THE STRING HELPS FLY THE KITE
L. R. Hester

The story is told of a boy cutting the string of his kite to see how high it would fly without the string to hold it down. To the boy's disappointment it fell to the ground, and he learned from the experience that the string does not hold the kite down but helps it to fly.

Children often think of parental restrictions as the boy thought of the kite string. They feel that their happiness and success is greatly hindered by the parent's prohibitions, and some become so determined that they cut the string much to their own hurt. This is exactly what the younger son of Luke 15:11-32 did. "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." Proverbs. 22:15

Both children and parents often have difficulty in believing this and many parents apparently think that it just doesn't apply to their children. But it applies to all children in every generation. Children do not understand the sinfulness of sin nor its far-reaching effects in bringing sorrow and destruction to the soul. It is the God-given duty of parents to bring their children up in the admonition of the Lord, (Ephesians 6:4) and this calls for restrictions and prohibitions that the normal child will not for a time fully appreciate.

Proper parental restrictions keep children from doing what they want to do many times. They keep them from dancing, smoking, indecent exposure of the body and many other practices of the world; but they do not prevent true happiness and success. The parent who cuts the string that his or her child might fly high in the world may some day see that child fall to the very depth of the eternal abyss.

But the moral of the story goes still further. The prince of this world has so influenced the minds of humanity that many think God's limitations forbid happiness and success of those who respect them. As children think their parents are too old-fashioned and unlearned to know what is best for them, so many suggest by their disregard for divine counsel that they actually question the Maker's ability to safeguard and lead them in the way of success.

Satan convinced Eve that the divine limitations stood in her way and that she could break them without suffering. The younger son in the parable of Luke 15:11-32 represents the children of God who break the string of divine restrictions and learn the hard way that they cannot fly without it.

Many, being convinced of Satan that the law of Christ is too narrow for success, never obey the gospel. Others find the cost of discipleship in Christ greater than they are willing to pay and cut the string that they might fly with the world, and thus destroy their only avenue of happiness both in this life and in eternity. Some profess faithfulness but at the same time find the requirements for true faithfulness too hard to meet; and if there are any of us who never feel that we must violate the Lord's law at some point or another, the number is exceedingly small.

We all need to be often reminded of the Father's love for us, and of the all-sufficiency of His plan for us. The narrow way is not too narrow for our own good, and we cannot prosper finally and ultimately beyond its limitations. "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jeremiah. 10:23. "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs. 14:12. "Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of transgressors is hard." Proverbs 13:14.

CHURCH HISTORY: A BIBLICAL VIEW
Part IV - No. 26 Compiled and written by Gary Eubanks

A. Council of Pisa (1409). In 1378 the Roman Catholic cardinals yielded to strong popular pressure by electing an Italian, Urban VI (1378-1389), to the papacy, but they soon found him intolerably offensive. Therefore, four months later, claiming that their choice of Urban had been made under duress and was consequently invalid, the cardinals sought to replace him with another pope, Clement VII (1378-1394). Thus began the "Great Schism" (1378-1418), with two rival popes, one in Avignon and the other in Rome, vying with each other for supreme control of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church had experienced competing claimants to the papal throne before, but this situation was aggravated and prolonged by the fact that each claimant had been duly elected by the body of cardinals and each had the support of national powers. Hence, the original popes in the Great Schism were both succeeded by popes who carried on their respective claims.

The Great Schism was an immense embarrassment to the Catholic Church which claimed to be the one true Church united under one earthly head. The situation also impugned the motives and methods by which the popes were elected. Yet, scandalous as it was, the Great Schism was not an easy problem to resolve. The ones who had supreme authority in the Church and would ordinarily be expected to address and correct problems of such magnitude were the problem. Any resolution, therefore, would have to come from some other source. Consequently, various scholars began to suggest that the practical necessities of the situation demanded that a general council of the Church convene and intervene to put a stop to the Great Schism.

Eventually, a general church council did convene for this very purpose in Pisa in 1409 without the approval of either pope. The council deposed both popes and replaced them with Alexander V (1409-1410). The actions of the council amounted to a practical assertion of conciliary superiority over the papacy. This became known as the conciliary theory. However, the council made a politically unwise move in electing Alexander without seeing if their resolution to the Great Schism would be acceptable to the European community of nations. It was not. Consequently, the Council of Pisa only succeeded in worsening the situation. The Roman Catholic Church now had three popes, with various national powers aligned behind each.

B. Council of Constance (1414-1418). This council, called by the Holy Roman Emperor and John XXIII (1410-1415), the successor to Alexander, was the greatest church council of the Middle Ages, having been largely attended by a brilliant array of church leaders. It forthrightly declared the supremacy of such councils, even over the pope, thus depriving the papacy of its absolute power and making it a constitutional monarchy subject to regulation by church councils. In resolving the Great Schism the Council of Constance acted more cautiously. It deposed John XXIII and Benedict XIII, although the latter pathetically claimed to be the only legitimate pope until he died in 1424, despite abandonment by his supporters. The third pope, Gregory XII, resigned. Thus, the way was opened for the Council's election of Martin V (1417-1431) and the closing of the Great Schism.

C. Council of Basel (1431-1449). This council met in accordance with a decree of the Council of Constance, though the popes were not really pleased to have councils undercutting their authority. The Council of Basel was to address moral and administrative reforms but it ended up as something of a fiasco which hurt the cause of conciliary supremacy.

From the beginning the Council displayed a rebellious and vindictive spirit toward Eugene IV (1431-1447), but this pope seized an opportunity to regain much of the power the papacy had lost in the Great Schism. In hopes of obtaining political and military support against the Turks who were threatening his empire, the Byzantine Emperor, as well as Greek Church leaders, indicated a willingness to enter into negotiations toward a reunion of the Greek and Latin Churches. When the Council of Basel insisted upon Avignon instead of an Italian city as a site for the negotiations, Eugene transferred the Council to Ferrara and a minority of the Council withdrew to that city. In Florence, where the Council had once more been moved, the Latin and Greek Churches, after agreeing to various compromises and concessions, achieved reunion (which was not long thereafter rejected by other Greek Church leaders). The majority continued to meet in Basel but had lost its influence. A pope chosen by it eventually resigned, and the Council of Basel could only save face by confirming as pope, Nicholas V (1447-1455), Eugene's successor. Supremacy was practically returned to the papacy.

A. The Renaissance. This threshold to the modern era, beginning in the Fourteenth Century and lasting about two hundred years, is popularly thought of as a cultural or artistic revival. However, it was also a philosophical change. It brought an essentially new outlook on the world - a humanistic outlook. Emphasis was placed upon the pleasures and satisfaction of this life, as opposed to the next. There was a breaking away from the view of man as an object of salvation or damnation. Man's status in relation to earthly life became increasingly important. Man was the measure of all things. The spirit of classical antiquity and paganism were revived, and society moved toward greater secularization.

B. Worldly popes. This transformation of society deeply affected the papacy. During the last half of the Fifteenth Century it plunged into its darkest period since the Tenth Century. Popes were politically ambitious and, it seems sought for nothing more than the advancement of themselves and their relatives. Some were grossly immoral, flagrantly maintaining mistresses and displaying their illegitimate children. The papacy was procured by bribery. The papal court could rival that of any temporal ruler in its extravagance and luxury. In order to maintain such a court the popes taxed heavily and even sold ecclesiastical offices. One pope, Julius II (1503-1513), is especially remembered for warmongering. He rode to battle in armor. Sixtus IV (1471-1484), after whom the Sistine Chapel is named, is remembered for making indulgences for souls in purgatory an article of faith.