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NEn B. STONEHOUSE,

Editor

Published semi-monthly byTHE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY

1212 Commonwealth Building, Philadelphia, Pa.

THOMAS R. BIRCH,

Managing Editor

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PRINCETON'S NEW PRESIDENTAS THIS issue of THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIANgoes to press, on February 2nd, Dr. John A.

Mackay is being inaugurated as president of PrincetonTheological Seminary to succeed Dr. J. Ross Stevenson.If one may judge by the radical change in Princeton'spolicy which developed as the result of the inc1usivismof its last president, whose appeal to an inclusive churchled to the destruction of the old Princeton in 1929, theinauguration of a president is not a matter of smallmoment in the life of that institution. Our interest inestimating the significance of the choice of Dr. Mackay,it must be confessed, goes far beyond an academic inter­est in the history of the institution which for so manyyears was easily the most orthodox and most influentialseminary in the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Foreven since its reorganization its influence upon the lifeof that denomination has been considerable, and wemake no apology for our continued interest in the stateof the denomination which so many of us were com­pelled to leave in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.Indeed, even if we were inclined to ignore developmentsin the old organization, we could not for we have beenpursued relentlessly even in our exodus. Moreover, ourparticular interest in Princeton is timely in view of therecent reiteration of the old allegation that the issuesinvolved in the departure of certain professors anddirectors from Princeton in 1929 were altogether per­sonal or administrative as distinguished from doctrinal.

THE CLAIMS OF PRINCETONThe appointment of Dr. Mackay may well serve as

a test of the validity of the claim of loyalty to its historicposition which has been made by the authorities atPrinceton, notably in certain deliverances which werepublished in the Princeton Seminary Bulletin in Novem-

ber, 1929, a few months after Westminster Seminaryhad opened its doors:

"The reorganization of the Seminary undertaken andcompleted by the General Assembly was concerned onlywith the reorganization of the administration of the Semi­nary. It had nothing to do with its theological position,except to strengthen the safeguards whereby it should beheld to the teaching of the Reformed Theology in accord­ance with the standards of the Presbyterian Church inthe U.S.A."

"In the one hundred and seventeen years of its history,Princeton Seminary has stood with firm steadfastness forthe propagation at home and abroad, and for the scholarlydefense of Evangelical Christianity as formulated in thestandards of the Presbyterian Church. In taking up theduties assigned to it by the General Assembly, ... theBoard ... feels that it has a solemn mandate from theAssembly to continue unchanged the historic policy ofthe Seminary and to do nothing whatever to alter thedistinctive traditional position which the Seminary hasmaintained throughout its entire history."

The hollowness of these claims appeared at once in thefact that signers of the Auburn Affirmation were in­cluded in the membership of the new Board, apparentlywith the full approval of the other members. Fidelityto the historical doctrinal position of the Seminary wasinterpreted so liberally as to allow the inclusion in itsgoverning Board of some who had joined in an attackupon the full truthfulness of the Bible and had givenexpression to a radical indifference to a number of thecentral facts and doctrines of Christianity, including thesubstitutionary atonement and the bodily resurrectionof Christ. Consequently the subsequent appointment ofprofessors whose writings set forth positions at greatvariance with the historic orthodoxy of Princeton wasnot without warning. (See the articles of Dr. Van Til inChristianity Today, jan., Feb., 1933; Feb., Apr., May,1934.)

The Presbyterian Guardian Is published Iwlce a month by The Presbyterian Guardian Publishing Company. at the following rates. payable In advance. for either old or newsubscribers in any· part of the world. postage prepaid: $1.00 ver year; five or more centes, either to senarate addresses or in a package to one address. SOC ea.ch per year:Introductory rate. for new subscribers only: Two and a half months for 25c; 10c per copy. Address all editorial correspondence to: The Rev. Ned B. Stonehouse, Th.D. Noresponsibility Is assumed for unso1lclted manuscripts. EditorlJll and _eBB 01lIc.. : 1212 Commonwealth Bulld!nll. PhI1adelp!l\s,. Penna•

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182 THE PRESBYTERIAN' GUARDIAN

DR. MACKAY AND DR. STEVENSONA comparison of Dr. Mackay's recent activities with

the ecclesiastical policies which Dr. Stevenson advocatedwould suggest that the new administration will bemarked by continuity with the old. Dr. Stevenson, notonly through his position at Princeton but also throughhis connection with the Board of Foreign Missions andhis activity as Chairman of the Committee on ChurchCooperation and Union of the Presbyterian Church inthe U.S.A., has had a notable part in broadening thestream of the historic life of his denomination until inits inclusivism it has burst its banks and wiped out theboundari~s which the fathers had marked off in loyaltyto the Bible. If one bends every effort to make a churchinclusive, there can hardly be appreciation of a vigorousdefense of consistent Christianity or of zeal for ecclesi­astical reform.

Dr. Mackay served as a secretary of the Board ofForeign Missions until recently, and there is every indi­cation that he found no fault with its policies. In thesummary of his case against the Board of ForeignMissions Dr. Machen called attention to a number ofdisquieting utterances which had been made by Dr.Mackay (Modernism and the Board of Foreign Mis­sions, 1933, pp. 52 f.). Dr. Machen's severe indictment ofthe Board of Foreign Missions as being "deeply involvedin Modernist and destructive propaganda" has neverbeen answered. Claims to the contrary have been made,indeed, but the approval of the Board by the GeneralAssembly of 1933 proves the correctness of Dr.Machen's charges in view of the fact that this approvalwas given by way of adoption of a majority report whichincluded among its signers one of the authors ofRethinking Missions.

If this connection with the Board of Foreign Missionsleft any doubt as to Dr. Mackay's stand in the churchtoday, such doubt was completely removed by his activeparticipation in the recent "National Preaching Mission"which was carried out under the auspices of the FederalCouncil. Dr. Mackay recently hailed the "Mission" asexpressing "the essential unity of the Christian churchin her Lord" and as having prepared the way for a greatspiritual movement (The Presbyterian Banner for Jan­uary 7,1937). In the same issue of this magazine StanleyJones disclosed the doctrinal indifference which was atthe basis of this movement, as of nearly all of the mod­ern agitation for church union:

"We have tried to transcend the controversy betweenFundamentalists and Modernists. We have had both con­servative and radical in our group but held together by acommon loyalty to Christ and both devoted to the task ofevangelism....

"We have tried to head the Christian movement towardunity. A divided church has little authority in a divided

world on the subject of unity. The next great step withinthe Christian church is to come together. We feel that wehave definitely headed the Christian movement in thatdirection."

DR. MACKAY'S THEOLOGICAL POSITIONWhile Dr. Mackay has, therefore, very much in com­

mon with Dr. Stevenson so far as ecclesiastical policyis concerned, it appears that Dr. Mackay is rather dis­tinctive in his theological interest. He shares in therevival of interest in some form of theology, but un­fortunately his theology can hardly be identified withthe historic theology of Presbyterianism. In an articlewhich has appeared in The Journal of Religion forJanuary, 1937, entitled "Historical and SuperhistoricalElements in Christianity," Dr. Mackay blossoms out asa Barthian. This same point of view, though expressedmore vaguely, also appears in an address which has beenprinted in the Princeton Seminary Bulletin for Decem­ber, 1936.

Within the limits of this editorial it is neither possibleto expound these articles in any detail nor to show com­prehensively that Barthianism represents a serious de­parture from historic Calvinism. In the issue of THEPRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN for January 9th Dr. Van Tilshows how far Karl Barth's view of Scripture is frombeing in harmony with the traditional orthodox view.Certainly Dr. Mackay, even when he speaks directly ofthe Bible, is very far from setting forth the Bible as"the only infallible rule of faith and practice," the Wordof God which a Christian believes to be true. His viewrather seems to be that the Bible is merely an historicaldocument in which the superhistorical may be recognizedif only it is approached in the right way:

"The Bible is the chief document and source of his­torical Christianity. As a historical document it has some­times been converted into an idol, taking the place of Godand the eternal order. Subscription to a given interpreta­tion has frequently been identified with the essence ofChristianity.... The Bible gives up its secret only to thosewho approach God and the problem of life and destinyin the same spirit in which its writers did; and the strangenew world within it, the world of God, the superhistoricalworld, breaks through the historical form only to thewaiting eyes of sinners ..." (Journal of Religion, pp. 5 f.).

When Jesus told Peter at Caesarea Phillipi that hewas not minding the things of God, evidently His con­cern, according to Dr. Mackay's view, was not to chargePeter with failure to attend to the Old Testament revela­tion of God's redemptive plan, which was to be realizedthrough the coming of the Messiah, but rather to showthat Peter needed "to possess a world view and a senseof values that conform with the mind of God as thatmind has been revealed in Jesus Christ" (PrincetonSeminary Bulletin, Dec., 1936, pp. 4 f.).

The Scriptures evidently cease to be regarded as a

THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN" 183

.".completed revelation, given once for all, which is to bebelieved, and reflected upon, and witnessed to as awhole. The concern of the Christian is no longer to getthe message of the Bible straight-to learn of the un­folding of the redemptive purpose in the history ofChrist, both through prophecy and fulfillment-but toarrive at an attitude of mind like that of the variouswriters, and especially like the "mind of Christ," and soto recognize the symbolic meaning of the history ofChrist.

In short, this type of thought sets up a tension betweenthe historical and the superhistorical, between the tern-

poral and the eternal, which makes the universe ulti­mately irrational. Such irrationality, excluding, as itdoes, both the right of systematic theology and the neces­sity and possibility of a real apologetic, undermines thelife work of Charles Hodge and Warfield and the othergreat theologians of Princeton's past. Dr. Mackay maynot draw all of the conclusions that Barth draws fromhis premises, but of the observation that he espousesBarthianism in its main outlines there can be no ques­tion. And no historian of repute can possibly maintainthat Barthianism is in accord with the historic positionof Princeton.

Doorbell RebuHs and RebuttalsBy the REV. ROBERT L. VINING

A MINISTER of The Presbyte­rian Church of America enters

a strange city to open up a gospelwork. Thither he has been sent by theCommittee on Home Missions andChurch Extension. In his hand heholds a list of names, compiled fromsupporters of Westminster Seminaryand the Independent Board, subscrib­ers to THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN,and other reliable sources, and hencepresumably sympathetic to The Pres­byterian Church of America. As herings one doorbell he is greeted mostcordially. At another he is icily re­ceived.

There follows a list of the morefrequent objections raised against ThePresbyterian Church of America, to­gether with certain reflections by wayof rebuttal. Owing to the limitationsof space our answers are necessarilyof the briefest and are simply sug­gestive, never exhaustive.

Rebuff I. I detest controversy. Ithink we ought to continue as we are,and stop this deplorable bickering.

Answer. Except to 'belligerently­minded individuals, controversy isnever pleasant. Nevertheless it is oftenabsolutely essential if the truth is tobe maintained. Did not our Saviourengage so freely in controversy withthe Herodians, Pharisees and Saddu­cees on Tuesday of Passion Week thatthat day has been called the Day ofControversy?

The apostle Paul, who bids us toimitate him even as he imitated Christ,was a vigorous controversialist. Thematchless creeds adopted at the coun-

cils of the early church, were born outof the throes of spirited controversy.Purity and peace are both desirable ina church, but as between the two, pur­ity is preferable to peace, for peacewithout purity is contemptible.

Rebuff 2. I am opposed to anotherdenomination. Instead of further sub­dividing, denominations ought to unite.

Answer. That there are some 200denominations and sects in AmericanProtestantism is indeed scandalous.Many of these divisions, however,arose from petty or trivial differences.The division which produced ThePresbyterian Church of America oc­curred because the central truths ofChristianity were being denied in thePresbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Inorder to maintain an uncompromisingtestimony to the saving gospel of theLord Jesus Christ, and to the gloriousfundamentals of our faith, a divisionsimply had to take place.

Rebuff 3. I favor an independentor interdenominational evangelicalchurch.

Answer. There are several outstand­ing independent churches performinga notable work for the Lord. Never­theless, an independent church has twoserious limitations. The first is thelack of blessed fellowship with soundsister churches, such as the fellowshipenjoyed by the churches belonging toThe Presbyterian Church of America.Independent churches are like home­less orphans. More serious is the lackof a comprehensive creed, and the ab­sence of a higher judicatory to insti­tute discipline should heresy rear itsugly head.

Rebuff 4. The issue is constitutional,not doctrinal.

