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Mid-November 1932 Westminster Seminary Number CHRISTIA\R!Y TODAY ~ A PRESBYTERIAN JOURNAL DEVOTED TO STATING, DEFENDING III AND FURTHERING THE GOSPEL IN T~E MODERN WORLD III SAMUEL G. CRAIG, Editor H. McALLISTER GRIFFITHS, Managing Editor Published monthly by THE PRESBYTERIAN AND MID-NOVEMBER, 1932 $1.00 A YEAR EVERYWHERE REFORMED PUBLISHING CO., Entered as second-class matter May ii, 1931, .t Vol. 3 No.7 the Prut Olfice .t Philadelphia, P •• , under the 501 Witherspoon Bldg., Phila., Pa. Act 01 March 3, 1879. has given us a companion volume entitled, "The Basis of Evolu­ Editorial Notes and Comments tionary Faith: A Critique of the Theory of Evolution." This volume was not only appreciatively reviewed in our February A STATEMENT issue but has been highly commended by other publications at HIS issue of CHRISTIANITY TODAY has been sent to home and abroad. It seems to be the consensus of opinion that many, including all the ministers of the Presbyterian it is the first critique of evolution available fitted to meet the Church in the U. S. A., who do not receive it regu· needs of those possessed of an ordinary college education or its larly. This has been done in the confidence that equivalent. Unfortunately, however, it is published only in an they will find its contents both interesting and English edition. Through special arrangement with the author, valuable, and in the expectation that a goodly pro­ copies may be obtained through the office of CHRISTIANITY TODAY portion of them will have their appetites so whetted for $1.50. by its contents that they will want to add their names to our list of subscribers. WESTMINSTER SEMINARY In selecting the material for this issue we have HILE this paper sustains no official relations with been largely influenced by two considerations: (1) the desire to Westminster Seminary it is in hearty sympathy make known to as many as possible the more basic of our objec· with the aims aIid ideals of this institution and tions to the tentative "Plan of Union" that has been submitted desirous of doing everything possible to further its by the Joint Committee on Organic Union of the Presbyterian interest. There is in fact no other theological semi­ Church, U. S. A., and the United Presbyterian Church; (2) the nary-certainly no other connected with the Presby­ desire to convey to as many as possible reliable as well as up~to­ terian Church in the U~ S. A.-with whose aims and date information about Westminster Theological Seminary. By ideals we have so full a measure of sympathy. yielding to these desires, especially to the latter, we have been Dr. WILLIAM ADAMS BROWN of New York City in compelled to omit-in most instances merely to curtail-some of a recent article, printed in the Union Seminary our standard features. Review of Richmond Va., stated that the declaration issued in CHRISTIANITY TODAY was established early in 1930 to state, 1924, commonly called the Auburn Affirmation, was signed by defend and further the system of thought and life taught in the "professors of every Presbyterian seminary but one." He was Bible in the conviction that this system of thought and life has referring, of course, to Princeton Seminary. Since that time, as yet found its most complete and most carefully guarded as however, an official statement, signed by the President of its well as its most vital expression in the existing Standards of the faculty and the President of its Board of Trustees, has co'me Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. Our correspondence indio from that institution commending signers of the Auburn Affirma­ cates that in the judgment of friend and foe alike CHRISTIANITY tion to the confidence of the Church despite the fact that they TODAY occupies a unique position among Presbyterian publica­ are on record not only as affirming that the Bible contains errors tions not only because it is the one periodical that is committed but as denying that such doctrines as the virgin birth of our to a militant defense of the faith professed by the Presbyterian LORD, His bodily resurrection (and by implication His return in Church but because of the ability and wholeheartedness with other than a spiritual sense) and His death as a sacrifice to which it states and expounds that faith. It is our constant en· satisfy divine justice and to reconcile us to GOD are essential deavor to make the paper increasingly effective as a means of doctrines of the Word of GOD and the standards of the Presby­ furthering the cause it has been established to promote. terian Church. Hence while it remains true that the faculty of Princeton Seminary contains no signers of the Auburn Amr­ TWO WORTHWHILE BOOKS mation, yet obviously they might all sign it without lOSing favor N our March issue we