VOLUME XXVII                              October 15, 1950 - Grand Rapids, Michigan                                 NUMBER 2
                                                                             En zij zijn lieflij'k !
          iMEDITATION
                                                                          _. Sion is lieflij k !                              ._-_-
                                                                             Want zij zijn "genoemden" Gods.
  _'            Sion Is  Zeer Eieflijk                                       Daar zit herinnering in dat woord.
                                                                           ' God herinnert Zich'de inwoners van Sion.
                 "Ik zal Rahab- en Babel  vermelden  onder'degenen           En dat brengt ons weer bij den Raidslag Gods.
               die Mij kennen; zie, de Filistijn en de TyriCr  met den
               Moor, deze is aldaar geboren. En van Sion  zal  ge-           In dien Raadslag  vonden'  allen een plaats. Alle
               zega  worden:  Die en die is daarin geboren, en de         uitverkorenen zijn opgenomen van eeuwigheid in dien
               Allerhoogste  Zelf zal ze bevestigen. De Heere zal         Raad Gods. '
               ze  reke'nen  in het opschrijven  der' volkeren,  zeg-        Dat moogt ge ook  266 zeggen: Alle uitverkorenen,
               gende: Deze is al,daar  geboren. Sela."                    want dtit zijn de Sidniet& vond,en een plaats in het
                                                   -Psalm  87:4-6.        hart van God. Onze.+aderen hebben het altijd gezegd :
        De ,dichter profeteert van het Sion Gdds zooals het               De Raad Gods is de radende  Gdd ! Als ge in den r&ad
e&maal pronken zal hiernamaals. `Maar hij zingt ook                       opgeschreven  staat, dan Yzijt ge opgenomen tdt in' het
van dezelfde glorie  die nu `al in beginsel het eigendom                  harte Gods. Dan- dacht <God  aan U toen ge nog niet
van het ware Sioti is..                                                   eens geboren waart. Dan waart gij een Goddelijke
        En tech is bet: eerste op den voorgrbnd.                          gedachte opk toe; er nog geen berg& w&en, geen fori-
   Deze psalni is profetisch, en moet nag tiervuld  wor-                  teinen zwaar van water. Wat wondere, wat lieflijke
`den. Dat -iiiil zeggen, ten -ciolle vervuld.                             gedaehte.
        Het is all&s lisflijk in dezen psalm.                                En dan wil men, dat  Gbd  Zich lieflijk buigt tot
        De oorsprdng vati dit Sian zijn de bergen  van Gods               sommige  verworpenen die in de sfeer van het verbond
heiligheid.                                                               geboren-worden. Dan wil men, dat God bij het doop-
        Daarom bemint ~God  dit ,Sion.                                    vont tot die verworpen kinderen  zegt : Ik wil gaarne,
        E% die liefde  Gods verklaart ook zijn li~eflijkheid.             o zoo gaarne,  o& Uw God zijn, en  -ik geef van dat
Als God iets of ier&nd aanziet met den glimlach der                       gaarne-willen-een blijk, een teeken,  een zegel, in Uw
eeuwige liefde, dan is zooiets of zoo iemand lieflijli;.                  doop ! Het kan niet .1 Want het is  riiet  ZOO. Er  zijn
Aid de stralen van de zon op dge d&f vallen, dan schit-                   net z66 velen in dat hart van God, en de otide Gerefor-
tert alles van goudglbnsen.. Als (Gods  oog U vindt en                    meerde vaderen hebben het zeer .precies tin zeer voor"-
als dat oog goedkeurend op U valt; zoo. zijt ge lieflijk                  ziehtig gezegd: Hun getal kan niet met 66n veimeer-
en schoon' en wa.ard om genoemd  te worden  : Welgeluk-                   derd worden.  En ook niet verminderd. Het getal der
z a l i g   !                                                             verkorene Sionieten is vol!
        0 God, geef ons dien blik!                                           En als nu die herinnering Gods naar buiten treedt,
        Al het volk nu, dat naar  `Gods  raads in de stad                 als die herinnering ,Gods uitkomt, dan hoort ge namen
Sions-zal   wonen, eeuwiglijk -en altoos, is een lieflijk                 noemen.
volk.                -                                                       En dat uitkomen vari de namen is de wedergeboorte
        En die lieflijkheid van dtit volk wordt opgesomd in               in Sion. Me& het op; hoe dat naar buiten treden van
de  verzeri die we uitkozen tot onze overdenking.                         die herinrieringen in het .Goddelijke Wezen hier op den
        Ze beschrijven ons het Sion, de geboorteplaats  der               voorgrond stqat : Deze en die-is daar .geboren !
volkeren.                                                                    aGod noemt de .uitGerkorenen  bij name,


 26                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

             En zoo is Sion een welgelukzalig en een-lieflijk volk.            wccs. En dan moet ik gaan spreken van vreemde na-
             Sion-is lieflijk!                                                 men;;:-van vreemde volken, van uitwoners.
                                   MM                                             I$ hook spreken van Rahab.
                           ,                                                      Rahab is the po&5ische  naam voor Egypte.
      J Sion ,.is zeer iieflijk !          ..
       .:                                                                         I% Egypte is de trotsche, degene die Gods volk
      W a n t   gen&md  dgo'r  (God.'               -                          knechtte.
             %n als God U noemt, eh als het rioelilen `Gods  dan                  Ik hoor ook van Babel.
 U$v'  iiaam  doordrong-  tot in Uw  binn,&ste hart, dan                          En Babel is de  vertegenwoordiger van  ai wat
 ze@t God vaxi U,:- Gij iijt!. een menschenkind  dat zeer                      wereldsch is. Daar ziet men de lust &s vleesches, de
      gelukkig is, want gij behoort en wordt genoemd "onder                    lust der oogen en de trotschheid des levens, dat zijn
      degenen die Mij kennen"! Leest het in den tekst.                         leven brutaal uitleeft tegenover `God en Zijn Wet.
             Nseemt,  het alles tezamen, en dan hee$ het: zij ,zijn               Ik hoor den naam van Filistia. En dat is dezelfde
d e   `6vermelden"   G o d s .              .,           ,.               _    wereld, maar nu uit `bet oogpunt v8n haar wreedheid,
             10, als God U vermeldt onder degenen die Hem ken-                 haar hardheid, haar boosheid en kwaadheid. Vraagt
 `ken, dan is het `goed, dan is het eeutiig gded met `U !                      het aan het historische Israel. Zij zullen U snikkend
 Laat dan de  stroom&   zingen en juichen, want- Hij                           vertell'en  van de wreedheden  door dit Filistia begaan.
 zal dan ten finale komen om U %e redden. Dan is het                           Stroomen van tranen zijn geschreid in het arme Israel
      goed met U, al is het  0011, dat ge voor tijd en wijle                   vanwege die godvergeten Filistijnen.
 moet weenen; moet weenen.                                      ,                 En dab is,daar de Tyrier, en dat zijn de weelderige,
      ... -;Dax:we&en `alle dingen U ten goede, want ge zijt                   de vuile, de begeerige menschheid. Tyri@. was tiijk en
      d o o r   G o d   bemind.                                                verrijkt,: ze hadden geen dings gebrek, en dan wordt
             En die wondere dingen waarvan ik sprak, die din-                  men vuil en walgelijk voor het aangezicht van God en
,gen van den Raad, en van het Hart Gods, van Zijn                              mensclien.
 kennen en van Zijn roepen en noem'en, alle die dingen                            -Maar ook de Moor wordt genoemd in Sion. En dat
      komen tot. openbaring in UW kennen van de Fontein                        is de domme,  de aartsdomme. Dat is het Platte, alle-
      aller goeden.                                                            daagsehe, vlak-bij-den-grond volk. En uit dat.Mooren-
             Ge gaat `God kennen.                                              land komen de drommen om ook ingeschreven  te wor-
             Ge g&at weten. En het is `een weten door zien.                    den op de lijst waarop God de uitverkorenen schrijft.
       : ,Ge ontvangt -een geestelijk' hart, oor, oog, wil, ver-               Ze zijn er &Is God Zijn app61 blaast:Gelukkige Mooren! ,
:&and!   .G,e wordt door de wedergeboorte een  geeste-                            Neemt z6 allen te zamen en ge zi,et het menschdom
 `lijk mensch.,  die alle grootheden van het geestelijke                       in al de zonden der geslachten. Dan ziet ge een bange
 `Koninkrijk  Gods kan zien, hooren, proeven  en smaken.                       variatie van zonden en vuilheden.
             En het resulfiaat is, dat ge onbeschrijflijk gelukkig               En dit.moogt ge gerust van deze stihare  zeggen: ze
      wordt, en in steeds klimmende mate begint de liederen                    hebben nooit God gezocht.
      van dat Sian .te zingen, uiting gevende aan den jubel                       Maar wacht: deze reeks van volkeren treden ons
      des geluks die in Uwe ziel woont.                                        tegemoet vanuit Gods Raad en dat is. Zijn hart. Zij
 *           En het einde is de hemel der zaligheden, daarboven                zijn tezamen bet lieflijke en het heerlijke, dat in Sion
      bij God.                                                       I         gezien en gehoord wordt. En van die heerlijkheid  '
             ,O ja; &on is zeer gelukkig. Mozes zag het op den                 gaat men spreken en zingen.
 berg, vlak voor hij zelf naar den hemel  g&g., De man                            Herinnert  ge die lange noot in het  versj'e?  Ik
 ,Gods zag de vracht van de inwonin'g Gods in het ver-                         merkte die langi noot al toen ik nog maar heel klein
 koyeii-Israel, #en zong,zijn zwanelied.                                       was : Men spreekt van U zeer he&elijke dingen !
             -De vrucht van de inwoning Gods is eerst, dat`.ge                    Daau: wordt  gesprokkn  van vergevende  zondaars-
.een zacht hart ontvangt. Ge gaat schreien vanwege                             liefde, van het verkoren  zijn toen we nog niets waren.
      Uw zonde en schuld.                                                      Daar hoort ge van het groote wonder : we werden ge-
`.". Yodrst.`gaat  ge een lust hebben in de godsvrucht,                        maakt tot kinderen  van dien grooten en lieflijken God.
,$e gaat trachten om Hem behaaglijk te zijn.                                      0 ja, Sion, samengesteld  uit de afzichtelijke men-
             Er wordt'. een ijver in Uw hart geboren, en steeds                schenkinderen, is zeer lieflijk als Gods lieflijk oog
 gevoed, om Hem te loven en te prijzen. Hij, .d.ie God                         hen bestraalt.
      Uwer  zaligheden, wordt meer  en meer de maatstaf                           Sion is zeer lieflijk!
 waarnaar ge gaat  denken, spreken ep'wandelen.
 :. Sion is heel gelukkig !
                                                                                  Sion is de lieflijke bij iitnemendheid !
                                                                                  Want hij wordt ,door God Zelf bevestigd.
             Sion is gelukkig ! Hij is welgelukz&lig  !                           Luistert maar: De Allerhoogste self zal ze beves-
             Dat word$ du&&lijke'r, al naarm&  ge ziet wie &on                 tigen.


                                        TH:E  STANDA:R;D  B E A R E R                                                              2 7
                                                                                         -_ --. . __.  ..-..  ._I    .-.           ._ _
                                                                                                   .-
    Als er niet meer geschiedde dan dat zij geboren           .ied&een. IDe ,geheele tiereId en.ai g`eheele  he1 met alle
 .werden in Sian, dan was het erg. s Wat Fag men ver-         duivelsche machteti en heerschappijen `Rebben het ver-
 wachten van een pasge`boren wicht?                           zien op Sion. ,-bit is @o `<rg; :dat Ptiulu~ oris zegt, hoe
 -.. Vooral' als ge voor de aandacht houdt, dat Xion al- Sian gerekend wordt t.e"z?jn het tiitvaagsel en het af-
 tijd omringd is door vijanden die een doodelijke haat        schrapsel der  wereld.
 koesterenn  voor alles wat Sion  beet: Dat hebben zij               Wat deed men met de lieflijkste `$&baring van
 van den duivel die God en Zijn kinderen  haat.               Sion? En  da,n bedoel ik  natuurlijli. Jezus Christus.
     En daarom hebben die pas-gebo?enen-van-Sion  ver- Wel, men .luisterd,e naa?` Hem, iqeti'bestudeerde  Hem,
 sterking vtin noode.                                         .`n$en sinaakte  Hem, & `to& `z&de deze `wereId  i: `Als ik
    En die versterking gewordt hen. JGod zal hen be-          kiezen moet tusschen Hem en ,een rebel en een'I$bord&
 vestigen.                        ._                          naar, dan geef mij Bar,abbas!                                       .L
     Bevestigen kan Sion zichzelf niet. `Dat tiordt  we1             Hier op aarde' ontvangt &on niet dan oneer. ii:,
 anders geleeraard. Maar het is niet waar. Jezus heeft               En ge stetit het mij volmondig toe. Zoo zijti%eil"-
 het ons tw,ee duiz&d jaren geleden gezegd: zonder Mij        voudig de feiten der.ge$chiedenis.
 kunt gij niets doen ! Schrijft dat in Uw boekje en                  De  Heilige   .,Geest  werd' vqardig  pver.  Fen  zekereq
 kijkt er elk'en dag naar. Het zal U op het goede  spoor      mensch  ,en hij  s&reef: "en anderen. hebben .bespot-
 houden, en het zal U nederig doen zijn. Hoe meer ge          tingen en geeselingen geieden, en ook banden en ge-
 in .dat boekj'e  zult lez&n, hoe meer ge zult zingen met     vangenis ; zijn gesteenigd geworden, in stukken ge-
 voile borst : Welzalig hij die al zijn kracht en hulp        zaagd, verzocht, door het zwaard ter dood..g&racht,
 `alle,en  van Hem verwacht !                                 hebben gewandeld in schaapsnellen en in geitenvellen,
     En andere menschen kunnen het ook niet. En dat           verlaten, verdrukt, kwalijk behahdeld zijnde (welker
 is zoo, al lezen we keer op keer, dat apostelen de ge-       de  wereld  niet waardig was), hebben in woestijpen
 meenten versterkten en bevestigden. Dat deden ze nief        gedoold en op bergen  en' in spelohken en in de holen
 anders ,dan als .een instrument Gods. God is bet die         der aard,e."
 bevestigt. En d& bevestigen is zulk een groot en' ont-              0 ja, Sion heeft veel oneer geleden.   '
zaglijk werk, dat God  `er  .bijschrijft: De Almachtige              Maar, Goddank,  zoo zal het niet blijven.
 Zelf zal het doen ! Het neemt de Almacht Gods om een                Er komt groote eer voor Siox-
 mensch te bevestigen.                                               Straks zullen zij eervol vermeld worden  ,voor alle
     Wij kunnen spreken en vermanei:' we zullen het           Goddelijke heirscharen.,
 doen en we  moeten het  doen.  Maar het is God  .die                Luistert maar: De Heere zal ze rekeneti, in het op-
 wasdom en versterking geeft.              .)                 . schrijven der volkeren ! En dan zegt God: Deze en
     En dan gaat het goed. Bevestigen is vast zetten,         die is daar- (in Sion, en dat is in Chfistus) geboren !
 schragen, in orde stellen.                                          Dat zal heerlijk zijn.
     Hetgeen 10s zweegt  moet stuur gegeven. Wat zwak                Het woord "rekenen" bedoelt eigenlijk: .met eere
 is moet bekrachtigd. Wtit hulpeloos is moet een schild       afroepen!
 ontvangen. En dit bevestigen nu van het losse, het                  Zooals de held voor de troepen  versehijnt en zijn
 zwakke en het hulpelooze ziet op Jlezus Christus, den        naam afgeroepen wordt in groote onderscheiding.                              '
 grooten Herder.                                                     En zoo zal God. de namen afroepen van al. zjin
     Daar komt Hij met Zijn Woord en `Sacramenten.            uitverkorenen.
 Daar komt Hij; en dat zeer snellijk, door Zijn Geest en             Dat iiet op de eindelijke  glorie voor het <elk.
 gena,d#e. En dan volgen geloof, hoop en liefde. En dan              Paulus sprak daar ook van, toen hij zeide, dat God
 schijnt het  alsof gij het zelf doet. Maar meer dan          straks Zijn bruid zonde: vlek en zonder  ,rimpel vobr
 schijn is het niet.        *                                 Zich zal stellen, en vq& allen die haar op aarde onteerd
     Ziet ge, God is ni,et een muur rondom dit zwakke         hadden.
 Sion, zotider  meer. Zoo werkt de genade niet. Neen,                Dan zal die Bruid schitteren met een schoonheid dile
. maar Hij is een muur en een schuld CZOOY Sian. Sion         ongekend was hier op aarde. ,O ja, we hebben de dich-
 wordt in de kraeht Gods bewa&h en bevestigd, door            tefs we1 gehoord die haar bezongen hebben Oak toen ze
 het peloof. En zoo staan de zaken recht. En loopt alles      ndg gesmaad  tierd:  denkt an Psalm 45. Maar din
 10s in Sion. En daar hoort men der vromen tent weer-         zal het geheele heelal Amen zeggen op de roeping Gods,
 galmen van hulp en van heil. En is Sion zeer geltikkig !     die dan Zijn volk ten finale ,roept.
                                                                    "`Geen  wofid,er dXt deze psalm zoo schoofi:sluit  :
                                                                     "En de zangers  geiijk de  speellieden,   -mitsgaders
     Sion is lleflijk en zeer blijde in zijn `God. *          alle Mijne  fonteinen   zullen binnen U zijn!" .'  ._
     Want hij'gaat  veel eer ontvangen.                              Het schijnt me toe alsof ik dien juhbel in de verten
     Ziet ge, zoolang  `~1s. Sian hier op aarde gevest is,    d6r tiiden 
                                                                           "    hoor.
 zoolang wordt' Siori grootelijks ont,eerd  door- allen en _._,      .*                                               G; Vos.  .--
                                                                                                                             )


