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EDITORIAL COUNCILJohn P. Clelland John Patton Galbraith Edwin H. Rian

Leslie W. Sloat Ned B. StonehouseThomas R. BirchManaging Editor

Risen With Christ!By the REV. GLENN R. COlE

Pastor of Westminster Orthodox Presbyterian Churc:h. Bend. Oregon

THE true significance of the resurrection of JesusChrist from Joseph's rock-hewn tomb has been lost

in large measure by the professing Christian church ofour modern world. Materialism, unbelief, doubt andworldliness have swept in like a flood upon the visiblechurch and have made devastating inroads upon it, undermining its faith in the absolute trustworthiness ofthe holy Scriptures, emasculating its gospel, vitiatingits witness, robbing it of its once triumphant messageand leaving it helpless and powerless before a crumblingcivilization, threatened with destruction by its own inherent wickedness. The dawn of Easter in the year 1941reveals a world that in the past generation sowed thewind of unbelief and denial of supernatural Christianity, and is today reaping the whirlwind of rebellion,lust, greed and cruel hate. In the light of such worldconditions, the true child of God would do well to giveearnest thought to the greatest miracle of the Bible andthe very keystone of our Christian faith-the resurrection 0 f Jesus Christ.

In his letter to the Colossian Christians, chapter three,verse one, the apostle Paul says, "If ye then be risenwith Christ, seek those things which are above, whereChrist sitteth on the right hand of God." We shall consider the apostle's words, "Risen with Christ," as theyapply to "the saints and faithful brethren in Christ."We propose first to treat of the fact of Christ's resurrection; then we shall inquire as to its meaning for thebeliever; and finally we shall observe the benefits which

flow from it to the Christian.

The Fact of Christ's ResurrectionIt should be obvious that the resurrection of Jesus

Christ can have no real meaning unless that resurrection be grounded in actual historical fact. That ourLord rose from the tomb with the same physical(though glorified) body which was tenderly placedthere by His faithful disciples, Joseph of Arirnatheea andNicodemus, is not only asserted in Scripture but is alsodeclared to be the fundamental truth of the gospel. For"If Christ be not risen," declares the apostle, "then isour preaching vain, and your faith is also vain" (I Cor.15 : 14). And again, "If Christ be not raised, your faithis vain; ye are yet in your sins" (v. 17).

Moreover, evidence substantiating the bodily resurrection of our Lord is at once overwhelming and convincing even to the most incredulous. It was predictedin the Old Testament, for David by inspiration wroteof the Messiah, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in Sheol;neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." It was foretold by Christ Himself when He said,"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise itup." Repeatedly He foretold His approaching death andresurrection in such unmistakable declarations as this:"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of manshall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto thescribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shalldeliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and

98 THE PRE S 8 Y T E R I AN G UA R D I AN April 10

to crucify him: and the third day heshall rise again" (Matt. 20: 18, 19;d. Matt. 12: 38-40; 16: 21; 17: 9, 23;26:31,32; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22;18:33).

Christ's perfect life is a testimonyto the fact of His resurrection. Thesenumerous declarations by Him, if untrue, must of necessity make Him aliar and a fraud. Yet His spotless lifewas, and is, universally conceded byboth friend and foe. But after theevent occurred, our Lord was quickto affirm to Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus, "... afools, and slow of heart to believe allthat the prophets have spoken: oughtnot Christ to have suffered thesethings, and to enter into his glory?"(Luke 24: 25, 26; d. Luke 24: 44.)

Even His enemies rememberedwhat the disciples had forgottenHis promised resurrection. We read,"... the chief priests and the Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive,After three days I will rise again"(Matt. 27:63), and so they sought ofPilate the safeguard of the sealedtomb and the watch of Roman soldiers.

The facts of the empty tomb andthe disappearance of the body remainstubborn proofs of the resurrection.No satisfactory explanation of thesehas ever been given. The so-called"vision hypothesis" - that the disciples simply thought they saw therisen Christ but that this was actually the result of hallucinations-hasno objective support. A hallucination involving five hundred people atone time, and repeated several timesduring forty days, is unthinkable.Further, the appearances of the risenLord were not momentary, but involved extended interviews such asthe conversation with the Emmausdisciples and the companionship atthe table when Christ was known tothe disciples in the breaking of bread.His bodily appearance is referred toagain and again. He walked withthem, conversed with them and atefood with them. As Dr. Machen declared, the supernaturalism of theaccounts of the resurrection is notto be found alone in the details, butat the very heart of the story. Todeny these facts is to do violence tothe entire New Testament record,

and to destroy its meaning. The factof the resurrection is woven into thevery warp and woof of the Gospelrecords.

How, too, can one account for thefailure of the Jews to disprove theresurrection? Only seven short weeksafterwards, Peter in that very cityproclaimed the fact that Jesus hadbeen raised. If they could have doneso, what would have been more conclusive than for the Jews to haveproduced the body of Jesus, andthereby silenced forever Peter andthe other apostles?

Furthermore, the repeated and specific mention of the occurrence of theresurrection on the third day is destructive of the vision hypothesis.The Gospel records reveal that Christrepeatedly declared he would rise onthe third day. The significance of thisplain emphasis on the date of theresurrection lies in the fact that theapostle Paul in his first Corinthianletter, which is accepted even by thecritics as an early, genuine and wellauthenticated record, specifically declares that Christ "rose again thethird day according to the scriptures"(15: 3), Thus, only about a score ofyears after the resurrection, Paulaffirms that the Jerusalem story whichhe "received" within some five years

TABLE OF CONTENTS

April 10, 1941

Risen With Christ! 97Glenn R, Coie

Scholars and Saints 99John C. Hills, Jr., and William E. Welmers

Mr. Valiant-For-Truth . 101G, N, M. Collins

Mediator Church of Philadelphia .103

Editorial 105

Missionary Heroes of the Past 106. Robert S. Marsden

The Inspiration of Scripture .... . .. 108John Murray

God Deals With Disobedience ... 110Burton L. Goddard

Today in the Religious World ... . ... IIIThomas R. Birch

of the crucifixion, concerning thatnotable event of the resurrection, wasbelieved by him. This means thatPaul believed the story of the emptytomb at a date "when the recollection was fresh, when he couldexamine it for himself, when he couldmake the fullest possible inquiry ofothers, and when the fears and oppositions of enemies would have madeit impossible for the adherents of JesusChrist to make any statement thatwas not absolutely true" (Thomas).

A further incontrovertible proofof the fact of the resurrection is tobe found in the remarkable transformation of the disciples which itcaused. At the crucifixion the disciples were discouraged, disheartened,hopeless. Their cause seemed lost.But suddenly on the first day of theweek their hearts became imbuedwith a new hope, a new power, a newjoy. From incredulous doubters theywere transformed into bold, fearlesswitnesses to the truth of their resurrection hope. This marvelous changein the lives of the disciples, which sogripped their souls as to make themwilling gladly to suffer martyrdomfor their belief in this fact, is oneof the most striking contirmations ofthe truth of the resurrection.

The very existence of the Christianchurch is a proof of the resurrectionof Jesus. The church of Christ cameinto being as the result of a beliefin the resurrection of Christ, and theheart of apostolic preaching was theresurrection of Christ. Faith in merevisions or phantoms might producea sporadic and effervescent effort,but only the actual resurrection ofChrist could produce such a phenomenon as the Christian church, thegreatest fact and the mightiest institution in the history of the world.

Certainly the great theologian,Charles Hodge, was justified in saying, "It may be safely asserted thatthe resurrection of Christ is at oncethe most important, and the bestauthenticated fact in the history ofthe world."

The Meaning of theResurrection

Since, then, the resurrection of ourLord from the grave has a truefactual basis, we may now considerits meaning for the believer. The

(Please Turn to Page 104)Tb. Presbyterlln Guardian is published on the 10th Ind 25th of each month by The Presbyterian Guardiln Publishing Corporetion. 514 S""III Building. 1505 Reee Streit.Philadelphia, Pa., at the following rates, payable in advance. for either old or new subscribers in any part of the world, postage prepaid: $1.50 per year: $1.00 for eightmon.tha; five or more copies either to separate addresses or in a package to one address, $1.00 each per year; introductory rate for new subscribers onlr, three montnstor 200; lOC per single COlJ)'. Entered as second class matter March 4.1937. at the Post Office at Philadelphia. .r'a., under the Act of :March 3, 1879.

1941 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 99

Scholars and Saints

•The Third in a Series of Articles on the Crisis in Evangelism

By JOHN C. HILLS. JR.• and WILLIAM E. WELMERS

WE SHOULD like to take you ona tour of inspection through the

little red school house and the littlehrown church in the vale. To modernAmericans, these two unpretentiouslittle buildings are symbols of American education and religion. We areinterested in American education andreligion because they show us, just assovereigns and sinners did last month,that the Christian church is facingtoday a new type of unbeliever-anunbeliever who is more firmly entrenched in his unbelief, more consistent in his antichristian thinking,than he has ever been before.

There is an old nursery rhyme fromMother Goose which begins, "A diller,a dollar, a ten o'clock scholar." Thepoint of this little bit of doggerel, asnearly as we can remember, is thatthe scholar in question was not sogreatly interested in truth .as heshould have been. When it comes tointerest in truth, the modern unchristian scholar is a chip off the teno'clock block. In fairness to the teno'clock scholar, however, it shouldbe noted that his lack of interest intruth expressed itself in laziness,whereas the modern unbelieving scholar refuses to concern himself abouttruth simply because he considers itto be beneath his notice. The modernunbeliever's attitude toward truth isone of amused tolerance.

