* INCLUDED IN THIS ISSUE 
THIS YEAR OF GRACE 
INTERNATIONAL "MADHOUSE" 
THREE HOLY THINGS 
or, 
 
A He+H 
Ne441 Yee,11 
By Mrs. M. H. Cooper 
Consecrate yourself each morn, 
The Master's will to heed; 
Feast upon the Bread of Life, 
To satisfy your need; 
For Living Water ever thirst, 
Give loyal service—Jesus first! 
'Twill mean for you—a Happy New Year! 
Cultivate a friendship true 
With Him who loves you best, 
Seek His presence, find His joy, 
Contentment, peace, and rest; 
Ne'er lonely be along the way, 
Commune with Jesus night and day, 
And you will have—a Happy New Year! 
Clasp the Hand outstretched to aid, 
Prove every promise true; 
Follow where He leads the way, 
And claim His victory, too; 
Though strife and sin be all around, 
God's grace for you doth more abound. 
My wish for you—a Happy New Year! 
A WINTER SCENE ON HAMPSTEAD HEATH • LONDON 
THE BIBLE 
AND 
A Family Journal of Christian Living. Dedi-
cated to the proclamation of the Everlasting 
Gospel. Presenting the Bible as the Word of 
God and Jesus Christ as our All-Sufficient 
Saviour and Coming King. 
EDITOR �
W. LESLIE EMMERSON 
�
 RAYMOND D. VINE 
C. M. HUBERT COWEN 
�
 J. H. CRAVEN 
CONTENTS 
EDITORIALS 
Beginning a New Calendar 
�
4 
Pontius Pilate Again 
�
6 
GENERAL 
The Gate of the Year 
This Year of Grace �
 
International "Madhouse" 
Is there Hope for the New Year? 
Heroes of the Reformation.-5 
Zwingli and the Alpine Dawn �
. . Charlotte Hastings 14 
The Five "I Ams."-5 
"I am the True Vine" �
J C French 16 
The Vatican Council and Church Unity.-2 
Is Rome Changing? �
Dr B B Beach, PH.D. 18 
Three Holy Things �
 Lois L. Lane 21 
No More Winter/ �
J R Lewis 22 
A Clean Slate �
 Mary J. Vine 24 
ASSISTANT EDITOR 
ART DIRECTOR �
 
CIRCULATION MANAGER 
ARTICLES 
G Elliott 
Ernest Cox 9 
A S. Maxwell 11 
. . R. T. Bolton 12 
1111111111111111111111111111111
11111111111111111Miiiiimmonomimmulmitimummuni.......,.m. 
 
REGULAR FEATURES 
Your Bible Questions Answered � 
Great Texts of the Bible �
 
For Your Bookshelf �
 
Children's Pages �
 
Mirror of Our Time �
 
V. H. Cooper 
S. G. Hyde 
27 
29 
31 
32 
35 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POEM 
A Happy New Year �
Mrs M. H. Cooper 2 
Cover Picture: "Here's to the New Year." 
111111118111118111111811111111181818811111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111811111811111111111111118 
VOLUME 79 �
• �
JANUARY, 1963 �
• Price xi- 
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This Month • • • 
THE beginning of a New Year 
is a time for looking back and look-
ing forward, both in the everyday 
affairs of life and in our spiritual 
experience. Naturally, therefore, this 
provides a topical theme for several 
of our contributors this month. 
Very significantly the subject of 
the calendar has been discussed in 
recent weeks at the Vatican Council. 
Some startling suggestions which 
have been advanced are discussed in 
the editorial, "Beginning a New 
Calendar."—Page 4. 
If we would walk in a sure path 
during the coming days we are coun-
selled by G. Elliott, in his article 
"The Gate of the Year," to follow 
Him who is both the Way and the 
Light of life.—Page 7. 
Often we speak of the current 
year as "This Year of Grace." Ernest 
Cox shows how the coming months 
may bring us each one a renewal of 
God's grace day by day.—Page 9. 
To Mary J. Vine the New Year 
suggests "A Clean Slate." You will 
be inspired by her timely message. 
-Page 24. 
Winter has its peculiar pleasures, 
but it also brings hardship and 
danger in its train. J. R. Lewis re-
minds us that winter is one of the 
results of sin, and that one day there 
will be "No More Winter!"—Page 
22. 
Much has been written recently 
about the serious trends manifesting 
themselves in the United Nations as 
a result of the irresponsibility of 
many of the new nations admitted 
during the past few years. A. S. 
Maxwell calls it "International 'Mad-
house.' "—Page 11. 
Following the proceedings of the 
Second Vatican Council, our Rome 
Correspondent, Dr. B. B. Beach, 
notes a new attitude of friendliness 
and tolerance on the part of Rome 
toward the non-Roman churches, and 
asks the question, "Is Rome Chang-
ing?"—Page 18. 
Having now completed his studies 
in the book of Revelation, S. G. 
Hyde this year will discuss some of 
the "Great Texts of the Bible." He 
begins with that "prince" of texts, 
"God so loved the world."—Page 29. 
In this issue we begin a new regu-
lar feature, "Your Bible Questions 
Answered." If you have a Bible prob-
lem send it along and we will do 
our best to help you.—Page 27. 
CURRENT EVENTS 
IN THE 
LIGHT OF 
THE BIBLE . . . 
By 
The 
Editor 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NING 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE TIMES 
Beginning 
a NEW 
CALENDAR 
W
ITH the turn of the year we take 
down the old calendar, which 
has served us well during the 
past twelve months, drop it into the 
waste paper basket, and put up our bright 
new calendar for 1963. 
By this act we indicate that the past 
has gone beyond recall, but it is well to 
remember that the decisions taken in our 
personal lives and on the larger stage of 
the nation and the world, will have their 
influence for good or ill upon the pattern 
of the future. The first page of the book 
of the New Year is not blank. The first 
entry is already written. There is a 
"balance brought forward," not only in 
reference to our financial affairs, but in 
our moral and spiritual experience. No 
Mitred bishops filling the great nave of St. Peter's during one of the 
sessions of the Vatican Council. 
wonder the Psalmist counsels us, at the beginning of another 
year, to "number our days, and apply our hearts unto wisdom." 
Psa. 90:12. 
But apart from the sobering recollections of the past and the 
stimulus of the way which opens before us with each New 
Year's dawn, this year-end brings to us a calendar matter of 
a very different kind. For, from authoritative quarters, comes 
the proposal for a new calendar which is not just a continuation 
of the old one, but a literally "new" one. 
In the course of the discussions during the first session of 
the Vatican Council, which ended on December 8th, one of the 
subjects which came up was the date of Easter Sunday, which 
wanders most inconveniently from March 21st to April 25th, 
as a result of the decision at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, 
fixing Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon fol-
lowing the vernal equinox. 
To remedy this situation the simplest suggestion put for-
ward is that Easter Sunday should be stabilized on the second 
Sunday in April each year, this being the closest to the probable 
historical date of the first Easter day. If this proposal 
is approved it will be submitted to the non-Roman 
churches, and if accepted by them, could go into ef-
fect with very little delay. 
However, certain of the more "progressive" bishops 
in Rome would like to go very much farther in the 
matter of calendar reform than this, and have revived 
an idea discussed both in the old League of Nations 
and by the United Nation s, of introducing a 
"universal" and unvarying calendar in which every 
date would come on the same day every year. 
This could be acccomplished by basing the calendar 
on a 364-day year, which would divide conveniently 
into four equal quarters of ninety-one days each, 
comprising one 31-day month and two 30-day 
months, and into fifty-two weeks of seven days each. 
The remaining 365th day would be left out of the 
reckoning and designated a "blank" day. In leap 
years there would have to be two "blank" days, one 
at the end of June and the other at the end of 
December, and these would probably be holidays. 
Now while such a calendar would have many 
obvious advantages, and would be particularly wel-
come in the business world, whenever the idea has 
been advanced it has met with strong opposition 
from the Christian churches, as well as from Jews and 
Moslems, all of whom refuse to countenance any 
interference with the basic seven-day weekly cycle, 
which they regard as of divine origin. For whether 
the 365th day was called a "blank" day or given any 
other name, it would make the previous seven-day 
period into an eight-day week, and this would ir- 
remediably disrupt the age-old seven-day cycle which 
the Bible—and the Koran—trace back to the original 
creation week. 
Hitherto the Roman Catholic Church has associated 
itself with the non-Roman churches in opposing a 
"blank" day calendar, and. it therefore came as a 
shock to non-Catholics to learn that a proposal for 
a "universal" calendar was to be discussed at the 
Vatican Council in connection with the fixing of 
Easter. 
While the actual outcome of the discussions has 
not been made public at the time of writing, a Roman 
Catholic spokesman questioned by a correspondent 
of the Jewish Chronicle, has made a most significant 
disclosure, which explains how some Roman Catholics 
have come to change their position so radically on 
this vital subject. 
He stated that while Catholics are just as interested 
as other religious groups "in maintaining the seven-
day cycle because it is written in the Bible . . . they 
are less insistent" than others on this issue, because 
"if a 'blank day' were to be established, they would 
simply consider it as an 'interruption' of the seven-
day cycle and not . . . a 'violation' of it." 
In the past the theologians of Rome have shown 
themselves extremely adept in getting round plain 
statements of Scripture, and this latest piece of 
casuistry is certainly in character. But no true fol-
lower of Christ will ever be persuaded that an "in-
terruption" of the seven-day cycle is not a "violation" 
of the divine law. 
The fourth commandment specifically states, "Six 
days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: but 
the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God" 
(Exod. 20:9, 10), and any modification of any week 
by the insertion of a "blank" day must break, and 
therefore violate, the immemorial seven-day cycle. 
As yet, of course, there is no need for undue 
alarm, as it is by no means certain that the "pro-
gressives" will win the day. The counsel of Cardinal 
Rampolla, Secretary of State to Leo XIII, as long ago 
as 1896 on this very matter of stabilizing the date of 
Easter, may be remembered : "We must avoid the 
danger of introducing elements of greater division." 
And even if these revolutionary calendar proposals 
were to be approved and go forth as a recommen-
dation from the Vatican Council, they would still 
have to be accepted by the non-Roman churches, and 
then approved by the United Nations and the 
parliaments of all the great nations before they 
could go into effect. 
But it can here and now be said that if the Roman 
church, which has been guilty more than once in the 
past of seeking "to change times and [divine) laws" 
(Dan. 7:25), should embark upon any new and 
drastic attack upon the sacred law of the Sabbath, 
they can be certain of the resolute opposition, at 
every stage, of those who believe that it is mare 
important to "obey God rather then men" (Acts 
5:29) and who are determined, by grace and at all 
costs, to "keep [all) the commandments of God, and 
the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12. 
Pontius Pilate again 
TAST year we made mention of the discovery by 
Professor Antonio Frova of Milan, while ex- 
cavating an ancient Roman theatre in C.Tsarea 
on the Palestine coast, of a stone bearing the name 
"Pontius Pilatus." Naturally this aroused great in-
terest because it was the first time that the name of 
the infamous Roman governor who condemned 
Christ, had been found outside the Bible and the 
contemporary historians, Josephus and Tacitus. 
At the time only the words "Pontius Pilatus" and 
"Tiberieum" were decipherable, because the stone, 
from an earlier building, had been re-used as a step 
in the theatre and worn away by the feet of in-
numerable Saracens, Crusaders, and others before it 
became buried under the debris of the ruined city. 
Careful cleaning, however, has now enabled im-
portant new facts to be learned about it. 
It is most surprising to learn from Fr. J. H. 
Crehan, in the Catholic Herald, that the title given 
to Pilate is not Procurator, the usual designation 
of the governor of a small province of 
the empire, but "Praefectus Iuda-x," 
which is in line with the governor of 
Egypt who was always styled "Prefect" 
after it was taken over from Cleopatra. 
This term provides significant new 
light on Pilate's behaviour at the trial 
of Jesus. 
A Prefect was much more closely in touch with the 
Emperor than an ordinary Procurator. Consequently, 
the accusation of the Jews that he would not be 
"C.Tsar's friend" (John 19:12) if he did not con-
demn Jesus, was a most serious charge. For one so 
close to the Emperor to be guilty of dereliction of 
duty would be treason indeed. 
This new information on Pilate's exalted position 
also ties up with his anxiety, on every possible oc-
casion, to show honour to his imperial master. His 
excessive zeal got him into trouble when he tried to 
set up gilded votive tables bearing the name of 
Tiberius in the former palace of Herod in Jerusalem. 
While there were probably no images engraved on 
the tablets, the anger of the Jews was only allayed 
when the Emperor ordered Pilate to transfer them to 
the temple of Augustus at Caesarea. 
After that, Pilate evidently learned some discretion, 
and this Tibereum was doubtless a hall or portico 
erected in Caesarea in honour of Tiberius, something 
like the Augusteum in honour of Augustus Caesar, 
still standing on the banks of the Tiber in Rome. 
Having so little information about Pilate outside 
the New Testament, these new facts are most valuable 
in helping us to build up the picture of this tortured 
soul, torn between the instinct of justice and the 
desire to appease his turbulent subjects and keep 
favour with the Emperor to whom he owed his high 
office. 
Above.—The Roman theatre in Caesarea, Palestine, re- 
cently excavated by Professor Antonio Frova of Milan 
and his team of archaeologists. 
Left.—Professor Frova points to the word "Pilatus" 
(Pilate) on an inscribed stone reused as a step in the 
theatre. 
• 
• 
• 
0 
• : • 
0 
S 
S the gate of yet another year swings back, it 
prompts the vital questions, What faces us ? 
and, How can we prepare ourselves to step out 
into the rather menacing future? 
