Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 9
September 12, 1957
NUMBER 19, PAGE 12-13b

The Overflow

F. Y. T.

Note an "anti"

The heroine of this story is a beautiful Jersey cow with soft brown eyes. Her name is Elsie. She belongs to an elder in a sponsoring church; like all his family, friends, relatives and possessions she has been thoroughly endoctrinated with the spirit of cooperation, and fully taught against the evils of "anti-ism." Came the day when Elsie's owner hired a new hand to help with the farm work — a city man who was sadly ignorant of the ways of farm life and farm animals. He took a milk bucket and hesitantly approached Elsie, doubt and uncertainty written all over him. Elsie haw his predicament and came to the rescue. "It's all right, friend," she said in her soft, gentle cow talk. "I am not an 'anti'; I believe in cooperation. You just come on and grab hold of a teat in each hand, and then I'll start jumping up and down."

The Gravy Song

It happened in Portales, New Mexico. When the Sunday School teacher asked her class of four-year olds to select their favorite songs, one little boy solemnly declared that his favorite was "The Gravy Song." The puzzled teacher finally figured it out with the earnest help of another in the class who explained to her that the lad meant that song that went, "Low in the gravy lay Jesus my Savior."

Well Educated

He has only about one more year to go. He is high in the administration of one of our Christian colleges. Four years ago, when he was thirty years old, he seriously declared to a group of friends that by the time he was thirty-five he expected to have completely mastered the Bible, and would know "everything there is to know" about it. He explained that in the past it took some of the pioneer preachers a lifetime to achieve this knowledge, but they were uneducated men, without the benefit of college training and college degrees. Since he already had one degree, and was working on another, naturally he would master the Bible in far less time than had the pioneers! (Now if brethren can only manage to hang on one more year, until this brother reaches his thirty-fifth milestone, we can let him give us the absolute Bible truth on all these troublesome' vexatious questions now disturbing the brotherhood.) Mirabile dictu!

The progress of truth

From Memphis, Tennessee, comes this unsigned but highly significant quotation from Schopenhauer: "Every truth passes through three stages before it is recognized. In the first stage it is ridiculed; in the second stage it is opposed; in the third stage it is regarded as self evident."

Personal note

Personal note from the editor to his fans who write him letters: "Dear Fans: If you can't think of some nasty name to call me that someone hasn't already called me, just don't bother to write. I hate repetition. Thanks. — F.Y.T."

"With a handle"

We've heard of a new brand of "one-cup" brethren. They are the "one - cup - with - a - handle" persuasion. The point of contention is that a cup is not a cup unless it has a handle. Without a handle it is a bowl or a mug — not a cup. (And we still think maybe somebody just made this one up — did you ever hear of any "one-cup-with-a-handle" brethren?)

"Thy speech betrayeth thee"

In a recent issue of the Firm Foundation Brother V. E. H ow a r d of Greenville, Texas, had a lengthy article explaining "his side" of the story in t h e withdrawal of fellowship against him taken by the Walnut Street congregation a few weeks ago. In the course of his article he unconsciously revealed much of the cause of his trouble — his gross misunderstanding of the source of authority of the elders. He declares that this authority as elders had been "vested in them" by the church! This is a common (and growing) error of some of the promoting brethren. They refuse to recognize that the elders have authority "vested in them" by the Lord, and are contending for "majority vote" of the congregation to ratify (or reject) presbyterial decisions. It is their contention that the church gave authority to the elders, and can over-rule them any time it may desire. We will have more to say about this in a couple or three weeks. This was the same error advocated by the Bakersfield factionists last year.

Not left

A right-handed fellow named Wright

In writing "write" always wrote "rite"

If he'd written "write" right,

Wright would not have wrought rot writing "rite."

— Wood's Limericks National picture

Everywhere we go brethren are asking our judgment or appraisal of the national picture in the church now. Is division inevitable? Is it imminent? Are conditions worsening, or getting better? Well, we can give only one man's opinion: in some areas conditions are definitely and undeniably deteriorating, but over the nation as a whole, the picture has brightened a bit. The chief contributing factor has been, we think, the split between the Gospel Advocate and the Firm Foundation, together with the rather unusual situation of the Gospel Guardian's finding herself in agreement with both papers, as each of them pointed out the unscriptural and digressive teaching of the other! If that discussion and difference between those papers develops as the "re-baptism" controversy between them did seventy-five years ago, we believe the present issues will NOT cause a general division — as the "re-baptism" question did not. Wherever free and open discussion can prevail, division is very unlikely; it is the shutting off of such discussion that multiplies the danger of a rupture. Let us learn from history.

Why not make a list?

We have several friends who every year send the Gospel Guardian to one, two, or a dozen or more friends. if the paper is worth your reading, it is worth the attention of your friends. We believe this journal to be deserving of your support and assistance. How about sending in a list of subscribers now? Get your friends to subscribe; or, failing that, send in a list, as many as you can afford, at your own expense. Thanks!

This explains it

No wonder brethren like to omit the third stanza of the song! You may recall it is the third stanza that goes: "Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold." And now we'll sing the first, second, and fourth stanzas, please!

But Naturally

"A maid may love her own sex well,

But ever since the world began, Beyond a hundred thousand girls, She'd rather have a single man."

— Gospel Advocate, 1891