Editorial October 26, 1907 Issue

THE TRUE TEST

John B. Willis

I have overcome the world.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.—Jesus.

The religious life has its beginnings in moral choice and ofttimes in fields that are far removed from the ideal. It may take its rise in loyalty to a motive whose value is only relative, that is good only as compared with something worse, and we can easily see that under given conditions even the choice of the lesser of two recognized evils may have the promise of character's ultimate exaltaion. As the religious consciousness advances, men acquire the habit of applying some test of genuineness, they adopt a basis of judgement as to merit or demerit, and for the many this has been simply a question of conformity. With evident self-satisfaction the praying Pharisee reminded the Almighty that he had fasted twice each week and given tithes of all he possessed, and practically the same test is applied today by all those who think of studied adherence to the requirements of some religious formula or procedure as a voucher for their worthiness.

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