 28                                                                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B.EARER
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                     :         EDITOR:  - Rev.  H.  Hoeksema.
      Communications relative to contents should be addressed to,                                                          Hier volgt een vertaling van het Lntwoord, da& door
 RET. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 FraGklin  St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                             mij gegeven werd .aan Ds., Blankespoor, en hetwelk.in
 Michigan.                                                                                                              het Engelsch verscheen in het vorig munmer vari onzen
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                                                                                                                        ligt voor de hand, dat ook zij_ sominigen der vragen
                                                                                                                        die hier verwerkt worden  zich afge'vraagd  hebben.
                                                *:       :i:       $                                                       Hier volgt dan. de vertaling van het geheele stuk :
                                      9
                                                                                                                           Ofschoon  19s. Blankespoor mij niet persoonlijk vroeg
                                                                                                                        zijn. vragen te beantwoorden, die in het yorig nummer
                                      C'ONTENTxS  .                                                                     van  de  StuncZurcZ  Beam&  `verschenen,  wil ik evenwel
                                                                             _:                                         trachten een begin te maken met de discussie.
 ~VIEDITATION-
         Sian  Is Zeer Lieflijk ________________________________________.......  _ ____________ 25                         In' de eerste  plaats,  gevoel ik natuurlijk  mede-
             Rev. Gerrit  Vos.                                               :                                          verantwoordelijk voor deze~ Verklaring van Beginselen
                                                                                                                        als afgevaardigde naar onze laatste synode. Ten tweede,
EDITOI?IALS-                                                            I
            Antwoord  Aan Ds. Blankespoor ________________________________________ 28                                   gevoel ik mijn verantwoordelijkheid, te meer, daar de
               Reyvi G. Vos                                                                                             synode mij toevoegde  aan de commissie, die deze Ver-
: THE  TRrPLE   KNOWLEDGE-                                                                                              k&ring-opstelde en de synod,e  adviseerde dezelve aan
            An Exposition Qf The Heidelberg Catechis? ____....... _ . .._ 34                                            te nemen. En teri derde, vroeg de commissie mij het
         Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                               eerste Concept tdezer  Verklaring van Beginselen op te
 PHE  .DAY `OF SHADOWS-                                                                                                 stellen, hetgeen daarna door hen besproken  werd, door
         David and Nathan ._._..._..._.___..._________  ~.._.._...______________________________  38                    hen voorgesteld werd op den vloer der synode, en ten
                Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                   .              -                                    slotte  door dit lichaam aangenomen  werd. Dit houdt
`-;C.ONTRIBUTIONS-                                                                                                      niet in, dat ik de eq&e verantwoordelijke partij, ,ben, .
         Contribution ..______________________________________~............~...........  _ .________.__  39             of zelfs, dat ik meer verantwoordelijkheid draag voor
.'              H. De Jong                                                                                              deze.  Verklar'ing van  Begiriselen dan eenig  ander lid
         Een-W.oord Van Dank ____..__.___   
                                                                 _____...: _______________________~  ______________ 
                                                                                                               ~40      der synode. Want na haar aanname door de synode
                Th. J. Hart                                                                                             is de synode als Jeen geheel verantwoordelijk. En als
 FROM HOLY  WRIT-                                                                                                       ik een woord  van  uiteenzetting  schrijf als  antwaord
         Exposition Of Hebrews  lOi19-25   ..-..-.-............................-..   1.41                               op de vragen van Ds. Blankespoor, dan probeer  ik een-
                R         e      v         .           Geo..C.  Ltibbers                                                voudig om het gevoelen onzer lqatste synode te ver-
 w HIS  FEAR-                                                                                                           7?olken. Daar ik, evenwel, zoo direkt en intiem bekend
            Church Memb&ship In Hjs Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ______  `. _____________ 43            be? met den oorsprong, beteekenis, en doe1 van deze ,
                Rev. H. C. Hoeksema                                                                                     verklaring,  gevoel ik, dat ik op zijn minst in  even-
 C O N T R I B U T I O N S -                                                                                            goede posit+ ben als wie dan ook om -de vragen van
            Report Of The Call For Help __________ _ _____...._______..______________  ..45                             Ds. Blankespoor te beantwoorden.
                Rev. M. Schipper                                                                                           Eenig ander lid der commissie ad  hoc of  eenige
         A `Grim Contrast ~ _____ _ _______________ .: _____.__.__  _.___ ____________________________ 46               andere afgevaardigde, uitgezonderd den persoon  die,
                Rev. H. C. Hoeksema                                                                                     naar ik vernarn, tegen het voorstel stemde (ofschoon
' PERCSCOPE-                                                                                                            ik het zelf niet hoorde toentertijd) ,' mag natuurlijk
            Denying. The Heritage `Of The Fathers ________________._..________  47                                      `zijn uiteenzetting er aan toe doen, of mijn ujteenzet-
                Rev. J. Howerzyl                                                                                        ting, van het gevoelen der synode becritiseeren.
                                                                                                                           Iedereen heeft, natuurlijk,  het recht -om de Ver..


                                     THE           STANbARD                   BEARER_*                                  29

   klaring  zelf te  becritigeer.en.  Maar dat behoort niet       gen de zuiverste openbaring  .van  bet, lichaam van
   tot het juiste bestelt van dit huidige schrijven, sinsdien     Christus in de wereld  (en- dat is voor ons de Protes-
   Ds. Blankespoor  niet critiseert;  maar eenvoudig eenige       tantsche G,ereformeerde  Ke;k) . Ze hebben daarom de
   vragen  stelt.                                                 roeping niet om eenige groep volks te organiseeren,
      De eerste vraag luidt al$ volgt : "Er is mij vermeld,       afgedacht van hunne  leerstellige  overtuigingen, maar
   dat het ZendingsXomit6  de synode verzochi een for-            alleen dezulken die voldoende `op de hoogte zijn met
   mule  6p te stellen aangaande onze beginselen ten nutte        onze Protestants&e `Gepeformeerde  waarheid en die
   van hen `(vooral in Canada) die kerk-organisatie aan-,         gewillig zijn hare grondstellingen  te onderschrijven.
v r a g e n . Op grond hiervan stelde de synode deze Ver-           We  waren gewoon dit  soo?t  zendingswerk hoofd-
   klaring op. Nu is mijn vraag als volgt : Is het kerk-          zakelijk te verrichten-.in ,de Christelijke Gereformeerde
   rechtelijk correct om zulk een verklaring op te stellen        Kerken. En dit werk concentreerde zich hoof,dzakelijk
   op grond van een vraag van een commissie? Scl-+endt            rondom de kwestie der algemeene genade, zooals zij
   dit den regel niet van Gereformeerd kerkrecht, dat  alle       aangenomen was door de  Christelijke  Gereformeerde
   zaken ter synode moeten gebracht  worden  via kerke-           Kerk in 1924, en hare belichaming vond in de welbe-
   raad, classis,  enz.?" .                          i            kende Drie Punten. Met dit werk ben ik persoonlijk
                                                                  door en door op de hoogte, daar ik gewoon was om
      Antwood:                 '                                 op reis te gaan voor weken aaneen, en de dwalingen
      Naar mijn inzicht heeft de synode, niet Q6n regel          her Drie punten  uit een te zetten, en .dan vooral onder
   van Gereformeerd kerkrecht geschonden door in te               het Christelijke Ger,efornieerde  volk in de staten Illi- '
   stemmen  met de aanvraag der Zendingscommissie om              nois, Wisconsin, Iow.a, en zelfs in California. Het was
   een formule of verklaring welke gebruikt kon worden            nooit ons do&l om eenvoudig onze kerken te vermeer-
   in de organisatie van kerken. Het is niet waar, dat            deren en gemeenten te  organiieeren. Het volk  werd-
  het .een rege1 van' Gereformeerd kerkrecht is, dat aIIe         aItijd eerst bekend gbmaakt met ons standpunt .en met
   zaken ter synode moeten gebracht worden  via kerke-            onze Protestantsche 4Gereformeerde  waarheid in. onder-
   raad en classis. Het artikel der kerkenorde aangaande          scheiding van de dwalingen  der Drie Punten. En het
   deze kwestie is artikel 30, hetivelk luidt als volgt : "In     was eerst nadat zij overtuigd waren vati d,eze dwalin-
   deze samenkomsten zullen geen andere dan kerkelijke            gen en. als een resultaat van deze arbeid een groep  volks
   zaken, en dezelve  op kerkelijke  wijze verhandeld  wqr-      vergaderd werd die  gewillig  waren om onze  Protes-
   den. In meerdere vergaderingen zal men niet hande-            tantsche  Gereformeerde  beginselen  ,te onderschrijven,
   len, dan `t gene dat in mindere niet heeft afgehandeld         dat zij georganiseerd werden tot een gemeente.
   kunnen wor&en, of dat tot. de Kerken der meerdere                 Onlangs, ,echter,  kwam het ZendingsXomitB  in aan-
   vergadering in `t gemeen behoort." De laatste clausule         raking met wat werkelijk  hetzelfde   probleem  was,
' yan dit artikel is van toepassing op de zaak in kwestie.       maar  vanuit een  verschiIIend gezichtspunt.  .Zij en
   Het Zendingswerk, zooals ook de Theologische  School,          onze zendelingen kwamen. in contact met menschen,
   is zeker een zaak die tot de Kerken  in `t gemeeti  be-        die schijnbaar gewillig waren om onze verwerping der
   hoort.    Bovendien, behoort wellicht' artikel 51 der          algemeene genade te onderschrijven, en de Drie Pun-
   Kerkenorde tot dezelfde zaak:  "De arbeid der kerke-          ten te yerwerpen,  maau" die volhouden, dat de belofte
   lijke  Zending wordt door de Generale Synode in eene          geldt voor alle kinderen  die geboren worden onder de
   Zendingsorde  geregeld." Het  Zendings-Corni%.   h?d          historische bedeeling van het  verb"ond. Met andere
   dahrom zeer zeker het volmaakste. reeht .aanvrqge'te          woorden, zij wenschten de algemeene genade te hand-
   doen bij de synode om een formule die kqn dienen als          haven binnen de historische lijn des verbonds. Deze
   een basis voor de organizatie van kerken.              En de menschen hadden hun oorsprong in de Gereformeerde
   synode heeft niets gkdaan, dat kerkrechtelijk buiten           Kerken van Nederland. Historisch, zoowel als leer-
   orde was toen zij de verkl.aring van beginselen opstelde.      stellig, verschilden zij van de Christelijke  ,Gerefor-
      Last mij, echter,  deze zaak een weinig meer in bij-       meerde Kerken in -Amerika,  maar zij verschilden ook
   zotiderheden  toelichten, vooral om aan te toonen wat          ian  de Protestant&he Gereformeerde Kerken. In
   het Zendings-Cornit  bewoog om met zulk een aan`vraag          Nederland  werd er bij hen.o$ aati gedrongen' zieh te
   ter synode te komen.                                          voegep   bij de  Protestantsche  Gereformeerde Kerken
      Het  Zendings-Comite  is een  s$nodaIe  commissie           en niet bij de Christblijke  X?ereformeerde  Kerk. Geen
   welke de synode en alle onze kerken dient in het belang .wonder daarom, dat zij oEder  den indruk verkeerden,
   van  011s Zendingswerk. Zijri  doe1 is om, door onze           dat  Zij zoo maar,  zonder  vekdere  onderrichting,  ge-
   zendelingen en in samenwerking met de roepende kerk,          organiseerd konden worden als' Protesttantsehe  Gerefor-
   de zuivere gereformeerde waarheid (hetwelk voor ons           meerde. Kerken. Maar tergelfder tijd wensehten zij
   hetzelfde is als de Protestantsche Gereformeerde  w'aar-      vast te hoLid&  aan hun etgerr-bijzondere opvatting van
 heid)  ingang te  doen.vinden  en te  verspreid&n  buiten       het verbond. Zij  ionden zelfs een  agnvraag tot het
  de grens onzer kerken, en om tot openbaring te -bsen- Zendings-Cornit  om op .hun eigen basis georg&niseerd


 30                                     THE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 te  worden.  Dat was de moeilijkheid waarmehe het             (`Is d!eze verklaring uitsluitend voor hen die buiten onze '
 Zendings-Comilt6  I+ worstelen had.                           kerken zijn, of ook voor ons eigen volk?".
        En daarom. had het Zendings-Cornit  behoefte aan
 een definitieve formule als een basis tot de organisatie         An$wodrd :
 van kerken, een formule die ook kon dienen als basis              Als deze verklaring filiaal door onze synode .aan-
 voor onze zendelingen in de arbeid onde? deze men-            genomen `wordt, nadat. zij grondig besproken is door
 schen, en welke zij zelf kondeti bes,tudeeren, opdat zij      onze kerkeraden en door. ons volk, dan is het niet floor
 niet alleen op de hoogte zouden komen ten overstaan           ons volk, maar dan is het cZoor hen als een verklaring
 van onze beschouwing, maar ook zouden mogen weten             `van datgene wat zij gelooven de waarheid te zijn-aan-
 wat zij deden wanneer zij aanklopten bij hat Zendings-        gaande het verbond Gods, de belofte des Evangelies,
 Cornit om georganiseerd te worden  in Protestantsche          tegenover  hen die-  vati ons verschillen als  Protestan-   *
 Gereformeerde Kerken. Het is meer .dan een jaar ge-           tant:che Gereformeerde Kerken. Onze eigen kerken
 l.eden; dat het Zendings-Cornit  mij verzocht zulk een        hebben geen behoefte  aan zulk een  vertilaring  voor
 formule  op te stellen, doch ik maakte er geen werk           zichzelven, of ten minste, zoo behoorde de haak te staan.
 van, om de eenvoudige reden,  dat hert Zendings-Cornit        Het is daarom bedoeld als een. werk-basis voor het
 zelf bekwaam was- om zulk een formule op te stellen,          Zendings-Comit6  en voor de zendelingen in de organi-
 of ook, omdat zij de synode konden  verzoeken   hun- satie van kerken.
 zulk een formule voor de organisatie van' kerReti  td             Dit beteekent e;hter niet, dat 011s volk geen voos-
 verschaffen. Dit laatste verkozen  &j  te.  doen.  Zij        deel zou kunn& trekken van deze v&kiaring  van be-
 kwamen met hun probleem tot de-synode van dit jaar.           ginselen, en dat,zij er niet zeer profijtelijk uit onder-
' En de synode luisterde naar hun aanvra&g en nam de           Wezen  zouden kunnen worden. Hbet zou, zonder twijfel,
 verklaring van beginsel`en  aan. Er was zekerlijk niets       zeer heilzaam tierken  indien deze verklaring van be-
 kerkrechr"elijk  berkeerds  ten ovel"staan van het Con&%      ginselen het voorwerp .gemaakt werd van londerricht
' oti met zulk een aanvrage tot de synode te komen, noch       en stuhie- door een catechisatie klas van belijdende
 ook ten ,overstaan van de synode om die aanvrage te           jongelieden.
 bevredigen.           *                                          De derde vraag van Ds. Blankespoor luidt als volgt :
  Naar,  per slot van rekening, laat Ds. Blankespoor           "Het schijnt mij toe,' dat de verklaring wijst in de
 een  verkeerden  indruk  achter als hij schrijft dat de       richting der Vrijgemaakte Kerken. Slechts een klein
 synode zulk eeri yerklaring vervaardigde op de basis          gedeelte wordt ingeruimd voor de.verwerping der alge-
 van een danvraag  van een commissie. En het is een .meene  genade theorie, kerk,elijke  higrarchie;  enz., ter-
 feit, dat de synode, om aan den schijti zelfs van higr-. wijl een iroot gedeelte, direkt en indirekt, gewijd is
 arehie te orxtkomen,  de verklaring van beginselen niet       aan de verwerping der Vrijgemaakte besehouwingen
 afvaardigde no& aannam, maar d,ezeIve  voorsloeg aan          aangaande het verbond en den doop. Ben ik correct
 de kerken, 6pdat de verklaripg tot de volgende synode         in het trekken van deze conclusie?"
g&bra&t mag, en dan Iangs den weg van kerkeraad en
 classis.    En zij  opperden,  dat  E.et  Zendings-Comit4        Antwoord:
eh de zendelingen deze verklaring in den tusscheiltijd            De verklaring van beginselen kan met been moge-
tiouden  gebruiken als een werk-hypothese.  De synode          lijkheid  gericht zijn tegen de  Vtijgemcudte Kerken
besefte, dat deze  "verklaring  ten  slotte  een zaak  be-     om de eenvoudige reden,  dat zij beweren als kerken
ltreffende  de leer was. En ofschoon het niet bedoeld          geen verbondsbeschouwing te hebben. Ze beweren,
is ,als een soort "Vierde Formulier", de kerken bindend        dat in hunne kerken er niets bindends is aangaande
 (zie h&r beneden), zoo dacht de synbde,  dat het niet-        het verbond.
tegenstaande  veiliger zou zijn zoo deze zaak van onde;           Het is, natuurlijk,  de vraag in hoeverre dit opgaat.
ren op tot rijpheid kwam. En daarom werd deze ver-             Ik besprak onze moeilijkheden met Mijnheer en
klaring in het geheel niet  aangeribmen,  doch bestaat         Mevrouw   A.  Schild,er, broeder en schoonzuster van
slechts  in een voorslag, die bespreken  -meet door al         den professor. Zij  waren verleden zomer (over den
dnze kerken, en die tot onze volgende  synode komen            oceaan) gekomen, en wij smaakten het voorrecht hen
moet langs den weg van kerkeraad en classis. `En het           in ons huis te mogen ontvangen v6or eenige dagen.
zal ongetwijfeld zeer heilzaam zijli voor a1 onze kerk&        Zij  bewezen zichzelf zeer beminnelijke menschen te
&den, zoowe als voor al ons volk, om deze verklaring           zijn, kn in den korten tijd, dat zij bij ons vertoefden,
door  .en. door te bestudeeren, en om hun critiek en           leerden wij hen te beminnen als een broeder en zuster
hunne  wenk& tot verbetering of  voor revisie ter              in Christus. .Maar ik veryittigde hem, dat het voor
tiGode aan te bieden, zoodat onze volgexide  synode rijp       ons geen kwestie WAS. om sommige individueele gezin-
zij tdt eene finale aanname van de bewuste'verklaring          nen' of leden der Vrijgemaakte Kerken te ontvangen,
vati beginselen,                                               maar e&n zaak van het organiseeren  van groepen  Vrij-
       De Golgende  vrag van Da, BZanBespoor is als volgt :    gemaakte mensehen in Protestantsche  Gexeformeerde  -
                            `8