The answer to the first query is that we hardly 
know, but in answer to the second, we are challenged 
by the now well-known quotation from "God 
Knows," by Minnie Louise Haskins : "And I said to 
the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me 
a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' 
And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put 
your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to 
you better than light and safer than a known way.' " 
A world in darkness 
Mankind, in large measure has lost its way. It is 
oppressed by the darkness of fear. Apart from 
periodic natural disasters and epidemics, and the 
ever-present threat of mass starvation in some 
regions, the shocking toll of accidents leaves man 
aghast at the mounting perils of his own inventive-
ness, and the technology of destruction is now so 
advanced as to arouse doubts about the possibility 
of survival of any human life in the event of an 
atomic holocaust. Yet nineteen centuries ago the 
prophetic Word spotlighted these very conditions. 
It predicted that "on earth nations" would "stand 
helpless, not knowing which way to turn" and men 
would "faint with terror at the thought of all that 
is coming upon the world." Luke 21:25, 26, N.E.B. 
Unfortunately it is not physical danger alone which 
oppresses humanity. There is dire moral danger. Too 
many love "darkness rather than light" because their 
deeds are "evil." John 3:19. The ever-growing de- 
parture from moral standards at all levels is the 
largest single factor that is causing the spiritual 
blindness of today. And so, our Lord's warning is 
proving true, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love 
of many shall wax cold." Matt. 24:12. Men have 
become "lovers of their own selves, . . . lovers of 
pleasures, more than lovers of God." 2 Tim. 3:2, 4. 
With materialistic science denying a place in the 
universe to its Sovereign, with an evolutionary-based 
education dismissing from its textbooks the Bible's 
a cc o u n t of creation, and modernistic religion 
evaluating revealed truth as merely "legendary" or 
"primitive," the prophet's words are coming grimly 
true, "Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross 
darkness the people" ! Isa. 60:2. 
The man with the light 
But at the gate of the New Year a certain "Man" 
is clearly to be discerned by the eye of faith. He is 
the one appointed by our heavenly Father to "stand 
in the gate of the Lord's house." Jer. 7:2. This, in 
the broader sense is wherever and whenever the 
divine presence is manifested. For He is, of course, 
the "one Mediator between God and men, the Man 
Christ Jesus" ! 1 Tim. 2:5. As the Son of God, who 
once "came down" to give His own life for mankind, 
and who alone can say, "I have overcome the world" 
(John 16:33), He is the only One qualified to 
counsel and guide the children of men. To every 
7 
Take Jesus with you as the Man of your counsel and 
you will ever walk in a sure and safe way. 
wayfarer, to all who today have lost their way, Jesus 
is saying, "Come to Me, all whose work is hard, 
whose load is heavy" (Matt. 11:28, N.E.B.), for 
"he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, 
but shall have the light of life." John 8:12. 
But the most wonderful aspect of this prom'se is 
not in its source alone. It is in its nature. The truths 
of the written Word of God are rightly described as 
"a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 
Psa. 119:105. The Saviour does not, from a great 
way off, merely hold aloft the torchlight of truth. 
He embodies it, and He is near! "I," He declared, 
"am the Light of the world" (John 8:12), "and, 
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the 
world." Matt. 28:20. 
The way for these times 
From this it is evident that Jesus Christ, and all 
for which He stands, is never to be out of date! 
The matchless beauty of the life of Christ while 
on earth, is still undimmed. He still reveals God and 
the principles of His kingdom. He still points out 
the pathway to our heavenly home. Maybe Thomas 
the disciple was expecting some new formula of 
ritual when he asked our Lord, "How can we know 
the way?" But Jesus answered, "I am the Way." 
John 14:5, 6. His "life was the light of men." John 
1:4. And it still is. He is the Way for these times. 
None need suppose that life has become so com-
plex that Omnipotence is unable to deal with it! 
Each hard-pressed pilgrim may repeat the prayer of 
the Psalmist, "My times are in Thy hand: deliver 
me," for the Lord is as fully able to help as in any 
previous generation. 
Known to the writer was a dear lady who had 
been deserted by her husband and left with five 
children. As she reflected on her tragic dilemma, 
brought about by someone who had proved faithless, 
she was even contemplating suicide, when, clearly 
and vividly she heard the words, "Jesus Christ, the 
same yesterday, and today, and for ever." Heb. 13:8. 
"Why," she thought, "here is Someone I can trust, 
One on whom I can rely." And that is so true. 
Hold on to Jesus 
To hold on to Jesus is in fact "to put your hand 
into the hand of God." As you "go out into the 
darkness" of the unknown year ahead do not fail to 
make Jesus Christ the Man of your counsel. 
Everyone that has Christ has light, and those who 
follow Him know their way. The Saviour assures all 
who put their faith in Him that He "leadeth them 
out," that "He goeth before them," that they "hear 
My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." 
John 10:3, 4, 27. 
"Follow His steps" therefore, in "the known way" 
of His revealed will. (2 Tim. 3:15.) Then He will 
not only crown the year with His goodness (Psa. 
65:11), but the light of His abiding presence will 
lead you on through the desert of sin, beyond the 
mists of doubt, over mountains of difficulty, across 
rivers of suffering, and, if He so decides, safely even 
through the valley of the shadow of death into the 
fadeless glory of the haven of God! 
No More Winter! 
(Continued from page 23.) 
But then the Good Book ends with lovely descrip-
tions of a restored earth, a new earth, where no curse 
of any kind exists, a Paradise of perfections where 
all is joy and praise. 
"As the rain cometh down, and the snow from 
heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the 
earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it 
may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater: 
so shall My word be. . . . For ye shall go out with 
joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and 
the hills shall break forth before you into singing, 
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." 
Isa. 55:10-12. 
Let thanks be given to our Saviour Jesus Christ, 
who by His full atonement has given us, in these 
gloomy days, the assurance of brighter days to come. 
8 
TES 
YEAR 
OF GRACE 
by Ernest Cox 
W
E stand again on the threshold of another 
year — the year of grace, 1963. Twelve 
months once more stretch before us, with 
their interlocking seasons and varied weather, with 
their political surprises, their scientific achievements, 
their usual succession of personal gains, losses, sor-
rows, and joys. 
It is perhaps with some trepidation that we step 
forward into the new year. But step forward we 
must. The clock of time ticks inexorably onward; 
it never stops. Still less can its slow-moving hands 
ever be turned backward. It is therefore good to 
remind ourselves that our succeeding years are but 
renewals of God's grace—annual reminders that 
His mercy, His providence, His guidance, His saving 
power, are still with us. 
Of course, God's grace has been comfortingly with 
mankind from the very earliest times. For it is re-
corded that the patriarch Noah, living amid an-
tediluvian iniquity, nevertheless "found grace in the 
eyes of the Lord." Gen. 6:8. Moses also was able, 
with confidence, to pray, "If I have found grace 
in Thy sight, show me now Thy way, that I may 
know Thee." Exod. 33:13. 
Thus, from the very dawn of human history, God's 
grace has been freely given to all who would receive 
it. By this means men came to know the Lord more 
intimately as their heavenly Father, and were enabled 
more fully to understand His re-
demptive power. 
It was inevitable that with the 
first advent of our Lord Jesus Christ 
a new flood of God's grace, should, 
as it were, descend from heaven to 
this sin-crazed world. The angels 
over Judea's star-lit plains sang 
joyously of Him whose very glory 
was that He was "full of grace and 
truth." John 1:14. Indeed, John 
goes on " emphatically to declare, 
"Of His fullness have we all re-
ceived, and grace for [upon) grace. 
For the law was given by Moses, 
but grace and truth came by Jesus 
Christ." John 1:16, 17. 
Thus is became clear why the 
Christian nations reckon their "years 
of grace" from the birth-date of our Lord. For nine-
teen and a half centuries now we have lived under 
the influence of that saving grace which emanated 
from the Saviour's sinless life and His sacrificial 
death. Indeed the grace of God has become largely 
synonymous with the Gospel message. For, as Paul 
reminds us. "The grace of God that bringeth sal-
vation hath appeared to all men." Titus 2:11. 
From these considerations it would appear that 
the real value to erring men of any particular church's 
work and witness depends ultimately upon how it 
9 
interprets and dispenses the grace of God. For the 
Word of God unequivocally declares, "By grace are 
ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: 
it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:8. 
Most people saw on television recently a most 
impressive spectacle, the vivid portrayal of an event 
which is unlikely to be repeated during our lifetime. 
It was the solemn procession of some three thousand 
of the highest papal dignitaries, arrayed in all the 
gorgeous robes and mitres of their ecclesiastical office, 
as they slowly moved into the vast Church of St. 
Peter for the beginning of the momentous Second 
Vatican Council. 
This procession was certainly outstanding, and 
its propaganda value undoubtedly immense, as it 
was obviously meant to be. But it is a sobering 
thought that satin vestments and gold brocades, of 
themselves, cannot get anyone nearer heaven, not 
even the wearers! 
It may be readily conceded that the papal prelates, 
as individuals, are probably well-intentioned and 
sincere enough within the limits of their outlook 
and special experience. Nevertheless, the question 
may well be asked, Do these men and the powerful 
ecclesiastical system they represent, really dispense 
the grace of God to needy sinners in harmony with 
the generous and impartial provisions of Holy 
Scripture? 
The reader may remember how the papal Council 
of Trent convened in 1545 to 1563 in a somewhat 
panic-attempt to stem the rapidly widening and 
spiritually-liberating tide of the Protestant Refor-
mation. This Council laboriously elaborated what has 
since been called the "Bible of Romanism," and its 
enactments are recognized as official papal doctrine. 
On the crucial subject of the saving grace of God 
appropriated by faith, it would appear that faith 
alone, according to this Council, is insufficient to 
accomplish man's salvation. For Canon 12 reads: 
"If any one shall say that justifying faith is nothing 
else than confidence in the divine mercy pardoning 
sins for Christ's sake; or that it is that confidence 
alone by which we are justified, let him be accursed." 
(Italics supplied.) 
In other words, the Council of Trent saw fit to 
pronounce an official, ecclesiastical course (a course 
frequently adopted with singular facility!) against 
any who should dare to believe Paul when he said, 
"By grace are ye saved, through faith." The anathema 
was directed against those who thought that re-
deeming grace could not be earned or humanly 
merited, but that, through the virtue of Calvary's 
cro3s, it is the free "gift of God." Eph. 2:8. 
According to Rome, the grace of God (provided 
the officiating priest has the proper intention) is 
received by the infant at baptism. By grace the child 
is brought into a state corresponding to Adam's 
initial innocency. But since infants by nature grow 
into sin as well as into manhood, this baptismal grace 
may be lo3t or diminished, so the constant minis-
trations of the church through its priests, are needed. 
Confessions, absolutions, penances, a n d various 
"meritorious" works, are essential if a soul is finally 
to see the bliss of heaven. 
Our "Advoeate" in heaven 
The trag:c aspect of this papal "way of salvation" 
is that the sinner's attention tends to be focused on 
his church and 43 requirements, rather than upon his 
Saviour and His grace. The very prospect of eternal 
life is made to depend more immediately upon the 
priest and his unknown intention, and only more 
(Continued on page 26.) 
We receive grace not by invoking the aid of the Virgin Mary or by contemplating the relics of the saints, 
but by coming boldly day by day to the throne of grace in heaven. 
B
ACK of the UN was a beautiful idea and great 
credit will ever be due to those who first 
thought of it and sought to carry it out. 
We were there at its birth in San Francisco. We 
met the world leaders who participated in that his-
toric occasion and listened to their speeches, sensing 
the deep emotion and high hope that motivated 
them. Yet we were under no illusion as to the 
destiny of the organization they created. 
Like the League of Nations which preceded it, 
and every other human effort to bind the nations 
together by artificial bonds, the UN was doomed 
from the start. 
True, it has done much good. No-one would 
question that. It has cared for needy children, fed 
the hungry, and found homes for many displaced 
people. It has also provided a forum for angry people 
to fight with words instead of bullets. 
Unwieldy expansion 
As the years have passed, however, and the mem-
bership has expanded beyond all expectation; it has 
become increasingly unwieldy, top-heavy, and some-
thing quite foreign to what its founders envisioned. 
Encouraging every dissident group around the 
world to become a "nation," whether economically 
or by experience prepared for such a responsibility, 
may have seemed logical in the holy name of free-
dom but the consequences are fantastic. Absurdity 
piles upon absurdity as more and more such groups, 
sometimes numbering fewer people than the popula-
tion of Yorkshire, come forth with a government, a 
prime minister, a new flag, an empty treasury, a 
representation at the UN, and voting power in the 
assembly equal to that of Great Britain, the United 
States, or Russia. 
Many of these new governments, says Intelligence 
by A. S. Maxwell 
Digest, "are not only quite inexperienced, but in 
most cases extremely corrupt. They represent popu-
lations which never genuinely elected them and are 
often almost totally illiterate." 
"It is intolerable," says this journal, "that the 
gravest issues of world affairs should be decisively 
influenced by such forces. If the United Nations is 
to be the platform of irresponsible and inexperienced 
nations, then it will prove an increasing danger rather 
than a useful institution." 
Concerning some of the individuals who now 
have access to the UN platform, Intelligence Digest 
says that if the truth could be told the public would 
receive a shock "from which recovery would be 
difficult." 
Fantastic irresponsibility 
"We are in a madhouse," it says. "Men wholly 
corrupt . . . are now spokesmen upon a platform 
(for which they do not even pay their subscriptions) 
which turns the tide in the policies of great nations 
of over a thousand years of experience. 
"This is a madhouse hitherto undreamt of. It is 
worse than madness. It is suicidal folly—none the 
less allowed and even supported by the most im- 
' portant institutions of the world. It is time to re-think 
our problems. If we do not start re-thinking fairly 
soon, it may become difficult to find an occasion 
later in the day." 
If the UN were made up of devout Christians, 
each representative dedicated to the principles of 
Christ's Gospel of peace and love, its task would be 
difficult enough. But with the type of individual 
(Continued on page 13.) 
