                          he         _c

                      tandard

                                   earer

     A  REFORMED  SEMI-MONTHILY  MAGA%INE



          In. Thankfulness To Our Covenant God

                          We
I              Commemorate In This Issue

                          The

          Four Hundred Fifty-Third Anniversay

                         of the
                   Great Reformation





                                      Volume XL VII/Number 3 /November, 1970


50                                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


                              CONTENTS                                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                                                        Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July and August.

Meditation                                                                              published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.
      Reformation, and More Reformations! . . . . . . . SO                                     Second Class Postage Paid at Grand Rapids,  Mich.
                                                                                  Editor-in-Chief:  Prof.  f-f.  C.  Hoeksema

Editorials -                                                                      Department   Editors::   Mr. Donald Doezema, Rev. Cornelius Hanko, Prof.
                                                                                  Herman Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A.  Heys. Rev. Jay
      The Heart-Beat of the Reformation . . . . . . . . . . .$3                   Kortering, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev.  Gise J.
      Proposal C  - Michigan's                                                    Van  Baren, Rev. Herman Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
       Antiparochiaid Amendment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56                  Editorial   Office:  Prof. H.  t. Hoeksema
                                                                                                      1842 Plymouth Terrace, S.E.
Come Ye Apart . . . And Rest A While                                                                 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
                                                                                  Church News  Editor:       Mr. Donald Doezema
      Reformation Day 1970 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57                                          1904 Plymouth Terrace,  SE.
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Meditation

                        Reformation, and :More Reformations!

                                                                 Rev. M. Schipper

                "And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the
               prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this
               day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant. . . _ And when all the people saw
            ' it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God. "
                                                                                                                            I Kings 18:36-40

               "Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, `saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also,
               if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow adout this time. And when he
               saw that, he arose, and went for his life, a&came to Beersheba . . . _ "
                                                                                                                                 I Kings 19: l-8


                                             THE STANDARD  BEARER                                                   51



  Carmel, and Reformation Day!                               more to Jehovah and His truth, and the prophet exalt-
  And, 0, what a wonderful day that was!                     ing in the power of his God. . . .
  Envision the white-haired prophet, wearing his proph-        But, alas, the victory shouts had hardly ended, and
et's mantle, and appearing in the midst of the milling the prophet had hardly relaxed in his struggle against
multitude he had summoned to the top of the moun- Baalism, when the enemy of the truth, under the tute-
tain, that it might be made clear, once and for all, Who lage of that agent of Satan, wicked queen Jezebel, the
is God in Israel, Who is the God of the Scriptures. Hear very next day announces her threat to destroy the re-
him, that prophet of the Lord, as before all Israel in- former, and with him the banner of the truth he had so
cluding the king, he calls upon the Name of his God, nobly unfurled before the eyes of apostate Israel.
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that his God            "So `let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make
may show plainly to all that He, and He alone, is God. not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow
  Elijah!                                                    about this time."
  Whose name means: Jehovah is my God!                         Such was the message which the slayer of the Baal
  Whose name also expresses the program of his priests had received by those sent by Ahab's wife.
prophetic service. For when the Spirit of the Lord Ahab, so it appeared, had capitulated, though he had
came upon him Who moved him to leave his occupa- not repented, but Jezebel did not.
tion in Tishbe of the land of Gilead, and he began to          A significant threat!
walk through the land of apostate Israel, fighting the         First of all, it implied, despite the apparent victori-
apostasy, and instituting the work of reformation with ous notes of yesterday, that the ideology of Baal was
the Word of the Lord, thus becoming the officebearer not dead, but very much alive. Secondly, it showed
in the service of the God of Israel it was this truth that that, though there was clearly a reformation based on
became the very backbone of his reformatory work: the fundamental truth that Jehovah is God, and while
My God is Jehovah!                                           it appeared that the proponents of the lie had been
  Jehovah, not Baal, is my God!                              completely vanquished, there was nevertheless not a
  Such was the theme of the Reformation on Cannel! complete victory. And in the third place, it became
  Reformation in the midst of apostate Israel!               apparent also to Elijah that, in spite of all his preach-
  Under the influence of wicked king Ahab, and.-par- ing, so long as the cause of the thesis endures in the
titularly his heathen wife Jezebel, Israel had been in- world the cause of the antithesis will also continue
troduced to and now was almost wholly given over to beside it. In one word, so long as the church subsists in
the service of the gods of the Phoenicians. An apostasy the world reformations will continually be necessary.
predicted already at the beginning of Israel's history as Not one of them completely brings to nought the on-
a nation by the mouth of God's servant Moses. And an slaughts of the lie. The question: Who is God? con-  '
apostasy which began to take on impetus under Jero- tinues a perennial question. The crisis in the mini$.ry
boam the first, who introduced the worship of the of Elijah is the crisis that has been with the church
calves, which apostasy reached its zenith during the throughput the ages, and it is still with us today.
reign of godless Ahab when his heathen wife brought            Jehovah or Baal!
with her Baal and Astarte. Gods they were supposed to          Christ or Mammon!
be that represented the powers of nature, the gods of          The ideology of Elijah or that of Jezebel!
natural fruitfulness, and material prosperity. Under           In her threat Jezebel really said to Elijah: "You
this influence for evil Israel forsook Jehovah their think that yesterday it became clear that  Baa1 is dead
rightful Lord, and went ,awhoring after Baal. An idola- and that his service has been eradicated? Well, let me
trous practice which was rather firmly established make it plain to you that in spite of all that happened
throughout the land, as is indicated in the fact that a on Carrnel yesterday Baal is not dead, and his doctrine
complete order pf worship had been set up, including will continue until it has brought the cause of Jehovah
Baa1 temples, and Baa1 priests.                              your God to nought. Though you may have succeeded
  In the midst of this apostatizing people stands the in slaying the prophets of Baal yesterday, your life will
reformer, Elijah, pronouncing in unequivocal tones: be as the life of one of them tomorrow. Nothing has
"Not  Baal, but Jehovah is my God!" A reformation really changed, in spite of all that happened on
which reaches its peak at the top of Cannel, when all Cannel."
Israel, it appeared, was converted, and all of them said,      When Elijah heard and interpreted Jezebel's mes-
while lying flat on their faces, "Jehovah, He is the sage, he took flight to the nether regions of Horeb.
God; Jehovah, He is the God!"                                Though we may not agree with him, we can neverthe-
  Indeed, what a wonderful day that was!                     less understand him, and the thoughts that weighted
  When Baal is confounded, and his service apparently his soul.
disrupted, and the blood of his priests mingling with          Thoroughly disillusioned was the prophet, and sub-
the waters of the Kishon. When the king is completely ject to unbelief! How could it be possible after such a
demoralized, and the people  apparent19  turning once clear demonstration on  Carmel, that anyone, least of


52                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER



all Jezebel, would dare to raise his head in opposition?                First of all, he discovered that he was not to die, but
Had not the power of Satan and the lie  be&  cdm- live. All was not over for him, though he was ready to
pletely broken? But how  then,,can  this agent of Satan give up. Horeb is not an ideal unreal. The God on
still insist that the doctrine of Baal is not dead but Horeb is not a God Who appears for a moment in
alive?                                                               dazzling array never to appear again. Though He may
      Elijah concludes that it is useless any longer to not always speak in the thunder and lightning, and
preach, to oppose the forces of evil, to carry on  @is may choose also to speak in the still small voice, He is
reformatory work. Not would he die at the  harids still the living God Who does all His good pleasure, and
of Jezebel, but he would flee to the land of his dreams Who wills also to destroy all the wicked and the power
and die there at the hand of the Lord. Pining under the of the lie, but only after it has served His purpose. 0,
juniper  tree, he requested that the Lord terminate his indeed, He gives His church now and then to taste the
ministerial status as well as his life.                              victory and He allows His servants for a time to bask in
      At Horeb he-  w&d die! In that place where once the light of His reformatory work. But until the end of
the Lord appeal-ed unto Moses in thunder and lightning time, and so long as His church is in the world, she will
where God declared Himself in the giving of the law: I have to fight over against the lie; and none of her
am God, and there is none beside Me. No strange gods reformations will completely still the enemies of the
shall ye serve. If only he could be privileged to abide truth. In fact He has forwarned that the apostasies will
for a mometit in that place and in reverie contemplate grow steadily worse until those who hold to the truth
that God Who speaks in the fire, then he-w_ould have shall be very small in number.
seen enough to satisfy his soul before he die.                         Moreover, and even more importantly, Elijah  dis-
      0, indeed, we can-understand him. Does not James covered that the Word of God does not die. His minis-
tell US that Elijah was a man subject to like passions as ters, through disillusionment and unbelief, may desire
we are`? (James  5:  1'7). Which can only mean that he to capitulate. But His Word stands eternally. Though
was human, and subject to those passions which mqve men, inspired by Satan, may insist that  Baa1  also is
every human soul. And this means that he could be, as god, and in the process may kill all of God's prophets
we often are, down in the dumps, ready to give  up,                  all the day long, yet they cannot slay the Word of God.
when we do not see the fruit of our labors, or all o,ur It shall forever endure, because it is the everlasting
preaching and service appears to be vain. We too, have Word of the everlasting God.
seen reformations. We have studied the historical facts                And last, but not least, Elijah and we must discover
surroundings  all -the -reformations- of..th.e past. And we that one reformation does not bring an end to the
have seen reformations in our own life time and experi-              power of the lie. So long as the church continues in the
ence. And we, too, ask repeatedly the question: What world, there will be reformations and more  reforma-
has it all accomplished? Where are now the children of tions. In one word, the church in the world must
the reformation? How is it.- that Bfter 3he reformatory always be the reformatory church. Maintaining the
process  the,,chu-rch   so soon returns to her worldly truth over against the lie, walking in sanctification in
mindednegg and indulges in seeking the vain things distinction from her attempt always to apostatize. And
below?, How is it to be explained that the lie so soon let not those who are especially entrusted to proclaim
again infiltrates the church, causing her to apostatize the truth grow weary, as Elijah did, nor ever come to
from the truth? And like Elijah we are often inclined doubt that the Word of God shall ever return unto Him
to exclaim: What is the use of all this preaching, and all void.
this struggle for the truth? Indeed, we dare not  con-                 Presently we shall see the end of all the struggles for
demn Elijah, though he cannot comfort us. Jezebel the truth, and the fruit of all the reformatory work,
`does appear unmoveable. The cause of the lie appears when we shall behold the church that is gathered out
often to be victorious.                                             of all ages receiving the crown of life that fadeth not
      And what did Elijah find in his flight?                       away.




           "The Reformation returned to Paul and Augustine ,and found strength to oppose Pelagianism in the Romish
           Church in the confession of God's sovereign election. All the reformers were of the same mind in this matter. In
           the beginning Luther defended predestination as strongly as Zwingli and Calvin."
                                                                                                          Herman Bavinck


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                         53


Editorials

                      The Heart-Beat of the Reformation
                                                   ProJ: H.C. Hoeksema

