seem  most  convenient  in  order  to  secure 


THE  SCROLL 219 

divorce  for  their  clients,  and  there  is  an  evidence 
of  broadening  grounds  for  divorce  in  a  number  of 
states.  Only  about  15%  of  the  divorces  are  con- 
tested in  court,  85  7^  going  undefended.  If  both  hus- 
band and  wife  seek  divorce  together,  it  is  usually 
considered  colusion  legally  and  a  divorce  is  not 
granted  on  that  basis. 

Divorce  seldom  is  the  real  solution  to  unhappy 
marriages.  The  big  job  is  to  educate  and  re-edu- 
cate for  successful  and  happy  wedded  life.  That 
this  is  not  a  hopeless  task  is  testified  to  in  an  out- 
standing way  by  the  Institute  of  Family  Relations 
in  Los  Angeles,  California,  largely  the  product  of 
the  genius  of  its  director,  Dr.  Paul  Popenoe,  whom 
I  had  the  privilege  of  studying  under  this  past  sum- 
mer. In  a  little  booklet  called  "A  Marriage  Doctor 
Who  Never  Lost  a  Case,"  Dr.  Popenoe  said,  in  1938 : 
"Not  one  divorce  has  yet  occurred  among  couples 
who  have  come  to  the  Los  Angeles  Institute  of  Fam- 
ily Relations  for  pre-marital  assistance,  during  the 
eight  years  of  its  existence."  In  view  of  the  hun- 
dreds of  cases  dealt  with  and  the  abnormally  high 
divorce  rate  prevailing  in  Los  Angeles  County — 
one  divorce  for  each  two  marriages,  this  is  a  re- 
markable record.  Dr.  Popenoe  claims  no  special 
powers  for  himself  or  the  Institute  but  merely  the 
scientific  application  of  the  knowledge  made  avail- 
able for  almost  everyone  in  the  United  States  dur- 
ing the  past  twenty-five  years.  The  Institute  has 
also  brought  about  a  state  of  harmony  in  hundreds 
of  families  where  marriage  had  practically  gone  on 
the  rocks. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  whole  nation  needs  to 
wake  up  and  do  something  constructive  to  put  mar- 
riage on  a  high  and  successful  plane  in  our  coun- 
try, for  a  happy  and  intelligent  family  life  is  basic 
to  the  common  good  of  our  posterity.  State  and 
city  officials,  educators,  lawmakers  and  law-enforc- 


220 THE  SCROLL 

ers,  need  to  take  cognizance  of  this  tremendous  prob- 
lem and  the  possibilities  for  its  solution.  A  sympa- 
thetic clinical  approach  and  provisions  for  educa- 
tion, re-education  and  guidance  will  do  far  more 
than  tightening  and  making  uniform  divorce  laws. 
Here  is  a  great  field  for  the  church  to  work  in  to 
help  meet  a  crying  need,  for  certainly  the  problem 
is  fundamentally  a  religious  one,  dealing  with  the 
deepest  of  emotions,  attitudes,  ideals  and  principles. 
Jesus'  counsel  of  perfection  set  forth  in  the  sermon 
on  the  mount  is  full  of  truth  and  should  be  our  guid- 
ing star.  Ministers  of  the  gospel  should  equip  them- 
selves better  to  deal  with  this  problem  personally 
and  as  leaders  of  the  church  as  an  institution  of 
religious  education.  What  better  work  can  the 
church  do  than  to  lead  out  in  this  matter  of  educa- 
tion for  successful  marriage?  There  are  numerous 
sources  of  materials  in  public  and  school  libraries, 
and  the  federal  government  provides  some  fine 
pamphlets,  too.  The  Institute  of  Family  Relations, 
607  South  Hill  Street,  Los  Angeles,  publishes  a  list 
of  very  helpful  books  and  pamphlets  which  I  believe 
to  be  among  the  best  available.  Ministers  in  other 
large  cities  well  might  investigate  the  possibilities 
of  getting  established  institutes  in  their  cities  simi- 
lar to  the  one  in  Los  Angeles.  In  closing,  maybe  I 
should  add  that  I  have  no  connection  with  the  Insti- 
tute of  Family  Relations  in  Los  Angeles,  but  merely 
wish  to  see  a  good  thing  extended. 


We  should  work  out  before  1946  a  realistic  plan 
of  union,  a  system  of  training,  ordination,  and  place- 
ment, of  ministers;  a  method  of  preparing  and  se- 
lecting state  and  city  secretaries  to  oversee  local 
churches  and  ministers  without  hindering  or  harm- 
ing them;  a  book  of  services,  hymns,  prayers,  and 
forms;  and  above  all,  an  ideology  for  all  Christian 
people ! 


I 


THE  SCROLL 221 

News  Notes 

Ray  Charles  Jarman,  pastor  of  Evanston  Chris- 
tian Church  in  Cincinnati,  is  the  new  vice-chairman 
of  rehgious  educational  work  in  the  Greater  Cin- 
cinnati Council  of  Churches.  This  committee's  work 
entails  week-day  education,  vacation  church  schools, 
leadership  training,  etc. 

Jack  M.  Ervin,  pastor  at  Walton,  Kentucky,  be- 
tween Lexington  and  Cincinnati,  for  more  than  five 
years,  is  now  located  with  the  congregation  at  Ver- 
sailles, Kentucky,  only  twelve  miles  from  the  Blue- 
grass  Capital.  Like  F.  E.  Davison,  South  Bend, 
Indiana,  pastor,  he's  ready  to  entertain  all  of  his 
friends;  at  least  he  should  be  with  a  nine-room 
house. 

Perry  E.  Gresham,  pastor  at  University  Christian 
Church,  on  the  brow  of  the  T.  C.  U.  campus,  recently 
"went  barnstorming  for  the  Lord  to  the  colleges  of 
West  Texas,"  His  main  task  was  to  give  the  Re- 
ligious Emphasis  Week  lectures  at  West  Texas  State 
College  in  Canyon.  But  he  also  took  time  to  visit 
with  all  of  the  Fellows  in  that  area.  It  took  him 
two  hours,  via  air,  to  return  from  Amarillo  to  Ft. 
Worth. 

Charles  B.  Tupper,  Springfield,  111.,  pastor,  is 
scheduled  to  deliver  three  addresses  at  the  Iowa 
Ministerial  Institute  the  week  after  Easter. 

Have  you  read  the  article  entitled,  "The  Sungpan 
Valley  Tale  of  a  Spinning  Wheel,"  by  Lewis  S.  C. 
Smythe,  in  the  January  Asia  magazine?  It  tells  how 
much  he  is  accomplishing  with  industrial  coopera- 
tives in  the  far  west  of  China  at  Chengtu,  where  he 
and  the  University  of  Nanking  removed  after  the 
Japanese  occupation. 

Emory  Ross'  picture  was  printed  in  The  Neiv 
York  Times  on  Friday,  January  12th,  as  he  left — 
or  entered — the  White  House  in  company  with  other 


222 THE  SCROLL 

ecclesiastical  dignitaries.  They  talked  with  Mr. 
Roosevelt,  so  the  newspaper  says,  of  a  great  foreign 
missions  convocation  to  be  held  later  in  the  year. 

But  Mr.  Ross  is  not  the  only  one  who  can  be  pho- 
tographed in  Washington  and  have  his  picture  ap- 
pear in  The  New  York  Times.  Professor  W.  C.  Bow- 
er, who  had  much  to  do  with  the  report  of  the  White 
House  Conference  on  Children  in  a  Democracy,  was 
in  a  photo  published  in  this  great  metropolitan 
newspaper  on  Friday,  January  19th. 

The  usual  mimeographed  New  Year  letter  from 
the  E.  K.  Higdon  family  was  a  little  later  in  arriv- 
ing this  year,  but  just  as  welcome  as  ever.  For  tops 
in  refreshing  reading,  you'll  have  to  see  that  you 
get  this  letter  in  case  you  missed  out  on  it.  It  tells 
the  story  of  their  life  during  1939.  The  content  and 
the  format  is  not  copyrighted,  but  we  suspect  that 
the  use  of  blue  paper  must  be. 

Hampton  Adams,  St.  Louis  minister,  and  vice- 
president  of  the  institute  last  year,  is  the  author  of 
a  new  book  just  published  by  the  Christian  Board 
of  Publication.    It  is  called.  You  and  Your  Minister, 

The  First  Christian  Church  building  at  Wauke- 
gan,  Illinois,  was  damaged  by  fire  on  Thursday 
night,  January  18th.  The  loss  is  estimated  at  $25,- 
000,  according  to  the  pastor,  Wilbur  S.  Hogevoll. 
It  was  18  degrees  below  zero  that  night ;  cold  enough 
for  a  fire  in  the  right  place  of  a  certainty.  If  any 
of  the  other  brethren  want  advice  as  to  the  best  time 
for  a  church  fire  they  might  consult  with  Burris 
Jenkins,  or  Mr.  Hogevoll,  or  even  W.  Marshon  De- 
Poister,  who  now  enjoys  the  comfort  of  a  lovely  new 
building  following  the  destruction  of  the  one  at 
Rensselaer,  Indiana,  by  fire  about  two  years  ago. 

Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Jan.  24  (A. P.) — Less  than  a 
year  after  his  retirement  as  president  of  Butler  uni- 
versity. Dr.  James  William  Putnam,  75  years  old, 
died  in  Methodist  hospital  here  last  night.    Dr.  Put- 


THE  SCROLL 223 

nam  was  chosen  to  head  the  university  in  1933.  Ill- 
ness forced  him  to  retire  last  April  12. 

Dr.  Putnam  was  appointed  economics  professor 
at  Butler  in  1909  and  served  as  registrar,  dean  of 
the  liberal  arts  college  and  vice  president  before  be- 
ing named  to  the  presidency.  Before  going  to  But- 
ler, he  taught  at  Illinois  college  and  Northwestern 
and  Missouri  universities.  He  was  author  of  "The 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal"  and  "A  Study  in  Eco- 
nomic History." 

Addressing  Dr.  Burris  Jenkins,  Dr.  Dewey  has 
written:  "The  erection  of  the  new  church  building 
is  a  deserved  recognition  of  what  you  have  done 
in  adapting  the  activities  of  a  religious  institution 
to  contemporary  needs  in  a  world  which  was  never 
in  greater  need  of  a  genuinely  religious  spirit  than 
now." 

Ida  Tarbell,  biographer  of  eminent  men,  asked  on 
her  80th  birthday  to  name  the  greatest  persons  she 
had  ever  met,  replied :  "Those  nobody  knows  any- 
thing about." 

The  shortest  and  surest  way  to  live  with  honor  in 
this  world  is  to  be  in  reality  what  we  appear. — 
Socrates. 

I  do  not  believe  in  a  fate  that  falls  on  men  how- 
ever they  act :  but  I  do  believe  in  a  fate  that  falls  on 
them,unless  they  act. — G.  K.  Chesterton. 

The  Pastors'  Institute  and  the  Campbell  Institute 
will  begin  July  29  and  continue  that  week.  Watch 
for  programs. 


Our  worthy  Secretary  is  promoting  a  campaign 
for  new  members  of  the  Institute.  This  will  also 
automatically  extend  the  circulation  of  the  Scroll, 
but  we  believe  a  long  subscription  list  might  be  built 
up  among  non-members.  Many  laymen  and  lay- 
women  over  the  country  would  be  glad  to  read  a  live 
and  illuminating  journal  like  this  if  they  only  knew 
about  it !    Suppose  you  tell  'em ! 


224 THE  SCROLL 

44th  Annual  Meeting  of  C.I. 

The  Campbell  Institute  will  hold  its  44th  annual  meeting 
July  29  to  August  2,  in  Chicago.  The  Pastors'  Institute  will 
also  be  held  that  week  and  the  week  following  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago.  More  than  a  hundred  members  of  the 
Campbell  Institute  attend  these  meetings.  It  is  the  most 
important  meeting  of  the  year.  Officers  are  elected,  policies 
discussed  and  formulated.  Make  plans  now  to  attend.  Be- 
low is  the  outline  of  the  sessions.  President  Paul  Becker  has 
appointed  the  following  program  committee;  F.  E.  Davison, 
chairman,  Earl  Griggs,  W.  C.  Bower. 
Monday,  July  29 

9:00  Communion    Service.    Chapel    of    the    Holy 

Grail. 
9:45  President's    Reception.      Common    Room    of 

Disciples  House. 

Tuesday,  July  30 

12 :30  Luncheon.    University  Church. 

2:00  Address.  "Candidates  for  the  Ministry — 
Methods  of  Encouraging  and  Discouraging." 

4:30  Business.  Reports.  Appointment  of  Com- 
mittees. 

9:00  President's  Address.    Paul  Becker, 

Wednesday,    July   31 

2:00  Cub's  Ball  Game.     Arrangements  for  tickets 

through  Pastors'  Institute. 
9:00  Address. 

Thursday,  August   1 

2:00  Symposium  on  the  Ministry. 

Ministerial  Placement. 

Ministerial  Ethics. 

The  Minister  and  Social  Action. 
6:00  Annual  Campbell  Institute  Dinner. 
9:00  Address. 

Friilay,  August  2 

2:00  Address.  Methods  of  Indoctrination  Among 
Disciples. 
.  .   4  :30  Business. 
9:00  Can  Baptists,  Congregationalists,  and  Dis- 
ciples Unite,  and  How? 
Subjects  are   tentative.     Speakers  to   be   selected.      Sug- 
gestions requested. 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVII.  APRIL,  1940  No.  8 

Estimotisig  the  Disciples 

By  E.  S.  Ames 
Dean  Davis  contributes  an  interesting  article  in 
this  number  on  the  Disciple  background.  We  hope 
it  will  be  read  with  the  consideration  it  deserves. 
The  question  is  whether  the  Disciples  are  truly  lib- 
eral in  their  main  principles.  We  hold  the  seem- 
ingly paradoxical  position  that  even  the  conserva- 
tives are  liberals !  At  least  they  all  accept  the  main 
points  of  biblical  criticism,  discriminating  between 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments  and  between  such 
"commands"  as  feet-washng  and  baptism;  they  re- 
quire no  creedal  confession  even  concerning  the 
deity  of  Christ;  they  have  a  sound  psychological 
view  of  conversion ;  they  reject  ecclesiastical  author- 
ity and  hold  to  the  independence  of  the  local  con- 
gregation; they  are  not  trinitarians  nor  unitarians. 
We  therefore  dissent  from  Mr.  Davis'  statement 
that  "few  local  congregations  of  Disciples  evidence" 
characteristics  of  the  rational  and  practical  tradi- 
tion. Answering  his  numbered  objections  to  this 
liberal  interpretation,  we  would  say: 

1.  The  fact  that  the  movement  led  by  the  Camp- 
bells drew  into  it  many  independent  congregations 
of  the  same  temper  shows  that  the  Campbells  were 
themselves  of  this  growing  liberal  tendency. 

2.  The  ingathering  of  numerous  individuals  who 
responded  to  the  preaching  of  the  Disciples  leaders 
also  shows  that  these  leaders  thought  in  the  new 
free  terms  that  many  liberated  individuals  accepted. 

3.  It  would  be  expecting  too  much  to  demand  that 
the  Disciples  a  hundred  years  ago  em^ancipated 
themselves  from  all  legalisms,  but  we  think  they  did 
it  to  a  very  remarkable  extent,  and  according  to 


226 THE  SCROLL 

the  biblical  scholarship  of  that  time  they  v/ere  ex- 
ceptionally consistent. 

4.  It  was  partly  the  fact  that  "early  American 
Protestantism  was  in  revolt  against  Calvinism"  that 
made  it  possible  for  the  Disciples  with  their  ex- 
treme revolt  to  gain  large  numbers  of  adherents.  It 
does  not  require  very  intimate  acquaintance  with 
other  "major  Protestant  bodies  in  America"  to  see 
that  they  are  much  more  Calvinistic  than  the  Dis- 
ciples. This  appears  in  the  creedal  forms  they  still 
recite,  in  their  examination  of  candidates  for  ordi- 
nation, and  in  the  number  of  their  leaders  who  have 
taken  up  with  the  reactionary  theologies  of  our  time, 
such  as  Barthianism. 

5.  The  Disciples  were  greatly  influenced  by  the 
same  movements  of  thought  which  inlluenced  the 
Unitarians  in  the  early  nineteenth  century,  but  the 
Disciples  escaped  the  Unitarian  dogma  of  Unitar- 
ianism !  Even  to  this  day  it  is  difficult  to  convince 
a  Unitarian  that  if  you  are  not  a  Trinitarian  you 
must  be  a  Unitarian.  Furthermore  the  Unitarians 
are  far  from  having  "fairly  consistent  and  harmoni- 
ous views"  on  the  major  religious  problems.  See, 
for  example,  how  they  are  divided  today  over  Hu- 
manism. 

6.  It  is  true  that  the  Disciples  had  much  more 
evangelical  zeal  than  the  Unitarians,  and  it  is  also 
sadly  true  that  the  Disciples  have  not  adequately 
taught  their  converts  the  great  free  principles  of 
the  Disciple  position. 

Mr.  Davis  is  right  in  saying  that  the  Disciples 
practiced  tolerance,  but  he  seems  to  question  wheth- 
er tolerance  is  compatible  with  the  scientific  or  em- 
pirical approach !  He  is  right  in  saying  that  they 
did  not  think  the  "jerks"  evidence  of  divine  revela- 
tion. It  is  true  that  the  Puritans  and  Anglicans  had 
much  in  common,  but  the  Disciples  diverged  from 
both  groups.  Mr.  Davis  is  right,  too,  when  he  says, 
"The  Disciples  succeeded  because  they  preached  a 
return  to  the  middle  ground  between  the  extremes 


J 


THE  SCROLL 227 

to  which  the  revolters  against  Calvin  had  been 
driven,"  and  when  he  says,  "They  flourished  on  the 
frontier  because  they  preached  a  religion  for  the 
frontier." 

In  particular,  we  do  not  agree  with  what  Dean 
Davis  says  about  the  future  of  the  Disciples,  Their 
sane,  practical  view  of  religion  is  needed  today  as 
much,  perhaps  more  than  ever,  and  they  are  in  the 
process  at  the  present  time  of  following  more  fully 
their  original  conviction  about  Christian  Union  and 
helping  toward  a  vital  and  undogmatic  religious  life. 


THE  IMMORTAL 


Spring  has  come  up  from  the  South  again, 
With  soft  mists  in  her  hair. 
And  a  warm  wind  in  her  mouth  again, 
And  budding  everywhere. 
Spring  has  come  up  from  the  South  again, 
And  her  skies  are  azure  fire. 
And  around  her  is  the  awakening 
Of  all  the  world's  desire. 

Spring  has  come  up  from  the  South  again, 
And  dreams  are  in  her  eyes, 
And  music  is  in  her  mouth  again 
Of  love,  the  never-wise. 
Spring  has  come  up  from  the  South  again, 
And  bird  and  flower  and  bee 
Know  that  she  is  their  life  and  joy — 
And  immortality! 

Cale  Young  Rice. 


228  THE  SCROLL 

Puritans  of  the  Frontier 

By  John  L.  Davis,  Lynchburg ,  Va. 

Within  the  communion  there  are  two  distinct 
views  on  the  origin  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  The 
more  conservative  Disciple  simply  asserts  that  the 
movement  began  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost  and  flour- 
ished for  some  centuries,  only  to  be  submerged  and 
hidden  in  the  ecclesiastical  catacombs  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  and  the  later  Protestant  "sects" 
until  Alexander  Campbell  and  his  associates  arrived 
on  the  scene  to  emphasize  again  the  central  tenets  of 
the  Church  which  had  been  obscured  for  so  many 
centuries. 

For  the  liberal,  progressive  Disciple,  the  move- 
ment began  as  a  deliberate,  conscious  effort  on  the 
part  of  Alexander  Campbell  to  "start  anew"  with  a 
new  religious  communion  in  a  new  country  and  a 
new  age :  an  efiort  to  slough  off  the  "excess  baggage" 
of  Lutheranism,  Calvinism,  and  all  the  "theologically 
dark"  branches  of  Protestantism.  As  Dr.  Edward 
Scribner  Ames,  the  ablest  spokesman  of  this  group, 
puts  it: 

"All  the  other  great  denominations  are  Calvinistic 
and  Lutheran  in  their  deepest  traditions.  These  systems 
arose  in  the  sixteenth  century.  They  belong  to  a  pre- 
scientific  age  which  was  still  dark  theologically.  There 
is  no  great  philosophical  voice  expressing  today  their 
fundamental  tenets.  Only  retarded  theologians  speak 
their  language.  An  extreme  supernaturalism  and  an 
impossible  doctrine  of  revelation  and  of  ecclesiastical 
authority  underlie  them.  Their  emotional  reactions  run 
with  these  ideas.  To  them  science  is  only  secularism. 
Social  welfare  and  practical  religion  are  to  them  only 
'good  works.'  True  salvation  comes  from  the  substitu- 
tionary atonement  of  an  utterly  unique  incarnated  diety. 
The  Church  is  held  to  be  other  worldly  and  against  the 
world.  Their  impossible  doctrine  of  man  is  that  of  an 
inherently  sinful  and  lost  creature  who  can  be  redeemed 
only  by  a  miracle  of  divine  grace." 

The  Campbells  and  their  follov>^ers,  according  to 
this  group  of  Disciples,  rose  up  in  rebellion  against 


THE  SCROLL 229 

all  such  theological  monstrosities.  It  was  their  pur- 
pose to  bring  Christianity  up  abreast  of  the  new 
knowledge  and  new  concepts  which  science  and 
philosophy  had  made  possible.  To  quote  Dr.  Ames 
further : 

"In  contrast  to  this  archaic  scheme  the  Disciples  are 
an  outgrowth  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  great  cen- 
tury of  new  discoveries  and  of  new  evaluations  of  reli- 
gion and  of  human  life.  It  was  an  age  which  in  the  great 
representative  minds  rejected  the  old  metaphysics  and 
theologies.  Its  deep  motivations  were  in  the  direction  of 
change  and  process  instead  of  fixity  and  unalterable 
species.  Human  welfare  and  happiness  were  its  ideals. 
The  possible  renovation  of  the  state,  of  education,  and 
of  religion  were  its  faith.  .  .  ." 

William  James  and  John  Dewey  are  spokesmen  of 
this  intellectual  revolution  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
an  empiricism  which — rooted  in  Locke  and  Mill — 
has  flowed  in  "a  new  and  far  reaching  interpretation 
of  science,  education,  democracy  and  religion." 

Squarely  in  the  current  of  this  empirical  stream 
would  Dr.  Ames  place  the  Disciples  so  far  as  their 
"significant  traits"  are  concerned.    "They,"  he  says, 

"rejected  the  old  theology  and  metaphysics,  root  and 
branch.  Empiricism,  common  sense,  democracy,  and 
practical  religious  faith  are  their  native  air.  They  did 
not  teach  human  depravity  nor  the  necessity  of  miracu- 
lous regeneration.  The  language  God  spoke  in  his  Word 
was  intelligible  to  man's  imderstanding  when  applied 
with  devotion  and  with  ordinary  rules  of  human  speech. 
The  essential  thing  in  becoming  a  Christian  was  to 
believe  in  Christ  in  a  practical  way  and  to  follow  the 
spirit  of  his  life  and  teaching.  Doctrines  of  his  deity, 
of  his  vicarious  atonement,  of  his  miracles,  wei'e  never 
made  conditions  of  participation  in  the  fellowship  and 
work  of  his  followers.  Common  men  had  sufficient  ap- 
preciation of  goodness  and  greatness  to  respond  to 
him  if  they  were  given  adequate  knowledge  and  under- 
standing of  him.  Men  should  have  reasons  for  their 
faith.  They  should  be  co-workers  for  their  own  salva- 
tion. God  could  not  save  them  without  their  own  free- 
will desire  and  endeavor,  and  the  works  of  saved  men 
were  the  fruits  of  their  lives.     Conversion  arose  from 


230 THE  SCROLL 

knowledge  and  persuasion,  not  from  hysterics  or  blind 
faith."' 

The  first  of  these  views  of  the  origin  of  the  Dis- 
ciples is  the  naive  one  adopted  by  practically  all  peo- 
ple in  the  more  fanatical  Christian  sects  and  need 
not  detain  us.  The  second,  however,  if  it  can  be  ac- 
cepted as  a  true  picture  of  the  beginnings  of  the  Dis- 
ciples and  their  aims  as  a  movement,  is  of  such  im- 
portance in  American  Church  history  as  to  be 
sensational.  It  is  certainly  true  that  unbiased 
church  historians  have  accorded  the  movement  no 
such  recognition  as  is  here  claimed  for  it  and  their 
failure  to  do  so  would  constitute  an  oversight  of 
greatest  significance  if  its  soundness  can  be  demon- 
strated. 

The  fact  seems  to  be  that  the  second  view  has 
much  truth  in  it,  but  leaves  many  essential  points 
out  of  account.  Few  local  congregations  of  Dis- 
ciples, for  example,  evidence  many  characteristics 
of  a  tradition  at  once  so  rational  and  so  practical 
as  that  which  Dr.  Ames  describes. 

Nor  does  such  a  view  account  for  many  other  ele- 
ments to  be  found  within  the  tradition  and  practice 
of  the  Disciples  today.  To  one  familiar  with  such 
tradition  and  practice  a  long  list  of  objections  arises 
at  once  in  the  mind — as,  for  example : 

1.  Such  a  view  depends  too  much  on  the  theology 
of  the  Campbells  and  does  not  take  sufficient  notice 
of  conditions  which  produced  the  Springfield  Pres- 
bytery, and  many  independent  congregations  which, 
quite  apart  from  any  influence  from  the  Campbells 
or  the  movement,  sought  to  find  a  pattern  for  the 
Primitive  or  Apostolic  Church  and  severed  their  de- 
nominational connections  and  changed  their  worship 
to  conform  to  that  which  they  professed  to  see  in 
the  New  Testament. 

2.  Such  a  view  gives  slight  consideration  if  any 


IE.  S.  Ames,  "Peculiarities  of  the  Disciples,"  The  Scroll, 
June  1937,  pp.  289-291. 


THE  SCROLL 231 

to  the  remarkable  and  spontaneous  response  which 
was  made  to  the  preaching  of  Disciple  leaders  wher- 
ever they  appeared — a  fact  which  indicates  that  the 
ideas  they  preached  had  a  familiar  ring — that  they 
were  already  in  the  popular  mind  and  needed  simply 
to  be  voiced  with  conviction  to  be  accepted.  The 
experience  of  Elder  John  Smith  is  an  excellent  exam- 
ple of  the  reception  which  this  "new  gospel"  found 
in  troubled  hearts  which  had  already  reached  es- 
sentially the  same  position  before  learning  that 
many  other  men  had  also  embraced  it. 

3.  Such  a  view  does  not  sufficiently  account  for 
the  basic"  and  dominant  traits  of  the  present  genera- 
tion of  the  Disciples.  It  does  not  explain  their  stiff- 
necked  "liberalism"  which  stands  like  an  immovable 
wall  blocking  all  progress  toward  their  cherished 
hope  of  Christian  Union.  It  does  not  account  for 
their  penchant  for  "looking  backward"  with  a  law- 
yer's mind  to  the  "rules"  of  the  New  Testament — 
their  static,  legalistic  thinking  about  religion  and 
their  half  magical  concern  for  the  forms  of  New 
Testament  ceremonies.  Thus  it  becomes  apparent 
that  the  theology  and  practice  of  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  is  much  less  rationalistic  and  empirical  in 
character  than  this  view  of  the  more  liberal  mem- 
bers of  the  communion  would  indicate. 

4.  Moreover,  this  contention  is  based  on  a  view 
of  early  American  Protestantism  which  fails  to  in- 
clude the  fact  that  American  Protestantism  from  its 
beginning  was  in  revolt  against  Calvin  and  the 
rigorous  and  depressing  dogmas  of  the  Institutes,  as 
I  shall  attempt  to  show.  It  is  also  unfair  to  the 
other  major  Protestant  bodies  in  America  today  who 
are  neither  so  "theologically  dark"  nor  so  other- 
worldly in  their  programs  for  world  reconstruction 
as  this  view  would — if  carried  out  to  its  logical  con- 
clusions— have  us  assume. 

We  do  have  an  example  of  an  American  religious 
communion  which  originated  in  the  way  that  Dr. 


232 THE  SCROLL 

Ames  likes  to  think  the  Disciples  did — that  is  the 
liberal  Congregational  churches  which  finally  came 
together  under  the  name  of  Unitarians, 

Because  of  their  clear-cut  empirical  tradition, 
Unitarians  are  homogenous  and  united  so  far  as 
religious  dogma  and  creedal  requirements  are  con- 
cerned. Unlike  Disciples,  they  have  fairly  consistent 
and  harmonious  views  on  such  points  as  the  person 
of  Jesus,  the  nature  of  the  church,  the  meaning  of 
salvation  and  the  means  of  attaining  it,  etc.,  and 
this  harmony  comes  not  from  an  external  creed  or 
statement  of  principles  so  much  as  it  arises  from  the 
very  unanimity  of  purpose  and  belief  which  carries 
over  from  their  beginnings. 

The  qualities,  however,  for  which  Dr.  Ames 
searches  so  diligently  among  the  Disciples — and 
which  are  so  unmistakably  to  be  found  among  the 
Unitarians — have  not  given  the  Unitarian  Church 
either  the  numbers  or  influence  in  the  contemporary 
religious  world  which  the  Congregational,  Disciple, 
or  Presbyterian  churches  hold.  Evidently  then,  the 
Disciples  have  qualities  other  than  their  *'sweet  rea- 
sonableness" and  their  empirical  approach  to  re- 
ligion which  have  been  responsible  for  their  growth 
and  influence. 

Either  we  must  conclude  then  that  the  Disciples 
attained  much  greater  enthusiasm  and  evangelistic 
appeal  than  did  the  Unitarians  with  their  rationalis- 
tic and  empirical  approach — or  we  must  conclude 
that  the  majority  of  converts  to  the  Disciple  posi- 
tion did  not  understand  what  they  were  being  con- 
verted to.  Moreover,  if  we  grant  the  founding  fa- 
thers the  conscious  purpose  and  objectivity  with 
which  Dr.  Ames  endows  them — if  they  were  con- 
scious, in  other  words,  of  their  radically  different 
scientific  and  empirical  approach  to  religion — we 
would  have  to  assume  that  they  permitted  thousands 
of  men  to  come  into  their  movement  without  fully 
appreciating  and  understanding  it  and  that  they 


THE  SCROLL 233 

made  little  effort  to  acquaint  them  with  their  pe- 
culiar point  of  view. 

Dr.  Ames  could  refute  this  by  saying  that  the 
unique  quality  of  the  Disciples  was  their  willingness 
to  allow  the  neophyte  to  choose  for  himself  whether 
to  favor  the  unitarian  position  or  the  trinitarian^— 
whether  to  style  himself  a  religious  naturalist  or  a 
devotee  of  the  Calvinistic  or  orthodox  tradition.  The 
unique  quality  of  the  early  Disciple  in  that  case  was 
not  his  scientific  or  empirical  approach  to  religion — 
it  was  rather  his  toleration  of  differences  of  opinion, 
a  quality  that  Roger  Williams  so  eloquently  stated  in 
his  The  Bloudy  Tenent  in  1644.  Tolerance,  then,  not 
reason  primarily  nor  legalism  at  all,  made  the  Dis- 
ciples grow. 

It  was  their  "common  sense"  point  of  view  which 
refused  to  admit  that  God  would  make  himself 
known  through  ''a  fit  of  the  jerks"  and  which,  at  the 
same  time,  refused  to  depend  on  rarified  rationalis- 
tic arguments  about  the  nature  of  Deity,  but  which 
allowed  neither  of  these  extreme  positions  in  others 
to  mark  persons  holding  them  as  unfit  for  common 
worship  and  fellowship — that  made  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  sweep  across  the  frontier  country.  But 
whence  came  that  "common  sense"  view  of  religion 
which  made  such  doctrine  so  easily  acceptable  to  the 
lawyers,  school  teachers,  young  preachers,  farmers, 
and  merchants  of  frontier  hamlets  ?  To  answer  that 
question  we  must  go  back  of  the  preaching  of  the 
early  Disciples  to  the  beginnings  of  American  Prot- 
estantism. We  must  see  what  produced  that  reli- 
gious culture,  divided  and  bizarre  as  it  was,  which 
the  Campbells  found  on  their  arrival  in  America. 

American  Protestantism  began  as  a  revolt  against 
certain  established  ecclesiastical  and  political  ideas 
in  England  and  made  this  continent  its  home  in  an 
effort  to  escape  from  the  implications  of  those  ideas. 
Because  the  Puritans  were  at  odds  with  the  Anglican 
hierarchy  in  England  and  emigrated  rather  than 


234 THE  SCROLL 

submit  to  the  requirements  of  that  hierarchy,  it  has 
been  loosely  assumed  that  they  were  a  stiff-necked, 
fanatical  people  whose  narrow  and  unyielding  theol- 
ogy threw  them  into  sharp  contrast  with  the  com- 
paratively urbane  and  tolerant  Anglicans. 

It  is  now,  however,  an  established  fact  that  Puri- 
tan and  Anglican  were  not  so  sharply  divided  as  has 
been  assumed.  On  practically  all  points  of  their 
basic  theologies  they  were  one.  In  a  recent  volume, 
for  example,  we  find  the  following  excellent  sum- 
mary of  points  on  which  they  were  in  agreement : 

"Both  the  Anglican  and  Puritan  were  at  one  in  con- 
ceiving of  man  as  sinful,  they  both  beheld  him  chained 
and  enslaved  by  evil  until  liberated  by  the  redeeming 
grace  of  Christ.  They  both  believed  that  the  visible 
universe  w^as  under  God's  direct  and  continuous  guid- 
ance, and  that — though  effects  seemed  to  be  produced 
by  natural  causes — what  at  that  time  were  called 
'secondary  causes' — the  actual  government  of  the  mi- 
nutest event,  the  rise  of  the  sun,  the  fall  of  a  stone, 
the  beat  of  the  heart,  was  under  the  direct  and  imme- 
diate supervision  of  God."^ 

"In  its  major  aspects  the  religious  creed  of  Puritan- 
ism was  neither  peculiar  to  the  Puritans  nor  different 
from  that  of  the  Anglicans.  Both  were  essentially 
Protestant;  both  asserted  that  men  were  saved  by  their 
faith,  not  by  their  deeds.  The  two  sides  could  agree  on 
the  general  statement  that  Christians  are  bound  to  be- 
lieve nothing  but  what  the  Gospel  teaches,  that  all  tra- 
ditions of  men  'contrary  to  the  word  of  God'  are  to  be 
renounced  and  abhorred.  They  both  believed  that  the 
marks  of  a  true  church  were  profession  of  the  creed, 
use  of  Christ's  sacraments,  preaching  of  the  word — 
Anglican  sermons  being  as  long  and  often  as  dull  as 
the  Puritan — and  the  union  of  men  in  profession  and 
practice  under  regularly  constituted  pastors  .  .  .'"^ 

".  .  .  even  while  fighting  bitterly  against  each  other, 
the  Puritans  and  Anglicans  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder 
against  what  they  called  'enthusiasm.'  The  leaders  of 
the  Puritan  movement  were  trained  at  the  universities, 
they  were  men  of  learning  and  scholars;   no  less  than 


^Op.  cit.,  p.  9. 

^Miller  and  Johnson,  The  Puritayis,   (New  York  and  Cin- 
cinnati, 1938),  p.  8. 


THE  SCROLL 235 

the  Anglicans  did  they  demand  that  religion  be  inter- 
preted by  study  and  logical  exposition;  they  were  both 
resolute  against  all  pretences  to  immediate  revelation, 
against  all  ignorant  men  who  claimed  to  receive  per- 
sonal instructions  from  God.  They  agreed  on  the  essen- 
tial Christian  contention  that  though  God  may  govern 
the  world,  He  is  not  the  world  itself,  and  that  though 
He  instills  His  grace  into  men,  He  does  not  deify  them 
or  unite  them  to  Himself  in  one  personality.  He  con- 
verses with  men  only  through  His  revealed  word,  the 
Bible.  His  will  is  to  be  studied  in  the  operation  of  His 
providence  as  exhibited  in  the  workings  of  the  natural 
world,  but  He  delivers  no  new  commands  or  special 
revelations  to  the  inward  consciousness  of  men."" 

Thus  when  we  survey  Puritan  and  Anglican  from 
the  perspective  of  three  centuries  their  thought 
seems  to  merge: 

"Against  all  forms  of  chaotic  emotionalism,  against  all 
over-simplification  of  theology,  learning,  philosophy, 
and  science,  against  all  materialism,  positivism  or 
mechanism,  both  were  endeavoring  to  uphold  a  sym- 
metrical union  of  heart  and  head  without  impairment 
of  either."3 

What  then  accounted  for  the  bitter  struggle  be- 
tween the  Puritan  and  Anglican  which  led,  in  the 
frantic  years  between  1620  and  1640,  to  mass  exo- 
dus to  unknown  shores  in  an  unexplored  wilder- 
ness?    If  in  the  broad  outlines  of  their  theology, 
faith,   and   culture   they   were   one,    why   was   the 
struggle  into  which  they  entered  so  uncompromis- 
ing?   The  source  of  their  difference  was  the  Bible's 
place  in  the  faith  and  order  of  the   Church — the 
same  issue  which  had  been  so   important  in  the 
Reformation,  As  Miller  and  Johnson  summarize  it: 
"the  Puritan  thought  the  Bible  .   .   .  the  word  of  God 
from  one  end  to  the  other,  a  complete  body  of  laws,  an 
absolute  code  in  everything  it  touched  upon;  the  Angli- 
can  thought  this   a   rigid,   doctrinaire,  and  utterly  un- 
justifiable extension  of  the  authority  of  scripture.  The 
Puritan  held  that  the  Bible  was  sufficiently  plain  and 
explicit  so  that  men  with  the  proper  learning,  follow- 


^Ibid.,  p.  10. 
^Ibid.,  p.  11. 


236 THE  SCROLL 

ing  the  proper  rules  of  deduction  and  interpretation, 
could  establish  its  meaning  and  intention  on  every  sub- 
ject, not  only  in  theology,  but  in  ethics,  costume,  diplo- 
macy, military  tactics,  inheritances,  profits,  marriages, 
and  judicial  procedure.  The  Anglican  position,  set 
forth  supremely  in  Richard  Hooker's  Of  the  Laws  of 
Ecclesiastical  Polity,  was  simply  that  the  Bible  is  God's 
revealed  word  only  on  the  broad  principles  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  that  in  all  minor  matters  God  has  not 
intended  to  set  up  ironclad  rules  for  men,  but  to  leave 
them  to  the  discretion  of  their  reason,  to  the  considera- 
tion of  circumstances  and  propriety,  to  the  determina- 
ion  of  proportion  and  dencency.  .  .  ."^ 

Another  fancied  discovery  of  the  Puritan  (and, 
incidentally,  of  the  Campbells  and  the  Disciples 
centuries  later)  was  that  the  Scriptures  contained 
the  perfect  constitution  for  the  organization  of  the 
visible  church.  This  the  Anglican  denied  and  Rich- 
ard Hooker  wrote  his  treatise  on  the  laws  of  eccle- 
siastical polity  to  disprove  it,  asserting  that  there 
were  ''many  kinds  of  laws  which  men  were  to  fol- 
low in  different  connections,  and  that  in  ecclesias- 
tical government  they  were  not  to  follow  the  Bible 
at  all." 

American  Protestantism  developed  under  frontier 
conditions.  Freed  from  the  restraints  of  tradition, 
environment,  and  the  established  political  and  eccle- 
siastical checks  of  the  Old  World,  and  subject  to 
and  participating  in  the  economy  and  political 
thought  of  a  democracy  based  on  revolutionary 
principles,  it  inevitably  developed  in  the  direction 
of  greater  freedom  for  the  individual,  greater  free- 
dom for  schismatical  groups  and  minority  parties, 
and  in  the  direction  of  less  and  less  centralized 
control  in  church  government  which  is  evidenced  by 
the  final  rejection  of  creeds  and  confessions  as  tests 
of  fellotvship. 


^This  issue  when  reduced  to  its  simplest  terms  becomes 
essentially  the  same  issue  which  keeps  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  today  from  carrying  out  their  century-old  plea  of 
Christian  union. 


THE  SCROLL 237 

At  the  heart  of  the  Puritan  logic,  however,  lurked 
always  the  danger  that  individuals  who  had  felt 
the  magical  experience  of  conversion  would  assert 
their  power  to  obtain  immediate  access  to  God  and 
His  infallible  guidance.  Early  attempts  of  such 
antinomian  groups  as  that  led  by  Mrs.  Hutchinson 
were  rigorously  dealt  with  and  so  destroyed — but 
here  lay  the  theological  wedge  that  pointed  to  schism 
and  bitter  controversy. 

American  Puritanism,  contrary  to  popular  as- 
sumption, was  from  its  inception  only  superficially 
Calvinistic.  Basically  it  had  rejected  Calvinism  for 
a  more  practical,  reasonable,  utilitarian  point  of 
view.  In  fact,  it  was  the  effort  to  escape  from  Cal- 
vinism which  led  to  the  formation  of  two  sharply 
conflicting  groups  of  churches.  The  larger  group, 
made  up  of  the  orthodox  Congregationalists,^  the 
Baptists,  the  Presbyterians,  and  the  Methodists,  fled 
in  the  direction  of  expanding  the  concept  of  election 
to  include  more  and  more  of  mankind,  and  of  an  ex- 
perience, divinely  granted,  by  which  the  penitent 
convert  might  become  aware  of  his  ''election"  and 
salvation.     This  led  inevitably  toward  ever-increas- 


^One  of  the  most  common  assumptions  made  about  the 
Puritans  was  that  they  were  unmitigated  Calvinists,  but  the 
truth  is  that  they  were  never  followers  of  Calvin  in  the 
strictest  sense.     In  the  words  of  Miller  and  Johnson: 

"The  theology  of  New  England  was  not  ...  a  mere 
reduplication  of  the  dogmas  of  the  Institutes.  What  New 
Englanders  believed  was  an  outgrowth  ...  of  their 
background,  which  was  humanistic  and  English,  and  it 
was  conditioned  by  their  particular  controversy  with 
the  Church  of  England.  Simon-pure  Calvinism  is  a 
much  more  dogmatic,  anti-rational  creed  than  that  of 
the  Congregational  parsons  in  Massachusetts.  The  emi- 
grants went  to  New  England  to  prove  that  a  state  and 
a  church  erected  on  the  principles  for  which  they  were 
agitating  in  England  would  be  blessed  by  God  and 
prosper.  The  source  of  the  New  England  ideology  is 
not  Calvin,  but  England,  or  more  accurately,  the  Bible 
as  it  was  read  in  England,  not  in  Geneva."  Op.  cit.,  p.  57. 


238 THE  SCROLL 

ing  mystical  experience,  "enthusiasm,"  exaggerated 
emotionalism,  and  the  like. 

In  the  opposite  direction,  men  of  rationalistic 
minds  who  had  caught  the  new  scientific  spirit, 
launched  out  bravely  on  the  uncharted  seas  which 
lead  to  a  purely  empirical  approach  to  religion.  This 
route  led  them  to  the  "New  Calvinists"  and  thence 
to  the  Unitarian  Church,  whence  it  careened  back 
into  Emersonian  transcendentalism  which  made  re- 
ligion a  purely  personal  and  entirely  subjective  re- 
lationship between  the  individual  and  his  God. 

By  1811 — the  year  in  which  the  Campbells  were 
Baptised  afresh  and  the  Brush  Run  Church  founded 
— American  Protestantism  was  divided  into  two  dis- 
tinct streams  of  religious  thought.  Both  represent- 
ed extremes  and  there  were  few  churches  to  uphold 
the  middle  ground,  especially  on  the  frontier  where 
extremes  were  likely  to  be  the  rule. 

Either  a  frank  spirit  of  skepticism  and  irreligion 
dominated  an  individual  or  he  succumbed  to  the  ex- 
aggerated emotionalism  and  mystical  appeal  of  the 
camp  meeting  revival.  On  the  frontier  where  a  set- 
tled clergy  did  not  exist,  the  camp  meeting  satisfied 
the  emotionally  and  socially  hungry  settlers.  Here 
great  throngs  assembled  from  many  miles  around. 
Preachers  worked  in  relays  and  the  services  con- 
tinued throughout  the  days  and  nights.  Peter  Cart- 
wright,  one  of  these  camp-meeting  preachers,  has 
left  us  vivid  accounts  of  the  Methodist  revivals  he 
conducted  and  naively  relates  incidents  that  Metho- 
dism has  long  since  made  impossible  happenings 
within  its  churches.  In  his  The  Backivoods  Preach- 
er he  tells  how  he  publicly  rebuked  a  fellow  minis- 
ter of  the  Presbyterian  Church  for  habitual  drunk- 
enness.   Then,  he  continues : 

"After  I  made  these  statements,  I  felt  that  God  was 
willing  to  bless  the  people  there  and  then ;  and,  raising 
my  voice,  gave  them  as  warm  an  exhortation  as  I  could 
command.  Suddenly  an  awful  power  fell  on  the  con- 
gregation, and  they  instantly  fell  right  and  left,   and 


J 


THE  SCROLL 239 

cried  aloud  for  mercy.  I  suppose  there  were  not  less 
than  thirty  persons  smitten  down;  the  young,  the  old, 
the  middle-aged,  indiscriminately,  were  operated  on  in 
this  way  .  .  . 

"There  were  a  few  scattered  members  of  the  Church 
around  this  place,  who  got  happy  and  shouted  for  joy, 
and  joined  in  and  exhorted  sinners,  and  they  helped 
me  very  much.  Indeed,  our  meeting  lasted  all  night, 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  next  day.  Between  twenty 
and  thirty  professed  religion,  and  joined  the  church; 
and  fully  as  many  more  went  home  under  strong  con- 
viction and  -in  deep  distress  .  .  ." 

The  ''deep  distress"  which  such  emotionalism 
caused  many  of  the  most  devout  souls  was  of  a  char- 
acter quite  different  from  that  which  the  good  cir- 
cuit rider  supposed.  They  believed  that  religion  de- 
manded dignity  and  order.  They  were  hungry  for  a 
message  that  would  permit  them  to  act  like  normal 
human  beings  but  which,  at  the  same  time,  would 
not  break  too  radically  with  the  central  traditions 
of  American  Protestantism  which  their  fathers  and 
grandfathers  had  established.  Such  spirits  accepted 
the  Disciples  with  relief  and  thanksgiving. 

The  Disciples  were  the  Puritans  of  the  Frontier. 
They  had  the  Puritan  love  of  decency  and  good 
order,  they  had  their  devotion  to  the  Bible  as  the 
only  source  of  knowledge  about  God  and  his  church, 
and  they  had  their  literalism,  although  time  had 
freed  them  from  the  folly  of  looking  for  dress  pat- 
terns and  civil  law  in  the  New  Testam^ent.  The  Dis- 
ciples succeeded  because  they  preached  a  return  to 
the  middle  ground  between  the  extremes  to  which 
the  revolters  against  Calvin  had  been  driven. 

The  Disciples,  then,  arose  and  grew  phenomenally 
in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  because 
they  preached  a  creed  and  offered  a  w^orship  which 
were  free  of  the  excesses  and  absurdities  into  which 
the  great  evangelical  bodies  had  plunged  in  their 
headlong  flight  from  the  heartless  determinism  of 
Calvin  and,  at  the  same  time,  they  rejected  the  ex- 
treme rationalism  and  empiricism  which  the  Uni- 


240 THE  SCROLL 

tarians  espoused  and  the  extreme  mysticism  and  in- 
dividualism of  the  transcendental  school. 

They — in  their  devotion  to  Yankee  common  sense 
and  practicability,  their  love  of  argument  and  men- 
tal wrestling  bouts,  their  simplicity  of  creed  and 
worship  which  made  impossible  formal  distinctions 
between  clergy  and  laity,  their  suspicion  of  contem- 
porary scholastics  and  products  of  "theological  semi- 
naries" and  their  reverence  for  the  man  of  clear 
intellect  and  sound  learning,  and  their  practice  of 
admitting  all  to  the  church  who  made  a  simple  state- 
ment of  their  belief  in  its  Founder  sans  all  ornate 
ritualism  or  testimonial  of  extraordinary  experience 
or  lengthy  period  of  probation — fitted  perfectly  the 
frontier  mind. 

They  flourished  on  the  frontier  because  they 
preached  a  religion  for  the  frontier.  It  is  note- 
worthy that  while  they  were  gaining  by  hundreds 
of  thousands  in  the  new  Middle  West,  they  were 
leaving  whole  regions  in  the  more  settled  parts  of 
the  country  untouched.  The  movement  originated 
in  Virginia,  but  made  almost  no  progress  in  Vir- 
ginia in  ante-bellum  days.  They  fitted  into  the  eco- 
nomic and  social  traditions  of  ante-bellum  Virginia 
no  more  than  they  did  those  of  New  England. 

My  conclusion  then  is  that  the  Disciples  grew  to 
be  the  fifth  largest  Protestant  group  in  America 
because  they  arrived  on  the  exact  scene  at  the  exact 
time  when  they  could  succeed.  They  were  frontier 
John  the  Baptists  calling  the  denominations  back 
to  a  sane,  stable  ground.  It  is  noteworthy  that  when 
the  other  evangelical  bodies  abandoned  the  most  un- 
tenable points  of  their  Old  World  theologies  and 
their  extremes  in  emotionalism,  revivalism,  and  mys- 
ticism, the  Disciples  ceased  to  grow  and  largely  lost 
their  influence  among  the  other  religious  commun- 
ions. Just  as  happened  to  the  Unitarians,  their  pro- 
gram of  reform  achieved  a  far  greater  success  than 
they  could  have  hoped  for.    It  was  taken  over  in  its 


THE  SCROLL 241 

essentials  by  the  great  evangelical  bodies.  As  the 
Baptists  and  Presbyterians  surrendered  the  more 
extreme  points  of  Calvinism  and  together  with  the 
Methodists  gave  up  extreme  emotionalism  and  the 
exaggerated  mystical  elements,  the  Disciples  found 
their  appeal  weakened  and  ceased  to  "draw  out" 
large  numbers  from  those  bodies. 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  still  exist  and  grow  but 
they  yearn  for  the  days  of  power  when  they  had 
"a  plea"  and  were  so  much  feared  by  other  denomi- 
nations as  to  be  hated  and  villified.  Their  growth 
now  is  that  of  an  established  traditional  body.  They 
grow,  with  the  population  and  on  the  strength  of 
their  relatively  wide  dispersion  over  the  country. 

But  tiie  Disciples  cannot  again  recover  the  posi- 
tion they  once  held.  They  should  not  wish  to.  For 
to  wish  that  would  be  to  wish  that  Methodism  should 
retreat  into  the  super-heated  emotionalism  and 
mysticism  of  the  past, — that  Baptists  would  return 
to  the  bigoted  (if  outwardly  democratic)  eras  in 
which  their  flight  from  Calvinistic  determinism  led 
them  to  exhibit  at  times  the  most  unlovely  aspects  of 
religious  character. 

What  is,  then,  the  place  of  the  Disciples  today? 
They  have  no  place,  say  the  idealists,  for  they  never 
had  excuse  for  existence  unless  to  make  their  plea 
for  Christian  union.  But  a  great  Christian  commun- 
ion of  1,700,000  souls  needs  no  other  excuse  for  its 
existence  than  the  magnificent  achievements  of  those 
early  decades  and  its  present  national  and  interna- 
tional programs.  But  in  a  larger  sense  the  Disciples 
still  could  play  a  magnificent  role  in  the  cause  which 
drew  Thomas  Campbell  out  of  the  denominations  if 
they  could  hope  to  escape  from  the  curse  which  over- 
takes all  great  bodies  of  people — the  fatal  process  of 
crystallization,  of  mental  and  spiritual  petrification. 
The  Disciples  of  Christ  as  a  denomination  can  save 
its  life  by  losing  it — by  so  generously  and  apos- 
tolically  championing  and  fostering  Christian  union 


242 THE  SCROLL 

as  to  join  with  like-minded  groups  regardless  of 
their  modes  of  worship  or  church  organization,  so 
long  as  they  have  demonstrated  over  a  period  of 
years  that  they  have  acquired  a  spirit  of  tolerance, 
a  freedom  from  creeds  as  tests  of  faith,  and  a  sane 
and  reasonable  emphasis  on  that  which  is  central 
and  abiding  in  the  Christian  tradition. 


Earle  Marion  Todd 

By  Henry  C.  Taylor,  Chicago 
My  acquaintance  with  Earle  M.  Todd  commenced 
on  Sunday,  September  6,  1891.  It  was  at  the  Uni- 
versity Church  of  Christ;  Dr.  Todd  was  the  min- 
ister. It  was  my  first  Sunday  in  Des  Moines  at  the 
beginning  of  my  student  career.  The  symbolism  of 
the  sermon  that  morning  was  drawn  from  his  ob- 
servations of  the  crowds  at  the  state  fair,  which  had 
dominated  the  life  of  Des  Moines  the  previous 
week,  and  had  to  do  with  purposef  ulness  or  purpose- 
lessness  in  the  activity  of  individuals  and  of  groups 
of  people. 

Dr.  Todd's  relation  to  the  students  at  Drake  Uni- 
versity was  most  wholesome.  He  was  open-minded 
and  sympathetic  v/ith  those  who  were  having  diffi- 
culty in  conserving  the  essential  truth  in  the  old  tra- 
ditions at  a  time  when  their  minds  were  being 
opened  to  the  whole  field  of  modern  science.  I  recall 
his  recommending  Drummond's  "Natural  Law  in  the 
Spiritual  World"  to  a  friend  of  mine  who  seemed  to 
be  especially  bewildered.  It  was  with  much  regret 
that  I  listened  to  the  sermon  in  which  he  said  good- 
bye to  the  people  of  his  parish  and  to  the  students  at 
Drake  University  prior  to  going  to  Chester,  Eng- 
land, to  occupy  the  pulpit  his  father  had  formerly 
filled.  His  father,  Marion  David  Todd,  was  sent  to 
England  by  the  F.C.M.S.  about  1880.    He  was  a  co- 


THE  SCROLL 243 

worker  with  Henry  S.  Earl  and  W.  T.  Moore  in  es- 
tablishing the  cause  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in 
England. 

I  renewed  my  acquaintance  with  the  Todds  on 
Sunday,  September  24,  1899,  in  London.  Dr.  Todd 
was  preaching  twice  each  Sunday  to  large  audi- 
ences in  the  West  London  Tabernacle.  After  the 
Sunday  morning  service  the  Todds  asked  me  home 
with  them  for  dinner,  and  for  the  next  four  months 
I  was  not  only  a  regular  attendant  of  the  West  Lon- 
don Tabernacle,  but  a  very  frequent  guest  at  the 
home  of  the  Todds.  I  spent  the  winter  attending  the 
London  School  of  Economics  and  doing  research 
work  in  the  library  of  the  British  Museum,  but  the 
dominant  influence  in  my  life  during  that  winter  in 
London  was  the  wisdom  of  the  sermons  which  I 
heard  and  the  kindliness  of  this  family.  A  lifetime 
friendship  was  established. 

On  December  31,  1899,  I  wrote  my  parents  as  fol- 
lows: 

"Then  I  spent  the  day  with  the  Todds.  I  had  a 
most  enjoyable  time.  I  assure  you  I  can  never  be 
too  grateful  for  their  friendship.  I  go  regularly  to 
their  church  and  often  stay  with  them  until  night 
services.  I  never  knew — one  can  not  know  without 
experience,  travel  and  observation,  how  much  such 
friends  and  a  church  home  mean  to  one." 

At  the  end  of  January  I  left  London  for  Ger- 
many. After  two  semesters  in  German  Universities, 
I  returned  to  London  on  Friday,  February  1,  1901. 
This  was  the  day  before  the  funeral  of  Queen  Vic- 
toria and  the  hotels  were  filled  to  capacity.  After 
searching  for  a  place  to  stay,  I  finally  gave  up  and 
called  upon  the  Todds,  who  took  me  in  for  the  week- 
end. Earle,  Flora  and  I  went  to  Hyde  Park  the 
next  morning  to  see  the  funeral  procession.  A  let- 
ter to  my  parents  dated  February  4,  1901,  carries 
the  following: 

*'I  am  once  more  in  London.  I  came  last  Friday; 


244 THE  SCROLL 

saw  the  funeral  procession  and  am  with  Mother 
Todd  at  present.  Mrs,  Todd  doesn't  want  me  to  go 
into  lodgings  again — she  had  seen  what  a  hole  I 
lived  in  before  and  has  arranged  for  me  to  live  with 
one  of  the  deacons  of  the  church.  .  .  .  Mrs.  Todd 
offered  to  take  me  in  here  but  I  could  not  allow  her 
to  do  that  for  it  is  too  great  a  kindness.  ...  I  am 
about  to  join  a  gymnasium.  Brother  Todd  and  I 
shall  go  together.  ...  No  words  can  express  the  kind- 
ness of  these  friends  here.  Mrs.  Todd  was  much 
pleased  to  have  the  letter  from  you." 

I  resumed  my  work  and  everything  went  well  for 
a  few  weeks  and  then  came  the  paralyzing  news  of 
the  death  of  my  mother.  At  this  difficult  period  of 
my  life  the  Todds  were  most  helpful  in  every  way. 
The  abundance  of  their  sympathy  was  equalled  only 
by  their  intelligence  in  helping  me  to  get  myself  in 
hand.  The  same  letter  brought  the  news  that  my 
father  was  in  ill  health.  I  wanted  to  return  at  once. 
The  lack  of  adequate  address  on  the  letter  transmit- 
ting funds  resulted  in  my  being  without  money.  The 
Todds  volunteered  to  lend  me  enough  to  pay  my 
bills  and  buy  a  ticket  home,  which  I  gratefully  ac- 
cepted. 

In  the  years  that  followed  I  kept  in  touch  with  the 
Todds  through  intermittent  correspondence.  In 
1913  Brother  Todd  and  Flora  visited  me  at  Madi- 
son, Wisconsin.  I  visited  them  in  their  home  near 
Harlingen  in  the  lower  Rio  Grande  Valley,  in  1919. 
Dr.  Todd  had  resigned  his  position  as  President  of 
Culver-Stockton  College  in  1917  to  accept  a  position 
as  social  welfare  director  in  a  new  colony  that  was 
being  established  in  the  Valley.  It  soon  transpired 
that  his  idealism  had  been  imposed  upon,  and  within 
a  short  time  he  was  giving  his  attention  to  the  pro- 
duction of  an  orange  grove  and  the  commercial  pro- 
duction of  orange  seedlings.  I  was  much  impressed 
with  the  way  in  which  he  prepared  the  soil  for  his 
nursery  plantings.     It  corresponded  perfectly  with 


THE  SCROLL 245 

the  thoroughness  with  which  he  had  always  pre- 
pared his  sermons.  These  activities  brought  him  a 
competence  for  many  years,  during  which  he  main- 
tained his  religious,  cultural,  and  literary  interests 
and  wielded  a  wide  influence  in  the  Valley. 

My  last  visit  with  Earle  Todd  and  his  sister  Flora 
was  in  April,  1936,  but  through  correspondence  I 
knew  of  his  clearness  of  mind  and  continued  interest 
in  local,  national,  and  world  affairs  and  of  his  per- 
ennial hope  that  the  spirit  of  the  teachings  of  Christ 
may  more  and  more  dominate  the  interrelations  of 
men.  I  wish  to  join  with  Alva  Taylor  in  his  state- 
ment in  a  recent  letter  regarding  Earle  M.  Todd,  in 
which  Alva  says:  "He  was  one  of  the  rarest  spirits 
I  ever  knew." 


More  Than  a  Pat  on  the  Back 

By  Paul  Wassenich,  Hicksville,  Ohio 
Many  of  the  more  liberal  men  who  have  come 
out  of  our  seminaries  in  the  last  two  decades  have 
been  occupied  with  enlarging  the  outlook  of  the  self- 
satisfied  Christians  of  this  period.  They  felt,  and 
rightfully  so,  that,  without  a  more  critical  and 
rational  attitude  toward  religion,  laymen  could 
never  develop  religious  loyalties  of  sufficient 
strength  to  cope  with  the  trials  of  this  period.  Fur- 
thermore, they  were  bent  on  preaching  the  truth.  It 
is  certainly  true  that  we  have  only  begun  to  scratch 
the  surface  in  this  matter  of  higher  criticism.  There 
is  much  work  to  be  done  before  our  people  get  be- 
yond superstitious  attitudes  toward  the  Bible. 

But  the  crying  need  of  our  time  is  something  else. 
It  cries  to  us  from  empty  pews  and  from  the  lazy 
hands  of  indifferent  Christians  and  from  the  half- 
hearted efforts  of  Sunday  school  teachers  who  don't 
have  anything  that  their  children  might  "catch" 
much  less  anything  that  they  might  learn. 
While  the  Church  is  in  this  condition  other  agen- 


246 THE  SCROLL 

cies  such  as  the  public  schools,  the  movies,  the  radio 
entertainers,  the  government  agencies,  civic  clubs, 
and  business  establishments  are  administering  pro- 
grams that  are  far  more  carefully  planned  and  exe- 
cuted and  are  attracting  people  away  from  the 
churches  to  an  amazing  degree.  As  a  matter  of  fact 
the  liberal  minister  has  often  aided  these  various 
competitors  of  the  church  by  breaking  down  taboos 
against  them.  The  minister  has  ''liberated"  his  peo- 
ple from  any  feeling  that  it  is  important  to  go  to 
church  rather  than  the  movie,  to  attend  Sunday 
school  and  church  rather  than  go  fishing  or  hunting. 
In  "liberating"  these  folk  from  church  practices 
that  we  called  ''taboos"  we  failed  to  teach  them  the 
distinction  between  liberty  and  license.  Whereas  we 
released  the  pressure  to  attend  the  functions  of  the 
church,  these  other  agencies — movies,  schools,  radio, 
entertainments,  business,  etc.  have  all  increased 
their  pressure  tremendously.  The  adolescent  today 
has  ten  times  the  psychological  pressure  to  spend  his 
time  in  thrilling,  exciting  and  I  might  add,  useless 
or  harmful,  activities  as  adolescents  of  ten  and  fif- 
teen years  ago.  Not  only  did  we  "liberate"  folk 
from  more  socially  constructive  taboos  and  pres- 
sures, but  we  failed  to  give  them  a  sufficiently  effec- 
tive and  dynamic  religious  philosophy  to  meet  the 
situation.  We  liberals  talked  much  about  a  "posi- 
tive" outlook.  We  were  going  to  replace  the  "Thou 
shalt  not"  of  the  Ten  Commandments  with  certain 
"Thou  shalt"  teachings.  Somehow,  we  have  failed 
to  incorporate  any  sufficiently  attractive  "positive" 
teachings  to  inspire  the  "liberated"  souls.  We  have 
followed  the  psychological  principle  of  "lowering 
the  conscience  threshold"  when  that  conscience 
threshold  is  probably  the  dike  that  holds  back  the 
bestial  behavior  patterns  of  our  more  primitive 
nature. 

It  seems  to  me  that  those  folk  who  are  supporting 
our  churches  are  either  (a)  Conservatives  who 
wouldn't  convert  to  liberalism  or  (b)  liberals  who 
were  thoroughly  converted.     The  former  group  is 


THE  SCROLL 247 

much  more  numxerous.  The  two  groups  together 
are  not  an  imposing  group.  They  constitute  a  small 
minority  of  the  people.  They  are  frequently  ridi- 
culed for  their  connection  with  the  church,  often  by 
some  of  those  "liberated"  souls  mentioned  above. 
Instead  of  more  "liberation"  what  they  need  is  a 
positive  m.essage.  They  need  encouragement  in  do- 
ing good  that  is  more  than  just  a  "pat  on  the  back." 
They  need  a  firm  conviction,  ably  and  forcefully  re- 
iterated, that  "God  is  on  the  side  of  the  angels." 
They  need  assurance  that  there  is  purpose  to  this 
moral  struggle  and  that  it  is  not  they  alone  holding 
this  colossal  world  on  their  shoulders  unaided,  be- 
cause it  frequently  seems  that  this  old  world  is  not 
worth  holding  up.  It  may  as  well  be  chucked  into 
the  stratosphere. 

