Article June 13, 1914 Issue

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with contributions from R. J. Campbell, A. R. Henderson

[The Christian Register]

It is no new thing that strong theological fortifications should have to yield to quite unlooked-for influences. While inaccessible to argument, and able to hold its dogmatic strength, a dogma may find itself undermined and rendered ineffective by influences at a distance. While still impregnable to direct attack, it may find conditions taking place which bring about its downfall even at the moment of its greatest pride. Not only in British Africa, but at every other missionary point, the exigencies of the situation have modified the strictness of practice and opinion, bringing about a condition of things incompatible with the maintenance of rigid definition and exclusiveness. Christianity, setting out to covert the heathen, learns something never taught at home, and finds itself on the way to being itself converted. Having gone to save, it has returned to improve. Having set out to teach, it has found itself taught. The fixed and static faiths elaborated in reflection, find themselves faced by faiths become dynamic and operative, and meet the challenge of stresses and crises. They have been where things have to be done on the instant, not prepared for in the study, and have learned in hand-to-hand struggle what never was taught in the creeds. The lessons of liberalism refused by the mind become assimilated unconsciously by a sort of spiritual manual training, and, before they know it, the severest sticklers for consistency find themselves hospitable without the formality of proper introduction, and acting thoughts they were never able to think.

[The Christian Commonwealth]

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