Volume 13, Issue 6: Sharpening Iron
From Us:
Happy New Year everyone. No, we don't go away. At least we try not to. We are here today, testifussin' against Jacobins of every stripe. Today's very special question is: What is a Jacobin? First, it is not a Jacobite. Jacobites were Scotch. The American Heritage Dictionary defines Jacobin as "1. A radical or extreme leftist. 2. A radical republican during the French Revolution. 3. A Dominican friar. [French after the Jacobin friars, in whose convent the Jacobins first met.]" Jacobins were French. Of course you will note that the two gentlemen on our cover were not French. Lennon and Lenin hailed from Liverpool and Leningrad. So we must ask you to connect the dots. The two men would not have been likely to approve of each other, but they are brothers. Spawn, as it were, of the same slimey fish.
The same dictionary defines a Bronx Cheer as "A loud sound expressing disapproval; a rasberry. [after the Bronx.]"
From You:
SOLEMN LEAGUE
Dear Editors,
Amen, Mr. Wilson. Pluralism is idolatry. What you failed to mention, however, is that pluralism has been with America from the beginning. Although each succeeding generation has made the idolatry of the previous generation seem like piety, the seeds of today's rank pluralism were sown with the first Pilgrims and Puritans. For all their godliness, piety, and good intentions, our forefathers on this continent promoted independency, which is the first step toward pluralism.
The only biblical, lasting antidote to pluralism is covenanted Presbyterianism, such as that promoted by the Westminster Assembly in their Solemn League and Covenant. The fact that all the churches today, even those that call themselves "Reformed" or "Presbyterian," are opposed to that great work testifies to the depths of apostasy into which we have fallen.
Stan Birchfield
Santa Clara, CA
BELLA FLECK
Dear Editors,
I have decided that I've waited long enough to break down and subscribe to the hard-copy version of
C/A. Actually it was trying to print from Adobe that eventually did me in. It certainly does not foster development of the fruit
of longsuffering. . . .
I look forward to that bi-monthly, quarterly, every 11 weeks, ? opportunity to sit down with
C/A in one hand, and an English/Latin dictionary in the other. Anyone who likes Bella Fleck and the Flecktones is ok in my book (or was it Flim and the BB's?). Anyway, keep up the great work!
Steve Reibling
London, ON
THANKS
Dear Editors,
The ministry C/A has to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church is much appreciated. Deo Volente, may it continue and assist in leading Mother Church in the continuing reformation.
The "God Struck America" issue was on target—dead center. And thanks for giving us the pleasure of pondering "Jack" and his beloved works through this Advent season.
Jeffrey Pennington
Wales, WI
OUR ANTHRAX LETTER
Dear Editors,
Your last issue [13/4], "God Struck America," was quite amazing. I've always suspected you folks are a little arrogant and self-righteous. Now I'm sure of it. Question: When was the last time you witnessed to an infidel American and included in your presentation that you also were and are a sinner, "first class," without the GRACE of God? You folks don't have to worry about getting an Anthrax letter. Come down off your mountain and out of your cave. You complain about the schools, government, society, culture, but what are you doing to change it? Quit serving yourself and get out and bring the gospel to your community. Your nose in the Book won't bring the gospel to the Lost. Try living one verse, try helping one damned soul. Pick the worst sinner you know and share the "hope"(?) that's in you. Quit hiding in church, go out and get down and dirty with the gospel. You're still a sinner without Jesus and His GRACE. Come down off your mountain or He'll smoke you out of your cave.
Joseph D. Petrusaitis
Hamilton, MT (Mayor)
P.S. Reformation is Coming "Post Tenebras Lux!" Be patient.
P.P.S. I used to like your magazine.
CHANDRA LEVY
Dear Editors,
Excellent bit about Condit and Levy [13/3]. There was one error though. Condit claims to be an evangelical. Levy was Jewish. Though in the Washington Post her Mom said that she believes in Jesus among other things.
Couple of recent articles verified this. A fellow Congressman from California was quoted as saying that he had a conversation with Condit and the gist of it was he wanted to make sure he was "trusting Jesus Christ through this." Condit assured him that he was.