I  submit,  therefore,  that  the  need  of  the  day  is 
positive  preaching.  I  agree  in  spirit  with  the  clos- 
ing chapter  of  Edwin  Lewis'  The  Faith  We  Declare. 
We  must  preach  beyond  our  ability  to  prove.  We 
will  be  forced  to  use  language  we  know  is  likely  to 
be  misconstrued  by  those  of  the  "old  school,"  but  we 
must  be  positively  building  a  virile,  militant  faith  in 
the  hearts  of  our  converts  or  they  will  ail  fade  out 
on  us.  On  this  basis  we  sometimes  discover  that  we 
have  some  very  strange  bedfellows.  However,  I 
would  rather  have  a  conservative  agree  with  me 
(without  fully  understanding  my  remarks)  and 
really  perform  the  "works"  than  to  have  a  liberal 
agree  with  me,  fully  understanding,  and  doing  noth- 
ing about  it.  "By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them" 
is  too  pragmatic  to  be  overlooked  either  by  conser- 
vatives or  liberals. 


Who  has  seen  the  wind? 

Neither  you  nor  I : 

But  when  the  trees  bow  down  their  heads, 

The  wind  is  passing  by. 

Christina  Georgina  Rossetti, 


248 . THE  SCROLL 

In  a  Minister's  Workshop 

By  Lloyd  V.  Channels,  Peoria,  Illinois 

The  Alden-Tuthill  Lectures  at  the  Chicago  Theo- 
logical Seminary  were  given  this  year  by  Halford  E. 
Luccock,  Professor  of  Homiletics  in  Yale  Divinity 
School.  The  lectures  were  a  feature  of  the  Semi- 
nary's annual  minister's  week  program  which  at- 
tracted two  hundred  and  fifty  ministers  of  twelve 
different  denominations.  Under  the  general  topic, 
In  a  Minister's  Workshop.  Professor  Luccock  dis- 
cussed the  preacher's  background  in  the  Bible,  the 
preacher's  resources  in  literature,  and  the  preacher's 
realism  in  current  life.  For  three  successive  eve- 
nings eager  listeners  filled  the  auditorium,  laughed 
at  the  speaker's  witty  remarks,  went  away  discuss- 
ing his  fertile  ideas. 

Early  in  his  career  as  a  preacher.  Dr.  Luccock 
found,  as  so  many  other  preachers  have  found,  that 
when  he  put  aside  the  Bible  he  shut  out  the  most 
fruitful  source  of  dramatic  homiletic  material.  The 
Bible  is  filled  with  stories  which  come  from  real  life, 
which  have  "the  color  of  the  ground,  of  the  red 
earth."    It  is  made  up  of  the  elemental  stuff  of  life. 

To  recommend  the  use  of  the  Bible  in  preaching 
is  not  to  urge  upon  our  generation  the  expository 
preaching  of  the  past.  Most  expository  preaching, 
said  Luccock,  died  for  a  very  good  reason:  "it  had 
paralysis,  a  weak  heart,  and  a  clot  on  the  brain."  A 
Bible  sermon  should  never  stay  in  Palestine;  if  it 
begins  there  it  ought  to  end  in  St.  Louis,  or  Peoria, 
or  Kansas  City. 

Dr.  Luccock  warned  preachers  against  reading 
the  Bible  solely  for  the  sake  of  finding  sermon  ma- 
terial. The  preacher  ought  to  cultivate  a  life-long 
habit  of  reading  that  is  dissociated  from  whatever 
immediate  sermon  or  problem  he  is  working  on. 
Most  certainly  he  should  not  wait  until  Saturday 
night  and  then  turn  to  the  Bible  as  a  last  resort  for 
his  sermon.    Bible  stories,  because  they  come  from 


THE  SCROLL 249 

real  life,  make  preaching  more  vivid.  They  make  a 
sermon  move,  give  it  the  quality  of  real  life.  They 
are  so  simple  that  "they  are  like  empty  cups  for 
people  to  fill  with  their  ov^n  needs  and  experiences 
and  drink  over  and  over  again  through  the  years." 

The  greatest  value  of  literature  is  what  it  does 
for  the  preacher  himself,  rather  than  what  it  may 
do  directly  for  his  sermon.  The  aim  of  reading  is 
not  to  provide  "little  bricks  for  sermonic  houses," 
but  rather  to  stimulate  the  imagination  and  increase 
the  understanding.  Contemporary  literature  is  a 
fever  thermometer,  enabling  the  minister  to  feel  the 
pulse  of  his  time. 

Literature  is  also  a  prolific  source  of  good  texts, 
such  as  Paul's  cry  in  Christ  in  Concrete,  "Now! 
Now!  I  want  salvation  now!"  Or  the  discovery  in 
Grapes  of  Wrath  that  more  power  comes  to  the 
downtrodden  when  they  learn  to  say  "we"  instead  of 
"L"  Or  Susan's  cry  in  S2.isa7i  and  God,  "I  wish  I'd 
never  heard  of  God,"  because  the  thought  of  God  is 
sometimes  very  inconvenient. 

In  his  final  lecture  Professor  Luccock  urged  upon 
preachers  the  importance  of  being  realistic  and  con- 
crete. As  ministers  of  Christ  we  want  to  bring  the 
gospel  to  bear  upon  the  concrete  issues  of  our  world 
and  our  time.  We  must  not  be  satisfied  with  "love- 
ly, but  sterile  sermons."  It  is  high  time,  said  Luc- 
cock, that  we  banish  the  apologetic  mood  about  the 
economic  and  social  realism  of  Jesus.  In  a  day  when 
civilization  is  going  to  pieces  because  of  skepticism 
about  the  validity  of  the  words  of  Jesus,  we  have 
no  business  crouching  in  corners  defending  the 
thesis  that  there  might  be  something  worthwhile  in 
the  teaching  of  Jesus  if  they  are  broadly  considered. 
His  words  must  be  specifically  considered,  and  the 
light  of  his  gospel  turned  into  the  dark  corners  of 
our  social  and  economic  life. 

This  sort  of  preaching  is  often  dangerous.  If  we 
go  out  for  something  big  in  the  way  of  reform  we 


250         THE  SCROLL 

are  in  for  something  big  in  the  way  of  trouble.  Spe- 
cifically, Luccock  pointed  out,  there  are  four  popular 
delusions  which  the  .preacher  must  help  dispel:  1) 
The  widespread  feeling  that  we  can  get  back  into 
prosperity  without  changing  a  single  one  of  the 
things  that  brought  on  the  depression;  2)  The  idea 
that  we  can  stay  out  of  war  and  get  into  it  at  the 
same  time;  3)  That  prosperity  can  be  isolated  or 
kept  in  one  class,  group,  or  country,  no  matter  what 
happens  to  the  rest  of  the  world;  4)  That  we  can 
defend  democracy  through  the  denial  of  free  speech 
and  liberty  of  conscience. 


Zest  For  Lsving 


By  Water  M.  Haushalter,  Baltimore 
When  life  loses  its  zest  and  sparkling  events  be- 
come tedious  it  indicates  a  lowered  vitality.  The 
French  call  it  ennui,  the  English  boredom.  Bore- 
dom is  a  malady,  a  disease,  like  tuberculosis  and 
strong  medicine  is  needed  for  its  cure.  Even  high- 
strung  natures  like  Hamlet  vv^ill  suffer  spells  when 
"all  the  uses  of  this  world  become  flat,  stale  and  un- 
profitable." A  French  Priest  in  a  recent  book  goes 
to  the  bottom  of  the  matter  by  declaring  that  "bore- 
dom invariably  marks  the  decay  of  religion." 

At  the  World's  Fair  an  etching  by  William  Blake 
the  poet  was  on  display,  called  "Creation."  It  rep- 
resents a  tree  all  the  leaves  of  which  are  angels. 
The  creative  processes  at  work  in  nature,  in  the 
shaping  of  a  new  social  order  of  our  day,  in  all  the 
transformations  of  this  fluid  world  are  of  angelic 
origin.  If  you  have  spent  all  your  thought  on 
yourself,  no  wonder  you  are  bored.  Why  not  lend 
a  hand  to  the  desperate  Cause  of  Peace,  to  the  pro- 
motion of  Christian  Democracy,  or  to  strengthen- 
ing the  Church  of  Christ?  Under  the  spell  of  love 
and  a  directive  purpose  our  bodies  and  minds  be- 
come alive  and  the  whole  world  glows  with  fascinat- 
ing interest. 


THE  SCROLL 251 

The  Bible  and  Christian  Union 

I  have  been  asked  to  preach  a  sermon  at  our 
State  Convention  upon  "The  Bible  and  Christian 
Union."  Our  thesis  is  this :  that  while  it  was  a  tre- 
mendous step  in  the  right  direction  when  the  Camp- 
bells gave  up  authoritative  creedal  statements  and 
went  back  to  the  New  Testament  alone,  that  they 
did  not  go  far  enough ;  that  finality  in  Christianity 
can  never  be  found  in  theological  interpretation  but 
in  a  relationship  to  Jesus  Christ,  not  as  a  theological 
abstraction,  but  as  a  warm  living  personality;  that 
we  ourselves  have  fallen  into  the  same  error  as 
Judaism  did  after  they  returned  from  Babylon  and 
denominationalized  themselves  in  synagogues,  either 
upon  some  Talmudic  concept  or  national  relation- 
ship. The  same  thing  happened  to  the  early  church. 
As  soon  as  it  developed  an  authoritative  theologj^  it 
began  to  divide.  We  attempted  to  correct  that  di- 
vision, but  unfortunately  have  fallen  into  the  same 
error.  Our  unities  are  Christian;  our  divisions  are 
theological.  I  feel  that  it  is  time  to  sound  the  note 
very  definitely  that  Christian  unity  will  never  be 
found  on  any  form  of  synthesis  of  New  Testament 
theology,  but  in  sitting  around  the  feet  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

"Immersion  creates  no  problem  in  many  of  our 
smaller  churches,  I  have  heard  many  older  preach- 
ers say  that  not  a  single  applicant  for  membership 
ever  held  back  on  account  of  immersion,  in  their  ex- 
perience. But  it  does  create  a  problem  when  we  face 
the  matter  of  Christian  Unity.  The  Disciples  have 
bogged  down  and  can't  go  much  further  in  that  di- 
rection unless  they  let  Christians  have  freedom  of 
interpretation  even  on  that  point.  If  we  will  allow 
freedom  here,  a  great  movement  toward  unity  in- 
spired by  our  brotherhood  is  not  far  away.  When 
Baptists,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and  others  all 
criticize  us  for  being  legalists  at  this  point,  there 
must  be  something  to  it." 


252 THE  SCROLL 

History  of  the  Scroll 

By  A.  T.  DeGroot,  Kalamazoo,  Michigan 

The  Scroll  originated  as  the  Quarterly  Bulletin  of 
the  Campbell  Institute,  October  1,  1903,  and  was  cir- 
culated only  among  members  of  the  organization  un- 
til September,  1906.  As  of  that  date  the  journal 
was  renamed  The  Sci^oll,  expanded  to  monthly  is- 
suance (ten  issues  per  year) ,  and  made  available  to 
non-members  of  the  Institute.  After  the  Septem- 
ber and  October,  1908,  numbers  had  appeared,  a 
change  of  program  came  about  which  was  explained 
as  follows : 

After  two  stormy  years  of  religious  controversy 
(only  a  small  part  of  which  was  due  to  The  Scroll 
though  most  of  it  was  directed  at  that  organ)  the 
policy  was  changed.  .  .  .  After  only  two  more  issues 
had  appeared  the  Christian  Century  came  into  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Morrison  and  announced  itself  as  a  free 
platform,  thus  planning  to  take  so  nearly  the  same 
ground  as  The  Scroll  that  it  seemed  best  to  discon- 
tinue The  Scroll. 

The  above  statement  is  from  page  one  of  the  Octo- 
ber, 1910,  revival  number  of  the  periodical,  which 
reappeared  at  that  time  under  the  name  of  the 
Campbell  Institute  Bulletin.  During  1909  the  In- 
stitute issued  a  monthly  News  Letter.  The  Camp- 
bell Institute  Bulletin  continued  under  that  name 
monthly  (ten  issues  per  year)  until  December,  1918, 
in  which  month  it  again  assumed  the  name  The 
Scroll,  with  which  title  it  appeared  through  June, 
1926.  Beginning  November  25,  1926,  it  was  printed 
as  a  column  or  page  in  The  Christian,  Burris  Jen- 
kins' Kansas  City,  Mo.,  weekly  magazine.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1934,  it  resumed  separate  monthly  publication 
(ten  issues  per  year)  as  The  Scroll,  and  has  ap- 
peared regularly  down  to  the  present  time. 

Dr.  E.  S.  Ames  was  the  first,  and  is  the  present, 
editor  of  this  variously  named  organ  of  the  Insti- 


THE  SCROLL 253 

tute.  The  following  served  in  this  capacity  during 
the  years  indicated:  Errett  Gates  (1908);  0.  F. 
Jordan  (1918-19);  W.  E.  Garrison  (1921-22).  For 
all  other  editorial  dates,  supply  the  name  of  E.  S. 
Ames. 

The  purpose  of  the  above  recital  is  to  prelude  a 
request  for  several  copies  of  this  journal.  The  pro- 
gram committee  for  our  1940  Annual  Meeting  has 
assigned  me  the  subject  of  "Changes  in  the  Mind  of 
Disciple  Ministers  as  revealed  in  The  Scroll."  Only 
one  complete  file  of  this  organ  exists,  and  this  is  in 
the  library  of  the  Disciples  Divinity  House,  Chicago. 
However,  I  have  a  good  start  toward  a  full  record, 
and  now  take  this  means  of  soliciting  the  copies  I 
lack.  If  you,  kind  reader,  will  explore  your  files  and 
send  me  missing  copies,  I  will  pay  you  for  the  same 
with  a  very  modest  sum  (remember,  I  don't  get  paid 
for  making  the  speech!),  Please  help  me  to  serve 
our  program  committee's  request  by  acting  prompt- 
ly. 

Thus  what  I  lack  includes  all  of  the  Quarterly 
Bulletin  up  to  1906,  the  News  Letters  of  1909,  the 
Campbell  Institute  Bulletin  from  Oct.,  1910  to  Nov., 
1918,  and  The  Scroll  from  Dec,  1918  through  June, 
1926.  Copies  of  The  Christian  from  Nov.  25,  1926 
through  1933  would  complete  the  file. 

A.  T.  DeGroot. 


Perry  Gresham  introducing  President  Hutchins 
at  a  dinner  in  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  said :  "Football  is  a 
marvelous  thing.  Our  silver-haired  President  Waits 
is  famous  because  he  has  a  good  football  team,  and 
President  Hutchins  is  famous  because  he  has  none 
at  all — it's  football  that  makes  a  college  president." 


254 THE  SCROLL 

Secretary-Treasurer's  Page 

A.  T.  DeGroot 
My  failure  to  provide  a  page  in  the  last  two  is- 
sues of  The  Scroll  (don't  tell  me  you  didn't  miss  it!) 
was  due  to  being  busily  occupied  in  conducting  a  bit 
of  a  membership  drive  for  the  Institute.  The  re- 
turns are  not  all  in,  but  I  can  report  that  we  have 
averaged  a  new  member  every  day  since  the  first  of 
the  year.  I  have  written  personal  letters  of  invita- 
tion to  all  candidates  whose  names  were  sent  to  me. 
There  are  still  about  two  hundred  Fellows  who  have 
not  responded  to  my  request  for  names  of  possible 
new  members,  even  though  I  sent  free  postage  for 
the  performance  of  this  duty.  Come,  come,  my  pro- 
crastinating brethren;  it  is  not  too  late  yet  for  you 
to  send  in  the  names  of  those  who  should  share  the 
fellowship  of  the  Institute.  Do  not  make  me  fear 
that  you  have  lost  the  zest  of  Longfellow  after  the 
manner  of  the  reviser  who  turned  out  the  following, 
entitled  ^'Ode  to  Shredded  Wheat" : 

The  shades  of  night  are  lifting  fast, 

Breakfast  time  has  come  at  last. 

What  is  this  stuff  upon  my  platter? 

Excelsior ! 

One  of  this  year's  new  members  is  M.  Elmore 
Turner,  17,  the  Mead,  Pinelands,  Cape  Town,  South 
Africa,  where  the  next  World  Sunday  School  con- 
vention is  scheduled  to  meet.  On  his  Christmas  card 
of  poetry  he  adds  this  note :  ''Greetings !  Have  re- 
ceived two  issues  of  The  Scroll  so  far,  and  enjoy 
it.  The  long  article  by  Dr.  Ames  on  The  Disciples  is 
excellent." 

As  I  have  remarked  before,  anthologies  may  yet 
have  to  reckon  with  this  page  because  of  the  poetry 
it  inspires.  W.  G.  Eldred  of  Lawrenceburg,  Ky.,  de- 
livers himself  of  the  following  effort  as  a  result  of 
my  not  knowing  who  paid  me  a  certain  two  dollars 
at  the  Richmond  convention: 


THE  SCROLL 255 

I  make  no  contention 
Of  having  paid  what  was  due 
At  the  Richmond  convention — 
I  would  it  were  true. 

Not  just  to  be  fiscal, 
I  send  you  this  check; 
The  Fellowship  theological 
Is  worth  it,  by  heck. 

If  righteousness  you  impute 
To  all  whom  you  card, 
Then  the  Campbell  Institute 
Must  not  go  into  discard. 

In  another  appearance  I  may  cull  some  of  the 
gems  from  the  acceptance  letters  of  new  members 
of  what  J.  W.  McKinney,  Guthrie,  Oklahoma,  calls 
the  "Free  and  Ancient  Order  of  Campbellites."  Just 
now  I  will  simply  remark  upon  the  fact  that  it  has 
been  interesting  to  notice  the  goodly  number  of  lay 
workers  nominated,  and  to  have  older  members  sub- 
mitting the  names  of  their  sons  while  others  send 
in  names  of  their  brothers.  These  are  evidences  of 
a  basic  conviction  about  the  worth  of  the  Institute 
which  augurs  well  for  its  future. 


PEACE 

0  brother,  lift  a  cry,  a  long  v/orld-cry 

Sounding  from  sky  to  sky — 
The  cry  of  one  great  v^^ord, 

Peace,   peace,  the  world-will  clamoring  to  be 
heard — 
A  cry  to  break  the  ancient  battle-ban. 
To  end  it  in  the  sacred  name  of  Man ! 

Edwin  Markham. 


256 THE  SCROLL 

Partial 
Campbell  Institute  Program 

ANNUAL  MEETING—CHICAGO, 
JULY  29-AUGUST  2,  1940 

Monday,  July  29 

9:00  p.m.     Communion    Service.      Chapel    of    Holy    Grail. 

Conducted  by  Donald  Salmon. 
9:45  p.m.     President's     Reception     and     Social     Hour.     In 

Common   Room. 

Tuesday,  July  30 

12:30  p.m.     Luncheon — University   Church. 
2:00  p.m.     Address — Changes     in   the     minds   of     Disciple 

Ministers  as  revealed  by  The  Scroll.     A.  T.  De- 

Groot. 
9:00  p.m.     President's  Address — "The  Doctrinal  Destiny  of 

the  Disciples."     Paul  Becker. 

Discussion  led  by  Robert  Lemon. 

Wednesday,  July  31 

2:00  p.m.     Cub's  Ball  Game. 

9:00  p.m.     Address — "The  Faith  by  Which  I  Live." 
A.   D.   Harmon 

Thursday,  Aug.  1 

2:00  p.m.     Symposium  on  the  Ministry. 

Ministerial  Placement — Paul   Kennedy. 

Ministerial  Ethics — Doyle  Mullen. 
Discussion  Leader — Kenneth  Bowen. 
6:00  p.m.     Annual  Campbell  Institute  Dinner. 

Friday,  Aug.  2 

2:00  p.m.     Address — "How  Can  a  Minister  Best  Lead  His 

People  in  Social  Action." 

Discussion  Leader — ^Roy  Hunt. 
9:00  p.m.     Address    "Candidates   for   Disciples    Ministry — 

Methods    of    Encouraging    and    Discouraging." 

Pres.  Briggs,  Phillips  University. 

Discussion  led  by  R.  B.  Montgomery. 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVII.  MAY,  1940  No.  9 

Editorial  Notes 

E.  S.  Ames  has  announced  to  the  University 
Church  of  Disciples,  Chicago,  that  he  will  retire 
from  the  pastorate  next  September.  That  will  mark 
the  end  of  his  fortieth  year  as  minister.  The  reason 
for  this  is  that  he  reached  his  seventieth  birthday 
on  April  21,  and  desires  "to  lighten  the  load."  He 
expects  to  continue  as  Dean  of  the  Disciples  Divinity 
House  and  wishes  to  do  some  writing.  The  finest 
spirit  and  understanding  prevail  in  the  church. 

C.  H.  Hamlin  writes  that  while  doing  research 
at  Peabody  he  has  come  upon  interesting  facts  con- 
cerning the  influence  of  Fellenberg  and  other 
European  educators  upon  Alexander  Campbell,  and 
hopes  some  one  will  carry  out  an  investigation  con- 
cerning it.  Perhaps  this  is  another  of  the  rapidly 
growing  number  of  possible  subjects  for  theses  in 
the  historical  field. 

Dean  Kershner  is  publishing  some  interesting 
articles  on  the  Campbells  in  the  Christian  Standard. 
He  "debunks"  some  of  the  popularly  accepted  ideas 
concerning  the  Disciple  Fathers.  He  tries  to  lessen 
the  importance  usually  attributed  to  Locke  as  a 
formative  influence  in  Campbell's  thought,  and 
magnifies  the  influence  of  the  Scottish  School  of 
philosophy.  Some  will  think  he  minimizes  too  much 
the  part  which  Locke  played  in  the  thought  of  that 
School.  His  attempt  to  erect  Common  Sense  as  the 
norm  for  deciding  questions  of  interpretation  scarce- 
ly serves  his  purpose  so  well  as  he  would  like,  since 
those  who  adopted  this  standard  of  Common  Sense 
failed  to  agree  among  themselves.  It  does  not  work 
out  as  so  infallible  or  practical  a  rule  of  interpreta- 
tion as  the  Dean  assumes.  How  does  the  subject  of 
baptism  fare  on  this  basis  when  we  look  at  Christen-, 
dom  today? 


258  THE  SCROLL 


Puritans  Really? 


By  Charles  W.  Phillips,  Chicago 
In  the  last  issue  of  the  Scroll  an  interesting  and 
provocative  article  by  Mr.  John  L.  Davis  outlined 
a  different  approach  to  Disciple  beginnings  relative 
to  background  and  influence,  than  that  sketched  by 
Dean  Ames  in  Whither  Disciples.  Mr.  Davis'  article 
is  a  timely  one.  Prior  to  it,  one  would  have  almost 
had  to  assume  either  that  Dr.  Ames'  thesis  was  gen- 
erally accepted  and  understood,  or  that  it  was  meet- 
ing with  indifference  or  misunderstanding.  The  lat- 
ter is  more  probable.  Let  us  hope  that  Mr.  Davis 
has  started  a  more  general  investigation  and 
analysis,  without  which  we  cannot  hope  to  have  any 
appreciation  of  the  issues  involved  or  understanding 
of  the  significance,  or  lack  of  it,  of  the  roots  of  Dis- 
ciple tradition. 

Dean  Davis  asserts  a  point  which  bears  scrutiny. 
He  speaks  of  the  early  Disciples  as  the  "Puritans 
of  the  frontier,"  implying  that  the  liberalism  and 
common-sense  character  of  the  Disciples  was  of  the 
same  type  as  the  earlier  American  Puritanism  both 
in  theology  and  attitude.  Puritanism  too  had 
"basically  rejected"  Calvinism.  Really  the  early 
Disciples  represented  a  return  to  Puritanism.  He  is 
not  explicit  as  to  whether  they  reached  this  position 
independently  and  rediscovered  Puritanism  or  if  the 
frontier  had  any  direct  mediation  of  the  puritan 
theology.  In  either  case  however,  closer  examination 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  Disciples  were  not 
Puritans  either  literally  or  figuratively  nor  was 
Puritanism  of  such  a  revolutionary  temper. 

New  England  theology  seems  to  be  undergoing  a 
process  of  rediscovery  and  is  at  the  moment  a  con- 
troversial field.  There  is  emerging  a  more  human 
and  realistic  portrait  of  them  that  stands  between 
a  characterization  in  terms  of  sombre,  narrow- 
minded  witchhunters,  and  the  romantic  idealization 


THE  SCROLL 259 

of  Thanksgiving  Day  plays.  But  their  general  tem- 
per and  theology  cannot  be  unbent  too  far.  I  too 
appeal  to  Miller  and  Johnson,  cited  by  Mr.  Davis.' 
Relative  to  democratic  spirit,  religious  liberty,  and 
individualism  they  were  not  similar  to  the  later 
frontier  in  general  or  the  Disciples  in  particular : 

".  .  .  the  Puritans  have  been  hymned  as  pioneers  of  re- 
ligious liberty,  though  nothing  was  ever  farther  from 
their  designs;  they  have  been  hailed  as  the  forerunners 
of  democracy,  though  if  they  were,  it  was  quite  beside 
their  intention;  they  have  been  invoked  in  justification 
for  an  economic  philosophy  of  free  competition  and 
laissez-faire,  though  they  themselves  believed  in  govern- 
ment regulation  of  business,  the  fixing  of  just  prices, 
and  the  curtailing  of  individual  profits  in  the  interests 
of  the  welfare  of  the  whole. "^ 

In  a  slightly  more  recent  book,  Miller  modifies,  if 
not  contradicts,  either  himself  or  Johnson.  Compare 
the  quotation  (a  correct  one)  cited  by  Mr.  Davis  on 
.  237  of  the  last  Scroll,  with  the  following: 

"The  major  part  of  Puritan  thought  was  taken  directly 
from  sixteenth  century  Protestantism.  From  the  great 
reformers  came  the  whole  system  of  theology,  defini- 
tions of  terms,  orientation  of  interests,  interpretations 
of  'Scriptures,  and  evaluations  of  previous  scholarship. 
In  fact  Puritan  thinking  was  fundamentally  so  much  a 
repetition  of  Luther  and  Calvin  and  Puritans  were  so 
far  from  cultivating  any  new  ideas  that  there  is  reason 
to  doubt  whether  a  distinctly  Puritan  thought  exists. 
The  theologians  simply  took  residence  in  a  vast  and  al- 
ready constructed  mansion  of  theory;  during  their  ten- 
ancy they  tried  neither  to  make  additions  or  change  the 
facade;  they  devoted  themselves  to  repairing  roofs,  re- 
placing foundations  and  redecorating  interiors.  In  time 
they  did  affect  some  drastic  alterations  but  they  did  so 
inadvertently  and  often  without  conscious  realization.^ 
".  .  .  revolt  never  touched  upon  a  large  array  of  inherited 
beliefs  and  traditional  doctrines.  Along  with  piety  there 
existed  in  the  minds  of  Puritans  many  tenets  and  atti- 
tudes that  had  no  inherent  connection  with  it  and  some 
that  could  be  reconciled  with  difficulty.  They  said  in 
one  moment  that  everything  was  to  be  gained  by  going 
to  the  Bible  for  the  articles  of  belief,  but  in  the  next 
they  went  also  to  other  books,  to  systematic  treatises 
on  divinity,  to  methodized  tomes  on  doctrines  and  ethics, 

^Miller  and  Johnson,    The  Puritans. 

nUd.  p.  i. 

•Miller,  P.,  The  New  England  Mind,  p.  92.  (Italics  mine.) 


260 THE  SCROLL 

to   classical   antiquity,  to  medieval  scholasticism,   or  to 
monumental  restatements  of  it.'" 

Miller's  aim  in  saying  that  Puritanism  was 
more  than  a  reduplication  of  Calvinism  seems  to 
be  to  bring  out  a  rationalistic  quality  in  Puritanism 
and  to  show  that  their  Calvinism  did  not  derive  from 
an  immediate  influence  of  the  Genevan.  But  this 
rationalism  seems  to  have  had  a  scholastic  quality 
about  it  and  revolt  did  not  go  very  far : 

"Systematic  organization  of  creed  was  a  concern  of  Cal- 
vin's but  never  the  obsession  it  was  to  his  followers."" 

Puritanism,  either  in  the  seventeenth  or  eigh- 
teenth centuries  is  a  much  too  complex  phenomenon 
to  analyze  here  or  state  simply  any  place.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  the  tenor  of  New  England  theology 
and  the  atmosphere  of  the  frontier  which  nurtured 
the  Disciples  can  scarcely  be  compared.  Moreover, 
the  religious  bodies  that  sprang  from  that  kind  of 
theology  made  little  headway  on  the  frontier.' 

Relative  to  Unitarianism,  it  may  be  said  first  that 
the  type  of  rationalism  they  represented  did  not 
entirely  escape  dogmatizing,  but  granting  great 
similarity  between  them  and  the  Disciples  there  are 
good  reasons  why  they  did  not  spread.  They  were 
too  preoccupied  with  the  "neighborhood  of  Boston," 
succeeding  to  the  churches  of  the  Puritans,  their 
social  traditions  and  intellectual  habits,  %vith 
"customary  New  England  pride  and  dignity."  The 
Disciples  had  a  less  sophisticated,  but  more  genuine 
belief  in  their  program.  This  fact  alone,  although 
others  might  be  mentioned,  accounted  for  great 
difference  in  popular  appeal. 

That  frontier  Protestantism  was  in  revolt  against 
Calvinism  can  be  well  substantiated,  as  can  also  the 
fact  that  the  Disciples  were  more  so  than  other 
major  Protestant  groups.  Whence  this  attitude? 
The  theology  of  A.  Campbell  has  been  shown  to  have 

^Miller,  P.,  op.  cit.  p.   106. 

^Ibid,  p.  95. 

■Sweet,  W.  W.,  Story  of  Religion  in  America.  Chap.  14,  .  312. 


THE  SCROLL 261 

liberal  strains  that  set  him  apart,  while  yet  per- 
mitting connections  with  the  Protestant  tradition." 
But  this  source  of  mediation  of  English  empirical 
philosophy  to  frontier  Christianity  does  not  explain 
enough  says  Mr.  Davis.  The  roots  and  background 
of  the  Springfield  Presbytery  for  example  must  be 
considered.  This  is  a  well-taken  point.  We  have  no 
intention  of  going  into  it  here  except  to  observe  that 
of  all  spots  on  the  frontier,  Kentucky  certainly  had 
a  liberal  background,  politically  and  otherwise.'' 
There  were  few  preachers  there  before  1800  and 
these  not  of  the  best.  Less  than  one  twentieth  of 
the  population  at  this  time  were  members  of  any 
denomination.  The  ideas  of  liberty  and  democracy 
were  stamped  upon  this  state,  which  ideas  were 
partly  imposed  by  the  necessities  of  the  environment 
and  came  partly  through  the  channels  of  Revolu- 
tionary leaders  whose  thought  was  steeped  in  the 
English  philosophers  of  the  Enlightenment.  Per- 
haps they  were  not  as  conscious  of  their  tradition 
as  was  Campbell,  and  therefore  possibly  more  un- 
stable in  it,  but  it  was  real  and  as  it  shaped  up  in 
the  Disciple  movement,  served  to  set  it  apart. 
Neither  in  character,  nor  in  source  was  it  Puritan, 
in  any  accurate  use  of  the  word. 

Other  points  in  Mr.  Davis'  article  merit  atten- 
tion. We  are  only  concerned  here  with  what  appears 
to  be  the  main  thesis  of  it.  Relative  to  the  last  point 
however,  we  must  query:  What  does  it  mean  to 
"lose  our  life"?  To  avoid  crystallization  must  not 
mean  to  become  soft  and  flaccid,  and  we  must  have 
convictions  with  our  tolerance.  Moreover  it  takes 
more  than  generous  cooperation  to  put  vitality  into 
a  plea  for  union  upon  the  basis  of  "sane  and  reason- 
able" Christianity.  There  are  differences  in  con- 
temporary Protestantism,  and  one  cannot  have  any 
kind  of  union  by  ignoring  them. 

''Garrison,  W.  E.,   Theology  of  Alexander  Campbell. 
*Sonne,  Liberal  Kentucky,   1780-1828. 


262  THE  SCROLL 


Befogged 


By  William  Mullendore,  Franklin,  Indiana 

In  the  January  25th  issue  of  the  Christian 
Evangelist,  Dean  Kershner  says:  "Ames'  statement 
that  the  Trinitarian  Formula  found  in  Matthew's 
commission  belongs  to  the  third  century,  therefore 
invalidating  the  explicit  command  of  Jesus  to  bap- 
tize, has  left  him  in  a  fog." 

The  Dean  then  calls  for  anyone  to  show  him  how 
it  is  that  Peter  and  Paul  knew  less  about  what  Jesus 
taught  and  believed  than  the  modern  critics  living 
2000  A.D.  Such  a  question  from  such  a  source  cer- 
tainly suggests  the  need  of  the  rethinking  of  bap- 
tism. 

Of  course,  if  the  Dean  demands  his  question 
answered,  the  answer  is  this :  Peter  and  Paul  did  not 
know  less  about  the  teachings  of  Jesus  than  the  mod- 
ern critics.  The  question  is  this:  "Did  Peter  and 
Paul  know  anything  about  the  commission  as  given 
in  Matt.  28:19,  which  reads:  (Goodspeed),  "Full 
authority  in  heaven  and  earth  is  given  me.  There- 
fore, go  and  make  disciples  of  all  the  heathen  bap- 
tizing them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy 
spirit,  and  teach  them  to  observe  all  the  command- 
ments I  have  given  you.  I  will  always  be  with  you, 
to  the  very  close  of  the  age." 

The  commission  is  a  very  usable  text.  It  would 
be  very  awkward  now  for  any  body  of  Christians 
and  especially  the  Disciples  to  get  along  without  it. 
We  suggest  that  this  very  usability  may  be  a  reason 
for  its  being  there.  It  was  needed  by  the  second 
century  church  to  support  the  dogma  of  the  trinity. 
It  was  needed  even  earlier  to  support  the  dogma 
of  baptismal  regeneration.  For  long  before  the 
Christian  era  there  was  magic  associated  with  bap- 
tism. This  commission  could  be  quoted  to  support 
both  of  these  dogmas. 


THE  SCROLL 263 

But  did  Peter  or  Paul  know  anything  about  this 
commission? 

First,  did  Peter  and  Paul  know  anything  about 
the  trinity  in  whose  name  the  commission  com- 
manded to  baptize?  If  they  knew  they  disobeyed. 
For  there  is  no  record  in  the  New  Testament  where 
any  one  ever  did  anything  in  the  name  of  the  trinity. 

At  the  San  Antonio  convention  in  1935,  in  his 
most  interesting  and  scholarly  address,  the  Dean 
says :  "In  the  days  of  the  New  Testament,  the  trini- 
tarian  speculation  was  unknown." 

Unless  then  we  deny  that  Matthew's  commission 
contains  the  trinitarian  formula,  then  this  part  of 
the  commission  cannot  be  historical,  and  Peter  and 
Paul  did  not  know  anything  about  this  part  of  the 
commission. 

Second,  did  Peter  and  Paul  know  anything  about 
any  explicit  command  to  baptize? 

Did  Paul  have  such  a  command?  If  any  one  knows 
it  should  be  Paul  himself,  who  says:  "I  was  not  sent 
to  baptize  but  to  preach  the  good  news."  I.  Cor.  7 :16. 
This  agrees  with  the  several  accounts  of  Paul's  com- 
mission in  Acts,  "I  have  apeared  unto  thee  (Paul) 
for  this  purpose,  to  make  thee  a  minister  and  a  wit- 
ness to  the  Gentiles.  To  open  their  eyes  and  turn 
them  from  darkness  to  light,  that  they  may  receive 
forgiveness  of  sins."  (Abridged)  Acts  26:16.  There 
are  other  accounts  of  Paul's  commission  in  Acts.  In 
none  does  the  word  "baptize"  occur. 

Now  how  about  Peter?  That  he  knew  nothing  of 
the  trinitarian  formula,  in  whose  name  he  was  to 
baptize,  we  have  abundantly  proved.  But  did  he 
know  anything  about  a  specific  command  by  Jesus 
to  baptize? 

There  are  several  commissions  recorded  in  the 
gospels.  Some  of  them  detailed.  They  tell  the  dis- 
ciples what  to  wear,  what  to  carry  with  them,  what 
to  do  under  certain  circumstances  but  in  none  of 
these  commissions,  save  the  one  in  the  appendix  of 


264 THE  SCROLL 

Mark,  and  in  Matthew,  is  there  any  mention  of  bap- 
tism. Since  it  is  now  admitted  by  all  recent  trans- 
lators and  Bible  scholars  that  the  commission  in 
Mark  is  no  part  of  Mark's  gospel,  but  added  by  a 
later  copyist,  we  actually  have  but  one  commission 
of  Jesus  in  the  entire  New  Testament  explicitly 
commanding  any  one  to  baptize. 

Now  it  is  conceded  that  the  commission  in  Mat- 
thew has  good  manuscript  authority.  But  the  earliest 
manuscripts  do  not  go  back  to  the  original  auto- 
graphs by  almost  400  years.  We  now  know  that 
there  have  been  additions  to  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament  other  than  the  appendix  to  Mark.  There 
may  have  been  earlier  manuscripts  of  Matthew,  now 
lost,  that  do  not  have  the  commission  in  Matthew. 
There  is  a  large  and  grownig  group  of  reverent  bib- 
lical scholars  who  conclude  that  the  Matthew  com- 
mission does  not,  in  fact,  cannot,  carry  the  exact 
words  of  Jesus,  since  it  carries  the  trinitarian 
formula. 

But  when  we  have  said  that  neither  Peter  nor  any 
other  disciple  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  trinity, 
we  have  but  begun.  This  command  to  baptize  is 
not  in  the  consciousness  of  Peter,  the  early  church, 
the  apostolic  fathers,  or  the  early  historians  of  the 
church. 

Peter  must  have  a  vision  to  send  him  to  the  Gen- 
tiles. When  he  arrived  with  his  Jewish  brethren  at 
the  home  of  Cornelius,  where  a  company  had  gath- 
ered, Peter  said  to  them,  "Jesus  charges  us  to  preach 
unto  the  people  and  to  testify  that  this  Jesus  is  he 
who  is  ordained  of  God  to  be  judge  of  the  living 
and  the  dead,  that  through  his  name  everyone  that 
believeth  on  him  shall  receive  the  remission  of  his 
sins."  Then  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  on  the  Gentiles 
and  they  began  speaking  with  tongues.  The  dis- 
ciples were  amazed  that  the  Holy  Spirit  had  fallen 
on  the  Gentiles  just  as  it  had  on  the  disciples  at  the, 
beginning.  Peter  seems  as  much  confused  as  the] 
other  disciples.   What  is  the  right  thing  to  do?   He] 


THE  SCROLL 265 

will  do  nothing  on  his  own  initiative.  He  puts  it 
up  to  his  brethren.  "Can  anyone  forbid  the  use  of 
water  to  baptize  these  Gentiles  when  they  have  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Spirit  just  as  we  have?"  There  was 
no  objection.  Then  Peter  directed  them  to  be  bap- 
tized; not  because  of  a  command  of  Jesus  but  be- 
cause of  a  logical  deduction. 

When  Peter  returned  to  Jerusalem  the  church 
there  called  Peter  to  account  for  baptizing  Gentiles. 
They  had  never  heard  of  Matthew's  commission 
which  specifically  commands  the  disciples  to  baptize, 
heathen  or  Gentiles,  Peter  rehearsed  from  the  be- 
ginning the  whole  matter.  He  told  them  how  the 
Holy  Spirit  had  fallen  on  the  Gentiles.  How  amazed 
they  all  were.  How  he  tried  hard  to  think  what  to 
do.  Then  suddenly  he  said:  "I  remembered  that 
Jesus  once  said,  'John  indeed  baptized  in  water,  but 
you  will  be  baptized  in  the  Holy  Spirit.'  So  if  God 
had  given  them  the  same  gift  He  gave  us  when 
we  believed,  who  was  I  to  be  able  to  interfere  with 
God."  Then  he  baptized  them,  not  on  a  commission 
by  Jesus,  but  a  not  too  logical  deduction.  Did  any 
one  ever  need  to  remember  Matthew's  commission 
more  than  Peter?  He  searched  deep  into  his  sub- 
conscious mind.  No,  it  was  not  there.  If  Peter  had 
ever  heard  that  commission  to  baptize  it  had  clearly 
left  him.  The  commission  to  baptize  is  not  in  the 
consciousness  of  the  disciples  and  this  is  more  im- 
portant than  all  manuscripts,  for  consciousness  is 
prior  to  manuscripts. 

Nor  did  Justin  Martyr,  150  A.D.,  or  Eusebius,  the 
historian,  know  about  this  commission  to  baptize, 
for  Justin  tells  us  that  Christians  derived  their 
authority  to  baptize  from  Isaiah,  "Wash  ye  and  be 
ye  clean."  Eusebius  quotes  Matthew's  commission 
quite  frequently  but  never  the  command  to  baptize 
until  in  his  later  writings  about  300  A.D.,  by  which 
time  there  seem  to  be  copies  of  Matthew  with  the 
command  to  baptize. 


266 THE  SCROLL 

The  New  Testament  and  Baptism 

Bij  M.  William  Jones,  Chicago 
The  Disciples  of  Christ  historically  have  exhibited 
an  open-minded  attitude  about  various  items  of  doc- 
trine. They  have  also  been  in  the  first  ranks  of 
Christian  groups  which  have  worked  for  unity 
among  Christians.  It  is  something  of  a  paradox  that 
the  doctrine  and  practice  of  baptism  have  frequently 
in  the  past  and  today  produced  a  dogma  among  us, 
a  legalism  which  too  often  has  hindered  the  desire 
for  co-operation  with  other  churches.  Churches  or 
individuals  who  have  abandoned  the  practice  as 
really  meaningless  in  a  modern  world  have  met  with 
protest  from  many  on  the  basis  that  the  rite  has  the 
authority  of  Jesus  and  the  New  Testament  back  of 
it,  and  therefore  must  not  be  relinquished.  One  has 
the  feeling  that  many  sincere  people,  faced  with 
practical  situations  and  facts,  would  like  to  dispense 
with  this  initiatory  ceremony  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  confronting  them  are  several  texts  which 
seem  to  render  such  a  procedure  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. The  purpose  of  this  article  is  to  examine  some 
of  these  sections  of  the  New  Testament  and  to  pro- 
pose that  a  religious  brotherhood  such  as  ours  can 
assume  a  different  and  more  meaningful  approach 
to  the  New  Testament,  an  approach  which  will  help 
clarify  this  problem  of  baptism. 

We  need  a  new  perspective  upon  the  body  of  lit- 
erature known  as  the  New  Testament.  That  per- 
spective has  already  been  gained  by  many  religious 
leaders,  liberal  ministers,  scholars  and  students.  Un- 
fortunately, there  is  a  gap  between  them  and  the 
attitudes  of  a  majority  of  individuals,  ministers  and 
laymen.  That  gap  needs  to  be  closed,  so  that  such 
problems  as  that  of  baptism  (and  a  host  of  others) 
may  be  understood  and  approached  from  a  common 
viewpoint. 


THE  SCROLL 267 

Originally  the  Disciples  were  noted  for  their  de- 
votion to  critical  Biblical  work.  Today,  the  case  is 
too  often  the  opposite.  Alexander  Campbell  used  the 
best  critical  work  of  his  day  in  his  interpretation 
of  the  Bible.  It  is  safe  to  assume  that  he  would  do 
so  were  he  living  today.  In  the  present  day,  Dis- 
ciples are  often  content  merely  to  restate  what  he 
said,  or  to  present  a  view  which  actually  falls  far 
behind  his!  There  is  no  reason  why  we  cannot  still 
use  his  methods  and,  in  the  light  of  new  evidence, 
reach  our  own  conclusions  about  the  New  Testament 
and  its  ideas. 

Such  a  procedure  will  recognize  the  fact  of  diver- 
sity within  the  New  Testament.  On  its  own  evi- 
dence, there  was  no  such  thing  as  the  New  Testa- 
ment Church;  there  were  several  types  of  New 
Testament  churches.  Part  of  the  great  results  of 
the  activity  of  those  churches  in  the  ancient  world 
was  the  body  of  literature  we  know  as  the  New 
Testament.  There  were  living  Christians  and  work- 
ing churches  before  there  was  a  New  Testament. 
They  produced  it,  and  it  was  inevitable  and  natural 
that  they  should  have  left  the  living  impression  of 
their  life  and  their  ideas  upon  the  writings  they  pro- 
duced. 

This  fact  has  been  recognized  in  the  case  of  Paul's 
letters,  but  it  is  just  as  true  of  the  Gospels.  It  must 
be  remembered  that  they  were  originally  anony- 
mous, that  apostolic  and  authoritative  names  were 
added  to  their  manuscripts  much  later.  The  Gospels 
are  also  late  writings ;  critical  scholarship  has  made 
that  fact  certain.  On  the  best  evidence,  Mark  is  the 
earliest  and  the  Fourth  Gospel  the  latest;  Matthew 
and  the  two  volume  work  of  Luke-Acts  come  be- 
tween those  two.  If  it  is  true  that  we  can  see  the 
picture  of  early  Christianity  of  one  type  reflected 
in  the  letters  of  Paul,  it  is  just  as  true  that  we  can 
observe  other  types  reflected  in  the  various  Gospels. 
And  if  it  is  true  that  the  apostle's  letters  give  us 


268 THE  SCROLL 

the  record  of  his  faith,  it  is  just  as  true  that  the 
Gospels  also  have  much  to  tell  us  of  the  faith  of 
their  writers  and  the  times  and  places  in  which  they 
wrote.  Mark  reflects  much  of  Roman  Qiristianity, 
as  the  Fourth  Gospel  helps  us  to  see  Ephesian  Chris- 
tianity of  a  much  later  date.  Once  we  approached 
the  book  of  Acts  as  a  faithful  record  of  the  apostles ; 
today  we  are  beginning  to  understand  it  in  a  much 
better  and  more  sympathetic  light  as  the  picture  of 
ancient  Christian  faith  making  itself  at  home  in  the 
Graeco-Roman  world. 

This  approach  is  not  negative ;  it  is  highly  positive 
and  meaningful,  for  it  shows  us  early  Christians  as 
living  people,  grappling  with  their  own  times.  This 
procedure  does  not  mean  that  we  can  discover  noth- 
ing about  Jesus'  life  or  his  teachings.  By  careful 
critical  work  it  is  possible  to  disengage  the  later 
faith  from  the  Founder  of  the  Christian  movement. 
It  is  also  necessary  to  see  that  that  later  faith  and 
its  practices  were  pictured  in  the  Gospels  as  having 
come  in  all  aspects  from  Jesus  himself.  Seen  in  the 
light  of  ancient  practice,  and  not  judged  by  modern 
standards,  there  was  nothing  wrong  in  this  pro- 
cedure. 

We  ought  not,  therefore,  to  resort  to  "proof -text" 
methods  to  uphold  our  own  ideas  and  practices.  We 
ought,  rather,  to  study  each  separate  early  Christian 
writing  to  discover  its  own  ideas  and  its  individual 
contributions.  It  is  surprising  to  discover  how  fre- 
quently those  who  profess  to  adhere  only  to  the 
"word"  easily  read  into  that  "word"  their  own  be- 
liefs. The  matter  of  baptism  is  one  of  the  best  exam- 
ples of  this  common  method. 

No  one  disputes  the  fact  that  the  early  churches 
practiced  baptism  and  that  the  practice  was  by  im- 
mersion. The  real  question  is,  can  we  continue  some- 
thing which  was  meaningful  then,  but  has  ceased 
today  to  have  vital  meaning  to  many  people.  Bap- 
tism, as  other  ideas  and  religious  observances  (for 


THE  SCROLL 269 

example,  foot-washing;  those  who  hold  this  prac- 
tice also  have  proof-texts!),  was  an  item  of  ancient 
Christian  ceremony.  Like  other  aspects  it  too  re- 
ceived authority  by  being  read  back  into  Jesus,  in 
the  Gospels;  and  the  apostles,  in  the  book  of  Acts. 
Critical  discrimination  can  see  the  process  at  work. 
Mark  16:16,  on  the  basis  of  any  accepted  text  or 
version,  is  decidedly  late ;  it  can  easily  be  understood 
therefore  to  reflect  the  faith  of  its  day.  While  there 
is  no  textual  problem  in  the  case  of  the  Matthean 
"Great  Commission,"  the  Gospel  itself  comes  from 
the  end  of  the  first  century  A.D.  and  the  formula  of 
baptism  is  but  one  example  of  usage  which  varied 
in  different  sections.  One  cannot  find  trinitarianism 
in  the  New  Testament  except  by  the  process  of 
"proof-texts"  and  "cross-referencing."  Taking  the 
words  as  they  stand  even,  such  passages  as  Matt. 
3:13-17  offer,  not  a  metaphysical  doctrine  of  a  trin- 
ity, but  simply  familiar  Jewish  ideas  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  and  the  setting  apart  of  a  messenger  (many 
Jews  were  thus  denoted  as  "sons  of  God").  More- 
over, one  cannot  escape  the  fact  that  in  many  other 
places  Jesus  is  pictured  as  making  no  distinction 
between  himself  and  others  in  the  relation  of  son- 
ship  to  God  the  Father.  A  casual  reading  of  the 
Gospels  will  reveal  that.  The  Fourth  Gospel  can 
hardly  be  cited  for  anything  but  a  faithful  reflec- 
tion of  Christian  faith  at  the  beginning  of  the  sec- 
ond century.  The  fact  that  the  faith  was  attached 
to  the  words  of  Jesus  does  not  overthrow  our  ad- 
miration of  the  Gospel's  accomplishment,  nor  our 
appreciation  of  the  religious  devotion  mirrored 
for  us. 

Baptism  was  part  of  the  religious  life  of  early 
Christians.  In  their  writings  they  carried  it  back 
to  Jesus,  along  with  many  other  aspects  of  that  life. 
Paul's  letters  show  us  the  practice  as  he  expounded 
it  in  his  churches.  The  evidence  there  seems  to 
show  plainly  that  he  baptized  into  the  name  of  Jesus. 


270 THE  SCROLL 

This  fact,  along  with  sections  of  Acts  which  are 
undoubtedly  primitive,  will  reveal  for  us  that  early 
Christianity  must  have  made  this  the  characteristic 
performance  of  the  rite.  That  Jesus  was  baptized 
by  John  the  Baptist  jis  certain.  It  is  uncertain 
whether  he  or  his  disciples  used  the  initiatory  rite. 
If  they  did,  it  can  hardly  have  assumed  more  im- 
portance than  John's  baptism.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  entire  body  of  evidence  in  the  Gospels,  even  if  it 
were  attributed  to  Jesus,  becomes  surprisingly 
small,  when  compared  to  great  amounts  of  material 
which  reflect  what  must  have  been  much  more  im- 
portant. 

Baptism  was  significant  for  early  Christians ;  that 
fact  is  revealed  by  their  attachment  of  it,  in  its  later 
phases,  to  Jesus.  Lifted  out  of  its  time  and  place, 
it  has  ceased  to  be  as  meaningful  to  modern  Chris- 
tians. It  is  not  a  violation  of  the  spirit  either  of 
Jesus  or  ancient  Christianity  if  we  dispense  with  it 
today.  When  once  we  have  learned  the  fascinating 
story  of  the  New  Testament,  how  it  developed  grad- 
ually as  Christianity  grew  and  produced  it,  how  it 
was  transmitted  through  manuscripts,  how  it  finally 
came  down  to  us,  we  shall  be  in  a  better  position  to 
understand  sympathetically  the  process  and  the  life 
that  gave  us  this  literature  which  we  rightly  treas- 
ure so  much.  We  shall  then  cease  to  be  in  bondage 
to  a  traditional  and  incorrect  view,  and  shall  be 
ready  to  do  in  our  world  and  our  day  what  the  early 
Christians  did  in  theirs.  Jesus  himself  will  step  out 
from  the  meaningless  phrases  in  which  we  have 
buried  him,  and  will  assume  the  place  in  our  lives 
which  he  had  in  theirs.  He  will  mean  more,  because 
we  shall  see  him,  not  through  their  eyes,  but  as  he 

SOME  REFERENCES 

E.  J.  Goodspeed,  The  Formatioyi  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament.  U.  of  C.  Press. 

F.  Kenyon,  Our  Bible  mid  the  Ancient  Manu- 
scripts. Harpers. 


THE  SCROLL 271 

H.  L.  Willett,  The  Bible  Through  the  Centuries. 
Willett,  Clark  &  Co. 

S.  J.  Case,  Jesus,  a  New  Biography.  U.  of  C.  Press. 

H.  Lietzmann,  The  Beginnings  of  the  Christian 
Church.   Scribners. 

E.  C.  Colwell,  The  Study  of  the  Bible.  U.  of  C. 
Press. 

C.  T.  Craig,  The  Study  of  the  New  Testament. 


The  Minister  and  Comparative 
Religion 

By  Connor  G.  Cole,  Chicago 
Training  techniques  in  theological  institutions 
have  been  concerned  primarily  with  specifically 
Christian  phases  of  study,  such  as  Bible,  Church 
History,  Theology,  and  the  practical  work  of  the 
church.  No  one  denies  the  importance  for  the  min- 
ister of  training  in  these  various  fields.  It  is  obvious 
that  one  who  is  to  assume  the  duties  of  the  Christian 
ministry  must  be  acquainted  with  the  literary  heri- 
tage of  his  religion,  the  history  of  Christianity,  the 
problems  of  intellectual  formulation  of  Christian 
faith,  and  the  functional  use  of  his  training  in  the 
practical  work  of  churches. 

But  usually  this  is  as  far  as  such  training  goes. 
It  is  not  perceived  by  most  that  the  field  of  Compara- 
tive Religion  has  either  much  interest  or  practical 
value  for  the  future  minister,  except  perhaps  to  fill 
out  requirements.  The  question  would  be  asked, 
what  actual  relation  does  such  a  field  as  this  have  to 
the  minister  who  is  preoccupied  with  individuals  in 
various  areas  whose  lives  apparently  are  not  even 
remotely  touched  by  the  consideration  of  what  the 
great  religions  of  the  world  are  like?  Should  a 
minister  know  something  about  Comparative  Re- 
ligion? Does  this  field  have  any  bearing,  beyond 
academic  interest,  on  the  practical  problems  he 
faces?    The  purpose  of  this  article  is  to  show  that 


272 THE  SCROLL 

the  study  of  religions  does  have  a  real  value  for  the 
minister  and  can  become  an  important  aid  to  him  in 
his  life's  work. 

The  world  of  today  has  become  infinitely  smaller 
than  the  world  of  yesterday.  Once  people  who  lived 
in  the  United  States  could  draw  themselves  apart 
from  the  rest  of  the  world  with  no  concern  for  what 
went  on  outside  our  boundaries.  This  was  the  atti- 
tude of  Washington,  and  it  is  one  of  the  ironies  of 
our  history  that  his  ideas  should  still  be  cited  as 
authoritative  guides  for  present  day  action.  Today 
in  actual  truth  we  live  practically  at  one  another's 
doorsteps.  Scientific  advances  have  brought  the 
world  together,  and  have  brought  the  farthest  points 
of  the  earth  within  a  few  days'  reach  of  ourselves  by 
transportation  or  instantaneous  connection  by  com- 
munication. The  problems  of  war  and  social  or  eco- 
nomic maladjustments  which  confront  peoples  in 
other  lands  produce  on  them  the  same  attitudes  that 
they  would  on  us.  The  study  of  Comparative  Reli- 
gion is  one  of  the  most  important  ways  by  which  the 
minister  can  learn  how  small  the  world  really  is, 
how  common  the  problems  are,  and  can  make  him- 
self at  home  in  this  new  world. 

Learning  to  know  the  great  religions  of  the  world 
will  give  the  minister  a  new  attitude  toward  the 
past.  That  attitude  we  can  call  "functional."  The 
minister  will  be  able  to  interpret  history  in  terms 
of  life  and  to  understand  better  the  development  of 
his  own  religion  by  comparing  it  with  the  growth  of 
other  religions.  He  will  be  able  to  understand  what 
religion  is  in  a  better  way  than  by  concentrating 
only  on  his  own  institutionalized  expression.  Spe- 
cialization, whether  academic  or  pastoral,  places  the 
individual  in  a  prison.  Learning  to  know  the  story  of 
other  religions,  to  understand  that  they  have  grap- 
pled and  are  struggling  with  the  same  frustrations 
that  baffle  us,  will  help  break  the  walls  of  that 
prison. 


THE  SCROLL 273 

The  study  of  Comparative  Religion  will  give  the 
minister  a  new  perspective  on  his  contemporary  sit- 
uation and  work.  It  will  change  his  attitude  towards 
missions,  for  example.  When  he  knows  what  Budd- 
hism, or  Mohammedanism,  or  Hinduism  is  and  what 
it  stands  for,  he  will  no  longer  approach  the  mis- 
sionary task  of  the  Christian  Church  as  that  of  car- 
rying a  superior  message  to  inferior  peoples,  but 
rather  that  of  one  faith  sharing  with  other  faiths 
in  a  common  quest.  Such  a  study  will  also  help  to 
break  down  the  dogmatism  which  too  often  becomes 
characteristic  of  Christians,  even  those  who  call 
themselves  liberals.  It  will  engender  a  much  needed 
tolerance.  Yet  I  do  not  mean  the  tolerance  which 
frequently  has  about  it  an  air  of  patronizing  con- 
descension. I  mean  tolerance  which  is  "sympathy," 
the  truest  meaning  of  which  implies  "suffering  to- 
gether." The  study  of  Comparative  Religion  will  help 
the  modern  minister  develop  sympathy  in  himself 
and  his  congregation. 

Finally,  the  study  of  the  religions  of  the  world 
can  help  the  modern  minister  more  effectively  in  his 
formulation  of  ideals  for  the  future,  as  he 
himself  with  others,  performs  his  work  with  his 
eyes  turned  toward  the  dreams  and  horizons  of  to- 
morrow. The  minister  is  occupied  with  a  great  and 
living  task.  When  he  studies  the  religions  of  man- 
kind he  comes  to  the  realization  that  all  these  faiths 
are  the  outcomes  of  a  painful  struggle  through  cen- 
turies of  heartbreaking  frustrations,  unsatisfied 
yearnings,  and  unfulfilled  aspirations.  Mankind  has 
climbed  a  long  and  tortuous  path,  seeking  a  way 
which  will  usher  him  into  a  greater,  a  more  abun- 
dant life.  On  that  path  he  has  poured  out  his  life's 
blood,  and  the  eloquent  testimony  to  the  heroic  pro- 
portions of  his  age-old  quest  are  the  magnificent,  liv- 
ing cathedrals  of  his  religions.  Whether  it  be  the 
stately  edifice  of  a  Gothic  church,  the  restrained  dig- 
nity of  a  Jewish  synagogue,  the  glorious   exotic 


274 THE  SCROLL 

beauty  of  a  Buddhist  temple,  the  magnificent  splen- 
dor of  a  Mohammedan  mosque — in  all  of  these  men 
have  symbolized  in  brick  and  stone  and  marble  thou- 
sands of  years  of  a  long  and  weary  search.  That 
quest  is  not  ended;  the  attainment  of  its  ideals  lies 
still  in  the  future.  Religion  is  not  a  particular  sys- 
tem; it  is  not  confined  to  any  distinctive  faith.  Re- 
ligion is  greater  than  all  religions;  it  is  concerned 
with  the  achievement  of  certain  ideals  for  men.  The 
definition  of  those  ideals  may  vary,  but  they  them- 
selves do  not  change.  In  an  ancient  time  they  were 
called  the  abundant  life,  or  an  emancipation  which 
made  the  individual  incapable  of  anything  but  the 
highest  type  of  conduct.  In  modern  times  that  quest 
has  been  defined  as  the  search  for  the  good  life,  or  as 
the  achievement  of  the  religious  quality  of  living. 
The  minister  goes  into  his  church,  an  individual 
consecrated  to  the  exalted  task  of  achieving  that 
quest,  and  of  aiding  others  to  realize  those  ideals. 
What  the  long  centuries  have  struggled  for,  in  our 
age  nears  realization.  The  modern  minister  devotes 
himself  to  sharing  in  that  achievement.  He  will 
welcome  everything  and  anything  which  can  pro- 
vide him  with  the  inspiration  and  the  stimulus  to 
remain  true  to  his  quest.  The  study  of  Comparative 
Religion  can  and  will  enable  him  to  take  his  place 
and  work  at  his  task,  sustained  by  the  consciousness 
that  behind  him  stand  not  only  the  great  figures  of 
the  Christian  faith  and  the  heroic  picture  of  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  but  also  the  mighty  figure  of  Zoroaster, 
the  kindly  wisdom  of  Confucius,  the  ever-searching 
life  of  Gautama  Buddha,  the  passionate  devotion  of 
Mohammed — they  are  all  of  them  great  figures  in 
a  great  task.  The  modern  Christian  minister  can 
by  living  with  all  of  them  take  his  place  in  life 
with  the  thrilling  realization  that  behind  him  stand 
the  immortals  of  the  ages,  and  before  him  are  the 
years  when  their  quests  and  dreams,  as  well  as  his, 
will  be  fulfilled. 


THE  SCROLL 275 

Faith  to  a  Psychologist 

By  Paul  L.  Boynton,  Professor  of  Psychology, 
Peabody  College,  Nashville 

Among  the  many  terms  frequently  introduced  in 
theological  discussions  which  have  been  attacked 
by  modern  commentators  with  critical  and  scien- 
tific interests,  few  have  given  more  trouble  and  at 
the  same  time  are  of  greater  significance  to  the  re- 
ligionist than  the  term  faith.  It  appears  relevant, 
then,  to  examine  the  concepts  upon  which  this  term 
depends,  and  to  determine,  if  possible,  whether  they 
are  tenable  at  the  present  time. 

First,  let  us  approach  the  problem  negatively. 
Though  faith  and  doubt  appear  on  the  surface  to 
be  opposed  phenomena,  they  probably  are  but  direc- 
tional trends  on  the  same  base  line  of  thought.  They 
might  well  be  compared  to  the  probability — im- 
probability concepts  of  the  mathematician.  They  not 
only  merge  into  each  other,  but  likely  can  be  thought 
of  as  overlapping  throughout  much  of  their  range. 
Thus,  just  as  we  have  improbability  along  with  prob- 
ability, we  probably  have  doubt  along  with  much 
faith,  and  vice  versa.  If  this  is  true,  let  us  ask  our- 
selves a  question.  How  many  times  have  we  heard 
critics  of  the  concept  of  faith  question  the  impor- 
tance, value,  reality,  or  significance  of  the  concept 
of  doubt?  If,  though,  we  go  back  to  the  position 
taken  here,  we  cannot  use  the  doubt  concept  if  we 
cannot  use  the  faith  concept. 

If  we  continue,  the  question  may  occur  as  to 
whether  faith  plays  a  significant  role  in  the  present 
era  of  experimentation.  It  would  seem  that  the  an- 
swer must  be  yes.  Let  us  illustrate  briefly.  A  stu- 
dent comes  to  the  laboratory  to  perform  a  reaction 
time  experiment.  To  begin  with,  he  would  not  come 
to  the  laboratory  nor  would  his  instructor  have  him 
come  if  both  did  not  have  faith  in  the  apparatus  as 
a  measuring  instrument.    As  he  begins  his  experi- 


276 THE  SCROLL 

ment  he  probably  sits  in  a  laboratory  chair.  He 
would  not  sit  in  this  chair  were  it  not  for  his  faith 
in  the  materials  and  honesty  of  workmanship  which 
resulted  in  the  chair.  He  finally  adjusts  his  piece 
of  apparatus,  a  chronoscope,  and  reads  off  a  certain 
record.  This  he  says  indicates  that  it  took  him  so 
many  thousandths  of  a  second  to  respond.  He  has 
to  take  this  strictly  on  faith  because  he  does  not,  nor 
will  he  ever,  possess  the  keenness  of  sensitivity 
which  will  ever  permit  him  to  verify  the  fact 
through  his  own  structural  or  organic  equipment. 
And  so  we  could  continue.  The  most  careful  experi- 
mentalist never  could  begin  an  experiment,  even,  if 
he  did  not  exhibit  faith  in  a  multiplicity  of  ways. 

