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October 14, 1914.
A FAMILY PAPER.
E D I T O R I A L
John W. Pritchard, Editor.
"OLIVE TREES."
The publication of "Olive Trees" will be discontinued
with the December, 1914, number.
We regret to have to sever the pleasant relations
that have existed between us and the
churches since 1887. But our retirement seems
necessary and perhaps has been delayed too
long, as in this way we have continued to hold
a position that some one else would be better
qualified to fill. Besides, what was recreation
a few years ago is now a heavy tax on the fading
energies. It is comparatively easy for a
minister, young and vigorous, to prepare two
or three sermons a Week, attend to pastoral visitation,
keep up an extensive correspondence and
also publish every month a brief report of mission
news. But when the elasticity of youth is
gone, and he sees a picture of himself in Solomon's
graphic description of a man nearing the
close of the earthly life, he is no longer able
to pursue such a round of service.
A few subscribers have paid in advance to
the end of 1915, and their money will be returned
to them. On the other hand, many
have not paid for the current year. If, on receiving
this informal notice, they remit each a
dollar, we will be thankful, but, if they think
it just to withhold what is due us, we will not
admire their character, nor point to them as
models of Christian integrity.
We have discovered through the publication
of "Olive Trees" that a large majority, if not
ail, of the pastors of the Church are possessed
of the missionary spirit, and take a deep interest
in foreign missions. Witness the brilliant
contributions with which some of them have
enriched the columns of "Olive Trees" and thus
inspired its readers to greater activity in evangelistic
work at home and abroad. We thank
them for their eontributions to the missionary
literature of the Church, and invite them to
urge the congregations under their oversight
to ever-growing devotedness to the cause of
Christ our Lord, mindful that the preaching
of a full gospel is the divinely appointed way
of bringing the nations of the world to His
feet in loyal submission to His will. He wears
the crown because He died, the just instead of
the unjust, that He might bring us to God.
And the aim of every faithful minister will
be to lead men, as individuals and in all the
associated relationships of life, to recognize and
confess His regal claims.
Another fact—and it is a curious one—that
the.publica.tion of "Olive Trees" has brought
to light is that the women of the Church are
better informed as to its missionary operations
than the men, and consequently more enthusiastic
in their support. Many a time we have
been amused by receiving a letter in which the
writer says: "Please find enclosed a dollar to
renew for my wife's mission news;" or "Mrs.
~ asks me to remit a dollar for her missionary
paper." The natural inference is that
in the judgment of these brethren, missionary
work is women's business, and that men are not
supposed to take any special interest in the
evangelization of the world. Not a score of
years ago a consecrated woman wrote to the
secretary of a mission board, that at a given
date she intended to send him $20,000 for foreign
missions. In the providence of the Mediator,
she was called away before that date, and
bad not made formal provision for the disposition
of her property. Sliortly after her death,
the administrator of her estate, and, as the
stoiy goes, a relative, was informed of her declared
purpose to donate that amount to the
work of Christ in the foreign field, and a copy
of the letter was enclosed to him in the belief
that he v/ould hasten to carry out the wishes
of that Christian woman. But he did not even
acknowledge receipt of the communication, evidently
tiying to persuade himself that the Eedeemer
has no claim on men, however pressing
women may feel His claims on them.—Dr. R.
M. Sommerville, in October "Olive Trees."
Dr. Sommerville gave the firstissue of "Olive
Trees" (then called Herald of Mission Xews)
to the Church in January of 1887, and the 1914
December issue, with which he is to lay do^Ti
the work, will complete twenty-seven years of its
publication. The magazine has been of incalculable
service to the missions of our Church, and
has involved an amount of labor of which no
one who has not had similar experience can
form a just estimate. In 1887, when he began
the publication of the Church's mission
magazine. Dr. Sommerville was fiftyyears of
age. We quote his statement of what the capacity
of a young man of 50 ought to be: "It is
comparatively easy for a minister, young and
vigorous, to prepare two or three seermons a
week, attend to pastoral visitation, keep up an
extensive correspondence, and also publish every
month a brief report of mission news." Let
others remember these words, uttered by one
who is taking his armor off.