11 
I
T is a wise providence that divides apparently end-
less time into years: this enables us at con-
venient periods to look back and see what our 
life is adding up to and what course we ourselves, 
our nation, and the world is taking. Therefore it 
seems fitting at this new year period to ask ourselves 
the reason for the growing moral decadence of our 
time, which is becoming too obvious to be ignored. 
Are we concentrating our resources on conquering 
space, while we have not yet learned how to obtain 
the mastery over ourselves? 
The rising quota of crime and the delinquency 
among children and youth are major problems here 
and abroad, and the youth come in for a good deal 
of blame. But though they are answerable for their 
own acts, not a little blame rests upon the parents, 
for the older generation, by their own moral aberra-
tions, have created an atmosphere and climate in 
which it is made easy for the moral deviations of 
youth to thrive. Many adults are content to say that 
the young people of today are not so circumspect as 
they were in their day. This is the popular view of 
the older generation. Others will have no blame 
placed on the youth and say that they are no worse 
than we were, and perhaps even better. 
Wherein lies the truth in this matter? Are they 
better or are they worse? Is the world growing more 
corrupt with every succeeding generation, or is it 
not? The conflicting views about the human situation 
today stimulate us to search for the truth, so let us 
try to elucidate the problem. 
IS THERE 
Heritage of the past 
In literature, in art, in music, and in the sciences, 
we are indebted to able craftsmen in their different 
fields of human culture. We build upon the know-
ledge they have gained and without the harvest they 
have garnered we would be intellectually, socially, 
and aesthetically in poor shape. Again in the area of 
morality and religion we are greatly indebted to 
the Bible which has bequeathed to us a pure mono-
theism and a high morality culminating in the teach-
ings of Christ. Thus we are indebted to those of 
bygone days who have created the spiritual atmos-
phere and climate in which our faith and moral 
integrity has been able to take root and grow. 
Surely no-one will be so naive as to say that it is 
not so with the evil which is in us and about us; 
that it leaves no legacy of corruption for succeeding 
generations; that it has taken no root in the social 
structure of the nations down through the centuries? 
Would to God it were so! But the fact is that just 
as in the field of the true and the good so is also the 
sphere of evil. Upon each generation it leaves its 
mark, in literature, in art, in the sciences, in the 
social structure, and it corrupts pure religion itself. 
And so each generation grows in the knowledge 
and practice of evil as it does in all other areas of 
human knowledge. And there is the additional fact 
that we are naturally inclined to evil. We love to do 
as we please, and we are not willing to be subject 
to moral law. Therefore it is inevitable that each 
generation becomes more and more cast in an evil 
mould according to the law of natural growth. 
The Bible confirms this trend for we are told that 
"in the last days perilous times shall come. For men 
shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, 
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, un-
thankful, unholy," that "evil men and seducers 
shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and 
being deceived." 2 Tim. 3 :1, 2, 13. "There 
shall come in the last days scoffers walking after 
their own lusts." 2 Peter 3:3. 
FOR THE NEW 
by R. T. Bolton 
YEAR?... 
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Choose Christ 
In view of these inescapable facts, what New 
Year message can we give to the rising generation 
who did not ask to come into this world which is 
fast becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah? Let us 
assure them that although they have been born into 
a world in which there is much evil, and although 
they find in themselves a strong urge to take the 
lower road, yet they need not if they will not. There 
lies before them a way, if they will take it, which 
will lead to the fulfilment of their deepest desires 
and noblest aspirations, in which they may all become 
great in the truest sense of the word. And the world 
is in need of men of true greatness: men and women 
cast in an heroic mould who will do right without 
fear or favour whatever the cost. This is what 
Christ did in a world like ours. Let Him be your 
Hero and your Helper. 
The first name of Christ is Jesus, which means 
Saviour. The Bible says, "He shall save His people 
from their sins." You need this Saviour with you 
all the way because He has accomplished what you 
aspire to do. He says, "Be of good cheer; I have 
overcome the world." The word "world" here means 
the world of evil as it is organized against God: 
this world He has conquered and through Him you 
may do likewise. 
The apostle Paul wrote: "I can do all things 
through Christ which strengtheneth me." Phil. 4:13. 
This was because he was united in love and purpose 
with Christ. We also may do the deeds of Omnipo-
tence when our lives are linked with Christ. Nothing 
is impossible when the human is united with the 
divine. Let our young people then, look to Jesus 
Christ. He will save them from evil. He is the strong 
Man every youth needs at his side in the battle for 
the right in order to be assured of victory. 
The power of the will 
And never forget you have a precious gift which 
no-one can take from you: it is your will. No-one can 
make you do wrong. Your will, made strong through 
While the youth of today must be answerable for their 
delinquencies, not a little of the blame rests upon the 
older generation for failing to give them a heritage of 
faith and moral integrity. 
I close with something I read the other day which 
seems a most timely reminder as we all go into this 
New Year : 
"It is only by . . . doing the will of God steadily, 
firmly, regularly, against all hindrances and troubles, 
resting on His strength, and exerting all your own, 
that any sound peace of God can be hoped for you." 
—Henry Joseph Wilson. 
International " Madhouse " 
(Continued from page 11.) 
described above sharing in its deliberations and 
helping to mould its policies, how can it long 
survive? 
faith in Christ, is the mightiest power you have; 
use it to refuse to do evil and to will to follow Him 
who ever lives to make intercession for you and me, 
to send help to every one of us in our time of need. 
This New Year set your heart steadfastly to go in 
the way of God's commandments and you will come 
to know the joy of obedience, the restfulness of 
peace with God, and the satisfaction which comes 
from selfless service for others. 
The lesson is clear. It was enunciated by the 
Psalmist millenniums ago: "Put not your trust in 
princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no 
help." Psa. 146:3. 
Deliverance for our distraught and fear-filled 
world will not come through the UN or any other 
man-made organization, but through Jesus Christ. 
The blessed hope of His return is the one sure hope 
of mankind, the only hope it has. 
13 
El b 
HEROES 
OF 
THE 
REFORMATION 
tective railing we looked at the splendid panoramic 
view—the immense ranges of the Tyrolese; away 
south-east to the Grisons, the Bernina massif of the 
Engadine; and south-west to the Bernese Oberland, 
with such peaks as the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau 
rising in the distance. 
Birthplace of Zwingli 
Red posts, vivid against the snow and ice-ridges, 
marked the long way of descent of some 5,000 feet 
for experienced mountaineers, to the darkling coni-
fers and grazing land of the little village of Wildhaus 
high in the Toggenburg. Half a mile out from the 
village is a centuries-old simple chalet, with windows 
formed of small rounds of thick glass, and weathered 
wooden walls darkened with age. Against the wind 
large stones weight down the shingle roof. Here in 
1484, Ulrich Zwingli, the great Swiss Reformer was 
born. The third son of a respected, humble, devout 
man, bailiff of the village and herdsman, he spent 
his boyhood in the shelving pastures at which we 
looked. 
Ulrich Zwingli with his brothers and father would 
start with the herds for the higher green stretches 
of grazing. Stopping at different stations, they reached 
the vegetation of the boulder-strewn heights in the 
summer, and then in the same manner slowly re-
turned in the autumn. 
Living thus, the hardy, independent people who 
watch over the herds and flocks on the mountains 
in all weathers, have developed courage, quickness 
of decision, and love of liberty, and these characteris-
tics were quickly seen in the one who grew up by the 
majestic Sentis. "I have often thought," said one of 
his friends, "that being brought near to heaven on 
41111=11 
IN LI A D TH 
 
W
HEN in Switzerland I have often watched 
the Alpine glow, which precedes the dawn, 
illumine the glistening peaks in the white 
stillness. It is an impressive glory that no pen or 
artist's brush could begin to portray, as the many 
shades of soft opalescence deepen to a •roseate hue, 
while in the valleys snatches of rainbows appear on 
the rising gossamer vapour. 
Staying in a chalet at St. Gallen, we went one 
day by specially geared, high-powered coach on the 
winding ascent to the foot of Sentis the highest 
mountain in the canton of Appenzell. By a small 
red aerial cable car, swinging high over ravine and 
crevasse, we reached the summit. And from the pro- 
these sublime heights, he there contracted something 
heavenly and divine." 
The family of Zwingli were far from ignorant. 
His father and his uncle, Dean of Wesen, early 
recognized the unusual intelligence of Ulrich and 
resolved that he should be given a good education. 
Travelling down the Rhine he came to the picturesque 
city of Basel, where was his first important school. 
Later he returned to teach and study at the 
University. 
With the Juras on one side and the wooded hills 
of the Black Forest on the other, Basel stands at 
the north-westerly gateway of Switzerland, which 
became one of the chief Swiss centres of the Re- 
14 
Above.—One of the little moun- 
tain churches near Glarus where 
Zwingli began his ministry. 
Below. — Zwingli was appointed 
to a University chair in Basel and 
became the Cathedral preacher. 
formation. In spite of great commercial prosperity, much of the medieval at-
mosphere is still to be found in the old quarter of clustered houses and narrow 
streets. The buildings that Zwingli knew so well are still there. For years he 
regularly passed through the Spalen-Thor, the fourteenth century twin-towered 
gate to the University, where he made rapid progress. Scholastic divinity he found 
to be a worthless, empty study, full of pagan philosophy and conflicting doctrines. 
Nevertheless he came there under the profitable influence of others who were 
paving the way for reform. One of these, the clever, pious lecturer Thomas 
Wittembach truly predicted: "The hour is not far distant, in the which the 
scholastic theology will be set aside, and the old doctrines of the church revived." 
And he added, "Christ's death is the only ransom for our souls." 
Meeting with other reformers 
As Basel he made friends who were to be lifelong supporters in the struggle 
for religious liberty of conscience—Leo Juda from Alsace and John Oecolampadius, 
later appointed to a chair at the University and preacher at the Cathedral. He 
was particularly responsible for establishing the Reformation at Basel. 
Rising on a hillock overlooking the Rhine is the splendid rose sandstone 
Minster founded in the eleventh century and completed in 1500. Over the 
northern portal is a scene representing the Last Day, with Jesus Christ in His 
role as Judge, and the angels. 
Many notable persons, including Erasmus, are buried in the cloisters. He 
died nearby in the house of John Frobenius, the renowned printer. Unfortunately 
his brilliant career ended sadly. His principle, "Give light and the darkness 
will disappear of itself," was but a half measure. Without resolute men of 
action, willing to stand uncompromisingly against error and falsehood, truth 
would be stamped out. Lacking both courage and faith, his conciliatory attitude 
lost for Erasmus the esteem of both parties. 
By the western entrance of the vaulted burial places which reach to the Pfalz, 
a terrace sixty-five feet high above the riverside and shaded with chestnut trees, 
is a statue of John Oecolampadius, the Reformer. 
For a short while Zwingli also studied at Berne, capital city of the Swiss 
cantons. Because of his outstanding brilliance and beautiful voice Zwingli came 
to the notice of the Dominican order of monks at Berne, who endeavoured to get 
him to enter their monastery. Hearing of the Dominican proposal to his son, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
P I E D 
by 
Charlotte Hastings 
For twelve years Zwingli filled 
the Gross-Munster at Zurich by 
his fearless preaching. 
Zwingli's father recalled him from Berne. He returned, however, for a second 
period at Basel and then when the pastorate of Glarus, near his home became 
vacant, in spite of a nominee sent by the Pope, the shepherds asked for Zwingli. 
At twenty-two he was ordained by the bishop, in the old cathedral down by the 
Lake at Constance. On Christmas Day, in the presence of his relatives and friends, 
he officiated at Wildhaus, and then took up the duties of his large parish. It 
had become the custom for cardinals to call for recruits for the Swiss Cantons 
to fight the so-called battles of the church. State leaders did the same for their 
political interests, with the result that enlisted in the armies of Italy, France, and 
Germany, were Swiss soldiers fighting against their own countrymen. 
When the next combat developed against the French, instigated by the cardinal 
acting for the warlike pontiff, Julius II, Zwingli was obliged to march with them 
as chaplain though he had preached against the evils these wars brought. His 
(Continued on page 28.) 
15 
TRUE VINE" 
T
HE fifth great parabolical Haim of our Lord, 
"I am the True Vine" (John 15:1), richly 
deserves our study. There are some who believe 
that the words were uttered as Jesus and His disciples 
were making their way from the room of the Last 
Supper to the Temple. As they approached the 
massive doors of the sanctuary, the moonlight glinted 
upon the exquisitely carved emblem of the vine with 
its curving branches and little tendrils. More likely, 
however, it was on the way from the city to Geth-
semane. Ellen Gould White says: "The Saviour had 
been explaining to His disciples His mission to the 
world, and the spiritual relation to Him which they 
were to sustain. Now He illustrates the lesson. The 
moon is shining bright, and reveals to Him a 
flourishing grape-vine. Drawing the attention of the 
disciples to it, He employs it as a symbol." 
He could have chosen the graceful palm, the lofty 
cedar, or the strong oak. But Jesus chose the fruit-
ful vine with its tiny clinging tendrils. 
Why Israel failed 
The nation of Israel was many times in the Old 
Testament scriptures likened to the vine. "Turn us 
again, 0 God of hosts, and cause Thy face to shine; 
and we shall be saved," cries the Psalmist. "Thou 
has brought a vine out of Egypt: . . . and planted 
it." Psa. 80:7, 8. A little later we find God declaring 
through Isaiah: "Now will I sing to My well-beloved 
a song touching His vineyard." Isa. 5:1. Sad to say 
He had to draw attention in it to the failure of the 
nation to be what God wanted it to be. Through 
"I AM THE 
THE FINAL ARTICLE IN THE SERIES : 
THE FIVE "I AMS" by J. C. FRENCH 
Jeremiah God has more to say about the degeneration 
of the vine of Israel. "I had planted thee a noble 
vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned 
into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto 
Me?" Jer. 2:21. 
