This Day in Presbyterian History:

Saving the Best to the Last

This writer was simply transferring his ordination from the Ascension Presbytery to a central Pennsylvania presbytery, having been called to a congregation within the bounds of Susquehanna Valley Presbytery in 1990.  Being examined on the basic distinctives of the Reformed Faith was  expected and welcomed.  What was not expected, especially in the field of theology, was being examined by Dr. Hudson T. Armerding, the former president of Wheaton College.  Just a year before on November 18, 1989, he had been ordained by  this Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America.  And while it is not usual for a person to be ordained one year, and then placed on the committee of examinations the following year, this was an exception because of the spiritual gifts and special ministries of this godly man already in the kingdom of God.

Since this writer’s father was graduated from Wheaton College in the mid twenties of last century, I  have had several conversations with this man of God.  He told me that when he was the president of Wheaton College, there was a rule instituted by him that every new faculty member had to read the Systematic Theology of Dr. J. Oliver Buswell, a former Wheaton College president himself. This Reformed treatment of theology by this Presbyterian author was that important to the future teachers of the College in the mind of Dr. Armerding.

As a resident of the Quarryville Retirement Home, and later officer of it, Dr. Armerding was faithful to attend many quarterly meetings of the central Pennsylvania Presbytery, though as a retired minister, he wasn’t required to attend.  From this author’s standpoint, it was a joy to know him and talk about the work of the Lord.  He is now a member of the heavenly general assembly.

Words to live by:  The heart of godly leadership was the theme of at least two of his books which Dr. Armerding wrote for the watching world.  As a former Navy officer and college president, he observed the importance of that type of leadership in both the nation and the church.  Wherever God has placed you, especially if you have oversight over the hearts and minds of others, study the traits of godly leadership.  Those who are under such godly leadership, especially in our local churches, pray and obey  in the Lord such leadership,    for one day they will have to give an account to the Lord God about your soul.  They desire to do this with joy, and not with grief, for that will be unprofitable for you.

Through the Scriptures: Galatians 4 – 6

Through the Standards:   Proof texts of baptism

Colossians 2:11, 12
“and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

Acts 16:14, 15
“A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judge me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.’  And she prevailed upon us.”

Acts 16:33
“. . . and immediately he (the jailor who had believed in the Lord Jesus) was baptized, he and all his household.”

Acts 8:38
“And (the eunuch) ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.”

This Day in Presbyterian History:

An Assembly of Great Blessings

With over four hundred attendees, the Second General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of America met in the large auditorium of the Manufacturers’ and Bankers’ Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, beginning on Thursday, November 12, 1936.  Present were 64 teaching elders and 26 ruling elders, with numerous guests.

The first Moderator of the new denomination, J. Gresham Machen, preached from 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15.  The text reads, “for the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”  Speaking on the love of Christ being a constraining force, Dr. Machen, in a message not soon forgotten by those who heard him, stated that Christians should not live to themselves but live unto Christ.

Taking the position of Moderator was the Rev. J. Oliver Buswell, D.D., president of Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois.  He was to moderate the meeting in good fashion as a moderator should do, without fear of discipline or the ridicule of biblical positions.

This General Assembly adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms as they stood before the 1903 additions enacted by the P.C.U.S.A. general assemblies.  Thus the Presbyterian Church of America put itself on record as being a truly Reformed church.

Various reports came on this day and over the next two days, from committees set up by the previous Assembly in June of 1936. These included Home Missions and Church Extension, with report of 13 home missionaries already at work in the field.  Present among them was one home missionary to South Dakota, the Rev. David K. Myers, this writer’s father. The Committee on Foreign Missions also reported, encouraging support for the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions. However, it also spoke about the establishment of an official  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  from the denomination at the next General Assembly.

Westminster Seminary was recommended to the pastors and congregations as worthy of their prayers and financial support. Held over to the next General Assembly was the adoption of a Form of Government, Book of Discipline, and Directory for Worship. The assembly was dissolved on Saturday evening, November 14, 1936

Also on this day, November 12, in 1886, Archibald Alexander Hodge died in Princeton, New Jersey.

