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EDITORIAL COUNCILEdwin H. Rian Ned B. StonehouseLeslie W. Sloat Murray Forst Thompson
Thomas R. BirchManaging Editor
The Christian and the Jewish SituationBy the REV. DAVID FREEMAN
A Converted Jew and Pastor of the New Covenant Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia
IT MAYbe that these persecutions have come upon usbecause we have forgotten God," said a Jewish refu
gee from Germany. Many Jews are pondering themeaning of it all, and are beginning to think that Godis permitting these trials to come upon them. Theyshould remember Joseph who, having been unj ustlyhandled by his brethren, said to them, "But as for you,ye thought evil against me; but God meant it untogood."
Believers in the Bible know that nothing happenswithout God. He has willed all things that come to passand even in those events that affect nations He is working out His own good and wise purposes. God surelyhas a purpose in the calamities He is permitting to fallupon His ancient people Israel, but this in no way excuses those who are guilty of tyranny, oppression andbloodshed. The Son of God said, "Woe unto the worldbecause of offences! for it must needs be that offencescome; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" The sovereign will and purpose of God does notprevent His wrath from abiding upon the present iniquities of godless men toward the Jews in greaterGermany and elsewhere.
The Christian cannot look with indifference upon thepresent distress of the Jewish people. They are livingin days that can only be compared to the Babylonianexile or to the expulsion from Spain. The present catas-
trophe is so enormous that it is hard for us here inAmerica fully to comprehend it. Only those who haveexperienced in their own bodies the sweeping tide ofanti-Semitism in Germany know something of the horror of it all. The half has not been told. Over night325,000 Jews of the Czechoslovakian Republic weremade pariahs. Divested of citizenship and property,turned out of industry, commerce and employment, theyare looked upon as those who do not even have theright to live. Since November, 1938, a fine of $400,000,000 has been imposed upon the Jewish communityof greater Germany, which about exhausts the opportunities for self-help. Many Jews are languishing in concentration camps and only those are freed who promiseto emigrate immediately. Outside of greater Germanythe condition of the Jews is pitiable. In Poland morethan 38 per cent. of its 3,310,000 Jews are dependentupon charity. Only recently in Hungary, which has450,000 Jews, a bill limiting participation of Jews inbusiness and professional life to six to 12 per cent. wasadopted by the Hungarian Parliament. Roumania's800,000 Jews are suffering under a quiet but unrelenting campaign of discrimination. As a result of recentlegislation 200,000 of them have. been deprived of citizenship and remain in the country on sufferance.
What a ghastly story the beatings, tortures, and maltreatment of the Jews would make if it were compiled!
102 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN June
These things are too well authenticated by indisputable evidence to bedenied; moreover, we see it with oureyes and hear it with our ears. Therehas come to our notice the information that Jews are being used forexperiments. Only recently 65 Jews,including women and children, wereassembled and gassed from Germanwar planes. The net result for theexperimenters to gloat over was 46dead, 12 seriously injured and sevenslightly hurt.
Anti-Semitism is a cancerous infection of modern times and evenAmerica is not free of it. When conditions are favorable it shows its uglyhead. The Dies Congressional Committee on un-American Activities hasjust disclosed the existence in thiscountry of a well-organized antiSemitic campaign in the UnitedStates. One of the supporters of thismovement, George Van Horn Moseley, a retired major general, is reported to have written, in a letter nowin possession of the Dies Committee,the following, "The fact is that themost serious problem confrontingAmerica today is just this problemof the Jew and how to get rid of hisinfluence definitely -locally, nationally and internationally." This is thestuff that is the forerunner of discrimination and cruelty.
Where does the orthodox Christian stand amid all this hatred andmaltreatment of the Jew? When aman is down, it is base and mean tokick him, even if he deserves it. Allrecounting of the sins of the Jews atthis time is taking unfair advantageand only fanning the flame of bigotryand prejudice. What nation on theface of the earth is free from sin andiniquity? This much may be said,that in comparison with other peoples the Jews are known by the worstamong them while other nations areknown by their best. The orthodoxChristian cannot be a party to anyinjustice. He worships the holy andjust God who is the defender of theoppressed and of those hated withouta cause. In the cross of Christ hesees the just God justifying the ungodly. It is strict justice that is vindicated as well as love manifested. Hewho has no interest in justice has nointerest in the crucified Saviour.Those who possess the Spirit of God
have hearts of compassion and tenderness toward the suffering anddown-trodden.
Let not the Jews be misled. Manywho call themselves Christians are soonly in name. To be a Christian inthe historic and real sense involvesa knowledge and acceptance of Christas He is offered in the gospel, and thenew birth, which He taught to be thesupernatural work of God in a man.Christians possess a faith which declares itself in life. Only this isChristian faith. The Lord JesusChrist said that many will say toHim in the last day, "Lord, Lord,open to us," but hear what He willsay to them, "I know you not whenceye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity." Why, then, do Jewstake for Christians all who call themselves such or speak Christian language. Presumption will knock at thevery gates of heaven. Do the Jewsbelieve all those to be Americans whoboast of their Americanism? Theyknow very well that the most traitorous hearts shield themselves with theAmerican flag. By their fruits yeshall know them. The apostle Paulsaid, "The fruit of the Spirit is love,joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."
Shame upon so-called Fundamen-
TABLE OF CONTENTS
June, 1939
The Christian and the Jewish Situation .. 101
David Freeman
The Place of Revelation in theReformed Theology " 103
John Macleod
Editorial III
Mi$$ionary Heroes of the Past " III
Robert S. Manden
The Young People's Page 112
Robert L. Atwell
The Sixth General A$$embly . . . . . 114
NEWS 121
talists of the type who make antiSemitism their gospel. They cry aloudtheir loyalty to the Bible as overagainst unbelief, but strange friendsof God are these. All the watchwordsof anti-Semitism are circulated andJewish hatred fostered among theseself-styled Bible-believers. We do notwish to be numbered with them. Letnot the Jews think for one momentthat we are allies. We repudiate theirmethods and hell-inspired propaganda.What becomes of the loud boast oflove for the Jew of this type ofFundamentalist? His is only a professing love for the Jews in the Biblewhom he has never seen; but heshows injustice and enmity to theJews who are about him. Away withsuch hypocrisy!
Are the Modernists the friends ofthe Jews in the present crisis? TheJews have come to regard the liberalsand- rationalists who call themselvesChristians as their defenders. It istrue that modernist ministers inviteJewish rabbis to speak in theirchurches and address mass meetingsdenouncing race hatred and callingfor a brotherhood of man on the basisof a universal fatherhood of God.No doubt on the surface the Modernists appear as the apostles of tolerance toward the Jew and all men. Buttheir tolerance is not based on truthand conviction. They say that allfaiths lead to God and are ultimatelythe same. The Temple of Religion inthe New York World's Fair is anembodiment of this idea. There is noabsolute truth and the only thing thatdoes matter, and upon which they areabsolutely certain and dogmatic, isthat orthodox Christianity is not final.Their dogma is that any vague notionof God and religion will do. Andwhen one rises to assert the finalityof the Christ of the New Testamentand the absolute truth and inerrancyof the Bible he is certainly invitingpersecution. Orthodox Presbyterianshave bitterly experienced the toleranceand sweetness of Modernists. Woe tobelieving Christians and Jews whenthe Modernists achieve the control oftheir lives. Who are the betrayers ofthe Jews in Germany? The' veryclergymen who were mouthing thesweet words dear to the heart of unbelief are now good Nazis. It could
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1939 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 103
The Place of Revelation in the Reformed TheologyAn Address Delivered at the Tenth Annual Commencement Exercises of
Westminster Theol09ical Seminary
By the REV. JOHN MACLEOD, D.D.Principal of the Free Church College. Edinburgh, Scotland
WH E N we speak of the ReformedTheology we mean the teaching
set forth in the confessions of theReformed churches. Theology itselfis an orderly exhibition of truth withregard to God and the things of God.It deals with truth which has come tobe known because it has been revealed. And if our theological thinking is to be of any good, the truthwith which it takes to do must be soknown as to bring to bear upon us itsreal meaning, to which meaning werespond. It is part of the teaching ofthe Word, which the Reformed theology treats as its God-given principium, that there is afforded in thefabric of derived being, in the courseof providence and in the intuitions ofour moral nature, such a manifestation of the eternal power and theGodhead of the maker of alI thingsas is enough to leave men withoutexcuse when they do not glorify Himas God, or show themselves unthankful to Him and blind to His claims.What is thus taught in the Bible thevery first words of our Confessionaffirm in a significant deliverance:"Although the light of nature, andthe works of creation and providence,do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leavemen inexcusable; yet they are notsufficient to give that knowledge ofGod and of his wilI, which is necessary unto salvation." Thus the Confession sets forth the truth that thereis a revelation given which answersa certain end. But it goes on to saythat this revelation does not sufficeto give the saving knowledge of Godwhich is imparted by supernaturalrevelation alone in the Word whichGod has given to His people now inwritten form.
The Li9ht of NatureThe knowledge of God which is
furnished by the things which aremade is the right reading of the revelation that He has been pleased inthese things to give of Himself tomankind at large. The truth that maybe thus learned is found in the wit-
Dr. Macleod Delivers the Address
ness of what we call nature. That isto say, the works and ways of Godbear witness to Him as the maker andupholder of alI things. They telI ofHim as Lord and King of the universe to which He has given being.They speak of Him too as the Lawgiver and Judge of beings like ourselves who are endowed with the lightof reason and conscience. Such creatures are under the law of theirnature that calIs for loving and loyalobedience to the wilI of their Lordand King. He is to be obeyed as Hemakes His wilI known, and the lawthat makes known that wilI is holy.
It is only as God makes Himselfknown that men can know Him. Andin the knowledge that they reach inregard to Him there are differencesof degree or measure. It is one thingthat He supplies the material forcoming to an acquaintance with Himin His revelation of Himself. It isquite another thing that men shoulddo justice to the lessons that He readsthem. Among true Christian teachersthere is no doubtful note struck as tothe need that men falIen and sinful,and so dark in their minds, have ofspecial teaching or of the illuminationof the inner eye by the Spirit of God,if they are to come to any true and
profitable knowledge of what Godmakes known of Himself. Apart however from the work of saving grace,there is an unmerited exercise ofGod's power to be seen in the measureof response that the light of naturemeets with in mankind as a race.This forth-putting of light and powerwe speak of as common grace. Itvaries in its measure and this is seenin the difference between one sinnerand another in their respective reactions to the truth which is known.For just as there are, among theregenerate, degrees of attainment inthe saving knowledge of divine truth,there are, among the children of theworld, some who feel more of the restraints of law and conscience thanothers. They are not so out-and-outas their felIows in their defiance to theauthority of heaven. Indeed, it is inthe measure in which common graceis at work in its enlightening and restraining and controlIing power thatthis world is kept from being such ascene of mad disorder as the unrulypassions of men would make it if theyhad their way.
Now no serious teacher of theReformed school would say that thereis not a specific difference betweenthe work of common, and that ofsaving, grace. Refusing to the subjects of the former what they ascribeto the latter, we classify them respectively as the dead and the livingor as natural and spiritual men. Wedo so because we would not confounddeath with life or nature with spirit.The light of nature can make men seeso much of the claims that God hasupon them. It can accuse them in theforum of conscience for their sins andfailures. It can thunder of wrath, orof judgment earned, and so rouse asinner to anxiety as to how he canbe set free from his sin. In their response to the goad of an accusingconscience, men have given the fruitof their body for the sin of their soul.They have fasted and lashed themselves with scourges tilI the bloodflowed or they fainted. They haveresorted to every austerity and ascetic
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extreme to get rid of their burden,and yet in vain. All this tells of themoral faculty at work, however perverted the form may be in which itshows itself. The problem they feelis one that confronts them, and howto get away from it they know not.But that it is serious, nay, urgent, andeven clamant, they must own. Theyhave learned to put questions that arebeyond their power to answer.
We need not say that we do not atall hold that the light of nature isenough, for it does not supply theknowledge which we believe to be thevery life of the soul. Yet we see howit can hold man in check and it showsitself at work in the comely order ofa civilization which, though it maynot rise above the level of this earth,yet allows the wheels of daily life torun smoothly. It may issue in thecommon recognition of an ethicalstandard of what is proper and ofwhat is improper, of what is honestand honorable and of what is baseand shameful. It may also guard thebody politic from many an evil thingwhich, if left to operate freely and unhindered, would work out disastrousresults. And when it awakens suchanxiety as leaves the sinner ill at easein regard to the problem of how hecan be rid of sin and its fruits, it mayserve as an instrument ancillary tothe process of saving grace. It thenbrings the subject of its convictionsto such a case as that he finds himself face to face with the task oflearning, if it may at all be, how thesin which is his torment and a loadon his conscience can be so effectivelydealt with as that he may be freedfrom its bondage and its doom. Itthus can be controlled to answer thegracious ends of God, when He bringsmen to their senses and to His feet.
When the understanding respondsto the facts which bear witness to thebeing of God, it is but fulfilling somuch of its proper function. So toois it with the conscience when itaccuses or else excuses, and in sodoing makes an acknowledgment ofthe law to which man is subject.When it acknowledges the law it confesses the King and Law-giver whoselaw it is. Not only is the evidenceforthcoming, to which judgment andconscience respond, but also there ison the part of the race what may becalled an echo of it. That echo is tobe heard in the record, chequered orbroken or perverted though it be, of
religion as an element in the life ofmankind. For apart from hothousespeculative atheism which shows itself in a forced form in circles whichhave been sophisticated by philosophical opiates, the race of mankind evenin the blind and degraded worship ofheathendom has shown itself throughthe ages to be one that worships, however far astray the worship of itsdeity may be. The objection may beraised, in view of the widespreadprevalence of idolatry, that men'sworship is given not to one God butto a hundred million. Its deity may bea demon or, for that of it, a host ofdemons. The fact that this is so is admitted without prejudice. It does notoverthrow or set aside the twin factthat in their own way men have anobject of worship. Man is a being thatworships. He has a sensus numinis.However forgetful of their deity anddaringly irreligious some men mayat times be, yet there are other timeswhen the feeling of reverence andworship for such a god as they ownwill assert itself, even should this takethe shape of gross superstition. Theoutward expression of worship maybe rigidly suppressed as long as thepride or self-sufficiency of men mountsguard. But when, at critical junctures,this vigilance is relaxed or caught atunawares, the tendency to worshipwill assert itself. For there is in man'snature a witness to the being of Godwhich will require that nature itselfto be torn to pieces or to be put outof being before it can get rid of thewhisperings within that tell of ahigher or a supreme Being. Such awitness has many ways of making itspresence felt and letting men knowwhat it has to tell. Its voice may belong smothered or stifled yet it willavenge itself for violence done to it.It will speak out sooner or later.
