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| Christ Reformed Episcopal Church 42nd and Chestnut Streets Philadelphia. Before the spire departed this life. The Seminary blessed and informed 100s of Churchmen and Churches. The old Seminary was behind the Church. |
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| Christ Reformed Episcopal Church, 1886 |
In addition to his many books and other interesting things of note about Mr. (Rev. Dr.) Clark, it is notable that The Theological Seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) hosted him somewhat regularly to teach, that is, at the Seminary down at 42nd and Chestnut Streets. This was in the day when "contempt" and "disdain" were not features of the faculty; it was a time when Presbyterian and Reformed men were respected, unlike today; in fact, REC's trademark, unlike now, was Christian "charity;" it was marvelous in spirit; rather, a Christian spirit of charity obtained--honorably--and was distinctive without comprising the Book of Common Prayer or a few other Episcopal distinctives. Before the iron-fisted invasion of Laudianism, the REC and RES had its own ethos and flavor. This was before the ugly and awful turn towards Laudian "Anti-Calvinism" and "Non-Papal Romanism," the pre-1549 variety, that has long afflicted Anglicanism; they now tolerate the 2.0 version of Anglicanism or the pre-Edwardian period; they will deny it, but tough cross-examination requires that conclusion. Invoke Mary? Fine. Speak in tongues? Fine. Just don't talk about "Calvinism," please. In short, the REC turned on itself and betrayed its 140-year history.
A few pictures above of Christ Reformed Episcopal Church, Philadelphia. It was built in 1886 in what was then the western edge of Philadelphia. The seminary was on the far side behind what is shown above.
Below, are some comments on Mr. (Rev. Dr.) Gordon Haddon Clark. We doubt he'd be welcome there these days at RES, or, "what is left of it" after the Laudian regime drove off supporters; on the other hand, as a self-respecting Reformed, Confessional and Catechetized Churchman (unlike Misters Riches and Sutton), were Mr. Clark alive, we do not believe he would teach there. Mr. Clark's daughter married one teacher at RES, Mr. (Rev. Dr.) Dwight Zeller, but he cleared out--fast--after the Tractating brouhahas in the 90s when the transformation was made with Laudian zeal and iron-fistedness; ya' haven't lived until ya've felt the love from the Laudian dragoons of this world or from outside Tractators. This brother-in-law of Mr. Clark's, like other exiled RES Professors, said the school was "Romewardizing." One can look to Misters Riches and Sutton as the sponsors. One merely needs to ask the old Professors. We did that too.
But, back on point. Mr. Clark was ordained to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church on 9 August 1944, a few short months after D-Day.
A Christian Philosopher
A Google search on the name of Gordon Haddon Clark will bring up reference after reference for you to read. One of them is from the PCA Historical Center, where his manuscript collection is preserved; a biographical sketch is posted there as well.
Gordon Clark had the advantage, after his birth in 1902, of being reared in a Christian home, and indeed being the son of the manse. His father, the Rev. David Clark, was a graduate of Princeton Seminary in 1887, where he had studied under the great Reformed thinkers of that era. Not surprisingly then, young Gordon was raised in a home where the Westminster Shorter Catechism was taught. In addition, with his father’s library at hand, he had the opportunity to read Reformed masters like Calvin, Warfield, and Hodge. It was a providential training which would bear tremendous fruit in his later pastoral and educational work.
Dr. Clark served as a Professor of Philosophy first at the University of Pennsylvania and then at Wheaton College from 1929–1944. It was on August 9, 1944 that he was ordained as a teaching elder in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church by the Presbytery of Philadelphia of that denomination. Unhappily, that ordination was opposed by some in that church until finally Dr. Clark left the OPC to join the United Presbyterian Church of North America.
It was during this same time that Dr. Clark became a faculty member of Butler University, serving as a Philosophy professor from 1945 to 1973. Many of his best known books were written during this time at Butler University. Retiring from Butler, Dr. Clark entered a new phase of his ministry in 1974, when he began teaching at Covenant College. He continued teaching there for about ten years, while also finding time to teach at both Sangre de Christo Seminary in Colorado, and Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Philadelphia.
When the UPCNA joined the Presbyterian Church in the USA in 1958, Dr. Clark and the church he was the pastor of, in Indianapolis, Indiana, affiliated with the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod. The latter group joined the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, and became the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. Then in 1982, they joined the Presbyterian Church in America, but Dr. Clark joined with the unaffiliated Covenant Presbytery. Dr. Clark thus had a remarkable relationship with many of the Reformed Presbyterian denominations in the United States.
He passed on to glory in 1985.
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