Words to live by:  This writer can read the minutes of the Second General Assembly, as he has a copy of them before him, but the spirit of the meeting was only to be enjoyed by those who were actually present.  It must have been a joyous meeting to realize that since just that previous June of 1936, the number of ministers had increased from 35 pastors to 107 ministers in the Presbyterian Church of America.  God was doing a great work in this spiritual successor to the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.  Take time to look at your church choice, and if it is an Evangelical and Reformed Church, rejoice in what is happening in it as a sign of God’s blessings.  Indeed, support it with your tithes and offerings.  It probably is not perfect.  No church this side of glory is perfect. But if it is committed to the Scriptures, the Reformed faith, and the Great Commission, then give thanks for it, pray for it, and support it.

Read more: The text of Dr. Machen’s sermon on 2 Cor. 5:14-15 is posted here.

Through the Scriptures:  Acts 6 – 9

Through the Standards:  Subjects of baptism according to the Larger Catechism

WLC 166  — “Unto whom is baptism to be administered?
A.  Baptism is  not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, but infants descending from parents, either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.”

This Day in Presbyterian History:

On this day in 1877, Archibald A. Hodge began his duties as a professor of theology at the Princeton Theological Seminary.

Quoting a bit today from volume 2 of Dr. David B. Calhoun’s wonderful history of Princeton Seminary, pp. 47-48 :

In 1873 the directors had proposed that Archibald Alexander Hodge, professor of systematic theology at Western Theological Seminary, be appointed assistant to his father at Princeton. Charles Hodge thought the move unnecessary and no further steps were taken until 1877, when Dr. Hodge notified the directors that it was time for him to give up, or at least reduce, his teaching. Again the name of A.A. Hodge was put forward. Charles Hodge wrote to his son:

My dear Alexander:
You say I told you to go to Allegheny [Western Seminary]; you memory may be better than mine, but I have no recollection of having been so unwise. At any rate, in the event of your being called to Princeton, I shall not assume the responsibility of deciding whether you ought to come…
The view I take of the matter is simply this:
1. Our Board is bound to take that course which it thinks will best promote the interests of this Seminary and the general interests of this Church.
2. If our Directors think there is any other man available, as well qualified to fill the position as you, they ought to leave you where you are.
3. But if they are satisfied that you are the best man to keep up the character of this Institution for fidelity to our doctrinal standards, I, if a Director, although your Father, would vote for your election.
4. I would do this, because I think that this Seminary, not because of any superiority of its faculty, but simply because of providential circumstances, is at present, at least, of special importance. It, therefore, should be specially considered.
5. All such considerations, as delicacy, your personal wishes, cheapness of living here or there, are not of any serious weight.
6. The question whether you are the best available man to fill the place here, is for our Directors to decide. Their decision, however, is subject to a veto from your “inner consciousness,” if your conscience constrains you to exercise it. “Commit your way unto the Lord, and He will direct your steps.”

The directors elected A.A. Hodge associate professor of didactic theology, and he accepted and was inaugurated on November 8, 1877, in the First Presbyterian Church in Princeton. William M. Paxton, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of New York City, spoke for the board of directors. Princeton, he said, is a “school of learning” and a “cradle of piety.” “It is a place where educated young men are imbued with the doctrine of the Cross, and with this truth as a burning power in their hearts, they go out into the world to kindle and fire the hearts of others.” Your work is not done, Paxton reminded Hodge, “when you have demonstrated a truth or deposited an intellectual dogma in the memory of a student.” “No, no,” he added, “your responsibility continues until you have sent that truth as a lighted torch into his soul to kindle there its light and to warm his whole being as with fire.” “Give them Theology, give them orthodoxy, give them exposition, proof, demonstration, give them learning,” Paxton told the new professor, “but give it to them warm.“

[excerpted from Princeton Seminary: The Majestic Testimony, 1869-1929, by Dr. David B. Calhoun. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1996, pp. 47-48.]

Words to live by: It’s not easy to be so objective with our own children as Dr. Hodge appears to have been with his, but his counsel to “Commit your way unto the Lord, and He will direct your steps” (Ps. 37:5) certainly remains good and true counsel. But realize this, that “committing our way to the Lord” isn’t something we do on the spur of a difficult decision. Committing our way means living according to God’s declared will, day by day. We may and will fail from time to time, but by God’s grace we persist in seeking His will as the operative force in our lives. Is it your heart’s desire to live a life that pleases your heavenly Father? Are you actively turning away from sin where you see it, and quickly confessing sin when you transgress? As you look over your life, can you say that you are dying more and more to sin, and living more and more unto righteousness? Then rest assured, the Lord is directing your steps!