The Insufficiency of NatureThere is, then, a revelation of God
given in His works. These works include the very fabric of our beingwith all its moral intuitions. Thisbears witness to His claims upon usand in the light of these it leaves usconfronted with the fact that we havesinned and so earned God's displeasure. But all inadequate thoughit is to produce saving results, it isfitted to make sinners wretched because of the sin that it lays at theirdoor, while it can tell of no remedyfor their case. This natural revela-
tion does not throw a ray of light onthe question as to whether or no thereis forgiveness for sin or deliverancefor the sinner. Nor can it tell us, inthe event that there is such a thing,on what terms an interest in it is tobe secured. It can give no assuranceto a man that, even should he repentand turn from his evil ways, it can beof any good for him in regard todeliverance from doom and death.On such all-important questions thisoracle is dumb.
Up to a point we may note how theold Deists owned the witness of Nature, rested in it, and satisfied themselves with their own reading of itssufficiency. In doing as they did theylaid an undue stress on its light andexalted it to a place that is not itsown. This, however, is not a goodenough reason for us who refuse totake up their ground to swing to another extreme, and to deny that thereis such a thing as the material groundin the witness of nature on which apro tanto valid natural theology maybe built. There is such a thing-forthe witness of the facts of life and ofthe universe admits and even demands a right reading of their meaning. And yet, for all the light thatshines in this witness, it leaves us tograpple in vain with the problem ofsin for it gives us not a blink of hopeas to salvation from it. This naturaltheology has its distinct limitations.Yet it has its place, and that place itought to be accorded.
Religious LiberalismIt is of interest to observe how a
system of religious thought which hascapitulated to a paralyzing agnosticism and has left to that form oforganized unbelief the field as itsown, abjures natural religion and confines theology to that region in whicha purely subjective estimate of valueis allowed to have its way. In keepingwith the line of speculative thoughtwhich it follows, it gives up the questfor a true knowledge of being. Itquits the field and abandons as hopeless the attempt to get beyond therealm of the phenomenal. In thisrealm it finds the field of exact science and theoretic knowledge and itdeclines the task of seeking a trueacquaintance with the real Beingwhich it holds to lie hid behind theveil of appearances. When it relegates to the personal judgment of theindividual what it refuses to own as
1939 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 105
The Terrace of Machen Memorial Hall
having a standing in the domain ofscience or real knowledge, the truthor teaching that it leaves to the subjectivism of the judgment of valuewhich a man may have for himselfhas no inherent or intrinsic worththat would fit it to make a demand onthe homage of others. This all issuesin a riot of subjectivism and, in avery true sense, it distributes theprerogative of infallibility over sucha wide constituency as to let everyman be a pope to himself. This, ofcourse, shuts out dogma; and yet thissystem has a tyrannous antidogmaticdogmatism of its own. And with anair of high spirituality it disclaimsthe validity of the line of theisticreasoning that leads to the recognition of more than a limited Demiurge.It sets aside natural theology and proclaims its faith in a religious, as overagainst a scientific, reading of life inthe universe. Here is faith divorcedfrom knowledge. Its religious liberalism is accommodating and its wholetendency is to refuse to be dogmaticsave in the rejection of dogma andin the exclusion of all metaphysicsfrom its theology except that kind onwhich it proceeds as its own groundwork. This sort of thing has had itsvogue. But with the turn of the tideof fashion its days may be said to be .almost numbered.
Neo-CalvinismWith the swing of the pendulum
the antidogmatic tendency of thepassing generation has been makingwav for an intense dogmatism. This,however, in the region of authority,
hangs in the air and is like a chickthat has still clinging to it fragmentsof the shell from which it has justcome. It does not lack for vigor inits repudiation of natural theology. Itcan assign it no place as a vestibulardiscipline leading on to the study ofspecial revealed theology. In regardto the theology which it proclaims, itinsists on the note of authority whichit detects in that specific revelationwhich it holds to break in from aboveas a direct informant in the things ofGod. This revelation speaking, itmaintains, with a note of certainty,inspires and awakens conviction. Itholds in its grip the man to whom itis given. Its teaching is to be foundin the sacred writings and they speakits message. So the Word of God,which is a word from Him that laysits grasp on the Christian thinker,carries with it its own credentials.This word of authority is not lookedupon, however, as being identical orco-extensive with the Holy Scriptures.It is distinct from the written Wordthough it speaks through it, and thisconnection with authoritative HolyWrit is so loose as to .allow a wildand unregulated license to the kind ofunbelieving criticism of the documents of our faith that reminds oneof the outlook of Radicalism and notof Christian faith at all. This indeedis an irreverent freedom in handlingthe sacred page that has come downfrom the critical Deism of by-gonedays.
Such a type of theologizing, thoughas Neo-Calvinism it may lay stress onsome of the leading positions of our
orthodox teaching, is at the rootquite distinct from the classical theology of the Reformed churches. Ithas a metaphysic of its own with adoctrine of knowledge that puts it ina class by itself. Nor can it be recognized as true Reformed theology untilit learns to accept as its fontal sourcethe written Word as that was held bythe Reformed Confession to be itsstarting point in the region of authority. Apart from such submissionto the Word as the revelation of themind of God, no system of teaching,even should it so far overlap or attimes coincide with that of the Reformed school, is entitled to be heldas belonging to the generic type ofthe Reformed theology. There is anunregulated caprice in its recognitionof authority. It lacks the stability thatis given by a recognized regulativeprinciple. The theology which recognizes so much of the Word and setsaside so much more is a kind of picking and choosing which is quite arbitrary in its character. It is releasedfrom the control of any objective ordefinite acknowledgment of Scriptureas the seat of authority. It is generically of the type of teaching found inthe school of Coleridge, which blossomed out into the Broad Churchismof England a century ago. In thisschool that was held to be the Wordof God which finds a man or comeshome to him with a feeling of lightand warmth. Thus it exalted in amore or less capricious way what appealed to a man as a detached unit byhimself. And it could give no reasonable account of how the inspiration,which it would acknowledge to be inScripture, lighted at this point and atthat, while it left the interveningspaces as a mere dark earthly foil toserve as a background against whichthe gem of confessedly true revelation was seen to shine. This recognition of a revelation that is found inScripture as distinct from the acknowledgment of the Scripture asbeing itself a God-given revelation isthe very differentia that marks offNeo-Calvinism from the authentic andclassical version of the teaching ofthe Reformed churches. That authentic exhibition of our faith we findin our Symbolic Books, and it looksupon Scripture as the Word of God,the Word that He has given in thevery form that He has given it. Asto the teaching which was deducedfrom the Word when thus received,
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there is no question as to what ourconfessing fathers held or as to thereason they had for holding it. TheSacred Books were not to them athing of shreds and patches, here theWord of God and there the word ofman. They looked upon them as beingGod's Word throughout.
The Reformed theology learned, asits primary lesson, to subject itsthinking to the authority of the Wordof our Lord and His apostles. Thusit acknowledges the Gospels and Epistles, indeed the whole canon of theNew Testament, as the authentic andabiding presentation of the Christian faith in its final and normativeform. It gives such credit to thesedocuments as to learn from themthat is, from the apostles themselvesas they witness and teach-what theauthority is with which their Lordclothed them. Our divines saw howthe apostles were trained and equippedor furnished for their task of witnessand of teaching. Promises had beengiven them which they put on record,and these were in due course fulfilledto them. With this fulfillment theymade claims. To these claims Christian faith through the ages has responded, and seated at their footstoolit has taken up the attitude of ahumble learner. It accepts the SacredBooks of Israel as our Lord and Hisapostles evidently did. It also treatsthe record of His ministry, alike inthe days of His flesh on earth andthrough His sent servants as the risenLord, as the sure and trustworthyground on which it builds its hope.In fact, this is the habitual attitude ofbelieving Christianity; and such anattitude to the character and authority of the Word is essential tothe teaching of the Reformed school.
Until the lowly attitude of docilebelievers is taken at the footstool ofHim who from heaven has given usthe abiding record enshrined in thewords of the New Testament, therewill be no thinking to much profit inthe realm of Christian theology. Withsuch a response to the claims of theapostolic word, there will be thinkingto some purpose. For the Word thattells of the work of our Lord and ofthe ministry of His apostles is on itsown showing His Word. It is givenby the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.This enabled its writers to write asthey spoke, so that their word is thatof their Lord. Such was their spoken,such also is their written, word. It is
only when its witness to this truthis ruled out as no truth at all that onecan' challenge its special claim to benot only true but specifically divinelytrue. What the apostles wrote werethe very commandments of their Lord;this witness their word bears to itsown authority. To reject its own witness here is to deny so much of itssubstantial truth and to join issuewith its trustworthiness. The faithwhich gives to Holy Writ the placethat it asserts for itself is what furnishes the element in which it isprofitable for definitely Christian theology to function. Until it clears itsroot principle it cannot then beclaimed, on behalf of N eo-Calvinism,that it is of the same species of theological thought with the teaching ofthe historical Reformed churches.
The Assessment of Neo-CalvinismThe significance of Rhineland N eo
Calvinism will meet with a differentassessment in different quarters, according as it is looked upon as beingon the upgrade or on the downgrade.In its homeland, where it is a breakaway from a Radicalism to which thedoctrines of grace were anathema, itmay be viewed by the friends of theReformed Faith with mingled hopeand fear. There is the element of hopebecause of the measure in which itsteaching agrees with that of the Reformed Confession. There is roomfor feat: because of the subjective andcapricious character of the authoritythat such teaching builds upon. Itmight possibly be only an exchangeof one kind of subjective theology foranother, in which case it might be discounted as only a variety of fashionthat shows itself in the kaleidoscopicchanges of academic thought as itstands aloof from the real doctrineof the working church of God. Hopemay prevail over fear in view of thedirection that the movement seems tohave taken in the case of some onwhom it has told. As things stand,however, it is not entitled to be recognized as a true exhibition of theChristian Reformed Faith. Yet wewould fain hope that, in the note ofpositive conviction in regard to characteristic doctrine of the Apostles thatis to be heard in some of the exponents of this tendency, there is thepromise of a conflict with the Rationalism that still cleaves to it or remains unrepudiated, and that this conflict will end in casting out the bond-
woman and her son. Over such anissue the friends of the old faith ofthe Reformed churches would rejoice,and they would gladly welcome thehomecoming of the prodigal. But it isanother thing altogether that old citadels of the orthodox faith shouldabandon the ground on which theyhave hitherto built and for the holding of which indeed they were calledinto existence. For them to extendtheir hospitality to a type of teachingthat is so far sundered from anavowal of cardinal verities, and inparticular is so loose in its doctrineas to what the rule of faith is, wouldbe to betray the sacred interests thatin bygone years it was their honorand their privilege to guard and transmit to our days. The significance ofsuch a change is unmistakable andthe adoption of it is of evil omen. Ashistory repeats itself we may look forno other outcome than what has beenalready in parallel instances. Such anorbit as they propose to describe hasbeen taken already and the result hasbeen an abomination of desolation.
When we speak as we do, we do notmean to say that Neo-Calvinism is nota signal and noteworthy phenomenonin the firmament of the present-daychurch. It is of great significance. Itmatters very much what, in the daysto come, the direction of its movement will be. Should it remain staticthings will be much as they are. Itis, however, a movement and as suchit will have its own orbit, which mayeven issue in the renunciation of whatseem so far to be its distinctive features in respect of its underlyingnegations or questionings. Should thatbring it into close and ever closerrelation to the recognized teaching ofthe Reformed churches until, atlength, it rests in the humble acknowledgment of the God-given principiumof our Confession, none will rejoicemore heartily over such a result thanthe friends of our ancestral faith whohave stood for it through the years.They will welcome the arrival inharbor, as in a safe anchorage wherethere is good holding ground, offriends who had to beat their way toget clear from the quicksands andwhirlpools of a half-way Rationalism.Until such a result is reached thosewho are ready to welcome them whenthey make land cannot be but apprehensive as to how the rival contending elements which are at work intheir thinking will assert themselves.
1939 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 107
The Faculty and Student Body of Westminster Seminary
Which is to win the day-the tendency that makes for the positiveavowal of the doctrines of grace orthat which is still disposed to treatScripture with a critical freedomwhich is out of keeping with seemlyreverence and loyal submission?
One wing of the new movement iscontent to abide in the welter of questionings that are raised as to thevirgin birth of our Lord, the Son ofGod who came as the Son of manor as Ralph Erskine put it "the Sonof Man yet no man's Son." Thesequestionings are raised about the beginning of the days of His flesh, andthere are like questionings raised asto the truth of His physical resurrection. It is, of course, a sheer absurdityto speak of men who are so far outof touch with the faith of historicalChristendom as teachers of the Reformed theology. To do so means thatthe truth of the gospel record is nolonger held by the men who will finda place for that kind of teaching in aprofessedly Reformed church. For itcuts at the root of the trustworthinessof the Bible on which the whole doctrine of our ancestral faith is built.It shows how far the leaven of unbelief in criticizing our documents hasgone when, to say no more, the firstchapters of two of the Gospels arelightly thrown to the wolves and withthem the closing chapters of the Gospels and the definite witness of theEpistles to the reality of the physicalmiracle of the resurrection. Can it besaid to be much better that menshould without protest tolerate suchunbelief in their fellowship?
Apart from this radical outlook ofsome of the leaders of present-day
tendencies, there is much to desideratein the teaching of other masters ofthe school. Their nomenclature is athing by itself. Cloud-land cobwebsof theological jargon must not beallowed to hide heaven's light of dayor obscure the real issues that are atstake. Christian theology need makeno meretricious appeal to the wisdomof this world. The realm of history isnot to be abandoned to the ghost ofdefunct Positivism. Christianity cannot come to a compromise in regardto . its foundation in solid historicalfacts. To speak of these facts assupra-historical is simply to bowthem out of doors. A fact of historyis a fact. It is no mere fiction orparable or piece of empty ideology.When it is set forth as a fact it iscapable of being proved by the properevidence that bears upon it. To callin question what is set before us ashistoric fact is to rej ect the sufficiency or the good faith of the witness that attests it. Facts of pre-history are surely, for Christian men,sufficiently attested by the supremeAtlthor of the sacred record; and asfacts and not mere pictures do theyclaim to be received. Let only the possibility be freely granted, and thetruth cordially admitted, of God'ssupernatural intervention in grace andthe difficulties that are raised on suchmatters ought to vanish. God hasspoken and the Word in which Hespoke and is yet speaking is. with usstill. It is worthy of the credit andthe homage that it calls for. When itmeets with its rightful welcome, theseat of authority for the Christianman or the Christian church will befelt to be this voice from heaven and
men will be content to learn whatHoly Scripture is on the authority ofits own recognized teaching. Whencriticism is levelled against its ful1divine authority, the attack on verbalinspiration, as Spurgeon once put it,is only the verbal form of the attackon inspiration itself. Nay, it is anattack on the basic trustworthiness ofour documents; and this cuts deep.
We are safe in saying that thecordial acceptance of the first chapterof the Westminster Confession wouldsweep away the speculative theologythat one fears to be but an upgrowthfrom the unsubstantial soil of anidealistic philosophy. What fails toguard or to hold the deep distinctionthat lies between body and soul is ofa texture lighter than gossamer.Teaching of such a flimsy qualitywants substance and solidity. TheChristian church was never meant tobe an open forum for the exchangeof the wares of liberal unbelief. It isonly at the sacrifice of the whole solidbase of Westminster, or, as it used tobe called, the Princeton, theology, thatits place can be taken by the proposedsubjective counterfeit. The record ofthe past ten years is an ample justification for the existence of this seminary if the old tradition of the Princeton theology and standard was to beconserved.
