The Bulwark Magazine of the Scottish Reformation Society JAN - MARCH 2016 // £2 January - March 2016 1 The Bulwark PROBLEMS CONFRONTING THE CHUrch Magazine of the Scottish Reformation Society The Magdalen Chapel 41 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1JR Tel: 0131 220 1450 3 Email: [email protected] www.scottishreformationsociety.org Registered charity: SC007755 Chairman Committee Members » Rev Dr S James Millar WIDESPREAD IGNORANCE: » Rev Maurice Roberts Vice-chairman » Rev Kenneth Macdonald » Rev John J Murray THE CAUSE AND » Mr James Dickson Secretary » Mr Allan McCulloch » Rev Douglas Somerset THE CURE » Rev Alasdair Macleod Treasurer » Mr Matthew Vogan » Rev Andrew Coghill John J Murray This is the third of a series of articles by Mr Murray on the subject ‘Problems confronting the Church’. CO-OPERATION OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY In pursuance of its objects, the Society may co- (a) To propagate the evangelical Protestant faith and those principles held in common by operate with Churches and with other Societies those Churches and organisations adhering to whose objects are in harmony with its own. the Reformation; We are living in a day of gross ignorance and reveal who He is and what He has done. Magazine Editor: Rev Douglas Somerset (b) To diffuse sound and Scriptural teaching on a lack of discernment regarding spiritual That communication came at first through All literary contributions, books for review and the distinctive tenets of Protestantism and matters. The God of the Bible has largely the prophets in the Old Testament and Roman Catholicism; papers, should be sent to: disappeared from view in our society. The then in due time through the incarnate Bible is a closed book to many. The Ten Christ (Heb. 1:1-2). John declares: ‘No The Magdalen Chapel (c) To carry on missionary work among Commandments have been removed from man hath seen God at any time; the only 41 Cowgate, Edinburgh adherents of the latter faith with a view to the walls of our classrooms. The name of begotten Son who is in the bosom of the EH1 1JR winning them to the doctrines of grace and to the fellowship of the true Gospel; Christ is more familiar to many simply as a Father, he hath declared him’ (John 1:18). profanity. Few are able to discern between The Lord Jesus Christ revealed the truth The views expressed in articles are those of (d) To produce and distribute evangelistic, right and wrong. to his disciples and as apostles they were the contributor and may not necessarily reflect religious and other literature in connection with divinely inspired to write the Scriptures of those of the Editor or the Committee of the the promotion of the Protestant religion; In order to account for the extent of the the New Testament. Society. Scriptural references are from the A.V. ignorance in the professing Christian (e) To promote the associating together of men except where stated otherwise. community and in our country today we It was the revelation of God in Christ, and women, and especially young people, for systematic Bible Study and holding of need to examine how this has come about. preserved in Scripture by the apostles, Unattributed material is by the Editor. meetings for the above specified purposes. which became the substance of what I. THE SOURCE OF TRUE KNOWLEDGE was confessed by the early Church. The apostles framed the Christian faith in DESIGNED & PRINTED BY: The only true knowledge of God comes doctrinal terms. The first Christians knew www.peppercollective.com from the Bible. He has been pleased to that their faith was absolutely true, that it Tel:028 9851 2233 2 The Bulwark January - March 2016 3 could brook no rivals, and so they sought became known as ‘the Dark Ages’, spoke of ‘the Scottish peasant as the most defend every part of Scripture. This led to no compromises. To be a Christian was although the Biblical truth was preserved remarkable man in Europe’. He traced the doctrine of the verbal inspiration of the to believe what the apostles believed and among groups, such as the Waldensians. the dignity, intellect, and character of the Bible being set aside. With the authority of taught. Apostolic succession was not typical Scottish peasant up to that time as the Scriptures gone, leaders began to set a matter of ecclesiastical power but of largely flowing from the memorization of aside the doctrines that were offensive to doctrine. Paul said to Timothy: ‘And the II. THE REFORMATION RESTORED the Shorter Catechism. the natural man. The Confession of Faith, things that thou hast heard of me among TRUE KNOWLEDGE founded on Scripture, had to be modified many witnesses, the same commit thou so that it would be more acceptable to to faithful men who will be able to teach When in the early sixteenth century the III. The ‘downgrade’ OBSCURED