The following short articles are provided by Ben Stratton, Farmington, KY. As you can tell, the state's newspaper was more doctrinal back then than it is now.
"In the plan of salvation, which comes first regeneration or repentance and faith?"One school of theologians says that regeneration precedes both repentance and faith. Another school says that repentance, faith and regeneration are so closely and inseparably connected that no line can be drawn between them. Years ago, Dr. J. S. Coleman and Dr. J. H. Spencer discussed this question in the Recorder. Dr. Coleman took the pre-regeneration theory and Dr. Spencer the other. This writer thinks that Dr. Spencer sustained his contention and to this day he has had no reason to change. However many strong writers agree with Dr. Coleman's view.
_______ [Western Recorder, Editor, V. I. Masters. January 31, 1924, page 10.]
The Recorder does not publish one-tenth of the appreciative letters it receives from its subscribers throughout Kentucky and the United States. But we are glad now and then to pass on to our readers some of the things our subscribers say - Rev. Chester E. Tulga, pastor of the First Baptist Church, LaGrange, Ohio, after saying that he is a regular reader of certain papers which he names and which would be recognized as among the best and most stalwart defenders of the faith in America writes:"the Recorder is the only paper that I read clear through. Some of the papers are too liberal and some others are not outspoken enough, but the Western Recorder hits the right spot. This is not flattery, for I have had this in my system ever since I became a subscriber and I feel good in writing. Up here where we are under the shadow of Oberlin College, we realize the need of firm hands for the faith in this day. May the Lord bless the Recorder."_______ [Western Recorder, Editor, V. I. Masters, January 31, 1914, page 20.]
In the Gospel Witness of November 8, 1923, the following was published. The Gospel Witness is the church paper issued by the great Jarvis Street Baptist Church at Toronto, Canada of which the brilliant and able Dr. T. T. Shields is pastor. The Gospel Witness says:"The Western Recorder - A great Baptist paper published in Louisville, KY, of which Dr. Victor I. Masters is the Editor - publishes this week a sermon which appeared in the Gospel Witness, by the Pastor of Jarvis Street Church, on 'The Relation of Baptists to the Lord's Supper.' Not because the Western Recorder has been kind enough to republished one of our sermons, but because of the strength of its editorial matters and the value of its contributed articles, we wish that every member of Jarvis Street Church, and all the readers of the Witness, could have the Western Recorder coming into their home every week. It is a great Baptist paper, and the Editor of this paper makes no apology for saying that he would like to see all his readers staunch and intelligent Baptists. This is most likely to be effected by the prayerful study of the Bible itself; but we believe the Western Recorder is wholly biblical in its treatment of the questions it so ably discusses. Send two dollars to the Western Recorder, Louisville, KY, and ask the Editor to put you on his list. You will get a hundred times the worth of your money before the year is done."_______ [Western Recorder, Editor, V. I. Masters, January 31, 1914, page 20-21. Formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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