With regard to natural theology,we find special revelation recognizingthe value of its factual basis and thegeneral witness that it bears to whatunderlies the message of a gracioussalvation. Its witness is such as oughtto satisfy a man that God is. It hasevidence enough to warrant such aconviction. And when a man doesjustice to this truth he will find himself in a case that leaves no help forhim in any devices or resources of hisown. In the field of common naturaltheology there are questions raised towhich an answer worth heeding isgiven in that of special gracious revelation and there alone. The teachingof our Confession on this subject proceeds on the witness of Scripturestatements, in which respect it butcarries on the tradition of the pureststrain of Reformed teaching. One hasonly to look to the first book ofCalvin's Institutes to see that this isthe line taken by that master teacher.There we find the recognition at onceof the witness of nature and of theblindness of the eyes on which it falls.When, then, what professes to be an
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expression of Reformed theologyeither abjures Apologetics or willhave nothing to do with natural theology, it proclaims its own estrangement, not only from the tradition ofthe thought of the historical Reformed churches but from the expressteaching of the Word of God. For,without any mistake about it, thatWord teaches the validity within itsown range and for its own ends ofthe witness borne by nature to itsMaker. That range, it is true, is alimited one and its end is subordinateto a higher and happier one. Yet, because there is another revelation of ahigher order, this one should not beforgotten or overlooked. For it ispart of the sub-structure of a trueApologetic which finds its crown inthe spiritual recognition of the autopistia of the sacred records.
The Witness of the Holy SpiritThere is a special certitude that
the Christian heart has of the heavenly authority of the gospel. Withthis it finds rest in the Word as indeed the Word of God. This assurance is had from the witness of theSpirit by and with the Word in theheart. Though this, however, puts thecrown upon the evidence that we haveof the divine origin of Scripture, itdoes not set aside nor discount thevalue of the various sources of relevant evidence that pay tribute by wayof testimony to the true character ofman's need and of God's Word. Nay,the teachings in grace of the HolyGhost serve to open the eyes to thevalue and cogency of the evidencethat may be put forward in favor ofthe truth of our ruin by sin and ofthe divine origin of the message thattells of the salvation of God. The inward teaching of grace can give sightto see, and it can deepen the impression that sight makes, that the truthwhich is seen is morally fitted to enlighten the judgment and satisfy theconscience of man. The truth thenshines in its own light. As to the evidence for the Word that is crownedby the internal witness of the HolySpirit, this attestation is not to besundered, though it is distinct, fromthe detailed elements that it bringsinto full light. It makes clear and impressive the compelling character ofthe appeal that such evidence makesand the reality of the obligation thatis laid upon us as moral beings toyield the homage of our heart to the
Word and to Him whose Word it is.When, with eyes opened and anointed,we see the way of life that is setbefore us, the device of God's wisdom, the provision of His love, theforthputting of His saving might soshines in the light of its own intrinsicwonder and excellency as to call forththe exclamation, "This is none otherthan the arm of the Lord revealed."What is set forth in the Word as theburden of its message is seen to beconcretely the thought, the intervention, the provision of God, and theWord which sets it forth is, at thesame time, seen and felt to be HisWord. Divine glory shines both in theWord and in its message.
The noon-day sun as it shines in itsstrength is seen in its own light andwe need not fetch a lit taper to throwlight upon it. So, too, does Holy Writalike in the substance of its messageand in the form it has taken evinceitself to the spiritual man to be theWord of God. The Spirit-given instinct of the newly-born knows thevoice of the Shepherd of Israel, andthis knowledge differentiates fromthat of all others the attitude of God'sbelieving people towards the Word.The crowning excellence, however,of the saving faith that is the fruit ofthe anointing does not put out ofcourt the relevant tribute of witnessthat is borne to beings endowed withintellect and conscience by the evidence that heaven, earth and seaafford to the being and greatness ofGod. In like manner the evidence,external and internal, of divine special revelation is fitted to produce amoral assurance as to the true character of the sacred Scriptures. Thewitness of the anointing Spirit isneither a fanciful nor a fanaticalthing. It is not given apart from theevidence which it enables the believerto see and appreciate. The witnessingof the Holy Ghost is in connectionwith means and instruments whichcome to their own in virtue of itsefficacy.
When we speak of instruments, wemight name the witness of the church.This witness may introduce men tothe Word as the Word of God andto the message with which it isfraught. When. through the effectualworking of saving grace, the eyes areopened to discern the true characterand cogency of the arguments thatplead the cause of special revelation,the believer may say to the custodian
that bears witness to the Word, "NowI believe, not for thy saying, for Ihave heard Him for myself and Iknow who He is that speaks andbrings such a message." Such a believer ought not, however, to forgetthe debt under which he lies to thechurch as an instrument and a witness for the evidence it bears and thepart it plays in the matter. Seldomhas there been a weightier paragraphput together than that one in theWestminster Confession, Chapter I,Section V, which reads:
We may be moved and induced by thetestimony of the Church to an high andreverent esteem of the Holy Scripture;and the heavenliness of the matter, theefficacy of the doctrine, the maj esty of thestyle, the consent of all the parts, thescope of the whole, (which is to give al!glory to God), the ful! discovery it makesof the only way of man's salvation, themany other incomparable excel!encies, andthe entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God; yet,notwithstanding, our full persuasion andassurance of the infallible truth, anddivine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearingwitness by and with the Word, in ourhearts.
We are not quite so presumptuousas to dream that we, by any reasonings of our own, can beget the faiththat saves. Such a faith is not ofman's working; it is of heavenlybirth. It is the outcome of the mightyteaching of the Spirit of God. Thatteaching, however, crowns with blessing the means and instruments andconsiderations that the Lord sees fitto employ to produce this conviction.And it is for the teachers of the faithto set them before their fellows. Hemakes use of them to show theground in good and sound reason onwhich the faith builds which is assured of the truth and divine authority of Holy Writ. That faith is noblind or random or irrational functioning of a mere human faculty.Thus our venerable Confession acknowledges the study of the properevidences of the faith as a thing thatis in place, for it looks upon them asenough to evidence abundantly theHoly Books to be the Word of God.
Now when the Word is broughthome with power a man discerns thetokens of its heavenly authorship. Theeffectual teaching which produces thisresult, employs the evidence that theWord carries with it, in its bosom, tosatisfy men in an intelligent way that
1939 THE PRE S BYT ER I A N G U AR D I A N 109
it is indeed the Word of God. Theysee its burden or message to shine inits own light. Thus they recognize itto be what it claims to be; and theresponse of faith to God who speaksthe Word is: "Speak, for thy servantheareth." The abiding effect of anexperience of God's saving teachingis that Christian believers habituallyrecognize what the Bible is. And thereare times and seasons, when theanointing is in richer measure imparted, that refresh their soul andconfirm them in the conviction thatthe Word is one that God Himselfhas given. As such a Word they feelthat it is He that speaks its message.You cannot tear that Word to tattersand yet leave intact the message thatit conveys. The theme of Scriptureand the Word that sets it forth hangtogether. They cannot be so divorcedas that the one shall be held and theother set aside. The conviction of thetruth of the message carries with itthe conviction and assurance of thetruth of the whole Word that sets itbefore us. The jewel has a casket ofits own that was made for it; thiscasket is the canon of Holy Scriptureor the documents of our faith whichhave been given by God.
The Unity of ScriptureThe essential and marvellous or
ganic unity of Holy Writ in itsscheme as, on the one hand, it foretells and foreshadows and then, onthe other hand, tells of the fulfillmentof so much of what it foretold andgoes on further to foretell what yetawaits fulfillment will, as it is seenand recognized, induce the convictionthat from first to last in its manybooks it is woven into one fabric tobe the vesture of the thoughts of God.With this conviction the Christian believer and the believing teacher of thefaith feel assured that the wholeWord, which bears in its bosom sucha message of judgment and of grace,is true and is no cunningly devisedfable. It is an instrument that hasbeen prepared and provided to conveyto us the thoughts of God which areeach of them a great deep. Suchthoughts, being His thoughts, can befitly expressed and uttered only inthe authoritative form that He hasbeen pleased to use in giving us theScriptures. So the substance and theform of codified special revelation areof one piece, and the instinct of believing hearts has not been at fault in
identifying the Scriptures with theWord of God. This identification isnot to be set aside as only a popularestimate which may be safely discounted to permit, in the study ofsacred theology, of a freedom inhandling the witness and authority ofthe Bible that treats it as though itwere not the holy thing that ourChristian faith recognizes it to be.Such a secular study of divine truthis quite out of keeping with the rightsof the Word and the true characterof theological work that is reverentand believing. Our Reforming fathersbowed to the authority of God whichthey saw stamped upon His Word aswritten.
When we take into account the conviction that is the outcome of God'sindividual teaching of His own wesee that they, with eyes freed fromthe films of prejudice and with hearttouched to the appreciation of moralissues and spiritual claims, find indocuments which the church of Godbrings forward as the very archivesof its faith, the token of such an authority as justifies them in submittingheart and conscience and understanding to them. With this convictionthere is built up on the ground ofScripture witness and teaching thesystem of faith which is embodied inthe Confessions of the Reformedchurches. It is an all-round systemthat refuses to surrender the field ofnatural revelation to the gnostic evolutionist or to the agnostic doubter,while it recognizes the inadequacy ofthe light which nature supplies to givean answer to the questions that animmortal spirit puts in the light of theworld to come, such as are the questions about sin and how it can beput away. It is a system that buildson a basis whose solidity of characterit has discerned and is prepared totrust. On the truth of this teaching,that of special revelation discernedin the power of the anointing ofgrace, it is willing to risk the issuesof eternity in the confidence that itbuilds on the firm rock. Thus it seeksto do justice to general revelation inits own sphere and, in its turn, tospecial revelation. This latter it findsin its authoritative proclamation ofthe opened fountain and way of life,by the written Word.
The Place of WestminsterSeminary
You celebrate today your Tenth
Commencement Anniversary. Eachyear that passes is as it were a mile oflife's way, and when we reach thetenth milestone there is a call to review so much of the past and to takestock beforehand of the call of thefuture. History is made from day today; and ten years do not pass overan institution without giving food forthought. We think of some of yourworthy fathers, founders and friendswho in these years have finished theircourse. There are two in particularthat I would name. They were witnesses for their Lord and for HisWord who have left behind them therecord of their fruitful witness. Theywere men who were true to the faiththat they were pledged to maintain,defend and transmit. They have leftit to their successors to be held fastand to be held forth. Dr. Robert DickWilson and Dr. J. Gresham Machenwere, in their own departments, scholars who were second to none in yourgreat country or in the whole of Reformed Christendom. You, and otherswith you, have matter for deep thankfulness to the Head of the Church forraising up such single-hearted champions for the faith. They knew howthings stood in their day in the theological world. In this respect theywere men who knew the times andwhat Israel ought to do. The actionthat they took is on record as to theirjudgment of what the situation calledfor if the ancestral faith of the Reformed churches was to be preservedand the exposition and defense of ithanded down to an institution thatwould stand four-square for the unabated integrity and fullness of thatfaith. It was my high privilege tocome into friendly contact with eachof these great scholars. Dr. Wilson,ripe in years and in sacred learning,went to his rest as a shock of cornis taken home in its season. The memory of his masterly work in the fieldof Old Testament defense will abideas a challenge and a stimulus. Histask here was done. When he passedit might well be said that a prince anda great man is fallen in Israel. Dr.Machen's sun went down when it waslittle past its meridian and in ourreckoning we should have counted onhim for the most fruitful years of hisvaluable service, years that wouldgive to the Church of Christ the goodof his maturest thought. Yet hisrecord will speak for itself. His majorworks tell of how thoroughly he went
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into the Apologetic questions that hefelt called upon to discuss in regardto the origin of Paul's religion andthe truth of the virgin birth of ourLord. The volumes that he devoted tothese matters speak of the work ofold Princeton at its best in defense ofthe historic Christian faith. His morepopular works made plain for thecommon man the issues that were atstake in current questions. And thelatest of these productions bear striking witness to his happy gift of making clear to any understanding thecase for the Christian faith in thepresent-day world and the significanceof the doctrine which that faith setsforth as its message of instructionfor the church.
The Lord at His own time callshome His servants. When His callcomes their work is done. But thoughHe buries the workmen He carries onHis work; and the nets are ours stillthough the skilled fishermen havepassed on.
As there is a call today to reviewthere is, as we have said, a call totake stock. Here is Westminster withits Faculty and the worthy recordthat it has already made in the daysthat are gone. The years to come willhave their own tale of duty and oftrial. Of this we may be sure. Youhave a trust to hold and to fulfill.You have a work to do. You have aLord to serve; and in spite of all themassed and marshalled forces of evilthat range themselves against Histruth and cause, with your Lord atyour head, with His Word in yourhand and with His shield of defensethrown over you, you may face thefuture strong in the hope that Hewho has been with you hitherto willbe with you henceforth. You may goforward in the days to come in theconfidence that the witness which youhave been honored to uphold and defend will yet be vindicated. And whenjudgment shall return to righteousness all those that are right in heartshall follow after it. The ultimatedestiny of the cause for which youstand is secure; and though the nearfuture may have its problems and difficulties, the tried faith which againsthope believes in hope will not be putto shame as you choose your Lord'sreproach and wear His yoke. It willmake up for all the hardships of theway to hear, as servants of your Lordand Redeemer, as He hails you withHis own greeting when the time
To Our Subscribers
WE ARE very sorry thatextraordinary demands
upon space in this issue havemade it necessary for us toomit several of our regular features. in spite of the fact thatthis number is four pageslarger than usual. "News fromthe Presbyteries" and "ExcusesThat Don't Excuse" will appearas usual next month. Reprintsof "Letters From the Orient"will be mailed to each missionary society by the Committeeon Foreign Missions. We trustthat our subscribers will enjoyevery feature of this number,and willforgive us for unavoidable omissions.
comes, "Well done, good and faithfulservant, enter thou into the joy ofthy Lord."
If the rising ministry comes outfrom the schools of the prophets bledwhite of Christian convictions after astarvation regimen of empty negations, it is not fitted to awaken wonder that they should prove barren andunprofitable in the service to whichthey have devoted their lives. Toavoid such barrenness is the very endof your training here. The plaguespot of the churches is the controlthat an enervating, unbelieving atmosphere has come to have in the seatsof theological learning. You will bearin mind, gentlemen, that the doctrineof the faith, which you have come towelcome as your own, will produceits native effect upon your hearers;and at this point comes in your special responsibility. Your calling is tobe the watchmen over the flock andthe officers in the host; and if thetrumpet give an uncertain sound whowill prepare him for the battle? Yoursuccession is in the evangelical line.And it is for you to be well-groundedin an acquaintance with the Word ofGod as His Word through andthrough, that you may live under alively impression of the. urgency ofyour own need of winning Christ and
being found in Him. For it is only asyou have such a lively impression ofhow urgent your need is, in the lightof what the law lays down and ofwhat the gospel sets forth, that youwill be able to understand your workand will feel the burden laid uponyou to deliver your message to yourfellows. If you are to preach withpower you must do it as those whospeak in their Lord's name and at Hismouth. The results of your ministrywill come from the blessing of God.What a thought it is that the truegospel herald is a sweet savor ofChrist in those that are saved and inthose that are lost. To the one he isa savor of life unto life. To the otherhe is a savor of death unto death,and who is sufficient for these things?Our sufficiency as the servants of ourLord is from Himself. So, as of sincerity as from God, let us not hucksterthe Word of God, but speak it as inthe sight of God in Christ. Wherefore watch ye; stand fast in the faith;quit you like men; be strong. And letyour strength be that of those whoare strong in the grace that is inChrist Jesus.
