 5.2                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
 -                                                                                                                         -
          WRATH REVEALED FROM HEAVEN                               own metropolitan world centers essentially different?
                                                                   Certainly not from a religious point of view. The god-
                          Ram.  1:18 ff.                           lessness and idolatry of today may assume a more refined
                                                                   form, it is none the less apalling. And the chapter we are
        Horrible isthe dark picture the apostle paints in vivid    discussing plainly teaches that a people that apostatizes
 colors of the civilized Greco-Roman world of his day, from        from the living God and changes the truth into a lie, must
 the viewpoint of its moral debauchery. When one peruses           needs also become corrupt morally. God reveals His
 the long list of sins the apostle here enumerates and             wrath and gives them over. But, let us trace the picture
 compares with it the present world of civilization super-         Paul draws and then judge whether it is applicable to
 ficially, one would be inclined to draw the conclusion            the modern world.
 perhaps, that since the time sf Paul the world outside of            Indigtiantly  as it were the apostle calls attention once
 Christ had considerably improved itself. Yet, he that more, in vs. 25, to the judicial ground upon which God
 may look beneath the surface of things will soon change           gave over the heathen world into the mire of corruption
 his mind with regard to this judgment. In the first place         and debauchery he will presently describe.        Men had
 we must not forget that had we lived in the midst of the          sinned against the living God. The Creator is blessed
 very world Paul here pictures, the world of Paul's  own           forever,  Am&! He is worthy to receive the praise and
 time, we would have had difficulty to perceive the reality        adoration of all His creatures. -4nd it is particularly
 of the apostle's gloomy representation in actual condi- man's calling to extol this praise of the blessed God. He
 tion. In the first place we must not forget that also in          is made after God's image and before all creatures man
 Paul's time sin manifested itself according to the organic        must praise the great, and glorious God and tell of His
 life and development of the human. race. This also im-            wonders. But instead, they changed the truth of  ,God
 plied that not every individual of the race at that time          into a lie. The truth of God is His revelation, in this in-
 committed all the sins enumerated here in actual fact.            `stance His revelation in all the works of His hands, the
 One branch of a tree does not bear all its fruit. Much            revelation of His eternal power and Godhead. That
 rather must we picture the condition thus, that one               truth, which proclaimed God as being glorious and in-
 excelled in one sin, another in a different form of corrup-       finite in power, they had wilfully changed into the lie
 tion. Thus it is always. The natural mind is enmity               of their false gods, and they had represented the Most
 against God. By nature we are incapable of doing any              High under the images of man and beast and creeping
 good and inclined to all evil. But every one commits that         things. Thus they worshipped and served. the creature
 actual sin which is in harmony with his particular place          instead of the glorious Creator. This was the  cause  of
 in the organism  of the race, according to character, time        God's burning wrath, for He cannot allow His glory to
. and place and circumstances. The sins of the rich will           be trampled under foot. And this wrath He'continued to
 be different from those of the poor, the sins of the rulers       reveal from heaven in giving the ungodly over into all
 different from those of the subjects, of the soldiers dif-        the vile sins they committed.             /
 ferent from those of the common citizen; the corruption              Then the apostle takes up the thought again he had
 of the hard laborer and busy merchant different from              already expressed in vs.  24* only from vs.  26 to the end
that of the idle. Thus it was in the world of Paul's time          of the chapter he enters into a detailed description of the
 unddubtedly. He pictures the corruption of the world of           corruption of the world. In vs. 24 he had spoken of the
 his day in its totality of corrupt fruits. Remembering            lusts of their hearts and their dishonoring their bodies
 this we will find that it grows less  dif?i&lt to draw a          between themselves. Now, in vs. 26, the  apostIe   ex-
 similar picture of the world of today. In the second              presses definitely the sin to which he referred. He em-
place we must not forget that Paul is here tearing with            phasized once more that he is dealing with a judicial act
 merciless hand the cover of civilization away from the            of retribution on the part of God. He gave them aver.
 world and its life. It is after all not the judgment of Paul      And the first corruption he proceeds to mention in detail
we have in these last verses of the first chapter of the           is that which pertains to sexual intercourse. These are
epistle to the Romans. Paul wrote as he was illumined              mentioned first undoubtedly because they were first  in
by the Holy Spirit. He writes what God beholds in the              reality. Bodily lusts followed closely upon the heels of
world.  -4nd therefore he pictures the naked  worfd.  rZnd         ungodliness. When man departs and separates himself
 if we could do the same thing with the world of today             from  God his bodily lusts'are unchained. These are the
 would it compare favorably  with the ancient world of             first to assert themselves. They are strong and become
 Rome and Greece? What we see of  i+  occasionalry   cer-          like a consuming fire in his blood. They rule over him
 tainly does not make us expect it. What else becomes              and he is their slave. They drag him down and he fol-
manifest than the same corruption in every form as Paul            lows them into inevitable destruction. They are also
 describes in this chapter, as soon as the  reaI life of the       mo'st degrading and revolting, when they manifest them-
modern world bursts thru its outer coat of  civilization-          selves in the unnatural and antinatural relations of which
varnish? Does the life of the big cities of the Old World,         the apostle is speaking in the text. And lastly, they are
of Paris and Berlin and Vienna actually compare favor-             at the same time the clearest manifestation of the wrath
ably with that of ancient Rome? And is the life of our             of God against all ungodliness of men, for they reveal


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                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            53
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     God's design to cast them into that destruction which foi-       place, that in their sinful mind they passed judgment on
     lows inevitably upon the corruption of the body as a meet        God and came to the wilful conclusion that He was not
     punishment for their sin. In the original the apostle            worthy to be remembered. They cast Him out, they
     speaks not of men and women, but of males and females.           wilfully rejected Him. They made of God a reprobate!
     According to some the reason for this must be sought in          In full harmony with this is the punishment God inflicted
     the contempt the apostle feels for men and women that            upon them. He gave them over to a reprobate mind, to
     live in such vile sin as degrades them to the level of           do those things which are not convenient. There is ex-
     animals. But this is hardly true. In the animal world            pressed here such an operation of the wrathful God
     we do not meet with the corruption Paul here describes           against men that reject Him, by which their minds also
     of men. Man, separating himself from the living God,             morally became reprobate and turned to unseemly things  ;
     does not become an animal, neither does he reach the -and in the second place, a manifestation of such a morally
     level of the animal, but he becomes the horrible opposite,       corrupt and reprobate mind in the practice of things that
     spiritually and morally, of the glorious being he was de-        are unseemly. And thus God vindicates Himself. In the
     signed and made to be. Rather `do we think that the              punishment of the sinner He justifies Himself and He
     apostle here speaks of males and females because it is to        reveals that to live apart from God is death, and that the
     that part of their life that has to do with sex particularly,    sinner that rejects God does so only because he is of a
     that he is writing. Again we may notice, that he men- reprobate mind. When the sinner passes the judgment
     tions the sin of the women first, probably because in            that God is not worthy to be kept in mind and to be
     them it is most revolting. Then also he asserts the same         feared, it certainly must become evident, that this judg-
     thing of men. The sin mentioned is most revolting.               ment is false and that he who judges thus is a liar. Hence,
     Women live with women, men are heated toward men.                God punishes him by giving him over unto that reproba-
     In their craving lusts they seek satisfaction in practices       tion of mind which impels him to practice horribly un-
     uncommon, against nature and unseemly. And thus                  seemly things. And by doing these, he plainly shows
     God's purpose was reached, for in His wrath He pur-              that his mind is corrupt and that also his first judgment
     posed to destroy them. And by their antinatural prac-            regarding God proceeded from a corrupt mind. And
     tices they worked out their own destruction ,and received        here we wish to call the attention once more to the fact,
     in themselves the due recompense for their first aberra- that a theory of a certain restraint of sin, whereby man
     tion, the changing of the truth of God into a lie. And           can depart from the living and ever blessed God cannot
     certainly, if the cover could be torn from the hidden be harmonized with any true conception of the Most
     night-life of the world of today, we would discover that High. God's purpose is always to glorify and vindicate
     with equal veracity the same statements might be made            Himself. He certainly will do so fully and  finahy  in the
     in application to modern life.                                   day of judgment. But Rom. 1 plainly teaches that He
        Once more the apostle repeats the phrase "God gave also justifies and maintains Himself in the history of the
     them over" in vs. 28.  %Ve  may notice, that in this verse       ungodly. To vindicate Himself He cannot restrain sin,
     there is a comparison between the sin committed and the but He must visit sin with sin. The sinner always prin-
     punishment inflicted. The apostle designs to show how cipally and practically expresses the judgment that God is
     proper the punishment of God was, seeing it was entirely not worthy to be kept in remembrance, that one can
     in harmony with the very nature of the sin they com-             safely and happily live apart from God. He attacks God's
     mitted.     "Even .as they did not like to retain God in their name and glory. If God would restrain sin He would
     knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate. mind, to           thereby corroborate the judgment of the sinner. God,
     do those things which are not convenient." "Even as."            however, cannot do so. He must show how vile the mind
     As the sin, so is the punishment, for God is righteous.          is that rejects Him. And He does so by casting him into
     The sin they committed is expressed in the words : -"They deeper sin, into such sin as make it clearly evident that
     did not like to retain God in their knowledge." The orig- his mind is totally corrupt and reprobate. Such is the
     inal here is richer than the translation. For: "`They did teaching particularly of vs. 28.
     not like" it employs one word, the meaning of which is             And now, in vss. 29-32, the apostle gives a more de-
     really: to prove, to test, to examine and to express judg- tailed description of the actual condition of the world of
     ment upon a thing after due examination. The object of his time from a morallspiritual  point of view. The world
     this examination is expressed in the question: Is God            is full of death, death operates in all its members and it
     worthy to be kept in mind? Is He worthy of considera- bears abundant fruit of death unto death.
     tion and honor? And their deliberate answer was neg-                First of all the inward spiritual and moral disposition
     ative. They did not deem Him worthy of remembrance. is described in vs. -29: "Being filled with all unrighteous-
     "Ilet heeft hun niet goedgedacht God in erkentenis te ness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malicious-
     houden."     Implied  i,n this sentence is once mbre that ness ; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity." The
     they did have a knowledge of God. God revealed Himself first part of this text rather speaks of the general spiritual
     and they knew Him;they had Him in their mind. In the disposition of the ungodly, the second part of more partic-
     second place, it is implied that their mind was reprobate, ular sins that are hid in their heart. It cannot escape our
     void of the fear of God, enmity against God. In the third attention that Paul speaks in terms that are absolute.


