in this volume wondrously buttressedby constant appeal to and scholarlyexegesis of the holy Scriptures. Thisfactor alone makes the work exceed­ingly relevant.

Relevant IssuesIt is also true that recent develop­

ments in the religious world makethese lectures fulfill a much widerneed than was originally intended;hence another reason for their repub­lication. I refer to the rise of moderndispensationalism with its disruptionof scriptural unity and its unwhole­some separation or antithesis between

(continued on page 5)

Mr. Churchill is the pastor of theCommunity Orthodox PresbyterianChurch of Sonora, California.

ROBERT K. CHURCHILL

Collinsworth's LecturesIntroduction

The change taking place in our civ­ilization is, as the sociologists

would say, one of seismic proportion.This "earthquake" word is used withspecial reference to the causal factorin the change, namely the disappear­ance of the home and family as it hasheretofore existed.

The fragmentation of the family hasbeen unwrttingly augmented by largesectors of Protestantism. The CovenantTheology with its healthy emphasis onthe family as the religious unit hasbeen all but eclipsed by the baptistictheory and practice. (This is of coursewider than anyone denomination.)

Regardless of the forces involvedthe great divide is inexorably forming.Yesterday the home and family wasthe foundation of church and state,culture and society, morals and ideals.Today this can no longer be said to betrue. Divorce or marital difficultiesalone remove one-half of the homesfrom this vital role in life. But alongwith this is the irresponsibility of par­'Cnts regarding the religious trainingof their children and the atomistic wayof thinking about individuaL ratherthan family religion. -c c :

It is in this larger context of reli­gious and social trends that the re­editing of this book should be evalu­ated. The subject of the book is nolonger merely a question of religiouspractice. The sanctity of the familyas a unit both in church and society is

\J

Meditations on the Gospel of Luke

Betrayed and Denied

The Betrayal and Arrestof Jesus: Luke 22:47-53

While the disciples slept Jesus keptwatch in Gethsemane. Soon there

appeared through the branches of thetrees the gleam of lanterns and theflickering of torches as men ap­proached from the city, crossing thedeep ravine that separated Jerusalemfrom the Mount of Olives. It was aband of some two hundred soldiersarmed with swords and staves, thetemple police, and the chief priestsand elders - the "great multitude"that was organized to capture Jesus,with Judas leading the way throughthe darkness.

Arousing his disciples, Jesus spoke,"Rise, let us be going; behold, he isat hand that doth betray me" (Matt.26:46). With Peter, James, and John,Jesus started toward the entrance ofthe garden where he had left the othereight. At that moment Judas and thearmed band drew near.

Stepping forward, Judas said, "Hail,Master!" and kissed him. That wasthe sign agreed upon to identify theone the soldiers were to lay hands on.A kiss, which should be a token ofaffection, here became a sign oftreason. "Judas, betrayest thou the Sonof man with a kiss?" asked Jesus.

Peter, impulsive as always andaroused to action, struck out with hissword at the one nearest to him, cut­ting off the right ear of the servantof the high priest. Jesus, however,turned to Peter and said, "Put upagain thy sword into its place: for allthey that take the sword shall perishwith the sword" (Matt. 26:52). Thisis not to say that a sword may neverbe used-in self defense or by thecivil officer, for example. But Peter,by his rash act, was endangering hisown life and the lives of the otherdisciples.

Moreover, Jesus did not need theprotection of the sword in his defense.His protection was from God. Twelvelegions of angels were at his disposal

EDWARD WYBENGA

if he wished to call upon them. Buthow then could the Savior have car­ried out his mission of redemption?And how would the prophetic Scrip­tures concerning his sufferings anddeath be fulfilled, "that thus it mustbe" (Matt. 26:54)? The interests ofChrist's spiritual kingdom are not tobe advanced with the sword of steelbut only by the sword of the Spirit,which is the Word of God.

To our Lord this intervention byPeter seemed like an attempt to dash"the cup of suffering" from his hand-the cup the Father had given himto drink. Reaching forth with hishealing touch, the Master performeda final miracle before his death, re­storing the ear of Malchus. The heal­ing was a ministry of mercy towardhis enemies! Thus did Jesus practicewhat he had preached in the Sermonon the Mount at the beginning of hisministry: "Love your enemies ... dogood to them that hate you" (Matt.5 :44). Now their hour had come,"and the power of darkness."Peter's Denial of ChristLuke 22:54-62A fter the arrest of Jesus, he was led

.tl. away to be tried. Peter, we aretold, "followed afar off." Loving hisMaster, he wanted to see what wouldbecome of him, but he was afraid forhis own safety at the same time. Thisfear of detection was bound to gethim into trouble ere long. Venturingnear the fire in the open courtyard­the night was chilly-Peter hoped thathis presence might be overlooked.

The courage of Peter's faith was tobe put to the test, as Satan was aboutto "sift him as wheat" in an effortto destroy his usefulness. Twice hewas accosted as having been amongJesus' followers. Twice Peter deniedthat he knew anything of the Master.Had he but held his tongue he mighthave fared better. By putting on abold front and taking part in the fire­side talk he gave himself away. In partat least, the Galilean dialect was his

undoing, for an hour afterwards,someone affirmed with confidence,"Of a truth, this fellow also was withhim, for he is a Galilean."

Unable to hide his identity anylonger and pressed to the point of de­speration, Peter lost all command ofhimself and began "to curse and toswear," saying, "Man, I know notwhat thou sayest!" And immediatelya cock crowed.

From the elevated chamber above,where Jesus was undergoing his pre­liminary hearing, he saw Peter andheard his denial. As he was being ledthrough the open court to Caiaphas'judgment seat, Jesus looked uponPeter-a look of wounded love, ofpiercing reproof, of unutterable pity.His gaze penetrated Peter's misery andheartbreak, and he recalled Jesus' pre­diction, "Before the cock crow, thoushalt deny me thrice." And Peter wentout, and wept bitterly.

Shameful as his denial had been,his faith did not utterly fail. Withtears of true repentance he found hisway back to God. What was it thatsustained his faith and brought abouthis godly sorrow? It was the Savior'sintercession in his behalf: "I haveprayed for thee, that thy faith failnot." As always, the prayer of Jesuswas answered.

Have you ever denied your Lord?Not necessarily in the way Peter did.It may be that your life has neverbeen in actual danger from your al­legiance to Christ. But has your silencewhen you ought to have spoken upfor the truth really denied Christ? Hassome unchristian attitude or mannerof life belied your profession atfaith? You have perchance preferredthe good will of a friend or relativeto the approval of God? You havefeared the blame of men more thanthe condemnation of the Lord?

How often we are so despicablyweak in our Christian testimony! MayGod deliver us from moral cowardiceand sinful silence! Nor may we trustin our own resources to overcome inthe hour of temptation. We must"watch and pray." And should it hap­pen that we sometimes fall grievously,we need not lose hope. Jesus came tosave sinners. The way of repentanceand restoration is ever open by hisgrace. Our sympathetic High Priestever intercedes in our behalf.

The Presbyterian Guardian is published monthly (except May-June and Ju/y-Augustl by the Presbyterian Guardian Publishing Corp., 7401 OldYork Rd., Phila. Pa. 19126, at the following rates, payable in advance in any part of the world, postage prepaid: $3.00 per year ($2.50 inClubs of ten or morel; $1.00 for four months; 25c per single copy. Second Class mail privileges authorized at the Post Office, Philadelphia, Pa.

2 The Presbyterian Guardian

If the church presents an open door) it will haveopportunities to help.

Adolescence and the ChurchPart II - Independence

DONALD W.FELKER

P rofessor Jersild in The Psychologyof Adolescence pictures adoles­

cence as a drama with three acts.The first act might be titled, "De­

pendence." In it the teenager con­tinues the life of dependence that hehad in childhood. He needs the emo­tional support of his parents andreadily accepts those things which hisparents want.

The second act of the drama mightcarry the title, "The Struggle for In­dependence." This struggle is some­time a relatively quiet campaign, andsometimes it is a rocky time of openconflict.

In this act the teenager, in orderto become an adult, must outgrow hischildhood dependence on his parents.His major allegiances begin to shiftfrom his parents to his peers. He mustdevelop standards which are "his"standards and be able to make his owndecisions about his life.

The third act, if all has gone well,is once again a fairly serene picture.It can be called, "Maturity." In it theadolescent quietly takes his placeamong his adult peers. The struggleis over. The adolescent has now be­come an adult and has developedtraits of maturity, independence, andstability.

This pictures the situation thatsociety almost demands as a price,for becoming an adult. One of thesigns of adulthood is independenceof action and emotion. If a personcomes of adult years and is still de­pendent on someone else for hisstandards and emotional support wethink something is missing.

A Time of StruggleUnfortunately, in real life the

drama is not over as quickly as aplay would be. This struggle is some­thing which is going on in the lifeof a family for approximately eightyears. The time from childhood until

January, 1966

adulthood is a long and many timesstormy period. Those things whichparents and adolescents find annoy­ing or irritating in the home duringadolescence are usually connectedwith the desire of the adolescent tobe independent. This desire adds tothe storm.

There are two facets to indepen­dence. One of them is physical inde­pendence. Adolescents and youngadults gain this independence whenthey are able to support themselves,begin their careers, and earn theirown keep. This is a long process withour need for more education, but it issomething that is expected. Societymakes some provision for this typeof independence.

The second facet of independenceis what we might call "psychologicalindependence." Psychological inde­pendence comes about when the ado­lescent or young adult possesses theability, desire, and freedom to takeresponsibility for his own thoughts,moral judgments, feelings, and con­duct.