Of course, the modern unchristianscholar will protest, with sound andfury, that he is greatly interested intruth. He will say, "Your accusationis extremely unfair; and, moreover,it shows that you are wilfully blindto the facts. How can you say thatmodern scholars are indifferent totruth when we have developed thegreatest educational system the worldhas ever seen? More people are tryingto acquire learning today than everbefore. Thousands of young men andwomen are even working long hoursat menial tasks in order to finance acollege education. Modern educationis in high gear, turning out scholarsby mass production. I f anything canhe said of American scholars today,it is that they are putting forth atremendous and energetic effort to

know truth." Having said this, themodern unchristian scholar sits backin his chair, confident that he has saidthe last word on the subject.

However, we are not so sure thatthe last word has been said. We wouldnot deny for a moment that modernunchristian scholars, in ever-increasing numbers, are busily engaged insome sort of a search. That is not thepoint. The point is simply this: although they claim to he searching fortruth, they have wilfully disregardedthe only source of truth-the God ofthe Bible. It is the business of thescholar to learn everything about thethings which are in this universe. It isnot enough for him simply to discoverthat these things are in the universe;he must also know how these thingscame into the universe and why theyare here. Since God has created allthings in the universe, there is onlyone true explanation of how theycame to be and why they are here,and that is the explanation which GodHimself gives. If the scholar is notinterested in that explanation, then heis manifestly not interested in truth.He is then not interested in the onetrue explanation of the meaning ofthe universe; he is interested only inhis own explanation. This is why wesay that modern antichristian scholarsare not interested in truth-becausethey are not interested in what Godhas to say about truth, and hence theyfly in the face of the Bible when itsays, "The fear of the Lord is thebeginning of wisdom."

A university professor was recentlydiscussing the origin of a certain raceof men. At the beginning of his lecture, he said that a century or so agoalmost everyone believed that the racein question must have descended fromone of the sons of Noah. Of course,he added, we need not discuss this

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idea further, because it is obviouslyridiculous, and no one would seriouslyset forth such an outmoded theorytoday.

Such a disregard for truth is characteristic of the little red schoolhousetoday, from kindergarten to university-scholars today are simply not interested in the God who is Truth andwho has created all truth. In answerto this charge, it is not enough' toreply, with no matter how great anemphasis, that our schools are crowdedwith eager students. We recall, forexample, that there once was a villagenamed Hamlin. This village wascrowded with eager children. Oneday, these children followed the PiedPiper into a mountain and were neverseen again. The mere fact that thechildren followed the Pied Pipereagerly is no reason to say that theywere going in the right direction. Norcan we say that, just because thousands of students today are eagerlyfollowing Pied Piper professors, theyare therefore following after truth.As a matter of fact, modern scholarsnot only do not follow after truth, butalso they are not even interested intruth.

It is because of this that we vigorously maintain that modern unbelievers are more firmly entrenched intheir unbelief than ever before. WhenGeorge Whitefield preached in NewEngland two hundred years ago, unbelievers beat on drums, crackedwhips, and made all manner of noise,in order to silence this great preacherof God's Word. Whenever Whitefieldpreached to unbelievers, violent opposition was manifested against thetruth of God; riots broke out, reminding us of the riots that stormed aboutthe apostle Paul and his preachingnineteen hundred years ago. It wasonly a generation ago that Bob Ingersoll raged on many a platform againstGod and His Word. All of this, however, is a thing of the past in thiscountry. The situation which evangelism faces today is far, far worse. Themodern unbeliever contemptuously refuses to do battle with orthodox Christianity. For him, the battle is over.For him, Christianity has been ex-

100 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN April 10

ploded by science and philosophy. Orthodox Christianity passed away withthe end of the gas-light era. It is notonly fashionable to be an unbelievertoday, but it is downright medievalto be an orthodox Christian. For themodern unbeliever, the case is closed.

This pat-on-the-head and "You'llgrow up, sonny" attitude toward orthodox Christianity permeates ourentire educational system, from bottom to top. The average student inour schools today, whether he be incollege, high school, or grade school,can show you pictures in his textbooks, and exhibits in the localmuseum, of fossils which are purported to prove that man has evolvedfrom the lower animals, and the loweranimals from reptiles, and so on adinfinitum. In the same class with thesefossils he puts another ancient relic;it too, he has been taught, has playedits role in evolving man from theslime of the earth, but it, too, hasbeen relegated to the limbo of discarded devices. That relic is orthodoxChristianity. The evolutionary process, which moves ever onward, everupward, has liberated man from thisancient belief in the authority of theBible; it has freed him for a beliefin a new scientific "Christianity."This is the typical attitude of themodern scholar.

In other words, orthodox Christianity is facing today a new type ofpagan. We no longer fight againstpagans who violently oppose Christianity. We fight against pagans whoare so firmly entrenched in their unbelief that they are convinced thatorthodox Christianity offers themnothing to oppose.

Strangely enough, however, we findthe most convincing proof of our contention-that the Christian church isfacing pagans such as it has neverfaced before-where we would leastexpect to find it: within the Christianchurch itself. It is difficult to expressin mere words the tremendousness ofa crisis in which we fight againstpagans who think that orthodox Christianity has been completely routed;but it is infinitely more difficult todescribe the overwhelming gravity ofthat crisis when an extremely largepart of the visible Christian churchitself admits that orthodox Christianity has been completely routed, anddoes not care whether it has or not.That is precisely the situation in ourcountry today. Were it not for the

fact that we have a sovereign God,we would say that the situation is absolutely hopeless.

Paganism is so strong today, sofirmly entrenched in its position, soconsistent in its antichristian thinking,that it has succeeded in convincing anextremely large part of the Christianchurch that the faith of our fathersis ridiculous. The saints of today-theministers and members of the visibleChristian church-are to a large extent wallowing in the dank and murkymire of unbelief. If any part of achurch should be orthodox, its theological seminaries should be; and yet,how many theological seminaries canyou think of in this country that believe and teach consistent BiblicalChristianity? In one denominationalone, to the best of our knowledge,thirteen seminaries out of thirteenhave fallen before the onslaughts ofrationalistic criticism-and that denomination is generally considered tobe the most orthodox of the largedenominations.

We shall make no attempt to describe the many heads which the paganHydra has reared within the Christian church. We could, for example,tell you about the modernist-dominated Federal Council of Churchesand the high-handed way in which ithas succeeded in excluding orthodoxpreaching from the airlanes of America's two major broadcasting systems;about the antichristian actions and decisions of the governing councils ofour large denominations; about theunscriptural publications and activitiesof their boards and agencies; aboutmany colleges which masquerade asChristian institutions, but which canhardly be distinguished from our mostpagan universities; or about the constant stream of unmitigated naturalism which flows from thousands ofpulpits. These evidences of rampantunbelief within the church havealready been catalogued in detail byothers. Our purpose has rather beento set forth the revelation which thesum total of these facts gives as tothe fortified position of modernpaganism. A proper interpretation ofthese facts will show unmistakablythe unprecedented consistency ofmodern antichristian thinking, and itsconsequent strength.

We freely admit that it has alwaysbeen possible to find paganism in various shapes and forms within the paleof the Christian church. However, the

heresies of the past and the paganismof today are poles apart in their significance for evangelism. It must benoted precisely that the errors in thepast were founded upon faulty interpretations of the words of Scripture,and that consequently these errorscould be uprooted by setting againstthem the proper interpretations ofthose same words of Scripture. Itmust be noted further and just as precisely that the proponents of theseerrors did not intend to deny theauthority of the Scriptures, even inthose cases in which attempts weremade to reconcile the words of Scripture with contemporary pagan philosophies. On the other hand, thechurch today to a great extent deliberately rejects the authority of theScriptures, and has adopted a newman-made "Christianity" which is butan expression of pagan philosophy.Modern unbelievers have constructeda pagan philosophy which is so consistent and so powerful that by meansof it they have succeeded in winningover to their way of thinking a largepart of the Christian church. We areconfronted today with the amazingand astounding spectacle of the Christian church not only capitulating before the onslaughts of paganism, butactually seizing upon and teaching thetenets of that same paganism withgreat zeal and fervor. The primarysignificance of all this for evangelismtoday is that the Christian church isconfronted, both within and without,by pagans such as the world has neverbefore seen.

Whether we look at sovereigns orsinners, scholars or saints, we cannotescape the conclusion that, in the matter of its opponents, the Christianchurch in its evangclism faces themost terri fying crisis in all of its history, simply because unbelievers aremore firmly entrenched in their unbelief-more consistent in their antichristian thinking-than ever before.However, before we can analyze thesecond aspect of this crisis-that theChristian church, with its presentmethods of evangelism, has failed toblast the unbeliever out of his new entrenchment-and before we can propose the method of evangelism whichthe Christian church should be using,we must understand just what it isthat we are opposing. We have shownthat the unbeliever is firmly entrenched; we must turn now to see ofwhat that entrenchment consists.


Mr. Valiant-For-Truth

•The Sixth in a Series of Biographical Sketches on Outstanding Leaders in Scottish Church History

By the REV. G. N. M. COLLINS. B.D.

Pastor of Free St. Columba's Church, Edinburgh. Scotland

IN 1679, New Monkland sent a detachment of men to the Battle of

Bothwell Brig. A gallant elder of thepersecuted church was the standardbearer, and his banner bore the bravelegend, FOR CHURCH AND STATE AcCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD ANDTHE COVENANT. A century and a halflater, New Monkland made anothercontribution to the cause for whichthe Covenanters had striven and suffered. It gave James Begg to theministry of the gospel. And throughout his long ministry, the motto onthat doughty warrior's escutcheon wasindubitably that of his Covenantingforebears, FOR CHURCH AND STATEACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD ANDTHE COVENANT.