   Reformation Day, 1970 marks the 453rd anniver-                  But on the other hand, the only factor which can
sary of the Great Reformation. It also marks the possibly make one take heart, which can possibly en-
352nd anniversary of the Great Synod of Dordrecht. courage and inspire one to continue to celebrate the
To the discerning Reformed Christian, the Synod of Reformation in a real way - that is, as Reformed and
Dordrecht, noted, of course, chiefly for the Canons of ever reforming  - the only thing which can motivate
Dordrecht, was not only involved in the never-ending one truly to celebrate the Reformation in the face of
process of reformation when it did battle against the such an apparently hopeless situation is the very faith
Arminians and purged the church of their grave errors. to which Dordt gave expression and which is set forth
But historically, the Synod of Dordrecht represents the most beautifully in Article 9 of the Canons of
climax of  the  Reformation. Frequently we fail to see Dordrecht, Chapter II:
the two as historically, as well as doctrinally, related. It           This purpose proceeding from everlasting love to-
was only about 100 years after that first act of refor-             wards the elect, has from the beginning of the world
mation in 15 17, and much less than 100 years after                 to this day been powerfully accomplished, and will
John Calvin began his reformatory work, that the truth              henceforward still continue to be acqomplished, not-
of the Reformation came to its clearest and most                    withstanding all the ineffectual opposition of the
beautiful expression in  the. Canons drawn up by the                gates of hell, so that the elect in due time may be
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands in 16  1%`19.                  gathered together into one, and that there never may
                                                                    be wanting a church composed of believers, the
Dordrecht is the climax of Wittenberg and Geneva! At                foundation of which is laid in the blood of Christ,
Dordrecht the central truth of the Reformation finally              which may stedfastly love, and faithfully serve him as
comes to its own!                                                   their Savior, who as a bridegroom for his bride, laid
  Yet when one considers this fact and then looks at                down his life for them upon the cross, and which may
the church today, he is inclined to stand aghast.                   celebrate his praises here and throtigh all eternity.
Dordrecht was not only a national Synod; and yet,
while it was not really an ecumenical synod, or even an           In these words is expressed the motif of genuine
international synod, Dordrecht nevertheless represents celebration of the Reformation, - celebration not only
the consensus of the Reformed churches in all of in the sense of thankful commemoration of the great
Europe at that time, all of whom had at least an ad- work of our God wrought in the Reformation, but also
visory capacity at the Great Synod. This means that it in the sense of renewed dedication to the great princi-
was possible at that stage in history for the churches of ples of the Reformation and to the motto, "Reformed
the Reformed faith from all over the continent and and Ever Reforming."
from Great Britian to come together and to agree: to              Without the confidence of the faith expressed in the
                                                                words just quoted, one could indeed only stand aghast
agree, moreover, on the truth! Dordt was Reformed,
uncompromisingly Reformed! At Dordt you have the at the ecclesiastical- scene of today and be filled with
concrete manifestation and expression of the true re- dismay and despair and discouragement.
formational church: the church reformed and always                                The Heart And Its Beat
reforming!                                                        .You will recognize that there is a figure of speech
  When one considers this fact by way of comparison involved in the expression, "The Heart-Beat of the Re-
with the situation in Reformed churches today  - let formation." We are referring in this figure of speech to
alone in the church at large - one is filled with dismay at that for which the Reformation as a historical move-
what he sees. The church today in comparison with the ment stood and stands, that is, its principles, the body
church at the time of Dordrecht presents, as far as the of truth, the confession of faith, for which it stood and
Reformed faith is concerned, a sorry spectacle! Men to which the Reformation constituted a very strong
and churches are interested today in coming together. return. We are trying to express by means of this figure
They are interested in what is called ecumenism. But the very essence, the core, the central feature of the
they are interested in coming together not on the basis Reformation from this point of view. We are trying to
of the truth. of our Reformed heritage, not in the in- depict that which is central, that from which all else
terest of the truth, but at the expense of it!                  may be explained, that which furnishes vitality, in the
  One might well be inclined to ask: what is there to entire body of Reformation-truth.
celebrate on Reformation Day?                                     The figure is that of a person, a man, with a heart


54                                              THE STANDARD BEARER



and a heart-beat.                                            ceeds from God's eternal good pleasure as its source
      Hence, just as physically the heart is the center of a and reason. In the second place, election involves not a
man's existence, is that organ which controls and di- mere crowd of elect individuals, not a mob, but a
rects the bloodstream and the circulation, pumping the body, a church, and all the members of that church
life-blood through the entire organism of the body individually. In the third place, predestination does not
constantly and supplying food and energy and life to merely include the goal, the end, but also the way to
all our organs and all the cells of our body; and just as that end. God's election includes eternal salvation and
spiritually, according to Scripture in Proverbs 4, the glory and the way to that eternal salvation and glory in
heart is the spiritual center of a man, determining what all of its aspects. In the fourth place, election is not
a man is spiritually, determining whether a man is good arbitrary. It is not merely a cold and mechanical decree
or evil, so that "from the heart are the issues of life;" to save some (and to damn others); but election is in
so it is also ecclesiastically. Our fathers spoke of the Christ Jesus our Lord, the Head of the elect church.
COY  ecclesiae,   the heart of the church, intending to        2) Sovereign predestination includes reprobation.
emphasize that there is a certain central truth which Reprobation is the eternal and sovereign decree of God
controls and directs and energizes and vitalizes the to determine some men to be vessels of wrath fitted
whole life and the very bloodstream and the  whole unto destruction in the way of sin, as manifestations of
organism of the church's faith and confession, every His justice, and to serve the purpose of the realization
aspect of the truth.                                         of His elect church. Again, let us notice a few elements
      This same figure of speech implies the idea of the which need emphasis here. In the first place, election
heart-beat. This element of the figure has reference to and reprobation are absolutely inseparable. Predestina-
the action, the pumping, the pulsating, the throbbing tion is  double predestination,  or it is not at all. It is
of the heart, as it can be sensed and felt and heard `- impossible to maintain election without maintaining
either directly, in the heart itself, or throughout all the reprobation. You can readily understand that this is in
reaches of the body in the pulse. This figure of the the very nature of the case. It makes no real difference
heart-beat may also be applied ecclesiastically, so that here whether you speak the mild, infralapsarian lan-
we may speak of the beating, the pulsating, the throp- guage of a "leaving" or "passing by" in reprobation, or
bing, of that one, central truth throughout the whole whether you speak of a positive rejection, election it-
of the living confession of the church and throughotit       self implies that there are those who are not included
the whole of the body, the organism, of the truth and in that divine decree of election, but excluded. In the
in all its parts.                                            second place, - and this is important, too - reproba-
      Hence, when we speak of the heart-beat of the tie- tion is also sovereign, not conditional. It does not take
formation, we refer to what our fathers called the           place on the basis of foreseen sin and unbelief. It also
"heart of the church" as the "heart of the Reforma- proceeds from God's eternal good pleasure. Again,
tion;" and, secondly, to the beating, the pulsating, bf whether you speak of an active and positive rejection
that heart of the Reformation in the entire confessiqn or merely of a passing by - and we need not quibble
of the Reformed faith, the entire body of  Reform?- about that here - it is sovereign. It takes place accord-
tion-truth.                                                  ing to God's eternal good pleasure, though the decreed
      The question is: what was - and what, properly, still damnation is historically realized in the way of man's
is - that heart whose beat can be sensed and ought to own unbelief and sin. It is of the utmost importance
be sensed throughout the body of the faith?                  that this be maintained. You cannot maintain an un-
      Our fathers answered  - and correctly so, because conditional election and a conditional reprobation. If
they caught the keynote of the Reformation  - they the one is sovereign, the other is also sovereign. If the
answered: election is the heart of the church. By this one is conditional, the other is necessarily conditional
they meant, of course, the truth of eternal, sovereign       also. In the third place, it is important to remember
election,  together with its inseparable corollary, that historically it has always been that doctrine of
sovereign reprobation. In one term: sovereign predesit- reprobation especially which was first disliked and re-
nation.                                                     jected and discarded,; and this led inevitably to the
      It is not our purpose here to expound in detail and corrupting and discarding of the truth of sovereign
to demonstrate from Scripture and the confessions in election. This is the case today, too. It is the doctrine
detail this truth of sovereign predestination. Let us of reprobation (Canons I, 15) which is under strong
rath.er look at some of the salient aspects: 1) Election attack in Reformed churches; and the attempt is being
is the eternal and sovereign and gracious decree of God made by some to modify and corrupt it.
to lead the church as the body of Christ, with all ifs         Together these two - sovereign election and sover-
individual members, each in his own position in that eign reprobation - are called sovereign predestination,
body, to eternal salvation and glory. Let us notice a or foreordination, that is, God's eternal and sovereign
few important features here. In the first place, election decree, counsel, will, with respect to the destiny of His
is sovereign. That means, positively, that election pro- moral creatures, men and angels.


                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        55


  3) In the broadest sense of the word, predestination evitably affected. Obviously the doctrine of God is at
is not limited merely to the salvation and damnation of stake: principally, if you deny the doctrine of sover-
men and angels; but it includes God's eternal and all- eign predestination, you lose God and you enthrone
comprehensive counsel with respect to all things. It man on God's throne. The truth of creation and provi-
includes the entire universe and its destiny and the way dence and the fall is affected: these truths become
to that destiny. The divine purpose of election and disconnected from God's other works. Such diseases
reprobation constitutes the center, the focal point, of result as the doctrine of a universal Fatherhood of God
God's eternal plan and purpose, round about which all and its corollary, the universal brotherhood of man.
other things in that counsel are arranged and with When that heart does not beat properly, you get such
which they stand in connection as means to end.                        errors as the covenant of works, common grace in the
  Thus, briefly, we would describe the heart of the Kuyperian sense of the word, the denial of total de-
Reformation.                                                           pravity. When the beat of that heart does not influence
  And the beat of that heart is the heart-beat of the the doctrine concerning Christ, you get, as is well
Reformation.                                                           known, the error of universal atonement. When that
  That means, therefore, not merely that.this truth of beat does not energize the doctrine of salvation - the
sovereign predestination is one of the important Refor- doctrines of regeneration, calling, faith, justification,
mation-truths, or even the most important in rank. But sanctification, preservation - then salvation becomes a
it means that it is the heart! It is that which controls cooperative work of God and man, or it becomes a
and directs and energizes the entire life-stream of the matter of a general, well-meant offer of salvation, de-
organism of the truth. Properly, the beat of that heart pendent upon the will of man. The disease of  free-
must be felt not only in the doctrine concerning God, willism results. The doctrine of the church is likewise
but in the doctrine concerning creation and the fall, affected: principally, when you lose that heart-beat,
and providence, and the atonement, and salvation, and the whole truth of the holy catholic church is afflicted.
in the doctrine of the church itself, and in the doctrine The doctrine of the last things is affected: when that
of the last things, and the doctrine of everlasting glory, heart-beat is not healthy, principally you stand in
the everlasting state  - so that in all these truths you danger of falling either into the error of  pre-millen-
can sense, can feel, can detect clearly the pulse-beat, nialism or the error of post-millennialism. The princi-
the lively throbbing, of that heart, the truth of sover- ple of the antithesis is affected necessarily: when that
eign predestination.                                                   heart-beat does not make itself felt, that principle is
                 The Importance Of The Heart                           watered down and finally lost. You lose the other
  Let us  look,at  the central importance of that heart aspect of the seal upon God's foundation (II Tim.
of the Reformation and its beat. Let us do that by 2: 19). You lose this: "let him that nameth the name of
referring to the figure of the human heart, and by way Christ depart from iniquity." And you lose it because
of contrast.                                                           you have lost what -precedes it: "The Lord knoweth
  Ask the question: what happens if-a man has heart them that are his." And the blessedness of the assur-
trouble? His heart is central. The entire organism of his ance and certainty of salvation is lost, too. When that
body is dependent upon his heart. The health, the well- heart does not beat rightly, you finally lose the solid-
being, of the whole body is dependent upon that ness of the solid comfort, of our only comfort in life
central organ. If his heart is diseased, the body is and death.
bound to be affected throughout. And depending on                         And thus it is with the whole of the Christian faith.
the seriousness of the disease which afflicts his heart, There are even effects of this heart-beat with respect to
he becomes weak, is probably forced to be inactive, the doctrine of Holy Scripture and the whole idea of
and he can finally be fatally affected.                                revelation which is much discussed today. You cannot
  The same is true ecclesiastically with respect to this properly maintain the truth of organic inspiration, for
"heart of the Reformation" and its beat.                               example, without the truth of sovereign predestina-
  Let that heart beat weakly, or let it beat diseasedly, tion.
or let the beat of that heart cease altogether: the entire                The heart and its beat, therefore, are of central im-
organism of the church's confession, faith, life, is in- portance.                           (to be continued)



                "The excellent, infallible and sole preparation for grace is the eternal election and predestination of God."
                                                                                                          Martin Luther