                                          T H E   S 'T A N D A R D   B E 'A R E R                                          31

      Kerken. El! ik vroeg hem bf in Nederland, onderqtel-          dragers afz$ten. Het eenigste verschil is, da-t, terwijl
      lende dat er een groep ,Gereformeerd  volk was, die na-       voor de stelling, dat de belofte niet voor alle kinderen
      druk zouden leggen op de theorie van de veronder-             is die onder het verbond geboren worden,  doch alleen
      stelde  wedergeboorte,  en wensehten georganiseerd te         voor de uitderkorene (kinderen), uitvoerig bewijs ge-
      w@en tot Geref ormeerde Kerken (onderhoudende                 l.everd  werd uit de belijdenisschriften, het niet noodig
      art. 31), de Vrijggmaakte Kerken hen organiseeren             geoordeeld werd hetzelfde ,uitvoerige bewijs te leveren
      en ontvangen zouden in hunne  gemeenschap op die              voor de stelling, dat de Drie Punten ongereformeerd
      basis. En beide hij en Mevrouw Schilder antwoordden,          zijn, so-m. de eenvoudige reden,  dat oak de Vrijgemaakte
      dat zij dat nooit zouden doen. En ik vertelde h&n, dat        men&hen   verondersteld  worden met ons overeen te
      wij bier, voor hetzelfde pk"obleem stonden ten overstaan -stemmen.ten  overstaan van de looehening der gemeene
      van den Heyngiaansche conceptie, dat h,et wezen des           gratie,  alswel. ten overstain van de inhoud der Drie
     verbonds de belofte is, en  .d& de belofte voor  allen         Punten..  . Als er ,eehter  confessioneel bewi j s geleverd
     is die geboren  worden  in de historische  lijn van het        moet  worden,  dan kan dit gemakkelijk geschieden. En
      verbond.                                                      als dit metterdaad zou geschieden, dan zou blijken,
          En  tech kan het niet gezegd worden,  dat de ver-         dat de verklaring van beginselen even uitvoerig is ten
      klaring van beiinselen als zoodanig gericht js tegen de       overstaan van de theorie der gemeene gratie, als zij is
      Vrijgemaakte Kerken, want zij hebben geen officieele          over ,de vraag aangaande de belofte `des verbonds.
      conceptie van het verbond aangenomen. En  daarom                  De vierde vraag van Ds. Blankespoor luidt als
      kan men op zijn hoogst zeggen, dat het gericht is tot         volgt : "Ik ontving den indruk, dat deze beginselen  eep
      sommigen d&r Vrijgemaakten, die leeren,  dat de belofte       verklaring der belijdenisschriften beoogen, en niet een
      Gods objeotief voor al de gedoopte kinderen  is, en dat       and& belijdenisschrift. Hqudt dit in, dat onze belijde-
      God, in deze belofte, genadig is aan die allen.               nisschriften dubbelzinnig zijn op deze punten, zoodat
          Het is, natuurlijk, waar, dat vanwege de huidige          deze gaarheden niet duidelijk bewezen kunnen worden
      omstandigheden de verklaring van beginselen  oogen-           uit de belijdenisschriften zonder deze verklaring van
      schijnlijk  Yiet  `leeuwenaandeel  van haar inhoud  be-       beginselen? Houdt dit dan ook in, d.at onze zF@elin-
      steedt aan de vraag der-belofte Gods voor alle kinderen       gen, leeraars, en ons volk  niet-in staat zijn  dez&e
      -die onder het verbond geboren worden. En tech is dat         (waarheden) te constateeren ionder hen?"
      slechts oogenschijnlijk zoo. De verklaring  ontkent                                            .  i
      even nadrukkelijk de theorie der algemeene genade,               Antwoord :
      zooals die aangenomen v(rerd door de Synode van Kala-             Dat orize belijdenisschriften ni& dubbelzinnig iijn
      &az@o, in 1924. Zij ontkent, dat er een genade Gods           aang;aande de hoofdvraag, dat, namelijk, de belofte tiiet
      is voor alle menschen, den verworljene  ingesloten, in        voor allen is, is onze vaste overtuiging. Dat dit waar
      de gemeene gaven van alle mensche,n. Zij ontkent, dat         is, is juist het punt in de verklaring van begin&en;
      de belofte des >Evangelies  een genadig aanbod van zalig-     U zult merken, dat  .de verklaring opzettelijk zeer
      heid  .van Godswege is voor  allen die uitwendig het          weinig argumentatie biedt, doch in den breede, uit-
      Evangelie hooren:  En zij ontkent, dat de naitutirlijke       voerig en letterlijk de belijdensschriften aanhaalt. In
      men&h,  door `invloed der algemeene genade, het goede dit, opzicht is er een groot verschil tusschen ee;! docu-
      kan  doen (voor God) in deze wereld. En tegenover             ment zooals `de conclusies van Utrecht van 1905 en
      deze punten haizdhaaft zij, dat de genade GQds altijd         deze verklaring van beginselen. Gene nam synodaal
      particulier is en alleen vqor de uitverkorenen,  en nooit     eenige zeer algemeene uitspraken aan over de eeuwige
      voor de verworpenen. Zij handhaaft, dat de belofte            rechtvaardigmaking, de onmiddelijke ,.wedergeboorte,  -
      des Evangelies geen genadig aapbod van zaligheid van.         de veronderstelde  wedergeboorte, de belbfte des ver-
      Godswege is aan alle mensehen, noch ook een voor-             bonds, enz., zonder eeniduitvoerig  bewijs uit de Schrift
      waaE;deIijk  aanbod aan allen die geboren worden'in de        of uit de belijdenisschriften. Maar d,e verklaring van
      historische bedeeling des verbonds, maar een 6ed Gods,        b'eginselen:  biedt zeer weinige  uitspraken van zichzelf,
      dat Hij alle  verkorenen  onfeilbaar zal  leidee  tot de      doch wijst nadrukkelijk en uitvoerig naar de confessie
      zaligheid en eindelijke glorie door het geloof. En zij        en haalt di,e aan. Dat, in mijn overtuiging, is de kracht
      handhaaft, dat de onwedergeborene mensch geheel en            van deze verklaring. En dadrom juist rust zij op de
      al onbekwaam is tot he! doen van eenig goed, dat hij
!                                                                   onderstelling, dat de confessies  zeker niet dubbelzinnig
      door en door verdorven is, en daarom alleen zondigen          zijn.
      kan. Bovendien veqverpt  zij de theorie der veronder-             Daarom kunnen onze zendeljngen  en leeraars, als-
      stelde  wedesgeboorte;   tin  .zij verklaart, dat ze niets    we1 ons eigen volk, mits  zfj grondig onderlegd zijn,
      moet hebben van de hi6rarchische  actie der Gerefor-          zeer we1 de fundamenteele beginselen  dezer verklaring \
      `meerde Synode van Rederland,  uit de `jaren 1939-`44, `in onze confessies  lezen.
      waardoor zij sommige leerstellige  besluiteti `den kerken        ,Evenwel, zoo$ls reeds gezegd onder "q", deze ver-
      synodaal oplegden. En waardoar zij plaatselijke  ambts-       klaring dient om anderen, die beweren, dat de theorie


 32                                  THE   S T A N D A R D   BEARER

der gemeene gratie, van de veronderstelde wederge-               deze verklaring van beginselen- beoogt niet een vierde
boorte, en van de belof;te voor allen die leven onder de         formulier te zijn of een toevoeging aan de confessies,
historische bedeeling  des verbonds de leer der confes-          doch eenvo.udig een uiteenzetting  van beginselen d`ie
sies is, te laten lezen en te laten weten wat confessio-         alreeds  klaarlijk in de confessies  uitgesproken  zijn.
neel IGereformeerd  is aangaande deze punten. Het is             Als dit niet waar is; is de verklaring ontvankelijk voor
niet een vraag van dubbelzinnigheid in de confessies             critiek. Dat is de reden waarom ,de Synode van 1650
als zoodanig, *noch is het een vraag wait onze`zende-            de finale aanname van deze verklaring opsehortte of
lingen en leeraars en volk van noode  zijn. Maar het             uitstelde totdat al de kerken een grondige studie ervan
is veel liever een vraag hoe sommigen de confessies              gemaikt hebben. Bovendien, een  forlfiulier of  con-
foutief uit leggen en Iezen. En om hen aan te toonen,            fessie of .zelfs een toevoeging tot de beli$denis  wordt
dat zij  indei-daad  foutief lezen is juist het.  doe1 van       opgesteld voor de kerken zelve, en nadat zij officieel
deze verklaring van beginselen. En naar mijn bpinie              door de kerken zijn aangenomen, wordt het van allen
wordt dat doe1 bewonderenswaqrdig gediend door deze              verwacht zich te houden aan dat formuli'er  of die toe- .
verklaring.                                                      voeging. Evenwel is deze verklaring van beginselen
       De laatste  vraag van Ds.  Blankespoor  Iuidt als         niet voor de kerken, ma& door de kerken; en wordt.
volgt : "Wat is het verschil tusschen een verklaring en          voorgesteld als een basis voor de orginisatie  van ker-
een formule? Ik heb een paar menschen dit een vierde             ken. En daarom kan `in niet 66n zin des woords deze            c
formtilier hooren noemen. Wat is technisch  een forniu-          verklaring van beginselen genoemd worden een vierde
lier ,of confessie? Wat zijn hstorisch de toestanden die         formulier of een_vierde  confessie.
de formulatie van confessies noodzaakten? Hebben de                  I&. Blankespoor vraagt verder: "Wat zijn de his-
IGereformeerde  Kerken oqit ,een precedent gesteld in            torische toestanden die de formulatie van confessies
het maken van een verklaring der confessies ? Indien             noodza&ten?" Wij antwoorden kortelijks dat  his-
ja,.onder welke toestanden deden zij zulks ?                     torisch de formulatie van confessies doorgaans ver-.
                                                                 oorzaakt werden vanwege den aanval der valsche philo-
       A&wood:                                                   Sophie en valsche leer op de waarheid zosals die is in
- i Dit is geen vierd6 Formulier of,een  vierde confess%.        Jezus ,Ckristus onzen Heere. Indien ik mag aanhalen
Daar hebben we  geen.  ,behoefte   aan,  wan;t wij staan         uit mijn eigen werk op den Heidelbergschen  Caie-
uitsluitend op de basis `der Drie Formulieren van Eeni&          chismus, Vol. II, p. 113 : "En dit is  voor& waar in
heid. En deze basis is vobr ons voldoende. Maar het              dezen .tijd. Het is een welbekend feit, dat degeneri  die
bedoelt een verklaring vah. beginseleil `te ,zijri, welke al-    zoeken het fundament te ondermijnen van de ware
reeds in de confessies begrepeh zijn. Het,verschil is            kerk, waarop de kerk gebouwd is, en die trachten  om
duidelijk. Een, vierde formulier of confessie, 6f ;oegt          valsche leer in te voeren,  bijna nooit hun kwade be-
een nieuwe leering toe, dewelke voorheen extra-con-              doeling openbaren door hun onverholen oppositie  tegen-
fessioneel was ; 6f `het voegt ook een uityoerige ver-           over de leeringen, zooals die door de kerk iri het ver-
klaring  toe  aan wat principieel in de  confessie  be-          leden  geformuleerd zijn.     Integendeel, geven zij de
grepen lag, doch niet uitvoerig en duidelijk uitgedrukt.         voorkeur aan het gebruik van dezelfde termen die de
En, ten slo'tte,.  een vierde formulier kan ook dienen om        Kerk gebruikte ter uitdrukking van haar geloof, of-
de confessies te bed@rven. Als een voorbeeld van de              schoon zij er een geheel en  a1 vreemde inhoud  aan
tweede instantie mogen we wijzen op de Canones  van              geven. Indien het hun bedoeling `is om de Kerk de
Dordrec@.       Zij  waren, inderdaad, gebaseerd op de waarheid der souvereine genade te ontroo+en, en om de
beginselen der  toen bestaande confessie;  ~ Maar zij            valsche leer des vrijen wils in te voeren;  dan gebruiken
werkten  die beginselen uit in de huidige vijf artikelen         zij niettemin de Schriftuurlijke  termen van voorver-
tegen de Remonstranten. Zij doen een beroep op de                ordineering,  verkiezing, en verwerping, evenwel ver-
Schrift als hun basis, maar`.niet op de bestaande con-           klaren zij, dat God verkoren heeft degenen  diti  ge-
fessie.. En als een voorbeeld van de bedervende  toe-            looven, en verworpen heeft degenen de in hun ongeloof .
voeging aan de belijdenis mogen we wijien op de Drie             blijven.. Of zij spreken van een  "dubbele  rail", en
Punten van- 1924. Het is  waar, dat de Synode van                houden vol dat, terwijl zij volstandig gelooven in de
1924 ook .een beroep deed op ,de belijdenisschriften, en         %arheid der absolute. voorverordineering, zij  tege-
dat zij probeerde den indruk achter te lat'en,  dat de           lijkertijd ook het tegenovergestelde gelooven, namelijk,
Drie  Pimten niets  anders  waren dan een verklaring             dat God wil dat alle menschen zalig worden. En zoo
der Drie Formulieren  van Eenigheid. Het kan, even-              doen zij ten`overstaan van elke fundamenteele waar-
wel, gemakkelijk aan&eto&nd  worden; en we hebben het            heid des Bijbels. Zelfs het huidige Modernisme, alhoe-
keer op keer bewezen, dat dit niet`waar  is, en dat de           we1  -bet  aIIe  fundamenteele   waarheden  van het  histo-
theorie der gemeene gratie zooals die in de Drie  Punten         risch Christendom uerwerpt,  is vaak zeer bekwaam
begrepen is zekerlijk  strijdt tegen de conf,essies,  die        in het gebi-uik van bijna alle term& die gebezigd wor-
door de Gereformeerde Kerken  aangenomen zijn. Maar              den ter uitdrukking van h& voorwerp van het Christe-
                c


I                                                                                                                            .       ,