James Begg, a son of the manse,was born on October 31, 1808. Hisfather, the parish minister of NewMonkland and a native of the shirein which his charge was situated, wasa son of Cameronian parents. He himself, indeed, was said to have a "Bothwell Brig face," but he departed fromthe Cameronian tradition to the extent of entering the ministry of thenational church and espousing a ladyof that communion. The lady in question-Mary Mathie by name-was anative of Greenock, and her son describes her in the following terms:"She was a woman of great amiability and considerable humour, a personof excellent sense and devoted Christian principle, an excellent managerof domestic affairs, but very quietand retiring," which surely forms apen-portrait of the ideal Mistress ofthe Manse!

The members of the New Monklandcongregation were definitely of evangelical strain, and in Dr. James Begg,they had a pastor after their ownheart.

By what means, or at what stage,the saving change took place in him,James Begg does not tell us; for reticence in regard to matters of personalspiritual experience was characteristic of the school to which he belonged. His unbounded admiration ofhis father, however, puts it beyondquestion that the example and teach-

ing of the minister of New Monklandtold powerfully upon him. The preaching of certain of the ministers whoassisted his father during the communion seasons impressed him also. Herecalls, for instance, a searching sermon preached by Dr. Scott of Greenock on one of those occasions. Thetext was, "How shall we escape if weneglect so great salvation?" He dwelt,"with peculiar power and emphasis onthe word 'neglect,''' says Dr. Begg,recalling the occasion, "showing thatmen required simply to do nothing,only to let the matter alone, to securetheir final destruction. Being condemned already, they had merely tolet the day of grace pass away unimproved, and their ruin was certain.Simple as these truths are, they camewith peculiar force from the lips ofDr. Scott." Of Dr. Love of Anderston,and Dr. MacKinlay of Kilmarnock,too, he cherishes grateful recollection.The minister of New Monkland wasin close contact with these giants ofthe evangelical pulpit and saw to itthat their services were made available to his people as frequently as opportunity offered. And their firesideconversation in the manse did muchto direct the interest and sympathiesof young James. "I heard," he recallsin after years, "the doctrine of thespiritual independence of the church,the struggles of Knox, Henderson andothers, the atrocities of the violentsettlements, discussed in my father'smanse by eminent men long since goneto their rest."

Is it any wonder that this child ofCameronian forebears, in whom wasreproduced the "Bothwell Brig face"of his father, and who found hisheroes among the spiritual descendants of the "men of the moss-hags,"should himself become a Mr. Valiantfor-Truth? "He had something of theold heroic strain, a kinship with thosewho loved not their lives to thedeath." So runs Sir William Robertson Nicoll's tribute to him. "His hearers would be still smiling at a racystory when or ever they were awaretheir souls were like chariots, andthey were out on the moor 'wi' Richie,'

signing Testimonies and Covenants inblood."

After a period of educational training in New Monkland, James Begg proceeded to Glasgow and lodged in HighStreet where, like many another student before and since his day, he attained to great proficiency in domestic economy J Having taken his Artsdegree and a theological course inGlasgow, he proceeded to Edinburghfor a session to enjoy the privilege ofsitting at the feet of Dr. ThomasChalmers, who was then at the heightof his usefulness as Professor of Divinity in Edinburgh University. ForDr. Chalmers, as also for Dr. AndrewThomson and Dr. T. M'Crie, he hadthe greatest admiration. They weremen after his own heart, men of the"true Presbyterian spirit" who "manifested an utter scorn for time-servingand vacillation."

Those were great days in Edinburgh. Every profession had its owngalaxy of celebrities, and Begg andhis contemporaries spent a good dealof their spare time in "star-gazing"!The law courts were irresistible, forthey afforded opportunity of hearingsuch eminent jurists as Cranstoun,Jeffrey, Moncrieff and Cockburn. Andat the clerk's table in the Court ofSession sat a tall, spare man, of"dreamy eye and conical head," whowas suspected of being the author ofan amazingly popular series of novelswhich was then appearing. The greatsecret of the authorship was leakingout, and Sir Walter Scott-for theclerk in question was he-proved anunfailing attraction to the students ofthe time.

James Begg was licensed in 1829and, after a few months' service inNorth Leith as assistant to Dr. JamesBuchanan, he became the first minister of the new extension charge ofMaxwelltown, Dumfries. There hishearers included the grandchildren ofRobert Burns. "Rantin' rovin' Robin"himself had died thirty-four yearsearlier, but his widow, "Bonnie Jean,"still survived, and Begg, who oftenvisited her, regarded her as an "excellent Christian woman." The poet's


"Big ha'-Bible" with the names of hischildren written in his own hand, wasseldom beyond her reach, and Beggcherished pleasant memories of hisfriendship with her.

Begg's ministry in Maxwelltown,and his subsequent ministry in LadyGlenorchy's Chapel, Edinburgh, wereboth of very short duration, for byNovember, 1831, he was inducted tohis third charge, which was the Middle Church of Paisley. In his formercharges, he had been precluded fromtakingany share in the government ofthe church, but now, as a regularparish-minister, he had his full presbyterial rights, and was not slow toexercise them. In Paisley he spentthree stirring years, furthering to theutmost of his power the work ofchurch extension, and contending forthe spiritual independence of thechurch.

His translation to Newington which took place in 1835-was broughtabout by a curious concatenation ofcircumstances. He had gone to Liberton to visit Dr. Jones, his former colleague in the pastorate of Lady Glenorchy's Chapel, and while there, theminister of the parish took suddenlyill, and Begg was called upon at shortnotice to occupy the pulpit. He did sowith such acceptance that when theminister of the church died shortlyafterwards, the heart of the peoplewas set on securing Begg as his successor. But those were the days ofpatronage. The people might propose,but the patron disposed; and in manycases the relations between patron andpeople were such that the minister ofthe people's choice would, for thatvery reason, be passed over for onewho was known to be unacceptable.

The fact that a parliamentary election was due at the time Libertonparish became vacant gave the parishioners a controlling influence in thematter of Begg's appointment overthem which otherwise they would nothave had. They sent representativesto Sir John Clerk, who was dependingon their suffrages for his return toParliament and said, "Get this manappointed for us as our minister; ifnot, we'll not vote for you." Suchwere the expedients to which congregations were driven when patronswho had no regard for their spiritualwelfare had the power to set asidetheir wish as an electing body, andappoint to the oversight of congregations ministers who were wholly unacceptable to the people.

In Liberton, as elsewhere, JamesBegg entered wholeheartedly upon hispastoral duties. "We ne'er kennedwhat preachin' was, till he cam' amangus," said one of his congregation, andthe comment gives more than a merelypersonal estimate of his preachinggifts. And so thoroughly did his people place themselves under his leadership that when, eight years after hissettlement, the Disruption took place,by an overwhelming majority theyfollowed him into the Free Church ofScotland.

The period of the Ten Years' Conflict had already opened, and by thetime it ended Begg had acquired anation-wide reputation as a gladiatorof unusual skill, a doughty defenderof the constitution of Scotland's national church. A saying that he quotesfrom his father's friend, Dr. Hodgson of Blantyre, expresses exactly hisown view: "Principles are neversmall, although deviations from themoften seem of little importance." Hewas shrewd enough to know that bypaths which appear to run parallelwith the way to the Celestial City andto lead thither, lead instead to thegloomy dungeons of Giant Despair,and to other equally insalubriousquarters. And that was why he resisted with all his might the departures from the historic doctrine andpractice and worship of the ScottishChurch which were all too commonin his day. He has been described asa "champion of lost causes"; but it isan oft-proved fact that so-called lostcauses have a way of becoming in theend triumphant. The cross itself, theemblem of the church's triumph, wasonce regarded as the symbol of failure. And the church, commissioned byits divine Head to carry the messageof the cross into all the world, hasbeen described as "a perpetually defeated thing which survives its conquerors." When one thinks thereforeof the causes for which James Beggcontended-Scriptural purity in doctrine and worship; the spiritual liberty of the church; the sole Headshipof Christ in the church; Christianeducation; Sabbath observance; inshort, the supreme authority of theWord of God in every department oflife-it becomes impossible to doubtthat such causes shall in the end prevail, be the present appearances whatthey may. It was this confidence thatenabled James Begg to champion unpopular causes and to sustain defeatswithout resentment. In one of his

most notable speeches he is reportedto have said that "he had generallyoccupied unpopular ground all hisdays; but he comforted himself withthis, that minorities had been as frequently right as wrong since the daysof Noah."

When, after the Disruption, Beggand his ousted congregation builtthemselves a new church, it was inNewington and not in Liberton thatthe structure arose. This step wastaken because two ministers had leftthe Establishment in Liberton andnone in Newington. But although hecontinued to minister in Newingtonfor the remainder of his life, his influence was by no means a local one.He traveled throughout Scotland andEngland in the service of his church,and on different occasions served asher ambassador abroad. And he suitedthe part excellently. "That," saidLord Beaconsfield, after being introduced to him, "that is the Scotsman."He was the prime mover in formingthe Scottish Reformation Society andthe Protestant Institute of Scotland,and his literary labors included theeditorship of The Bulwark and TheWatchword.