                                                       -. -. .~.-.-.- --
54                                     T H E   STAND.ARD   B E A R E R                                                  -       I
_--__ .__ -..-._-                                                                                                  -                 -
There is no room here for any theory of any good that the       c&l world is permeated with them; the strife in the in-
natural man might still have within him.      For he is full    dustrial world is rooted in them.
                                                                   Finally, in the  last' two verses the apostle  &fers c
of wickedness, and what is full of anything surely cannot                                                                      to
contain anything else.    We must also remember that their actual sins and pictures men as they actually mani-
Paul is speaking of a highly civilized world, often praised fest themselves in the world. They are whisperers and
and extolled in our day because of its attainments. How slanderers, backbiters, secretly or more openly defaming
often do adherents of the theory of common grace refer and speaking evil of one another; they are haters of God,
to this world of Greco-Roman; civilization as a `clear          in all their actions assuming an attitude of opposition
proof of  The truth of their conception! Let it, therefore, against Him, however religious they profess themselves
not escape our attention, that this world, according to         to be ; they are despiteful, proud, haughty, boasters,
the judgment of Him that cannot lie, was full of iniquity.      always over-estimating self and, depreciating the other,
There was absolutely no room for any good in their              trampling him under foot; they are inventors of evil
hearts and minds. The first  five terms employed all de-        things, employing their genius and power to work out
scribe the corrupt condition of the inward disposition of evil schemes; they are disobedient to parents, revolution-
the natural men ; unrighteousness, fornication, wicked- ary, breaking all bonds of authority; they are without
ness, covetousness, maliciousness. O'f these unrighteous- understanding of spiritual things, and so far have they
ness and fornication (spiritual) are so related, that the wandered from the truth that you cannot interest them
first expresses the inward antipathy against the righteous-     in things heavenly or reach even their natural under-
ness of God, the opposition of our nature to His law and standing with them ; they are covenant-breakers, faithless
precepts, its antithesis to His holy will; the latter ex-       with regard to God and men; without love of kindred and
presses the tendency of that unrighteous nature to go natural affection they show themselves to be ; cruel are
awhoring from God, to seek the darkness and eschew the          they and without mercy, deaf to the cries of those whom
light. Again wickedness and maliciousness- are closely they oppress. ,4 most terrible list, indeed ! Yet perfectly
rei`ated  and nearly alike in meaning, with this difference, true and without a shadow of exaggeration the picture is.
that the former refers to the depravity of our nature in        Even if we would not be able to trace the list in the real-
general, to its moral and spiritual corruption, while the       ity of the world of today, he that knows by the grace of
former points to the tendency of that depraved nature to        God his own nature and life apart from Christ, will con-
be vicious and to do evil. Covetousness denotes sin in its      fess that it is, indeed, his own picture the apostle here
insatiable character. Sin tends to create always deeper draws. It reminds us from how great and terrible a death
cravings. Every form of wickedness accomplished leaves          we have been snatched by the grace of the Lord.
a larger hole in the heart, that craves for more and deeper        The apostle concludes by emphasizing the wickedness
sin. Lust creates lust as soon as it is satisfied by sin.       of the world in a twofold statement in vs. 32. In the first
The end of sin is hell, eternal dissatisfaction. Even as        place, he reminds us once more, that ignorance is not the
righteousness tends to ever greater satisfaction, because       explanation of the wickedness of the world and that
it finds rest in the Eternal God, so unrighteousness            knowledge is no virtue. They do these wicked things,
creates ever deeper dissatisfaction because it separates        conscious by very experience of the judgment of  God?
from the Fount of all Good. The path of the  righteous          namely, that they who do such things are worthy of
for that reason leads to rest, the eternal sabbath; the way     death. Yet, they not only commit these things them-'
of the wicked tends to hell, the eternal unrest. Those          selves, but they also have a pleasure in them that do
who go thither shall have no rest day or night. The sec- them.  Here is the climax of it all.. This is denied by
ond part of the text rather points to specific tendencies       some. There are those who cannot understand  that.it  is
and inclinations of this depraved nature, even as to be         greater wickedness to have pleasure in the sins of others,
full is the result of being filled. They are full of envy,      than to commit them ourselves. Yet, the truth of the
murder, debate, deceit, malignity. Envy is rooted in and statement is evident. To commit wickedness themselves
*proceeds from covetousness and maliciousness; it is the        implies that they have a certain interest in the fruit-of
yellow feeling of displeasure at sight of the good of the       sin. Covetousness seeks to satisfy self. But to rejoice
neighbor. Its natural fruit is murder, the desire to de- in the sins and wickedness of others reveals that there is
stroy the neighbor. Contention or debate and strife is a certain disinterested love of sin for its own sake. They
the same murderous, tendency in speech and thought.             are lovers of darkness and haters of the light. And this
Craft or deceit is the tendency of the wicked nature to         love of darkness as such causes them to love those who
satisfy its covetousness by false dealing, the lie; and         with them walk in the same darkness and to rejoice in
malignity, which in the original perhaps has the mean-          their iniquity. And when the children of light walk in
ing: to distrust, to put a false construction upon every-       their midst and witness of the light in walk and speech,
thing, is the corrollary of deceit, for as one is himself so    they hate them and persecute them, for they hate the
he construes the words of dealing of another,  "zooafs de light and attempt to extinguish it.
waard is, vertrouwt hij zijn gasten." . Certainly, one does        We have interpreted this passage of Scripture in de-
not have to look far to find these same sins in the modern      tail, because of its great significance with a view to the
world. The political world is full of them; the  commer-        errors that are at present creeping into the church thru