 56                                               THE STANDARD BEARER



       Proposal C-Michigan's Antiparochiaid Amendment ~
       Of practical interest to our Michigan readers, but of which could conceivably be involved in this amend-
  general interest to us all because of our concern for ment. That item is the property tax exemption which
  covenantal education, is Proposal C, which will be our schools (and churches) now enjoy. My concern is
 voted on in the November election in Michigan. This is not first of all the amount of money which our schools
  a proposed amendment to the Michigan Constitution would be compelled to pay out if they lose this exemp-
 which will make parochiaid impossible. The legislature tion. It is rather the principle that this would involve
 in Michigan finally passed a proposal to provide $22 government control of another kind. The power to tax
  million in state aid to private schools in the current fiscal is the power to control. For example, this power to tax
  year. This provision has also been upheld by the Mich- could be used to tax us right out of existence. Hence,
  igan Supreme Court. Meanwhile, public school forces though different, the loss of tax exemption would be
  succeeded by petition and referendum to get the matter just another form of state control. And we are opposed
  on the ballot by way of this proposed amendment.              to state control in any form.
       As.it will appear on the ballot, the proposed amend-'      The problem is that this issue is up in the air; and it
 ment would "prohibit use of public funds to aid ariy is a problem which cannot be resolved before the elec-
 non-public elementary or secondary school; prohibit. tion. There have been mtiy avowals from supporters
 `use of public funds, except for transportation, to sup- of this amendment that the tax exemption is not in-
 port the attendance of any students or the employ-; volved here at all, and that, in fact, there are other
 ment of any person at non-public schools or at any provisions in the constitution which cover this matter
 location or institution where instruction in whole or in and protect our tax exemption. The attorney general
 part is offered to non-public school students; prohib'it has also given this as his opinion. Yet there are many
 any payment, credit, tax benefit, exemption, or dedu'c- legal experts who think differently. And there has been
 tions, of public monies or property, directly or in- no official decision on the matter. The attempt was
 directly, for the above purposes."                             made to keep the proposal off the ballot on the ground
       Reading the above language, one cannot escape the of its vagueness, but this also failed.
 conclusion that this is indeed an amendment that                 Hence, the rock is parochiaid and its government
 would put a complete stop to any kind of state aid to control, which we do not want.
 private schools.                                                 The hard place is the possible loss of tax exemption
       From this Point of view, one would conclude that and its implied government control, which we also do
 here is an  amendment.for  which we can and should not want.
 vote  - not because of our agreement with the prin&-             And the Christian antiparochiaid voter is caught be-
 ples and motives of the public school forces (for we are tween the two.
 as opposite as black and white), but because  .of our            My personal conclusion  - unless further clarifica-
 Christian and Reformed opposition to the entire idea tion comes before election day - is that I cannot vote
 of parochiaid;                                                 Yes and I cannot vote No.
       Nevertheless, this proposed amendment puts us be-          If the present amendment fails, it is to be hoped
 tween a rock and a hard place.                                 that a more clearly worded amendment will be pre-
       The problem is that the proposed. amendment is- so sented in the future. And judging from the  anti-
 vague in its provisions -that it could conceivably result parochiaid fury of the public school forces in Michigan
 in another form of government control of our schools - and I predicted that the ire of the public school
 which would be fully as evil, namely, control by men, who, after all, hate Christian education, would be
 taxation.                                                      aroused - they will not rest until they have made paro-
       The parochiaid forces have used many scare tactids       chiaid impossible. Christian school friends  .may well
 in opposing this amendment, and they have raised hope and pray that in  accomplishilig  this goal those
 much hullaballoo about all the other benefits which same forces will not ultimately try to destrdy separate
 Christian schools would lose under this amendment. It education altogether!
 is said that driver's education, remedial education,             Meanwhile, perhaps the best course would be that
 typing instruction, and all so-called auxiliary  se&ices the whole matter of parochiaid goes to the U.S. Su-
.L (including pa  t
                   r ' .
                       lclpation in interscholastic athletics; preme Court and is there ruled to be contrary to the
 wouldn't that be a relief!)  would  be lost. This  writer First Amendment. This is a distinct possibility, since
 does not care a proverbial snap of the fingers about lower Federal Courts have already ruled both ways on
 those auxiliary services. If we want to have Christian the question and appeals are being carried to the Su-
 schools, then let the world go its way, and let us have preme Court, both for and against. If the highest court
  100% Christian education right down the line.                 would throw it out, then we might be permanently rid
       But there is one item which is very .important and. of parochiaid. That would solve many problems.


                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER                                              57



Come Ye Apart... And Rest A While
                            Reformation Day 1970
                                                         Rev. C. Hanko

  Our thoughts travel back through the pages of his- Christ! " "What three things are necessary for thee to
tory; back to the sixteenth century as we hum the know that thou mayest rejoice in the experience of
familiar words,                                                 that comfort whether brimming over with life or
        Faith of our fathers, living still. . . .               bowed beneath the dark shades of death?"
  We think of the harlot, bedecked with jewels, in her            First that I know my sins and my miseries  - how
scarlet and purple robes (Revelation  17),  the-Roman very great they are!
Catholic Church firmly holding her grip on the princes            God says: Love me with thy whole being always.
and rulers of her night life. We see her carmine sword            I was created good, in God's image, in true knowl-
still dripping with the blood of martyrs. Our minds edge, righteousness, and holiness to love and serve my
revert to Luther nailing his ninety-five theses on the God as His friend-servant.
church door at Wittemburg on the eve of All-Saints'               Look what I am now through my original fall, guilt
Day, November 3 1, 15 17. We take a look at Calvin and depravity, which I only increase with my own sins
diligently writing his Institutes in defence of the truth day by day. For the whole inclination of my being is
of the Scriptures over against the errors of the Roman          to hate God and to pour out the venom of that hatred
Church. We shudder at the thought of the fifty thou- toward any one that comes in contact with me.
sand who in The Netherlands alone were burned,                    The law is good, just and holy. But I am sold under
hanged, or drowned for the faith once delivered to              sin. There is for me, in myself, no escape from the
them from the fathers. We pause a moment to reflect justice of God's demand and the pouring out of His
on a man like Guido de Bres, the "heretic preacher" wrath upon me now and everlastingly. 0 wretched man
who had to hide under the pseudonym "Jerome". We that I am!
watch him as he throws his "Confession Of Faith"                  Second, that I know that I am delivered from my
(Our Netherlands or Belgic Confession) over the wall sins and my miseries. No, more,`that I know how I am
of the king's castle at Doornik on the night of Novem- delivered from death and hell.
ber 1, 156 1, to prove that he was not a heretical anti-          .You ask me how I know? I believe. God tells me
nomian, but stood for the Word of God over against that through His Word and by His Spirit in my heart.
the departures of the mother church. And we turn our With the church of all ages I confess: I believe in God,
faces away as he climbs the ladder in the market place the Father, Almighty, Maker. . . . What a comfort that
at Valenciennes, makes his last defence of his faith,           confession is as we make it together in our public
and then hangs lifeless from the noose - only one of worship and at the table of communion!
the many who counted their faith more precious to                 Thirdly, that I know and experience gratitude to
them than their lives.                                          God in my heart for that deliverance. I even know how
        Faith of our fathers, living still,                     to give expression to that gratitude to my God. No, I
        In spite of dungeon, fire and sword.                    wouldn't know. But God gives me His law in my heart.
  Pensively we pick up our Psalters and turn to our             "It is joy to do Thy will." And He has established a
heritage that is stowed away there, The Three Forms constant inter-communication between Himself and
Of Unity, the faith once delivered unto the saints. me through that wonderful gift of prayer! Faith of our
(Jude 3). Professor Zacharias Ursinus and Reverend fathers living still. . . ,
Casper Olevianus had toiled many an hour over what is                     0 how our hearts beat high with joy
now our treasured Heidelberg Catechism. We marvel at                      Whene'er we hear that glorious word!
their deep insight into the truth of the Scriptures and           I find myself at page 25 of the Psalter, and there
the concise expression of it both in their questions and before me unfolds the "Confession Of Faith", the wit-
in their answers. It thrills our souls just to think how ness of Guido de Bres, written in consultation with
accurately they express our own personal experiences other believers, "revised-in the National Synod held at
in the faith, even as we wrestle, struggle, toil in our Dordrecht, in the years 16 18 and 16 19," and thus de-
pilgrimage from day to day. "What is thy comfort, thy livered to the churches. Merely scanning these pages I
only comfort, thy physical comfort, thy spiritual com- see:
fort, now, at death's door, and evermore?" "That I am                     The Doctrine of God. Articles 1 to 11.
not my own, but belong as purchased possession and                        The Doctrine of Man. Articles 12-l 7.
slave to that One and Only Savior, Our Lord Jesus                         The Doctrine of Christ. Articles 18-2 1.


                                                                                                                            I
58                                              THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                                                                                    -'

            The Doctrine of Salvation. Articles 22-26.    ;         and enriched with the grace of Christ Jesus.            I
            The Doctrine of the Church. Articles  I                    In the confidence that absolutely nothing
         27-36.                                                     can separate me from the love of God in
            The Doctrine of The  Last Things.  Arti-  i             Christ Jesus, my Lord.
        cle 37.                                                  The five points of Calvinism, pure and simple!
      Lest I tarry too long over these valuable pages, I         Faith of our fathers. Living still?
hasten on to the Canons, composed through  much                  How deceptively wrong are they who would put a
study and toil at that famous Synod of  Dordrecht. date and a postmark on our Confessions. Blind are
How thoroughly they perused the writings of the they who talk about the Catechism as being all right
Arminians to detect the errors that already were under- for Heidelberg in the sixteenth century, but as having
mining the foundations of truth. Plainly they saw the lost its relevance today. Cunning deceivers are they
dearth of the doctrine of man's free will, depriving the who refer to the Canons as proper for Dordrecht in the
hungry and thirsty of that one and only comfort in life early seventeenth century, but as having no practical
and in death. What comfort do I have if salvation de- value  fbr the twentieth century church in a modern
pends in any way on me, or if I could lose it at any world. Blind leaders of the blind are they who clamor
time, even at death's door? What a bulwark of strength for freedom to compose new confessions that will suit
of faith lies in that conviction: I believe:                   a given church in a given place. Derelicts on the stormy
            In the Absolutely Sovereign Predestina-            sea of life are they who have lost the Anchor of faith
        tion of God                                            in Christ. Foolish builders they who do not build on
          In the Total Depravity and Inability of              the one sure foundation of the infallible, authoritative
        Man to do any good.                                    Word of God in the Scriptures.
            In the Particular Atonement of Christ                      Faith of our fathers, holy_ faith,
        whereby my debt is paid.                                       We will be true to thee till death!
            In the Efficient Power of the Holy Spirit            Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take
        whereby .I am delivered from sin and guilt             thy crown. (Rev. 3 : 11)

 -
Feature

                          The Concern of the Reformation
                                for Christian Education (2)                                        -
                                                 Rev. David Engelsma

 -The Reformation's early and urgent concern for the                centers should either sink into the abyss or
Christian education of the children was due in part fo              be converted into Christian schools. (To the
the threats that endangered this education. One threat              Councilmen of Germany)
was the existing schools. During  the Middle Ages, the              Where the Holy Scriptures do not rule, there
Church established and controlled the schools. The                  I advise no one to send his son. (An Open
teachers were priests and monks. As a result, the in-               Letter to the Christian Nobility)         ~-
creasing corruption of the Church infected the schools.          The response to this warning by some of the princes
The teaching and life in the schools made attendanie           and people became another threat to  the cause of
by children of the newly reformed Church impossible. Christian education, against which Luther had also to
Luther flatly denounced sending children to these fight. Some of the princes that nominally sided with
schools:                                                       the Reformation gladly seized the existing schools and
        It is perfectly true that if universities and          shut them down, but only in order to enrich them-
        monasteries were to continue as they have              selves with the property and funds of these schools.
        been in the past, and there were  nb other             Many of the people. likewise used Luther's warnings
        place available where youth could study and            against the existing schools as a pretext not to educate
        live, then I could wish that no boy would              their children at all. The result was that instead of bad
        ever study at all, but just remain dumb. For           education there was no education. Some of the people
        it is my earnest purpose, prayer, and desire           who refused to support the schools and who withheld
        that these  asses' stalls and devil's training         their children did so out of mercenary motives. They