As might be expected, Dr. Begghad numerous critics and opponents.Indeed, at one time he facetiouslyremarked that he thought "he was becoming what Daniel O'Connell said ofhimself-about the best-abused manin the country." But the admirationof his friends was no less intensethan the dislike of his opponents. Honors of various kinds descended uponhim, including his election, in 1865,to the Moderatorship of the FreeChurch General Assembly. It is alsoon record that when it was proposedto present him with his passagemoney for a six-months' tour of Australasia, the generosity of his admirers was so intolerant of restraint thatwhen the presentation was eventuallymade, it was found to amount to asum of almost £5,000! "He had suchqualifications for the leadership ofthe people"-again to quote RobertsonNicoll-"that he might easily havebeen the first man in Scotland; inParliament the Balfours and Churchills could not have held a candle tohim; he liked power and popularity,and knew their value as well as anyman. Yet he fought to the last, theleader of a small minority contentto be called a bigot and an obstructive. When experience teaches howhard it is to fight against the stream,

/


Of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Mediator Orthodox Presbyterian Chapel

Mediator Church of Philadelphia

a place for meeting, although anabundance of new homes could bepurchased. However, with the financial assistance of members, friendsand the Committee on Home Missionsand Church Extension, gifts andloans were made enabling the congregation to purchase, at Rutland andKnorr Streets, a piece of ground witha IOO-foot frontage, making possiblefuture expansion. Ground-breakingservices were held in August of lastyear, when there was not a house onthe entire block. By the time of thededication of the chapel on February23rd of this year, the entire block hadfilled with houses - about forty innumber. This typifies the growth ofthe neighborhood and gives a littlesuggestion of the opportunity thatoffers itself to the church. Since thededication regular services have beenheld with a substantial number ofpeople from the community in regular attendance. A Sunday school hasbeen started with a promising attendance also.

Meanwhile, the regular work atthe hall in the old community has con-

of the congregation and the Sundayschool. After having chosen a sectionin the northeastern part of the city,known as Castor Center, it was discovered that it was impossible to rent

Church in the U.S.A. and withdrewfrom that denomination in January,1937. It was a little over a year laterthat the property was awarded to theformer denomination and the congregation forced to look for a new meeting place. One was found in a hallnearby, which has continued to bethe place of worship ever since. Thecongregation was reorganized, taking for its name the Mediator Presbyterian Church and applying to thethen Presbyterian Church of Americafor admission as a particular churchof that denomination.

The problem of building a newchurch was somewhat different fromthat which has confronted most ofthe churches of the denomination.The church was located in an old section of the city that was rapidly changing its character, and for that reasonthe congregation voted informally,just prior to vacating the old premises, to seek out a new and growingcommunity and to begin a work insuch a neighborhood; the work inthe old community would be continued for the benefit of the majority

TH E congregation of the Susquehanna Avenue Presbyterian

Church, whose pastor was the Rev.James W. Price, faced the issues ofModernism in the Presbyterian

how easy it is to abandon all war forthe right and stick to what. is easyand profitable, and how earnestnessof principle is the only saving thing,one understands better the grandeurof a life like that."

Dr. Begg died in 1883. His passingwas noticed by the press, at home andabroad, in articles both eulogistic andcritical. One notice of the latter description written some time after hisdeath for an American periodical,was from the pen of Dr. W. G.Blaikie, and was so unfair to Beggthat the editor of a leading Scottishnewspaper, who had himself on occasions been a friendly critic, felt constrained to retort that Dr. Blaikie'sarticle reminded him of the fable ofthe ass which kicked the lion, andadded that the ass had sufficient senseto make sure that the lion was deadbefore it administered the kick!

A much truer estimate of the fallenwarrior was voiced by his comradein-arms, Dr. Kennedy of Dingwall,in the funeral sermon which hepreached in Newington Free Churchon the Sabbath after Dr. Begg's funeral. "To him," said Dr. Kennedy, "itseemed to be inconceivable how men,who staked their eternal interests onthe perfectness of the Word of God,as all profess to do to whom it is thewarrant of their hope of salvation,could regard and treat it with disrespect; and to him no calamity seemedmore fearful than the spread of rationalism within the church. Withthose who, at the cost of degradingthe Word of God, desire to secureliberty to indulge in speculative escapades in their religious thinking, hecould have no sympathy whatever. Itwas to him no confinement to keep in'the old path,' and, so far as he wasconcerned, he was quite disposed toallow the novelty-hunters to walk intheir new paths alone."

Referring to his death in a letterto a correspondent, Dr. Kennedywrites in prophetic strain. "His lossto our church and to Scotland cannotat present be estimated; but time, Ifear, will gradually disclose it."

Time did disclose it. Without anydoubt, his removal facilitated the passage of rationalistic criticism into theteaching of the church whose constitution he had so zealously upheld. Andif it be indeed the case that theswing back to the Reformed theologyhas at last begun, such a developmentprovides conclusive proof that it wasnot for "lost causes" he contended.


tinued with the help of Mr. AlanTichenor, a senior at WestminsterTheological Seminary. In addition tothe usual work of a church, it is thepurpose of the congregation to be ashelpful as possible in every phase ofa wholesome Christian life. For example, children of the Sunday schoolare now enabled to take piano lessonsat a nominal sum under the supervision of the Sunday school, usingthe pianos at the church for lessonsand practice. Piano lessons would hean impossibility for most of the children it this opportunity were notoffered. As it is possible to do so,this work will continue to expand, sothat eventually out of one congregation will have come two effectivepieces of work, one carrying on itsprogram in the old neighborhood andthe other seeking to meet the opportunities that present themselves in anew community, largely peopled withyoung people and their families.

Risen With Christ!(Concluded From Page 98)

world of our day glorifies Easter tothe sad neglect of Good Friday, butin God's Word there is to be foundno such gulf of separation. For therewe find that the Christ of the crossand the Christ of the empty tomb areone and the same Christ, with but onepurpose - the redemption of God'select. The resurrection of Christ isinseparably linked with His death.The whole message of the New Testament bears out this fact. Our LordHimself associated these two greatevents closely together. We have already cited illustrations of how Heforetold His approaching death andresurrection. And after He arose, Hesaid to His disciples, "Thus it iswritten, and thus it behoved Christ tosuffer, and to rise from the dead thethird day: And that repentance andremission of sins should be preachedin his name among all nations ..."(Luke 24: 46, 47).

The preaching of the apostles reveals that they, too, linked these factstogether in the closest way. In defining the gospel, Paul declared it wasthe message that "Christ died for oursins according to the scriptures, andthat he was buried, and that he roseagain the third day . . ." (I Cor.15: 1-4). The Book of Romans is an

exposition of the gospel of Christ"who was delivered for our offences,and was raised again for our justification" (Rom. 4: 25). The Book ofActs and the epistles of Paul andPeter abound in confirmation of thistruth. In his sermon on the day ofPentecost, Peter said to the Jews,"Him [Christ] ... ye ... by wickedhands have crucified and slain: whomGod hath raised up ..." (Acts 2: 23,24; d. Acts 3: 15; 10: 39, 40; 13: 32,33; I Pet. 1: 18; I Thess. 1: 10;4: 14).

Why are these two great acts unitedso intimately? Simply because theytogether constitute the gospel. AsCalvin so beautifully expresses it,"Although our salvation is perfectlyaccomplished by his death, becauseby that we are reconciled to God, asatisfaction is given to his righteousjudgment, the curse is removed, andthe punishment sustained, yet we aresaid to have been 'begotten again toa living hope,' not by his death but'by his resurrection from the dead.'For as at his resurrection he appeared the conqueror of death, so itis on his resurrection that our faithprincipally rests ... Christ 'was delivered for our offences, and wasraised again for our justification,'as though he had said that sin wasremoved by his death, and righteoussess renewed and restored by hisresurrection" (Instiiuies, II: 16: 13).

In other words, the believer isunited to Christ in His death and inHis resurrection. Paul teaches this inhis Roman epistle: "Therefore weare buried with him by baptism intodeath: that like as Christ was raisedup from the dead by the glory of theFather, even so we also should walkin newness of life" (Rom. 6: 4). "Tome to live is Christ." "I live, yet notI, but Christ liveth in me."

The resurrection then becomes thetoken or proof that our sins are gone.By it God signified that He was satisfied with Christ's atoning work inour behalf.

The Benefits of theResurrection

Finally, we must note briefly thegracious benefits which flow from thefact of Christ's resurrection. Theyare summarized succinctly by thewriter to the Hebrews. By virtue ofour union with the living, risen Lord"we are made partakers of Christ"(Heb. 3: 14). What a wondrous heritage is that of the Christian! Because

our Saviour rose from the grave, weare partakers of all the benefits whichour risen, living Lord has securedfor us. We are now "risen withChrist!" Paul gives us the secret ofour new life when he speaks thoseprecious words, "For ye are dead, andyour life is hid with Christ in God"(Col. 3: 3). Weare now dead to theold life of sin, dead to evil thoughts,unkind words, fleshly appetites. By thegrace and power of the Holy Spirit,we are to put off the old man withhis deeds. We are to put on the newman and walk now in newness oflife.

What a gracious benefit is ours inthe intercessory work of Christ! Ofthis, Paul declares, "It is Christ thatdied, yea rather, that is risen again,who is even at the right hand of God,who also maketh intercession for us"(Rom. 8: 34). What a comfort toknow that our ascended Lord daily,hourly, intercedes for us!

But the crowning benefit securedto the child of God by virtue of theSaviour's triumph over the tomb isthe guarantee of his own resurrection.Paul comforts the Corinthian believers with this promise, "Knowing thathe which raised up the Lord Jesusshall raise up us also by Jesus" (IICor. 4: 14). Because Christ vanquished death, the last great stronghold of Satan, He has obtained thevictory for us, and to us is Hispromise, "I will raise him up at thelast day."

I would address a most earnestquestion to each reader: Do you, myfriend, know Him who is the resurrection and the life? Have you facedthe great "if" of our text-"If yethen be risen with Christ?" Has yourfaith been placed in the risen, reigning Lord, the glorified Son of God,who shall one day come again to receive us unto Himself? Will you notbelieve on Him now, that you maysay with Job, "I know that my Redeemer liveth"?

Let us who have this resurrectiongospel, and who serve a risen, victorious Christ, point this perplexed,despairing world to our Christ whoalone can forgive sins, regenerateman's sinful heart, and impart Hisresurrection life to all who put theirtrust in His atoning work on Calvary.This is the church's task in our day.May the true glory of the Eastermorn be yours. "If ye then be risenwith Christ, seek those things whichare above!"

t•


EDITORIAL

NEWS

JE RUSALEM, 30 A.D. :-It is nowdefinitely established that the cru

cified Nazarene is alive. Reports tothis effect have been circulatingamong his followers since earlyyesterday morning. They were startedby certain women who claimed tohave found his tomb empty, and whosaid they had actually seen and talkedwith him. Their story was not generally believed, although investigationrevealed that the tomb where he hadheen buried was empty.

