Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

service, money. Also what is displeasingand talk about examples of each. Talkabout what one tenth is (one penny of adime, dime of a dollar, etc.) This is what weowe, and above that is really giving!(6) Handwork — Add Stewardship toBible fleet of ships. Make Kitchen TimeClock motto. Use a paper plate withmetallic cardboard for the hands, using aparquet circle in center. Mark the 12places around dial and use Bible versestickers or write in verses about time.(Examples — Rev. 22:20, Isa. 55:6, Hos.10:12, II Cor. 6:2a, II Cor. 6:2b.)Prayer MeetingTopicFor April 28,1971PRAYER FOR THECHRISTIAN GOVERNMENTMOVEMENTRev. Samuel E. Boyle, D.D.Philippians 2:9-11; John 18:32-19:22;Revelation 1:5; 11:15.Psalm Suggestions: Ps. 98:1-4,7, p. 234(Desert); Ps. 93:1-5, p. 228; Ps. 72:9-12, p.175; Ps. 2:1-3,6-8, p. 4."My kingdom is not of this world,else would my servants fight. . ," said Jesusto Pilate, who then asked, "Art thou a king,then?" To this our Savior quietly replied: ".. I am a king. To this end was I born, andfor this cause came I into the world, that Ishould bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice."Pilate saith unto Him, "What is truth?"Many Christians misunderstand theabove statement of Christ as ruling out anypolitical application of the Kingship ofJesus Christ to national life, but ReformedPresbyterians have always insisted thatChrist's Kingship is universal in both aprovidential and moral sense, requiringthat the governments of all nations "kissthe Son" (Psalm 2) by an official submissionto the authority and law of JesusChrist, the prince of the kings of all theearth (Revelation 1:5, 11:15). The fact thatthe United States rejected this confessionof the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the 1789Constitution made Covenanters refuse toswear allegiance to it from the verybeginning of our nation's existence.After 1841 the Covenanters of NorthAmerica not only maintained politicaldissent from Christless civil government,but also began in a positive manner topublicize their denominational faith in theKingship of Christ over the nation bycirculating petitions among other churches.Beginning in 1844, too, periodicefforts were made to get Congress to passMARCH 31, 1971legislation to change the Constitution insome way which would commit our land toChrist the King. Separation of church andstate has always been consistentlymaintained by Covenanters but they havenever tolerated separation of the statefrom Almighty God. The Word of Godcontained in the Scriptures of the Old andNew Testaments omits no neutral area —not even the so-called sphere of "commongrace" — where Jesus Christ's mediatorialdominion does not extend in power andglory.There have been gradual changes inthe Covenanter Church's witness to Christ'sMediatorial Kingship over nations since itwas first adopted in 1806. The earliesttestimony written and adopted by the"Reformed Presbytery" in 1806 stated inchapters XXIX and XXX:"It is the duty of Christians, for thesake of peace and order, and inhumble resignation to God's goodprovidence, to conform to thecommon regulations of society inthings lawful; but to professallegiance to no constitution ofgovernment which is in hostility to thekingdom of Christ, the- Head of theChurch, and the Prince of the kings ofthe earth." D&T XXX.2"Christians testifying againstnational evils, and striving in the useof moral means to effect a reformation,should relinquish temporalprivileges, rather than do anythingwhich may appear to contradict theirtestimony, or lay a stumbling-blockbefore their weaker brethren." D&T XXX.4This Testimony condemned as anerror: "Thatit is lawful to profess orswear allegiance to an immoralconstitution of civil government."(No. 1)National Reform Efforts, 1844-1970The first recorded evidence ofChristian petitions to Congress came in1844, when "citizens" (we have no proofthat they were Covenanters) from WesternPennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois persuadedex-President John Quincy Adams, acongressman from Massachusetts, to readin The House their petition askingCongress to acknowledgeAlmightyGod, toaccept the Scriptures as the "lawparamount," and to submit to the LordJesus Christ as "ruler of this nation." Loudlaughter greeted the reading of thispetition bv Mr. Adams and the Housevoted immediately to lay it on the table,thus barring any discussion of the petition.The National Reform Associationwas organized during the Civil War withCovenanter leadership andit attracted awide interdenominational following duringthe next century. The earliest Covenantercondemnation of the United StatesConstitution had been drastic and completebecause of the document's"irreligion" and its "immorality." Theimmorality, of course, was chiefly the sinof condoning human slavery. The irreligioncharged against the Constitution was itssecular indifference to the Christianreligion. Covenanters in the earlynineteenthcentury publicly attacked theFirst Amendment for allowing Papists,sectarian heretics, Jews, and atheists thesame political freedom which Christianshave. The Covenanter ideal at that timewas still anchored to the "covenanteruniformity" ideal embodied in Scotland'sNational Covenant of 1638 and the SolemnLeague and Covenant of 1643. Tolerationof error was not deemed possible under aChristian Government, and our forefathersin this nation viewed the First Amendmentto the Constitution as a rebellious defianceof the Sovereignty of God.By 1894, however, the church hadmellowed on this point to the extent ofproposing to the Congress a much lesselaborate Christian confession than theearly petition presented to Congress in1844. The National Reform Association'sfirst two Christian amendments failed,though a public hearing was held in March,1896 on House Joint Resolution 28, aChristian amendment sponsored by theNRA. This hearing in 1896 attractednational attention and opposition. Afterseveral subsequent vain attempts to getCongress to adopt religious bills ofdiminishing Christian content, the NRAfinally dropped this legislative effort andturned to general moral reforms.After World War II, God moved theCovenanter church to try to bring Americato Christ by another new Constitutionalamendment campaign. The 1946organization was called The ChristianAmendment Movement. This 1946 form ofChristian amendment accepted the U. S.Constitution's First Amendment and evenoffered a modified oath to non-Christians.This 1946 Christian Amendment wasquite different from the original demandsmade on America by Covenanters in 1806,1844 or 1896. It strongly supports the FirstAmendment! Some 54 separate Christianamendment resolutions were introduced inCongress by various Christian members ofSenate or House from W47 to 1%9. Apublic hearing before a sub-committee ofthe Senate Judiciary Committee came in1954 but at no time did the Christiansec page Id13