THE MODERN SALE OF INDULGENCES

No man, pope, cardinal, bishop, priest, preacher evangelist or College President, Protestant, Roman, Lutheran, Reformed, Holiness, Alliance or Pentecostal, has the right to sell, give or encourage indulgences, ancient or modern; secret or veiled. Indulgences are of two kinds -- open or ancient and veiled or modern. An open or ancient indulgence was such as Tetzel cried for sale in public in Germany, in Luther's time, by which, upon payment of various sums of money for the construction of St. Peters at Rome, the purchaser was given the permission of the church to sin without the imposition of ecclesiastical penalty.

A veiled, modern, conceded or secret indulgence is that silent mutual understanding between an ambitious modern churchman and a captain of industry or big business, by which, upon payment of tribute money, he is enrolled for life service without its scriptural preparation; or by which, upon his endowment of some institution, he is conceded to be a Christian apart from regeneration and his name is blazoned abroad as a fine type of Christian philanthropist or benefactor, or a copper nameplate, with the donor's name thereon, is placed conspicuously on the walls of the institution endowed, though he may have violated the ethics of Jesus in the procurement of the means of his philanthropy.

To the would-be-modern purchaser of indulgence to sin by the payment of tribute money to Protestant systems, the man of God should give an ancient answer: "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought to buy the gift of God with money." The preacher who, knowingly, receives money from an unrepentant man, in the Name of Christ, is as guilty of the principle of the sale of indulgences as was Tetzel. Modern tribute money rattling in the coffers of Protestant Churches produces no more right to the indulgence of sin than did the coin rattling in Tetzel's box; it is as much the giving of indulgence, or condoning sin without protest when accepting tribute from the sinner, as it is when sending the hawkers of indulgences abroad openly selling them.

The modern man who contributes money for philanthropy is as surely lost if he be not born again of the Spirit, as the man of the dark ages who sought salvation by purchasing indulgences. Benevolence, apart from faith in God, was the testimony of Christ against the world's religious works which aroused their hatred.

There are great societies gathering millions of the people's money, including much from church people, which are atheistic; the name of Christ is forbidden in their chapters. The evil is not in the work which they do but in the exclusion of Christ: all the philanthropic work of the world without reference to Christ, is evil. He said, "The world hateth me because I testify that the works thereof are evil."

Satan is religious but not spiritual; his most effective work of deception is done in religious realms, lulling men to a false sense of security because, forsooth, they are charitable. Salvation by works in the olden time was no more futile than the attempt at salvation by the newly manufactured modern works.

A prominent writer regards the most destructive heresy of our time (Destructive Criticism, Evolution and New Theology notwithstanding) the emphasis in a thousand subtle forms of the doctrine of salvation by human effort apart from faith in Christ.

He who makes small gifts to the poor to be seen of God is more highly favored of Him than he who makes large contributions to popular charities to be seen of men. The Lord has no use for modern gifts of money from sinners. He cares not for the gift without the giver. That only is acceptable to Him which represents love, devotion and sacrifice. "Thy money perish with thee" is His Word to the unspiritual. The least valued gift which a man can give to God is money. We recall those who first "gave themselves to the Lord" -- when men really do this, they never withhold their means for the love of money, which is the root of all evil, is then purged from their hearts.

To get money for His so-called work, by hook or crook, or by the appeal to pride, or party spirit, public sentiment or opinion, can never be acceptable to Him. "The magnitude of the donation does not hide the sin of the large balance withheld from God, " who estimates the gift by what it represents of true sacrifice. The poor widow's mite was more acceptable than the liberal checks of the wealthy, for she had nothing over and the bulk of their hoardings remained intact.

Contributions to Y. M. C. A.'s, Y. W. C. A.'s, or for the construction of similar projects of the community, do not regenerate the contributors. The C's could be dropped from these organizations without any loss to the cause of Christ (often, rather to its advancement) since swearing, dancing, smoking, pool and billiard playing are great stumbling blocks to the cause of Christ.

To build Christless Protestant Institutions with the means obtained by un-Christlike business methods, or with the motive of mere Community betterment, or to imitate other cities, or to increase business or to gain a reputation for giving, is to justify the wicked for reward and to start anew the doctrine of veiled indulgences.

The world's giving, benevolence or philanthropy, is popular and selfish, as a rule, not given unless there is promise of good return of the equivalent with interest, it may be in business, or reputation or to save the withering epithet, "Slacker, " or to be in line with what others are doing. The world's giving depends on public sentiment, the greater publicity it is given, the greater the inflow of gifts to the treasury; the volume is greater too if the subject can be given international publicity. The world will love its own, especially in time of calamity. Its benevolence flows at special seasons; it is a temporary frenzy at:Christmas time. If there is some great catastrophe, an epidemic, cyclone, tidal wave, volcanic eruption, or a great world war, the giving assumes gigantic proportions, and for all the material relief on these occasions, we are grateful.

The benevolence of the true child of God, however, is not seasonal nor catastrophic; it needs not a special external stimulus to bring it forth; it is perennial, always flowing, needing no other inspiration than the Spirit's indwelling, which sheds abroad the love of God in the heart. The child of God will give constantly according to his capacity; in fact his generosity is so great and it flows out so constantly that when special seasons come, it is often low from the continuous drain. If there are no apparent channels through which to give, he seeks them.

"Lovers Of Pleasure More "Than Lovers Of God." -- (Ii Tim. 3:4)

The United States Commissioner of Education estimates that during the year 1920 while the world starved, we expended for joy-riding automobiles, luxurious living, tobacco, jewelry and other luxuries -- $22, 700, 000, 000.00

During the same time we gave to Missions to promote Christ's Kingdom abroad -- $37, 886, 040.00

Or comparatively we expended $600.00 in luxuries for ourselves and $1.00 to Evangelize the world abroad. -- Taken from Family Altar League, Marquette Bldg., Chicago.

Even of the $37, 000, 000 expending for Missions, much was spent in promulgating, not evangelical, but apostate doctrines. As the "Wonderful Word" puts it "When believers cease being unbelievers, God will work!!!!"

The only solution is such an outpouring of the Holy Ghost, as will sweep the fires of revival all-over the world!