Israel had proved unfaithful to God; untrue to 
the spiritual advantages conferred upon it. So now 
Jesus directed the attention of the disciples to the 
individual symbolism of the Vine. Jesus pointed 
out that individually as well as nationally, only 
through a vital connection with Him could men be 
saved. Apart from Him we are as severed branches, 
fit only for the fires of destruction. Yet how many 
there are today who feel no vital need for a living 
connection with Christ. "Abide in Me, and I in you," 
Jesus urged. We must abide in Him for growth and 
fruitfulness. Occasional connection is not enough. 
Riding high on a wave of religious fervour one 
moment, only to fall into a low state of neglect the 
next, does not promote spiritual growth. To abide 
in Christ means that the soul must be in daily, con-
stant communion with Jesus and must live His life. 
(Gal. 2:20.) 
Secret of vitality and fruitfulness 
Just as the tiniest branch is dependent upon the 
stock for life and fruitfulness, so is the least member 
of Christ's kingdom absolutely dependent upon the 
life of Jesus for spiritual fruitfulness. "For without 
Me ye can do nothing." The world does not believe 
this, of course, and goes tragically on its way, not 
realizing that it is the way of separation and final 
death. "So long as the soul is united with Christ, 
there is no danger that it will wither or decay." 
There is the hidden source of strength and vitality, 
the secret of growth. 
"He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same 
bringeth forth much fruit." John 15:5. The out-
come of this spiritual connection with Christ will be 
seen in the life. Good works will follow because 
the heart is warm with love. 
A father was trying to read a serious book. His 
little son kept interrupting him. He would jump 
on his daddy's lap and say, "Daddy, I love you." 
The father would give him a hug and say absently, 
"I love you, too." That did not satisfy the child. 
Finally he ran to his father and said: "I love you, 
Daddy, and I've just got to do something about it!" 
Yes, that's it, the compelling force of love, how 
strong it is. It calls for action; we must do some-
thing about it. The life force of Jesus is surging 
through our lives, and we must do something for 
Him. It is one convincing proof of discipleship. 
Way to "more fruit" 
There is still another lesson for us to learn. Christ 
said: "Every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth 
[pruneth) it, that it may bring forth more fruit." 
Yes, there is a chastening for the soul whom God 
loves, but the Lord works with no wanton hand or 
indifferent heart. Sometimes the Lord cuts across our 
most cherished plans because He knows that they 
will not be good for us. But while the pruning knife 
causes pain, the final result will be a glorious one. 
"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be 
joyous, but grievous ; nevertheless afterward it 
yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto 
them which are exercised thereby." Heb. 12:11. The 
fierce fires of persecution drew the saints together as 
never before. And spiritual fruitage was the result. 
Tertullian wrote: "The working of such love puts 
a brand upon us; for, See, say the heathen, how 
they love one another and are ready to lay down 
their lives for each other." 
"Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much 
fruit." Is that not the whole purpose of our existence, 
to glorify God in our life? If we seek this living 
connection with Christ, the life of Christ will flow 
through our own poor, weak lives as the sap flows 
through the living vine and shall indeed glorify 
God. 
Jesus had once mystified His hearers by talking 
about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, but 
He was merely putting in other words the great 
truth of the union between His followers and Irm-elf. 
May we so draw nourishment from Him that we may 
bear fruit after the manner of Jesus. 
Yes, Jesus is the Bread of Life, the Light of the 
World, the Door of the sheepfold, the Good Shep-
herd, and the True Vine. Jesus is all in all to us. 
He is the answer to all ou•r needs. 
Is Rome Changing ? 
(Continued from page 20.) 
himself at the head of a reunion movement." But 
after making such a pro-unity statement, the Greek 
Orthodox churches refused to send any observers. 
On the other hand, Metropolitan Nicodemus, is re-
ported to have told an American journalist that the 
Russian Orthodox Church would not send any ob- 
servers, even if invited to do so, because the dif-
ferences were too great. Nevertheless, after a brief 
visit in Moscow, by Monsignor Willebrands, a few 
days before the opening of the Council, the Russian 
Orthodox Church sent two tight lipped observer-
delegates to Rome. 
Professor L. J. van Holk of Leiden University, 
Netherlands, has been invited to attend the Council 
as a guest of the Vatican to represent the "Inter-
national Association for a Liberal Christianity and 
Religious Liberty." This Protestant professor is con-
vinced that there has been a change of climate in 
the Roman Catholic Church. He feels that a much 
more peaceful spirit reigns today. We met Professor 
van Holk at the "Foyer Unitas." This institution is 
operated by a Dutch order of lay-dressed Catholic 
sisters working for church unity. They receive and 
house Protestants, give them cultural information 
on Rome, and by using a non-aggressive approach, 
work in a rather subtle way for union with the 
Roman Catholic Church. 
As one can see from many of the preceding state-
ments, we have come a long way since the days 
when Martin Luther was officially excommunicated 
and branded an instrument of Satan and he in turn 
saw in the Pope the antichrist. There is even a 
segment in Catholicism today, led by Father Louis 
Bouyer, which approves of the "positive concerns 
of the Reformation," but claims that these positive 
aspects in the future "will prosper better within 
Romanism than outside." The relations between Pro-
testants and Catholics are at their best where the 
"front" has been stable for centuries, as is the case 
in much of Europe. Relations are fair in the so-
called mission fields, where there is more or less 
open competition for the membership of the non-
committed population. Relations are at their worst 
in countries long considered "safe" by Roman 
Catholics, and where Protestants in recent decades 
have been making some inroads in traditionally 
Catholic territory, like Spain and South America. 
Real change or "strategy"? 
Yes, a new atmosphere is being wafted east and 
west from Rome. Has there been a substantial change 
in Catholicism, as some Protestant theologians be-
lieve, or has the change been rather one of "ap-
proach" or "strategy," as a recent French writer sug-
gests: "By flattering Protestantism and covering 
with praise its most influential representatives, she 
[the Roman Catholic Church] aims at undermin'ng 
it from within, at changing its substance and bring;ng 
it back to herself, progressively, without it noticing." 
One thing is certain, the new climate of benignity 
and friendliness and unity must be viewed in the 
light of the Supreme Pontiff's statement that the 
object of the Council is to "promote the spead of the 
Catholic faith." 
17 
IS ROME 
CHANGING? 
THE SECOND ARTICLE IN THE SERIES : 
THE VATICAN COUNCIL and CHURCH UNITY 
by Dr. B. B. BEACH 
T
HE question of church union looms large at 
the Second Vatican Council. Nothing connected 
with this Council has caught the imagination 
of men and women around the circle of the globe 
quite as much as the prospect of better intercon-
fessional relations and the possibility of Catholic-
Protestant unity. The almost universal desire and 
even longing among Christians for concord, unity, 
and union, is certainly a laudable aspiration; for, 
division, self-seeking, self-assertion, polemic and 
inter-church feuds are the direct result of sin. 
On the other hand, the Christian will not want 
to overlook the fact that one of the methods used 
by the Prince of evil to hinder true Christian unity, 
is the exploitation of this desire for peace and union, 
by the promotion of superficial false forms of unity, 
disguised as Christian. In fact, forgetting the world 
of difference between the depth and meaning of 
religious experience and belief, and political life, 
which is usually conducted on a rather superficial 
level of experience, voices have been raised suggesting 
that if East and West, despite their different political 
credos can live together in the international or-
ganization called the United Nations, then why 
shouldn't Christian churches of all colours of the 
spectrum not live together in some international re-
ligious organization which we might call the "United 
Churches"? 
It is undoubtedly true that in the world of the 
sixties, sociological, cultural, and religious isolation 
is no longer possible. Ideological penetration of dif-
ferent countries is a clear evidence of this fact. 
Except by mutual agreement, it is no longer possible 
to establish or maintain "confessional reserves," 
off-limits to other churches. More and more a need 
for mutual understanding and respect is being felt. 
Unity; "specially on our heart" 
Everything seems to indicate that Pope John XXIII 
has made the promotion of Christian unity the cen-
tral aim of his pontificate. In his inaugural encyclical 
he stated that the unity of the church "lies quite 
specially on our heart." Four hundred years of in-
effective appeals to the Protestants and almost a thou-
sand years of fruitless invitations to the Eastern 
Orthodox, seem to have been demonstration enough 
to the Pope, that if progress on the road to reunion 
was to be made, a new and more positive approach 
must be used. 
Just a few days after the announcement of the 
Council, the Pope said at a retreat of Roman priests: 
"We do not wish to institute a historical trial. We 
do not want to show who was right and who was 
wrong. The responsibility is divided. We wish only 
to say: 'Let us come together, let us put an end to 
the divisions.' " This seemed like a new approach in-
deed. Perhaps John XXIII was planning on calling 
a truly ecumenical meeting, a reunion council. Several 
of the early reactions to the announcement of the 
Council were, therefore, extremely optimistic. Es-
pecially the word "ecumenical" raised false hopes 
in many quarters. But soon it became obvious that 
this word was not being used in its meaning of inter-
denominational, but in its Roman Catholic sense of 
general assembly of all Catholic bishops. 
As we pointed out in an earlier article, the Pope 
wants this Council to be an important step in the 
direction of unity. It is not to be a Union Council, 
but one that will create the prerequisites for what 
the Pope hopes will first be an "approach," then a 
"coming together," and finally the achievement of 
"perfect unity." Speaking to the Italian Catholic 
Action leaders, the Roman pontiff gave expression 
to this hope: "When we have . . . eliminated every-
everything which could at the human level hinder 
our rapid progress, then we shall point to the Church 
in all her splendour, 'not having spot, or wrinkle,' 
and say to all those who are separated from us . . . : 
Come; here the way is open for meeting and for 
homecoming; come; take, or resume, that place which 
is yours, which for many of you was your father's 
place." 
The Roman Catholic Church doesn't expect in the 
near future union or reunion, not even unity, but 
a "rapprochement" which will lay the foundation for 
further progress on the road toward the ultimate goal 
—organic union. In a recent statement, Cardinal Bea, 
president of the Vatican Secretariat for the Union of 
Christians, spoke about "the long-range preparation 
of union" by "improving first of all the atmosphere 
of understanding, of true charity between Christians 
of the various confessions." In his first radio message, 
the Pope declared: "To those who are separated 
from this Apostolic See we lovingly open heart and 
arms." 
Change of atmosphere 
This is a rather new tone and points to a change 
of atmosphere in Catholic-Protestant relations. In 
the past it is the Roman Catholic Church that has 
wielded the sword of division most effectively, and 
one might also add, most consistently. The change in 
mood is clearly shown by the difference in attitude 
of non-Catholics to the First and Second Vatican 
Councils. There was a strongly negative reaction of 
the whole non-Catholic world to the summoning of 
the Vatican Council I. Today's Council has been re-
ceiving an astonishingly positive echo. 
Though the present more friendly relations have 
been largely identified with John XXIII, the trend 
has been going on for several decades and has now 
culminated in the presence, for the first time, of 
Protestants as honoured guests at a Roman Catholic 
Council. 
This is the first time that official representatives 
of non-Catholic churches have been received by the 
Pope. He addressed them as "chers messieurs," while 
The cars of the Conciliar Fathers fill St. Peter's Square 
at each session of the Vatican Council. 
Cardinal Bea referred to these observer-delegates as 
"My dear brethren in Christ." They have been treated 
with considerable courtesy and have even received 
the proposed top-secret schema that will form the 
basis of discussion during the Council. 
In order that our readers may better sense the 
new atmosphere in inter-church relations that is 
being brought into evidence here in Rome, I will 
let some of the Catholic prelates and non-Catholic 
observers with whom I have had conversations, 
present their varied viewpoints. 
Among Catholic leaders optimism is the order of 
the day and the formula "Nothing succeeds so well 
as success," could well be called their motto. One of 
the nine Catholic bishops from Northern Rhodesia, 
a native of Ireland, spoke about the better atmos-
phere and co-operation existing between the various 
churches in that area of Africa. French Bishop 
Verhille, of the Congo (Brazaville), admitted that 
there wasn't really co-operation with other churches 
in his area of activity, though there was co-operation 
regarding private schools. However, feelings of hos-
tility are no longer in evidence. 
Monsignor Willebrands, the secretary of Cardinal 
Bea's secretariat, is convinced that Christians every-
where are feeling more and more that there should 
be unity and that they should work for it. 
Father J. Weigel, professor of ecclesiology at the 
Catholic Woodstock Seminary, near Baltimore, Mary-
land, and presently serving the Secretariat for the 
Union of Christians, during a one-hour long inter-
view, pointed out that the situation in 1962 is 
completely different from that existing in 1920. In-
ter-church suspicion, so common before, is now melt-
ing away. He feels that theologians are closer to 
each other than parish priests and Protestant pastors. 
biblical scholars are working together and rely on 
19 
The non-Roman observers meet Pope John XXIII. Cardinal Bea, head of the Secretariat for Promoting Unity, 
is addressing the gathering. 
each other's work. Several typical Protestant views, 
rejected by Catholics in the past, no longer shock 
them today and are even accepted. As an example 
he cited the emphasis on the Bible only. On the other 
hand, he claimed, interest in tradition is stronger 
among Protestants and the liturgical movement is 
gaining momentum, especially among Anglicans and 
Lutherans. While there is a growing emphasis being 
given to the sermon in Catholic churches, in many 
Protestant churches, the altar is being put in the 
centre. This is a recognition that worship must be 
more than just the sermon. Though Protestants and 
Catholics could talk together in the past, they always 
bracketed their religion, but now frank, open con-
versation is possible, without getting angry. 
Charity rather than unity 
The Rev. Dr. Franz Hildebrandt, professor of 
Christian theology at Drew University, representing 
the Methodist Church, believes that the change in 
the present climate is in large extent due to Pope 
John XXIII. Dr. Hildebrandt states, however, that 
the word charity is more descriptive of present re-
lations than the word unity. 
