I've recently posted various reports by Presbyterian committees of which Gordon Clark was a member. Presently, it isn't clear what original input he had in the creation of such reports. At the same time, he must be considered to bear some responsibility for the final product.
In the recorded minutes of the OPC in its infancy (link), ascertaining committee members takes some effort to verify with accuracy. For example, in the 2nd General Assembly minutes (pg. 24, link), Clark is said to have been elected to the 1939 Home Missions and Church Extension Committee. Yet by the minutes of the 4th General Assembly (final page, link), he is no longer listed as a prospective committee member.
Another example: in the minutes of the 8th General Assembly (link), the description of a committee of nine is found on page 24, and the nominations and elections of officers to this committee is scattered across three later pages (pgs. 39-41) and interspersed amongst recorded nominations and elections of other committees. One will not find this committee listed as a Standing Committee of the OPC. Further, in the reports of many committees, the reports are not signed by the individual members, so one must actually read through the minutes of earlier years to figure out who was a member of a committee in a later year.
The perspicuity of the recordings of minutes get better over time, but for the next few posts, I plan to include the members of the committees of which Clark was a member before posting the actual reports of said committees. I think this will be useful, as it illustrates with whom Clark collaborated and, perhaps, disagreed (cf. the minority report of Van Til and Thompson with respect to the following report). Those interested in reading the decision of the General Assembly with respect to the differing recommendations are welcome to read the minutes themselves, as I only plan to publish the reports with which Clark aligned as a member.
Member of the Committee of Nine (1942): Gordon H. Clark, Cornelius Van Til, Edward Rian, R. B. Kuiper, Murray Forst Thompson, Robert Strong, Burton L. Goddard, C. A. Freytag, Clifford S. Smith
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF NINE TO THE NINTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The Committee of Nine was elected by the Eighth General
Assembly and instructed "to study the relationship of The Orthodox
Presbyterian Church to society in general and to other ecclesiastical bodies in
particular, with a view to bringing in to the next Assembly recommendations
suggesting ways and means whereby the message and methods of our Church may be
better implemented to meet the needs of this generation and The Orthodox
Presbyterian Church may have an increasing area of influence and make a greater
impact on life today."
The Committee has met nine times and has spent many long
hours in trying to carry out the Assembly's mandate. The first work undertaken
by the Committee was one of analysis, of (1) the present state of our
denomination's work, (2) the principles that govern the program of our church,
(3) the emphasis we make in the presentation of our message, (4) the factors
which were at work in the past when the Holy Spirit gave special blessing, (5)
our relation to other denominations, and (6) the American scene. Various
ministers and members of the Church were asked to help in this tremendous task
which by no means has been completed.
The Committee, however, is prepared to make the following
recommendations to the Ninth General Assembly:
1. The Committee recommends that (a) a committee of five be
elected by the General Assembly to meet with committees of other Presbyterian
and Reformed churches to discuss the formation of a federation of Presbyterian
and Reformed churches; (b) the following churches, viz., The Christian Reformed
Church, The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, The
Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod, The Synod of the
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America and The Associate Presbyterian
Church of North America, be informed of this action and be invited to appoint
committees to confer concerning this matter with the committee of the General
Assembly of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church; (c) the General Assembly's
committee of five report back to the Tenth General Assembly.
2. In view of the fact that there is a lack of uniformity
among the presbyteries and churches in dismissing ministers and members to
other churches, and in view of the fact that there is disagreement as to what
churches ministers and members may properly be dismissed to, the Committee of
Nine recommends that a special committee of three be elected by the General
Assembly to study the relationship of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church to other
churches as it applies to the dismissal of ministers and members.
3. The Committee of Nine recommends that the General
Assembly elect a committee of five to study the matter of cooperation with
evangelical churches. The Committee of Nine believes that (a) some measure of
cooperation is possible with evangelical bodies; (b) such cooperation should be
with churches that are truly evangelical; and (c) cooperation must not obscure
any of our distinctive principles.