If "Olive Trees" can remain ia Xew York,
it ought to be kept up, strictly as a missionary
magazine. The Board's Treasurer is in Philadelphia,
all the members of the Board reside
either there or in this city, and their meetings
BIBLE SELECTIOXS FOR THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
By the Eev. F. M. Foster, Ph. D.
On October 1, at Twenty-third Street Y. M.
C. A., New York City, there was held a Conference
on the. above matter. The meeting was
called, as was imderstood, by committee representing
"Council of Church Boards of Education."
It appears thirteen of such Boards are
in some way federated, and one of the lines pursued
is the preparation tlirough a committee
of Book or Bible Selections for Schools.
The committee above mentioned called a conference
of men, representing reform and religious
work, to get their views on proposed Book
of Bible Selections. This book—not yet printed
—or even adopted, has been prepared by Dr.
Wilbur P. Crafts, of Washington, D. C. He has
compiled three sets of selections: One from the
Xew Testament, a second from Old and Xew
Testaments, and a third from the Old Testament.
The last, as was understood, eliminated
references to Christ, and was intended to satisfy
the Jews. Dr. Crafts explained at length
various plans for getting the Bible read or
taught, in school hours and out of hours, by the
teacheers, and by ministers, priests, Jews, etc.,
and he felt fully assured in his own mind that
the plan of Bible selections from which the
teacher could select, was the best of all. and
that Jews and all cordially supported it. Xo
sooner had Dr. Crafts taken his seat than Eabbi
Silverman, Xew York, asked the floor. He
spoke at some length and wholly rejected Dr.
Crafts' statement that the Jews were in favor
of such Book of Selections, and insisted, if the
matter were pressed to an issue, the Jews would
fight the case to the Supreme Court of the Hnited
States and "would win out" because the Constitution
was on their side; but they were willing
to let the Bible remain in the schools as it
is now read.
Presently Dr. Minton, President of the National
Eeform Association, got the floor, and
immediately put the question in its proper setting,
i. e.. Do we favor a Book of Bible Selections
for reading in the Public Schools In
are held in both cities alternately. There is calm, scholarly argument, he said, "I have very
enough interest in mission work here to insure great hesitation in looking with favor on making
the permanence of "Olive Trees." The men
a Book of Selections to be read in our pub­
engaged in directing the work ought not to let lic schools. Passages selected cast a shadow
"Olive Trees'' cease publication. When one on passages left out." He was followed by Dr.
man alone eould call it into being, and for 27
years after his 50th birthday, do all the work
on it, and bear all the sacrifice, and maintain
so high a standard of journalism and accomplish
such a vast amount of good, and do this
in what time he could save from the limitless
and exacting demands of a large city congregation,
we can not doubt that his fellow-members
on the Foreign Mission Board will provide
for its future; and for a memorial there .'^liould
be inscribed upon it: "Founded by Dr. E. M.
P. M. Wilson, who also repiesented the National
Eeform Association. He reinforced Dr.
]\Iinton and said: "What we wish to secure is
the whole Bible in our Public Schools, not a
part of it," and with Eabbi Silverman injecting
objections and questions, things were getting interesting.
But Dr. Wilson stood firmly on his
ground and was presently reinforced by Dr.
Swartz, Secretary of Xew York Sabbath Committee,
and by the writer, who said: "Effort
to put in Selections would finally work towards
Sommerville."
putting the Bible out." After one or two others
had spoken, with Dr. Crafts elucidating and
explaining his work by injection method. Dr.
Eochester, of Toronto, was called on to state
the situation in Ontario Province, which he
did in a forceful way, saying in conclusion that
the Government in power previously to the present
one, had prepared a Book of Selections for
use in the Schools, and it had already been discarded
and the Bible itself was used.
In the conference there were three views:
First.—Those who would put out the Bible,
and who w^ere especially opposed to selections
as shrewdly teaching Christianity.