Answer. This question has beenfully discussed in the pages of THEPRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN. Permit usto call two facts to your mind. Was itnot of tremendous significance that,when the cases of Dr. Machen andother members of the IndependentBoard were heard before the Perma­nent Judicial Commission of the Gen­eral Assembly of the PresbyterianChurch in the U.S.A., four of theseven ministerial members of thatcommission were signers of the hereti­cal Auburn Affirmation? The stanch­est defenders of the faith were or­dered suspended from the Presbyterianministry by a Commission domi­nated by men who have assailed theessentials of our faith. Again, in thecase of the Rev. John J. De Waard ofCedar Grove, Wisconsin, the doctrinalissue alone was involved. In loyalty tohis ordination vows this faithful min­ister, having no connection whateverwith the Independent Board, warnedhis congregation against the hereticalcontents of some of the publicationsof the Board of Christian Education,and of the Board of Foreign Missions,of the Presbyterian Church in theU.S.A. For that "offence," his pastoralrelationship with his people was sum­marily dissolved, flatly contrary to thedesires of the great majority of thecongregation.

Rebuff 5. Someone is lying. You de­clare one thing; influential Presbyte­rian leaders declare something en­tirely different.

Answer. You must decide which wit-

184 THE PRESBYTERIAN' GUARDIAN

A study of the Opening Verses of Genesis

By the REV. EDWARD J. YOUNG

The Creation of the Heavenand the Earth

ness is most trustworthy. Will you be­lieve the Modernist who asserts theBible contains numerous errors, whowould make God a liar? Or will youbelieve us, who earnestly endeavor todefend the inerrancy, the full trust­worthiness of the Bible?

Rebuff 6. My pastor is sound.. Answer. You naturally assume so.Do you have positive proof? Can hebe called truly sound or a true evan­gelical if he remains a part of a greatecclesiastical system, a system whichhas officially dethroned the Lord JesusChrist as the Head of the Church.Moreover, by your gifts to the Boardsof the Presbyterian Church in theU.S.A. you are supporting propa­ganda, some of which is literally lead­ing precious souls of deluded men andwomen, boys and girls, into eternaldamnation.

Rebuff 7. I am a worker in thechurch, an elder, a Sunday Schoolteacher, and doing a great work.

Answer. Saul of Tarsus was exceed­ingly diligent in religious activities,but his zeal was not according toknowledge. Do you know the extent towhich Modernism has engulfed thePresbyterian Church in the U.S.A.?At least nine missionaries under theBoard of Foreign Missions of thePresbyterian Church in the U.S.A.have been compelled for conscience'sake to resign from an organizationwhose work was sadly vitiated byModernism. One hundred ministershave withdrawn from the Presbyte­rian Church in the U.S.A., convincedthey could no longer effectively serveGod in an organization which has be­come unmistakably apostate.

Rebuff 8. My ancestors have wor­shiped and labored in this church forgenerations.

Answer. It is true a certain churchmay have a very hallowed and pre­cious association for you by reason ofsacred memories. Yet, to the Samari­tan woman, zealous for Mt. Gerizim,our Lord declared that worship is notprimarily a matter of place, but ofspirit. Many of us meeting in build­ings woefully deficient aestheticallyhave experienced the joy of the Lordas we never did in a lovely churchedifice. Can you longer worship Godin a building over whose portals theawful . word, "Ichabod," has beencarved by an unseen Hand? Will youplace more value upon bricks andstone than upon loyalty to yourSaviour?

Rebuff 9. I am personally in sym­pathy with you, but my family is op­posed to my making a change.

Answer. What said our Saviour?"He that loveth father or mother morethan me is not worthy of me; and hethat loveth son and daughter morethan me is not worthy of me."

Rebuff 10. I am too old to make achange.

Answer. Psychologically, it is moredifficult for an elderly person to makea change than for a younger person.On the other hand, as we grow inyears, we should grow in Christianconvictions and in sturdiness of char­acter. Questions of right and wrongdo not vary with our age. God has nodouble standard, one for persons of

WIT H majestic simplicity thefirst verse of Genesis answers

the question of the origin of theheaven and the earth. Skeptics andunbelievers may speak of the "riddleof the universe," but the Bible saysthat God is its Creator. This factunderlies all that the Scriptures teach.In both the Old and the New Testa­ments it is everywhere assumed thatthere is but one living and true God,who alone is "infinite, eternal and un­changeable," and who is the Creatorof all things visible and invisible. Tothe Christian this doctrine of crea­tion presents the only logical view ofthe world and of life, for it alonegives a rational explanation of thetemporal universe. Forever does itdispose of the errors of dualism andpantheism, and thus is truly an Archi­medean point upon which the Chris­tian may stand to face the world. Soclear, so concise and so dignified arethese first words of the Bible thatthe Christian church has ever turnedto them as the most sublime state­ment of the origin of the heaven andthe earth.

A Startling TranslationHas the church, however, been jus­

tified in deriving from these words a

twenty, and one for people of eighty.Right is right whether you are twentyor eighty. Besides, the nearer we ap­proach life's end, the more closely weshould follow the Lord, so that we maybe ready when the angel of the Lordcomes to carry us Home, or be un­ashamed should Christ return. Con­sider Caleb, who, at eighty-five, askedfor Hebron, because there were giantsthere!

A friend recently told me that hepreached a message on the words ofour Lord, "Lovest thou me more thanthese?" This is the grand reply towhatever objection is raised. Our ulti­mate decision depends upon our per­sonal devotion and loyalty to the LordJesus Christ.

doctrine of absolute creation? Doesthis first verse of Genesis really teachthe doctrine of creation out of noth­ing? Or is it true that even here inthe Bible we find naught but a dual­ism that would rule out the teachingof absolute creation?

These questions are by no meansout of place, for in certain recenttranslations of the Old Testament thisverse appears in truly strange garb.Startling, indeed, are these transla­tions, for they make this first verseof the Bible tell us something entirelydifferent from that to which we havebeen accustomed. Thus, for example,The Short Bible translates Genesis1: 1-3: "When God began to createthe heavens and the earth, the earthwas a desolate waste, with darknesscovering the abyss and a tempestuouswind raging over the surface of thewaters. Then God said, Let there belight!" Quite similar is the transla­tion of Dr. Moffatt, "When God be­gan to form the universe, .the worldwas void and vacant, darkness layover the abyss; but the Spirit of Godwas hovering over the waters, andGod said, Let there be light."

Probably that which is most sur­prising .in these translations is thefact that the first verse of Scriptureis not treated as an independent state-

THE PRESBYTERIAN' GUARDIAN 185

ment, but rather as dependent uponthe thought contained in verse two.The meaning thus appears to be con­siderably changed. The doctrine ofcreation out of nothing seems to beruled out altogether, and, instead, theverse is made to teach that at the be­ginning of God's creative activity, thematerial upon which God worked wasalready present.

For our part, we are decidedly ofthe opinion that this translation shouldbe rejected. True enough, it is gram­matically possible, but extremely un­likely. Even Wellhausen, strong ashe was in his opposition to the con­servative view of the Old Testament,speaks of this construction as a des­perate one. As students of Scripture,our purpose is to discover the mostnatural interpretation of a verse, andnot the most unnatural. That we arenot mistaken in calling this transla­tion unnatural is shown by the factthat not one of the ancient versionsof the Bible employs it. Rather, with­out exception, they translate the versein the manner familiar to us.Dangerous Implications

It is indeed difficult in an articleof this kind to point out the variousobjections to these "modernist" trans­lations of Genesis 1: 1, for to do sowould involve a discussion of Hebrewgrammar which would obviously beout of place here. Hence, we shallmerely call attention to two danger­ous consequences which follow fromthese new translations.

In the first place it should be notedthat the emphasis of the first twoverses of Genesis is shifted from Godto the earth. The style of these twoverses is similar to that of the re­mainder of the chapter, which, withstately simplicity, in brief yet trulygrand declarations, proceeds fromone concluded sentence to another,depicting the power of God in crea­tion.

This has been changed, however,by these modern translations. Nolonger do we see statement afterstatement following one another inthe first chapter and depicting God'screative agency, for this generalorder has been broken by the intro­duction of a complex sentence at thevery beginning, which immediatelyfocuses its attention upon the earth.Whereas in the King James Version,the emphasis is upon the word God,we note that God and His activity arenow relegated to a dependent clause,

"When God began to create, at thattime the earth was. . . ." Thus ourBible at the outset becomes earth­centered and not God-centered. Howat variance this is with the remainderof the first chapter! Howat variance,indeed, with the remainder of theBible!

Secondly, this interpretation, to saythe least leads dangerously close todualism. In opposition to this conten­tion, however, it might conceivablybe argued that the rigorous theism ofthe first chapter is not impaired bythe translations under discussion. Isit not possible, so the argument mightrun, that at some time prior to theaction spoken of in our verse, Goddid actually create the material whichthis verse says was existing when Hebegan to form the heaven and theearth? Thus, originally there couldhave been a creation out of nothing,but such a creation is simply notmentioned here.

TheMachen Memorial

Number

A DDITIONAL copies of the~ J. Gresham MachenMemorial Number of "ThePresbyterian Guardian" arestill available for general dis­tribution. The demand forcopies has been unusuallyheavy, and we are anxiousthat no one shall be disap­pointed. If you plan to ordercopies, either for personal useor general distribution, wesuggest that you write at onceto the offices of "The Pres­byterian Guardian," enclosingyour remittance at the rate ofIOc a copy.

VVe regret to annoUncethat the supply of copies ofDr. Machen's sermon, "TheChurch of God," is now com­pletely exhausted. A very fewcopies of the sermon, "Con­IItraining Love," are still avail­able as this issue goes to press,but their number will soon bedepleted. Requests should besent promptly, and will befilled in the order received.

Such a supposition is of coursepossible, but extremely improbable. Ifsuch were the case, we should haveno means of knowing it. However,from these verses we are not requiredto make such a supposition. In ourinterpretation of Scripture we mustbe extremely careful to observe thatwhich our Confession of Faith calls"the consent of all the parts" ofScripture (I: 5). Is it probable thatthe remainder of this chapter ofGenesis would teach a high doctrineof theism and the first two versesleave room for virtual dualism?Simply because a translation is gram­matically possible does not mean thatit faithfully presents the thought ofthe original author. What we havein these modern renderings is a pos­sjble translation of Hebrew words,but not at all the thought that Moseshad in mind when, by the inspirationof the Holy Spirit, he wrote them.

It was one of the glories of Calvinas an exegete that, in his interpreta­tion of Scripture, he sought to under­stand a verse in the light of itscontext. Those who advocate therendering of Genesis 1: 1, 2 to whichwe are opposed, seem in this instanceto do the very opposite. The harmonyof the chapter is not preserved bythese translations but rather, is seri­ously impaired. How utterly improb­able that two verses should implya virtual dualism, whereas the .re­mainder of the chapter should soglorify and exalt the creative andformative activity of almighty God,that men have always found in itsverses robust theism, pure and un­defiled!

Home Missions Committeeto Hold Prayer Meetings

BE GINN ING on Monday, February15th, the Committee on Home

Missions and Church Extension ofThe Presbyterian Church of Americawill inaugurate a series of regularmonthly prayer-meetings on behalf ofthe work of the committee: Thesemeetings will be held in the offices ofthe committee at 1212 CommonwealthBuilding, 12th and Chestnut Streets,Philadelphia, from 12.15 to I P. M.

The first service will be led by theRev. Edwin H. Rian, General Secre­tary of the committee, and everymember and friend of The Presby­terian Church of America is cordiallyinvited to attend.

186 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN

Recent Tributes to Dr. MachenExcerpts from a Few of the Testimonies That Have Been Received

Since the Death of Dr. Machen

-»

H. L. Mencken(Reprinted from the Baltimore

EVENING SUN of January 18, 1937)

TH E Rev. J. Gresham Machen,D.D., who died out in North

Dakota on New Year's Day, got, onthe whole, a bad press while he lived,and even his obituaries did much lessthan justice to him. To newspaperreporters, as to other antinomians,a combat between Christians over amatter of dogma is essentially acomic affair, and in consequence Dr.Machen's heroic struggles to saveCalvinism in the Republic were usuallydepicted in ribald, or, at all events, insomewhat skeptical terms.... But hewas actually a man of great learning,and what is more, of sharp intelli­gence.... He saw clearly that theonly effects that could follow dilutingand polluting Christianity in the mod­ernist manner would be its completeabandonment and ruin. Either it wastrue or it was not true. If, as he be­lieved, it was true, then there couldbe no compromise with persons whosought to whittle away its essentialpostulates, however respectable theirmotives.

Thus he fell out with the reformerswho have been trying, in late years, toconvert the Presbyterian Church intoa kind of literary and social club, de­voted vaguely to good works.... Hisone and only purpose was to hold itresolutely to what he conceived to bethe true faith. When that enterprisemet with opposition he fought vigor­ously, and though he lost in the endand was forced out of Princeton itmust be manifest that he marched offto Philadelphia with all the honorsof war.

My interest in Dr. Machen while helived, though it was large, was notpersonal, for I never had the honor ofmeeting him.... Though I could notyield to his reasoning I could at leastadmire, and did greatly admire, hisremarkable clarity and cogency as anapologist, allowing him his primaryassumptions.

