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thescopeofthisreview,somespacernust

be given to this concept.


Within the Trinity we have the
solution of the problem regarding the
importance of the one and the many.
God is one God, yet He C}Qsts in three
persons. Naturally we cannot say which
member of the God head is most
important. All members are equal. Yet
each member of the Godhead has an
imponant role in salvation. The Father
elects a people to be saved. The eternal
Son took on human flesh and lived and
died to redeem the elect. The Holy Spirit
opens the sinner's heart to the Gospel
andappliessalvationto our life. Applying
this to civil government one cannot say
that the central government is most
important or that local government is
most imponant. U.S. Civil government,
as a result of Christian influence, is a
covenantalgovemment. Themanystates
representing the citizens within them,
freely entered into a covenantal
relationship with a central government
giving, by means of the Constitution,
certain powen;to the central government
When those powen; were abused the
states understood that having freely
entered into the relationship they could
withdraw from itas a result of the central
government encroaching on the powers
of the state, thus breakingthecovenantal
relationship. Bytheirrefusaltoallowthis
action to occur unhindered the North
was insisting that the Union, (the One) is
all important. Thus a failure to properly
undeIStand the relationship between the
one and the many has resulted in an
acquiescence to theruledofaevergrowing
central govemment
In proposing a remedy the authors
rightly point out the importance of
becoming involved in local government.
I believe they are right in stating that too
much emphasisis placed on the national
level to the neglect of the local political
contests.
However their remedy is too
man..centered Regarding the South>s
economic development they write, "We
must look to ourselves for our economic
salvation." (p.137) I do not believe we
can trace all of our economic woes to the
WarBetweentheStates. WeintheSouth
as well as those in the North are in many
instances covenant breakers with God.
For example we have abortion clinics.
Pornography exists in the South.
Deuteronomy 28 clearly teaches that a
nation cannot continually sin against
God without sever economic
consequences.
The book's drawbacks do not hinder
it from being a valuable resource for the
discerning reading. I profited much
from the authors' research and believe
you will also.O
Roger Schultz
Book Review
John.Eidsmoe,Columbusand.Cortez.:
ConquerorsforChrist(GreenForest,AR:
New Leaf Press, 1992) $9.95. 304 pp.
Index. Endnotes.
Columbus and Cortez is an excellent
andtimelywork forthe500channiversary
of Columbus' voyage. Heavy attacks on
Columbusandhislegacy by the politically
correct have badly distoned the real
explorer. And as Eidsmoe shows, such
attacks are actually thinly veiled
challenges to the Western tradition and,
in particular, to Christianity.
Columbus and Gonez will help set
the record straight Eidsmoe discusses
the motivations of European exploren;
and conquerors, drawing on passages in
their journals thathistorianseitherignore
or radically reinrerpret. He is also candid
about the problems and inconsistencies
of the Spanish, showing that they were
sinners and had varied motivation, such
as wealth, fame, and power. But he
correctly insists that their Christian
convictions mustalso be taken seriously.
The book begins with excellent
background chapters on the Norseman
and Islam. Eidsmoedescribesthefaithof
new convert Leif Ericsson who;
commissioned by the king of Norway to
evangelize Greenland, stumbled unto
America. The struggle between
Christianity and paganism within the
Viking community is fascinating, as is
the history of the church in Greenland.
Find out what Greenlanders used in
place of wine in communion and the
unique way Mrs. Eric the Red tried to
conven her husband.
The main challenge to Christianity t ~
the time of Columbus' binh was Is1am,
an aggressive, militaristic religion pledged
to world domination. In 1492 Spain
scored a decisive victory of
Mohammadanism, taking the Moorish
stronghold at Granada, and became the
bastion of crusading Christianity.
Columbus' voyage was inspired by
this crusading spirit. Sailing west in
1492, he hoped to outflank Muslims in
the east. He earmarked gold discovered
on the voyage forrecaptmingJerusalem.
A devout Christian, Columbus was
concerned about the spiritual condition
of "Indians" in the Caribbean and
encouraged their evangelization.
MostinterestingisthewayColumbu5
saw his work fitting into God's plan. He
believed that the Lord had shown him
the way to America. He made much of
hisnarne, Christopher(meaning"Christ-
bearer'),andbelievedhisvoyages fulfilled
the prophecy of Isaiah (e.g., Is. 49:6).
Eidsmoe does an excellent job of showing
Columbusasasincereandcourageous-
if fullenandsomewhatdri.ven-Medieval
Christian.
Cortez was the same type of man.
Despite his reputation as a blood-thirsty
conquistador, Canez evangelized and
sought friendly relations with the ttibes
he encountered. His conquest was
successful largely because he mp.de
alliances with oppressed Indians who
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
November, 1992 :t: THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon =t 7
redeemed. Sadnessofheartdoesnot
bpong to the l:nide who is "adome;d
for'her husband." (Rev. 21:2) The
responsibility of the consecration.may
be great; but it will only cause the
heart to throb with a stronger pulse
of joy.
. Our preliminary suggestion may
perhaps assiSt you in the vow5 you
will here secretly make to Hhn, who
has bought you with His blood. This
incorporation with Ouistd.rawsafter
it a corresponding separation from
theworld.
entire argument, out. of which the
Wecartnotbepartakers
of Christ and also of an idoL The
world bas its Sacraments, as well as
the the Ghurch. I will not specify
them here, but leave it to your
educated conscience to ascertain what
theyare. Therearef6nnsofpleasure
and pursuits of business, which are
so intensely of the world that
eveiybodyacceptst;hemas the badges
of the world. Those who engage in
themarenaturallyconstrued as being
of the world, and belonging to it, just
as those found at. the sacramental
are construed to be followers
of Christ, and .professqrs of His
religion. What I desire to say is, that
these two are antagonistic. The one
excludes the other, arid we cannot
wear the badges ofboth. I desire that
your own spiritual life shall put out
its instinct qf recoil from all that
would compromise the intet;ests of
the soul. I wish only to impress you
that separation from evil is involved

the Churcli of the Redeemer; it is the
body that is called from.
Consecration to something, is of
courseconsecrationfromsomething.
The call which c0;Ilies you to Christ,
away from what you leave
COLUMBUS AND CORTEZ, CONTINUED
d k 1 d ,,.,.,_.,,., .
El smoe's wor me u es an MWH
exciting narrative of the Spanish ,.,.,.,.,.,.,.;,.,
victory over the Aztecs, Cortez'.
relationship with his beautiful guide,
Dona Marina, .and his enlightened
attempts to rebuild Mexico City.
(Cortez even persuaded the king to
ban lawyers from New Spain\)
Though he had his share of
as Eidsmoe shows, Cortez was a
genuine Christian.
I highly recommend this book It
is written on a. popular level and is
fascinating reading. It is Wonnative
and evaluates events from a straight-
forward perspective.
Attacks upon Colwnbus, his legacy,
and European contributions to
America will reach a fever pitch in
the next months. Get this book and
be prepared.a
14 THE COUNSEL of Oialcedon :Y: November, 1992

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