                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D ` B E A R E R   -                                                                  33

     lijk geloof,  Ookl zij  spr,eken van  Christus als den             God, door -eene  bijzondere zorg,, die Hij voor ons en
     Zoon Gods, maar in hun mond wordt de term geheel                   onze zaligheid draagt, zijne knechten de Profeten en
     en-al geledigd van zijn ware bet,eekenis,  zoodat het in           Apostelen geboden, zijn geopenbaarde Woord bij geY
     genen deele de wezenlijke  Godheid van denzaligmaker               sehrift te stellen ; en Hijzelf heeft met zijnen vinger
     uitdrukt. Ook mogen zijn gaarne spreken van het                    de Twee Tafelen der Wet geschreven. Hierom noemen
     Koninkrijk  `Gods. en zijn gerechtigheid, terwijl zij              wij zulke schriften : Heilige en Goddelijke Schrifturen.'
     daarmede een `koninkrijk van den blooten mensch be-                      "In artikel `7 belijden we .als volgt :
     doelen, en van deze wereld. En, zoo zouden we door                       " `Wij gelooven dat deze Heilige Schrifture den
     ,kunnen gaan.  Hlet  too&, dat  naarmate de Kerk  toe-             wille  ,Gods volkomen  v&vat, en dat al hetgene de
     neemt in de kennis der waarheid, zij niet alleen van               mensch schuldig is te gelooven om zalig te worden,
     noode heeft een meer uitvoerige belijdenis om haar                 daarin genoegzaam geleerd wordt. Want overmits de
     geloof positief uit tedrukken, maar zij moet ook meer              geheele wijze des dienstes, dien God van ons eischt,
     bepaald en ten voile haar waarheden d'efinieeren,  opdat           aldaar in het lange besehreven  is, zoo is het den men-
     zij niet open komen te liggen tegenover den' aanval                sehen al ware het zelfs, Apostelen niet ,geoorloofd  an-
     der tegensprekers vanwege hun dubbelzinnigheid."                   ders te leeren,  dan ons nu geleerd is door de *Heilige
         En"wat de laatste  vraag aangaat, namelijk, of de              Schrifturen:  ja al ware het ook een  engel uit den
     Gereformeerde kerken ooit een precedent gesteld heb- ' hemel, gelijk de Apostel  Paulus zegt. Want  .dewijl
     ben in het maken van een verklaring der confessies,                het'verboden. is den .Woorde Gods iets toe of iets af te
     en onder wat omstandigheden zij dit gedaan hebben, doen, zoo blijkt `daaruit wel, dat de leere  daarvan zeer
     zou ik  willen antwoorden, dat de kerken, inderdaad,               volmaakt en in alle manieren volkomen is.' "
     vaak zulke verklaringen opgesteld hebben. Zij stelden                    Aangaande de vraag -onder w,elke  omstandigheden
     zulk een verklaring op in 1918, toen de Synode der                 de kerken zulke verklaringen  gemaakt, hebben, mogen
     Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken een beroep deden                 we antwoorden, dat toevoegingen of verminkingen der
     op de confess@ met het doe1 om de valsche leer' van                belijdenisschriften vaak door de kerken gemaakt zijn
     het dispensationalisme en premillenialisme te bestrij-             uit onreine en zondige, vleeschelijke motieven, motie-
     `den. Toentertijd-wezen zij eenvoudig op de waarheid               ven van  haat en  afgunst,  zooals zonder twijfel het
     van het koningschap van Christus, die duidelijk in de              geval was met de aanneming der Drie Punten door de
     confessies  uitgedrukt  was ; en ook op de andere waar- Synode van 1924. Of bet kan ook zijn de begeerte  der
     heid, ook definitief in de conf,essies  uitgesproken, van          kerken om te ontkomen aan de bindende kracht der
     de eenheid der kerk aller eeuwen. En op deze basis waarheid. Of,, nog eens, .het~ kan de begeerte zijn om
     veroordeelden zij- principieel de dwaling  van het pre-            de kerk te vereenigen in een uitspraak van een com-
     millenialisme. De poging om zulk een verklaring op                 promis,  zooals het geval was met de conclusies van
     te stellen werd ook in 1905 gemaakt,  toen de Con- Utrecht.   Doeh  indien' de kerk werkelijk begeert om
     clusies van Utrecht  werden aangenomen door de Sy-                 de waarheid d,er confessie te handhaven, dan is het
     node der Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland. 1k zeg,                doe1 gewoonlijk om de waarheid te verdedigen tegen--
     dat in deze Conclu&s een poging gemaakt werd om                    over dwalingen, en om de kerk te beschermen tegen
     een verklaring van beginselen op te stellen die ge-' valsche leeringen.
     baseerd was op de confess&. Want wezenlijk deden                         En nu heb ik naar mijn beste vermogen de inhoud
     deze conclusies in het geheel geerr beroep op de con-              en het doe1 en de beteekenis van de verklaring der
     fessies. In de veroordeeling van het onderwijs van                 beginselen, die door onze Synode van 1950  a?n de
     Dr. Jansen door d'e Synode van OrangeCity in 1922                  kerken voorgesteld~ werd, toegelicht en uiteengezet.
     worden  geduriglijk zulke verklaringen gemaakt uit de                    En ik wil nog eens weer met nadruk-.zeggen,  dat
     confessies.   Z~OO lezen we in "Rapporten en Besluiten             eenige afgevaardigde naar de Synode van 1950 hieraan
     in de Zaak Van. Dr. Jansen", hetwelk gepublieeerd                  toe mag voegen of mijne uiteenzetting  critiseeren.
     werd  door de  Synode  van Orange City, 1922:  "We  `I                                                     .                 H .   H .
     merken op aangaande. deze vijf passages, dat' in elk                                                            _.
     van hen, in ,de eene meer, in de andere minder, een                       :.                   -:-
     menschelijk, feilbaar element in de (Goddelijke  open-                                      I N   M E M O R I A M   1'
     baring ingelascht wordt: Dit komt .ni,et overeen met               2  The  M~en's  Society of the  Hudsonville  Protestant Reformed
     wat wij belijden in Artike 3 en 7 der Belgische  Con-              Church hereby: expresses  its sympathy to one of  otir  fellow-
     fessie des geloofs :                                               members,.  John Vander Wal, in the passing of' his brother,
        "Artikel 3 luidt als volgt : `Wij belijden, dat  :dit                                   Nick Vader  Wal .            '                 L
     Woord Gods met is geaonden noch voortgebraeht .door                      May our God comfort the bereaved  jn the assurance that
     den wil eens men&en, m,aar de heilige menschen Gods,               "`IBless'ed  are the  ,dead who die in the Lord".                 .
     van den H,eiligen Geest gedr,even zijnde, hebben het                '                                Rev. G. VOS, Pres.
     gespioken, gelijk de H. Petrus  zegt. Daarna heeft                                                   Teunis Dykstra, Sec'y.
                                                                  ,'
         ..


          34           -.                                -.THE      S.TA'NDARD           BEAR.ER

                                                                                   seem to prove the contrary. Writes he: "The Lord's
          o  TUti  ,TRIPLE  KNOWLEDGE                                              Supper is nothing else than the food of the soul, and
                                                                                   Christ instituted the. ordinance as a memorial of Him-
                                                                                   self.  Whew a  ma< commits  himsklf to the sufferings
          An Exposition Of The Heidelberg and redemptiod  of Christ he is saved. Of this He has
                                                                                   left as a certain visible sign of His flesh and. blood,
                                             -Catechism                            both of which H'e has commanded us to eat and drink
                                                                                   in remembrance of  Him." Cf.  Hqdge,  System&
                                              P A R T   T W O                      Theology,  III, `626-627. In the First Helvetic Confes;
                                  O f   M a n 's   nedemption                      sion, which is supposed to conform to the Zwinglian
                                                                                   view, we read in Article 21 about the power and
                                       LORD'S DAY XXIX.                            eficacy bf the sacraments as follows : "Bigna,. quae iti
                                                   3.                              ecclesia Christi et sacramenta vocantur, duo sunt, bap-
                                  Spiritual Eating and Drinking.                   tismus, et eucharistia. Haec rerum  arvanarum sym-.
                    `.,.                                                           bola nun nudis signis, sed signis- simul et rebus con-
                 We  n`ow  confrc+  the question  wheth'er  .the body              stant. . . . I In eucharistia panis et vinum sigti% sunt,
          and blood of Jesus Christ is pr.esent  at the celebration                res autem communicatio  corporis Domini, parta salus,
          of the Lord's Supper, and if so,. in  ,what sense. In                    et peccatorum remissio. Quae quidem, ut ora corporis
          other words  the question is: what is the connection                     signa, sic fide  spiritus percipiuntur. Nam in rebus
          between the signs of the Lord's Supper and the thing                     ipsis totus fructus sacramentorum est." That is, freely
          signified?                                                               translated : "The signs whikh in the church of Christ
     I           This questioq is not a simple one, and-it is .not- easy           are also called stiicraments  are two, baptism and the
          to answer.                                                               eucharist. These symbols of holy and mysterious
               The theory of transubstantiation and also that of                   things are not mere signs, but consist of the signs and
          consubstantiation  tir4 rejected by the Reformed church-                 the things themselves. . . . In the eucharist bread and
          &. Those theories concerning the Lord's Supper'really                    wine are the signs, but the thing itself is the com-
          identify the &gn.S with the thilig signifie,d.              Christ is    munion of the body of Christ, the acquired salvation,
          corporeally present n the eucharist', arid. His real body                and the forgiveness of sins. Which indeed, as by the
          and blood are eaten'and  drunk by the mouth.                             mouth of the body the signs are received, so by f.aith
                 But if these theories are repudiited, what then is                the reality is received spiritually. For in these things
          the Reformed conceptiop  of the sacrament of the Lord's                  themselves  consis& the whole fruit of- the sacraments."
          Supper'? Is Christ  not present in the signs of the                      And in' the article on the Lord's Supper, Article 23,
          broken bread and of. the wine that is poured out at                      we read: "Coenam vero mysticam, in qua Dominus
          all? If He is, in tvhat sense is He present? Can the                     corpus et sanguinem suum, id est, se ipsum suis vere
          Reformed really maintain that Christ's body and blood                    ad hoc off erat, ue magis- magisque in illis vivat, et illi
          are eaten at the Lord's table? If so, how? That is the                   in ipso." That is: "Concerning 5he Holy Supper we
          question that must now be. -answered.                                    .believe that the Lord in the same offers His body and
          _      Before we do so, we may still call attention to the               blood, that is, Himself, so that more and more He lives
     .  Zwinglian-view.                                                            in them and they in Him." And in the Secdnd  Helvetic
                 .According to the traditional and generally accepted              Confession, which also is supposed to be conformed to
          representation of the `Zwinglian view, that reformer                     the views  of. Zwingli, we read in chapter  il of the
          really saw no sacrament at all in. the eucharist. Ac-                    Holy Supper of the Lord as follows: "By this holy
          cording to him the Lord's Supper was a mere feast of                     supper also it is sealed unto us, that the very body
          commemor&ion.  In the Lord's Supper there was Y:eally                    of Christ was truly given up for us, and  his blood  _
          no operation of God in Christ, but ratk;er  an act oK                    shed for the remission of our sins, lest our faith might
          the part of the church.                          .t                      somewhat waver. And this is outwardly represented
                 It is doubtful whether this representation of the                 unto us by.the minister in the sacrament, after a visible
          eiew-of that, reformer does; .justice to him. It is true                 manner, and, as it .were,.  laid before our eyes to be
          that he seems to belittle the stipernatural elenient  in                 seen, which is inwardly in the soul invisibly performed
          the sacrament. Xom@tiGes  he rather stresses the act                     by the Holy Spirit. . . . Therefore *he faithful do re-
          of believers rather than the wovik of God and the opera-                 ceive that which is given by the ministers of the Lord,
          tion of Christ through His Holy Spirit in the Lord's                     and do eat the bread of the Ford,  `and do drink of the
          Supper. And he leaves the impression that to him the                     Lord's cup. And. at the same time inwardly, by the
          supper mainly serves the purpose td commemor&te  the                     working of Christ through  i;he  l?oly Spirit, they  re-
          death of Christ.                                                         oeive also t!le flesh, and blood of the Lord, and do feed
                 Yet there a?e a!sc, expressions ~JI his writings that             on  them- unto life eternal. For the flesh and blood

8                                                                                                                                                 -_
                            -,         _.


                                       T H E   S T A N D 'A R D   B E A R E R                                        35

   of Christ is true meat and  drink unto life eternal:        And,iherefore  we maintain that it is very questionable
   yea, Christ himself, in that he was delivered, for. us,     whether Zwingli's conception of the Lord's Supper wgs
   and is our Savioui, is that special thing and substance' merely that of a feast of commemora!tiofi and nothing
   of ,the supper; and therefore we stiffer nothing to be      m o r e .
   put in his place." At the same. time, however;  this            Calvin seems to teach sometimes that in the Lord's
  `confession emphasizes the truth `that the eating and        Supper there is an' influence of Christ's glorified body
   drinking of the body and blood 6f Christ is not only        on believers. But this is probably to be taken in a
   performed `at the table of the Lord, but also without       figurative sense. For in other pgssages the reformer
   the supper : "From all this it appears manifestly, that     clearly teaches that the presence of the body and blood
   by spiritual meat we mean not an imaginary thing,           of. Christ is present only spiritually. and can' be eaten
   but the  -very body of our Lord. Jesus, given to  US;       and drunk not by the mouth, but only by faith. He
   which yet is received by the faithful not corpor.eally,     emphasizes that every imagination of a local presence
  but spiritually by faith: in which point we do wholly        is. to be entirely removed. Christ as a  man is now
   follow the  dbctrine of our Lord and Saviour Jesus          present  .only  in heaven, and not upon earth. And
   ,Christ, in,,the sixth chapter of John. And this eating     therefore His comn+nion  is to be sought only by faith.
   of the flesh and drinking of the blood of the Lord is       He cannot be included in the earthly elements.
so necessary unto salvation' that without it no man                And this is surely the teaching of all the Reformed
   can be :saved. But this `spiritual eating and drinking      confessions. The Heidelberg Catechisms in the question
   takes place also without the supper of the :Lord,  even     and answer we ar.e now discussing asks : "Whf then
 - so often `as, and tiheresoever  a +n+m does believe in      doth Christ call the bread his body, and the cup his
   Christ." And this same confession even emphasizes           blood, or the new covenant in his blood ; and Paul the
   that in the Lord's Supper the believer receives sdme-       `communion' of the body and blood of Christ'?" And
   thing more than otherwise: "Besides that former             the Catechism answers : "Christ -speaks thus, not with-
   spiritual eating, there is a sacram,ental  eating of the    ou.t great reason, -namely, not only thereby to teach
,  ' body of  the Lord whereby the. believer.  not only is     us, that as bread and wini! support this .temporal life,
   partaker, spiritually and internally, of the true `body     so his crucified body and shed blood are the true meat
   and blood of the Lord, but also,' by coming to the table    a& drink, whereby our sOuls are fed to eternal- life;
   of the Lord, does outwardly receive the visible sacra-      but more especially by t+eqe visible signs and pledges
   ments of the body and blood of the Lord. True it is,        tq &sure 'us, that we are really partakers of his true
   that' by faith the believer did before receitre.the food    body and blood (by the operation of the Holy Ghost)
   that gives life, and still receives the same but .yet,      as we receive by the mouths of our bodies these holy
   when he receives the sacrament, he receives something       signs in remembrance of him ; and that all his suffer-
   more. For he goes on in continual communication of          ings and obedience are as c'ertainly ours, as `if we had
   the body and blood of the Lord, and his faith'is daily      in our own persons suffered and made satisfaction for
   more and mbre  kind!e& more strengthened and  re-           our sins to God." Two  elsements,  therefore,. are here
  freshed,  by the spiritual nourishment. -For ivhile we       mentioned as constituting the pow,er and efficacy of the
   live, faith has continual increasings; and he that out-     supper of the ILord : first of all; that through the sup-
   wardly does -receive the sacrament with a true faith,       per we spiritually eat and drink Christ at His table
   the same does not .only receive the sign, `but also does    and our souls are fed to eternal life. Atid secondly,
   enjoy (as we said) the thing itself." And then ,it goes     the, confirmation of our faith through the Hsly Spi?it
   on to say that faith is required for the true eating.and    that we really. are partakers of the suffering and  -
drinking at the Lord's table : "But as for him that            o b e d i e n c e   o f ,   C h r i s t .
   without faith comes to this holy table of the Lord, he          `The same is evident from the  Cbnfessio  Belgicu,
   is mad.e partaker of the outward sacrament oizly ; but      Art. 35: "We believe and confess, that our Saviour
   the matter of the `sacrament, from whence comes .life       Jesus Christ did ordain and institute the sacrament
   unto salvation, he receives not at all ; and such men do    of the Holy Supper, to nourish and..support  those whom
   unworthily eat of the Lord's table. . . . For. when `he hath already regenerated, and incorporated into his
  `.they do not approach, with true faith, they do despite     family, which is his church. Now those, who are re-
   unto the death of Christ, and therefore e&t and drink       generated, have in them a twofold <life, l+e one cor-
 condemnation to themselves."                                  poral  and, the `temporal which- they have from the
      Now we certainljr  do not mean to aver that all &is      first birth, and is common to  `all men  ; the other
   can be attributed to Zwingli himself. The First I$@- spiritual atid heavenly, which is given them in their
   vetic Confession was not written by him, but by a           second birth, which is  eff,&ted by the word of the  _
   number of Swiss divines, Bullin.ger  and others'; while     gospel, and in the communion -of the body of Christ ;
   the Second Helvetic -Confession was written by Bul-         and this life is not common, but is peculiar to God's I
   linger,, who, however, was the .succ+sor of Zwingli.        elect; In like manner  ,God hath given us, for the


