An Auspicious Date Indeed

It was on this day, February 10th in 1645 that the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland officially adopted the Westminster Assembly’s document titled The Form of Presbyterial Church-Government.

In Charles Hodge’s Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church, he states “In this directory it is declared, that the ordinary and perpetual officers of the church are pastors, teachers, and other church governors and deacons.” Certainly the Presbyterian form of government was already in place and practiced in Scotland before this date, but by the adoption of this Westminster document, the Kirk of Scotland endeavored to bolster a uniformity of church government among the churches of England, Scotland and Ireland.

While not exactly easy reading, here below is the text of the 1645 General Assembly’s resolution:

The Form of Presbyterial Church-Government

ASSEMBLY AT EDINBURGH, February 10, 1645,
Sess. 16. ACT of the GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the KIRK of SCOTLAND, approving the Propositions concerning Kirk-government, and Ordination of Ministers.

THE General Assembly being most desirous and solicitous, not only of the establishment and preservation of the Form of Kirk-government in this kingdom, according to the word of God, books of Discipline, acts of General Assemblies, and National Covenant, but also of an uniformity in Kirk-government betwixt these kingdoms, now more straitly and strongly unite by the late Solemn League and Covenant; and considering, that as in former time there did, so hereafter there may arise, through the nearness of contagion, manifold, mischief to this kirk from a corrupt form of government in the kirk of England: like as the precious opportunity of bringing the kirks of Christ in all the three kingdoms to an uniformity in Kirk-government being the happiness of the present times above the former; which may also, by the blessing of God, prove an effectual mean, and a good foundation to prepare for a safe and well-grounded pacification, by removing the cause from which the present pressures and bloody wars did originally proceed: and now the Assembly having thrice read, and diligently examined, the propositions (hereunto annexed) concerning the officers, assemblies, and government of the kirk, and concerning the ordination of ministers, brought unto us, as the results of the long and learned debates of the Assembly of Divines sitting at Westminster, and of the treaty of uniformity with the Commissioners of this kirk there residing; after mature deliberation,, and after timeous [i.e., in good time or sufficiently early] calling upon and warning of all, who have any exceptions against same, to make them known, that they might receive satisfaction; doth agree to and approve the propositions aforementioned, touching, touching Kirk-government and Ordination; and doth hereby authorized the Commissioners of this Assembly, who are to meet at Edinburgh, to agree and to conclude in the name of this Assembly, an uniformity betwixt the kirks in both kingdoms, in the afore-mentioned particulars, so soon as the same shall be ratified, without any substantial alteration, by an ordinance of the honourable Houses of the Parliament of England; which ratification shall be timely intimate and made known by the Commissioners of this kirk residing at London. Provided always, That this act be no ways prejudicial to the further discussion and examination of that article which hold forth, That the doctor or teacher hath power of the administration of the sacraments, as well as the pastor; as also of the distinct rights and interests of presbyteries and people in the calling of ministers; but that it shall be free to debate and discuss these points, as God shall be pleased to give further light.

Words to Live By:God has ordained that the Church should be overseen, first at the local level, by spiritually mature men. Local congregations in turn are connected one to another and represented by these same elders, first regionally, and then on a wider scale, most commonly nationally. See Acts 15 for an example of this wider court of the Church. Pray for the Church. Pray that our leaders in the Church would study to carefully maintain God’s intended order for the Church. Pray that both we and our elders would remain humble and obedient to our Lord Jesus Christ, in all things seeking His will and not our own.

And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. — (Acts 14:23, KJV)

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— (Titus 1:5, ESV)

“Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.” (Gen. 13:2, ESV)

William E. Dodge, who became a prominent elder in the Presbyterian Church, was born in Hartford, Connecticut on September 4, 1805, his father being a cotton manufacturer, near Norwich, in that State. After attending the common school, William worked awhile in his father’s mill, and then, the family having removed to New York, the lad of thirteen entered a wholesale dry goods store, where he remained until he attained adulthood. From that point he engaged in the same business, but on his own account, and continued in this line until 1833, when he became a member of the firm of Phelps, Dodge & Co. This firm was engaged in the importation of tin plate, pig tin and copper, and soon became the largest company in the country pursuing this trade. Mr. Dodge retained an interest in the company until 1881, and even up until the time of his death would frequently visit his old office.