Through the Scriptures:  John 14 – 17

Through the Standards:  Definition of baptism in the Shorter Catechism

WLC 94 — “What is baptism?
A.  Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, does signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s.”

This Day in Presbyterian History:

Birth of Benjamin Warfield — November 5, 1851.

For God-fearing parents, every birth must bring some small trepidation, along with great hope and promise. We trust the Lord, we seek to live exemplary lives and strive to diligently do our part to raise our children, that they might never know a time when they did not trust in Christ Jesus for their salvation and rely upon Him completely. Child-rearing truly is a humbling thing, casting us upon the Lord, praying for His grace and mercy. 

At the same time, some children, even from a young age, show great maturity and promise.  You can see it in their face. Such a child, I think, was Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield.

All of the Warfield children were patiently led to memorize both the Shorter and Larger Catechisms, as well as the associated Scripture proof texts. In 1867, at the age of 16, he became a member of the Second Presbyterian church in Lexington, KY. It is tempting to think that the photo at the left, from that same year, might have been taken in conjunction with that event.

In 1868, he began the Sophomore year at Princeton College, graduating in 1871, with a strong interest in the sciences and a desire to pursue further studies in Scotland and Germany. But it was not until he returned home in 1872 that he announced his intention to explore a call to the ministry. That had long been his mother’s prayer for her sons, that they would become ministers of the Gospel. In 1873, he began his preparation for the ministry at the Princeton Theological Seminary.

Years later, Warfield wrote a brief article on the value of the Shorter Catechism. Warfield writes:

What is ‘the indelible mark of the Shorter Catechism’? We have the following bit of personal experience from a general officer of the United States army. He was in a great western city at a time of intense excitement and violent rioting. The streets were over-run daily by a dangerous crowd. One day he observed approaching him a man of singularly combined calmness and firmness of mien, whose very demeanor inspired confidence. So impressed was he with his bearing amid the surrounding uproar that when he had passed he turned to look back at him, only to find that the stranger had done the same. On observing his turning the stranger at once came back to him, and touching his chest with his forefinger, demanded without preface: ‘What is the chief end of man?’ On receiving the countersign, ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever’ — ‘Ah!’ said he, ‘I knew you were a Shorter Catechism boy by your looks!’ ‘Why, that was just what I was thinking of you,’ was the rejoinder.

It is worth while to be a Shorter Catechism boy. They grow to be men. And better than that, they are exceedingly apt to grow to be men of God. So apt, that we cannot afford to have them miss the chance of it. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.’

[B.B. Warfield, “Is the Shorter Catechism Worth While?” in The Selected Shorter Writings of Benjamin B. Warfield, Vol. 1 (Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed), 1970), pp. 381ff.]

[Note: my former impression that the officer in Warfield’s story was his own brother, is incorrect. But if Warfield came by this story through his own extended family, there were a number of men in the Breckinridge family who were military officers. Of these, Ethelbert Ludlow Dudley Breckinridge, an 1898 graduate of Princeton University and a lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1906, seems the most likely candidate to fit the details of the story. The San Francisco earthquake remains the most probable setting of the story.]

Words to live by: God bless faithful parents! May He equip, encourage, sustain, and support those loving parents who know that they must daily rely completely upon the Lord in the raising of their children. Child-rearing is entirely a matter of trusting prayerfully in the grace of God. Patiently love them, spend sacrificial time with them, live exemplary lives in front of them. But above all, pray daily for them, that God by His grace would save them to the uttermost. You never know when a child will grow up to be greatly used in the advance of the Lord’s kingdom.

Through the Scriptures: John 4 – 6

Through the Standards:  Proof Texts of the Creedal Treatment of the Sacraments

Genesis 17:7
“And I (God) will establish my covenant between me and you (Abraham) and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”  (ESV)

Matthew 28:19
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (KJV)

1 Corinthians 11:23
“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you: do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup if the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.'” (NIV)

Image sources : Original photographs preserved at the PCA Historical Center. Scans prepared by the Center’s staff. Photo 1, Benjamin B. Warfield, 1864, age 13. Photo 2, B.B. Warfield, 1867, age 16.

Proverbs 1:33 : “But he who listens to me shall live securely, and shall be at ease from the dread of evil.”