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                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            55
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     the maintenance and official adoption of the theory of a              TOELICHTING OVER ONZE AFZETTING
                                                                                jl
     common grace. All the more did we follow  thi-s passage
     in detail, because it is quoted by those ,who defend that            In ons vorig artikel hebben wij gesproken over de
     common grace philosophy. The passage is distorted so,             handelingen van den Kerkeraad van Rusk. En in ons  slot-
     that it is made to express, that God reveals His  grace           arti>kel  willen wij nog kortelijks wijzen op de  handelin-
     from heaven in that He restrains sin. It was necessary,           gen van den dubbelen kerkeraad en van de  Classis.
     then, to let the passage speak for itself. And to one who            De dubbele kerkeraad, waarvan wij in ons vorig arti-
     wills to understand it must  haye become very evident,            kel reeds spraken, vergaderde den 15den Juli te Rusk.
     that its contents teach the very opposite from that which         Als president voor deze vergadering werd gekozen Ds.
     the defenders of the common grace faith elicit from them.         K. W. Fortuin, en als  scriba  H. J. Meppelink.
     Instead of teaching a grace of God with regard to the un-            De reden  waarom deze dubbele kerkeraad werd samen
.    godliness of men, it teaches that God in the history of the       geroepen, was, gelijk wij reeds eerder hebben aangestipt,
     world manifests His wrath continually over all wicked-            dat Rusk de hulp van een genabuurde kerkeraad inriep,
     ness and depravity of mankind. And instead of proclaim-           omdat er drie kerkeraadsleden  waren,  waaronder ook de
     ing that the Most High restrains. the inward depravity of         leeraar was begrepen, die geweigerd hadden  om de Drie
     the godless nature, it teaches that for the vindication of        Punten  te onderteekenen. Dat dit de  reden  was werd
     His righteousness and justice, He rather drives it out and        dan ook aangetoond uit de notulen van Rusk aan het be-
     brings it to manifestation, casting it from corruption into       gin van deze vergadering.
     corruption till outer darkness is the end. And it is only            Er kwam dan ook spoedig een voorstel;' dat ook  aan-
     the regenerating and sanctifying grace of the Lord Jesus          genomen werd, om met elk van deze drie broeders afzon-
     Christ that saves us from so horrible a corruption.               derlijk te spreken. Het eerst zou  men dan maar met den
                                                       H . H .         leeraar beginnen. Na zeer kortelijks met hem gesproken
                                                                       te hebben, stelde men hem voor de vraag, of hij nu  mis-
                                                                       `schien genegen was om de Drie  Punten   te  onderteeke-
                        OUR THOUGHTS                                   nen. En  toen ondergeteekende daarop antwoordde, dat
                                                                       hij die Drie  Punten  niet  ,kon onderschrijven, omdat zij
                                                                       naar zijn overtuiging in strijd waren met Schrift  en Belij-
           Out where a foot has seldom trod.                           denis,  vroeg men hem, dat hij zich zou verwijderen, opdat
           Out where nobody dwells; but God.                           zij eerst met de anderen mochten spreken, die ook gewei-
           Out on a dismal, foreign' sod                               gerd hadden  om de Drie Punten  te onderteekenen. Men
                  Our thoughts have been.                              zou hem later dan we1 weer inroepen om hem aan te zeg-
                                                                       gen tot welk besluit men gekomen was.
           Up where the warbling songster flies.                          Van wat er met de twee andere broeders besproken is
           Up where the course of the cloud-stream lies.               in de vier uren dat men met hen bezig is geweesf kunnen
           Up and beyond the ether blue skies                          wij niet veel zeggen, omdat wij van zelf daarbij niet
                  Our thoughts have been.                              tegenwoordig  waren.
                                                                  .       Maar het resultaat van die bespreking was, dat men
           Down where the roots of the flowers sleep.                  een van de broeders, nl.,  Diaken  lMeeuwsen,  er toe over-
           Down where the earth her fortunes keep.                     gehaald had om de Drie ,Punten  te onderteekenen, maar
           Down where the rocks rest firm and steep                    dat Ouderling Hirdes zulks niet kon doen, omdat het nog
                  Our thoughts have been.                              altijd naar zijn overtuiging vaststond, dat de Drie  Pun-
                                                                       ten in strijd waren met Schrift  en Belijdenis.
                                                                                                                    .
                                                                          Tech is ons uit de notulen het een en ander we1 dui-
           Far on the crest  of-the turbulent sea.                     ddijk'geworden. Daaruit is het mij duidelijk  geworaen,
           Far in the  fields  of artillery.                           dat het feitelijk alleen op mij gemunt was, daar het zelfs
           Far in the Polar tranquillity                               uit de  notlen  bleek, hoe men op  allerlei manier gepoogd
                  Our thoughts have been.                              had om  Ouderling  Hirdes als lidmaat voor de gemeente
                                                                       te behouden.
                                                                        Daaruit, nl. uit de notulen, is het mij ook duidelijk
           Near where the ocean beats the land.                        geworden, dat men  alles  met de  Synodale  besluiten kan
           Out where there's joy on every hand.                        doen, mits men maar voorgeeft, dat men alles gelooft en
           Up where the sun keepssupreme command                       aanneemt wat de Synode zegt.
                  Our thoughts have been.                                 Als men maar voorgeeft, dat men gelooft w&t de kerk
                                                                       gelooft, dan kan.  schier  alles er op door. Dan kan men
           Out, where when death shall close our eyes.                 zelfs komen met een  vcorstel, zooals de dubbele  kerke-
           And our departed spirit flies.                              raad dat deed ten opzichte van Mr. Hirdes, dat lijnrecht
           Out to a home beyond the skies                              in strijd is met de-Kerkenorde en met het besluit van de
                  Our thoughts have been.                              Synode van  1926  inzake de Drie Punten.
                                                                                      3

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

      kelde gedachte  als ongereformeerd en onschriftuurlijk Christians 7" Had this been done the reader would imme-
      heeft kunnen veroordeelen. En daar staat tegenover, dat diately know.
      de Belijdenis juist niet spreekt van een algemeene wer-             Further, it is most `difficult to detect the logical con-
      king des Geestes, waardoor de zonde weerhouden wordt            nection between the author's theme and the three divi-
      in het hart des zondaars, Wij verzoeken daarom met alle sions of his composition. They read: "(I) Let us be active
      vrijmoedigheid nog eens, dat de kerken het  ongerefor-          in propagating the Christian school idea among all Chris-
      meerde en onschriftuurlijke van onze  beschouwing in het tian groups of our country. (II) Let us maintain unwav-
      licht stellen. Kunnen ze dat niet, dat houden wij ze voor       eringly whatever is really fundamental, essential, dis-
       God verantwoordelijk om belijdenis te  doen  van hare          tinctive in the basis of .our Christian school system as we
      booze daden  ten opzichte van ons. En deze verantwoor-          have it. (III) Let us welcome all fellow Christians will-
      delijkheid rust op ieder ambtsdrager  ,en lid, die bewust       ing to co-operate upon this basis into our movement,
      met deze gruwelen medegaat.                      H. H.          whatever their church affiliation ; and let us urge those
                                                                      who feel they cannot stand on our distinctive platform
        DR. CLARENCE BOUMA'S NEW PLATFORM                             to organize on a platform more acceptable to themselves."
            .The `National Union of Christian Schools convened          * The composition contains paragraphs which lack
      some three months ago in Chicago, Illinois. In the list         unity.     Attend to the following:' "Can we solicit
      of names of those educators, invited by the Board to            and obtain the co-operation of all orthodox Christians
      address the Convention, appears the name of Dr. C.              and still maintain the distinctive character of our
      Bouma. His deliverance was published and constitutes            schools?  - This is virtually a question as to the platform
      one of the ten lectures or papers comprising a booklet, upon which the movement rests. Shall we make our plat-
      bearing the title, "Educational Convention Papers." Be-         form more general, less specific, more inclusive? Shall
      ing a member of the Union I received a copy.                    we invite those fellow Christians outside of our own
            I read and re-read Bouma's paper. I am prepared group to join hands with us on the same platform which
      now, to make a few remarks. I feel constrained to do            we now occupy? Would this be fair? Should we not,
      so, for the situation which Bouma's paper -reflects             if we are really in earnest about soliciting the -active
                                                                is
     frought with danger for our Christian Schools. Bouma, support of other Christian groups not standing up.on our
      together with that group of educators of which he is a          distinctive Reformed platform, be ready to adopt a plat-
      member, would place the Christian School on a platform          form in which there can be nothing that is offensive `to
      sufficiently inclusive (to use his own terminology) to          such groups?                          i\
      permit the co-operation of all Orthodox Christians. Dr.            "I trust,," so the author continues, "you all realize that
.     Bouma admits that heis not engaged in the exploitation this question  is basic for the future development of our
      of a brand new idea. Fact is that such men as Dr. H.            Christian school. system."
      Beets and the late Rev. Johannes Groen have been want-             Now, the preceding paragraph contains no less than
      ing this thing for many years. Dr. Bouma, however,              six interrogative sentences. Hence, the reader will in-
      made the co-operation of all orthodox Christians appear variably ask, "Which question?" Again, the reader is
      attractive, practical and achieveable. Many, upon read- left in the dark.
      ing his paper, will say: "It can be done in Bouma's way."          Again, words with a vastly. different meaning seem to
      Here is the reason for the appearance of my article.            be regarded by the doctor as synonyms. Ultimately,  SO
            From a purely formal point of viepr the paper of the      the author avers, the issue between those who do,' and
      doctor cannot be called a commendable piece, of work. those who do not wish to widen, to generalize, the plat-
      In the opening paragraph the author makes the following form of our schools, hinges on the question as to just
      assertion, viz. : "You have undoubtedly taken notice of `what each considers essential and accidental in the plat-
      the discussions relative to  this problem  which have ap- form upon which our school system stands today.
      peared recently in `Christian School Magazine'. . . ." The         "Now it seems to me," thus the author continues, "the
      term, "this problem," induces the cautious reader to            essential, the distinctive character of our Christian school
      search the surroundings for a, statement of it. He dis- system can be reduced to two elements, to two proposi-
      covers, however, that the author makes mention of a             tions."
      problem, yet failed to assert what that problem may be.            Here the doctor seems to identify the platform and
      The reader is left in the dark. It is possible that the         the character of the school system. Otherwise the term
      author expects his readers to regard his theme as a state-      platform is regarded as a synonym of the term character.
     ment of the problem.       It reads: "Can the Distinctive           And then this: "The first pertains to method, the how
      Character of the Christian School be Maintained if we           of this school training. The answer to the `how' of this
      Solicit and Obtain the Co-operation; of All Orthodox            school training I would. formulate in these words : The
      Christians?" This is no formulation of a problem. The           parents, being the responsible agents for the education          .
      author should have prefixed to his theme the adverb: of their children, operate and control the schools."  - Ac-
      "How." He should have written : "How can the Distinc-           cording to the professor, the method of the instruction
      tive Character of  the.Christian  School be Maintained if and the agents controlling the schools are identical. This,
      we Solicit `and Obtain the Co-operation of All Orthodox to be sure, cannot be.