people. The view that ‘the Bible merely others also’ (2 Tim 2:2). The Church was light of the Gospel began to break into the TRUE KNOWLEDGE contains the Word of God’ allowed for a learning and teaching fellowship in darkness, the Reformers were confronted the development of ‘a broad Church’. which the passing on of what was learned with much ignorance. Martin Luther The truth re-discovered at the Reformation Confessions of faith and catechisms were by some to others becomes a regular was constrained to take up catechizing became the confession of the Church for regarded as outdated. In counselling aspect of her life. One aspect of imparting because of the ignorance he discovered a century or two. Christianity was seen, youth workers in Scotland, the American Scriptural knowledge took the form of among the people in Germany: ‘I have in the words of Owen Chadwick, as ‘an evangelist D.L. Moody (1837-99) ‘urged catechizing. been impelled to cast this catechism or unchanging Gospel handed down by pen them to have done with colourless Christian doctrine into this simple form by and mouth from generation to generation, catechisms and tedious verse learning, The term catechizing is derived from the lamentable deficiency in the means of mother to child, teacher to taught, pulpit to and to act on the belief that children should the Greek word kateche, which means instruction which I witnessed lately in my pew...that which has been believed in every trust Christ as a Friend.’ Around that ‘to sound over or through’, ‘to instruct’. visitation. God help us! What deplorable century, by all Christians, men and women.’ time, Alexander Moody Stuart warned: Catechizing was regarded as indispensable things I have seen!’ ‘Our children may lose the one treasure for instruction in the faith in the early A change, called ‘the downgrade’, took we are bound to bequeath them; and for Church. By the fourth and fifth centuries In Scotland prior to the Reformation the place in the latter half of the nineteenth long years they may wander “through dry it had developed extensively. One of its people were in gross darkness. The century when Higher Criticism and places seeking rest and finding none”, chief exponents was Augustine, and in his Scriptures were hidden in a dead language, liberal theology began to undermine the before they recover their hold of the word Catechizing of the Uninstructed, he details Latin. The Gospel was obscured under authority of the Bible in men’s minds. A of life, and regain their footing on the rock the several steps in the process of wise superstitious ceremonies. Most of the recent address by Rev. Iain Murray, ‘How of eternal truth.’ catechising. In the early centuries of the clergy were ignorant of Biblical truth. The Scotland Lost Its Hold on the Bible’, Christian Church various heresies arose people were taught to pray to departed reveals the sad decline of the Church in and Councils were called to defend and saints, and indulgences were sold in Scotland. He refers to an address by Dr IV. THE SITUATION TODAY define the doctrines of the New Testament. order to deliver souls from purgatory. Horatius Bonar to the General Assembly Creeds were formulated. Orthodoxy was When a spiritual change took place, the of the Free Church of Scotland in 1883, The professing Christian Church in Scotland vindicated and heresy condemned. Those Reformers with their creeds, confessions, warning of the future: ‘Man is now thinking today is reaping the consequences of who denied the Scripture truths were by and catechisms provided people with out a Bible for himself; framing a religion in all that has gone on before. There has definition not Christian. the historical continuity from the doctrine harmony with the development of liberal been no trial for heresy in the Church of of the early Church. The writings which thought; constructing a worship on the Scotland for over a hundred years, yet Although that rich provision of creeds, flowed from the Reformers’ pens all principles of taste and culture; shaping a many of her ministers continue to deny confessions, and catechisms was such a directed people back to the doctrines god to suit the expanding aspirations of some of the most cardinal doctrines of the benefit in the establishing of the Church, of the Bible. The re-discovery of the the age…The extent of the mischief no faith, such as the infallibility of Scripture, a change was to come about. By the doctrines of the New Testament affected one can calculate’. the substitutionary atonement, the sixth century, the Church began to drift the Christians in the pew. Attention was resurrection of Jesus Christ, and hell. This away from the faith and descended into given to family religion and instruction in It was in that decade that theologians was highlighted recently in the recording ritualism and formalism.