These assumptions were also made,at least in theory, by his opponents,and thereby he had them by the ear.Claiming to be Christians as he was,

and of the Calvinish persuasion, theyendeavored fatuously to get rid of allthe inescapable implications of theirposition. On the one hand they soughtto retain membership in the fellow­ship of the faithful, but on the otherhand they presumed to repeal andreenact with amendments the body ofdoctrine on which that fellowshiprested. In particular, they essayedto overhaul the scriptural authoritywhich lay at the bottom of the wholematter, retaining what coincided withtheir private notions and rej ectingwhatever upset them.

Upon this contumacy Dr. Machenfell with loud shouts of alarm. Hedenied absolutely that anyone had aright to revise and sophisticate HolyWrit. Either it was the Word of Godor it was not the Word of God, andif it was, then it was equally authori­tative in all its details, and had to beaccepted or rejected as a whole. Any­one was free to reject it, but no onewas free to mutilate it or to readthings into it that were not there.Thus the issue with the Modernistswas clearly joined, and Dr. Machenargued them quite out of court, andsent them scurrying back to theirliterary and sociological Kaffee­klatsche. . . .

It is my belief, as a friendly neutralin all such high and ghostly matters,that the body of doctrine known asModernism is completely incompatible,not only with anything rationally de­scribable as Christianity, but also withanything deserving to pass as religionin general. Religion, if it is to retainany genuine significance, can never bereduced to a series of sweet attitudes,possible to anyone not actually in jailfor felony. It is, on the contrary, acorpus of powerful and profound con­victions, many of them not open tological analysis. Its inherent improba­bilities are not sources of weakness toit, but of strength. It is potent in aman in proportion as he is willingto reject all overt evidences, andaccept its fundamental postulates,however unprovable they may be bysecular means, as massive and incon­trovertible facts.

These postulates, at least in the

Western world, have been challengedin recent years on many grounds, andin consequence there has been a con­siderable decline in religious belief.There was a time, two or three cen­turies ago, when the overwhelmingmajority of educated men were be­lievers, but that is apparently true nolonger. Indeed, it is my impressionthat at least two-thirds of them arenow frank skeptics. But it is onething to reject religion altogether,and quite another thing to try to saveit by pumping out of it all its essentialsubstance, leaving it in the equivocalposition of a sort of pseudo-science,comparable to graphology, "educa­tion," or osteopathy.

That, it seems to me, is what theModernists have done, no doubt withthe best intentions in the world. Theyhave tried to get rid of all the logicaldifficulties of religion, and yet pre­serve a generally pious cast of mind.It is a vain enterprise. What theyhave left, once they have achievedtheir imprudent scavenging, is hardlymore than arow of hollow platitudes,as empty a§.'psychological force andeffect as so many nursery rhymes.They may be good people, and theymay even be contented and happy,but they are no more religious thanDr. Einstein. Religion is somethingelse again-in Henrik Ibsen's phrase,something far more deep-down-divingand mud-upbringing. Dr. Machentried to impress that obvious factupon his fellow adherents of theGeneva Mohammed. He failed-buthe was undoubtedly right.

Albert C. Dieffenbach(Reprinted from the Boston

EVENING TRANSCRIPT ofJanuary 9,1937)

J GRESHAM MACHEN will be• honored long wherever men

understand his character and his mis­sion. Those who disagreed with himknew his power....

No other man equalled Dr. Machenin recognized command of the situa­tion. That his passing brings into re­lief the lack of success of the great

THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 187

religious adventure only slightly dimsthe significance of the fundamentalcharacter of the issue. There has notbeen and there will not be a surrenderby the conservative Presbyterians.What Dr. Machen represented in doc­trinal conviction is believed by a verylarge number of ministers and lay­men. They will now gather about anew leadership. But Machen's nameis secure.

Out of the historic issue of funda­mentalism, which began about 1920in the Northern Baptist churches buthas continued unabated among aminority in the Presbyterian Churchin the U.S.A., that is, the NorthernPresbyterian Church, he emerges indeath as the theologian and crusader,as learned and valiant a spiritualwarrior as the Protestant church hasproduced in modern times.

Newspaper readers and the unin­formed opponents of Dr. Machenwithin his own household have fash­ioned in their minds a characteriza­tion of the man which is in fact acaricature. J. Gresham Machen wasa gentleman. That is the word. Bornof an excellent family of the South,in Baltimore, Machen was a Christianafter the Presbyterian order. Andthat means a living, doctrinal, cul­tured and spiritual faith....

Now all that Machen ever did wasto hold fast to the faith and insistthat those of his denomination whohad taken their vows should do like­wise. He was unwilling to yield aninch to the trend of modern thought.That in his sight did not touch theeternal Word of God, unchanging andunchangeable. He had the scholarshipto make himself read and heard....

Whatever the developments may be,one must salute the great spirit ofMachen who knew the height anddepth and breadth of religion. Differfrom him as one will, he was a Chris­tian of apostolic ardor. He believedin the infallible Bible, the virginbirth of Jesus, the atoning sacrificeof Christ, the final and complete re­demptive authority of God. Machenwas not intolerant in the harsh sense;He was a lover of his fellows, a com­panion of the greatest charm, and hefought for what he believed was thetruth always in the Christian spirit.Of course he did not tolerate what hefelt was wrong, and no real persondoes. Tolerance after this manner isimmoral and mean. Machen was afundamentalist in the sense that he

would make his doctrines prevail ifhe could, but though he was a formid­able protagonist, and stood defiantand sometimes vehement against ac­tions that to him were ethically eviland intellectually subversive of Chris­tianity, it is hazarding little to saythat in all of his embattled career hedid not forget his cause or himself.

It is very hard for most people whoread thus far to understand how sucha man, with his academic discipline inlarge part received in a l1beral atmos­phere, could be such a doctrinaire.But the writer, for one, can under­stand. Setting aside what Dr. Machenbelieved, which it is not suitable forme to estimate, I say it is of priorimportance that he believed. Heserved his day by a deepening belief.He sought the truth diligently, de­votedly, and with dedication. VeritasVas Liberabit.

Pearl S. Buck(Reprinted from THE NEW REPUBLIC

of January 20, I937)

I ADMIRED Dr. Machen very muchwhile I disagreed. with him on

every point. And we had much thesame fate. I was kicked out of theback door of the church and he waskicked out of the front one. He re­taliated by establishing a church ofhis own. The mother church wascalled the Presbyterian Church of theUnited States of America, but hegave his church a bigger name-thePresbyterian Church of America. Ofcourse what he did not realize wasthat he could never have lived in achurch. As soon as it had become anentity he would have had to compro­mise with this opinion or that, ormore impossible still to him, with amajority opinion, and he would havehad to break again with them all. Onemight say death was merciful to him,except I have an idea he enjoyed hiswars.

The man was admirable. He nevergave in one inch to anyone. He neverbowed his head. It was not in himto trim or compromise, to accept anypeace that was less than triumph. Hewas a glorious enemy because he wascompletely open and direct in hisangers and hatreds. He stood forsomething and everyone knew whatit was. There was no shilly-shally inhim. His attacks were intelligentlyconceived and logically executed, with

a ruthlessness that was extraordinaryin its consistency. In another agehe would have burned people at thestake in serene confidence that he wasserving his God truly. And so hewould have been, for his God wasa jealous God, and he served with awhole-heartedness of which only afew great spirits are capable. In a pres­ent world of dubious woven grays,his life was a flaming thread of scar­let, regardless and undismayed. Hewas afraid of nothing and of no one.Fortunately he was called to thelimited field of Protestant religion.In the Catholic Church he might havebecome a dangerously powerful figure,and had he found his expression inpolitics, our country might havechosen him as the first candidate fordictatorship. It was therefore a com­paratively mild matter that he merelyhounded from the church those whoheld a creed different from his own.

The church has lost a colorfulfigure and a mind which stimulatedby its constant contrary activities. Headded life to the church, and it needslife. And we have all lost somethingin him. We have lost a man whomour times can ill spare, a man whohad convictions which were real tohim and who fought for those convic­tions and held to them through everychange in time and human thought.There was a power in him which waspositive in its very negations. He wasworth a hundred of his fellows who,as princes of the church, occupy easyplaces and play their church politicsand trim their sails to every wind,who in their smug observance of theconventions of life and religion offendall honest and searching spirits. Noforthright mind can live among them,neither the honest skeptic nor thehonest dogmatist. I wish Dr. Machenhad lived to go on fighting them.

The Faculty of WestminsterTheological Seminary

IN THE death of its chairman, Dr.J. Gresham Machen, the faculty of

Westminster Theological Seminaryloses a man of simple Christian faith.The home in which he was rearedwas a home of culture and refinementbut first of all a home of child-likefaith. In that faith of his childhoodDr. Machen continued to live and inthe joy of the sufficiency of that faithhe died.

188 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN

Dr. Machen was a great Christianscholar. The Christian Faith was forhim not .something that he merelytreasured for himself. The ChristianFaith, he held, was of world-widesignificance. It is the business ofChristian scholarship to serve the ex­position, the defense and the spreadof the gospel. In his many publica­tions, both popular and technical, Dr.Machen has set forth the ChristianFaith and defended it against modernunbelief in a clear and forceful way.His great learning was ever at theservice of his Lord.

Dr. Machen was a great teacher.Ministers of the gospel must betrained to preach the Faith to "Christ'slittle ones" within the church andwithout : the church, at home andabroad. These ministers of the gospelmust be equipped to preach the wholecounsel of God in the midst of amodern, hostile world. Hence in allhis many activities his work as ateacher always took first place. Hetaught by the contagion of his per­sonality but more so by his detailedknowledge of fact and clarity of ex­position. He knew the Scriptures andespecially the New Testament as fewhave known it. His students learnedof him to .know and to believe theBible as the Word of God. Theylearned of him to love to preach thegospel in its integrity and its sim­plicity.

Dr. Machen was a great preacher.True Christian scholarship, he held,"is important in order that we maytell the story of Jesus and His lovestraight and full and plain." .Withsimplicity and lucidity, with eloquenceborn of conviction and of knowledgeof the truth he brought the gospelunto men. No distance was too great,no audience too small for him; hetruly loved the Lord.

Dr. Machen was a great defenderof the Faith. He held that "the Chris­tian life is founded upon Christiandoctrines as set forth in the Wordof God" and also that "the Christianreligion requires and is capable ofscholarly exposition and defence." Dr.Machen was peculiarly fitted to de­fend the Faith. His great heart sym­pathized with those who doubted.He had himself been harassed withdoubt. He listened with patience tothose who sought to defend a half­hearted Christianity. He had himselfbeen "playing with the notion that aminimizing apologetic may serve the

needs of the church." But "later in­vestigation and meditation" convincedhim "that consistent Christianity isthe easiest Christianity to defend, andthat consistent Christianity-the onlythoroughly Biblical Christianity-isfound in the Reformed Faith." Withpainstaking research and scientificmethod Dr. Machen sought to defendthe Reformed Faith which he lovedso. well. His publications in this fieldserve as source books for those whoseek to follo~ him.

Dr. Machen was 'a great churchleader. He was a man of penetratingvision. He understood the deadly"spirit of the age" as it is at workin the church of Christ. He set be­fore himself and others the goalnot of some half-hearted but of athorough reform in the church. Everythought must be brought into. obedi­ence to Christ, the Head of thechurch. Seeing this great vision of atrue reform in the church he con­sistently strove to reach his ideal. Heallowed nothing to discourage him.When others hesitated or stoppedshort he went forward still. He waswilling to pay the price of scornand derision for the sake of Christ.Those who followed him followedhim gladly; he led them always, andonly, by the force of his reasoningand by free discussion. He dislikeddictators in politics; in the churchthey were for him the enemies ofChrist usurping His authority. By theclarity of his vision, the consistencyof his effort, the honesty of hismethod, the enthusiasm of his workand the buoyancy of his spirit he wasa never-failing source of inspirationto those who laboured with him.

The Students of WestminsterSeminC,lryMEMBERS OF THE FACULTY:

AT THIS time we as students de­sire to express to you our deep

sympathy in the loss of your colleagueand our professor, Dr. Machen. Werejoice with you in knowing that heis "present with the Lord, which isfar better."

Already we sense a binding to­gether in a renewed purpose to goforward in our preparation to pro­claim and contend for the full gospelof our Lord Jesus Christ in loyaltyto the principles of the Word. We areconvinced that the things for which

Dr. Machen stood are of supreme andeternal importance.

Realizing the immediate problemsconfronting you as to the New Testa­ment work for the remainder of thisschool year, we wish to assure youof our confidence in you and our de­sire to co-operate in whatever plansseem best. Weare determined thatthe Seminary shall go forward, andto this end we assure you that yourpurpose is our purpose in the entireprogram of our school. -

Praying for God's continued guid­ance and blessing upon our belovedSeminary according to the riches ofHis grace in Christ, we remain-

Yours in deepest sympathy,The Student Association,

BURTON L. GODDARD, Secretary.