Mr. Dodge was both shrewd and industrious, and his business career was one of almost unbroken prosperity. As time progressed, he became interested in many other enterprises, and was director in a number of railroad and insurance corporations. He was one of the largest owners of lumber lands, lumber and mill interests, in the United States, possessing large tracts in Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, West Virginia, Texas, and Canada. He was also extensively interested in the development of coal and iron interests throughout the country.

It was, however, as a Christian and philanthropist that Mr. Dodge was most distinguished. He early became interested in the Temperance movement, and his consistency was proved by his resignation from the Union League Club, because it served wine at its banquets. He was president of the American National Temperance Society and the Temperance Christian Home for Men. He was also a Trustee of the Union Theological Seminary in New York City, a Director of the Presbyterian Hospital, a Trustee of Lincoln University, and Vice-President of the American Board of Foreign Missions. He was a devoted friend of the Sabbath, and resigned his directorship of the Central Railroad of New Jersey because the company began to run trains on Sundays. The education of the freedmen greatly interested him, and he assisted many societies, working in their behalf. His contributions in some years averaged $1000 a day, while for several years before his death they never fell below $200,000 annually.

His life was one of cheerful industry. Nothing in the way of duty was irksome–rather, it was a pleasure to be enjoyed, and the smile, so genial and loving, with which his friends were always greated, was merely an honest reflection of his heart. Immersed in business that assumed wide range and vast proportions, he kept his soul serene in the light of heaven, so that the cares of the world, the love of money, and sordid greed had no dominion over his buoyant spirit. More than the Presidency of the Chamber of Commerce, he loved the Sunday-school room, the House of God, the prayer meeting, and the chamber of the suffering whose wants he might relieve. His delight was in making glad the hearts of the poor.

Mr. Dodge’s whole career was exceptionally one of success, honor and usefulness. He died at his residence, in New York, on February 9, 1883, leaving, by his will, $360,000 for religious and charitable purposes. His demise was greatly lamented, not only by his own denomination, but by the friends of education, virtue, morality and religion, of every name, and he left a record that is lustrous with all that is noble and excellent in human character in its highest development.

Words to Live By:
Yesterday we spoke of the need to use our resources sacrificially, to the glory of God. Providentially, here today is an example of such a one who lived quite successfully, but who also gave freely of his time and substance. Again we have to ask the question, How am I using the resources that God has given me? The world of business is an honorable calling for a Christian, but it is a terrible thing to be trapped by the cares of the world, the love of money, and sordid greed. The best way of avoiding those traps is to recognize from the start that it all belongs to the Lord, and to be actively, daily, engaged in meeting the needs of others. Or as one dear saint, a very prosperous and generous man, used to say, “I just keep trying to out-give God.”

[Our post today is drawn somewhat freely from Alfred Nevin’s Presbyterian Encyclopedia, with the entry for the Hon. William E. Dodge appearing on pages 192-193 of that work.]

Under the Sun: “When We Must Economize” (1931)

When Samuel G. Craig was editor of The Presbyterian in the late 1920’s, he began to use his position to speak out against the changes going on at Princeton Seminary, as modernists were put in place on the Seminary’s Board of Trustees.  For that vocal opposition, “Management” let him go.  Craig then turned around and formed The Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company in 1930 right at the start of the Great Depression.  J. Gresham Machen provided some of the start-up capital.  Craig’s first publication was a bi-weekly magazine called Christianity Today and it ran consistently through the Depression era.  From a conservative Presbyterian viewpoint, Christianity Today and The Christian Beacon were the two publications of record covering the modernist controversy in the Church. Thus the importance of these publications.  Later, as Craig’s attention turned more to publishing books, Christianity Today was slowly put to rest, and the last issue appeared in 1949.  [note: the same name was picked up by a different publishing group in 1956 and that publication continues to this day].

So much for background.  But my point here today is how striking it is, when looking through old issues of Craig’s magazine, that there are so very few references to hard times.  The bulk of the magazine was published from May of 1930 until May of 1940, effectively coinciding with the full duration of the Great Depression.  And yet there are few references to economic disaster.  How should we explain this?  Anyway, here is one of the few such items to appear on the pages of Christianity Today that spoke to the economic situation in those years, an editorial which Craig excerpted from another publication. Good words for the Church when times are tight. And good words even now when the Church so often comes in conflict with the wider culture :—

When We Must Economize
Editorial in Grace and Truth.

When we must economize, where do we start?  The answer to this question is a good test of our love for our Lord.  If our first step in the hour of financial stringency is to discontinue our offerings to our Lord’s work, can we truly say that He has the pre-eminence in our lives?  Does such a step not betray that our love for Him has waxed cold?  Does it not show that we are depending upon ourselves for the supply of our needs rather than trusting His gracious providence?