If  we  turn  to  everyday  experience,  we  have  faith 
in  the  cook  not  poisoning  the  food;  so  we  eat.  We 
have  faith  in  our  possibilities  for  continued  living; 
so  we  plan  what  we  shall  do  in  the  future.  We  have 
faith  in  society  rewarding  a  qualified  man  more  ade- 
quately than  an  unqualified  one;  so  we  work  and 
strive  to  get  an  education. .  We  have  faith  in  a  mov- 
ing picture  show  affording  us  recreation ;  so  we  pay 
for  our  faith  by  attending  it.  We  have  faith  in  the 
accuracy  of  the  press ;  so,  though  we  are  thousands 
of  miles  removed,  and  probably  have  never  even  seen 
a  person  who  has  seen  a  person  who  saw  the  Italian 
armies  invade  Ethiopia,  we  say  that  we  know  that 
this  took  place.  In  fact,  ordinary,  everyday  human 
behavior,  whether  that  of  the  religionist,  scientist, 
or  layman,  is  Exhibit  A  in  any  planetarium  of  faith. 

If  this  is  true,  what  is  faith?  To  begin  with,  of 
course,  it  is  belief.  It  is  an  habitual  mode  of  reaction 
to  certain  stimuli,  or  patterns  of  stimuli.  It  is  con- 
ditioned by  the  previous  experiences  through  which 
we  have  passed,  and  by  the  receptivity  of  our  organ- 
isms to  respond  to  these  stimuli.  It  is  a  conventional 
reaction  to  stimuli  made  as  a  result  of  previous  mod- 
ifications. There  is  something  more  than  this,  how- 
ever, if  we  exhibit  faith.    These  stimuli  which  have 


THE  SCROLL 277 

resulted  in  modification  have  been  sufficiently  com- 
parable in  some  respects  that  certain  habits  have 
been  established  as  prepotent  action  tendencies. 
Doubt  probably  is  a  series  of  inconsistent  and  at 
times  inhibiting  responses.  In  other  words,  in  a 
doubt  reaction  the  individual  responds  in  divergent 
ways  as  a  result  of  experiencing  divergent  or  in- 
comparable stimuli.  As  he  goes  toward  faith,  how- 
ever, there  is  a  cessation  of  inhibitory  responses 
and  a  facilitation  of  responses  of  one  particular  type, 
so  that  in  what  we  might  call  absolute  faith  (or, 
for  that  matter,  absolute  disbelief)  there  is  only  one 
response  made  to  the  situation. 

It  would  apear,  then,  that  not  only  is  faith  a  per- 
fectly respectable  term  in  modern  thought,  but  also 
that  in  a  pragmatic  universe  the  concept  of  faith 
is  as  justifiable,  and  as  acceptable  as  any  other  beha- 
vioral concept  with  which  we  must  deal. 


Song  of  Life 

By  Kenneth  L.  Patton,  Cameron,  Illinois 
The  air  is  alive  with  laughing  branches ; 
The  deep  sea  pulses  with  waving  fronds ; 
The  cool  earth  murmurs  with  whispering  roots ; 
There  are  silver  lights  in  the  minnow  ponds. 

In  every  crevice  and  cranny  of  earth 
Living  fingers  are  stirring  the  dust ; 
The  loam  is  restless  with  hunger  and  thirst 
And  the  clay  is  warm  with  lust. 

A  higher  force  and  wilfulness 
Has  seized  on  man,  a  sweeter  fire, 
For  thought  makes  very  life  alive. 
Its  song  is  life's  desire. 

The  cool  earth  sings  in  the  throats  of  birds. 
It  is  lyric  and  swift  in  the  antelope. 
But  only  in  man  earth  wills  and  dreams, 
Is  it  lifted  into  hope. 


278 THE  SCROLL 

A  Personal  Creed 

By  Eldred  Johnston,  Wausfeon,  Ohio 

I.    I  believe  in  authority: 

All  religious  teachings  which  have  survived 
the  test  of  time  and  are  consistent  with  my 
reason  and  my  conscience  are  authoritative. 
Of  these  teachings,  I  consider  Jesus'  to  be 
supreme,  because  his  most  abundant  and  pur- 
poseful life  lifted  him  closer  to  God,  while 
his  most  sympathetic  love  made  it  possible  for 
him  to  penetrate  deeper  into  the  heart  of 
man. 

IL    /  believe  in  God: 

God  is  the  creator  and  sustainer  of  this 
universe.  He  is  eternal,  spiritual,  omni- 
potent, and  holy.  He  is  both  transcendent 
and  immanent. 

We  find  God  a  venture  of  faith  —  this 
faith  may  and  should  be  fortified  by  reason, 
science,  and  experience. 

That  God  is  personal  is  revealed  by  Jesus. 
As  a  person  He  loves  us:  this  can  be  seen  in 
a  purposeful  evolution;  it  can  be  seen  in  a 
world  equipped  with  such  properties  as  en- 
able us  to  develop  to  great  heights  as  seen  in 
the  life  of  Jesus;  it  can  be  seen  by  inductive 
reasoning — if  man  at  his  best  manifests  love, 
surely  man's  creator  must  do  likewise,  only 
more  so. 

God  made  the  world  and  intended  men  to 
evolve  thereon.  He  purposely  equipped  the 
universe  with  means  by  which  men  can  live 
together  happily  and  creatively.  If  man  re- 
jects these  means  he  finds  sorrow;  if  he  ac- 
cepts and  uses  and  develops  them,  he  finds 


THE  SCROLL 279 

happiness.    God  sorrows  with  those  who  sor- 
row, and  rejoices  with  those  who  rejoice. 

In  man's  struggle  to  follow  God's  purposes, 
'God  does  not  intervene.  His  only  relation  to 
man  is  in  revealing  His  purpose  to  those  that 
earnestly  seek  for  it.  This  revealing  reached 
its  height  in  the  cross  of  Christ. 

in.    I  believe  in  man: 

Man  is  born  non-moral.  The  amount  of 
morality  or  immorality  which  enters  his  life 
depends  on  how  much  he  accepts  the  influ- 
ences of  his  environment  plus  any  initial 
hereditary  influence. 

Each  individual  has  a  unique  significance 
which  is  divinely  recognized. 

Man  is  immortal  in  that  energy  cannot  be 
destroyed;  in  that  his  influences  continue 
after  his  death;  in  that  a  loving  God  would 
not  allow  beautiful  relationships  to  be  eter- 
nally severed,  such  as  that  between  a  mother 
and  child. 

Man  is  at  his  best  when  he  lives  by  a  great 
loyalty.  The  greatest  of  all  loyalties  is  the 
result  of  belief  in  a  God  who  is  both  absolute 
and  loving.  If  such  a  Power  be  for  us  who 
can  be  against  us!  If  such  a  Power  be  for 
us,  what  do  we  care  who  is  against  us ! 

IV.    /  believe  in  sin: 

Sin  is  any  defect  in  a  man's  purposes,  ideals 
or  sentiments  which  tends  to  throw  him  out 
of  harmony  with  the  purposes  of  God. 

No  man  is  solely  responsible  for  his  own  sin 
any  more  than  for  his  own  goodness.  Both 
are  partially  social  products. 


280 THE  SCROLL 

V.    /  believe  in  salvation: 

Salvation  seems  to  be  a  paradox :  "He  that 
would  save  his  life  shall  lose  it."  Salvation 
is  from  self — "I  came  to  minister,  not  to  be 
ministered  unto."  Salvation  is  for  self — "I 
came  that  ye  might  have  life  and  have  it  more 
abundantly."  Salvation  is  from  a  life  of  nar- 
row restrictions  where  the  main  interest  is 
our  own  self  in  its  own  place  in  its  own  time 
— to  a  life  of  rich  fulness  where  the  concern 
is  for  all  others,  in  all  places,  in  all  times. 

VL    /  believe  in  salvation  through  JesiLS : 

Jesus  was  a  real  man — he  was  limited  in 
power  and  knowledge  as  we  are. 

He  reveals  more  clearly  than  anyone  the 
will  and  purpose  of  God.  He  is  the  link  be- 
tween the  infinite,  absolute  Power  of  the  uni- 
verse and  the  Heavenly  Father  who  shows 
great  concern  for  falling  birds. 

I  believe  in  a  living  Christ — a  spirit  which 
is  immortal  because  it  cannot  be  used  without 
increasing  its  use  and  usefulness.  As  men  of 
every  age  have  sat  at  his  feet  and  listened  to 
him,  as  they  have  watched  him  live  a  magni- 
ficent life,  it  has  unfailingly  dawned  upon 
them  that  here  is  the  way  to  a  worthwhile, 
abundant,  and  an  eternal  life. 

Because  he  revealed  God  so  really  and  com- 
pletely, he  is  the  best  practical  object  of  man's 
loyalty. 

The  fact  that  for  almost  two-thousand 
years  the  civilized  world  has  given  a  pre-emi- 
nent place  to  him  who  was  unselfishness,  love 
and  purity  incarnate,  convinces  me  that  this 
universe  conserves  those  values  (love,  purity, 
etc.)  and  that  they  are  worthwhile  and  im- 
mortal. 


THE  SCROLL 281 

VIL    /  believe  in  salvation  through  the  church: 

The  church  aids  us  in  our  salvation  by  giv- 
ing us  an  ethical  goal  in  Jesus;  teaching  us 
the  art  of  living  with  each  other;  preserving 
and  communicating  the  highest  religious  ex- 
periences of  the  race;  giving  dynamic  to  life 
by  showing  us  clear  evidence  that  God  is  for 
us. 

On  behalf  of  social  salvation,  the  church 
proclaims  and  works  for  the  Kingdom  of  God ; 
it  fights  organized  evil;  it  supports  and  pro- 
motes benevolent  projects. 


Walking  Together 

By  Thomas  P.  Inabinett,  Greenville,  S.  C. 

In  brief,  the  position  of  Disciples  is  this.  When 
an  individual  who  comes  to  believe  in  Jesus  and  His 
way  of  life  decides  to  follow  Him  and  expresses 
overtly  his  desire  to  be  united  to  Christ,  he  becomes 
a  Christian  and  a  member  of  the  church  of  Christ. 
In  the  beginning  that  was  all  the  church  that  ex- 
isted. Today,  that  same  church  must  exist.  Mod- 
ern churchmen  are  coming  to  recognize  that  fact. 
They  speaK  of  'the  ecumenical  church.  It  is  the 
world-wide  fellowship  of  all  of  Christ's  followers. 
The  Campbells  more  than  a  century  ago  saw  what 
many  churchmen  are  just  now  coming  to  see.  But 
instead  of  trying  to  unite  the  church  by  a  union  of 
all  denominations,  they  said  dissolve  the  denomina- 
tional frames  and  the  church  of  Christ  will  be  left. 
They  declared  themselves  to  be  Christian  only  and 
to  be  members  of  the  church  of  Christ  only.  It  seems 
that  a  man  has  a  right  to  do  that.  If  one  man,  then 
why  not  two  men;  and  if  two  men,  then  why  not 
a  group,  however  large.  But  when  the  men  with 
these  ideals  joined  together  and  began  to  be  asso- 


282 THE  SCROLL 

dated  in  local  churches,  even  with  an  inclusive 
name,  those  around  them  cried  "denomination,"  and 
some  of  their  own  members  who  did  not  understand 
said,  "Well,  why  not?" 

The  dilemma  of  the  Disciples,  as  it  has  been 
called,  is  caused  by  the  fact  that  they  do  have  a  sep- 
arate existence.  They  do  have  organizations  and 
publishing  houses  and  other  machinery  which  sets 
them  apart.  But  in  spite  of  their  dilemma,  so-called, 
those  principles  for  which  Disciples  stand  are  still 
valid.  Even  though  there  have  been  some  differ- 
ences arise  among  groups,  and  even  though  there 
was  one  major  division  when  a  group  of  extreme 
conservatives  withdrew  and  asked  for  separate  list- 
ing in  the  United  States  census,  the  fundamental 
principles  are  sound.  Division  and  trouble  have 
been  caused  when  those  principles  have  been  vio- 
lated. You  cannot  say  that  principles  are  unsound 
when  it  is  the  violation  of  those  principles  which 
brings  the  difficulty,  even  when  that  violation 
occurs  among  those  who  claim  to  hold  those  prin- 
ciples. 'I 

There  have  been  disputes  as  to  whether  Disciples 
set  out  to  restore  the  New  Testament  church  or  to 
bring  about  unity.  If  their  purpose  was  to  restore 
the  New  Testament  church,  there  was  little  unique 
in  their  plea  inasmuch  as  practically  all  of  the  Prot- 
estant churches  would  make  or  have  made  the  same 
claim.  It  might  be  argued  as  to  who  has  done  the 
best  job,  but  mortal  men  will  never  settle  that  prob- 
lem. Restoration  does  enter  into  the  program  of 
the  Disciples'  plea,  but  it  was  restoration  with  a 
purpose,  namely,  to  bring  about  the  unity  of  the 
church.  Before  the  latter  can  be  accomplished  there 
must  have  been  created  a  consciousness  of  the  sin- 
fulness of  division  within  the  church.  People  must 
be  brought  to  see  that  the  church  of  Christ  is  "essen- 
tially, intentionally  and  constitutionally  one,"  and 


THE  SCROLL 283 

then  they  will  be  concerned  with  finding  the  reason 
that  such  essential  unity  is  not  more  visible.  When 
penitent  men  who  have  inherited  the  traditions  and 
sins  of  their  fathers  sit  down  together  to  see  what 
has  caused  the  division  of  the  church,  they  will  un- 
derstand more  about  what  is  to  be  restored.  They 
will  also  see  that  within  a  united  church  there  will 
be  room  for  divergent  opinions.  The  statement 
"Can  two  walk  together,  except  they  be  agreed?" 
will  be  supplemented  to  read  "Can  two  walk  to- 
gether, except  they  be  agreed  that  they  want  to  walk 
together?"  That  is  the  beginning  of  Christian 
unity. 


A  Thesis  Subject 

C.  H.  Hamlin,  Wilson,  N.  C. 

There  is  an  influence  of  European  educators  upon 
Alexander  Campbell  that  has  been  overlooked  by 
those  showing  his  debt  to  Bacon  and  Locke.  Pestal- 
ozzi  and  others  advocated  moral  and  religious  train- 
ing not  associated  with  a  theology.  Campbell's  writ- 
ings on  Public  Education  show  a  familiarity  with 
such  educations  as  Comenius,  Pestalozzi,  and  their 
educational  disciples.  There  is  a  striking  similarity 
between  Campbell's  plans  at  Bethany  and  Fellen- 
berg's  Institution  in  Switzerland.  Fellenberg's  In- 
stitution was  located  on  a  farm  of  600  acres.  It 
consisted  of  a  Literary  Institution,  an  agricultural 
school,  a  printing  plant,  and  a  primary  school.  This 
institution  was  attracting  much  attention  when 
Campbell  was  in  the  vigor  of  his  life.  Campbell  had 
similar  plans  for  Bethany.  His  plans  called  for  a 
Literary  Institution,  an  agricultural  school  was  pro- 
vided for  in  the  charter,  the  printing  plant  was  there 
and  he  had  provisions  for  a  primary  school  for  those 
from  7  to  14  years  of  age.   The  Literary  Institution 


284 THE  SCROLL 

or  Bethany  College  alone  survived,  but  his  original 
plans  had  in  mind  much  more.  Campbell  was  famil- 
iar with  the  Fellenberg  project  established  about 
1820  and  continued  till  1844. 

I  would  like  to  see  some  Chicago  student  trace  out 
this  influence.  This  influence  is,  at  least,  new  to  me, 
found  in  my  work  at  George  Peabody  College  for 
Teachers.    It  would  make  a  good  graduate  thesis. 


Growth 

By  Kenneth  L.  Patton,  Cameron,  Illinois 
The  tendrils  of  the  eager  grape 
Each  with  a  little  curled  hook  ready  at  the  tip 
Reach  up  above  the  last  wire  of  the  trellis, 
Reach  into  the  empty  air 
And  grope  blindly  as  the  wind  sways  them. 
The  clean  Spring  vines  feel  out  for  a  hand-hold, 
Reach  up  like  drowning  men 
For  a  safe  something  to  hold  on  to. 
As  the  sweet  weight  of  the  swelling  clusters 
Suckle  at  the  breast  of  the  vine 
And  drag  down  the  limbs. 
Oh  Earth,  I  am  growing  heavy  with  the  new  fruit 

of  this  Spring. 
Lower  thy  glowing  hand; 
Let  the  tendrils  of  my  faith  curl  around  thy  safe 

fingers 
That  I  may  not  fall  backwards  with  this  heaviness. 


Mr.  Carroll  Odell,  pastor  of  the  Christian  Church 
at  Taylorville,  Illinois,  and  Miss  Ruth  Baker,  for 
the  past  five  years  the  efficient  Secretary  in  the 
office  of  the  Disciples  Divinity  House,  were  married 
on  April  11,  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Holy  Grail.  Dr. 
Ames  read  the  service,  assisted  by  the  Reverend 
John  G.  Koehler. 


THE  SCROLL 285 

Secretary-Treasurer's  Page 

A.  T.  DeGroot 

What  sort  of  people  are  the  eighty  new  members 
who  have  entered  the  ranks  of  the  Campbell  Insti- 
tute since  January  1  ?  Perhaps  the  most  interesting 
answer  to  this  query  is  to  be  found  by  a  perusal  of 
the  last  line  on  the  membership  card,  marked  "spe- 
cial interests."  About  half  of  the  new  members  left 
this  line  blank — which  fact  I  trust  is  no  indication 
of  the  true  measure  of  their  non-professional  inter- 
ests. A  goodly  number  said  that  personal  counseling 
and  guidance,  or  young  people's  conferences,  or  work 
with  men  occupied  this  place  in  their  lives.  How- 
ever, among  the  less  common  interests  indicated 
were  the  following:  raising  type  canary  birds;  an- 
nuities and  tithing  (a  layman)  ;  stamps  and  coins; 
Lincolniana;  business  writing  and  advertising  (a 
professor  of  English)  ;  all  sports;  Disciple  history 
(I  must  remember  to  write  to  that  brother  and  sell 
him  a  copy  of  my  forthcoming  book,  "The  Grounds 
of  Divisions  Among  the  Disciples  of  Christ,"  price 
$5.00)  ;  archeology  and  mountaineering;  co-opera- 
tives; Christian  unity,  both  abstract  and  concrete; 
modern  religious  movements;  games;  financial  am- 
bitions of  other  people  (that  will  bear  looking  into) . 

One  of  these  days  I  must  go  through  the  cards 
of  older  members  and  compare  their  careers  with 
their  earlier  statement  of  their  special  interests. 

Next  month's  issue  of  The  Scroll  will  be  the  final 
number  in  the  1939-40  series.  Because  we  had  to 
use  August's  good  receipt  of  dues  (at  the  annual 
meeting)  to  pay  the  balance  due  the  printer  on 
1938-39  issues,  we  have  not  been  able  to  pay  our 
obligations  to  that  patient  brother  when  due.  Let 
me  give  you  a  hasty  resume  of  nearly  three  years' 
experience  as  your  unenviable  Levi.    The  first  year 


286 THE  SCROLL 

we  had  a  deficit  of  $150.  The  second  year  we  deficit- 
ed  $100  (at  least,  that  was  some  improvement) .  We 
have  our  best  opportunity  this  year  to  come  out  in 
the  black.  (Did  you  hear  the  one  about  the  book- 
keeper who  ran  to  the  boss  shouting,  "We're  in  the 
black,  at  last!"  The  boss  looked  at  the  books  and 
noticed  that  the  Gains  Column  was  written  with  red 
ink.  "How  come  ?"  he  asked.  *  Well,"  said  the  book- 
keeper, "if  I  had  bought  a  bottle  of  black  ink  we'd 
have  been  in  the  red  again.")  0  well,  I  never  was 
much  good  with  jokes,  anyway.  The  point  is  that 
we  are  very,  very,  very  much  wanting  two  dollars 
dues  from  any  of  you  tardy  brethren.  If  you  will  all 
send  in  your  back  dues  this  week,  we'll  make  the 
printer  laugh  right  out  loud! 


Freedom 

By  Kenneth  L.  Patton,  Cameron,  Illinois 
Strange  man,  who  stand  at  the  prow  of  your  ship 
And  thirstily  drink  of  the  lovely  wind. 
Who  revel  your  heart  and  dance  your  mind 
To  the  seas  wild  rhythms  and  the  wave's  dip, 
Timing  the  song  that  bubbles  from  your  lip 
To  that  sweet  freedom ;  here  you  think  to  find, 
In  song  subtracted  from  the  tasks  that  grind 
You  each  day  deeper  in  your  slavery's  grip, 
The  liberty  you  crave.    You  are  deceived 
And  led  from  logic  by  a  hungry  dream, 
For  that  full  freedom  never  is  achieved. 
Nor  are  the  wind  and  waves  free  as  they  seem. 
The  free  man  makes  his  cell  a  wide  domain 
And  grows  in  stature  carrying  his  chain. 


F.  E.  Davison,  South  Bend,  Indiana,  is  happy  in 
the  fact  that  Miss  Rolene  Abbott,  of  his  congrega- 
tion recently  gave  her  home  to  the  church  for  a  par- 
sonafiT^.  The  property  is  valued  at  $15,000.     The 


THE  SCROLL 287 

present  parsonage,  which  adjoins  the  church  will 
now  be  used  for  educational  and  social  purposes. 
Miss  Abbott  has  been  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  School 
for  thirty  years. 


I  read  the  other  day  a  Greek  epigram  which  sug- 
gests a  picture  which  moved  me  deeply,  for  it  por- 
trays a  scene  in  which  a  man  who  was  himself  de- 
feated in  his  personal  venture  yet  realized  that 
others  would  succeed  in  what  he  had  hoped  to  do: 
A  shipwrecked  sailor  buried  on  this  coast 

Bids  you  set  sail. 
Full  many  a  gallant  bark,  when  we  were  lost. 
Weathered  the  gale. 


The  Disciples  Divinity  House  has  been  promised 
the  files  of  the  Christian  Standard  from  its  begin- 
ning through  the  year  1908,  by  the  Trustees  of 
Hiram  College.  They  are  to  be  kept  in  the  Library 
of  the  House  as  a  loan.  This  arrangement  came 
about  as  the  consequence  of  a  recent  announcement 
that  the  House  had  searched  far  and  wide  for  the 
early  volumes  to  complete  its  files  down  to  date. 
Professor  Harold  E.  Davis,  of  Hiram  College,  graci- 
ously negotiated  the  loan,  and  the  House  is  very 
happy  to  have  this  important  material  for  studies 
in  the  history  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  the  great 
formative  years  of  Isaac  Errett's  editorship. 


288 THE  SCROLL 

Campbell  Institute  Program 

ANNUAL  MEETING— CHICAGO 
JULY  29-AUGUST  2,  1940 
Monday,  July  29 
9:00  p.m.     Communion  Service.    Chapel  of  Holy 

Grail.   Conducted  by  Donald  Salmon. 
9 :45  p.m.     President's  Reception  and  Social  Hour. 
In  Common  Room. 
Tuesday,  July  30 

12:30  p.m.     Luncheon — University  Church, 
2:00  p.m.     Address — Changes    in    the    minds    of 
Disciple  Ministers  as  revealed  by  The 
Scroll.   A.  T.  DeGroot. 
9:00  p.m.     President's   Address — "The   Doctrinal 
Destiny  of  the  Disciples."  Paul  Becker. 
Discussion  led  by  Robert  Lemon. 
Wednesday,  July  31 
2:00  p.m.     Cub's  ball  game. 
9:00  p.m.     Address— "The    Faith    by    Which    I 
Live."  A.  D.  Harmon. 
Discussion  Leader — Fred  Heifer. 
Thursday,  Aug.  1 
2 :00  p.m.     Symposium  on  the  Ministry. 

Ministerial    Placement — Paul    Ken- 
nedy. 

Ministerial  Ethics — Doyle  Mullen. 
Discussion  Leader — Kenneth  Bowen. 
6:00  p.m.     Annual  Campbell  Institute  Dinner. 
Friday,  Aug.  2 
2:00  p.m.     Address — "How  Can  a  Minister  Best 
Lead  His  People  in  Social  Action." 
Discussion  Leader — Ray  Hunt. 
9:00  p.m.     Address  —  "Candidates   for   Disciples 
Ministry  —  Methods    of    Encouraging 
and  Discouraging."  Prof.  Briggs,  Phil- 
lips University. 
Discussion  led  by  R.  B.  Montgomery, 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVIL  JUNE,  1940  No.  10 

Introducing  James  Gray 

By  Barnett  Blakemore,  Chicago 

James  Gray,  author  of  the  accompanying  article 
in  this  issue  of  The  Scroll,  deserves  a  little  introduc- 
tion to  the  members  of  the  Campbell  Institute,  His 
article  will  give  you  some  insights  into  his  mind, 
but  since  he  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  it 
is  difficult  for  you  to  know  something  of  his  per- 
sonality. Officially  he  is  designated  as  Lecturer  in 
Philosophy  of  Religion  and  Warden  of  Overdale  Col- 
lege, the  training  centre  for  ministers  among  the 
Disciples  in  Great  Britain.  This  official  standing 
is  enough  to  indicate  that  he  possesses  a  finely  de- 
veloped intellectual  equipment.  The  responsibili- 
ties indicated  by  his  title  may  lead  you  to  presume 
that  he  is  a  man  of  many  years  and  experience.  That 
judgment  is  only  half  right.  For  James  Gray, 
though  he  already  has  a  background  of  significant 
and  rich  experience,  is  a  young  man  in  his  early 
thirties  who  looks  even  younger.  Furthermore  he 
has  that  balance  between  astute  thought  and  prac- 
tical sympathies  which  makes  him  respected  enough 
to  be  given  heavy  responsibilities  and  beloved 
enough  to  insure  a  creative  experience  for  those 
who  come  under  his  guidance.  His  position  as  war- 
den involves  all  the  factors,  physical  and  spiritual, 
of  organizing  into  harmony  a  college  household  that 
numbers  from  ten  to  twenty  students  of  varied  back- 
grounds. In  this  work  he  is  aided  by  his  capable 
and  equally  charming  wife.  There  are  two  attrac- 
tive young  daughters  of  these  parents  who  recently 
added  a  European  refugee  to  their  little  flock.  To 
be  invited  into  this  family  circle  for  *'tea"  is  to  par- 
ticipate in  a  joyous  atmosphere  which  draws  upon 
the  best  in  p.rt,  music  and  literature  that  modern 


388 THE  SCROLL 

culture  affords.  This  interest  you  will  find  reflected 
in  the  article  in  references  to  both  European  and 
American  writers. 

The  wealth  of  this  man's  nature  is  not  fully  re- 
vealed until  you  know  the  round  of  his  activities.  On 
the  tennis  court  he  has  a  mean  serve  and  cheery 
manner,  a  practically  unbeatable  combination.  His 
lyrical  voice  is  an  inspiration  to  others  to  join  the 
song  whether  it  be  at  church  on  Sunday  morning 
or  in  the  jollity  of  a  social  gathering.  His  apt  and 
sympathetic  criticisms  of  students'  homilies  are 
matched  outside  the  class-room  by  witty  and  fluent 
conversation  on  a  wide  variety  of  subjects.  Besides 
his  college  work,  Gray  is  active  in  the  practical  life 
of  the  Disciples  in  Birmingham,  skilled  in  the  tech- 
niques of  religious  education  and  a  strengthener  of 
church  administration  wherever  he  touches  it.  Com- 
ing from  a  family  with  a  record  of  staunch  serv- 
ice to  the  Disciples  in  Great  Britain,  he  has  a 
brother  on  the  African  mission  field.  James  Gray 
should  be  known  to  a  wider  circle  of  Disciples  on 
this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

His  article  provides  a  good  basis  by  which  those 
of  us  here  could  examine  the  type  of  thought  found 
among  the  Disciples  in  Great  Britain  in  order  that 
our  understanding  of  each  other  might  be  furthered. 
An  analysis  in  that  direction  by  the  writer  of  this 
introduction  appears  in  this  issue  of  The  Scroll. 


More  Institute  men  should  subscribe  for  A.  T. 
DeGroot's  book,  "The  Grounds  of  Divisions  Among 
The  Disciples  of  Christ."  The  edition  is  limited. 
The  book  is  commended  by  Dean  Kershner  and 
Professor  Garrison. 


THE  SCROLL 389 

Whither  Disciples? 

By  James  Gray,  M.A. 
Warden  of  Overdale  College,  Selly  Oak, 
Birmingham,  England 
In  spite  of  the  war,  copies  of  American  papers 
continue  to  arrive  in  Great  Britain  regularly — in 
fact  I  think  I  have  received  every  issue  of  The  Scroll 
without  interruption.     Several  of  us  here  read  it, 
always  with  interest,  but  usually,  if  I  may  be  al- 
lowed to  say  so,  with  a  sense  that  the  interpretation 
given  in  its  pages  of  the  essential  features  of  Dis- 
ciple witness  diverges  in  important  respects  from 
that  which  appears  to  some  of  us  to  be  historically 
central  and  of  greatest  value  today. 

Knowing  the  Campbell  Institute's  cherished  tradi- 
tion of  open-mindedness  and  free  inquiry,  I  venture 
to  offer  the  following  comments  on  the  Editor's  arti- 
cle, "Whither  Disciples?"  (September,  1939)  and 
certain  passages  in  the  issue  for  December,  1939. 

I. 
Dr.  Ames  begins  his  article  on  "The  Ideology  of 
our  Tradition"  with  this  paragraph: 

"The  stream  of  life  and  thought  in  which  the  Disci- 
ples of   Christ  have   their  development  belongs  to   the 
last  three  hundred  years,  to  the  period  beginning  with 
the   Renaissance   and   flowering   in   the    scientific    spirit 
and  method  which  are  now  transforming  the  practical 
world   of  affairs  and   basic  philosophies  of  life.      This 
movement   arose   in   a   new   interest  in   nature   and   in 
human   nature.      Respect   for   all   natural   things   took 
the  place   of  disdain  and   indifference.     Fi'ancis  Bacon 
saw   possibilities    of   discoveries   and    inventions   which 
would   benefit   mankind,    enlarge  human  horizons,   and 
afford  means  of  control.     'Knowledge  is  power,'  he  said. 
Before  him  knowledge  was  regarded  as  contemplation 
and  vision,  yielding  piety  and  awe,  inducing  worship." 
The  statement  that  the  scientific  spirit  and  meth- 
od are   now  transforming   the   practical   world   of 
affairs  and  basic  philosophies   of  life  is  made   as 
if  it  were  a  truism.    But  to  many  observers  of  con- 
temporary world-affairs  it  appears  highly  question- 


390 THE  SCROLL 

able,  or  else  true  only  in  a  sense  exactly  opposite  to 
that  which  Dr.  Ames's  words  imply.  It  is  true — 
and  all  of  us  recognize  this  with  gratitude  as  a  gift 
from  God — that  science  has  done  great  things  for 
us  and  that  so  far  as  the  comforts  and  conveniences 
of  daily  life  are  concerned,  life  has  been  trans- 
formed. But  this  is  a  superficial  transformation. 
We  can  go  more  quickly,  but  are  we  any  more  sure 
where  we  are  going  or  where  we  ought  to  go?  We 
can  flood  our  homes  and  cities  with  light  (except  in 
war-time  when  we  must  be  "blacked-out"  for  fear 
of  annihilation  from  the  sky,  which  one  of  the  lat- 
est triumphs  of  the  scientific  spirit  has  made  a  terri- 
fying probability),  but  can  we  see  any  more  clearly? 
We  have  more  knowledge,  but  have  we  greater  wis- 
dom? 

Faced  by  a  glowing  phrase  like  "...  flowering 
in  the  scientific  spirit  and  method  which  are  now 
transforming  .  .  .  ,"  it  is  not  mere  cynicism  which 
points  to  the  two  Great  Wars,  the  second  of  which 
is  now  upon  us.  What  has  the  flowering  of  the  sci- 
entific spirit  done  to  be  proud  of  here?  If  we  are 
in  the  hey-day  of  scientific  progress  and  enlighten- 
ment, why  is  it  that  the  most  ruthless  and  gigantic 
wars  in  history  are  part  of  it?  If  this  is  the  trans- 
formation of  life  brought  about  by  the  flowering 
of  the  scientific  spirit,  most  of  us  would  prefer  that 
the  flower  would  quickly  wither  or  else  that  its  seed 
had  never  been  planted.  Nor  is  it  irrelevant  to  ask 
how  the  scientific  spirit  has  dealt  with  slums,  un- 
employment, racial  prejudice,  economic  chaos,  finan- 
cial oligarchy,  and  many  other  things  which  afflict 
our  world. 

Now  if  you  say,  "But  we  can't  expect  the  world 
to  be  set  right  all  at  once — we  must  take  the  long 
view,"  I  reply  that  my  objection  is  more  fundamen- 
tal than  that.  No  possible  extension  of  the  applica- 
tion of  science  can  meet  our  human  need;  some- 
thing is  required  of  a  different  order.     What  we 


THE  SCROLL 391 

need  is  not  more  of  the  same  kind,  but  something 
of  a  different  kind.  Science  is  an  instrument,  and 
unless  it  is  directed  by  moral  purposes  it  only  ex- 
tends the  range  and  awfulness  of  wickedness. 

The  real  problem  of  the  humanist  philosophers 
is  how  to  find  sanction  for  moral  ends,  when  they 
have  abandoned  Christian  belief;  and  hov/  to  impel 
men  without  such  belief  to  devote  themselves  to 
high  moral  ends.  We  Christians  believe  it  can't 
be  done,  and  we  cannot  but  see  the  decay  of  our 
civilization  as  a  result  of  our  abandonment  of  the 
only  true  basis  of  life. 

It  is  no  accident  that  this  sense  of  the  complete 
powerlessness  of  science  to  provide  a  philosophy  of 
life  is  felt  by  scientists  and  philosophers  themselves, 
even  those  who  a  generation  ago  were  the  optimistic 
knight-errants  of  a  new  era.  Bertrand  Russell  may 
be  mentioned;  Walter  Lippmann,  as  long  ago  as 
A  Preface  to  Morals,  was  past  bravado  and  was 
gravely  searching ;  Joseph  Wood  Krutch  reached  the 
end  of  the  scientific  tether  in  a  chapter  on  ''The 
Disillusion  with  the  Laboratory"  in  The  Modern 
Temper;  and  Aldous  Huxley  and  T.  S.  Eliot  may  be 
named  as  two  literary  men  whose  development 
shows  the  sam.e  need  for  a  basis  other  than  the  scien- 
tific spirit  and  method. 

Thus,  it  seems  to  many  of  us,  that  in  a  day  when 
the  humanist  and  scientific  spirit  is  philosophically 
bankrupt,  and  in  practical  affairs  discredited,  it  is 
disastrous  to  suggest  that  our  Disciple  tradition  is 
nothing  more  than  a  current  in  this  stream.  And 
not  only  disastrous,  but  inaccurate. 

n. 

In  the  December,  1939,  issue  of  The  Scroll  there 
was  an  article  on  "Our  Heritage  and  Destiny"  by 
Charles  W.  Phillips,  being  a  review  of  Anglo-Saxony 
and  Its  Tradition.  The  point  of  the  article,  as  I  un- 
derstand it,  is  to  show  that  the  Disciple  movement 
is    philosophically    a    part    of    that    movement    of 

V 


392  THE  SCROLL 

thought  beginning  with  Roger  Bacon,  Duns  Scotus 
and  Francis  Bacon,  "Later  it  was  given  a  'coherent 
structure'  in  the  philosophy  of  John  Locke,  to  which 
the  Utilitarians  still  later,  and  the  pragmatists 
James  and  Dewey  have  added.  Lord  Russell  has 
also  helped  to  form  it";  (p.  103)  "The  dominant 
notes  of  the  tradition,"  goes  on  Mr,  Phillips,  "have 
been  those  of  humanism,  freedom,  experiment,  tol- 
erance, democracy,  accommodation,  federalism, 
moralism,  and  public  spirit  .  .  .  The  'key-stone'  of 
the  whole  is  its  experimentalism,  its  empiricism." 
This  interpretation  of  the  Disciple  movement  seems 
to  be  given  the  editorial  blessing  by  the  paragraph 
placed  at  the  end  of  the  article : 

"The  Disciples  need  to  see  themselves  in  a  longer 
perspective,  both  with  reference  to  the  historical  niove- 
nients  before  Alexander  Campbell,  and  also  with  refer- 
ence to  what  comes  after  him.  Francis  Bacon  on  one 
side  and  William  James  on  the  other  serve  to  map  the 
route  and  the  direction  of  this  intellectual  and  religious 
pilgrimage.     Ed." 

A  traditio]i  which  ends  with  John  Dewey  and 
Bertrand  Russell,  though  it  may  claim  many  Chris- 
tian elements,  can  hardly  be  essentially  Christian; 
or  else  these  modern  thinkers  are  not  in  the  legiti- 
mate succession.  Perhaps  it  is  some  feeling  of  the 
incongruity  of  classing  Alexander  Campbell  with 
Dewey  and  Russell  which  makes  the  editor  of  The 
Scroll  go  no  further  than  William  James,  But  even 
James  was  hardly  a  Christian  thinker.  Another 
modern  Disciple,  perhaps  the  only  one  whose  philo- 
sophical work  has  earned  him  fame  in  three  conti- 
nents, speaks  of  James  and  his  influence  in  more 
realistic  terms.  "...  William  James,  whose  versa- 
tile and  highly  original  genius  seems  to  have  fa- 
thered or  fostered  more  fallacies  than  any  philoso- 
pher since  Descartes.  And  it  is  worth  noting  that 
the  fallacies  of  both  thinkers  were  due  to  the  desire 
to  shape  philosophy  in  accordance  with  what  in 
their  respective  times  was  regarded  as  being  'scien- 


THE  SCROLL  393 

tific' "     (Reality  and  Value,  by  A.  Campbell  Gar- 
nett,  p.  43.) 

Now  whatever  else  the  Disciple  movement  is,  it 
is  a  Christian  movement ;  and  I  suggest  that  the  ele- 
ment which  is  omitted  in  this  interpretation  of  Dis- 
ciple tradition  is  its  roots  in  the  past,  and  particu- 
larly in  the  Bible.  Dr.  Ames's  interpretation  appears 
to  gloss  over  this  crucial  and  irreducible  element  in 
Campbell's  thought  and  in  the  Disciple  movement. 
Admittedly  the  attitude  to  the  Bible  has  often  been 
nothing  less  than  Bibliolatry;  but  this  fact,  deplor- 
able as  I  believe  it  to  be,  is  but  an  extreme  indica- 
tion of  the  supreme  place  the  Bible  holds  in  Disciple 
tradition. 

Certainly  "the  Disciples  need  to  see  themselves  in 
a  longer  perspective,"  but  three  hundred  years  is 
not  long  enough,  for  it  does  not  include  the  Bible; 
and  the  Bible  has  been  a  far  more  potent  influence 
in  central  Disciple  tradition  than  the  influence  of 
scientific  thought.  The  Bible  indeed  intelligently 
and  historically  interpreted,  as  Dr.  Ames  rightly  in- 
sists ;  but  the  Bible  nevertheless  as  the  record  of  the 
one  saving  revelation  vouchsafed  to  mankind ;  the 
Bible  as  the  depository  of  truth  which  our  scientific 
world  needs  above  all  things,  above  even  an  exten- 
sion of  the  scientific  spirit  itself. 

III. 

A  final  point.  In  the  interpretation  which  I  am 
venturing  to  question,  it  seems  to  be  assumed  that 
the  only  eiemient  in  John  Locke's  philosophy  was  his 
empiricism  and  experimentalism.  Leaving  aside  the 
question  as  to  whether  these  two  things  can  be  iden- 
tified, we  must  point  out  that  this  is  far  from  being 
the  only  element.  In  fact  in  Locke's  philosophy  there 
were  tv/o  other  elements  at  least  which  are  often 
disregarded,  the  second  of  which  especially  is  of 
great  importance  for  Disciple  tradition. 

1.  John  Locke  was  not  simply  an  apostle  of  the 
new  empirical  method  which  promised  to  transform 


394 THE  SCROLL 

the  world ;  he  was  a  sober  philosopher  with  a  strong 
strain  of  scepticism  about  the  limitations  of  scien- 
tific knowledge,  and  not  just  about  the  then  limita- 
tions but  about  the  permanent  limitations.  It  would 
take  us  too  far  afield  to  show  this  in  detail,  but  a 
study  of  Book  IV  of  the  Essay  Concerning  Human 
Understanding,  especially  ch.  iii,  enforces  it.  Two 
quotations  must  suffice: 

"...  the  intellectual  and  the  sensible  world  are  in  this 
perfectly  alike:  that  that  part  which  we  see  of  either 
of  them  holds  no  proportion  with  what  we  see  not;  and 
whatsoever  we  can  reach  with  our  eyes,  or  our  thoughts, 
of  either  of  them,  is  but  a  point,  almost  nothing  in 
comparison  of  the  rest."      (IV. iii. 23) 

" .  .  .  it  is  easy  to  perceive  what  a  darkness  we  are 
involved  in,  how  little  it  is  of  being,  and  the  things  that 
are,  that  we  are  capable  to  know.  And  therefore  we 
shall  do  no  injury  to  our  knowledge,  when  we  modestly 
think  with  ourselves,  that  we  are  so  far  from  being 
able  to  comprehend  the  whole  nature  of  the  universe, 
and  all  the  things  contained  in  it,  that  we  are  not  cap- 
able of  a  philosophical  knowledge  of  the  bodies  that 
are  about  us,  and  make  a  part  of  us:  concerning  their 
secondary  qualities,  powers,  and  operations,  we  can 
have  no  universal  certainty  .  .  .  As  to  a  perfect  sci- 
ence of  natural  bodies  (not  to  mention  spiritual  be- 
ings), we  are,  I  think,  so  far  from  being  capable  of 
any  such  thing,  that  I  conclude  it  lost  labour  to  seek 
after  it."      (IV.iii.29) 

It  is  not  fantastic  perhaps  to  suggest  a  connection 
between  this  sober  recognition  of  the  limitations 
of  the  human  mind  in  its  search  for  knowledge,  and 
the  attitude  of  Alexander  Campbell  towards  creedal 
statements  of  the  nature  of  God  which  seem  to  sug- 
gest that  God  is  fully  and  exhaustively  known. 

2.  Beyond  this,  Locke  repeatedly  qualifies  his 
statements  about  ordinary  human  knowledge  by 
some  phrase  which  indicates  his  belief  in  revelation ; 
e.g.,  "...  bating  some  very  few,  and  those,  if  I 
may  so  call  them,  'superficial'  ideas  of  spirit,  which 
by  reflection  we  get  of  our  own,  and  from  thence 
the  best  we  can  collect  of  the  Father  of  all  spirits, 
the  eternal  independent  author  of  them  and  us  and 


THE  SCROLL 395 

all  things,  we  have  no  certain  information  so  much 
of  the  existence  of  other  spirits  but  by  revelation." 
(IV.iii.27,  italics  mine.) 

That  is  to  say,  Locke  allows  that  revelation  is  a 
way  of  knowledge  different  from  the  empirical 
method ;  and  it  is  clear  that  he  regards  Scripture 
as  the  repository  of  such  revelation.  This  is  shown 
in  the  Essay,  and  is  assumed  in  the  whole  work  en- 
titled The  Reasonableness  of  Christianity,  as  deliv- 
ered in  the  Scriptures,  which  contains  so  many  of 
Alexander  Campbell's  most  characteristic  convic- 
tions. 

Is  it  fair  to  omit  this  part  of  Locke's  thought  in 
placing  Disciple  tradition  in  the  Lockian  stream  of 
influence?  It  is  not  fair  to  Locke,  and  it  is  most 
unfair  to  the  Disciple  movement,  for  it  leaves  out 
of  account  one  of  its  constitutive  elements. 

Admittedly  Locke's  view  of  revelation  was  that  of 
his  own  day,  and  we  today  can  hardly  accept  it  with- 
out modification.  But  however  defective  it  may  be 
when  judged  by  present-day  standards,  it  was  surely 
right  in  regarding  the  Bible  as  the  record  of  a  series 
of  events  which  uniquely  manifest  God's  character 
and  gracious  purpose  towards  men.  In  my  judg- 
ment Biblical  criticism  does  not  alter  this  funda- 
mental truth;  those  who  accept  its  findings  are  but 
strengthened  in  their  conviction  that  here  God  has 
revealed  Himself.  However  much  we  may  pro- 
gress by  the  extension  of  the  scientific  spirit  and 
method,  this  once-for-all  manifestation  can  never 
be  superseded. 

To  neglect  this  or  to  discount  its  significance  is 
to  abandon  what  is  surely  the  most  precious  pos- 
session of  the  whole  Christian  Church;  without  it 
certainly  the  Disciple  movement  would  never  have 
begun,  and  without  it  there  is  no  future. 


396 THE  SCROLL 

TronS"Af!oritk  Religbys  Thmking 

By  Barnett  Blakemore 

The  article  by  James  Gray  in  this  issue  of  The 
Scroll  is  significant  in  that  it  brings  before  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Campbell  Institute  a  point  of  view  re- 
garding religion  which  is  different  from  their  own, 
but  which  is  scholarly  and  is  offered  in  the  highest 
Christian  spirit.  Such  an  article  gives  us  an  op- 
portunity for  a  discussion  with  those  vv^ho  differ 
from  us,  a  discussion  which  can  be  carried  on  in 
a  manner  which  will  never  lose  sight  of  the  common 
Christian  bond  in  which  we  share,  though  at  times 
we  may  not  be  able  to  agree  on  the  exact  nature  of 
that  bond. 

Before  discussing  the  more  fundamental  prob- 
lems raised  by  Gray's  statement,  issue  should  be 
taken  with  two  statements  which  he  makes.  The 
first  is  with  regard  to  William  James  "whose  ver- 
satile and  highly  original  genius  seems  to  have  fa- 
thered or  fostered  more  fallacies  than  any  philoso- 
pher since  Descartes."  In  selecting  this  statement 
from  A.  Campbell  Garnett,  Gray  has  invoked  an 
authority  whose  point  of  view  cannot  be  easily  gain- 
said. Yet,  there  is  an  arbitrary  quality  about  such 
a  statement  regarding  William  James.  It  cannot 
be  supported  except  from  a  philosophical  position 
which  is  fundamentally  at  variance  with  that  which 
Jam_es  himself  held.  From  the  point  of  view  of 
Gray  and  of  Garnett,  perhaps  James  was  mightily 
mistaken.  But  it  is  a  criticism  which  withers  when 
one  enters  any  lecture-hall  on  psychology  in  Amer- 
ica. Forty  years  after  their  appearance,  James 
works  are  still  being  used  as  text-books.  Not  as 
documents  of  historic  interest  in  the  rise  of  psychol- 
ogy, but  as  definitive  works  are  James  books  "re- 
quired reading"  in  every  department  of  psychology 
in  America.     This  does  not  mean  that  psychology 


THE  SCROLL 397 

has  not  developed  since  the  time  of  James,  but  that 
the  general  directions,  methods  and  areas  which  he 
delineated  have  been  those  which  American  psychol- 
ogists have  found  it  most  fruitful  to  pursue.  From 
any  particular  point  of  view,  James  may  have  been 
completely  wrong.  From  the  point  of  view  of  psy- 
chology, he  is  still  fundamentally  right.  There  may 
be  a  point  of  view  which  does  not  like  it,  but  James 
remains  the  greatest  formative  factor  in  Ameri- 
can psychology,  the  man  who  has  had  the  greatest 
influence  in  forming  the  concepts  of  the  American 
people  when  they  confront  psychological  problems. 
Perhaps  James  and  Descartes  deserve  the  criticism 
of  fathering  and  fostering  innumerable  fallacies.  In 
the  long  run  it  is  a  witness  of  their  true  genius 
which  also  did  more  than  any  other  thought  of  their 
times  to  turn  the  minds  of  men  in  new  and  fruit- 
ful directions.  Such  changes  of  direction  are  bound 
to  be  accompanied  by  "sports"  in  intellectual  form. 
But  a  criticism  on  the  basis  of  the  sports  is  no  suf- 
ficient denial  of  the  truly  fruitful  avenues  down 
which  such  men  led  their  contemporaries. 

The  second  point  with  which  issue  should  be 
raised  is  the  emphasis  which  Gray  places  upon 
Locke's  adherence  to  revelation.  Gray  points  out 
that  Locke  w^as  aware  of  the  limitations  of  the  new 
empirical  method.  This  awareness  is  surely  shared 
by  some  of  his  followers.  The  true  empiricist  is 
the  one  who  makes  no  absolute  claims  for  empiri- 
cism in  the  way  that  such  a  claim  is  made  by  many 
for  revelation.  Many  liberals  have  been  criticized 
by  more  orthodox  people  because  they  have  substi- 
tuted empirics  for  revelation.  At  its  best,  empiri- 
cism is  the  abandonment  of  any  concept  of  "abso- 
lute authority"  of  the  type  once  accorded  revelation. 
It  is  not  a  shift  in  ground  from  revelation  to  rea- 
son or  to  inner  experience  or  the  scientific  method. 
It  is  the  abandonment  of  any  "Absolute"  and  the 
substitution  of  what  is  still  no  better  named  than 


398 THE  SCROLL 

it  was  by  E.  S.  Ames  many  years  ago,  a  "practical 
absolute."  Modern  empiricism  acknowledges  the 
limitations  of  the  type  suggested  by  Locke,  but  it 
does  not  follow  Locke  in  the  assertion  that  the  lim- 
itations are  overcome  by  revelation.  And  the  basis 
of  that  refusal  lies  primarily  in  the  difficulties  re- 
garding revelation  of  which  Locke  was  aware  and 
which  Gray  does  not  point  out.  For  when  it  came 
down  to  the  matter  of  which  should  be  final  author- 
ity, reason  or  revelation,  Locke  declared  for  reason. 
The  crucial  statement  in  Locke  regarding  the 
place  of  faith,  reason,  and  revelation  is  to  be  found 
in  Bk.  IV.  ch.  18  of  the  Essay  Concerning  Human 
Understanding .  In  this  section  Locke  is  obviously 
v/restling  to  preserve  the  authority  of  faith  and 
revelation  if  one  may  judge  from  the  tenor  of  his 
writing.  He  seems  not  to  want  to  do  what  finally 
becomes  inevitable.  He  ends  up  by  writing  the  sen- 
tences which  give  the  fatal  blow  to  the  doctrine  of 
the  authority  of  revelation. 

''Because  the  mind  not  being  certain  of  the  truth  of 
that  it  does  not  evidently  know,  but  only  yielding  to 
the  probability  that  appears  in  it,  is  bound  to  give  up 
its  assent  to  such  testimony  (as  revelation)  ;  which  it 
is  satisfied  comes  from  one  who  cannot  err,  and  who 
will  not  deceive.  But  yet  it  still  belongs  to  reason  to 
judge  of  the  truth  of  its  being  a  revelation,  and  of  the 
signification  of  the  words  wherein  it  is  derived." 

In  these  statements,  Locke  asserts  first  that  the  rea- 
son must  be  satisfied  that  it  is  God  who  is  reveal- 
ing himself,  second  that  reason  must  judge  that 
what  is  being  received  is  a  revelation,  and  third 
that  reason  must  indicate  the  meaning  of  the  revela- 
tion. Locke  gave  to  reason  even  more  authority 
than  ho  here  recognizes,  for  in  Bk.  IV,  ch.  13,  he  has 
declared  that  a  God  who  cannot  err  and  who  will 
not  deceive  is  found  by  rational  deduction.  It  is 
not  fair,  as  Gray  insists,  to  refuse  to  notice  Locke's 
great  attention  to  revelation.  But  it  is  inevitable 
that  it  also  be  pointed  out  that  final  authority  was 
given  to  reason. 


i 


THE  SCROLL  399 

But  these  two  issues  concerning  James  and  Locke 
are  superficial  in  the  face  of  more  basic  differences 
between  an  American  point  of  view  and  that  of  Eng- 
land as  represented  by  Gray.  In  pointing  out  those 
differences  I  should  like  to  indicate  one  which  is 
reflected  by  silence  on  the  part  of  Gray,  and  an- 
other which  can  be  clearly  demonstrated  from  his 
writings.  The  first  of  these  differences,  which  there 
is  strong  reason  to  believe  is  as  yet  quite  unper- 
ceived  by  the  majority  of  European  scholars,  lies 
in  the  verj^  meagre  influence  upon  them  of  American 
sociology.  That  is  not  to  say  that  the  Continent 
has  no  sociology  at  all.  But  European  theology  has, 
for  some  reasons  not  at  all  clear,  been  almost  en- 
tirely affected  by  a  sciology  that  comes  out  of  Mid- 
dle Europe.  American  thinking,  on  the  other  hand, 
has  been  much  more  strongly  influenced  by  a  way 
of  thought  that  stems  from  France  but  has  its  own 
peculiar  American  history.  The  greatest  differ- 
ence between  these  two  ways  of  thinking  is  that 
the  former  sees  society  as  structure ;  the  latter  sees 
it  as  process.  The  former  talks  about  community, 
orders,  the  Church,  the  State,  the  Family,  and  at- 
tempts to  fashion  them  into  some  sort  of  hierarch- 
ical structure  of  dominances  and  subserviences. 
American  sociology  talks  about  groups  and  com- 
munities, competition,  conflict,  accommodation,  as- 
similation, social  control,  collective  behavior,  social 
contact,  social  forces,  and,  of  all  things,  progress. 
Such  a  vocabulary  has  no  room  for  some  ideal  social 
order,  yet  it  cannot  be  accused  of  neglecting  teleo- 
logical  aspects  of  society.  The  difficulty  seems  to 
be  that  most  Europeans  believe  that  their  sociology 
is  empirical.  To  the  American  mind,  what  passes 
for  sociology  in  Europe  would  be  more  correctly 
designated  as  "political  philosophy."  Perhaps  our 
own  American  sociology  contains  more  elements  of 
American  political  thought  than  we  realize,  but  it 
is  our  conviction  that  our  way  of  thinking  is  empiri- 


400  THE  SCROLL 

cal  to  a  degree  not  realized  in  the  European  scene. 
It  makes  a  great  deal  of  difference  whether  you 
conceive  society  in  terms  of  structure  or  in  terms 
of  process.  The  ramifications  of  the  sociological 
frame  of  reference  find  their  way  down  into  our 
attitude.  For  instance,  Gray  speaks  of  the  Bible 
as  "the  record  of  a  series  of  events  which  uniquely 
manifest  God's  character  and  gracious  purpose  to- 
ward man."  Many  American  Disciples  would  agree, 
but  they  would  tend  to  think  of  the  Bible  primarily 
as  the  most  precious  record  we  have  of  the  efforts 
of  men  inter-acting  with  their  societies  to  solve  the 
most  profound  problems  of  the  human  race.  In  the 
end  there  may  be  no  great  difference  between  the 
two  points  of  view.  But  the  former,  if  it  is  the 
primary  approach  to  the  Bible,  virtually  shuts  out 
the  implications  of  the  latter  view.  And  those  im- 
plications, for  Americans  are  real  and  very  impor- 
tant. Whejeas  the  latter  view  as  primary  does 
not  shut  out  the  former  view  at  which  it  may  event- 
ually arrive. 

This  leads  me  to  the  second  assertion  regarding 
the  difference  of  English  and  American  approaches 
toward  religion.  As  you  read  Gray's  article,  it  is 
obvious  that  he  never  allows  his  mind  to  do  what 
might  be  called  "stepping  outside  the  theological 
frame-of-reference."  (I  hope  Principal  Robinson 
will  forgive  me  for  picking  up  this  phrase  from  him, 
and  in  a  sense  turning  it  against  his  colleague.)  Now 
it  is  the  characteristic  of  the  American  mind  to 
allow  itself  to  think  outside  a  theological  frame-of- 
reference.  And  the  reason  for  that  allowance  is 
deeply  rooted  in  Disciple  tradition.  If  Alexander 
Campbell  had  one  deep-seated  prejudice  it  was 
against  theology.  Surely  that  statement  needs  no 
authentication  for  the  Disciple  well  trained  in  his 
traditions.  The  seat  of  that  prejudice  lay  in  the 
realization  that  all  theology  is  man-made.  In  Chris- 
tian thinking  therefore  there  was  no  need  that  one 


THE  SCROLL  401 

should  ever  fear  abandoning  any  other  frame  of 
mind  than  that  which  was  in  Christ  Jesus.  For 
Campbell  the  Bible  was  a  sufficient  guide  since  he 
felt  that  it  was  a  dependable  source  of  Jesus'  exact 
words.  But  the  adoption  of  Campbell's  point  of 
view  meant  that  there  could  be  no  such  discipline  as 
Christian  apologetics.  Taking  Campbell  seriously, 
a  number  of  his  more  recent  followers  have  been  led 
into  a  variety  of  studies.  The  results  have  been 
more  than  amazing  and  would  have  surprised  Camp- 
bell himself.  For  if  you  approach  a  number  of  other 
disciplines  without  apology  for  any  theology  of  your 
own,  you  eventually  become  aware  that  many  things 
which  you  had  formerly  thought  were  above  theol- 
ogy actually  belong  to  that  realm.  What  happens 
to  the  Virgin  Birth  when  seen  against  the  back- 
ground of  Roman  mythology.  What  happens  to  the 
miracles,  the  rites  of  the  Church,  the  concept  of 
"salvation,"  the  very  ideas  of  "revelation,"  "faith," 
and  "Savior"  when  they  are  seen  unapologetically 
against  the  background  of  the  Graeco-Roman  world 
of  two  thousand  years  ago?  They  come  to  be  seen, 
not  as  a  unique  and  inviolable  vocabulary  express- 
ing absolutes,  but  as  the  instruments  of  a  particu- 
lar group  of  people  struggling  to  answer  the  prob- 
lems of  life  in  a  particular  situation.  This  type  of 
questioning  does  not  merely  bring  into  question  the 
ideas  of  the  miracles  and  the  Virgin  Birth.  It  ques- 
tions even  the  most  hallowed  precincts  of  Christian 
thinking:  "revelation,"  "faith,"  and  "Savior"  all 
come  to  be  seen  as  the  tools  of  a  particular  local- 
temporal  situation.  This  does  not  mean  that  in  our 
own  day  these  ideas  may  not  be  of  inestimable 
value  and  that  we  shall  use  them  extensively.  But 
if  we  do,  it  will  be  because  we  consciously  adopt 
them  and  choose  them,  as  helpful  to  our  present 
problems,  and  not  because  they  have  any  prior  au- 
thority over  other  ways  of  thinking.  Even  the  fact 
that  they  were  effective  two  thousand  years  ago  is 


402  THE  SCROLL 

not  enough.  Their  relationship  to  modern  problems 
and  the  promise  of  success  must  be  demonstrated  as 
a  ground  for  our  conscious  choice  of  them  today. 
As  an  American  New  Testament  scholar  puts  it: 
"The  important  aspect  of  the  New  Testament  expe- 
rience is  not  the  "what"  but  the  "how."  That,  by 
the  way,  is  talking  in  terms  of  process  rather  than 
in  terms  of  structure. 

There  can  be  no  denial  of  Gray's  statement  that 
the  Bible  is  the  most  precious  possession  of  the 
whole  Christian  Church  and  that  without  it  the  Dis- 
ciple movement  would  never  have  begun.  But  when 
it  comes  to  the  assertion  that  without  it  there  is  no 
future,  one  must  draw  the  line.  Certainly  none  of 
us  would  enjoy  the  prospect  of  facing  the  future 
without  it.  Such  an  event  would  certainly  hamper 
the  work  of  the  Christian  Church.  But  what  is  not 
so  clear  is  that  such  an  event  would  hamper  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  state  it  in  traditional 
terms.  In  fact,  for  a  time  when  men  were  swept 
completely  free  of  all  biblicism,  the  Holy  Spirit 
might  be  able  to  operate  with  that  freedom  and 
spontaneity  which  characterized  the  early  church 
for  the  century  and  one-half  before  there  was  any 
New  Testament.  That  upon  which  Christianity  de- 
pends is  not  the  Bible  but  the  loyalty  of  men  to  the 
person  of  Jesus.  It  is  the  shift  from  Biblicism  to 
the  understanding  of  the  bond  of  Christianity  as  a 
personal  relationship  to  an  historic  figure  which  is 
the  most  profound  result  of  Biblical  criticism  and 
of  thinking  outside  a  theological  frame-of -reference. 
Abandoning  any  particular  frame-of -reference,  be  it 
Calvinism,  Campbellism,  Paulinism  or  even  the  par- 
ticular words  of  Jesus,  does  not  mean,  and  this  is 
the  greatest  discovery  of  all,  that  you  lose  the  securi- 
ties which  we  conceive  as  being  guaranteed  by  God, 
nor  the  obligation  to  service  as  we  may  come  to  un- 
derstand it.  Even  the  idea  of  God  can  be  aban- 
doned without  losing  the  values  which  have  tradi- 


THE  SCROLL 403 

tionally  been  attached  to  God.  You  may,  with  Pro- 
fessor Wieman,  wish  to  maintain  the  idea  of  God 
to  make  sure  that  none  of  the  values  sHp  away.  Or 
with  Dr.  Ames,  you  may  have  discovered  a  reality 
to  which  you  attach  the  name  of  God.  Or  with  the 
humanist  you  may  insist  that  you  cannot  really  un- 
derstand your  security  until  you  realize  that  even 
"God"  is  human  theology.  In  any  case,  you  have 
not  abandoned  the  figure  of  Jesus.  For  in  the  end, 
it  isn't  what  Jesus  said  about  his  life  that  is  impor- 
tant but  how  he  lived  it.  In  the  words  of  a  hymn 
growing  in  popularity  among  Disciples  on  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic : 

A  noble  life,  a  simple  faith,  a  helping  heart 

and  hand : 
These  are  the  lovely  litanies  that  all  men 

understand. 


ism 

By  Kenneth  L.  Patton 

God  leaned  over  His  mighty  wall 
And  looked  down  on  the  earth, 
Gazed  at  it  thoughtfully  and  long 
As  if  to  weigh  its  worth. 

He  rubbed  His  chin  and  shook  His  head 
And  silently  debated; 
Then  as  He  turned  to  go  back  in— 
God  expectorated. 


404  THE  SCROLL 

Significoiice  of  Science 

E.  S.  Ames,  Chicago 

We  are  grateful  to  Professor  James  Gray  for  his 
contribution  to  the  discussion  of  our  Disciple  inheri- 
tance. We  are  happy  to  have  so  able  and  fair  a 
scholar  enter  the  lists,  especially  from  the  repre- 
sentative English  Overdale  College.  The  point  of 
view  from  which  he  writes  is  typical  of  English 
theologians.  It  shows  more  sympathy  with  modern 
critical  views  of  the  scriptures  than  American  Fun- 
damentalists display,  but  it  is  still  authoritarian, 
and  inadequately  appreciative  of  the  spirit  and 
method  of  modern  science. 

Strangely  enough,  he  seems  to  overlook  the  basic 
biblical  doctrine  set  forth  in  the  article,  "Whither 
Disciples?"  That  basic  doctrine  was  love.  It  was  con- 
tended that  Jesus  taught  love  to  be  the  fulfilling  of 
the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  and  that  Paul,  in  the 
thirteenth  chapter  of  First  Corinthians,  made  it  the 
supreme  attribute  in  the  Christian  life. 

The  other  doctrine  emphasized  in  that  article  was 
wisdom,.  Wisdom  is  knowledge  or  understanding 
directed  to  the  realization  of  love  in  all  the  rela- 
tions of  life.  The  most  effective  knowledge  or  un- 
derstanding of  the  world  and  of  man  is  to  be  found 
today  in  the  sciences.  In  that  term  must  be  in- 
cluded the  social  as  well  as  the  physical  sciences. 
Mr.  Gray  does  not  deny  that  these  sciences  have 
had  their  great  development  in  the  last  three  hun- 
dred years,  nor  that  John  Locke,  educated  in  medi- 
cine, was  in  sympathy  with  the  empirical  method 
of  science  and  employed  it  in  his  Essay.  The  two 
books  of  the  Essay,  treating  of  Innate  Ideas  and  of 
Words,  give  sufficient  evidence  of  that  sympathy. 
And  Locke's  remark  is  important  that  what  God 
has  revealed  is  true,  "but  whether  it  be  a  divine 
revelation  or  no,  reason  must  judge."  Locke  recog- 
nized the  limitations  of  our  hum.an  knowledge,  and 


i 


THE  SCROLL  405 

the  scientists  recognize  these  limitations,  but  they 
do  not  on  that  account  give  up  the  search  for  further 
light. 

