Cbitorial Jiotes atib Comment
RUSSIA has undergone, and is still under
going wonderful changes. These are not
all political. There was no country in the
world in which the Christian religion was pro
fessed where there is as little religious free
dom as under the old regime in Russia. There
was no country where Church and State were
so closely united. Now there is religious
freedom for all, no matter what their creed.
Russia's treatment of the Jews was a dis
grace to the human race and members of
various Christian denominations .other than
the Greek Church fared little better. Now
the people all over the country are said to be
awaking to a deep interest in religion and are
open to the appeals of evangelical truths. In
all parts of the land the power of the pure
gospel is being felt. In this country efforts
are being made to aid the Russians in getting
the gospel as held by evangelical Christians.
Hundreds of thousands of gospel tracts and
copies of the Scriptures have been sent them.
The Christian Russians in this country are
very much interested in having their people
sent the true gospel. In New York they have
opened an institute in which there are now
52 young men taking a special course in train
ing to go back to preach the gospel to their
fellow countrymen.
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DUTY. What is their duty many men are
asking as they face the fact that this
country is now at war. Many prayers are
being offered that we as individuals and as
a nation may be preserved from the curse and
the dangers of war. We wonder how many
prayers are being offered, asking God to use
us for the advancement of His purpose what
ever that may be. Most people in this coun
try feel that we have entered into this titanic
* struggle only that we may be able to aid in
advancing the cause of liberty in the world.
This being the case, as individuals and as a
nation, we ought to be willing to devote our
selves to do whatever God wants us to do.
It seems now that there is great probability
that many -of our men will see service in the
trenches. We believe there will be no diffi
culty in finding loyal men who will dp their
full duty under the flag of our country. There
is a call for patriotic loyalty in every man
and woman in this country. Let every one
willingly put himself into God's hands to be
used as He sees fit.
0
? ? *
CATALOGUES have been received from
Union and Columbia Seminaries. Each of
these Seminaries makes a gratifying report of
the work done during the session in training
young ministers. Union reports 107 students,
of whom 31 are . in the Senior Class ready,, to
go out and enter regularly into the work of
the ministry. Columbia reports 59 students
with 13 in the Senior Class.
M. C. A. There is no other organiza
tion in the world, except the church,
that has done as much for men. In this coun
try it is looking after the physical, mental,
moral and spiritual welfare of three quarters
of millions of men. But the great world war
has opened up to it opportunities for the ex
pansion of its work, that had never been
dreamed of before. From the very begin
ning the Association has been busy and has
?accomplished wonders. To the United States
was granted the honor of introducing this
work into most of the armies of Europe. And
privileges have been granted to the repre
sentaitves of this country that are not granted
to those of any other nation. They practical
ly have free access to the armies, hospitals,
and training and prison camps of all the war
ring countries except Turkey. It was only
by persistent effort that the Association got
permission from Germany, France, Italy, Aus
tria-Hungary and Russia to demonstrate that
the work would be helpful to the men. Now
the demands in all of these countries are far
more than can be met. Our entry into the
war is not to put a stop to the work in Eu
rope. Even the work in the prison camps of
Germany is to be continued. Some of the
workers, with the consent of the German gov
ernment, have allowed themselves to be in
terned in that country till the close of the
war, in order that they may continue their
work among the war prisoners. While this
work is being kept up in Europe, the Associa
tion is planning to do the work that will be
needed in the training camps of this country.
It is estimated that in a few weeks there will
be a million and a half men in these camps.
To give them what the Association can bur
nish and which will be very much needed from
now until the first of next January will cost
$3,000,000. A campaign is being launched to
raise this amount, and it is believed there
will be no difficulty in doing this, as our peo
ple will be anxious to do all in their power
for the welfare of our soldiers.
SPIRITUAL munitions are going to be
needed in large quantities for our soldiers.
Some one has said that a man's physical
strength is tried 011 the battle field, his moral
and spiritual strength is tried in the camp
and in the hospital. Bibles, Testaments, tracts,
papers, magazines and books will be very val
uable. There should be good chaplains pro
vided. They ought to be of the best grade of
ministers. The Y. M. C. A. ought to be
equipped to furnish the soldiers many forms
of Christian and welfare service. There is not
a Christian man or woman, we dare say, in
this country who would not be willing to make
great sacrifice to provide the soldiers with
needed food. Will they not be as ready to pro
vide the bread of lifet
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Administration costs of church funds
are sometimes considered excessive.
There are some people who think that the cost
of handling the funds of thfc foreign mission
work are too great. We heard a man say not
long ago that he had been informed that it
took ninety cents out of every dollar given for
this cause to get the other ten cents to the
work among the heathen. The fact is that
the whole cost of administration of these
funds is only 5.98 per cent. We are told that
this is a lower rate than it costs any other
missionary agency. It has never seemed right
to us to call all of the expenses of the Foreign
Mission office "cost of administration." There
are two very distinct classes of expenses in
connection with this work. One is the expense
involved in raising the money. The other is
the cost of receiving and putting it to use
after it is raised. We are very sure that it
costs a great deal more to instruct the mem
bers of our Church as to the needs and the
opportunities of the mission work and to per
suade them of their privilege and responsi
bility and to induce them to give of their
means, than it costs to administer their gifts
after they have been made. If pastors and
church officers, end missionary societies and
Sunday-school workers would all take this
matter in hand and inform themselves fully
and then educate all the others of their con
gregations, it would not be necessary for the
Committee to do so much along that line. The
salaries of several members of the official force
would be saved. It would not be necessary for
the Secretaries and others to do so much travel
ing. Printing .and postage bills would be cut
down. Thousands of dollars would be saved.
There are many people who say they cannot
give much for missions. If such people will
give some time to the study of missions and
then become educators of others as they have
opportunity, their efforts may be worth as
much as the gifts they would like to srive.
Try it and save, the Committee some of its
campaign expenses.
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EXAMINATIONS before Presbytery are
trying experiences for the young man who
is applying for licensure or ordination. We
sometimes sympathize as much with the ex
aminer as with the examined. Frequently he
has to conduct the examination when he was
not expecting to do so. No matter how well
informed a man may be on the general sub
ject of theology, it is difficult oftentimes for
him on the spur of the moment to form satis
factory questions. We have just received a
series of Review Questions, prepared by Dr.
A. R. Shaw, for his classes in Olarksville Semi
nary. We believe it would be a great help
to any member of an examining committee on
theology to have a set of them, from which to
make selections for use in Presbytery. They
are wisely and carefully prepared.