Possessing this ability does notmean that the teenager does thingson his own without seeking adviceor that he repudiates everything thathis parents and society have taught.It does mean, however, that his de­cisions will no longer be made for himor dictated to him. Even though he"honors his father and mother," henow judges his conduct and makes

Mr. Felker is a visiting professor atthe University of Indiana and a mem­ber of the Board of Christian Educa­tion of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch of North America.

This article is used with his per­mission and that of the CovenanterWitness, where it appeared on Octo­ber 27, 1965.

his decisions according to a standardthat has become "his" standard.

This type of independence is notsomething which comes easily. Thedrama is well named as the strugglefor independence. The struggle iswaged on a double front. Part of thestruggle that the teenager has is withhimself. As desperately as most teen­agers profess their desire to "makeup their own minds" we would notthink that this would be much of astruggle. Becoming independent, how­ever, carries burdens of responsibilitywith it. The easy road would be toremain dependent. Independencecarries with it the responsibility to beaccountable for the decisions that aremade. This brings the conflict-thedesire for independence does battlewith the desire for security that isenjoyed when we are under our par­ents' wings.

Conflict With ParentsThe second front on which this

battle rages is between parents andadolescents. All of us want our chil­dren to become mature and indepen­dent adults. In spite of this it is ex­tremely difficult to let them take thesteps that are necessary to achievethis end. We don't want to see themget hurt and the emotional pull tokeep them sheltered is strong.

Also the process of becoming in­dependent means that the teenagermust challenge us at points. If he isgoing to have his own standards andconvictions then it is necessary for himto test them. It is only after this test­ing-or questioning to see if these arethe convictions he wants-that theycan really be called "his." Many timeswe as parents misinterpret this test­ing to mean a repudiation of the con­victions and standards that we haveattempted to instill in our childrenas we have raised them up.

The church has an important role in

3

It is only after testing or questioning, that convictionscan really be called «his."

this drama. We want those who arein the church to have a set of stand­ards and convictions which are com­patible with the aims of the Christianlife. It has been repeated "ad in­finitum" that we don't want a religionthat is simply passed on, but rather aconviction that is born of a personalacceptance of the standards and faithof the church. If adults are to havepersonal convictions, it is necessarythat they "try" these things to see ifthey be so. Part of the questioning ofadolescents is just this process. Theway in which young people take some­thing to be their own standard andconviction is by questioning it andhaving these questions answered totheir satisfaction.

Another way in which the churchbecomes involved in the adolescent'sstruggle for independence is as anobject of rebellion. When the adoles­cent is having a difficult time in gain­ing independence, one place that iscommonly chosen as a point at whichto strike out at his parents is thechurch. This is one way in which hecan show that parents cannot tell himwhat to do-they might make him goto church, but they can't make himbelieve things. Parents should keepthis in mind, because it is usually anextremely effective means of hurtingparents and of asserting independenceat the same time. Perhaps a greater de­gree of independence in questioningwould work toward taking this as ameans of asserting independence.

UnderstandingBut what can the church do? The

main thing would be to understandwhy the adolescent is questioning thethings which the church holds. Thisis not usually an isolated thing thatthe teenager is doing but is connectedwith his whole desire to be independ­ent. It must be remembered also thatindependence in thought and convic­tion is something that the church de­sires for its adults.

With this in mind there would beat least three practical things whichthe church can do to help the adoles­cent Come through this struggle suc­cessfully. These would be to provide(1) opportunities for questioning,(2) help in investigating, and (3)counsel on what is involved in true

maturity and independence.If questioning or testing convictions

is a part of making them personal,then the church should provide op­portunities for teenagers to do this inan atmosphere of understanding andconcern. The understanding wouldcome from realizing why the ques­tions are being raised. The concernwould be evidenced by providing, asmuch as possible, the means of an­swering the questions which areraised.

There is a danger here, and that isthe danger of just raising doubts with­out really helping in the finding ofadequate and satisfying answers. Toooften many of the doubts that teen­agers have are doubts which adultshave not been able to overcome andhave transplanted to the new genera­tion. This is not the questioning whichleads to personal conviction.

This danger is perhaps guardedagainst in the second thing that thechurch can do. That is to provide helpin investigating and digging for theanswers. Many of the questions thatteenagers raise in the realm of thechurch are not questions which arereally being asked with the hope ofa ready answer. They are questionswhich they are asking themselves totest out their own answers or test outthe answer that someone has giventhem.

Too often we either interpret thisquestioning as a repudiation of thatwhich is being questioned or as anattempt to irritate. When we do this,we close the door on the opportunityto help the adolescent investigate thearea for himself. We can not thenhelp him dig and find a self-satisfyinganswer. It is this self-satisfaction withthe answers that are either given orgotten which will lead to personaland solid convictions.

ListeningThe third thing that the church can

do is to counsel on what is involvedin true maturity and independence.One of the things that increasinglyshows up in various counseling reportsabout teenagers is the fact that manyadolescents feel that there are noadults who care enough.about themeven to listen to their problems. Wemay feel that. this does not apply to

our teenagers but we might be sur­prised if we heard their reactions.

If the church, through the Sabbathschool, young people's group, summerconferences, and the pastor, presentsan open door to the teenager, it willhave opportunities for helping him.This is mentioned because we oftendo not have the opportunity to helpthe teenager come to an understand­ing of true maturity and independencebecause he feels that we do not careabout him and hence does not seek ourcounsel.

True maturity and independencewould be built around those things ofwhich we have spoken: responsibility,conviction, personal standards, andfreedom. These are vitally connectedwith the message of the gospel, andthis connection should be made clearto the teenager. It is in Christ thatwe have freedom and the highest re­sponsibility. It is through Him thatwe are led to conviction and personalstandards which are consistent withour aims in life.

The drama which we have calledthe "Struggle for Independence" isusually not a comedy. It is filled withanxiety, often touched by turmoil andstruggle. But it is a drama that endswith joy if it is successfully completed.It ends with the teenager taking hisplace in the church and society as amature member who can now make apersonal contribution because of hisconvictions and his decisions.

(The next article in this series willbe on "Vocational Choice.")

General Assembly to Meetin Oostburg April 26

The Thirty-third General Assemblyof the Orthodox Presbyterian

Church is to convene at 9:00 a.m. onTuesday, April 26, at Bethel Church,Oostburg, Wisconsin, The Session ofBethel Church is making arrangementsfor a service with the observance ofthe Lord's Supper for Monday evening.

Mr. Earl DeMaster, chairman ofthe Committee on Arrangement, hasurged commissioners to return the blueregistration card at once. Lodging withbreakfast will be provided in homes ofthe congregation. The pastor of theBethel Church is the Rev. DonaldStanton.

A Pre-Assembly Conference isscheduled to begin on. Friday, April22, and. to continue through Monday.

4 The Presbyterian Guardian

(continued from the cover)

Collinsworth's Lecturesthe Old and the New Testaments.This separation is often argued, butfor the most part it is assumed bysimply referring to the New Testa­ment church. Although the antithesiswhich dispensationalism makes be­tween the Testaments is a boon tobaptistic groups, it should be said thatthe movement itself is much widerthan one denomination. This, however,explains why many Christian peoplehave been unconsciously prepared toembrace baptistism though they arenot members of a Baptist or Camp­bellite church. Baptistic principles havebecome a way ot popular assumptionand thinking.

The attempt to make the churchmerely a New Testament body is byno means as innocent as it appears.The broad and enduring basis forinfant baptism is the fact that thechildren of believers have in all agesbeen members of the church andkingdom with the sign of God's cove­nant upon them. If the assumption thatthis is no longer hue gains precedence,then the faith which has ever heldthe family to be the ordinary religiousunit through which God works isundermined.

Perhaps the modern phenomena ofchild evangelism, large Sunday schools

The book which is here shortenedand re-edited was a series of lecturespublished in 1892 by Hudson-Kim­berly Pub. Co., Kansas City, Mo. Theauthor's name is the Rev. J. R. Col­linsworth. The title page bears thefollowing imprint;

The PSEUDO~CHURCH DOC­TRINE 0/ ANTI-PEDO-BAPTISTS,Defined and Refuted. A Series of Lec­tures on the Organization, Identityand Perpetuity 0/ God's VisibleChurch. Also Showing Its ScripturalMembership and the Mode of Baptism.

Such a title may give some inklingas to why this timely work should beshortened to its present form. Chapters7, 10, 11, 13 and 18 have beenomitted and other chapters shortened.

The editor is indebted to Mr. How­ard Long of Seattle, Washington, forencouragement and help.

January, 1966

and small church services, with par­ents taking the children away afterSunday school, and multitudinousyouth programs, indicate not strengthbut weakness. Inevitable questionsarise. In today's program of evan­gelism have we been forced to aban­don the divine program of reachingparents with their children? Also, canthe present programming ever be re­versed, and put on the right roadagain? It is in this context that thisbook is explosive. In a most thor­oughgoing and trenchant fashion theautnor re-establishes the perpetuity ofChrist's church throughout all ages,that church whose membership hasever included believers and theirchildren.Ignorance and Misinformation

The confusion over infant baptismis caused largely by ignorance. Thisignorance furthermore is being con­stantly fed by misinformation. On mydesk at present are various tracts andarticles against infant baptism, gath­ered from various present daychurches. These writings contain allthe errors pointed out in this book.The old records of baptistism aresimply played over and over again.The reader can verify this for himself.In each of these writings, furthermore,there is either the overt statement orthe assumption that the Infant-baptistsbelieve in baptismal regeneration-thatsomehow baptism makes the little onea child of God. This misrepresentationis exceedingly widespread and per­sistent. The reader may think it strangethat the author labors so long in thesecond chapter to state and then refutethis misrepresentation. The presenteditor has cut this chapter drasticallybut since the practice continues una­bated some disclosure is necessary.