Professor  Gray  rightly  says  that  science  is  an 
instrument,  but  it  is  important  also  to  say  that  it 
may  serve  good  ends,  and  certainly  it  has  grandly 
served  the  ends  of  health,  communication,  trans- 
portation, and  production.  What  has  been  accom- 
plished is  not  all  that  can  be  done.  We  have  not 
reached  the  "hey-day"  but  the  dawn  is  promising. 
One  reason  Mr.  Gray  does  not  have  more  faith  in 
science  is  because,  like  so  many  others  in  church 
circles,  he  does  not  take  into  account  the  spirit  of 
the  scientists.  The  virtues  necessary  to  success  in 
scientific  work  of  the  first  order  are  closely  akin  to 
Christian  virtues.  Disinterestedness,  objectivity, 
patience,  courage,  imagination,  open-mindedness, 
humility,  cooperation  with  other  scientists,  are  re- 
ligious traits.  American  scientists  are  on  record  in 
the  official  proceedings  of  their  national  association 
as  recognizing  the  need  and  the  urgency  of  all  sci- 
entists devoting  themselves  to  social  welfare,  as  may 
be  illustrated  by  the  cause  of  public  health  and  free- 
dom of  thought.  They  are  all  for  peace.  Scientists 
do  not  create  wars.  Some  people  think  religion  has 
been  the  cause  of  wars ! 

One  of  our  greatest  scientists  in  the  University  of 
Chicago,  Anton  J.  Carlson,  recently  said:  "Science 
is  more  than  inventions,  more  than  gadgets — how- 
ever useful  and  important  they  may  be.  Science 
is  even  more  than  the  discovery  and  correlation  of 
new  facts,  new  truths.  The  greatest  thing  in  sci- 
ence is  scientific  method,  controlled  and  rechecked 
observations  and  experiments,  objectively  recorded 
with  absolute  honesty  and  without  fear  or  favor." 

"We  cannot  afford  to  declare  a  moratorium  on 
honesty,  on  objectivity,  on  experimentation,  for  that 
would  take  us  back  to  the  jungle.    The  way  of  sci- 


406  THE  SCROLL 

ence  is  away  from  the  jungle.  .  .  .  War  is  the  ex- 
tension of  the  practice  of  the  jungle  into  modern 
life.  The  persistence  or  perpetuation  of  war  can- 
not be  laid  at  the  door  of  science." 


The  Inflyence  of  Darwinism 
on  Christion  Ethics 

Bij  Charles  W.  Phillips,  Chicago 
For  a  considerable  number  of  persons  even  today, 
the  mention  of  the  words  ''evolution/'  or  "evolution- 
ary theory,"  connotes  ideas  of  a  monkey  trial  or 
the  historical  validity  of  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis. 
A  number  of  others  have  a  broader  conception  of 
what  the  idea  has  done  towards  relating  man  to 
the  plant  and  animal  world  about  him  and  its  signifi- 
cance in  understanding  man  as  a  biological  organ- 
ism. Upon  considerably  fewer,  however,  have  all 
of  the  intellectual  implications  of  the  concept  of 
evolution  dawned.  Its  impact  in  the  whole  realm 
of  thought  has  been  tremendous.  In  historical  and 
philosophical  fields,  particularly,  many  theories  and 
presuppositions  of  belief  have  been  altered  or  shat- 
tered. It  has  been  referred  to  as  the  outstanding 
intellectual  achievement  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
One  o£  the  most  significant  results  has  been  the 
influence  upon  a  priori  elements  in  Christian  ethics. 
A  very  insistent  challenge  has  been  raised  for  tra- 
ditional Christian  ethical  thinking.  The  issues 
raised  here  lie  at  the  heart  of  our  current  confusion 
about  values  and  the  resolution  of  them  cannot  help 
but  cause  a  revision  of  the  bases  of  authority  in 
ethics,  and  a  re-evaluation  of  the  Christian  doctrine 
of  man. 

Christian  ethics,  as  they  emerged  from  the  medie- 
val into  the  Modern  Period,  were  of  a  definite  a 
priori  and  dogmatic  character.  Medieval  thinkers 
assumed  ready  made  principles  and  thus  all  at- 
tempts to  find  ethical  and  moral  truth  in  practice 


THE  SCROLL 407 

were  made  with  reference  to  preconceived  univer- 
sal ideas,  for  which  the  church  was  the  authorita- 
tive sanction.  Upon  this  basis,  the  scholastics,  nota- 
bly Aquinas  J  presented  excellently  wrought  systems 
in  which  theology,  philosophy,  and  morals  were 
closely  interwoven  and  related.  There  was  no  ad- 
vance in  this  regard  with  the  Protestant  Reforma- 
tion. Neither  Calvin  nor  Luther  leave  room  for 
genuine  ethical  developm.ent.  Nor  is  there  in  the 
formation  of  the  Protestant  creeds  and  confessionals 
any  new  contribution.  The  authority  of  the  church 
is  continued  as  in  previous  Catholic  thought. 

There  were  many  forces  and  agencies  of  transi- 
tion to  the  Modern  Period,  the  most  important  of 
which  was  the  development  of  the  natural  sciences. 
This  revolutionized,  among  other  things,  the  con- 
cept of  law,  v/hich  in  its  ecclesiastical  character  and 
interpretation,  had  been  the  basis  of  medieval  Chris- 
tian, ethics.  The  way  was  opened  to  investigate 
ethical  laws  by  reason  instead  of  by  a  revelation 
which  rested  exclusively  in  the  hands  of  an  ecclesias- 
tical institution. 

The  revolt  was  profound  and  irrevocable,  but  only 
served  to  raise  more  problems.  The  universe  was 
assumed  to  be  rational.  As  science  progressed,  the 
increasingly  hypothetical  character  of  this  belief 
became  evident.  Then  the  rationalist  spirit  shifted 
after  the  beginning  in  Hobbes,  towards  finding  the 
basis  of  morality  and  institutions,  in  human  nature. 
This  required  that  man's  nature  be  rational,  which 
position  however  met  with  the  ''annihilating  skep- 
ticism" of  David  Hume. 

It  was  Immanuel  Kant,  who  by  giving  universal- 
ity to  experience,  both  scientific  and  moral,  in  terms 
of  the  self,  made  possible  "a  rational  authority  based 
upon  human  nature."  This  also  made  possible  a 
development  from  a  static  to  a  more  developmental 
and  changing  character  of  nature  and  reality  and 
hence  made  possible  a  more  profound  development 


408 THE  SCROLL 

of  an  evolutionary  philosophy,  even  though  Kant 
himself  did  not  leave  the  realm  of  static  forms  and 
concepts. 

The  idea  of  evolution  first  received  classic  expres- 
sion, of  course,  in  Aristotle,  but  his  development 
was  merely  the  unfolding  of  an  essential  "form," 
given  at  the  start,  and  inhering  in  the  nature  of  the 
thing,  Darwin's  idea  was  fundamentally  different, 
for  he  M'as  dealing  with  the  evolution  of  the  "forms" 
themselves.  There  had  been  a  tendency  toward  this 
in  the  Romanticists  but  it  was  abstract  and  specu- 
lative and  lacked  scientific  support.  In  Hegel  it 
headed  into  an  absolute  idealism  that  was  anti-sci- 
entific and  anti-Darwinian.  Darwin  gave  scientific 
support  for  a  genuine  concept  of  change,  doing  for 
the  modern  scientific  synthesis,  that  which  Newton's 
Principia  had  done  for  the  earlier  mechanical  one. 

The  word  "evolution"  from  Darwin  and  Spencer 
on,  is  a  dominant  one  in  nineteenth  century  thought, 
particularly  in  the  United  States.  First  the  sociolo- 
gists took  it  up  and  then  it  became  an  integral  part 
of  the  theology  of  the  Social  Gospel  movement.  In 
both  cases  however,  it  tended  to  become  a  formal 
principle  which  was  not  closely  analyzed  and  one 
which  explained  everything.  It  was  married  rather 
firmly  to  two  other  dominant  ideas  of  the  time,  the 
conceptions  of  progress  and  the  fundamental  unity 
of  mankind. 

The  Social  Gospel  theology  was  a  largely  ethical 
one.  As  a  result  of  the  impact  of  evolution,  God 
was  made  immanent  in  the  process  of  the  world, 
the  Kingdom  of  God  became  a  social  category,  and 
the  general  trend  of  history  was  towards  progress. 
Although  they  succeeded  rather  well  in  their  time 
in  giving  an  historical  approach  to  Christianity  and 
in  making  science  and  religion  seem  compatible, 
two  very  important  things,  they  did  not  deal  ade- 
quately with  the  problem  of  authority  in  either 
scientific  or  Christian  terms.  They  did  not  exam- 
ine their  assumptions.    Nor  did  the  sociologists  sue- 


THE  SCROLL 1^ 

ceed  in  getting  down  to  the  fundamental  implica- 
tions and  problems  of  the  new  scientific  approach. 

Both  were  forced  to  meet  two  implications  of 
a  changing  natural  world  which  their  cosmic  gen- 
eralizing did  not  handle.  Ethical  standards  have 
to  be  relative,  i.e.,  fixed  sets  of  rules  or  codes  of 
law  are  untenable.  Also  the  problems  of  individ- 
uals are  essentially  psychological  in  character,  hav- 
ing their  locus  in  individuals  in  concrete  situations 
who  want  to  know  2vhat  to  do,  ko2v  to  act,  and  live 
in  a  manner  considered  right.  Traditional  Chris- 
tian ethical  theory  fails  here.  At  this  point  and 
'jvith  respect  to  the  relativity  and  concentration  upon 
the  individual,  naturalists,  Barthians,  and  dialecti- 
cal theologians  can  agree. 

It  is  social  psychology  in  general  and  Devv^ey  and 
Mead  in  particular  who  make  the  most  thorough 
and  systematic  application  of  the  idea  of  evolution- 
ary process  with  reference  to  the  above  terms.  To 
be  grossly  brief,  they  solve  it  in  exclusively  natural- 
ist and  empirical  terms,  finding  it  neither  neces- 
sary nor  desirable  to  go  behind  the  bio-social  process 
as  understood  by  empirical  logic,  to  solve  men's 
dilemmas.  For  some  this  is  compatible  with  Chris- 
tianity but  with  others  notably  Barth  and  the  dia- 
lectical thinkers  at  the  moment,  it  is  not. 

In  general  terms  the  questions  are  two :  are  we 
confined  to  natural  phenomena  or  must  we  go  be- 
.yond  these  into  another  realm  generally  referred 
to  as  the  supernatural,  and  secondly  what  is  the 
proper  way  or  ways  of  knowing  in  either  case.  The 
impact  of  evolution  has  been  to  make  both  of  these 
exceedingly  sharp.  The  central  problem  is  the  basis 
of  authority  and  to  what  degree  if  at  all  it  shall  be 
given  in  a  priori  terms.  Many  other  more  or  less 
technical  questions  are  involved  in  the  final  analysis 
of  course :  the  problem  of  freedom  and  determinism, 
the  nature  of  responsibility,  the  relation  between 
intellect  and  will,  and  others,  but  they  are  either 
subsidiary  to  or  derivative  from  the  fundamental 
problem  of  authority. 


410 THE  SCROLL 

Pacifist  Techniques 

By  Dan  B.  Genung,  Jr. 

Two  paths  lead  to  pacifism,  the  religious  approach 
and  the  'realistic'  or  'prudential'  approach.  This  the- 
sis seeks  to  analyze  the  two  approaches,  to  contrast 
the  way  of  life  advocated  by  the  pacifist  with  other 
ways  of  life,  to  study  examples  of  the  use  of  the 
pacifist  technique  in  the  last  two  centuries,  and  to 
draw  certain  conclusions — discover  common  denomi- 
nators, if  possible — as  to  the  philosophical  presuppo- 
sitions  under-girding  the  pacifist  position. 

Pacifism  does  not  appear  to  be  or  to  hold  to  a  defi- 
nite, thoroughly-developed  theology.  It  is  a  faith  and 
an  ideal,  a  technique  and  a  goal.  It  is  a  way  of  life 
and  an  attitude  toward  life.  A.  J.  Muste  provides 
possibly  the  best  definition  of  pacifism :  ''An  attempt 
to  apply  the  principles  of  personal  morality  on  a 
national  scale."  In  comm.unity,  city  and  inter-state 
relations  that  attempt  historically  has  grown  into 
the  usual  practice;  it  is  in  international  relations 
that  it  now  seems  new  and  dangerous. 

A  bit  of  the  history  of  the  two  leading  pacifist 
groups,  the  Society  of  Friends  and  Mohandas  Gand- 
hi's Satyagrahists,  is  given.  The  Friends'  record 
with  the  American  Indians  and  during  several  wars 
is  studied,  while  Gandhi's  efforts  to  achieve  equality 
for  the  Indians  in  Africa  and  India  is  noted.  Other 
historical  examples  of  the  employment  of  pacifist 
technique — the  non-violent  resistance  of  the  Norwe- 
gians to  Bernadotte's  army,  after  the  Treaty  of  Kiel 
(1814),  Francis  Deak's  campaign  against  Austrian 
oppression  which  resulted  in  the  Ausgleich  of  1866 
whereby  the  Hungarians  gained  constitutional  equal- 
ity and  representative  government,  the  German 
Social-Democrat  and  labor  movement's  opposition 
to  the  Kapp  putsch  of  1920  when  that  would-be 
dictator  assumed  control  of  the  Berlin  government, 
the  Kulturkampf  of  the  German  Catholics  against 
Bismarck, — and  other  successful  non-violent  cam- 
paigns,— are  summarized. 


THE  SCROLL 411 

Classified  as  'religious  pacifists'  are  those  whose 
efforts  for  peace  are  inspired  by  religious  convic- 
tions, by  the  belief  that  participation  in  warfare  or 
violence  of  any  form  is  incompatible  with  the  laws 
of  God  and  the  principles  of  religious  morality. 
Such  religious  leaders  as  Muriel  Lester,  Fosdick, 
Leyton  Richards,  Kagawa  and  other  of  this  genera- 
^tion,  besides  the  Quakers  past  and  present,  and  the 
great  pacifist  of  pre- World  War  decades,  Count  Leo 
Tolstoy,  fall  in  this  category.  The  'realistic  paci- 
fists' are  those  whose  peace  ideas  come  not  from  reli- 
gion, but  from  a  realization  that  the  means  of  vio- 
lence, of  coercion,  of  warfare,  cannot  possibly  attain 
ideal  ends.  Aldous  Huxley,  Gerald  Heard,  and  Ber- 
trand  Russell  are  in  this  group.  Obviously  the  two 
points  of  view  come  together;  the  realistic  pacifists 
find  themselves  discussing  religion,  and  religious 
pacifists  are  convinced  that  the  way  of  love,  not  the 
way  of  force,  is  the  only  possible  path  to  a  world 
built  as  they  v/ould  wish  it.  They  all  agree  that 
the  means  employed  governs  the  ends  attained. 

Theologically  a  faith  in  a  God  who  is  a  loving 
Father  tends  to  lead  to  the  pacifist  position.  More 
than  that,  the  Pacifist  God  ordinarily  is  one  imma- 
nent in  the  lives  of  men,  A  stern  Calvinistic  God, 
or  a  transcendant  God  utterly  different  from  sinful 
men,  does  not  lead  to  pacifism.  Another  factor, 
common  to  both  categories  of  pacifists,  is  that  they 
hold  to  ultimate  ideals,  or  seek  them.  Institutional 
ultimates,  such  as  the  Catholic  Church,  or  the  na- 
tional government,  are  not  recognized ;  genuine  abso- 
lutes may  be  a  loving  God,  the  welfare  of  ail  man- 
kind, the  guidance  of  the  Quaker  Inner  Light,  or 
the  right  of  personal  decision. 

Pragmatic  and  religious  pacifists  agree,  as  has 
been  suggested,  on  the  doctrine  that  the  means 
governs  the  ends.  The  only  result  of  warfare  is 
more  warfare;  the  sowing  of  hatred  reaps  hatred; 
the  usage  of  force  results  only  in  violent  responses. 
Conversely,  love,  too,  is  reciprocal ;  hence  they  argue 


412  THE  SCROLL 

that  love,  friendship,  and  fair  play,  practiced  inter- 
nationally, would  in  the  long  run  lead  to  a  like 
response. 

The  last  point  or  common  denominator  in  pacifist 
philosophies  is  a  faith  in  the  essential  oneness  of 
mankind  and,  in  some  cases,  of  all  life.  Perhaps  it 
is  called  the  Brotherhood  of  Man.  At  any  rate, 
pacifists  agree  that  no  action  can  be  right  when  it 
disrupts  or  disunites  mankind. 


The  Philosophy  of  the  Campbells 

By  Ralph  Waldo  Nelson,  Phillips  University 
Did  the  Campbells  derive  the  basic  principles  of 
their  thinking  from  John  Locke,  or  were  they  more 
influenced  by  the  Scottish  School  of  Reid  and  Stew- 
art? 

I  am  grateful  for  ail  possible  light  on  details  con- 
cerning the  philosophy  of  the  Campbells,  but  I  con- 
fess little  more  than  academic  interest  whether 
their  chief  debt  is  to  Locke  or  Reid.  For  in  my 
broader  study  of  British  philosophy,  I  discover  so 
much  of  Locke  in  Reid  and  Stewart  as  to  prompt 
me  to  agree  with  both  sides  of  the  argument.  Reid 
was  far  more  interested  in  refuting  Berkeley  and 
Hume  than  in  disagreeing  with  their  predecessor, 
John  Locke;  hence  there  is  an  antecedent  proba- 
bility that  men  who  accept  the  philosophy  of  either 
v/ill  not  be  far  from  the  other. 

In  the  Scroll  of  June,  1935,  I  suggested  that  the 
time  has  come  for  us  to  advance  ''Beyond  Locke." 
Now  in  the  weakness  in  Reid's  philosophy  of  Com- 
mon Sense,  to  which  our  Editor  correctly  and  wisely 
points :  that  is,  the  attempt  of  the  Campbells  to  use 
"the  common  reason  of  humanity"  or  "other 
thoughtful  interpretations"  as  an  "infallible"  cri- 
terion by  which  to  check  their  own  reading  of  the 
Bible,  it  becomes  apparent  that  we  must  also  ad- 
vance beyond  Reid.  We  must  grow,  and  not  merely 
stand,  on  the  platform  of  the  Campbells.  In  restor- 
ing the  New  Testament  church,   we  must  restore 


THE  SCROLL  413 

not  merely  names  and  ordinances,  but  the  convic- 
tion and  the  life  of  which  these  were  the  outv^^ard 
expression.  We  must  restore  the  manner  of  think- 
ing by  which  converts  of  the  apostles  proceeded 
from  evidences  to  verification.  We  fail  to  reason 
like  the  early  Christians  because  we  habitually  read 
the  Greek  philosophy  and  logic  that  underlies  the 
whole  of  our  western  civilization  into  the  cultural 
situation  of  the  apostolic  church  iyi  place  of  the 
qjliilosophy  of  Jesus  mid  the  prophets.  We  have 
subscribed  to  this  intellectual  paganization  of  Chris- 
tianity for  so  many  centuries  (it  began  with  Clem- 
ent of  Alexandria)  that  we  are  blind  to  the  fact 
that  Jesus  and  the  prophets  had  any  logic  at  all. 
We  act  as  if  we  thought  that  wisdom  as  profound 
as  that  of  Moses  and  Jesus  could  involve  no  in- 
tellectual procedure  other  than  a  sort  of  intuitive 
jumping  to  conclusions  without  the  use  of  reason 
or  any  technique  for  distinguishing  truth  from  error. 

When  we  restudy  our  Bibles  with  the  diligence 
essential  to  discover  the  precise  logical  method  that 
Jesus  used  and  taught,  we  shall  see  that  the  appeal 
of  the  Campbells  to  the  common  reason  of  fellow 
interpreters  was  a  long  step  toward  the  new  ad- 
vance that  now  challenges  us.  Common  reason  is, 
in  fact,  both  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  the  logic 
of  Jesus.  What  is  omitted  from  the  systems  of  both 
Locke  and  Reid  (and  therefore,  from  the  philosophy 
of  the  Campbells),  but  which  Jesus  includes  and 
emphasizes,  is  the  experiential,  verifying  observa- 
tion of  fruits  or  consequences  that  carries  reason 
from  its  initial  vv^eighing  of  data  or  evidences  to  its 
conclusion  of  truth  or  falsity.  Jesus  insists  that  "by 
their  fruits  ye  shall  knov\^"  true  teachers  and  teach- 
ings from  all  rivals. 

Thus  when  we  let  Jesus  enlarge  our  philosophy 
01  reasonableness  and  common  sense,  we  discover 
a  most  attractive  double  meaning  in  the  word  '^'com- 
mon." The  philosophy  of  Jesus  is  common  in  the 
sense  of  being  simple  and  readily  usable  even  by 
wayfaring  men,  little  children,  and  many  whom  we 


414  THE  SCROLL 

call  fools.  And  it  is  common  in  the  sense  that  its 
procedure  from  evidences  to  conclusions,  via  fruits, 
must  be  broadly  shared  by  Christians ;  for  only 
long-run  fruits  are  conclusive.  The  socially  com- 
mon, Christian  way  of  life  is  a  cooperative  way. 
Its  prophets  are  not  experts  who  think  for  others 
and  tell  them  what  to  do.  They  are  democratic 
leaders  who  humbly  and  necessarily  lift  their  fel- 
lows in  the  course  of  their  own  growth  in  abundant 
life. 


By  Paul  E.  Becker,  Lincoln,  Nebraska 

The  midsummer  gathering"  of  the  Campbell  Insti- 
tute has  come  to  be  the  main  meeting  ^f  our  fellow- 
ship. The  combination  of  the  afternoon  and  eve- 
ning sessions  offers  adequate  time  for  the  presenta- 
tion of  problems  and  their  general  discussion,  much 
more  so  than  the  midnight  sessions  that  are  held 
at  our  International  Conventions. 

The  program  v/ill  range  over  a  field  of  interests 
covering  Disciple  thought,  practical  working  re- 
ligion, social  action,  and  problems  of  the  ministry. 
The  latter  subject  will  occupy  our  minds  for  a  full 
afternoon  and  evening.  The  big  league  game  Wed- 
nesday afternoon  and  the  Institute  dinner  Thurs- 
day evening  will  afford  variety  and  relaxation.  The 
lectures  of  the  interdenominational  Pastors'  Insti- 
tute in  the  forenoons  will  serve  to  sharpen  our  wits 
for  the  attack  upon  our  own  problems  later  in  the 
day.  The  names  of  the  speakers  should  be  a  guaran- 
tee of  the  quality  of  the  program.  With  such  men 
as  A.  T.  DeGroot,  A.  D.  Harmon,  Paul  Kennedy, 
Doyle  Mullen,  Marguerite  Bro,  and  Eugene  S. 
Briggs  expounding  their  views  v/e  cannot  fail  to 
sense  the  stirring  of  gray  matter  beneath  our  scalps, 
and  with  such  others  as  Fred  Heifer,  Robert  Lemon, 
Kenneth  Bowen,  Ray  Hunt,  and  Riley  Montgomery 
tearing    to    shreds    the    offerings    of    the    above 


THE  SCROLL 415 

worthies,  we  cannot  help  but  be  reminded  that  we 
are  living  in  a  stirring  world.  The  Program  Com- 
mittee consists  of  F.  E.  Davison,  Sam  Kincheloe  and 
Earl  Griggs. 


Secretary-Treasyrer's    Page 

A.  T.  DeGroot 
At  this  writing,  we  have  received  eighty-eight 
new  members  since  January  1st,  bringing  the  total 
of  new  members  since  last  August's  annual  meeting 
up  to  one  hundred  eleven.  This  represents  a  splen- 
did growth  but,  in  my  opinion,  is  only  a  sample  of 
what  we  should  expect  in  the  next  few  years.  One 
thousand  members  would  not  be  an  unwieldy  group 
for  contact  and  fellowship  through  the  Scroll.  I  be- 
lieve that  one  thousand  of  our  ministers  and  other 
Christian  workers  are  interested  in  the  Institute 
aim  01  a  richer  religious  life  through  fellowship 
and  scholarship.  The  woods  are  full  of  prospects. 
There  was  no  difficulty  in  interesting  the  chairman 
of  the  church  board  here  in  the  Institute,  as  well 
as  other  workers,  especially  schoolmen.  In  this  day 
of  a  scientific  approach  to  all  other  areas  of  life 
there  is  a  growing  desire  to  establish  religious  faith 
upon  defensible  grounds.  Membership  in  Camp- 
bell Institute  is  one  of  the  finest  means  of  fulfilling 
this  desire. 

There  are  still  some  delinquent  members  among 
us.  Pay  up,  men!  There  is  a  fair  prospect  that, 
for  the  first  time  since  the  depression  years,  we  can 
close  the  month  of  July  with  a  statement  written 
in  black  ink!  But  we  must  have  more  than  one 
hundred  payments  of  dues  at  $2  each  to  achieve 
this  enviable  record.  This  is  the  last  issue  of  the 
Scroll  for  1939-40.  Remember  our  Secretarial,  in- 
quisitorial greeting:  ''Brother,  are  you  fiscal?" 


416       THE  SCROLL 

Disciples   House  Men 

Mr.  Lloyd  Vernon  Channels,  Hiram  '37,  A.M.  '38 
receives  his  B.D.  degree  from  The  University  of 
Chicago  this  June,  and  is  located  with  the  West 
Bluff  Christian  Church,  of  Peoria,  Illinois. 

The  following  men  are  receiving  the  Master  of 
Arts  degree : 

Riley  Herman  Pittman,  T.C.U.,  '36,  D.B.  '38  is 
returning  to  T.C.U,  as  Dean  of  Men. 

Lester  Buford  Rickman,  T.C.U.  '36,  D.B.  '38  is 
locating  v/ith  the  church  at  Plainview,  Texas. 

Dan  Baldwin  Genung,  Jr.,  U.  of  Arizona  '38. 

Paul  Rollo  Lee,  Wabash  College,  '37. 

Charles  William  Phillips,  Bethany  College,  '38. 

The  following  new  men  have  been  appointed  to 
scholarships  in  the  House  for  next  autumn : 

John  H.  Blacklidge,  Ohio  Wesleyan  '40. 

Burton  R.  Brown,  University  of  Idaho  '39.  ^ 

Darrell  C.  Fultz,  Bethany  College  '40.  M 

Maurice  F.  Knott,  University  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia '36. 

Jud  B.  Shelton,  Chapman  College  '39. 

Lester  W.  Sperberg,  University  of  Michigan  '40. 

Joseph  J.  Van  Boskirk,  Phillips  University  '37. 

Woodrow  W.  Waason,  Vanderbilt  University  '39. 


THE  SCROLL 417 

A  Letter  to  The  Scroll 

By  H.  0.  Pritcharcl,  Thirty-Three  Years  Ago 
I  received  a  copy  of  The  Scroll  by  this  morning's 
post,  and  read  every  word  with  eagerness  and  in- 
terest. This  paper  is  in  part  supplying  a  need  that 
I  have  felt  for  some  time ;  namely,  some  magazine  or 
paper  among  our  people  that  will  discuss  freely  and 
with  intelligence  the  real  issues  and  problems  that 
are  before  our  brotherhood  to  settle,  at  least  for  the 
present  generation;  and  that  will  discuss  the  great 
problems  before  the  theological  world  at  the  present 
time.  I  have  only  one  criticism  to  offer  upon  the 
paper  itself:  it  is  too  small  to  give  adequate  treat- 
ment to  the  questions  discussed.  However,  since  it 
gives  value  received,  many  times  over,  I  think  I 
ought  not  to  make  this  criticism. 

Much  of  the  theological  discussion  of  the  past  and 
the  present  is  absolutely  of  no  avail,  because  the 
discussion  hinges  for  the  most  part  about  conclu- 
sions that  have  been  reached  from  entirely  different 
angles  of  thought.  ...  At  the  basis  of  these  outward 
questions  lie  the  questions  of  inspiration,  final 
authority,  inerrancy  of  the  Scriptures,  spiritual  or 
doctrinal  interpretation,  what  constitutes  salvation, 
et  cetera.  I  am  glad  to  see  The  Scroll  getting  down 
to  the  underlying,  the  real,  issues. 


Albert  Acosta  Esculto  writes  (1940)  :  Congratu- 
lations on  your  announcement  for  the  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  the  Campbell  Institute  six  years  hence. 
Certainly  we  should  spend  these  six  years  to  pre- 
pare for  a  fitting  program.  I  have  been  looking 
forward  to  that  as  you  may  have  seen  when  I  sent 
you  my  dues  up  to  1946! 


418 THE  SCROLL 

Campbell  Institute  Program 

1940  Annual   Meeting- — Chicago 

Monday,  July  29 

9:00  p.m.  Communion  Service.  Chapel  of  Holy 
Grail.  Conducted  by  Donald  Salmon. 

9 :45  p.m.  President's  Reception  and  Social  Hour, 
In  Com_m.on  Room. 

Tuesday,  July  30 

12:30  p.m.  Luncheon—University  Church. 
2:00  p.m.  Address — Changes  in  the  minds  of 
Disciple  Ministers  as  revealed  by  The 
Scroll.  A.  T.  DeGroot. 
9:00  p.m.  President's  Address — "The  Doctrinal 
Destiny  of  the  Disciples."  Paul  Becker, 
Discussion  led  by  Robert  Lemon. 

Wednesday,  July  31 
2:00  p.m.     Cub's  ball  game. 
9:00  p.m.     Address— ''The    Faith    by    Which     I 

Live."  A.  D.  Harmon. 

Discussion  Leader — Fred  Heifer. 

Thursday,  Aug.  1 

2:00  p.m.     Symposium  on  the  Ministry. 

Ministerial    Placement — Paul    Ken- 
nedy. 

Ministerial  Ethics — Doyle  Mullen. 
Mrs.  Margueritte  Harmon  Bro. 
Discussion  Leader — Kenneth  Bowen. 

6:00  p.m.     Annual  Campbell  Institute  Dinner 

Friday,  Aug.  2 

2:00  p.m.     Address — "How  Can  a  Minister  Best 
Lead  His  People  in  Social  Action." 
Discussion  Leader — Ray  Hunt. 

9:00  p.m.  Address  —  "Candidates  for  Disciples 
Ministry  —  Methods  of  Encouraging 
and  Discouraging."  Prof.  Briggs,  Phil- 
lips University. 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVIII.   SEPTEMBER,  1940  No.  1 


Editorial  Notes 


Another  year  of  the  Campbell  Institute,  the  forty- 
fifth,  began  July  1.  A,  C.  Brooks,  of  Frankfort,  Ken- 
tucky, is  the  new  President,  and  Harold  Lunger,  of 
Oak  Park,  Illinois,  is  the  Vice-President.  A.  T.  De- 
Groot,  of  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  continues  as  Secre- 
tary-Treasurer. This  is  a  strong  trio,  and  the  In- 
stitute is  exceedingly  fortunate  in  having  the  same 
efficient  Secretary  year  after  year.  This  is  shown 
by  the  great  increase  in  membership  and  in  growing 
interest. 

The  Editor  of  the  Scroll  was  re-elected  and  as- 
sumes the  old  duties  with  new  zest.  This  zest  is  due 
partly  to  the  fact  of  being  elected  again  to  this  im- 
portant post.  Other  Disciple  editors  hold  office 
through  family  influence  and  inheritance,  or  by 
choice  of  a  small  board  of  directors,  or  by  some  kind 
of  appointmient.  Moreover,  they  are  paid  for  their 
work,  and  are  therefore  involved  in  the  capitalistic 
system ! 

Comment  is  sometimes  made  by  other  papers  on 
the  small  circulation  of  the  Scroll  but  the  comments 
generally  betray  the  conviction  that  this  "little" 
thing  has  an  influence  out  of  all  proportion  to  the 
number  of  its  pages.  In  the  course  of  each  year  its 
pages  run  up  to  the  number  of  a  good  sized  book 
and  its  thirty-seven  consecutive  volumes  record  con- 
siderable significant  history  and  discussion.  It  is  the 
one  publication  of  the  brotherhood  that  is  free  to 
pioneer  in  fresh  fields  of  thought  and  action. 

We  would  be  glad  to  have  these  pages  reflect  the 
ideas  of  more  members.  It  is  a  problem  how  to  make 
new  men  realize  that  their  contributions  are  desired 
and  v/elcome.  Many  of  these  new  men  are  recent 
graduates  of  great  seminaries  and  universities,  and 
they  should  share  their  thought  with  those  of  us  who 


THE  SCROLL 


want  to  know  the  fresh  and  living  currents  of  re- 
ligious leaders.  The  Scroll  goes  to  five  hundred  and 
more  ministers  and  they  read  it.  If  their  congrega- 
tions average  even  two  hundred  members,  each  issue 
of  the  paper  may  effect  100,000  people  through  the 
sermons  and  conversations  they  hear ! 

New  members  are  urged  to  understand  the  pur- 
poses of  the  Institute  as  formulated  by  the  Institute 
itself.  These  are  three  and  they  were  written  into 
the  original  constitution  by  W.  E.  Garrison  in  1896. 
The  three  are  fellowship,  scholarship,  and  cultiva- 
tion of  the  religious  life  in  the  individual  and  in  the 
churches.  Fellowship  is  an  expression  of  the  high- 
est Christian  virtue,  love.  Scholarship  means  the 
development  of  wisdom  in  promoting  and  extending 
this  virtue  of  love.  Both  love  and  wisdom  are  essen- 
tial to  the  cultivation  of  the  religious  life. 

The  Institute  has  faithfully  refrained  from  any 
kind  of  church  "politics,"  such  as  trying  to  get  its 
members  elected  to  offices  in  church  organizations. 
The  fact  that  many  members  have  come  into  im- 
portant places  of  leadership  may  be  convincing  evi- 
dence that  these  men  are  capable  and  worthy  of 
responsibility  but  it  is  not  evidence  that  as  an  or- 
ganization the  Institute  has  pushed  or  pulled  them 
forward.  To  charge  that  the  Institute  is  a  divisive 
influence  among  the  Disciples  is  a  false  and  slander- 
ous assertion.  The  conservatives  who  make  this 
charge  are  responsible  for  more  divisiveness  than 
any  one  else.  The  Institute  welcomes  to  its  mem- 
bership men  of  various  theological  opinions  and  it 
does  not  seek  to  make  its  members  radicals  in  any 
offensive  sense.  It  offers  a  free  forum  for  the  dis- 
cussion of  any  important  matters  and  seeks  only  to 
promote  fellowship,  scholarship,  and  the  religious 
life. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Ledbetter  for  the  sum- 
mary of  his  study  of  Open  Membership  which  he 
presented  to  the  Butler  School  of  Religion  as  a 
thesis  in  preparation  for  the  Masters  degree.  He 
has  taken  pains  to  get  the  facts  and  his  work  will 


i 


THE  SCROLL 


stand  as  one  of  the  first  attempts  to  make  a  thor- 
ough investigation  of  this  important  subject.  Many 
readers  will  be  surprised  to  discover  so  many  and 
such  widespread  instances  of  this  practice.  His 
figures  show  also  that  it  is  increasing.  It  is  inter- 
esting that  he  does  not  report  any  churches  expelled 
from  the  fellowship  of  the  Disciples  for  this  prac- 
tice! 

All  of  our  readers  will  deeply  regret  the  illness 
of  both  the  Editor  and  the  Assistant  Editor  of  the 
Christian  Evangelist,  George  A.  Campbell  and  Ed- 
ward Moseley.  Dr.  Campbell  was  stricken  with 
paralysis  of  the  right  side  last  June  but  was  able 
to  be  taken  to  his  summer  home  in  Pentwater, 
Michigan,  the  last  of  July.  He  has  made  definite 
gains  in  the  use  of  his  right  hand  and  in  the  clear- 
ness of  his  speech.  He  has  resigned  his  position 
with  the  paper,  and  the  directors  are  now  confront- 
ed with  the  necessity  of  filling  that  very  important 
post.  We  regret  to  hear  that  Mr.  Moseley  has  been 
ordered  to  give  up  his  work  for  a  long  rest. 


The  following  new  men  have  been  appointed  to 
scholarships  in  the  Disciples  Divinity  House  of  the 
University  of  Chicago  for  the  quarter  beginning 
October  1 : 

John  H.  Blacklidge,  Ohio  Wesleyan. 

Burton  R.  Brown,  University  of  Idaho. 

Darrell  C.  Fultz,  Bethany  College. 

Maurice  F.  Knott,  University  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia. 

Jud  Bryan  Shelton,  Chapman  College. 

Lester  W.  Sperberg,  University  of  Michigan. 

Joseph  J.  Van  Boskirk,  Phillips  University. 

Woodrow  W.  Wasson,  Vanderbilt  University. 

Leslie  L.  Kingsbury,  Kentucky  University. 


THE  SCROLL 


Books 

The  summer  vacation  has  brought  leisure  for 
reading  many  books,  and  some  of  them  have  been  so 
interesting  and  stimulating  that  I  would  like  to  en- 
courage others  to  read  them  if  they  have  not  done 
so.  One  is  the  Autobiography  of  Lincoln  Steffens. 
I  would  particularly  commend  it  to  those  who  over- 
emphasize the  social  gospel.  His  interpretation  of 
good  bad  people  and  of  bad  good  people  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  preachers.  Neio  Faiths  for 
Old  is  the  story  of  the  life  and  thought  of  Dean 
Shailer  Mathews,  one  of  the  most  colorful  men  in 
American  religious  life.  He  has  proclaimed  him- 
self an  "unrepentant  liberal"  and  this  book  docu- 
ments his  ov>^n  designation  of  his  thought.  "Forty 
Years  A  Country  Preacher,"  by  Dr.  Gilbert,  is  one 
of  the  most  entertaining  and  stimulating  personal 
histories  of  the  year.  He  made  short  work  of  the 
ecclesiastical  procedures  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
whenever  these  stood  in  the  way  of  getting  at  the 
human  problems  of  people  in  his  parishes.  The 
amazing  fact  constantly  impressed  me  that  this 
record  is  from  the  life  of  an  Episcopalian  clergyman 
in  the  regions  round  about  Yale  and  New  Haven, 
Connecticut.  It  sounds  more  like  a  report  from 
some  backward  region  of  the  raw  west  or  from  the 
slum  areas  of  the  underprivileged.  It  is  replete 
with  human  interest  stories  and  most  refreshing 
humor.  Harold  Bosley's,  Quest  for  Religious  Cer- 
tainty is  an  attempt  to  combine  tentativeness  and 
assurance  in  religious  thinking.  The  point  of  view 
is  fairly  pragmatic  and  empirical  and  is  therefore 
a  contribution  to  a  new  way  of  ideas  in  religious 
matters.  Rheinhold  Niebuhr's,  Beyond  Tragedy, 
is  a  characteristic  expression  of  his  dialectical 
theological  thought.  His  first  chapter  insists  that 
all  the  great  fundamental  Christian  ideas  are 
"myths"  but  still  important.  His  paradoxes  are  ex- 
pressed in  a  virile  style  but  they  leave  me  quite 
unconvinced. — E.  S.  A. 


THE  SCROLL 


Fortune  on  Snoddy 

Professor  Snoddy  was  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  influential  members  of  the  faculty  of  the  Col- 
lege of  the  Bible  at  Lexington,  Kentucky.  His  Col- 
league and  close  friend,  A.  W.  Fortune,  has  writ- 
ten the  book,  Thinking  Things  Through  With  Pro- 
fessor Snoddy.  As  a  boy  and  youth  in  Dakota,  Pro- 
fessor Snoddy  was  a  hard  working,  practical  farm- 
er. He  got  into  school  late  and  was  much  older 
than  the  students  who  entered  Hiram  College  with 
him.  This  out-of-door  type  of  mind  made  John 
Dewey's  pragmatic  philosophy  and  theory  of  edu- 
cation very  acceptable  to  Professor  Snoddy.  This 
philosophy  he  carried  over  into  the  interpretation 
of  religion,  and  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  He  saw 
clearly  that  Dewey's  philosophy  is  deeply  congenial 
to  the  practical  mind  of  the  Disciples.  Their  non- 
theological  faith,  their  pioneer  simplicity,  their  use 
of  common  sense  in  religious  matters,  belong  to  the 
same  pattern.  The  one  thing  Professor  Snoddy  did 
not  see  clearly  was  that  Dewey  gave  a  constructive 
interpretation  of  God.  Dewey's  book,  A  Common 
Faith,  came  too  late  to  be  incorporated  in  Snoddy's 
understanding  of  Dewey,  and  it  would  seem  to  have 
been  an  appropriate  thing  for  the  biographer  to 
have  cited  this  fact.  Professor  Snoddy  may  have 
seen  a  copy  of  the  book  but  he  does  not  show  that 
he  appreciated  its  importance.  It  is  not  uncommon 
for  readers  of  Dewey  to  assume  and  assert  that  he 
has  no  significant  conception  of  God.  Dean  Kersh- 
ner  made  that  mistake  in  his  review  of  Dewey  in 
the  the  second  number  of  the  Shane  Qi^arterly.  Dr. 
Fortune  has  put  us  all  under  obligation  for  his 
book.  It  is  about  the  only  source  of  available  in- 
formation about  Professor  Snoddy  who  was  so  in- 
fluential in  his  teaching  and  in  public  lectures.  Un- 
fortunately he  wrote  very  little  and  many  stimulat- 
ing and  fruitful  ideas  are  consequently  already  lost 
to  us  or  only  fragmentarily  preserved. — E.S.A. 


THE  SCROLL 


A  Prejudiced  Book  Review 

By  A.  T.  DeGroot 

Since  I  wrote  the  book,  just  this  week  off  the 
press,  it  is  entirely  proper  for  me  to  be  prejudiced 
in  favor  of  it.  The  volume  is  undoubtedly  the  best 
one  I  have  written  this  year. 

The  Grounds  of  Divisions  Among  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  (so  long  a  title  justifies  the  five  dollar  price) 
is  a  235  pp.  tome  printed  by  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago Press  for  private  distribution.  Perhaps  some- 
thing of  a  record  in  the  placing  of  copies  of  what 
was  conceived  as  a  Ph.  D.  thesis  has  been  set  with 
this  work  for,  without  a  line  of  advertising  other 
than  I  could  mention  in  conversation  or  write  per- 
sonally through  the  mail,  all  but  about  a  dozen 
copies  of  the  cloth  bound  edition  were  ordered  by 
college  and  seminary  libraries,  editorial  offices,  and 
a  few  individuals  before  the  volume  left  the  press. 
However,  I  was  not  displeased  at  this  turn  of  events, 
but  took  especial  satisfatcion  in  ordering  an  extra 
hundred  copies  run  off  and  bound  in  heavy  paper, 
which  are  nov/  available  at  one  dollar  less  than  the 
cloth  copies.  The  line  forms,  alphabetically,  on  the 
right,  please. 

And  what  were  the  intrepid  institutions  that 
asked  for  it  sight  unseen?  While  this  list  is  incom- 
plete I  can  recollect  the  following,  listing  firstly 
(and  properly)  institutions  of  the  True  Faith: 
Overdale  (England),  Atlantic  Christian,  Kansas 
Bible,  Lipscomb,  Bethany,  Culver-Stockton,  Drake, 
Pepperdine,  Texas  Christian  University,  Phillips, 
Bible  College  of  Mo.,  College  of  the  Bible,  Butler, 
Disciples  Divinity  House,  also  offices  of  World  Call, 
Standard,  Evangelist,  Gospel  Advocate,  and  various 
agencies.  Other  church  institutions  include  Yale, 
Princeton,  Andover-Harvard,  Chicago,  Howard, 
Episcopal  Theological,  Baptist  (New  Orleans), 
Western  (Holland,  Mich.),  Westminster  (Md.), 
Boston,  Hartford,  Crozer,  Pacific,  Eastern  Baptist, 
Wittenberg,  Eden,  Southern  Baptist,  Seabury- 
Western,  Berkeley  Baptist,  Scarritt,  Meadville,  Chi- 


THE  SCROLL 


cago  Theological  Seminary,  Austin  Presby.,  Garrett, 
Duke,  etc.  .  .  . 

Seriously,  I  think  the  wide  response  indicates  a 
generous  interest  on  the  part  of  the  principal  de- 
nominations in  the  subject  of  Christian  union,  which 
is  the  generating  theme  of  this  book.  As  I  wrote  to 
some  of  them,  it  is  a  study  of  the  divisions  which 
have  plagued  the  largest  unity  program  in  the  his- 
tory of  American  Christianity.  Here  is  pictured 
a  movement  dedicated  to  so  grand  a  cause,  coming 
to  fifth  place  in  size  among  the  Protestant  groups, 
only  to  find  itself  after  one  century  in  the  anomal- 
ous position  of  "divided  unionists."  Is  it  significant 
that  Baptist  institutions  are  most  numerous  in  the 
non-Disciple  list  above? 

By  lending  a  copy  of  the  typed  mss.  I  received 
a  few  advance  reactions.  Ralph  Nelson  of  Phillips 
University  wrote :  "I  am  convinced  that  it  will  be 
a  wholesome  experience  for  us  who  preach  unity 
to  study  the  question  why  we  have  found  it  so  dif- 
ficult to  practice  what  we  preach.  Even  those  who 
disagree  with  your  conclusion :  'that  the  principle 
of  restoring  a  fixed  pattern  of  a  primitive  Christian 
church  is  divisive  and  not  unitive,'  may  be  led  to  in- 
quire what  sort  of  thinking  it  is  that  prompts  men 
to  seek  fixed  patterns."  The  editor  of  the  Scroll 
wrote  a  keen  paragraph  (which  I  have  lost)  of  an 
optimistic  nature  concerning  how  the  upshot  of  this 
study  is  that  the  divisions  are  not  insurmountable. 
A  less  ardent  admirer  but,  nevertheless,  a  good 
dean,  wrote :  "So  far  as  the  historical  material  is 
concerned,  it  appears  perfectly  obvious  that  Dr. 
DeGroot  has  done  an  excellent  and  much  needed 
piece  of  work.  He  has  cqllected  information  with 
reference  to  the  final  breaking  away  of  the  con- 
servative 'Church  of  Christ'  which,  so  far  as  we 
know,  has  not  been  published  heretofore  in  any 
work  of  reference,  and  which  ought  to  be  made  a 
matter  of  definite  record." 

Upon  first  reading,  I  have  failed  to  find  any  con- 
tention of  the  author  with  which  I  disagree.  This 
fact  alone  makes  the  book  unique. 


THE  SCROLL 


Open  Membership 

By  Carl  Ledbetter,  Butler  School  of  Religion 

Letters  and  surveys  were  sent  to  1000  men;  500 
of  liberal  tendency  and  500  of  Conservative  tend- 
ency, an  attempt  being  made  to  select  an  equal  num- 
ber of  each  group  from  every  state  where  we  have 
churches ;  but  in  several  states  where  our  numerical 
strength  is  small,  every  minister  in  the  state  was 
included. 

Two  hundred  and  two  of  the  first  group,  and  277 
of  the  second  group  replied.  Of  the  first  group,  the 
answers  to  the  questions  indicated  that  119  were 
definitely  in  favor  of  the  practice,  50  were  defi- 
nitely opposed  to  it,  and  33  were  noncommital.  Of 
the  second  group,  11  were  definitely  in  favor  of  the 
practice,  251  were  definitely  against  it,  and  15  were 
noncommital. 

Two  hundred  and  thirty-four  churches  were 
named  by  one  or  more  men  as  PROBABLY  practic- 
ing some  form  of  open  membership.  Letters  to  these 
churches  brought  forth  replies  from  116.  84  of 
them  acknowledged  open  membership,  while  36 
denied  the  practice  (some  of  these  have  in  the  past 
practiced  o.m.  and  are  so  treated  in  the  thesis). 

Altogether  108  churches  are  treated  in  the  thesis 
(some  by  name  and  some  by  symbol  only).  86  of 
these  are  simply  "open  membership"  churches, 
while  22  are  "community"  or  "federated"  churches. 
The  22  community  churches  are  treated  briefly  as 
they  are  not  ACTUALLY  a  part  of  our  brother- 
hood. Of  the  others,  in  49  cases  the  practice  was 
instituted  by  the  minister  on  his  own  responsibility, 
in  19  cases  a  congregational  vote  launched  the 
practice  (in  most  cases  after  recommendation  by 
the  board),  in  11  cases  the  board  was  responsible, 
while  in  7  cases,  insufficient  data  was  given  to  de- 
termine just  how  the  practice  was  inaugurated. 

As  to  gains  and  losses  in  membership,  26  have 
at  present  a  membership  which  is  larger  than  when 
they  began  the  practice  of  open  membership,   45 


i 


THE  SCROLL 9 

show  actual  numerical  losses,  and  15  (because  of 
insufficient  data)  are  indeterminate.  In  the  area  of 
missionary  giving,  only  a  half  dozen  of  the  entire 
group  have  a  record  of  offerings  as  large  since  the 
inauguration  of  the  practice  as  before. 

The  general  practice  is  to  make  no  difference  in 
the  status  of  immersed  and  unimmersed  members, 
but  in  6  churches,  some  difference  is  noted.  In  only 
5  churches,  however,  is  there  any  provision  made  to 
sprinkle  candidates  who  desire  affusion. 

Of  the  108  churches  treated,  18  are  from  Ohio; 
17  from  Illinois ;  14  from  Missouri ;  8  from  Indiana ; 
7  from  Maryland;  6  each  from  California  and  New 
York;  4  from  Kentucky;  3  each  from  Michigan, 
Nebraska,  Pennsylvania,  and  Iowa;  2  each  from 
North  Carolina,  Texas,  Colorado,  West  Virginia; 
and  one  each  from  Minnesota,  Georgia,  Washington, 
New  Mexico,  Tennessee,  Arkansas,  New  Jersey,  and 
Virginia. 

As  to  date  of  beginning  of  the  practice,  6  began 
prior  to  1910,  20  between  1910-120;  9  from  1920-25; 
24  from  1926-30;  16  from  1930-35;  22  from  1935- 
40,  and  9  are  given  without  date. 


A  Letter  from  Wallace  Tuttle 

EDITORS — The  Christian-Evangelist : 
Practically  two  pages  are  given  in  the  issue  of  June 
20  to  the  presentation  of  the  text  of  Dr.  R.  H. 
Miller's  overture  for  union  before  the  Northern 
Baptist  Convention  and  editorial  comment  thereon 
by  the  Christian  Century  and  The  Christian 
Standard.  But  as  yet  you  have  failed  to  give  any 
comments  from  Baptist  periodicals.    How  come? 

The  only  weekly  claiming  national  circulation 
among  the  Northern  Baptist  constituency  is  the 
Watchman-Examiner  which  is  the  organ  of  the  very 
strong  conservative  element  recruited  largely  from 
the  Southern  Convention  and  its  seminaries.  The 
United  States  Baptist  is  a  monthly  appealing  for 
support  among  both  Northern  and  Southern  Con- 


10 THE  SCROLL 

ventions  and  with  a  fair  proportion  of  its  cir- 
culation among  the  more  liberal-minded  of  the 
Northern  Convention.  In  its  spirit  it  is  the  nearest 
approach  to  that  of  The  Christian-Evangelist  among 
the  Baptist  periodicals.  In  the  June  issue  of  The 
United  States  Baptists  is  this  enthusiastic  ( ?)  ac- 
count of  the  reception  which  Dr.  Miller's  overture 
received. 

"Disciples:  On  motion  of  Dr.  Albert  W.  Beaven, 
a  committee  was  authorized  to  explore  the  possi- 
bilities of  a  re-union  of  Northern  Baptists  and  Dis- 
ciples. For  several  years  Disciples  have  requested 
this  committee.  The  request  has  been  ignored.  This 
year  courteous  attention  was  given  and  the  com- 
mittee authorized.  Disciples  were  represented  at 
the  Convention  by  Dr.  R.  H.  Miller,  Washington, 
D.  C" 

Now  I  know  the  editors  of  The  United  States 
Baptist  are  embued  with  the  spirit  of  ecumenicity 
and  that  their  own  "off  the  record"  reaction  would 
most  certainly  be  much  more  cordial  than  the  61 
words  given  above  But  they  are  courting  the  South- 
ern Baptists  as  earnestly  as  the  Disciples  are 
courting  the  Northern  Baptists  and  here  it  must  be 
a  case  of  "either,  or."  I  yield  to  no  one  in  my  de- 
sire for  union  of  Disciples  and  Northern  Baptists 
but  is  it  not  time  that  we  were  a  bit  more  realistic 
in  our  consideration  of  this  matter  and  less  in- 
fluenced by  wishful  thinking? 


Anniversary  Celebration 

From  The  House  Netvs 

Plans  for  the  Anniversary  Celebration  honoring 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ames  on  their  significant  forty-year 
ministry  are  complete.  Sunday,  September  29,  Dr. 
Samuel  C.  Kinchloe  will  interpret  the  findings  of 
his  survey  of  the  members  of  University  Church 
on  what  the  church  means  to  them  and  why  they 
believe   in   it.    His   subject   will   be   "I   Believe   in 


THE  SCROLL 11 

Churches."  Friday,  October  4,  the  Celebration  Din- 
ner will  be  held  in  the  Sherry  Hotel.  Dr.  Edgar 
DeWitt  Jones  of  Detroit  will  give  the  address.  Mr. 
Robert  Lemon  of  the  Chicago  Disciples  Union  and  a 
representative  of  the  community  will  also  speak. 
Dr.  Herbert  L.  Willett  will  serve  as  toastmaster. 
Saturday,  October  5,  there  will  be  an  informal  re- 
ception in  the  church  house.  This  reception  will 
feature  dramatic  interpretations  of  outstanding 
events  in  the  life  of  Dr.  Ames.  Sunday,  October  6, 
Dr.  Ames  will  preach  the  sermon  at  the  morning 
service.  This  will  be  one  of  the  outstanding  features 
of  the  entire  celebration.  Sunday  afternoon  there 
will  be  a  reception  in  the  church  house  followed  by 
a  program  featuring  an  address  by  Dr.  George  E. 
Coe.  At  this  time,  the  tablet  executed  by  Dr.  W.  E. 
Garrison  will  be  unveiled,  and  the  volume,  FAITH 
OF  THE  FREE,  will  be  presented  to  Dr.  Ames. 
The  committee  in  charge  of  the  Anniversary  Cele- 
bration are  anticipating  a  series  of  events  v/ithout 
parallel  in  the  history  of  the  church.  All  members 
and  friends  of  the  church,  as  well  as  those  of  other 
churches  in  this  and  other  cities  will  share  in  this 
occasion. 

Faith  of  the  Free 

It  was  suggested  some  time  ago  that  a  volume, 
prepared  by  present  and  former  members  of  the 
University  church,  reflecting  the  interpretation  of 
religion  which  Dr.  Ames  has  made  through  forty 
years  service  as  pastor  there  would  make  a  unique 
contribution,  both  to  the  Anniversary  Celebration 
for  Dr.  Ames  this  fall,  and  to  liberal  religious 
thought  in  general.  It  was  noted  that  under  Dr. 
Ames'  ministry  the  church  has  drawn  into  its  fel- 
lowship an  extraordinary  number  and  variety  of 
men  and  women  who  have  made  noteworthy  con- 
tributions in  all  fields.  Certain  of  these  worthy 
persons  were  carefully  selected  to  write  chapters 
for  a  book.  Among  them  were :  W.  C.  Bower,  pro- 
fessor of  practical  theology  in  the  University  of 
Chicago;  Arthur  E.  Murphy,  professor  of  philoso- 


12 THE  SCROLL 

phy  in  the  University  of  Illinois;  Donald  Dooley, 
professor  of  physics  in  Hiram  College ;  Ellsworth  E. 
Faris,  professor-emeritus  of  sociology  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago;  Henry  C.  Taylor,  executive  sec- 
retary of  Farm  Foundation ;  Lewis  S.  C.  Smythe, 
professor  of  sociology  in  the  University  of  Nanking ; 
Margueritte  H.  Bro,  formerly  editor  of  Social  Ac- 
tion; C.  C.  Morrison,  editor  of  The  -Christian  Cen- 
twy;  T.  V.  Smith,  professor  of  philosophy  in  the 
University  of  Chicago  and  Congressman-at-large 
from  Illinois;  Van  Meter  Ames,  professor  of  aes- 
thetics in  the  University  of  Cincinnati ;  B.  Fred 
Wise,  director  of  religious  education  and  music  of 
University  Church;  Henry  K.  Holsman,  formerly 
president  of  the  American  Association  of  Archi- 
tects ;  Sterling  W.  Brown,  professor  of  religious  edu- 
cation at  Drake  University;  Roy  G.  Ross,  executive 
secretary  of  the  International  Council  of  Religious 
Education ;  S.  V.  McCasland,  professor  of  religion  in 
the  University  of  Virginia;  0.  F.  Jordan,  formerly 
editor  of  the  Community  Church  and  minister  of 
Park  Ridge  Community  Church;  S.  C.  Kincheloe, 
professor  of  sociology  in  the  Chicago  Theological 
Seminary;  Irvin  E.  Lunger,  associate  pastor  of  Uni- 
versity Church ;  Guy  W.  Sarvis,  professor  of  sociol- 
ogy in  Ohio  Wesleyan  University ;  Clarence  H.  Ham- 
ilton, professor  of  oriental  religions  at  Oberiin  Col- 
lege; Herbert  L.  Willett,  professor-emeritus  of  Old 
Testament  literature  in  the  University  of  Chicago 
and  minister  of  KeniFworth  Union  Church ;  W.  E. 
Garrison,  literary  editor  of  The  Christian  Century 
and  professor  of  church  history  in  the  University  of 
Chicago;  Edward  A,  Henry,  librarian  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Cincinnati. 

Under  the  editorship  of  Dr.  Garrison,  these  pres- 
ent and  former  members  of  the  church  have  pre- 
pared their  chapters  and  the  book  has  been  turned 
over  to  Willett,  Clark  and  Co.  for  publication.  It 
will  contain  approximately  310  pages  when  pub- 
lished. The  volume  has  been  entitled,  FAITH  OF 
THE  FREE,  and  will  be  ready  for  distribution  on 


THE  SCROLL 13 

October  4,  1940,  as  one  of  the  main  features  of  the 
Anniversary   Celebration. 

A  special  pre-publication  price  of  ^2.00  is  being 
made  for  all  copies  ordered  and  paid  for  in  advance 
of  October  Jfth.  After  the  date  of  publication  the 
price  will  be  $2.50  per  copy.  Mail  your  order  with 
two  dollars  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Williams,  secretary  of 
the  University  Church  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ, 
5655  University  Ave.,  Chicago.  Find  out  what  this 
liberal  interpretation  of  religion  is ! 


Secretary-Treasurer's  Page 

By  A.  T.  DeGroot,  Kalamazoo,  Michigan 

My  report  for  1939-40  at  the  Annual  Meeting  in 
August  was  high-lighted  by  the  following  cheerful 
statistics:  the  highest  income  ever  in  dues  ($570), 
the  largest  number  of  new  members  (116),  and  the 
smallest  deficit  (!)  in  a  long  time. 

If  you  have  not  paid  2  dues  since  August  1st  you 
are  in  arrears.  If  a  goodly  number  of  you  don't 
get  that  amount  to  me  right  away  the  printer  will 
begin  to  soliloquize  about  how  he  has  all  unwitting- 
ly seen  his  career  in  life  pushed  around  until  he  is, 
lo!,   not  a  printer  but  a   philanthropist.    Pay  up, 


men 


The  membership  list  in  this  issue  shows  exactly 
530  in  our  fellowship,  not  counting  other  subscrib- 
ers to  the  Scroll.  The  list  would  have  run  well  over 
600  if  we  had  not  decided  to  eliminate  the  names  of 
quite  a  number  of  brethren  who  for  one  reason  or 
another  refused  even  to  say  "I  don't  have  the 
money"  in  response  to  our  frequent  reminders  about 
delinquency.  We  have  never  dropped  a  man  who 
simply  wasn't  in  a  position  to  pay,  but  we  would 
at  least  like  to  know  that  such  is  the  case.  In  the 
more  brittle  days  of  the  contentions  over  orthodoxy 
the  tradition  grew  up  that  a  man  who  lost  his  work 
and  income  because  of  standing  by  his  convictions 
should  be  exempt  from  dues  during  the  lean  years. 
There  have  been  a  limited   number   of   instances 


14 THE  SCROLL 

where  this  policy  has  operated  and  continues  to  do 
so,  including  one  case  of  practical  excommunication 
due  to  high  ideals  of  applying  the  social  gospel.  But, 
we  at  least  need  to  know  when  this  is  the  fact.  No 
one  is  cut  off  who  wishes  to  continue  in  fellowship 
and  to  receive  the  Scroll. 


Membership  List 


Ackerman,  Wm.  B.,  1333  C.  St.  N.  E.,  Washington, 

D.  C. 
Adams,  Hampton,  2  Windermere  PL,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Agee,  Carl,  1511  E.  Broadway,  Columbia,  Mo. 
Alcorn,  W.  Garrett,  P.  0.  Box  136,  Bogard,  Mo. 
Alexander,   W.   B.,   Disciples   Mission,   Jubbulpore, 

C.P.,  India. 
Alexander,  Wm.  H.,  1156  E.  57th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 
Allen,  J.  M.,  Eureka,  111. 

Allen,  Kring,  709  S.  9th  St.,  Rocky  Ford,  Colo. 
Alley,  James  A.,  Yale  Divinity  School,  New  Haven, 

Conn. 
Ames,  Edward  S.,  5722  Kimbark  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
Anderson,  Howard  E.,  5215  W.   15th  St.,   Indian- 
apolis, Ind. 
Anthony,  Mark,  1302  E.  Main  St.,  New  Albany,  Ind. 
Armstrong,  C.  J.,  1101  Broadway,  Hannibal,  Mo. 
Armstrong,  H.  C,  Central  Ch'n  Church,  Anderson, 

Ind. 
Armstrong,    H.    Parr,    Central    Ch'n    Ch.,    27th    & 

Wabash,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Ashley,  Lawrence  S.,   679  W.  Lexington,  Elkhart, 

Ind. 
Atkins,  Henry  P.,  2556  Observatory  Rd.,  Cincinnati, 

0. 
Austin,  Robert  Earl,  Box  689,  Sapulpa,  Okla. 
Aylsworth,  Raymond  G.,  Eureka,  111. 

Bacon,  Wallace  R.,  144  Lecta  Ave.,  Ft.  Smith,  Ark. 
Bader,  Jesse  M.,  297  4th  Ave.,  New  York,  N.Y. 
Baillie,   Alexander   S.,   7271   Lyndover   PI.,   Maple- 
wood,  Mo. 
Baird,  Ben  B.,  2201  Sunset,  Bakersfield,  Calif. 


THE  SCROLL 15 

Baker,  Clarence  G.,  201   N.  Addison  St.,   Indian- 
apolis, Ind. 
Baldwin,  Raymond,  622  Topeka  Blvd.,  Topeka,  Kan. 
Barbee,   J.   E.,   2835   Riverside   Ave.,   Jacksonville, 

Fla. 
Barclay,  John,  P.  0.  Box  872,  Wilson,  N.  C. 
Barnett,  Carl  H.,  Lebanon,  Indiana. 
Barnett,  Hubert  L.,  806  N.  Market  St.,  Marion,  111. 
Barr,  Harold  G.,  1300  Oread,  Lawrence,  Kan. 
Bartle,   Glenn   G.,   Univ.   of   Kansas   City,    Kansas 

City,  Mo. 
Bartle,  Wm.  D.,  1819  State  St.,  New  Albany,  Ind. 
Beach,  Eugene  C,  423  Crandall  Ave.,  Youngstown, 

Ohio. 
Beazley,  George  G.,  318  N.  College,  Richmond,  Mo. 
Becker,  Paul  E.,  6503  Aylsworth  Ave.,  Lincoln,  Neb. 
Bedford,  Archie  B.,  1641  S.  Salina  St.,  Syracuse, 

N.Y. 
Bell,  Urban  R.,  2013  Eastern  Parkway,  Apt.   12, 

Louisville,  Ky. 
Bellville,  John   Francis,   309   S.   Main   St.,   Elmira, 

N.Y. 
Berneking,  Gerald,  Albia,  Iowa. 
Berry,  Harry  J.,  30  Normandy  Rd.,  Asheville,  N.  C. 
Beshers,  R.  L.,  El  Paso,  111. 
Birdwhistell,  J.  M.  B.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ky. 
Bishop,  Leo  K.,  1435  Jefferson  St.,  Paducah,  Ky. 
Blackman,  Earl  A.,  6524  Linden  Rd.,  Kansas  City, 

Mo. 
Blackburn,  Cleo  W.,  802  N.  West  St.,  Indianapolis, 

Ind. 
Blair,  Verle  W.,  10411  Rhodes  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
Blakemore,  W.  B.,  4521  McPherson  Ave.,  St.  Louis, 

Mo. 
Blakemore,  W.  B.,  1156  E.  57th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 
Blunk,  J.  B.,  Hillside  Apts.,  Eastland,  Tex. 
Bolinger,  Noble  A.,  1500  37th  St.,  Rock  Island,  111. 
Book,  Abbott,  733  Union  Blvd.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Booth,  Osborne,  Bethany,  W.  Va. 
Boren,  Carter,  4000  S.  Main  St.,  Houston,  Tex. 
Bouck,  Harvey  J.,  611  Locust  St.,  Kalamazoo,  Mich. 