          36                                   T H E   STANDA:RD   - B E A R E R

         support of the bodily .and  earthly life,  earthly and       receives the sacrament to his condemnation, but he
         .common bread, which. is subservient thereto, and is         doth not r.eceive the truth of the sacrament. As Judas,
         Common to all men, `even as life itself.         But for     and Simon the sorcerer, both indeed received the  sacra-
       the support of the  spi&ual and heavenly life, which           me&, but.notChrist,  who was signified by it, .of whom
       believers have, he  .hath sent a living bread, which           be!ievers  only are made partakers."
         .descended  from heaven, namely, Jesus Christ, who               Lastly, the article  emph&sizes the fact that the
         nourishes and `strengthens the spiritual life of  be-        Lord's Supper .ought to be celebrated in the midst of
         I liev.ers,  when they @tit hi& that is to say,. when they the church and that believers' ought to be in the true
         apply and receive him by faith in the spirit. Christ,        spiritual disp$sition  of heart and mind in order pr'o-
         that he' might reDkes&t unto us this' spiritual and          perly and fruitfully to partake of it: "Lastly, we re-
         heavenly bread, hath -instituted an earthly and visible      ceive this holy sacrament in the assembly of the peoele
         bread, as.a sacrament of hi@ body, and wine as ti sacra-     of God, with humility and reverence, keeping up
         ment of his blood, to testify by them unto us, that, as      amongst us ti holy remembrance of the death of Christ
         certainly as we' receive and hold this sacrament in our      our Saviour, with thanksgiving : making `there conf es-
         hands, we eat and drink the same with our tiouths,           sibn of our faith, and of the Christian religion. There-
         by which our life is afterwards nourished, we also do        fore no one ought to come to this table without having
         as. certainly. receive  by faith (which is the h&d and       previously rightly exalnined himself; lest `by eating of
         mouth of our,`soul) the true body and blood of Christ        this bread and drinking of this cup, he eat atid drink
         our only Saviour in our &uls, for the support of our         judgment to himself. 1.n a word,. we are excited by .
         spiritual life. Now, as' it is certain and beyond all        the use of this `holy sacrament, to a fervent love to-
         doubt, that Jesus ,Christ hath .n@ enjoined .to us the       wards  ,God and our neighbour. Therefore we reject
         use of his sacraments in vain,~ so he works  in us all       all mi-xtur;es and damnable inventions, which men' have
        . that he repreients to ,us by these holy signs, though       added unto, and blended with the sacraments, as pro-
         the manner surpasses our  u-ndeistanding, and cannot fanations of them: and affirm that we ought to rest
         be comprehended by us, as the operations of the Holy `sati$fied  with tthe ordinance which Christ and his
         :Ghost are hidden and incomprehensible. In the mean- apostles have taught Ls, and that we must speak of
         time we' err not, when we say, that what is eaten ind        them in the same manner as they have spoken.".
         drunk by us is the proper and natural body, and the                                      _
         proper blood of Christ.". qehind this last expression            Somewhat the same sentiment is expressed in the
         we may probably want to put a question ,mark. What - French Confession of Faith, Article 36: "We confess
       does the Confession mean by eating and drinking the            that the Lord's Supper, which is the second sacrament,
         proper-and natural body and blood of Christ? Can it is a witness df the union which we have &th Christ
         be that the Confession means to say that we"really  eat      inasmuch as he nbt only died and rose again for us
         the natural flesh of Christ and drink His naturAl blood,     once, but also feeds and ,ndurishes  us truly with his
       , `as it tiras separated at the Cross? But this evidently      flesh and blood, so that we may be ohe. in him, and
         was not. the meaning, as will be evident from what. that our life may be in common. Although he be in
        -follows in the same a@icle: "But the manner of our           heaven until he come to judge all the earth, still we
        partaking of the same, is not by the mouth, but by the        believe that by the secret and incomprehensible power
         spirit through faith. .Thus then, though Christ always .of his Spirit he feeds and strengthens us with the
* .      sits at the right hand of, His Father in the heavens,        substan&  of hi; body and of his blood. We hold that
         yet doth he not therefore cease to make us partakers         this  ,is done spiritually, not because we put imagination
         of himself by faith. This feast is a spirjtual  table, at    and fancy in' the place of fact and truth, but because
         prhich Christ communicates himself with all his benefits `the gre&ness of this mystery exceeds the measure of
        to  US, and gives us there to enjoy both himself,  a%d        our senses and the laws of nature. In short because it
         the -merits of his. sufferings and death, nourishing,        is heavenly, it can only be  apprehellded  by faith."
        strengthening, and ;comforting our poor comfortless           H&6 too it is evidently presupposed that the signs and
        .souls by the eating .of his -flesh, quickening and rel the thing signified in the Lord's Supper are connected,
         freshing them by the drinking of his blood.`:                but so that we can apprehend the thing signified
            ,The same article emphasizes that the bread and .through the signs only spiritually and by faith.
         wine in the Lord's Supper are not mere signs, but that          The same truths concerning `the Lord's Supper are
         in them the signs and the thing signified are connected,     confessed in the Scotch Confession of Faith. It, con-
         but nevertheless in such a way that'the thing signified      de,mfis  the doctrine of those who teach that the sacra:
         in the signs can be received not by the natural rhan, ments are nothing buit mere signs ; and. it teacheF that
         but only by faith: "Further, though the sacraments           in the supper of the Lord, when rightly used, Christ
  i are connected with the thing  signi,fie'd, nevertheless           is so joined with us that He becomes very nourishment
         both are not received, by all men: the ungodly indeed        and food of our souls: "Fiat animarum  nostraruln


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D `  BEARE,R                       c                                                        37 .

       verus vi&us, berum.  alimen&n.". It emphasizes that           in-order that so they may be a6le to realize their pa,&
       this fruit is' accomplished through the supper of the         of t!le covenant of God.                                               . . .
       Lord by the Holy Spirit through faith. And potwith-               In a later paragraph this confession ioritinues as
       standitig  the far distance of place which is  between        follows : "i'he outward elements  in this sacrament, duly
       His body now glorified in heaven and us now mortal            set apart to the uses qrdained by Christ, have such re:
       on this earth, we may nevertheless' assuredly believe         lation to him crucified, as that truly, yet sacu'amentally
       that the bread which we break is the communion of             only,. they are sometities  called by the name of the
       Christ's body and the ctip which we bless is(the com-         things  they represent, to wit, the body and blood of ,
       munion of His blood. And so "we confess, and un-              Christ; albeit, in substance and nature, they still re-
       doubtedly believe, that the faithful, in the right use ,main truly, and only, bread and wine as they were
       of the Lord's table, do so eat the body and drink the         before." Here we  -have the idea that  thrhrough  the
       blood of the Lord Jesus, that he remains in them, and         bread and wine as the symbols of the body and blood
       they in him: yea, they are so made flesh of his flesh,        of the Lord Christ crucified is presented to the.believer.
       and bone of. his bones." And again, it is emphasized          And the same is expressed in thg -following words.:
       in the same article that all this is a spiritual reality:     "Worthy receivers outwardly partaking of. the visible
       "But all this, `we say, comes of t-rue faith, which appre-    elements in this sacrament, do then also inwardly by
       hends Christ Jesus, who only makes this sacrament             faith, really'feed upon Christ cru,cified; .and.all  ben&ts
       effectual unto us."                                           of his death: the body and blood of Christ being then
          In the Thirty-nine Articles of t&e Church of En&           not corporally or carnally in, with, or under the- bread
       land we firid in Art. 28 the following confession con- .and wine; yet as really, but spiritually;present  to:tfie
       cerning" the .Lord's  Supper : "The Supper of the Lord        faith of believers in that ordinance, `as the elements
     ' is ndt only a sign of the love that, Christians ought to      themselves are; to..their outward senses." In the above
       have among themselves one to anothe<  ; but rather it         words the. !t&th is once more expressed that there. is
       is a sacrament of :our redemption by Christ's death:          a real,. though spiritual, connection' between the signs
       insomuch that to such as rightly, worthily, and with          and the things signified, so that believers, may truly be
      faith, receive the same, the bread which we break is           said to eat the real, thbugh spiritual, body- and' blood
       a partaking of `the body of Christ ; and likewise the cup     of Christ. Hence, the sacrament can `be receivedZ*:as
       of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ." far as the real essence of it is concerned, and the thing'
(      Then, after a .repudiation of the error of transubstan-       signified, only by a true faith. Hence, we~,r.ead : "Al-
      tiation, the article continues. as follows : "The body of      though ignor+t and wicked men receive the outward
       Christ is given, taken, and eaten; in the supper, only        tilements  in this sacrament, yet they, receive. not .the
       after  an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the .thing signified thereby:; but by..their  unwbrthy coming
      means whereby the body of Christ is received and               thereunto  are guilty 6f the body and bloodiof the Lord,
      ea$en in the supper, is faith." This article, too, there-      to their own damnation. Wherefore  ,a11  ignortint and
      fore, emphasizes the truth that a r.eal connection must        ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy commimion
      be supposed between the sign and the thing signified, .with him, so they -are un%vorthy  of the Lord's table,
      but that the reality of the thing signified can be appre-      and cannot, without great sin against Christ, while .                                              '
      hended~ by faith only ; and therefore in the supper we         they remain  such,. partake of these holy  mysteriqs,
      eat and drink the body and blood of Christ only spirit-        or. be admitted .thereunto."                                                               :
      ually.                                                                                                                              li,  id:  `.
        . The  W'estminsteir Confession also has a rather                                                                    ..,                       *
      elaborate exposition of `the Lord's Supper in chapter                                                                         .                       /..
      29 : "Our Lord Jesus in: the night wherein he was                                                                                    .
      betrayed, instituted the sacrament of his body and                                    IN MEMORIAM
      blood, called the Lord's Supper, to be observed in @is           The Consistory of the First Protestant &formed   Church  <x-
      church,, u&o the end of +,he world ; for the perpetual         presses t,heir deep sympathy to the Vander -Wal family because
      remembrance of the sacrifice of himself in his death,          of the passing of our,brother  elder
      the sealing all  bq!fits thereof unto true believers,
      their spiritual nourishment and growth in him, their                                Mr.  N i c k   wander   W$l
                                                                                                              ^                                              . . . .
      further engagement in, and to all duties which they              We wish to, acknowledge with gratitide  tp God his: years, ?f
      owe unto him ; and to be a bond and pledge of their            faithful service in our congregation.
      comniimion with him, and with each other, as mem-                May the Lord of all comfort be with the widow-  Fnd the
      bers of his mystical  body." Here, the@efore,  the Lord's      children and sxistqin them in their sorrow.
      Supper `is presented as a. sacrament which seals to                                                The Consistory,                             .., .
      true believers all the benefits- of Christ, and by which                                                     H .   Hoeksex$a,   P r e s .
      they are spiritually nourished and grow up in Him,                                                           James Kok, Clerk. . .


3s                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                             own; and therefore he was just as guilty as-he would
        THE DAY OFSHADOWS                                    have been had he slain Uriah with a sword wielded
                                                             by his very own hand.
                                                                But of this he was willingly ignorant. .He insisted
            -, David and Nathan                              that he had no sin. And when the mourning was past,
                                                             he sent and fetched Bethsheba to his house, and made
                                                             her his wife. For Uriah had fallen in battle, a victim
 / "And'when'the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her          of his own zeal. He was dead; The widowed wife was
h.usband was -dead, she made lamentation for her hus-        therefore free to marry again. And soon, yet not too
band. And when the mourning was past, David- sent and        soon, she bore David a son ; and though there must
fetched her to his house and she became his wife and         have been whisperings and though the enemies of the
bear him a son. But the thing that David had done            Lord were blaspheming, no one was able to prove that
displeased the Lord, (the Hebrew text has it : "was evil     the child that was born had been conceived in adultery.
in the sight of the Lord). 2 Barn. 11:26-27."                And David's'sense of relief was great. It can be under-
      David was telling himself that he had no sin. The      stood. What would have to be done with him had
text reveals the reasoning by which he strove to over-       the whisperers been able to prove their suspicions?
turn the accusations- of his conscience. "The sword          Israel's law'called for the death of the adulterer and
devoureth one as well as another," or, as the Hebrew         the adulteress.
.text has it, "so and such". What David meant is                But though David by secretly eliminating Uriah
that there is no respect of persons with the sword of        and by marrying the wido,w  of the ,deceased  had dis-
war, and that therefore. Uriah should have been more         armed the whisperers and the blasphemers, he had no
careful, He should have stayed clear "of that terrible       peace. His soul was like a troubled sea. For the
sw0r.d. In a word, Uriah's death was chargeable to           thing that he `had done was evil in the sight of the
everybody and everything-the Ammonites, the sword            Lord, and accordingly the hand of the Lord was heavy
of war, Uriah, and e,ven God-but to D.avid himself. ' upon him day and night. ,In the. wrath of His love of
      That he got himself to blaming Uriah can be ex-        l&s fallen servant, the Lord was excommunicating him
plained.~ Uriah's zeal was remarkable. Had David             before. his consciousness from the church of #God and
not restrained him, he would `have returned to the           from the fellowship of Christ and from all the spiritual -
battle at once. "Tarry here today also," were David's        blessings and benefits that God promised to and be-
orders to him, "and tomorrow I will let thee depart." stows upon His people. `It meant that David walked
Doubtless it was also by Uriah's own request that Joab       in darkness. His anguish of soul `was great. In his
set him in the forefront of the hottest battle. And          own language; his bones waxed old through his roar-.
when the Ammonites went forth into `the field, they          ing all day long. His moisture was turned into the
were beaten back by the Israelites `including Uriah          draught of summer, Ps. 32 :3, 4. For he kept silence ;
and perhaps as led by him. For he was a captain in           he refused to acknowledge his sin unto the Lord, Ps.
David's army. And of his own .accord  without -any           32 :2, 5. It meant that to his own great hurt he was
urging on the part of Joab,`it may be imagined, he and       tampering with his conscience-tampering with the
his band wer,e upon the enemy even to the entering of        testimony of `God that he had sinned, communicated
the gate of the city. His follow warriors had not to him through his conscience. He refused to confirm
withdrawn from him, that he might be slain. No such          that testimony. He brushed it aside and cast it far
orders had been isseed  by Joab, and as Uriah, was           from him as though it was an error.                  .
unknown to the Ammonites, they could not have agreed            So the `ILord in His mercy sent. to him Nathan to
among themselves to fight only. against him. As by           admonish him by the objective word of prophecy. But
accident he was struck by one of the arrows shot -`from      how was Nathan to proceed with this fallen saint in.
off the wall  .upon the King's servants. So the mes-         bringing him, instrumentally, under the conviction of
senger reported.                                             sin, in order that he might-be restored to the level of
      Accordingly, David was telling himself that Uriah's    grace from which ,-he had fallen?" In the spirit of
death was none of his responsibility. That was his           meekness, to be sure, yet certainly without mincing
reply to the accusation of his conscience that he had        words in setting before him his sins. But what was
killed Uriah by the sword of the Ammonites. And to be the prophet's approach to this man, who having
how true'it was that he had done just that. For              been' surprised by sin and in his carnality having
through his instructions to Joab, that Uriah be placed       added sin to sin, dared still to be arguing the point
in the forefront of the hottest battle and then be for-      that he had no sin. What was to be the prophet's
saken in order that he migh be slain, he had. very           method of attack in breaking down the resistance of
actually identified himself with that sword. Through         such a man? In his present state David was a prob-
that instruction he had made that sword  .his very           lem for'the most tactful of shepherds.' But he was not
                                                                 ,