This book has an added value inthat it deals somewhat with the emo­tional attachments to the baptistic posi­tion. The present editor along withmany others can bear testimony to thefact that long after they were con­vinced intellectually that the 'baptist'position was wrong and unscriptural,there was nevertheless the emotionalhold which hindered a full and happy

commitment to infant baptism and itsattendant blessing. A position may bequite false and utterly lacking in com­prehension, yet if it is repeated oftenenough and loud enough, the grooveis worn too deeply for easy conversion.

The original introduction of thebook contained these words: "Theselectures are simply overwhelming.Knowing as he did all the argumentsand proofs of immersionists he boldlyentered the field of their argumentsand, like an avalanche, came downupon them with tremendous crushingforce. He is simply invincible. I havenever heard the argument equalled."And again: "It is an interesting factthat men of the legal profession aregreat admirers of these lectures. Theyare captivated with the wonderful rea­soning powers of the author, with hisforcetul and conclusive arguments, hisresistless logic."

The teachings and practices of themany baptistic bodies which todayhave become dominant and pervasivein the popular mind should not beignored. The author of these lecturesdoes not use weasel words in attack­ing these "pseudo-doctrines." Let thereader be prepared for full scale attackand bloody battle!

From the Preface to another editionwe have taken this biographical noteconcerning the Rev. J. R. Collins­worth, author of these lectures:

"He was first a member of the Reformor Campbellite Church, and was fortwelve or fifteen years a minister of thatcommunion. Though young, he soon be­came distinguished as a man of eminentability in the pulpit, standing in the frontrank among their strongest men. Hefinally, however, became skeptical as tothe correctness of the system of doctrinehe had been preaching. This state ofmind continued to increase-s-finally caus­ing him to desist from the ministry fortwo or three years during which time hedevoted himself to a critical examinationof the evidence upon which the systemhe had advocated was founded, and hesoon discovered that it contained manyfundamental defects; as an honest manhe was constrained to renounce it. Afterexamining the various systems of theologyand church polity he decided to unitewith the Cumberland PresbyterianChurch and accordingly in September,

5

Lecture I - the Differences1858, he made formal application formembership in the Cumberland Presby­terian congregation at Lewisburg, Ten­nessee, of which W. W. Hendrix, D.D.,was pastor. The Session being personallyacquainted .wit~, him, he was unani­mously received.

I t is due to myself, as well as to thecase I represent, to state that I have

been unexpectedly called upon to de­liver this course of lectures for pub­lication.

That there are divisions in Chris­tendom, no one will deny. Ignoringthem will not correct them; passingthem by unnoticed will never informtho: public mind. Nothing short of apatient investigation will settle them.

We shall aim to make this course oflectures suited to the masses ratherthan to the metaphysician or theolo­gian. The people cannot decide as tothe correctness or incorrectness of thesereflections, unless they are plain andpractical--eommending themselves totheir common sense and good under­standing. Certain points will neces­sarily come up, in th~ course of theseinvestigations, that will dema~d clas­sical examination. These we will treatas briefly as the nature of each casewill permit.

Inasmuch as many of the churchwrangles grow out of the differenc~s

existing between these two great reli­gious parties, it is necessary here tomake a statement of the exact differ­ence between the Infant-baptists andthe Anti-infant-baptistst.

1. The Infant-baptists believe thatGod never had but one visible churchin the world. They believe that Henever will have but one. Further, theybelieve that the visible church, sinceits organization in the family of Abra­ham has never ceased to be the visiblechurch of God; that it remains thesame visible organization as it began,and will remain the same in all com­ing time. The Anti-infant-bapti.sts donot believe this. Yet they admit thata visible church did exist in sam;form, and that it began its visi~le

existence in that form in the familyof Abraham. They believe that at ~he

coming of Christ, or John the Baptls~,

or about that time, the old Abrahamicorganization ceased to exist, and tha~ anew church or kingdom began to exist,that never existed before. That is theview of the Anti-infant-baptists.

2. There is a second point of differ-

6

ence standing side by side with this,to-wit: If the Infant-baptists are cor­rect in regard to the continuance ofthe same visible church, if that oldcompact is perpetuated, then they arecorrect also in another point, whichthe Anti-infant-baptists disbelieve, viz.:Infant MembershIp. It is taught i~ theBible, beyond a doubt as we belteve,that the same compact has continuedto exist from Abraham to the presenttime. The Anti-infant-baptists see this,and hence, all their opposition to thecontinuance of the same church. For,by the universal consent of all parties,infants were in that visible churchwith their parents, from the time ofAbraham to the coming of Christ inthe flesh. If the same church is per­petuated, it follows that the sam.emembership is perpetuated. Unless Itcan be shown by divine authority, thatthe infant membership has been for­bidden, there is no chance to escapethis conclusion.

One Continuing Church3. I now state another important

point of. difference betw~~n the In­fant-baptists and the ~ntl-lll~ant-bap­

tists. The Infant-baptists believe thatthe church visible, organized in thefamily of Abraham, was not onlymade up of parents and children, oradults and infants, but that the samevisible church has been perpetuatedfrom age to age, and is now the truevisible church. The Anti-infant-bap­tists do not believe this. As beforestated, they assume that the visiblechurch now in the world began toexist in the days of John th~ B.aptist,or from the coming of Chnst m theflesh' that it never existed before; andthat 'this new visible church never didadmit infants into it, as did the oldchurch between Abraham and Christ,which they claim was abolished andsuperseded by the new. Now, ~th

parties cannot be right; both partles

I "Infant-baptists" and "Anti-infant-bap­tists" appear throughout instead of Pedo­baptists and Anti-pedo-b aptists as usedbl the Author.

2 The term was used because the move­ment led by Thomas and Alexa~d~r

Campbell was intended to restore prirm­tive Christianity' its adherents later be­came known as the Disciples of Christ.

cannot be correct. This is plain toeveryone.

At this point, I wish to make afurther classification of the Infant­baptists and Anti-infant-baptists, andthen proceed to examine into the cor­rectness or incorrectness of the twotheories. The Infant-baptists are theRoman Catholics, Episcopalians, Luth­erans, Presbyterians and Methodists inall their branches, and all parties inChristendom who believe in the pract­tice of infant baptism. These all standclassified together, not that we meanto say that the Presbyterians, Method­ists, Lutherans or the Episcopaliansendorse or believe in all the corrup­tions and extravagant practices of theRoman Catholic Church. We most cer­tainly disclaim any such thing. But onthe simple question of infant churchmembership and infant baptism, theyare one people. They all believe theScriptures require that the infan~ ?ff­spring of the members of the visiblechurch should be baptized.

On the opposite side of this ques­tion are the Anti-infant-baptists, clas­sified as follows: All the Baptist fami­lies, the Reformers- or Campbellites,the Tunkers or Dunkards. It the In­fant-baptists are right as to the organi­zation and perpetuity of the church,the Anti-infant-baptists are wrong; or,if the Anti-infant-baptists are rightas to the character of the visiblechurch and its organization, the In­fant-baptists are wrong..If th~ Biblesanctions one of these VIewS, It doesnot sanction the other. It is impossiblefor it to sanction the belief and prac­tice of both parties on this question.

The Biblical SystemIt is sometimes said you can prove

anything from the Bible. T~lat th:. In­fant-baptists can prove their pOSItIon,and the Anti-infant-baptists can provetheirs and so on. Such talk is asland~r upon the Word o~ God. T?ereis but one system taught in the BIble.It is a unit from beginning to end.God is not the author of differentsystems of theology. He is one God,author of one church, author of onesystem, and only one.

Suppose it sh~uld ~pp~ar in thecourse of these mvestigations, by ajust interpretation of the Scriptures,

The Presbyterian Guardian

Morning by Morning

that the Baptists, Campbellites andothers are really not in the true visiblechurch, we do not by that unchristian­ize them, for it is one thing to be aChristian, and quite a different thingto be a visible church member. Thisdistinction should not be overlooked.We read from the Bible that God'schurch is, by way of covenant of Hisown choosing, made up of parents andchildren. If such is the character ofGod's visible church now existing inthe world, are those church organiza­tions, that will not admit an infantmembership, to be accepted in whole,or in part, as the true visible churchof God? The Baptists and Campbel­lites declare that they form no part ofthe Abrahamic church. Then, if theScriptures teach that this church hasbeen perpetuated, and is the truechurch of God now existing, is it nottrue that the Baptists and Reformers(Campbellites) are outside of God'svisible church, both by the teaching ofthe Bible, and their own declaration?

Infant MembersIf God's covenant, or rather, if His

visible church requires the children ofchurch members to be in the churchwith them, they dare not leave themout. It is not left to their choice, Godhas chosen for us. He has organizedand constituted the church Himself.Whatever membership He has givenit, it must have, and the church thatdoes not have such membership, is notGod's church. You may think it a lit­tle arbitrary that you have no right tochoose, but God left it not to theagency of man to say whether hewould have a church in the world ornot, or have a covenant with him ornot. Not a word of it. The covenantwas of God's own work. The mem­bership of the church was God's ownchoice, not man's. As agents we canreject God's work and word, and wecan deny God and Christ. We candeny adult membership as well as in­fant membership. God is the author ofthe church covenant, not man,' God isthe author of the organization of thechurch, not man; God is the authorof infant membership in the church,not man. To oppose the will of Godis a sin, and he who opposes His willis a sinner. If God would have chil­dren in the church, we sin if we willnot have them there. If God's churchrequires it, opposition to it is sin!

