Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 1
December 22, 1949
NUMBER 33, PAGE 7

The Overflow

F. Y. T.

Indubitably

An old time preacher was teaching a Sunday School class of mischievous boys. The subject was the story of Noah. The boys got his book and glued two of the pages together. When the preacher began his lesson, he started to read, "And Noah took unto himself a wife, and she was (he turned the page)—fifty cubits broad and thirty cubits high and pitched within and without with pitch." The old preacher blinked his eyes, turned back and reread it, then said to the boys, "I have found something I never knew before; and I take it as a perfect illustration of the fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully made."

—Irvington (Ind.) News

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That ain't the way to do it!

Perhaps you saw the report of that great meeting they had over at Old Hickory, Tennessee—with 111 baptized. We were interested in this excerpt from the Old Hickory church bulletin: "Willard Collins, former minister, did the preaching in our meeting, which was the greatest from the standpoint of attendance and additions in the history of the church here. The preacher did the best preaching of his life, exposing error and calling names, denouncing sin and warning against it, and proclaiming the gospel in a forceful manner." Now, hasn't Bro. Collins ever learned that it is a mistake to "call names"? Doesn't he know that such hard preaching won't convert anybody, and will only drive people away? Doesn't he realize that the church has long since outgrown this old-fashioned "cut-throat" preaching?

—O—

No paper next week In keeping with previous announcements, we do not publish the Gospel Guardian on the first week in July and the last week in December. But it will be back in your box as usual week after next.

—O—

World-shaking controversy A war of unspeakable proportions is brewing within the mighty body of Roman Catholicism. Her theologians are locked in mortal and deadly combat. No one knows what the outcome may be. The whole world is hanging in breathless suspense awaiting the final decision, which will probably have to come from the great pontiff himself. And what is the question that is being so fiercely debated? Why, verily, they are arguing over whether or not gelatin is a meat! Some eminent Catholic theologians are contending hotly that inasmuch as a certain type of gelatin is made up from the meat of warm-blooded animals it is certainly flesh, and cannot be eaten on Fridays! Other reputable theologians violently disagree, and contend that gelatin is not made from the flesh of these animals, but only from their "bone, cartilage, and white fibrous tissue." Naturally, according to their view, it is not a mortal sin to eat gelatin on Friday. And so the battle rages.

—O—

Growing old

"Let me grow lovely, growing old So many fine things do:

Laces and ivory and gold And silks need not be new.

There is a healing in old trees, Old streets a glamour hold.

Why may not I, as well as these, Grow lovely, growing old?"

—K. W. Baker

—O—

News note The following item appeared in The Dallas News of November 19: "The Baptist, Church of Christ, and Methodist churches of Arcadia Park will cooperate in a community Thanksgiving service at 7:30 p. m. Wednesday in the Church of Christ. The Rev. A. J. Ward, Baptist pastor, will be the speaker." And just who, may we inquire, is the Reverend Church of Christ pastor who participated in this love-fest?

—O—

That "spirit of Sommerism" speech We call your attention to an article on the front page of this issue by Cecil B. Douthitt, anent the recent speech by A. C. Pullias, president of David Lipscomb College. Bro. Pullias takes the position that D. L. C. "cannot afford" to have on her faculty any man who opposes the idea of churches contributing to the schools. Bro. Douthitt's article makes interesting reading; don't miss it.

—O—

So has a donkey H. Leo Boles, for many years president of D. L. C., was much concerned to rid his "preacher boys" of all affectations and unnatural mannerisms and peculiarities of speech. Particularly obnoxious to him was the boy who affected a "preacher tone," trying to make his voice heavy, hollow, and holy. Once Bro. Boles got a letter from a patron of the school who wanted to enter one of his sons in the college. He wrote Bro. Boles that he was certain the boy was destined to be one of the brotherhood's greatest preachers "because he has such a heavy voice." Boles wrote back, "So has a donkey."

—O—

Campbellites: a definition

"Campbellites: a term sometimes applied to disciples of Christ, (a) whimsically, by themselves; (b) ignorantly, by the non-church public; (c) viciously, as well as ignorantly, by the less enlightened members of the less enlightened sects. Obsolescent, with the general advance of religious intelligence."

—W. E. Garrison

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"A fulcrum for my lever"

Archimedes said, "Give me another world for a fulcrum on which to base my lever, and I'll move this world out of its orbit." David Hume remarked that in the doctrine of purgatory, Catholicism has gained that fulcrum. They have the other world on which to base their pressure for obedience and compliance from their members in this world. By holding purgatory as a constant threat, Catholic leaders can well-nigh move their followers to any kind of activity they desire in this world.

—O—

Peter's bones?

Do not be surprised if the Roman pope makes announcement soon that "the bones of St. Peter" have been discovered in a burial crypt beneath the very floor of the Vatican! The Catholic press has been hinting of such a discovery for months. It will be a tremendous boost to the pressure that is being built up to bring Catholics from all over the world to Rome for the "Holy Year" celebrations. Travel agents and hotel proprietors will rejoice. Of course, if the Pope says they are Peter's bones, that's all the loyal Catholic needs; so far as he is concerned, they are Peter's bones—even if every anthropologist on earth should declare them to be the bones of an immature rhesus monkey.