Excerpts From O.ther Tributes

FOR his uncompromising testimonythat "liberalism" was radically

different from Bible Christianity,Machen suffered. But the graciousGod, to whom he had committed him­self and his cause, saw to it that,when he had borne enough, he wasexalted to the Church above. He gaveup everything for his faith ; but theGod in whom he believed was faithfulto him in life and in death.-THE REV: W. c. ROBINSON, D.D.,

The Presbyterian of the South.

I admired him for his stalwartfaith, his unswerving loyalty to Christand the Bible, his clear and definiteconvictions, his unique and forcefulway of stating his views, and his un­daunted courage....-THE REV. PROFESSOR LEANDER S.

- KEYSER, D.D.

Dr. Machen knew the Truth. Hewas a wonderful expositor, fearlessin his position, and left a lasting im­pression upon those who heard him.The Synod of Mississippi has hadmany outstanding men to appear uponconference programs over a longperiod of years, but never one thatwas heard with greater interest thanDr. Machen. The church and nationhave sustained a great loss.~R. L. LANDIS, Director of Religious

Education of the Synod of Missis­sippi, Presbyterian Church in theU.S.

In a very true sense he gave hislife for what he believed. In an age

.'

..

THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 189

..

when such firmness is far too rare,when goodwill and tolerance tooeasily slip into indifference, all reallovers of truth and right should feelabove all a very real respect for sosturdy a soul. While others, whoshared his convictions, temporizedand compromised when the crucialtest came, he held firm and paid theprice; and we honor him as a stead­fast example of faithfulness evenunto death.

-THE REV. WILLIAM PIERSONMERRILL,

The Presbyterian Tribune.

The cause of orthodoxy has lostits most prominent champion in ourcountry, the church of Christ a trulygreat reformer, the PresbyterianChurch of America its foremost mem­ber and leader, the students of West­minster Seminary a beloved teacher.. . . We knew him to be, not thepugnacious individual which his ene­mies imagined or pretended he was,but a most gentle and gracious Chris­tian, a man with a tender and lovingheart.-THE REV. H. J. KUIPER, Editor of

THE BANNER of the ChristianReformed Church.

I do not hesitate to say that he wasthe world's greatest New Testamentscholar, and those who attempted toanswer him were thrown back likewaves. that beat against an eternalrock. He was the greatest championof the Reformed Faith of the world.... I believe Dr. Machen was also aman, as he would have to be, of in­tense convictions and wonderful cour­age. . . . Then Dr. Machen was ahumble Christian. I do not know anyman that I have ever known that wasas truly humble before his God as hewas. He was a man of principle; ofcourse he was a man of intense Biblestudy. He was a man who gave hisheart wholly and unreservedly to theLord Jesus Christ. . . .

Here was a man who was thegreatest of all in his life, and in hisdeath generated a power that willalmost pull down the adversaries ofthe Son of God and exalt Him andHis cross high above all things, thatmen will return from the uttermostends of the earth to be sprinkled withthe blood of the Lamb of God thattaketh away the sins of the world.

-THE REV. MAITLANDALEXANDER, D.D.

He was the greatest theologian anddefender of the Christian faith thatthe church of our day has produced.More than any other man of ourgeneration, Dr. Machen tore the maskfrom the face of unbelief whichparades under the name of Modern­ism in the Christian church. . . .

Like Paul he kept the faith de­livered unto the saints, and like Paul'snoble companion, Barnabas, "He wasa good man, and full of the HolyGhost."-THE REV. CLARENCE EDWARD

MACARTNEY, D.D.,The Presbyterian.

The immortality of the truths ofwhich Dr. Machen was in his daythe truest, ablest, and most uncom­promising defender and exemplarwill attach to him. While these truthslive his name cannot die. . . . .

A goodly number down in Missis­sippi remember Dr. Machen withhonor and warm affection. They sawin him humility of spirit, love for thetruth, courage of conviction. He andthey loved the same Bible, as the giftto them by the Father above, theybelieved the same story as to theVirgin and the Baby; they looked to­gether to Him, as the Lamb of Godthat taketh away the sin of the world;they had the same hope of the resur­rection of their dead, and of life ever­lasting. They mourn that they shallsee his face no more. They wouldask, "Know ye not there is a princeand a great man fallen this day inIsrael?"

-THE REV. J. B. HUTTON, D.D.,The Mississippi Visitor.

Our Presbyterian Church of Amer­ica and Christians everywhere havelost a great leader and defender. Hewas a superb teacher, a helpful andclear writer, a forceful speaker, ex­ceptionally endowed with penetratingand convincing logic, a thorough andexceptional Bible student and exegete,a deeply devout and reverent wor­shipper, a very humble servant of theLord, remarkably steadfast in faithand courageously unyielding in prin­ciple. He was a tower of strengthand a great help to Christians every­where in this age of modernistic un­belief and apostasy.

-THE REV. EVERETT C. DEVELDE.

I regarded him, in point of scholar­ship, force of personality, and effec-

tive service, as the first Protestantminister in the nation; and in hislamented decease I feel that the causeof evangelical Christianity in thiscountry has lost its ablest exponentand defender.

-THE REV. R. A. MEEK, D.D.,formerly Editor of the NewOrleans CHRISTIAN ADVOCATEjand of THE SOUTHERN METHO­DIST.

(EDITOR's NOTE: The following trib­ute is of unusual interest, since itwas written by Dr. Conrad less thanthree weeks before his death onJanuary 22nd, at the age of eighty­one.)

I am heartbroken over Dr. Ma­chen's death. Oh, what a soldier hewas! I know God has some brave manto take command. Dr. Machen did nothave an opponent worthy to tie hisshoes.

My prayerful interest abides withyou all. I am still very critically ill.I may soon see Dr. Machen.

I sympathize with you.A. Z. CONRAD.

I not only loved him as a personalfriend, but I regarded him as thegreatest theologian in the English­speaking world. The whole cause ofevangelical Christianity has lost itsgreatest leader.

-THE REV. CASPAR WISTARHODGft, PlI.D.

I feel his rapture a universal loss.Had he not taught us to depend onthe Lord so unreservedly, I wouldfeel nothing less than despair aboutthe fate of his work. I am sure you[the Faculty of Westminster Semi­nary] feel the same way and as menclosest to him you will do your utmostto uphold the torch which has fallenout of his strong hands.

-THE REV. CHARLES VINCZE,Minister of the Magyar

Reformed Church.

For many years he has been a mostkind and interested friend to me inthe writing in which I have been en­gaged, and I have had for him awarm admiration and profound won­der at his courage and power. I re­gard the loss of Dr. Machen to thecause of true Christianity as verygreat and to be truly mourned.

-CAROLINE ATWATER MASON.

190 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN

Your Memorial SubscriptionA Reminder

To the SubScribers of "The Presbyterian Guardian"

This issue of "The Presbyterian Guardian" has been published inmemory of Dr. J. Gresham Machen, as our tribute to a great Christian,a noble leader, and a true friend.

"The Presbyterian Guardian" was an enterprise very near anddear to his heart. Less than a week before he died he spoke of hislonging that the paper might reach at least twice as many personsas at present. Will you assist us in achieving that goal?

PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN into theirhands? And how can we get it intothe hands of the hosts of others, inother denominations, who should bereceiving it regularly? How can ourmovement grow if the people areignorant of the facts?

I never spoke with him again; butthose words are stillringing in my ears. Tospread the truth, to edu­cate, to inform, to in­spire, and to bless­these are the tasks towhich Dr. Machen ded­icated THE PRESBYTE­RIAN GUARDIAN. And tothe accomplishment ofthose tasks the presenteditorial staff is un­swervingly committed.But we cannot do italone.

THE PRESBYTERIANGUARDIAN must go for­ward. But it can goforward only with thefull cooperation bfeveryone of the pres­ent subscribers.

No doubt many ofyou who intend to havea part in this importantwork have merely de­layed in sending in yoursubscriptions. If that istrue in your case, whynot use the reply en­velope in the binding ofthis issue to send yourmemorial subscriptionnow? This is our op-portunity to honor thememory of Dr. Machenby fulfilling a desirethat was very close tohis heart. At the sametime we will greatly aidin the building up of the

church and the edification of the saints,and the impact of THE PRESBYTERIANGUARDIAN will be doubly strength­ened. In this way we shall honor notonly the name of Dr. Machen, but alsothe name of Dr. Machen's Saviourand Master, Jesus Christ our Lord.

-THOMAS R. BIRCH.

THOMAS R. BIRCH,Managing Editor.

Faithfully yours,

many of you who have not yet sentyour memorial gifts.

Let me tell you of my last tele­phone conversation with Dr. Machen.It followed the third weekly broad­cast of religious news presented overradio station WIP on the day afterChristmas, and he called to offer com-

ments and suggestions. How I wish,he said in closing, that our papercould this year reach twice as manypeople as last year! Certainly it isdisappointing to realize that there aresome members of The PresbyterianChurch of America who have not yetsubscribed. How can we get THE

Dear Friends:

Will you, as your memorial to Dr. Machen, send us at least adollar, together with the name and address of some friend not nowreceiving "The Presbyterian Guardian"? To that friend we will senda card. informing him that he will receive a gift subscription as yourmemorial to Dr. Machen.

This plan can only succeed in doubling our subscription list ifEVERY PRESENT SUBSCRIBER sends in AT LEAST ONE DOLLAR.Dr. Machen gave his life for the cause he loved. Will you not doyour part that the cause may continue?

If every present subscriber will use the prepaid reply envelopein the binding of this issue to send at least one new subscription, thatwish, expressed by Dr. Machen in the last week of his life, will beimmediately realized. If you know of no one for whom you care tosubscribe, we will send your gift subscription to one of the manynames in our files of persons wishing the paper but unable to afford it.

Send more than one dollar if you can, for without your aid weface an immediate financial cris"is. Few, if any. denominational papersare self-supporting, and we need your prompt help if this essentialwork is to continue.

IF IT were possible for each of youto sit beside us in the offices of

THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN, andread each letter that accompanies thegift subscriptions sent to us in mem­ory of Dr. Machen, you too wouldthank God and take courage. Yourloyalty, your sympathy, your heartyexpressions of appre-ciation and encourage-ment have warmed usand inspired us to goforward under God tothe achievement of thegoal set for us by Dr.Machen.

You have told useloquently of your es­teem and love for Dr.Machen, and you haveopened before our eyesnew vistas of the great­ness of his spirit. Afew of your tributesare reprinted on otherpages of this issue, thatthe unheeding worldmay know what man­ner of man this waswhom now we seek tohonor. To each of youwho have written to us,to each of you whohave sent memorialsubscriptions to othersin response to the letterenclosed with our issueof January 23rd andreprinted on this page,we want most heartilyto convey our thanks.As a result of yourtangible expression ofsympathy and assist-ance this issue of THEPRESBYTERIAN GUARD-IAN is reaching manyhundreds of personswho formerly did notreceive the magazine, and thus the in­fluence, inspiration and informationcontained in it is touching the livesof many others with blessing, com­fort, and cheer.

But although hundreds of nameshave been added to the subscriptionlist in the last few weeks, there are

THE PRESBYTERIAN' GUARDIAN

Strength in WeaknessA Meditation On the Eighth Psalm

By the REV. DAVID FREEMAN

191

Mr. Freeman

It

\r

MAN is a weakcreature. What

more is he than aworm? But a manonly knows this whenhe places himself be­fore God. In himselfhe thinks he is much,when really he is noth­

ing. Every feeling of haughtiness,self-sufficiency, and pride comes onlywhen a man forgets God. Those whohave entered into God's presence arethe truly meek and humble.

How majestic and great is God!His excellency cannot be compre­hended in words. Therefore it is be­fitting that a mere particle of dust,such as man, should stand in awe be­fore Him. That heart is impoverishedindeed that never exults in the great­ness of God. When men grow sofamiliar with God as never to admireHis character and feel abashed beforeHim, then their familiarity is notfamiliarity with God. Rather they arefriendly with their own notions. Theessence of true religion consists in aconstant awareness of the nature andcharacter of God. The God withwhom we have to do is high, andmighty, and terrible in His doings.

Man Exists for GodGod does not exist for the creature.

Men may not address Him as theywill nor bring Him down to the levelof their tastes. But man exists forGod. It is for him to please and obeyhis Maker. A religion that is not God­centered is no religion at all.

Without reverence and admirationfor God, all prayer is hollow andempty, and all sacrifice an abomina­tion.

God is the highest object in theuniverse. He is above all that is, aboveall time, space and every category ofbeing. Within Himself He is completeand perfect in grandeur and glory.There is no excuse for the modernlack of admiration of God. His gloryand excellency are seen by the thingswhich He has made. They plainly de­clare His exaltation and perfection.

God Is to Be AdmiredThere is so much in God to be

admired. David's soul is overwhelmedand he can only gaze heavenward inawe. Of all things in God which asinful creature cannot fully compre­hend in words is His marvelousgrace. In nothing is God to be ad­mired so much as in His condescen­sion toward man.