16 THE  SCROLL 

Bowen,  Kenneth  B.,  1135  Audubon  Rd.,  Covington, 

Ky. 
Bowen,  T.  Hassell,  894  Beaumont  Ave.,  Harrods- 

burg,  Ky. 
Bower,  W.  C,  1366  E.  57th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 
Bowman,  E.  M.,  140  W.  Ontario  St.,  Chicago,  111. 
Boyd,  Wm.  Paxton,  University  Sta.,  Austin,  Tex. 
Boynton,  Edwin  C,  1526  Ave.  0,  Huntsville,  Tex. 
Boynton,  Paul  L.,  Geo.  Peabody  College,  Nashville, 

Tenn. 
Braden,  Wayne  L.,  216  Poplar  St.,  Marietta,  0. 
Bricker,  L.  O.,  Peachtree  Ch'n  Church,  Atlanta,  Ga. 
Brink,  Reo,  Tustin,  Mich. 
Bro,  Albin  C,  Frances  Shimer  School,  Mt.  Carroll, 

111. 
Brock,  Forrest  L.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Mt.  Carmel, 

111. 
Brooks,  A.  C,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Frankfort,  Ky. 
Brown,  D.  C,  15422  S.  Park  Ave.,  South  Holland,  _ 

111.  ^ 

Brown,  Sterling  W.,  University  Ch'n  Church,  Des 

Moines,  Iowa. 
Bruce,  W.  F.,  1617  N.E.  14th  St.,  Oklahoma  City, 

Okla. 
Brumbaugh,   L.   A.,    1816   N.    11th   Ave.,   Phoenix, 

Ariz. 
5uckner,  Geo.  Walker,  Missions  Bldg.,  Indianapolis, 

Ind. 
Burgess,  Samuel  J.,  431  W.  Jefferson  St.,  Ft.  Wayne, 

Ind. 
Burkhart,  Carl,  Liberty,  Mo. 
Burnham,  F.  W.,  607  E.  Grace  St.,  Richmond,  Va. 
Burns,  Robert  W.,  1590  Peachtree  St.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 
Blythewood,  Russell  M.,  240  S.  22nd  St.,  Lincoln, 

Neb. 

Callaway,  Ralph  V.,  Lakeville,  Ind. 

Campbell,  Geo.  A.,  2712  Pine  St.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Carr,  Wilbert  L.,  Apt.  62,  460  Riverside  Dr.,  New 

York,  N.  Y. 
Carroll,  E.  Tipton,  Stanford,  Ky. 


THE  SCROLL 17 

Carter,  LeRoy  F.,  29  Lincoln  St.,  Uniontown,  Pa. 
Carter,  S.  J.,  1010  35th  Ave.  N.,  St.  Petersburg,  Fla. 
Channels,  Lloyd,  303  Alice  St.,  Peoria,  111. 
Chilton,  C.  M.,  917  Faraon  St.,  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
Clark,  Glen  G.,  Box  262,  Iowa  Park,  Tex. 
Clark,  Jeo  L.,  1421  14th  St.,  Himtsville,  Tex. 
Clark,  Tom  B.,  Central  Ch'n  Church,  Waco,  Tex. 
Clark,  Thos.  Curtis,  440  S.  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago, 

111. 
Clemmer,  W.  B.,  2712  Pine  St.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Cleveland,  Joseph  C,  Linwood  Blvd.,  Ch'n  Church, 

Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Cohee,  A.  J.,  Chaplain. 

Cole,  Addison  L.,  2605  Harney  St.,  Omaha,  Neb. 
Cole,  Connor  G.,  1156  E.  57th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 
Cole,   Myron   C,   318   E.   Chapman   Ave.,    Orange, 

Calif. 
Collins,  C.  U.,  427  Jefferson  Bldg.,  Peoria,  111. 
Combs,  Geo.  Hamilton,  61st  and  Ward  Parkway, 

Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Cook,  Leland,  Central  Ch'n  Church,  F  at  9th,  San 

Diego,  Calif. 
Coop,  Frank,  Y.M.C.A.,  Chester,  England. 
Corey,  Stephen  J.,  College  of  the  Bible,  Lexington, 

Ky. 
Cossaboom,   Charles   0.,   7721   Harrison   Ave.,   Mt. 

Healthy,  Cincinnati,  0. 
Cowles,  Oliver  H.,  3528  Orchard  St.,  Hollidays  Cove, 

W.  Va. 
Grain,  James  A.,  Missions  Bldg.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Cramblet,   Wilbur   H.,   Bethany   College,    Bethany, 

W.  Va. 
Crawford,  Neil,  63  Heath  St.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 
Crawford,  Norman  G.,  220  Willard  Ave.,  Bloom- 

ington.  111. 
Crossfield,  R.  H.,  Ridgely  Apts.,  Birmingham,  Ala. 
Crowley,  Wm.  A.,  5819  Glenview  Ave.,  College  Hill, 

Cincinnati,  O. 
Culler,  A.  J.,  16815  Holbrook  Rd.,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Cummins,  Claude  E.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Sterling, 

111. 


18 THE  SCROLL 

Cummings,    Clark    Walker,    1528    Locust    St.,    St. 

Louis,  Mo. 
Cyrus,  John  W.,  745  E.  Lakeview,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

Dalton,  John  Bruce,  RED  1,  Everett,  Ohio. 

Daniels,  Earl,  Yale  Univ.,  New  Haven,  Conn. 

Darnell,  Jacob  C,  218  Conway,  Frankfort,  Ky. 

Darsie,  Charles,  410  Aberdeen  Terrace,  Greensboro, 
N.  C. 

Darsie,  Hugh  D.,  Apt.  4-E,  601  E.  21st  St.,  Flatbush, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

Davidian,  S.  M.,  525  W.  North  St.,  Lima,  Ohio. 

Davis,  Harry  M.,  Crestwood,  Ky. 

Davis,  John  L.,  Lynchburg  College,  Lynchburg,  Va. 

Davis,  Richard  H.,  218  E.  44th  St.,  Chicago,  HI. 

Davis,  Wilbur  L.,  501  E.  Broadway,  Princton,  Ind, 

Davison,  Frank  E.,  316  S.  Main  St.,  South  Bend, 
Ind. 

Deadman,  Homer  R.,  809  Ninth  Ave.,  S.E.,  Roch- 
ester, Minn. 

DeGroot,  A.  T.,  609  Axtell  St.,  Kalamazoo,  Mich. 

Deming,  F.  K.,  5400  S.  37th  St.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

DePoister,  L.  F.,  108  E.  Grand,  Ponca  City,  Okla. 

DePoister,  Marshon,  Rensselaer,  Ind. 

Derby,  Payson  D.,  92  Milton  St.,  Williamsville,  N.  Y. 

Dickinson,  Hoke,  205  E.  Park  Ave.,  Valdosta,  Ga. 

Dickinson,  Richard  J.,  Eureka,  111. 

Donaldson,  D.  Elvin,  105  N.  School  St.,  Eureka, 
Kansas. 

Douglas,  John  W.,  Anderson,  Ind. 

Drash,  J.  Wayne,  118  E.  Gordon  St.,  Kinston,  N.  C. 

Driskill,  Bayne  E.,  2728  Ave.  Oi/?,  Galveston,  Tex. 

Dyer,  C.  Edward,  2087  Univ.  Sta.,  Enid,  Okla. 

Eads,  R.  H.,  324  S.  Main  St.,  Delevan,  Wis. 

Edwards,  B.  P.,  Box  381,  Blacksburg,  Va. 

Edwards,  B.  S.  M.,  Kansas,  111. 

Edwards,  G.  D.,  Mesa,  Arizona. 

Edwards,  Noble  R.,  1706  Berkley  Ave.,  Bessemer, 

Ala. 
Eldred,  W.  G.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ky. 


THE  SCROLL _19 

Elliott,  Edwin  A.,  420  U.  S.  Court  House,  Ft.  Worth, 
Tex. 

Elsam,  Harold  G.,  1541  Vincennes  Ave.,  Chicago 
Heig-hts,  111. 

England,  S.  J.,  Phillips  Univ.,  Enid,  Okla. 

Erskine,  W.  H.,  Uhrichsville,  O. 

Ervin,  Jack  M.,  230  Morgan  St.,  Versailles,  Ky. 

Esculto,  Albert  A.,  720  Washington  S.E.,  Minne- 
apolis, Minn. 

Evans,  C.  F.,  616  E.  67th  St.,  Salem,  0. 

Ewers,  John  R.,  6002  Adlers  St.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Faris,  Ellworth,  1321  E.  56th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 

Farish,  Hayes,  Woodland  Ch'n  Church,  Lexington, 
Ky. 

Farr,  John  A.,  308  S.  Columbia  St.,  Frankfort,  Ind. 

Fey,  Harold  E.,  440  S.  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago,  111. 

Finegan,  Jack,  2  Beardshear  Hall,  Iowa  State  Col- 
lege, Ames,  Iowa. 

Fisher,  Stephen  E.,  609  E.  Springfield  Ave.,  Cham- 
paign, 111. 

Fisher,  S.  Grundy,  Univ.  Park  Ch'n  Church,  In- 
dianapolis, Ind. 

Flickinger,  Roy  C,  Schaeffer  Hall,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Fortune,  A.  W.,  624  Elsmere  Park,  Lexington,  Ky. 

Frank,  Graham,  Central  Ch'n  Church,  Dallas,  Tex. 

Freeman,  Sam,  Mullberry  and  Evans,  Bloomington, 
111. 

Freeman,  Wm.  Webb,  Commerce,  Tex. 

Freyburger,  Walter  D.,  1813  N.  Rhodes  St.,  Arling- 
ton, Va. 

Gabbert,  Mont  R.,  520  S.  Murtland  Ave.,  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa. 

Gantz,  H.  G.,  1020  17th  St.,  Lubbock,  Tex. 

Gardner,  Frank  N.,  College  of  the  Bible,  Lexington, 
Ky. 

Garnett,  A.  C,  130  Breese  Terrace,  Ma,dison,  Wis. 

Garrison,  W.  E.,  7417  Kingston  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

Ghormley,  Hugh  W.,  1535  W.  26th  St.,  Des  Moines, 
Iowa. 


20 THE  SCROLL 

Gibbs,  Walter  G.,  College  of  the  Bible,  Lexington, 
Ky. 

Gill,  Donald  H.,  232  Mercer  St.,  Dayton,  0. 

Givens,  John  P.,  713  S.  Market  St.,  Hoopeston,  111. 

Goldner,  J.  H.,  Euclid  Ave.  and  E.  100th  St.,  Cleve- 
land, 0. 

Goldston,  Nimmo,  Center,  Tex. 

Goodale,  Ralph  Hinsdale,  Hiram,  Ohio. 

Gordon,  C.  M.,  1610  Colonial  Ave.,  Norfolk,  Va. 

Grafton,  Warren,  3225  Observatory  Rd.,  Hyde 
Park,  Cincinnati,  O. 

Grainger,  Oswald  J.,  518  Brevard  St.,  Lynchburg, 
Va. 

Gray,  A.  C,  3325  Canon  St.,  Columbia,  S.  C. 

Gray,  James,  15  Green  Meadow  Rd.,  Sellj^  Oak,  Bir- 
mingham, England. 

Gresham,  Perry  E.,  2718  University  Dr.,  Ft.  Worth, 
Tex. 

Griffin,  Victor,  3114  Northwestern  Ave.,  Indian- 
apolis, Ind. 

Griggs,  Earl  N.,  100  E.  Bruce,  Dayton,  0. 

Grim,  F.  F.,  Wilson,  N.  C. 

Groom,  Fernando  H.,  Franklin  and  Fulton  Rd., 
Cleveland,  0. 

Gutensohn,  S.  G.,  Monticello,  Iowa. 

Hagelbarger,  B.  F.,  188  W.  3rd  St.,  Mansfield,  Ohio; 
Haislip,  Homer  W.,  2305  Rosen  Ave.,  Ft.  Worth, 

Tex. 
Hall,  Homer  J.,  143  E.  3rd  Ave.,  Roselle,  N.  J. 
Hail,  Maxwell,  46  St.  Clair  Bldg.,  Marietta,  0. 
Hall,  Newman,  A.,  Queens  College,  Flushing,  N.  Y. 
Hall,  W.  Willard,  18  Short  St.,  Concord,  N.  H. 
Hamilton,  Clarence  H.,  144  Forest  St.,  Oberlin,  0. 
Hanna,  Clarence  A.,  49  Elmwood  Park,  W.,  Tona- 

wanda,  N.  Y. 
Harlan,   Vaughan   R.,   Box   6020,   Metro.   Sta.,   Los 

Angeles,  Calif. 
Harmon,  A.  D.,  Cable,  Wis. 
Harmon,  Henry  G.,  Fulton,  Mo. 
Harman,  W.  P.,  Gale  Lane,  Nashville,  Tenn. 


THE  SCROLL  21 

Harms,  John  W.,  9  E.  Franklin  St.,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Harrison,  Dean,  Ennis,  Tex. 

Harrison,  Oliver,  Pecos,  Tex. 

Harrold,  Ernest  L.,  W.  Creighton  Ave.  Ch'n  Church, 

Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 
Hartling,    Harvey    C,    306    Montana    Ave,,    Deer 

Lodge,  Mont. 
Hastings,    J.    Warren,    University    Ch'n    Church, 

Seattle,  Wash. 
Hawley,  C.  0.,  Missions  Bldg.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Heifer,  Fred  W.,  Hiram,  O. 

Henry,  Edward  A.,  3272  Observatory  Rd.,  Cincin- 
nati, 0. 
Henry,  Frederick  A.,  Geauga  Lake,  Ohio. 
Hensley,  Chester,  223  S.  Madison  St.,  Lebanon,  Mo. 
Henson,  Elmer,  Box  853,  San  Angelo,  Tex. 
Hieronymus,  R.  E.,  Old  Agr.  Bldg.,  Urbana,  111. 
Higdon,  E.  E.,  Eureka  College,  Eureka,  111. 
Higdon,  E.  K.,  Missions  Bldg.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Hill,  Alden  Lee,  5768  Aldama  St.,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 
Hill,  O.  Blakely,  20  School  St.,  Auburn,  N.  Y. 
Hill,  Roscoe  R.,  4500  47th  St.  N.  W.,  Washington, 

D.  C. 
Hoffman,  Ralph  W.,  921  Meadowmere,  Springfield, 

Mo. 
Hogevoll,  Wilbur  S.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Waukegan, 

111. 
Holder,  Chas  B.,  327  W.  Poplar,  GrifRn,  Ga. 
Hollingsworth,  Austin  J.,  425  Columbia,  Shreveport, 

La. 
Holloway,  0.  B.,  5540  Kenwood  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
Holroyd,  Ben,  9990  Euclid  Ave.,  Cleveland,  0. 
Hopkins,  Louis  A.,  1517  S.   University  Ave.,  Ann 

Arbor,  Mich. 
Hopper,  Frank,  2216  Broadway,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Hopper,  Myron  T.,  College  of  the  Bible,  Lexington, 

Ky. 
Hopper,  Rex  D.,  University  of  Texas,  Austin,  Tex. 
Hoye,  J.  Mitchell,  1619  Nottoway  Ave.,  Richmond, 

Va. 
Huff,  A.  L.,  5410  Woodlawn  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 


22 THE  SCROLL 

Hull,  0.  L.,  439  N.  Walnut  St.,  Wilmington,  0. 
Hunt,  Ray  E.,  2350  Sumner,  Lincoln,  Neb. 
Hunter,  Barton,  Lynchburg  College,  Lynchburg,  Va. 
Hunter,  Joseph  B.,  4218  Kenyon,  Little  Rock,  Ark. 
Hyten,  Blaine,  5730  Lydia  St.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Idleman,  Finis,  142  W.  81st  St.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Inman,  S.  Guy,  133  Pondfield  Rd.,  Bronsville,  N.  Y. 

Jacobs,  Jesse  A.,  5468  Ridgewood  Court,  Chicago, 

111. 
James,  Richard  L.,  Box  226,  E.  Lake  Sta.,  Birming- 
ham, Ala. 
Jarman,  Ray  C,  1753  Brewster  Ave.,  Cincinnati,  0. 
Jenkins,  Burris  A.,  3210  Forest  Ave.,  Kansas  City, 

Mo. 
Jenks,  Loren  T.,  5047  Ewing  Ave.  S.,  Minneapolis, 

Minn. 
Jensen,  Howard  E.,  411  N.  Gregson  St.,  Durham, 

N.  C. 
Jewett,   Frank   L.,   2007   University   Ave.,   Austin, 

Tex. 
Johnson,  Barton  A.,  1032  E.  Elm  St.,  Springfield, 

Mo. 
Johnson,  Bert  R.,  408  N.   President  St.,   Jackson, 

Miss. 
Johnson,  Carl  A.,  523  S.  Gee,  Tacoma,  Wash. 
Johnston,  Eldred  W.,  131  E.  Elm  St.,  Wauseon,  0. 
Johnston,  Roy  B.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Miami,  Fla. 
Jones,     Edgar     DeWitt,     Central-Woodward     Ch'n 

Church,  Detroit,  Mich. 
Jones,    Francis,   62   Greenwood   Ave.,    Hyde   Park, 

Mass. 
Jones,  Myrddyn  Wm.,  1156  E.  57th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 
Jones,  Silas,  1312  E.  5th  St.,  Sterling,  111. 
Jones,  Willis  R.,  William  Woods  College,  Fulton,  Mo. 
Jordan,  Orvis  F.,  810  Courtland  St.,  Park  Ridge, 

111. 

Keckley,  Paul  J.,  117  E.  Prospect  St.,  Girard,  0. 

Kelso,  I.  R.,  Girardeau,  Mo. 

Kemp,  Charles  F.,  101  Maple  Avt.,  Wellsville,  N.  Y. 


THE  SCROLL 23 

Kennedy,  Frank  H.,  1004  N.  Walnut  St.,  Danville, 

111. 
Kennedy,  Paul  D.,  3422  W.  11th  St.,  Little  Rock, 

Ark. 
Kilgour,  Hugh  B.,  1256  Alexander  Ave.  S.E.,  Grand 

Rapids,  Mich. 
Kincheloe,  S.  C,  5757  University  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
King,  Forrest  L.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Ft.  Thomas, 

Ky. 
King,  L.  F.,  221  Ridge  Rd.,  Springfield,  O. 
Kinser,  Beryl  S.,  212  Court  St.,  Monroe  City,  Mo. 
Kinser,  H.  LeRoy,  505  1st  St.,  Newton,  Iowa. 
Kirk,  Sherman,  1060  31st  St.,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Klaiss,  Donald  S.,  Univ.  of  N.  C,  Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 
Klingman,  C.  C,  Comanche,  Texas. 
Knight,  W.  A.,  810  Clinton  St.,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Kohl,  D.  Franklin,  922  N.  Pine  St.,  Grand  Island, 

Neb. 

Lee,  Chas.  0.,  406  Orpheum  Bldg.,  Wichita,  Kan. 

Lee,  Paul  R.,  1156  E.  57th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 

Leftwich,  L.  L.,  Drury  College,  Springfield,  Mo. 

Legg,  Donald,  1100  Goodman  St.,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Lemmon,  C.  E.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Columbia,  Mo. 

Lemon,  Carroll  H.,  1109  N.  Lincoln,  Lexington,  Neb. 

Lemon,  Robert  C,  4313  N.  Kedvale  Ave.,  Chicago, 
111. 

Lentz,  Richard  E.,  150  N.  Water  St.,  Franklin,  Ind. 

Lhamon,  W.  J.,  1  Ingleside  Dr.,  Columbia,  Mo. 

Lilley,  R.  W.,  Box  531,  Steubenville,  0. 

Lineback,  Wm.  J.,  64  W.  Washington  St.,  Chagrin 
Falls,  O. 

Linkletter,  Chas.  S.,  1070  11th  St.,  Boulder,  Colo. 

Linkletter,  Isaac  E.,  931  G.  Ave.  N.  W.,  Cedar 
Rapids,  Iowa. 

Livengood,  Fay  E.,  Damoh,  C.  P.,  India. 

Lobingier,  Chas.  S.,  Securities  and  Exchange  Com- 
mission, Washing-ton,  D.  C. 

Lockhart,  Clinton,  3115  University  Dr.,  Ft.  Worth, 
Tex. 

Lollis,  J.  Alger,  Route  1,  Winston-Salem,  N.  C. 


24 THE  SCROLL 

Long,  W.  M.,  Mill  Hall,  Pa. 
Longman,  C.  W.,  2712  Pine  St.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Lowder,  Virgil  E.,  1156  E.  57th  St.,  Chicago,  IIll. 
Luedde,  R.  M.,  331  N.  Sangamon,  Gibson  City,  111. 
Lumley,  Fred  E.,  193  E.  Frances  Ave.,  Columbus, 

0. 
Lunger,  Harold  L.,  Austin  Blvd.  Ch'n  Ch.,  Austin  at 

Superior,  Oak  Park,  111. 
Lunger,  Irvin,  5551  Kimbark  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
Lunsford,  D.  Wright,  Clay  St.,  Plattsburg,  Mo. 
Lynn,   Jay   Elwood,   463   W.    10th   St.,    Claremont, 

Calif. 
Lyon,  Clyde  L.,  1905  Glenview  Ave.,  Glenville,  111. 

McCallister,  Raymond  F.,  710  Tuxedo,  Webster 
Groves,  Mo. 

McCasland,  S.  Vernon,  412  Brandon  Ave.,  Char- 
lottesville, Va. 

McConnell,  Howard,  828  4th  St.,  Santa  Monica, 
Calif. 

McCormick,  H.  B.,  1592  Arthur  Ave.,  Lakewood,  0. 

McCreary,  Lewis  W.,  89  Lafayette  Ave.,  East 
Orange,  N.  J. 

McCully,  Oliver  W.,  376  10th  St.,  E.,  Owen  Sound, 
Ontario,  Canada. 

McElroy,  Chas.  F.,  5638  Kenwood  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

McElroy,  D.  W.,  736  W.  Levee  St.,  Brownsville,  Tex. 

McGov/an,  Neil  H.,  715  S.  Hope  St.,  Los  Angeles, 
Calif. 

McKinney,  J.  W.,  409  Broad,  Guthrie,  Okla. 

McLain,  Raymond  F.,  Transylvania  Univ.,  Lexing- 
ton, Ky. 

McLain,  Wilford  H.,  2339  Sherwood  Lane,  Cincin- 
nati, 0. 

McMains,  Harrison,  Jr.,  406  18th  St.,  Jasper,  Ala. 

McWilliams,  Samuel  S.,  Colegio  Ward,  Ramos 
Mejia,  F.C.O.,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  S.  A. 

Manes,  Everette,  El  Paso,  111. 

Martin,  Herbert,  216  Melrose  St.,  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Martin,  Robert  G.,  Jr.,  Univ.  Sta.,  Enid,  Okla. 


THE  SCROLL  _25 

Mattox,  0.  T.,  504  Peoples  Bank  Bldg.,  Bloomington, 

111. 
Mayhew,    Geo.    N.,    Vanderbilt    Univ.,    Nashville, 

Tenn. 
Mell,  Glen  W.,  112  S.  Grand  Ave.,  Bozeman,  Mont. 
Metcalf,  L  E.,  3355  Monroe  St.,  Chicago^  111. 
Michael,  Edwin  G.,   First  Ch'n  Church,  Augusta, 

Kan. 
Michael,  James  0.,  1441  Summit,  Springfield,  Mo. 
Miller,  J.  C,  Christian  College,  Columbia,  Mo. 
Miller,  J.  Fred,  University  YMCA,  Norman,  Okla. 
Miller,    Raphael    H.,    National    City    Ch'n    Church, 

Thomas  Circle,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Mills,  Fay  C,  64  W.  27th,  Kearney,  Neb. 
Mink,  Louis  O.,  26  W.  Princton  Ave.,  Youngstown, 

0. 
Monroe,  Wendell  P.,  8034  S.  Kenwood  Ave.,  Chi- 
cago, 111. 
Montgom.ery,    John    D.,    Rivadavia    6257,    Buenos 

Aires,  Argentina,  S.  A. 
Montgomery,  R.  B.,  Lynchburg  College,  Lynchburg, 

Va. 
Moore,  Richard  W.,  307  E.  Main,  Lebanon,  Ind. 
Moore,  W.  E.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Bloomington,  Ind, 
Moore,  Geo.  V.,  245  Henry  Clay  Blvd.,  Lexington, 

Ky. 
Moore,  Sherman  B.,  322  W.  First  St.,  Maryville,  Mo. 
Moore,  Walter  H.,  613  Clark  Ave.,  Ames,  Iowa. 
Morehouse,     Daniel    W.,     Drake    University,     Des 

Moines,  Iowa. 
Morgan,  Raymond,  506  W.  Kenan  St.,  Wilson,  N.  C. 
Morgan,  Thurman,  105  W.  17th,  Houston,  Tex. 
Morris,  Geo.  W.,  1417  K.  St.,  Bedford,  Ind. 
Morris,  La  Verne,  Oakland,  Iowa. 
Morrison,  Charles  C,  440  S.  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago, 

111. 
Morrison,  Hugh  T.,  Elks  Club,  Springfield,  111. 
Moseley,  J.  Edward,  2712  Pine  St.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Moseley,  W.   G.,   Route  5,   Coleman  Rd.,   Spokane, 

Wash. 
Mottley,  Lloyd,  Box  242,  Van  Alstyne,  Tex. 


26 THE  SCROLL 

Muir,  Warner,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Broadway  and 

E.  Olive,  Seattle,  Wash. 
Mullen,  Doyle,  1130  State,  Lafayette,  Ind. 
Mullendore,  Wm.,  Franklin,  Ind. 
Murrow,    Cecil    R.,    3436    University    Ave.,    Des 
Moines,  Iowa. 

Nance,  Elwood  C,  178  Brewer  Ave.,  Winter  Park, 

Fla. 
Neal,  E.  Lee,  760  S.  Grant,  Casper,  Wyoming. 
Neal,  W.  A.,  302  YMCA  Bldg.,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 
Nelson,  Ralph  W.,  University  Sta.,  Enid,  Okla, 
Nichols,  Fred,  Carthage,  111. 

Nielsen,  Otto  R.,  Texas  Ch'n  Univ.,  Ft.  Worth,  Tex. 
Nilsson,  M.  W.,  211  E.  Park,  Brookfield,  Mo. 
Noble,  Wm.  S.,  201  E.  Broadway,  North  Baltimore, 

Ohio. 
Nooe,  Roger  T.,  2412  Oakland,  Nashville,  Tenn. 
Norment,  M.  L., 
Northcott,    Loyal    S.,    608    Laramie    St.,    Atchison, 

Kan. 
Nourse,  Rupert  A.,  5715  N.  Shore  Dr.,  Milwaukee, 

Wis. 
Nutting,   David   W.,   1231   Pacific   Ave.,   Chehalis, 

Wash. 

O'Brian,  H.  C,  3  E.  Elm,  Fremont,  Mich. 

O'Brien,  Roy,  726  Chautauqua  Ave,,  Norman,  Okla. 

Odell,  Carroll,  Taylorville,  111. 

Ogden,  Urban,  76  Hillcroft  Ave.,  Worcester,  Mass. 

O'Neall,  Kelly,  Crown  Heights  Ch'n  Church,  Okla- 
homa City,  Okla. 

Osborn,  G.  Edwin,  University  Sta.,  Enid,  Okla. 

Osborn,  Ronald  E.,  University  Sta.,  Enid,  Okla. 

Osborne,  Edmund  A.,  132  Nopal  St.,  Uvalde,  Tex. 

Owen,  Geo.  Earle,  Monroe  Terrace  Apts.,  Laurel 
and  Franklin  Sts.,  Richmond,  Va. 

Park,  Robert  E.,  Fisk  University,  Nashville,  Tenn. 
Parker,   Willis   A.,   28   Woodvale   Ave.,   Asheville, 
N.  C. 


i 


THE  SCROLL 27 

Parks,  Raymond  T.,  228  W.  Parkwood  Dr.,  Dayton, 
O. 

Parsons,   Harry   G.,  First  Ch'n  Church,   Hastings, 

Neb. 
Parsons,  Waymon,  372  Prindle  St.,  Sharon,  Pa. 
Paternoster,  Ira  A.,  4347  Haight  Ave.,  Cincinnati, 

0. 
Patton,  Herman  M.,  Box  486,  Ellwood  City,  Pa. 
Patton,  Kenneth  L,,  Cameron,  111. 
Pearcy,  H.  R,,  726  Normal  Ave.,  Normal,  111. 
Peoples,  R.  H.,  Missions  Bldg.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Peters,  Edwin  F.,  William  Woods  College,  Fulton, 

Mo. 
Peterson,  Orval  D.,  213  S.  17th  Ave.,  Yakima,  Wash. 
Phillips,  Charles  W.,  1156  E.  57th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 
Pickerill,  H.  L.,  438  Maynard  St.,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 
Piety,  Chauncey  R.,  510  W.  Center  St.,  Girard,  111. 
Pike,  Grant  E.,  22  Rock  View  Ave.,  Youngstown,  0. 
Pinkerton,  W.  H.,  551  S.  Beverley  Glen  Blvd.,  Los 

Angeles,  Calif. 
Pyatt,  C.  L.,  College  of  the  Bible,  Lexington,  Ky. 

Rains,  Paul  B.,  4028  Sheridan  St.  S.,  Minneapolis, 
Minn. 

Reagor,  W.  P.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Oakland,  Calif. 

Redford,  Harvey  M,,  Hereford,  Tex. 

Redford,  Ramon  N.,  1101  Jamison  Ave.,  S.  E., 
Roanoke,  Va. 

Reeves,  George  N.,  423  N.  Main  St.,  Pomona,  Calif. 

Reynolds,  G.  W.,  78  Ridgewood  Ave.,  Glen  Ridge, 
N.  J. 

Reynolds,  I.  H.,  126  Chauncey  Ave.,  W.  Lafayette, 
Ind. 

Reynolds,  Stephen  M.,  7233  S.  Phillips  Ave.,  Chi- 
cago, 111. 

Rice,  Perry  J.,  2528  Ohio  Ave.,  South  Gate,  Calif. 

Richard,  C.  K.,  4339  Peterson  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

Richeson,  Forest  L.,  3133  Portland  Ave.,  Minneap- 
olis, Minn. 

Richmond,  Herschell  H.,  Silver  Hill,  W.  Va. 

Richmond,  Wm.  L.,  100  Spring  St.,  Brownstown, 
Ind. 


28  THE  SCROLL 

Rickman,  Lester  B.,  P.  O.  Box  1088,  Plainview,  Tex. 

Ridenour,  C.  M.,  3833  40th  St.  S.W.,  Seattle,  Wash. 

Riggs,  Charles  W.,  6214  St.  Charles  Ave.,  New  Or- 
leans, La. 

Roberts,  Harold,  504  N.  Market  St.,  Ottumwa,  Iowa. 

Robertson,  A.  R.  Jr.,  20  Chestnut  St.,  Berea,  Ky. 

Robertson,  C.  J.,  206  W.  Jackson  St.,  Macomb,  111. 

Robertson,  J.  Barbee,  Hillside  Ave.  Ch'n  Church, 
Wichita,  Kan. 

Robinson,  Wm.,  Overdale  College,  Selly  Oak,  Bir- 
mingham, England. 

Robison,  Henry  B.,  Culver-Stockton  College,  Can- 
ton, Mo. 

Robison,  Newton  J.,  Hillyer  Memorial  Ch'n  Church, 
Raleigh,  N.  C. 

Rogers,  John,  P.  0.  No.  911,  Tulsa,  Okla. 

Rogers,  Vere  H.,  907  Whitaker,  Savannah,  Ga. 

Rosboro,  O.  A.,  7241  Princeton  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

Ross,  Emory,  156  5th  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Ross,  Roy  G.,  5525  Blackstone,  Chicago,  111. 

Rothenburger,  Wm.  F.,  3320  Ruckle  St.,  Indian- 
apolis, Ind. 

Rowe,  Frederick  L.,  Disciples  of  Christ  Congo  Mis- 
sion, Coquilhatville,  Congo  Relge,  Africa. 

Rowlen,  W.  Marion,  Shelbyville,  111. 

Ryan,  W.  A.,  Eighth  Street  Ch'n  Church,  Greenville, 
N.  C. 

Ryan,  Wm.  D.,  2903  Hyacinth  Ave.,  Baton  Rouge, 
La. 

Sadler,  M.  E.,  3005  Washington,  Austin,  Tex. 
Sala,  J.  P.,  West  Point,  Va. 

Sala,  J.  Robert,  Christian  College,  Columbia,  Mo. 
Salmon,  Donald  M.,  920  Main,  Eureka,  111. 
Sansbury,  Marvin  0.,  University  Ch'n  Church,  Des 

Moines,  Iowa. 
Sarvis,  Guy  W.,  Ohio  Wesleyan  Univ.,  Delaware,  0. 
Sav/yer,  Fred  D.,  Estherville,  Iowa. 
Schafer,  Marvin  R.,  79  E,  Road,  Tacoma,  Wash. 
Schock,  Robert  L.,  U.  S.  Army,  Ft.  Warden,  Wash. 
Schollenburger,    Morris    Craig,    3411    Copley    Rd., 

Baltimore,  Md. 


THE  SCROLL 29 

Schooling,  L.  P.,  Box  139,  Hussar,  Alberta,  Canada. 

Schuster,  Monroe  G.,  517  W.  8th  Ave.,  Gary,  Ind. 

Scott,  0.  E.,  5211  Westminster  PI.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Severson,  Alfred  L.,  2841  Center  St.,  Des  Moines, 
Iowa. 

Shannon,  Thompson  L.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Port- 
land, Oregon. 

Sharp,  Paul  F.,  727  15th  Ave.  S.E.,  Minneapolis, 
Minn, 

Sharpe,  Chas.  M.,  The  Manse,  McConnellsville,  N.Y. 

Shaw,  Henry  K.,  113  W.  North  St.,  Medina,  0. 

Sheafor,  Holland  H.,  116  Jefferson  St.,  Leipsic,  0. 

Sheridan,  Donald  M.,  521  Delaware  Ave.,  Bartles- 
ville,  Okla. 

Short,  Howard  E.,  2788  Tiift  St.,  Cuyahoga  Falls,  0. 

Shullenberger,  W.  A.,  Central  Ch'n  Church,  Indian- 
apolis, Ind. 

Simer,  T.  W.,  121  E.  153rd  St.,  Harvey,  111. 

Slaughter,  Seth  W.,  Drake  Univ.,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

Sly,  Virgil,  Missions  Bldg.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Small,  Clarence  M.,  203  N.  Franklin  Ave.,  Val- 
paraiso, Ind. 

Small,  Edw^ard  T.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Orange  and 
High  Sts.,  Macon,  Ga. 

Smiley,  Church  H.,  Damoh,  C.  P.,  India. 

Smith,  Enoch  C,  Olney,  111. 

Smith,  Harlie,  Missions  Bldg.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Smith,  H.  Austin,  1303  W.  8th  St.,  Coffeyville,  Kan. 

Smith,  Leslie  R.,  2661  Saturn  St.,  Huntington  Park, 
Calif. 

Smith,  Mart  G.,  Ravenel,  S.  C. 

Smith,  Milo  J.,  2400  Bancroft,  Berkeley,  Calif. 

Smith,  Raymond  A.,  Texas  Ch'n  Univ.,  Ft.  Worth, 
Tex. 

Smythe,  Lewis  S.  C,  University  of  Nanking,  Cheng- 

tu  Sze,  China. 
Snodgrass,  R.  C,  Amarillo,  Texas. 
Snyder,  Chester  A.,  920  Echo  Ave.,  Fresno,  Calif. 
Snyder,  Geo.  P.,  864  E.  Market  St.,  Akron,  0. 
Sommer,  Chester  0.,  Nobel,  Ontario,  Canada. 


30 THE  SCROLL 

Souder,  Wilmer,  3503  Morrison  St.  N.  W.,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 
Stalnaker,   Luther  W.,   3103  University  Ave.,   Des 

Moines,  Iowa. 
Stauffer,  Paul  S.,  502  E.  Jefferson,  Clinton,  Mo. 
Stevens,  C.  F.,  38  S.  Lincoln  St.,  Denver,  Colo. 
Stevens,  Chas.  A.,  Box  343,  Olathe,  Kan. 
Stevenson,  Dwight,  Bethany,  W.  Va. 
Stewart,  Geo.  B.,  167  Salem  Ave.,  Dayton,  0. 
Stewart,  Jack,  Hancock  St.,  Athens,  Ga. 
Stone,  J.  Luther, 

Stuart,  Julian  E.,  1212  S.  27th  St.,  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
Stubbs,  John  F.,  251  East  St.,  Healdsburg,  Calif. 
Sutton,  David  N.,  West  Point,  Va. 
Swearingen,  T.  T.,  Missions  Bldg.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Taylor,  Alva  W.,  101  Bowling  Ave.,  Nashville,  Tenn. 
Taylor,  Henry  C,  606  S.  Michigan  Ave.,  Chicago, 

111. 
Taylor,  Geo.,  Oliver,  2712  Pine  St.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Thomas,  Percy,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Roanoke,  Va. 
Thompson,  R.  Melvyn,  601  N.  Main  St.,  Rushville, 

Ind. 
Thorne,  Kenneth  E.,  524  N.  Broadway,  Greensburg, 

Ind. 
Tilsley,  James  H.,  2221  E.  Gregory,  Kansas  City, 

Mo. 
Titus,  D.  B.,  Box  904,  Roswell,  N.  Mex. 
Todd,  David,  Brimfield,  111. 

Traylor,  Kermit,  1708  Leslie  St.,  Portsmouth,  Va. 
Trewolla,  James  A.,  363  W.  Delevan  Ave.,  Buffalo, 

N.  Y. 
Tupper,  C.  B.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Springfield,  111. 
Turner,  M.  Elmore,  Church  of  Christ,  Polo  Road, 

Observatory,  Cape  Town,  South  Africa. 
Tuttle,  Wallace,  6015  McGee  St.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Van  Boskirk,  J.  J.,  1156  E.  57th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 
Veatch,  A.  D.,  1423  23rd  St.,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Vissering,  Carl,  Stanford,  111. 

Waits,  E.  M.,  Texas  Ch'n  Univ.,  Ft.  Worth,  Tex. 


THE  SCROLL 31 

Wakeley,  Chas  R.,  6029  Woodlawn  Ave.,  Chicago, 

111. 
Walker,  Haswell  H.,  Fontaine  Ave.,  Charlottesville, 

Va. 
Walker,  Orval  E.,  502  Corning  St.,  Red  Oak,  Iowa. 
Wallace,  R.  W.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Lynchburg,  Va. 
Wallace,  Wilbur  T.,   First  Ch'n  Church,  Wrights- 

ville,  Ga. 
Ward,  Albert  L.,  1407  Logan  St.,  Noblesville,  Ind. 
Warner,  Joseph  M.,  1902  C  St.,  Bellingham,  Wash. 
Warren,   Louis   A.,   1225   Maple  Ave.,   Ft.   Wayne, 

Ind. 
Warren,  Mack  A.,  323  W.  Jackson,  Petersburg,  111. 
Wasse^ich,  Paul  G.,  Hicksville,  O. 
Watson,  Charles  M.,  554   11th  St.,   Santa  Monica, 

Calif. 
Watson,  J.  Allan,  306  W.  Monroe,  Carbondale,  111. 
Weaver,  Clifford  S.,  305  N.  Benge  St.,  McKinney, 

Tex. 

Webb,  Aldis,  3406  W.  8th  St.,  Apt.  7,  Cincinnati,  0. 

Wells,  L.N.D.,  East  Dallas  Ch'n  Church,  Dallas,  Tex. 

White,  Travis  A.,  First  Ch'n  Church,  Paris,  Tex. 

Wiegmann,  F.  W.,  Dunn,  N.  C. 

Wilhelm,  Carl  H.,  1403  State,  Lawrenceville,  111. 

Willcockson,  M.  E.,  1535  Clay,  Topeka,  Kan. 

Willett,  Herbert  L.,  Kenilworth,  111. 

Williams,  Marion  H.,  840  Third  Ave.  S.  E.,  Cedar 
Rapids,  Iowa. 

Wilson,  A.  H.,  350  Hyde  Park  Ave.,  Tampa,  Fla. 

Wilson,  Clayton  H.,  502  Maple  Ave.,  La  Porte,  Ind. 

Wiltz,  W  Harold,  210  E  Lincoln  St.,  Mt.  Morris, 
111. 

Winders,  Charles  H.,  RR  1,  Box  81,  Bridgeport,  Ind. 

Wingfield,  Marshall,  Congregational  Church,  Mem- 
phis, Tenn. 

Winter,  Truman  E.,  507  S.  Main  St.,  Bowling  Green, 
0. 

Winn,  W.  G.,  4527  N.  Walcott,  Chicago,  111. 

Wise,  B.  Fred,  5527  University  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

Withers,  Guy,  936  Woodward  Bldg.,  Washington, 
D.  C. 


32   THE  SCROLL 

Wolfe,   Festus   N.,   1321   Leighton   Ave.,  Amiiston, 

Ala. 
Wolford,  Edward  B.,  1615  Downey  St.,  Radford,  Va. 
Wood,  Vaden  T.,  200  W.  Market  St.,  Warrensburg, 

Mo. 
Woodburn,  Wm.,  816  Morgan  St.,  Morganfield,  Ky. 
Woodruff,  Herbert  D.,  1831  Central  Ave.,  Whiting, 

Ind. 
Wright,  Guy,  1051  East  Ave.,  Akron,  0. 
Wyle,  Edwin,  701  Jackson  St.,  Decatur,  Ala. 

Zendt,  F.  E.,  220  N.  College,  Fayetteville,  ArK. 
Zerby,    Rayborn   L.,    7    Mountain    Ave.,    Le.viston, 
Maine. 

Zimmerman,  Walter  B.,  U.  S.  Army,  Ft.  Myer,  Va. 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVIII.      OCTOBER,  1940  No.  2 

The  President  Speaks 

By  A.  C.  Brooks,  Frankfort,  Ky. 

The  Campbell  Institute  is  a  unique  fellowship 
within  the  fellowship  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  Its 
service  in  the  promotion  of  ''scholarship,  fellowship, 
and  the  religious  life"  is  significant.  It  holds  a  place 
of  distinction,  not  only  within  the  fellowship  of  the 
Disciples  of  Christ,  but  within  the  fellowship  of  the 
whole  of  Protestantism.  While  its  membership  is 
but  a  little  more  than  five  hundred,  more  than  a  hun- 
dred of  whom  have  been  enrolled  within  the  past 
year  by  our  aggressive  secretary-treasurer,  yet  its 
influence  is  worldwide. 

To  be  chosen  as  the  president  of  such  an  organiza- 
tion to  serve  during  its  forty-fifth  year  of  continuous 
history  is  a  signal  honor,  an  honor  that  carries  with 
it  a  large  measure  of  responsibility.  My  own  sense 
of  inadequacy  in  accepting  the  presidency  for  the 
current  year  is  compensated  only  in  the  realization 
that  I  am  associated  with  such  capable  officers  as 
Scroll  Editor  Ames  whose  courageous  spirit  and 
wise  counsel  have  fostered  the  organization  through 
the  years  from  its  birth  in  1896 ;  Vice-president  Lun- 
ger whose  vigorous  and  capable  leadership  is  recog- 
nized, and  A.  T.  DeGroot,  secretary-treasurer  par- 
excellence.  These  men  will  be  invaluable  to  me  and 
to  the  organization. 

Each  incoming  president  dreams  for  his  admin- 
istration banner  achievements.  I  confess  to  this  am- 
bition. It  is  my  earnest  hope  that  we  may  have  a 
great  year  in  the  Institute,  and  that  it  may  render  a 
constructive  service  to  all  the  membership.  In  these 
days  when  the  world  is  in  a  state  of  baffling  confu- 
sion, when  free  and  democratic  religious  idealism  is 


34 THE  SCROLL 

challenged  so  vigorously  by  pagan  idealisms,  when 
church  and  state  are  enveloped  by  peaceful  and  mili- 
tant cross-purposes,  when  totalitarian  regimentation 
seeks  to  stifle  liberal  theology,  there  is  urgent  need 
for  our  Institute  to  assume  a  leadership  that  will 
match  the  hour.  The  nature  of  our  organization,  the 
conduct  of  our  meetings,  and  the  quality  of  our  mem- 
bership are  such  that  much  is  expected  of  us  in  these 
days.  Each  member  of  the  Institute  has  a  high  serv- 
ice to  render  and  I  am  counting  heavily  upon  that  in- 
dividual service. 

It  has  come  to  me  from  different  sources  that  the 
Institute  has  lost  its  former  punch  and  virility,  that 
we  are  becoming  tame  and  stale  and  are  just  mark- 
ing time,  accomplishing  little  or  nothing.  Some  feel 
that  our  programs  are  too  limited,  that  they  tend 
too  much  toward  the  empirical  viewpoint  and  too  lit- 
tle toward  other  theological  viewpoints,  that  we  do 
not  emphasize  the  social  viewpoint  suflSciently  for 
the  younger  men  and  that  we  also  talk  too  much 
about  the  Disciples  of  Christ  especially  with  respect 
to  differences  in  the  liberal  and  conservative  view- 
points. There  may  be  other  criticisms  of  the  pro- 
grams and  of  the  general  conduct  of  the  Institute. 
I  should  like  to  invite  all  of  the  members  to  send  me 
their  frank  impressions  along  these  lines  and  make 
any  suggestions  as  to  what  we  may  do  to  make  the 
sessions  at  the  St.  Louis  Convention  and  at  Chicago 
next  summer  more  attractive  and  helpful.  What 
changes  in  procedure  do  we  need?  What  topics  do 
we  need  to  discuss  ?  Who  are  the  men  who  can  make 
valuable  contributions  along  definite  lines?  Will 
each  reader  of  these  lines  feel  some  compulsion  in 
sending  the  president  any  suggestions  that  you  feel 
will  help  the  Institute  during  the  year? 

May  I  take  this  means  of  expressing  the  hope 
that  this  may  be  a  great  year  in  the  life  and  service 
of  each  of  our  Institute  members  in  their  particular 
fields  of  activity  and  in  turn  reflect  credit  and  honor 
ppon  the  Institute  itself, 


THE  SCROLL 35 

A  Vice  President  Speaks 

By  Harold  L.  Lunger,  Oak  Park,  Illinois 

Who  says  there  is  neither  glory  nor  responsibili- 
ty connected  with  the  vice  presidency?  The  writer 
was  unable  to  attend  the  closing  business  meeting  of 
the  Institute  this  summer,  and  consequently  did  not 
know  he  had  been  elected  to  office  until  in  the  course 
of  his  vacation  meanderings  he  ran  across  an  AP 
dispatch  (or  was  it  a  news  note  in  the  Evangelist?) 
reporting  the  Institute  program  and  election.  Frank- 
ly I  imagined  that  that  was  the  last  I  would  hear  of 
the  matter.  But  no !  About  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber came  a  most  flattering  letter  from  our  newly 
sainted  editor  informing  me  that  as  "a  high  official 
of  the  great  Order  of  the  Campbell  Institute"  I  would 
be  expected  to  write  a  word  of  greeting  for  the  Oc- 
tober Scroll!    Hence  these  remarks. 

For  forty-four  years  the  Campbell  Institute  has 
played  a  significant  role  in  our  brotherhood  life.  It 
has  been  a  hotbed  in  which  have  germinated  and  de- 
veloped many  advanced,  not  to  say  heretical,  ideas 
and  attitudes,  a  majority  of  which  have  since  borne 
fruit  and  become  quite  respected  and  respectable 
among  our  churches. 

The  Institute  has  benefited  both  the  brotherhood 
and  its  own  members  by  providing  a  forum  for 
rigorous  debate  on  the  fundamentals  of  Christian 
faith  and  practice  and  a  courageous  grappling  with 
the  newer  aspects  of  truth  in  process  of  discovery. 
Its  midnight  sessions  at  the  International  Conven- 
tions, its  more  leisurely  deliberations  at  the  time  of 
the  Annual  Meeting,  and  its  year-round  discussions 
in  the  pages  of  The  Scroll  have  been  stimulating, 
on  the  whole,  to  participants  and  bystanders  alike.  I 
speak  as  one  who  has  been  chiefly  in  the  role  of  by- 
stander for  a  period  of  about  ten  years.  Whether  to 
enable  them  to  hold  their  own  in  debate  or  merely  to 
maintain  their  self-respect  as  listeners-in,  fellows  of 
the  Institute  are  under  a  wholesome  pressure  to  fa- 
ptiili^rize  themselves  with  the  monumental  works 


36 THE  SCROLL 

which  record  the  steps  in  man's  search  for  truth  and 
righteousness,  and  to  keep  within  shouting  distance 
at  least  of  the  expanding  frontiers  of  knowledge  and 
endeavor.  Many  of  us  younger  men  know  more 
surely  what  we  do  believe  because  of  the  fellowship 
of  the  Institute  which  has  been  a  continual  intellec- 
tual prod,  a  rigorous  discipline,  and  a  source  of  ever- 
unfolding  light. 

I  for  one  am  convinced  that  the  work  of  the  Insti- 
tute is  by  no  means  finished.  Has  there  ever  been 
a  time  which  has  had  greater  need  for  our  tradition- 
al emphasis  upon  sound  scholarship,  clear  thinking 
and  respect  for  facts?  Society  seems  to  be  moving 
into  an  era  of  loose-thinking,  superficial  analysis, 
emotionalized  panaceas,  clever  slogans  and  catch- 
words. Clergy  as  well  as  laity  are  being  swept  along 
on  tides  of  propaganda  and  passion,  and  for  salva- 
tion are  grasping  at  floating  straws  instead  of  seek- 
ing rock  foundations  of  historic  truth  and  demon- 
strable fact.  What  a  time  for  a  fellowship  like  ours ! 
There  is  still  a  pioneering  job  to  be  done  in  the  area 
of  social  ethics  that  is  as  necessary  and  dangerous  as 
that  done  by  Institute  members  in  earlier  days  in 
the  fields  of  Biblical  criticism  and  the  philosophy  of 
our  movement.  The  lines  of  battle  are  shifting ;  the 
Institute  must  take  this  into  consideration  in  plan- 
ning for  the  future.  But  the  same  principles  and 
methods  applied  to  these  new  problems  are  bound  to 
bring  results. 

One  technique  of  the  earlier  days  seems  to  me  to  be 
worthy  of  being  revived  and  adapted  to  the  present 
situation :  the  division  of  the  membership  into  sev- 
eral "chambers,"  or  specialized  departments,  each 
being  responsible  for  keeping  abreast  of  current  find- 
ings, developments  and  publications  in  its  own  field, 
and  making  this  information  available  in  some  sys- 
tematic fashion  to  members  whose  primary  inter- 
ests are  centered  in  other  areas.  I  personally  would 
find  such  a  procedure  most  helpful.  It  is  quite  im- 
possible for  any  one  of  us,  least  of  all  those  of  us 
cumbered  with  the  manifold  tasks  of  a  parish,  to 


THE  SCROLL _37 

keep  up  unaided  in  all  the  fields  in  which  one  should 
be  fairly  well  informed.  Presumably  each  of  us  has 
some  academic  or  practical  interest  in  which  he 
maintains  a  certain  competence.  But  who  can  choose 
out  of  the  scores  of  books  annually  in  as  many  re- 
lated fields  the  one  or  two  most  significant  in  each 
for  his  own  general  knowledge?  Here  is  a  service 
Institute  fellows  could  profitably  render  to  one  an- 
other. 


Morro  on  McGarvey 

By  Herbert  L.  Willett 

An  interesting  volume  from  the  pen  of  Professor 
W.  C.  Morro  of  Brite  Bible  College,  Texas  Christian 
University,  is  "Brother  McGarvey"  (Bethany  Press, 
St.  Louis,  Mo.) .  Professor  Morro  was  for  several 
years  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  College  of  the 
Bible  at  Lexington,  of  which  McGarvey  was  presi- 
dent. This  book  is  an  intimate  and  affectionate  me- 
morial to  a  great  and  good  man,  who  was  conspicu- 
ous among  the  leaders  of  the  Disciples  in  strenuous 
days.  President  McGarvey  was  a  man  of  strong  con- 
victions, and  he  spoke  and  wrote  in  a  downright  and 
serious  manner  on  the  questions  which  he  felt 
should  be  discussed.  Among  these  was  the  subject 
of  higher  criticism,  on  which  he  conducted  a  column 
in  the  Christian  Standard.  In  that  column  and  else- 
where he  dealt  with  the  subject  from  the  conserva- 
tive point  of  view,  and  spared  no  word  of  mordant 
comment  on  the  men  and  institutions  that  would  tol- 
erate the  heresy.  Professor  Morro  has  been  frank 
and  factual  in  his  presentation  of  his  subject.  He 
has  done  ample  justice  to  an  honored  and  much  loved 
man,  and  at  the  same  time  he  has  not  hesitated  to 
emphasize  certain  of  his  traits  that  were  not  so 
pleasing,  and  that  were  diflScult  for  his  most  admir- 
ing friends  to  harmonize  with  the  genial  and  lovable 
character  of  the  man  as  they  knew  him  as  minister 
and  teacher.  The  work  is  a  worthy  addition  to  the 
biographies  of  notable  men  in  the  brotherhood. 


38 THE  SCROLL 

Notes  from  New  Members 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  of  acceptance 
by  new  members  of  the  Campbell  Institute  give  an 
interesting  impression  of  the  regard  in  which  the 
Institute  is  widely  held : 

"Thank  you  very  much  indeed  for  extending  to 
me  this  gracious  invitation.  It  is  with  great  pleasure 
I  accept.  I  have  heard  of  the  Institute,  and  during 
my  days  in  Lexington,  Kentucky,  always  read  The 
Scroll  as  it  came  to  the  Library." 

"May  I  thank  you  heartily  for  the  invitation  to 
membership  in  the  Campbell  Institute?  I  am  happy 
to  accept  the  invitation." 

"I  appreciate  very  much  your  invitation  to  become 
a  member  of  the  Campbell  Institute  and  I  shall  be 
glad  to  become  a  part  of  a  group  which  is  as  for- 
ward-looking and  progressive  as  your  group." 

"Thank  you  for  your  letter  of  February  23  ex- 
tending an  'official'  invitation  to  me  to  become  a 
member  of  the  Campbell  Institute.  I  have  been  in- 
terested in  this  organization  for  a  good  many  years 
but  have  never  identified  myself  with  it,  perhaps  be- 
cause of  the  lack  of  this  personal  invitation." 

"The  delay  in  replying  to  your  letter  is  in  no  sense 
an  expression  of  lack  of  interest,  for  I  was  delighted 
with  the  invitation,  and  wish  to  thank  you  for  it.  I 
have  attended  several  of  the  after-convention  ses- 
sions of  the  Campbell  Institute,  and  know  something 
of  its  spirit  and  history.  I  of  course  enjoy  the  spirit 
of  frankness  and  open-mindedness  with  which  the 
club  faces  thought-life  and  religion.  I  shall  enjoy 
having  The  Scroll." 

"Since  my  college  days  at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  I 
have  been  in  sympathy  with  the  movements  such  as 
the  Campbell  Institute  has  sponsored  and  I  am  in- 
deed pleased  to  become  affiliated  with  the  organiza- 
tion." 

"In  response  to  your  request  of  several  weeks  ago, 
I  am  enclosing  a  check  for  two  dollars  as  payment  of 
annual  dues  in  the  Campbell  Institute.  I  shall  be 
pleased  to  be  included  in  your  list  of  members." 


THE  SCROLL 39 

"Your  offer  is  too  good  to  pass  by.  I  capitulate. 
Enclosed  you  will  find  a  money  order  for  two  dollars. 
Please  enroll  me  as  a  member  of  the  Campbell  Insti- 
tute." 

"I  received  your  letter  and  am  enclosing  the  fee 
for  membership  in  the  Campbell  Institute.  I  appre- 
ciate your  invitation  as  I  have  always  wanted  to  be 
a  member.  I  shall  look  forward  to  receiving  The 
Scroll." 

"I  have  had  an  enrollment  card  which  you  gave  me 
when  we  were  together  last  November  filled  out  and 
lying  on  my  desk  since  that  time.  But  my  old  ail- 
ment of  procrastination  has  been  bothering  me.  The 
few  meetings  of  the  Institute  that  I  have  attended 
have  been  exciting  to  me  and  most  enjoyable.  The 
first  that  I  attended  was  during  the  Memphis  Con- 
vention— in  1926,  I  think — and  that  one  to  a  student 
was  most  thrilling.  The  convention,  as  you  probably 
recall,  was  one  of  rather  intense  feelings." 

"I  was  happy  to  receive  your  letter  and  the  invita- 
tion to  become  a  member  of  the  Campbell  Institute. 
I  will  be  looking  forward  to  the  opportunities  which 
this  fellowship  presents  in  sharing  together  new 
ideas,  or  in  getting  new  slants  on  old  ones." 

"I  sincerely  appreciate  the  invitation  to  have  fel- 
lowship with  the  Campbell  Institute,  and  I  shall  be 
glad  to  accept.  A  number  of  my  minister  friends 
have  found  their  contacts  with  the  Institute  to  be 
most  rewarding  experiences.  My  only  contact  thus 
far  was  a  visit  by  invitation  at  one  of  the  midnight 
sessions  at  our  Columbus  convention  in  1937.  This 
experience  has  stuck  in  my  memory  as  a  challenge." 

"Thank  you  for  sending  me  the  information  about 
the  Campbell  Institute  and  the  invitation  to  become 
a  member.  I  have  followed  the  activities  of  the  C.I. 
for  some  time  during  my  college  and  Seminary  days, 
observing  its  nature  and  purpose." 

"I  wish  to  thank  you  for  the  invitation  to  become 
a  member  of  the  Campbell  Institute,  I  consider  it 
an  honor  and  a  privilege." 

"Accept  my  appreciation  to  join  in  the  fellowship 
of  the  Campbell  Institute.    I  have  long  enjoyed  the 


40 THE  SCROLL 

privilege  afforded  me  in  reading  The  Scroll,  as  well 
as  other  published  articles  by  prominent  leaders  as- 
sociated with  this  organization.  This  closer  rela- 
tionship that  draws  me  into  the  immediate  circle  of 
rich  experience  and  fellowship  is  gratefully  re- 
ceived." 

"I  have  enjoyed  the  sessions  of  the  C.  I.  at  our  In- 
ternational Conventions  for  several  years,  and  have 
occasionally  had  The  Scroll.  So  I  am  glad  to  be  in- 
vited to  become  a  member  of  the  elite  company.  With 
best  wishes  for  the  C.I." 

"It  has  been  my  pleasure  and  profit  to  attend  sev- 
eral of  the  Campbell  Institute  meetings  at  our  Inter- 
national Conventions.  And  I  am  now  happy  to  be 
an  official  member  of  that  great  fellowship  of  Breth- 
ern  who  have  their  faces  turned  toward  the  future 
and  not  toward  the  past,  men  who  have  not  lost  their 
nerve  to  face  the  issues  of  life,  and  do  what  they  can 
about  them." 

"Your  kind  invitation  to  become  a  member  of  the 
Campbell  Institute  makes  me  feel  that  I  have  arrived 
(which  most  likely  is  not  the  truth).  At  any  rate,  I 
am  happy  to  become  a  part  of  this  open-minded  fel- 
lowship of  Disciples,  whose  genius  has  been  the 
propagation  of  heresy  in  the  form  of  orthodoxy." 

"Many  thanks  for  your  invitation  to  become  a 
member  of  the  Campbell  Institute.  I  have  intended 
for  several  years  to  apply  for  a  membership  and 
simply  neglected  to  do  so." 

"Thank  you  for  your  letter  relative  to  my  becom- 
ing a  member  of  The  Campbell  Institute.  There  is 
no  organization  for  which  I  have  more  admiration 
and  it  is  inexcusable  neglect  on  my  part  that  I  have 
not  joined  you  sooner." 

"Thank  you  very  much  for  the  'official'  invitation 
to  become  a  member  of  the  Campbell  Institute,  1 
have  intended  to  join  this  very  interesting  fellowship 
for  the  last  two  years,  but  just  neglected  it  when  I 
was  in  Chicago  last  August.  I  was  not  really  wait- 
ing for  a  special  invitation,  but  it  has  brought  the 
matter  to  my  attention  and  I  will  send  in  my  accept- 
ance without  further  delay."  m 


THE  SCROLL 41 

Secretary-Treasyrer's  Page 

By  A.  T.  DeGroot 

Any  inconvenience  and  cost  in  time  and  labor  as  I 
try  to  serve  in  this  post  is  paid  for  in  full  by  the  new 
friends  made  and  old  friendships  sustained  by  means 
of  our  necessary  correspondence.  Kindred  spirits 
have  opened  their  hearts  and  certain  portions  of 
their  gray  matter  to  prepare  delightful  letters  to  ac- 
company their  remittances  of  dues  (fear  not:  we'll 
take  'em  with  or  without  letters) .  As  an  example  of 
the  "certain  portions"  cited  above  I  disclose  to  you 
the  following  epistle  from  down  Texas  way. 

I  am  aware  that  I  am  in  arrears  two  months  on 
my  Institute  membership,  so  here  is  a  tardy  remit- 
tance. But  you  understand  that  if  my  October 
number  of  the  Scroll  is  a  day  late  I'll  transmor- 
grify  the  whole  staff  and  all  available  contributors. 
Noticing  a  few  remarks  by  our  friend  S.  S.  Lap- 
pin  and  others,  I  regret  to  see  that  some  of  you  fel- 
lows are  deliberately  disrupting  ''the  Brother- 
hood," and  should  be  carefully  but  completely 
"withdrawn  from."  I'd  thing  you-all  ought  to  be 
ashamed  of  myself! 

How's  this  for  a  platform  for  a  chap  who  can 
subscribe  himself  only  a  Funda-Liberal  ?  I  am 
violently  opposed  to  everything  in  which  I  strenu- 
ously believe.  If  anybody's  more  modern  than 
that,  who  is  he? 

In  a  bit  more  serious  mood  M.  Elmore  Turner 
wrote  from  Cape  Town,  South  Africa,  that  he 
wanted  to  hold  up  his  head  as  a  dues  paying  mem- 
ber, although — 

it  occurred  to  me  that  the  distance  separating  me 
from  most  of  you  fellows  might  render  it  impos- 
sible that  anyone  should  see  whether  I  were  hold- 
ing my  head  up  or  not!  On  second  thought,  how- 
ever, I  remembered  that  there  is  an  omniscience 
about  the  membership  of  the  Institute  which  I 
might  ignore  to  my  peril. 


42 THE  SCROLL 

It  is  amazing  what  some  of  those  contributors 
to  The  Scroll  can  see.  For  instance,  there  was 
Dr.  Ames  seeing  certain  characteristics  in  the 
Disciples  which  Dean  Davis  then  saw  they  had 
never  possessed  at  all.  Some  folks  may  conclude 
that  one  of  these  gentlemen  must  be  "seein' 
things,"  but  since  I  have  a  high  regard  for  both 
of  them,  I  prefer  to  believe  that  each  of  them  is  a 
"seer"  in  his  own  right. 

Then  along  came  Kenneth  Patton,  professing  to 
see  over  the  very  ramparts  of  the  celestial  realm 
itself.  I  found  myself  wishing  that  he  had  not 
seen  quite  so  much!  His  observation,  it  seems  to 
me,  came  dangerously  close  to  being  a  case  of 
downright  spying.  I  would  have  felt  better  about 
the  whole  business  if  he  had  used  "Yahweh"  in- 
stead of  "God."  But  maybe  the  meter  didn't  al- 
low it! 