However, during the day the accumulation of evidence renderedfurther disbelief impossible. MaryMagdalene actually saw him andtalked with him in the garden earlyin the morning. Peter the fishermansays-and no one watching him candoubt he tells the truth-that he andJesus had a long conversation together during the afternoon. Cleopasand a friend started on their wayhome late yesterday, but are back andreport that he met them and walkedwith them much of the way toEmmaus. He went in to have supperwith them, and while there took upthe bread and blessed and broke it ashe had always done. Last night tenof the disciples were in the upperroom and he came to them there,spoke with them, and ate some food.

Your reporter talked this morningwith members of the guard who wereon watch at the tomb. They all saythat they fell asleep and that thedisciples stole the body. But if theywere asleep how did they know whathappened? One of them, who was notwilling to be quoted, admitted privately that something strange hadhappened. He would not go into detail, but confessed that they had already talked with the Sanhedrinabout it.

It is now being remembered thatin addition to his miracles, whicheveryone admits, he himself said thathe would rise from the dead on thethird day. It was what he had said

along this line that moved the Sanhedrin to have a watch placed at thetomb.

One cannot tell what this will leadto. Certainly many of those whowould have little to do with him before will have a definite change ofheart. Probably the disciples will soonbe telling everybody what has happened. One can even see the possibility of a great new movement developing. In fact, it is also beingrecalled that he declared he wouldhimself build a church that nothingwould destroy. And just a few daysago he said that if he were to belifted up, he would draw all men untohimself.

Perhaps this is true. Perhaps wehave the privilege of living in oneof the greatest days the world hasever known. At least that is the conviction of your reporter. He believesthat Jesus is the Messiah promisedof old by Moses and the fathers, andthat he has now done what they saidhe would come to do.

Hallelujah!-L. W. S.

The Catechism

ON SEVERAL occasions, whenwe have been asked to recom

mend a good tract, we have suggestedthe use of the Westminster ShorterCatechism. The question and answermethod of telling a message is excellently adapted to driving that messagehome. For people who want to havea brief summary of Christian teaching, there is no better material available.

But, of course, the Catechism canalso be misused and abused. It canbe twisted around and made to teachalmost anything, just as easily as theBible can. Such abuse is, however,generally rather obvious. An exampleis the studies in the Catechism whichare appearing currently in The Presbyterian Tribune.

In the March issue there is a discussion of Catechism question 14,"What is sin?" The answer given inthe Catechism itself is well known:"Sin is any want of conformity unto,or transgression of, the law of God."But we are told by the writer in theTribune that "Christ living in me" isthe only judge of conduct. The TenCommandments are described as a"codification ... in which men ofoutstanding spiritual sensitivity have

expressed their clearest insights intothe law of God." And we are toldthat "the substitution of a law codefor conscience is . . . reprehensible,for it enables one to get away fromthe spirit of the code." Not even Jesusconsidered objectively, but only Christ"living in me"-which, for the Modenlist, amounts to nothing more thanconscience-is the rule and standard.Anything outside of ourselves is liableto promote legalism.

We shall await with interest theexposition of questions 39 and following, where we are told in the Catechism that the moral law which Godfirst revealed to man to be the ruleof his obedience is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.

Frankly, though, it seems to usthat there are more ethical ways forthe Modernist to gain an audience forhis views than by misusing a document that even he must admit doesnot teach his views. Why cannot theleaders of churches, who are todaycalling for a more intensive application of the Christian ethic to the lifeof the world, use a little of that ethicin their own approach to the subjectof religion? They would be morerespected and more respectable ifthey did.

All of this leads us to remark, ofcourse, that in our own efforts for thefurtherance of the Kingdom of Christwe must see that our methods andour conduct are in accord with thehighest, which is the Biblical, standard of right and wrong. We mustnot cut moral corners for the sake ofexpediting results, when the moralprinciples of Scripture are involved.To do so is sin, since it is a want ofconformity unto, or a transgressionof, the law of God.

-L. W. S.

Christian Giving

O N E of the fruits of Christianfaith in the heart of an indi

vidual is a desire to give for thefurtherance of the work of our Lord.To give of our money, our time andour talents, even though it may seema hard thing, yet becomes also a desirahle thing.

I t is true that we do not alwayslook upon giving from this point ofview. Often it seems a burden. Oftenwe give only to "pay the minister'ssalary." Often we give what we happen to have left over, a coin which we


Missionary Heroes of the PastBy the REV. ROBERT S. MARSDEN

accidentally find in our pockets. Weare very ready to quote those Scriptures which say that "my God shallsupply all your need . . . ," and welift our hearts in prayer to the Onewho owns the gold and the silver and"the cattle upon a thousand hills."But when it comes down to a realization that we are the channel throughwhich the Lord supplies the need ofothers, and when we look at thatportion of the Lord's gold and silverand cattle which has our name on it,we are very hesitant to part with it.

This should not be, if our heartsare dedicated to God. Scripture declares that it is more blessed to givethan to receive. Every man is calledupon to give "according as he purposeth in his heart." Paul describesspontaneous Christian giving as"fruit" which abounds to the accountof the giver. Jesus declared that thewidow woman who cast in the treasury "all the living she had" had given

XXI. Count Zinzendorf

ON E of the most important figuresin eighteenth century missions

was Nicholas Lewis, Count Zinzendorf. A Saxon nobleman of greatmeans and vast estates, he became apatron of missions and is largely responsible for the inauguration of oneof the most important missionary endeavors of modern times-the mission of the Moravians. The genesisof a mission which now numbersthree times as many communicants inmissions lands as in the home lands,and that stemmed in no less than adozen widely separated regionsthroughout the world during Zinzendorf's lifetime, cannot but interestevery student of missions.

Count Zinzendorf was born in 1700and received the education of a nobleman, first at Halle and later at Wittenburg. From his earliest years hedisplayed an earnest love of the Lord,the manifestations of which at leastbordered upon an unbiblical mysticism. He early wished to dedicatehis life to full-time Christian service,but his guardians resisted this desire,having what they considered higherambition for him in the service of

more than all those who gave of theirabundance.

In fact, according to the Bible, giving is just one aspect of our participation in the work of the kingdom,which kingdom we are to seek as ourfirst and primary duty. It is from thispoint of view that we should consider it. Our giving is giving to theLord, and should be looked upon asthat, rather than as giving unto men.

The question of whether tithing isrequired in the New Testament isdebatable, and it does not concern usgreatly. For if we give regularly, asunto the Lord, according as the Lordhath prospered us, not letting our lefthand know what our right hand does,and not in order that we may be seenof men, the chances are fairly goodthat we shall give at least a tenth.We may discover that we are givingmore than a tenth. That will not beso terrible, either.

-L. W. S.

the state. He obeyed their wishes, onreaching his majority, and took uphis office in the government at Dresden, the capital. His person was inthe governmental service, but hisheart was in the Christian ministry.

Zinzendorf lived close to God asfew men have done, and desired aboveall to be pleasing to his Saviour, whowas very real to him. When a groupof refugees from Moravia, forced toabandon their homes by renewed religious persecution, requested his aid,he built for them, in a section of hisestates, Herrnhut as an asylum. Hebecame intensely interested in themand in their religious convictions, andthrough his patronage the colonyflourished. By 1730 it numbered aboutsix hundred souls.

It was in 1728 that the first impulsetoward missions seems to havereached Count Zinzendorf. A negrofrom the Danish West Indies revealed to the count the terrible plightof the negro slaves serving the Danishtraders. He told how the slaveswere regarded as something less thanmen, and of how the traders regarded them as being beneath thegrace of God. He stated that anyonesent to minister to those poor crea-

tures would himself be compelled tolive as a slave. Immediately therewere a number of volunteers, andtwo were chosen for this mission.They set out for St. Thomas andestablished a work there, later expanding it, with the aid of a largegroup of volunteers, to the islands ofSt. Croix and St. John. They foundthe negroes imported from Africaliving in the most abject sufferingand despair. The Danish settlers regarded the missionaries with gravesuspicion, and did all in their powerto discourage their work, fearing thatthe negroes, hearing the call of divinegrace in Christ, would no longer bein complete subjection. The hardshipsundergone by these early pioneerswere almost unspeakable, and shortlytropical disease killed a full threequarters of the volunteers. Zinzendorf himself visited this mission and,when he arrived, he found all the remaining missionaries in prison onfalse charges. He used his great influence to have them released andthey continued their work, later beingstrengthened by other volunteers.

In a short time a mission to Greenland followed that in the West Indies.This also enjoyed the patronage ofZinzendorf. For six years it laboredwithout one convert in the forbiddingclimate of Greenland, but slowly thefirst fruits of a successful missionwere seen in that desolate land.

A mission to the Hottentots inSouth Africa followed in 1736, andagain the opposition of the tradersalmost made missionary work amongthese unfortunate people impossible.It was the Dutch there who placedrestrictions upon the work of themissionaries, which was carried onunder severe handicaps and greatsuffering.