4. Whereas there is both within and without The Orthodox
Presbyterian Church a lack of full understanding, and even some
misunderstanding, of Christian liberty and its proper use,
I. The Committee recommends to the Ninth General Assembly of
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church that it adopt the following statement
regarding the teaching of the Word of God on that subject:
(1) The moral law of God is as binding upon the church of
the new dispensation as it was upon the church of the old dispensation. As an
expression of the nature of God Himself it has abiding validity.
(2) "The liberty which Christ hath purchased for
believers under the gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the
condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law, and in their being
delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin,
from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and
everlasting damnation; as also in their free access to God, and their yielding
obedience unto him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love, and a
willing mind. All which were common also to believers under the law: but under
the New Testament, the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their
freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish Church was
subjected; and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and in
fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law
did ordinarily partake of." Chapter XX, section 1, Confession of Faith.
(3) From the sufficiency and completeness of Holy Scripture
it follows that the law of God contained in Holy Scripture is perfect.
Therefore "God alone is lord of the con. science, and hath left it free
from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any. thing contrary to
his Word, or beside it, if matters of faith or worship." To obey such commandments
out of conscience is to fail to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has
made us free and to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage (Psalm 19:7-9;
Mark 7:13; Acts 4: 19; Romans 14:4, 10; Galatians 5: 1; James 4:12).
(4) Those who use their liberty as an occasion to the flesh
or as a cloak of maliciousness destroy the very end of Christian liberty which
is that, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the
Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our
life (Galatians 5: 13; I Peter 2:16; Luke 1:74, 75).
(5) In determining what is the expedient use of his
Christian liberty the Christian should ask and answer honestly, God being his
judge, what course of action will the better promote the glory of God, the
advancement of His kingdom and the salvation of men. The Christian should bear
in mind the example of the apostle Paul, who. became all things to all men that
he might by all means save some (I Corinthians 9: 19-22).
(6) It is the duty of every Christian who is strong in faith
to remember the infirmities of those who are weak or whose understanding of the
Word of God is inadequate, to refrain from despising or grieving such, and to
take care lest the use of Christian liberty may become an occasion of stumbling
to them. In determining what is the expedient use of Christian liberty the
strong in faith must ask and answer honestly, God being their judge, what
course is dictated by love. for and sympathetic understanding of those who are
weak in faith, what course will the better promote peace and harmony within the
church of Christ, what course will contribute most to the edification of their
Christian brethren, and above all what course will the most effectively promote
the understanding and application of the Word of God (Romans 14:13-21; I
Corinthians 8:9-13).
(7) The Christian should not exercise his Christian liberty
if, by so doing, the cause of Christ is injured-"For meat destroy not the
work of God". Rome 14:20.
(8) It is the duty of the Christian to cherish and hold fast
his Christian liberty and use it in a manner acceptable to God; therefore it is
to be used piously, and not ostentatiously or injuriously paraded in order to
show that one possesses superior understanding of the Word of God, and is
therefore above the scruples of his brethren.
(9) It is the duty of the weak to bear in mind that until
they grow in knowledge and are strengthened in faith they may not, without
detriment to their growth in grace, exercise liberties which are really theirs
but which they do not have the faith and knowledge to exercise without scruples
of conscience (Romans 14:14, 23; I Corinthians 8:7).
(10) It is the duty of Christians who are weak in the faith
to refrain from sitting in judgment upon those who, being strong in faith,
exercise the liberties that are theirs in Christ, and it is their duty to
recognize that the believer who exercises such Christian liberty exercises it
unto the Lord (Romans 14:3-9, 13; I Corinthians 8:4-6; I Corinthians 10: 25,
26, 29).
II. The Committee further recommends that the Ninth General
Assembly of The Ortho. dox Presbyterian Church enjoin her officebearers and
other members to study these teachings of the Word of God and apply them to
their personal lives, and that the Assembly enjoin the ministers to inculcate
them in their preaching and teaching.
5. The Committee recommends that the General Assembly
empower the Christian Education Committee to employ a full-time secretary.
6. The Committee recommends that the Committee of Nine be
continued, Rom. 14:22.
Respectfully submitted,
(Signed) EDWIN H. RIAN.
Chairman.
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