The  splendid  thing  about  the  Institute  is  that  it 

does  encourage  each  of  its  rebel  members  to  "paint 

the  thing  as  he  sees  it,  for  the  God  of  things  as 

they  are."    Nor  can  the  Institute  itself  rightly  be 

held  responsible  v^^hen  some  archrebel  insists  that 

he  is  writing  "of  things  as  they  are"  for  those  who 

never  ought  to  have  seen  them  any  other  way ! 

This  month  I  have  written  from  the  Secretarial 

angle  of  my  dual  position  in  the  Institute.    If  some 

of  you  don't  hasten  with  your  dues  I'll  devote  next 

month's  installment  to  some  cogitations  from  the 

angle  of  the  Treasurer.     From  that,  as  the  liturgy 

says,  "deliver  us!" 


Prof.  Roy  S.  Flickinger,  head  of  the  classical  lan- 
guage department  of  the  University  of  Iowa,  was 
elected  to  a  six-year  term  in  the  senate  of  Phi  Beta 
Kappa,  national  honorary  scholastic  fraternity,  it  is 
officially  reported  from  the  triennial  council  of  Phi 
Beta  Kappa  which  met  in  San  Francisco  August  28- 
31. 

The  senate  is  the  supreme  governing  body  of  the 
fraternity  except  when  the  triennial  council  is  in 
session. 


THE  SCROLL 43 

Letter  to  a  Disciple  College 
President 

Dear  President: 

Young  people  planning  on  entering  college  are 
often  puzzled  by  the  question  :  "To  what  college  shall 
I  go?"  Naturally  they  oftime  come  to  the  minister 
for  advice,  and  he  is  frequently  handicapped  by  lack 
of  definite  information.  I  would  appreciate  it  very 
much  if  you  could  give  me  the  information  suggested 
by  the  following  questions,  and  any  additional  state- 
ment you  may  care  to  make. 

If  we  should  send  a  young  man  to  your  college, 
will  there  be  any  danger,  because  of  the  influence  of 
any  of  the  professors,  of  his  becoming  tinged  with 
modernism? 

Do  any  of  your  professors  hold  to  the  theory  of 
evolution  ? 

Do  any  of  your  instructors  doubt  or  deny:  (1) 
that  the  book  of  Jonah  is  a  trustworthy  account  of 
actualy  history?  (2)  that  Abraham  was  an  actual 
historic  character?  (3)  that  the  accounts  of  miracles 
as  recorded  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament  are  trust- 
worthy history?  (4)  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the 
only  begotten  Son  of  the  Living  God-Deity?  (5)  that 
Jesus  was  actually  living  with  God  before  the  world 
was  created?  (6)  that  Jesus  was  virgin  born?  (7) 
that  Jesus  died  for  our  sins — propitiatorily?  (8) 
that  the  body  of  Jesus,  which  was  nailed  to  the  cross 
and  buried,  was  raised  from  the  grave?  (9)  that  Jesus 
visibly  ascended?  (10)  that  He  is  coming  again  in 
such  a  way  that  every  eye  shall  see  Him?  (11)  that 
Saul,  on  his  way  to  Damascus,  actually  saw  in  per- 
son Jesus  of  Nazareth?  (12)  that  the  teaching  of  the 
apostle  Paul  is  the  teaching  of  Jesus  Christ?  (13) 
that  one  cannot  be  saved  except  through  the  cleans- 
ing blood  of  Jesus?  (14)  that  in  the  Bible  we  have 
revealed  through  Holy  Spirit  inspired  men  the  per- 
fect, complete,  final  plan  of  human  redemption? 

Would  you  as  President  do  your  utmost  to  elimi- 
nate from  the  faculty  any  instructors  who  might 
doubt  or  deny  these  questions  ? 


44 THE  SCROLL 

Appreciations 

By  E.  S.  Ames 

Scores  of  letters,  telegrams,  and  personal  words  of 
congratulation  have  come  to  me  on  the  occasion  of 
my  retirement  from  the  pastorate  of  the  University 
Church  of  Disciples  of  Christ  after  forty  years  of 
continuous  service.  It  is  unlikely  that  it  will  be  pos- 
sible to  reply  in  each  case  to  these  gracious  and 
heartening  expressions  of  friendship  and  comrade- 
ship. But  so  far  as  possible  this  personal  acknowl- 
edgement is  made  to  all  who  have  added  their  felici- 
tations and  good  wishes  to  the  "celebration." 

A  unique  and  unusual  feature  of  the  events  was 
the  presentation  of  the  book  of  essays.  Faith  of  the 
Free.  To  the  twenty-three  present  and  former 
members  of  the  Church  who  made  their  contribu- 
tions to  the  volume  I  am  deeply  indebted  for  they 
have  given  impressive  evidence  that  our  association 
together  has  been  rich  in  mutual  stimulation  of 
thought  and  in  earnest  endeavor  to  make  the  free- 
dom of  thought  contribute  to  the  great  ends  of  life 
in  many  directions.  While  deeply  sensitive  to  the 
quality  and  value  of  all  these  chapters,  I  may  be  par- 
doned if  I  emphasize  my  special  gratitude  for  the 
second  paper,  An  Applied  Philosophy  of  Religion  by 
Professor  Arthur  E.  Murphy,  my  former  colleague 
in  the  department  of  philosophy  in  the  University  of 
Chicago,  later  of  Brown  University  and  now  Chair- 
man of  the  department  of  philosophy  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois.  Without  any  suggestion  from  me, 
and  without  ever  having  had  any  direct  conversa- 
tion with  him  upon  the  points  he  discusses,  he  has 
placed  me  deep  in  his  debt  by  clarifying  some  of  the 
most  basic  ideas  in  my  view  of  religion.  This  is  par- 
ticularly true  of  the  idea  of  God  concerning  which  I 
have  often  been  misunderstood  and  frequently  gross- 
ly misrepresented.  Perhaps  in  the  future  there  will 
be  less  disposition  on  the  part  of  critics  to  deny  that 


THE  SCROLL 45 

I  believe  in  God  because  I  may  differ  from  them  in 
my  conception  of  God ! 

Dr.  W.  E.  Garrison,  in  addition  to  the  strenuous 
work  of  editing  the  volume  of  essays,  wrought  a  tab- 
let which  was  placed  in  the  stone  wall  in  the  "east 
aisle"  of  the  Church.  Under  the  portrait  in  bronze 
are  the  words  printed  in  the  weekly  Calendar  for 
many  years:  "This  Church  practices  union:  has  no 
creed,  seeks  to  make  religion  as  intelligent  as  sci- 
ence, as  appealing  as  art,  as  vital  as  the  day's  work, 
as  intimate  as  home,  and  as  inspiring  as  love."  For 
his  versatility,  artistic  skill,  and  literary  taste,  ex- 
pressed in  the  beautful  book  and  tablet  I  feel  our 
long  friendship  still  further  deepened  and  enriched. 

All  the  members  of  the  Church  have  elicited  new 
measures  of  gratitude  from  the  depths  of  my  heart 
for  their  very  active,  and  often  sacrificial  devotion 
in  many  forms  of  work  to  make  the  celebration  suc- 
cessful. Professor  W.  C.  Bower  as  chairman  of  the 
general  committee  inspired  every  one  to  cooperate 
and  to  participate  to  the  fullest  extent.  The  sus- 
tained preparations  for  many  weeks  and  the  con- 
tinued attendance  at  many  functions  during  the  final 
week  gave  the  whole  congregation  the  feeling  of  an 
old  time  revival  of  religion.  Even  with  extra  ex- 
penses involved,  the  well  established  system  of  "self- 
solicitation"  of  funds  provided  all  the  money  needed 
to  bring  this  year,  and  the  forty  years,  to  a  close 
without  any  debt  or  deficit  in  any  department  or 
organization. 

Words  fail  me  to  express  my  appreciation  for  the 
Church  Staff  who  through  many  years  have  shared 
the  details  and  responsibilities  of  pastoral  and  ad- 
ministrative functions.  Mr,  B.  Fred  Wise  has  been 
the  Director  of  Music  and  Education  for  seventeen 
years,  and  Dr.  Irvin  E.  Lunger  who  new  succeeds  me 
as  Pastor  has  been  associated  for  five  years  in  vari- 
ous relations.  My  own  part  in  what  has  been  ac- 
complished in  the  Church  is  small  and  would  be  in- 
significant were  it  not  amplified  by  the  loyal  and  per- 
sistent support  of  hundreds  of  members  and  friends. 


46 THE  SCROLL 

Open  Membership  On  the  March 

By  M.  Elmore  Turner,  Cape  Town,  South  Africa 

Perhaps  I  should  have  been  stirred  with  deep  en- 
couragement by  what  I  saw  in  a  Cape  Town  news- 
paper on  the  last  day  in  July,  1940.  It  was  an  article 
which  indicated  that  there  had  been  a  considerable 
increase  recently  in  the  number  of  disciples  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  South  Africa.  Normally,  such  news  is 
heartening.  I  usually  rejoice  to  hear  that  others 
have  seen  Jesus  as  the  One  altogether  lovely,  have 
opened  their  hearts  to  Him,  and  have  walked  forth 
with  Him  into  the  Way. 

But  this  particular  report  of  large  increase  in  the 
company  of  Jesus  gave  me  no  delight.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  made  me  sick  at  heart.  I  have  felt  about 
as  miserable  over  the  reception  of  this  new  group  of 
members  into  the  Church  as  Jonah  seems  to  have 
felt  over  the  results  of  his  moral  blitzkrieg  on 
Nineveh. 

The  article  named  the  Prime  Minister  of  the 
Union  of  South  Africa  as  the  man  responsible  for 
bringing  these  new  hundreds  to  Christ  and  the 
Christian  faith,  I  had  not  known  previously  that 
General  Smuts  possessed  such  evangelical  zeal. 
However,  on  Sunday  the  14th  of  July  he  used  "the 
largest  military  training  camp  in  the  Union"  as  his 
evangelistic  center.  Before  him  were  hundreds  of 
men  who  had  arrived  previously  from  all  parts  of 
the  Union,  and  who  were  then  ready  to  embark  for 
the  war  in  the  north.  Admittedly,  some  of  these 
men  had  become  Christians  in  their  respective 
localities  long  before  they  volunteered  for  military 
service.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  other  hundreds 
of  them  arrived  at  the  camp  with  no  vital  knowl- 
edge of  Jesus  Christ,  and  with  no  inclination  what- 
ever toward  the  Christian  faith  and  program. 
Many  of  them  were  men  whom  able  ambassadors 
of  Christ  had  not  been  successful  in  winning  to  the 
Christian  life.    But  Minister  Smuts  possessed  some 


THE  SCROLL  47 

magical  formula.  He  had  amazing  success  in  con- 
verting to  Christianity  every  one  of  these  men,  in- 
cluding a  goodly  number  of  modern  sons  of  Abra- 
ham. 

Just  before  the  men  left  for  their  port  of  embar- 
kation, the  Prime  Minister  spoke  to  them  with  high 
enthusiasm,  welcoming  them  into  the  fellowship  of 
the  Crucified  One.  He  said  in  part:  "I  express  to 
you  the  gratitude  of  the  people  of  South  Africa  for 
the  choice  you  have  made  and  the  service  you  are 
prepared  to  offer  your  people  and  your  country. 
More  no  man  can  do  than  offer  his  life  for  his 
friends.  That  offer,  the  highest  and  most  solemn 
offer  a  man  can  make,  you  are  making.  We  are 
proud  of  you.  *  *  We  now  go  forth  as  crusaders,  as 
children  of  the  Cross,  to  fight  for  freedom  itself  *  * 
until  God's  victory  crowns  the  end."  Thus  did  Gen- 
eral Smuts  declare  the  entrance  of  hundreds  of  men 
into  the  Christian  experience,  and  their  identifica- 
tion with  the  Christian  movement. 

Here  is  open  membership!  Here  is  a  brand  of 
open  membership  which  makes  what  the  Disciples 
have  been  calling  open  membership  look  like  faith, 
repentance,  confession  and  baptism  by  immersion. 
That  milder  brand  which  has  caused  some  of  our 
brethren  to  be  labeled  "heretic"  has  never  troubled 
me  very  much.  While  I  have  not  practiced  it,  still 
the  news  of  its  practice  by  others  has  neither  filled 
my  heart  with  alarm  nor  moved  my  pen  to  protest. 
It  has  been  clear  to  me  that  the  "heretics"  have  been 
placing  primary  and  constant  emphasis  upon  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  and  the  Mind  of  Christ.  And  as 
long  as  it  is  there  that  the  emphasis  is  kept,  we  can 
"greet  the  future  with  a  cheer."  But  here  is  an 
insidious  brand  of  open  membership  which  does 
trouble  me,  and  against  which  I  am  an  avowed 
protestant. 

The  instance  about  which  I  have  written  is  a 
choice  illustration  of  what  has  become  a  widespread 
practice,  particularly  in  time  of  war.  Men,  who  in 
normal  periods  of  human  life  show  negligible  or  no 


48  THE  SCROLL 

interest  in  sharing  Christ  and  the  Way  with  others, 
presume  to  receive  enthusiastically  into  the  Church 
multitudes  whose  only  sign  of  conversion  is  their 
willingness  to  engage  in  "the  world's  chief  collective 
sin,"  war!  This  practice  of  open  membership  is  an 
eifrontery  to  the  loving  Father  of  this  universe.  It 
is  a  denial  of  the  Mind  and  Spirit  of  Christ  as  re- 
vealed in  His  Sermon  and  His  Sacrifice.  It  is  acqui- 
escence in  the  long  and  shameful  use  of  the  Cross  as 
a  goad  to  violence  rather  than  as  the  creative  agent 
of  new  life  in  God. 

Can  even  the  most  radically  liberal  among  us  come 
to  terms  with  this  kind  of  open  membership?  God 
forbid!  Rather  let  all  of  us  claim  the  new  life  in 
God  moment  by  moment,  and  join  with  Christ  unto 
the  death,  if  need  be,  in  calling  men  to  a  love- 
immersed  membership  in  the  Beloved  Community. 


Charles  A,  Stevens,  of  Olathe,  Kansas,  writes : 
"I  am  not  yet  dead,  so  cannot  rise  again  on  the 
third  day.  But  on  the  third  day  from  this  date  I 
shall  be  FOUR  SCORE  AND  TEN  years  of  age.  The 
past  week  I  have  been  cutting  weeds  on  the  farm 
with  horse  mower  and  hand  scythe  and  sickle,  and  I 
plan  to  do  the  same  this  week.  Last  Friday  after- 
noon my  sickle  caught  under  the  edge  of  a  rock,  and 
trying  to  extricate  it,  the  horse  made  a  sudden  for- 
ward move  and  broke  the  shafts  near  the  mower. 
I  was  thrown  off  toward  the  left,  twisted  around  and 
struck  the  back  of  my  head  on  some  soft  soil  only  a 
handsbreadth  from  a  rock.  People  often  tell  me  that 
I  ought  not  to  do  such  work.  But  sometimes  there 
comes  to  my  mind  the  story  of  a  preacher  who  in 
conversation  with  a  boy  learning  to  be  a  seaman 
asked  him  how  his  ancestors  had  died.  The  boy  re- 
plied, "At  sea."  The  preacher  said,  "Aren't  you 
afraid  to  go  to  sea?"  The  boy  said,  "No,"  and  asked 
the  preacher  how  his  ancestors  had  died.  "They  all 
died  in  bed."  "Well,"  said  the  boy,  "aren't  you 
afraid  to  go  to  bed,  then?" 


THE  SCROLL 49 

A  Conservative's  Confession 

When  I  left  the  Baptist  Church  and  became  a 
Christian  only,  I  believed  that  I  had  divine  authority 
in  the  New  Testament  and  that  the  plea  was  Scrip- 
tural, and  after  all  these  years  I  still  believe  it.  When 
the  preachers  preached  it  we  grew  as  no  other  move- 
ment in  years.  We  had  no  unsound  men  among  us  in 
the  early  days.  Too  many  of  the  preachers  of  this 
age  have  been  educated  in  the  east  and  have  been 
filled  with  Congregational  and  Unitarian  theology 
and  they  are  absolutely  ignorant  of  the  teachings  of 
the  New  Testament.  The  Church  of  Christ— *'Antis" 
as  we  have  called  them,  have  stood  by  the  plea  and 
they  have  grown  and  are  now  growing  while  we  are 
fast  becoming  a  disappearing  brotherhood.  In 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  they  have  50  congregations  and  the 
Christian  church  is  hardly  holding  its  own.  They 
go  into  places  where  we  have  "Disciples  Churches" 
(I  am  not  a  member  of  the  "Disciples  Denomina- 
tion"), and  they  establish  strong  and  growing 
churches  in  the  south.  What  a  pity  that  they  con- 
tend for  a  test  on  instrumental  music. 

The  Campbell  Institute  has  kidnapped  the  Mis- 
sionary Society  and  now  they  are  doing  their  best 
to  kidnap  the  church.  I  am  never  at  peace  only 
when  I  am  at  war.    I  still  believe  in  Jude  3. 

We  have  compromised,  apologized,  federalized, 
fraternalized,  and  now  the  church  is  stigmatized  and 
pauperized.  Our  efforts  to  unionize  rather  than  to 
answer  the  Lord's  prayer  for  UNITY — not  UNION, 
have  made  us  the  laughing-stock  in  the  face  of  de- 
nominationalism.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  effort  to 
unite  the  Congregationalists  and  Unitarians  and 
Christian-followers  of  Stone  and  O'Kelley  are  driv- 
ing away  from  the  movement  more  than  will  be 
gained.  I  think  if  we  had  not  had  any  newspapers 
and  national  conventions  we  would  be  better  off.  I 
like  many  of  the  leaders  in  the  "Apostasy" — I  have 
known  them  many  years  and  have  enjoyed  them,  but 
hated  their  isms. 


50 THE  SCROLL 

Union  in  Christ 

By  A.  P.  Wilson,  Columbia  Heights, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

The  chufrch  has  always  split  upon  theology.  It 
always  will.  Whe7i  the  Jews  catne  back  from  the 
Babylonian  Captivity,  three  important  things  hap- 
pened. They  became  monotheists;  they  closed  the 
canon  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  began  their  theo- 
logical interpretations  in  the  Talmud.  These  ven- 
erable tomes  of  Jewish  theology  have  done  more  to 
conquer  the  Jewish  people  than  all  the  persecution 
in  the  world.  Contrary  to  the  general  opinion  the 
Jews  are  not  a  united  people.  They  are  completely 
denominationalized  into  theological  and  national 
groups  and  the  internal  strife  between  them  is  more 
bitter  than  between  Christian  sects. 

The  same  was  true  of  the  Early  Churches.  The 
New  Testament  Church  had  no  New  Testament.  Its 
members  were  bound  together  by  one  and  only  one 
thing — their  relationship  to  Christ.  The  only  differ- 
ence at  Pentecost  between  those  who  accepted  the 
preaching  of  Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  Jews  was  the 
fact  that  they  accepted  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  "This 
same  Jesus  whom  you  have  crucified,  God  hath  made 
both  Lord  and  Christ."  The  acceptance  of  this  Mes- 
siah and  their  baptism  into  Him  washed  away  their 
sin  of  rebellion  and  murder  and  they,  through  Him 
became  inheritors  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  That 
was  about  all  that  they  knew  about  it.  During  their 
brief  sojourn  at  Jerusalem,  before  going  back  to 
their  homes  all  over  the  world,  they  listened  to  the 
experiences  of  Disciples  of  Jesus — those  who  had 
been  with  Him  and  had  heard  Him  speak.  They  went 
back  to  their  homes  with  this  precious  oral  tradition 
as  their  most  glorious  possession.  It  was  probably 
prejudiced  by  Jewish  misconceptions  which  later 
had  to  be  cleared  up.  Paul's  writings  to  the  Romans 
and  Galations  are  indicative  of  that.  But  they  were 
one.  They  were  one  because  they  had  accepted  "no 
creed  but  Christ."    A  vital   connection   with   Him 


THE  SCROLL 51 

bound  them  together  into  active  unity. 

The  next  development  was  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  to  the  Gentiles.  The  fragments  of  sermons 
to  the  Gentiles  that  remain,  preached  by  Peter  and 
Paul,  indicate  that  they  found  forgiveness  of  sin  and 
a  new  relationship  to  God  through  Christ.  Now  here 
is  the  reTnarkable  fact;  the  age-old  wall  between  the 
Jew  and  Gentile  ivas  broken  doivn.  For  the  first  time 
in  history  they  sat  at  the  same  table  and  ate  the  same 
food.  It  was  true  that  it  was  not  all  accomplished 
at  once  but  the  "middle  wall  of  partition"  was 
broken  down  and  both  were  one.  It  is  true  that  the 
Gentile  Christian's  concept  of  Jesus  was  influenced 
by  Greek  philosophy,  and  by  early  prejudices.  That, 
too,  was  natural,  and  it  was  just  as  natural  that 
these  things  should  be  discussed  between  Jewish  and 
Gentile  Christians.  The  misconceptions  which  they 
had  of  this  Christ  are  clearly  indicated  in  the  writ- 
ings of  Paul  to  the  churches.  Yet  in  spite  of  their 
theological  differences  this  strange  relationship  to 
God  through  Christ  made  them  one. 

It  is  true,  because  they  were  human,  that  unity 
was  not  wholly  complete,  but  any  division  on  theo- 
logical bases  was  severely  criticized  by  the  apostles. 
Even  the  apostles  themselves  were  not  united  in  this. 
Paul  criticized  Peter,  "I  withstood  him  to  the  face 
because  he  was  to  be  blamed,"  he  says.  And  I  doubt  if 
there  is  any  modern  American  woman  who  sees  eye 
to  eye  with  the  Apostle  Paul  on  his  teachings  with 
regard  to  the  place  of  womanhood  in  the  church.  The 
great  apostle  himself  very  humbly  suggests  that 
there  is  a  superior  authority  and  a  primal  loyalty 
that  must  not  be  given  to  him  or  to  anybody  else  ex- 
cept to  Christ,  "Be  ye  followers  of  me  as  far  as  I 
follow  Christ."  It  is  even  possible  that  a  wrong  con- 
ception of  Christ  himself  may  be  divisive,  and  care 
must  be  taken  lest  this  figure  around  which  the 
whole  world  became  one  should  be  a  cause  of 
division. 

The  New  Testament  was  of  slow  growth.  The 
early  churches  had  their  oral  tradition,  naturally 


52 THE  SCROLL 

becoming-  more  vague  as  time  went  on.  They  had  oc- 
casional letters  from  their  leadership  such  as  the 
apostles  and  early  followers  of  Jesus,  the  extent  of 
whose  authority  has  been  open  to  much  question. 
They  had  portions  of  the  Old  Testament  scriptures. 
They  had  visits  from  Christian  leaders  such  as  Tim- 
othy, Barnabas,  Titus  and  others.  But  we  maintain 
that  what  bound  them  together  was  the  acceptance 
of  Jesus  Christ.  In  their  secret  rooms  they  broke 
the  bread  and  drank  the  cup  in  memory  of  Him.  He 
was  their  Elder  Brother,  their  Messiah,  their  Sa- 
viour and  their  hope.  With  His  name  upon  their  lips 
they  went  to  the  arena,  to  the  torture  chamber  and 
were  glad  to  suffer  death  for  Him. 

/  said  the  New  Testament  ivas  of  slow  growth. 
Even  today  there  are  differences  of  opinion  with  re- 
gard to  the  inclusion  of  certain  books.  The  Arme- 
nian church  does  not  include  Revelation  and  Martin 
Luther  barely  included  the  Epistle  of  James.  About 
135  A.  D.  you  have  the  first  collection  by  Marcion, 
but  even  that  collection  was  incomplete  and  definite- 
ly prejudiced.  It  was  not  until  about  the  year  A.  D. 
185  that  we  find  anything  like  our  New  Testament  in 
use  among  Christians.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  New 
Testament  as  a  whole  did  not  become  the  personal 
property  of  Christian  people  until  the  invention  of 
printing. 

But  what  happened  when  the  written  New  Testa- 
ment did  come  into  being?  It  brought  along  with  it 
the  development  of  theology.  The  personal  relation- 
ship with  Christ  was  lost  in  acrimonious  polemic. 
The  post-apostolic  church  was  split  into  warring 
fragments — the  Arian  controversy,  the  Creed  of 
Saint  Athanasius — ^the  Nestorian  controversy,  the 
struggle  between  East  and  West,  the  Great  Schism. 
Out  of  the  smoke  there  arose  a  divided  church.  A 
church  separated  not  however  in  their  loyalty  to 
Christ,  but  a  church  separated  by  politics,  theology, 
creed  and  dogma.  By  sheer  force  of  power  the 
papacy  emerged  and  became  an  authority.  The  Christ 
was  lost  behind  creed,  papal  assumption.  Encyclical 


THE  SCROLL 53 

and  Bull.  Behind  clouds  of  saints  One  sat  on  a  far 
distant  throne,  a  hard,  unfeeling,  flinty  judge.  Pos- 
sibly the  only  warm  spot  in  medieval  Christianity 
was  the  adoration  of  the  Virgin  Mary  and  the  Infant 
Jesus,  with  the  emphasis  upon  Mary.  The  church  had 
lost  its  head,  or  rather,  substituted  an  earthly  pon- 
tiff for  the  Son  of  Man. 

The  coming  of  the  Reformation  in  the  last  analysis 
did  not  much  improve  matters.  It  shifted  the 
authority  from  an  inerrant  church  to  an  inerrant 
book.  It  is  true  that  the  reformers  swept  away  a 
multitude  of  intermediaries  and  brought  the  people 
much  closer  to  Christ,  but  what  Christ  was  it?  It 
was  a  Christ  of  theological  pronouncement  and  dog- 
ma, not  of  vital  and  personal  acceptance.  This  in- 
fallible church  dethroned  by  the  Reformation  be- 
came split  into  sects  and  denominations,  a  new  one 
born  almost  every  minute,  and  these  sects  became  so 
busy  quarreling  among  themselves  and  establishing 
their  own  superiority,  defending  their  own  creeds, 
maintaining  their  own  historic  national  positions 
that  again  the  Christ  was  lost. 

And  all  of  this  was  done  by  the  use  of  the  *'sword 
of  the  spirit,"  not  wielded  to  oppose  the  "wiles  of  the 
devil"  but  as  a  weapon  of  offense  and  defense  in  a 
Civil  War,  where  brother  fought  brother  with  this 
Bible  in  their  hands. 

Again  the  Christ  ivas  lost,  as  creeds,  tenaciously 
held,  methods  of  church  government,  and  denomina- 
tional vested  interests  became  authoritative  and  in- 
sistent and  the  weary  Christ  wandered  in  and  out  of 
a  denominationalized  and  riven  Church  seeking  a 
place  to  lay  His  head. 

The  two  portions  of  the  slogan  rrmst  develop  to- 
gether. We  say  "No  creed  but  Christ"  but  who  and 
what  is  Christ?  We  cannot  evolve  Him  out  of  our 
inner  consciousness  but  must  seek  revelation.  Where 
will  we  find  Him?  Unless  he  has  revealed  himself 
through  the  minds  of  men ;  unless  we  can  find  a  rec- 
ord of  his  life  and  his  teachings ;  unless  we  can  hear 
his  words  spoken  to  us,  we  are  lost.  The  second  half 
of  the  slogan,  therefore,  must  have  its  place — "No 


54 THE  SCROLL 

book  but  the  Bible."  And  yet  that  cannot  be  accept- 
ed alone  or  it  merely  becomes  an  academic  text  book, 
a  source  of  discussion,  a  means  for  the  formulation 
of  theological  theories  productive  of  division.  The 
tvv^o  must  go  together.  "No  creed  but  Christ;  no 
book  but  the  Bible." 

What  place  then  shall  ive  give  the  Scriptures  in  the 
Tnatter  of  Christian  Union?  It  depends  a  great  deal 
upon  our  definition  of  the  word  "scripture."  Shall  we 
say  that  the  scriptures  are  a  record  of  the  experi- 
ences of  men  finding  God? — a  God  who  revealed 
Himself  through  patriarch  and  prophet,  through  the 
history  of  nations,  by  sign  and  symbol,  and  finally  in 
the  manifestation  of  Himself  in  human  form.  This 
definition  is  scriptural.  It  is  given  to  us  in  the  He- 
brews— "God  who  in  sundry  times  and  divers  man- 
ners spake  in  times  past  to  the  prophets,  hath  in 
these  last  days  spoken  to  us  by  His  Son."  These  ex- 
periences have  come  down  to  us.  Time  and  thought 
and  scholarship  have  been  given  and  still  must  be 
given  to  find  out  whether  we  have  the  words  of 
Jesus,  or  some  commentary  upon  them,  and  what 
these  words  mean  in  relation  to  the  times  and  condi- 
tions when  they  were  written. 

These  experiences  are  given  to  us  not  to  become 
the  basis  of  theological  argument  but  for  appropria- 
tion. The  fact  that  Peter  preached  the  gospel  at 
Pentecost  and  that  three  thousand  people  accepted  the 
Christ  is  not  put  there  in  order  that  we  may  argue 
the  dispensational  divisions  of  the  Bible,  or  the  place 
of  baptism  in  conversion,  but  that  we  might  find 
Christ  as  they  found  Him,  that  we  might  appropri- 
ate this  experience  to  ourselves  and  make  it  part  of 
our  own  divine  life.  It  is  of  little  use  reading  that 
Jesus  chose  12  disciples  of  whom  one  was  a  Zealot 
and  the  other  a  tax  gatherer  unless  our  knowledge 
of  Christ  becomes  so  deep  and  understanding  that 
the  tax  gatherer  and  the  Zealot  can  sit  down  with  us 
as  they  sat  together  around  the  table  so  long  ago. 
The  scriptures,  if  they  are  to  contribute  to  Chris- 
tian Union  must  be  used  as  an  avenue  by  which  men 
find  Christ. 


THE  SCROLL 55 

Down  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere  we  have  the 
Southern  Cross,  and  out  of  the  distant  heavens 
where  are  great  stars,  pointers  directing  the  eye 
away  from  the  many  other  scintillating  lights  of  the 
heaven  to  this  greatest  and  most  magnificent  con- 
stellation. So  the  Scriptures  are  pomters  to  Jesus. 
He  said  to  those  of  old  time  who  were  divided  about 
Him — it  was  a  divided  church  then,  too — divided  on 
theological  interpretation — "Search  the  scriptures 
for  in  them  you  think  ye  have  eternal  life  and  they 
are  they  which  testify  of  me."  Our  Founding  Fa- 
thers spoke  much  more  wisely  than  they  knew,  and 
possibly  more  wisely  than  we  have  completely 
grasped  when  they  pleaded  for  "No  creed  but  Christ; 
no  book  but  the  Bible."  Let  us  use  the  Scriptures 
as  they  ought  to  be  used,  but  not  give  them  such  a 
place  that  they  will  hide  the  one  who  is  their  central 
figure  and  about  whom  they  testify.  Only  then  can 
we  find  unity,  not  in  the  demand  for  theological 
unanimity,  but  by  sitting  in  sublime  adoration  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus. 

One  time  I  went  to  a  Catholic  Church  and  one  of 
the  Brothers  very  kindly  escorted  me  around.  When 
he  came  to  the  high  altar  he  knelt  in  worship.  For  a 
moment  I  stood  embarrassed  and  then  knelt  beside 
him.  His  conception  of  Christ  was  probably  differ- 
ent from  mine.  In  theology  we  were  as  far  apart  as 
the  poles,  but  somehow  or  other  we  were  able  to 
bridge  the  gap  of  theological  and  historic  differences 
and  find  ourselves  one  at  the  feet  of  Christ. 


"Perry  E.  Gresham,  for  eight  years  the  minister 
of  the  University  Church  of  Ft.  Worth  has  been 
granted  a  nine-months'  leave  of  absence  by  the  con- 
gregation and  will  accept  a  fellowship  that  has  been 
granted  him  by  Columbia  University  and  will  do  the 
required  residence  work  for  the  Ph.D.  degree  during 
this  period.  Granville  Walker,  professor  of  New 
Testament  in  T.  C.  U.  will  serve  as  supply  pastor  for 
the  University  Church  during  the  absence  of  their 
minister." — Christian  Courier. 


56 THE  SCROLL 

The  Ecology  of  the  Disciples 

By  Sterling  Brown,  Drake  University 

Having  passed  through  several  stages  of  develop- 
ment in  their  growth,  the  Disciples  of  Christ  are  now 
standing  on  the  threshold  of  a  new  era.  But  they 
stand  in  indecision  before  a  complex  and  factious 
world  uncertain  as  to  what  their  role  should  be. 
Shall  they  accept  a  respectable  position  among  the 
larger  Protestant  bodies  and  function  as  "just  an- 
other denomination"  ?  Or  do  they  have  implicit  faith 
in  their  history  and  ideology  an  irresistible  "elan 
vital"  which  is  struggling  to  be  expressed  in  a  more 
unique  and  higher  role?  In  the  latter  case  the  prob- 
lem before  the  Disciples  is  essentially  one  of  func- 
tional adaptation  to  a  changed  environment.  It  is 
the  delicate  balance  between  their  own  communion 
and  other  religious  bodies  as  well  as  their  relation- 
ship to  the  wider  culture  of  which  they  are  a  part.  In 
scientific  terms  it  is  the  problem  of  "ecology."  If 
the  Disciples  fail  to  make  a  decision  in  favor  of  the 
higher  role,  they  will  be  insuring  their  future  as  a 
"second-rate"  Protestant  denomination.  A  wise  de- 
cision can  only  be  made  in  view  of  their  past  history 
and  the  unique  basic  form  of  their  movement. 

A  reconsideration  of  the  Disciples  from  this  point 
of  view  will  show  that  this  religious  movement  has 
not  followed  the  usual  pattern  of  the  sects.  The  Dis- 
ciples did  not  originate  as  a  sect  of  the  "disinher- 
ited." They  did  not  begin  as  a  "denomination." 
They  are  what  biologists  term  a  "mutation."  As  a 
religious  body  they  were  born  high  up  in  the  scale  of 
the  evolutionary  development  of  religious  bodies. 
The  "reformation"  inaugurated  by  Thomas  and 
Alexander  Campbell  and  Barton  W.  Stone  was  a 
product  of  two  diverse  religious  and  intellectual 
movements — the  Renaissance  and  the  Reformation. 
The  cross-fertilization  of  certain  elements  from  each 
of  these  movements  gave  birth  to  the  germ-plasm  of 
a  new  religious  movement  which  found  ready  roots 
in  the  pristine  soil  of  a  frontier  culture. 


THE  SCROLL 57 

From  one  side  of  their  intellectual  ancestry  the 
Disciples  emerged  from  the  orthodox  Protestant  po- 
sition which  had  descended  from  the  Reformation. 
The  Calvinism  against  which  Thomas  and  Alexander 
Campbells  reasserted  these  as  elements  in  "original" 
metaphysical  speculations.  As  the  chief  theologian 
of  the  Reformation  Calvin  had  placed  certain  limita- 
tions on  two  of  the  basic  principles  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, free  inquiry  and  private  judgment.  The 
Campbells  reassurted  these  as  elements  in  "original" 
Christianity.  The  advocacy  of  a  "restoration"  of 
primitive  Christianity  was  not  an  original  idea  with 
the  Fathers.  Every  reformer  since  the  origin  of  the 
Christian  movement  had  stood  upon  the  same 
ground.  Even  the  Roman  Catholic  position  claimed 
to  be  that  of  perpetuating  "pure"  Christianity  in  its 
original  form.  The  belief  that  the  New  Testament 
contained  a  complete  pattern  of  the  church  in  its 
primitive  form  was  one  of  the  vestigial  remains 
which  the  Disciples  inherited  from  Protestantism. 
Since  the  early  leaders  of  the  Disciples  did  not  at- 
tempt to  reject  in  its  entirety  the  principles  of  Prot- 
estantism, it  was  inevitable  that  their  movement 
would  carry-over  certain  elements  from  their  ances- 
try. 

But  the  early  Fathers  did  attempt  to  reform  Prot- 
estantism. They  rejected  many  of  the  basic  ele- 
ments of  Protestantism  as  they  knew  it.  The  trini- 
tarian  formula  was  rejected  by  Campbell  and  ques- 
tioned by  Stone.  Human  depravity  and  predestina- 
tion were  incompatible  with  their  concept  of  nature, 
human  and  Divine.  Metaphysical  speculations  and 
creeds  were  rejected  as  divisive,  manmade,  and  un- 
important. In  rejecting  these  essential  elements  of 
Protestantism  the  Disciples  were  emerging  as  a  new 
form  among  the  Christian  bodies. 

From  the  other  side  of  their  lineage,  the  Renais- 
sance, the  Disciples  inherited  elements  which  carried 
them  beyond  Protestantism.  From  the  teachings  of 
John  Locke  the  Campbells  inherited  an  emphasis  on 
tolerance  and  the  reasonableness  of  Christianity. 


58 THE  SCROLL 

The  acceptance  of  faith  as  the  belief  of  evidence  is 
still  another  element.  Consequently  the  Disciples 
were  going  beyond  Protestantism  when  they  devel- 
oped a  sane  view  of  conversion  and  a  catholic  view 
of  baptism.^  The  idea  of  a  universal  church  was  be- 
yond the  Protestantism  of  their  times.  And  certain- 
ly the  emphasis  on  union  as  a  motive  for  reform  was 
an  element  peculiar  to  the  Disciples.  These  elements 
in  the  ideology  of  the  Disciples  were  due  to  their  in- 
tellectual legacy  from  the  Renaissance.  The  same 
influence  motivated  Alexander  Campbell  to  take  a 
new  attitude  toward  the  Bible,  holding  that  it  was 
not  a  "level"  book,  and  that  it  should  be  read  like 
any  other  piece  of  literature.  Just  as  the  Renais- 
sance had  brought  a  new  spirit  to  European  culture, 
the  Disciples  introduced  a  new  element  into  the  Am- 
erican religious  scene.  This  new  adaptation  of 
Christianity  had  come  in  response  to  the  environ- 
mental factors  of  a  frontier  culture  which  was  no 
longer  receptive  to  the  orthodox  forms  of  Protes- 
tantism. 

And  now  the  Disciples  are  facing  a  new  frontier, 
a  society  resentful  of  religious  restraints,  indiffer- 
ent to  spiritual  values,  and  willing  to  be  regimented 
in  worship  of  "supermen."  Yet,  it  is  a  great  society, 
potent  with  resources  for  the  enrichment  of  life, 
and  unlimited  in  its  possibilities  for  a  religious 
movement  that  is  able  to  make  a  functional  adapta- 
tion to  its  complex  needs.  Over  a  century  ago  the 
Disciples  came  into  existence  in  response  to  a  reli- 
gious scene  torn  by  dissention  and  strife.  Again, 
today,  Christianity  is  torn  and  flaccid  at  the  very 
moment  when  it  is  challenged  to  fight  for  civiliza- 
tion against  the  forces  of  evil.  If  the  Disciples  could 
develop  a  wholesome  pride  in  their  history  and 
inheritance,  rededicate  themselves  to  the  practice  of 
Christian  union,  and  intensify  their  sense  of  mis- 
sion, they  would  again  be  in  a  position  to  propagate 
the  new  old  faith. 


iDr.  C.   C.  Morrison  elaborated  this   view  in  the  first  three  issues  of  the 
Christian-GTaneelist.  Jan.,   1938. 


THE  SCROLL 59 

But  a  higher  religion  can  only  emerge  from  a 
lower  form  by  the  process  of  selection  and  develop- 
ment. This  takes  place  in  response  to  an  impulse  of 
the  religious  spirit  seeking  better  self-expression. 
There  are  higher  possibilities  in  the  Disciples,  but 
they  can  come  to  fruition  only  through  the  emer- 
gence of  new  adaptations  to  new  needs  in  a  changing 
environment.  For  it  is  clear  that  American  culture 
has  expanded  its  values  at  the  same  time  that  its 
idealism  has  been  deflected  into  countless  quasi- 
religious  organizations.  The  more  simple  and  con- 
stant values  of  an  agricultural  society  have  given 
way  to  the  more  complex  values  of  an  urban  culture. 
This  calls  for  a  religion  that  will  soften  the  heart  of 
man,  inspire  honesty  and  wisdom  and  love,  that  will 
make  the  rich  a  little  more  generous  to  the  poor, 
that  will  mitigate  and  rigidity  of  competition  and 
the  brutality  of  war. 

Christianity  in  its  purest  form  is  precisely  such 
a  religion.  We  do  not  need  a  new  religion  so  much 
as  a  return  to  the  essential  spirit  and  personality 
of  Christ.  A  reconsideration  of  the  early  history 
of  the  Disciples  will  reveal  that  their  native  faith 
was  just  this  pragmatical  acceptance  of  the  figure 
and  story  of  Christ.  Through  all  the  wanderings  of 
the  human  spirit  among  the  philosophies  and  theolo- 
gies, the  personality  of  Christ  stands  out  as  the  most 
appealing  figure  in  human  history.  The  task  today 
is  to  recreate  in  individuals  and  society  the  per- 
sonality and  ideals  of  the  Founder  of  Christianity. 

Thus  the  task  before  the  Disciples  is  to  cleanse 
themselves  of  the  taint  absorbed  from  more  con- 
servative bodies,  metamorphize  their  ideology  of 
vestigal  traits,  and  rededicate  themselves  to  the 
original  spirit  of  Christianity.  If  this  choice  is 
made,  it  is  not  too  much  to  picture  the  great  de- 
nominations of  Christianity  drawing  together  in 
practical  union,  redefining  Christianity  as  accept- 
ance of  the  ideals  of  Christ,  and  inviting  to  their 
membership  any  person,  of  whatever  race  or  theolo- 
gy, who  is  willing  to  accept  those  ideals  as  the  norm 
for  his  life. 


i  :\^ 


60  THE  SCROLL 


On  Preaching 


By  Alfred  L.  Severson,  Drake  University 
Two  elements  seem  basic  to  preaching,  the  rest 
are  ornamentation  and,  at  times,  excrescences. 
Without  the  basic  elements  preaching  is  converted 
into  a  personal  display  of  knowledge,  propaganda, 
a  show,  a  lecture,  or  some  trivia. 

Learning,  oratory,  or  a  specific  theology  are  not 
the  basic  elements.  All  of  us  have  had  the  experi- 
ence of  being  in  church  when  the  minister  exhibited 
great  learning,  but  we  were  greatly  dissatisfied.  In 
one  such  instance  a  Unitarian  minister  was  so  con- 
scious of  his  knowledge  and  his  freedom  from  outr 
worn  theologies  that  he  hardly  could  be  conscious 
of  much  else.  We  have  listened  to  orators  and  had 
similar  dissatisfaction.  But  sometimes  we  have 
listened  to  sermons  by  men  with  an  outworn  theolo- 
gy and  have  been  moved,  recognizing  great  preach- 
ing. Somehow,  in  spite  of  violently  conflicting 
theologies  we  have  felt  akin  to  such  a  minister. 

The  first  basic  element  is  referred  to  when  people 
say  of  the  minister  that  he  is  a  "great  soul"  or  that 
he  is  a  "spiritual  man"  or  that  he  "speaks  out  of 
his  heart."  These  terms  can  be  translated  into  more 
explicit  language.  They  seem  to  mean  that  the 
minister  has  taken  into  his  own  self  the  experiences 
of  his  people  in  such  a  way  that  when  he  preaches 
he  is  saying  the  things  they  feel  and  sometimes 
cannot  say.  The  minister,  then,  is  not  speaking 
from  books,  except  as  the  books  tie  into  such  experi- 
ence. He  is  not  playing  with  words  separated  from 
the  experience  of  his  people,  words  that  swim  in  the 
ether.  How  painful  to  hear  men  use  words,  great 
words,  with  no  indication  of  touch  with  the  realities 
of  which  the  words  are  but  symbols.  On  the  con- 
trary, how  illuminating  the  remark  made  by  a 
woman  about  her  pastor,  "He  seems  to  be  talking 
directly  to  you.  He  is  not  there  just  to  hear  himself 
talk,  as  are  many  ministers." 


THE  SCROLL      61 

If  a  minister  is  such  a  great  soul  it  follows  that 
he  is  not  preaching  to  his  people  but  in  a  real  sense 
is  their  voice.  In  the  "olden  day"  the  preacher  and 
his  congregation  were  one  in  their  opposition  to 
"the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil."  When  the 
minister  excoriated  his  own  people  he  was  simply 
their  conscience  articulate.  The  people  knew  that 
the  call  to  repentance  was  deserved.  In  our  day 
often  it  is  not  the  preacher  and  congregation  against 
an  outside  evil  but  the  preacher  versus  the  congre- 
gation in  the  sense  of  the  preacher  trying  to  con- 
vert, not  the  "world,"  but  his  congregation  to  his 
social,  political  or  religious  views.  And  if  a  suc- 
cession of  such  ministers  strikes  a  church  is  it  any 
wonder  that  the  "old  elders"  get  sort  of  set  in  their 
ways!  By  being  a  voice  of  the  congregation  it  is 
not  implied  that  the  preacher  is  a  glorified  phono- 
graph. On  the  contrary  his  learning,  insight  and 
experience  is  a  fund  to  be  added  to  that  of  his  peo- 
ple.   It  is,  however,  to  be  added,  not  substituted. 

To  be  a  great  soul  today  a  minister  has  a  heavy 
burden  on  him  since  there  are  such  wide  differences 
in  the  experience  of  individuals.  In  the  "olden  day" 
there  was  more  of  a  common  stock  of  experience 
shared  by  all  willy  nilly.  Today  there  are  some  com- 
mon experiences,  as  the  present  shock  of  war,  under 
which  men  feel  themselves  bound  closer  together. 
Youth  still  aspires,  but  what  variations  in  their 
aspirations.  Men  still  die,  but  in  a  city  only  a  few 
in  a  church  may  be  aware  of  the  death  of  a  par- 
ticular member.  A  man  may  live  in  a  small  town 
yet  through  reading  may  be  distressed  by  events 
across  the  oceans.  If  a  minister  is  to  share  vicari- 
ously such  experiences  he  needs  an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  men,  and  with  literature  and  poetry 
which  portray  the  depths  of  human  life.  Since  there 
is  so  much  difficulty  in  our  present  world  a  minister 
in  sharing  vicariously  the  experiences  of  his  people 
will  be  jarred  and  jarred  and  jarred.  He  will  have 
less  peace  than  will  an  engineer  or  laborer  who  is 
not  called  upon  so  to  identify  himself  with  others, 
leads  to  the  second  basic  element  in  preaching. 


62 . THE  SCROLL 

Preaching  is  the  placing  of  events  and  problems 
into  a  familiar  and  accepted  moral  frame  of  refer- 
ence so  we  may  know  how  to  act  toward  these 
events  and  problems.  This  frame  of  reference  is 
implied  by  such  words  as  justice,  right,  love,  God's 
Will.  In  Christianity  it  has  been  tied  to  theology. 
That  it  is  not  tied  to  any  specific  theology  can  be 
noted  from  the  varieties  of  theology  in  Christian 
history  and  from  the  fact  that  when  this  moral 
frame  is  prominent  a  liberal  can  be  edified  by  a 
conservative  preacher,  and  vice  versa. 

This  moral  frame  has  been  so  much  a  part  of  us 
that  we  are  hardly  aware  there  could  be  any  other. 
With  the  blatant  advocacy  of  contrary  ideas  by  the 
totalitarian  states  we  are  having  forced  into  our 
consciousness  the  fact  that  we  do  have  only  one  of 
a  number  of  possible  moral  frames  of  reference. 
Let  us  illustrate.  Germany  is  threatening  to  de- 
stroy an  order  of  life  to  which  we  have  been  accus- 
tomed. The  killings,  the  refugees,  the  suppression 
strikes  us  with  horror.  There  is,  to  us,  no  question 
but  that  Germany  is  horribly  wrong.  We  come  to 
this  conclusion  by  placing  the  events  in  our  tradi- 
tional moral  frame.  Supposing,  with  great  effort, 
we  try  to  rid  ourselves  of  this  frame.  Then  we 
might  look  at  the  horror  as  not  being  horror,  but 
more  or  less  incidental  to  the  establishment  of 
world  organization  and  peace  under  the  hegemony 
of  Germany,  in  somewhat  the  same  way  that  the 
peace  of  the  Roman  world  of  the  time  of  Jesus  was 
established.  To  follow  such  a  line  of  thought  in  a 
sermon,  would  make  it  a  lecture.  To  react  to  the 
present  events  from  the  point  of  view  of  our  moral 
frame  of  reference  would  make  it  preaching.  Events 
that  cannot  be  placed  in  such  a  frame  of  reference 
are  not  conducive  to  preaching. 

If  the  two  elements  mentioned  are  basic  to  preach- 
ing, we  have  a  way  to  keep  our  feet  on  the  ground 
in  the  face  of  controversies  over  religion  and  over 
the  questions  that  are  raised  about  the  future  of 
yeligioii,    Sharing  of  experience  and  so  "speaking 


THE  SCROLL 63 

from  the  heart"  has  a  universal  appeal,  and  with- 
out our  moral  frame  of  reference  our  society  is 
impossible. 


Letter  from  C.  H.  Smiley 

Damoh,  C.  P.  India 

We  did  our  best  to  return  to  India  in  good  health 
and  were  passed  as  fit  by  the  home  Doctors.  The 
human  body  though  is  a  going  concern  and  evidently 
we  picked  up  amaeba  and  malaria  germs  shortly 
after  arrival  in  India.  We  are  truly  thankful  for 
the  Landour  Community  Hospital.  Again,  this  in- 
stitution is  a  cooperative  affair  which  makes  for 
strength  and  efficiency  in  these  days.  The  staff  con- 
sists of  one  surgeon,  a  Jewish  refugee  from  Vienna, 
with  18  years'  experience  there ;  two  European  lady 
Doctors;  four  European  nurses,  three  Indian 
nurses;  an  Indian  Technician  and  an  Indian  Com- 
pounder. Rest  assured  that  we  are  all  well  cared 
for  when  illness  comes  upon  us.  With  the  care  of 
the  hospital  we  are  pulling  up  from  our  first  set 
backs  in  health. 

Our  Kodachrome,  16  MM.  film,  taken  on  the  out- 
ward journey,  M'-as  returned  to  us  yesterday.  We 
began  this  movie  film  in  Santa  Ana,  Calif.,  and  fin- 
ished it  at  the  Kali  temple  in  Calcutta.  The  exposed 
film  then  made  the  journey  to  Johannesburg,  South 
Africa,  for  processing.  Last  evening  we  found  a  new 
Mennonite  missionary  here  with  a  16  MM.  projector. 
He  kindly  ran  the  film  through  for  us.  It  turned 
out  very  well  for  beginning  efforts.  All  colored  films 
are  now  processed  in  Bombay,  which  will  be  of  great 
advantage  for  movie  photography  in  India, 


64  THE  SCROLL 


Dangers  of  Open-Membership 

Now  that  the  Christian  Standard  is  advertising 
the  practice  of  open-membership,  thousands  of  peo- 
ple are  being  informed  of  its  long  history  among  the 
Disciples,  and  of  the  numerous  churches  which  are 
practicing  it.  The  facts  used  are  presented  in  a 
carefully  prepared  thesis  by  Mr.  Carl  S.  Ledbetter 
of  Butler  College,  under  the  direction  of  Dean  F.  D. 
Kershner.  This  historical  study  shows  that  in  spite 
of  opposition  by  many  Disciple  leaders  during  the 
past  seventy-five  years,  more  churches  now  follow 
this  plan  than  ever  before.  Finis  Idleman,  of  the 
Central  Christian  Church,  New  York  City,  reports 
that  open-membership  has  been  practiced  by  his 
church  since  1919.  He  gives  four  reasons  why  it  has 
been  satisfactory:  (1)  The  recognition  of  the  Chris- 
tianity of  other  Christians  who  have  not  been  im- 
mersed. (2)  The  good  conscience  of  refusing  to  be 
a  judge  concerning  others'  Christianity.  (3)  The 
privilege  of  enabling  a  divided  household  to  find  a 
common  place  of  worship.  (4)  Setting  forward 
Christian  unity  by  removing  barriers. 

The  dangers  which  may  arise  from  too  rapid  and 
widespread  an  adoption  of  open-membership  are 
various  and  should  be  carefully  avoided.  One  is 
that  the  matter  may  be  accepted  without  thorough 
realization  that  it  is  not  just  a  means  of  easily  secur- 
ing members.  It  should  rest  upon  the  conviction 
that  it  is  in  keeping  with  the  spirit  of  the  teaching 
of  Jesus  who  minimized  forms,  ceremonies,  and  ex- 
ternals. There  is  danger  that  if  the  traditional 
practice  is  relaxed  on  this  question  of  baptism,  there 
may  be  a  feeling  that  there  is  nothing  distinctive  left 
in  the  "plea"  of  the  Disciples.  But  there  remain  the 
most  important  principles  of  a  sensible  view  of  con- 
version, a  reasonable  conception  and  interpretation 
of  the  Scriptures,  the  autonomy  of  the  local  church, 
the  great  ideal  of  union,  and  many  other  enduring 
and  important  teachings. 


THE  SCROLL 

Vol.  XXXVIII.  NOVEMBER,  1940  NoTs 

Distinctive  and  Sincere 

Dean  Raymond  Aylesworth,  Eureka,  Illinois 

A  fourteen-year-old  boy  came  home  the  other  day 
and  issued  a  declaration  of  independence.  He  isn't 
going  to  Sunday  school  any  more.  He  says  the  rea- 
son is  they  tried  to  teach  him  something  he  doesn't 
believe.  It  was  about  the  Red  Sea.  His  mother  is 
worried  about  it.  She  told  my  wife  who  is  a  friend 
of  hers.  My  wife  worried  about  it  and  told  me.  I 
got  to  worrying  about  it  and  I  am  telling  you. 

The  Religious  Education  Committee  can  work  out 
the  church  school  angle  of  the  problem.  What  con- 
cerns me  is  this  question:  Can  the  church  pick  up 
this  boy  at  this  turn  in  his  life  to  orient  his  loyalties 
and  reinforce  his  finest  impulses?  I  think  that  the 
church  which  can  do  it  will  reveal  two  qualities — 
others  of  course — but  indispensably  these  two.  It 
will  be  distinctive  and  sincere. 

Distinctive :  A  leader  of  interdenominational  co- 
operation of  churches  in  a  certain  region  is  quoted  as 
saying:  "I  think  of  the  church  as  just  another  or- 
ganization in  the  community — it  should  have  its 
rightful  place  among  them."  Perhaps  so,  but  if  the 
church  is  just  another  organization  it  asks  too  much, 
too  much  money,  too  much  time  and  energy.  Its  de- 
mands seem  out  of  proportion  to  its  worth.  Some- 
times it  seems  as  if  church  people  feel  this  way  about 
it.  When  they  have  to  pare  down  programs  of  their 
activities  does  the  church  bulk  merely  as  another  or- 
ganization, an  expensive  one  too? 

Does  being  a  member  of  the  church  mean  any- 
thing particular  and  important?  A  young  man  who 
worked  for  me  one  time  wanted  to  become  a  Mason 
so  much  that  it  hurt.  His  motive  for  keeping  his  job 
was  to  accumulate  enough  money  to  pay  his  initia- 


66 THE  SCROLL 

tion  fee.  Does  anyone  feel  that  way  about  becoming 
a  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ  ? 

Recently  in  a  church  which  nominates  candidates 
for  church  office  by  ballot  a  man  was  suggested  as  a 
candidate  although  he  is  a  most  unfriendly  critic  of 
Christianity.  To  be  sure  he  is  decent  and  he  asso- 
ciates with  the  respectable  people  of  the  town.  Is 
that  the  criterion  of  membership  in  the  minds  of 
church  members?  It  will  take  more  than  that  to 
justify  just  another  expensive  organization.  I  had 
another  man  working  as  an  assistant  in  an  engineer- 
ing party.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  He  got  up  Sunday  mornings  and  went  to 
early  mass,  then  he  went  home  and  spent  the  day 
building  chicken  houses.  Just  the  same,  he  was  con- 
scious of  belonging  to  something  important,  some- 
thing bigger  than  the  city  of  Denver,  something  big- 
ger than  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  railroad  system;  something 
which  related  him  to  a  deep  and  far-reaching  aspect 
of  the  world,  something  very  important. 

Now  about  this  fourteen-year-old  boy:  If  the 
church  has  a  unique  place  and  function,  if  it  can  ap- 
peal to  the  imagination  and  become  a  part  of  the 
essential  framework  of  his  life;  and  if  his  family 
and  his  mother's  and  father's  associates  feel  that 
way  about  it,  the  church  has  a  good  chance  with  that 
boy. 

Sincere :  They  do  not  criticize  the  church  so  much 
— these  romantic  realists — they  react  to  it.  For  our 
example,  is  it  sincere  in  its  worship  ?  Our  Protestant 
churches  have  been  burnishing  up  their  worship 
forms.  It  has  been  a  fine  thing  to  develop  a  cultured 
medium  for  the  social  expression  of  worship.  Prob- 
ably it  is  more  important  to  be  sure  that  we  want 
to  worship,  sure  that  we  want  to  express  reverence, 
mutuality,  commitment,  abandon  or  whatever  you 
think  worship  really  is. 

Jesus  was  explicit  about  this,  you  remember. 
Prayer  so   easily   becomes    something   that   is    not 


THE  SCROLL 67 

prayer.  These  realists  quickly  gauge  the  sincerity 
of  it. 

Something  is  to  be  said  for  the  ritual  of  silence — 
waiting  for  the  breath  of  the  Spirit  to  move  the  wor- 
shiper. Still  it  is  hard  to  keep  even  silence  sincere. 
I  talked  with  the  president  of  a  fine  college  where 
this  was  practiced  as  a  part  of  the  religious  pro- 
gram. He  told  me  that  he  or  the  dean  of  women  was 
always  on  hand  to  see  that  the  promptings  of  the 
Spirit  which  had  stopped  short  of  the  audible,  were 
always  gathered  up  at  the  end  of  the  session  and 
given  adequate  expression. 

I  heard  the  other  day  about  a  church  where  a  lot 
of  head  work  goes  into  the  direction  of  its  organized 
life.  A  most  excellent  quartette  was  dispensed  with 
because  the  people  listened  to  the  music  and  the  mu- 
sic turned  out  to  be  a  program  instead  of  worship. 

Symbols  are  meagre  enough  in  our  church.  They 
are  means  of  expressing  aspects  of  experience  too 
great  for  mere  words — a  synthesis  of  mind  and  feel- 
ing and  loyalties.  The  Lord's  Supper  and  Baptism 
as  practiced  in  his  church — will  they  impress  this 
boy  as  a  drama  of  some  great  phases  of  human  ex- 
perience or  only  as  peculiar  customs? 

Worship  is  just  one  of  the  many  points  at  which 
the  church  reveals  the  degree  of  its  integrity. 

Distinctive  in  what  it  is.  Sincere  in  what  it  does. 
The  church  that  has  these  qualities  in  generous 
measure  will  make  a  strong  bid  for  this  typical 
fourteen-year-old  insurgent. 


If  you  can't  be  a  pine  on  the  top  of  a  hill, 
Be  a  scrub  in  the  valley — but  be 

The  best  little  scrub  by  the  side  of  the  rill ; 
Be  a  bush  if  you  can't  be  a  tree. 

Douglas  Malloch, 


68 THE  SCROLL 

Disciples  Colleges  1939-40 

From  Survey  by  Secretary  Harlie  L.  Smith 
There  appears  to  be  a  growing  tendency  for  most 
of  the  institutions  not  only  in  this  brotherhood  but 
in  others  as  well  to  become  local  in  character.  In  the 
typical  institutions  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  53  per 
cent  of  the  students  live  within  fifty  miles  of  the 
town  in  which  the  college  is  situated.  The  range  in 
this  respect  is  from  26  to  85  per  cent.  Ninety  per 
cent  of  the  students  reside  within  the  state  in  which 
the  college  is  located,  with  the  range  being  from  64 
per  cent  to  98  per  cent.  In  this  typical  school  only 
one  student  in  ten  has  crossed  the  state  line  in  order 
to  become  a  member  of  the  student  body.  It  would 
appear,  therefore,  that  this  college  might  have  a 
more  homogeneous  student  body  and  that  its  pro- 
gram of  education  can  be  developed  to  meet  the 
needs  of  a  group  of  students  within  its  own  imme- 
diate environment. 

It  is  reported  from  time  to  time  that  there  is  a 
decreasing  interest  on  the  part  of  young  people  of 
college  age  in  the  ministry  and  our  colleges  in  many 
instances  have  been  blamed  for  that  situation  and 
accused  of  not  making  a  sufficient  effort  along  thej 
line  of  enlistment.  Yet,  in  this  typical  institution 
eight  per  cent  of  the  student  body  is  pursuing 
courses  leading  to  the  active  ministry.  However,  the 
range  is  large,  from  one  per  cent  to  22  per  cent, 
among  the  institutions  covered  in  the  study. 

In  spite  of  changed  conditions  and  changing  char- 
acters of  student  bodies,  40  per  cent  of  the  students 
enrolled  in  this  typical  college  are  affiliated  with  or 
have  a  preference  for  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  The 
range  is  from  25  per  cent  to  55  per  cent.  While 
some  might  argue  that  the  percentage  should  be 
much  higher,  it  is  surprising  that  it  is  that  high.  If 
the  college  has  become  more  local  in  nature,  it  would, 
therefore,  appeal  to  and  serve  more  young  people 
from  the  local  community  and  it  would  be  surprising 


THE  SCROLL 69 

if  the  percentage  of  young  people  from  other 
brotherhoods  did  not  increase. 

The  median  increase  in  enrollment  has  not  been 
large,  only  13  per  cent  over  a  period  of  the  past  ten 
years.  However,  there  have  been  wide  differences 
of  shift  in  enrollments  among  the  various  colleges, 
ranging  all  the  way  from  a  loss  of  25  per  cent  to  a 
gain  of  79  per  cent  in  the  decade  from  1929  to  1939. 

The  depression  years  have  dealt  severely  with 
some  of  our  schools.  In  the  matter  of  the  value  of 
physical  property,  the  median  increase  in  value  over 
the  past  ten  years  has  been  five  per  cent.  However, 
with  respect  to  range,  one  school  reports  a  loss  of  50 
per  cent  in  the  value  of  its  physical  property,  where- 
as another  reports  a  gain  of  72  per  cent.  The  pro- 
ductive endowments  have  been  seriously  affected, 
with  a  median  loss  of  five  per  cent  over  the  period  of 
the  past  10  years.  However,  here  again  the  range  is 
extremely  wide,  from  a  gain  in  one  institution  of  74 
per  cent  in  productive  endowment  to  a  loss  at  the 
other  extreme  of  100  per  cent.  In  the  case  of  the  in- 
stitution which  shows  the  large  gain,  the  picture  is 
likely  to  be  distorted  when  dealing  in  percentages, 
since  the  endowment  ten  years  ago  was  very  small 
and  a  74  per  cent  increase  does  not  represent  much 
new  money.  In  the  case  of  the  institution  which  has 
lost  100  per  cent  of  its  productive  endowment,  there 
is  represented  a  loss  of  nearly  three  quarters  of  a 
million  dollars. 

In  addition  to  the  loss  of  principal  sums  of  endow- 
ment, the  colleges  have  suff'ered  from  increase  in 
non-productive  endowment  and  decrease  in  the  rate 
of  return  on  money,  so  that  during  the  ten  year  in- 
terval income  from  endowment  in  the  median  col- 
lege declined  by  26  per  cent.  Under  the  circum- 
stances it  would  be  anticipated  that,  all  things  else 
remaining  equal,  the  student  would  be  called  upon  to 
carry  a  larger  share  of  the  financial  burden  of  his 
education.  This  might  be  accomplished  through  in- 
creasing the  enrollment  or  by  the  increase  in  tuition 


70 THE  SCROLL 

fee  or  both.  Yet  we  have  already  seen  that  the  enroll- 
ment increase  has  been  only  13  per  cent,  whereas  the 
decrease  of  income  from  endowments  was  approxi- 
mately 26  per  cent. 

During  this  period  the  colleges  have  received 
meagre  assistance  from  the  churches  and  there  has 
been  a  median  decrease  of  30  per  cent  in  the  amount 
of  money  coming  from  the  churches  to  the  colleges. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  while  the  student 
bodies  of  the  Disciple  colleges  were  increasing  by  13 
per  cent,  enrollment  in  all  universities  and  colleges 
of  the  nation  increased  by  39  per  cent. 

