BY REV. JAMES MACLEOD, Greenock.
It is obvious to us that a large body of people in all Protestant Denominations are rather hazy about the meaning of a “Modernist?” First: A Modernist is a man who holds views, opinions, and doctrines inconsistent with, and contrary to the revelation of grace as unfolded in all its fulness, completeness, and comprehensiveness by the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This glorious, and ever present revelation is contained in the Scriptures of the O. & N.Ts. The Old Testament, from the account we have in the book of Genesis of God appearing to Adam after his fall continues through many centuries to the days of Malachi: and under the New Testament from Matthew to the book of Revelation. There the Canon of Scripture closes for ever! Men have tried to add, or subtract from the Canon of Scripture in all ages,—long before what is called the Christian era. We find in the prophecy of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and even as far back as the days of Moses, men tried hard to add to the form, words, and worship of Jehovah. God warned them over, and over not to add to His Word, or worship a word or anything not authorised by Him. If they should it would be at the peril of their soul! Israel did, Judah did, and we know what happened to them, and to their children! “The Modernist” is a man, who denies the revelation of grace! He denies the infallibility of Scripture. He denies the supernatural birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. He denies the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. He denies the eternal Person of the Holy Spirit. His “god” is a mere idea that has no foundation in Scripture, reason, or philosophy. Is he an atheist? Yes, but even lower than an ordinary atheist! The atheist denies the existence of God in providence, and in grace. This man professes to believe in God, but not in Christ. He may consent to the historical fact that such a man was in the world, born like other men, and died like other men! If He died for His own ideals, and ethical teaching, (as other Teachers died,) that could not make Him the Son of God, more or less than, one of us—”we are the sons of God” in the same sense as Jesus was the son of God! Let us examine the hypocrisy of this blasphemer? What has this man to do with the gospel of the grace of God more than Judas Iscariot? His work is to betray Christ all his days to the devil, the flesh, and the world! Is that not what Judas did? Yes, in the matter of a few years, and got only thirty pieces of silver for it! They may collect thousands of pounds, and leave behind them thousands, as we have noticed in the “will” of one of the Modernists (in press) after his death—left over fourteen thousand pounds Stg. Shortly before he died he published to the whole world that he did not believe in the Virgin-birth of Christ, nor in His physical resurrection. This is our modern Judas. How can any Protestant congregation give a “call” to such men knowing before hand that they are wicked “Modernists?” This Clergyman is settled over a professed Christian congregation to administer the divine Ordinances of the New Testament to the members of the congregation, children, adults, all and sundry? He does not really believe in the Ordinance of Baptism, or in the Lord’s Supper. But what possesses him to have anything to do with the Christian religion? The same could be said about Judas? What possessed him? Who are these wicked men serving? The devil! How is it that any congregation should be so blind that they would ever think of “giving a call” to one whom they knew beforehand was a Modernist?” What of the prophets of Baal in Israel? The poor miserable people were quite satisfied with them until God came to their rescue through His servant Elijah. You must also bear in mind that the people of Scotland are in spiritual captivity well over seventy years. The vast majority of the people have no more idea what is meant by being “Born Again,” or “Born from above” than the heathen of Africa! None, none! You Free Presbyterians, and we believe a large section of the Free Church people cannot realize how far the people of Scotland have drifted from the Word of God. You must come in contact with them, know them, hear their views, opinions, and crude ideas about the Word of God, eternity, the Lord’s day, and morality in general. In our vicinity here there was a vacant congregation, the poor benighted people give a “call” to one of the advanced “Modernists,” knowing full well beforehand that this man was an open, unblushing Modernist. That should give you a small insight into the most deplorable condition of the poor people of the Church of Scotland. We should pray earnestly that the Most High God would come to their rescue in sovereign mercy. Just fancy a Modernist preaching his irrational philosophy in the name of a Person, and gospel that he did not believe! You must admit with us, that it is extremely blasphemous! Are there many of them in the Church of Scotland? The only way that could be found out is by taking census of the Clergy whether they were believers or non-believers in the eternal Person of the Son of God, in His Virgin-birth, and physical resurrection! The General Assembly could move in that direction if they were at all anxious to “purge their floor.” But we have no hope of that at present. It would cause no doubt, a greater irruption than the “Bishop-in-Presbytery” has done.