Why should God notice man at all?Why should he have been created?God was perfectly complete andblessed without him. And when manfell, why should God still show to mana fatherly compassion and care? Nowonder David was overwhelmed. Hisenraptured soul had not words to ex­press fully such favor and mercy. Itis in the mirror of God's special graceto sinners that man comes to see theexceeding greatness of His glory. Forthis man's highest praise falls short.Whoever is not amazed at the miracleof God bestowing honor upon as vileand miserable a sinner as man, ismore than unthankful and stubborn.

Strength Made PerfectIn Weakness

To glory is added glory when thePsalmist is aware that God is pleased,through feeble man, to accomplishHis works of power among men. It isnot through the strong and mighty ofthis world that God accomplishes Hispurposes. He has rather chosen theweak things of the world to confoundthe mighty. Strength rests upon thosewho are humbly dependent upon Himalone. God uses such to still the enemyand the avenger.

The Saviour adapted the wordsof this psalm to silence the priestsand scribes because they objected tothe praises of the children in thetemple. He said to them, "Have yenever read, Out of the mouth of babesand sucklings thdu hast perfectedpraise?" Men, and even formal reli­gionists, have no use for any appear­ance of weakness. They cannot con­ceive of anything being accomplishedwithout influence, the display of num­bers, and human might and power.

They reckon not with the mightySpirit of God who is not dependentupon the arm of flesh. With suchfeeble instruments as worldly-wisemen despise, God has ever beenpleased to accomplish good. Thestrongest enemy of God's kingdom isno match for the helpless and weakwhom God delights to honor and use.When they are weak then are theystrong.

You may belong to a despised fewin the religious world. Power and dis­play of greatness, in which you canboast, is not yours. But you have thetruth of God on your side. His Wordis your stay and the Lord Jesus is yourportion. Then remember that it isthrough such God is pleased to bringHis salvation to men, and to put toflight the armies of the aliens. Forsuch conquests God alone receives theglory.

Man's Glory Seen In ChristAll that man has is conferred. In

the garden of Eden, as man camefrom the hands of the Creator, he waslittle distant from the heavenly state.The knowledge, righteousness, andholiness which man had at the firstwere God-given and not acquired. Hisexcellency was all of God. That imageis now marred, but yet in his fallenstate there are remains of a formerdignity and beauty.

In the New Testament the apostles,beholding what grace God has be­stowed upon man, as here spoken ofby David, seize upon this exhibitionof God's fatherly bountifulness to­ward man in order to set forth theglory which is man's in Christ Jesus.Not all men, however, shall share inthe restored heavenly favor. Only thefaithful in Christ Jesus shall recoverthat which they lost in Adam (Heb.2:6-9).

Outside of Christ man is lost anddegraded. All grace that God has evershown to man has been through theRedeemer. It is because of the do­minion that is Christ's that manthrough faith in Him shall come tohonor and lordship.

192 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN

Studies in the Shorter CatechismBy the REV. JOHN H. SKILTON

But if all things are subdued inChrist, then why does not man alreadyhave victory over death which isagainst him? Because not yet have allthings been put under His feet. Butwhen Christ shall deliver the king­dom to God in that day when He shallcome again, then the faithful shall

LESSON 18

The Creation of ManQUESTION 10. How did God create

man?ANSWER. God created man male and

female, after his own image, inknowledge, righteousness, and holi­ness, with dominion over the crea­tures.

The Summit of The Creation

HAVI NG dealt briefly with thework of creation as a whole, we

must now consider in greater detailthe creation of man. It would be wellfor us again to examine the generalcreation account of the first chapterof Genesis and the more definite nar­rative of the creation of man foundin the second chapter with a view todetermining the relationship betweenman and the rest of creation.

Let us note carefully the words ofGod's power effective in the creationof everything before man. Then letus consider the variation in God'swords recorded in the account of thecreation of man. Is the alteration inlanguage possibly of great signifi­cance? In the work of creation isthere a glorious ascent to a glorioussummit in man?

Dominion Over the CreaturesAn indication of man's superiority

is given by his being granted .do­minion over creatures:

"And God said, Let us make.man inour image, after our likeness: and letthem have dominion over the fish ofthe sea, and over the fowl of the air,and over the cattle, and over all theearth, and over every creeping thingthat creepeth upon the earth" (Gen­esis 1: 26).

share in complete victory.What a kingdom and glory is ours

in Christ! How richly does Christadorn His body, the church! To whatshould such disclosures of grace andmercy lead us? Should not our heartsbe kindled to follow after godlinessand to celebrate His praise?

"And God blessed them, and Godsaid unto them, Be fruitful, and mul­tiply, and replenish the earth, andsubdue it; and have dominion overthe fish of the sea, and over the fowlof the air, and over every livingthing that moveth upon the earth"(Genesis 1: 28).

The Scripture, however, is not satis­fied with giving us mere indicationsof man's superiority: it informs usin what that superiority consisted.

Body and SoulThe second chapter of Genesis tells

us that God formed the body of manfrom the dust of the ground. ThenHe breathed into man's nostrils thebreath of life - something not re­corded as done in the case of theanimals-and man became a livingsou1.

That man has both a body and asoul, two distinct parts or substances,one material, the other immaterial,is made very clear in Scripture.Con­sider, for example, Matthew 10: 28:

"And fear not them which kill thebody, but are not able to kill the soul:but rather fear him which is able todestroy both soul and body in hel1."

See also Isaiah 10: 18. CompareGenesis 3: 19 and Ecclesiastes 12: 7;Matthew 6: 25; Acts 7: 59; II Corin­thians 5: 1-8; and Philippians 1: 23,24.

Some have advanced the erroneousopinion that the term "spirit" desig­nates a third distinct substance inman. But the Bible uses both theterms "soul" and "spirit" as well asother terms like "heart" and "mind"to refer to the one substance. Lookup the words for soul and spirit in agood concordance and make a studyof the way in which they are used

one for the other and note that whatis said of one is said of the other.Observe also that both terms are usedof animals, and attempt to determinein what sense they are used.

In some passages fullness of ex­pression may be employed or certainphases of the same immaterial sub­stance may be designated by differentterms, but the Scriptures no moreteach a three part division of manthan they teach that joints and mar­row are distinct substances!

"For the word of God is quick, andpowerful, and sharper than any two­edged sword, piercing even to thedividing asunder of soul and spirit.and of joints and marrow, and is adiscerner of the thoughts and intentsof the heart" (Hebrews 4: 12).

Study I Thessalonians 5: 23; Luke10:27; Jude 19; I Cor. 2:14-16;I Cor. 14: 15.

What do you consider to be themeaning of these verses?

MATTERS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

I. Have someone review brieflythe truths that man is to believe con­cerning God to which the Catechismhas thus far introduced us. Showwhat effect denial of anyone of themwould logically have on the others.

2. What happens to the soul of be­lievers after death? Will the soulever be reunited to the body? Thesame body? Consult the Scriptures.

3. From Scripture and experiencetry to tell about the relationship be­tween the body and the mind or soul.Does the body in any way affect themind? Is the body subject to thesoul? Is it in any wise independent ofthe will?

4. Why was man given dominionover the creatures? Does man havethat dominion now?

5. Do you find any support in thefollowing references for the view thatman is composed of three elements,or would you be led by them to thinkof "soul" and "spirit" as representingthe same substance? Genesis 35:18;I Kings 17: 21; Acts 15: 26; 20:

10, II; Psalm 31:5; Luke 23:46;Acts 7: 59; Luke 8: 55; I Peter 3: 19;Heb. 12: 23; Revelation 6: 9; 20: 4;Psalm 73: 26; Matthew 6: 25; 10: 28;Ecc. 12: 7; I Cor. 5: 35.

6. Does Genesis I: 28 favor scien­tific progress?

7. Has Genesis I: 26 been thoughtby some to contain an intimation ofan important doctrine? What other

THE PRESBYTER I A N G U A RDI A N 193

Old Testament intimations of thatdoctrine can you cite?

LESSON 19

The Image of GodQUESTION 10. How did God create

man?ANSWER. God created man male and

female, after his own image, inknowledge, righteousness, and holi­ness, with dominion over the crea­tures.

TH E reason for man's original do­minion over the beasts was the

fact that man was created in theimage of God.

"God said, Let us make man in ourimage, after our likeness. So Godcreated man in his own image, in theimage of God created he him; maleand female created he them" (Gen­esis 1: 26, 27).

Compare also Genesis 5: 1-3; 9: 6.

CautionsIt will not profit us to seek for any

profound difference between themeaning of the words "image" and"likeness." They are used in the senseof "an image that is like." Nor is itto be thought that since man has abody, .God must also have had one.(Deut. 4: 15, 16; Isa, 40: 18; Rom.1: 23.)

A Twofold ImageThe Scriptures indicate that the

image of God is twofold. It consists,first, in that which separates manfrom the beast, in man's possessing asoul or spirit. Man, being a spirit, isa rational, moral, and free agent.Though marred by the fall, this phaseof the image has not been lost. (Gen.9: 6; I Cor. 11: 7; and James 3: 9.)

The image of God consists, second,in knowledge, righteousness, and holi­ness. The Larger Catechism, Question17, after speaking of God's havingendued man and woman with "living,reasonable, and immortal souls" saysHe "made them after his own image,in knowledge, righteousness and holi­ness, having the law of God writtenin their hearts and power to fulfill it."Passages indicating the moral ex­cellence of man before the fall areCol. 3; 10 and Eph. 4; 24.

"And have put on the new man,which is renewed in knowledge afterthe image of him that created him"(Colossians 3: 10).

"And that ye put on the new man

which after God is created in right­eousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24).

Adam had not merely the ability toknow, but was created with trueknowledge. He was not only a moralagent but he was created truly up­right and was in harmony with God'swill. He was originally pure. He washoly.

This phase of the image of Godwas lost by man in the fall. ConsiderRom. 3: 11; II Cor. 4: 4; Rom. 1 and2; Isa. 64: 6; Rom. 3: 20; Psalm 51:1-5; Rom. 3:9-18; Eph. 2:3; 4:22.

Created PerfectMan inhis original state was truly

very good. Created mature, male andfemale, a being of two substances,body and soul, perfect in every re­spect, fitted for every circumstance,made in the image of God, with do­minion over the creatures, he crownedGod's creative work, and gloriouslymanifested the glory of Him who isworthy of all praise.

An Opposing ViewOpposed to the Biblical account of

creation "after its kind," and to theaccount of the distinctive creation ofman and to the whole Biblical revela­tion concerning God and the universeis the theory of evolution in its vari­ous forms. Evolution is quite accept­ably defined as "continous progressivechange, according to certain laws bymeans of resident forces." Thechange, the laws, and the forces ofthe evolutionist are regarded as in­dependent of the God revealed in theBible. The evolutionist may deny orignore the existence of God, or iden­tify Him and natural law or separateHim and law, making each "inde­pendent"; but whatever he does he isnecessarily opposed to Christian doc­trine at every point.

Some evolutionists whom a numberof Christians regard as less offensivethan others speak of evolution as a"method of creation," and suggest apossibility of combining their viewof evolution and a belief in a creator,but their conception of a "God" and"creation" are radically different fromScriptural revelations. A few maythink that in "theistic evolution" wefind a solution to the question oforigin, but to combine the two, "the­ism" and "evolution," is to be guiltyof an absurdity. Dr. Cornelius VanTil has said, "If you mean by 'evolu-

tion' nothing more than what is whollyconsistent with the specific distinct­ness of man, then you are a creation­ist and if you mean by 'creation'nothing more than a gradual emer­gence of the specific differentiae ofman in distinction from the animalyou are an evolutionist and would dobetter to go by that name."

For the Christian the Word of Godis Ithe only infallible rule of faith andpractice, and God is the only author­ity. The believer is aware that nofact exists independently of God andthat nothing can ever be discoveredby man to overthrow the truth ofGod. Unbelieving men will misinter­pret their experience and place er­roneous constructions on certain"facts," but those who know in whomthey have believed will know alsothat "missing links" must forever bemissed.

And it is, of course, not surprisingto the Christian that theefforfs ofevolutionists to find evidence to provetheir theory have met with failure.We will do well to read The Basis ofEvolutionary Faith by the Rev. FloydE. Hamilton, in which the variousstrands of evidence bearing on thetheory of evolution are consideredand the theory shown to be not onlyunsubstantiated, but also in conflictwith true science.

Many, in the blindness of the un­regenerate state, will irrationally have"faith" in a theory without a particleof factual support and will worshipthe god "chaos." But the Christian,who has been enabled by the Spiritof truth to see things as they are, be­lieves, and will always believe, on thebasis of the highest of evidence, inHim who is a Spirit infinite, eternal,and unchangeable in His being, wis­dom, power, holiness, justice, good­ness and truth, who executeth Hisdecrees in His works of creation andprovidence.

