"The Truth Tracts"

Not long since a pamphlet under this title was sent us by its Chicago publisher. Soon after, it was also sent us by persons who, being mystified by it, asked us what it meant. This accounts for our public notice of it. If one had not learned to suspect such pretentious titles, he would almost fear to criticize, for "the truth" calls for subjection, not for criticism. It did not need to go far into the pamphlet, however, to discern its Laodicean character, for its tone said, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing," while utterly unconscious of what any spiritual mind could see:"Thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked " (Rev. 3:17). It is rare to find a writer who can so confidently judge others while apparently in a fool's paradise as to himself.

This pamphlet roundly condemns the sinner who, in the distress of his soul, cries out, " God be merciful to me, a sinner," on the ground that "To ask God now to be merciful is nothing short of blaspheming the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, where God opened up the flood-gates of His heart and deluged this whole scene as high as the heavens with His boundless mercy." Under such a plea why not also condemn our adorable Lord for crying, "I thirst," inasmuch as God has filled the earth with more water than all the world together can drink ? But our author, while refusing the cry to a convicted sinner, allows it, for a purpose of his own, to a child of God. Here it is:"The publican's prayer, which was all right in that day, when it was not yet the day of mercy, as it is now, is perfectly proper for a child of God, who has disobeyed his Father and fears the wrath of the Father's discipline, to ask his Father to show mercy by making the punishment lighter." The conclusion is thus forced upon us that while the mercy of God is complete for sinners, it is not for His children. How can one who pretends to any knowledge of God so misrepresent Him and the riches of His grace! The question naturally arises:Has such an one known the misery of a naked sinner in the presence of God ? and is the "grace " talked about a mere head doctrine ? It would be a fearful thing for one to go into the word of God as the anatomist goes with his scalpel into the dissecting-room, and at last be found without a wedding-garment on. How severely our Lord dealt with the Pharisees of old, who were great carpers at the law but applied it not to their own selves.

Our author is deeply astray as to the matter of fellowship at the Lord's table. Evil persons, whom he would refuse in his own house and at his own table, he would admit in the Lord's house and at the Lord's table! The admonition to the Corinthians to "put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (i Cor. 5 :13), according to this writer's theory still left the "wicked person" free to remain at the Lord's table with them ! How could any Christian, except one blinded by a theory of his own, so dishonor the Lord and the holiness of His table!

But a reason for this may be found in the pamphlet itself. Admissions are made in it which indicate that the author has had part in things from which he seeks to escape, and from their humiliation. This He finds in ecclesiastical theories- in the discovery that he and his associates had made a wrong use of the Lord's supper; then he finds its right use-a worse one than the former, if possible,- and proclaims it as the remedy.

This theory about the Lord's supper, makes our author say:"The Passover spoke not of blessing but only of judgment; and now we see that the Lord's supper speaks not at all of judgment, but only of blessing." To see what these bold assertions are worth we need but to turn to Exod. 12:13, 14, and i Cor. n :29, 30. The first, concerning the Passover, says:"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are:and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." Who and what is he who denies there is blessing in this ?- blessing for Israel at the time ; with greater blessing still to ourselves in its typical significance.

The second, concerning the Lord's supper, says:" For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation (judgment) to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many are fallen asleep" (had died). Does this speak "not at all of judgment, but only of blessing?" The first assertion shows lack in knowledge of the grace of God; the second agrees with the author's unholy views as to the Lord's table.

No doubt modern evangelism is a sad deterioration from what Protestantism once was,-what the Sardis of Rev. 3:1-6 has come to; but this, while it has marks of having known some of the sweets of Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13) proclaims it as passed from the heart to the head, from the believer to the reasoner; one can see the pride of past wealth, and the sad marks of present poverty.

Again, to show how unreliable is his use of Scripture:He asserts that "the Church is the New Jerusalem," and to prove the assertion he gives Heb. 12:22 with other scriptures equally inapplicable. That scripture says, "But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels" etc. If "coming unto the city of the living God " proves that the Church is that city, then coming to Mount Zion, and to an innumerable company of angels, would also prove they are the Church. Another Scripture-proof given is Gal. 4:26, "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." So the Church is our mother!

In this pretentious school of teaching there is much said about the Church and little about Christ. The Church having thus grown unduly important, in that measure Christ is hid behind this absorbing Church-a repetition, in a small way, of what has happened in Romanism.

It is a haughty and evil school, presenting itself as endowed with "higher teaching," in which good things are found here and there, but misleading in the end. May the Lord preserve His beloved people from it, and deliver them where they have been ensnared.