The “Modernist Minister” is not concerned about the salvation of the people. He does not believe in the gospel of Christ: and therefore how could he be concerned about the doctrines of grace? Why then is he in the Church, or preaching at all? It is a job or a profession, and as long as he gets his living out of it that is all he cares for. The Sunday News-paper, the Wireless, the T.V. and the pulpit are all one to him. He denies out and out the fall of Adam, sin, depravity, corruption, hell, and the final judgment! That the “dead Jesus of Nazareth” should be his Judge at the last day is too childish to believe such old fables! As one of them said a few years ago at a “Burns Supper,” that Robert Burn’s teaching was far more suitable to the common man than that of Jesus! What is Jesus Christ to the Modernist in comparison to Robert Burns? Nothing! That is quite understandable. The Modernist is a natural man, absolutely destitute of grace, and the love of God, and the carnal sentiments expressed in much of the poetry of Burns suits the voluptuous appetite of this modern prophet of Baal? He is at home at the dance, but a throne of grace he knows not. He may be an expert at the game of football, he knows all about it. One of them made an intimation to his Congregation that they were to have a preparatory service on the Friday before the commemoration of the death of Christ the following Sabbath. He changed the intimation to Thursday as he had to attend a dance on that Friday evening. Are the people satisfied with such conduct on the part of such ministers? It would appear they are quite satisfied. Are we back again to the black, and dark days of the Moderates? Yes, we are, and even worse in this serious respect that it is not the want of education, enlightenment and opportunity to read the Word of God, but a complete rejection of the Word, law, and gospel of God. Does it mean that the Bible is a sealed book on them? It appears to be as in the days of Isaiah. Look up chapter xxix: 9-12. We believe that is a key to the deplorable situation the vast majority of the people of Scotland are in now. Another portion of the blessed Word you might read with the greatest profit, (by the blessing of the Holy Spirit,) is the 16th Chapter in the prophecy of Ezekiel. You might also read the II: Chapter in Hosea? Study these portions carefully and prayerfully, and compare, and contrast the present condition to the times therein mentioned by the Holy Spirit. All the poor people are left is “Sacraments” without any reference to the meaning or substance of the Holy Ordinances. The Modernist can preach, administer the Ordinance of the Supper to hundreds, yea, thousands in one hours time, provided he has a large staff of “Elders” to go round the seats with trays carrying the bread, and the wine in individual tiny cups! You will bear in mind that the Modernist himself does not believe in Christ’s life, or death, resurrection, and of course the sooner it is over the more pleased he is for he must have time to read the “Sunday Papers,” watch T.V. and refresh his mind at the fountain of carnal pleasure. He had no communion with God—”If we say that we had fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” i Jo. i:6. He can hand out Communion Cards, and baptise without reference, to the real meaning of the New Testament Ordinances. What a wicked hypocrite the Modernist Minister is. He will say with an air of great authority, “there is good in all religion, and we are all going to the same place, why bother about old Jewish fables, and at any rate, the most noted scholars of the age, and the most learned Scientists of all nations cannot accept the myth of the Virgin birth, and the fable of the physical resurrection of Christ.” He may continue, “Have you not heard as late as last summer, the learned Principal of the Edinburgh University, stating through the press that ‘man was on that day, and date, one million years on this earth?'” Who could dare question, or contradict the very learned Principal with such great learning, and titles after his name: God contradicts the learned Principal, and all the atheists of Russia, and all the learned that ever breathed on this earth! “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” ii Tim. iii: 16, 17. The believer accepts the Word of God from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation as God’s inspired Word. The unbeliever can chase after bubbles? The cause of God is very low in Scotland, yet thanks be to God that we believe that there are God fearing men, and women in our land—in Scotland, in England, Wales, Northern Ireland; and in spite of the Modernists, in the Church of Scotland men, and women who fear the Lord, and love His blessed name—”And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.” Mal. iii: 17,18.