One of the most important missionswhich Zinzendorf sponsored and inwhich he was personally engaged wasthat to the negro slaves and to theIndians of North America. The workwas started among the negro slavesin South Carolina. Soon Moraviansettlements were founded, particularlyin Bethlehem and Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and Zinzendorf spent some timein Pennsylvania himself. Coming toPhiladelphia he ministered for awhileto the Lutherans there. He alwaysregarded himself as a Lutheran, although he had been ordained a bishopin the Moravian Church, in what heconsidered the ancient apostolic succession which that church had main-


tained for almost four centuries. TheMoravians at Herrnhut were connected with the state LutheranChurch, and he discouraged convertsfrom ever leaving the establishedchurch of their district. From Philadelphia, Zinzendorf went to Bethlehem, and did much to establish thatcolony firmly, engaging in a numberof hazardous missions to the Indiansalong the Delaware, the Lehigh andthe Susquehanna rivers. He was afirm believer in education and, inthose days when free education wasunknown, he did much to encouragethe establishment of schools.

Zinzendorf's life following his return to Europe was a stormy one.Grievous charges had been broughtagainst him falsely in his native land;he first voluntarily sought exile andlater he was compelled involuntarilyto be exiled. Undoubtedly most of theopprobrium heaped upon him wastraceable to his deep spiritualitywhich offended the worldly clergyand the even more worldly court ofhis day.

Space does not permit even shortmention of the other missions whichZinzendorf sponsored. VVe read of amission to Lesser Tibet, to the northshores of Russia, to Abyssinia, toNicaragua, to Labrador, to the Mohammedans, to the Dutch East Indiesand to Ceylon.

How did so small a group of Christians support this vast missionaryenterprise? An interesting commentary on this feature of the work isfound in the account of the missionto Ceylon. A cash subscription, representative of great sacrifice in Herrnhut, was taken to undertake the mission, and volunteers were sought.Some fourteen single men volunteered to undertake the work. Theyset sail for Ceylon, two of their number being trained for the ministry,the rest being artisans. There they setup a colony which soon became selfsupporting and almost self-sufficient,the artisans working with their handsto support themselves and their missionary brethren. Hence this particular mission received aid from thehome church sufficient only to giveit its first impetus.

It cannot be denied that contemptfor details, both in the natural sphereand in the sphere of theology, wasa source of great weakness to Zinzendorf's missions. Adequate creedswere discouraged, and consequentlyit was impossible for the brethren

who were sent out all to "speakthe same thing" (I Cor. 1:10).Inadequate preparations were madefor the physical well-being of themissionaries, and the missionarieswere inadequately prepared for thehardships that were expected of them.Consequently many of them perished,even before their work had fairlybegun. The death-rate among thosegallant volunteers was tremendous,yet they died willingly as in theservice of Him who alone can givelife eternal.

News From the Orient(Excerpts from a letter sent De

cember 31, 1940, by Mr. Richard B.Gaffin, Orthodox Presbyterian missionary to Tsinqtao, China.)

WE ARE happy to report that wehave four regular preaching

points where there are two or morebelievers and where regular servicesare held. Mr. Yu, Polly and I are concentrating on these places with specialBible study so that the believers maybe built up and the inquirers may beled into a fuller knowledge of whatthey are to believe concerning Godand His plan of salvation. Sunday,Monday and Thursday are the dayswhen we go to these places. This yearwe have made eighty-three trips tothe country which means eighty-threedays spent in itinerating. VVe havesold 657 Gospels and Acts, five Biblesand one New Testament.

VVe realize that our time here isfive months at the most, so we wantto leave our groups as strong as possible and able to continue "on theirown." VVe hope that by the end ofMay three of these groups will be ableto unite in calling an evangelist whomthey can support and who will minister to their needs and carry the gospel to the many villages around. Thesethree groups are located in three different villages. Shih Lao Ren (OldStone Man) village, the farthest pointup the coast to which we go, has apopulation of about 1500. There arenow four believers in this villagefour men, and the oldest is 83 yearsold; the youngest, who is 24 years old,is the leader. They have rented aroom and last Sunday ten adults andtwenty children came. These came forvarious reasons-some to hear the accordion, some to see the foreigner,some because they had nothing else to

do at the time, and some to hear moreabout Christ. They came and theyheard the gospel in song and word.VVe sing Scripture verses and choruses. There are five serious inquirerswhom we hope soon to bring to faithin Christ.

Hsiao Pu Tung (Small East Port)is a village about three miles nearerTsingtao, with about 400 inhabitants;there are now five believers and tenothers who are consistent attendantsat our church service. VVe have hadregular services here since last May.Here four old women and two menare learning the Phonetic Script tothe end that they may read theScriptures. It is wonderful to see theeagerness with which they have takento learning that which they oncethought to be impossible. Fou ShanHou (Behind Floating Mountain) isthe last of the three villages, to whichwe have gone many times; therethree elderly women have now takenthe lead and have provided a regularplace for preaching. One of thewomen has been wonderfully releasedfrom her slavery to opium and she ismaking good progress in her understanding of the facts of redemption.She has her mother and father andher son's family living with her, andwe rejoice at her testimony in herhome.

For Christmas we prepared sixtylittle packages of candy and orangesto give to the children in the homes ofbelievers and inquirers and to thosewho attended our Sunday school regularly. Polly wrapped the packages inattractive Christmas paper and weused the Christmas cards collectedand sent by friends last year to givewith the packages, and to those whocould read we gave cards with appropriate Scripture verses attached. VVegave out these packages at specialChristmas services where we told thestory of the birth of our Saviour whocame to die in our place.

Polly has made use of the Biblepictures, sent in times past, by arranging them in order and pastingthem in little books which she hasgiven out to the children, young people and mothers who are interestedor who are believers. Some of theseare using them to tell the Bible storyto their friends. VVe can use all goodBible pictures which may be left overfrom Sunday school. Be sure thatthey are real Bible pictures, and notpictures of little Mary helping hermother sew.


The Inspiration of ScriptureBy the REV. JOHN MURRAY

Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary

WH E N we speak of the inspiration of Scripture, we are not

thinking of any effect that is produced in us by Scripture. Sometimes,no doubt, in common speech we usethe word "inspiration" to express theintellectual, moral or spiritual stimulus which we derive from our readingof the masterpieces of literature oreven from the example of great andgood men. In such cases the inspiration is something that is effected inus by the quality or character of thatby which we have been inspired.

At other times in common speechwe do speak, in literary fashion, ofthe inspiration of works of humangenius. For example, men speak ofthe inspiration of Shakespeare. Thismay mean several things. Sometimesit may refer to the genius of Shakespeare by reason of which he was ableto write such masterpieces of literature. Or it may refer to the peculiarquality residing in the works ofShakespeare because they are theproducts of his master genius.

But this is not what we mean bythe inspiration of Scripture. It is truethat we derive from Scripture thevery highest kind of stimulus. It isalso true that some of the writers ofholy Scripture were men of greatnatural genius, and this very geniuswas used by God so that the markof it is left on what they wrote. Theinspiration of Scripture is, however,something very different and something absolutely unique. Scripture isunique. It does not belong to a classof writings, all of which are characterized by inspiration. Scripturestands alone, or, as we often say, itstands in a class by itself. And itoccupies this unique position just because of its inspiration.

The word "inspiration" when applied to Scripture refers to one oftwo things: (1) It may refer to thesupernatural influence of the HolySpirit exerted upon the writers of.Scripture, or (2) it may refer to thequality residing in Scripture as aresult of that supernatural influenceexerted by the Holy Spirit. In the firstcase we are thinking of the divineactivity by which Scripture was produced-in a word, of its divine originand authorship. In the second casewe are thinking of the result of this

divine authorship-in a word, of itsdivine character and authority. Ineither case we are led to the conclusion that Scripture is the Word ofGod and, therefore, infallible and inerrant. It is in the supreme senseGod's Word, not man's.

An objection may very readily beurged against this latter conclusion.For have we not said that there werehuman writers? And if human writers, how can Scripture escape thefallibility that attaches to infirm anderring men? It is this objection thathas led many to make a distinctionbetween the human elements and thedivine elements in Scripture, or, assometimes stated, the distinction between the human element and thedivine element in inspiration. And soit is held that, attaching to the humanelement, there is error and fallibility,while to the divine element there isattached inerrancy and infallibility.

It must, of course, be granted thatthere were human writers, and thatis just saying that the Scripture hascome to us through human instrumentality. But if that fact argues forthe fallibility of Scripture, then weshall have to conclude that fallibilityattaches to the whole of Scripture.For let it be remembered that thereis not one word from Genesis toRevelation that has come to us apartfrom human instrumentality. So faras Scripture is concerned, and it iswith Scripture we are now dealing,every part has come to us throughsome human writer. The distinction,

Yo.ung ,People"s Topics

THE article on this page will be anaid in studying the young people's

lessons published by the Committeeon Christian Education of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which maybe secured from the Rev. Burton L.Goddard, Box 73, Carlisle, Massachusetts. Topics now being studiedare:

April 6th-THE IMPORTANCE OF A

CORRECT VIEW OF SCRIPTURE.

April 13th - THE SCRIPTURE'S

CLAIM FOR ITS OWN INSPIRATION.

April 20th - THE NECESSITY OF

SCRIPTURE.

April 27th--WHAT Is INSPIRATION?

then, between the human element andthe divine element will not give usany basis for the discovery of thedivine and infallible element as distinguished from the human and fallible element. We must face the issuesquarely. If the human instrumentality renders inerrancy or infallibility impossible, then we do not havean infallible word from Genesis toRevelation.

We must fully recognize the factthat Scripture came through humanwriters. But what we must also recognize is that the Holy Spirit usedhuman writers in such a way thatwhat they wrote they wrote underan all-pervasive supernatural influence, so that Scripture is wholly theWord of God. There are, therefore,no exceptions to, or degrees of, thatinfluence we call inspiration.