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                         59



  simply did not want to pay what it might cost, or they disparagement of education. Just as much as corrupt
  put their children to work for financial gain. Against education, the lack of education was viewed by the
  this greedy materialism, Luther loosed his heaviest ar- Reformation as a threat to the God-given calling to
  tiller-y. He spoke of "shameful, despicable, damnable rear the children of believers. It made no difference
  parents who are no parents at all but despicable hogs what form the attack on education took, whether that
  and venomous beasts, devouring their own young" of greedy princes seizing school-funds, or that of covet-
("Luther's Works," Fortress Press, Philadelphia, Vol. ous parents interested only in their own and their chil-
  46,  p. 211). In  A Sermon on Keeping Children in dren's bellies, or that of the inability to see the  rela-
School,  he wrote:                                              tionship between salvation and Christian education in
       The common people appear to be quite indif-              arts, sciences and languages, or that of fanatical preach-
       ferent to the matter of maintaining the                  ers proclaiming a false spiritualism - every attack on
       schools. I see them withdrawing their  chil-             education as such found in the Reformation, both as
       dren from instruction and turning them to                represented by Luther and by Calvin, an implacable
       the making of a living and to caring for their           foe. So serious a danger was the prevailing sentiment.
       bellies. Besides, they either will. not or can-          against all education in Luther's judgment that he
       not think what a horrible and un-Christian               ascribed it to the Devil and analyzed it as just another
       business this is and what great and murder-              assault of Satan on the Church and the true faith.
       ous harm they are doing everywhere in so                          you see with your own eyes how that wretch
       serving the devil.                                                of a `Satan is now attacking us on all sides
     Still another threat was the attitude of others among               with force and guile . . . Among his wiles,
  Luther's followers of disparaging learning altogether. It              one of the very greatest, if not the greatest
  was a popular proverb in those days that "the educated                 of all, is this - he deludes and deceives the
  are crazy" (Gelehvte  sind  vevkehrte).   Some could see               common people so that they are not willing
  no reason why they, as Christians, should educate their                to keep their children in school or expose
  children. What does knowledge of history, knowledge                    them to instruction . . . This seems to me to
  of languages, and ability to read and write have to do                 be a real masterpiece of the devil's art . . .
  with a believer, they asked. Did not the Reformation                   Before our very eyes he is preparing them
  itself teach that all that mattered was that one was                   (the children  - DE) so that they will learn
  justified by faith? Such thinking was encouraged by                    nothing and know nothing. Then when we
  certain fanatical preachers who for a short time allied                are dead, he will have before him a naked,
  themselves with the Reformation, e.g., Karlstadt and                   bare, defenseless people with whom he can
  Munzer. These radicals spread among the people the                     do as he pleases. For if the Scriptures and
  notion that all learning was foolish, if not sinful.                   learning disappear, what will remain in the
  Luther refers to this threat to Christian education in his             German lands but a disorderly and wild
  work, To the Councilmen of Germany:                                    crowd of Tartars or Turks, indeed, a pigsty
       "All right," you say again, "suppose we do                        and mob of wild beasts?
       have to have schools; what is the use of                   It is not only a characteristic of the Reformation to
       teaching Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and the               demand an educated ministry, but also to demand an
       other liberal arts? We could just -as well use           educated laity, men and women. Only, that education
       German for teaching the Bible and God's                  must be thoroughly Christian, based on and centered
       word; which is enough for our salvation." I              about the Word of God. The reasons for this demand
       reply: Alas! I am only too well aware that               for an educated laity, Andy the reasons why the Refor-
       we Germans must always be and remain                     mation so strongly resisted every attempt to abolish
       brutes. and stupid beasts, as the neighboring            education,  can' best be learned from a study of the
      nations call us, epithets which we richly de-             ;ftiuhoses of education, as the Reformation set them
       serve.
     Luther and the entire Reformation repudiated the            -- .                  (to be continued)


                               Y&r pre-publication order-form for
                              - The -Trip/e -Knowledge-
                             was  encldsed with  the-IOctober 15 issue.


60                                                      THE  STA'NDARD BEARER


AZ1 Around Us
                        Are  Genbsis l-3 prophecy?
                                                            Prof, H. Hanko

      Recently a couple of issues of  Trowel and  Sword                   The answer of Runia is very interesting. Among
came into my hands. This paper, edited by Prof.  Klaas                  other things he writes:
Runia, is of the Reformed Churches in Australia. In an                         The influence of science. - As I stated before,
issue which I did not see, Prof. K. Runia discussed the                     science may never lord it over Scripture. I am fully
question of the "historicity" of the early chapters of                      aware of the fact that every one dealing with these
Genesis. In this article the author apparently denied                       questions runs the risk of taking science (that is, the
that these chapters recorded actual historical events.                      interpretation of nature) too seriously and let his exe-
At least, if he did not deny that they contained his-                       gesis (that is, the interpretation of Scripture) be de-
                                                                            termined by it. This may never happen. But we may
tory, he cast many doubts upon this position. The re-                       not go to the other extreme either and ignore what
sult was that several objected to his writings on this                      scientists, in particular Christian Scientists, who study
matter; and, in fact, two Sessions  (Consistories)  of the                  the book of nature, `a most elegant book' (Belgic
Reformed Churches of Australia wrote to  Trowel and                         Confession., art. II), God's own handiwork (Ps. 19:l;
Sword  asking for further clarification of the matter.                      see also Ps. 8:3) tell us. We must also ask ourselves
      There were several objections which these Sessions                    whether our own interpretation is not based on the
made to the articles by Prof. Runia; but the chief objec-                   science of yesterday, to which we are used and which
tions concerned Runia's contention that these chapters                      we take for granted. . . _
were prophecy. Runia's argument was, apparently, that                     He was asked whether he agreed with the views of
the author or authors of Genesis must have received                     Prof. Kuitert in the Netherlands; and he answers that
the knowledge of what they wrote by direct revelation.                  he cannot give a yes-or-no response to this. But then he
The fact that this knowledge was received by direct                     comes down to the main issue.
revelation means, in Runia's opinion, that the material                        The main point is the question what I mean when
is prophetic in character. Thus they must be inter-                         I say that this is `revelation' and therefore `prophecy'.
                                                                            Both letters touch upon this. In the first letter I read:
preted according to the rules of prophecy and not as                        "Moses wrote history under the inspiration of God".
straightforward history. One of the Sessions writes:                        In this sentence we have the whole problem before
          You wrote: "Whence did the authors get their in-                  us. What does the term `history' mean here? I agree
       formation? I believe that in both cases it was a matter              that the author of Genesis wrote about historical real-
       of revelation, that is, Prophecy."                                   ity. He wrote about the beginnings of our world and
          And at the end of point 4: "In my opinion there is                our first forefather. But - is it simple, straightfor-
       only one answer: this story was made known to the                    ward history that is recorded here? Is this part of
       author by direct revelation from the Lord. But this                  Genesis of the same nature as the report of a news
       means that these chapters are prophetic in nature,                   reporter for our papers? Prof. B. J. Oosterhoff, Prof.
       and must be explained according to the rules of pro-                 of OT in the Seminary of the Chr. Ref. Church in
       phecy rather than those of straightforward history."                 Apeldoorn has written in connection with the deci-
          We are of the humble opinion that your answer is                  sion of Lunteren: "The Synod speaks of the `specific
       liable not to be understood at all by many of the                    nature' of the narrative in Gen. 2-3. This I think we
       readers or to be misunderstood. Many will not be able                cannot deny. Here we have a unique form of  his-
       to see and understand that revelation is prophecy,                   toriography as nowhere else in the Bible. Everywhere
       without any further clarification and definition.                    else we read history described or narrated by people
          Even less will they be able to understand why                     who have been subject to it themselves. . . . Can we
       these chapters must be explained according to the                    assume that Adam for himself has written down what
       rules of prophecy rather than those of straightfor-                  his experiences were in Paradise? We have not a single
       ward history.                                                        shred of evidence for it. Is what happened here
          Could you then also explain at the same time what                 handed on from parents to children? Could Moses or
       bearing this prophetic interpretation would have, for       ,        any other Bible writer have drawn from this tradi-
       instance, on the three items which you mentioned                     tion? It is highly improbable. Have we here to do
       earlier under point 4, i.e., paradise, the tree of life,             with a direct announcement from God? How did it
       the serpent in the Genesis chapters.                                 come to men? As a direct dictation? Or in the way
      In the light of these remarks by Runia, one of the                    God spoke through the prophets? Do these chapters
Sessions wondered whether the modern positions of                           carry a prophetic nature? Only with the difference
science were not influencing the exegesis of these  chap:                   that usually revelation of God through the prophets
ters which Runia made.                                                      was related to the future and in these chapters to the


                                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 61


         past? But this happens more often that by God's reve-           state of righteousness Adam lived as covenant friend of
l        lation to the prophets the past is proclaimed and en-           God who spoke to God as friends speak together in the
         lightened. Indeed, do these chapters have a prophetic           intimacy of love. God revealed to Adam, as His friend,
         nature? In any case, they possess their distinct                all the secrets of His heart and the glories of His own
         nature."                                                        being  - also as revealed in the creation. Is there any
            It is my personal opinion too that `oral tradition'
         is no solution. It is quite obvious that Gen. 1 and             reason to suppose that God did not speak to Adam of
         parts of Gen. 2 describe things and situations which            the wonder of creation?
         happened before Adam was there. But if it was not a               Furthermore, Adam, though fallen, had the promise
         matter of `oral tradition', then there is only one possi-       of the seed of the woman. This promise was given to
         bility left: it was `direct revelation'. Now in Scripture       Adam in such a way that he knew it objectively not
         direct revelation is always a matter of prophecy. You           only; but God gave Adam a regenerated heart and the
         should note that I use the adjective `direct'. I do not         gift of faith so that he could, by faith, cling to that
         say that all revelation is in the nature of prophecy.           promise. It was because of this that the tradition of
         Revelation as such is a wide concept and includes:              Paradise, the Fall, and all that is recorded for us in the
         history, law, wisdom, literature, psalms, letters, pro-         early chapters of Genesis was most carefully preserved
         phecy and ahocalypse, to mention no more. But as
         far as I can see `direct' revelation is always in the           in the generations that followed - which, by the way,
         form of prophecy. Now prophecy has its own rules of             were not so very many. If we consider the fact that
         interpretation. Every kind of literature has its own            Methuselah knew both Adam and Shem; and that
         rules of interpretation. No one would interpret a law           Shem knew Abraham, there was very little possibility
         and a psalm in the same way.                                    for this tradition to be corrupted by inadvertent
            One of the characteristics of prophecy is always             mistakes.
         the mixing of the literal and the symbolical. . . .               But this is not all by any means. Suppose it were
            To what extent the language used in these chapters           true that in some measure this tradition was inadvert-
         is literal and to what extent it is symbolical will be          ently distorted over the years so that it came to Moses
         hard to decide (as is also true of much in the proph-           with some mistakes; or suppose that it were true that it
         etic books). . . . It is obvious that there are definitely      was, for some reason not complete (something we are
         symbolical overtones (in these chapters). The `garden'          not at all prepared to say, and something that Runia
         . . . emphasizes the state of innocence, the tree of life
         tells us that real life, eternal life, is only possible as a    has no proof for), even then it is not only possible, but
         gift of God, the serpent is definitely more than just an        entirely the truth that this was corrected when the
         ordinary serpent: it represents the satanic power that          Scriptures, through Moses, were inspired by God. In-
         tempted man.                                                    spiration was infallible. And it is this which Runia fails
       And so we have more along these same lines.                       to take into account.
       The sad part of it is that Prof. Runia is accepted                  The question will probably be asked: Does this not
     both in this country and in the Netherlands as a after all, imply what Runia calls "direct revelation"?
     spokesman for the conservative cause; and his. help is That is, does not this imply that God revealed directly
     sought in the battle against liberal attacks against the to Moses things which he could not have known in any
     Scriptures - also within the Reformed Churches.                     other way except that God spoke them to him and
       But the conservatives who look to Runia for leader- told him of them? Indeed it does. And what is so
     ship ought to be able to see (as those in Australia impossible about this is difficult for me to see. Runia
     apparently do see) that Runia is basically and princi- claims that this is true too; but claims that this very
     pally in the camp of the liberals although his views fact makes of Genesis l-3 prophecy. Runia makes the
     may not as yet be developed that far.                               statement: "Now in Scripture direct revelation is al-
       It ought to be-plain that to interpret Genesis l-3 as ways a matter of prophecy." This is simply not true.
     prophecy, and, in this way, to deny their historical At least it is not true in the sense in which Runia
     character is an open and destructive attack against the speaks of it: prophecy as a mixture of the literal and
     Scriptures.                                                         the symbolical.
       There are several points which ought to be made in                  God spoke directly to Cain and Abel. God revealed
     this connection.                                                    directly to Noah the purpose which He had to destroy
       In the first place, Runia makes altogether too little             the world with a flood. God gave direct plans to Noah
     of oral tradition. It cannot be so easily shmgged'aside for the building of the ark. God spoke directly to
     as Runia claims. It is true, of course, that Adam was Abraham in many instances. One such instance which
     not present at the creation of the world. But this does             comes to mind is God's speech to Abraham concerning
     not alter the fact that Adam stood as a sinless man in              the destruction of Sodom. There was nothing pro-
     the midst of a sinless creation in which all things spoke phetic about these direct revelations. There was noth-
     clearly of the handiwork of God. He was able, in a way              ing symbolical about them at all. It was God speaking
     which we cannot imagine, to discern the Works of God directly.
     in the things which were made. Nor is this all. In the                If Runia objects that all these speeches of God were