Dr. George Lindbeck, of the Yale Divinity School, 
a leading Lutherian theologian, is not in agreement 
with the view that doctrinal change does not take 
place in Catholicism. He feels that the change in 
spirit evidenced by the Roman Catholic Church in 
recent times is more than just a change in tactics, 
that in wide Catholic circles there are many who 
want better relations and friendship with other 
Christians, not as a matter of tactic, but because they 
think it is the Christian way. He admitted that he 
could not prove this opinion scientifically and that 
it was not possible at the present stage of events to 
make any serious prediction concerning the future of 
this "liberal" element and whether it will become the 
dominant group. 
A representative of the World Presbyterian Al-
liance, who prefers to remain anonymous, presented 
a rather optimistic view about relations between the 
French Reformed Church and the Roman Catholic 
Church. We met at the Waldensian Theological 
Faculty in Rome. These relations so far have not 
been a "rapproachment," but a dialogue. Mixed 
Bible study groups are meeting in several cities at-
tended by laymen, Catholic priests, and Protestant 
pastors. Catholics in France are rediscovering Luther's 
doctrine of justification by faith. 
A somewhat unique phenomenon in Protestantism 
is the French monastery-like Protestant community 
of Taize. I recently had an interesting discussion 
with the prior of Taize, the Rev. Roger Schutz. The 
ten pastors and forty laymen that belong to this 
community have taken monastic vows of poverty, 
chastity, and obedience. They claim to have con-
secrated their lives to Catholic-Protestant unity. Pastor 
Schutz told me he had very devout Protestant parents. 
While he was a student he lived with a devout 
Catholic family. He has made it a life-ambition to 
help unite these two devotions. He denies, however, 
that his is a "Catholicizing influence" in French 
Protestantism. 
Ambiguous attitude of Orthodox 
The attitude of the Orthodox Churches of Eastern 
Europe toward the Council has been somewhat am-
biguous. In an interview granted the Italian weekly 
Orizzonti, Patriarch Atenagoras I of Constantinople 
is quoted as saying: "We put all our hopes in {Pope 
John XXIII]; we await his making a gesture; his 
calling the orientals to a council and that he put 
(Trim back to page 17.) 
20 
HOLY 
THINGS 
By LOIS L. LANE 
T
HERE are holy things as well as holy people, 
things separated from all other things of like 
nature as belonging wholly to God. The Scrip-
tures are holy, set apart from all other writings be-
cause they are God's messages to men. The law of 
God is holy, distinct and above all other law be-
cause it was spoken and written by God Himself. 
The Sabbath is holy, separated from the other six 
days because God blessed it and made it holy and 
called it "My holy day." Isa. 58:13. 
The "Holy Bible" 
It is generally accepted among Christians that the 
Scriptures are holy, and every copy is clearly marked 
"Holy Bible," but there is a great lack of reverence 
for this holy Book. Too often the Bible is quoted 
lightly or jestingly, misquoted for some unholy pur-
pose or wrested from its plain meaning to uphold 
some human theory or tradition. Worse than that, 
there are those who have become so wise in their 
own eyes that they have dared to pass judgment on 
the Word of God and declare that this or that 
portion does not meet with their approval and 
therefore should be torn out; and when they have 
finished their purge of God's Holy Book, there is 
precious little left for the comfort and salvation of 
mankind. 
The Holy Scriptures are "able to make thee wise 
unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 
2 Tim. 3:15. They are also able to "build you 
up, and to give you an inheritance among all them 
which are sanctified." Acts 20:32. A Book that is 
able to offer salvation from sin and an inheritance 
in the world to come is no common book, and it 
calls for sincere reverence and for deep and earnest 
study, if we wish to avail ourselves of its offer. 
The "holy law" 
The law of God is holy. It was spoken by God's 
own voice to His church assembled at the foot of 
Mount Sinai, and accompanied by a most awe-
inspiring display of thunder, lightning, clouds of 
darkness, smoke, fire, and earthquake, so that all 
the people trembled with fear. It was also written 
by the finger of God Himself on tables of stone, 
and placed in the Ark of the Covenant, which re-
presented the throne of Almighty God in heaven. 
Never before, or since has God spoken audibly to 
His whole church assembled in one place, and to 
His church He committed "the Oracles of God," 
"His Covenant," "even the Ten Commandments." 
This law has never been repealed by the One who 
gave it. It is "perfect;" it is "holy, and just, and 
good." 
It is a serious thing to treat lightly the law of 
Almighty God. Some have thought to alter it, to 
add to it or take away from it. Some wish to do 
away with it altogether, saying that in the Christian 
dispensation there is no need of law, for we have 
only to love God and all will be well. But what is 
love to God? "This is the love of God, that we keep 
His commandments." 1 John 5:3. There can be no 
kingdom without law, and to disregard the holy 
law of God is to make His kingdom a lawless state. 
It dishonours God and endangers our own salvation. 
The "holy Sabbath" 
The Sabbath day is holy, for after the six days 
of the creation week "God blessed the seventh day 
and sanctified it." By doing this He separated the 
seventh day from the first six working days, and 
it became "the holy Sabath," "the Sabbath of the 
Lord." When God proclaimed His law from Mount 
Sinai, He stated plainly the nature and purpose of 
the Sabbath in the fourth commandment: "Remember 
the Sabbath day to keep it holy. . . . For in six days 
the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all 
(Continued on page 27.) 
21 
U 
by I. R. Lewis 
I
T is mid-winter, and snowflakes falling 
steadily over the landscape are like 
clouds bursting with white feathers. 
The scene is accepted with delight by the 
schoolboy; is grumbled at by the early morn-
ing workers stamping frozen feet at the bus 
stop; but it must not be taken for granted. 
Winter hardships should make us think; 
should raise a big question mark in the mind 
as did the footprint on the sand for Robinson 
Crusoe. Job wrote of the snow and asked, 
"Hast thou considered ?" 
Fairy-like and beautiful snow can be. The 
dazzling white of morning sunshine on 
snow-clad Lakeland fells, the snow-veil 
blowing from the peak of Everest are 
breath-taking spectacles ; and 
exquisite is the only descrip- 
tion for the snow-covered 
tracer y of branches and 
foliage. But all such beauty 
is as the chill kiss of the ice 
maiden. "He gi v et h the 
snow like wool: . . . [but] 
who can stand before His 
cold ?" Psa. 147:16, 17. 
When water condenses in 
the cold atmosphere it 
forms ice crystals ; a snow- 
flake is a tangled mass of 
these minute hexagonal 
crystal s of breath-taking 
charm, exquisite lace - like 
texture, endless star-shaped 
forms, and all the hues of the rainbow. And of the 
billions of snowflakes, no two are alike. William 
Bentley, a pioneer of crystal photography has photo-
graphed for the U.S. Government 1,300 different 
snow crystals. But lovely as is the snow, men have 
laid their heads on the bosom of such beauty, and 
they have died. 
They say that a fall of snow is beneficial. It pro-
vides a blanket over the soil. An inch of rain, weigh-
ing 64,000 tons over a square mile, will rapidly 
drain away. Snowfalls to the depth of a foot over a 
mile will give a blanket of 176,000 tons, which is 
indeed a covering mantle. Lasting a week, or a 
month, it keeps sleeping roots and blossoms warm 
during periods of intense cold. And this huge mass 
has brought down from the atmosphere many valuable 
elements which soak into the soil to manure it. The 
great drifts of snow lying in the mountain folds 
until early summer keep the flow of water running 
in the rivers through periods of dry weather; the 
great Alpine glaciers provide an inexhaustible source 
of water for mountain torrents and the great con-
tinental rivers; likewise the snows of the Himalayas, 
and the African Highlands, provide delayed water 
for the Ganges and the Nile. But all these 
benefits are but Heaven-given mercies to 
make evil endurable. It is of the mercy of 
the Lord that we perish not. 
Winter challenges us 
For when all has been said, snow remains 
as an enemy to life. At the first suspicion 
of colder weather, some of the birds begin 
their great and wonderful migration; only 
those specially adapted live beyond the snow 
line. In English gardens, when deprived of 
f o o d, countless robins, blackbirds, and 
thrushes die in the months of prolonged 
snow. Travellers in the snow, overcome with 
sleepiness, lie down in the white drifts and 
never wake. In the drifts, 
too, sheep huddle and die. 
As the icy breath from the 
Arctic sweeps over civilized 
lands, men and women with-
out amenities are subjected 
to suffering and privation, 
starvation and death. 
W i n ter challenges us. 
Where do the snow and ice 
come from? The Christian 
must answer the question. 
He who queries God's pur-
pose in allowing these 
climatic changes and accom-
panying hardships will find 
an answer in both nature 
and in the Bible. 
Nature, in the field of paleontology and geolgy 
has most interesting facts to reveal. "All nature," 
said John Ruskin "with one voice, with one glory, 
is set to teach you reverence for the life communi-
cated to you from the Father." "Museums," declared 
Louis Agassiz "should be no longer considered as 
libraries of the works of nature, but as libraries of 
the works of God where we read His thought." 
"Nature and the Bible," wrote Charles Tyndall, "were 
joined together by the divine hand; what God hath 
joined together, let not man put asunder." 
Now the rocks of the earth, and the rock of 
Scripture both suggest this : that there was a time, 
once, when snow and ice were unknown on the earth. 
The climate of the earth was gentle and mild. 
The stones erg out 
How the stones cry out! Nor can they lie. There 
are men who have stripped the strata-blankets off 
the earth and seen remarkable sights in the bed of 
the earth. Sir Henry Howorth tells us, as a geologist, 
that the fossils of flowers and animals act as a 
thermometer of earlier climate, if one remembers 
22 
that cold-blooded reptiles cannot live in icy water, 
and that semi-tropical plants cannot ripen and sow 
themselves under Arctic conditions. The mighty 
dinosaurs roamed Alberta by the thousand, to judge 
by the number of fossils found. The many thousands 
of their huge skeletons is accepted as evidence that 
such northern latitudes once enjoyed a much warmer 
climate. Likewise in the flat wastes of the Siberian 
tundras, and the sterile islands of the Polar Sea, 
where winter conditions last for ten months of the 
year, and icy winds sweep the naked land, thousands 
of rhino and mammoths once lived. Those lands 
used to be semi-tropical. The island of Lachov in 
the Arctic Ocean, is almost wholly composed of 
fossil bones of horses, bison, sheep, rhinos, and 
mammoths. The remains of these animals, which 
could not live there today, bear evidence of a de-
terioration in weather conditions. There are thousands 
of fossils of ferns, chestnut, sycamore, grape, and 
banana to be found in the ground where today they 
will not grow. They once grew when the weather 
was kinder than now. 
Admiral Byrd in his expedition to the South Pole 
discovered a whole mountain of coal there. As it 
takes fourteen feet of vegetation to make a coal 
seam one foot thick, the evidence is strong of heavy 
vegetation at the pole in once warmer days. Much 
temperate flora is found in Greenland. This led 
Professor Alfred Wallace to write: "There is but one 
climate known to the ancient fossil world as revealed 
by plants and animals entombed in the rocks, and 
the climate was a mantle of spring-like loveliness 
which seems to have prevailed continuously over the 
whole globe; that it was so warmed effectively and 
continuously is a matter of fact." Professor George 
McCready Price writes of the f o s s i l s : "They 
uniformly testify that a warm climate has in former 
times prevailed over the globe." 
But alas and alack, those days of a genial climate 
are so far gone as to be almost forgotten. And 
doubtless they would have been for ever forgotten 
had not the Bible and the rocks treasured the secret 
that once there was no such thing as winter. 
What the Bible reveals 
How did the great change come about; that 
universal summer should have given way to "bleak 
mid-winters with water like a stone"? 
Various theories have been propounded but from 
the rocks comes an overwhelming weight of evidence 
that substantiates the Bible narrative of a terrible 
catastrophe overtaking the planet; that catastrophe 
was the Flood. We do a terrible injustice to Bible 
language when we interpret that event as referring 
merely to the rising and swelling of some local 
rivers. No, the language of Genesis six and seven 
points to terrific cosmic forces let loose which shook 
the planet to its foundation. Many think that the 
earth at that time was violently shaken on its axis, 
that the watery vapour around the planet fell in a 
devastating deluge, that mountains and continents 
rose and fell; and as a result the whole structure of 
life, weather, climate, and vegetation was changed 
into conditions as we know them today. 
Who can know the future? While humanly speak-
ing, it would be folly to speculate, there is much in 
the Bible to make us believe that more great changes 
are to take place on the planet one day. Much space 
is taken in the Bible to describe the "last days" and 
the "new earth." The Bible declares that fearful 
changes in climate will be among the destructive 
forces of the last days. "Hast thou seen the treasures 
of the hail, which I have reserved against the time 
of trouble, against the day of battle and war?" Job 
38:22, 23. "The Lord shall cause His glorious 
voice to be heard . . . with the scattering, and tem-
pest, and hailstorms." Isa. 30:30. "Every island 
fled away. . . There fell upon men a great hail out 
of heaven: . . . the plague [of hail] . . . was ex-
ceeding great." Rev. 16:20, 21. 
(Turn back to page 8.) 
I
F by some chance, you being grown-up when I 
was small, you could have glanced over one 
of my exercise books, you might very well 
have been justified in thinking, "Well, there's a 
passably neat and tidy child." Indeed, you might 
very well have said, "There is a neat and tidy child." 
But really you would have been making something of 
a mistake. True, you would have been looking at the 
book of a child who loved neatness, but of one who, 
much more often than the exercise book really re-
vealed, failed to achieve it. 
from which you could just wipe off your false starts, 
where your blunders could no longer stare you out 
of countenance, where your doodlings did not last for 
the duration, and where your carelessnesses could so 
easily be obliterated. If only, I used to wish, I could 
do the same with my exercise books, and if only, I 
have often wished since, we could do the same with 
these pages that we all must turn, and on which we 
leave so indelible an impression, these daily pages of 
our lives. 