(Continued Next Month)

January, 1966

Note: The broad and enduring basis forinfant baptism is that the children ofbelievers in all ages have been part ofthe church. But the reader may be won­dering about the rather recent practiceof infant dedication now being practicedin some baptistic churches. Does this de­dication ceremony now becoming popu­lar invalidate the author's contention?Has there come a change within thechurch?

The answer to this questicn is thatthe situation has changed only if thebaptistic principles have changed. If thechurch which dedicates infants is therebydeclaring that the children of believersare in the church and therefore oughtto have the badge of infant membershipin the church then the situation hasindeed changed.

But infant dedication as practiced bybaptistic churches is wrecked on thesevery simple questions:

Especially for the Ladies

Reports of the Women's Presby­terials have generally appeared in

the "Here and There" column of thismagazine. Since they are of particularinterest to the ladies, we thought youmight like to see a couple of themon this page. You will sense some,thing of the variety of these meetingsand also recurring emphases for all ofour societies and presbyterials. Prayer,for instance. We all know we shouldpray more. Didn't James say that "tohim that knoweth to do good, anddoeth it not, to him it is sin"?

,* * *I s the Westminster Confession out of

date?" asked Dr. E. J. Young ofthe more than sixty women who metin Fawn Grove for the PhiladelphiaPresbyterial. Answering his own ques­tion, he pointed out that while lan­guage does change, the truth does not.If we need to change the wording ofa confession, we do so only to makeits wording applicable to our day; wedo not change the truth. Dr. Youngbelieves that the proposed Confessionof 1967 now under discussion in theUnited Presbyterian Church does at­tempt to change the truth. In fact, itsuggests that there is no changelesstruth.

1. If the little one is God's child whynot baptize it?

2. If the little one is not God's childwhy dedicate it?

There is much evasion and inventivenesshere and contradictions abound. But itis good to know that at this juncturewhere men hesitate, the Word of God isclear. The child of the believer is God'schild, loaned to the parent for a shorttime. Paul declares that such a child isholy.

infant dedication as practiced by thechurch today is contrary to the Word ofGod. Dedication of children to the Lordis of course allowable and good, but Cer­tainly not if by so doing we seek to by­pass the sign of the covenant which Godcommands. Never in Scripture is a childgiven to or presented to the Lord whenthe parents have neglected the sign ofthe covenant. Dedicating unbaptizedchildren may indeed include an act ofdisobedience. - R.K.C.

Three Mothers of Ten

This new Confession says that Wi:

cannot express a theory, or explana­tion, of God's reconciling work inChrist, and be sure that it is the truth.Nor can we understand the Bible with­out literary and historical scholarship,say its framers. Dr. Young stated em­phatically, however, that if we wantto know what God is saying today, wemust go to the Bible. There we canfind the truth that God is reconciledto sinners who trust in Jesus Christ,because the Savior paid their debt.

After lunch came the sharing ofmissionary news, a time of prayer, andspecial music from ladies of SilverSpring, Md. "Missions in a NewAge" was the title of the Rev. HarvieConn's message based on II Corinth.11 :22. In sketching the history ofeighty years of missionary labor inKorea, he mentioned such men asUnderwood, Samuel Moffett, RobertThomas, and William Hunt, fatherof present-day missionary Bruce Hunt.

New demands are placed upon themissionary of today, he pointed out,because of the phenomenal growth ofthe church, the vast number who areChristians (approximately 400,000Presbyterians or more in the churcheswith, which we are working), and the

r

care of all these churches - a dailyburden for our few Orthodox Presby­terian missionaries in Korea.

Eighty years ago the missionary inKorea was a pioneer; now he islargely an adviser. Problems arechanging and ideas and solutions maychange with them. Mr. Conn feels,however, that the old answers are per­haps still the best answers - prayer,as Paul prayed, and more laborers tobe sent torth where the fields are soripe. - Mrs. Lois Sibley, reporter.

* * *Mrs. Barbara Fluck reported from

Ohio's autumn meeting: As thewomen arrived at Covenant Church,Pittsburgh, steaming cups of coffeewere served. This was especially ap­preciated by the out-of-town guests.A fresh lapel bouquet of small chry­santhemums was pinned on each oneas she registered.

Following a warm welcome byPresident Sylvia Gabrielse (Pitts­burgh), Mrs. Sara Craig (Harrisville)led in devotions. Mrs. Lee Roxberry(Nashua) reported missionary newsbefore the group was divided into fourprayer circles. A song of prayer, "OurFather, Clothed with Majesty," sungby Mrs. Lois Riemersma, effectivelycreated a quiet and sincere attitude.

After a short business meeting MissMillie Schrotenboer directed a num­ber of Christian school children in anarration and songs of Isaac Watts.You should have seen them break outwith smiles of relief as they filed offthe platform! The young people ofCovenant's Senior Machen Leaguegave an outstanding presentation of

the Rev. Harvie Conn's one act play,"The Persistent Beggar." It was a joyto watch these teenagers, who will beour leaders in the church tomorrow.They should be encouraged in all theirefforts of service.

After lunch Mrs. Onalee Tavares(Grove City) opened the afternoonsession with devotions, followed byspecial music by a trio. The Rev. JohnJohnston spoke of accomplishmentsand discouragements of his labors inTaiwan. Stressed again and again wasthe importance of sincere and earnestprayer for our missionaries and theirspecific needs. Real concern bringsreal prayer. The presence of the HoLySpirit was felt among us the wholeday, and our fellowship brought trueblessing to each one of us.

* * *Missionary Injormation Director.

How's that for a title for a ve,yimportant task? The job was recentlyestablished in Calvary Church of LaMirada, California, and the title wasaccepted with her usual enthusiasm byMrs. Bobbie Olinger. The method ofinforming the entire Sunday schoolabout the work of our Orthodox Pres­byterian missionaries is through specialprograms on the second Sunday ofeach month.

After Bobbie Olinger decides whatis to be featured for the next monthshe goes to work gathering materials,lining up young people to help, andseeing that necessary rehearsing isdone. Among recent emphases havebeen the Ted Hards (who were pre­sented in person), missionary booksfrom the church library, the hospital

project in Eritrea, the Thank Offering,and the Harvie Conn story.

Using her imagination, Bobbie cameup with a real winner in the latter in­stance. It was in the form of play(five-page script) put on by a cast ofyoung people: Editor and four report­ers-Who, What, When, and Where.With a few simple props and a lot offactual information Harvie Conn cameto life from his youth to the present.It all led up to announcing his ap­pearance to speak in the near future.The same idea, of course, could beapplied to any of our missionary fami­lies. Visitors as well as members areexcited about the wonderful job Mrs.Olinger is doing in getting the storyof missions across to both youngpeople and adults, according to Super­intendent David Strong.

The Olingers have an associationwith Calvary Church from its begin­nings, when they were members ofFirst Church, Long Beach, but livingnear Whittier. The first Bible classeswere held in their home, classes thateventually led to the formation of thechurch three moves and several yearslater. Bobbie is the mother of two fineboys, a member of the choir, and ac­tive in the Missionary Society.

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL TEACHER

Needed: 5th -6th Grade Teacher forChristian School, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Missionary challenge - Good salaryand living conditions.

Write: Calvin K. Cummings, 1608Graham Blvd., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15235.

Seen at Ohio Presbyterial: Miss Nellie Schrotenboer,Mrs. Dorothy Holmes, Mrs. Lillian Grove, Mrs. RuthMorton.

Ken Smith, Rob Emigh, and Jay Fluck played the'bums' in Harvie Conn's one-act play, "The PersistentBeggar."

8 The Presbyterian Guardian

a.,,j

Jt.

.f

'!he (~liJtiaIt-GUARDIAN

EDITORRobert E. Nicholas

All correspondence should be ad­dressed to The Presbyterian Guardian,7401 Old York Road, Phila., Pa. 19126

Are We Ready?'The "great debate" has quieted

down ror a while. Not the debateabout Viet Nam but the one that re­volves about the proposed Confessionof 1967. The pros and cons have beenpretty well stated both within andwithout the United Presbyterian Churchin the U.S.A. Suggestions have rangedfrom "just a change of a word hereand there" to a rather complete re­vision offered by Presbyterians Unitedfor a Biblical Confession. These ideasand criticisms are being worked overby the Special Committee of Fifteenwhich is required to present its recom­mendations to the 1966 General As­sembly.

Of interest also is the fact that adozen or more of the presbyteries, in­cluding some of the largest in thatdenomination, have overtured the Bos­ton Assembly meeting in May to post­pone action on whatever report theSpecial Committee brings in. Thiswould be in order to provide oppor­tunity for another full year of discus­sion before any final recommendationlooking toward adoption by the re­quired two-thirds of the presbyteries.

The present interlude gives us op­portunity to ask a few questions, di­rected not to others, but to ourselves.We have been critical of the proposedConfession of 1967, as our readerswell know. The General Assembly ofthe Orthodox Presbyterian Church,meeting last July in Portland, Oregon,adopted a resounding resolution point­ing out the basic weaknesses of thewhole proposal. It called attention par­ticularly to its denial of the sole au­thority of the Bible as the infallibleWord of God and its pervasive rejec­tion of ultimate truth as revealed byGod.

January, 1966

The resolution of that Assemblysaid something else, however - andin some small way the articles in thisperiodical have sought to go beyond amerely negative criticism. The resolu­tion expressed a "desire to serve thosein the United Presbyterian Churchwho wish to continue adherence to thehistoric Christian faith as summarizedin the Westminster Standards." In theintroductory report approved by thecommissioners one objective was: 'Tooffer our help and assurance of sup­port for them in their present situationand to encourage them to take a firmand open stand for the Christian faithand in opposition to the theology setforth by the new Confession."