                                                                           I                                .


L                                             THE-   STANDARD   BEA.RER   .                                                    63
2


        The doctor likes to engage in word-play, too. Attend         viiz.,, to be of service to others. We  also recognize the
     to the following: "Our platform must be distinctive, but        obligation to share with our fellow citizens, especially
     it must in no sense be ecclesiastical. The doctrinal stand-     our fellow  .Christians,  the good things we enjoy. We
     ards of this or that denomination are not to be taught in       would have others join us."
     our schools. What should be taught is that specific                There you have the two desires clashing in Bouma's
     world and life view, which we commonly call Calvinism,          soul. It is strange that the two should clash. They are
     and Calvinism in this sense is a bigger, more inclusive,        also present in my soul, and get along very well together.
     and a differently articulated thing than the  partrcular        No trouble whatsoever. On the one hand, I desire to be
     standards of any denomination. Galvinism in this sense          distinct and to be separate. On the other hand it is also
     is not one. of many church creeds ; it is fundamental           my desire to be of service to my fellow citizens' and to
     Christianity come to its fullest and richest expression in      share with them  the"good things I enjoy. And the two
     present-day thought and life. To be sure, its theological       desires are at peace with each other. What is more, hot!
     implications are expressed in the various creeds of the         desires are being satisfied, ever.
     Reformed and the Presbyterian churches, but Calvinism              Further, the fact that these two desires of mine are
     as a world and life view is not an ecclesiastical standard.     at one, means that I who desire to be of service to my
     Calvinism in its fundamental implications is nothing hut fellow man am the one who desires to be distinct and to
     Christian Theism come to its own.                               be separate. In other words, the desire to be of service
        "Taken in this sense, Calvinism is not exclusive' in         to my fellow citizen is at one a desire to be distinct. In
     relation to the standpoint of ecclesiastically non-reformed     fact, it is our conviction that only as long as we are dis-
     fellow Christians. It is inclusive." So far Dr. Bouma.          tinct will we continue to serve;      -
        We agree, it all sounds very beautiful, yet it means            Now, then, the very fact that the two desires clash in
     nothing. One question: What is that Calvinism which             Bouma's soul indicates that his desire to be of service to
     is a bigger, a more inclusive, and a differently articulated    his fellow citizens as a promoter of the cause of Chris-
     thing than the particular standards of any denomination ?       tian education is at one a desire to sacrifice his dis-
     Define and exhibit, please, the content of this more in-        tinctiveness upon the altar of greater service. If this
     clusive Calvinism. Dr. Bouma avers that it is difficult         were not true the clash would be psychologically impos-
     to state in  final, form and in a definite complete set of      sible. The matter is clear now. Bouma is conscious of
     propositions what that distinctive view of life really is.      two desires, viz., the desire to be distinct, to be separate
     Great spiritual principles. and realities, says the doctor,     and the desire to broaden out, to become more general
     often elude our grasp. That is true, and therefore `I           and less specific and that in the interest of greater serv-
     would recommend that we permit the Christian school to          ice. It cannot be otherwise but that two such desires
     continue on its present distinctly Reformed platform until      clash. Bear in mind that I am judging the writer out of
     Dr. Bouma succeeds in grasping and detining these great his own mouth.                                           t
     spiritual principles and realities.                                Dr. Bouma go,es  on ta tell us that the conflct  between
         I repeat, from a formal point of view the production the two desires gave rise to a problem, viz., How can we
     of the professor is faulty. It is these defects which           solicit and obtain the co-operation of all orthodox Chris-
     helped to make the composition a rather vague and in- tians and still maintain the distinctive character of our
     definite piece of work.                                         schools. It is difficult to see how a problem of this kind
                                                                     can possibly rise out of a conflict between two such de-
        What is the author really aiming at? It is not an easy       sires as stipulated above. However, Dr. Bouma asserts
     matter' to discover what the author wants. One must             that it happened and we will take his word for it.
     read between lines and occasionally remove a "nay" and             Let us analyse the so-called problem or rather restate
     in the room thereof place a "yea." Let us attempt to            it. In doing so it must be borne in mind that it is the
     trace the doctor's path of reasoning.                           desire of Dr. Bouma that a certain number of distinct
         The author informs us -that there are two desires           groups of orthodox Christians co-operate in the matter
     within him which clash. Dr. Bouma is at variance with           of Christian instruction. These several groups, however,
     himself.  -4s a supporter of the free Christian school he       must retain their distinctiveness. So the doctor insists.
     desires to be distinctive, to be separate and to live alone.    "Does this mean," so he  .asks, "that we are introducing
     Says the professor:  "As supporters of the free Christian       ecclesiastical divisions into what ought to be a unitedly
     primary school, we realize that we are and ought to be          Christian school movement? Does this mean that we say
     distinctive.    This desire seems to urge us, accordingly,      to all who do not belong to a Reformed or Christian Re-
     to be distinct and apart from the majority of fellow  citi-     formed church : You cannot join hands with us ? Does
     .zens."                                                         this mean that we demand of Christians not belonging' to
         On the other hand, as a promoter of the cause of            these denominations that they shall occupy with us the
     Christian education, he desires to be of service to others      platform of the creed of our particular denominations?
     and to share with others the good things he enjoys. It          Far from it." And again: `%ut if some err-on the one
     is his desire that others join him. Hearken once more           side by failure to be distinctive, it cannot be denied that
     unto the professor. Says he: "But the promoters of the          we are at times in danger of falling into the other extreme
     cause of education are also conscious of another desire, of making the Christian school movement ecclesiastical,


       64                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A ' R E ' R                                  -         -
       denominational. This is likewise a mistake. Then we            that speech are even now being distributed among the
       are inclusive, though we must be inclusive in the best         members of the Union. The Union, permit me to say, is
       sense of the word. The Christian school is not a denom-        engaged in the praise.of  folly.
       inational affair."                                                But did the doctor actually succeed in explaining to
             It is plain that Dr. Bouma insists that each distinct    his audience how it is possible for a thing to become like
       non-reformed group, willing to co-operate, shall maintain      unto something'else from which it differs and yet remain
       their distinctiveness nevertheless. This is one of the         what it is. He did not. This is very evident from his
       elements constituting the doctor's problem. Any  formu- answer to the question, "Can the distinctive character
       lation of the problem should express it. Let us now  re- - of the Christian school be maintained if we solicit and
       state the doctor's problem. Here it is: "How can we            obtain the co-operation of 311 orthodox Christians, if
       maintain the distinctiveness of our Christian schools and      these Christians (the doctor should have added) maintain
       obtain, in the matter of Christian instruction, the co-        their distinctive characteristics?" We have pointed out
       operation of various non-reformed Christian groups,            that the doctor's elucidation of his subject clearly in-
       which groups shall, even though they co-operate, main-         dicates that this last clause should have been added.
       tain  their  distinctiveness."'                                Now, then, let us attend to the reply. It is this: "Let us
             This is the problem which Dr. Bouma laid before his      maintain unwaveringly whatever is really fundamental,
       audience.     And he claims to have found the solution.        essential, distinctive in the basis of our Christian school
       And the doctor appeared before an audience of educators        system  3s we have it."
       with the problem and his solution thereof.                       -It. ought to be clear to all that the doctor is not an-
             Did the doctor actually succeed in solving the prob-     swering `his question. He asks : "How can a thing be-
       lem? He did not. The problem cannot be solved. Let come like unto something else and yet remain what it is?"
us be thoroughly aware of the implications. The dis- And the reply  .that this "something else must remain
       tinctive character of the platform upon which our Chris- what it is" is, evidently, not the reply required by the
       tian schools rest must be maintained. The non-reformed question. The two, viz., the question and its answer are
       groups, whose co-operation is sought, shall also maintain      very poorly mated. There is absolutely no connection
       their distinctiveness. Yet their co-operation must. be between the two. Whereas the essay proper-was meant
       obtained and that on the basis of a platform consti-           to be a development of that question, and whereas the
       tuted of those elements expressive of our distinctiveness. question and its answer are unrelated, and whereas the
       Let me repeat, it cannot be done. It will never happen. question is at once the theme of the essay it follows that
       It ought to be plain why it cannot be done. If certain the theme and its essay are altogether unrelated.
       non-reformed groups agree to co-operate with us on the            Had the doctor not insisted that the non-reformed
       basis of a platform constituted of those essential elements groups, whose co-operation he would obtain, must main-
       expressive of our distinctive character it means that they. tain their distinctive character, he would have been able
       have embraced those elements responsible for our  dis-         to appear before his audience with a solution. Had he
:  ;`% tinctiveness. In other words, they will have become like asked how we can maintain the distinctive character of
       unto us. For Dr. Bouma will have to concede that, in our Christian schools and obtain the co-operation of non-
       general, parents want their children taught only those reformed groups without insisting that these groups must
       things which, they, the parents, themselves believe., I        remain what they are, even though they agree to co-
       repeat, if parents of non-reformed faith agree to co-oper- operate, he would have been asking a sensible question,
       ate on the basis of our distinctive platform it is because     one which he at least could have answered. Fact is,
       such parents have changed their religious views and are        that he did appear before his audience with this very
       now at one with our distinctive platform. In other words,      question. However, the doctor, later on, added an ele-
       they will have become like unto us. Yet Bouma, it ap- ment which converted his question into a piece of non-
       pears, insists that these non-reformed groups shall, even sense.
       though they agree to co-operate, maintain their distinc-          But supposing Dr. Bouma had not converted his ques-
       tive character.                                                tion into nonsense by insisting that the non-reformed
  ,          We now grasp the situation. Dr. Bouma appears be- groups shall maintain their characteristics, could his an-
       fore a ,group of educators for the purpose of telling them swer in that case be regarded as a suitable reply? In no
       how a thing can become like unto something else from           wise. The admonition to maintain unwaveringly what-
       which it differs and yet remains what it is.      `In other ever is really fundamental, essential, distinctive in the
       words, Dr. Bouma will explain to the group of educators        basis of our Christian school system as we have it, I say,
       how the impossible can be done.                                this admonition is no reply to the question as to whether
             And these pedagogues, I understand, listened with        the distinctive character of the Christian school  c:an be
       rapt attention while the doctor explained to them how maintained if we solicit and, obtain the co-operation of all
       such things are brought about. And when the doctor had         orthodox Christians.
       spoken the pedagogues, assembled, agreed that they had            The question which the doctor put to his audience
       been listening to words of profound wisdom. For, mark          requires an altogether different answer. He should have
       you, the address of the doctor  was  printed. Copies of replied 3s follows : "We can maintain the Reformed char-