MATTERS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

I. According to the theory of evo­lution are miracles possible ? WouldJesus Christ be regarded merely asa product of evolution?

2. Can man ever disprove the doc­trine of creation? Can he ever provethe theory of evolution to be true?Who must be our authority?

3. What objection should be raisedagainst the term "theistic evolution?"

4. Could a Christian ever expect tofind our Lord's body entombed? Could

194 THE PRESBYTERIAN' GUARDIAN

The Sunday School LessonsBy the REV. LESLIE W. SLOAT

Mr. Sloat

he expect to find any evidence thatwould prove the Bible to be at fault?

5. Could any fact exist independ­ently of God?

6. Why do many brilliant men have"faith" in the theory of evolution?

7. What should be the attitude ofChristian 'young people in schoolswhere evolution is taught and chaosworshipped!

8. If someone asks us to be "open­minded" concerning evolution andexamine the evidences to see whetherit is right or wrong, would we be jus­tified in telling him at the start thatwe know evolution to be wrong?

9. Can a Christian be modest andhave proper humility of spirit andyet be convinced that he is right andthat the majority of men are wrongabout certain matters?

IO. Does it require courage to op­pose the theory of evolution today?

II. What is being taught about theorigin of man in the schools of yourcommunity?

February 21st. The Power ofJesus over Deafh. John 11:23­28.32-44.

JES US saith to her,Thy brother shall

rise again. Marthasaith to Him, I knowthat he will rise in theResurrection at thelast day.

When Martha metJesus after the death

of Lazarus, her first words were: "Sir,if you had been here, my brotherwould not have died. And now I knowthat whatsoever you shall ask of God,God will give it to you." Opinions varyas to whether her tone was one of bit­terness, or submission to the inevitable.Probably the latter is correct. What­ever had made Jesus tarry had beennecessary. And now that He has come,He will be able to do something. Thesecond part of her statement shouldbe emphasized, rather than the first.Notice that her faith is in His abilityto move God to action, rather than inHimself as an individual. Her finalclause implies a request that He dosomething, but it is doubtful whether

I2. Do you think that Christiansshould be forced to support non­Christian institutions of learning?

I3. Does God approve of neutralitytoward Ch1-istianity? Does Christ ap­prove of neutrality toward Himself?Scripture?

I4. Assign chapters in ProfessorHamilton's book THE BASIS OF Evo­LUTIONARY FAITH to various membersof the Young People's Society to bereviewed in the meeting.

IS. Have someone state the oppos­ing views of God, of origins, of his­tory, of sin, of the Bible, of the LordJesus Christ, and of eternity thatChristians and evolutionists must holdto be consistent with their founda­tion principles.

I6. Does the Bible tell us the dateof creation or enable us to tell howlong before the flood Adam wascreated? Consult the DAVIS BIBLE

DICTIONARY. Are archaoloqists find­ing it wise to date civ,ilization backto a very great antiquity?

she knew exactly what she did expect.Hardly what happened.

To this implicit request Jesus re­plies that her brother will rise again.But if that means only "at the lastday," she is disappointed. Friends havebeen telling her that for four days, andshe already knows it herself.

Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrec­tion and the Life. He that believethin Me shall live, though he die;' andeveryone that liveth and believeth inMe, shall not die eternally. Belieuestthou this?

With these words, Jesus draws herinterest away from the tomb to Him­self. He asserts (1) that the powerswhich bring about resurrection andsustain true life reside in Himselfpersonally. This means (2) that apartfrom Himself the raising of Lazaruswould be both impossible and meaning­less. Therefore (3) she should lookto Him for those things she feels havebeen lost through the death of Laz­arus. Joy, peace, fullness of life,­these come from Him in a far highersense than they could ever come froma restored Lazarus. All this is involvedin His first clause.

The second clause applies the firstin the case of those who have died,such as Lazarus. For such, if throughfaith they have been joined to Him,physical death is but the gateway to afuller and higher life, for they arejoined to the One who controls resur­rection and life. Clause three furtherapplies clause one in the case of thosestill living. Physical death may comeupon the ones now living, but no onethat believeth in Him will die eter­nally (which may mean, will not staydead physically, in view of the resur­rection, or, will not undergo eternaldeath, in the spiritual sense). Considerthe tremendous claims involved in thissimple sentence of Jesus, that He Him­self, who soon wept tears of sympa­thetic sorrow, controlled the eternalissues of life and death. Notice also,in this brief funeral sermon, the im­plied warning for all who do not be­lieve, and likewise the implied invita­tion to them to believe, contained inthe words "everyone who." His clos­ing question applies the whole of thestatement to Martha herself: B eliev­est thou this? And Martha is joyouslyable to make answer. She "is in theposition of having believed" (Greek)His Messiahship, His essential Deity,and that He is not of this world, butis coming into it from without. Justwhen she came to have this faith shedoes not say. But it has come to havenew meaning for her. She is com­pletely satisfied concerning her brother,and goes away to call Mary.

Mary therefore, when she camewhere Jesus was, saw Him and fellat His feet saying to Him, Sir, if youhad been here, my brother would nothave died (32ff).

In the Greek, Mary's opening sen­tence differs from Martha's only in theorder of words. The pronoun "my" ismoved forward to a place of slight em­phasis. Hers was a sense of personalloss. Her emotional nature reveals it­self as she throws herself at Jesus'feet, 'and in her loud "wailing." Thisemotion breaks out anew as she meetsagain her close friend. The fact thatthe sisters use the same sentence sug­gests that during Lazarus' illness theyfrequently said to each other: "If onlyHe were here' ..."

Jesus therefore, when He saw herweeping . . . groaned in spirit andshook Himself.

Mary added nothing to her firstsentence. Jesus made no reply. In thepresence of such sorrow, words were

THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 195

inadequate. But as He looks at her,and then at the crowd of Jews withher, all "wailing" (which is the forceof the Greek), He himself groaned.Theword used here signifies anger andindignation, rather than sorrow. Whyis He angered? Some have said it wasthe result of His seeing the fruitageof Satan's work so vividly portrayedbefore Him. Others have said ratherthat it was directed at the Jews who,wailing for a friend of His while be­ing at open enmity with Him, musthave been acting in an obviously hypo­critical fashion. Perhaps there is sometruth in both views. This indignant"groaning" appears again (38) as Hesees these same Jews talking aboutHim.

] esus wept. Contrary to the above,this word refers to'the actual sheddingof tears. He who controlled the pow­ers of life and death, and who wasimmediately to call Lazarus from thedead, could yet as a perfect humanbeing enter completely into the sor­rows of others, and in full sympathy"weep with them that weep." Howvividly John portrays both the hu­manity and the deity of Jesus.

The objection of practical Marthato the removal of the stone shows thatshe is now completely reconciled to thedeath of her brother. But Jesus indi­cates that there is stilI a greater glory.

Father, I thank Thee that thouheartiest me ... This prayer of thanks­giving before the event (1) focuses alleyes on Jesus, (2) illustrates the per­fect harmony existing between theFather and Himself, and (3) answersthe Jews who charged Him with blas­phemy for claiming to be the "Son ofGod" (10: 32-36). If He had blas­phemed, God would not hear Him. IfGod heard Him, He had not blas­phemed. The only God who could hearHim was the God of Israel, whomthese Jews claimed as theirs. Jesus wasthus bringing into open test in thepresence of His. enemies, and at thevery door of Jerusalem, His wholeministry and His entire teaching re­garding Himself.

Lazarus, come forth. And he ...came forth. The claims of Jesus weretrue. He did indeed control the pow­ers of life and death and resurrection.By the standards of the Jewish Law(Deut. 18: 15ff) He was the trueProphet, for His words "came topass." To reject Him now was to re­ject their own Scriptures as their ruleof faith and practice. Many did in-

deed believe, but some went away andtold the Pharisees. Some one has wellsaid that, had Jesus not used the nameof the man, He would have emptied allthe graves of the world. Some day Hewill (5: 28).

John's narrative is so Christ-cen­tered that he tells us nothing of thejoyous reunion among Jesus' friends.He turns immediately to the result ofthis for Jesus Himself, which was thesolemn pronouncement of the HighPriest, that He must die (49-50). Byraising a man from the dead, Jesussealed His own death warrant.

February 28th, The New Com­mandment. John 12:20-33: 13:34-35.

NOW certain of those going up toworship at the feast were Greeks.

These same came therefore to Philip,... saying, Sir, we wish to see Jesus.

These Greekswere apparently "pros­elytes of the Gate,"-Gentiles whoadhered to the Jewish religion and be­lieved in the true God, but who hadnot become circumcised, and weretherefore not true Jews. It was amongthis class that the early church foundits foothold (for example, Cornelius,Lydia and the Ethiopian Eunuch).

The first part of chapter 12 con­tains the story of Mary anointing thefeet of Jesus, and the record of thetriumphal entry, through which, bycarefully fulfilling the Old Testamentprophecies, Jesus declares Himself thepromised Messiah and King of Israel.In connection with each incident, Johntakes occasion to give the Jewish re­sponse. In the former it was a deter­mination that Lazarus also should die( 10), and in the latter it was the de­spairing cry of the Pharisees, "Theworld is gone after Him" (19).

The request of the Greeks "to see" .Jesus means, of course, to have an in­terview with Him. They could look atHim any time. Jesus' answer seems to

.indicate that in this coming of theGentiles "to the Light" (Isa. 60 :3)there is indication that the final periodof His work on earth has arrived.

The hour has come that the Son ofMan should be glorified. (Cf. 2: 4; 7:30; 8:20; 13: 1; 17: L)

"The hour" so definitely spoken of,apparently refers to that period oftime, appointed from all eternity,wherein the Son of God by His suffer­ing and death would make satisfac­tion for the sin of the world,-thehour in which the Serpent would

bruise His heel, and He would bruisethe serpent's head (Gen. 3: 15). The"glorifying" spoken of in 11 : 4 refersto manifestation of divine power. Theexpression used here involves rathersuffering. But through each the divineexcellence was exhibited, in the formercase through the attribute of strength,in the latter through the attributes oflove and justice, as well as power inthe resurrection.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ex­cept a grain of wheat fall into theground and die, it abideth alone. Butif it dies, it bears much fruit. (Cf.I Cor. IS: 36ff.)

Jesus now solemnly introduces andillustrates the principle which governsall life that would reach its highesteffectiveness. The fullest fruitioncomes with the greatest self-sacrifice.This is applied in three cases. First,in nature, a grain of wheat, though ithas within it the principle of life, ac­complishes nothing until it is sepa­rated from its environment, falls intothe ground, and dies. Then it springsup into newness of life, and bearsmuch fruit. This same principle isagain true in the case of human life.That man who spends his entire ener­gies shut up unto himself, loving hisown soul, will lose that which he mostdesires to preserve. But if he sacri­fices himself,-hates his own life inhis effort for others,-he will save itunto life eternal. Really, of course,this is true only as our lives are dedi­cated in service to Jesus. But if we areso dedicated, we must foIlow our Sav­iour and our chosen Master. If we doso we have the promise that where Heis, whether in suffering or glory, therewill His servant be (d. 14: 3). Or,lifting this to the highest sphere ofthought, he that honors the Son willhimself be honored by the Father.Such is true discipleship (Matt. 16:24ff). Finally, Jesus applies the sameprinciple in His own case, but in aneven more personal fashion.

And now is my soul shaken, andwhat shall I say'! Father, save me fromthis hour'! But for this cause came Iunto this hour. Father, glorify thyName.

As He considers what this principlemeans in application to Himself, Jesustrembles and, as it were, asks whatsort of a prayer He should offer.Should He say to His Father, Keepme from this hour? But that cannotbe. For the suffering and death of thishour He had come into the world. It

196 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN

was true of Him also, that except Hefall into the ground and die, He abid­eth alone. In these words Jesus pointsout that all His previous ministrywould have been unavailing in thetask of bringing salvation to men.Here is the repudiation of the entiremodernist structure of religion. Hecame not into the world to live for us,but to die for us. Without His death,His life is meaningless. It is throughHis death that life comes to us. Andso the prayer He utters is rather,"Father, glorify thy Name." WouldGod that that desire might character­ize every Christian,-the desire thatthrough sacrifice for Christ, the Fathermight be glorified in us.

As Jesus uttered this prayer, a voicesounded from Heaven. Some heardmerely a noise, and thought it thun­dered. Some half distinguished words,and thought an angel spoke. Jesus de­clared it was indeed a "voice," andadded that it came not for His sake,but for theirs. In those words fromabove, "I have both glorified it, andwill glorify it again," God places Hisstamp of approval upon what Jesushas done, and is about to do.

