23 April 1970

My dear Erroll

I have heard from Pastor Pibworth and Mr Hogwood asks for my commendation of “Reformation Today”.

I am placed in a real dilemma.  Reaction coming from friends and supporters of the Library – people of standing in Reformed circles – shows that they are far from convinced that your paper (judging from the issue to hand) is calculated to lead to peace amongst those how love the Lord.  One tendency deplored is the “blowing up” of certain great men of God accompanied by a “playing down” of other God-honoured men of God equally great and worthy in their own way and sphere.  At times criticism seems ill-judged, unfair and in one respect untrue.  Nor is it felt helpful to place in “segregation-slots” some men used of God labelled by inference “Good” and others also greatly used of God labelled “Bad”.

My dilemma is the greater because of my close friendship with and indeed affection for yourself and the conviction that your opinions are sincere even if (in the case under consideration) the result of immature knowledge of the facts and perhaps impetuous action.

I may perhaps be permitted one or two thoughts born of long experience.  I am old enough to remember Mr J K Popham, under whose ministry I was instrumentally brought from darkness to light.¹  To me your chart is confusing in spite of its attempt at precision but it would appear that Mr Popham is classified (included with other good men) as hyper-Calvinist and by inference one respecting whom the ground on which he stood was favourable to gross antinomianism and evil doing.²  Here is a matter of which I can speak from experience.  I am a personal witness of the holy life of this great saint and of the good witness and uprightness of the congregation.  During the years I was there no scandal sullied the deeply spiritual fellowship enjoyed, the church was packed, one after the other were brought to the Lord and in that and the churches throughout the neighbourhood “Zion” prospered.  Would to God such a prosperity were evident today whether in your  “mainstream” or any stream!  Could one possibly deduce these facts from a reading of your paper or chart?  There may have been “black sheep” or even a deceiver, as amongst our Lord’s disciples, but as a body they were an example to the profession of Christianity.