Our  colleges  of  the  Disciples  have  been  able  to 
weather  the  ten  depression  years  by  increasing  the 
income  from  student  fees  by  the  median  rate  of  26 
per  cent,  so  that  the  students  contribute  from  40  to 
107  per  cent  of  the  expenditures  for  educational  pur- 
poses, with  the  median  percentage  being  80. 


A  clipping  from  Olathe,  Kansas,  says  that  Rev. 
Charles  A.  Stevens  recently  celebrated  his  90th 
birthday,  and  adds,  "Although  90  years  of  age,  Mr. 
Stevens  will  run  up  a  ladder  to  a  scaffold  and  lay 
as  many  bricks  as  any  man  of  40  or  50  years  of  age. 
The  Reverend  Charles  reads  Plato  in  the  original 
for  mental  relaxation,  and  tossing  that  book  aside, 
he  gets  out  his  Hebrew  testament."  Mr.  Stevens  sent 
us  the  clipping  but  he  wrote  on  it,  "Take  the  relaxa- 
tion with  some  salt.  I  relax  in  a  big  Morris  chair. 
I  have  not  read  a  line  of  Plato." 


Mr.  Shell  Harmon,  son  of  H,  H.  Harmon,  is  now 
Rector  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Newton,  Kansas. 
In  preparation  for  the  Episcopal  ministry  he  spent 
one  year  at  Seabury-Western  Theological  Seminary, 
in  Evanston,  Illinois.  He  was  for  several  years  in 
business,  especially  banking,  before  he  decided  to 
enter  the  ministry.  He  has  remarkable  personal 
charm  and  was  a  great  favorite  of  the  late  Bishop 
George  Craig  Stewart. 


THE  SCROLL 71 

North  American  Christian 
Convention 

A.  T.  DeGroot 

During  the  convention  I  was  the  guest  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  James  Harrington,  members  of  Third  Chris- 
tian Church.  Ill  Third  Church  Life,  paper  of  that 
congregation  for  October  10,  Dr.  L  N.  McCash,  for- 
merly President  of  Phillips  University,  was  an- 
nounced as  the  pulpit  guest  for  the  convention  Sun- 
day. The  notice  continued :  "Assuming  that  this  con- 
vention, conducted  by  the  independent  agencies,  will 
be  held  in  the  interest  of  a  closer  unity  among  us, 
the  elders  voted  unanimously  to  invite  this  able,  con- 
secrated, veteran  preacher-educator  to  be  our  guest." 

I  believe  that  the  NACC  can  become  a  means  of 
unity  among  our  people.  In  my  judgment,  one  man 
has  had  more  to  do  with  creating  this  possibility 
than  any  other  group  of  men.  P.  H.  Welshimer  pro- 
vides the  balanced  and  appreciative  spirit  which  is  a 
prerequisite  to  the  growth  of  any  brotherhood.  In 
1927  he  said  of  the  first  NACC,  held  in  the  same  city, 
that  "it  was  an  old-time,  old-fashioned  gospel- 
preaching  season  of  inspiration  and  instruction.  .  .  . 
Those  who  gathered  at  Indianapolis  were  Christians 
who  have  nothing  more  at  heart  than  the  advance- 
ment of  the  Restoration  Movement." 

The  strength  of  the  NACC  is  that  great  back-log 
of  desire  to  relive  the  Christian  experiences  of  a  day 
when  preaching  and  fellowship  in  a  unique  brother- 
hood program  were  more  common  than  they  are 
now.  It  was  an  endeavor  to  do  as  Browning  said  of 
a  certain  feathered  creature — 
That's  the  wise  thrush;  he  sings  each  song  twice 

o'er, 
Lest  one  should  think  he  ne'er  could  recapture 
The  first  fine,  careless  rapture. 

The  weakness  of  the  NACC  is  in  the  promotional 
organs  and  voices  which  have  no  interest  in  brother- 


72 THE  SCROLL 

hood-wide  representation.  No  section  of  any  great 
church  movement  has  a  monopoly  on  passion  or  abil- 
ity in  preaching.  To  me,  the  most  penetrating 
message  presented  to  the  convention  was  in  an  edi- 
torial of  The  Christian-Evangelist,  convention  daily 
for  October  10.  Under  the  title,  "Unity  or  Chaos," 
it  said :  "There  can  be  no  mistake  about  it — either 
Christians  throughout  the  world  must  unite  in  fel- 
lowship or  witness  the  swift  decline  of  their  reli- 
gion. .  .  .  Christianity  has  long  promoted  fellowship. 
It  has  spoken  in  terms  of  brotherhood.  It  has  ac- 
knowledged one  Leader,  even  Christ.  Yet,  what  is 
the  record?  The  Christian  family  dwells  in  its  many 
denominational  camps.  .  .  .  We  bog  down  most  fre- 
quently when  we  inquire  about  how  to  get  to  first 
base  in  Christian  fellowship.  .  .  .  Our  job  is  to  roll  up 
our  sleeves  and  ask  Christians  of  whatever  brand  to 

join  with  us  in  the  fellowship  of  honest  work." 

*  *     *     * 

W.  E.  Sweeney  taught  a  lesson  to  convention  pre- 
siders  which  should  be  of  profit  for  a  long  time  to 
come.  When,  on  Friday  evening,  a  half  hour  of  ex- 
tra announcements,  music  and  business  were  inject- 
ed into  the  period  he  said,  "My  subject  is,  'Are  We 
Ready  to  Give  up  the  Plea?',  and  my  answer  is  'No.' 

I  hope  you  all  have  a  good  night's  sleep." 

*  *     *     * 

I  wonder  if  others  became  as  confused  as  I  did  in 
reading  about  Walter  Scott's  famous  five  finger  exer- 
cise, in  the  convention  program?  On  page  II  it  was 
given  as  "faith,  repentance,  confession,  baptism  and 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  On  page  XVII  it  was 
listed  in  heavy  black  type  as  "hearing,  believing,  re- 
pentance, confession,  baptism." 

^  ^  "¥•  ^ 

The  convention  maintained  its  announced  inten- 
tion not  to  bestir  "the  matters  that  are  in  dispute 
among  us  to  no  purpose  and  much  to  the  hurt  of  our 
fellowship," — until  shortly  before  noon  on  Friday. 
It  looked  like  almost  an  act  of  providential  judg- 


THE   SCROLL 73 

ment  that,  when  for  the  first  time  the  problems  of 
brotherhood  methods  and  organizations  were  given 
full  display  like  a  family  washing,  the  lightning 
struck.  For,  as  the  people  went  out  the  doors  a  few 
minutes  later,  all  were  handed  a  free  copy  of  a  pa- 
per of  national  circulation  which  devoted  all  its 
space  to  belaboring  the  Christian  Standard  and  its 
supporters  for  being  modernistic,  commercially 
minded,  and  untrue  to  the  Faith. 

In  September  I  brought  out  a  book  entitled  "The 
Grounds  of  Divisions  Among  the  Disciples  of 
Christ."  You  may  save  yourself  the  task  of  reading 
it,  as  far  as  its  essential  findings  are  concerned,  by 
simply  remembering  the  incident  noted  above.  After 
all,  the  problem  of  brotherhood  unity  is  simply  the 
problem  of  mutual  respect.  A  few  of  our  brethren, 
but  only  a  few  (though  some  have  the  means  or  the 
faculty  of  securing  the  means  for  publicity)  are  sure 
that  only  he  and  a  select  circle  of  agreeing  voices  are 
following  a  method  of  work  which  bears  Divine  ap- 
proval. As  an  avid  reader  of  many  journals,  I  could 
line  up  some  eight  or  nine  organs  in  the  total  Res- 
toration Movement,  the  theme  song  of  each  being 
"that  next  bunch  of  fellows  is  modernistic  and  un- 
true to  the  faith."  In  spite  of  the  tragedy  of  such  a 
breakdown  of  a  unity  movement,  we  should  have  the 
objectivity  to  see  how  silly  such  a  charge  is.  Isn't 
there  a  bit  of  "poetry"  which  runs  thusly? 

Big  fleas  have  little  fleas 

To  prey  upon  and  bite  'em, 

And  little  fleas  have  lesser  fleas. 

And  so,  ad  infinitum. 


Abe  Cory  is  retiring  from  the  Pension  Fund.  He 
has  been  a  gallant  warrior  for  the  Lord  and  we  hope 
he  receives  a  sufficient  pension  to  keep  him  happy 
and  circulating  among  the  brethren  for  many  years 
to  come.  He  has  some  qualifications  of  a  dictator 
but  he  knows  pretty  well  the  limits  of  dictatorship  in 
Disciple  democracy. 


74 THE  SCROLL 

Selecting  a  Minister 

/.  M.  B.  Birdwhistell,  Laivrencehurg ,  Ky. 

In  selecting  a  minister  for  a  congregation,  great 
care  should  be  exercised  and  one  should  be  chosen 
that  meets  the  tastes  and  requirements  of  the  people 
to  whom  he  is  to  minister.  Not  all  congregations 
will  be  satisfied  with  the  same  character  of  preach- 
ing or  management.  One  will  be  delighted  with  that 
which  would  not  be  tolerated  with  another. 

I  have  had  a  good  deal  of  experience  in  dealing 
with  preachers.  I  am  eighty-four  years  of  age,  and 
have  been  an  elder  in  the  local  Christian  Church  for 
fifty-eight  years.  I  have  come  in  contact  with  all 
kinds  of  preachers,  good,  bad  and  indifferent.  I  ought 
to  be  able  to  speak  with  some  degree  of  authority  on 
this  subject.  In  the  first  place  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  we  are  living  in  a  changing  age,  an  age 
of  progress.  A  minister  of  fifty  years  ago  will  find 
himself  out  of  step  in  the  modern  world.  Horse  and 
buggy  plans  will  not  meet  the  requirements  of  this 
age  of  progress.  You  cannot  satisfy  the  public  with 
the  status  quo  in  any  department  of  life.  Merchants, 
lawyers,  doctors,  farmers,  politicians  all  must  ad- 
just themselves  to  the  changing  conditions.  Even 
the  milliner  cannot  sell  a  woman  a  last  year's  hat. 

Let  me  give  something  that  has  happened  with  the 
congregation  with  which  I  am  connected.  Some 
forty  years  ago  the  building  in  which  we  were  wor- 
shiping was  destroyed  by  fire.  We  contracted  with 
a  builder  to  erect  another  church  on  the  same 
ground,  the  price  being  $5,000.00.  We  considered 
that  our  limit.  About  eighteen  years  ago,  we  sold 
that  building,  bought  another  lot  and  erected  a  build- 
ing with  all  the  latest  improvements  and  according 
to  modern  architecture.  It  cost  us,  together  with 
residence  on  an  adjacent  lot  used  as  a  parsonage, 
some  $100,000.00  and  that  sum  has  been  paid  in  full. 
The  organ  in  the  new  church  cost  more  than  the  old 


THE  SCROLL 75 

building.  And  this  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that  a  few 
years  ago  the  congregation  split  on  the  organ  ques- 
tion, and  half  of  the  officers  withdrew  from  the  con- 
gregation. 

In  the  old  days  we  had  a  minister  who  was  a  non- 
resident and  came  twice  a  month.  For  the  last 
twenty  years  we  have  had  a  resident  pastor  who  is 
at  hand  to  meet  the  demands  at  all  hours. 

Now  as  to  the  requirements  of  the  minister.  In 
the  first  place  he  should  be  a  man  of  unquestioned 
character.  His  life  should  be  above  reproach.  He 
should  be  a  man  with  a  liberal  education.  He  should 
be  able  to  rightly  divide  the  Word  of  Truth.  He 
should  be  able  to  preach  with  the  spirit  and  under- 
standing. The  Church  service  should  be  dignified 
with  the  minimum  of  ceremony,  plain,  helpful  and 
with  some  enthusiasm.,  but  not  too  much.  I  do  not 
like  to  hear  a  minister  rant.  The  sermon  should  con- 
tain food  for  thought,  so  that  all  who  have  heard 
shall  have  received  strength  for  the  exigencies  of  the 
coming  week.  Some  good  music  will  add  to  the  en- 
joyment and  helpfulness  of  the  occasion. 

Next  I  would  place  sociability.  One  who  desires 
to  make  friends  must  be  friendly.  It  has  been  said 
that  Caesar  knew  the  name  of  every  man  in  his 
army.  The  minister  should  be  able  to  call  by  name 
every  member  of  his  congregation,  and  meet  each 
one  with  a  hearty  hand  clasp.  I  once  heard  of  a  good 
woman  who  went  to  hear  her  pastor  three  times  and 
each  time  she  had  to  be  introduced  to  him.  She  gave 
up  in  despair  and  quit.  The  minister  might  take  a 
few  lessons  from  the  politician  who  knows  the  ne- 
cessity of  being  a  good  hand  shaker.  In  this  connec- 
tion it  may  be  said  that  he  should  not  overlook  the 
sick  and  those  who  are  in  distress.  I  have  known 
those  who  have  made  lasting  friends  by  ministering 
to  them  in  the  day  of  trouble. 

The  minister  should  keep  in  touch  with  the 
finances  of  the  church.    He  need  not  except  in  cases 


76 THE  SCROLL 

of  emergency  take  an  active  hand  in  this  matter  but 
he  must  know  that  the  finances  are  in  a  healthful 
condition  and  that  all  bills  are  paid  promptly.  All 
indebtedness  should  by  all  means  be  liquidated  at  the 
end  of  the  year,  unless  debts  on  buildings,  and  then 
a  substantial  payment  should  be  paid  on  these. 

Finally,  the  minister  should  consider  himself  the 
chairman  of  every  committee  and  should  know  all 
about  their  activities.  He  is  the  chief  executive  of 
the  church  and  should  have  an  oversight  of  all  its 
activities. 


Dean  Aylesworth  writes:  About  this  ranking  of 
ministerial  activities,  I  would  rank  them  as  follows, 
but  sincerely  hope  that  no  minister  would  have  to  de- 
pend on  any  one  of  these  qualities  alone  and  further 
recognizing  that  one  church  might  need  one  activity 
more  than  another,  at  some  particular  time  in  its  his- 
tory, here  is  the  list: 

1.  Preaching. 

2.  Having  a  dignified  church  service,  good  music, 
etc. 

3.  Sociability. 

4.  Financial  direction. 

5.  Public  activities. 

Raymond  Baldwin  says:  I  would  rate  the  minis- 
terial activities  listed  in  your  letter  as  follows : 

1.  Preaching. 

2.  Public  activities,  etc. 

3.  Sociability. 

4.  Having  a  dignified  church  service. 

5.  Financial  direction. 


The  religious  aifiliation  of  the  presidents  of  the 
United  States  is  as  follows:  Episcopalians  9;  Pres- 
byterians 7;  Unitarians  4;  Methodists  4;  Dutch  Re- 
formed 2 ;  Baptist  1 ;  Congregational  1 ;  Disciples  1 ; 
Quakers  1;  Unaffiliated  2. 


THE  SCROLL 77 

Letter  to  the  Editor 

Mr.  Herschell  Richmond  supplied  for  the  Disciple 
Church  at  West  Rupert,  Vermont,  during  last  July 
and  August,  1940.  The  following  letter  from  him 
indicates  one  of  the  reasons  why  ye  Editor  is  a  Dis- 
ciple! The  letter  reflects  the  tense  antagonisms  be- 
tween denominations  that  were  characteristic  of 
that  period. 

"Dear  Dr.  Ames:  I  was  really  surprised  to  learn 
that  your  father  had  his  first  pastorate  among  the 
Disciples  here.  Since  receiving  your  letter  I  have 
been  searching  through  all  the  material  I  could  find 
on  the  early  history  of  this  church.  From  what  little 
I  could  find  I  am  sure  that  this  church  has  had  a 
rather  colorful  history.  It  was  started  by  a  small 
group  of  persons  converted  by  Alexander  Campbell 
when  he  passed  through  this  section  on  a  preaching 
tour.  The  congregation  steadily  grew  and  their  most 
serious  trouble  was  some  kind  of  a  wrangle  over  the 
old  church  building  which  was  erected  in  1841.  Then 
in  1860  they  experienced  what  Mr.  Hayden  called  a 
'crisis.'  The  congregation  had  just  settled  the  dis- 
pute over  the  building  when  the  minister,  W.  W. 
Clayton,  was  'led  off  by  the  specious  sophistries  and 
deceptive  philosophy  of  Universalist  theories.'  Soon 
after  this  Mr.  Hayden  came.  .  .  . 

"Some  of  the  material  that  I  have  found  relating  to 
the  beginning  of  the  church  here  will  perhaps  inter- 
est you.  I  have  copied  a  few  paragraphs  from  a 
pamphlet  prepared  for  a  celebration  here  by  Mr. 
Hayden.  I  was  very  much  interested  in  his  account 
of  your  father's  conversion,  and  I  thought  that  per- 
haps you  might  not  happen  to  have  this  version  of 
it." 

The  following  extracts  are  from  the  "Semi-Cen- 
tennial History  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  at  West 
Rupert,  Vermont"  by  W.  L.  Hayden,  published  about 
1887. 

"In  the  summer  of  1836  Alexander  Campbell  made 


78 THE  SCROLL 

an  extended  tour  of  the  East,  through  Buffalo, 
Rochester,  Auburn,  Syracuse,  Saratoga,  and  thence 
to  Boston,  Lynn,  and  Salem,  Massachusetts.  While 
enroute,  in  July,  1836,  he  stopped  two  days  and 
preached  several  sermons  in  the  Methodist  meeting 
house  at  Pawlet,  Rutland  County,  Vermont.  His 
fame  having  preceded  him,  people  flocked  to  hear 
him  from  great  distances,  and  many  v^ere  profound- 
ly impressed  by  the  captivating  simplicity  of  his 
manner  and  the  charming  eloquence  of  the  evidently 
scriptural  thoughts  which  he  presented.  His  dis- 
courses were  brilliant  flashes  of  heavenly  light 
amidst  the  dense  darkness  of  theological  speculations 
and  textuary  scrappings  of  the  divine  revelation, 
which  were  so  common  in  the  sermonizing  of  half  a 
century  ago." 

"Among  those  who  heard  Mr.  Campbell  at  Pawlet 
was  Dr.  Charles  J.  White  of  Hebron,  New  York. 
(Hebron  is  only  a  few  miles  from  West  Rupert.)  Dr. 
White,  after  much  study  of  the  Bible,  became  con- 
verted to  Alexander  Campbell's  view  and  began  to 
preach  and  write.  'He  began  at  once  to  assemble 
those  who  wished  to  be  known  only  as  Disciples  of 
Christ'  at  West  Rupert.  According  to  the  earliest 
record  of  the  church,  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  meeting 
weekly  in  West  Rupert,  were  organized  on  Lord's 
Day,  the  24th  of  December,  1837." 

"Mr.  W.  L.  Hayden  began  his  pastorate  with  the 
West  Rupert  Church  on  September  15,  1861.  He 
apparently  was  very  successful  in  building  up  the 
church  in  the  next  few  years." 

"In  February,  1863,  while  Mr.  Hayden  and  J.  H. 
Gardinier,  a  visiting  evangelist,  were  engaged  in  a 
revival  meeting,  the  two  preachers  called  upon  the 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church,  L.  B.  Ames.  In  a 
brief  conversation,  in  response  to  an  invitation  to 
attend  the  meeting,  he  said :  'I  believe  you  teach  a 
damnable  heresy,  and  that  your  doctrine  sends  more 
souls  to  hell  than  Universalism.'  These  seeming 
harsh  words  were  uttered  with  such  evident  sin- 


THE  SCROLL 79 

cerity  that  they  left  no  sting.  But  when  his  preju- 
dices were  made  public  by  his  refusal,  on  the  occa- 
sion of  the  funeral  of  Ruth  Weed,  to  announce  an 
appointment  at  the  brick  church,  an  interview  was 
had  with  him,  and  he  was  kindly  asked  to  specify 
what  was  so  objectionable  to  him  in  the  teaching  of 
the  Disciples.  He  then  invited  W.  L.  Hayden  to  spend 
a  day  with  him  at  his  house,  with  a  view  to  bringing 
him  on  the  right  ground.  The  invitation  was  gladly 
accepted,  and  the  day  was  fully  spent  in  a  thorough 
canvass  of  the  differences  between  the  Baptists  and 
Disciples.  He  was  not  convinced  by  the  discussion, 
but  he  was  thoroughly  aroused,  and  he  determined  to 
squarely  meet  the  issues  and  overthrow  the  teach- 
ings that  stood  in  the  way  of  his  work." 

"On  the  first  Monday  in  March,  1864,  he  called  up- 
on Mr.  Hayden  at  G.  Sherman's  residence  and  said : 
'After  months  of  investigation,  agony,  and  prayer, 
I  have  reached  the  conclusion  that  you  are  right  and 
I  was  wrong  in  the  matter  of  the  difference  between 
us,  and  I  have  decided  to  resign  my  pastorate  and 
unite  with  the  Disciples.'  He  did  so,  and  on  the  first 
Lord's  Day  in  April,  1864,  he  was  received  into  the 
fellowship  of  this  church  and  preached  a  sermon, 
without  a  note,  on  the  'Glorious  Gospel  of  the  Bless- 
ed God'  that  astonished  and  delighted  all  his  hearers. 
He  has  preached  acceptably  among  the  Disciples 
ever  since,  honored  and  esteemed  by  all  who  know 

him."  

"I  do  not  think  that  skies  and  meadows  are 
Moral,  or  that  the  fixture  of  a  star 
Comes  of  a  quiet  spirit,  or  that  trees 
Have  wisdom  in  their  windless  silences. 
Yet  these  are  things  invested  in  my  mood 
With  constancy — and  peace — and  fortitude — 
That  in  my  troubled  season  I  can  cry 
Upon  the  wide  composure  of  the  sky — 
And  envy  field,  and  wish  that  I  might  be 
As  little  daunted  as  a  star  or  tree." 

— John  Drinkwater. 


80 THE  SCROLL 

A  Confession  of  Faith* 

sterling  W.  Brown,  Drake  University 

I  do  not  speak  of  my  religious  faith  in  a  spirit  of 
boasting  for  I  realize  that  "faith  without  works  is 
dead."  Nor  do  I  seek  to  impress  you  by  talking 
about  myself  for  "faith  worketh  by  love."  And  I  do 
not  believe  it  is  modesty  that  prompts  me  to  be  so 
personal  though  the  Scripture  does  say  "him  that  is 
weak  in  the  faith  receive  ye,  though  not  to  doubtful 
disputation."  My  remarks  are  prompted  by  the  in- 
junction "give  a  reason  for  the  faith  that  is  within 
you,"  and  by  an  honest  desire  that  "together  we  may 
be  looking  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and  finisher  of  our 
faith  .  .  .  that  we  may  with  one  mind  strive  together 
for  the  faith  of  the  gospel." 

Like  that  of  most  individuals  my  religion  is  in  a 
very  real  sense  partly  a  heritage  of  the  past.  My  fa- 
ther is  a  Christian,  a  Protestant,  a  Disciple  and,  I 
think  I  should  add,  a  Texas  Democrat.  I  am  a  Chris- 
tian, a  Protestant,  and  a  Disciple.  My  father  is  a 
reticent,  quiet,  and  unassuming  personality.  He  is  a 
farmer — a  man  of  the  soil  and  has  never  desired  to 
be  anything  else.  He  loves  the  smell  of  fresh  plowed 
earth  and  the  sight  of  the  pink  and  white  blossoms 
of  growing  cotton.  The  order  of  nature  about  him 
holds  his  trust  and  confidence  and  it  was  from  him 
that  I  learned  first  the  sense  of  at-homeness  in  this 
universe  and  an  appreciation  of  all  growing  things. 

My  mother  is  an  active  and  ambitious  person. 
Hers  is  an  intuitive  faith  in  God.  As  a  small  boy  I 
listened  to  her  sing  the  old  hymns  of  a  frontier  faith 
—"The  Way  of  the  Cross,"  "Work  for  the  Night  Is 
Coming,"  "What  a  Friend  We  Have  in  Jesus."  One 
of  my  earliest  memories  is  of  an  experience  during  a 
raging  storm.  When  I  became  frightened  my  mother 
took  me  in  her  arms  and  told  me  that  this  universe 
was  ruled  by  a  Creator  in  whom  she  had  faith  and 
trust.     Since  that  experience  I   have   never  been 


♦Initial  sermon  in  the  University  Church  of  Christ,  Des  Moines,  la. 


THE  SCROLL 81 

frightened  by  a  storm.  At  times  I  like  to  walk  in  a 
storm  and  feel  the  fury  of  the  wind  and  the  beat  of 
rain  in  my  face. 

I  am  also  the  recipient  of  negative  learning  from 
an  aunt  of  mine  who  was  known  as  a  "shouting 
Methodist."  She  insisted  that  the  church  to  which 
my  parents  belonged  had  no  "religion  of  the  heart" 
but  only  a  "religion  of  the  head."  On  certain  occa- 
sions she  would  glorify  her  own  faith  and,  if  she 
were  encouraged,  this  would  lead  into  an  emotional 
activity  known  as  "shouting."  From  this  associa- 
tion I  developed  a  prejudice  against  emotional  reli- 
gion and  over-pious  individuals.  But  I  also  learned 
that  the  Disciples  have  practiced  a  "religion  of  the 
head,"  a  faith  that  is  reasonable  and  practical. 

The  visits  of  ministers  in  our  home  were  occasions 
unlike  any  other  that  I  experienced.  Our  Sunday  din- 
ners were  more  bountiful  than  usual  and  all  the  chil- 
dren were  warned  to  be  on  their  good  behaviour.  I 
was  somewhat  overcome  by  the  general  bearing  and 
attitude  of  ministers  and  I  determined  in  my  heart 
that  I  would  never  be  a  preacher.  This  was,  of 
course,  another  impression  which  worked  in  reverse. 

During  the  summer  months  I  would  attend  the  re- 
vival meetings  which  were  held  each  year  in  our 
small  town.  The  Baptists  usually  would  lead  off  late 
in  July  with  a  three  weeks'  "protracted"  meeting,  to 
be  followed  by  the  Methodists,  the  Presbyterians, 
and  occasionally  the  Disciples.  The  last  group  to 
come  were  what  we  called  the  "Holy  Rollers,"  and 
they  usually  stayed  until  frost  nipped  their  piety.  It 
was  during  one  of  these  revivals,  sponsored  by  our 
own  church,  that  I  learned  something  of  church 
quarrels.  The  evangelist  who  held  this  meeting 
brought  along  his  own  song  leader.  A  conflict 
ensued  between  this  professional  leader  and  the  local 
red-haired  song  leader.  The  battle  was  so  intense 
that  for  many  years  afterwards  the  local  towns- 
people referred  to  the  choir  of  our  church  as  the 
"War  Department." 


82 THE  SCROLL 

My  religious  faith  seemed  to  grow  most  rapidly 
while  I  was  a  student  for  eleven  years  in  college, 
seminary  and  university.  Nine  of  those  eleven  years 
were  spent  in  institutions  sponsored  by  the  Disciples. 
During  most  of  these  years  I  received  aid  in  the  form 
of  scholarships  but  I  also  found  it  necessary  to  work 
for  the  additional  money  required  to  pay  my  ex- 
penses. The  many  jobs  I  held  and  the  participation 
in  extra-curricular  activities  seemed  to  have  as  much 
to  do  with  my  mental  and  physical  development  as 
the  regular  curriculum.  As  an  undergraduate  I  cap- 
tained a  minor  sports  team,  represented  my  alma 
mater  in  several  national  religious  conferences, 
edited  a  yearbook  and  served  as  an  officer  for  my 
class.  I  also  worked  in  an  undertaking  parlor,  a 
tailor  shop,  a  department  store,  served  as  janitor  of 
a  church,  sold  programs  at  athletic  events,  and  man- 
aged a  track  team  for  one  season.  All  of  these  ex- 
periences have  been  a  part  of  my  developing  reli- 
gious faith  in  one  sense  or  another.  I  am  very  grate- 
ful to  the  institutions  to  which  I  owe  so  much.  The 
heritage  they  gave  me  includes  faith  in  myself,  faith 
in  God,  and  a  deep  loyalty  to  and  hope  for  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ. 

The  friendships  which  I  formed  during  these 
years  had  a  profound  influence  on  my  thinking.  I 
have  carried  through  my  life  from  adolescent  days  a 
sort  of  hero  worship.  One  of  the  earliest  recipients 
of  this  honor  was  my  home  pastor,  Walter  Perry 
Jennings,  a  lovable,  kindly,  humble  man  who  was  an 
able  pastor.  One  of  his  favorite  sermon  topics  was, 
"The  Joy  of  Working  With  God."  He  exemplified 
this  in  his  own  attitude  toward  the  work  of  the  King- 
dom. It  was  through  his  influence,  most  of  it  indi- 
rect and  unknown  to  him,  that  my  initial  interest  in 
the  ministry  developed  and  it  was  my  love  and  ad- 
miration for  him  which  lead  me  at  a  later  date  to 
enter  the  ministry. 

While  I  was  a  student  in  Texas  Christian  Univer- 
sity I  became  very  devoted  to  my  professor  of  Old 


THE  SCROLL 83 

Testament,  Dr.  Clinton  Lockhart.  He  taught  me  the 
beauty  and  majesty  of  the  Old  Testament  and  also 
instructed  me  to  add  virtue  to  faith  by  insisting  that 
I  not  use  the  King  James  Bible  as  a  "pony"  for 
translating  the  Hebrew.  Dr.  Lockhart  has  always 
symbolized  to  me  the  majesty  and  beauty  of  think- 
ing of  God  as  the  Creator.  Over  a  dozen  years  ago 
my  fellow  students  said  that  Dr.  Lockhart  was  such 
a  good  man  he  would  never  die.  I  presume  they  must 
have  been  right  for  he  is  still  actively  engaged  in 
teaching  though  he  is  over  eighty  years  of  age. 

At  the  University  of  Chicago  my  first  "hero"  was 
my  major  professor,  Dr.  W.  C.  Bower.  He  taught 
me  a  new  appreciation  of  the  educational  function  of 
the  church.  Prof.  Bower  is  a  deeply  religious  man 
with  an  almost  meticulous  regard  for  details.  From 
him  I  learned  the  meaning  of  sound  academic  work 
as  a  preparation  for  work  in  the  Kingdom  of  God.  It 
was  also  at  the  University  of  Chicago  that  I  first 
learned  to  know  and  respect  Dr.  Edward  Scribner 
Ames  of  the  Disciples  Divinity  House.  He  took  more 
personal  interest  in  students  preparing  for  the  min- 
istry than  any  man  I  have  ever  met.  He  takes  as  his 
life-theme,  "Prove  all  things  and  hold  fast  to  that 
which  is  good."  From  him  I  developed  new  hope  for 
the  future  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  and  a  keen  ap- 
preciation of  their  past  history.  Having  served  in  a 
minor  way  on  the  staff  of  his  church  and  as  head- 
resident  in  the  Divinity  House,  I  developed  a  close 
friendship  for  Dr.  Ames.  More  than  any  other  per- 
son who  has  been  placed  in  my  "hall  of  fame"  he  has 
continued  to  show  an  active  interest  in  my  welfare. 

Like  most  people  who  are  devoting  their  energies 
to  religious  work  I  was  brought  up  in  the  sheltering 
care  of  the  church.  In  my  particular  case  this  is  al- 
most literally  true,  for  I  lived  in  the  basement  of  my 
home  church  at  Lubbock,  Texas,  and  served  as  its 
caretaker  for  several  years.  I  was  supervised  by 
forty  women  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  and  I  learned 
in  those  early  years  that  the  church  is  "manned"  by 


84 THE  SCROLL 

women.  My  views  have  changed  and  broadened 
since  those  adolescent  days  and  it  is  my  hope  that 
my  faith  will  never  become  static.  Perhaps  I  should 
indicate  more  specifically  what  the  elements  of  my 
faith  actually  are. 

This  universe  in  which  we  live  and  move  and  have 
our  being  is  our  home  and  its  creator  is  God.  There 
is  evil  and  there  is  good  in  our  world.  Certain  forces 
seem  to  be  favorable  to  the  development  of  human 
personality  and  certain  forces  seem  often  to  thwart 
the  enrichment  of  life.  I  believe  that  this  universe 
is  governed  by  the  laws  of  God  which  are  the  same 
as  the  laws  of  Nature.  I  doubt  if  these  laws  are  ever 
broken  by  the  thrust  of  the  human  or  divine  hand. 
It  seems  to  me  that  we  live  most  abundantly  when 
we  co-operate  with  the  "personality-producing 
forces"  which  we  find  in  our  world.  I  don't  like 
everything  I  find  in  our  world,  but  I  don't  intend  to 
attempt  to  change  all  those  things.  My  theme  is  to 
"make  the  most  of  life." 

I  believe  in  God  the  Father  Spirit  of  us  all.  To  me 
God  is  the  symbol  of  all  that  is  good  as  over  against 
that  which  is  evil,  of  that  which  is  beautiful  as  con- 
trasted with  that  which  is  ugly,  of  that  which  is  true 
as  against  that  which  is  false. 

I  believe  in  Jesus  and  accept  his  way  of  life.  I  am 
convinced  of  his  divinity  as  an  attainment  in  terms 
of  the  quality  of  the  life  that  he  lived. 

I  love  and  appreciate  the  Bible  as  the  word  of 
God — a  record  of  the  religious  experiences  of  the  He- 
brews and  early  Christians  as  well  as  the  major 
source  for  the  life  and  teaching  of  Jesus. 

I  believe  in  the  church  as  the  voluntary  fellowship 
of  all  those  who  seek  to  make  the  ideals  and  attitudes 
of  Jesus  explicit  in  their  lives. 

I  believe  in  the  Disciples  of  Christ  as  a  religious 
movement  with  an  intellectually  respectable  history 
and  a  hopeful  future.  As  Disciples  of  Christ,  follow- 
ers of  Christ,  we  share  with  all  those  of  whatever 
creed  or  name  the  task  of  propagating  Jesus'  way  of 
Love  and  GOOD  WILL. 


THE  SCROLL  85 


Disciple  Reasonableness 

That  there  is  a  quality  of  common  sense  reason- 
ableness in  Disciple  mentality  even  among  the  con- 
servatives is  shown  in  the  following  quotation  from 
the  Christian  Standard's  report  of  the  North  Ameri- 
can Christian  Convention  recently  held  in  Indianapo- 
lis: 

"Never  did  we  hear  complaint  that  there  was  too 
much  of  this  appeal  to  the  rational.  Evidently  the 
crowd  wanted  to  give  careful  thought  to  doctrine. . . . 
This  attitude  is  true  to  the  tradition  of  our  move- 
ment, and  is  an  entirely  proper  antidote  to  the  sort 
of  attitude  that  has  afflicted  us,  both  in  our  evan- 
gelism and  in  the  modernistic  attack  upon  our  cause. 
The  real  curse  that  we  have  been  fighting  is  the  ef- 
fort to  substitute  emotionalism  for  the  clear,  logical 
thinking  that  made  our  people  great  for  all  those 
early  decades.  The  most  promising  thing  on  the 
horizon  is  the  fact  that  the  brethren  revel  in  such 
deeply  doctrinal  discussions  as  our  fathers  held." 

The  Scroll  takes  pleasure  in  agreeing  with  the 
Standard  in  this  understanding  of  the  temper  of  the 
Disciples.  When  the  Disciples  turned  away  from  the 
traditional  creedal  forms  of  Christianity  and  cen- 
tered upon  practical  allegiance  to  Jesus  Christ,  they 
opened  a  new  chapter  in  Protestantism.  In  fact  they 
took  a  step  beyond  Protestantism.  Extreme  emo- 
tionalism, and  pietistic  mysticism,  have  never  been 
dominant  traits  among  us.  Our  preaching  has  been 
more  didactic,  expository,  and  argumentative,  with 
urgent  exhortation  to  act  upon  the  truth  thus  pre- 
sented. Our  "rationalism"  has  been  more  a  mat- 
ter of  reasoning  about  the  facts  and  the  promises 
than  of  rationalism  in  the  sense  of  the  old  meta- 
physics. We  have  been  eminently  practical,  em- 
pirical and  pragmatic. 


86 THE  SCROLL 

From  a  Personal  Letter 

Clarence  H.  Hamilton,  Oberlin,  Ohio 

During  the  summer  I  received  notification  from 
the  Executive  Committee  of  the  American  Council 
of  Learned  Societies  that  I  had  been  appointed 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Chinese  Studies,  one 
of  the  development  committees  under  the  Council. 
This  Committee  has  as  its  function  the  review  and 
promotion  of  basic  sinological  studies  in  the  United 
States.  Other  members  from  institutions  doing  im- 
portant work  in  the  field  are  the  following  scholars : 
Knight  Biggerstaff  of  Cornell  University,  George 
Kennedy  of  Yale,  Herrlee  Creel  of  the  University  of 
Chicago,  Ferdinand  Lessing  of  the  University  of 
California,  and  James  R.  Ware  of  the  Harvard- 
Yenching  Institute.  In  the  past  three  years  I  have 
served  as  one  of  the  committee's  members.  During 
that  time  we  have  examined  projects  submitted  to 
us,  made  recommendations  for  grants  in  aid  of  study 
and  research,  and  sponsored  or  assisted  summer  in- 
stitutes in  Far  Eastern  Studies  in  such  centers  as 
Harvard,  University  of  California,  and  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan.  Another  A.C.L.S.  committee  on 
which  I  serve  is  that  on  Research  and  Teaching  Per- 
sonnel in  the  Humanities.  Of  that  Professor  McKeon 
of  the  University  of  Chicago  is  Chairman.  This  com- 
mittee receives  applications  from  all  the  different 
development  committees  over  the  entire  field  of  hu- 
mane studies.  My  function  on  it  is  to  evaluate  es- 
pecially the  Chinese  projects.  We  vote  grants  from 
funds  provided  for  the  purpose  by  the  Rockefeller 
Foundation.  On  this  committee  are  men  like  Dean 
Chase  of  Harvard,  Professor  Chinard  of  Princeton, 
Sturtevant  of  Yale,  and  Malone  of  Johns  Hopkins. 
You  will  see  that  my  functions  on  the  two  commit- 
tees are  related. 


THE  SCROLL 87 

Theme  for  December  Scroll 

There  is  an  unsatisfied  longing  in  the  soul  of  the 
Editor  to  have  members  of  the  Institute  face  the 
question,  Do  the  Disciples  have  a  distinctive 
message?  Therefore  the  December  Scroll  will 
have  expressions  of  opinion  on  this  inquiry : 

Which  of  the  following  elements  in  the  "plea"  of 
the  Disciples  need  most  to  be  proclaimed  today? 

1.  Union — of  what  kind  and  on  what  basis? 

2.  A  reasonable  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures. 

3.  Faith  in  the  person  and  teaching  of  Jesus  with- 
out theological  interpretation. 

4.  The  autonomy  of  the  local  church. 

5.  The  missionary  spirit  at  home  and  abroad. 

6.  The  American  and  democratic  spirit  of  Disciple 
Churches. 

7.  Conversion  as  an  acceptance  and  pursuit  of  the 
Christian  way  of  life  as  the  individual  sees  it. 

8.  Fellowship  with  Christ  through  frequent  observ- 
ance of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

9.  A  sane  and  practical  spirit  without  undue  emo- 
tion or  mouthing  of  pious  phrases. 

10.  Sympathy  and  cooperation  in  great  social  move- 
ments, education,  temperance,  peace,  social  jus- 
tice, and  righteousness. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perry  J.  Rice  celebrated  their  fiftieth 
wedding  anniversary  on  November  3,  and  were  the 
recipients  of  very  numerous  congratulations  from 
their  many  friends  all  over  the  country.  It  is  pleas- 
ant to  think  of  them  being  comfortably  settled  in  the 
balmy  clime  of  California.  We  shall  hope  to  see 
them  at  St.  Louis  in  May. 


88 THE  SCROLL 

"What  Is  Golf" 

Fred  Bucher  of  the  Parker  Inn,  Albion,  Michigan,  recently  published 
a  little  folder  including  the  following  article  about  golf.  Since  so  many 
of  our  ministers  are  interested  in  this  pastime,  perhaps  it  will  be  illumi- 
nating. 

"Golf  is  a  form  of  work  made  expensive  enough 
for  a  man  to  enjoy  it.  It  is  physical  and  mental  ex- 
ertion made  attractive  by  the  fact  that  you  have  to 
dress  for  it  in  a  $200,000  clubhouse. 

"Golf  is  what  letter-carrying,  ditch-digging  and 
carpet-beating  would  be  if  those  three  tasks  had  to 
be  performed  on  the  same  hot  afternoon,  in  short 
pants  and  colored  socks,  by  gouty-looking  gentlemen 
who  require  a  different  implement  for  every  mood. 

"Golf  is  the  simplest  looking  game  in  the  world 
when  you  decide  to  take  it  up,  and  the  toughest  after 
you  have  been  at  it  ten  or  twelve  years. 

"It  is  probably  the  only  known  game  a  man  can 
play  as  long  as  a  quarter  of  a  century  and  then  dis- 
cover that  it  was  too  deep  for  him  in  the  first  place. 

"The  idea  is  to  get  the  golf  ball  from  a  given  point 
into  each  of  the  eighteen  cups  in  the  fewest  strokes 
and  the  greatest  number  of  words. 

"The  ball  must  not  be  thrown,  pushed  or  carried. 
It  must  be  propelled  by  about  $200.00  worth  of  curi- 
ous looking  implements,  especially  designed  to  pro- 
voke the  owner. 

"After  the  final,  or  eighteenth  hole  the  golfer  adds 
up  his  score  and  stops  when  he  has  reached  eighty- 
seven.  He  then  has  a  swim,  a  pint  of  gin,  sings 
'Sweet  Adeline'  with  six  or  eight  other  liars,  and 
calls  it  the  end  of  a  perfect  day." 


O  Thou,  who  Man  of  baser  Earth  did  make, 
And  ev'n  with  Paradise  devise  the  Snake ; 

For  all  the  sin  wherewith  the  Face  of  Man 
Is  blackened — Man's  forgiveness  give, — and  take ! 
Fitzgerald's  Rubaiyat  of  Omar  Khayyam. 


THE  SCROLL  89 


A  Rewarding  Book 

Can  Religious  Education  Be  Christian,  by  Profes- 
sor Harrison  S.  Elliott,  of  Union  Theological  Semi- 
nary.    Pp.  338.     $2.50.     Macmillan. 

This  book  meets  frankly  and  critically  the  current 
theological  problems  in  treating  questions  of  reli- 
gious education.  It  exposes  the  limitations  and  fal- 
lacies of  the  neo-orthodox  writers  like  Reinhold 
Niebuhr  and  Emil  Brunner  and  Karl  Barth.  The 
writer  is  in  the  line  of  the  great  prophetic  souls  such 
as  Bushnell,  Thorndike,  Kilpatrick  and  Coe.  The 
leadership  of  W.  C.  Bower  in  reorganizing  and  de- 
veloping interdenominational  programs  of  religious 
education  is  shown  to  be  epoch-making. 

The  field  of  religious  education  receives  in  this 
book  the  most  thorough  and  vital  treatment  that  has 
been  given  it  since  the  rise  of  biblical  criticism  and 
modern  science.  The  author  does  not  hesitate  to  fol- 
low his  subject  into  the  complexities  of  science, 
philosophy  and  theology,  but  does  so  with  a  firm 
grasp.  He  points  the  way  to  the  only  means  by 
which  religion  can  consistently  be  accepted  by  people 
who  have  received  a,  modern  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  colleges.  He  is  aware  that  religious 
education  is  often  confused  and  weak  because  of  its 
failure  to  face  squarely  the  issues  between  "secular" 
and  "religious"  life.  He  knows  that  churches  are  to 
a  tragic  degree  losing  their  hold  upon  thinking  peo- 
ple, and  he  sees  that  the  only  hope  of  a  solution  is  to 
develop  a  constructive  interpretation  of  religion  in 
keeping  with  the  method  and  spirit  of  scientific  pro- 
cedure. "The  issues  which  are  discussed  in  this  book 
are  those  which  have  emerged  because  of  the  con- 
flicts between  the  historic  Protestant  conception  of 
religious  education  and  a  modern  social  and  ex- 
perience-centered theory  and  practice." 


90 THE  SCROLL 

A  Prayer  for  Ministers 

O  God,  Great  Comrade  of  our  hearts,  we  seek 
closer  companionship  with  thee.  We  would  surren- 
der every  impulse  and  desire  that  separates  us  from 
thy  love  or  hinders  the  free  flow  of  thy  forgiveness. 
We  acknowledge  the  summons  of  thy  will  to  commit 
ourselves  to  thy  service  and  to  the  service  of  man- 
kind. We  seek  to  understand  the  world  in  which  we 
live  and  the  community  of  minds  and  hearts  which 
enfolds  us.  Open  our  eyes  to  behold  the  goods  and 
the  evils,  and  to  see  them  in  their  full  power  and 
possibilities.  Strengthen  our  faith  in  the  things  that 
are  good,  in  their  quiet  power  and  beauty  and  endur- 
ing joy.  Reveal  anew  the  self-defeating  illusions 
and  tragic  sorrows  of  the  ways  of  sin.  Lift  up  be- 
fore our  vision  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  and  make 
radiant  the  confidence  of  his  spirit  toward  a  king- 
dom of  righteousness  and  peace  among  men. 

We  pray  for  deeper  fellowship  with  all  worthy 
souls  who  toil  and  struggle  for  the  triumph  of  that 
kingdom.  Help  us  to  find  the  sources  of  their  wis- 
dom, their  humility,  their  patience,  their  courage. 
Magnify  our  trust  in  truth,  love,  and  fidelity.  The 
resources  for  a  good  society  are  greater  than  ever 
before.  Even  the  lessons  of  sufifering~  and  defeat 
may  lead  us  into  better  paths.  Grant  us  a  vision  of 
the  hosts  that  labor  for  the  right.  May  they  find 
means  for  fuller  achievement.  Bless  us  when  the 
plateaus  of  our  pilgrimage  seem  flat  and  fatiguing 
against  the  moments  of  aspiring  ascent  and  new 
hopes.  Guard  our  hearts  from  weariness  in  well- 
doing and  refresh  us  by  foretastes  of  success  and 
conquest. 

In  these  troublous  times  may  the  churches  awaken 
to  the  world's  need  of  redeeming  love.  Let  us  count 
no  adventure  too  great,  no  consecration  too  costly, 
on  behalf  of  the  Cause  whose  triumph  our  devotion 
may  hasten  and  assure.    Amen. 


THE  SCROLL 91 

Impressions  of  C.  I.  Meeting 

Perhaps  my  general  reaction  during  the  meetings 
that  gathered  around  the  Disciples  Divinity  House 
in  the  early  part  of  August  was  much  like  that  of 
many  others.  There  are,  however,  certain  reactions 
in .  my  own  thinking  and  planning  which  to  me  at 
least  are  individually  important. 
'  My  most  significant  reaction  to  the  meetings  of 
the  Campbell  Institute  lies  in  the  consciousness  of 
belonging  to  a  group  with  a  definite  direction.  This 
was  brought  out  both  in  the  program  and  in  personal 
'associations. 

As  to  the  program,  decidedly  the  most  impressive 
ocasion  was  the  dinner  given  in  honor  of  Dr.  Ames. 
We  could  hardly  help  being  conscious  of  the  fact  that 
Dr.  Ames'  work  of  a  lifetime  was  being  dramatized. 
Along  with  him  were  inevitably  associated  other 
members  of  the  Chicago  Group — Willett,  Garrison, 
Jordan,  Morrison,  Bower,  Kincheloe. 

Perhaps  the  high  point  of  any  such  gathering  is 
in  association  with  people.  Old  friends  were  there 
in  considerable  numbers.  New  men  from  various 
parts  of  the  country  were  there.  One  of  the  most 
satisfying  experiences  was  to  have  contact  with  the 
men  who  are  now  resident  students  living  in  the  Dis- 
ciples Divinity  House. 

As  to  the  rest  of  the  general  program,  there  are 
some  very  definite  reactions.  First  of  all  the  Dis- 
ciples work-shop  set  up  by  J.  Oliver  Taylor  was 
worthwhile.  Again  one  had  a  sense  of  belonging  to 
a  group  with  a  common  purpose.  The  workers  with 
Disciples  students  became  men  of  a  fellowship. 

There  was  one  general  impression  that  came  out 
of  all  the  meetings  that  had  to  do  with  counseling. 
It  is  an  indication  that  counseling  is  getting  past 
the  stage  of  being  thought  of  as  a  unique  profession. 
Time  and  again  the  thought  was  repeated  by  pro- 
fessional counselors  that  minister  and  educator  are 
engaged  in  counseling  in  their  everyday  tasks. 


92 THE  SCROLL 

Orders  of  Worship 

Many  of  our  Disciples  ministers  are  seeking  "the 
enrichment  of  worship"  in  their  churches.  It  has 
been  suggested  that  it  would  be  valuable  to  publish 
in  the  SCROLL  some  of  these  Orders.  The  following 
is  furnished  by  Marshon  DePoister,  of  Rensselaer, 
Indiana.  The  service  begins  at  9:00  A.M.  and 
closes  at  10:30.  The  class  period  for  the  Church 
School  is  from  10:35  to  11:15.  After  that  commit- 
tee meetings  may  be  held  and .  the  congregation  is 
free  for  other  engagements.  Other  churches  in  the 
town  maintain  the  conventional  hours  except  the  M. 
E.  Church  which  is  also  experimenting  with  earlier 
hours. 

Preceding  the  order  of  worship  Mr.  DePoister 
prints  these  lines : 

0  Master,  deign  this  church  to  bless, 
This  house  of  prayer,  this  house  of  rest, 
And  let  its  door  a  gateway  be. 
To  lead  us  from  ourselves  to  Thee. 

Whittier 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP 

The  Organ  Recital 

^  The  organ  recital  is  a  veil  dropped  between  the 
everyday  life  and  the  sanctuary;  in  crossing  the 
threshold  the  music  should  separate  the  world 
without  from  the  world  within. 

GLORIA  PATRI  (congregation  stand  as  choir  en- 
ters) 

CALL  TO  WORSHIP: 

Eternal  God,  whose  great  soul  is  open  to  those  who 
are  of  humble  and  contrite  heart,  we  have  come  to 
worship  Thee.  If  we  are  too  low  in  spirit,  lift  us 
up.  If  we  are  too  lofty  in  pride,  make  us  sub- 
missive in  mind.    Grant  unto  us  the  grace  of  Thy 


THE  SCROLL 93 

Son,  that  we  may  find  fellowship  with  Him  in  this 
hour. 

RESPONSE  BY  CONGREGATION : 

Our  Father,  not  because  we  have  deserved  Thy 
love  by  the  quality  of  our  lives,  nor  because  we  are 
always  aware  of  the  highest  values;  but  because 
we  are  in  such  desperate  need  of  a  guidance  be- 
yond ourselves  we  come  before  Thee  in  the  quiet  of 
our  sanctuary. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  (standing) 
Choral  Response 

The  Scripture  Lesson 

Hymn  (congregation  seated) 

Interpretive  Sentences 

The  Pastoral  Prayer 

The  Service  of  Sharing 

Not  what  we  give,  but  what  we  share 
For  the  gift  without  the  giver  is  bare ; 
Who  gives  himself  with  his  alms  feed  three. 
Himself,  his  hungering  neighbor,  and  me. 

— James  Russell  Lowell 

The  Junior's  Sermon 

The  Anthemj 

The  Sermon 

The  Communion  Hymn 

The  Communion  Service 

The  Benediction  and  Choral  Response 

The  Postiude 

Christian,  rise  and  act  thy  creed, 
Let  thy  prayer  be  in  thy  deed ; 
Seek  the  right ;  perform  the  true ; 
Raise  thy  work  and  life  anew. 

— F.  A.  R.  Russell 

When  you  enter  the  nave,  you  have  come  into  the  sa- 
cred confines  of  the  church.    You  have  not  come  to 
whisper  and  to  talk,  but  to  worship,  to  meditate,  and 
to  participate  in  every  aspect  of  the  service. 


94 THE  SCROLL 

What  To  Proclaim 

By  Lloyd  V.  Channels,  Peoria,  Illinois 
The  thing  which  Disciples  need  most  to  proclaim 
today  is  the  thing  which  all  Christian  teachers  and 
preachers  need  to  proclaim.  It  is  what  the  world 
most  needs  to  hear  —  the  reality  of  God,  and  the 
nature  and  demands  of  God.  We  desperately  need 
to  be  brought  face  to  face  with  God,  or,  to  put  it  into 
non-theological  language,  with  what  is  Real  and  En- 
during and  Worthwhile  in  this  world.  We  desperate- 
ly ned  to  hear  the  cry  of  the  Psalmist — "Come  mag- 
nify the  Lord  with  me,  and  let  us  exalt  his  name  to- 
gether!" Too  large  a  portion  of  our  world  does  not 
echo  or  heed  this  cry.  More  often  it  cries  out  from 
its  billboards,  its  radio  stations,  its  newspapers: 
"Come  magnify  the  Devil  v/lth  me.  Come  drink  with 
me.  Come  hate  with  me.  Com.e  waste  your  time 
with  me.  Come  with  me  to  oppress  the  man  who  dis- 
agrees with  us.  Come  into  the  gutter  with  me." 
When  the  world  does  that,  it  is  always  doing  it,  we 
need  to  be  louder  and  even  more  persuasive  in  our 
plea  for  men  to  seek  what  God  represents,  the  good, 
the  true,  and  the  beautiful. 

For  the  majority  of  people  "God"  seems  to  be  a 
term  without  any  very  real  or  concrete  meaning. 
We  invite  them  to  "worship  and  bow  down"  but  how 
many  of  them  know  what  they  are  worshiping  and 
bowing  down  to?  Not  many.  They  don't  think  about 
it.  We  need  to  make  them  think  about  it.  Hitler  is 
telling  his  followers  what  it  is  they  worship.  The 
Japanese  Emperor  is  telling  his  people  what  they 
worship.  Why  shouldn't  the  Disciples  "specialize'' 
in  doing  the  same  thing?  If  we  believe  that  God  is 
Love  and  Intelligence  let's  make  it  so  clear  that  peo- 
ple will  feel  the  inconsistency  of  their  conduct  when 
they  worship  God  on  Sunday  and  hate  their  neigh- 
bors or  their  enemies  on  Monday.  Let's  make  them 
feel  the  inconsistency  between  praising  a  God  who 
is  Intelligence  and  succumbing  at  the  same  time  to 


THE  SCROLL 95 

all  the  non-rational  hysteria  and  propaganda  abroad 
today.  Let's  make  God  mean  something;  something 
to  which  people  can  devote  themselves,  something 
they  can  adore  and  glorify. 

In  trying  to  do  this  Christians  have  from  the  first 
turned  to  Christ.  Not  long  after  his  death  men  were 
saying  that  those  who  had  seen  Christ  had  seen  God ; 
that  men  who  knew  him  knew  God.  The  writer  of 
the  fourth  Gospel  put  this  idea  into  the  mouth  of 
Jesus — "If  you  knew  me  you  would  know  my  Father 
also  ....  whoever  has  seen  me  has  seen  the  Father." 
Let  the  Disciples  of  Christ  stress  faith  in  the  person 
and  teachings  of  Jesus.  But  I  don't  see  how  we  can 
do  it  without  theological  interpretation.  Indeed,  that 
is  the  most  important  part  of  it — the  conviction  that 
God  is  what  Jesus  v/as,  and  that  that  is  what  is  at 
the  heart  of  things.  God,  or  Jesus,  is  to  our  life 
what  a  foundation  and  steel  girders  are  to  a  sky- 
scraper— He  holds  it  together.  More  than  that,  He 
gives  to  it  the  meaning  and  purpose  which  an  archi- 
tect's gives  to  a  building. 

To  make  Jesus  nothing  more  than  a  good  man, 
whose  ethical  teachings  are  superior  to  those  of 
other  religious  leaders,  is  not  enough.  Jesus  was  not 
first  of  all  an  ethical  teacher.  He  was  first  of  all  a 
religious  man.  At  the  bottom  of  his  life  and  thought 
was  his  relationship  to  God,  and  his  interpretation 
of  God's  nature  and  demands.  Theology,  yes,  but 
out  of  that  came  his  teachings.  It  is  more  important 
that  we  have  the  basic  understanding  of  and  rela- 
tionship to  God  which  Jesus  had  than  it  is  to  know 
what  he  did  or  said. 

If  Jesus  by  his  concern  for  human  personality,  by 
his  denunciation  of  sin,  by  his  purpose  in  living,  by 
his  demand  for  vicarious  and  sacrificial  living,  by 
his  confidence  that  God  can  not  be  defeated,  can 
make  us  see  that  these  are  the  attributes  of  God,  and 
that  they  are  essential  to  our  common  life,  he  will 
have  served  his  purpose.    And  our  faith  in  the  per- 


96 THE  SCROLL 

son  and  teachings  of  Jesus  is  largely  a  matter  of  be- 
lieving that  he  can  do  it,  providing  only  that  men 
see  him  as  he  is  and  are  persuaded  to  follow  him. 
He  himself  said,  "If  I  be  lifted  up  I  will  draw  all 
men  unto  me."  That  is  our  special  task,  whether  we 
be  Disciples  of  Christ  or  some  thing  else,  liberals  or 
conservatives — to  lift  him  up  so  that  men  can  see 
him  above  the  confused  world  in  which  they  live.  By 
using  Jesus  as  our  chief,  example  and  illustration  we 
can  show  men  what  God  is  like.  We  can  point  to 
Jesus  and  say:  "You  have  seen  God;  you  have  seen 
what  he  is  like,  and  what  he  expects  of  his  followers. 
Now  worship  him,  and  serve  him.  And  if  you  wor- 
ship him  one  day,  be  sure  that  you  do  not  prove  that 
worship  insincere  and  false  by  your  conduct  on  the 
next." 


The  Campbell  Institute  Annual  Meeting  will  be 
held  in  Chicago  in  1941,  July  28  to  August  1.  At  least 
this  will  be  the  time  if  we  follow  our  custom  of  sev- 
eral years  and  meet  during  the  sessions  of  the  Pas- 
tors' Institute  and  other  organizations  which  our 
men  like  to  attend.  Put  this  date  down  now  and 
plan  for  it.  There  is  plenty  of  time  for  vacation  trips 
before  or  after.  The  Campbell  Institute  is  at  its  best 
in  this  Annual  Meeting. 

Plans  are  already  being  made  for  the  Pastors  In- 
stitute at  Chicago  for  the  two  weeks  following  July 
27,  1941.  More  than  a  hundred  Disciple  preachers 
aiLend  each  year  and  they  are  the  largest  single 
group  of  any  religious  body.  Lecturers,  teachers  and 
preachers  of  national  fame  will  be  on  the  program, 
and  the  University  of  Chicago  will  be  in  session. 

The  Campbell  Institute  will  have  some  "midnight 
sessions"  during  the  International  Convention  of  the 
Disciples  next  May  in  St.  Louis.  The  officers  of  the 
Institute  are  hoping  to  have  well  planned  programs 
for  these  sessions,  and  to  have  them  in  a  place  con- 
venient to  the  Convention  Hall. 


THE  SCROLL 


Vol.  XXXVIII.      DECEMBER,  1940  No.  4 


March  Together 


By  Charles  W.  Phillips,  Disciples  House,  Chicago 
To  be  sung  to  the  tune,  Austrian  Hymn. 


Gather  now  ye  sons  of  freedom, 

Rise  and  seize  thy  heritage. 

Grasp  the  vision  of  His  kingdom ; 

In  its  name  thy  battle  wage 

Let  it  shine  before  thee  ever, 

Guide  of  heart  and  soul  and  mind, 

All  ye  brothers  march  together. 

And  in  your  brotherhood,   salvation  find. 

Faith  and  truth  be  lance  and  saber, 
Love  a  shield  against  all  foes 
Vict'ry  will  attend  thy  labor 
And  on  earth  His  will  disclose. 
Seek  the  Grail,  relaxing  never 
In  this  cup  thy  thirst  assuage. 
That  this  chalice  gleam  forever 
Guiding  men  from  age  to  age. 

Pure  of  heart  and  soul  forever 
Thus  be  thine  the  strength  of  ten. 
And  thy  wisdom  will  be  ever 
Wiser  than  the  sons  of  men. 
Though  the  world  about  be  darkened 
Long  the  vigil,  slow  the  dawn 
Still  the  race  of  men  shall  hearken, 
Roused,  shall  greet  the  glorious  morn, 


98 THE  SCROLL 

That  They  May  All  Be  One 

By  President  W.  H.  Cramblet,  Bethany,  W.  Va. 

Leaders  of  religious  thought  pay  sincere  tribute 
to  the  contributions  made  by  Disciples  of  Christ  to 
the  movement  for  unity  among  the  followers  of 
Christ.  At  times,  they  are  so  enthusiastic  and  out- 
spoken in  their  praise  that  we  blush  guiltily  at  a 
knowledge  of  our  own  shortcomings.  As  individuals 
and  as  a  religious  people,  we  do  not  always  merit 
the  things  our  friends  say  of  us. 

The  Restoration  Movement  had  its  beginnings  in 
the  religious  needs  of  devout  people.  Their  common 
belief  in  Jesus  Christ  seemed  a  matter  of  supreme 
importance  to  them.  They  refused  to  accept  as  final 
the  divisive  elements  in  their  religious  faith. 

The  followers  of  Christ  in  Western  Pennsylvania 
and  Virginia  organized  the  Christian  Association  of 
Washington  and  authorized  Thomas  Campbell  and 
three  others  to  state  their  positions  to  such  persons 
as  might  care  to  know  what  it  was.  The  "Declaration 
and  Address"  begins  with  this  statement: 

"That  it  is  the  grand  design,  and  native  tend- 
ency of  our  holy  religion,  to  reconcile  and  unite 
men  to  God,  and  to  each  other,  in  truth  and  love, 
to  the  glory  of  God,  and  their  own  present  and 
eternal  good,  will  not,  we  presume,  be  denied,  by 
any  of  the  genuine  subjects  of  Christianity." 

"In  so  far,  then,   as  this  holy  unity  and  un- 
animity in  faith  and  love  is  attained;  just  in  the 
same  degree,  is  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  hap- 
piness of  men,  promoted  and  secured." 
Nor  yet  do  we  have  unity  and  unanimity  in  faith 
and  love.  The  happiness  of  men  seems  lost  for  many 
of  this  generation.   The  glory  of  God  is  dimmed  by 
the  jealousies  and  hates  of  men  and  nations.    Di- 
visive factors  have  not  disappeared  from  our  re- 
ligious life.   The  words  of  the  "Declaration  and  Ac[- 


THE  SCROLL 99 

dress"  might  well  be  written  in  this  present  year. 
We  are  impressed  with  the  same  sentiments  that 
moved  the  writer  of  this  document  and  at  the  same 
time  are  "grievously  affected  with  those  sad  di- 
visions which  have  so  awfully  interfered  with  the 
benign  and  gracious  intention  of  our  holy  religion 
by  exciting  its  professed  subjects  to  bite  and  devour 
one  another."  Thomas  Campbell  and  his  associates 
were  seeking  unity  in  faith  and  love.  This  was  at 
once  the  inspiration  and  the  strngth  of  message  of 
the  Disciples. 

This  unity  has  not  been  realized.  Divisions  still 
exist  among  the  followers  of  Christ.  The  need  for 
unity  in  faith  and  love  is  urgent.  The  present  world 
situation  threatens  to  engulf  and  destroy  all  that 
we  treasure.  It  is  important,  nay  imperative,  that 
the  followers  of  Christ  in  America  and  throughout 
the  world  unite  in  the  common  task,  unite  on  the 
basis  of  a  common  faith  in  Him  and  in  His  Plan  for 
the  salvation  of  mankind.  The  world  is  grievously 
stricken.  It  needs  the  testimony  of  our  faith  in  and 
love  of  God  and  Christ  and  one  another. 

Unity  among  the  followers  of  Christ  under  one 
common  name,  with  one  church  polity,  with  com- 
plete agreement  upon  the  abservance  of  the  ordi- 
nances may  not  come  in  our  day.  So  long  as  we  in- 
sist upon  the  right  of  the  individual  to  read  and 
interpret  the  teachings  of  Jesus  for  himself  there 
will  be  differences  of  opinion  but  these  need  not  be 
divisive  or  antagonistic  or  destructive  of  our  faith. 
They  must  not  interfere  with  our  cooperation  in  the 
common  task,  to  which  we  are  called. 