This then is a good time for us tolook the situation squarely in the faceand to ask ourselves some honest ques­tions. You may be sure that the editordoes not have all the answers, but thequestions are being asked. We hadbeter bring them into full view. To­gether we may be able to find someof the answers.

To start with, what kind of supportand encouragement are we giving tothose who are really trying "to takea firm and open stand" ? There are nota few who have put their names onthe line. Are we praying for them inour homes, from our pulpits, in meet­ings of presbytery? Have we taken thetrouble to go to any of them to openthe way for conversation? To whomhave we written, indicating our con­cern and support? Have we sent anyliterature?

Then the question comes, how doesour encouragement harmonize withour position .as Orthodox Presbyte­rians! The very existence of the Orth­odox Presbyterian Church witnesses toour conviction that the UPUSAChurch had departed from the truefaith: that its drift from historicChristianity culminated in a decisionof its 1936 General Assembly thatnecessitated the formation of the Ope.The ensuing thirty years have furtherdemonstrated the validity of that standtaken in 1936. Dr. Edward Dowey,Jr., chairman of the committee thatdrew up the proposed new Confes­sion, for example, has stated publiclythat there is not a UPUSA seminarywhich today bases its teaching on theWestminster Confession of Faith. Thesituation is tragic, deplorable beyondwords. Apostasy is rampant. Unbeliefpermeates places of highest responsi­bility in the denomination. The adop-

tion of the 1967 proposals will be butone more step in a long downwardcourse-albeit a most significant onesince it is a radical constitutionalchange.

In offering to serve those who aresincerely battling from within "to con­tinue adherence to the historic Chris­tian faith," just what is our approachto be, consistent with what we regardas a biblical position? On the onehand, we hold that the UPUSA has sofar abandoned its professed faith asto place its members in an untenableposition of compromise with unbelief.None -least of all its officers- canescape corporate responsibility for thedenial of the gospel which is con­doned throughout that denomination.There is sin in continued participationin its growing apostasy.

On the other hand, what is ourobligation toward those in the UPUSAwho are openly doing something inthe present situation by raising theirvoices for Christ and his Word? Theymay not be doing all that we think;they ought to be doing. It is not clearhow far they may be willing to go inpressing the issues of 1966-67 to aconclusion. But we have offered to en­courage them even before knowingwhat the outcome of their efforts willbe. Are we right in withholding finaljudgment for the time being?

Do we properly reckon with thefact that in a very real sense a wholenew generation is forced to face upto this battle for the faith? (Some ofthese men were not even in what isnow the UPUSA in the thirties.) Inthe history of the church issues mustbe fought over and over. The pointsthat we made thirty years ago must berepeated in a new context. We canscarcely expect others to act in 1966primarily in terms of our actions in1936. Whatever they do, or do not do,will be largely on the basis of currentissues, the situation as it exists in themid-sixties.

Are we able to be patient for aseason? What is our first reaction intrying to help some who are standingup for the God of truth? That it ist00 little and too late? Shall we sayto them as our first word of encour­agement that they are sinning in beingwhere they are? Or must we begin byputting aside, for. the moment at least,our insistence upon the rightness ofour cause and by talking to themwhere they are and in terms of whatthey are now engaged in? This may

9

be one of the hardest things we haveever been called upon to attempt, andthat is just the reason for thrustinginto focus such disturbing questions.Jesus was most patient with Peter andothers of his disciples - and the Lordhas been most long-suffering with uswho are called orthodox in our manyfailures - and without patience thereis not likely to be much fruit in anyapproach on our part toward truebrethren in the UPUSA.

Are we sure that the Spirit of Godis not working and cannot work exceptin our pattern? (Did God have aremnant In Israel as well as in Judah?)How absolute dare we be in our his­torical judgments, to say nothing ofour prophetic insights? Can we learnto live both with the full convictionof the justice of our own position asOrthodox Presbyterians and also witha sincere and patient concern to helpand encourage those who do not asyet accept our conclusions?

And what of our fears? Are weafraid of contamination if we get tooclose to those we want to help? Do wesometimes confuse conversation withcompromise? Are we fearful thatevents may take a different course thanwe have predicted? Do we worry aboutpossible problems of adjustment andassimilation should there be those whoeventually seek our fellowship? Arewe as confident as we ought to be inthe power of the sword of the Spirit,which is the Word of God, and in thesovereign providence of our mightyGod?

Are we willing to take the time andenergy required if we are to help anywho manifest a desire to be countedon the Lord's side? Can we walk withthem long enough in 1966 with for­bearance and love so that in due coursewe may retrace the path to 1936 - orto the Reformation if you will? Thepresent may never ignore the past. Butnot all have the same background norhave we all traveled the same roadin arriving where we are today. Andthe end is not in sight. What supportand encouragement, we ask again, arewe prepared to offer those who mustreach their own conclusions this yearand next?

These are difficult questions. It maybe that you have some answers to addto those we have here barely sug­gested. If you have easy answers, youhaven't understood the questions. Butwe'd like to hear from you. Some ofthe answers we must find, together.Are we ready to think about them? Inthe local congregation? How aboutyour presbytery? And yourself?

R.E.N.

A new confession - or a new faith?

THEPRESBYTERIANPREDICAMENT

A "Proposal to Revise the Confessional Position of the UnitedPresbyterian Church in the USA" has precipitated a crisis forPresbyterians. For 300 years Presbyterians have subscribed tothe Westminster Confession of Faith. Now they are asked toadopt a Book of Confessions embracing (among others) boththe Westminster Confession and the proposed Confession of1967 which, according to its framers, includes "an intendedrevision of the Westminster doctrine."

The proposed Book of Confessions is an effort to achieverelevance by presenting an up-to-date expression of the church'sfaith while avoiding the stigma of repudiating an honored andhistoric confession. No one can object to relevance or contem­poraneity in a statement of the church's historic faith. But theConfession of 1967 emerges not as a contemporary restatementbut as a radical revision that expresses something other thanthe Christian faith.

Presbyterians cannot have it bath ways. Either the West­minster Confession is outdated, irrelevant and untrue andshould be openly abandoned-or it is a faithful summary of theeternal truth of the written Word of God to be received as such.

The course Presbyterians take in their present predicamentdepends upon the answers to some very basic questions-

What do Presbyterians really believe about the Bible?What do Presbyterians really believe about salvation throughJesus Christ?What do Presbyterians really believe is the mission of thechurch?

Dr. Edward A. Dowey, [r., Chairman of the Committee ona Brief Contemporary Statement of Faith, rightly predicted thatthis proposal would launch the church "on a period of self­criticism and theological debate on the deepest level and ofhighest import." We pray that the light of truth will be per­mitted to shine without restraint.

Presbyterians are being asked to choose between the timelessrelevance of the truth of God's Word and the fleeting fascina­tion of the latest theological vogue..•..••..••.•..••...••...••.................•......•..••......•..•For informative literature on the Confession of 1967 write to:The Orthodox Presbyterian Church7401 Old York Road, Philadelphia, Pa. 19126

Please send me a free copy of "Which Faith Shall Presbyterians Confess?"

Name _

Address _

o I am also interested in learning more about the OrthodoxPresbyterian Church.

.................................................................

A message zn a monolog

My Name Is Reuben

Perhaps the most significant thingthat is written of me is found

in the book of Genesis 49:3,4. Myfather Jacob said to me, "Reuben,thou are my first born, my might, thebeginning of my strength, the excel­lency of dignity, and the excellency ofpower: unstable as water thou shaltnot excel; because thou wentest up tothy father's bed and defiledst it; hewent up to my couch." These wordsmy father Jacob spoke to me whenhe was old and near the end of hisearthly pilgrimage. Previous to callingall his sons together to give them hislast blessing, he had called the twosons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manas­seh. He had given them the blessingof the first born which ordinarilywould have come to me.

Special gifts were given by God tomy father Jacob on the occasion whenhe called us together. Though hisearthly vision was poor, yet he hadspiritual vision according to whichGod allowed him to see into the fu­ture concerning the posterity of hissons. That which my father Jacob saidwas not according to the wishes of hisown heart, it was not the desire of hisown thinking; but it was the Word ofGod as God would have him speak ofit to us. We appeared before myfather in order, so that it was I whocame first-Reuben, the first born.

The First BornIt seems that in so many of the

places in Scripture where my name ismentioned there is always this desig­nation, the first born. This was sig­nificant for the people of my day.Perhaps you recall reading about thefinal plague that took place in Egyptsome years later in which the firstborn of the Egyptians was slain. Thiswas the greatest possible calamity thatcould come to people of a culture, tohave the first born taken away, be­cause this was an indication of the fail­ure of an entire nation. My father hada very good memory concerning thepast, and he remembered in great de­tail everything that I had done.

I appeared before Jacob as Reuben,

January, 1966

WILLIAM L. HIEMSTRA

his first born. I always noticed thatmy father did not like me, becausewhenever he saw me he was remindedof the tragedy of his marriage to Leah,my mother whom he did not love.When he saw me he thought of Leah,and this made him think of Rachel,whom he did love with his heart.Apparently I caused him to thinkabout the conflicts throughout the yearsbetween Leah and Rachel in their com­petition for his affection. My mother,Leah, had been rejected by my father,Jacob. He gave preference to Rachelwho was the object of his true love.My mother Leah was first accordingto law, but my stepmother Rachel wasfirst according to the love of his heart.