QUARRYVILLE CONFERENCEANNOUNCES FINAL PLANS
FINAL plans have been announcedfor the Third Annual Quarryville
Bible Conference which will be heldon the grounds of the Faith OrthodoxPresbyterian Church at Quarryville,Penna., from June 24th to July 2nd.Five courses will be offered at themorning sessions, including coursesin "Missions" by the Rev. Henry W.Coray, "Christian Evidence" by Dr.Robert Strong, "Bible Hour" by Professor R. B. Kuiper, "WestminsterStandards" by the Rev. Cary N.Weisiger, and "Personal Work" bythe Rev. T. J. Bach. The eveningspeakers include, in addition to theabove, the Rev. E. C. DeVelde, Dr.Homer Hammontree, the Rev. Alexander K. Davison. The Rev. and Mrs.Donald C. Graham, Mr. H. EvanRunner, Miss Eleanor Loizeaux, MissGloria Grove and Miss Mary Hersheywill also have part in the program.
Enrollment will be limited to 150delegates. Registration, together withthe fee of $2.00, should be sent toMr. D. C. Boyd or the Rev. FranklinS. Dyrness, Quarryville, Penna.
1939 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 111
Missionary Heroes of the PastA Mission Study by the REV. ROBERT S. MARSDEN
EDITORIAL
A Reminder From aStrange Source
EVE RY time we see in print thetext of some new order for the
promotion of atheism in Russia weare glad. Our happiness is not, ofcourse, due to the fact that atheismis being promoted in Russia, but because we believe that the Christianpeople of this country ought to befully informed about the fact that itis being promoted there. Publicationof the fact helps.
Similarly we are glad when newefforts are made to circulate theAuburn Affirmation. We think thecontent of the document utterly unChristian, but we want people reallyto know how bad it is. So we welcomethe reprint of the Auburn Affirmation which has just appeared underthe auspices of the Rev. John VantStephens of Cincinnati, Ohio. Thebooklet contains, in addition to thetext of the Affirmation (which isreally a disaffirmation of central verities of the faith), some historicaldata concerning the doctrinal pronouncements of the General Assemblies of 1910, 1916 and 1923 of thePresbyterian Church in the U.S.A.,the text of the Cincinnati overture of1924 and the record of the action ofthe Grand Rapids General Assemblyof that year with reference to it and,finally, some statements by and aboutthe Commission of Fifteen appointedin 1925.
The publication of this booklet reminds Christian people anew of several facts which can never be toooften emphasized:
1. That the doctrinal standards ofthe Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.are the Westminster Confession andCatechisms, as modified by thatchurch, and the Declaratory Statement;
2. That these standards are a partof the Constitution of the church andcannot be modified by fiats or mandates of general assemblies, though
the assembly has a right to expressits opinion as to what they mean;
3. That the Auburn Affirmationwas a declaration by nearly 1300 ministers of the Presbyterian Church inthe U.S.A. that they did not in factbelieve the system of doctrine of theWestminster Standards, the doctrinalstandards of their church;
4. That the Presbyterian Church inthe U.S.A. did nothing at the time tobring these ministers to trial or tofree its witness from compromisewith these utterly deadly heresies andthat when attempts were later madetoward these ends, by preferring
VI.Augustine of Canterbury
IT IS rather amazing, when oneconsiders the tremendous advances
which Christianity made during thefirst few centuries, that the churchof that time was almost devoid ofgreat missionary names. The churchhistorian, Philip Schaff, goes so faras to say that there were no greatmissionaries in this period. Therewere no outstanding missionaries between the apostolic age and the opening of the Middle Ages, no missionarysocieties and no missionary institutions; there was no organized missionary effort, and yet. in. less than300 years most of the civilized worldhad been Christianized.. The explanation seems to be that Christianity wasso revolutionary that it was its ownbest missionary. Every Christian toldhis neighbor; every slave his fellowslave; every servant his own masteror mistress, and Christianity waslittle short of contagious. Far· frombeing no missionaries or no missionary effort, as we find during the darkages, everyone was a missionary, andall were engaged in missionary effort.When every Christian was a migsionary, Christianity's borders could notbut be enlarged, and organized missionary effort was hardly necessary.
From the time that Christianity became the state religion in the earlypart of the fourth century until theend of the sixth century, the churchwas much occupied with the settlingof doctrinal disputes and the repelling of barbarian invaders. The bestminds of the church were occupied
charges against signers of the AuburnAffirmation, the church refused evento receive the charges.
The pamphlet fails to throw anyfurther light upon the inexplicablefailure of the General Assembly of1924 to take some positive action onthe Cincinnati overture, but it is avigorous reminder of the fact thatthe Auburn denials of the importanceof the central verities of the faith arevery much alive in the PresbyterianChurch in the U.S.A. today. Its alliance with Modernism is thoroughlyactive.
-P.W.
with these disputes. It was not untilthe closing years of the sixth centurythat a great missionary appeared.
Augustine of Canterbury, who labored in England from 596 until hisdeath in 604 is to be distinguishedfrom the far greater Augustine ofHippo, who was the greatest of thechurch fathers, and who lived nearlytwo centuries earlier. Actually, Augustine of Canterbury was not himself a man of remarkable abilities,but God used him as His instrumentto do a remarkable work in the conversion of England. He is a goodexample of a man of mediocre talentsused of God in a great work.
The Latin puns of Gregory, whichgave the idea for the mission ofwhich Augustine was the leader, haveoften been repeated. Gregory, whowas then abbot of a Benedictine convent, and afterward Pope Gregory I,called "The Great," was one day inthe market place in Rome. There hesaw being auctioned as slaves someBritish youths. When he asked theirnationality, and was told that theywere Angles, he replied, "Right, forthey have angelic faces and areworthy to be fellow-heirs with angelsin heaven." When told that they werefrom the province of Deira, he replied, "Truly are they De-ira-us, thatis, plucked from the ire of God andcalled to the mercy of Christ." Whentold that their king was JElla, hesaid, "Hallelujah, the praise of Godthe creator must be sung in thoseparts." Immediately, Gregory set outhimself on the mission, but was
112 THE PRES BY T E R I A N G U A R D I A N June
JUNE 25thThe Old Man and the New
Eph.4:17-32
buried in Canterbury, where havebeen buried most of his successorssince that time. The following inscription is upon his tomb, "Hererests the Lord Augustine, first archbishop of Canterbury, who beingformerly sent hither by the blessedGregory, bishop of the city of Rome,and by God's assistance supportedwith miracles, redeemed King Ethelbert and his nation from the worshipof idols to the faith of Christ, andhaving ended the days of his officein peace, died on the 26th day ofMay, in the year of the same king."
Paul now undertakes a treatmentof the church's morals. He begins itby drawing sharply the distinction between those who are Christians andthose who are not. The walk of thenon-Christian, described in vs. 18and 19, is the very walk from whichthe Christian is delivered (d. 2: 1,2, 3, 12). The learning spoken of inv. 20 is no mere formal exercise-itincludes not only the hearing of instruction but also the application ofthe truth in daily living. Learned
The organization of the new churchwent forward apace. Augustine hadhimself consecrated bishop and assumed the head over those who hadformerly been bishops of the Englishchurch. By the Christians whom hefound in Britain there were a number of customs practiced which werestrange to Augustine, for they wereprobably the remainder of an earliertradition than that which was knownby the church at Rome. He proceededto bring all the Christians into conformity with the Roman practice.
In 604 Augustine died, and was
The Young People's PageA Series of Studies in the Epistle to the Ephesians
By the REV. ROBERT L. ATWELL
JUNE 18th giver, who is and remains the originThe Unity of the Church and source of all power for our Chris
tian life from moment to moment.Eph. 4:1-16 (Cf. Dr. L. B. Gilmore's notes on
W IT H this lesson we begin a Ephesians contained in his Summerconsideration of the second Bible School material for 1937-
main division of the Epistle. The first these notes will prove invaluable inthree chapters were solidly doctrinal; all of these lessons.) Note also thatthese last three are intensely prac- "you" are included-the Apostle saystical. It would be well, at this point, "each." He then proceeds (vs. 8, 9to review carefully the teaching of and 10) to unfold the deeper meaningthe first three chapters. Doctrine is of a Messianic Psalm (68).ever basic to life (d. Chapter I, Sec- It is Jesus who equips the churchtion IV, of our Form of Govern- with its various ministers (v, 11).ment). This very appeal is made The purpose of their ministrations is(v, 1) in basing the Christian walk outlined in verse 12. Notice the placeupon the calling which has already here assigned to the building up ofbeen described. believers and compare Paul's practice
Does it seem surprising that "low- in caring for his converts andliness" is set forth as the first element churches, according to the record inof that walk? Then consider again Acts. The goal is unity in the fullnessthe first three chapters (d. also Provo of Christ (vs. 13-16).16: 18; I 'Cor. 10: 16; Matt. 11:28-30;Col. 3: 13). Humility is a basic Christian virtue.
Note well that the unity demandedin v. 3 is the unity of the Spirit. Heis the Spirit of Truth (d. v, 13,also Chapter XV, Section XII, 6, ofour Fbrm of Government). Note thesevenfold unity which marks theChristian profession (vs, 4, 5 and 6).
In verse 7 Paul contrasts with theunity of life the variety of gifts.These gifts were given potentially atChrist's exaltation and actually atour sealing (1: 14). Notice that thesegifts and talents are not the productof the individual, but are referred toChrist, the living and continuous
quickly recalled by the bishop ofRome who made it clear that he couldnot dispense with Gregory's servicesin Rome. Shortly after this incidentGregory himself was elected pope,and the idea of a mission to Englandwas not forgotten. It was in 596 thathe sent Augustine and 30 monks tothe work.
The inhabitants of England werechiefly of Celtic origin, and werebarbarians. They had adopted theGreek and Roman gods, after theirconquest by Rome, and Christianityhad early made some inroads intoEngland. Immediately after 410 A.D.,when the last of the Roman legionswas withdrawn from Britain, whatChristianity there was began to degenerate, and at the end of the nearlytwo centuries that followed, markedas they were by internal strife inBritain, comparatively little was leftof the former Christianity. Ethelbert,the king, however, had married aFrench Christian, Bertha, and wasreceptive to Christianity.
The mission, under the insistenceof Gregory, set out, probably bywater as far as Marseilles and thenby land. It set out, apparently, withlittle preparation, the monks beingequipped only with a few personalpossessions, stout shoes, and lettersof introduction to a number of personages along the way, and to Ethelbert. Their welcome by Ethelbertmust have been heartening to them,and he gave them leave to make asmany converts as they could.
They proceeded to Canterburywhere they set up their communityand by their peculiar mode of life, aswell as by their piety and theirpreaching, won a number of converts.It was not long before Ethelbert himself was baptized, and by Christmasof 597, only a little over a year aftertheir landing in England, 10,000 professed converts were baptized at once.We must realize, of course, that thisoutward conversion was not necessarily based upon any knowledge ofwhat the Christian faith was allabout, nor upon any deep conviction,but was frequently a political expediency. As Schaff puts it, "It wasa baptism by water, not by fire andthe Holy Spirit. The preceding instruction amounted to little or nothing; even the baptismal formula,mechanically recited in Latin, wasseldom understood" (Church History,Vol. 4, p. 18).
1939 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 113
;
{1
"Christ" means, according to the nextverse, the teachings of Christ. Hadthese Ephesians actually heard Christ?What then does Paul mean (v. 21) ?
Paul is about to present a detailedanalysis of the type of life that aChristian should live, but he mustfirst establish the foundation. Thatfoundation can only be the truth asit is embodied in a personal Saviourand in the teaching of His cross.
Verse 22 opens with the word"that," expressing the necessary result of so learning Christ. The resultis the putting off of the old man andthe putting on of the new. Havingdone with the man of sin as with anold and dirty garment, the individualwho is born again by the power ofthe Spirit is aided by that Spirit inhis struggle against the old evilnature. Such a man is really a newman (d. II Cor. 5: 17; Eph. 2: 10).Compare v, 24 with Genesis 1: 27,and consider Catechism answer 10.You might well study Rom. 7: 15-25and perhaps ask your pastor to explain this struggle in relation to thedoctrine of Sanctification.
In the remainder of the chapterspecific sins are condemned and thecontrary virtues commended. "Wherefore" indicates the inevitable resultof the putting off of the old and theputting on of the new man. Falsehood,the opposite of truth, is the chiefcharacteristic of the natural man.Notice that Christianity is not simplynegative or neutral, it is positive,virile. We have here a forceful presentation of the so-called "Puritanvirtues": honesty, industry and thrift.For them there are no substitutes. Invs. 30 and 32 Paul speaks not so muchof specific conduct as of rules fromwhich conduct must spring.
JULY 2ndThe Highest Motive
Eph.5:1-7This passage sets forth the highest
motive for godly living. It is the loveof Christ expressed in His giving ofHimself for us (v. 2). Dr. Machenpreached a glorious sermon on thistheme at the Second Assembly ofour church. He used II Cor. 5: 14 ashis text. There Paul explained themotive which impelled him to endureall trials and to undertake all labors:"The Love of Christ constrainethus." He was referring primarily notto his love for Christ, great as that
Bible Readings~eek of June 11thSUNDAy Psalm 133MONDAy ...•........ Philippians 1: 15-30TUESDAY I Corinthians 10: 17-31WEDNESDAy Colossians 3: 1-17THURSDAY I Corinthians 1: 1-13FRIDAY Psalm 68: 1-19SATURDAy Jude 1-10
Week of June 18thSUNDAy " .Romans 7: 15-25MONDAY .•...... II Corinthians 4: 11-18TUESDAY ..........•.... Isaiah 40: 21-31WEDNESDAY Hebrews 6: 1-6THURSDAy Titus 3: 3-7FRIDAY ....•................ Romans 12SATURDAY ..•..... II Chronicles 15: 8-15
Week of June 25thSUNDAY Matthew 5: 43-48MONDAY II Corinthians 1: 17-24TUESDAY Proverbs 20: 18-30WEDNESDAY ............•Acts 11: 22-30THURSDAY Romans 8: 28-39FRIDAy .......•......... Romans 9: 1-16SATURDAY I John 3: 1-8
Week of July 2ndSUNDAY ...............•.Luke 16: 1-12MONDAY I Thessalonians 5: 1-10TUESDAy •.......•....... Luke 15: 11-24WEDNESDAy .........•..•...•. Psalm 27THURSDAY ............•... Isaiah 9: 1-7FRIDAY ................•.Acts 26: 12-23SATURDAY .....•..•....•...... Psalm 92
was, but to the love of Christ for him,which was as certain as it was great.
