THE
reason Christianity has not made more rapid advance, is because the people
are asked to believe too many things. One half the things man is expected
to believe in order to reach heaven have no more to do with his salvation
than the question, How many volcanoes are there in the moon? or, How far
apart from each other are the rings of Saturn? I believe 10,000 things,
but none of them have anything to do with my salvation, except these two—that
I am a sinner, and, that Christ came to save me. Musicians tell us that
the octave consists only of five tones and two semi-tones, and all the
Handels and Haydns and Mozarts and Wagners and Schumanns of all ages, must
do their work within those five tones and two semi-tones. So I have to
tell you that all the theology that will be of practical use in our world
is made out of the facts of human sinfulness and Divine atonement. Within
that octave swing the Christmas chant above Bethlehem, and the Alleluiah
of all the choirs that sing His praises in heaven.