Now is the judgment of this world;Now shall the ruler of this world becast outside. And I, if I be lifted upfrom the earth, will draw all men tomyself·

Here is revealed the significance ofthis hour. The world, in the person ofits divinely ordained representative,"the last Adam," is standing beforethe bar of judgment. That judgmentwill be, Guilty, let Him die! Butthrough His death there will comedeliverance to the captives. The rulerwho usurped the throne of the worldwhen our first parents sinned, will bedriven without, even as our first par­ents were driven without the Gardenon that former occasion. And in hisplace will stand up another, whosepower will be not a driving but adrawing power. John interprets theselast words of Jesus as signifying themanner of His death,-crucifixion.That does not exclude, however, theirapplication also to His being liftedup to the place at the right hand ofthe Father, from which now He isdrawing men unto Himself. The lawof the former kingdom was the law ofsin and hate. The law of Jesus' king­dom is the law of love, even as Heloved us (13: 34-35). Indeed, there inPalestine long years ago, "the hourwas Come."

CEDAR GROVE CHURCH HOLDSINSTALLATION SERVICE AND

DEDICATES NEW BUILDING

Two days of profound thanksgiv­ing crowned with joy the long

summer of labor so freely given bythe members of the Calvary Presby­terian Church of Cedar Grove, Wis­consin, toward the construction oftheir new church building. On Janu­ary 19th the Rev. John J. De Waardwas installed as pastor, and on thefollowing day the building was dedi­cated.

More than five hundred persons at­tended .the installation service, andheard a stirring address by ProfessorJohn Murray of Westminster Theo­logical Seminary. The sermon was acareful exposition of the text of IICorinthians 4: 1, 2. The Moderatorof the Presbytery of Wisconsin pre­sided and gave the charge to the peo­ple. The Rev. Oscar Holkeboer, ofthe Bethel Church of Oostburg, gavethe charge to the pastor, and the Rev.John Davies, of Gresham, read theScriptures and led in prayer.

The following afternoon, in spiteof inclement weather, about 400 per­sons assembled at two o'clock to hearMr. Murray speak on the history ofthe Presbyterian conflict. In the eve­ning of the same day the auditorium,which comfortably seats 518 people,was again packed for the dedicationservice of the new church building,the basement of which has now beencompleted through the labors of themembers of the congregation. (Thestory of the actual construction of thebuilding will be found in THE PRES­BYTERIANGUARDIAN for January 9th.)

Mr. Murray chose as his text forthe dedicatory sermon the words ofI Peter 2: 4, 5. He spoke of thefoundation of the spiritual house, the-.building itself, and its purpose. SaidMr. De Waard, "It was a marveloussermon, a sermon on God's ownWord. Not one but very many of thepeople who heard this sermon werethankful to God that He has given usmen who know how to preach theunsearchable richness of Christ."

The auditorium of the buildingmeasures 47 by 74 feet. The walls areconstructed of cement block up tothe ground level, with a seven-footupper section of brown brick. The

east, southeast and northwest en­trances of the superstructure to bebuilt later, have been completed suf­ficiently to serve while the presentauditorium is being used. The spa­cious interior with cream plaster insemi-rough effect presents a pleasingappearance and is well-lighted withnumerous four-foot windows. A com­plete heating system, with air condi­tioner and fans, assures ample venti­lation and heat. Modern water andsewage facilities, a large kitchen, andcloak rooms are features of the con­venient arrangement. Oak pews witha seating capacity of 525 are nowbeing used in the basement. The costso far has been about $18,000.

THE REV, SAMUEL J. ALLENANSWERS ALOCAL HECKLER

WH EN Mr. A. E. Peterson ofMinot, North Dakota, attempted

to place the blame for the present un­rest in the Presbytery of Bismarck atthe door of the Rev. Samuel J. Allenhe discovered that he had undertakena battle that was more than he couldhandle. Mr. Peterson asked, in thepages of a local newspaper, "Whatis it all about anyhow?"

Mr. Allen told him.Mr. Allen, in trenchant phrase and

clear logic, explained as to a littlechild. He took up the "arguments" ofMr. Peterson one by one and de­molished them in a letter publishedby the same newspaper that had previ­ously printed Mr. Peterson's attack.

In conclusion Mr. Allen said, "Ithank God that I am a propagandist;that I propagate the glorious gospelof Christ which is the only cure forsin-sick souls. I thank God that manyhave listened to that propaganda andaccepted Christ as their Saviour undermy ministry. I thank God that somany love the Lord Jesus Christ tothe extent that they are willing tosuffer for His name rather than com­promise with sinful unbelief, regard­less of the garb in which it appears.

"Mr. Peterson can have that shal­low, soul-destroying, conviction-de­stroying peace which so many talkabout in pious tones, but as for me,I want the peace of God in heart andsoul which comes only through unionwith Christ and faithful adherenceto His Gospel."

}

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JItIt

Ij1;I

THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 197

PHILADELPHIA CHURCH LEAYESPRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE

U.S.A. BY UNANIMOUS YOTESusquehanna Avenue Church

First Hears Argumentsof Old Organization

ON WEDNESDAY, IJanuary 27th,the congregation of the Susque­

hanna Avenue Presbyterian Churchof.-Philadelphia met to consider twothings: First, the resignation offeredby the pastor, the Rev. James W.Price, who explained why he could nolonger conscientiously remain a mem­ber of the Presbyterian Church in theU.S.A;, and secondly, the future de­nominational connection of thechurch.

Earlier in the week officials of thePresbytery of Philadelphia of the oldorganization had met with the sessionand had made an abortive attempt todemonstrate that separation was un­necessary. This had been foIlowed bya warning that, should the churchwithdraw in what seemed to them an"irregular" manner, the presbyterywould waste no time in dealing sum­marily and vigorously with it.

At the congregational meeting amotion to accept the pastor's resigna­tion and elect commissioners to pres­bytery met defeat by a vote of 55 to31. Before voting on the next motion,which was that the church should re­main in the Presbyterian Church inthe U.S.A., a representative of Phila­delphia Presbytery of that denomina­tion was invited to speak and answerquestions. Courteously he compliedand strenuously he maintained thatthere was nothing wrong with thepresence of Auburn Affirmationistsin the church. With an ostrich-likerefusal to recognize facts he stead­fastly declared that no doctrinal issueswhatever were involved in the deci­sions of the Syracuse General Assem­bly, and that really everything wasvery lovely.

Mr. Price then presented the oppos­ing view which apparently appealedmore successfully to the minds of themembers, who then voted 76 to 0 towithdraw from the PresbyterianChurch in the U.S.A. The session wasinstructed to protect the propertyrights of the congregation.

The Portrait ofDr. Machen

W E HAVE received somany requests for cop­

ies of the unusual photographof Dr. Machen, published inthe Memorial Number, thatwe have made arrangementswith the photographer tosupply us with finished 8-inchby IO-inch enlargements,mounted and suitable forframing. These may be eb­tained through the offices of"The Presbyterian Guardian"for $1.50 each, postpaid.Please allow us at least oneweek for delivery.

SEYEN NEW CHURCHES NOWIN PROCESS OF ORGANIZATION

Encouraging Progress Reported

Pittsburgh, Pa.AS A direct result of the efforts'" of Dr. Machen, a group ofPittsburgh Presbyterians met on Janu­ary 22nd for an information meetingin the home of Miss Anna MoodyBrowne, gathered the following Sun­day for a church service in the HotelSchenley which was addressed by theRev. Robert L. Atwell, of Harris­ville. Westminster Seminary studentCary Weisiger and the Rev. EdwardJ. Young, instructor in Old Testa­ment in Westminster Seminary, havepreached at subsequent services.

The group then met on Tuesday,February 2nd, to organize as a con­gregation which will probably affiliatepromptly with The PresbyterianChurch of America.Trenton, N. J.

The Rev. Bruce Coie is now incharge of the group meeting in theNew Jersey capital as a result of arally addressed by Dr. Machen andthe Rev. Edwin H. Rian, The firstservice was held on Sunday, January31st, and the organizational meetingwill take place on Friday, February5th. Trenton is a city whose churcheshave, for the most part, maintained adefinitely unfriendly attitude in thepast toward all efforts of evangelical

Presbyterians. The establishment ofa church is viewed by many as asignal victory at this time.New York, N. Y.

Sensing keenly the need of a Man­hattan church of The PresbyterianChurch of America a small group oflaymen have courageously laid plansfor the formal organization of a con­gregation. Services are now beingheld on the third floor of the MasterInstitute of United Arts, 301 River­side Drive. The Rev. Charles J.Woodbridge preached at the firstserv­ice on January 31st, and on the fol­lowing two Sundays the speaker willbe Mr. Rian.Harrisburg, Penna.

Largely as a result of the doorbell­pulling described so graphically onpage 183 of this issue, the Rev. RobertL. Vining has been successful in estab­lishing a group of Presbyterians whoare meeting regularly each Sundayfor worship. Mr. Vining reports thatthe members expect to organize as achurch in the very near future.Ocean City, N. J.

The Rev. J. U. Selwyn Toms hasgathered together a number of Pres­byterians in this seashore resort whonow meet regularly, and expect soonto organize a church.Waterloo, Iowa

The Rev. Edward Wybenga, agraduate of Westminster TheologicalSeminary, was recently appointed tothis Iowa district as a missionary, andalready has succeeded in establishinga group for worship. He reports thata congregation will soon be organizedand will make formal application foradmission as a particular church ofThe Presbyterian Church of America.Camden, N. J.

The first services of a group whichwill organize in a few weeks as a con­gregation of The Presbyterian Churchof America, will be held on Sunday,February 7th. The auditorium of theWomen's Club of Camden, located at424 Linden Street, has been securedfor weekly services. This centraldis­trict in Camden offers splendid oppor­tunities for a much-needed work. Atan informal meeting on Tuesday,January 26th, ten persons signed adoctrinal statement signifying theirdesire to 'be charter members of thenew church. The Rev. M. NelsonBuffier, of New Jersey Presbytery; isorganizing the work. A Bible SchoolwiIl convene in a few weeks.

198 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN

DR. MACHEN HONORED BYCALIFORNIA PRESBYTERY

AT MEMORIAL SERVICE

TH E Presbytery of California ofThe Presbyterian Church of Amer­

ica, at a service held January 10thin memory of Dr. Machen, adoptedthe following statement of apprecia­tion, sympathy and tribute:

"The Presbytery of California, Pres­byterian Church of America, meetingin the Los Angeles PresbyterianChurch, the afternoon of January 10,1937, held a memorial service for ourbeloved brother and fellow-soldier,Dr. J. Gresham Machen. As a pres­bytery we sincerely express our deepregrets at the home-going of thismighty servant of God whom weloved so dearly. We can only say,'Even so Father; for it seemed goodin Thy sight.' Therefore do we re­joice that he is now with Christwhich is far better. Our united prayeris that those who must share addi­tional burdens once borne by ourbrother Machen may be givenstrength and courage to press on inthe glorious work of our Lord andSaviour Jesus Christ. May the bloodof this victorious defender of thefaith truly become the seed of a glor­ious evangelical and evangelistic wit­ness, known to the world as ThePresbyterian Church of America., "At this memorial service the entire

offering which was presented to theLord shall be sent to the Commitee onHome Missions and Church Exten­sion of The Presbyterian Church ofAmerica and to the IndependentBoard for Presbyterian Foreign Mis­sions on which Board brother Machenserved as President from its incep­tion until November, 1936, and onwhose Executive Committee he serveduntil his death. The offering shallbe divided equally between these twowonderful agencies which are beingso signally used of the Lord. In tak­ing this action we feel we are com­plying with what would be the sinceredesire of our brother Machen; thatthe saving knowledge of Christ mightthe more effectively be proclaimed athome and abroad.

"Though much more could be saidin praise of this man of God, of thiswe are certain: 'We know that tothem that love God all things work

together for good, even to them thatare called according to His purpose.For whom He foreknew, he also fore­ordained to be conformed to theimage of His Son, that He might bethe firstborn among many brethren:and whom He foreordained, them Healso called: and whom He called,them He also justified; and whom Hejustified them He also glorified. Whatthen shall we say to these things? IfGod be for us, who is against us?'"

SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIANSCHOOLS ORGANIZED BY

PHILADELPHIA GROUP

ME ET ING in the Whittier Hotel,Philadelphia, on Monday, Janu­

ary 11th, approximately 140 personsheard the Rev. Professor CorneliusVan Til, Ph.D., of WestminsterTheological Seminary, present theneed for the immediate formation ofChristian schools. The school systemadvocated by Dr. Van Til is underparental, rather than parochial, con­trol. Dr. Van Til showed forcefullythe danger of entrusting the childrenof Christian parents to the irreligiousatmosphere and tendencies of present­day public school systems, and pre­sented the clear imperative of a pro­vision for the educational needs ofthe children of the covenant alonglines that are rigidly in accord withChristian principles and doctrine.

At the close of the meeting Dr. VanTil answered questions on the subjectof his address, and fifty-three personssignified their wish to become mem­bers of the proposed society. A com­mittee of nine was appointed as atemporary Executive Committee todraw up a constitution and to advancethe interests of Christian schools.Ministers of the Reformed Presby­terian and Reformed EpiscopalChurches, as well as laymen of otherdenominations, are members of thePhiladelphia society.