"Walk in love" (v. 1) is abstractand Paul makes it concrete by the useof that example of love which is atonce the most forceful and the greatest (consider John 3: 16; Rom.5 : 6-8; 8: 32; I John 4: 10). The wordoffering is a general term and refersnot only to the death but also to thelife of perfect obedience of ourblessed Lord. The word sacrifice isvery specific and refers to His atoning death. (Cf. Catechism questions20 and 25.) What do you understandby the Covenant of Redemption?
The last phrase of v. 2 declares ina figurative way that God acceptedthe sacrifice. The same truth is established by the fact of His resurrection.(Cf. Matt. 3: 17 and 17: 5 in theircontexts.)
It is of utmost importance that werealize that the Bible presents thefinished work of Christ as providingthe only way of salvation, and includes in that presentation the substitutionary atonement. (Cf. Isa. 53;Matt. 1 : 21; 20: 28; 26: 28; Acts20: 28; Rom. 5: 6, 8; II Cor. 5: 21 ;
I Tim. 2: 5, 6; I Pet. 1: 18; 3: 18;Rev. 5: 9, 12.)
The following verses set forth thepractical consequences of this truth.That which should and that whichshould not mark the walk of theChristian constitutes the material ofthis entire passage. It was to enforcethese remarks that Paul introducedthe thought of Christ's perfect lifeand sacrificial death (d. I Cor. 6: 20;7: 23).
Verse 7 sums up the teaching ofvs. 3-6. Partake not in their sins thatyou may not share in their punishment. These are either the sins referred to in vs, 3-5 or the attitude toward sin described in v, 6.
JULY 9thChildren of Light
Eph. 5:8-21Beginning in verse 3 and extending
through verse 14 the Apostle is contrasting the works of darkness withthe fruits of light. You may wellbegin this study by carefully enumerating and explaining the things herecatalogued. How many times in thissecond main division does Paul referto the whole of life as a walk?
A child of light will not only separate himself from all such sins (v,11) but will also expose and rebukethem. His desire will always be toplease his Lord and to live in theclear sunshine of His truth.
Dr. Gilmore divides the remainderof this passage (vs. 15-21) as inculcating: 1) Watchfulness, 2) Temperance, 3) Song, 4) Order. Certainlyvs, 15-17 lead us to a careful consideration and avoidance of all theevils that surround us. At the sametime we are to make full use of thetime that is given us. Consider thelabors which Paul himself undertookas an illustration of what he meansin v. 16. The only true wisdom is inknowing the will of the Lord andthat will is revealed in the Word(Prov. 9: 10; Hos. 14:9).
Temperance is strongly taught inv. 18. Satan seems to have a counterfeit for every good thing which Godprovides. Drunken excitement issurely a poor substitute for spiritualexaltation. Drunkenness is a false fulfillment of man's natural desire forardor and enthusiasm.
Song is a right expression of joyand thanksgiving (d. Ps. 92: 1-5).In I Cor. 14: 15 Paul requires that we
114 THE PRE'SBYTERIAN GUARDIAN,June
sing with our understanding, Wouldour services of public worship not bemore edifying if we should note theprecious truths which the songs wesing express? Also might we not then
eliminate some songs which presentquestionable or false doctrine? Notethat even thanksgiving is acceptableonly when offered in the name of ourLord Jesus Christ.
Order is promoted rather than destroyed by right enthusiasm (v. 21).Careful church government and discipline are essential to the right ordering of the church (cf. I Cor, 14: 40).
The Sixth General Assembly ofThe Orthodox Presbyterian Church
TH E spacious campus of West. minster Theological Seminary in
suburban Philadelphia was, for threedays beginning Wednesday, May 10th,the scene of the Sixth General Assembly of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church. No more beautifulsetting has ever graced an assemblyof the denomination, and few assemblies of any church have beenprivileged to meet in such an ideallocation.
As in the assembly of 1938, nomajor issues confronted the 58 ministers and 13 elders enrolled as commissioners and, apart from the consideration of the Directory for Worship and the Book of Discipline, allof the business of the assembly mightbe said to be of a routine nature. Thepyrotechnics of earlier assemblieshave been blessedly missing since1937, leaving the church free to goforward in unity of purpose and inwholehearted zeal for the gospel ofthe Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon and Lord's SupperThe assembly convened at 10 :30
on Wednesday morning for its devotional service, conducted by the moderator of the Fifth General Assembly,the Rex. Alexander K. Davison,pastor of the Covenant PresbyterianChurch of Vineland, New Jersey. Thetext of Mr. Davison's sermon was theSong of Solomon, Chapter 6, verse10: "Who is she that looketh forthas the morning, fair as the moon,clear as the sun, and terrible as anarmy with banners?" In a sermonconceded to be one of the finestpreached at any general assembly ofthe denomination, Mr. Davison delineated the characteristics of thechurch of the living God. In this text,said Mr. Davison, are to be foundthe attributes of the true church ofChrist. The church of God in the Old
Testament as well as in the NewTestament was alike pure both indoctrine and in life. But what of thechurch today? Throughout the organized visible church of our timesthere is a pacific attitude toward unbelief and sin, and there is hardly acardinal doctrine of Christianity thathas not been denied.
The true church of Christ, declared Mr. Davison, is not only purebut it is also militant, "terrible as anarmy with banners." But this is nottrue of the church of today. Hershield hangs on the wall and hersword is sheathed. She is wed to unbelief and no battle for truth engagesher energies. But this shall not alwaysbe so. The church of Christ must goforward in militancy, and the truechurch of the living God is invincible.In the providence of God The Orthodox Presbyterian Church will be inthe vanguard when the church oncemore becomes "fair as the moon,clear as the sun, and terrible as anarmy with banners."
Following the sermon the commissioners and others attending theassembly united about the Lord'sTable for the sacrament of the Communion.
Elec:tion of Moderatorand Clerk
At 2 P.M. the assembly was constituted with prayer by the Rev. Franklin S. Dyrness. The proposed docket,published in the May number of THEPRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN, was amendedslightly and adopted. The Rev. LeslieW. Sloat, pastor of the Knox Presbyterian Church, Washington, D. c.,and the Rev. John P. Clelland, pastorof the Eastlake Presbyterian Churchof Wilmington, Delaware, were nominated for the office of Clerk of Assembly. Mr. Sloat was elected.
As in the case of the two preceding
assemblies, the choice of a moderatorwas made without any previous campaigning by any commissioner orgroup of commissioners. The denomination, united in spirit and purposesince the close of the Third GeneralAssembly, did not need any of themachinery customarily employed bychurches that are split by factions.On the first ballot Dr. Cornelius VanTil, Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Seminary, received the majority vote. Dr. Van Til had beenabsent from the floor of the assemblyat the time of nominations and arrived just in time to discover his election. He promptly asked to be relieved of the office, explaining to theassembly that urgent matters madeit impossible for him to serve. Theassembly reluctantly accepted hisresignation, and balloting was oncemore begun. It required four ballotsto arrive at a majority vote amongthe three most popular nominees: theRev. Everett C. DeVelde, pastor ofTrinity Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio; the Rev, Paul Woolley,Professor of Church History at Westminster Seminary; and Mr. Clelland.Mr. DeVelde was the eventual choiceof the assembly, and the chair wasturned over to him by Mr. Davison.
Two overtures, two requests, and areport were then read to the assembly by the clerk. In order to expeditethe business of the assembly themoderator appointed five commissioners to serve as a Committee on Overtures and Papers, with instructionsto report not later than 3 o'clock onThursday afternoon. The committeeconsisted of the following ministers:John P. Clelland, Oscar O. Holkeboer,Paul Woolley, Robert K. Churchill,and Samuel J. Allen.
Christian Educ:ationThe report of the Committee on
1939
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THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 115
Christian Education was read by itschairman, the Rev. Calvin K. Cummings, pastor of the CovenantChurch, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, andthe recommendations considered seriatim. The report, together with therecommendations in the form inwhich they were finally adopted, follows:
The Committee on Christian Educationsubmits the following report:
1. In accordance with the instructionsof the Fourth General Assembly, theCommittee has, through the cooperationof THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN, established a Young People's Page in thatorgan.
2. Having been instructed by the FourthGeneral Assembly to recommend certaintracts in harmony with the ReformedFaith, this Committee is practically prepared to publish such tracts as soon asthe General Assembly grants power toreceive and to disburse funds. These include tracts by Dr. L. B. Gilmore, dealingwith such subjects as Creation, 'Providence, Sin, Grace, The Good Shepherd,The Blood of Christ, The Holy Spirit,and The Blessed Trinity.
Also, a sub-committee, consisting ofDr. Van Til, Mr. Young, and Mr. Freytag, has been appointed to consider thepreparation of longer doctrinal tracts.
3. The Committee has made arrangements for the popular meeting of this evening at which Dr. Van Til will speak onthe subject, "Modern Psychology of Religion in Relation to Christianity."
The Committee on Christian Educationrecommends to the Sixth General Assembly that:
1. The committee be given power toreceive and to disburse funds for promoting the work of Christian Education;
2. Urge pastors and sessions to encourage the people of their congregations toorganize Christian Education Societies.Such societies could seek to help Christian parents in their present educationalproblems and could seek to stimulate interest in the formation of Christian dayschools.
3. a) That every church of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church be urged to include THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN insome way in its regular benevolencebudget as a missionary enterprise of thechurch; and
b) That the Committee on ChristianEducation be instructed to cooperate withthe editors of THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN in promoting the interests of TheOrthodox Presbyterian Church throughits pages, and also positively to encourage the churches to increase their support of the GUARDIAN through their subscriptions and contributions.
4. In view of the great and centralplace of Westminster Theological Seminary in the educational work of ourchurch, urge sessions and congregationsto place this seminary on their respectivechurch budgets.
5. Urge pastors and sessions to supportsummer conferences that are faithful tothe Bible and the subordinate standardsof our church.
6. Urge pastors and sessions to provide instruction in the Scriptures and theCatechisms of our church for the covenant youth and for any who contemplatejoining our church. In this connectionthe committee calls attention to the availability of a "Catechism for Young Children" as an introduction to our Shorterand Larger Catechisms.
The recommendation giving powerto the committee to receive and disburse funds for promoting the workof Christian education occasionedsome debate. It was felt by some that,if this money were solicited for thepublishing of tracts and books, itmight seriously affect contributionsto the missionary enterprises of thedenomination. Those supporting therecommendation warned of the danger of continuing to use "hit or miss"tracts, and being so short-sightedabout this matter that the work ofChristian education would stagnate.Mr. Cummings declared that it wasthe opinion of the committee that unless this power were granted therewould no longer be any reason forthe existence of the committee.
It was particularly gratifying tothose responsible for the publicationof THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN tohear the enthusiastic discussion thatcentered about recommendation 3.This is a substitute motion which wasoffered by the moderator as a morevigorous presentation of the needsand the value of the magazine thanwas contained in the original recommendation of the committee. Mr.DeVelde urged its adoption, and hewas ably supported by the Rev.Robert Strong, pastor of the CalvaryPresbyterian Church of Willow Grove,Pennsylvania, who emphasized theunique service rendered by THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN to the churchand the indispensability of its work.The motion was adopted wholeheartedly, and the editors of the magazinetrust that every church will cooperatewith this admonition of the assembly.
The assembly also adopted a motion recommending "The Key," a publication of the Christian ReformedPublishing House, for use in the Sunday schools of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
Toward the close of the afternoonthe committee appointed by the FourthAssembly, to study the particularpowers of jurisdiction of the HomeMissions Committee and the presbyteries, reported, recommending thatno action be taken on this question.
The Rev. Samuel ]. Allen of Carson,North Dakota, presented a substitutemotion that would have the effect ofreadjusting the scope of the committee, making the presbytery sovereign in all matters of missionaryactivity within its bounds and makingthe committee solely a central receiving agency. At the close of theafternoon session the matter had notbeen decided, and when it next camebefore the assembly Mr. Allen requested that his motion be defeated.He then moved the establishment ofa new committee to study the problem and report to the Seventh General Assembly. This committee wasmade up of the present Home Missions Committee and Mr. Allen. Themotion was carried.
Overtures and PapersThe first item of business on Thurs
day morning was the considerationof the report of the Committee onOvertures and Papers. The first overture, from the Presbytery of Wisconsin, concerned membership in oathbound secret societies and requestedthe general assembly to rule that,since, among other things, such societies demanded allegiance to a Unitarian and Universalistic religiousconcept, no member of such an order
-shall at the same time be a communi-cant member in good standing in thedenomination. The report of the committee on this overture, together withthe recommendation adopted by theassembly, follows:
Concerning the overture from the Presbytery of Wisconsin, the Committee onOvertures and Papers would call the attention of the assembly to the fact that ithas no power to lay down extra-constitutional requirements for membership inthe church.
The committee does not favor suddenand drastic action in the matter of membership in oath-bound secret societies, butdoes recognize the importance of thisproblem confronting the church, and thenecessity for fully considering this matter, and therefore
RECOMMENDS to the Sixth General Assembly the election of a committee of fiveto investigate the principles and practicesof oath-bound secret societies and to report its findings to the Seventh GeneralAssembly.
Those elected to serve on the committee recommended in the reportwere: Ministers: Oscar O. Holkeboer ;Alexander K. Davison; Paul Woolley.Elders: Charles M. Mayson; MurrayForst Thompson.
The second overture concerned the
116 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN June
division of the Presbytery of NewYork and New England into threesmaller presbyteries. The report ofthe Committee on Overtures andPapers is very nearly identical withthe request of the presbytery and ishere printed in the form in which itwas adopted.
The committee recommends that theassembly divide the Presbytery of NewYork and New England as follows:
1. The Presbytery of Metropolitan NewYork, to embrace New York City, Connecticut, Long Island, and that part ofNew York State on the mainland withinan 80-mile radius of the City Hall ofNew York City.
2. The Presbytery of New York Stateto embrace the whole of New York Stateoutside that part included in the Presbytery of Metropolitan New York.
3. The Presbytery of New England toembrace all of New England except thestate of Connecticut; the division to takeeffect at the discretion of the Presbyteryof New York and New England.
The Committee on Overtures andPapers next reported on the twopapers which had been read by theclerk on Wednesday. The first wasfrom the Presbytery of the Dakotasand concerned the resolution sentdown to the presbyteries by the FifthGeneral Assembly in order to havetheir approval of the change of namein all but two places in the Form ofGovernment. It was not clear to thePresbytery of the Dakotas why theexception had been made in these twoplaces, and accordingly the presbyteryhad answered the resolution in thenegative, although expressing unanimous approval of the name, "TheOrthodox Presbyterian Church." TheCommittee on Overtures and Paperscalled the attention of the presbyteryto the fact that "Chapter XXIV ofthe Form of Government demandsthat proposed changes in the forms ofsubscription required of ministers,licentiates, ruling elders and deaconsmust first be considered by a committee which shall report to the nextassembly before the proposed changesshall be sent down to the presbyteriesfor action." That committee made itsreport to the Sixth Assembly and thechange of name in the forms of subscription will now be sent down tothe presbyteries for their approval.