H is recorded of me in Genesis29:32, "And Leah conceived, andbare a son, and she called his nameReuben: for, she said, Surely the Lordhath looked upon my affliction; nowtherefore my husband will love me."My mother Leah was primarily inter­ested in me in order that she mightgain the love of my father, Jacob.When this did not develop, she seemedto lose interest in me. She hoped witheach succeeding birth of a son that themarriage would be restored. This washer hope at the time of the birth ofSimeon; this was her hope at the timeof the births of the other sons. Mymother was a bitter woman; she feltthat she had been set aside. It is trueshe had been rejected from the begin­ning by my father Jacob. And yet shehad not been set aside by God. Godhad indicated his good pleasure withher in that she bore the first child inthe marriage. My stepmother wasjealous of my mother, Leah, becauseshe did not have children immediately.My mother always thought that chil­dren would bind Jacob to her moreclosely. She felt that the children thatshe bore would cause the marriage tobecome strong, and yet she was boundto be ,disillusioned in this. I did notfulfill her dreams, and therefore Idisappointed her. I think that becauseI was the innocent disappointment ofmy mother she did not give me affec­tion. I felt rejected by her.

The Rev. William Hiemstra, PhD.,is a chaplain at Pine Rest ChristianHospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Here is another in a series of mono­logs which have appeared in thesepages from time to time.

Disappointment to Jacob"Reuben, my first born," I always

remember how my father used thatphrase. Perhaps he did not have thesame interest in me as my mother had.You recall that she thought that chil­dren would produce love. She shouldhave known that children are the fruitof love. I appeared before Jacob. Iwas silent. I waited for him to speak;we always deferred to our elders in myday. As I appeared before him I wasa silent reminder of all his unhappi­ness in marriage. When I was born;my father was glad. He had expecta­tions that I would be great and thatI would in some way produce happi­ness for him. He hoped that I wouldcomplete that which was missing inhis own life. He trusted that I wouldachieve perfection so that by identify­ing with me, he would be able to livehis life over again. Jacob thought Icould make up for his failures by mysuccesses. Because I didn't measure upto his expectations, I felt that hewasn't interested in me as a personeither.

It is difficult to be the oldest childbecause so much responsible action isexpected from the first born. For some

11

I was always running away from responsibility.

The Presbyterian Guardian

L-_

reason I wasn't able to accept the re­sponsibility that I was expected to takein that role. Not having received truelove from my mother and not havingreceived real love from my father, Ifelt quite insecure. In my insecurity Iwas fearful about accepting responsi­bility, and so I became "unstable aswater." I'm willing to accept thatdesignation as true. I am not preparedto tell exactly the whole truth of howI became that way. I just don't know.I've never been able to analyze itadequately. But I do feel that myfather, Jacob, expected too much ofme, particularly when he never gaveanything of himself to me. I was sup­posed somehow to be better and to bestronger when nobody taught me howto be better and nobody gave me anystrength.

Unstable as WaterI stood before my aged father. I

had a measure of respect for him andI continued to honor him as a dutifulson. I was a strong man in body, butI had a weak spirit. I never learnedhow to discipline myself. I was strong,and I frequently acted impulsivelywith consequent regrets. I neverseemed able to discipline myself.

My father, Jacob, had expected thatthe line of blessing would go onthrough Reuben, his first born, so thatpeople in later years would talk aboutthe God of Abraham, the God ofIsaac, the God of Jacob, and the Godof Reuben. He realized now that thiswas not to be, because I was "unstableas water." I believe that which hurtmy father most and caused him to lackconfidence in me was the fact that ina time of undisciplined passion I be­came intimate with Bilhah, the hand­maid of Rachel, my stepmother. Helearned about this, and he never for­gave me for it. He never trusted meafterwards. It was something I couldnot undo-something I am not pre­pared to explain away, except to saythat I was undisciplined. I had a weakspirit which no doubt was partly myfault, but I do think that Leah andJacob had something to do with mypersonality structure.

"Unstable as water"-I refused totake the responsibility that usuallycame to the oldest son. Not havingreal confidence in myself, not havingreceived love from Leah or from Jacob,and not having had their confidencethroughout the years, I couldn't meas­ure up to being the first born with all

12

its incumbent responsibilities. I feltinferior to my brothers who wereyounger. They seemed to have greaterintellectual ability. I tried and failedso often that finally I was afraid totry because of a fear of failure; there­fore I wouldn't assume the responsi­bility of the first born.

Something of my character is re­flected in the incident in which thesons of Jacob became angry withJoseph, our brother. He told us abouthis dreams in which he was alwayssuperior to us. He also had a coat ofmany colors. When Joseph camesearching for us near Dothan, mybrothers wanted to kill him. I neverdid like conflict and I didn't wanttrouble. On the one hand, I didn'twant my brothers to kill Joseph; andon the other hand, I didn't want to beon Joseph's side. I just wanted to bein the middle and avoid trouble witheverybody. I was weak and didn't havethe courage to face up to the re­sponsibility of doing right, when theoccasion called for courage on the partof the first born, the one who wasobligated to show leadership. You re­call that I made a suggestion, "Let usnot kill him; let us put him in a pit."I had the secret intention of returningJoseph to my father, Jacob, againafter my brothers went away. This wasthe best I could do I guess under thecircumstances.

Avoiding ResponsibilityI arranged for Joseph to be put in

the well, and this prepared the wayfor him to go to Egypt, and for Israelto go into Egypt, and for slavery to bethe painful experience of our descend­ants. These were some of the veryserious consequences of my halfheart­edness and failure to accept responsi­bility. "Unstable as water," my father,Jacob, said. I didn't want to shed anyblood. I always wanted to look at twosides, and if possible, serve two mas­ters. Not wanting to hurt Joseph, andnot wanting to offend my otherbrothers, I halted between two things.Therefore, I was moved along in aspirit of compromise.

At the time when Joseph was inEgypt I also had times of indecision.I did not know what to do. I supposethere have been other people with asimilar personality who have had thatexperience. When Joseph was ruler in

Egypt he would not give us grain un­less we produced Benjamin. Myfather, Jacob, hesitated a great deal;but finally he agreed that somethingwould have to be done if our peoplewere to live. Simeon offered to bein the service of the king of Egypt ifanything happened to Benjamin. Inorder to persuade my father to agreeto permit us to return to Egypt withBenjamin in order to obtain food, Isaid (Genesis 42:37), "Slay my twosons, if I bring him not to thee; de­liver him into my hand, and I willbring him to thee again."

I was trying to do what was re­quired of me as the first born: toshow leadership. Yet what good wouldcome to anyone to have my two sonsslain, if Benjamin also were missing?It would only serve to add misery tomisery, but this was my ignorant andheartless suggestion. As I reflect uponit, I sometimes wonder why I didn'tsay that I would give my life in behalfof Benjamin in order that he mightreturn. But I never dared to do theunselfish thing; I never dared to dothe big thing. I always tried to get bywith some secondary proposal. Laterit was Judah who said what I shouldhave said-he would give himself assurety. Judah said that he would givehis life in the place of Benjamin inorder that Benjamin might surely re­turn. In this experience I saw thegreater virtue in Judah and I came tosee the propriety that the Messiahshould be born of Judah, and not ofReuben who was "unstable as water."At a time when the life of Benjaminwas threatened while we were inEgypt, I was silent; but Simeon madean eloquent plea.

Poor ExampleMy descendants seemed to take on

something of my characteristics. Idon't know how to explain it exceptthrough the force of my example.There was the occasion for Moses tomake a prayer (Deuteronomy 33:6),"That Reuben may live and not die."There was concern about me andabout my descendants so that the tribemight be perpetuated. "Unstable aswater" seemed to characterize the wholetribe, so that Deborah and Barak weredisappointed in my descendants. Theysaid (Judges 5:15,16), "For the di­visions of Reuben there were great

HARVIE M. CONN

Mr. Conn and his family are resid­ing in Abington, Pa. during their fur­lough year.

THE KOREAN SOCIETY FORTHE REFORMED FAITH AND AC­TION (KSRF A) has had its mostproductive year in 1965, in terms ofpublication, since its founding wellover five years ago. During the yearthree books have appeared under theaegis of the Society. A translation ofLouis Berkhof's Principles of Bibli-.cal Hermeneutics appeared in April,the first book in the Korean languageon this particular field of study. InSeptember, a 385-page edition of theradio messages of the Rev. Harvie M.Conn was released. Called The Joyoj Christian Living, the book is a col-

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and special gifts to help in the build­ing of this Administration-Classroom­Library structure. The funds are beingraised with the proviso that the Ko­rean Church contribute a similaramount toward the building. The pres­ent state of construction has beencompleted with funds donated by theKorean Church. The land on whichthe building is located is a large sitedonated by a prominent elder in thePusan area. It is in a beautiful subur­ban hill area of Seoul, not too farfrom Soongsil College, the successorof the old Union Christian Collegeof Pyungyang.

CON STRUCTI ON WORK on thenew building of the Korean Pres­

byterian General Assembly Theolog­cal Seminary has moved rapidly aheadsince ground-breaking in the earlymonths of 1965. In fact, a note fromthe Dean of the graduate school, Dr.Henry Pak, comments that recitationsand lectures for the fall semester,1965, were held in the new building,despite the unfinished character of theschool.

The building will eventually housethe full program of the Korean insti­tution, with the hope of adding otherbuildings in the future. The school,an institution of the so-called "Hap­dong" group (which works togetherwith missionaries of the OrthodoxPresbyterian, Christian Reformed, andReformed Presbyterian Churches) iscurrently providing theological train­ing for between 170-200 students. Asmall graduate school, offering a pro­gram roughly equivalent to the de­gree of Master of Theology, is alsoadministered by the Seminary. Dr.Paul Myung, who recently spent sometime in Hie' United States on behalfof the Seminary, has been the Presi­dent of the institution since his returnto Korea in 1965. '

The construction of the huildingisalso being supported' financially by alarge gift of' the Christian ReformedChurch. In 1965 the Synod of thatAmerican church authorized the col­lection of $30,000 through offerings

Korea News

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL TEACHINGOPPORTUNITIES

Philadelphia - Montgomery ChristianAcademy will need two elementaryteachers for next September." Write:

William Viss, Box 93,Wyrtcote, Penna. 19095.

searchings of heart." Deborah andBarak called all the people to battle.The members of the various tribes re­sponded, but my descendants onlytalked about it; they didn't take anyaction. They didn't want to accept theresponsibility of fighting.