 62                                               THE STANDARD BEARER



 not to those whom God used to write the Scriptures,             course, it is not the kind of history which a reporter  -
  then we need only point to the fact that Moses himself draws up for the newspapers. No one said it was. It is
 received many direct revelations from God. In fact, sacred history-; history which reveals God. And its rec-
  Scripture tells us that Moses spoke with God face to ord is included in the Scriptures by infallible
  face.                                                          inspiration.
       In fact, although history itself was revelation to the      It all comes down to the question of the perspicuity
 people of God, the interpretation of this history was of Scripture. A child who has just learned to read,
  often given by God in the way of "direct revelation".          reads Genesis l-3 and reads them, without prompting.
 In fact there are even instances in Scripture where God and instruction, as history. It is clear - even to a child.
 revealed directly to His people past events which they If it is not history as appears on the very surface, if
 could not know in any other way than by direct revela- instead it has symbolical meaning which is ascertain-
 tion. Joseph was told by God that the king's butler was         able to a select few and which gives to them an esoteric
guilty of the charges which had been brought against knowledge not available to the believer who has no
 him and for which he was imprisoned while the baker theological training, then Scripture is no more per-
 was innocent. God revealed to the wisemen  who came spicuous. Then the believer cannot understand the
 to worship Christ that Herod plotted to kill Christ and Word of God. He must go to the professors and theo-
 that the  wisemen  must therefore, return another way. logians to have them interpret Scripture for him.
 Is it impossible for the Lord to reveal to one something          But such is a denial, not only of a very precious
 which transpired in the past of which they have no -truth of the Reformation, but of the character of
 knowledge other than through "direct revelation"?               Scripture itself. It is a brazen attempt to take the
       But all of this finally comes down to the question of Scriptures from the people of God. And it is all
 the character of the Genesis narratives itself. Prophecy prompted by the fact that science must dictate to the
 in Scripture has its own characteristics; so does histori- believer how he is to interpret Scripture.
 cal narrative. Genesis l-3 is so obviously sober and              This is serious business. Runia may claim not to
 factual history and so obviously not prophecy (in the agree with Kuitert. And, in certain details this may be
 sense in which Runia speaks of it) that if Runia cannot true; but essentially they are one. And they are one in
 tell the difference, the answer has got to be that Runia a theory of God's Word which finally destroys the
 does not know prophecy when he reads it and cannot Scriptures altogether, and robs the people of God of
 tell history when it is before him black on white. Of the truth of God's Word.


 In His Fear
                                  Saintly, But Faintly
                                                    Rev. John A. Heys

       When last did you see a saint?                            hold." And these were then here on this earth at that
       The question is not, Did you ever see a saint?            time. They are here also in the churches today.
       You  ceitainly did see a saint or two, yea, un-             Coming from the Latin and French as it does the
  doubtedly, a host of them in your life time. There are,        word saint does not speak too clearly to us. But real-
 you know, seven thousand of them that have not                  izing that it means "holy one," we are quite ready to
 bowed the knee to the antichrist. And, if you are one           shy away from it even more fully than before. Yet, let
 of them yourself, you will not have difficulty recog-           us look at the matter with the instruction that Holy
 nizing them now and then.                                       Writ gives us and become acquainted with the word so
       We ought to be more accustomed to the word                that we dare to use it and use it right. A saint is one
  "saint" than we are. And we ought to be more con-              who is cut off from sin, separated from it and from
 scious of the fact that there are saints upon the earth         the desire to commit it. (God's holiness is more than
 today. There are legions of them in heaven, but there           that. He certainly is cut off from all sin as the Light in
 are likewise, even in this end of the ages, a host of           Whom is no darkness at all. But His holiness is first of
 them upon the earth. Paul could write to the church at          all that He is cut off from all the creatures as the
 Ephesus and begin his epistle, "To the saints which are         Transcendent One, the One Who. alone can say, "I am -
 at Ephesus," and he could close his letter with the             God.") Holiness for men and angels, we say, is to be
 words, "All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are        cut off from sin  -and in that way to be a peculiar
 of Caesar's household." Indeed, "of Caesar's house-             people, a distinct and different people in the world of


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                      63



sinners.                                                      clamor for stronger and stronger measures to get into
   Now, you think, do you, that it is going to be even        the world. A saintly walk is presented as requiring the
harder to find one today? Youmay have a point. For            sinner's talk; and the Word of God has to be said (and
to be saintly means to live the life of a saint, manifest-    sung) in the sinner's language. And a saintly example is
ing it in thought, word and deed. And what we so              described as stepping down to the sinner's level.
often see is that some are saintly, but only faintly.           And, though we have a calling to let our light shine,
Before we go into this matter, however, let us notice         though we are by virtue of the new birth strangers in a
what the Word of God has to say on the subject. There         strange land, though because of sovereign, eternal, un-
is such a powerful text in I John 3  :Pthat we must           changeable election from before the foundation of
begin with it and will perhaps find it sufficient. This       world our citizenship is in heaven, that saintly glow is
beautiful text declares, "Whosoever is born of God            so faint, and we resemble the world in so many un-
doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him:           necessary and sinful ways. Many,_like righteous (saint-
and he cannot sin because he is born of God.?' And the        ly) Lot,vex their righteous souls, and stay right there
plain meaning is that when we are born again with the         where the sinners and their evil practices are  har-
life of God out of heaven, we have a life in us that          boured without as much as rebuke. We drift. We
cannot sin anymore than God can sin. Then we are              waver. We conform. We excuse. And we look the other
saints. Yes, we still sin according to the old nature.        way.
The old man is still there, and he will be with us till         Did you ever sit in a train or plane and look about
death. He can do nothing but sin. When we sin it is           you and wonder which of these fellow passengers were
that old man of sin using.all of our faculties and mem-       children of God? Some plainly are not. At least as far
bers in the way of our flesh. It is not the new man           as outward behaviour is concerned there is nothing at
who does that evil. He cannot sin. He is the saint. The       all to indicate that they have a spark of spiritual life in
old man is the sinner. That is why Paul cries out of his      them. Of them you would not even say, "Saintly, but
wretchedness upon finding these two within him, so            only faintly." You would say, Wordly, and plainly
that he does what he would not and fails to do what           worldly. But often the saints themselves do not stand
he wants to do. Romans 7: 14-25.                              out today as a peculiar people. Why? Has the world
  We see a saint when we see the reborn, believing            become better, and is that world striving to be more
child of God living according to that principle of the        like the church? Or has the saint sought to imitate the
new life. We see him in what he does and in what he           sinner?
refuses to do, in what he says and refrains from saying,        Take one quick look at youth today and answer the
in where he goes and in where he will not be found, in        question sincerely and soberly. No, of course, salva-
what he seeks and from what he flees, in what he              tion is not in the length of hair or of  &irts and the
allows and in what he disallows. It is so beautifully         amount of material in dresses and bathing suits.
stated in Acts.4: 13, "And they took knowledge of Neither is sainthood to be found in these. But did you
them, that they had been with Jesus." A saint is one          not read the words of a saint who was led by the very
who manifests the life of Christ, is obedient as He was       Spirit  of God to make proper judgment upon the be-
obedient, serves and glorifies God as He served and           haviour and actions of the'church, when he wrote, "I
glorified God, walks in love to God as He walked in           beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
love to God.                                                  God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, ho-
  And, as we said, to be saintly is to live the life of a     ly, acceptable, unto God, which is your reasonable
saint. It means to have that life of Christ manifested in     service. And be not conformed to this world: but be
our walk of life. It is for that reason that we write of      ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye
being saintly, but only faintly. In the hustle and bustle     may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and per-
of our highly competitive life, in the midst of all the       fect, will of God." Romans 12: 1,2.
pressures and temptations of our life of affluence, in          No, it is not long hair and a beard that distinguishes
the midst of all the undeniable development of sin in         the saint from the  sin_ner. But what is this  unkempt,
the world (to which our flesh belongs and of which it         dirty, disheveled, uncombed and wild hair among
is a part) the saintly glow becomes so faint that one         covenant seed? In-the world - to which they must not
begins to wonder how soon a little band will echo the         be conformed  - it is the symbol -of the revolt and
words of Elijah, "We only are left, and they seek to          rebellion against almost everything that has been order
kill us."                                                     and law in ages gone by. Should the children of saints,
  While more and more is being labelled  Christian, less      and those who themselves even profess to be saints,
and less actually reflects Him in thought, word and           speak by their hair the words of defiance against law
deed. While church buildings become more beautiful            and order that is to be found among the sinners that
and comfortable, the sermons become shorter and               populate this world? Should not in the church, the
more .antichristian. While the world draws farther and        sphere  ,of the saints, attempts  b,e made to get as  far
farther away from the church, many in the church              away  from anything like that as they- possibly can?


64                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



Surely we are extremely charitable to speak of being        drinking, by worldly ambitions and ever-increasing
saintly, but  only  faintly when  that  outward appear-     efforts to conquer this world for our flesh, teach our
ance is mixed with the works of the saints in Sabbath       children that this life is it? Should we by a "worship"
worship, prayer and the singing of God's praises. Un-       of God that is nothing much more than one or two
derstand that we are not judging by length or amount        one-hour church attendance sessions (interspersed with
of hair. Scripture does not exhort us to seek sainthood     several minutes of sleep during the sermons) send
in that way. We want nothing of salvation by works,         them to the world to find an example after which to
either. But when we go out ofouv way to look exactly        pattern their lives? Let our homes be saintly, and not
like the world, are we really striving to manifest our-     only faintly but brightly so. And let us not defend our
selves as children of God? Who started this whole           children when they violate the Word of God that tells
business? And whom then are we imitating? Let the           them not to be conformed to the world but to be
young men who want to look like young women go all          transformed by the renewing of their minds. The last
the way then and wash and comb their hair as faith-         place where the hipppy, yippy look belongs is in the
fully as they, if that is what they are trying to con-      church.
form to and see as such a worthwhile example to                What then? Are we advocating uniforms and the
follow. If the grand and great grandfathers of centuries    wearing of black? Not at all! God has given His church
ago are the heroes after whom they would pattern            all the colors of the rainbow, even as He has given us
their lives, then take note of the neatness and trimness    all the notes in the musical scale, and the major as well
of the beard and the well-pressed clothing and neat-        as the minor mode. Once again, sainthood does not
ness of apparel that went with it. We have something        consist in color and uniform. He also gave us beards
entirely  different today; and make no mistake about        and hair and well-proportioned bodies. But do not for-
it. For with' this unkempt hair among many young            get that He also gave us razors and scissors and cloth in
men (and sometimes young women) even in the                 sufficient lengths to discourage enticements. And He
church sphere goes likewise so often this rebellion         gave us His Word which always points out a people
against neat and clean clothing and open defiance an'd      that are strangers, a spiritually distinct people that
deeds of rebellion. After whom are you really fashion-      manifests sainthood by walk and word, by dress and
ing your life and what do you say by your appear-           demeanor that reveals that they have been with Jesus
ance?                                                       and are His disciples. Here you have it, in the original
      The same is true, of course, about the length of      of Ephesians 5 : 1, "Be ye imitators of God as dear
skirts, the accenting and exposing of that which the        Children." And be sure that Christ would have gotten
world has accented and exposed for suggestive and en-       as far away as possible from any symbol of lawlessness
ticing purposes, to further its rebellion against all       and disorder, of contempt for rule and submission to
virtue and chasteness, and to be in harmony with their      the ordained authorities. A heart that loves God is not
free love and sexual promiscuity. But should the saints     going to shout by its hair, delight in revolt against
conform and say to the world? "We are one with you.         God, and in those who advocate it. And a saint, who
You have a good thing going, and we thank you for           was one plainly and not faintly, wrote to the church in
having started it." Should we sing their vile and sug-      I Thessalonians 5:21, 22, "Prove all things; hold fast
gestive songs, speak their godless language; read their     that which is good. Abstain from all  appearance  of
immoral books, subscribe to their lascivious maga-          evil." In His fear let all know your {abhorrence ofall
zines?                                                      those who militate and that which militates against the
      Should we as parents introduce these things into      holy God Whose you are.
our homes and churches? Should we by feasting and


Contending for the Faith

                      The Doctrine of Atonement
                                         SECOND PERIOD 254-730 A.D.

