"What is incredible to thee, thou shalt not at thy soul's peril attempt
to believe."

How will it fare with any church that acts so? Will not the light that
is in her be darkness? How can we expect to receive growing divine
illuminations if we affect to believe what we are convinced is untrue?
Would it not be wiser and safer to put all the orthodox Confessions on
the shelf--yes, on the top shelf--and take instead such a simple creed
as this: "We believe the Scripture to be the Word of God." Then, though
we might differ, we would not be afraid to avow, our convictions, and we
would not be accounted heretics. Let the dead past bury its dead.

There is another serious consideration. When one of the heathen is
converted, especially an intelligent one, how would it do to put into
his hands our orthodox Confessions of Faith? Would he not stumble at the
doctrine of endless torment? He would think reasonably, of course; not
like ourselves who are so dominated by tradition. Then, I say, would he
not stumble? If we tried to substantiate the doctrine, would it not be a
serious impediment to his faith? On the other hand, if we tried to
explain it away, would he not think us a lot of hypocrites?

Professor Faulkner, of Toronto University, said lately, and I think
truly, that one reason why theology is now under a cloud, is that men
are afraid of heresy. Surely, nothing could be more unfortunate than to
carry this spirit into missions.

We do hope that the missionary campaign lately launched will have great
success. Only we would like it if it had been launched on a higher
plane. It is worthy of the highest.