Whence do we derive this notionof inspiration? The answer to thatquestion is just the asking of another.Whence do we derive our notion of,or authority for, any doctrine? Theanswer is plain. From the Scriptureitself. And so we derive our doctrine of inspiration from the Scripture. We might quite properly saythat we derive our doctrine ofinspiration from Christ and Hisapostles. The attitude exemplifiedand inculcated by our Lord and Hisapostles must be our attitude. No onemay dare to deviate one whit fromwhat Christ, who is the truth, thebrightness of the Father's glory andthe express image of His person,taught and commended. But ourknowledge of what Christ and Hisapostles taught comes to us throughScripture, and so ultimately we mustsay that we derive our doctrine ofinspiration from Scripture.

We shall have to limit ourselves toone or two of the high points ofBible teaching on this question. Weshall take up, first of all, II Peter1 : 16-21. In this passage Peter saysthat "no prophecy of scripture is ofprivate interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man:but as borne by the Holy Spirit menspake from God" (20, 21). HerePeter fully acknowledges the humanauthorship. Speaking of Scripture hedoes say "men spake." This factmakes all the more significant whathe says in addition. We may be inclined to argue that human authorship impairs the stability of Scripture and that it detracts from thedivine authorship and character. It


was not so with this apostle, wholearned of Him who said to His disciples, "Howbeit when he, the Spiritof truth, is come, he will guide youinto all truth" (John 16:13). Forwhile, on the one hand, Peter says"men spake," he on the other handmakes three very astounding statements-"no prophecy of scripture isof private interpretation," "no prophecy ever came by the will of man,""as borne by the Holy Spirit menspake from God."

When Peter says that Scripture isnot of private interpretation, he doesnot refer to our interpretation ofScripture but rather to Scripture asa product. It is not the mere productof human reflection or imagination.Again, when he says that it was notbrought by the will of man, he excludes mere human volition and determination. And finally, when hesays "borne by the Holy Spirit," hebecomes quite positive in affirming,in Dr. B. B. Warfield's words, that"the men who spake from God arehere declared, therefore, to have beentaken up by the Holy Spirit andbrought by His power to the goal ofHis choosing. The things which theyspoke under this operation of theSpirit were therefore His things, nottheirs. And that is the reason whichis assigned why the 'prophetic word'is so sure."

Perhaps the most amazing featureof this passage in II Peter is whathe says in verse 19, "We have also amore sure word of prophecy." Themore sure word of prophecy is theScripture with which he deals in thesucceeding verses, and that withwhich it is compared as more sureor steadfast is the word that Peter,together with James and John, heardspoken from heaven on the Mountof Transfiguration when the Fathergave witness to the Son, saying, "Thisis my beloved Son, in whom I amwell pleased." There could not possibly be any question in Peter's mindas to the stability and infallibility ofthat word that Peter with the othersreceived on the holy mount. It wasthe voice of the eternal Father. AndPeter was profoundly aware of allthe solemn implications of the privilege and responsibility that was his.In virtue of all this he introduces thesubject by telling his readers, "Wedid not follow cunningly devisedfables."

But the astounding fact is thatPeter also says, "We have a more

steadfast word of prophecy." Thewritten Word gives ground forstronger and more stable assurancethan the very word spoken 011 thatoccasion. He is affirming the absolutetrustworthiness of Scripture. InScripture, Peter and his readers havenot simply a word spoken on a particular occasion, but the Word ofGod that has received, because it isScripture, permanent form and authentication. Could anything moreemphatically express the security,trustworthiness and infallibility ofScripture? May anyone question theinfallibility of the Father's witness toHis well-beloved Son? Scripture possesses similar infallibility, and onlyon such a basis could Peter say, "Andwe have the word of prophecy mademore sure."

The next passage we shall study isII Timothy 3: 16, where Paul says,"All scripture is given by inspiration of God." Our English phrase,"given by inspiration of God," quiteproperly conveys the thought of theGreek word, namely, that Scriptureowes its existence to a divine activity.That is the main emphasis and it isborne out by our English phrase. Butthere is also something in the Greekword that is not fully expressed inour English version. The Greek wordmeans, literally, "God-breathed." "AllScripture is God-breathed" - it isbreathed out by God. Paul is notspeaking of an inbreathing on thepart of God into Scripture. Nor is hespeaking of any influence which isbreathed into us through the mediumof holy Scripture. Indeed, Paul is noteven speaking of an inbreathing onthe part of God into the humanwriters of Scripture. But what he issaying, in the most emphatic andterse way, is that Scripture isbreathed by God. It is God's mouth,God's breath, God's oracle. Paul-couldnot have adopted a word that moresimply and directly affirms that Scripture is spoken by God, that it is thespeech or word of God.

In speaking thus of Scripture hemakes no reservations and no qualifications. He does not say that Scripture merely contains such words ofGod. He does not say that Scriptureis the vehicle by which such wordsof God are conveyed to us. He doesnot speak of degrees of inspiration.No, what he affirms is that all Scripture is God-breathed. It may verywell be that we should translate itthus, "Every scripture IS God-

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breathed." But this rendering makesno difference in the effect. For ifevery particular part of Scripture isthus inspired, then the sum-total ofScripture partakes of the same character. The whole will not have lessof this character of inspiration thando the individual parts that composethat whole.

We must not fail to grasp the forceof this testimony of the apostle.Breath is a very direct expression ofthe life that is in us. Scripture standsin as close a relation to the truth andwill of God as does breath to us.

It might be asked, What is thescope of that Scripture of which Paulsays that it is God-breathed? In thepreceding context Paul speaks of theholy scriptures which Timothy knewfrom a child. These must, of course,be the Old Testament scriptures. Weknow the scope of the canon of Scripture accepted and approved by ourLord and the apostles. It was theJewish canon, coextensive with ourOld Testament. Of nothing less thanthat does Paul say that it is given byinspiration of God. But Paul mayalso be thinking of all that couldproperly be embraced in the categoryof Scripture, even though all of theNew Testament scriptures were notyet written. In any case, he speaksthus of the Old Testament. And thatestablishes a principle; it fixes a doctrine, namely, the doctrine of Scripture. If the Old Testament could bethus characterized by an apostle, canwe believe that the scriptures of theNew Testament, which are the embodiment of the revelation God gaveto men through the incarnation ofthe eternal Son and the pentecostaloutpouring of the Holy Spirit, belongto a lower category? Can we believethat the New Testament economy,characterized as it is by the more


God Deals With DisobedienceA Meditation in the Book of Jeremiah

By the REV. BURTON L. GODDARD

abundant effusion and operation ofthe Holy Spirit, does not possess whatthe older economy had, namely, aninfluence of the Spirit that providesus with a God-breathed and infallibleScripture? The questions carry theirown answer. We can surely say of

For I earnestly protested unto yourfathers in the day that I brought them upout of the land of Egypt, even unto thisday, rising early and protesting, saying,Obey my voice. Yet they obeyed not, norinclined their ear, but walked everyonein the imagination of their evil heart:therefore I will bring upon them all thewords of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did themnot (Jer. 11:7, 8).

TH E duty of obedience is a subjectto which children and adults alike

commonly listen with distaste, evenwith rebellion. As long as it harborssin, the human heart never will loveobedience to God. Just as in the caseof our first parents, sin and disobedience always go hand in hand.Only a miracle of grace can cause areversal of attitude and bring abouta love for obedience. Thus, when thenegro preacher said to his congregation, "Brethren, what eber de goodGod tell me to do in dis blessed book,dat I'rn. gwine to do," we can be quitecertain that God's grace had transformed his heart.

His InstructionsIn that same "blessed book," God

has specifically directed men what todo and what not to do. There is nothing vague about His requirements.Some things He commands; otherthings He forbids. Indeed, it wouldbe a herculean task to attempt thetabulation of all the things eitherallowed or prohibited in the Word.Each separate command is of importance, and we do well to searchthe Scriptures that we may know justwhat God requires of us.

Occasionally, however, God's instructions to us are brought withinthe compass of a single statement and,for the moment, the individual requirements are lost to sight. Theburden of the message entrusted byGod to the prophets was often suchan one. In Jeremiah 11: 7 the text 0 fthe message is found. No words are

the whole Bible that it is "given byinspiration of God, and is profitablefor doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:that the man of God may be perfect,thoroughly furnished unto all goodworks" (II Tim. 3: 16, 17).

wasted. It is comprehensive, brief, tothe point. This is what God says:"Obey my voice."

After all, the important thing is aheart-attitude of obedience, for if theheart's resolve is to obey God's voice,the individual will be ready for anyspecific command or request God mayaddress to him. Like a pure fountainwhich sends forth only clear, sweetwaters, a heart which is tuned toobedience will produce obedience atevery point tested. Or, like the regenerate nature which cannot but issuein good works, its fruit will alwaysbe conformity to each expression ofthe divine will.

I f only we might learn to obeyGod! That is what God wants. As revealed by Samuel's denunciation ofSaul's disobedience, to obey is betterin the Lord's sight than sacrifice. Noris it only what God wants; it is also

WestminsterCommencement

THE eleventh annual com-mencement exercises of

Westminster Theological Seminary will be held on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 6th, atthe campus in Laverock,Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia.The commencement addresswill be delivered by Dr.Gordon H. Clark of the Department of Philosophy,Wheaton College, Wheaton,Illinois. A most cordial invitation is extended to all friendsof the seminary to be presentat this important gathering.

His due. Moral responsibility wasemphasized in Paul's statement, "Weouqht to obey God." "Ought" is todaya neglected word, but it is neglectedonly because of the general apostasyof our age. It should be revived, andit should be applied to the filial obedience due unto our Heavenly Father,for He is indeed the great Sovereignof the universe. We belong to Him.All we have has come from Him. Hegives us life and sustains that life.He sent His Son to purchase oursalvation. He directs us by His Spirit.We alight to obey Him!