As  we  read  the  record,  we  are  impressed  by  the 
fact  that  the  Restoration  Movement  gathered  to 
itself  groups  of  individuals  of  varying  religious  be- 
liefs. The  record  does  not  indicate  that  the  Camp- 
bells, the  Stones,  the  Scots,  and  the  rest  were  in 
complete  agreement  upon  all  the  details  of  religious 


100 THE  SCROLL 

faith  and  practice.  They  united  upon  the  basis  of 
their  belief  in  Christ  and  sought  unity  in  faith  and 
love  without  sacrifice  of  personal  conviction. 

Read  again  the  "Declaration  and  Address"  writ- 
ten at  Washington,  Pennsylvania,  in  1809.  This 
historical  document  has  significance  and  purpose  for 
the  day  in  which  we  live. 

"With  you  all  we  desire  to  unite  in  the  bonds 
of  an  entire  Christian  Unity — Christ  alone  being 
the  head,  the  centre,  his  word  the  rule — an  ex- 
plicit belief  of,  and  manifest  conformity  to  it,  in 
all  things — the  terms." 

Among  the  many  things  which  Disciples  of  Christ 
should  continue  to  preach  and  urge  upon  the  people, 
we  would  list  this  first.  Let  the  followers  of  Christ 
seek  Unity  in  Him.  Let  us  proclaim  this  to  all  the 
world  and  practice.it  among  ourselves. 


Union  Most  Important 

By  George  Hamilton  Combs,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Of  the  elements  in  the  "plea"  of  the  Disciples 
which,  in  my  judgment,  needs  most  to  be  proclaimed 
unhesitatingly,  periodically,  is  Union.  It  far  out- 
distances all  others  in  importance.  That  we  came 
into  the  world  to  bring  about  and  we  have  botched 
the  job.  "Of  what  kind  and  on  what  basis?"  Union 
of  pretty  nearly  any  kind  and  on  whatever  proposed 
basis  would  be  preferable  to  our  present  hell  of  di- 
vision.  And  for  one  I'm  tired  of  living  in  hell! 


Many  of  our  readers  will  be  interested  in  the  quo- 
tation from  Dean  F.  D.  Kershner  on  page  118.  It 
is  from  an  article  by  him  in  The  Witness  of  the 
Churches  of  the  Congregational  Order,  p.  46.  Copies 
may  be  obtained  for  35  cents  from  The  Association 
for  the  Promotion  of  Christian  Unity,  Box  556,  An- 
derson, Indiana. 


THE  SCROLL 101 

Disciples  Offer  Union 

By  Forrest  L,  Brock,  Mi.  Carmel,  III. 

Religion  has  undergone  an  evolutionary  process 
since  man  first  cried  out  to  God.  So  has  the  world. 
This  development  makes  certain  demands  both  v^ith- 
in  the  Church  and  on  the  part  of  the  world.  The 
Church  has  lost  its  sectionalism.  It  no  longer  serves 
a  small  community  with  local  problems  as  its  widest 
horizon.  The  small  valleys  in  which  the  Church  of 
yesterday  served  independently  have  given  way  to 
mountain  summits  where  a  far  greater  view  of  the 
harvest  fields  become  its  quest  and  its  task.  The 
tasks  that  confront  the  Church  today  are  multiple. 
As  a  result  no  Church  can  live  unto  itself  in  seek- 
ing their  solution.  The  brotherhood  or  brotherhoods 
that  continue  to  live  independently  will  be  lost  in 
their  individuality  as  far  as  effective  service  and 
recognition  on  the  part  of  the  larger  world  prob- 
lems is  concerned.  In  this  day  when  men's  souls 
are  gripped  with  fear  amidst  the  abnormal  con- 
ditions of  a  chaotic  world ;  when  individuals  cry  for 
life  and  peace  and  God,  we  who  present  the  plea 
for  a  united  Church  must  effect  it  to  answer  those 
needs. 

How?  On  the  ground  of  which  so  many  in  our 
ranks  have  sought?  In  so  doing  we  deny  our  fellow 
brotherhoods,  whose  place,  purposes  and  victories 
have  been  as  gallantly  won  as  our  own.  It  is  this 
writer's  opinion  that  first  of  all,  we  as  a  brother- 
hood must  arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  we  are  not 
THE  CHURCH— only  a  part  of  it.  Let  us  reconcile 
ourselves  to  the  truth.  However,  that  in  itself  is 
not  enough.  There  is  more.  Emphatically  we  must 
pay  decidedly  less  attention  to  creeds,  dogmas  and 
theologies  of  the  various  communions  and  more  at- 
tention to  the  unity  spirit.  Creeds — rituals — ^the- 
ologies? Important,  perhaps.  But  to  give  answer  to 
the  parting  cry  of  the  Teacher  of  Galilee,  lifting  his 
heart  in  pleading  prayer,  "That  they  may  be  one," 


102  THE  SCROLL 

is  far  more  important  than  all  the  creeds,  rituals, 
and  theologies  that  have  separated  us  too  long.  The 
Christ  weeping  above  our  "Modern  Jerusalem"  could 
not  be  doing  so  because  of  our  different  creeds  and 
theologies,  but  because  we  have  used  them  as  such 
powers  within  the  Church  that  the  call  to  a  united 
people  has  lost  its  purpose  unless  everyone  discard 
them  and  think  as  we  do. 

We  may  cry  against  creeds  and  other  theologies; 
we  may  pretend  that  we  have  the  one  WAY,  but  not 
until  Christ  lifts  a  victorious  face  above  the  petition 
of  Gethsemane's  garden  can  we  call  the  work  com- 
plete. United  action  is  necessary  if  the  Church  is 
to  prevail  against  an  unbelieving  world.  But  united 
action  need  not  wait  on  organic  union.  That  remains 
for  a  distant  day.  It  cannot  be  rushed  and  thus 
destroy  our  present  gains.  The  Church  of  the  im- 
mediate future  will  continue  to  be  denominational. 
But  it  can  be  unsectarian.  It  must  seek  to  build  the 
Kingdom  rather  than  denominational  walls.  But  in 
this  the  Disciples  of  Christ  (now  experienced  and 
with  greater  knowledge)  must  invite  and  enlist  with 
other  believers  in  Christ  to  seek  the  unity  we  are 
persuaded  exists  beneath  diversity.  It  in  itself  will 
point  the  way  towards  a  possible  organic  unity.  It 
too  will  come  when  each  brotherhood — ourselves  in- 
cluded— reach  the  heights  where  we  recognize  that 
unity  is  more  important  than  the  lesser  things  upon 
which  we  have  built  "steps  of  admission"  into  the 
Church  and  order,  of  worship  services. 

As  a  brotherhood  we  have  lived  too  much  and  far 
too  long  in  our  history  and  tradition.  With  Peter 
Ainslie,  this  writer  too  would  be  willing  that  much 
of  our  history  and  tradition  should  be  blotted  out 
to  hasten  the  unity  so  necessary  in  our  day.  Peter 
Ainslie,  two  score  years  ago,  had  a  fuller  vision  than 
too  many  in  our  brotherhood  have  in  this  hour.  It 
must  become  the  vision  of  the  whole  group.  Some 
attitudes  among  us  are  of  such  character  that  many 


THE  SCROLL  103 

lean  over  backward.  Others,  on  the  contrary,  lean 
all  the  way  forward.  This  writer's  sympathy  is  with 
the  latter  group. :  If  it  means  sacrificing  some  out- 
grown beliefs  which  we  held  dear,  then  let  us  sacri- 
fice them,  that  we  may  find  the  unity  of  strength 
and  greater  power  and  united  effort  which  ever  has 
and  ever  must  stand  out  above  these  lesser  things. 
It,  first  of  all  is  Christ's  way.   It  must  be  our  way. 

We  possess  no  power  that  authorizes  us  to  make 
certain  requirements  and  demands  of  other  groups 
to  attain  unity,  unless  we  ourselves  are  willing  to 
make  sacrifices  likewise.  Each  should  sacrifice.  For 
in  those  sacrifices  (if  sacrifices  they  are)  will  come 
the  closer  fellowship,  the  deeper  spirit  and  a  greater 
power  that  the  agencies  of  the  world  must  recognize 
as  the  voice  of  the  Church.  Then,  and  only  then  will 
men  confused  by  our  individual  differences,  find  the 
true  Kingdom.  Then  and  only  then  can  equality  and 
justice  and  peace  reign  throughout  the  world  and 
come  confidently  to  every  man.  Are  not  these  more 
important  tjian  our  divisions  wrought  out  of  selfish 
prejudices  and  closely  guarded  personal  righteous- 
ness which  we  believe  others  to  lack? 

A  disunited  Church  cannot  call  forth  the  faith  of 
men  nor  give  the  message  of  Christ  to  the  world.  The 
sooner  that  each  of  us  within  the  Disciples  of  Christ 
fold  recognize  this  truth,  the  sooner  we  shall  be  will- 
ing to  broaden  our  view  relative  to  our  two  par- 
ticular rituals,  as  now  instituted,  and  accept  them, 
differently  administered,  by  other  communions. 
Again — such  an  attitude  is  far,  far  more  important 
than  retaining  them  and  possessing  a  division  that 
weakens  us.  The  old  cry  of  "Come  out  from  among 
them  unto  us"  has  lost  its  voice  in  much  of  our  lead- 
ership. It  must  be  silenced  for  the  entire  brother- 
hood. God  grant  us  the  spirit  to  face  ahead,  and 
in  so  doing  give  answer  to  a  prayer  that  after 
twenty  centuries  of  time  seems  destined  to  be  re- 
warded. 


104 THE  SCROLL 

Christian  Unity 

By  Cldude  E.  Cummins,  Sterling,  III. 

In  relation  to  Christian  Unity  movements  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ  must  take  two  attitude  if  they  are  to 
be  true  to  their  own  stream  of  history.  They  must 
cooperate  wholeheartedly  in  all  movements  such  as 
the  World  Council  of  Churches  and  the  Federal 
Council  of  Churches.  They  must  continue  to  insist 
upon  an  inclusive  approach  as  over  against  any 
statement  or  plan  that  excludes  any  group  of 
Christians  today  or  which  may  exclude  groups  in  the 
future.  We  joined  the  World  Council  of  Churches. 
This  is  exactly  what  we  should  have  done.  On  the 
other  hand  we  accepted  by  implication  at  least  the 
shortest  creed  ever  accepted  by  an  ecumenical  gath- 
ering— "Jesus  is  God." 

For  many  who  confess  to  be  Christians  this  goes 
beyond  Peter's  confession  of  Jesus  as  the  Christ  the 
son  of  God.  Others  who  confess  to  be  Christians 
reject  the  Holy  Trinity  as  essential  to  Christianity. 
To  be  Christians,  they  believe,  it  is  not  necessary  to 
accept  this  doctrine.  Alexander  Campbell  was 
neither  Trinitarian  nor  Unitarian.  He  used  the 
words  "God  over  all  and  blest  eternally"  rather  than 
"God  in  three  persons  blessed  trinity"  in  his  hymn- 
book.  No  one  knows  how  many  churches  there  are 
today  which  demand  no  doctrinal  confession  of  faith 
but  which  accept  for  membership  any  who  express 
a  desire  to  become  a  part  of  the  fellowship  and  to 
work  with  the  church  in  seeking  to  make  effective 
the  good  life  as  exemplified  by  Jesus. 

If  these  groups  represent  a  dying  cause  or  a  fad- 
ing and  insignificant  trend  the  "creed"  of  the  World 
Council  will  never  be  limiting.  If  on  the  other  hand 
history  should  prove  that  these  groups  represent 
a  trend  that  will  grow  with  developing  and  increased 


THE  SCROLL 105 

acceptance  of  a  less  dogmatic  and  doctrinal  approach 
to  the  Bible  and  Christian  truth  the  time  will  come 
when  this  statement  will  prove  exclusive.  We  will 
have  established  a  line  fence.  Such  lines  are  hard 
to  change.  Sometimes  they  must  be  disregarded  or 
"symbolized"  away.  The  Disciples  of  Christ  have 
always  asked,  Why  build  the  fence  in  the  first  place? 
We  have  consistently  refused  to  put  anything  "in 
writing"  no  matter  how  scriptural  it  might  sound 
or  be. 

It  is  not  that  we  necessarily  question  the  truths 
contained  either  in  the  World  Council  statement  or 
in  the  proposal  of  E.  Stanley  Jones  for  an  American 
union  on  the  basis  of  Peter's  confession.  It  is  rather 
that  the  good  tradition  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  is 
against  binding  the  future  to  a  present  interpre- 
tation of  doctrine  or  even  Scripture.  What  scholar 
among  us  would  deny  that  there  may  come  import- 
ant developments  as  to  the  significance  of  Peter's 
confession  and  indeed  of  the  whole  passage  of 
Scripture  involved.  Seeking  an  inclusive  plan  for 
unity  does  not  necessarily  mean  that  any  group  need 
give  up  any  doctrinal  emphasis.  Only  those  who  be- 
lieve that  they  have  found  the  ultimate  interpre- 
tation will  be  excluded  and  these  only  because  they 
exclude  themselves. 


Doubtless  with  tongue  in  cheek  PGW  of  Hicks- 
ville,  Ohio,  said:  "Thank  you  for  your  clever  dun. 
I  am  convinced  you  are  adding  a  great  new  element 
to  American  Church  Literature  by  your  brilliant 
soto  voce  interpolation  (get  out  your  dictionary)." 
I  can't.  I  dropped  it  in  the  river  right  at  the  point 
where  Caesar  crossed  it  on  a  bridge, 


106 THE  SCROLL 

Thoughts  On  Christian  Unity 

By  D.  C.  Brown,  South  Holland,  Illinois 

I  feel  much  honored  as  a  common  layman  to  be 
invited  to  write  an  article  for  the  Scroll.  The  topics 
suggested  are  all  highly  worth  considering,  and  be- 
fore I  finish  will  probably  touch  on  more  than  one 
of  them. 

In  my  opinion,  the  first  one  is  the  most  vital  of 
all  which  needs  untiring  consideration.  A  divided 
Christendom  is  unChristian,  as  I  see  it,  and  union 
must  come  sooner  or  later  if  Christianity  is  to  have 
its  rightful  place  in  the  world. 

Jesus  came  to  this  world  to  teach  the  people  a 
better  way  to  live  and  for  no  other  purpose.  The 
people  of  that  day  did  not  like  to  be  told  of  their 
sins  any  more  than  they  do  today,  and  so  he  was 
crucified.  Even  the  Apostles  did  not  understand 
Him,  as  he  often  told  them,  and  no  sooner  was  he 
gone  from  them  than  they  fell  back  to  their  old  way 
of  thinking.  So  out  of  it  all  grew  up  a  great 
ecclesiastical  dynasty  just  contrary  to  the  ideas  of 
Jesus.  And  here  we  are  today  struggling  with  that 
great  dynasty  which  has  resolved  itself  into  a  mul- 
titude of  denominations  all  struggling  for  existence 
in  a  world  of  chaos  and  unbelief. 

And  all  this  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  church,  in 
its  divided  condition  has  failed  to  put  across  the  real 
mission  of  Jesus.  It  is  encouraging,  however,  to  see 
that  the  trend  of  religious  teaching  today  is  becom- 
ing more  and  more  of  a  practical  nature,  and  less 
and  less  theological. 

Social  Justice  is  also  a  great  need  of  the  world 
today.  Capitalism  has  ruled  the  world  for  ages  and 
has  crept  into  the  church  to  an  alarming  degree. 
Jesus  said  "The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil/' 
By  that  he  meant,  of  course,  the  grasping  of  wealth 
by  the  strong  to  the  detriment  of  the  weak.  What 
the  great  body  of  churches  of  this  country  could  well 


THE  SCROLL 107 

do  now  is  to  organize  into  a  national  relief  Body  and 
relieve  the  government  of  that  burden. 

It  occurs  to  me  that  the  good  people  of  this  land 
would  hail  such  a  move  and  generously  support  it. 
The  millionaires  of  this  country  could  supply  the 
needed  money  and  never  miss  it,  and  I  verily  believe 
they  would. fall  in  line,  and  other  people  of  lesser 
means  would  do  likewise. 

In  my  opinion.  Christian  unity  would  be  brought 
about  much  sooner  by  this  method  than  through  the 
present  attempts  to  harmonize  theological  differ- 
ences. 

There  would  have  to  be  a  national  board,  of  course, 
appointed  by  the  churches  to  provide  ways  and 
means  of  carrying  out  the  project. 

This  does  not  mean  that  the  churches  are  not  now 
doing  anything  along  that  line  because  we  all  know 
they  are  to  some  extent,  but  most  of  them  are  only 
playing  at  it. 

I  believe,  however,  that  it  can  be  done,  just  as  it  is 
being  done  in  South  Holland,  Illinois,  where  I  live. 
This  is  a  village  with  a  population  of  1900,  and  all 
the  relief  work  is  taken  care  of  by  the  five  churches 
of  the  town,  with  no  aid  from  the  government.  Not 
a  single  resident  is  "on  relief." 

It  is  also  a  very  noticeable  fact  that  all  these 
churches  are  filled  to  capacity  every  Sunday.  More- 
over, not  a  single  penny  changes  hands  here,  com- 
mercially, on  Sunday.  Not  a  gallon  of  gasoline,  an 
ice  cream  cone  or  even  a  newspaper  can  be  pur- 
chased. There  is  not  a  tavern  in  the  town,  and  not 
a  drop  of  liquor  of  any  kind  can  be  purchased  here. 

I  have  lived  here  only  seven  months,  but  I  know 
these  things  to  be  facts  and  am  glad  to  have  resi- 
dence in  such  a  town.  If  the  churches  in  every  town 
and  community  could  bring  about  such  a  condition 
throughout  the  lands  there  would  be  no  more  wars 
nor  rumors  of  wars,  but  a  great  forward  step  toward 
world  peace  and  Christian  Unity. 


108 ^ THE  SCROLL 

The  Christ  of  the  Disciples 

By  Edwin  C.  Boynton,  Huntsville,  Illinois 
Do  the  Disciples  of  Christ  yet  have  anything 
unique  to  give  the  religious  world,  a  world  wherein 
many  independent  and  fearless  thinkers  are  making 
notable  contributions  to  the  realm  of  personal  de- 
votion, of  socialized  worship,  of  a  community  of 
fellowship  among  Christian  confessors,  free  from 
the  elements  of  a  divisive  creedalism  so  long  the 
bane  of  those  who  dream  of  a  united  Christian 
front?  Is  our  day  done  as  a  distinct  religious  com- 
mujnion?  One  sometimes  wonders:  We  may  and 
should  still  have  a  share  in  the  activities  of  the  re- 
ligious world,  as  a  group  of  people  standing  for  the 
decencies  of  individualistic  or  social  Christianity; 
but  is  our  story  as  a  people  now  virtually  told-  Are 
we  in  any  wise  yet  distinctive? 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Campbellian  movement 
Walter  Scott,  writer  and  evangelist  in  the  Western 
Reserve  of  the  1820's,  made  a  formative  pronounce- 
ment when  he  gave  to  the  Restoration  movement  the 
thought  properly  speaking  Christianity  was  not  a 
"system  of  beliefs."  It  was  not  correct  to  say  that 
we  believe  something  about  Christ  and  something 
about  baptism  and  something  about  "the  work  of 
the  Spirit  in  conversion,"  etc.  Our  confession  of 
faith  was  a  confession  of  Christ.  Other  religious 
items  had  their  place  in  the  religious  economy;  but 
they  were  not  the  crucial  statements  of  the  faith. 
CHRIST  is  the  center  of  faith  and  of  service. 

Might  the  Disciples'  position  be  stated  thus:  We 
have  emphasized  and  do  maintain  that  we  stand  for 
"Faith  in  the  person  and  teaching  of  Jesus  without 
theological  interpretation?"  And  to  answer  we  must 
first  of  all  clarify  our  own  thinking  on  the  subject 
of  "theology."  What  is  it  really?  Primarily  of 
course,  "Thinking  about  God."  Is  Calvinism  to  be 
called  "theology?"  Certainly — a  statement  about  the 


THE  SCROLL 109 

formidable  terms  of  Foreknowledge,  Election  and 
like  ponderosities  in  the  field  of  religious  speculation 
must  be  so  called.  But,  frankly  speaking,  if  Cal- 
vinism is  to  be  dubbed  theology,  why  must  we  not 
also  say  that  its  opposite,  Arminianism,  is  also  and 
equally  theology  ?  If  Trinitarianism  is  theology  so  is 
its  antithesis,  Unitarianism ;  if  "the  direct  operation 
of  the  Holy  Spirit"  is  theology,  so  is  the  non-direct 
operation  view  theology  also,  or  even  the  no- 
operation  of  the  Spirit.  If  the  doctrine  of  plenary 
inspiration  is  theology,  so  also  is  the  doctrine  of  a 
non-externally  influenced  scripture.  In  other  words, 
much  as  some  members  of  the  liberal  school  of  our 
day  may  seek  to  dissent  from  such  a  statement  as 
the  above,  if  any  subject  whatever  be  before  us  for 
discussion,  and  the  approach  to  it  from  a  number  of 
standpoints  be  possible,  if  omij  of  these  approaches 
be  styled  theology,  so  must  each  of  the  remainder 
be  so  styled. 

Let  us  go  a  step  further:  Considering  two  di- 
vergent views  of  the  universe  we  have  before  us 
Theism  and  Atheism.  Probably  most  Theists  would 
admit  that  they  are  in  some  sense  theologians.  A 
small  percentage  might  deny  the  allegation.  But  in 
the  case  of  Atheism,  whoever  thought  of  an  Atheist 
as  a  theologian?  But  why  not?  What  is  Theism? 
The  view  that  there  is  an  active,  spiritual  Intel- 
ligence which  brought  the  universe  into  being  and 
sustains,  in  some  sense,  its  on-going.  Now  a  Theist 
does  not  have  to  admit  or  believe  that  he  can  trace 
the  connection  of  each  and  every  phenomenon  of 
which  he  is  aware  to  that  primary  Intelligence.  As 
to  the  Atheist,  however,  since  he  admits  no  super- 
visory force  whatever,  but  contends  that  everything 
is  non-theological,  if  he  discovers  anywhere  a  situ- 
ation which  non-teleological  activity  cannot  ade- 
quately account  for,  he  must  at  once  discount  his 
own  view.  Consequently  the  Atheist  must  hold  as 
his  own  a  world-view  that  everything,  new  or  old,  in 


110  THE  SCROLL 

his  cosmology  must  be  explanable  upon  his  universal 
hypothesis.  He,  after  all,  is  the  world's  most  in- 
tense theologian! 

The  foregoing  observations  being  correct,  the 
question  at  once  presents  itself:  How  can  we  have 
faith  in  the  person  and  teaching  of  Jesus  without 
theological  interpretation?  In  the  absolute  we  can- 
not. We  perforce  must  think  of  Jesus  this  way  or 
that  way  or  some  other  way.  But  after  all  whose 
interpretation  is  it  to  be,  one's  own  or  someone's 
else's?  And  just  there  is  the  crux  of  the  whole 
matter.  The  rediscovery  made  of  essential  Christi- 
anity by  Walter  Scott  on  the  Western  Reserve  over 
one  hundred  years  ago  is  just  this:  I  have  a  right 
to  my  own  faith  in  Christ.  I  believe  in  Him  for 
myself  and  not  another;  and  another  believes  in 
Christ  for  himself  and  not  for  me.  Each  disciple 
has  a  right  and  indeed  must  hold  his  own  inter- 
pretation of  the  Christ ;  but  he  has  no  right  to  force 
his  personal  view  upon  any  other  one  endeavoring 
as  best  he  may  to  follow  the  Master.  In  that  sense, 
of  being  free  from  the  interpretation  which  others 
would  fain  force  upon  us,  we  may  believe  in  Jesus' 
person  and  teaching.  That  was  the  characteristic 
position  of  the  Disciples  a  century  since.  It  still  is. 
And  it  is  still  unique. 


C.  C.  Klingman  of  Comanche,  Texas,  says:  I've 
read  every  line  I  could  get  on  the  Ames  celebration. 
How  I  wish  I  could  have  spent  that  week  in  Chicago. 
I've  never  been  there  in  the  flesh,  but  for  years 
such  men  as  Ames,  Willett,  Garrison,  etc.  have  been 
my  pals,  mentally  speaking.  I  looked  for  Ames'  pict- 
ure in  my  not  yet  read  copy  of  The  Faith  of  the 
Free.  Its  absence  is  almost  as  shocking  as  Morri- 
son's approval  of  Willkie.  I  want  his  picture  in  a 
double  frame  with  Locke  in  the  other  half;  the  two 
are  twins,  and  should  adorn  the  study  walls  of  every 
C.  I.  member. 


THE  SCROLL  111 


By  E.  Tipton  Carroll,  Stanford,  Kentucky 
A  reasonable  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures? 
That  is  what  our  movement  began  with.  Our  fathers 
in  the  faith  demanded  the  right  to  interpret  the 
Scriptures  for  themselves  in  a  manner  acceptable 
to  their  intellect  and  spirit.  They  began  their  cru- 
sading because  they  believed  they  had  found  a  rea- 
sonable interpretation  of  the  Scriptures.  Because  it 
was  to  them  a  reasonable  interpretation,  they  be- 
lieved it  was  the  true  interpretation.  But  they  did 
only  what  every  age  in  Christian  history  has  done. 
And  today  to  ask  for  a  reasonable  interpretation  of 
the  Scriptures  is  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  our 
pioneer  Disciple  fathers.  We,  like  them  and  each 
past  generation,  are  forced  to  ask  ourselves :  What 
does  it  matter  that  Jesus  lived  in  the  past?  Does  he 
make  any  contribution  today?  Do  we  need  him? 
Like  them,  also,  to  answer  these  and  other  questions, 
we  must  resort  to  the  Scriptures  and  make  a  reason- 
able interpretation  of  them  for  ourselves.  This  is 
the  reason  Christianity  has  survived  conflict.  It  has 
been  interpreted  reasonably  by  every  age,  and  so 
has  come  through  every  age  as  a  vital  part  of  that 
age.  Because  it  has  done  this,  we  believe  that  it  has 
power  to  do  it  today  and  that  it  is  preeminently  fitted 
to  be  the  religion  of  a  civilized  and  united  world. 
So  we  mean  today  by  reasonable  interpretation  of 
the  Scriptures  what  the  peoples  of  the  past  meant  by 
it,  an  interpretation  that  will  enable  God  and  Christ 
to  be  vital  in  our  own  lives  and  in  solving  the 
problems  of  our  age. 

Although  we  strive  through  a  reasonable  inter- 
pretation to  achieve  what  peoples  of  the  past  have 
tried  to  achieve,  a  reasonable  interpretation  for  our 
age  is  not  necessarily  the  interpretation  of  a  form- 
er age.  Just  because  other  ages  made  interpre- 
tations, it  is  evident  that  no  age  or  person   has 


112  THE  SCROLL 

chartered  a  way  to  think  about  the  Scriptures.  They 
used  their  modes  of  thinking  to  make  reasonable 
interpretations.  Today  we  must  use  the  minds  and 
thought  forms  we  have  and  begin  where  we  are  to 
make  a  reasonable  interpretation.  Can  we,  like  our 
Disciple  fathers,  do  it  and  keep  warm  and  personal 
our  religious  experience  of  God  through  Jesus?  If 
we  can,  we  still  have  something  distinctive  to  tell 
the  world.    I  believe  we  can. 

In  making  a  reasonable  interpretation  of  the 
Scriptures  two  factors  will  be  at  work  in  us  all  the 
time :  the  intellect,  which  can  become  so  critical  that 
we  lose  our  religion,  and  the  religious  motive,  which 
may  make  us  so  uncritical  that  we  do  violence  to  the 
facts.  The  domination  of  either  of  these  factors  will 
produce  an  unreasonable  interpretation.  For  the 
hope  of  our  age  lies  in  a  wider  spread  of  intel- 
ligence and  good  will.  Intelligence  without  good  will 
plunged  the  world  into  its  present  chaos.  Good  will 
without  intelligence  is  blundering.  A  reasonable  in- 
terpretation for  our  age  must  be  one  of  balanced 
intelligence  and  emotion,  one  which  will  help  people 
to  express  good  will  through  intelligent  living.  Sure- 
ly inadequate  is  an  interpretation  based  upon  emo- 
tional surges.  Equally  inadequate  is  an  inter- 
pretation based  upon  our  inclination  to  display  no 
emotion  for  fear  we  will  show  lack  of  intelligence 
and  culture  and  sophistication.  Any  adequate  scheme 
of  living  demands  an  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures 
which  satisfies  both  intellect  and  emotion. 

One  element  of  such  an  interpretation  will  be  an 
analysis  of  the  Sciptures,  in  order  to  get  at  their 
spring  of  life,  God  and  Christ.  The  big  problem  in 
the  way  of  such  an  analysis  is  theology  and  Christol- 
ogy.  To  overcome  this  problem  we  must  not  seek  to 
prove  something  from  the  Scriptures,  but  must  let 
our  interpretation  stand  or  fall  on  the  historical  facts 
revealed  in  them.  This  is  a  great  adventure.  But 
as  long  as  life  lasts  men  will  be  making  new  inter- 


THE  SCROLL   113 

pretations  of  the  Scriptures  to  get  at  their  source. 
A  great  element  in  Christian  history  has  been  the 
prophetic  soul  who  dared  to  flare  out  with  a  new 
interpretation  and  demonstration  of  the  power  of 
Jesus  in  life.  This  is  a  time  for  prophetic  souls.  For 
people  want  our  convictions,  not  our  guesses.  And 
those  who  hold  any  convictions  must  learn  to  defend 
them  by  a  reasonable  interpretation  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. They  must  learn  to  interpret  their  re- 
ligion from  the  standpoint  of  the  attack.  Their  con- 
cepts of  religion  and  the  Scriptures  must  be  made 
compatible  with  our  age.  The  doors  of  the  Dis- 
ciples' churches  must  be  made  high  and  wide  enough 
so  that  men  of  stature  can  come  in  without  having 
to  turn  sideways  and  stoop. 

In  our  age  of  Nationalism,  another  element  of  a 
reasonable  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  is  that 
we  must  be  certain  that  Jesus'  religion  is  either  uni- 
versal or  it  is  no  more  than  several  other  national- 
istic religions.  Because  it  was  different  from  Juda- 
ism, it  broke  with  Judaism.  So  not  for  a  moment 
must  we  think  that  God  loves  a  particular  nation  or 
people  better  than  others.  To  hold  such  an  inter- 
pretation is  fatal. 

All  New  Testament  writers  declare  that  Jesus  is 
supreme  in  the  realm  of  religion  and  the  spirit. 
These  writers  differ  in  their  particular  interpre- 
tation but  they  are  one  in  agreement  that  Jesus  is 
supreme  in  the  realm  of  the  spirit.  A  reasonable 
interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  demands  that  we  get 
that  eternal  spirit  of  Jesus  and  give  it  to  our  day; 
that  it  is  essential  we  get  the  various  interpretations 
expressed  in  the  New  Testament ;  that  it  is  supreme- 
ly essential  we  get  that  spirit  of  Jesus  which  gave 
to  all  the  writers  the  incentive  to  express  a  view- 
point. I  believe  we  have  within  our  Communion  the 
desire  to  express  that  spirit  in  a  reasonable  inter- 
pretation of  the  Scriptures.  And  urging  us  to  do  it  is 
our  Disciple  heritage,  and  the  urgency  of  the  times. 


114  THE  SCROLL 

A  Distinctive  Message 

By  Wayne  L.  Braden,  Marietta,  Ohio 

Every  church,  whether  it  be  Disciple  or  not,  I  am 
convinced  has  something  distinctive  to  tell  the  world 
today.  By  distinctive  I  do  not  mean  novel,  but  vital 
and  timely,  and  in  keeping  with  its  basic  reason  for 
existing.  Each  of  the  ten  elements  mentioned  in  the 
letter  merit  treatment.  Almost  at  random  I  select 
the  last  for  my  "thousand  words  or  less." 

Sympathy  and  cooperation  in  great  social  move- 
ments, education,  temperance,  peace,  social  justice 
and  righteousness  need  cardinal  emphasis  today  in 
all  our  churches.  These  elements  are  being  strangled 
throughout  great  areas  of  the  Eastern  hemisphere 
and  are  gravely  menaced  in  our  own  land.  The 
totalitarian  nations  with  their  cynical  contempt  for 
Democracy  and  the  social  virtues  without  which  it 
cannot  be  effective,  violently  bid  for  the  world's  al- 
legiance. In  our  panicky  concern  about  the  advanc- 
ing threat  from  across  the  seas  our  country  is  arm- 
ing itself  not  alone  with  soldiers,  ships  and  bombing 
planes,  but  with  ideas — ideas  of  military  prepared- 
ness, conscription,  and  uniformity  of  unquestioning 
patriotic  loyalty  which  we  deplore  in  Germany  and 
Italy.  We  are  witnessing  in  the  United  States  an 
ominous  rennascence  of  nationalism,  a  nationalism 
which  is  wreaking  such  ghastly  havoc  abroad.  This 
rising  tide  of  nationalism  with  its  attendant  vices 
of  intolerance,  regimentation  and  coercion  of 
thought  and  conduct  is  fundamentally  opposed  to 
those  great  humanitarian  qualities  of  sympathy,  tol- 
erance, mutual  helpfulness  and  passion  for  social 
righteousness  which  characterizes  the  church  at  its 
best. 

But  how  can  the  church  effectively  proclaim  this 
message?  The  pulpit  still  remains  the  sounding 
board  of  Protestant  Christianity.    The  voice  of  the 


THE  SCROLL  115 

prophet  was  never  more  needed  than  now  when 
Christian  ideals  are  being  tried  by  fire.  On  the 
battlefields  of  other  continents  men  are  being  hurled 
against  each  other  in  mortal  combat  in  defense  of 
what  they  hold  dearer  than  life.  Ought  not 
Christian  ministers  speak  out  with  prophetic  clear- 
ness in  behalf  of  their  imperilled  gospel?  Now, 
when  young  men  are  being  mobilized  in  peacetime 
conscription  and  their  minds  and  emotions  about  to 
be  regimented  in  a  passionately  uncritical  national- 
ism, let  the  minister  preach  peace  and  righteousness 
with  all  his  might.  Now,  when  people's  minds  are 
being  swept  with  worried  haste  toward  war,  let  the 
preacher  rally  his  people  to  the  standard  of  the 
Prince  of  Peace. 

More  effective,  perhaps,  in  these  days,  than  the 
pulpit  is  the  church  school.  With  great  shrewdness 
Hitler,  when  he  came  to  power,  took  over  the  edu- 
cational systems  in  Germany  and  has  been  turn- 
ing out  Hitler-conditioned  citizens  ever  since.  It  is 
in  the  gradual  processes  of  education  that  ideals  be- 
come established.  Let  our  church  schools  expose 
their  pupils  to  the  Christian  teachings  and  attitudes 
so  despised  by  the  dictators  and  so  essential  to  a 
democratic  way  of  life. 

In  study  and  discussions  carried  on  by  young 
people's  societies,  men's  forums,  women's  groups 
and  the  like,  let  these  Chritsian  graces  of  sympathy, 
cooperation  in  great  social  movements,  education, 
temperance,  peace,  social  justice  and  righteousness 
be  amphasized.  Mr.  H.  G.  Wells  has  said  that  civili- 
zation is  a  race  between  education  and  catastrophe. 
Let  us  put  our  best  into  an  intelligent  and  vital  pro- 
gram of  Christian  education. 

Most  important  of  all,  let  the  churches  practice 
what  they  preach.  Let  them  manifest  a  genuine 
sympathy  for  those  within  their  parishes  and  for 
those  outside.  Let  them  cooperate  unselfishly  and 
enthusiastically  in  every  great  social  movement.  Let 


116  THE  SCROLL 

them  practice  temperance  and  tolerance  in  thought, 
word  and  deed.  Let  them  set  an  example  of  peace 
and  harmony  in  the  midst  of  a  world  in  turmoil  and 
confusion.  Let  them  courageously  stand  for  social 
justice  and  righteousness  expressed  in  interracial 
brotherhood,  industrial  democracy,  commercial 
honesty  which  alone  can  insure  the  perpetuity  and 
progress  of  a  Christian  democracy. 

We  see  abroad  the  tragic  results  of  an  obsolete 
ethic  at  work  in  a  rapidly  changing  society,  an  ethic 
of  nationalistic  greecj  and  brute  force  rampant  in  a 
world  increasingly  bound  together.  It  may  be  true 
that  a  new  era  is  struggling  to  be  born,  and  that 
contemporary  upheavals  are  but  the  birthpangs  of  a 
new  social  order,  but  is  there  not  grave  peril  that 
both  the  present  civilization  the  new  'wave  of  the 
future'  may  perish  in  the  process? 

The  titantic  struggle  overseas  is,  it  seems  to  me, 
more  than  a  conflict  of  rival  imperialism.  It  is  a 
conflict  of  two  contending  philosophies  of  life  rather 
clearly  expressed  in  a  statement  said  to  have  been 
made  by  Goering  to  Lord  Halifax  prior  to  the  out- 
break of  the,  war  between  Germany  and  Britain: 
"The  British  Empire  is  doomed  because  it  has  be- 
come de-brutalized." 

Let  the  churches  teach  and  let  the  preachers 
preach  that  the  permanently  effective  way  of  pre- 
paring against  Hitlerism  and  all  that  it  symbolizes 
of  tyranny,  regimentation  and  brutality,  is  not  by 
generating  a  rival  Hitlerism  at  home,  but  by  devel- 
oping with  greater  earnestness  and  determination 
the  forces  of  goodwill,  understanding,  voluntary  co- 
operation, peace  and  social  justice  which  are  the 
backbone  of  democracy  and  essential  to  the  Chris- 
tian way  of  life. 


There  will  be  articles  next  month  by  Stephen  J. 
Corey  on.  The  Missionary  Spirit,  and  by  A.  C. 
Brooks  on,  Our  Plea. 


THE   SCROLL 117 

Flows  in  Disciple  Evangelism 

By  Eldred  Johnston,  Wauseon,  Ohio 

In  my  lifetime  I  have  attended  evangelistic  meet- 
ings in  about  fifty  various  Disciple  churches.  While 
they  compare  favorably  with  similar  meetings  held 
by  other  denominations,  there  are  certain  flaws  in 
most  Disciple  evangelism  which  we  should  endeavor 
to  eradicate. 

1.  VAGUENESS: 

I've  heard  evangelists  stand  at  the  front  of  the 
church  and  plead  with  the  people  to  "Come  to 
Jesus,"  or  "Accept  Christ,"  without  giving  them  an 
inkling  of  what  they  are  talking  about.  Every  time 
an  evangelist  uses  such  phrases  in  a  public  meeting 
I  have  no  doubt  but  that  every  person  in  the  audi- 
ence interprets  differently.  Men  have  been  told  that 
those  phrases  mean  everything  from  giving  up  liquor 
to  attending  Sunday-school  regularly,  but  as  ad- 
mirable as  those  objectives  are,  neither  is  to  be 
found  in  the  New  Testament. 

2.  NEGATIVE  APPROACH: 

It  seems  that  many  evangelists  delight  in  de- 
nouncing things — card-playing,  smoking,  dancing, 
theatre-going,  etc.  This  inevitably  leads  to  moral 
confusion  and  lack  of  perspective.  When  a  preacher 
uses  up  all  his  superlatives  in  denouncing  card  play- 
ing, many  listeners  draw  the  logical  conclusion  that 
adultery  or  murder  couldn't  be  any  worse !  Another 
logical  conclusion  from  such  preaching  is  that  a 
Christian  should  be  known  mainly  for  what  he  does 
not  do.  It  was  this  sort  of  teaching  that  Jesus  re- 
jected. The  old  commandments  said,  "Thou  shalt 
not  do  this— Thou  shalt  not  do  that."  Jesus  said, 
"Thou  shalt  love  .  .  .,"  ".  .  .  turn  the  other  cheek," 
". . .  go  a  second  mile,"  etc. 

3.  SELF  CONFIDENCE : 

Seldom  do  our  evangelists  stress  the  fact  that  sal- 
vation cannot  be  earned.     They  teach,  rather,  that 


118 THE  SCROLL 

all  one  needs  to  do  is  to  sincerely  and  intelligently 
take  the  steps  of  faith,  repentance,  confession,  and 
baptism — ^then  salvation  is  assured.  The  result  of 
this  teaching  has  been  an  attitude  of  self-sufficiency, 
cocksuredness,  and  ingratitude  on  the  part  of  those 
who  have  graduated  from  the  four-step  process. 

To  Jesus,  man  was  irremediably  evil — he  could  do 
little  to  earn  salvation  without  God's  help.  John  the 
Baptist,  on  the  other  hand,  took  the  viewpoint  that 
salvation  could  be  earned :  "Repent  and  bring  forth 
fruits  tvorthy  of  repentance"  (or,  worthy  of  en- 
trance into  the  kingdom.)  But  Jesus  said,  "When 
ye  shall  have  done  all  those  things  which  are  com- 
manded you,  say,  'We  are  unprofitable  servants.' " 
(Luke  17:10). 

Salvation,  to  Jesus'  mind,  was  not  something 
earned  by  the  efforts  of  man,  but  was  the  gift  of 
God;  and  a  gift  not  given  as  a  king  rewarding  a 
slave,  but  given  as  a  mother  bestowing  upon  her 
child  everything  possible  for  its  highest  good — not 
because  the  child  earned  it,  but  because  the  mother 
loves  the  child.  It  is  this  "love  beyond  what  we  de- 
serve" that  will  put  dynamic  into  our  evangelistic 
preaching. 


From  the  rather  indefinite  information  which  we 
can  glean  from  the  pages  of  the  New  Testament  and 
the  early  post-Apostolic  literature  it  seems  perfectly 
clear  that  an  immense  amount  of  diversity  existed 
I  within  the  loosely  jointed  fellowship  of  the  Chris- 

'  tian  ecclesia.  The  Hebrew  congregations  were  Jews 

in  all  essential  particulars,  and  in  some  instances 
were  more  strict  in  the  observance  of  the  law  than 
were  many  of  their  non-Christian  Hebrew  associ- 
ates. Members  of  the  Greek  congregations,  on  the 
other  hand,  paid  no  attention  to  the  Jewish  law  or 
ceremonial  observances,  and  in  many  instances  had 
little  or  no  respect  for  the  religion  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. F.  D.  Kershner. 


THE  SCROLL  119 

The  Five  Finger  Exercise 

By  B.  Blakemof^e,  Chicago 

Brother  DeGroot's  puzzlement  regarding  the  fa- 
mous five-finger  exercise,  developed  by  Walter  Scott 
and  included  in  the  program  of  the  North  American 
Christian  Convention  in  two  forms,  is  readily  cleared 
up  vi^hen  the  nature  of  the  exercise  is  pointed  out. 
There  seem  to  have  been  at  least  two  forms  of  the 
exercise,  if  not  more.  The  point  is  that  the  five- 
finger  exercise  was  a  shorter  statement  of  Scott's 
full  position.  The  latter  can  be  found  in  The  Mes- 
siahship;  in  this  work  Scott  points  out  considerably 
more  than  five  elements  of  conversion.  It  was  only 
for  purposes  of  easily-remembered  demonstration 
that  the  number  was  cut  to  five,  and  it  was  not  al- 
ways the  same  five  that  were  used,  though  the  order 
in  which  the  various  elements  stood  was  never  al- 
tered. 

It  is  a  wonder  that  along  with  the  "Five-finger 
Exercise"  we  have  not  also  heard  a  great  deal  about 
"The  Three  Duties  and  the  Three  Privileges."  In 
The  Messiahship,  Scott  analyzed  Christian  experi- 
ence into  three  major  elements  with  several  sub- 
divisions each.    They  were  as  follows : 

A.  Evangelical 

B.  Transitional  (or  the  Three  Duties.) 

1.  Faith 

2.  Repentance 

3.  Baptism 

C.  Ecclesiastical   (or  the  Three  Privileges.) 

1.  Remission  of  Sins 

2.  The  Holy  Spirit 

3.  Eternal  Life 

It  is  interesting  that  "confession"  does  not  appear  in 
this  list,  though  it  is  included  in  other  statements 


120 THE  SCROLL 

of  Scott's  position.  Actually,  Scott  saw  some  nine 
elements  in  the  religious  experience,  though  it  must 
be  admitted  that  he  never  wrote  them  all  down  in 
any  single  list.  But  the  following  is  typical  of  his 
position,  and  includes  some  nine  elements: 

Preaching,  hearing,  believing  or  faith,  repentance, 
confession,  baptism,  remission  of  sins,  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  Eternal  Life. 

It  is  a  pity  that  we  could  not  legitimately  add  one 
more  element  to  the  list  for  that  would  give  a  basis 
for  a  ten-finger  exercise.  From  this  list  of  nine  ele- 
ments a  number  of  five-finger  exercises  can  be 
formulated  according  to  the  purpose  of  the  formula- 
ter  and  so  long  as  the  order  is  not  violated.  The  two 
exercises  reported  by  Brother  DeGroot  are  the  most 
popular  forms,  and  their  respective  virtues  are  de- 
monstrable. For  instance,  if  you  are  cornered  by  a 
Baptist,  you  should  use  faith,  repentance,  confession, 
baptism,  and  the  remission  of  sins.  This  exercise 
brings  in  all  the  points  which  are  likely  to  be  in  dis- 
pute between  a  Baptist  and  yourself.  But  if  you 
meet  a  mystic,  or  a  Calvinist  it  will  be  better  to  re- 
sort to  preaching,  hearing,  faith,  repentance,  and  the 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  form  gives  you  the 
emphasis  on  a  sensory  experience  as  primary  and 
prevents  the  opposition  from  carrying  his  point  that 
he  was  converted  through  the  direct  action  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  or  by  private  information  from  God  him- 
self. It  places  the  action  of  the  Holy  Spirit  where  it 
belongs,  after  faith  and  not  before  it. 

By  the  way,  this  order  of  Scott's  is  as  Biblical  to- 
day as  it  was  when  Scott  dug  it  out  of  Paul,  and  it 
is  equally  Lockean  as  it  was  when  Scott  used  Locke's 
philosophy  as  a  check  against  his  own  thinking. 
There  is  much  value  in  the  exercise  for  demonstrat- 
ing, now  as  in  the  past,  the  "reasonableness'  of 
Christianity, 


THE  SCROLL  121 

The  Imminent  Step 

By  W,  F,  Bruce,  Oklahoma  City,  Okla. 

A  Christian  takes  Jesus  Christ  above  any  other 
claimant  for  his  loyalty.  He  is  in  a  unique  sense  the 
Son  of  God  lest  he  be  made  out  an  imposter  or  a  self- 
deluder,  a  historic  reality  else  one  knows  little  of  a 
living  Savior,  a  living  reality  else  the  Jesus  of  his- 
tory has  no  extraordinary  meaning. 

Jesus  left  an  ineradicable  impress  upon  succeed- 
ing generations.  And  yet  the  usual  way  of  tradition 
would  have  left  us  an  indefinite  notion  of  Him  had 
not  the  facts  early  become  matters  of  a  record  that, 
after  the  severest  criticism,  we  have  in  a  substantial 
form  today.  Without  precluding  the  testimony  of 
Christian  history  or  denying  the  impact  of  the  living 
Christ  upon  Christian  experience  we  must,  so  far  as 
we  can  tell,  get  our  concept  of  the  Person  and  the 
teaching  of  Jesus  through  the  simple  story  of  the 
New  Testament  and  its  introduction  in  the  Old.  This 
Book,  even  with  difference  of  version  that  does  not 
invalidate  its  efficacy,  tends  to  stabilize  and  unify 
the  Christian  system. 

But  men  change  in  attitude  toward  the  truth — 
rejection,  indifference,  or  acceptance — and  in  re- 
sponse— whether  to  oppose,  or  ignore,  or  practice  it. 
No  two  in  their  partial  comprehensions,  nor  any  one 
in  two  successive  comprehensions,  will  grasp  quite 
the  same  segment  of  truth.  So  from  individual  to 
individual  and  from  generation  to  generation  will 
arise  differences  of  interpretation  of  the  Bible.  So 
far  as  he  is  sincere  in  his  research  each  disciple  has 
the  right  to  interpret,  for  each  must  reason  through 
for  himself  and  answer  his  own  conscience.  Each 
must  live  up  to  his  own  convictions ;  he  does  not  com- 
promise his  oiun  by  allowing  another  to  have  his  con- 
victions. 

The  church  can  surely  come  up  to  modern  educa- 
tion in  recognizing  individual  differences.  It  must 
learn  to  bear  with  all  whom  it  may  "gather  of  every 
kind."    In  our  day  of  intermingling  peoples  Chris- 


122  THE  SCROLL 

tianity  must  take  account  of  various  conditions  and 
temperaments  if  it  is  to  reach  its  ideal  of  a  univer- 
sal brotherhood  and  its  goal  of  a  world-wide  king- 
dom. The  gospel  will  have  to  be  adaptable  enough 
for  all  sorts  of  spiritual  needs  and  at  the  same  time 
stable  enough  to  maintain  its  integrity  against  dis- 
rupting allurements  in  many  directions. 

The  gospel,  while  holding  the  church  to  a  sem- 
blance of  identity  through  the  centuries,  must  func- 
tion as  the  "dunamis"  rather  than  the  "stasis"  of  God 
unto  salvation.  Christianity  becomes  static  when  a 
man  or  a  council  fixes  an  interpretation.  Truth  from 
God  is  an  abiling  element  that  holds  us  steady,  but 
yields  to  interpretation  by  man  in  a  way  to  freshen 
us.  Spiritual  norms  that  cannot  be  found  in  nature 
or  in  human  history  we  discover  in  the  Bible,  not  in 
the  original  or  any  other  mere  words  but  in  the  Life 
they  reveal.  All  men,  like  the  Greeks  at  the  feast, 
"would  see  Jesus."  Their  discovery  of  Him  through 
the  New  Testament  and  in  Christian  experience  they 
may  then  declare  in  an  inclusive  affirmation  that  in- 
volves so  much  of  asserted  and  corollary  truth  that 
no  other  creed  need  be  formulated  or  espoused  by 
Christians,  "Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  liv- 
ing God." 

But  oneness  of  affirmation  does  not  obviate  diver- 
sity of  interpretation.  The  very  admonition  of  Paul 
for  forbearance  as  a  preface  to  unity  calls  for  some 
putting  up  with  another's  differences,  without  in  the 
least  accommodating  the  truth  or  compromising  the 
right.  The  apostle  advocates  no  "schism  in  the 
body,"  but  completeness  "in  the  same  mind  and  in 
the  same  judgment,"  and  "unity  of  the  spirit."  We 
must  keep  unity,  or  recover  what  we  have  lost  of  it, 
in  body,  mind,  and  spirit;  yet  with  all  meekness 
"forbearing  one  another."  Convictions  to  be  re- 
spected and  forbearance  that  respects  are  comple- 
mentary essentials  to  unity. 

Unity  will  come  then  through  a  common  accept- 
ance of  the  Savior  as  affirmed  in  the  Bible  subject 


THE  SCROLL  123 

to  interpretation  by  each  individual  who  is  earnest 
in  his  own  and  forbearing  toward  others'  convic- 
tions. It  will  come  in  local  communities  where  men 
know  one  another  well  enough  to  differ  and  forbear 
and  agree.  Instead  of  holding  aloof  from  transi- 
tion experiments  in  unity  because  they  do  not  meet 
his  idea  a  Christian  should  participate  because  they 
promise  some  approach  to  it.  Community  churches, 
non-denominational  tabernacles,  and  the  Restoration 
movement  can  all  find  here  a  field  for  their  heartiest 
endeavor. 

The  next  step  is  to  call  community  conferences 
that  will  face  agreements  and  disagreements  as 
frankly  as  did  the  recent  ecumenical  conferences. 
The  result  will  be  units  of  cooperative  Christian 
service.  The  unit  will  not  be  a  denomination  that 
holds  on  to  denominational  distinctions,  nor  a  feder- 
ation that  is  satisfied  with  a  thin  residuum  of  com- 
promised doctrine  and  an  accommodated  policy  of 
agreed-upon  practice.  It  consists  of  a  voluntary 
coming  together  of  all  Christians  accessible  to  one 
center  who  have  laid  aside  all  musts  except  the  one 
of  determining  the  will  of  God  in  the  matter.  It  is  a 
church  of  Christ  so  far  as  it  takes  Him  as  head,  a 
church  of  God  so  far  as  it  looks  to  Him  for  grace. 

The  church  in  each  community  is  to  minister  to  its 
whole  constituency.  Differences  will  be  brought 
within  the  same  circle  of  fellowship  with  a  better 
chance  for  understanding.  Unbiased  research  and 
fearless  teaching  will  clear  out  errors  in  doctrine 
and  life.  But  each  individual  will  apply  the  truth  to 
his  own  case.  Final  disposition  will  be  left  to  the 
Lord.  The  church  as  such,  and  the  pastor  or  any 
other  leader,  will  neither  reject  or  accept  members, 
for  "the  Lord  knows  them  that  are  His,"  and  He 
"adds  to  them  those  that  are  being  saved."  Local 
units  will  cooperate  with  other  such  units  through 
facilitating  conferences  in  the  larger  task  and  thus 
escape  extreme  independentism  as  well  as  extreme 
ecclesiasticism  either  of  which  hinders  progress. 


124  THE  SCROLL 

Garvinism  in  Retrospect 

By  Wm.  F.  Clarke,  Duluth,  Minnesota 

Any  historical  contemplation  of  Discipledom  could 
not  justly  overlook  the  Garvin  episode.  It  is  funda- 
mental and  far-reaching  in  its  implications,  or  sig- 
nificance.   It  WSLS  an  adventure  with  reality. 

Dr.  H.  C.  Garvin,  the  occasion  for  the  episode,  long 
since  has  gone  to  his  reward.  It  is  therefore  pos- 
sible to  begin  to  appraise  his  work  among  Disciples. 

Dr.  Garvin  was  an  exceedingly  modest  man. 
Though  fully  entitled  to  a  Doctor's  degree  from  a 
German  university,  and  in  position  to  have  it  by 
merely  requesting  it,  he  chose  to  go  without  it,  and 
did  not  acquire  this  honor  until  it  was  thrust  upon 
him.  When  the  representative  of  a  metropolitan 
newspaper  besought  him  for  data  to  be  used  in  a 
write-up.  Dr.  Garvin  smilingly  begged  to  be  excused. 
Students  who  were  with  him  daily  for  years  in  his 
classes  gradually  gathered  some  data  concerning  his 
life  from  remarks  cropping  out  inadvertently  in  his 
class-room  discussions. 

They  learned  that  he  had  sat  at  the  feet  of  Alex- 
ander Campbell,  in  Bethany  college,  and  thus  learned 
at  first  hand  the  ideas  of  this  renowned  reformer. 
They  learned  also  that  he  had  studied  elsewhere,  go- 
ing from  Bethany  to  Miami  University,  in  Ohio, 
where  he  was  awarded  a  Master's  degree.  Later  he 
went  as  a  student  to  Europe  and  spent  some  nine 
years  there,  seven  of  them  in  Germany,  where  he 
studied  and  taught  in  the  university  at  Stuttgardt. 
This  was  in  the  days  when  the  German  universities 
were  sought  out  by  students  from  all  over  the  world. 
Being  of  an  exceedingly  inquiring  turn  of  mind  Dr. 
Garvin  took  advantage  of  his  opportunity  to  talk 
informally  with  other  university  professors  and  dis- 
cuss with  them  matters  in  which  he  was  especially 
interested.  An  example  of  this  would  be  the  theory 
of  evolution,  a  theory  relatively  new  at  that  time  and 


THE  SCROLL  125 

one  which  Dr.  Garvin  never  saw  his  way  to  accept. 

Returning  to  the  United  States  Dr.  Garvin  was 
offered  and  accepted  the  chair  of  modern  languages 
in  Butler  college,  at  Indianapolis,  a  position  which 
he  filled  with  modesty  and  distinction.  A  fellow  fac- 
ulty-member was  heard  to  remark,  "That  man 
knows  more  than  any  twelve  other  men  of  my  ac- 
'Quaintance."  After  a  number  of  years  in  this  work 
he  felt  obliged,  for  financial  reasons,  to  offer  his  res- 
ignation. 

Along  with  his  resignation  he  had  handed  the 
trustees  of  the  college  an  outline  of  a  new  depart- 
ment of  Bible  study  which  he  suggested  as  a  much 
needed  addition  to  the  curriculum  of  the  college.  The 
college  was  one  of  the  leading  educational  institu- 
tions of  a  denomination  professing  great  reverence 
for  the  Bible  as  the  word  of  God,  Dr.  Garvin  be- 
lieved that  such  a  profession  called  for  a  thorough- 
going study  of  the  Bible  in  a  manner  comporting 
with  the  ideals  of  advanced  scholarship.  His  outline 
for  the  trustees  embodied  his  ideas  as  to  what  would 
constitute  the  fundamentals  of  such  a  study  of  the 
Bible. 

To  his  surprise  the  trustees  accepted  his  sugges- 
tion and  appointed  him  head  of  the  new  department, 
authorizing  him  to  go  ahead  with  its  establishment 
and  adding  a  substantial  sum  to  his  salary.  Because 
it  was  a  project  in  which  he  was  greatly  interested 
personally  and  which  he  believed  an  obligation  of  the 
school  to  the  church,  he  accepted  the  offer  of  the 
trustees  and  set  to  work  instituting  the  new  depart- 
ment. As  a  name  for  this  new  department  he  chose 
the  simple  but  significant  title  The  Bible  School. 

This  title  was  very  appropriate,  for  all  the  work 
of  the  school  centered  around  a  daily  study  of  the 
Bible  from  the  best  available  text  in  the  two  origi- 
nal languages.  The  Bible  was  treated  with  great 
reverence  as  indeed  the  word  of  God.  Extreme  care 
was  taken,  however,  to  learn  just  as  nearly  as  pos- 


126 THE  SCROLL 

sible  what  the  various  authors  of  the  Bible  really  had 
said  and  just  what  could  be  the  meaning  of  their 
words.  It  was  an  unshakable  conviction,  for  exam- 
ple, that  the  extreme  precision  of  the  Greek  language 
required  thorough  mastery  of  its  grammar  even  in 
its  finest  details,  if  one  was  to  arrive  at  the  precise 
meaning  of  the  authors  of  the  New  Testament.  In 
this  aspect  of  the  work  it  was  not  forgotten  that 
originals  did  not  really  exist  and  that  current  texts 
had  to  be  carefully  scrutinized  for  possible  errors  in 
copying,  editing,  etc.  Still  further,  it  was  not  be- 
lieved that  the  authors  of  the  Bible  were  merely 
amanuenses,  writing  down  ideas  dictated  to  them 
from  some  authoritative  source,  but  were  authors  in 
their  own  right,  setting  down  matters  from  their 
own  personal  standpoint.  Being  that  they  did  not 
always  agree  in  their  concepts  of  religious  matters, 
Paul  and  James,  for  example,  differing  quite  funda- 
m.entally  in  some  of  their  concepts.  The  attitude 
towards  the  Bible  thus  was  not  in  accord  with  that 
of  the  individual  who  somehow  feels  obligated  to  as- 
sert that  he  accepts  everything  within  the  two  lids 
of  the  Bible.  The  attitude  was  rather  that  the  Bi- 
ble is  a  compilation  of  ideas  set  forth  by  men  of 
profound  religious  experience  and  insight,  but  sub- 
ject to  human  limitations,  and  is  to  be  studied  in  that 
light. 

It  ought  to  be  obvious  that  no  such  undertaking, 
in  such  a  spirit,  could  have  smooth  sailing.  New  and 
reformatory  ideas  were  bound  to  be  encountered.  It 
was  often  heard  in  the  class-room,  "There  goes  an- 
other one  of  my  sermons."  And  just  as  some  ser- 
mons disappeared  so  also  some  of  the  common 
teachings  of  the  church  began  to  bog  down.  An  out- 
standing example  of  this  is  afforded  by  the  contro- 
versy over  the  order  of  repentance  and  faith  in  the 
Christian  life.  In  the  school  it  was  pointed  out  that 
the  biblical  concept  of  repentance  is  that  of  a  change 
of  mind  with  respect  to  life,  and  that  such  a  change 
should  not  take  place  after  one  has  adopted  the  atti- 


THE  SCROLL 127 

tude  of  faith.  This  constituted  a  challenge  to  the 
common  concept  of  the  church.  The  challenge  arose 
out  of  the  simple  fact  that  the  church  had  taught  a 
different  concept  of  repentance  and  a  different  con- 
cept of  faith.  Dr.  Garvin  thought  it  important  for 
the  church  to  revise  its  concepts  of  these  two  funda- 
mental processes. 

There  were  manj^  other  ideas  brought  to  light  in 
the  class-room  which,  though  obviously  biblical, 
were  just  as  obviously  subversive  of  certain  funda- 
mental doctrines  advocated  by  practically  all 
churches,  both  Catholic  and  Protestant.  Such,  for 
example,  was  the  idea  of  the  atonement.  The  Vicari- 
ous Theory  was  found  to  be  quite  out  of  harmony 
with  fundamental  Christian  teaching,  as  well  as  out 
of  harmony  with  man's  natural  sense  of  justice. 
Phariseeism,  too,  was  seen  to  be  one  with  legalism, 
a  way  of  thinking  about  life  that  is  exceedingly  in- 
sinuating and  grossly  corrupting,  not  only  within 
the  church,  but  also  outside  it. 

It  is  doubtful  if  Dr.  Garvin  foresaw  the  furore  his 
school  engendered.  Indeed,  he  probably  did  not 
know  when  he  began  just  how  far  he  would  go.  His 
own  ideas  changed  as  he  went  along  discussing  mat- 
ters with  his  students  and  pondering  upon  them 
when  alone.  However,  he  was  unalterably  of  the 
opinion  that  one  must  hew  to  the  line,  no  matter 
where  the  chips  might  fall.  Yet  he  was  also  of  the 
opinion  that  there  were  already  too  many  different 
denominations  in  existence,  and  was  unwilling  to  be 
the  founder  of  another.  When  he  saw  what  seemed 
to  be  a  trend  towards  a  rift  in  the  church  because  of 
his  ministrations  he  decided'  it  would  be  best  to  aban- 
don his  project  and  resign  from  the  school.  This  he 
accordingly  did  and  withdrew  to  a  situation  less 
fraught  with  unpropitious  promises.  Most  of  his 
students  followed  his  example  and  the  threatened 
break  in  the  church  was  averted, 


128 THE  SCROLL 

Secretary-Treasurer's  Page 

A.  T.  DeGroot 

We  live  and  learn.  I  have  learned  that  there  slum- 
bers (and  keeps  on  slumbering — for  that  we  can 
often  be  grateful)  in  the  breast  of  man  the  muse 
of  poesy,  awaiting  perhaps  only  a  gentle  word  of 
appreciation  to  bestir  it  to  life — ^for  good  or  ill. 
You  may  judge  the  goodness  or  illness  of  the  follow- 
ing "creations",  which  were  the  result  of  my  cards 
requesting  payments  of  dues.  The  first  is  from  CMR 
of  Seattle. 

A  dun  upon  a  postal  card 

Is  not  within  my  liking. 

If  you  were  right  now  in  my  yard 

I'd  send  you  home  a  hiking. 

For  fear  you  may  again  repeat 
This  brazen  piece,  and  rank, 
I'm  sending  this — please  a  receipt — 
You  horny  handed  blank,  blank! 

In  a  somewhat  more  elevated  and  classical  mood 
WGE  of  Lawrenceburg,  Ky.,  comments  upon  my 
parody  of  Micah's  famous  Diamond  Rule  as  follows : 

Go,  iron  men  that  glint  and  gleam, 
Join  ye  subscription's  mighty  stream, 
And  swell  the  waters  as  they  roll 
To  tide  the  fortunes  of  the  Scroll. 

If  any  Fellows  feel  moved  to  send  prizes  to  these 
semi-anonymous  brethren,  I  will  act  as  intermed- 
iary upon  a  small  commission  basis. 

Political  feeling  dies  hard.  NC  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
sends  his  dues  and  adds,  "Make  me  fiscal.  I  don't 
want  to  be  like  this  present  administration  in  its 
financial  policy."  As  Treasurer,  I  find  it  diflficult  to 
dissent. 


AUTHOR 


TiTLE