The spirit of the Macedonian believers was in striking contrast to this.  Of them the apostle Paul testifies that “in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality” (II Cor. 8:2).  Such a spirit shows that souls are responding in a scriptural manner to the testings which God permits.  But any other spirit shows that our souls are missing the blessing which God designs for us in adversity.

Our gifts should be an expression of the worship of our hearts.  It is poor economy through reducing our gifts to try to make up for shortage of funds caused by expenditures for luxuries.  Such a policy indicates that we are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.  God’s Word teaches giving proportionate to our means, and when our income is reduced it may be His pleasure for us to reduce our offerings; but most certainly He would have us start with other things first, and it may even be that in the face of reduced income He would have us increase our giving.

We invite our readers to visit the PCA Historical Center’s collection of Christianity Today. Volumes 1 through 8 are now online (1930-1938). A great deal of very useful content is to be found there.

Not synched to the calendar, but excellent content, speaking of a crucial core need for our day. And not just for children, either!

The Value of Memorizing Scripture and the Catechism in Childhood (1933)
by the Rev. E.E. Bigger

[excerpted from Christianity Today [old series], vol. 4, no. 5 (Mid-September 1933), page 6.]

Paul, in writing to Timothy charged him to “Hold fast to the form of sound words.” 2 Tim. 1:13. Dean Alford, in his Greek Testament, places the stress on the word “form” in this verse. His reason is, the rule that the position of the substantive (subject or object) in relation to the verb, before or after, determines whether the emphasis should be on the substantive or the verb. In this instance the object precedes the verb in the Greek text, hence the emphasis is on the object, “form,”–“The form of sound words,” doctrine. Paul tells us when and by whom Timothy came in possession of “the form of sound words,” viz. “from a child,” young child: “Continue thou in the things which thou has learned and has been assured of, knowing of whom (viz. thy mother Eunice and thy grandmother Lois, 2 Tim. 1:5) thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Tim. 3:14, 15. Timothy, with his mother and grandmother, was probably converted under Paul at Lystra. The Holy Spirit naturally used the Scriptures, in the new birth and conversion of Timothy,, which he had known from a child, as Paul says it was able to make him wise unto salvation. So, many parents have had the great joy of seeing the early conversion of their children, as the gracious reward of the faithful training of their children, in storing their minds with the Scriptures followed by prayer. Paul says, “Bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Peter says, “The milk of the word” is necessary to the growth of the babe in Christ. So, “the milk of the word” is necessary to lay the foundation of spiritual life and growth of the babe in the flesh. The greatest heritage to which a child can fall heir in this world, is that of godly parents, faithful in the responsibility for the destiny of their children. Prov. 22:6.

What is true about memorizing Scripture in childhood is equally true of memorizing the Catechism. True, the Catechism is not so vital as the Scripture. But the Catechism provides definitions of the truths of Scripture essential to the understanding of Scripture. It also provides a system of Bible principles, showing the order and relation of the truths to each other, thus fixing in the mind the plan of salvation, and establishing and fortifying mind and heart against the false isms which would deceive, if possible, the very elect. Dr. John Hall, late pastor of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, speaking of the importance of memorizing the Catechism, said, “Having no anchor in definite religious knowledge, it is no wonder that a speculation cannot be propounded among us so silly that it shall not find followers.” Considering the great value of this system of Bible truth, there are two reasons why it should be memorized in childhood: First, because it is a much easier task for the child than in later years; and second, because if it is not memorized in childhood, it is one in a thousand that it never will be. Some think it is a useless task to impose on the child, since he can have little or no understanding of the meaning of the words. But the meaning will come in later years when the reasoning powers of the mind are developed, and the need and importance of the truths embodied are realized. The late Dr. John Cumming, of London, tells his experience: “When I learned that Scriptural and extremely abstruse work, the Shorter Catechism, I did not understand it. But my memory was stored with the truths of that precious document. And when I grew up I found those truths, which had been laid aside in its cells as propositions which I could neither understand nor make use of, became illumined by the sunshine of after years, and, like some hidden and mysterious writing, reveal in all beauty and fullness, those precious truths which I had never seen nor understood before.”

