THE CHURCH'S FAILURE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 10

THE CHURCH'S FAILURE

r > —Under tho heading "The Church's Failure," in the Bishop's opening address i\t Synod, he is 'reported to have said that "the Church's task will not bo completed so long as humanity inhabits this earth," and "the failure of tho Church means that she has not yet succeeded in so Christianising the "nations, etc. Presumably lie means that it is the mission ol' tho Church in her present condition, in the flesh, to Cliristianiso or "convert" the world. Seme "rccognised authorities" claim originality for this idea, whereas the Jews tried it, and with such success that the Lord said of them (Matt. Sl-lii), "Ye. compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when ' he is found ye make

him twofold more the child of Gehenna than yourselves." The idea of converting; the nations is based chiefly upon the text in Matt. 24, 14 -."And this Gospel of. tho Kingdom shall be preached in all the world ior a witness to all nations, then shall the end come." The Jews based their right to "Judaise" all nations on tho promise made to Abraham,.. "In thee and in thy seed shall all nations be blessed." , (Gen. 12, 3, and 22, 17, 18). To convert all nations the Church would have to have power ' to change human nature, and this power she has not', and will not have during this Gospel Age and in the flesh. Tho Bible agrees (Rev. 21 and 22) that the world is to bo converted and the earth - restored for (Matt. IS, lit "the Son of Man is to come and seek and save that which .was lost," "that which was lost" being Adam's life as a man and dominion of earth, and tho whole human race, in Adam. God's purpose, however, before restoring- the fallen race is not"to convert all, but "to lake out of the Gentiles a people," or church. This church was to be developed and tested during this Gospel Age, and made ready as a "bride" for Christ. Elsewhere the Church is spoken of as the "body" of Christ, and when this "body" is joined to the

"head" at the second advent is to be used jis Jehovah's .Agent, "Abraham's Seed," which is to bless all nations (Gal. 3, 1G and 29). Tho Scriptures shoiv that Me have come to this dispensations! change when "all the nations will be blessed," but certainly not by the church in the flesh.

But has the Church been faithful as a "brido" waiting for the "bridegroom"? Has she not formed aii unholy alliance with the world or the "powers that be"? (John 15, 19, 20). History records the fact that the Parliaments of lolil owned Henry Vlll as head of the Church of England, even as the Pope is recognised as the head of the Church of Borne. Do not thesii "bodies" of Christ; united to their false "heads,represent "falsa ChristS that shall deceive many"? (Matt. 24, a, 24). They certainly seem to desire to commence the blessing of the nations fight away, by "faith 1 ealing" and what not. In apologising for this trespass upon your time, and (I hope) space, I. wish to state that I am not writing to "convert" the linticyis or Church, but for a. "witness" to tho truth, especially when tho error is so publicly expressed.—l am, etc., A. N. KELLY. Tokomaru, July 2. s