The second request came from thePresbytery of the Northwest andasked that, since the number of ministerial members was now less than theconstitutional requirement for a presbytery, the general assembly take
some action in recognition of this andassign the ministers and congregations to another presbytery. Theamended recommendation of the Committee on Overtures and Papers asked"that the assembly declare that thePresbytery of the Northwest no longerexists as a presbytery because thenumber of its members has fallenbelow the constitutional requirements;that the ministers and the congregation of that presbytery be assigned tothe Presbytery of California." Thisrecommendation was adopted.
A petition for the division of thePresbytery of Philadelphia, referredto that presbytery by the Fourth Assembly, was again before the SixthAssembly with the recommendationthat no action be taken. The recommendation was adopted.
Home MissionsThe report of the Committee on
Home Missions and Church Extension was presented by the chairman,the Rev. Edwin H. Rian, and thetreasurer's report of the committee,as audited by certified public accountants, was presented by the treasurer, the Rev. Robert Strong. Thereport of the committee carried onlyone recommendation, which wasadopted. The report follows:
The Committee on Home Missions andChurch Extension has held nine meetingssince the Fourth General Assembly, andhas endeavored to the best of its abilityto carry out the instructions of the Fourthand Fifth General Assemblies.
WORK OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY
Following the instructions of the FourthGeneral Assembly, the Committee met injoint session with the Committee on Foreign Missions and on June 14, 1938,elected the Rev. Robert S. Marsden general secretary for a period of one yearfrom the date of his assumption of office,July 15, 1938. A salary of $75 per monthhas been paid to Mr. Marsden by theCommittee, and the Committee on Foreign Missions pays him a like salary.Through the wholehearted cooperation ofthe pastors and sessions, the General Secretary has been privileged to present thework of the Committee in 48 differentchurches during these ten months. In addition to one extended Western trip, Mr.Marsden has made numerous tripsthroughout the East in the interest ofthe Committee. He has likewise prepared,each month, missionary study material formissionary societies and has operated theoffice of the Committee.
THE CIVIL SUIT
Following the instructions of the FifthGeneral Assembly, the appeal in the civilsuit was withdrawn, and the costs to the
plaintiffs, which had been assessed againstthe Committee as the defendants, havebeen paid in full to the amount of $182.77.The bond of the Committee, in theamount of $5,000, which had been signedby the late Harry A. Worcester, hasbeen released, and the civil suit is closed.
MISSIONARIES SERVING UNDER THECOMMITTEE
The following missionaries are nowserving under the Committee. The list includes aid-receiving pastors of organizedchurches and missionaries who are noworganizing churches:Rev. Samuel J. Allen, Carson, North
DakotaRev. C. A. Balcom, Wilton, North DakotaRev. James B. Brown, Lincoln, NebraskaRev. Robert B. Brown, Omaha, NebraskaRev. Robert K. Churchill, Berkeley, Cali-
forniaRev. Bruce A. Coie, Long Island, New
YorkRev. Edward B. Cooper, Pittsgrove, New
JerseyRev. Thomas M. Cooper, Lincoln, Ne
braskaRev. John Davies, Gresham, WisconsinRev. Marvin L. Derby, New Haven, Con
necticutRev. Leslie A. Dunn, White Horse, New
JerseyRev. David Freeman, Philadelphia, Penn
sylvaniaMrs. David Freeman, Philadelphia, Penn
sylvaniaRev. A. Culver Gordon, Bancroft, South
DakotaRev. Gerald A. Heersma, Norristown and
Beechwood, PennsylvaniaMr. Edward F. Hills, Cedar Grove, Wis
consinRev. Leland C. Jorgensen, Milwaukee,
WisconsinRev. Walter J. Magee, Hamill, South
DakotaRev. Raymond M. Meiners, Schenectady,
New YorkRev. Russell D. Piper, Los Angeles, Cali
forniaRev. J. Lyle Shaw, Newport, KentuckyRev. E. Lynne Wade, Santa Ana, Cali
forniaMr. David A. Watson, Philadelphia,
PennsylvaniaRev. Edward Wybenga, Waterloo, Iowa
The Committee is happy to be able torecord that many of the missionaries nowrequire less aid than they did a year agodue to the growth of the work in whichthey are engaged. The Committee deeplyappreciates the sacrificial way in whichthe missionaries and their families havecarried on the work, and renders thanksto the Lord who has given so abundantan increase.
CONTRIBUTIONSThe Committee is glad to be able to
report that contributions to its work haveincreased substantially during the pastyear. Contributions have been receivedfrom 63 churches and 170individuals during the fiscal year ending March 31,1939. Much of this increase resulted froma gain in contributions from churches andchurch organizations of 24 per cent, whichthe Committee regards as a remarkablegain indeed. It has been possible to pay
1939 THE PRE'SBYTER.AN GUARD.AN 117
the salaries of the home missionaries andall other expenses in full each monthsince October 1, 1938. Continuation ofthis record depends, however, upon thecontinued sacrificial giving of all our people, for while the budget has been reducedto an amount below which efficient workcannot be done, the budget can be reachedonly with the help of each individual andeach church.
THE ROTHWELL LEGACYIn January, Miss Nellie Pryce Roth
well of Middletown, Delaware, died, making the Committee the residuary legateeof her estate. It is not known at this timethe amount which will be realized fromthe estate and nothing will be receivedbefore the early part of 1940. Ayres J.Stockly of M'essrs. Hastings, Stockly,Duffy and Layton of Wilmington, Delaware, has been employed as counsel toprotect the interest of the Committee inthe estate.
\;YORK AMONG JEWSFollowing the instructions of the Fourth
General Assembly, missionary work hasbeen started among the Jews. The workin Washington, D. c., is under the direction of Mrs. David Freeman, who receives only expenses, and the work inPhiladelphia is in charge of the Rev.David Freeman. Part rent has been paidby the Committee, from funds designatedfor Jewish work, for the Jewish GospelCenter at 5140 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. The premises are also occupied bythe New Covenant Presbyterian Churchwhich shares in the rent. The Committeeplans to expand the work among Jews asfunds designated for that purpose areavailable.
INCORPORATIONPreliminary steps looking to incorpora
tion of the Committee, in accordance withthe resolution of the Fifth General Assembly, have been taken, and the incorporation will probably be completed withinthe next few months.
ELECTIONS TO THE COMMITTEEThe terms of office of the following
members of the Committee expire withthis Assembly. Ministers: John J. DeWaard, John H. Skilton, Robert Strong,S.T.D.; Elder: Harry Frazer. The termof elder Harry A. Worcester, deceased,would also expire at this time. Becausedistance has kept many members of theCommittee from attendance at the meetings, and attendance at the meetings hasbeen very small, the Committee wouldurge the General Assembly to give heedto the ability of members to attend whenit elects members for the class of 1942.
RECOMMENDATIONThe Committee would recommend that
the General Assembly urge the churchesto stress the principles of stewardship andto adopt a sound financial policy in orderthat, in obedience to Scriptural injunctions, collections may be made regularlyfor benevolent purposes.
In presenting this report it waspointed out that the present budg-et ofthe committee is about $1500 permonth. Although the church has in-
creased its gifts to both mission committees about 24 per cent. during thepast year, there would have been asubstantial deficit had it not been forseveral large gifts from individualdonors. Since these gifts cannot berelied upon in the future, it is imperative that churches increase thesize of their monthly contributions.Moreover, there is an urgent need forexpansion of home mission work.New fields, and men to work in them,are available, and financial problemsare the only factors that are delayingthis expansion.
Foreign MissionsThe report of the Committee on
Foreign Missions was read by itschairman the Rev. Franklin S.Dyrness, and the financial report bythe treasurer, Mr. Murray ForstThompson. The report, which carriedno recommendation, is here printedin full.
Your Committee on Foreign Missionshas held six meetings since the FourthGeneral Assembly, and has endeavored tothe best of its ability to carry out the instructions of the Fourth and Fifth General Assemblies.
Following the instructions of the FourthGeneral Assembly, the Committee meton June 14, 1938, in joint session with theCommittee on Home Missions and ChurchExtension and elected the Rev. Robert S.Marsden general secretary for a period ofone year from the date of his assumptionof office, July 15, 1938. A salary of $75per month has been paid to Mr. Marsdenby the Committee, and the Committee onHome Missions and Church Extensionpays him a like amount. Through thewholehearted cooperation of the pastorsand sessions, the general secretary hasbeen privileged to present the work ofthe Committee in some 40 differentchurches during these ten months. In addition to one extended Western trip, Mr.Marsden has made numerous tripsthroughout the East in the interest ofthe Committee. He has likewise writtenthe missionary studies in THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN and has conducted theoffice of the Committee.
The Rev. and Mrs. Henry W. Coraywho had been under appointment by theCommittee, but without salary, were restored to full salary and allowances, effective June 1, 1938. At his own request,Mr. Coray was granted a leave-of-absenceto labor with the British and ForeignBible Society for one year, beginning December 1, 1938, but, upon his resignationfrom the Bible Society because he foundit impossible with good conscience to register as required by the Society, he wasrestored to full salary and allowances onJanuary 1, 1939. On April 6, 1939, theCommittee acceded to the request of Mr.and Mrs. Coray, and to the recommendation of the Harbin Station, to begin theirfurlough immediately, and the Corays are
now in this country. Beginning furloughsin the spring of the year is in keepingwith the best practice of mission boards.
On August 25, 1938, the Rev. and Mrs.Bruce F. Hunt of Harbin, Manchoukuowere appointed missionaries, effectiveAugust 1, 1938. The following missionaries are now serving under the Committee:
Rev. Egbert W.Andrews, Harbin, Manchoukuo.
Rev. and Mrs. Henry W. Coray,Rev. and Mrs. M. C. Frehn, Tokyo,
Japan.Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Gaffin, Tsing
tao, Shantung, China.Rev. and Mrs. Bruce F. Hunt, Harbin,
Manchoukuo.Rev. R. Heber McIlwaine, Tokyo, Japan.
These missionaries have been engagedaggressively in evangelistic work as opportunities have presented themselves, inspite of the difficulties encountered, dueto the Sino-Japanese war and the attitudeof the governments of Japan and Manchoukuo toward making loyalty to thecommand of God paramount to civilobedience. The Lord has given them soulsfor their hire and has called out fromthe heathen among whom they haveworked a people for His own possession.
The Committee is delighted to be ableto report a remarkable increase in contributions during the past year. While thebudget of the Committee has been increased from approximately $525 permonth to $1,000 per month during thepast year due to the election of a paidgeneral secretary, the restoration of fullsalary and allowances to the Rev. andMrs. Henry W. Coray and the appointment of the Rev. and Mrs. Bruce F.Hunt, contributions have kept pace withthe increase in the budget. Contributionshave been received from 54 churches and140 individuals during the year endingMarch 31, 1939. It is a source of greatgratification to the Committee that contributions from churches and church organizations have increased from an average of $276.00 per month to an averageof $489.76 per month during the fiscalyear, while contributions from individualshave increased from an average of $216.70per month to an average of $371.40 permonth at the same time. The Committeefeels that its faith in making new appointments before funds were on hand forthem has been justified by the way theChurch has responded to the increasedneed.
The Committee would remind the General Assembly, however, that it is stillworking on a very close margin, and thatif its work is to be put on a truly soundbasis, contributions must still be increasedat least in reasonable measure during thenext year. Your Committee has been unable to set aside any sums toward furloughs of missionaries or for emergenciesthat may arise. The Committee also hasnumerous applications from those whowould like to go as foreign missionaries,and is prepared to send out more missionaries only as the Church supplies thenecessary funds.
The terms of the following membersof the Committee expire at this time:Ministers, John C. Rankin, Ned. B. Stone-
118 THE PRE'SIYTERIAN GUARDIAN June
house, Th.D., Edward J. Young; Elders,Edward F. Hayden and Matthew MeCroddan.
Standing CommitteesNext came the elections to the
Classes of 1942 of the assembly'sstanding committees. For the information of readers, we publish thecomplete personnel of each committee:
THE COMMITTEE ON CHRISTIANEDUCATIoN
Class of 1942: (Ministers) EdwardJ. Young; John H. Skilton; (elder)Charles A. Freytag.
Class of 1941: (Ministers) CorneliusVan Til; Lawrence B. Gilmore; (elder)H. Percival Allen.
Class of 1940: (Ministers) Calvin K.Cummings; Robert L. Atwell; (elder)Gordon H. Clark.
THE COMMITTEE ON HOME MISSIONSAND CHURCH EXTENSION
Class of 1942: (Ministers) RobertStrong; Ned B. Stonehouse; Peter DeRuiter; (elders) J. H. McClay; R. D.Grove.
Class of 1941: (Ministers) James L.Rohrbaugh; Wi11iam T. Strong; ArthurO. Olson; (elders) Thomas R. Galbraith;Wi11iam Ferguson.
Class of 1940: (Ministers) Everett C.DeVelde; Edwin H. Rian; Clifford S.Smith; (elders) John Welsh Dulles;William McCaughey.
THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN MISSIONSClass of 1942: (Ministers) James W.
Price; Leslie W. Sloat; Lawrence RJongewaard; (elders) Matthew McCroddan; A. D. Stultz.
Class of 1941: (Ministers) Cary N.Weisiger : George W. Marston; John P.Clelland; (elders) Murray Forst Thompson; M. A. Campbell.
Class of 1940: (Ministers) Franklin S.Dyrness ; R. B. Kuiper; Paul Woolley;(elders) J. Enoch Faw; R. R. Stuart.
During the counting of the ballotscast in the elections to these committees, the Rev. Edwin H. Rianintroduced to the assembly the mostrecent ministerial member of TheOrthodox Presbyterian Church. TheRev. Clarence W. Duff, formerly amissionary to Ethiopia under the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., hadbeen received by the Presbytery ofPhiladelphia on Thursday morning.His letter of renunciation addressedto the Presbytery of PhiladelphiaNorth of the Presbyterian Church inthe U.S.A. will be found on anotherpage of this issue of THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN.
Miscellaneous BusinessIn order to give to the Home Mis
sions Committee the authority neededto protect its interests in the estate
of Nellie Pryce Rothwell, deceased,(discussed above in the report of thecommittee) the following resolutionwas adopted:
Resolved, that the Committee on HomeMissions and Church Extension be, andit is hereby, empowered, in connectionwith the estate of Nellie Pryce Rothwell,deceased, to do such acts, to execute suchdocuments, and to make payment of suchsums as it may deem necessary in orderto obtain a clear legal title to the realand/or personal property in which it mayhave an interest, under the will of thesaid Nellie Pryce Rothwell, deceased, andin order to protect all of its interests inthe said Rothwell estate.
It was moved and carried that,since the constitutional requirementsconcerning changes in the Form ofGovernment had been complied with,the assembly declare that the words"The Orthodox Presbyterian Church"are now substituted for the words"The Presbyterian Church of America" wherever they occur in the Formof Government except in ChapterXIII, Section III, Question 3, andChapter XV, Section XII, Question 3.
