to be stopped and fortunately, also, the mobsters had enough sanity left to jump out o f the way o f the oncoming train at the last moment. One wonders what sort o f hue and cry would have gone up if one or more o f the stupid mob had jumped too late and had been crushed under the engine’s wheels. Another alarm ing illustration o f this reprehensible affront to law and order has been the investigation concerning the causes o f the recent racial revolution in the Watts area o f Southern California. If news paper accounts are to be relied upon at all, it would seem that there is a greater condemnation o f the so-called "police brutality” in trying to quell the riots than there is condemnation o f the mobsters themselves who wrought such havoc and destruction upon life and property o f the entire Watts area. It is a sorry situation indeed when the law enforcement officers o f our land are subjected to ridicule, criticism and condemnation o f their actions in their honest efforts to keep law and order even at the risk o f their own lives. W e hear very little, if any, sympathy expressed for the policeman or his family who has been gunned down by irresponsible rabble rousers and law violators. But if a policeman ever injures or kills such an individual in self-defense, the cry rises to high heaven against him and the wail is heard throughout the land about the terrible "police brutality” ! It is small wonder that lawlessness and anarchy are increasing in every section o f the country, aided and abetted by so many o f our legislators and members o f the judiciary. But these attitudes and actions are simply illustrations o f a basic anarchistic view recently expressed by a very well-known Civil Rights leader, when he declared that in his judgment there were "just laws” and then there were "unjust laws.” He was quite willing to obey the just laws, but he found that he had a "moral responsibility” to disobey the unjust laws. O f course he was to be the sole judge o f which laws were just and which were unjust! The tragedy o f the matter is that no one in high governmental circles has dared to advise him that this is not the intent or implication o f our system o f society. The tragedy is that no one has the "intestinal fortitude” to inform him and others like him that such an attitude will not be tolerated in these United States because the simple facts are that this attitude is being tolerated on a de facto basis regardless o f the wording o f Our laws. So, he goes merrily on his way, being his own inter preter o f what he decides to do or not to do. Among other rea sons for our authorities’ not daring to thwart him or contradict him is, apparently, that it would cost votes. Tragically, it seems that this is by far the most important consideration in the minds o f our governmental leaders today. The Word o f God is very clear in its statements o f the obli gations o f citizens toward the principle o f law and order. Indeed the firm believers in the truths o f God’s Word constitute almost the last segment o f American citizenry who have any conscience whatever about obeying the laws o f our land. O f course our civil law has been based in large measure upon °n page 9)
Threenew Biblical siudies
THE BOOK OF ISAIAH, by Edward Young, is the first of three projected volumes on Isaiah by this distinguished professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Young considers Isaiah the author of the entire prophesy, and conse quently seeks for the author's meaning in what he conceives to be an organic whole. The English text is Dr.Young's own and in it he attempts to bring out clearly the force of the original. Cloth: $7.95. THE EP ISTLE OF PAUL TO THE GALATIANS (Tyndale Bible Commentary Series), by Alan Cole. What has been said of the Tyndale commentaries generally cer tainly applies to Dr. Cole's latest work. “ It is a plain fact that of all commentaries at present in process of publication, this is by far the best and by far the most reason ably priced.”—William Barclay. " . . . a solid combination of up-to-date scholarship with a dedicated willingness to let the text speak for itself.”—Otto A. Piper. General Editor is R.V.G. Tasker. Cloth: $3.25. NEW TESTAMENT TIMES (A companion volume to New Testament Survey), by Merrill C. Tenney, Dean of the Graduate School of Wheaton College. This new work provides a clear, well-organized and emin ently readable history for preachers, stu dents and general readers of the Scriptures. Profusely illustrated, it includes maps, charts, graphs and tables as well as indexes of places, names and scriptural references. Cloth: $5.95.
W M . B. E E R D M A N S P U B L ISH IN G CO. G ra n d R ap id s, M ic h ig an
NOVEMBER, 1965
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