The command was not a new onein Jeremiah's day. No, he was one ofthe last of the prophets. Perhaps hepreached from that text, "Obey myvoice," but so had the many prophetsbefore him. What we read in hismemoirs is that God had communicated the same instructions to Israelever since they had found deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Everyprophet had preached obedience toGod. The message had been emphasized and reemphasized. God's servants had diligently proclaimed Hisdesire for an obedient people. HeHimsel f had been greatly concernedin the matter, for we read that He"earnestly protested ... rising earlyand protesting."

His ProtestThe tragedy was that the prophetic

command, "Obey my voice," did notseem to have borne much fruit. Whena God-fearing sovereign came to thethrone, most of his time was occupiedin trying to undo the works of disobedience on the part of his predecessors. Pagan altars had to be brokendown; pagan images had to be destroyed. There was little time left fora program of implanting the desirefor obedience in the individual heart.As a result, obeying God had neverbecome entirely habitual with Israel.Once in a great while the lesson ofobedience would appear to have beenlearned, only to have the succeedinggeneration become more sinful in thisrespect than ever. And so God saidto Jeremiah, "They obeyed not, norinclined their ear."

Like so many today, they were interested in other things. They muchpreferred a religion in which theycould make their own choices, aneasier religion, more ceremonial, lessmoral in character. They liked godswho did not point out their sins, whodid not issue commands, who did not


Today in the Religious WorldBy THOMAS R. BIRCH

Bible Lessons in Bible OrderOrthodox explanations and interpretations by Reformed Bible Scholars

• THE KEY

• THE INSTRUCTOR

• CHILDREN'S COMRADE

obey God? He wants you to obey.Why not start the day-every daywith the promise that you will!

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tion of the very freedom they extolled. Said Dr. Shipler, "In spite ofthe poverty under which the religiouspress of the United States battles, itwill be a long time before a Hitlerianauthority, or anything resembling it,will control its freedom." Dr. Dief-

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Church Press Convention

WE HAVE little enthusiasm forthe American religious press.

We believe that a long-range view ofits work would fail to disclose muchjustification for its existence; in themain it is a propaganda organ forantichristian Modernism, and its contribution to the advancement of theKingdom of God is negligible. Froma journalistic standpoint, it is patently inferior even to second-rate secular journalism. With few exceptions,the church press of the nation servesno very valuable purpose.

When the editors of nearly thirtysuch journals, however, met in Boston last month for the annual convention of the Associated Church Press,they unanimously adopted a statementto which, in principle at least, we givehearty assent. "While millions of dollars are given annually," they declared, "to the support of all otherchurch institutions, parishes, hospitals, settlements or schools, the religious press, giving vital support toall of these organizations, suffersneglect. The meagre financial aid advanced is designated as money tomake up 'losses' or 'deficits'-seldomas 'investment' in an institution vitalto the advancement of the Kingdomof God...."

Religious journalism, both in thesecular and church press, was discussed by the editors at a round tableheld in connection with the annualFounders' Day convocation of BostonUniversity. The discussion was oneof four on the freedom of the press.Participating' were Dr. Guy EmeryShipler of The Churchman; Dr.Lewis O. Hartman of Zion's Herald;Dr. Albert C. Dieffenbach, religioneditor of the Boston Transcript; andAlexander Brin of the Jewish Aduoeate. All the speakers deplored thesuppression of press freedom throughout the world and gloried in the freedom of the American press, both religious and secular. None of themseemed to resent the domination ofthe Federal Councilor to feel that itsregimentation was in itself a viola-

His JudgmentIsrael was to learn that God exe

cutes judgment against those who refuse to obey His voice. Because sheturned a deaf ear to the instructionslaid before her by the Lord, God informed Jeremiah that she would bringupon herself the curses of a brokencovenant. Her kingdom would bedespoiled. The people would be takencaptive and pressed into slavery. Theywould be scattered over the earth.And Jeremiah lived to witness thetruth of God's words!

We are prone to hope that Godwill be like the modern indulgentparent and that there will be noreckoning if we, also, disobey Hisvoice. It is a vain hope. Judgment issure to come. As God punished Israel,so will He punish our disobedience.Let us never think otherwise. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall healso reap."

Dear friends, I could admonish younot to steal, not to kill, not to lie. Iwould rather write upon the "fleshlytables" of your hearts that all-inclusive command of God: "Obey myvoice!" I beseech you to obey for the

require obedience, gods who couldneither see, nor hear, nor punishthem for disobedience.

God's charge against Israel, however, was more severe than a merecharge of negligence or of followingthe easy path. He declared the chosenpeople to be stubborn of heart! Inyour Bibles you read, "They . . .walked everyone in the imaginationof their evil heart." But what theexpression really means, every timeit occurs in the Bible, is that thoseto whom it applied were stubborn andrebellious toward God. They hadhardened their hearts. They actuallyhated God, loving wickedness instead.

Therefore God says that Israel hadknowingly, willingly, actively, stubbornly disobeyed His voice, preferringsin and disobedience to righteousnessand obedience. It seems a seriouscharge to declare that people aboutus who refuse to obey God are likethis, but we live in an age when culture and courtesy cover up the realattitudes of men's hearts. It is onlyin unguarded moments or in times ofgreat stress that they betray theirreal feelings. Perhaps even in J eremiah's day the neighbors of idolatersand sinners would not have done so,but the God who knows the humanheart made that very charge.

112 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN April 10, 1941

fenbach praised the contributions ofthe secular press to religion. He declared that the daily newspaper "doesas much for the unity of religion asall the church journals combined."I f you turn that statement inside out,there's a lot of truth in it.

Promoti.on CompaignThe methods of big business and

the mechanics of Barnum and Baileyseem to be the fashion in organizedModernism today. Gigantic programs,billing headline performers of international fame, are taken on tour toevery important center of population,and enthusiasm is whipped frothy bya series of mammoth public meetings,then solidified by a score of intimatestudy groups and round table discussions, conducted by the experts. Theplanned result is that the humble layman, awed speechless by the dramaand magnitude of the spectacle, swallows hook, line and sinker and forevermore believes that the cavalcade

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and its message represent the ultimatein Christian spiritual values.

Such was the National ChristianMission. Such also will be the nowprojected "United Christian Education Advance," outlined in a two-dayconference at Cincinnati last month.The movement is interpreted by itssponsors as Protestantism uniting tocarry out the slogan, "Reach everyperson with Christian teaching." Theprogram will emphasize and promoteregular Bible readings and prayer illthe home, and "living as Christians"in the family; also to be emphasizedare increased attendance at churchservices and "improved teaching forChristian discipleship." In its relationto the community, the "Advance"program will promote the bringing ofevery person into the fellowship of achurch (presumably any church willdo), and the united effort of thechurches toward the creation of moreChristian communities.

The twenty-three representatives ofthe twenty leading denominations inthe United States, and the UnitedChurch of Canada, who attended theorganizational meeting, said it wasconceivable that every denominationcould take and use all of the idealsoutlined in the general program. (Forthe moment, apparently, The Orthodox Presbyterian Church had slippedtheir minds.) The project will begiven impetus through publicity nextfall, but the program will not beginfunctioning until early in 1942, whena series of one-day conventions willbe held in strategic centers from coastto coast. The movement is beingfathered by the International Councilof Religious Education in Chicago.

Malvern Comes to New HavenIn a warm glow over the Malvern

Conference of the Church of England(see THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN,:l\Iarch 25, 1941, p. 89), members ofthe Episcopal Church League for Industrial Democracy, a liberal andsocial-action group, met at NewHaven, Connecticut, to spend the entire session in discussing the Malvernresolutions in the light of Americanneeds. The 450 delegates resolvedthat: "We subscribe to the MalvernResolutions in spirit, also in letterexcept insofar as local circumstancesrequire modification." As at Malvern,the only gospel under considerationwas the social gospel so dear to thehearts of liberal theologians. A sadtravesty on a creed, presented by a

retired coffee importer, was muchapplauded, for it contained an adequate expression of the social evangelkeynoting the gathering. Significantexcerpts were:

I believe that we are all the children ofGod the Father, Almighty Maker ofHeaven and Earth.

I believe that, as God loves us, soshould we love our fellow men, everywhere.

I believe that, as Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, so should we be willing tosacrifice ourselves and what we possess tohelp needy men, women and children,everywhere on this earth. . . .

I believe that it is God's divine purposethat His bountiful and all-sufficient giftsto us should be shared by all mankind, andthat no nation or government shouldusurp or withhold from others a fair possession of His gifts.

Above all, I believe that I should do noinjustice to or take any unfair advantageof any man, woman or child, either directly or indirectly, and that I shoulddiscourage others from so doing by obeying God's commandment not to kill, steal,defraud or deceive, and not to covet whatrightfully belongs to others. .

All this I believe to be my boundenduty in helping to stop all warfare andhelp to promote peace on earth and goodwill to all men in order to help build theKingdom of God on earth (sic).

When Dr. Machen once remarkedthat this was not a creed-making age,he was apparently understating thefacts.

Japanese and AmericanChurchmen to Confer

Dr. Walter W. Van Kirk of theFederal Council of the Churches ofChrist in America has announced thata joint conference of American andJapanese church leaders will be heldin Los Angeles from April 20th to25th, in an effort to seek ways andmeans of improving relations betweenthe two countries. The meeting willclimax many weeks of negotiation between churchmen of the United Statesand Japan. It is expected that theAmerican delegation will include highchurch officials, missionary leadersand laymen representing various communions; it is also expected that allof them will be Federal Council members. The conference, according toDr. Van Kirk, will be "strictly religious in character" and will not inany sense be a political gathering.

"I have received information fromTokyo to the effect that the Japanesedeputation has no commission fromgovernment sources," said Dr. VanKirk, "nor has it any authority tomake proposals hearing upon the political situation."

-f1)

VOLUME 9, NO. 7 1!~1i 11 ~'-1al1

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Transcript of VOLUME 9, NO. 7 1!~1i 11 ~'-1al1