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"Christ­bearer'),andbelievedhisvoyages fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (e.g., Is. 49:6). Eidsmoe does an excellent job of showing Columbusasasincereandcourageous­if 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. ItisimpliedjntheApostle~s entire argument, out. of which the t~~taken. 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 ~d 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 inth~verynamegiveninScriptureto 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, ~yQu 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 failin~, 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 straight­forward Christi~ 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