"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, 
Moves on: nor all your piety nor wit 
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line, 
Nor all your tears wash out a word of it." 
A ettet4,% 
4,1zetv.. • 
So wrote Omar IChayylm. 
Cheerless, isn't it? Devastatingly discouraging! 
• 
• �
by Mary I. Vine 
With the result that if you had looked closely 
enough you would assuredly have found that that 
particular exercise book was thinner maybe than 
the rest. How many a page did I surreptitiously 
remove because I simply could not bear to be re-
minded of my crossings-out and my mistakes. Hence, 
therefore, my apparent neatness. Many an essay did 
I painstakingly transcribe, just so that Teacher 
shouldn't see how often I had changed this word or 
that, or of what spelling errors I had been guilty. 
Many a dreary dose of homework did I do carefully 
a second time, and mostly for the loss of a page or 
two. 
But I could not abide that permanent defacement 
of my copy-book. It was like an unforgotten mis-
demeanour, and I went to all sorts of lengths, I re-
member, to get to rid of it, wishing often that we 
could go back, even to my mother's childhood, and 
use slates. 
There was something to be said for slates, slates 
And we, moving into a new year with a wish in 
every one of our hearts for nothing so much perhaps 
as just to start again, to forget the failures and have 
a clean slate. 
Abraham's new beginning 
Like Abraham, I imagine, on the way to Bethel 
after that most humiliating experience down in 
Egypt. Came famine to the Land of Promise, and 
Abraham, who had hitherto so unquestioningly 
obeyed the guiding Voice, now, as it were, lost his 
moorings and "went down into Egypt," a step for 
which he had no heavenly authorization. If only 
he had waited. It is only when we are in difficulties 
that God can give unexampled proof of His power. 
But Abraham didn't wait, not being yet that tower 
of righteousness that he afterward became, and 
with what disastrous results. What wild, bad blood 
was flowing in his veins, that he, the one alone in 
all the world on whom the Lord relied, should thus 
pervert the truth, sacrifice his wife and endanger the 
promised seed, and even accept payment for his 
ignominy. And then to be shown up by the integrity 
24 
of a heathen king; worse still maybe, to be humbled 
by his clemency and forbearance. It was a shamed and 
burdened Abraham who led his cortege back over 
the weary miles to Bethel. 
But he had to go. He wanted a clean slate. He 
wanted a new beginning, and to do that he felt com-
pelled to get back to Bethel, "unto the place of the 
altar which he had made there at the first," and there, 
so the Record says, he "called on the name of the 
Lord," and He who had protected His wandering 
servant there in the house of Pharaoh, without doubt 
came now and bestowed the peace of forgiveness, 
the reassurance of promised blessing, and the com-
forting affirmation that he could indeed make a new 
start. 
"Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not 
be taken away from her." She it was who took that 
alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very costly, 
and anointed the Master's feet, and wiped them with 
her hair, an incident of such sacred significance that 
they all four, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, 
have recorded it. 
"Not she with traitorous kiss her Saviour stung; 
Not she denied Him with unholy tongue: 
She when apostles shrank could danger brave—
Last at the cross and earliest at the grave." 
And she, it was, Mary Magdalene who first saw the 
risen Lord. 
"Magdalene," the very sound of it breathes sweet- 
 
 
For Abraham it was a 
new beginning when 
he I ef t Ur of the 
Chaldees at the call of 
God. Mary Magdalene 
began a new life when 
she came to Jesus. 
Without doubt Abraham wept many a bitter tear 
—hard-hearted he if he did not—but his tears could 
not blot out that stained record. It is there for all 
to read, saint and sinner, scoffer and sympathizer 
alike. But by some divine alchemy, the story has 
changed its potential. Not Abraham's sin, but God's 
mercy becomes the dominating factor. Not, "If 
Abraham could get away with it, so may I," but 
"Heaven keep me from similar folly," becomes the 
burden of our cry. 
New life for Mary 
It is believed, and with good foundation, that 
Mary Magdalene was that same Mary who sat at 
Jesus' feet, she of whom He said to her sister, 
ness. It has become a beautiful name, and for the 
reason that she who bore it made so really a new 
beginning. 
In the contemplation of her magnificent come-
back, we forget completely its foul origin, Mary of 
Magdala, that woman to whom Luke in his account 
refers as "a woman in the city, which was a sinner." 
There, in that far city, that naughty girl dragged her 
fair name in the gutter, and seven times the hand of 
the Lord reached out to save. Who shall say that 
that was not the bond that knit them so close, 
Martha's prayers for that erring sister and the blessed 
Lord's patient and continued response, for the Word 
says, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and 
I27arus." 
25 
But not all her tears and repentance could change 
that name; she had made too shameful an impact, 
even in that notorious city. Mary of Magdala, Mary 
Magdalene she would for ever remain. But her re-
clamation took her broken name and sanctified it. 
Today we clothe it with attributes of a saint. 
Hezekiah Butterworth once wrote a poem, two 
lines of which might tend to our utter discourage-
ment, for who of us at times, even recently, have not 
felt "broken." He wrote: 
"But the bird with the broken pinion 
Never soared so high again." 
Never mind! It served perhaps a higher purpose 
The bird with the broken pinion could do what 
the high soarer could not. 
"The bird with the broken pinion 
Kept another from the snare 
And the life that sin had stricken 
Raised another from despair. 
Each loss has its compensations, 
There is healing for every pain; 
"But the bird with the broken pinion 
Never soars so high again." 
Remembered no more 
We are, thanks be, coming swiftly to that Land 
where our mistakes, we are promised, will be remem-
bered no more where they will never again come 
into mind. As certain as that He will come again, 
the promises stand that our failures will be for-
gotten, blotted out, put behind God's back, separated 
from us as far as the east is from the west, cast into 
the depths of the sea. But for the moment, when the 
memory of them so frequently raises its ugly head, 
let us not be daunted. Greater than we have failed, 
and failed greatly, but because, in humbleness of 
mind they have set their faces steadily in the right 
direction, and brought forth "fruits meet for re-
pentance," the good Lord has defeated Satan's designs 
and used those very failures to serve His own im-
mutable purposes. 
So let us be like Paul, Paul who also had so much 
that he wished he could eradicate. "Forgetting those 
things that are behind," he said, "I press on." 
Let us determine to do just that in 1963. 
This Year of Grace 
(Continued from page 10.) 
remotely upon Christ and His assured and blood-
bought redemption. 
This insistence that a man be made to depend upon 
any priest, or upon any kind of presbytery, for his 
eternal salvation is directly contrary to the general 
teaching of Scripture. "If any man sin," John declares, 
he has "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ." 
1 John 2:1. 
Moreover, concerning the accessibility of God's 
infinite grace, the apostle Paul plainly declares : "For 
if through the offence of one [Adam) many be 
dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by 
grace, which is by one Man, Jesus Christ, bath 
abounded unto many. . . . The judgment was by 
one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many 
offences unto justification. For if by one man's of-
fence death reigned, . . . much more they which 
receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteous-
ness shall reign in [eternal) life by One, Jesus 
Christ." Rom. 5:15-17. 
,Cook Up 
By MARJORIE H. COOPER 
Look up my soul, look up! 
Look upward to the sky! 
Prepare to meet thy Saviour soon 
In glory from on high. 
Look up my soul, look up! 
Away from dark despair, 
Oh, leave the lowlands of the earth 
And every cumb'ring care. 
Look up my soul, look up! 
While Jesus dwells on high, 
The signs foretell His coming, thy 
Redemption draweth nigh. 
Obviously then, our eternal salvation is God's free 
gift, made possible to us by the death of His Son. 
We need wait upon no pope, however exalted, or 
priestly whim, however kindly, to ensure our home 
in heaven. "Whosoever believeth" shall have "ever-
lasting life." John 3:16. 
It is said that Pope John, undoubtedly with the ut-
most personal sincerity, is even now praying for closer 
unity and understanding among professing Christians. 
Well, how far will the present Roman hierarchy find 
it possible to modify, or even to annul, some of the 
more unbiblical teachings of the Council of Trent, 
that the desired end might be achieved ? 
Whatever may be the outcome at Rome, let us hold 
fast to our dearly-won Protestant heritage—the right 
of direct, personal access to our sin-pardoning Saviour 
and the conscious, daily assurance in our hearts, of 
His bounteous, saving grace. 
26 
By V. H. Cooper 
I feel that I am too great a sinner to pray. 
Do you think God will hear me?—D.B. 
SURELY God will hear you. In 1 John 1 :9 we 
read, "If we confess our sins. He is faithful and 
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from 
all unrighteousness." That is God's clear and definite 
promise. The only condition is that we confess, or 
recognize them, and repent. Then through the great 
gift of Christ we are accounted righteous before 
God. Though your sins be as scarlet, or red like 
crimson, God is ready to forgive. Remember the 
sinner who went into the temple to pray. He simply 
said, "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner," and 
he was immediately accepted by God. Jesus said, 
"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to 
repentance." Therefore you are just the sort of 
person God is looking for. 
Can you give me a prophecy of the Bible 
that can be absolutely proved to have been 
fulfilled, so that I can use it to 'convince a 
sceptical friend?—L.S.T. 
There are literally hundreds of such prophecies. 
But here is an interesting one. The city of Tyre was 
built with strong granite walls on the shore of the 
Mediterranean. It was known for its riches, a 
result of its great trade with other nations. It envied 
the exalted position of Jerusalem, and when that city 
fell to the King of Babylon, Tyre rejoiced over 
the ruin the invader had wrought. 
A sentence of doom of a most positive and singular 
character was therefore pronounced upon the city by 
Ezekiel, the prophet. (Read his twenty-sixth chapter.) 
Under inspiration Ezekiel made two outstanding pro-
nouncements. He prophesied that the city would 
become a place for the spreading of nets and that 
its stones, timber, and dust would be "laid in the 
midst of the water." In 585 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar 
commenced a thirteen-year siege. When entrance to 
the city was gained it was found that the inhabitants 
had fled to Carthage. 
After a time the people returned and rebuilt their 
city on an island about half a mile from the shore 
for fear of further attack. In 332 B.C., Alexander 
the Great went to punish the city for helping the 
Persians. Having no fleet, he built a causeway from 
the shore to the island city and for this purpose he 
used the stones, timber, and dust of the old city. 
Thus the old city of Tyre was laid in the midst of 
the sea and this place is now used by the local 
fishermen for the spreading of their nets. 
Prophecy is the hallmark of divinity. It never fails. 
What does the Bible mean when it speaks 
of the end of the world?—V.L. 
This phrase "end of the world," when used in 
the Bible, does not mean that the earth as a planet 
will come to an end. In Ecclesiastes 1:4 we read, 
"The earth abideth for ever," and the apostle Paul 
ascribes glory to Christ Jesus "world without end." 
The end of the world really means the end of this 
"age." This reign of sin and suffering will come to 
an end through the intervention of Christ when He 
comes again. The work of complete salvation from 
sin and all its results will take place at that time. 
Three Holy Things 
(Continued from page 21.) 
that in them is, and rested the seventh day: where-
fore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed 
it." Exod. 20:8-11. That blessing has never been re-
moved from the seventh day, now called Saturday, 
and no man on earth can take the blessing of God 
from one day and put it on another. As long as 
the earth remains, as long as the weeks come and 
go, the seventh day of each week will continue to 
be the holy "Sabbath of the Lord," the weekly re-
minder of God's creative power, not only in the 
beginning, but in the re-creation of every sinner who 
will come to Him to be made new in Christ Jesus, 
and in the creation of a new heaven and a new 
earth when this present evil world has passed away. 
Jesus called Himself "the Lord of the Sabbath" 
because He was there in the beginning with God, 
and "all things were made by Him." So the seventh 
day is also the Sabbath of the Lord Jesus Christ and 
the only day that can rightly be called the Christian 
Sabbath, or the Lord's Day. 
The Holy Scriptures declare that the law of God 
is holy, and that the seventh day is holy. Those 
whom God has made holy by the redemptive work 
of Christ will delight to bring their lives into 
harmony with these holy things of God, and they 
will seek to "follow peace with all men, and holiness, 
without which no man shall see the Lord." Heb. 
12:14. 
27 
Zwingli and the Alpine Dawn 
(Continued from page 15.) 
stay in Italy opened his eyes to many things; the 
wealth of the church, cardinals and priests living 
in luxury with the contrasting extreme poverty of 
many of the common people, and the intrigue and 
the maze of superstition and legend pervading 
Romanist doctrine. As he studied the Scriptures he 
prayed earnestly for guidance and a better under-
standing of them and by gradual steps Zwingli was 
prepared for his great work of reformation. 
Preaching the truth in the Swiss 
valleys 
About twenty-three miles south-east of Zurich 
within the Canton of Schwyz, in a green valley high 
above sea-level at Einsiedeln is the shrine of the 
Lady of the Hermits. Desirous of spreading the 
knowledge of Jesus Christ among the many thousands 
of pilgrims who annually thronged the church to 
merit grace by the pilgrimage, Zwingli accepted the 
position of priest and preacher. 
From the fine square a flight of steps leads to the 
white buildings of the Benedictine Abbey compound, 
with its fountain and statue of the Virgin Mary, 
both in black marble. At the far end of the abbey 
church, protected by a high grille, is the black 
marble, Gnadenkapelle, Chapel of the Virgin, where 
illumined by subdued lighting is the black wooden 
image of the Virgin Mary and Child. Golden crowns 
are on their heads, and many precious jewels adorn 
their rich attire. 
From the pulpit Zwingli spoke to the pilgrims 
gathered to receive remission of their sins. "Do not 
imagine," he said to them, "that God is in this 
temple more than in any other part of creation. 