I was a person who ran away fromlife when I could. I avoided the un­pleasant as much as possible. I alwaystried to outflank the difficult. I don'tthink I ever met anything directly. Cer­tain crosses were placed in my path­way in the form of responsibilities,but I ran away from all of them.

I think that it is very fortunate thatyou live in a later time. You have awonderful person with whom to makea real comparison with me in the per­son of the Messiah, who was born ofJudah. He didn't run away from life.When a cross was put in his way, hewalked right up to it. I was living;yet I was always dying-never reallyliving. I was always running, notknowing where, but always runningaway from my responsibility. Jesus ofNazareth was always living, but helived by dying, while I only diedwhile living.

Jesus' death, moreover, was to savesinners, with all their weaknesses andinstabilities. I suppose some of youare like me. If you are, now is thetime for you to do something aboutit. I wish you would put your trustin God's First Born-and follow himall the way. His worthy example willnever lead you astray.

I am glad that there is a little notein the last book of the Bible about mypeople. It is found in Revelation 7; 5,"And of the tribe of Reuben weresealed twelve thousand." I am happythat God in his grace and mercy re­deemed a great number of those whogot off to a poor start through mypoor ~ample in being "unstable aswater.

I hope that you will take time toremember me and my failures. I trustthat you will take more time to re­member Jesus Christ. There is salva­tion for all who believe in Judah'sgreat Son who was always "stable inthe Spirit."

January,' 1966 13

THE CHANGING SCENEHENRY W. CORAY

Hard, Orthodox Presbyterian Mission,APO San Francisco 96259.

TH E REV. YONG-CHUN AHN,a special student at Westminster

Theological Seminary back in 1947­48, has recently seen into print an Eng­lish edition of one of his very popularKorean studies on the life of one ofthe country's most famous martyrs.Based on the life of the Rev. Yang­Won Son, often called "The AtomBomb of Love," the small work ofRev. Ahn has appeared under thetitle, The Seed Must Die. The Rev.Bruce F. Hunt assisted in the transla­tion of the work. It was publishedthis year by British Inter-Varsity Press,and may be obtained from their offices.It makes wonderful reading and wouldbe excellent for use in missionary so­cieties. The Rev. Mr. Ahn is currentlyGeneral Secretary of the Korean Pres­byterian Church (Hapdong group),and teaches Church History at theirGeneral Assembly Seminary.

***

tends to corrupt," Lord Acton oncewrote, "and absolute power corruptsabsolutely." One hasn't to listen toointently to catch the adoring strains ofmodern state-worshipers crying out,"These by thy gods, 0 Israel, thatbrought thee up out of the land ofEgypt."

Whither America?

* * *T he apostle disapproves of men

whom he accuses of being "loversof pleasure more than lovers of God."Perhaps he had in mind Roman patri­cians like Apicius, who spent fivemillon dollars on parties, and even­tually commited suicide when reducedto a pittance of five hundred thousanddollars. The emperor Caligula squan­dered one hundred million dollars ina single year. Nero gave a banquet forhis subjects at which he spent twohundred thousand dollars for Egyptianroses. It is said that he never worethe same garment twice. He wouldplay dice for ten thousand dollars apoint. The coverlets on his royalcouches cost over two hundred thou­sand dollars each. Cleopatra dissolvedin wine and drank a pearl-her fa­vorite pastime-worth four hundredthousand. Domitian, the emperor whoexiled John to the isle of Patmos, in­vested a million and a quarter dollarsto gild the roof of a temple in theCapitol.

Ah, but Holy Writ advises us, "Bet­ter is little with the fear of the Lordthan great treasure," and, "Better isa little with righteousness than greatrevenues without right." Who wouldexchange the Pearl of Great Price forall the gems in the coronet of a king?In Christ are to be found "solid joysand lasting treasure." "In thy presenceis the fulness of joy, at thy right handare pleasures forevermore." Amen andamen!

I observe that in the great Americansport, football,

So often seen on your TV screen,Sometimes a play is re-runWhich catches shadowy detailsI'd miss in the original showing.This helps me to rememberThere is an Isolated Camera in

HeavenThat picks upEverything I do, or think, or plan.Which is one reason I long to be

Pure in heart.The Old Chinese Philosopher

***

strumentality of the Supreme Court."Hegel developed a totally divergent

view of civil authority. He wrote:"The State incarnates the Divine Ideaupon earth." "The State is the generalsubstance, whereas individuals are butaccidents." Fichte threw his supportbehind Hegel: "The State is the su­preme power, ultimate and beyondrepeal, absolutely independent."

Mussolini was quick to adopt thisradical view, declaring boldly: "Every­thing for the State; nothing outsidethe State; nothing against the State."Hitler echoed the dictum: "The Statedominates the nation because it alonerepresents it."

This State-can-do-no-wrong philoso­phy comes home to Americans whenwe find the late President FranklinDelano Roosevelt saying: "The Stateembraces everything, and nothing hasvalue outside the State. The Statecreates right." (Italics ours)

It is hard to see how these princi­pIes can and do lead to anything butthe deification of the state. "Power

lection of expository sermons on thebook of Philippians. A sermon islisted for virtually every verse inthe biblical text. In the winter, theSociety also translated and publishedthe lectures of Dr. R. Laird Harris onArcheology. Dr. Harris, Professor ofOld Testament at Covenant Theologi­cal Seminary, St. Louis, gave the lec­tures at several of the Korean semi­naries while there during the monthsof May-July, 1965, as a guest profes­sor. His visit was arranged and pro­vided for by the generous support ofthe Reformed Presbyterian Church,Evangelical Synod. The KSRFA iscurrently working on a major under­taking, the translation of Dr. EdwirdJ. Young's Introduction to the OldTestament. Capital funds for publica­tion work, however, remain virtuallydependent upon the sale of the So­ciety's current books, and this seri­ously curtails expansion of the pub­lication program. Parties interested inthe support of this Society are invitedto correspond with the Rev. Theodore

I n his illuminating book, OurEnemy The State, Albert Jay Nock

traces the trend toward centralizationof power. He points out that theoriginal thirteen provinces were com­pletely autonomous and independent.Congress was hardly more than a de­liberative body of delegates appointedby the colonies. It claimed no taxingpower, nor could it command fundsfor any enterprise common to thefederation, even for war. All it coulddo was to apportion the sums needed,as our General Assembly, for ex­ample, suggests to our variouschurches the amount required forconducting its program. There wasno coercion on the part of the gov­ernment over financial matters. Thesovereignty of each of the thirteenfederated units was absolute.

Jefferson was entirely sympatheticwith the position taken by the otherfounding patriarchs. He said that hedreaded nothing so much as "theconsolidation of our government bythe noisesome and undermining in-

14 The Presbyterian Guardian

HERE AND THERE IN THEORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Pre-Assembly ConferenceApril 22-25A nother worthwhile Pre-Assembly

Conference sponsored by the Com­mittees on Home Missions and Chris­tian Education is planned for theweekend prior to the 33rd GeneralAssembly of the Orthodox PresbyterianChurch in Oostburg, Wisconsin. Itwill start on Friday evening, April 22,and conclude Monday afternoon.

Among participants are the follow­ing: the Rev. Jay Adams of GraceChurch, Westfield, N. J., with histopic, "Techniques of Effective Preach­ing"; the Rev. Joseph Bayly, asso­ciated with David Cook Publishers,speaking on 'Teaching by Discussion"and "Horne Bible Classes"; and theRev. George Ensworth, visiting lec­turer in practical theology at West­minster Seminary, who will lead adiscussion on "Reaching the SecondGeneration." The Rev. James Ken­nedy of the Coral Ridge PresbyterianChurch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, is togive messages on "Presenting the Gos­pel to Individuals."

Clellands Move South

A fter nearly three years as ExecutiveSecretary for Westminster Theo­

logical Seminary, the Rev. John P.Clelland has returned to the pastorate.He accepted a call from the FirstPresbyterian Church of Troy, Ala­bama, and he and Mrs. Clelland arebusy in their new field of labor. Thechurch is across from the Troy StateCollege Campus.

Mr. Clelland is reported to be im­proved after a painful and somewhatdisabling condition in his back, andMrs. Clelland is receiving intermittenttreatments from her former doctorsin Valdosta, Georgia, where Mr. Clel­land served as pastor prior to his semi­nary work.

In dismissing him to the Presbyteryof East Alabama of the PresbyterianChurch in the U. S. the Presbytery ofPhiladelphia inscribed the followingresolution upon its minutes:

Resolved, That this Presbytery herebytestifies to its thankfulness to AlmightyGod for the ministry of the gospel inour church by the Rev. John Paul Clel­land who has this day been dismissedto the jurisdiction of another denomina­tion. The Presbytery recalls the firmstand taken for the faith by Mr. Clellandduring the controversy in the then Pres-

January, 1966

byterian Church in the U.S.A. from thetime of his ordination in 1932 until thefounding of our church in 1936, theleadership he provided to the congrega­tion he then served as pastor, whichleadership resulted in the prompt andunanimous vote of the congregation towithdraw from the Presbyterian Churchin the U.S.A., and the fact that he be­came a charter member of the OrthodoxPresbyterian Church. The Presbyteryfurther expresses its gratitude to God forthe gifts for the ministry which he hasgiven to our brother, for his exercise ofthese gifts throughout his ministry by

Seattle, Wash. - Requests continueto come for reprints of Pastor RobertLindberg's article, "Try the Spirits,"which appeared in the Guardian issueof February, 1965. Available copieshave been exhausted, but it is hoped tohave more in the near future.

