A QUESTION OF ORTHO= DOXY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 264, 31 July 1908, Page 5

A QUESTION OF ORTHO= DOXY.

REV. J. GIBSON SMITH'S BOOK. A HOSTILE REVIEW, The Rev. I. Jolly, of Palmerston North, has a long review of the Rev. J. Gibson Smith's new hook in the "Outlook. He 'admits tho earnestness and literary merit of the book, but decides that ,tho argument is inadequate and unsound, and is strongly impressed with the unorthodoxy of the work. "Mr. Smith's book," ho writes, "is a fierce attack on tho doctrino of tho Atonement as held by every Christian Church. On this great contral truth Protestant and Roman Catholic agree. It is o'lie of those fundamental verities of tho Christian faith on Avhich they have never differed. Here aifu there Individual writers liavo challenged the faith of tho .Christian Church on tho message of the Cross, but tho Church has never faltered iii her witness to the great truth. that our Lord in His death offered Himself a propitiation or expiation for tho sins of tho world. Those churches that ' liavo., restated their relation to tho faith ill new articles or declaratory acts have all given this truth a central place in their creed. This is especially the case with tho declaratory act of tho Freo Church of Scotland. It declares that the fact that our Lord gave Himself as a propitiation for sin stands in the forefront of tho revelation of graco. And this act has been adopted by our ■ own Church, and is mentioned in our basis of union as giving our interpretation of tho Westminster documents, and our office-bearers are told that they answer tho questions put to them at induction and ordination in its light." After an analysis of the argument, he declares: "Mr. Smith's criticism of the expiatory' doctrino of tho Atonement has completely ■ It only tends to strengthen one's faith in the Christian, doctrino of-the Atonement when we see how little can be said against it.*'

The review concludes Mr. Smith is master of. a good style, and lie is an independent thinker, but his hook is of no value as a contribution to tbo literature of the doctrine of tho Atonement. What does give it a certain importance is that it is written by a . minister of a Church which has bound .its ministors and elders to assert, maintain, and defend, as 'standing in tho forefront of the revelatjon of grace,' the truth that the Divine love has been shown to us 'in the coming of the Son to offer Himself a propitiation for sin.' Many godly men will be deeply grieved by tho publication of.this - boot." 1