editorially commended Pro· with its present Board of Control. It seems clear, therefore, fessor Loraine Boettner's book "The Reformed Doc· that according to Dr_ BROWN, Westminster Seminary is now the trine of Predestination" and promised that in a only institution forethe training of ministers for the Presbyterian later issue we would publish a review commen· Church in the U. S."'A. that is not more or less tainted with what ·~ surate with its importance. That promise is now we call Modernism. '. fulfilled by the publication on page eleven of Pro· We would not be understood as implying that we are in hearty fessor Floyd Hamilton's review of this notable book sympathy with Westminster Seminary merely because it is free :> -a book which has already reached the dignity of from the taint of Modernism. That, important as it is, is but t a second edition. a negative virtue. While we would not approve Westminster Professor Hamilton is himself an author of dis­ Seminary if it lacked this virtue, it is its positive virtues that tinction. In 1927 he gave us "The BaSis of Christian Faith: A command our admiration. Without equivocation or compromise Modern Defense of the Christian Religion." More recently he it holds that Christianity as set forth in the Westminster Stand- (A tabTe of contents will be found on Page 24) 2 CHRISTIANITY TODAY November, 1932 ards is in accord with the teachings of the Bible and as such sion, as far as made known, are about What was to be expected. true, that it is capable of scholarly defense, and that it should be It would have been strange If it had expressed anything like proclaimed as the one way of salvation for lost men no matter approval of the miSSionary work of the Church. Equally strange what the opposition-whether within or without the Church. would it have been if It had not recommended far-reaching What is more it does this with unequalled breadth and accuracy changes not only in missionary methods but in missionary aims. of scholarship. Dr. MACHEN speaks not only for himself but for Only time will tell to what extent the churches will adopt Its the institution he represents in the article printed in this issue. recommendations. It should be clear to all intelligent Christians While Westminster Seminary owns no grounds and buildings and that in as far as they do, it will be the end of real missionary has but the beginnings of an endowment fund-and so is de­ effort. This is not to deny that there may be some warrant for pendent on the voluntary contributions of those interested in the some of its criticisms and recommendations; but it is to say training of a truly Christian ministry-it fears no comparison that its main criticisms and recommendations can be approved as regards the one asset that lends distinction to such a school, and adopted only as the tap-root of all genuine miSSionary effort viz., an outstanding faculty. is cut. That Westminster Seminary is meeting a real need in the life That this Report attacks Christian missions at their most vital of the Church is indicated not only by the fact that its graduates point is indicated, most clearly, by its criticism and rejection of have been quickly called to pastorates but by the steady increase the motive that admittedly animated the movement-at least not only of its student body but of its friends and supporters. until recently. The Report rightly affirms that missionary effort In the nature of the case it is feeling the effects of the present in the past was all but universally motivated by the desire to financial depression more than endowed institutions. While the make the Gospel known to the heathen world in the conviction list of contributors to its support has steadily grown yet a con· that it offered the one way of salvation from eternal death. It siderable number of them find themselves unable to give as takes the position, however, that in the course of the last cen­ much as they anticipated. As a result it is more or less im­ tury we have attained an altered theological outlook that has perative that additional supporters be found. The remarkable caused this motive to lose its effectiveness. To cite from the manner in which the LORD has brought support to this Seminary Report: during its first three years generates within us the confidence "If the conception of hell changes, if attention is drawn that He will not allow it to fail. We urge the friends of Chris­ away from the fear of GOD'S punitive justice in the everlasting tian education, as the LORD has prospered them, to consider their torment of the unsaved, if there is a shift of concern from duty in the light of the information about Westminster Seminary other worldly issues to the problems of sin and suffering in contained in this issue of CHRISTIANITY TODAY.
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