Stratford, N. J. - Harry P. Daviswas ordained as ruling elder in Janu­ary . . . A beautiful new outdoor signhas been completed, a memorial giftfrom the Montgomery family ... Fif­teen young people went to the NewYear holiday retreat at Pinebrook, re­ports Pastor Jack Peterson, and theSenior Machen League has an over­night camping trip planned for March.

Garden Grove, Calif. - The Rev.Carl Reitsma preached here on Psalm139 on the last Sunday of the month.The Orient liner Oronsay which theReitsmas had boarded in San Franciscoput in for the weekend at San Pedroand they were able to worship at FirstChurch, Long Beach, as well. En routeto their new home in Wellington,New Zealand, where he will serveas pastor of the Reformed Church,Mr. Reitsma also occupied the pulpitof First Church, San Francisco, onthe previous Sunday.

Ft. Hood, Texas - Chaplain 'Mike'Stingley, recently promoted to therank of Captain, writes that he is con­valescing after emergency surgery onNew Year's Day for a ruptured ap­pendix. "Our ministry is exciting andvery challenging," he says. "I ampreaching three times each Sunday toabout 500 people and I counsel with50 to 100 each week, although thesesessions are not all in depth."

means of which God has been pleasedto convert souls and bring believers to adeeper, stronger faith, and for the mani­fest affection in which he has been heldby the congregations which he served;

And be it further resolved, That Pres­bytery express to Mr. Clelland its deepregret for his leaving our church, andassure him of our affection and esteem, andof our prayer that in his new fellowshiphe will stand by our side as firmly in allthe days to come as he has stood amongus in the days gone by, upon and for thegospel of the Word of God to the endthat all nations shall serve him.

He says that he and his family havebeen warmly accepted and without anyreal antagonism because of their Re­formed faith. Although he is now theonly chaplain serving his chapel, hehas enjoyed fellowship with severalevangelical chaplains in his army divi­sion, including a Spurgeon-Calvinist,a Church of God man who has studiedand found agreement with many ofthe writings of Westminster Seminaryprofessors, and a Lutheran. Mr. Robertden Dulk recently stopped by for ashort visit while on a recruiting tripfor Westminster.

Trenton, N. J. - The Rev. DonaldParker, pastor of Grace Church sincehis graduation from Westminster Sem­inary in 1961, has submitted his resig­nation in order to accept the call ofWestminster Church of EvergreenPark, Illinois. The Parkers expect tobe on their new field of labor by mid­March.

Chula Vista, Calif. - Margaret(Peggy) Graham, daughter of Pastorand Mrs. Robert Graham of BayviewChurch, was united in marriage onJanuary 29 to Donald Duff, son ofEthiopian missionaries, the ClarenceDuffs. The Rev. and Mrs. Leslie Sloatflew out from Philadelphia to "standin" for the Duffs, and Mr. Sloat alongwith the bride's father took part inthe ceremony. Virginia Lee Grahamwas maid of honor and George Mars­den served as best man.

Glenside, Pa.-Calvary Church willintroduce a new Wednesday eveningformat in mid-February with two si­multaneous programs. From 7 to 7:40p.m. the Junior Machen League, grades

15

THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN7401 Old York Road

Philadelphia, Po. 19126

Second Class Postage Paidat Philadelphia, Po. Return Requested

Mr. Kenneth AuotinP.O. Box 4376 C~mpuo St~tion

Athena, Georgi~ 30EOlFeb 6667

four to eight, will convene under theleadership of Mrs. Robert Nicholasand seminarian Wilson Cummings. Atthe same time adults are to meet forprayer. Then from 7 :45 to 8: 30, whilePastor Laurence Sibley is teaching thecatechism to Intermediates, an adultlecture series is planned. The firstseveral weeks will follow the theme of"The Christian Approach to MentalHealth," using five taped lectures bythe Rev. Ralph Heynen, chaplain atPine Rest Christian Hospital, GrandRapids, along with prepared discussionnotes.

Silver Spring, Md.-Knox Churchon December 23, 1965, was the sceneof the wedding of Dorothy Ellis,daughter of Pastor and Mrs. CharlesEllis, and Dale Piper, son of Rev. andMrs. Russell Piper, of Faith and Pio­neer Churches, Lincoln, Nebraska,Carol Ellis served as maid of honorand Jack Piper was best man. Thetwo minister-fathers participated in theceremony.

Vineland, N. J. - The SpanishEvangelical Presbyterian Church iscontinuing its ministry in Vinelandunder the supervision of the session ofCovenant Church, despite the depar­ture of Mr. John Perez and a largenumber of the group who decided toassociate themselves with the UnitedPresbyterian Church. Mr. Perez hasbeen employed as a full-time layworker and holds services in the FirstU. P. Church.

The building at 202 N. 8th Streetbelongs to the Orthodox PresbyterianChurch and Sunday school classes areheld at 10 o'clock. Mrs. Liria Manzon,organizer of the original Spanish­speaking work and a member of Cove­nant Church, is assisted by Mrs. Re­becca Mullen, Mr. and Mrs. LeRoyChance, and· David Davies, who .isa student at Glassboro College. TheCommittee' on Home Missions is aid­ingin the securing o~ speake:s for a7 o'clock Sunday evening service.

San Francisco, Calif. '-- The Rev.Robert Newsom preached his final ser­mons as pulpit supply during the pastseveral months for First Church attheend' of January, as the congregationawaited the arrival, of Pastor-elect AI-

16

bert W. Steever, 1965 WestminsterSeminary graduate.

Newberg, Oregon-Trinity Churchis anticipating the coming of theirPastor-elect, the Rev. Robert W. New­son, early in March. He faced theprospect of a tonsilectomy and periodof rest for his throat during February.

Westchester, Ill. - WestminsterChurch joins other congregations thatare seeking a new pastor, followingthe resignation of the Rev. Wm. Harl­lee Bordeaux. Dr and Mrs. Bordeauxhave moved to Flint, Michigan.

Bangor, Maine - "Chrisian Unity"was the topic for a panel discussion onthe local 'Ask Your Minister" tele­cast January 23. Mrs. Paul MacDonaldwrote that despite a wrist fracture sus­tained only hours before, Pilgrim'spastor, the Rev. George Haney, wasone or three panel members. He as­serted the authority of Scripture andmaintained that true Christian unityexists only among born-again believers,challenging the ecumenical vieyvs ofthe other participants. The viewersresponded vigorously with telephonequestions too numerous to answer onthe hour-long telecast, many of themdirected to Mr. Haney. "The mostquestions we've ever received," com­mented the panel's moderator.

Professor Charles Schauffele of Gor­don Divinity School's Christian Edu­cation Department was the speaker atthe January rally of the Maine Sund.aySchool Association held at PilgrimChurch. Describing modern trendswhich affect the Sunday school, he out­lined the teacher's task and the im­portance of the Sunday school, strc:ss­ing the power of God to accomplishthe seemingly impossible.

Nottingham, Pa.-Bethany Churcharranged to have Mr. Step?en Philli£sas its speaker on Westminster Semi­nary Day. It was "coming home" forSteve, now a seminary senior, for h.egrew up in Nottingham where hisfather served for many years beforegoing to his present field in Gresham,Wisconsin.

Morristown, N. J.-Professor JohnMurray was the preacher at both serv­ices on Westminster Seminary day,

and an offering of nearly $400 was re­ceived for the institution . . . Ninemen attended the first informal noonluncheon arranged by Pastor CalvinBusch . . . Recent visitors were theRev. and Mrs. Stanford Sutton ofMarietta, Ohio, former members ofEmmanuel Church. When Mr. Suttonarrived home in Ohio he found hehad the chicken pox!

Stockton Church MayRelocate

Another Orthodox Presbyterian con­gregation, Bethel of Stockton, Cal­

ifornia, is considering sites in a grow­ing section of the city with a vi~. torelocation. When the present buildingwas purchased from another churchseveral years ago it was hoped bysome that it might eventually be soldas a step toward a. more perman~~t

location in metropolitan Stockton withits 150,000 population.

Plans have received impetus withthe acceptance of an option to buy thepresent property ~or $36,750 from aBaptist congregation. Pastor GeraldLatal reports encouragrnent in the at­tendance of some United Presbyterianfamilies. One of these men recordsthe sermons to play back to his friendsduring the week in his ent~usiasm at"finding the way of salvation madeplain" after missing it elsewhere forseveral years.

Changes of AddressRev. Wm. Harllee Bordeaux, 4400

Sunnymead Ave., Flint, Mich. 4~5?7.

Rev. John D. Johnston, 9191 LillianLane, Thornton, Colo. 80299 (forremainder of furlough).

Rev. Robert W. Newson, 619 N.Sheridan, Newberg, Oregon 97142.

Rev. Wendell L. Rockey, Jr., 117Railroad Ave., So. Hamilton, Mass.01982.

Rev. Robert L. Thoburn, 11121Pope's Head Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030.

Rev. John P. Clelland, 105 GeorgeWallace Drive, Troy, Alabama.

Rev. Carl J. Reitsma, 8 ColeridgeSt., Vogeltt\wn, Wellington, New Zea-land. ).,

The Presbuterian Guardian

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