                                                 Rev. H. Veldman

      Before calling attention to the development of the    development of this doctrine), it might be well to sum-
doctrine of the -atonement in the second period of the marize what we covered until now. First, we have a
church (this period is not characterized by too much        clear presentation of this in the History of the  Chris-


                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        65


tian Church by Philip Schaff, Vol. II, 583  f.f.; and we             period, on account of the existing conflict of Chris-
quote:                                                               tianity with heathenism, which was regarded as
          The work of the Triune God, in His Self-revelation,        wholly ruled by Satan and demons. Even in the New
    is the salvation, or redemption and reconciliation of            Testament, particularly in Col. 2:15, Heb. 2:14, and I
    the world: negatively, the emancipation of humanity              John 3:8, the victory over the devil is made an inte-
    from the guilt and power of sin and death; positively,           gral part of the work of Christ. But this view was
    the communication of the righteousness and life of               carried out in the early church in a very peculiar and,
    fellowship with God. First, the discord between the              to some extent, mythical way; and in this form con-
    Creator and the creature must be adjusted; and then              tinued current, until the satisfaction theory of
    man can be carried onward to his destined perfection.            Anselm gave a new turn to the development of the
    Reconciliation with God is the ultimate aim of every             dogma. Satan is supposed to have acquired, by the
    religion. In heathenism it was only darkly guessed and           disobedience of our first parents, a legal claim
    felt after, or anticipated in perverted, fleshly forms           (whether just or unjust) upon mankind, and held
    (of course, the Scriptures do not teach that there was           them bound in the chains of sin and death (compare
    any real and earnest seeking after the living God                Hebrews 2:14,  1.5). Christ came to our release. The
    among the heathen - H.V.). In Judaism it was Di-                 victory over Satan was conceived now as a legal ran-
   vinely promised, typically foreshadowed, and  histori-            som by the payment of a stipulated price, to wit, the
    tally prepared. In Christianity it is revealed in objet-.        death of Christ; now as a cheat upon him, either in-
    tive reality, according to the eternal counsel of the            tentional and deserved, or due to his own infatuation.
    love and wisdom of God, through the life, death, and                The theological development of doctrine of the
    resurrection of Christ, and is being continually                 work of Christ began with the struggle against Jewish
   applied subjectively to individuals in the church by              and heathen influences, and at the same time with the
   the Holy Spirit, through the means of grace, on con-              development of the doctrine of the person of Christ,
    dition of repentance and faith (we understand, of                which is inseparable from that of His work, and in-
   course, that the words, "on condition of repentance               deed fundamental to it. Ebionism, with its deistic and
   and faith," are the sentiments of Philip Schaff  -                legal spirit, could not raise its view above the pro-
   H .V  .). Christ is, exclusively and absolutely, the              phetic office of Christ to the priestly and the kingly,
    Saviour of the world, and the Mediator between God               but saw in him only a new teacher and legislator.
   and man.                                                          Gnosticism, from the naturalistic and pantheistic po-
      The apostolic scriptures, in the fulness of their in-          sition of heathendom, looked upon redemption as a
   spiration, everywhere bear witness of this salvation              physical and intellectual process, liberating the spirit
   wrought through Christ, as a living fact of experience.           from the bonds of matter, the supposed principle of
   But it required time for the profound ideas of a Paul             evil; reduced the human life and passion of Christ to a
   and a John to come up clearly to the view of the                  vain show; and could ascribe at best only a symbolical
   church; indeed, to this day they remain unfathomed.               virtue to his death. For this reason even Ignatius,
   Here again experience anticipated theology. The                   Irenaeus, and Tertullian in their opposition to
   church lived from the first on the atoning sacrifice of           docetism, insist most earnestly on the reality of the
   Christ. The cross ruled all Christian thought and con-            humanity and death of Jesus, as the source of our
   duct, and fed the spirit of martyrdom. But the primi-             reconciliation with God.
   tive church teachers lived more in the thankful enjoy-               In JUSTIN MARTYR appear traces of the doctrine
   ment of redemption than in logical reflection upon it.            of satisfaction, though in very indefinite terms. He
   We perceive in their exhibitions of this blessed                  often refers to the Messianic fifty-third chapter of
   mystery the language rather of enthusiastic feeling               Isaiah.
   than of careful definition and acute analysis. More-            And then, on page 588 of Vol. II Philip Schaff has
   over, this doctrine was never, like Christology and the       this short paragraph:
   doctrine of the Trinity; a subject of special contro-               Athanasius, in his early youth, at the beginning of
   versy within the ancient' church (it is well that we              the next period, wrote the first systematic treatise on'
   bear this in mind; doctrines are always developed                 redemption and answer to the question "Cur Deus
   when attacked-by the enemies of the truth - H.V.).                home?`?, the necessity of -God's becoming man. But it
   The ecumenical symbols touch it only in general                   was left for the Latin church, after the epoch-making
   terms. The Apostles' Creed presents it in the article             treatise of Anselm, to develop this important doctrine
   on the forgiveness of sins on the ground of the di-               in its various aspects.
   vine-human life, death, and resurrection of Christ.            Anselm was born in 1.033 and he died in 1109. This
   The Nicene Creed says, a little more definitely, that-        would certainly seem  tb indicate that there was little
   Christ became man for our salvation, and died for us,
   and rose again.                                               development of the doctrine of the atonement in the
      Nevertheless, all the essential elements of the later      period of the church to which we are now calling at-
   church doctrin,e  of redemption may be found, either          tention, the period of 254 to 730 A.D.
   expressed or implied, before the,close of the second            The late Dr. H. Bavinck, an authority on the history
   century. The -negative part of the doctrine, the subjec-      of dogma, also  calls:attention to this history  df the
   tion of the devil, the prince of the kingdom of sin and       development of the doctrine of the atonement in his
   death, was naturally most dwelt on in the patristic           Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. III, 322, and it is surely of


66                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER



interest to listen to him, (we translate):                               Christ did not only become man in order to make us
           The history of the doctrine of the work of Christ             partaker of His suffering and to bring healing, to
        reveals another character than that of the dogma of              make an end of all disobedience which had come into
        the trinity and of the person of Christ. No definite             the world, in order to conquer the power of Satan
        battle was waged which led to a sharp and clear                  and also death; but His death is also a sacrifice for all
        formulation. The Scriptures, in the description of               sinners, who will to repent, the passover  slain for all,
        that work, were also so many-sided; and in the his-              the cause of the forgiveness of sins. Much more
        tory of theology various presentations of the work of            clearly Irenaeus declares that Christ, Who through His
        Christ arose which contained a kernel of truth. The              incarnation stands in fellowship with us and has en-
        apostolic fathers adapted themselves to the parlance             tered into our entire condition, has reconciled us with
        of Holy Writ, and they say only that Christ out of               God by His suffering and death, restored us into the
        love for us suffered for us and offered Himself. Soon,           favour of God against Whom we had sinned, has rec-
        however, they tried to give a somewhat greater ac-               onciled the Father for us (incidentally, the Scriptures
        count of the work of Christ. And then immediately                do not declare that the Father was reconciled  -
        different presentations appeared; from the beginning             H.V.), has rectified our disobedience by His obedi-
        Christ was viewed not only as prophet, but also as               ence, and has bestowed upon us the forgiveness of
        king and as priest. At times these three offices were            sins in faith. And a similar presentation of the suffer-
        expressly named as next to each other. This does not             ing of Christ also appears in the writings of Origen,
        take away the fact that the one or other presentation            Athanasius, and others. This presentation was also
        sometimes appeared onesidedly upon the foreground.               adopted and further developed in the West. Tertullian
        The emphasis, then, was laid that Christ is the Logos,           saw in religion a legal relationship, in which man is
        who appeared upon earth to reveal to men the full                subject to the law of God and must satisfy before
        truth and to give them an example of virtue. Or, sin             God through penitence for transgressions committed.
        was felt more as a power than as guilt, and in har-              Even as in the Trinity, so Tertullian used many terms,
        mony therewith the work of Christ was interpreted                which, although not by himself, yet were applied by
        more as redemption than as reconciliation or atone-              others to Christ and His sacrifice. Augustine enumer-
        ment; God became man in order that He should re-                 ated many fruits of Christ's sacrifice, which all came
       deem people from sensuality, mortality and the do-                down to this that they, on the one hand, delivered us
        minion of demons and make them like unto God, and                from guilt, pollution, death and the devil, and, on the
        make them partakers of eternal life and immortality.             other hand, have given us enlightment, life and salva-
        Another presentation, well-known and in spite of the             tion. Besides the ethical, mystical and the ransom
        contradiction of Gregory of Nazianzum, and hailed                theory, the juridical and satisfaction theory also are
        by many, was that Christ in His death gave Himself to            advocated by him. Christ is mediator, reconciler, re-
        Satan as a ransom, bait or as a trap or snare, Job               deemer, saviour, healer, pastor, etc. He is priest and
       40:19, thus conquered the devil by craftiness and de-             sacrifice together; He is the true and only sacrifice for
       livered people out of his dominion. And finally the               sins; Himself without guilt, He took upon Himself our
        thought appears already at the beginning that Christ             punishment, in order to pay our guilt and to make an
       in. His suffering and dying offered Himself in our                end to our punishment.
        stead unto God, in order to realize the atonement,             The Lord willing, we will continue with the history
       the forgiveness, the sanctification and the entire salva-     of this doctrine of the atonement in the period, 254 to
       tion. Very beautifully this thought appears already in        730, in our following article, quoting also the letter
        the letter to Diognetus (we will quote this later, the       addressed to Diognetus, mentioned by Dr. Bavinck in
       Lord willing - H.V.). According to Justin Martyr             the quotation above.


Missions

                                  Mission News From Jamaica
                                                            Rev. G. Lubbers

                  "Therefore was the name of it called GaZeed and Mizpah: for he said, The LORD watch
              between me and thee, when we are absent qne from another"
                                                                                                    Genesis 3 1:38, 39

BEGINNING IN JAMAICA                                                ings. This has been brought so very sharply to our
      In this life we all have our beginnings and our end-. attention these past few months. We began our labors


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   67



  in Southwest Church some six years ago, and we had for everyone who believes. The full counsel of God
  certain labors to perform. God had an agenda for us!           must be preached on this score: eternal election, lim-
  When this work was concluded our task and labors ited atonement, total depravity, efficacious grace and
  there were ended. And although we had been Mission- the preservation of the saints. That salvation is a work
  ary in the States for almost ten years in the past, this of the Triune God, out of the Father, through the Son
  does not take away the reality that now we must make and in the Holy Ghost must be taught. The twelve
  a fresh beginning. Perhaps we are a bit wiser, a bit Articles of Faith must be exposited in all their length
  more conscious of own weakness and strength, and of and breadth, height and depth.
1 need of sole and utter dependence upon the LORD,                 But also the things which must be kept in the
  our God! But a new beginning we must make here. We church, observed as Christ has commanded. All the
' have a certain race to run, many prayers to pray, ordinances and precepts of Christ: pure preaching of
 sermons to preach, school sessions to conduct, and the Word, the administration of the Sacraments and
1 many miles to go. But we stand now on the threshold the exercise of Christian discipline.
  of this all. And the eyes of Mrs. Lubbers and of myself          Such is our task according to the Scriptures! Thus
  are upon the Lord, who does not slumber or sleep.              we read in the "FORM OF ORDINATION OF MIS-
     I know you would like to hear a few particulars SIONARIES," and we quote ". . . Although ministers
  concerning this beginning here. But that must wait just of the Word have in common, that to them is com-
' a bit. We will try to give that in a later writing, God mitted the preaching of the Gospel, the administration
  willing. I would now like to call attention to the fact of the Sacraments, the government of the Church, and
  that I have an office, a work from the LORD assigned the maintenance of the Christian discipline, yea, all
  to me which I must fulfill as did Paul write to the that belongs, according to the Word of God, to the
  Colossian church, "And say to Archippus, take heed to office of pastor and teacher: and although from the
  the ministry which thou hast received in the LORD, difference of the field of labor no difference is result-
  that thou fulfil it." (Col. 4: 17) This office is not al- ing concerning office, authority or dignity, since all
  ways understood properly. We will therefore give here possess the same mission, the same office and the same
  a brief outline of what the Scriptures and the  Re- authority, yet notwithstanding this, it is necessary that
  formed'fathers considered this office to be.                   some labor in the congregations already established,
    When Jesus was about to die and was denied three while others are called and sent to preach the Gospel
  times by his disciple Peter, he spoke to him and said,         to those without, in order to bring them to Christ.. . ."
  ". . . . All ye shall be offended because of me this night:      And the "Form Of Ordination" prescribes the fol-
  for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the lowing duties:
  sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will      1. To bring to attention of the hearers by all fit and
  go before you into Galilee." (Mark  14:27, 28) And lawful means the glad tidings that Jesus has come into
  after the resurrection Jesus gathers the disciples as a the world to save sinners.
  Shepherd of the sheep, who was dead but now lives                2. To administer the Sacraments where a church is
  forever more. He brings them to the mountain desig- gathered by Christ.
  nated, and will realize what we read in Isaiah  2:2,             3. To ordain elders and deacons in the church wher-
  "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the ever possible and necessary.
  mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in             4. To maintain Christian discipline in the midst of
  the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the       the congregation and to faithfully exercise the keys of
  hills, and all nations shall flow unto it." This prophecy the kingdom of heaven.
  of Isaiah Jesus is bringing to pass: he is the end of the        5. To be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ and a
  law for righteousness to every one which believeth, careful shepherd of the flock.
  first the Jew and also the Greek.                                This is a very sober and Biblical statement of the
    And Christ's witnesses of His death and resurrection office of a missionary, and it is vastly different from
  are to go forth into all the world, beginning at Jerusa- the modern idea of Mission Word as propagated by and
  lem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. And engaged in by those who would climb the Ecumenical
~ they are to go forth (keep on going forth) into all the bandwagon. Yes, this is entirely different from what is
  world, among all the nations, teaching all nations, bap- done in the "Crusades for Christ" of a Billy Graham!
  tizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son Well may we cherish this "FORM," and not frown
and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all upon it, or speak of it in a disparaging and belittling
~ things whatsoever I have commanded you. And He way as being "antequated !" It is fresh and up-to-date
1 added this. promise: Lo I am with you  alway, even as the morning light!
  unto the consummation of the ages, the day of the                Of this task we are making a beginning here in
1 great Harvest!                                                 Jamaica. Yes, we had been here as an emissary. But
    Definitely our task is: discipling,  teaching the words now the mantle of the Missionary is placed on our
1 of the Covenant: forgiveness of sins in Christ's blood shoulders. And this ministry we are to fulfil!