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                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        65

  acter of our Christian schools and at once obtain the co-       the non-essential. That Bouma would like to see this
  operation of non-reformed groups if such groups cease happen is very plain. For in the following paragraph he
  to be non-reformed and become Reformed. On the other attempts to distinguish between essential and non-essen-
  `hand, if both we and the groups, whose co-operation we         tial elements. ":But,"  says the doctor,  "you immediately
  seek, insist on maintaining their distinctive character, co-    interpose, precisely what is essential, fundamental, dis-
  operation is not possible."                                     tinctive in our Christian school system?. . . . " "Now, it
     This should have been- Bouma's reply. It is the only seems to me," so Bouma continues, "the essential, the
  possible one. The assertion, "Let us maintain  unwaver-         distinctive character of our Christian school'system can
ingly whatever is really distinctive, fundamental and             be reduced to two elements, two propositions."
  essential in the basis of our Christian school system  3s          It is clear that the doctor is now ready to distinguish
  we have it" is frightfully meaningless  3s  a reply to the      bitween the essential and the non-essential: That he has
  question which was made to serve as the theme of his            reference to doctrine is most clear from the following:
  paper.                                                          "Now it seems to me the essential, the distinctive char-
     It must not be supposed, however, that the treatise of acter of our Christian school system  can be reduced to
  the doctor is without a real theme. The contents of the two propositions. The first pertains to the method, the
  paper make it very plain that Dr. Bouma is attemptiiig `how' of this school training. The second pertains to
  to give an answer to the following questio`n,  viz., How can the content, the `what'  of this school training. And in reply
  we obtain, in the matter of Christian instruction, the co-      to the `what' of this school training I would say: The
  operation  of  non-reformed groups. It ought to be plain that Calvinistic outlook upon the world and attitude toward
  there are but two answers. These non-reformed groups            God and fellow man forms the warp-and woof of all in-
  must become reformed or we must cease to be Reformed            struction and training." And then this from the doctor's
  relative the platform which is to serve as a basis for the      pen : "Dpes this mean that we are introducing ecclesias-
  Christian school. One of two things must happen shall tical divisions into what ought to be a unitedlychristian
  there be co-operation. However, Dr. Bouma has still school movement? Far from it. The doctrinal standards
  another solution. He would place the Christian school of this or that denomination are not to be taught in our
  upon a vague, neutral, indefinite, indistinct, colorless schools.'
  platform expressive of the doctrinal distinctiveness of no         It is plain that Dr. Bouma is letting the terms "essen-
  group. Bouma's paper clearly indicates this is the very         tial" and non-essential apply to the truth. Non-funda-
  thing he wants. Let us quote the doctor. Attend to the          mental truth, according to Bouma, should not enter into
  following assertions : "Let us maintain unwaveringly the construction of the platform, neither  shouId  such
  whatever is really fundamental, essential, distinctive in truth be taught. It is the Calvinistic outlook upon the
  the basis of our Christian school system  3s  we have it.       world and attitude toward God and fellow man which
  But, you immediately interpose, precisely what is essen- forms the warp and woof of all instruction and training.
  tial, fundamental, distinctive in our Christian school sys- The pedagogue, laboring in the Christian school, shall
  tem? --This is the crux of the matter. Ultimately the issue teach Calvinism. Not that Calvinism of which our creed
  between those whb do, and those who do not wish to              is an expression, but a bigger, more inclusive, Calvinism.
  widen, to generalize the  pIatf6rm  of our schools, hinges      Calvinism in  3  sense in which it is not a church creed.
  on the question as to just what each considers essential        (Page 8 of the pamphlet.) We shall see presently  what
  and accidental in the platform upon which our school that bigger Calvinism may be.
  system stands today."                                              The question' cannot be suppressed whether  bon-
      According to Dr. Bouma there are those who wish to fundamental truth may be discarded even by the peda-
  widen, to generalize the platform of our Christian schools. gogue. It must be  remembered  that also this truth is
  Of this group Dr. Bouma is a member. We guarantee               God's truth. Hence, the pedagogue who sets it aside
  to prove that such is indeed the case. How would this           is slapping God in the face. Yet Bouma advocates doing
  group accomplish the thing they advocate? The first so and that in the interests of greater service. astound-
  step in that direction would be to eliminate from the plat- ing! The pedagogue setting aside non-fundamental truth
  form upon which the Christian schools stand non-essen- is greatly discrediting God's  -word,  and fostering in his
  tial elements, non-essential truths. Bouma would do so. pupils 3 disrespect for God and His truth. Such a proce-
  Says he: "Any thinning out process in these matters of dure would necessarily affect the standard of morality
  fundamental truth  and conviction, must in my estimation', of the child. Only the big things count. The small things
  be rejected as  3  precarious and undesirable procedure. do not matter. Forget them. This principle, once hav-
  Let us maintain unwaveringly whatever is really funda- ing taken root in the soul of the child will bear fruit. And
  mental, essential, distinctive . . . . "                        that fruit will be a loose life.
      Bouma's admonition to cling to fundamental elements'           It is surprising that Dr.  Bourn3  dare advocate dis-
  and essential truths, speaks volumes. It goes to show carding the non-essential truths. It should be remembered
  that there are those ready to cast aside the.fundamental        that he was a member of that committee `which urged
  and the essential. Dr. Bourn;, on the other hand, would Synod to depose us for having departed from so-called
  retain. the- fundamental and the essential, but eliminate       non-fundamental truth. Does he mean to say that it is