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 39

      a problem for God, and on this account really was not        of love but of carnal hatred&hatred of' God with
      a problem for Nathan either. For Nathan came -to             whom his sinful flesh' was sorely vexed for not want-
      him with the,, word of God-and as filled with God's          ing to justify him in his atrocities. And to give vent to
     * ivisdom.                 -                                  his pent-up-feelings he consigns the man in the parable
          Let us take notice. of how the prophet dealt with        of the prophet to eternal perdition. "As. the,Lord liv-
*     David. He was careful not to begin his admonition by         eth, the man that has done this thing shall surely die."
      ,immediately  pointing his accusing finger at  -David        These were his words. He was even mor,e  righteous
      directly. That would not  have.been  wise. For being         than God. For the law went no further than to de-
      carnal David would have  .fiercely resented any  im-         mand that such an, offender restore five oxen for an
      mediate. direct reference to his past atrocious doings.,     ox and four sheep for a sheep, Ex. 22 : 1.
      So the prophet took recourse to the employment of              ' This was the only punishment that the law pre-
      legitimate guile. He posed as one who has corn'`' to         scribed even for such heartless offenders as the man
      David to plead the cause of a poor man `in some ,city,       of the parable. Such then was the character of David's
outraged by his rich neighbour in the matter of a                  wrath. Yet at the heart of his dispositions he was
      ewe lamb. The facts in the sad case were these2 The          a truly good man. We know because God tells us so. *
      rich man had exceeding'many flocks and herds. The            With all his -gross sinning he nevertheless. possessed
      poor man,' on the other hand had nothing, save that          a heart in which  `God had poured forth His love,-a
      one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and raised.         love that God now anew must and also does awaken.                 .
      The animal was dear `to the man and to the members           And therefore David can reply as he does to Nathan's,
      of his household. For it had grown up together `with         "Thou art the man."
      him, and with his children  ; it -did eat of his own                           (to be continued)
      morsel, and drank of his own cup. It lay in his bosom                                                     G. M. Ophof.
                                                                                             .
      and was to him as a daughter.
          There came a' traveler to the  -rich man, and lo                            oc.x--;
      and behold, he spared to take of his own flocks and of                                                        h
      his own herds, to dress for the wayfaring man that
      was come unto him ; and he took the poor ,man's lamb                           C o n t r i b u t i o n
      and dressed it for. the man that was come to him.
      How astoundingly .heartless !                                Esteemed Editor of The Standard Bearer:               `-
          Nathan had spoken in David's ear a parable in                                           D
      .which he had beheld an image of his own carnal- self,          Having r,ead the Open Letter-from Hamilton, many
      so disguised, however, that he failed to perceive that       questions arose in my mind. In the first place, what
      he was the man. Imagining that the prophet had been have we really in common`with the so-called Liberated
      dealing not in fiction but in fact, David as seized by       Churches or De Gereformeerde Kerken, onderhoudende
      a paroxysm of indignation pronounced sentence of             Art. 31? What binds LIS together, except that we both
      death upon the man ; and unbeknown to' himself he            were thrown out, unjustly, out of our mother churches?
      thereby pronounced sentence of death upon himself.           Is there any more unity between us now then when
      For he was that man. These were his words : "As the          we first came in contact with some of the leaders of
      Lord liveth, .the man that hath `done this thing shall       this movement?      Do, they understand our .doctrine
      surely die and he shall restore `the lamb fourfold- be-      better now, after all the literature sent to them, and
     cause he did this thing and had no pity." It was the          did they come our way? What must we think of
      heartlessness of the man that so sorely provoked the
                         . .                                       people who plead to become members of our churihes,'
      king,                                                        because we. are. according to thxeir opinionn the true
          But David's reaction raises a question. How could        church, but who turn around when the first man comes _
      he be so grieved, perturbed, and shocked by another's        from their home-land, and follow him in his work of
      evil doing that was but a faint echo of the crimes that      mutiny in the church ? "How can we at the same time
      he all along was excusing in himself? This is one of have the same zeal for our mission work among the
      the ugly, ridiculous, nauseating and inexplicable quirks     immigrants if we cannot trust them? What must we
      of fall'en human nature. It just shows what sin has          think of the royal treatments given to some of our
      done to us. It has made hypocrites of us all. We hate leaders in their midst in the past? Does that not re-
      sin in everybody but ourselves. The mote in' the             mind us again of the "Januskop"? What must we
      brother's eye has us worried, and we want to remove          think when we hear that our preaching was so well
      it; but we please to take no thought of the beams. in        received in the Netherlands, but still the immigrants
      our own eyes.                                                Zo+zg to have their own men preach to them, so much
          Y,et David's wrath with the culprit in `Nathan's         so that, oh' yes' they will become Protestant Reformed,
      parable `was real enough. Only, it was not the wrath         but wherever and `however possible they hold on to                     .
                                                             /'


 40                          #                TH%  S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R

their Arminian and Common G~nce  conception of the
covenant and, baptism? Must we think that it takes                              Een Woord Van Dank
ye&s to come to a clear understanding of each other?
Why do they not.answer questions put to them? What                                                           Mt. Hamilton, Route 6 '
must  we, think of a church divided against itself?                                                     Ontario, Canada.
One leader ad_vises hjs people to be sure and. join the               Geaehte Redactie!
Protestant, Reformed Churches, whereas another  great
one among them sends out the alarm : "`BEWARE !                         Wilt  e-zoo. vriendelijk zijn dit schrijven in Uw
If you are compelled  tp become really Protestant Re-                 blad : De Standard Bearer, .op te nemen. Bij voorbaat
formed, that is, also with a view to their covenant con-              onzeri  hartelijken dank.
ception, then  Fever join!" Has there been anyone                         Aan de kerkeraden en lgden der Gemeenten waar-
who ever. protested against this? We have never r&d van wij bijdragen ontvangen hebben tot opbouwing en
Qr heard of it.                               .f                      uitbreiding Uwer zuster-gemeente te Hamilt& :
                                                                       _ Breeders  en iusters in onzen Heere Jezus Christus !
8          What must we think of their conception of church
polity? Especially with a view to what recently hap-                      L?at ik U eerst, als Scriba, mijn verontschuldiging
                                                                      aanbleden; daar ik overtuigd .b'en zeer nalatig te zijn
pened in Canada, where a/minister of the Liberdted                    geweest in het  zenden van een  dankbrief voor  bun
churches, on his own hook, organized churches, with-                  offers aan elk der gemeenten. Dit was van mij geen
out.any charge or mandate?                                            slordigheid of nalatigheid, maar dit lag enkel en alleen
           H,ow can we still be  ?nxious to become sister             aan mijn onkunde van de Engelsche taal, waardoor
churches whereas we even doctrinally disagree?                        ik namen en adressen van verschillende afzenders niet
           Should we not have first of'all a clear understand-        kon ontcijferen. Vandaar dat dit nu langs dezen weg
ing of on& another's doctrine,-before we become closer                geschiedt.
related ?                                                                 Name&  den Raad en alle leden der Eerste Protes-
           It could'ver3r^  well be that we are much closer to the    tantsche Gerefdrmeerde Kerk te  _ Hamilton, Canada,
so-called `$ynodical" group than to the Liberated.                    danken  wij, den"Heere,  ,d&t Hij U a!len gewillig heeft
           The undersigned has also spent some nine weeks             gemaakt oti gehoor te g&en aan onze' aanvraag om ons
in his homeland ; has also attended church services' te helpen met eene geldelijke bijdrage, opdat w1j zou-
there both in the Gerefoheerde  Kerken and in the                     den kunnen overgaan tot het .aankoopen van een wo-
Gereformeerde Kerken, onderhoudende Art. 31. And                      ning voor onzen Herder en Leeraar. Wij  waren er
insofar as he has heard, hi must say that the contents                van overtuigd,. ondanlis  U met veel moeite Uw eigen
of, the sermons in the Gereformeerde Kerken (the so-                  gemeente moet opbouwen, dat gij tech Uw liefde zoudt
called  "synodicals") were closer to what is Protestant               toonen .voor de Kerk van Christus` en voor Uw broeders
Reformed than  those-  oi the  "Vrijgemaakt&?`.  And                  en  zusters te Hamilton.
I c?n.testify  that what I heard in the "Vrijgemaakten"                   De Raad en ook d,e gemeente is zeer gevo'elig  voor de
w.as-different  .from what we hear in our. churches, al-              door U. gebrachte  offers, en ,wij danken  U daar zeer
t&ough we admit that we heard oniy two against five hartelijk voor, en wij hopen ook dat wij met den tijd
of the .others.                                                       wederzijds onze offers zullen kunnen brengen voor
           .MY impression differs somewhat from others who            eventueele zustergemeenten, omdat wij weten, dab ook
have visited thie Yold country" in the past. jrhey seem               in dien weg de Heere ons laat  medewekken  tot het
to have seen nothing but sunshine, but we had differ-                 komen. van het Koninkrijk Gods.
ent experisences.                                                         De Heere zegene U !
     We aldso had the opportunity to be present when a                              Namens  ,den Raad van Hamilton's gemeente,
number of young people  ,made public confession of                                                      -' Th. J. Hart, Scriba.
their faith in the Liberated Churches. And `one thing
struck me : they asked these p&sons not only the three                                            ---
w'ell'known questons, but at least four or five more,
which must be, of course, also bindin.g.                                                     I N   IGIEBX~RIAM
In  conclusionj if we do  .not-  receive in the near                     The Ladies' Society of the Hudsonville Protestant Reformed
future a' definite- clear-cut answer to questions which               Fhurch  hereby expresses its sympathy with one of its  fellow-
were put to the brethren in the Netherlands, recently                 members, Mrs. J. Vander Wal, in the death of her brother-in-law,
and in the past, then I for one,would  like'to sound also                                    N     i         c    k          Vander   WaJ
an  :alarm to our people, a:nd shout to them: "BE-                       May the `bereaved experience the comfort of our Covenant
WARE!"  -                                                             God in His promise of eternal life.
     :.                                      H. De Jong.                                                Rev. 6. TAOS, Pres.
'                           c            Grand Rapids, Mich.                                            Mrs. J. Van Overloop, Sec'y.


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                4 1

                                                                       Now this term "brethren" certainly must not be taken
                   FROM  .HOLY  WRIT.  '  `. to mean merely brethren according to the flesh. The
                                                                       writer is not a mere Hebrew addressing fellow-Heb-
                                                                       rews. Such  -is never the ease in the Word of God.
       Exposition Of Hebrews lo:19425                                  In  Chirist  there is exactly neither Jew nor Gentile,
                                                                       man nor woman, bond nor free. In Christ there is
                                   III.                                nothing that has any meaning except a new creattbye.
                                                                       Old things are indeed-passed away and all `things have
          In this article we see ourselves confronted with the         become new. And, therefore, we.may be very certain,
       task of beginning to-give our explanation of the terms          that- in the. mind of the writer these addressees are
       in the verses 19 and 20. ye read in these verses the            those, who are born not out of bloods (commingling of
       following : "Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to           many generations) nor of the will of the flesh, nor .
       eliter  into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, which He        out of  man, but of God. With the term "brethren"
       bath dedicatied,  a new and living way through the veil,        the writer acknowledges them to be joint-heirs. with
       that is, His flesh, and-,having a High Priest over the          him, he addresses these Hebrew Christians as  co-
       house of #God."                                                 partakers of the New Covenant in Christ's blood.
          We notice, first of all, that the eVd&t intention bf         They are sach by the faith of Jes~~s, believing in His
      the writer in this quoted passage is to state the reason,        N.ame.
       the ground  As well as the incentive for giving he&d to            The term "brethren" ifidicates a reality df salva-
       the admonition .$hat we draw near unto God in the               tion `in these addressees .making it possible for the             ,
       full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled            writer to admonish by saying: Let us draw near in the
       from an evil conscience.                                        fad assurance of faith.  The writer  d,oes not place
           it is well for the reader to take special notice of this    himself outside the circle of readers, btit places him-
       jntention `of the writ& to the Hebrew Christians.               self in their midst as' a fellow-partaker of the blessed
           For the purpose of this passage is to impress in-           and eternal hope in Christ.
       delibly on ,our minds, that since we have such a glorious          It is well, that w,e bear this. manner of address in
       possession and right in Christ as belieyers,. we can do         mind, especially when we ,come  to the implication of
       nothing else but respond in the full assurance of faith.        our "having boldness to eriter into the holiest". The
       Every doubt and fear must give way for joyful and               question is: how `does the writer yiew the hearers?'
     e blessed peace and certainty. In this passage the very           And the answer is : as brethren !.
      heart of the "word of faith that is preached" is very               But-let us proceed.
       clearly stated in terms understood by every Hebrew                 We now come to the second element in this passage
       b e l i e v e r .                                               calling for attention. The element that calls for our
           Briefly, our text teach&  the redemption that is ours       attention is: what is the relationship of this admoni-
       through the blood of Jesus. `God hath indeed spoken             tion to boldly draw nea? Unto God to the foregoing`in-
       unto uB in these last days through His [Son Jesus Christ.       struction of "the writer in this epistle; This relation-
       Grace` and truth have become a reality unto us in Hi?, #ship is expressed in the word `ftherefdre". The term
       Mqses indeed gave the law, but Christ is made unto us           in Greek indicates, that this admonition to draw ,near
       wisdom of God, righteouseess,  sanctific$tion  and com-         unto #God must needs follow from the instrutition  given
       plete redemption. For Christ is the Corner-Stone, in-           in the first nine and one half chapters' of Hebrews.
       deed rejected of men, but elect and pkecious. unto God.         Since all the foregoing is true, thilis drawing near unto
       Upon Him we are to place our trust. -Doing this we
3                                                                      God  ?n true faith cannot remain undone. It is the
       shall never be moved !                                          necessary response, of faith, tkiat  is energized by love
           That is the teaching of tiis passage in a nutshell.         the love that is shed forth in ,our hearts by the Holy,
           It is true, that in our text dif$erent  terms are` em-      Spiiit.
       ployed by thk writer than those that we have written'              But what is that truth of th'e #Gospel that impels
       in the former paragraph. `The text uses terms and               ftiith to seek God in full assurance?
       figures of speech which remind us very strongly of                 It is the wonderful truth, which God has spoken in
       the symbolism of the ,Old Testament temple with its             these last days in His Son, which He has made a reality
       laws and ordinances. But this fact of different termin:         in the' suffering and death, the resurrection and glor-
       ology does hot in the least change matters as we have           ious ascension of `the Mediator of the New Covenant.
       `stated them in a former paragraph.                             ,Compar,e  Hebrews 1: 1.
           iLet us take notice of the text in question.        /          Of this great mediatorial work of Christ the writer
           The first matter that- then strikes our attentidn is,       to the Hebrews gives us a wbnderfully clear picture,
       that the writer addresses the readers as "brethren".            which tie can state briefly in the here following salient    .
                                                                                  /c