The Committee on the Constitution,through its chairman, the Rev. Professor Ned B. Stonehouse, asked theassembly to take action empoweringthe Home Missions Committee to paythe few incidental bills contracted bythe Committee on the Constitution inthe fulfillment of its duties. It waspointed out that, since the committeewas not authorized to receive and disburse funds, and since also there werecertain unavoidable though small expenses incident to the preparation ofits reports, it was essential that somesuch provision be made for the financing of this work. After debate it wasmoved that the existing bills be paidby the Home Missions Committee andthat future accounts be paid only fromfunds designated through that committee for that purpose. The clerk ofthe assembly was instructed to writeto the churches urging a support ofthe assembly expense, including allexpenses incidental to the conduct ofthe assembly and the publication ofits minutes, and informing them ofapproximately the amount that wouldbe needed. An offering was also takenby the commissioners for that purpose.
The Directory for WorshipIn the remaining few minutes of
the day the Committee on the Constitution, through Dr. Stonehouse,
presented its report. This consisted ofa proposed "Directory for the PublicWorship of God," which had beenprepared by the committee since theFourth Assembly. This was accompanied by a supplementary report,containing recommendations whichwere considered seriatim.
The first recommendation was forthe adoption of the Directory forWorship in the revised form in whichit was submitted to ministers andsessions under the date of April 1,1939, and with one minor typographical correction. The balance of Thursday and most of Friday was concerned with the consideration of thisportion of the report. Amendmentswere freely offered to the Directoryfor Worship and many of them wereadopted by the assembly. It is beyondthe scope of this account of the proceedings to list all of these amendments and, without the original textof the Directory, the amendmentsthemselves would be meaningless. Itis hoped that the Directory, in theform in which it was finally adopted,will soon be available for the entiremembership of the denomination.
Some of the amendments were ofa minor nature, and were made in theinterests of clarity or of literary excellence. Others, of more far-reaching significance, were concerned withthe modes to be employed in publicworship. Several of these latteramendments were offered in the hopethat the Directory would thus fullyexpress the principle of divine worship enunciated in the Confession ofFaith and on which the denominationwas united, without attempting tocommit the assembly to certain applications of that principle on whichjudgment might differ. Some cornmissioners contended that this principle was sufficiently expressed in theDirectory. In the main, these amendments did not find favor with theassembly.
After debate which lasted untilabout the middle of Friday afternoon,the Directory for Worship as amendedby the assembly was finally adopted.Several dissenting votes and one protest against its final adoption at thistime were filed with the Clerk ofAssembly.
The Book of Discipline, with oneadditional amendment, was once moreprovisionally adopted to be bindinguntil the Seventh General Assembly,with the understanding that the
1939 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 119
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weathered nor for crises averted.Resolutions that make page 1 of thedaily press were entirely absent.Nevertheless, this was a remarkableassembly. It was remarkable in thetype of unity that it possessed-nota unity resulting from wholesale compromise, but a unity born of unrelenting loyalty to the Word of Godand nurtured in a passion for thetruth of the whole counsel of God. Itwas remarkable for the kind of debate that featured its sessions. True,there were clashes of opinion, but inevery case they issued from mindsunited on Scriptural principles anddiffering only in the interpretations ofthose principles. The zeal of the commissioners for the purity of thechurch, both in doctrine and in life,was unequalled.
There are other matters that theworld does not consider "news."Quiet, steady work for the Lord JesusChrist, building up the walls of Zionas a bulwark against the flood-tides ofunbelief, shepherding the flock, winning souls, teaching little children,guiding the covenant youth-all thesewere revealed as the work that isbeing consistently accomplished bythe ministers of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Surely here is atrue church of Jesus Christ; a churchthat may well thank God and takecourage.
terian missionary to Manchoukuo whohas just returned on furlough. Graphically, and with more than a dash ofbrilliant humor, he told of the workof The Orthodox Presbyterian Churchin the Far East. In Japan the churchof God is in desperate need, and themissionaries need the prayers of everymember of the denomination. Thebarriers are humanly insurmountable."In Manchuria," said Mr. Coray, "wehave taken a stand for the messageand method of God, and against compromise. If we are forced out we willleave a testimony."
The meeting under the direction ofthe Home Missions Committee washeld on Friday evening, with threehome missionaries as the speakers.The Rev. Raymond M. Meiners ofSchenectady, New York, pastor ofthe newly-organized Calvary Presbyterian Church of that city, preacheda brief sermon based on the sixthchapter of Romans, He was followedby the Rev. Robert B. Brown, whotold of the difficulties and triumphsattendant upon the founding of achurch in Omaha, Nebraska. The Rev.Robert K. Churchill, pastor of theCovenant Presbyterian Church ofBerkeley, California, took the assembly on a personally-conducted tour ofthe churches and missions of thePresbytery of California, giving anintimate glimpse of the life of eachcongregation and pastor. He told ofthe frequent discouragements facedby the missionaries, but stressed thejoy, even in the face of such problems, of preaching "the greatest message in the world."
AdjournmentThe assembly accepted with thanks
the invitation of the Trinity Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati, Ohio, tohold the Seventh General Assemblyin that church, beginning on June 4,1940. After declaring the Sixth Assembly dissolved, the moderator ledin prayer and pronounced on thosepresent the Apostolic benediction.
Thus ended an assembly not notablefor dramatic highlights nor for storms
The Evening MeetingsOn each evening of the assembly's
sessions, a meeting of general publicinterest was held. At the popularmeeting on Wednesday evening, underthe auspices of the Committee onChristian Education, an exceedinglyable address upon the subject, "Modern Psychology of Religion in Relation to Christianity," was deliveredby the Rev. Cornelius Van Til, Ph.D.,Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Seminary. Dr. Van Tilpointed out the startling implicationsof the modern psychology of religion,and indicated that the aim and tendency of that movement is to attain toa creedless religion with no firm intellectualbasis. The principles uponwhich present-day psychology of religion is based are thoroughly congenial to the essential elements ofhumanism and anti-Christian biological evolution. Dr. Van Til pointedout the fact that, in the field of education, there can be no neutrality.Christians, he said, must be committedto the establishment of a system ofChristian education from the grammar school up. In the immediatefuture steps should be taken throughout The Orthodox PresbyterianChurch to make this possible.
On Thursday evening, under theauspices of the Committee on Foreign Missions, it was the rare privilege of the commissioners and theirfriends to hear an address by the Rev.Henry W. Coray, Orthodox Presby-
Seventh Assembly would have powerfinally to adopt it.
The Committee on the Constitutionalso submitted for the assembly's approval certain "Suggested Forms forParticular Services." These formswere not to have any constitutionalstanding but were merely, as the namedeclared, suggested forms. Due to thelack of time, this portion of the committee's report was not considered,and the committee was continued toconsider and make further suggestions regarding the Book of Discipline and the Suggested Forms. Thecommittee was given hearty thanksfor its untiring labor during the pastyear.
The report of the Committee onthe Examination of the Minutes ofPresbyteries was read by its chairman, Professor Kuiper, and its recommendations adopted with only oneslight amendment.
120 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN June
The Christian and the JewishSituation
(Concluded from Page 102)
not but be so. Where there is no conviction of truth, one drifts with theprevailing current. No, the Jews darenot and must not look to the liberalswho are nothing but pagans in Christian dress.
Where, then, will the Jews findtheir friends? Among orthodox believing Presbyterians who are simplyadherents of consistent, historic Christianity. It is true they will not permita rabbi to lead or take part in theworship of God because they knowhe stands far removed from the Christian faith which to them is alonetrue. They are not deceived by thefollowing tributes to Jesus paid byseveral leading rabbis: "He is indeed not yet the Messiah. He is notthe son of God. He did not rise fromthe dead, but His parables are withoutany equal, His ethical teaching riseshigh, even above that of Isaiah; Hisname will endure as long as humanhistory." "The personality of Jesuswas such that His sonship to God wasmagnificently evident. The divinespirit seemed manifest in His wordsand deeds. He impressed himselfupon the world, perhaps more so thanother prophets or saints, as a 'childof the living God.' Be that as it may,the consciousness of the presence ofGod has come to millions of men andwomen through Jesus." "It is notmerely that legends have been wovenaround Jesus' name. Every great religious genius has been en-haloed withloving legend. The significant fact isthat time has not faded the vividnessof the image. He is still the comradeof countless lives."
There is involved in these compliments to Jesus outright unbelief ofHis claim to be the Messiah and aflat denial of His deity. The Christianand these rabbis are therefore farapart. There is no use trying to denythat fact. For Christians to permitrabbis to enter their pulpits is a markof insincerity and lack of conviction,since they declare by so doing thatthe message of the Bible is at onewith the message of those who denyit. True Christians must see the difference, for a real difference exists,but while they do so they will upholdand defend the right of the Jews tobelieve and worship as they please.
They will also maintain the right ofthe Jews to differ with them with thesame energy that they contend forthe truth of the gospel of Christ.
True, the orthodox Christian desires to see the Jews believe the truthas it is in Jesus and he delights tosee Jews converted, because what istrue for the Gentile is true for theJew. If the Gentile can be saved fromsin unto eternal life only by theblood of Jesus Christ, the Jew canonly be saved in the same way, butnever will he attempt to compel aJew to accept Christ as his Messiah.The gospel of Christ knows nothingof force. The work of conversionbegins in the heart whereby the wholeman is willing to come to Christ ashis Saviour and Lord. This attitudeof Christians towards .Jews is trulytolerant, and nothing else is tolerance.
The Jews may not be aware of it,but evangelical Christians, those whosponsor missions to the Jews andseek their conversion to Christ, aretheir tolerant neighbors and friends.It is they who will not stoop to basemalice and prejudice. It is they whowill at all cost defend their rights asmen made in the image of God. It isa church like The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which is despised bymodern religious indifferentism, thatwill champion the cause of justice forthe J ewsand all men. Already it isshowing love to the Jews by rendering help to German refugees. Thehearts of its people bleed for the Jewsin this day of their sorrow.
Who today are suffering with theJews in German concentration camps?Surely not the Modernists and unbelievers but men like Martin Niemoeller, a persecuted evangelicalChristian. His faith is not the vaguenothingness 0 f religious liberalism; itis faith that will never yield to thedeniers of Christianity. He will notbow to Hitler nor yield to the godlesstyranny of the 'state when it seeks toviolate the Word of God and therights and liberties vouchsafed toman in that Word. The liberals of ourAmerican pulpits sing the praises ofNiemoeller, but they and he are asfar apart as the poles. If Hitlerismever comes to these United States itwill be the missionary-minded, militant, orthodox Christians who willsuffer with the Jews, while the sweetvoiced, unbelieving, brotherhood-ofman liberal will scurry for cover.
The Christian Jew, although mis-
understood by his brethren accordingto the flesh, is yet an Israelite. Hebelieves in the Jewish Scriptures andthe Messiah of those Scriptures. Certainly he does not cease to be a Jewwhen he so believes, neither does heseparate himself from them. The factthat in Prague baptized Jews rush tothe offices of the Jewish community,asking to be reinstated as membersof the Jewish community, does notmean that they have given up theirfaith in Christ, for how else shallthey be numbered in a regime thatinsists on reckoning men by theirrace. Christian Jews are still Jews,and the plight of the Jews is theirplight.
It is no doubt true that some Jewsprofess conversion and submit tobaptism in insincerity but there areGentiles who do that by the thousands. Even in Jesus' day, multitudesfollowed Him for the loaves andfishes. It is a disgraceful sight tosee a Jew try to escape discrimination by a false profession. The soulis too dear a price to pay for temporalsecurity. The first believers in Christ,it must not be forgotten, were allJews and they paid with their livesfor their faith in the Lord JesusChrist. There are many such in theworld today, and in the present emergency they are proving themselves tobe true sons of Abraham.
"Both the Christian and the Jewishworld are sick; they are bleeding ...When and from whom will the curecome?" cries a noted Jew. We sympathize and are touched with this cry,but we are confident the cure will notcome from man. The heart of man,according to Jeremiah the prophet, isdeceitful above all things and desperately wicked. There is no brotherlove in the world apart from the graceof the living God. Perhaps you didnot think that man could stoop solow, but you have found that he isindeed capable of it. We plead withour Jewish friends also not to bedeceived by the sweet words of unbelieving Christianity, for it is thatvery unbelief both in Jewry and inChristendom that has brought aboutthat which we now see. In the Godalone who has revealed Himself inthe Bible is our help. The hope of theJews and of the world lies in a returnto the stream of orthodox Christianity which is nothing else but thefaith of Abraham, Moses and theprophets.
1939 THE PRE S B Y T ER I A N G U A RD I A N 121
Commencement Address Delivered by Principal John Macleod
TENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF WESTMINSTERSEMINARY ATIME OF JOY FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS
TH E Tenth Annual Commencementof Westminster Theological Semi
nary was attended with numerousevents in celebration of the completion of its tenth year of existence.To the rolling woodland estate in thebeautiful suburban Laverock sectionof Philadelphia came alumni andfriends from every part of the UnitedStates, from Canada, and even fromthe Orient. Not the least of the joysof the anniversary celebration wasthe delight of renewing old acquaint-
and to preach throughout their ministry the omnipotence and the perfection of the Triune God.
On Monday evening, the alumnigathered in the Robert Morris Hotelfor one of the largest of the eightannual banquets that have been heldduring the past decade. Amid the mostcordial good fellowship praise wasconstantly given to God for His goodness not only to the seminary as aninstitution but to its graduates asindividuals. The Class of 1939 was
East. He spoke briefly but forcefullyof his joy at being present and tolda little about his trip home. After thesinging of a number of hymns thealumni united in a prayer meetingled by the Rev. E. Lynne Wade ofSanta Ana, California.
Threatening skies on Tuesdaymorning seemed to indicate that itwould be impossible to hold the commencement exercises in the beautifuloutdoor amphitheatre behind MachenMemorial Hall. As the morning progressed the skies cleared and a beautiful day furnished a fitting background for the historic service. Twohours after the conclusion of theservice the rain poured in torrents.At 1 :30 many of those attending theexercises witnessed the unveiling of a
Presentation of the Portrait of Dr. Stevenson The Beginning of the Academic Procession
ance, of sharing experiences, and ofrejoicing together in the manifestblessing of God upon the witness ofWestminster Seminary.
On Sunday afternoon, May 7th,alumni and friends gathered withthe graduating class in the new auditorium on the second floor of thelibrary building for the baccalaureateservice. The sermon was preached bythe Rev. R. B. Kuiper, Professor ofPractical Theology, on the text ofPsalm 86: 10: "Thou art God alone."He exhorted the students always topreach sermons that were theocentric,as well as Christocentric, to remember that God is God alone, and thatin His sovereignty, His perfection,and His trinity He is perfectly unique.In a sermon at once profound yetsimple, Professor Kuiper urged thestudents never in their ministry togive to man even one small part ofthe sovereignty that is God's alone,
welcomed to the Alumni Associationby the Rev. Calvin K. Cummings,president of the association, and eachmember of the class stated briefly hisjoy in the privilege of attendingWestminster and outlined whateverplans he had for the future. Onerepresentative of each class graduated from the seminary spoke feelingly of "What Westminster Seminary Means to Me." Greetings werebrought to the alumni by the Rev.Dr. John Macleod, the Rev. ProfessorR. B. Kuiper, and the Rev. Edwin H.Rian. Quite unexpectedly, to manywho were present, the Rev. Henry W.Coray, Orthodox Presbyterian missionary to Manchoukuo, arrived asProfessor Kuiper was speaking. Hehad reached Philadelphia that afternoon and his presence at the banquetwas thrilling to many who had studiedwith him at Westminster and whohad followed his work in the Far
portrait of the late Rev. Frank H.Stevenson, D.D., first president ofthe Board of Trustees of the seminary. The portrait was presented byMrs. Stevenson, and unveiled by herdaughter, Miss Mary Stevenson. Itwill grace the newly-furnished common room.