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

the prerogative of the schoolmaster to set aside the non-         astical affair, and our schools are not church schools."
essential ? Is it his contention that the non-essenfial may       So far Bouma.
be disregarded if only it is done in the interest of greater          It is plain, from the above quotations, that according
service? Dr. Bouma's inconsistencies are of such a nature         to Bouma no church creed should be used as the basis of'
3s cause one to, doubt his sincerity.                             the Christian school. Now he shall have to admit that
      The thing which he prop&es  is frought with danger.         it` is exactly the creed of a church which is expressive of
Who is able to determine in each instance to which cat-           the doctrinal distinctiveness of that church. Hence, the
egory a truth  beIongs? Where will the line be drawn?             form in which these fundamental truths or principles
What is to be the standard? And finally, is it not a rather       shall be cast may reflect the doctrinal  distinctikeness  of
hazardous matter to attempt to distinguish between  Q-            neither the Reformed creed or any other creed. Such  3
sential and  &m-essential  truth? Does the distinction            formulation, or such a platform upon which the Chris-'
really hold?                                                      tian school shall stand militates against no creed and is
      Thus we have succeeded in discovering the first step        in harmony with every creed.
in this broadening-out process. What is next? Accord-                Will Dr. Bouma be so kind as to define the various
ing to Bouma these so-called fundamental truths should            elements constituting a platform of that nature. The
be formulated in such a way as not to militate against            brother admits that it is difficult to state in final form
the creed of any one group. That is to say, these truths          and in a definite set of complete propositions what that
should be cast into a form characterized by indefiniteness        distinctive view of life, constituting that platform, really
and indistinctness. Let us quote from the doctor's paper.         is. If the doctor ever spoke the truth he did then when d
"To define and exhibit in detail the content of this world        he complained to his audience of the  difficillty  of our
and life view is not the purpose of this address. To put perennial task which is to exhibit and define in detail the
theie principles into words. is our perennial task, just as it    content of this world and life view which, since it is in
is our perennial task ai Christian thinkers, as Christian         conflict with no creed, hasn't any enemy in the world but
teachers to enter more fully into the depths of the fulness       to the contrary is the friend of all. Such a platform must
of the riches in Christ."                                         lack distinctiveness. It will have to be  .amazingly gen-
      According to Bouma these fundamental principles             eral and vague. A school standing on such  3  platform
must be.put into words. These essential truths must be            will also lack distinctiveness.
given a certain form. What must that form be? Let us                 It is plain that the world and life view of which the
hearken to Bouma. "Does this mean that we are intro-              doctor dreams is a nonentity, "een onding." Yet Bouma
ducing ecclesiastical divisions into what ought to  b,e  a        claims it's there, awaiting to be lived and expressed. The
unitedly Christian school movement? Far from it. The doctor has even decided upon  3  name. The child when
doctrinal standards of this or that denomination are not born will be christened  c,`Calvinism."  Not the Calvinism
to be taught in our schools." And again: "But if some' found in John Calvin's Institutes, but a Calvinism which
err on the one side by failure to be distinctive, it cannof       is a bigger, 3 more inclusive, and a differently articulated
be denied that we are at times in danger of falling into          thing than the particular standards of any denomination.
the other extreme of making the Christian school move-               Although Dr. Bouma admitted that he is not ready to
ment ecclesiastical, denominational. This is likewise a           formulate the basic principles of this bigger, more in-
m'istake  . . . . The school is not  3  denominational  a&r."     clusive Calvinism, he does nevertheless refer us to cer-
And now this :"' But though we recognize that the Chris-          tain attempts which have been  made in the past. The
tian schools ought in no sense to be church schools, many         doctor makes mention of commendablestatements of the
of us seem to have the idea that, after all, the only basis principles underlying the instruction of our schools. He
`that ought to be expressed in the constitution of our            refers those, who care to persue this subject any further,
organizations must be the Three Formulas of Unity of              to such statements. Among the pamphlets to which he
the Reformed churches.                                            refers us, is the one published by the National Union of
      "Now this," claims Bouma, "is a mistaken conception.        Christian Schools, entitled, "Basic Principles of the Chris-
The Three Formulas of Unity are not an adequate plat-             tian Schools of America." These principles, drawn up by
form for our Christian school movement.. . . In the               the Union give us an idea of what this new Calvinism
propagation of the Christian school idea we should do all will be like. Let us reproduce them.
in our power to avoid and eliminate the ecclesiastical and           (a) The Bible is the Boqk of books. By virtue of
denomination31 setting which seems to linger in the                           its divine organic inspiration (II  Petel'  1521)
minds of many supporters of the movement.  -4s ecclesi-                       it  iS unique among all books. The Bible is not
astical standards these formulas form the basis for all                       only the infallible rule of faith and conducf,but
teaching and preaching in  the Reformed and Christian                         also the infallible guide of truth and righteous-
Reformed churches. But these Three Formulas of.Unity                          ness. ,411 school administration, instruction and
of  ihe Reformed churches are not to be looked upon as                      ~ discipline should be motivated by Biblical prin-
the Three Formulas of Unity of the Christian  s'chool                         ciples.
movement. After 311, the adoption of certain standards               (b)      God is triune (Matt.  3 :16,1/c).  He is the creator
by a given denomination is a church matter, an  ecclesi-                      of all that is, the sustainer of 311 that exists, and


                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                              67
-_                                                                                       -       -                                     -               -
,                   the ultimate end of all things (Rom.  11:33).          praised by Dr. Bouma who insists that church creeds
                    God is transcendent (Isaiah 40) and immanent           cannot be used as a platform of the Christian school.
                    (Psalm  139), is the absolute  .loving Sovereign       Here again the doctor is at variance with himself. This
                    over all (Daniel  4:31)  ; men should seek to do much is plain that this bigger Calvinism of the doctor is
                    His will on earth as it is done in heaven.             permeated with the theory of common grace.
           (c) Man is a fallen creature (Genesis 3). Though                   -4 careful study of the Union's interpretation of prin-
                  depraved, man is nevertheless an image-bearer            ciples and of Dr. Bouma's paper indicate that he is not
                    of God (Eph.  2:5), and thru restraining grace         adverse to creeds as such for he incorporates in his plat-
                    he is able to do civil good (Romans 2  :14).           form the creed of Dr. A. Kuyper. Dr. Bouma does not
                    Though lost in sin, man can be saved thru faith        like the creed of the Reformed and the creed of the Pres-
                    in Christ (John 3:16)  ; and thru restoring grace,     byterian church. And that for the reason that these doc-
                    in principle, is able to do spiritual good (I John     trinal standards contain elements which are obnoxious to
                    3:9).                                                  him. It would not do to single out and cast aside the
           (d)      The world is steeped in sin. All aspects of life,      undesirable elements. A better way is to insist that these
                    individual and family, social and political, indus- church creeds cannot be used as a platform of the Chris-
                    trial and economic, even the animal world,             tian school and thereupon urge the friends of the cause
                    nature and things in animate, show the mars and of Christian instruction to set them aside in their entirety.
                    scars, the subversions and perversions of sin This having been done, the doctor can now urge the
                    (Romans 8  :22). The virtue order and beauty           friends of the Christian school to formulate again the
                    which is still present in the world is a manifesta-    truths of Scripture.  ,4nd Dr. Bouma, together with the
     ,,             tion of God's goodness (Matthew  5  :45).              other leaders of the movement, will take care that the
           (e)      The all-embracing objective of the school is to        hateful elements are omitted, and certain other elements
                    promote the glory of our covenant God: (a) by          (common grace) inserted. How clever! We shall see
                    seeking in humble dependence upon God to               whether the tking which Dr. Bouma advocates can, may,
                    equip  .the pupil for his supreme task, namely,        and need be done.
                    to realize himself as God's image-bearer (II Tim.                                                                  G. M. 0.
                    3  :7) ; and (b) by seeking in that same depend-
                    ence upon God to re-constitute the sin-perverted
                    by realizing God's Kingdom in all spheres and                                         TRUTH
                    phases of life (Matt.  6:33). This is possible in
                    principle thru Christ, who is not only the Creator              The truth reminds one of the sun ;
                    (as the Logos) but also the recreator (John 1).                    Oft' in a shroud, behind a cloud                     .
           (f)      In determining the Course of Study to be offered,                                 It hides. b Anon.
                    in preparing the lesson material, in giving the                 The clouds give way, out bursts a ray
                    daily instruction, the above purpose should be                       And then appears the sun.
                    consciously present as the all-embracing objec-
                    tive. To accomplish this great task, the teacher              Once Luther was put to the question:
                    must have the fear of God in his heart and the                  "But,  Doctor, how can we proceed,  *
                    determination to live it out in his profession  ;             What sustaineth our great undertaking?                         _
                    and he must utilize to the full whatever light                   More  aid and more help we shall need.*
                   God's special revelation sheds upon the various
                  _ realms of human knowledge.                                    The Doctor, perplexed, asked this question
      It is not our purpose to criticize these principles now.                      And. question-wise made his reply :
A few remarks. The above formulation is, to a degree,                             "Do threads hold ,the clouds in the heavens
very specific, and reflects the doctrinal distinctiveness of                        Or cordage the clouds in the sky?'
certain creeds also. Principle (a) is the embodiment of                                                                    -Con&buted.
certain tenets of the Reformed faith. Also principle (b),
and to a degree principle (c). Principle (c), (d), (e), and
(f) are expressive of the doctrinal distinctiveness of cer-
tain elements present in the creed of Pelagius and the                                        THANKSGIVING PROGRAM
creed of Dr. A.  Kuyper.  That is to say, among the ele-                      The  Girls' Society  of the First Protesting Chr. Reformed
                                                                           Church, Grand Rapids,  Mich., expects to render a program on
ments constituting the above interpretation of religious                   Thanksgiving Evening, November  2.5, at  790 P. M., at the church
principles are also found the theory of common grace, the                  on corner Franklin St. and Fuller Ave.
doctrine of the free will of man, etc.                                        A short miscellaneous program will be given after which the
                                                                           Rev. H. Hoeksema will speak on
      It is evident from theabove  formulation of principles
that at least to a degree the doctrinal standards of the                                 " T H E   P R E S E N T   D A Y   YQUTH.".
Reformed church are being used as a platform for the                          This will be instructive as well as entertaining for both young
Christian school. And this platform is recommended and                     and old. .