 4          2                      ,     T H E   `S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 points. The first of these points is given us very clear-      that one must be born from Levi's loins, but that it is
 ly in Hebrews 1 :l-18.1 Here we are very clearly and           a. priesthood following from a  zuo&  04  oath.  Christ
 emphatically taught, that Jesus Christ is indeed the           is not a iere priest by the decree pertaining to the
 one of whom! all the Scriptures speak. He is the sub-          flesh and blood of Aaron, but He is a Priest since God
 ject concerning Whom all the books of Moses, the               has  pla'ced Him there by His word of oath, saying:
 Psalms and the Prophets .speak. His name is exalted            "Thou art a priest forever after the order of  Mel-
 above, every name. No angel can ever compare with              chizedek." The flesh dies and so the word of the
 Him in power and g!ory. He albne has the distinction           carnal `commandment ceas.es. But this Christ,  who
 of sitting by God's decree at the right hand of God in         lives forever, is Priest forever after the order of Mel-
 the heavens above. God, has never said to any of the           chizedek.      He lives and reigns  .forever.  Wherefore
 angels: Sit thou at My right hand until I make thy             He dan  perf,ectly  save  ~11  .those  who through Him
 en`emies  thy f,ootstodl!    But thus He indeed speaks to      come  `unto God. In the second instance, and that too
 the Son in `our flesh, who even in the flesh @`the very        for the very reasons given above, Jesus is a* Priest in a
 effulgence of ,God's glory, the expressed image of His         better temp1.e. He is not a priest in the earthly temple.
 being.                8                                        That temple was a, figure of the better temple not made
      The second salient point, brouiht out by the writer       with hands in-the heavens. Into the earthly temple
 of the Hebrews, is, that this Jesus, although He is Lord.      Jesus never entered as the High Priest with His blood.
 over all things in heaven and on earth, is nevertheless        He went into the heavenly temple, passing  thrdugh
 like unto us His "brethren" in all things, sin excepted.       the `heavens, there to appear before God for us. In
 He is the <Son of God, to be sure, but He is.the Son           this better. temple He also brings, the better sacrijice
 in our flesh. He was made like unto us in all things. ,and is the Mediator of the new Covenant based upon
 Hence, He is not ashamed to call us "brethren". Both           b e t t e r   p r o m i s e s .
 He, Jesus, who sanctifies us, and we, the brethren; who            Now these are the salient poi&, developed by th,e
 are sanctified are ill out `of ,one, Adam. As far as the       writer of the Hebrews, which form the basis of the
 flesh is concerned, we are all out of one blood. This          exhortat& : Let us `draw near with true hearts in the
 brings Him very near us. He was tempted of all things          full assurance of faith. The entire former part of the
 like as we are. Howtever,  in His temptation He never          book of Hebrews is ,devoted to an elucidation of these
 in any way was tempted of sin! A careful reading of            points. In our text we have an admonition based upon
' Hebrews 2 :l-18 will bear this out.                           thes,e  truths concerning our only ,King and High-Priest.
      The tk;ird poililc, which is h&e worthy of separate           We have a High-Priest over the house of God. He
 mention, and which portrays to us the greatness of the         is the High-Priest over Us, over His house, the be-
 High Priest, Who is ours in the heavenly temple, is,           lievers, who hold fast to the end to the confession bf
 that which the writer tells us in Hebrews 3 :l-6. It is :      the hope. i
 tluit Jesus, the M,ec&to~* of the New `C&maant is great-           That we have such .a High-Priest is Very important
 er .thm Moses through whom the law is given. Moses             to consider. We  do. not merely have  ,Jesus as our
 indeed worked .ip the house of God,. that is, in the           High-Priest on  ea?th, while He was in the state of
 church of `God in the Ojd Testament. But he laboi,ed           humiliation, in suffering and  d,eath,  while He was
 only,as  a s&vant in the house. He was. very faithful,' `going to prepare a place for us, but He is our King-
 it is true, but +e only labored as a serva.nt.    Jesus the    Pri'est even as this very moment in heaven. Always
 Son of Gdd in our flesh labored as the Builder ,of the         He lives to pray fok Us. We may continually take
 house. He came in the`flesh. He was obedient in the            refuge unto tthe Thron,e of Grace through Him. Con-
 flesh and built the temple ,of His church in three days        stantly we may -find grace in and through Him as our
through His d,eath  and glorious resurrection. This did         Advocate with the Father. He is Jesus Christ the
 hot Moses. Moses could not bring bbout grace. He is            right,eous High-Priest thgt becomes us, holy, harmless,
 the law-giver. however,  in Christ grace and truth             undefiled and separate from sinners and made higher
 have become a reality. He became unto us from God              than the heavens!
 wisdgm, righteousness, sanctification, and compiete  re-           Our drawing nigh unto.the  Father `is only through
 demption.                                                      and be&use of His intercession. It is because of this
      The fourth point, brought out by the writer` of the       promise and knowledge and faith's certainty of His
 Hebrews, is, that Jesus, since He is great& than Moses, ,intercession  that we draw nigh to ,God in. the blessed
 is also greater than Aaron and ther entir,e Old Testa-         assurance of being received by Him in mercy.
 ment priesthood. Je&s ,excels, according to the writer             In Him our High-Priest is also the new and living.
 of &he Hebrews, Aaroh in the following resbects: In            way, thle boldness to enter, into the Most Holy Place
 the first place, Jesus' priesthood excells that of Aaron       before God's presence.
 in that it is not a priesthood following from a `&ma1               Of this we hope to say more in the next artije.         -_
 commandment, that is, from a commandment stating                                                    Gee. C. Lubbers,


                       <               :   .THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        43

                                                                  In  ' protestant circles, however, history has taken
            IN HIS FEAR  '  _ a different turn, It was not long after,the first spark
                                                               of the Reformation was. kindled that the' rend toward
                                                               division and seccession began. And that trend  has
   Church Membership In His Fear                               continued down to the present time. History teaches
                                                               us that the leaders of the Reformation were not them-
                                                               selves agreed by any means: And among the `different
                                 2          .                  branches of the movement of the Reformation divisions
     The Holy Cdtholic Chwmh as First Principle.               soon mu&lied. Not only were there divisions along
                                                               national, linguistic, and racial lines ; but churches
   The important' question that is before us, as we            multiplied their confessions, confessions that often
have seen, is: what does it mean that I am guided by           contradict one another on cardinal points. There seem
the fear of the Lord, both. as objective standard and          to be many Lords, many faiths, many baptisms, in-
as subjective principle, in my church affiliatioh?             stead of one Lord, one faith, one baptism. And whet+-
   That question is not an easy one to answer for              er they actually have the nerve to do this br not, the
many reasons, chief of which is the undeniable fact            fact remains that` each different church, by virtue of
that we are'surrounded in our day by a multitude of            its separate existence as a church, cz+lls to us: Here is
churches, so that the believer is forced to answer the         the church ; here you should belong; here the gospel
[q,uestion:  where is the church? Time was, of course,         is preached !
when in an outward sepse, at least, the belie'ver  `did           And `we-in America are right in the midst of the
not have to face that question. Principally, of course,        stream. Just as America has become the melting pot
the question was always present, even when for cen-            of. the nations, 90 she has become the melting pot of
turies there was oniy one existent church communion. the churches,-only the melting process has not pro-
In fact, it is exactly because of the fact that in faith       duced the unity of a mixture up to this time. It would
believers in past time faced that question that today          be b&ter perhaps simply to cdl it a boiling pot, boiling
w,e f.ace,the question in its modern garb, as it is placed     with a mixture of some 250 different religious groups,
upon the background of the fact that there are many            $1 clamoring loudly for your allegiance. Even. the
churches and church commu;nications  in our time. Also         modern movement for church union is but pne more
that truth should beconle plain as we proceed. How-            aspect of the denominational trend,. one- more raucous
ev&, there was a time when in, the outward sense, at           v,oice in the bedlam of ec`clesiastical  confusion.
least, the church was'one, a long time. For centuries,            Nor have the Reformed churches been immune, as
-until the time, first of all, of the split between the        we well know who are at all aquainted with Reformed
eastern and western bran&es of the church, the Greek           church history. Even in the Dutch branch of the Re-
and the Romish,-one did not ,face the concrete ques-           formed churches denominations have multiplied, We,'
tion as we face it today : -from among all these churches      as Protestant Reformed Churches, have been caught
lvhich one must I `chodse? There was only one church           in that stream only 25 -years ago, and in our  .own
to join.                                                       peculiar time and circL!mstances  stand as church among
   But especially after the Reformation in the. six-           churches. And in the  Netherlaqds  during the last
teenth century the question took on new meaning. And           decade again we have witnessed another split.
more especially in protestant circles does the question           Add to this the fact that most churches have their
have  sifnificance.         The- Romish  Church{ of course,    own church extensison activities, oft&. well-oiled pro-
blithely continues to claim the sole right to the name         paganda machines; and we would almost give up hope
catholic  Only for  .itself. And we may as well admit          of coming to any well-grounded conclusion as to where
too, that she makes a pretty good showing,-so good             we must. affiliate.
that even protestants make the mistake of granting                What attitud'e must be assumed over .against all
her the honor of the virtue of catholicity:  by commonly       these churches? How must one choose? W,here must
referring to the Romish Church as the Catholic Church,         one affiliate? In what direction does the fear of the'
a  .mistake which every right thinking protestant should       Lord lead us?
studiously avoid. But among all churches the Romish               Certainly, the very first principle from which we
Church succeeds in pretending that !he is catholic  and        must proceed is expressed in the confession: "I believe
has maintained its world-wide dominion and com-                an holy catholic church." In the midst of all this con-
munion where all others have failed. The fact is, how-         fusion of churches that faith must be the shelter of
ever, that the Romish Churches now also stands his-            God's children.
torically as a church among churches, though `it re-              But not in a  wroig way. Often that faith con-
fuses to face this historical reality and to a large ex-       cerning the holy catholic church is used as a shield,
tent also keeps its membership in this` straight-jacket.       but in such a way that we, shirk'our duty in regard to


      :


 4             4                           T H E   STA.NDARD  BEA,RtiR                             >

church affiliafiod. You know-the reasoning p&haps,' elect is gathered in. Nor can it be added to at all.
for it is frequently' followed. -After all, they say, we          Not one more, nor one less could possibly belong to
cannot take the attitude that we are the church. God              the church of ,Christ than has been eternally deter-
has His people-in every nation and clime and tongue,              mihed by God Himself.  In the second  place, that
not only, bu;t also in every' denomination. And it is             definite,  elect  number of redeemed is not a mere multi-
`presumptuolis t6 take the narrow and intolerant atti-            tude of saints, but a perfect and harmonious  imity in
tude that the Protestant Reformed Churches are the                the  sense that each saint occupies his own position
true Church. Often to that line of reasoning is added             and serves his own particular ,God;appointed p&pose
rather piously that other people are going to .heaven             in the church. In the third  piace,  the church is an
too, and that you cannot simply damn all the rest to              organism, not a mechanism. Perhaps we often stumble
hell. I believe simply the holy catholic church. Ergo,            eve; those terms organism, and  organic. We shouldn't
it doesn't make too much difference where I am mem-               do that; rather should we understand them and try
ber or where I attend church.                                     to unde$$and them. An organism is characterized by
      Now we will not immediately draw any conclusions            two .elements  i a common principle of life, and growth
as .to this line of reasoliing, although we hope to point         from that common principle of life. To distinguish  .'
 out its fallacies in the course of this series. Rather           between an organism dnd a mechanism, .we may use
is it hecessary  before all else that we clearly under-           the examples of a man and an automobile, the former
stand what is meant by the holy catholic church.                  being an organic being and the latter being a mechan-
      The cdnfession  that the church is cathoiic and that        ism or -machine. Now, then, the church is a spiritual
she is holy must be based upon the Word of God only.              oyganism. All her life and. all her growth is from
 It certainly cannot be based upon experience.  Ex-               Christ, her Head. It is only by the entrance of Christ,
- perience contradicts both. Ai we have had opportunity           through His Word and Spirit, into the hearts of His
to notice above, all our experience contradicts the con-          elect that men become a&ive  and living members of His
fession that the  chuY;ch  is one and universal.  Th$t            Church. And it is only from Him. as their Head that
unity is beyond our selisibiiities. But also the holi-            the members of the. Church continue to receive all their
ness of the church s contradicted by the appearance of            life and to live as His Church. All this is beautifully
the church in the world. All her history and dealings             t.aLfght us in the figures which IScripture  employs to
 in the *world &and in contrast -with the confession of           picture Christ's Chur;ch*to us, the figure of the Head
 her holiness. Often the church appears more corrupt              and the Body, of the vine and the branches, the figure
 than the world from which she-is called. Struggle and            of the  oli& tree,  and even the figure of the temple
 partisanship, hatred, bloody persecutions, `power-mad-           and its foundation. : .-
 ness and fleshly lust, the stoning of the prophets and              3. `That church? & %oly, first of all, objectively in
*the crucifixion of the  Qord of glory,-all these  htive          Christ her Head, with Whoin she is eternally united as
 blotted- hey record and do blot.her record in history.           one plant, and in whom her holiness is realized at the
      Yet the believer confesses that there is "one body" cross. But she is holy  also  subjtictively  .thr,ough the
 a'nd that this one bddy is "an holy nation". Arid he             principle of  regetieration  and sanctification in her
 mak&  and can make that confession only on the basis             members, so that these members are called "saints".
 of the Word of God and by faith. What does it mesin?                4. And that church is catholic in the sense  that'
      We do not intend,:and it would not be proper in             she is gathered in all ages, from the beginning to the
this rubric,-to go into a thorough exposition of the              end of time, and from all nations .and tongues and
 idea of the `church. We would siniply briefly state this' tribes, not in the sense that in this present time upon
 truth and its fundamental elements. And  thep we                 earth she `is realized and comes to manifestation in
 must notice :                                                    one institute completely and `exclusively.
           1. That ideally the church is the body of Christ as       5. Finally, we also must .mention  the attribute of
`she exists eternally in the counsel of God, thaf all the         iipostolicitzj,  which means that the church is built upon
 elect are members of that church, whether they be                the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
 those who have already died -.and gone on to glory,              Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. This
 whether they be gathered into the church. All to-                apostolicity of' the church, therefore, is a succession
 gether comprise the church as it stands eternally in             of doctrine,- hot a succession of persons.
 tlie divine thoughts and as it shall in the day- `of our'           Really, if one wants to say  all this in one word,
 Lord  Jesus Christ dwell perfectly in His everlasting- he says "Chri.st". The church is His body, is the mani-
 tabernacle.                                                      festation of `His glory; His grace, His righteousness,
           2.' That church  ii an organic unity. In the first     His holiness, His-everlasting beauty! She exists for
 place, the ch&ch is on& harmonious whole. Ii consists            Hiti, and &t of Him, and through .Him. And all that.
 of a certain definite number of redeemed saints, and             we have said above concerning the church flows from
 will not be fully realized until every last one of those         the fact that ,Christ is her Head.


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE,R                                           45

    And it is this fact which we must bear constantly            thank our people for their noble effort and assistance
 before our mind when we deal with the subject at hand.          in this drive. Above all tie thank `our Covenant God
.Really there are not many churches but only one church          Who has put it in your hearts to sacrifice for this
 in the sense in which we h&e described it above. Nor            cause.
 must we make the mistake of multiplying churches                   We can Also report that a temporary committee
 when we begin to mtike distinctions' and speak. of a vis- has been formed composed of representatives' of our
 ible church and an invisible church, a militant church          Grand Rapids -Churches, which has unstintingly given
 and a triumphant church, an instituted church and an            o,f their time and energy to procure lodging, etc., for
 organic church. We may certainly make distinctions,             these families, `and to advise in-the distribution of the
 and we shall have t;o upon the basis of Scripture. But          moneys received. Mr. Sidney- De <Young, member  of'
 we .must bear in mind : there. is one body, the'body, of' t$e `Theological School Committee, has worked `with
 our Lord Jesus Chrisf,`His church. And our distinc- the undersigned from&the  beginning in this undertak-
 tions must be only .distinctions.                               ing. ESpecially+o  him and Mr. Orie Hamstra, also of
  ,' It\;nd then the iquestiqn must next be asked:  what is      our churches and. in the Realty. business, $ .special
 the relation bettieen  the ho!y catholic church and the         word of thanks is due. The-temporary committee Gas
 church as she exists "in the midst of the `world and            broadened out to include also Mr, Donald Ondersma
 comes to manifestation `in the midst of ~h~.w%rld?              of Secolid  Church and Mr. James Kok of First Church.
                                            H. C. Hoeksema.'
                                                 .                  It is now the decision of this committee to present
                                           _'                    tie the con'cributors in thihis. drive %ho are members of
                    -      a          -               -    ,2    the socie.ty by virtue of their contribution or pledge,
                                                                 the opportunity .of selecting a. permanent committee
                                                                 \? take  .charge. of the fund and the  car6 of these
    &port On The Call- For Help "' families for ihe three years required for their instrdc'-
                                                                 tion in our School. we present herewith a nomination
    ISome t&e ag0.a request yas sent to our people .t6           of eight names representing the four (Grand Rapids
 help financially three ministejrs  and their families who       Churches. From this list four will be chosen to serve
 came to us fu'om another debomination,  and who are             for th.e, three years. Printed cards will soon be sent
 now located in Grand Rapids attending our seminary.             to all the members and they. will be asked to return
 This article must serve as a feport on the progress of          them by a certain date, and those recei'ving the most
 this drive for funds.                                           votes will be chosen.' The  nomitiaiion  is as follows:
    ,Our hearts are overjoyed by the liberal response            Second Church :,Donald Ondersma and Henry Kooi-
 our people have given which, it appears. to us, is an           enga; Fourth Church :-Gerrit Pipe ; Creston :-Dick
 evidence of the Lord's blessing on the entire venture..  '      Blqem ; First Church :-Andrew Voss, James Kok, Orie
    We `have not really begun to h.ear as yet from our           Hamstra, and Sidney De Young. You are  re~ue&d
 Western Churches. which we believe cguld `not be .as            to look over these names and be ready to cast your
 enthusiastic in this drive simply b,ecause they did not         vote for four when you receive your ballot card.
 understand the great need, neither did they ,have all              As to the three ministers and their families;we cab
 the inform&ion concernitig  the three ministers that            report that they are now living in Grand R3pids  in
 our. Eastern. Churches possess; We believe that as              places provided by the committee. The ministers a?e
 soon  as they become- thoroughly' informed they, too,           &tending our School and already= performing the `as-
 will become enthused and collaborate with us in this            signGents handed out by the professors on  openi&
 fund. The mere trickle will turn into a stream.' But            day. We know that if they could only slip in a woi*$
 in spite of all this, our people have-ple'dged themselves       here, they would want to give expression to their deep
 in the amount of $6893.11 so far. ,Qf'this amount we            gratitud'e  for all our people have done for them, and
 have received in cash $5412.41 and there are unpaid             most of all, of  c'ourse;  to'our God Who  h+s  -so  mys-
 pledges in the amount of $1481.00. The thirty cent              teri&sly directed them td us `And our School. Perhaps
 differential being caused by  the  overlpayment  of a           later you tiill hear from them.                  ;.
 pledge by one individual..  The  amotint  of unpaid                We attended the opening session of our Seniintiry
 pledges covers those pledges duet his year and some             which was, in our opinion, a greats-episode in the his-
 which  .are spread over a three-year period. If  thosk          tory of our School and Churches. It reminded us. of-.
 who have pledged for this year would pay their pledgt           the early days in our School. There ,was excitement
 now, we would have approximately enough for .this               and life. Even the professors wer'e excited, so much
 year. Of course, all that is over-paid will be applied          so that one seemed 8 little confused in dishing dut hi$
 to next year. From all this, our people can see the             assignments.    What a complex group of  studeritD'!
over-all picture which is `indeed cause for joy and              From sederal  nationalities and tongues and delio&ina-
 gratitude.    We therefore take this opportunity to             tions they came. There were two  `ydung  .tien  `;who