Whatever be the country in which you dwell, God 
is around you, and hears you, as well as at Our 
Lady of Einsiedeln. Can unprofitable works, long 
pilgrimages, offerings, images, the invocation of the 
virgin, or of the saints, secure for you the grace of 
God ?" He told them that not the multitude of words, 
or the efficacy of any priest availed. "Only Christ, 
who was once offered upon the cross is the sacrifice 
and the Victim that makes satisfaction for the sins 
of believers to all eternity." 
Many who received his teaching "carried back the 
tapers they had brought to present to the virgin, 
everywhere announcing what they had heard at 
Einsiedeln, 'Christ alone saves, and He saves every-
where.' " 
Then the call came for Zwingli to be preacher in 
the Cathedral of Zurich, the largest city in Switzer-
land and at that time the capital. His talented 
eloquence had become widely known, and many 
desired a deeper knowledge of the Word of God. 
Leaving a worthy successor at Einsiedeln he arrived 
in Zurich two days after Christmas, 1518. It was 
winter too when we saw Zurich against its back-
ground of glistening Alps. 
Over the bridge across the light green Limmat 
is the Gross-Munster founded by Charlemagne. For 
twelve years , Zwingli preached within its lofty 
vaulted interior. From the beginning he declared his 
policy: "The life of Christ," he said, "has been too 
long hidden from the people. I shall preach upon 
the whole of the gospel of St. Matthew, chapter after 
chapter, according to the inspiration of the Holy 
Ghost, without human commentaries, drawing solely 
from the fountains of Scripture." 
The Gospel in its simple purity reached the hearts 
of the poor and ignorant, the wealthy and learned. 
Soon there was not enough room in the Cathedral 
for all who came to listen. When Samson, a famous 
vendor of indulgences approached the city, deputies 
from the Council met him at the town gate and 
requested him to pass on. By a ruse he did gain 
entry, but had to depart without selling any in-
dulgences in Zurich. This was true also of other 
places. 
Memories of a great reformer 
Before long, however, affliction and adversity came 
to the northern Cantons which had accepted the Re-
formed faith, as those supporting Rome took up arms 
against them. Zwingli was slain on the battlefield at 
Cappel by the Albis mountains. But the deep con-
viction of truth awakened by his teaching in the 
hearts of his followers was not quenched. Although 
they had been accustomed to fight for their liberties, 
they came to realize that the weapons to be used 
in defence of the Word are not carnal. Unity which 
is forced invariably falls to the ground. From Berne, 
Basel, St. Gallen, Appenzell, the Grisons, Schaff-
hausen, and Zurich, the light of a true understanding 
of the Scriptures and complete liberty of conscience 
shone forth. 
Today a bronze statue of the reformer stands on 
a high pedestal by the quayside of this still largely 
Protestant city. Clasped in his hands is the Bible, 
and in the town library is his Greek copy, with his 
own hand-written Hebrew annotations. 
From the Rigi-Kulm not very far away to the 
south, can be seen perhaps the most stupendous view 
of magnificent snow-clad ranges in the world. From 
there, half an hour before sunrise, reveille is 
traditionally sounded on the long curved wooden 
Alp-horn and echoes and re-echoes from valley to 
valley. But how indescribably excelling this will be 
the Dawn of that Last Day when the shadows of the 
valleys will for ever fade away. Shall we not petition 
grace from our heavenly Father to do all in our 
power to herald its unmistakably soon approach? 
28 
400 
 
THIS 
MONTH: 
JOHN 3:16 
.41 
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11!!! 
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T
HE Editor has invited 
me to contribute a 
series of studies on 
"Great Texts of the Bible." 
In accepting this assignment 
I shall be most happy to share 
with the readers of OUR 
TIMES some of the precious gems which have for so 
long been the "joy and rejoicing" of heart for the 
saints of God. We will begin with John 3:16: 
"FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE 
GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT 
WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD 
NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING 
LIFE." 
Of the many "great texts" of the Bible this one 
holds pride of place in the esteem of all Christian 
peoples. And why? Because it sums up so simply, 
and yet so profoundly, the whole Gospel story, and 
expresses so comprehensively the full and glorious 
substance of the Christian faith. 
The words of this text came from the lips of 
Jesus Himself. They formed part of Christ's epic 
conversation with Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler who 
came to Him by night to seek His spiritual counsel. 
To Nicodemus, Jesus recalled an outstanding event 
in the history of Israel, one of the many symbolic 
experiences whose purpose was to foreshadow the 
redemptive mission of the Redeemer. He said: 
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 
even so must the Son of man be lifted up." John 
3 :14. 
And then followed the gracious words of our text, 
uttered by the very One who Himself had come to be 
uplifted on the cross of shame. What wonderful 
words of life! "Oh, the depth of the riches" these 
words express; "how unsearchable," how profound ! 
The Japanese Christians say that this text is the 
Fujiyama of the New Testament because, like their 
famous mountain which towers above all others, it 
symbolizes the purity and spiritual excellence of the 
divine revelation. 
Let us look at the principals to whom our text 
makes reference: 
1. God �
3. All mankind 
2. His Son 4. You and me 
These are the living characters of a divine love-
drama which brings heaven and earth together, a 
love-drama which is truly described by Wesley as 
"amazing." 
Let us explore this rich mine of revelation under 
these four character headings: 
1. GOD 
Who is God? Is He the Omnipotent and the 
Omniscient? Yes, indeed; He is all that and so much 
more. But surely His greatness is meaningless and 
pointless until we learn that He loves. God loved to 
the point that He was willing to give us His only 
Son. By that sacrificial gift we are made aware of 
the love of God. 
God might have "written off" mankind as a bad 
loss. Had not His created beings become infected with 
the leprosy of sin ? But no, God's loving kindness 
and tender mercy precluded such a calamity. Rather 
would He seek to save that which was lost through 
His plan of redemption, giving His Son as a ransom. 
He "commended" His love, "in that while we were 
yet sinners," Christ Jesus, His only Son was allowed 
to die in our stead. 
It is said that love is prodigal. Love always seeks 
to demonstrate itself in sacrificial giving. God so 
loved the world that He gave His Son. No other 
gift could reveal the depth of His love so well. In 
John 4:14 we read that God "sent" His "Son" into 
the world. Dr. Alexander Maclaren observed that 
sent is a cold word. But the word gave is the more 
congruous with the word love of our text in John 
3:16. 
Luther used to tell a story of his printer's little 
daughter. While printing Luther's translation of the 
gospel of John, a small piece of the print fell to the 
floor and was picked up by the little girl. It was a 
fragment of John 3:16 and it contained these words 
only, "God so loved the world that He gave." 
Though incomplete the words made the little girl 
happy and when her mother asked her the reason 
for her happiness she pulled from her pocket the 
crumpled fragment. The mother read the words and 
they perplexed her and she said to her daughter, 
"What was it that He gave?" To which the girl 
replied, "I don't know, but if He loved us well 
enough to give us anything then we need not be 
afraid of Him." 
Indeed not—for God is love. 
2. HIS SON 
As soon as sin entered man's domain, God re-
leased His plan of salvation. That plan centred 
around Jesus. A "Seed" was promised which would 
eventually bruise and destroy the tempter. That 
"Seed," says Paul was Christ. And in the book of 
Revelation one can read the graphic story of the 
struggle involved in dealing the death-blow to the 
great adversary. "There was war" between Michael 
(Christ) and "the dragon" (Satan). From the attempt 
of Herod to destroy the Babe of Bethlehem to the 
devil's final attempt through the Roman power to 
prevent Christ's resurrection, the mission of God's 
Son was subject to constant satanic attack. But the 
promise, "I am come that they might have life," was 
gloriously fulfilled and the thrilling words are at 
last heard: "Now is come salvation: . . . the accuser 
of our brethren is cast down." Rev. 12:10. 
What a wonderful Son God's Son is. Through Him 
and our acceptance of Him and His finished work 
we are able to say, "I live; yet not I, but Christ 
liveth in me: and the life which I now live I live 
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and 
gave Himself for me." Gal. 2:20. 
No wonder Charles Wesley expressed for us the 
joy which wells up in our hearts as we contemplate 
the redemptive work of the Son of God. 
"Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing 
My great Redeemer's praise." 
Another hymn-writer, F. H. Rawley, has also 
writtten his tribute: 
"I will sing the wondrous story 
Of the Christ who died for me; 
How He left His home in glory, 
For the Cross on Calvary." 
3. ALL MANKIND 
So very important is it to note upon whom the 
love of God is expended. He loved "the world," 
that is, all people everywhere. Jesus made this even 
clearer when, at the close of His ministry, He said 
to His servants: "Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the Gospel to every creature." "This Gospel 
. . . shall be preached in all the world for a witness 
unto all nations." Yes, God loves them all. There is 
no suggestion here of exclusiveness. There is no 
suggestion that some are predestined to life and 
others to death. Jesus demonstrated the universality 
of the love of God in His own ministry. Persecutor, 
prostitute, prodigal, diplomat, soldier, civil-servant, 
tent maker, fisherman, Gentile, Jew—all classes and 
nationals whatever their colour or tongue were in-
vited. Whosoever will may come. 
4. YOU AND ME 
Finally our text turns from the general to the 
particular—to the individual who may perhaps feel 
lost in the crowd, unnoticed among the millions 
who inhabit this fallen world. Note the gracious 
words of our text as they affect YOU: 
"That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life." 
Yes, "whosoever"—you and me and all others. 
Paul found great consolation in God's love for the 
individual. In the book of Galatians (chap. 2:20) 
he stresses the fact that He "loved me, and gave 
Himself for me." 
So, dear reader, never forget that you are the ob-
ject of God's love, a love which passes all human 
understanding. No matter what your sin or sorrow, 
through Jesus, the Father extends His love and His 
salvation to you personally. 
And also remember that God so loved the world; 
so loved you that He gave His Son to be your Saviour. 
That little word "so" expresses a great truth and is 
the measure of divine love. 
"Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon 
you, and learn of Me; For I am meek and lowly in 
heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For 
My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." Matt. 
11 :28-30. 
30 
FOR 
YOUR BOOKSHELF 
III 
The Oxford Annotated Bible 
(Revised Standard Version) 
Edited by H. F. May and B. M. Metzger. (Oxford Univer-
sity Press, 57s. 6d.) 
The Oxford Concise Concordance to 
the Revised Standard Version 
Compiled by B. M. and I. M. Metzger. (Oxford University 
Press, 10s. 6d.) 
M
ODERN versions of the English Bible may 
be grouped into three classes. There are 
those which pay little attention to literary 
form but seek to provide as literal a translation of 
the original text as possible, so that the reader can 
get as near as possible to the thought of the Bible 
writers. These are of great value as student Bibles, 
but they are not so suitable for general reading. 
Next there are the versions which seek to put 
the Bible language into "Modern English." Some of 
these, like the Moffatt and J. B. Phillips versions, 
and the New English Bible, provide a very under-
standable text, often vivid, though inevitably they 
lose much of the nobility and richness of the his-
toric Authorized Version. 
The third group of translations make use of all 
the new knowledge of the original languages which 
has come to us in the past three and a half centuries, 
while at the same time seeking to conserve as far as 
possible the literary beauty of the classic version. 
These include the Revised Version, the American 
Revised Version, and the Revised Standard Version, 
of which latter the Oxford University Press has just 
produced a fine new edition with concise annotations, 
edited by H. G. May and B. M. Metzger, and sup-
plementary articles by distinguished scholars on the 
Diversity and Unity of the Scripture s, Bible 
Geography, History, and Archxology, a brief account 
of the English versions of the Bible, chronological 
tables, and some excellent maps. 
The notes, which express the standpoint of 
moderate critical scholarship, will not always be ac-
ceptable to readers of this journal, but they are 
always reverent and in general most informative. The 
comments on the prophecies of Daniel and the 
Revelation will be least helpful to those who believe 
that these books provide a symbolic panorama of 
the outworking purpose of God to the end of time. 
They will not be prepared to accept the interpretation 
of the metals of the great image of Daniel two as 
"Babylonian, Median, Persian, Greek," nor the iden-
tical interpretation of the four beasts of chapter 
seven, which both evade the remarkable foreshadow-
ing of the rise of Rome as the fourth empire of 
Bible prophecy. Nor will they agree with the brief 
comment on Revelation 1:10, "Lord's day, Sunday," 
or that the "beast" of Revelation thirteen and seven-
teen represents the Emperor Nero. But in the non-
prophetical books there is a great deal of real value. 
As a companion to the Oxford Annotated Bible the 
University Press has issued an excellent Concise Con-
cordance to the Revised Standard Version, which 
ministers and lay preachers will find is a valuable sub-
ject index in the preparation of sermons and Bible 
talks. The general reader will find it most useful, 
too, as he seeks personally and prayerfully to "search 
the Scriptures." 
1111•11/.... �
 
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By Edgar A. Warren 
IFIHAT'S what Jack called him— 
just because, well, he hopped ! 
No-one ever found out just why, 
but I suppose there was something 
wrong with one of his legs. And 
when a fellow has only two legs 
anyway, and one is out of action, 
he is worse off than if he were a 
creature with four. 
But there was one consolation—
Hoppy didn't need to spend all his 
time on the ground, and when he 
spread out his shiny grey wings, he 
could make just as much clatter and 
fly just as straight and as fast as any 
other pigeon with two good legs. 
Jack was not the only one who 
liked Hoppy. Pierre and Simon, too 
thought he was a fine bird. The 
potato harvest was nearly over now, 
and soon these two Bretons, to-
gether with hundreds of others who 
had come to the island of Jersey to 
help bring in the crop, would be 
returning to their homes for the 
winter. 
"Like 'Oppy," said Pierre. "Me 
take 'im home Brittany? Yes ?" 
"Oh, no," replied Jack. "He's 
mine, and I wouldn't part with him 
for anything." 