Parents are already indicating theirdesire and enthusiasm for Christianschools, and encouraging sums havebeen contributed to this end. Althoughit is not expected that such schoolscan be immediately started, manyhave caught the vision of the need,and look forward to the realization ofthis hope in the not-far-distant future.

DR. A. Z. CONRAD DIES ATAGE OF 81; WAS MILITANT

LEADER IN NEW ENGLAND

1500 Attend Impressive 'FuneralService of Prominent Boston

Congregational Minister

TH E Rev. Dr. A. Z. Conrad, pastorof the Park Street Congregational

Church, Boston, for the past 31 yearsand conservative leader of Boston'scivic and religious life throughoutthree decades, died Friday, January22nd, at the Phillips House of theMassachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Conrad, who was 81, had beenseriously ill since last May, but ap­peared to be recovering after anoperation performed January l l th.His wife, organist of the church, waswith him when he died.

Approximately 1500 persons at­tended the impressive funeral serviceheld on Tuesday, January 26th. Thebrief sermon was preached by theRev. Harold J. Ockenga, co-pastor ofthe Park Street Church since lastNovember, who took as his subject,"I am the resurrection and the life."Friends and admirers of Dr. Conradcrowded the auditorium and SundaySchool room, and overflowed into thecorridors and aisles of the church.Representatives of a host of de­nominational and interdenominationalenterprises were present to pay finaltribute to a well-loved leader.

Dr. Conrad was born at Shiloh,Indiana, in 1855, the son of a Presby­terian minister. He was graduatedfrom 'Carleton College in 1882 andfrom Union Theological Seminary in1885. That same year he was ordaineda Presbyterian minister and appointedpastor of the Ainslee Street Presby­terian Church in Brooklyn, N. Y. In1890 he accepted a call from the FirstPresbyterian Church in Worcester.He remained there for twelve yearsuntil ill health forced his resignation.After a three-year rest he yielded tothe importunities of leading NewEngland Congregationalists and an­swered the call to the Boston church.

Under his leadership the congre­gation of the Park Street church grewin membership and prestige. Firmlybelieving that a minister should takepart in public affairs, Dr. Conrad was

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THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN 199

an influential factor in New Englandcivic life and instituted many effec­tive crusades.

In his theology Dr. Conrad was astanch and immovable conservative.Said Mr. Ockenga, in tribute, "Dr.Conrad was a mighty cedar of Leba­non who having fallen leaves a vacantplace on the horizon. It will be longbefore any man can fill his place. Hewas a man of God, a preacher ofpower, an orator of no mean ability,a reformer and a revivalist, and thischurch was his first love."

SOUTH DAKOTA CHURCHACQUIRES NEW BUILDING

DE CEMBER 14th, 1936, was ahappy day for the members and

friends of the Trinity PresbyterianChurch of America at Bridgewater,South Dakota, for on that day avacated church building was movedfour and a half miles from thecountry into the middle of the townof Bridgewater. "It will never hap­pen," said some. "It is impossible,"said others. But the church was raisedfrom its old foundations and, withthe aid of several volunteer helpers,was moved into town and rested on alot donated by a member of the con­gregation. The chimney that crumbledwas rebuilt and a few altefationswere made to suit the growing church.

The structure was formerly a Men­nonite church building, and had beenabandoned for several years. Thewilling hands of many ladies cleanedup the ravages of many South Dakotadust storms. A piano was purchasedby the Ladies' Aid, and on ChristmasSunday the first services were held.The church was filled to overflowing.A Christmas program was held onDecember 24th and was attended byan audience almost double the seatingcapacity of the building. In the springthe members plan to dig a basementand probably enlarge the churchbuilding. The purchase price of thechurch has been almost met by localsubscriptions.

The Trinity Presbyterian Churchof America was organized October26, 1936, under the leadership of theRev. Jack Zandstra. Its members with­drew from the First Presbyterian,Church of Bridgewater when presby­tery released Mr. Zandstra in Sep-

tember for spreading "fundamentalistpropaganda" and refusing to supportthe Boards. The church doors werelocked against him. Rather than forcetheir way into the church the mem­bers peaceably seceded and met inthe Commercial Club Rooms whereservices were held for ten weeks be­fore the church building was obtained.

NEW CHURCH ORGANIZEDIN AMWEL, NEW JERSEY

ON JANUARY 20th the CalvaryPresbyterian Church of Amwel

(N. J.) was organized by those mem­bers of the Larison's Corner Presby­terian Church who wished, by join­ing The Presbyterian Church ofAmerica, to turn their backs foreveron all association with the Presby­terian Church in the U.S.A. Thegroup which formed the new churchmet in the home of one of the mem­bers, without hesitation formally or­ganized the Calvary Church, andmade application to the Presbytery ofNew Jersey for entrance into the fel­lowship of The Presbyterian Churchof America.

On September 13, 1936, the Lari­son's Corner Church had declared it­self independent of the PresbyterianChurch in the U.S.A. There remained,however, two factions within this in­dependent church: those who lookedback to the old denomination andthose who looked forward to unitingwith The Presbyterian Church ofAmerica. Since this condition couldnot long continue without seriousdetriment to the spiritual life of thechurch a congregational meeting wascalled to determine the future policy.

This meeting was held on January13th. After about three hours of un­pleasant discussion the pastor, West­minster Seminary student Bruce H.Wideman, seeing the hopeless divi­sion of spirit decided to call togetherall those who were anxious to joinThe Presbyterian Church of America.These determined to abandon thechurch building immediately.

On Sunday, January l Zth, 63 per­sons met in the home of one of themembers. This group included everyelder, nearly all the young people andmost of the Sunday School teachers.There was real joy and peace in thehearts of all at the realization that

they had performed the will of Christ.On January 24th and again on the

last Sunday of the month 74 personsworshiped together as the CalvaryChurch of Amwel, in a former club

" house of the Ku Klux Klan situatedjust north of Ringoes, New Jersey, onthe New York highway.

Commenting on the congregation'sapplication to New Jersey Presbyteryfor admission as a particular churchof The Presbyterian Church ofAmerica, Mr. Wideman said, "Webelieve it to be a movement orderedand directed by God Himself, andtherefore one which will continue.Therefore, we have decided Ito uniteourselves to an organization whichwe know to be sound and firm in thefaith of our Lord Jesus Christ."

WISCONSIN CHURCH HOLDSSERVICE IN MEMORY OF

DR. J. GRESHAM MACHEN

MORE than 450 people gatheredin the Village Hall of Oostburg,

Wisconsin, on January 10th to honorthe memory of the Rev. J. GreshamMachen, D.D., Litt.D., whose life hadbeen a source of unfailing inspirationto them. The hall was crowded, andmany young people were present.

The service opened with Dr.Machen's favorite hymn, "When Isurvey the wondrous cross." The Rev.Oscar Holkeboer, pastor of the BethelChurch of Oostburg, preached on thesutject, "Dr. Machen and West­minster Seminary," and it was evi­dent that he both knew and loved hissubject. In a simple but moving wayhe retold the story of the founding ofWestminster Seminary and urged thepeople to continue their hearty sup-port of the school. "

Following Mr. Holkeboer the Rev.John J. De Waard addressed thegathering on the subject of "Dr.Machen and The Presbyterian Churchof America." None left the meetingwith an inadequate conception of Dr.Machen's unique place in the Chris­tian world.

An offering of $74 was received atthe meeting and forwarded to theseminary as another indication ofhow enthusiastically the WisconsinPresbyterians will continue to sup­port those enterprises nearest anddearest to Dr. Machen.

200 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN

WESTMINSTER SEMINARYBOARD ELECTS PRESIDENT;

PLANS TENTH ANNIVERSARY

AT A meeting of the Board ofTrustees of Westminster Theo­

logical Seminary held on January26th, the Rev. Edwin H. Rian waselected President. Mr. Rian has beenserving as Field Secretary of theseminary in addition to his duties asGeneral Secretary of the Home Mis­sions Committee of The PresbyterianChurch of America. Since the deathof Dr. Frank H. Stevenson in 1933Westminster Seminary has had noPresident of its Board of Trustees,and the election of Mr. Rian to thisimportant office is one more clear in­dication that the seminary plans togo forward aggressively during thecoming years.

A Committee of Nine was electedfor the purpose of formulating plansfor the J. Gresham Machen MemorialFund (mentioned in THE PRESBY­TERIAN GUARDIAN for January 23rd)and for the Tenth Anniversary of theseminary in 1939. The committee iscomposed of four members of thefaculty and five members of the Boardof Trustees : Professors R. B. Kuiper,Cornelius Van Til, N. B. Stonehouseand Paul Woolley; and Board mem­bers J. J. De Waard, F. M. Paist,E. H. Rian, H. A. Worcester andH. M. Woods. These members of thecommittee were given power to in­crease the membership to 21 or more,

Professor Cornelius Van Til, Ph.D.,was elected a member of the Nomi­nating Committee to fill the vacancycaused by the death of Dr. Machen.

NEW BUILDING DEDICATEDBY NOTTINGHAM CHURCH

O N JANUARY 17th, the dedica­tion service of the new building

of the Bethany Presbyterian Churchof Nottingham, Pennsylvania, washeld in an atmosphere of generalthanksgiving. Dr. Cornelius Van Tilpreached the dedication sermon. Thebuilding itself is not a new one, butwas erected some decades ago by areligious organization known as theNottingham Band. The building islarge enough to seat more than two

hundred people. It is unpretentiousand unadorned, but suitable for itspurpose and beautiful in its simplicity.

Sixty-five of the ninety-two mem­bers of the Bethany Church wereformerly members of the NottinghamChurch of the Presbyterian Churchin the U.S.A. The Rev. Peter DeRuiter served as pastor of that churchfor five years. When the church re­organized as a member of The Pres­byterian Church of America at itsfirst annual congregational meetingon January 4th, 1937, Mr. De Ruiterwas asked by a unanimous congre­gation to be its pastor.

Although there have been severalservices conducted at the laying ofcornerstones of new churches of ThePresbyterian Church of America, therecent dedication of the BethanyChurch building is believed to be thefirst such service held by any congre­gation of The Presbyterian Churchof America.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFINDEPENDENT BOARD APPOINTS

FOUR NEW MISSIONARIES

MEET ING on Monday, January25th, the Executive Committee

of The Independent Board for Pres­byterian Foreign Missions examinedand appointed four new missionaries,bringing the total number now underappointment to twenty-seven.

Those appointed at the recent meet­ing are: Mr. and Mrs. Edward L.Kellogg and Mr. Charles GeorgeSchauffele, to serve in India; and Mr.

TABLE OF CONTENTSPrinceton's New President 181

AN EDITORIAL

Doorbell Rebuffs and Rebuttals 183Robert L. Vining

The Creation of the Heaven and theEarth '" , '" 184

Edward J. Young

Recent Tributes to Dr. Machen 186

Your Memorial Subscription 190

Strength in Weakness .. , " .. '" 191David Freeman

Studies in the Shorter Catechism ..... 192John H. Skilton

The Sunday School Lessons 194Leslie W. Sloat

A SURVEY OF NEWS 196

Henry D. Phillips, to serve in Peru.The men are all members of theSenior Class at Westminster Semi­nary.

The new appointments mean thatsix missionaries will soon be servingin India, and meeting the challengerecently accentuated by the emancipa­tion decree of the Maharajah ofTravancore. Mr. Phillips will assistthe Rev. and Mrs. Lon D. Hitchcockin their work in South America.

KENTUCKY CHAPEL HOUSES24 FLOOD REFUGEES FORCED

TO EVACUATE DWELLINGS

TH E Rev. J. Lyle Shaw, pastorof the Community Presbyterian

Chapel of Newport, Kentucky, be­came the unsung hero of a little groupof stricken refugees of the floodedarea. Newport is just a few miles out­side of Cincinnati, Ohio, and whenthe rains descended and the floodscame, death and desolation walkedabroad in Newport.

Promptly Mr. Shaw filled the littlechapel with flood victims and under­took to care for them. Twenty-fourpersons found shelter there, after be­ing forced to evacuate their homes,and twice every day Mr. Shaw min­istered to their spiritual as well astheir physical needs. Food was sup­plied by the local chapter of TheAmerican Legion.

Meanwhile, the water rose towithin one city block of the chapel,and ceaseless prayers were offeredby the little band of grief-strickenvictims 11:0 the One whom even thewinds and the waves obey.

The crisis is now passed, and anew type of courage is needed bythese brave but bereft Christians:The courage to face long, wrackingmonths of rehabilitation, the courageto trust God for strength, and to re­construct by His grace the work of alifetime that has been wiped out in afew tragic days. Christians every­where are urged to pray and give inorder that these, who have lost somuch, may be helped in their struggleback to life.

The Community PresbyterianChapel of Newport is the only missionchapel of The Presbyterian Churchof America.

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