DR. FRENCH E. OLIVER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16121, 9 May 1923, Page 8

DR. FRENCH E. OLIVER

CLOSE OP GISBORNE CAMPAIGN

The back to the Bible campaign, which has been conducted at the Opera House during the past month by Dr. French E. Oliver, assisted by Mr. Anton Cedar holm, was brought to a close last evening, when it, was announced that the public confessions of Christ registered in Gisborne totalled just over 600, and exceeded the results of any other centres that have so far been visited. ■ Excellent singing was again rendered by the large campaign choir, whilst tho popular song director, Mr. Cedarholm, was heartily applauded for his pleasing solo. Prior to the doctor opening his address, he took the opportunity to thank the Rev. E. T. Cox and Mrs and Master Cox for the generous hospitality extended to himself and he expressed his warm appreciation of all friends, comprising the choir, the committee, and workers,. who had labored so faithfully in the days of blessing. Dr. Oliver also thanked the Maoris of Poverty Bay for their kindness to himself during his visit to Gisborne. Dr. Oliver said ho considered the most important message he coud deliver at the close of the campaign was one based upon the text, "I go to prepare a place for you." (John '14.3.). The Bible, lie said, was absolute finality. The Lord's coming was not a matter of, theology. He cared not what the theologians said if it was written in the Book: The question of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ was not a matter for debate between theologians. It was a question between infidels who denied the inspiration of the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "1 am coming again." He (the, speaker), took his stand on the side of Christ. Where, he asked, did they stand? He challenged those who denied the visible and glorious coining of Christ to prove that the Lord Jesus Christ ever violated a single promise. He said :"Igo to prepare a placo for you .... I will come again and receive you unto myself." Some ecclesiastical leaders said it was "clearly a matter, of interpretation." That, he declared, was a hiding place for the theological crook who was trying to tear down some portion of revealed truth. Christ said: "I am coming again." Theologians said, "He is not coming again." Who, asked Dr. Oliver, was telling the truth? Christ was cither coming or Ho was not. It was not a matter of theology. There was nothing possible, despite all destructive critics that could prevent, the Lord coming back to the earth Ho created. Thi-y were dealing with a vital promise —a pledge of a risen Lord. The doctrine of the second coining was taught in the Bible. Taking the entire Bible from cover to cover, the Lord's second coming was referred to in one verse out of o\r«ry 25 verses of the whole Book. It was no theological battle ground. It waj a fundamental truth. "Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." Tho doctor backed up his argument by numerous quotations from Scripture, and turned briefly to the many fake 'Christs that were spoken of as appearing in the last days. He referred to the fact that men had declared themselves to bo Christ in recent years in America, Bulgaria, Greece, etc. Speaking of false cults that had arisen he recalled Dc wic's declaration that he was Elijah, and of other freaks and frauds that had bjen sought to bo imposed on men and women. When men denied the verbal inspiration of tho Bible and sought the right to kick out points from the Scriptures, he would ask: "What sort of 'felk-w is it that is doing God's selection:' He would issue this statement: "Any man who denies the authority of Jesus Christ in connection with any doctrine that Jesus Christ has taught on earth, or has inspired, the prophets and apostles through the Holy Spirit, cannot be a Christian. He said that as a matter of finality. No Christianity could be built on anything but the Book. Tho position taken up by distinctive critics, freo thinkers and infidels destroyed the fabric of Christianity. He was called a fanatic by the Unitarians for preaching the "blood," by unavcrsatists for preaching "hell,'' and by many pulpit puppets for preaching the second coming of Christ. Ho issued the challenge and stood for tho Book from Genesis to Revelations. The Book was the basic principle of all they know. The second coming of Christ, Dr. Oliver went on to show, was pre-millennial and not post-millennial. Nor did Scripture teach the doctrine of "soul sleep." Sleep of tho body had nothing to do with the soul. He thanked God he was not looking for the undertaker, but for the "overtaker," and that Christians were to be caught up to our Lord "in glory.,. The coming must be pre-mil-lennial. God did not make any mistakes in His Book- Tho original Scriptures were inerrant, although there may be some mistakes in the interpretation, but that was human. "You can afford to suffer tho worst in this world if you can have standing place in Heaven," remarked tho lecturer. "Give me standing place in Glory rather than all the sheep farms in the North Island." The doctor concluded with his customary appeal for decisions.

The Rev. A. A. Murray said he could not express sufficiently what the visit of Dr. Oliver meant to himself. His godly mother had taught him the Scriptures from his earliest years and had lived the- Christ-like life before the family. He had never doubted the Word of God throughout tho whole of his ministry, and had always endeavored to faithfully present tho Gospel. He knew the Word of God was not being preached in the churches as .it was in years gone by. Christ Himself had placed his seal upon tho Scriptures. Dr. Oliver had not come to this country to any new interpretation, but he came to declare, as our forefathers had believed, that the Bible was the Word of the Living God. He urged tho people of Gisborne to stand together and protest against modern infidelity. The fight was now on. . Dr. Oliver had given solid instruction on the fundamentals laid down by the great godly men of the church in Scotland and England in the davs gone by. No man could say Dr. Olived did not preach the Gospel of the Grace of God. Some people said he was too severe, but we wanted strong men who would tell pooule the truth in these apostate days, and the man who told tho truth was the man who loved them. One would think Dr. Oliver had the plague, -because so many ministers stood aloof. Why should they stand aloof because JDr. Oliver was oldfashioned enough to "believe the inspiration of Scripture in its intirity? Christ set His sea] on those Scriptures and on the origin of man. He never taught evolution, but substantiated the Genesis narrative of creation. Dr. Oliver stood for the entire Bible and he was a trne friend of every loyal minister of the Gospel. The sneaker regretted the opposition experienced in Gisborne. It was sad, but God would inarch triumphant. Doors would be thrown open in all the (owns of New Zealand for Dr. Oliver. . Ho prayed that the Christian people would go on with God. Tho Rev. E. T. Cox said he believed Dr. Oliver had been sent to stir the church of God and declare the truth, which it had been slow in declaring in

recent generations. There was a great body in the churches who believed the doctrine Dr. Oliver had taught, and there was in the ministry a band of men who also believed it. But meil in high places in tho churches did not stand there, .'and, they overshadowed the smaller body of men. When he accepted the invitation to join the campaign ho knew that ho would be ridiculed by the ministers' association of the community, but he thanked God that ho had stood, not merely because of the GOO who had been savod, but because of the great instruction they had received from this magnificent teacher of the Bible. Dr. Oliver's campaign would wonderfully stimulate him in his future ministry for Christ. He was going to preach different sermons in the future. He believed there would be more of a spirit of conviction in his preaching. If he believed what some men in the pulpits believed to-day he would have left' the ministry long ago. He thanked God that things in the Scriptures that had been dull and clouded to him had been made clear, and even that night's address had been a wonderful revelation to him. He had learned more in that one night's lecture than he had in years of theological, study. His heart was full of love to God for having sent him to Gisborne, against his own wish, to have been thus brought in touch with Dv. Oliver, and thus help him !...■ .>...tly in his ministry of the Gospel. The meeting was marked throughout with much enthusiasm, and the proceedings closed with prayer and the singing of "God be with you till we meet again."