       4                  6                          T H E   :S.TAN.D'ARD~   B E A R E R

       came from the  LibeFated  group  ,in the Netherlands                   what I. consider an evident church political error, it
s      and who are thorough-bred Dutchmen of course. There                    must nevertheless be stated that the undersigned at
       was a Greek, an Irishman and,an Anierican. There                       the time of the  clas`sical meeting had no official in-
       were two German boys and five of our. own, four of                     formation as to the schismatic and clearly unethical
       whoni are attehdiilg  Calvin College and our Seminary                  actions of Mr.  Hcttitiga, as reported by Hamilton's
       l?art time. In this complex group we saw a pi+lciple Consi&ory. If I had had such facts in my possession,
      of the pluriformity'.of the Church as well as her u-nity.               his reception on our Classis would not have gone un-
       All w&e .united in the love of the trut$ as `we know it,                protested.
       in its purest form. `.                                                     2. I am sorry, that the Rev. MG. Hettinga was ever
              `-If all our people could have witnessed what we. saw            introdticed at our gathering, not because he was given
       :oli that opening `day;`they  all would have carried away               or made use of any opportunity to further his schis-
       as we did a.new interest and.zeal for the School which -matic labors, but because our classis publicly bade him
       the Lord has given us, and so signally blessed through-                 `<Godspeed" through the meditim' of our classical chair-
       out the yeaqs of its existence.                                        man. This should not ,have been done, especialy  not
               In closing we would like to r.emind  those who have            by our churches officially; and having-learned the facts,
       sent us their pledges that expire,this  year to pay these               I now hereby retract, in as far as that is possible, my
       as soon as conveniently possible so, that we w'ill know                 "share" of  ithat "Godspeed". As long as Mr. Hettinga
     where we stand financially. Also we would encourage                       do& not return from the evil of his way, he cannot
       those who have not yet contributed,  especially in OLW                  possibly carry away the Lord's blessing, nor may the
       Western  Chdrehes,  td labor with us in this venture                    church of Jesus Christ bid him Gods'peed.
       .which must be of  intefest  to air-our churches. Y o u
       can send your contribution to the undeysigned, or $0                        3. I believe that future .classes  should take warning
       Mr. Don Ondersma, 1135 Chicago Dr., S: W., Grand                        from tliis iricident  that no man, whethe?  his reputation
       Rapids, Mich.                                                           among `US is good.  or not, should be officially feceived
                                                                               by our, chbrches  unless he has. official business and
                                   I         s Rev. M.  &hipper,
                                                B       o    x           121, official.accreditation  to the meeting in question. That
                                               South Holland, Illinois.        is the church political error to which I referred under
                                                                               "1". It was simply not the business of the classis to
                                                                               greet and receive the Rev. Hettinga at all. And with -
                                                                               the othkr delegates I hold myself guilty of violating
                                                                               this rule.  -
                          A : Grim Contrast                                     4. I believe  that the Liberated Churches, if they
                                                                               value the efforts tdward correspondence at all, must
       `D                                                                      before all else put a-`stop to the efforts of one of their
             ear Mr. Editor:            I                                      ministers  `immediattily and repudiate his work. The
               A' grim contrast `presented itself in our ,Statidard            labors of the Rev. -Hettinga  are not only unethical and
       Bearer  between the report of' Class& West and the                      in that.way  blddk correspondence; but they are, as long
        i&&r of Hamilton's Consistory in the issue of  Sep;                    as the Liberated Churches `do not repudiate them,. a
       temper:  15. It is a contrast which might possiblyleave                 de  facto  .admission,  both on  the part  of Mr. Hettinga  '
       the impression that.our  churches are working at odds,                  and on the part of his .churches,  that correspondence
        at Gjfferenf  ends,--an impression which should not be                 is impossible between their churches  atid ours, what-
       !eft uncontradicted. And an impression it certainly                     ever may be the reason in their opinion.
       -leaves which ought to be cleared up at once and in a                     5. Finally, I  believe that the Rev. Hettinga shbuld
       ,proper manner by the common party involved.                            publicly apologize, for' even allowing himself to appear
               ` I refer, of course, ito the contrast between the Rev'. formally `on our classictil  gathering and to be officially
        gettinga's dealings in the vicinity of our Hamilton                    introduced while he himself was well aware of the fact
        congregation  and over against Hamilton's Consistory                   that he had opposed the cause of the Protestant Re-
       .and the pub.licly r,eported  fact of Mr. Hettinga's. pub-              formed Churches elsewhere:  for we and he must bear
        lic reception at the `last meeting of  Classis West  in                well in mind that  ihe cause  o? the  congr,egation at
       Qskaloosa,   Iqwa.                                                      Hamilton is the cause of all our Protestant Reformed
                As a member of Classis We& and a delegate to the               Churches at once. That cause the R,ev. Hettinga op-
        l&?:st classical meeting I want to do .my part personally              posed. And therefore also at our classical gathering
       :in .clearing  up this matter. I am sure, too, that others              he appeared and acted as a schismatic." That Calls for
     I share. my attitude.                                                     apology and'cqnfession on his part.
             ! I Perhaps. this can best be done as follows :                                                .Yours in' Christ,
       (:       I.; Although I do not consider this as an excuse for                                                H. C.  Hoeksema.


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE'A.RER                                                   47

                                                                  of, the Chur& is `linked to her indivisibility. Hence
              .PERISCOPE                                  ;' her right to interpret the Scripture, : Therefore we
                                                                  liaise-the  following question: Is it opportun2  to bring
                                                                  once mor.e into discussion the question of this Confes-
/ Denting the Heritage of t,he l/k&hers.                          sion of indivisibility?
                                                                      " (3) `We believe that Christ instituted the Sac&-
     This was our reaction when reading some time ago             men+ as vehicles of His grace. As for baptism,  .we                ;
the -glaring headlines and the article which followed             believe Christ insi&ted it to-be the bath of the re-
 in the "`Catholic Messenger".                                    birth so that we may be cleansed of original sin and
     The title of this article was:  "Datch Reformed -receive new. strength for our divine life. Hence the
 Pastors re-examine their position in the light of church         question : IS it right to teach that this Sacrament. of
 tradition." And then, "Ask the questions which may               Baptism is only the. affirmation and .sealing Up 6f a
 put them closeY; to Rome than `Geneva."                          grace of God which is considered to be present before
     A portion of the art!& follows:                              and without the administration.of the Sacrament.' "
     "`Amsterdam, Netherlands:-In the wake  if  ti;e  -_              We pause here briefly to notice how differently our
 recent Holy Office instructions- @.nitting,.  but limit-         Confession df faith presents it in Article 34, "The&-
 ing, discussions of religious reunion, a group  Df 30            fore he' has commaizded  all those who are his,. to be
 prominent members of the Dutch Reformed (Calvin-                 baptized with pure water, "in the n&ne of `cl&! Father,
 ist) church, (Hervormde  Kerk-J.H.) has issued a                 jnd'of the Son and of the Holy Ghost :" thereby' signi-
pamphlet appearing  -td place them closer to Rome                 fying to  us, that  as  %ater  washeth  `away the  filtli of  _
 t h a n   t o   G e n e v a .                                    the body, when poured.upon  it, and is seen on the body
   "The pamphlet entitled "Reformation and  Catholic-             of the baptized when sprinkled  upon him ; so doth the
 ity," has just been published at Rotterdam. In it the            blood of Clirist,  bi the power Qf the Holy  Ghost .in-
 writers express themselves .with great caution,- and it ternally spri;lkle  the soul, cleanse it frpm its sin& and
 is llpted that they do not announce any formal "break':, regenerate us from children of wrath; unto childreri
.with the Dutch Reformed `Church.                               `, of  ,God.  Not that this  $  efife~cted by the  exkrnal
     <Yet what they write on tradition,, the Sacraments           water, but by the sprinlding of the precious blood `of                  .
 and the relation between nature and grace, together athe-Son  of~God;`. . .  : Neither does this baptism `only
 with the opinion that Christ is actually pre$ent  under          avail us, at the time when the water is poured, upon us, -
 the appearance of bread and wine and the evident                 and received by us, but also through the whqle course
 respect of the authors for. the Church of the early              of our life ; . . . .".
 centuries are looked upon here as paving the way for                 Again we take up: the quotation, concerning. the
 discussion which may open wide prospects.                        Lord's Supper,. " `As for the Holy Sacrament of; the
     "Having stated that in the Netherlands, as else-             Lord's Supper, we conf&s &at our Lord Jesus Christ,
 where, the desire for Church unity is getting. stronger,         in a mysterious and hidden way, is really actually'and
 the writer gives expression to the opinion that the truly present and that under- the. appearance of bread
 glory `of Christ's Mystical Body will bring salvation            and. wine He gives His:most sacred Body and Blopd
                                                                                                          :
 to the stricken world. The writers go on to say:                 as food and drink for the eternal life. .
 (N&e that what follows is a quotation ,from these 30                 " `We believe that this Blessed Sacrament re-.e&cts
 ceformed Ministers in the Netherlands-J.H.) .                    in our own days the Sacrifice tihioh He made -on the
     " `We cr$icize .tradition  in the R,oman church, yet         Cross fey our sins, and th&t, by our participation .in
.we have established our own tradition. . . . `We are             this Sacrament, we partake of th.e fruits of this, Hi:s
convinced that a new examination of the refor'mation              sufficient Sacrifice.
 of the Church is necessary. {W& underscore-J.H.)                     " `Therefore, we put the qilestion': Is this Sacrament
 Exegetics  and Church histo'ry  must be- made use of,            jtistly appreciated when it is taught that it is' only:a
 even if this must lead to less. difference `between the          sign and a sealing up of the salvation granted through
.Ca,tholic  and t6e Reforged Church.' "                           preaching?' "
     "Special attention is placed on the four following`              `That in this paragraph'the authors come very clOse
`points : (and notice again that we have ,a quotation             to an outright denial of Lord's Day 30 of our Heidel-
from these 30 members-J+.)             :                          berg Catechism is evident to anyone acquainted with
     "(1) `We believe that the church finds in  Holy, its contents;
 Writ the revelation entrusted to her by Jesus Christ:              _  " (4) `We believe that the Incarnate Word  con-
 namely,, in His words and thdse ,of the prophets &nd             .tinues -through the Holy Church until, the end of .the
 Apostles. This is the nucl&u; and, the rule of her faith         world. Therefore, we confess tliat the Churbh is the
 and her life.                                                    Body of the Son of God ii? which He lives among, us
     " (2) `We be!i&ve as'well that the confession  of faith      `and that He has establish+ in it the office of apostles


                                                                                         .------                                 L.
                                                                                                                      2;    _
               -48        _"                             Tl+.E  S-TANDAP,D  B E A R E R
                                  .     .                                         .                                                                     ..'
               and bishops through whom He. wants to exercise His                        " (1) God Himself is witness that His Word is in-
               lordship among us.                 0                                    spired by the Holy Spirit, (II  Timo!hi  3  :16, 17  ;.
                " `We  beli.eve  that  .He  lirks the imparting. of the -II Peter  1:21; Psalm  119,:152; `Luke  21:33).
               I..oly Ghost to the imposition of .the hands of the bis-                  `qGod's Word was wrjtten hundreds and hundreds
               -hops  consecvatecl through Him  ancl their successors                  of years before this research was thought of or begun. u
               and that his office is based 0i-1 a special vocation and                Whenever an agreement be&een the `Bible and these
               a segregation `for His service. (We underscore -J.H.)              ifindings is found, tke real meaning is that the Bible
                 _I* `Hence  the 1 question: is it rightful for a, Church to           shows those f&&ngs nre correct, reliable-never, never
               withdraw from this apostolic succession or to consider that the Bible  is confirmed.
               the apostolic office to be rather a specialization of an                  "This talk of `confirming the Bible' in'this man&r
               .office entrusted'to  ,all? "(We underscore-J.H.)                - i&-like it would be if one would take ,his Waterbury
                   " `Also are we not wasting the grace of God when,                   watch-down to the United Stat& Naval IO,bservatory
               disregar,ding this tridition which dates from the begin-                and- proceed to show the scietitists on duty there the
               ning of the Church, we administer the Sacraments with' correct time ! They h&e the time instrumentally from -
               ou.t asking ourselves if tie have the riiht to do, so, and              the stars to the hundredth of a second. He who made
               go on without lookirig for the solution of the problem?                 the stars and has kept them in their coukses ever since
                 " `We`are convinced that we must- try to be  cdn-                     `with the exact precision of a most perfect, mechanism,'
               netted with .the histb;rical.line of Christian confession               also made  the Bible. And for us to dig np something
             --. and life, faith and church-rule, from, whitih we' feel.~ from the earth and say `it copfirms the Bible,' is far, 1
               we are separated.                .-, .                                  far distant from honoring  :God.   Such talk belittles
                   `I `Therefore, we appeal to a  deep%earChing  `con-                 H.is Word.'             5.
               sciousness on all these points. Any one eirnestly con-                     " (3) Another reason against this practice is that
               sidering this question will see what an i&miens? field                  the records of those facts as disclosed by the research
               lies fallow. By unitedly praying and working we may,                    is merely a  human record, a human work;  whereas
~  -
I       '
.              -hunianly  speakin&,  have the  way for the full  g?owth                the Bible is a divine product, though -it pleased God in
               of the faith, brought here centuries ago.' "                            unmeasurkd condescension to use men in the making of
                   Now eliactly who the 30 people mentioned above, it. Is it reasonable to us.e a human work to prove the
               .as the authors of the pamphlet may be-we do not know,                  corre.ctne&  -of a divine work? Shall I take my watch
               except that they `seem to be pastors.                                   to the'observatorjr to prove the stars are keeping the
                   But this we know-that the headline errs when it -correct time?
               .calls them Reformed. This tliey may be in riame but                       " (4) In addition, God the Spirit' cannot be regarded
               certainly not in all that that iiame stands for historic-               as begetting faith iq an-y sinner prom the -findings of
               ally. They have compk"omis&l  the Reformed position                     arcliaeology, even. when these agree -with the Bible,
               :so definitely that they have no more right to the name.                because the testimony of the Spirit `Himself is that
                   In passing do we see here perhaps the ultimate out-                 `faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
               coin& of the present-day trend toward "ecumeniciti?"                    Go8 (Romans  10:17).
                                                                                          "(5) The  ,above `effort thus to confirm the Bible
               -Does Archaeology Con,firm  the B%le?                                   implies the historic passages in the Bible are not re-
               Under this title in'a recent issue of the  ",Southern                   likable, are untrustw&thy  and in need of further cer-
               Presbyterian Journal" appears an article by Harold                      tainty. This is a method that may prove of high value
               Houston Leach which we here reproduce.                                  in humaa courts where one witness may by his testi-
                  "Archaeology is a great thou&h a rather new science mony corroborate that of another witness. But this  is
               to which many scholarly men devote their lives with                     not needed when `the Judge .of all the earth' is the
              marvelous results. There are many valuable'books  on                     witgess  as He was'in giving the Bible.
               .the subject; especially thos`e  written by Bible-believing                "`. . . .We ackno&edge the inward illumination
               Christian men. From the nature of the case, the                         of the Spirit ,of God to be necessary for the saving
               findings of these+. scientist%  pertain to the historical. understanding of subh things ai are revealed in the
               facts as given `in the Bible.                                           w o r d :   ..,.
                                                                                                        ` '
                                                                                                             Concerning thy testimonies, I have
                   "And when these findings agree with accounts as                     known of old that thou hast founded them forever'
               narrated in the Bible they are customarily spoken. of                   (Psalm 119 : 152).
               as `confirming the Bible.' This is a mistaken us@- to                      " `Heaven and earth shall pass away : but my words
               make of the findings of archaeologists, whatever other                  shall not pass away'. ([Luke, 21:33).
              values tliose jindingi  may have. They should not be                        `( `And the world @sseth away, and the lust there-
               regarded- 8s `confirtiing  .the Bible,' for the following               of; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever'
               r&sons, just to mention a few :                                         `(I John 2 :17) ."                              J .   H o w e r z y l .