Next came the presentation of atablet in memory of the late Rev.J. Gresham Machen, D.D., Litt.D., bythe Classes of 1938 and 1939, whichwere the last two classes to have therare privilege of studying under Dr.Machen. This memorial plaque maybe seen on the porch of Machen Hall,at the right of the entrance.
At two o'clock the impressive procession began. About 80 alumni, aswell as the Faculty and Board ofTrustees, took part in this inspiringsight. After the singing of the Doxology the invocation was pronouncedby the Rev. Robert K. Churchill,
122 THE PRE'SIYTERIAN GUARDIAN June
pastor of the Covenant PresbyterianChurch of Berkeley, California. TheScripture was read by the Rev. Alexander K. Davison, pastor of theCovenant Presbyterian Church ofVineland, New Jersey, and prayerwas offered by the Rev. Henry W.Coray. The commencement addresson "The Place of Revelation in theReformed Theology" was deliveredby the Rev. John Macleod, D.D.,principal of the Free Church College,Edinburgh, Scotland. Dr. Macleod'smasterful address is printed in full inthis issue of THE PRESBYTERIANGUARDIAN.
For the first time in the historyof Westminster Seminary degreeswere conferred. The alumni present,as well as some who were unable toattend, received their Th.B degrees,as well as the members of this year'sgraduating class. They were conferred by Professor Kuiper on behalfof the Trustees and Faculty. Themembers of the Class of 1939, receiving the Th.B. degree at this time,were:
Adrian Edward DeYoungWilliam Dixon GrayArthur Wyndham Kuschke, Jr.Melvin Benjamin NonhofAlfred Ernest ParsonsDwight Hunt PoundstoneHoward Evan RunnerCharles Edwin StantonWilliam Everett Welmers
Mr. Welmers, Mr. Edward Heeremaand Mr. Shin Hong Myung also received graduate certificates. The Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield prize inOld Testament was awarded to Mr.Welmers who also received one ofthe scholarships in memory of Dr.Frank H. Stevenson. The RobertDick Wilson prize in New Testamentwas awarded to Mr. John HenryGerstner, Jr., a member of next year'sgraduating class. Mr. Howard EvanRunner was awarded a Frank H.Stevenson scholarship for graduatestudy.
The address to the graduating classwas delivered by the Rev. Dr. Cornelius Van Til, Professor of Apologetics. Dr. Van Til pointed out to thegraduates that because they would bepreaching in orthodox churches theywould be the special object of Satan'sattacks. To combat those attackseffectively, there was but one courseto be followed. They must preach thegospel of the whole counsel of God,without fear and without compromise.
The Rev. Edwin H. Rian, Presidentof the Board of Trustees, announcedthat the Rev. John H. Skilton, formerly of Portland, Maine, who is nowstudying in Europe, would assume hisduties as Instructor in New Testament next fall. It was also announcedthat the Rev. Leslie W. Sloat, pastorof the Knox Presbyterian Church,Washington, D. c., had been appointed to the position of Librarian.In the acquisition of these two men,the board felt that it had been greatlyblessed. The Board of Trustees alsoapproved the faculty's request thatthe Rev. Edward J. Young, who hasbeen serving as Instructor in OldTestament, be made Assistant Professor of Old Testament. Three newmembers of the Board of Trusteesalso were elected at the meeting ofthe board. They are: the Rev. Alexander K. Davison; Ruling ElderGeorge B. Crippen of Worcester,New York; and Ruling Elder ArthurArmour of Grove City, Pennsylvania.
Following the commencement exercises, tea was served in Machen Halland a general time of good fellowshipwas enjoyed by the graduates andfriends. At 5 o'clock there was heldthe constituting meeting of the Women's Auxiliary Committee of Westminster Theological Seminary. Atthis meeting a permanent organization of the ladies who have so loyallysupported the seminary during pastyears was effected. Officers to servea term of two years were chosen.They are: Mrs. Robert Dick Wilson,Honorary President; Mrs. Frank H.Stevenson, President; Miss Marguerite Montgomery and Mrs. ArthurW. Machen, Vice-Presidents; Mrs.J. B. Griggs, Treasurer; Miss Mary\V. Stewart, Secretary. The auxiliaryset as its goal the raising of $25,000for the coming year. Teams will beorganized in as many churches aspossible, and the captains of theseteams will report to the auxiliary atcommencement time next year. All ofthe ladies who took part in the constituting of this organization showedgreat enthusiasm for the projectedprogram of the auxiliary.
To all who were privileged to witness this historic day in the life ofWestminster Seminary there was afeeling of deep thanksgiving to almighty God for His benediction uponthe work and testimony of Westminster Seminary during the pastdecade. Two goals of the Machen Me-
morial Fund-the new campus andthe power to grant degrees-had, inthe providence of God, been realized.The storms that had centered aboutthe seminary were now history andthe Faculty and Board of Trusteeslooked forward to a future brightwith the promises of God to thosewho honor His name without fear ofconsequences.
BAPTIST CHURCH WITHDRAWSFROM MODERNIST CONVENTION
O N TUESDAY, May 2nd, theFirst Baptist Church of Skane
ateles, New York, whose pastor is theRev. Milton Cox Sealey, a graduateof Westminster Seminary, withdrewall support of the Northern BaptistConvention. It is expected that thechurch will continue as an independent Baptist church.
The inroads of Modernism in theNorthern Baptist Convention havebeen felt by Bible-believing Baptistsfor the past decade and a half. Infidelity to the cardinal doctrines ofthe faith has been increasinglynotable. The convention has pursueda policy of inclusivism similar to thatof the Presbyterian Church in theU.S.A., in supporting on the missionfield both Modernists and Bible-believers. Forsaking the historic Baptist position, it has recognized achurch to be in good standing whichsanctions any form of baptism, oreven fails to require baptism of anysort, before membership. Hundredsof Baptist churches during the last15 years have withdrawn their support and fellowship from the Northern Baptist Convention, believing thatsuch support was neither consistentwith the true preaching of the Word,nor acceptable in the sight of theLord who has commanded them tohave no fellowship with unbelievers.
"We take this step," said Mr.Sealey, "because we stand upon theWord of God alone, and believe thatby God's grace we should 'contendearnestly for the faith.' The Lord hasgreatly blessed us already in makingthis step in giving the peace that'passeth all understanding,' and alsoin greater blessing than we haveknown before in the ministry of theWord."
1939 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 123
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renouncing the jurisdiction of thatchurch and asking that his name beerased from the roll of presbytery.On Thursday morning, May 11th, ata special meeting of the Presbyteryof Philadelphia Mr. Duff was welcomed into The Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Portions of his letterof withdrawal are quoted below:
I regret very much that I find it necessary to write this letter asking you toerase my name from the roll of the Presbytery.... Since coming home in September I have come to the conclusion,which for a long time has seemed inevitable, that for me to continue in the fellowship of this church involves me incompromise with error and obscures mytestimony to truth as it is revealed inGod's Holy Word.
My reasons for arriving at this decision are as follows:
1. Because men of unquestioned loyaltyto the Bible and the subordinate standardsof the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.have been deposed from the Gospel ministry of the Church, while men wellknown not to believe in the infallibilityof the Bible and to deny other essentialdoctrines of God's Word and of the
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delphia in organizmg for the promotion of missionary interest throughout their presbyteries. The influenceof the Philadelphia Presbyterial Auxiliary is being widely felt throughoutthe churches of the presbytery, andhas already established itself as apowerful force for the unifying ofmissionary interest and endeavor.
O N DECEMBER 8, 1938, theRev. Clarence W. Duff, for
more than ten years a missionary toEthiopia, addressed a letter to thePresbytery of Philadelphia North ofthe Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.
MISSIONARY TO ETHIOPIARENOUNCES U.S.A. CHURCH
TH E Presbyterial Auxiliary of thePresbytery of Philadelphia of The
Orthodox Presbyterian Church metat Westminster Seminary on Thursday morning, May 11th, with Mrs.R. B. Kuiper, president of the auxiliary, presiding. More than 125 womenattended this meeting. The devotional service preceding the businessmeeting was conducted by Mrs. Robert L. Atwell of Harrisville, Pennsylvania.Mrs. George W. Marstonof Kirkwood, Pennsylvania, presentedto the Presbyterial Auxiliary a gavelwhich had been constructed from thewood of a Chinese idol.
The most important business of themeeting was the adoption of a constitution, which had been drawn up bya committee consisting of Mrs. H.Percival Allen, chairman; Mrs. JohnE. Norton; Mrs. Irwin Coe; MissJessie Wilson; and Mrs. R. B. Kuiper.The officers of the Presbyterial Auxiliary are: Mrs. Kuiper, President;Mrs. Robert Strong, Vice-President;Mrs. John P. Clelland, Secretary;and Mrs. J. A. Beath, Treasurer.Delegates were present at this meeting from Washington, D. c., Wilmington, Delaware, and the followingPennsylvania areas: Harrisville, Kirkwood, Nottingham, Middletown, Pittsburgh, Quarryville, Willow Grove,Germantown, and metropolitan Philadelphia.
After luncheon served in MachenHall, the women's meeting of the general assembly was held. The devotions were in charge of Mrs. H. M.Partington of Westfield, New Jersey,who. used as her theme "ChristianFellowship." Violin solos were playedby Mrs. Robert Strong accompaniedby Mrs. Edwin H. Rian. The Rev.Henry W. Coray of Harbin, Manchoukuo, gave a very delightful andinteresting account of experiences inthe last five years on the mission field.The meeting was closed with prayersby Mrs. J. B. Griggs, Mrs. RichardW. Gray, and Mrs. Henry W. Coray.About 175 women attended this meeting.
It is hoped by many that the ladiesof other presbyteries will follow theinitiative of the Presbytery of Phila-
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Mr. Duff served in Ethiopia withthe interdenominational Sudan Interior Mission. His marriage at AddisAbaba in 1935 to Miss DorotheaKuehner was attended by EmperorHaile Selassie. Mr. and Mrs. Duffwere among the last missionaries toleave Ethiopia when it was invadedby the Italians.
with error, and without in some waybecoming a partaker in the propagationof the destructive teachings of modernIsm.3. Because the Presbyterian Church in
the U.S.A. continues to support the radical Federal Council of Churches ofChrist in America, whose activities arefrequently directly opposed to the historicposition of the Presbyterian Church aswell as to the fundamental beliefs of theChristian faith (e.g., its sponsorship ofradio programs featuring such preachersas Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick and ofthe National Preaching Mission).
Furthermore I can see little reason tohope that the Presbyterian Church in theU.S.A. will deal with the unbelief in itsranks in a way that will bring theChurch back to a position in line withthe teachings of God's Word and theWestminster Confession and catechisms. Ido not know of a theological seminaryunder the control of the Church the scriptural soundness of which is unquestioned ....
My attitude in this matter is not, however, a coldly academic one. I believewith all my heart that there is only oneway of salvation, and that he who missesthat way is eternally lost. I know thatministers and missionaries and teachersof the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.are leading thousands of men and womenand children to put their trust for salvation in something other than the grace ofGod and the finished, substitutionary workof Christ, without the shedding of whoseblood there is no remission of sin. I knowthat the faith of thousands in the Bibleas the Word of God is being weakened,if not destroyed, by teaching receivedthrough the ministers of this Church. Andall this in spite of the fact that theseteachers of the Church have taken themost solemn vows to uphold and propagate the very doctrines which they attackor throw doubt upon.
This situation has become intolerableto me, and I no longer care to be connected with a Church whose testimony isso confused and many of whose ministersare so dishonest that they can take themost solemn vows with apparently no intention of keeping them. I am convincedevery time I read II Corinthians 6: 14-18that to remain in a Church so controlledby and complacent toward unbelief is toconfuse righteousness with unrighteousness, and light with darkness. . . .
I therefore herewith renounce the jurisdiction of the Presbyterian Church inthe U.S.A. and ask that my name beerased from the roll of the Presbyteryof Philadelphia North.
Very sincerely,CLARENCE W. DUFF
GUARDIAN
YOUR generosity has madeit possible to add the
names of 104 elders to thesubscription list during the pastmonth. bringing the total number of elders to 628. Pleasecontinue to pray and to give.that this important work mayprosper to the glory of God.
The Elders' Fund
mation, and that even those members ofthe Boards who have always claimedto be conservatives make no protestagainst the presence of such men on theboards, but on the contrary shield themand seemingly work happily side byside with them....
b) Over a period of at least severalyears the Board of Foreign Missionshas had repeatedly brought to its attention concrete evidence of the existenceof flagrant modernism among its missionaries and in its schools, particularlyin schools in the support of which ourChurch cooperates with other denominations; yet the Board has neithertaken the pains to prove this evidenceerroneous or taken action to remedythis situation on the foreign field byremoving missionaries who are untrueto doctrinal standards of the Churchor by withholding funds appropriatedto the support of institutions wheremodernism exists. . . . If such proofhas been adduced or such action takenI, and I believe the same is true of thevast majority in the Church, am unaware of it.
c) There is every reason to believethat among the missionaries still beingsent to the foreign field there are thosewho deny essential doctrines of theChristian faith. Certainly there is littlehope that a board inclusive enough tohave in its membership signers of sucha document as the Auburn Affirmationcan be expected to be particular concerning the doctrinal beliefs of its candidates.
d) I am convinced that literaturepublished or recommended by theboards of the Church is doctrinallyunsound as judged by the standards ofour Church. I believe this is true ofpromotional literature, devotional booksand Sunday School helps. . ..
. . . For me even to designate mygifts or encourage others to designatetheirs to sound missionaries and causessupported by the Board of Foreign Missions would not keep me or them frombeing partakers in the fostering of untruthful and destructive doctrines onthe foreign field, since that would butrelease so much money to be designated elsewhere by the Board. I cansee no way to support the work of theChurch through its boards as at presentconstituted without sinful compromise
PRESBYTERIANTHE
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Westminster Confession and Catechismsare not only permitted to remain in theministry of the Church, but are elevatedto the highest places of leadership in theassemblies, boards and schools of theChurch....
2. Because I cannot conscientiously support by my gifts, or encourage others tosupport, the foreign or national missionenterprise or the Christian education program of the Church, whereas the highestcourt of the Church in its 1934 mandateto the presbyteries, later upheld by the1936 General Assembly, states that contributions to the boards of the Church(Foreign Missions, National Missions andChristian Education) are as obligatory,with reference to the constitution of theChurch, for the Church's members aspartaking of the Lord's Supper. I cannotsupport or encourage support of theseboards because:
a) I know there are on each of themsigners of the heretical Auburn Affir-
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