There was another interview with Condit's parents—his father is a baptist preacher. His Dad concluded that the devil was behind all this and was out to get his son. He had no comment on who is son has been out to get while his wife lives 3,000 miles away.
Just about every conservative in DC is born again. It's hard in some districts to get elected otherwise, and besides you have to get money from Falwell, Robertson and LaHaye.
Jim Hagan
Fairfax, VA
PUDDLEGLUMMING
Dear Editors,
Your issue on the Sept. 11 events was like the foot of Puddleglum stamping on the witch's fire, producing a prophetic stench that snaps one out of a drugged stupor. How easy it is for all of us to fall prey to the gentle strumming of evil fingers on the lute of pantheism in the evangelical church today. Thanks again for the trumpet call against "the pantheon."
Randall Compton
Cleveland, TN
THE WALLS COME TUMBLIN'
Dear Editors,
C.S. Lewis, Chesterton, and Belloc, indeed, men of intellect and faith. Missionaries all against a wall of Modernism. Keep up the good work brothers, the walls are indeed coming down.
Dan McCarthy
Hillsboro, MO
GENERAL COMMENTS, SORTA
Dear Editors,
This is in response to your issue of late responding to the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington (13/4). I do not have the time nor inclination to respond point by point to your lengthy jeremiad but will make a few general
comments that came to me as I read.
1. The United States is not a Christian nation that has a covenant relationship with God. I don't believe that you subscribe to the Covenanter idea that the U.S. is a covenant nation because of the Solemn League and Covenant passed by the Scots many years ago. This means that the U.S. is a nation with many Christians, not a Christian nation, and as such receives countless blessings for the sake of the believers that are present. Let the scales fall off your eyes and see the riches of the mercies of the Lord that I believe all enjoy for the sake of the elect.
2. I believe that you make a buy into a very common evangelical/separatist myth: that you are the only Christians left in America. While you may not say as much in your article, that conclusion, drawn form this issue and all past issues, is clear. I would refer you to the prophet Elijah who lamented that he was the only one left (that was faithful) but the Lord reminded him that he had 7,000 that haven't bowed the knee to Baal. I believe you err similarly.
3. It is to be noted that the Apostle Paul in all his extant writings spends very little time discussing the Roman Empire and the Christians response to it, and what he does say makes it clear that we are a part of the world and that governments are ordained by God and they wield the sword for His purpose. I would also remind you that taxes were to be paid, even though they were surely used for evil purposes. The sin there is of the magistrate, not the taxpayer, thus absolving from guilt the citizen of the government that does wrong.
4. Your attitude towards those you perceive to be weaker brethren is far from loving, at best. The Scripture is not homeschooling, nor natural foods, nor indulging in your liberty to smoke, although I support all those things. The gospel is the love of God to Man and Christ's redemptive work on the cross. . .
5. And finally, perhaps the most important point to be made here is that we don't serve a weak God or preach an ineffective gospel, but an all-powerful God and an effective gospel that is able to save anyone that calls upon the name of the Lord (within the limits of election). I for one am not wringing my hands about the downfall of Christianity in the U.S. I know that "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun does his successive journeys run," and if you don't believe that, then
join the group of worrying pre-millenialists who are "polishing the doorknobs on the Titanic" that you so freely and joyously deride. . . . if you do put this in your magazine, honor me with a real reply and not one of the trite, sarcastic offhand comments that characterize most of your responses.
Steve Petarra
Ooltewah, TN
Douglas Wilson replies: I will do my level best to keep my brief comments from seeming like an offhand dismissal.
1. The lack of a formal covenanted status of the United States does not make our massive promotion of abortion and sodomy acceptable. God can judge uncovenanted nations too, and we believe He is doing so.
2. You are attributing something to us that we don't hold. We believe there are seventy times seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
3. I am baffled how you conclude that I advocated non-payment of taxes from anything I wrote or thought.
4. I remain baffled with this charge as well. We didn't home school, though we have good friends who do, we eat healthy food, not health food, and I smoke a cigar so rarely (usually at the arrival of a grandchild) that insurance companies don't care.
5. We agree that the gospel is potent. But if this potent gospel is preached, it will always create misunderstandings. Jeremiah preached a "jeremiad" but he was not in a panic.