The Catechism was drilled into me Sunday afternoons, and the answer to “What is sin?” I rattled off without even a thought of its meaning, until in the maturity of manhood, its meaning flashed upon me, that there are two classes of sin, viz., sins of omission and sins of commission, shall I not say, equally heinous in God’s sight, according to their equal “aggravations”? Q. 83. There never was a day when the mind of youth should be so charged and fortified against the insidious and bold attacks of error and infidelity as the present. As parents are awake to the life and destiny of their children, will they use these effective agencies for their safety and salvation?

[excerpted from Christianity Today 4.5 (Mid-September 1933): 6.]

He Was A Double Agent.

Born on this day, February 5, in 1703, Gilbert Tennent prepared for the ministry in the famous Log College established by his father William. Closely allied with the revival work of George Whitefield, the Tennent family were intimately involved in the first Great Awakening, which began in the 1730’s and continued up until about 1743. This revival and its religious fervor in turn played a key role in a division of the Presbyterian Church that ran from 1741 to 1758. One faction in the split, termed the New Side, favored the revival, while the opposing Old Side was generally against it. Other issues were also party to the split, but most historians point to Gilbert Tennent’s controversial sermon, “The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry” as the breaking point that brought about the split.

Seventeen years later, by the grace of God, the split was mended and the Presbyterian Church restored to unity. Thomas Murphy, in his work, The Presbytery of the Log College, discusses how Gilbert Tennnent, the man who almost single-handedly precipitated the split, was equally credited with mending the tear:

“The schism between the Synods of Philadelphia and New York was healed in the year 1758. How was the event brought about? In the minds of reflecting and godly men there was from the beginning a conviction that the separation should never have occurred. That conviction manifested itself at first in unofficial propositions for reunion, afterward in formal overtures for reunion. The Presbytery of New York, which was not present in the Synod at the time of the disruption, was particularly active in these negotiations for reconciliation. But Gilbert Tennent, the leading spirit of the disruption and the strongest man in the Church, became the chief agent in healing the breach. In fact, he had never intended that there should be a separation, but only that what he considered a wrong should be rectified. At length he became the champion for bringing the body together again. ‘He was among the first to seek a reconciliation and reunion of the parties. To promote this object he wrote and published a pamphlet entitled The Pacificator, in which he reasons strongly in favor of peace and union.’ These various efforts were successful, and the happy goal was accomplished.

“The terms on which the two parties were reunited were simply on the basis of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms. The words of the agreement between them were: ‘Both Synods having always approved and received the Westminster Confession of Faith, and Larger and Shorter Catechisms, as an orthodox and excellent system of Christian doctrine, founded on the Word of God, we do still receive the same as the confession of our faith, and also adhere to the plan of worship, government, and discipline, contained in the Westminster Directory, strictly enjoining it on all our members and probationers for the ministry that they preach and teach according to the form of sound words in said Confession and Catechisms, and avoid and oppose all errors contrary thereto.’—Records, p. 286.

“The spirit in which they came together is worthy of lasting remembrance. It is seen in this agreement: ‘All complaints and differences shall be mutually forgiven and buried in perpetual oblivion; the Synods shall unite as two contiguous bodies of Christians agreed in principle as though they had never been concerned with one another before, nor had any differences; and now join the Synods and Presbyteries upon such scriptural and rational terms as may secure peace and good order, tend to heal our broken churches and advance religion hereafter.’

Words to Live By : The Right Way to Mend Fences
Thomas Murphy concluded his comments with these words:

“Equally memorable were the piety and brotherly love by which they were actuated, as seen in the formal agreements into which they entered with each other: ‘We judge that this is a proper occasion to manifest our sincere intention, unitedly to exert ourselves to fulfill the ministry we have received of the Lord Jesus. Accordingly, we unanimously declare our serious and fixed resolution, by divine aid, to take heed to ourselves that our hearts be upright, our discourse edifying, and our lives exemplary for purity and godliness; to take heed to our doctrine, that it be not only orthodox but evangelical and spiritual, tending to awaken the secure to a suitable concern for their salvation, and to instruct and encourage sincere Christians; thus commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God; to cultivate peace and harmony among ourselves, and strengthen each other’s hands in promoting the knowledge of divine truth and diffusing the savor of piety among our people.’—Records, p. 288. Such men must have been very deeply imbued with the Spirit of Christ.”

[excerpted from Presbytery of the Log College, by Thomas Murphy, p. 174-176.

Image source: Engraved portrait by David Edwin [1776-1841], as published in The Assembly’s Missionary Magazine, or Evangelical Intelligencer, vol. 1, no. 5 (May 1805), facing page [209]. Image scanned by the staff of the PCA Historical Center.