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The Responsibility of the Church in Our New Age

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The Responsibility of the Church in Our New Age A"''''......... .-..,lIEa_..__ .Ar_·• ..-r.... Liberal Arts Education in the "'••' r1 Tradition of Historic Presbyterianism rinity Christian College is located Trinity is a young school. It opened Tin Palos Heights, Illinois, a suburb its doors seven years ago to thirty-five EM.nraIS ... of Chicago. Presently it is a two year students. Under our Lord's gracious college with plans to become a four blessing the school now numbers 205 year school by 1970. The freshman regular day students. There is also an class enrolling September, 1967 should interesting evening school progra1ll be the first class to graduate from which is attracting more and more at­ Trinity's four year program. The jun­ tention. Of special interest to the read­ ior year will be introduced, D.V., Sep­ ers of this journal is the fact that two tember, 1969 and the senior year, Sep­ tember, 1970. (continued on page 7) ..... 1 " A son's tribute to the Scrubgrass creek or the trailing arbutus patch. It was not his Scot na­ ture to verbalize but he saw the "ser­ mons in stone, books in running A Goodly Heritage brooks and God in everything," and so did we. Small wonder we always ROBERT L. ATWELL looked forward to the Sabbath. Would that we had more living illustrations t one a.m. the phone rang. From Word of God written, is the infallible that a properly strict Sabbath is also A 1,400 miles my brother's voice rule for both faith and practice. This an irresistibly joyous Sabbath. said, "Bob, get hold of yourself, I've is our confessional position. For Dad A High View of the Church bad news." A pause and then, "Dad's no other position seemed tenable; this His view of the church was apos­ dead." I was startled to realize that my was the only basis on which doctrine tolic. As best I can judge it stemmed immediate reaction was: that's not bad and life could be certain and secure. from Paul's charge to the elders to news, it's good news. It was a vivid Also he loved the woods and streams "feed the church of God, which he illustration that, concerning one who as only he can who recognizes them as has purchased with his own blood." has once received the gospel, there can part of his Father's world. Real joy Indeed he served the church as an really never be bad news. The last was his in his daily toil whether as a elder for almost sixty years. He found enemy is already conquered and death carpenter or as a lumberman running real satisfaction in his daily work, that can only terminate the suffering of the sawmill which he had owned from too was his calling of God, and in it earth and usher in the bliss of heaven. his late teens. he excelled. It was known that if Dad II Dad had gone in his 93rd year; his The First Day-the Lord's Day sawed a log it would tally its maxi­ eye was not dim nor his natural force mum in board feet. If a wood lot pur­ much abated. Just ten days before we'd For Dad the first day of the week J was the Christian Sabbath, the Lord's chaser had Dad as his appraiser the been tramping together in seven inches seller commonly asked for no other of snow in forests he had taught me Day (he thought instinctively in the terminology of the Shorter Cate­ estimate. His integrity and industry to love so well. were twin fruits of his faith. But it chism). It was "day of all the week was the church and her work that had Now my heart is filled with grati­ the best," day indeed of "joy and his first allegiance. tude to God for the goodly heritage gladness," day which gave meaning to In spring thaws the roads might be that Dad left. I write down some of the other days and kept things in per­ impassible even for a horse and buggy. the features of that heritage in the spective. He took seriously the com­ Possibly women and children could prayer that my children, and chil­ mand, "Six days shalt thou labor," for not attend. But such circumstances pro­ dren's children - and others - may the mill ran six days a week, ten hours also share them. vided no thought of excuse for a man a day, and commonly was located a and I counted it a signal privilege, as good hour's walk distant. Therefore The Fear of God the oldest child, to attend any service "welcome was the day of rest." But Dad lived in the fear of God. His that was held in the church in com­ the Sabbath was more than day of was the hall mark of the Calvinist, pany with ~im. ~en Dad w~s cut­ the man who lives coram deo - in rest - it was a family day and pre­ ~an eminently a day of worship. ting out a piece of timber the .mill the presence of God. And that fear six days a week. I can recall Its bemg was a contagious thing; it constitutes The last ten years we were on the shut down on only three occasions: the best that can come to mortal man. farm there was not a single Lord's Christmas, the fourth of July and the The fear of God delivers from all Day that Dad didn't take me to serv­ day Presbytery met. Later happenings other fear - of man, of circumstance, ices. Besides, if weather permitted, in the visible church might have of death itself. Not at all inimical to Sabbath always meant that Dad would caused me to entertain the false anti­ love, it is its perfect counterpart. I take any of the children who were old thesis, "not churchianity but Chris­ can't imagine a son having a deeper enough to tag along for a walk in the tianity," or to espouse the error of love for his father but from my earli­ hemlocks, down the Lochard run or independency, but I had long since est recollection I stood in terrible learned a high biblical view of the dread of his displeasure. It was a good church from my Dad. For him love feeling. For real happiness and secur­ JAMES EDWIN ATWELL died on for the church followed from Christ's ity a child needs some assurance that December 16, 1966 at the age of 92. love for it. he'll be punished when he needs it. A member of the Associate Reformed From a wholesome, loving fear of my Christ Must Have Preeminence Presbyterian Church in earlier years, h~d earthly father I came to rejoice in The implicit trust which I once David's word, "The fear of the Lord he became a charter member of Faith in Dad, he taught me to put rn is dean, enduring forever." Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Harris­ Christ. It would be equally true to say ville, Pennsylvania. This tribute is by that Mother taught me this. Mother He Lived by Revelation his son Robert, pastor of Galloway compensated for Dad's reticence. It He lived in, and by, and he loved Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Miami, was she, chiefly, who taught us to two books: the book of Scripture and Florida. Another son and two daugh­ memorize Scripture, who helped us the book of nature. The Bible, as the ters also survive. (continued on page 15) The Presbyterian Guardian is published monthly (except combined in July-August) by the Presbyterian Guardia~ Publishing Corp., 7401 O~d York Rd., Phila., Pe, 19126, at the following rates, payable in advance in any part of the world, postage prepcld- $3.00 per year ($2.50 on Clubs of ten or more); $1.00 for four months; 25c per single copy. Second Class mail privileges authorized at the Post Office. Philadelphia. Po. 2 The Presbyterian Guardian There is in the New Testament not a bit of comfort for the feeble notion that controversy in the church is to be avoided, that a man can ever proclaim truth without attacking error. The Responsibility of the Church in Our New Age J. GRESHAM MACHEN he question of the church's re­ Old Things Worth Retaining of art. But when we pay attention to T sponsibility in the new age in­ In the former category are to be those categories, it becomes evident volves two other questions: (1) What put, for example, the literary and ar­ at once that we are living today in a is the new age?; (2) What is the tistic achievements of past generations. drab and decadent age, and that a church? Those are things which the new age really new impulse will probably come, The former question is being an­ ought to retain, at least until the new as it has come so many times before, swered in a number of different ways; age can produce something to put in only through a rediscovery of the differences of opinion prevail, in par­ their place, and that it has so far sig­ glories of the past. ticular, with regard to the exact degree nally failed to do. I am well aware Something very similar needs to be of newness to which the new age may that when I say to the new age that said in the realm of political and social justifiably lay claim. There are those Homer is still worth reading, or that science.
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