THEOLOGY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 82, 7 April 1934, Page 4

THEOLOGY

“THE INEVITABLE CROSS," by W. E. Orchard, D.D. (Putnam), pp. When the Portuguese traders, following the trail of the great explorer, Vasco da Gania, settled on the south coast of China, they built a massive cathedral on a hill-crest overlooking the harbour. But a violent typhoon proved too severe, and three centuries ago the great building fell —all except the front wall. That ponderous facade has stood as an enduring monument, while high on its triangular top, clean cut against the sky, and defying rain, lightning and typhoon, is a great bronze cross. When Sir John Bowring, then Governor of Hongkong, visited Macao in 1825, he was so impressed by the scene that he wrote the famous hymn beginning:— In the Cross of Chiist 1 glory. Towering o’er the wrecks of time, All the light of sacred story Gathers round its head sublime. The builders of that ancient cathedral are forgotten, but the cross they reared in memory of the Crucified rei mains. China has seen stupendous J changes, old institutions have crumbled and dynasties disappeared, but the Cross still stands. “A great ruined wall on a misty hill-top; birds nestling on its hideous gargoyles; the sea and the mountains and the sky of China seen through its gaping doors and windows; and over all the Cross, changing desolation to majesty." So it has been in all lands and all ages. If the Cross of Christ is anything to the Christian mind, it is surely everything—the most profound reality and the sublimest mystery. One comes to realise that literally all the wealth and glory of the gospel centres here, 'flic Cross is the pivot as well as the centre of New Testament thought. It is the exclusive mark of the Christian faith, the symbol of Christianity and its cynosure. Thus Dr. W. E. Orchard writes in this most stimulating and thought provoking book, “The Inevitable Cross": “With the position and value , given to the crucifixion of Christ in the New Testament, it is not surprising I that the Cross has not only succeeded in arresting attention and compelling consideration, but in creating for itself a place which has made it criti cal for Christian Theology, the char aetcristic symbol of Christianity ami the centre towards which personal do votion constantly turns. The Cross of Christ dominates Christianity, and any attempts to displace it would certainly alter not only its centre of gravity, but the whole conception of the Christian faith, diminish its converting power, dim the adoring love which is directed towards Christ as Redeemer and Saviour, and destroy the motives which have led so many* souls to dedicate

themselves to the glory of God and the service of humanity. Saints and sinners, the moral hero and the moral wreck, the fighters of this world’s evil and this world’s failures alike turn to the Cross.” Then in the final chapter there is this challenging paragraph: — “If anyone cannot see in Christ, as illuminated by liis express purpose of offering Himself to God fur the sins of the world, a Person truly divine, divinely commissioned for this work and divinely effective for this purpose, nothing further can be argued or can be commended; but it needs to be pointed out to what an alternative such a one is forced; namely, that Christ was utterly mistaken about Himself, whom He was and what He meant for mankind, while His idea of offering Himself for the sins of the world must be condemned as fanatical and insane. The crucifixion of Christ then becomes the most meaningless ol events in any absolute meaningless existence, if not a quite pardonable effort to get rid of a demented megalomaniac, and so deprive His example of being of any further danger to man-

kind. Blasphemous as such ideas may seem to thc devout believer, they alone serve to indicate what is the ultimate alternative to which everyone must be forced who does not accept Christ’s divine Person, Mission and Work.” 'This book is frankly admitted Io bo polemic. The author has pursued many a will-o’-the-wisp in his spiritual pilgrimage. We dealt Avit.li the whole business in a review of his apologia, “From Faith to Faith.” In this latest book from his pen we have the cumulative reading, thinking, praying, preaching and living of twenty-five years. Thc Cross has always been the centre of all things. The bulk of the book was written and rc-writte.i before Dr. Orchard took thc final step from Faith to Faith. Although tho arguments wore re-submitted to a critical revision, we arc informed that “it has not been found necessary to alter materially what had been written previously, and that because my mind had for long found Catholic 'fheology the only safe guide and complete satisfaction on this, as on other subjects.” The final chapter was written after the author’s reception into the Catho-

lic Church and is for the most part dis tinctly apologetic and definitely aggressive. Believers of all classes will find themselves in hearty agreement with many of Dr. Orchard’s contentions and will welcome the warm spirituality, the ethical import, and the devotional qualities of the treatment. Vitality and vigour are marked features of every chapter, yet. there is not the least tincture of rancour. With a deep concern for men and women outside the churches as well as for many who are inside, Dr. Orchard has faced up to thc modern perplexities about the Cross, and with complete candour states them as he faces the question: “Why was it necessary tor Christ to die?” Sectional views are summarised and shown to be inadequate because of the failure to view the whole issue. To thc author one great lack has been the failure to take full account of the historical causes of the Crucifixion. His treatment is dynamic as he drives home that we are individually responsible for the death of Christ on the Cross. Then follow chapters on Christ’s attitude towards i thc Cross and what He wrought there-

on. The argument developed on the Cross as a propitiation for sin and as a satisfaction of divine justice are the least satisfactory in the book. Of course, the author is dealing with mysteries which eternity alone will unfold; but most of the controversy on this attempt to formulate a theory of the atonement will range around his failure to satisfy here, particularly regarding thc objective element. Thc succeeding chapters on union with Christ crucified, devotion, and personal appiopriation are full of strong meat and highly inspirational. Needless to say. Dr. Orchard’s treatment is always dynamic in ethical intent. He names his theory as “Vital,” “because it emphasises one clement, ‘vital’ to any true conception of thc atonement, namely the recognition of the historical causes of thc crucifixion, as well as because it demands a faith that has corresponding effects in life. ’’