   68                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                              -                                          -           -
                         BOOK REVIEW                                    According to Calvin, God determined or decided that
         "As To Being Reformed" by  K. B. Kuiper.                   man should fall. Of the fall of man God's will is the
         We were engaged in exposing  Kuiper's  view of the         necessity. I know there are those not ready to endorse
   divine degree of reprobation. It is  &riper's  view, so it       Calvin's statement. Such prefer to speak of God's per-
   appeared that God virtually rejected but not in fact. Re- missive will. However, he who prides himself on being
   jection does not signify, according to Kuiper, that the          a staunch Calvinist should dare to say  wifh Calvin that
   Sovereign God took a definite positive stand over against        the fall of man was present in the eternal counsel of God
  those whom He failed to regard, the term merely signifies         as a degree.
   that the Almighty One passed them by. The term does                 Calvin asserts, further, that God determined what He
  not signify decision, determination but necessary result. willed that every man should become. This statement
  The term does not signify a volitional act. God did not must be made to apply to the two constituents of pre-
  decide, determine, will to reject these others. He merely destination, viz., election and rejection. In other words,
  did something which amounted to rejection. He passed according to Calvin the determinate will of God extends
  them by.                                                          over the entire length of man's existence. Calvin has it
         As was pointed out, it is the desire of the author that    that the determinate will of the Sovereign One is re-
  the readers regard his book as an appeal to the members sponsible for it that some disappear in the abyss of eternal
  of the Reformed Church in America and the Christian               death.       God so decided.    ilrith this our Confessional
  Reformed Church to continue soundly Reformed, or Standards agree. One of the documents contains a state-
  Calvinistic or to become more so. The author informs ment like this: "What peculiarly tends to illustrate and
  us in his preface that the subject of his book is Calvinism,      recommend to us the eternal and unmerited grace of
  primarily in its theological aspect. He proposes to call          election,, is the express testimony of sacred Scripture,
  the attention of "our people in plain language to a few           that not all but some only are elected, while others are
  things in connection with these subjects, which they need passed by in the eternal degree;  ,whom God out of His
  to be told in order to retain or regain their hold on the         sovereign, most just irreprehensible and unchangeable
  Reformed faith." It was shown that the author uses the good pleasure, hath decreed to leave in the common
  two terms `LReformed"  and "Calvinism"  interchangeably.          misem  into which they have  wilfully plunged them-
  It indicates that the author regards the terms `as syno-          selves, and not-to  bestow upon them saving faith and the
  nyms. Hence, in his book he is appealing to the mem-              grace of conversion; but permitting them in  Hiis just
  bers of both denominations to retain or regain their hold         judgment to follow their own ways, at last for the dec-
  upon Calvinism.                                                   laration of His justice, to condemn and punish them for-
         Now the question as to whether it was Calvin's view        ever, not only on account of their unbelief, but also for all
  that God virtually rejected the reprobate. That is to say,        t.heir  other  sins.- And this is the degree of reprobation
  was it Calvin's view that the sovereign One rejected these        which by no means makes God the author if sin, (the
  oth.ers  in essence or in effect but not in fact? Did this        very thoughtof which is blasphemy) but declares IIim  to
  reformer eliminate from rejection the element of volition? be an awful, irreprehensible, and righteous judge and
  He did not. We were quoting from Calvin's Institutes to avenger thereof,' (Canons of Dordt, Of Divine Predes-
  prove that such is not the case. Let us continue  ascer- tination, Art. 15).
  tainin-g what Calvin taught relative to the matter of rejec-         This article asserts that reprobation is not an effect
  tion. The following assertions are of importance, to-wit : but a decree. Various elements constituting this decree
  "Nochtans   zal niemand ontkennen dat God tevoren; eer are mentioned. The term reprobation or rejection is the
  Hij den mensch schiep, geweten heeft welken uitgang hij general term. The various elements are: (a} the passing
  hebben zal, en dat Hij het daarom te voren heeft geweten by, jb) the leaving in the common misery, (c) the failure
, dewijl Hij `het door  zijn  be&it  in  dies voege bepaald to bestow upon those passed by saving faith or the grace
  had. . . . Hetgeen ik u zeg, t. w., dat God niet alleen den       of conversion, (d) the condemnation and punishment.
  val van den eersten mensch, en daarin het verderf zijner          (a), (b), and (c) are negative,- (d) is positive. Each `of
  nakomelingen te voren gezien, maar volgens  Zijn  welbe-          these elements taken separately are present in the  counse1
  hagen  bepaald heeft" (Inst. Vol. II, p. 52). And now of God as a decree. The sum total is the decree of rep-
  this : "Het is in het oog van velen een ingewikkelde kwes-        robation.
  tie, dewijl zij meenen dat niets minder betamelijk is dan            It is plain that, according to both Calvin and our
  dit, dat uit den algemeenen hoop der menschen sommigen Standards the decree of rejection is not an effect but a
  tot de zaligheid, sotimigen  t?t.het verderf bestemd &orden."     decree, a decision indeed.
  And  .once more: "De voorverordineering noemen wij het               The statement that God virtually rejected some but
  eeuwig besluit Gods, waardoor Hij bij zichzelven bepaald          not in fact militates against the plain teachings of John
  heeft wat Hij Wilde  dat van iederen mensch'worden ZOU."          Calvin and of our Standards. Further, a statement of
  And, finally, this assertion:  "Zij beginnen een geding  te-      this kind, made by a staunch Calvinist, causes us to sit
  gen God, omdat Hij, naar zijn welbehagen sommigen up and take notice, and to exclaim "What next?' He
  verkiezende, anderen voorbijgaat" (Inst., Book III, chap- who maintains that God rejected some in effect but not in
  ter XXI).                                                         fact is well on his way toward denying that God rejected
                                                            .


1                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   I                                         69
                                                                                                                     -          -

     at all. And if there is no rejection there can be no elec-      calamities. It makes for a sound view of God, which as
     tion. It seems to me that this particular staunch Calvin-       was already remarked, is basic to all sound theology."
     ist  is. on dangerous ground.                                      So far Kuiper.
        What could have induced Kuiper to speak of rejection
     as being virtual? There is a glaring  cbntradiction  be-           Rev. Kuiper is much concerned about  God'4  so'v-
     tween the statement that God decided not to bestow upon         ereignty. The denial of common grace is at once a denial
     some saving faith or the grace of conversion but to con-        of the sovereignty of God, if it be maintained by him who
     demn and punish such for their sin, and the statement           denies common grace that God is good to  all. In other
     that this same  God,desires  that these "some" accept the       words, he who says that Go'd is good to all but refuses to
     Christ or the grace offered them. We can draw no other recognize a so-called common love  bi- grace must con-
     conclusion  ,but that Kuiper made a conscious attempt to        clude that God is a weakling. Kuiper reasons thus: "He
     molify the decree  .of reprobation in the interest of the       upon whom God bestows special grace is one whom God
     theory of common grace. There was an attempt made to            wills to save. Now, then, if there is no common grace
     reconcile, to harmonize.                                        and if, nevertheless, God loves all men it follows that he
        We now come to another matter. The author regards            loves them all with that special grace or love which
     the theory of common grace as being exceedingly  ,im-           moves him to save the sinner. Yet a great many sinners
     portant.  Says the author: "I wish to direct attention          perish.    And this means that God strives to save the
     from some six viewpoints to the exceeding importance of sinner but cannot. It is the sinner who is making it im-
     the doctrine of common grace for the church of today."          possible for him to do the thing he so greatly desires,
     And now follow the six viewpoints from which attention          i. e., save sinners. God is a weakling, man is sovereign.
     is directed to  the great importance of the doctrine of         It is plain, so reasons Kuiper, that if the church would
     common grace. Viewpoint  .one is as follows: "(1) The           continue to possess a God who is sovereign, it shall have
     churches of our  day," says Kuiper, "are passing through        to cqnfess  a common grace orJove. Kuiper concedes, how-
     a doctrinal crisis. Many of the old creeds are fallen into      ever, that one can deny common grace and yet maintain
     disrepute. Few, if any, to be sure, have been officially        God's sovereignty.    But then it shall have to be con-
     scratched; but almost all of them are largely being cluded that God is showering blessings upon those whom
     ignored. . . .                                                  he does not love with no other purpose than that these
        "This cannot go on forever. A creedless church  can-         blessings shall be a curse unto them.  .And such a God,
     .not long exist. Sooner or later I expect the church will       according.to Kuiper, is a despot.,
     have to give an account of what it believes.                       It is noteworthy that it is also Kuiper's view that God
        "When that comes to pass, the fundamental question           wills not to save all men.  ' On the other hand, it is also
     confronting the church will be this: Who is God? That           the plain teachings of his book that God desires that those
     question is always fundamental.. . .                            whom he wills not to save, accept the Christ ofr'ered  them.
        "Now, the doctrine of common grace has a most  im- ' The author admits that the two cannot be harmonized.
     portant  and direct bearing on the question, `who is  C&d.         Further, Kuiper would have the  chtirch continue in
     On the one hand it tells us that God is good to all men.        its possession of a  ,&d who is sovereign. Yet it  is  a
     If common grace means anything at all it means that.            fact that the theory of common grace is a denial of this
     But on, the other hand common grace implies the  esist-         sovereignty.    It is the contention of the exponents of
     ence also of special or particular grace. And so it is the      this theory that God bestows various blessings upon the
     implication of this doctrine that God is not good to men        reprobate sinner with the intention that these blessings
     in the same sense; that he does not manifest his good-          shall be unto them blessings indeed.  however, accord-
     ness to all unto salvation.                                     ing to the testimony of the exponents of common grace
        "With this in mind it `is not difficult to predict to        the wicked turn thk blessings of God into a curse for
     what erroneous conception of God the church may come,           themselves, because they despise these riches of his
     if it discards the doctrine of' common grace. Either it         goodness. Such is the testimony of Rev. H.  `J'. Kuiptr.
     will deny that God is good to all men, and then it  wiM         Says he: "It is true that according to Scripture the ways
     be driven to the conclusion that God showers blessings          of prosperity are slippery places for  .-the wicked from
     of various kinds upon these whom he does not love with          which they pitch forward headlong into destruction. It
     no other intention than that these blessings shall become       is true that they turn the blessings of  C&d into a curse
     a curse for them; or the church will assert' that God is        for themselves, because they despise these riches of his
     good to all men in precisely the same manner, and thus goodness" ("The Three Points of Common Grace," page
     it will deny that some are saved by special grace while         13).
     others perish through lack of it. This will amount to a            The exponents of common grace  shall. have to admit
     denial of the divine sovereignty. In a word, if the church      that the wicked are not actually blessed. Due  td the
     denies common grace, it will one day find itself in posses-     fact that they turn the blessings of God into a curse for
     sion of a God who is either a despot or a weakling.             themselves they are making it impossible for God to carry
        "The doctrine of common grace, however, if con-              out his intentions in respect to them. Hence, God is not
     sistently held to, is a sure safeguard against both of these    having his way. And of such  1 God it cannot be said