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 68                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



 THE GUARDIAN PRESENCE OF THE LORD                            says "All thine actions, thy speaking and thy silence,
       On Sunday evening, September 6, 1970 a large           yes, all thine influence is to co-operate to recommend
 gathering met to bid us  "goodby" and wish us the the gospel of Christ. Let thy conversation be without
 blessing of the Lord. It was a good evening and one          covetousness; Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that
 which we will long remember and cherish. Rev. Clinton        which is good, that thou mayest be able to say with
 J. Elliott spoke very eloquently that evening of his         the Apostle Paul, I Cor. 9: 19, 22, 27 "For though I
 impressions, expressed his gratitude to God for the was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage
 brotherly and kind reception which he received every:        to all, that I might gain the more . . . I am become all
 where in our churches, and admonished us to keep the         things to all men, that I may by all means save some. I
 Reformed faith, which is the only truth of the Bible.        buffet my body and bring it into bondage: lest by any
 Arnold Dykstra sang two fitting numbers to an audi- means, after that I preached to others, I myself should
 ence of over four hundred people. The undersigned            be rejected."
 spoke a few words in response to the welcoming words           Yes, the Lord watch between thee and me!
  of the minister of First Church, Rev. Gise J. Van             Laban said it a bit loud-mouthed! He says it a bit
 Baren.                                                       vaunting as if it were only a covenant which bound
       There was something that Rev. Van  Baren said          Jacob. He stipulates the terms very exactingly, and
 which lingers with me and which I have pondered deep         from the heights of his paternal perogative. And he
 in my heart. He pointed at this time of parting to the       does not admit Jacob's rightful grievances, but ignors
 duty of the members to remember the missionary and           them very haughtily. He treats Jacob as one who is
 his wife with letters and cards, and in their prayers.       very much a potential cruel man to his wives, and to
 Now, that was very commendable. And the many well-           the children. It was the last words of Laban to Jacob,
 wishes of those who shook our hands was like the balm        and with this Laban bows from the scene of history!
 of `Gilead. Many nice and commendable things were              But Jacob receives it. It is so true. The Lord will
 said to and concerning us. It was a bit embarrassing at      watch over Jacob. He will come and wrestle with Him
 times. It made me feel that I should with the help of        at the Jabbok river, will make him limp that he may
 God go out and prove myself worthy of these wonder-          walk like a man of God in faith and dependence upon
 ful expressions of gratitude, that we had accepted the       the Lord. And from the Peniel experience Jacob will
 call to be Missionary in Jamaica. Yet, withal this, there    be led to Bethel, and to Egypt, and in his generations
 is one thing that lingers in my soul, and that is what       the Lord will watch over Jacob and bring him to the
Laban said to Jacob when he had pursued him as he             promised land in the latter days!
 attempted to escape from Padanaram to Canaan. They             Yes, the Lord watch over us. It is a very small thing
 are the words ". . . The LORD watch between me and           to be judged of man. And if Paul knows nothing amiss,
 thee, when we are absent one from another," yet therein is he not justified. The Lord will judge him.
 Genesis 3 1:38, 39                                           Let, therefore, men account him as a minister of
       He pointed out that now we will not see each other;    Christ, and a steward of the mysteries of God in the
 Rev. and Mrs. Lubbers will not be under the eye of the       church.
 Consistory of First Church. No Consistory hears his            In sorrow and in loneliness, in disappointments and
 sermon to approve of it with the right hand of fellow-       challenges, the Lord is with all His faithful servants.
 ship. No one watches over the Missionary directly. But       And it is sought in a steward that he be found faithful.
 there is One who does. He never slumbers nor sleeps.         He must faithfully preach the full counsel of God, and
 He walks between the seven candlesticks, also in the         finish the work assigned him of the Lord.
 churches of Jamaica. Here, too, it is required in stew-        The God of the Watch tower of Mispah watches over
 ards that they be found faithful. They must faithfully       all of us. Presently He says to His faithful servants;
 fulfil the ministry, and office above outlined. He must      Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into
 walk as example of the flock. The installation form          the joy of thy Lord.

 From Holy Writ
                       Explanation of I `John 2: 1-3 (cont.)
                                                   Rev. G. Lubbers

 THE SEEM I NG CONTRADICTIONS REFUTED                         their own destruction. Every heretic likes to quote-his
 CONCERNING THE TERM"WORLD"                                   selected Scripture passages without any regard to the
       Always in the history of the church in the world       total message of the Scriptures. Sometimes he is so
 there have been those who pervert the Scriptures to bold and arrogant as to allege his own well-nigh infalli-


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    69



bility, "If I am wrong the Scriptures have deceived he gain the whole world (ton kosmon holon) and lose
me!" And as it is with every heretic on every point of (suffer loss) of his own soul." Here the term refers to
doctrine so it is also with these heretics who allege that    the entirety of the world's possession, honor, prestige,
the term "world" must refer to all men, to every man,         power and dominion. It by no means -refers to "all
head for head, whatever came out of the loins of men." And to silence the flippant interpreter of Scrip-
Adam. And with a rather conceited and imaginary               ture forever on this score we also quote from the very
triumphant look they call your attention to such pas- Chapter from which we have chosen a text to explain.
sages which seem to substantiate their error! Why, have We refer to I John 2:17, "And the world passeth away
we never read that the Bible says "Jesus loves the            and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God
world?" (John 3 : 16) And who can deny that the Bible         abideth forever." Here the term "world" means: the
teaches that Jesus is "the Lamb of God who came to            physical universe, the world with all its present rela-
take away the sin of the world?" (John 1:29) And do           tionships: marriage, money, (mammon) its greed and
we not read that "Jesus came not to destroy that boastful possession of things! All these are passing
would,  but that the  world  might be saved through           away; like a mighty rushing current they are carried
him? " And truly who can be so blind as to overlook forward to destruction! It does not mean "all men" at
that "God was in Christ reconciling the  world  unto          all.
Himself, not imputing their sins unto them?" And                 We have now not yet stated what the term or con-
surely in our text under discussion a simple reading of cept "world" does indicate in the plain teaching of
the text ought to persuade the most incredulous that          Scripture. This task now awaits us so that at the con-
"Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, but not only for clusion we may be able to give a proper interpretation
ours, but for the sin of the whole world?"                    of the phrase in question  ".  _ . but for the sin of the
  It would seem that only for these few texts, those          whole world." (I John 2: 1-3)
who teach that Christ died only for "his people" and          THE POSITIVE EXPOSITION OF THE TERM "COS-
who thus hold to the Reformed teaching of "limited            MOS" (WORLD) IN SCRIPTURE (I John 2:3)
atonement," ought to yield the field and retire in               Any good Biblical Greek Lexicon will tell you that
shameful silence. However, no one who has taken any           the term "kosmos" comes from the verb "kosmew"
pains to study what the united teaching of the Scrip-         and means: regular disposition and arrangement. The
tures is on this score, will throw in the cudgel, but will    late Dr. Kuyper, from whom we have learned much on
stand his man in battle to the end, that the truth of the     this subject, says that the term "kosmos" is creation as
Gospel may stand!                                             brought forth with Divine power as a beautiful artistic
  The reader will, therefore, not merely bear with this       framework and organism. He insists that the phrase
writer when he treats of this question a bit more             "from the creation of the world" refers to the creative
broadly and profoundly, but will deem that we had             act when the world was made in the Six Day Creation
done him and all our readers a service in so doing.           week, as a beautiful organic whole, wherein the history
Without refuting the error of the proponent of "com-          can move forward as in a mighty framework. We must,
mon grace" directly, we will merely quote a few pas-          therefore, distinguish between what God created in the
sages, which none other than the late Dr. A. Kuyper           primary creation which resulted in the "earth being
Sr. chose in his book entitled "That Grace Is Particu-        void and without form" and the creative acts of God
lar" for this purpose, and demonstrate the negative           whereby the creation came into being as a beautiful
proposition that the term "world" by no means simply          artistic whole. God made the world and all things
means anywhere and everywhere "every man" head for which are therein. (Acts 17: 14; Matt.  24:2 1; Matt.
head! One must be &rt of his sober and right mind to          13  :35) The world which was void and without form
attempt to maintain this position. But heretics die           was not the habitable world nor was it yet divided into
hard! How one will attempt to explain Luke  16:8 of ages. This God definitely brought about in the six day
every man is hard to understand. The text reads "for Creation-Week. This is the world which was the rejoic-
the children of this world are in their generation wiser      ing of the personified "Wisdom" in the habitable part
than the children of light." For the term "world" here        of the earth.
is "age," the present time, the world in its develop-            When God made the earth which was void and with-
ment at any given moment in history under the provi-          out form into a habitable world for men and angels,
dential direction of the Most High. This cannot mean          then he made the "cosmos," the world. The scope of
"all men!" Again, we read in Romans  12:2 "And be             the world is given us in the first sentence of the Bible
not fashioned (conformed) according to this  world.  " "In the beginning God created the heavens and the
Here, too,  the/term  "world" is the translation of. the      earth." (Gen. 1: 1)
term "age." And how any one can hold to the proposi-             This conception of the term  "Kosmos" (world) is
tion that the term "world" always refers to all men in        basic to our understanding of the truth of the Gospel
Scripture is conclusively shown to be impossible when         that Christ is the propitiation for the sin of the whole
we read Luke 9:25, "For what doth it pro%lt a man if world!