"Poor lame bird," Simon joined 
in. "No use to you? We take him. 
Give you one pound. Yes? Oh, 
yes, you like pound note, eh?" 
But Jack was not having any of 
th e i r persuasion. He had had 
Hoppy for over a year, and there 
he was right now on the roof look-
ing down at him as much as to say, 
"You wouldn't do that, would 
you?" 
"H oppy !" Jack called, and 
stretched out his arm. Instantly the 
bird flew down and settled on his 
hand. 
"Wouldn't part with you, would 
I, old boy ?" The pigeon edged up 
the boy's arm, till he was pecking 
gently at his nose. 
"But we'll have to say good-bye 
for a few days tomorrow, Hoppy. 
I've got to go to boarding school 
in the big town, but I'll be home 
at the week-end. Bye for now, 
Hoppy," and as though the bird 
understood, he flew straight up into 
a tree. 
Jack packed his school things 
and off he went the next morning. 
"Au revoir !" called Pierre and 
Simon. "See you next year, eh ?" 
Mother and Father waved as the 
bus rounded the corner. 
Hardly had Jack's bus gone a 
mile on its way than Pierre and 
Simon got talking to Jack's father 
about the pigeon. And somehow 
in just a few minutes they had 
persuaded him to sell the bird. They 
put Happy in a cardboard box with 
plenty of food, tied it up with 
string, and then they, too, left by 
the next bus for the port of St. 
Helier where their boat was waiting 
for them. 
Only about thirty-five miles of 
sea lay before them, but when they 
disembarked they still had a long 
way to go. Altogether when they 
got to their homes that night they 
—and Hoppy—were 2 0 0 miles 
from Jersey. 
When Jack returned that next 
week-end and found that Hoppy 
had been sold, he was bitterly dis-
appointed and quite indignant that 
the Frenchmen has persuaded his 
father to part with him. Of course 
Jack told Father how they had tried 
to bargain with him, but Father 
didn't know about that. 
"Well, Jack, I'm very sorry about 
this whole affair. Those scoundrels 
—just waiting till you were out of 
the way. If I see them next year I'll 
tell them just what I think of them. 
I do know this—they won't work 
for me again. But, Jack—I've just 
thought of something." 
"What's that ?" said Jack with-
out interest. 
"You know that pigeons are 
wonderful birds for finding their 
way home again?" 
"Yes, that's true!" said Jack, 
waking up a little. "But he must 
have gone 200 miles from here, 
Dad. He'll never come all that way, 
surely ?" 
32 
"I remember," continued Dad, 
"hearing about a pigeon in Ireland 
who was once taken 200 miles from 
his home—and do you know how 
long it took him to find his way 
back ?" 
"No," said Jack eagerly. 
"About two hours and a quar-
ter!" smiled Dad. 
"Say! that's some going. That's 
200 miles in 135 minutes—why! 
that's nearly ninety miles an hour! 
And that's just about as far as 
Hoppy is now. But he's been gone 
nearly a week. Don't think we'll 
see him again, Dad." 
Now it was two months since he 
had gone. Six months, nine months. 
Jack often prayed that Hoppy would 
come back home and wondered why 
his prayer was not answered. 
The Bretons were returning to 
the island, but for some reason 
neither Pierre nor Simon came. Per-
haps it was just as well for their 
point of view. Jack's father had a 
little speech all prepared. But he 
never saw them that season. 
Then came school again, and 
winter, Christmas; then spring and 
summer once more. Again the Bre-
tons came, and again there was a 
wonderful potato crop. Mothers 
and sisters as well as fathers, 
When Hopp y saw Gorey Castle, 
Jersey, he knew that he was nearly 
home. 
brothers, and the men from the 
Continent, all joined in. Jack, too, 
was doing his share. 
But what a back-aching job it 
was. He was working in a field near 
the house. 
"O-o-o-oh !" he groaned. "I must 
—just—stretch—my—back!" 
Suddenly he stood upright, his 
aches forgotten in 
an instant. H i s 
quick eyes had 
caught sight of a 
pigeon on t h e 
roof of the shed. 
"Why, that 
looks �
like 
Hoppy!" he 
thought. "If only 
he'd move I could 
see—if—." 
See how nicely you 
can colour this 
picture and send it 
with your name, age, 
and address to 
Auntie Pam, The 
Stanborough Press 
Ltd., Watford, Herts., 
not later than 
February 10th. 
[Please do not paste 
your pictures on stiff 
card as the best 
entries are mounted 
in our special 
collection of paintings 
which you can see if 
you visit us!] 
Just then the pigeon h op p e d 
alJng the roof! 
"Hoppy !" shouted Jack, as he 
tore across the field. "Hoppy ! It's 
you! You've come back—at last !" 
And the bird, hearing J a c k's 
voice, flew down and settled on his 
shoulder ! The boy was thrilled, and 
Mother and Father were delighted, 
too. 
"Well, he's not done it in two 
hours, but at least he is here !" 
laughed Mother. 
It was a happy boy who said his 
prayers that nigh t—who said 
"Thank You" to the heavenly 
Father. 
The answer to his prayers hadn't 
come quickly, but the great thing 
was that it had come at last! 
fr,ee 
By Ronald James 
W
ISH I were a dog!" grumbled 
Tim, watching the antics of 
Tiger, a small, half-grown mongrel. 
"What on earth do you want to 
be a dog for ?" laughed his sister 
Kay. 
"Dogs don't have to learn les-
sons," replied her brother bitterly. 
"You get lots of privileges dogs 
lack," Kay reminded him. 
But Tim merely scowled and b:nt 
to his task. In the hilly-meadow the 
children were picking late black-
berries. They were accompanied by 
Sue the blue spaniel and Tiger who 
was a friend of any who would 
tolerate him. The two small dogs 
were having great fun. Sue's sen-
sitive nose had found a rabbit, and 
for a few glorious seconds a great 
chase had ensued. The rabbit, need-
less to say, proved a very easy 
winner. 
"I've nearly filled my basket," 
said Tim. 
"Me too," Kay replied. 
"I say, just listen to Tiger bark-
ing; wonder what it is?" 
The dogs had vanished into 
Larks-wood w h i c h bordered the 
meadow, but the barking sounded 
close at hand. Guided by the shrill 
yapping, the children soon found 
the cause of the excitement. Sue was 
wagging her tail and watching with 
interest, as Tiger made repeated 
angry darts, at a dark object on 
the ground. 
"It's a hedgehog!" shouted Tim. 
"Come here, you s illy dog !-
called Kay. "Oh, look, Tim; his 
poor nose is bleeding." 
"Well, that will teach him to 
leave hedgehogs alone," said the 
unsympathetic Tim, who had a 
great liking for hedgehogs. 
Kay held Tiger by his collar, 
while Tim carried the urchin some 
distance off before setting it down. 
"We've got enough blackberries; 
let's go home and I'll bathe Tiger's 
nose," suggested Kay. 
"I'm ready," her brother agreed, 
and they started back for the farm, 
the two dogs trotting ahead. 
Presently Sue began to bark, and 
Tiger ran toward the children 
carrying something in his mouth. 
"What's he got now? Looks like 
an old tennis ball," said Tim. 
Suddenly Tiger dropped what he 
had been holding in his mouth, and 
began spluttering and biting at the 
grass. 
"What ever is the matter with 
him ?" asked Kay in alarm. 
"I don't know ; he seems to have 
gone crackers !" her brother replied, 
for now Tiger was running rapidly 
toward the pond at the foot of the 
hill. Reaching it he began lapping 
the water and at the same time 
shaking his head and looking very 
distressed. 
"It's a mystery, that's what it is," 
said Tim for about the fiftieth time 
as the children entered the farm-
house. 
11411,414,41NIAMIAM.~......#04PINNOW4,0••••••••• 
PETITION 
While the golden year is opening, 
While its days and hours unfold, 
Lord, our prayer to Thee arises, 
Keep our faith from growing cold. 
May the signs we see around us, 
Trying to our trembling faith; 
Make our prayer to Thee more urgent; 
Keep us ever in Thy grace. 
Though we hear unrestful rumours, 
War and earthquake, storm and strife, 
Keep our hearts in peace abiding, 
Till the dawn of endless life. 
M. E. Brooks. 
.11.0.0.4.1.4NPMNINO
•41W4,41NINIKINPO 
"What is a mystery ?" asked 
Farmer Jones, overhearing his son's 
remark; whereupon Tim eagerly 
told him of Tiger's strange be-
haviour. 
eitoePt Zetiter 
My dear Sunbeams, 
RiGurr at the beginning of a new 
year, most people make a set of 
resolutions which they hope to keep 
faithfully throughout the year, and 
although we can make a new start 
at any time, yet I think that the brand 
new 1963 d e s e r v e s some special 
thought, don't you? 
If you have made a list, probably 
it contains among other things, a 
promise to be more helpful, to pre-
pare your lessons more carefully, to 
always tell the truth, to speak more 
kindly, and to try to be more reliable. 
But, whatever you resolve, boys 
and girls, you cannot do better than 
put right at the top of your list, the 
"Probably picked up a toad," 
laughed the farmer. 
"But surely a toad couldn't hurt 
him," Kay protested. 
"Well, they are very unpleasant 
gentlemen when offended," ex-
plained her father. "The tiny warts 
which cover a toad's body, contain 
an acid which they can eject if 
necessary. Should any creature be 
unwise enough to attempt an at-
tack on Master Toad, it very quickly 
regrets it. The acid has a very 
bitter, unpleasant taste, and it also 
stings and burns. An older dog 
would have known bet t e r, but 
Tiger, of course, has a great deal to 
learn." 
"Now perhaps you will stop 
wishing you were a dog," K a y 
teased her brother. "They have les-
sons to learn just like us." 
first two promi,e, of our Sunbeam 
Band ! Can you recall them without 
referring to your Promise Card? 
Here they are : 1. I will read a por-
tion of my Bible every day. 2. I will 
not forget my morning and evening 
prayer. Strange though it may seem, 
if you remember to do these things 
every day, all your other good 
resolutions will be very much easier 
to keep ! 
By the way, have you a Sunbeam 
Promise Card? If you would like 
one of these, just fill in the little 
coupon below for an application form 
which will tell you how to get your 
Sunbeam Promise Card, and a very 
attractive badge of membership. 
In closing, I would like to wish 
every one of you "A Happy New 
Year" and the fulfilment of all your 
good resolutions ! 
Yours affectionately, 
AUNTIE PAM. 
To Auntie Pam, "The Sunbeam 
Band," The Stanborough Press 
Ltd., Watford, Herts. Please send 
me an application form. 
Name �
 
Address 
34 
MIRROR 
;OUR TIME 
A.B.C. of destruction 
MODERN forms of warfare may be classified as 
atomic, bacteriological, and chemical. A sinister 
A.B.C. indeed! 
Turning point in church's history 
SPEAKING over Vatican Radio, Bishop Beck of 
Salford declared that the Vatican Council "may well 
be a great turning point in the history of the church 
and, indeed, in the history of mankind." Its decisions, 
he added, mare than any other factor, will determine 
the place and influence of the Roman Catholic 
Church in the world of the twentieth and twenty-
first centuries. 
Missile gap 
ASSERTING that the United States are far ahead 
of Russia in intercontinental missiles, the latest review 
by the Institute for Strategical Studies states that at 
the beginning of 1962 the United States had 63 and 
Russia 50 or so. But early in 1963 the United States 
expect to have 500 against approximately 75 Russian 
missiles. 
Europe's three-stage "rocket" 
DISCUSSING European Union with a British dele-
gation recently, Professor Walter Hallstein, president 
of the Commission of the European Economic Com-
munity, compared the steps to union to a three-stage 
rocket—customs union, economic union, and political 
union. 
Supersensitive cameras 
FROM recent information about aerial spying it 
emerges that there are cameras today which could 
distinguish a golf ball on the ground from a jet 
plane nine miles up, and that objects two feet in 
diameter can be distinguished at a height of nine-
teen miles by a plane travelling at 1,200 miles an 
hour. By such techniques Henry Cabot Lodge, jun., 
asserts that "complete, accurate, meaningful" photo-
graphic surveys can be made of a country as large 
as the Soviet Union or the United States in less than 
six months. 
Lung cancer still rising 
THE Registrar General's statistical review for 1960 
reveals that lung cancer deaths between sixty-five 
and seventy-four years have more than doubled since 
1950, and are almost trebled in the over seventy-
fives. 
Frozen at the mouth! 
"THE greatest damage to the Christian faith," de-
clared the Archbishop of York in an address in the 
Albert Hall, London, "is being done by men and 
women who do not know their faith and dare not 
speak about it. They are like the St. Lawrence River 
in winter—frozen at the mouth." 
Legalized gambling 
THE Home Secretary has stated that since the 
passing of the Betting and Gaming Act, licences 
have been granted, up to last June, to 13,000 betting 
shops in Great Britain. This is an increase of 5,000 
over the previous year and the numbers are still 
increasing. 
Protestantism in Latin America 
A RECENT conference of Protestant churches in 
Latin America reports that there are now around 
7,300,000 Protestants in Central and South America, 
of which four million are in Brazil, one million 
in Chile, and one million in Mexico. The increase 
during the past year has been about 10 per cent. 
No longer Pan-Protestant 
SPEAKING at a meeting of the British Council of 
Churches in Coventry, Dr. R. D. Say, Bishop of 
Rochester, said of the World Council of Churches, 
"It can no longer be dismissed as a Pan-Protestant 
Federation." 
Christian homes needed 
AT a meeting of the Mothers' Union in the Albert 
Hall, London, the Archbishop of York said that "too 
many houses, so-called, are merely filling stations by 
day and parking places by night. It is our desire that 
these houses, the framework of brick and stone, 
should be made into Christian homes." 
Great Bible Teachings & Prophecies, 
24 lessons 
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20 lessons 
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