       70                                              THE STANDARD BEARER



             In this beautiful arrangement, this masterful edifice    creatures and relationships, each according to his kind.
       of the Triune God, man is to occupy the chief place              Let it be then understood that when Adam fell, the
       among the creatures. And strictly speaking, this "man"         "world" fell into the power and the curse of sin. All
       is none other than the "Son of Man." It is true, that,         came under the grip and curse of death. And whereas
       speaking historically, Christ was not yet on the scene         sin has its origin in the "prince of darkness," Satan, the
       in the flesh in the first Paradise prior to the Fall of        Devil, that Old Dragon, we must see the place of this
       Adam. Still, it must be conceded that in the plan of           fallen angel, too, in the "sin of the world." Basically it
       God with Kosmos, all things were made by this Son of is his sin, he is the father of the lie, because he did not
       God, the eternal Logos (John 1: l-3) and all things            remain standing in the truth. The truth was not in him.
       were made unto Him. (Col. 1: 16) Yea, he is before all         He would carry and did carry his lie into this. He,
~      things, so that in all things he should have the pree-         Satan would be like God, and man must attempt to be
       minence. For it pleased God that in Him all the fulness        like God. The head of creation must now try to be
       should dwell. He is the Firstborn of all creatures, he is      more than Servant. He must assume to be GOD! That
       above the angels (Hebrews  1:5-13) and He is consti-           is sin. It is disobedience and wicked pride. It is being
       tuted Head of His body, which is the church. All things        "puffed up." And thus in a sense Satan did become the
       are sustained together in Him. The one grand whole is          prince of this world. He tries to create his own "sinful
       formed and kept in one totality in Him. Without Him            world" in God's world. He is the great usurper of
       there is no world. For the variegated creaturehood: is         power. He says to Jesus: all these kingdoms of the
       the product of the Father, through the Son (Logos)             earth will I give you, if you will do obeisance to me
       and in the Spirit. And whereas Christ became man the just this once! He is the prince of the earth, of the
       truth stands which is prophesied in Psalm 8 : 5-7 "What .world. His is power in the sons of disobedience. His is
      is man, that thou art mindful  -of him? For thou hast           the power of a great army of demons. He is a world-
      made him a little lower than the angels (than God) and          ruler. And when his rule is broken, his rule of the
      hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou hast                wovZd  is broken. Satan is cast out, cast down from
      made' him to have dominion over the works of thy                heaven as that great Lucifer. Only through the fall of
      hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep       Adam could Satan obtain a grip in the present world,
       and oxen, yea, and the beast of the field: the fowls of        this present age. Now it is true that the whole world
       the air and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth        lies in the evil one. And this world of Satan we must
     . through the paths of the seas. . .  ." Here we see a           not love. For all that is in this world is the lust of the
      picture of the greatness of Adam only as he is the type         eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. This
       of Christ. (Rom. 5 : 14)                                       "sin" of the world must be removed. It must be utterly
             This explains that there can be no sin but what it is    taken out. God destroyed in the flood the world of
       a world-sin! There can be no sin, but what it is is the        wicked men. (II Peter  2:3) He did not destroy in the
       sin of the whole human race. No man sins but as a              flood his own beautiful architectural arrangement, but
      member of the whole human race. The Bible knows                 he destroyed all that Satan wrought evilly in this world
      nothing of the false, nominalistic individualism of the         through man!
      Pelagian and the Arminian! The Bible knows the truth              But this world of God is redeemed. God sent His
       of organic solidarity. The truth is expressed in Romans        own son that `the world, the "kosmos" might be saved.
       5: 12 "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the            Yes, this means the propitiation for the sins of all the
      world, and death by (this one) sin, and so death passed         elect in Christ, who shall one day reign with Him in
      upon all men, for that all had sinned. . .  ." No one,          glory. And he is the only propitiation for our sins. But
      therefore, can speak of sin in his own terms, nor con-          he is not only the propitiation for those sins which are
      cerning the world in his own terms, but must explain            strictly our sins, but He is the propitiation, who made
      in the light of the basic teachings of Scripture concern-       peace between heaven and earth, uniting under Him all
      ing both! And, therefore, we hold that sin of the world         things as under one Head. And He is the propitiation
      is the sin, the terrible breaking of the law as this            for our sins. When we sin we have such a great advo-
       affected the whole world, heaven and earth, in all its         cate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One!

      Pages from the Past
                  Believers and Their Seed - .Chapter XI (Cont.)
                                                        Rev. H&man  Hoeksema

             But besides, also the latter is not a valid  con-        child was so young that he had not already manifested
       elusion.  It is very much a question whether this in his life that good which was found in him before the


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     71



Lord. We get the opposite impression when we read pleasure. And bowing before Thy divine majesty, I
that all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him. We thank Thee when Thou dost save Thy children out of
would much rather say, therefore, that this child had my children and dost receive them in glory."
already reached the age at which he plainly revealed              With objective certainty, therefore, there is nothing
that by his piety he distinguished himself from the more to be said of children who die in their infancy
house of Jeroboam. And thus, also in this passage of than that the Lord saves His seed out of our seed.
Scripture there is no proof for the position that all the         Whether, therefore, there is no room whatsoever for
children of believers are elect and saved if they are that which the fathers declared in Article 17 of the
taken away in their early childhood.                            First Head of the Canons is an entirely different ques-:
  Hence, we are of the conviction that such a general tion. Notice that the fathers here express themselves
proposition cannot. be expressed. If it is expressed, very cautiously. They do not assert that all children of
then it does not mean much, for the simple reason that the covenant who die in infancy are also saved,. but
the question always remains up to what age children that godly parents ought not to doubt concerning the
may be counted with those who die in infancy, of whom election and salvation of their children. Now this is, in
it cannot yet be expected that in their life they might the first place, subjective; and, in the second place, it is
reveal something either of the grace of God or of the negative. The expression "godly parents" says some-
opposite. But this position can never be maintained. It thing different than all parents who have their children
cannot be based on. being in the covenant in the out- baptized. Those who have sought an explanation of.
ward, historical sense of the word: for all who are born        this article have always called attention to this distinc-.
in the sphere of the covenant do not belong to spiritual tion. Godly parents are such as live a god-fearing life
Israel, and therefore the possibility always remains that with their children. They bring forth their children in
also some of the carnal and reprobate seed die in in- the consciousness that the Lord has counted them
fancy. And on the fact of children's dy>ng in infancy worthy to bring forth children for His covenant. Thus
one can at best base a judgment of love, but never a they live already before their children see the light of
positive and explicit item of confession. And also from day, in expectant prayer and supplication before the
the examples which are sometimes cited from Scrip- Lord. They desire to serve the Lord, also in the bring-
ture nothing can be concluded with certainty.                   ing forth of their children. For those children they
  As far as the objective confession of the church of pray. Those children they consecrate to the service of
Christ is concerned, as that confession is founded on the Lord. In behalf of those children they also beseech
the Word of God, the matter must certainly be pre- the Lord for the grace of His covenant, in order that
sented differently. By reason of the fact that the Lord they may live to the glory of the'covenant God in the
establishes His covenant in the line of successive gen- midst of the world. If those children may grow up,
erations, believers will confess in gratitude before the then they instruct them in the fear of the Lord, in
Lord that He counts them worthy to bring forth the order that they may know the ways of His covenant
true seed of the covenant. This true seed of the cove- and walk therein. Such are godly parents!
nant, however, does not consist of all children who are           And if, now, from the midst of such a family chil-
born of them, but only of the children of the promise.          dren are taken away, children who certainly could not
Certain it is that believers also bring forth another yet consciously assume any attitude toward. the cove-
seed. Now, on this side of death and the grave fleshly          nant of the Lord, then such parents ought not to stand
ties may draw us, so that we.say that we wish to see all        at that death and that grave of their children doubting.
our children saved, and do not wish that our own flesh They do not say, "My child is baptized, and therefore
and blood goes lost. But in the final analysis, also in it is saved." But they say indeed, also at that grave:
this respect the righteous must live out of their faith, not    "Lord, in Thy name I have brought forth a child. And
from their flesh. If one lives out of faith, then he will from Thy hand I have received it. I have consecrated it
say: "Lord, I thank Thee that Thou hast counted me to Thee, in order that it should be a child for Thy
worthy to bring forth children for Thy eternal cove- covenant. And now Thou hast taken the child away
nant. From Thy grace I desire to receive my children. from me. In that same faith wherein I consecrated him
According to Thy covenant I want to bring them up in to Thee, I leave him  with~Thee,  without being filled
the fear of Thy name. For the sake of Thy name and with anxious doubt concerning the salvation and elec-
Thy covenant, it is also the desire of my heart that all        tion of this child, but knowing that Thou, according to
my children walk in the ways of Thy covenant. But ul- Thy good pleasure, which by faith to me is always
timately I desire to serve nothing else than Thy good           good, dost save Thy children out of my seed!"


               Have  YOU  ordered  The  Tiipfe Know/edge?


I                                                                                                                          -.

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     ,I,

            THE STANDARD BEARER
                      P.O. Box 6064
            Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506                                --. 



            72                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


                                            News From Our Churches
                  Incoming news- from the churches has been dwindl- profitable experience for those who attended.
            ing a little lately; so let's try some from the schools.       There's another school about which we have some
            You probably know that Hope Protestant Reformed old news. In fact, it's been so long ago, that even those
            School, of Grand Rapids, looks considerably different of you who attended Seminary Night will, likely, find
            than it did a year ago at this time. A building program that this reads almost like news. It was held in Hope
            has resulted in another classroom, a gym, kitchen, and Church (Grand Rapids) on Sept. 9. The fact that these
            a very attractive office area. In fact, the whole new convocation exercises. were  held,  was not at  all un-
            addition is extremely attractive. Mr. John Buiter, the usual. The Seminary professors, the students, atid the
            school principal, writes that he has "received numerous members of the Theological School Committee meet at
            remarks about the `new appearance' of our school be- the beginning of  every school year to "invoke God's
            cause of the new front, landscaping, parking lot, and blessing upon the school, its staff, and its student
            sidewalks." He adds that, "these things do not change body." But in the past it was always held, according to
            the Biblical foundation of our instruction, but they Rev. Schipper, in his introductory remarks, "down un-
            make the working out of our tasks more efficient and der the earth at the corner of Fuller and Franklin."
            pleasant."                                                  This year, however, the School Committee decided to in-
                  Part of their building program was necessitated by vite all of our people to share this experience with them.
            an expanding enrollment. Their 1st grade class this            Rev. Schipper also had a few words concerning the
            year consisted of no less than forty students. That ex- professors. He mentioned that few people are really
            ceeds the optimum size for any grade, but particularly aware of their "Herculean task," of their 14-16 hour
            for the 1st grade, with its reading instruction. So they days. He was happy for the opportunity to give a pub-
            split the grade into two separate classes, which meant, lic expression of appreciation for them, and of thank-
            of course, that they needed another classroom. That's fulness that God "has provided two theological giants"
            no doubt a "first" for our schools. We've had to to instruct our prospective ministers.
            double up classes plenty of times in the past; but here,       Prof. Hanko was the next speaker to address the
            for the first time, it became necessary to have two audience. He pointed out that the students also put in
            sections of the same grade!                                  14-16 hour days. But, he added, the students must
                  Their new gym will make it unnecessary for the stu- learn in the seminary to work hard, because the fact is
            dents to walk to Hope Church every time they have a that the study of the Word of God requires hard work.
            chapel or an assembly. It will also make a real physical "There's no room in our parsonages for lazy men."
            education program possible. In the same issue of the           Mr. Ron Van Overloop, second year Seminary stu-
            Hope "Highlights" from which we just quoted, Mr. dent, was the next speaker. He took note of the fact
            Buiter writes, "This room is much appreciated by stu- that he had a rather rare opportunity to, as a student,
            dents and staff. The rainy days of  Septembe?  did not give voice to his feelings. But, he added, "Notice the
            stop our physical education program, we simply moved care and precision with which the program was pre-
            indoors. A noon hour intramural program has already pared. There's a professor immediately preceeding and
            begun with a basketball free-throw tournament."             immediately following my speech, so I dare not say
                  Hope's teachers were not the only ones to enjoy the anything wrong." He had no intention, of course, of
            new facilities. The Protestant Reformed Teachers' In- saying anything wrong. He remarked, for one thing,
            stitute held its -annual Convention at that school on about the rewarding experience he and the other semi-
            Oct. 8 and 9. Perhaps we could pass on a little informa- nary students had had as practice preachers during the
            tion about  -the Convention. The schools represented summer months  - in spite of the fact that their ser-
            were Adams, Covenant, Hope, and Souih Holland. A mons had to be submitted to the professors for ap-
            convention of this sort provides for the teachers much proval, and were returned with enough red ink to
            opportunity for professional growth and development. necessitate some major reworking.
            The teachers were able to learn from a variety of              The professor "immediately following" was Prof.
            sources. A forum on "The Christian and, Ecology" in- Hoeksema. His task, as Rector of the Seminary, was to
            cluded Prof. H. Hanko and Mr. T. Newhof, Jr. as "address the student body, drawing from the Word of
            speakers. And a symposium on "Interscholastic Athle- God comfort, encouragement, and direction for the
            tics" again included parents - Mr. D. Meulenberg and work of the coming school year."
            Mr. J. Huisken. Topics of a more academic nature               Since this particular school merits our love and in-
            were, of course, introduced by the teachers. All in all, terest, it was certainly a privilege, for all present, to be
            the convention was a very enjoyable and exceedingly able to share in its opening exercises.                     D.D.