;I
      70                                   i  T H E  STANDbARD   B E A R E R

      that he is sovereign. R. B. Kuiper shall have to admit ingediend, ontwijkend was. Weliswaar had hij er de
      this. If Kuiper dreads seeing the church loose its sov- voorkeur  aan gegeven, om een welomschreven antwoord
      ereign God, he shall have to urge the church to pro- in te dienen en niet eenvoudig met ja of neen te repli-
      nounce the theory of common grace a lie.                      ceeren. En daarvoor had hij natuurlijk zijn redenen. Het
            Further, according to Kuiper, God as a despot, should was nu eenmaaf de niet te miskennen bedoeling der Com-
      he love and bless the elect only. A despot is a cruel, un- missie en der Classis  om de schijn aan de zaak te geven,
      reasonable ruler. Now, Kuiper, being a staunch Calvinist, dat de  le&aaq in strijd was met de Synode,  d?t hij  zich
      agrees to the following: (a) God's will is the necessity niet Wilde  onderwerpen aan Synodale  besluiten. Daartoe
      of the state and the condition of the reprobate. (b) The had de Classis  behoefte, niet zoozeer  aan een beslist en
      reprobate wicked being dead in sin turn the blessings of duidelijk als  we1  aan een kort en onomschreven ja of
      God into a curse for themselves (H. J. Kuiper). (c) The neen. De  reden  voor  daen  toeleg  der  Classis  was  oak
      reprobate wicked increase their guilt in that degree that voor ons volkomen doorzichtig. Zelfs zou het ons geheel
      God blesses them. (d) God knows this yet he refuses niet verwonderen, of indien kon worden  beschreven, wat
      to heal the soul of the reprobate wicked and to impower achter  de schermen gebeurde, het zou blijken, dat de
      the wicked one to respond with praise.                        Commissie zich toen reeds liet vdorlichten  door dezen of
            Kuiper, I repeat, subscribes to this, for he is a Cal- genen rechtsgeleerde. Immers het feit was niet te ont-  t
      vinist. This is the God which he serves. And he will          kennen, dat niet de leeraar,  doch   we1 de  Classis  in con-
      maintain that his God is no despot. But We are accused flict handelde met alle regels van  kerkrec,ht  en met de
      of possessing a God who is that. And why? Because besluiten van de Synode van 1924. De uitspraken der
      we claim that God does not love that wicked one whose         Synode  waren haar niet scherp en volledig genoeg, gingen
      soul he refuses to restore. It is Kuiper's claim that God haar niet ver genoeg. De leeraar van Eastern Ave. moest
      may very well be showering blessings upon the reprobate       behandeld  en dat  werd hij naar Synodaal besluit niet.
      wicked one and at once refuse to save and to heal the         Daarom  zou thans de  Classis   doen  wat de Synode niet
      soul of the wicked  withoAt  making himself  .guilty of had gedaan. Dit  nu  Wilde Ds. H. inzijn antwoord laten
      cruelty. But that same God is a despot if He refuses to uitkomen en der Classis  doen gevoelen. En daarom dien-
      bestow upon that wicked one so-called general grace or de hij een omschreven aritwoord  in inplaats van een kort
      love-a love or grace which is of no value to the wicked       en bondig ja of neen. Een kort antwoord kan ook  mis-
      one since it is not a love which saves or restores.           Ieidend zijn en dat zou hier metterdaad het geval geweest
                                                      G. M. 0.      zijn. In zijn antwoord protestecxde  de leeraar tegen het
                           (To be Continued)                        besluit der Classis  om te doen  wat des Kerkeraads was en
                  .                                                 een leeraar rechtstreeks te behandelen, zonder dat deze
                                                                    ooit door een kerkeraad behandeld was. Dit ging  tech
                                                                    immers tegen  `alle kerkrecht in. De leeraar was nooit
               DE JONGSTE KERKELIJKE STRIJD                         door een kerkeraad behandeld. Oak had de Classis  zelfs
                                                                    geen poging gedaan, om hem door den kerkeraad te laten
              Classis Grand Rapids  Oost, Nov.-Dec. 1924            behandelea Ze had slechts den kerkeraad opgelegd den
                                                                    leeraar twee vragen te steilen en deze had dit niet gewild. ._
            Wet antwoord, dat werd ingediend door den leeraar En nu zou, wat later bleek het begin der censure te zijn,
      van Eastern Ave. op de twee vragen, hem door de Classis       tech maar bij de  Classis  beginnen zonder verder een
      voorgelegd, werd als naar gewoonte weer zonder meer in woord meer te verwisselen met den kerkeraad. Tucht
      handen  gelegd  der Commissie voor deze zaak door de moet  tech immers beginnen bij de mindere  vergaderin-
      Classis benoemd. En  deze had  weer, tijd noodig, om  bet     gen? Dan begint ze immers niet bij de  Classis?   Doch
      antwoord van den leeraar te beoordeelen en met verder de Classis deed niet slechts wat des kerkeraads was, ook
      advies voor de  Classis  te komen. De  Classis verdaagde niet slechts wat der Synode was, maar ze deed, wat in
      dan ook weer, om eerst weer in den laten namiddag van         haar eigen hoofd opkwam en trachtte dan daaraan den
      dienzelfden dag (11 Dec.)  samen  te  komen.                  schijn van  recht te geven. Voorts verklaarde de leeraar  I
            Het  advies, dat  toen door de Commissie werd  inge-    in zijn antwoord aan de Classis  zich volkomen homogeen
      diend, luidde, dat de leeraar in zijn geschreven stuk aan     met het antwoord, dat reeds door den kerkeraad gegeven
      de  Classis een ontwijkend antwoord had gegeven op  ,de was, iets, dat ook niet  aan duidelijkheid te wenschen
      vragen hem voorgelegd; dat om die  reden  de  Classis  bij    ouerliet.    En hij verklaarde bovendien nog, dat hij  we1
      monde van den president den leeraar van Eastern Ave. kon instemmen met de besluiten der Synode 1924, mits
      staande de vergadering nog eens voor dezelfde vragen deze maar in hun geheel genomen werden, daar in dat  ge-
      plaatsen zou ; en dat dan van den leeraar zou worden  ge-     val de Synode zelf had uitgesproken, dat iemand het niet
      eischt, dat hij een onomwonden antwoord zou geven, eens .behoefde te  zijn, met de Drie  Punten  om  Gerefor-
      alleen met een beslist en afdoend ja of neen. Dit  advies     meerd te zijn. Was  nu dat antwoord ontwijkend? Het
      werd aangenomen.  -                                           was met wat  .meer woorden gezegd dan de  Classis  lief
            Nu is het niet waar, dat het antwoord van den leeraar was, maar was in dat antwoord  tech niet duidelijk  uit-
      aan cle  Classis,  zooals het door hem zwart op wit werd      gedrukt, dat de leeraar niet instemde met de Drie Pun-


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     EDITORIAL STAFF                  Reformed Semi-Monthly                                                     Subscription  ' communications
                                                                                                                should be addressed to J. &
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   q H. Hoeksema                    PUBLISHED BY THE REFORMED FREE                                              St., S.E., Grand Rapids,  Mich.
         G. M. Ophoff                                                                                           Communications rekitive   to con-
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                                                                                                                Rapids, Mich.
                                      Entered   as  second   dass   msil  matte   at  Grand  Rapids,   Mich.


Vol. III, No. 4                                        NOVEMBER 15, 1926                                             Subscription Price, $2.50

                                                                                All the works of Thy hands proclaim it, for the
         M E D I T A T I O N                                               heavens declare Thy glory  and. the firmament sheweth
                                                                           Thy handiwork. Day and night pour forth abundant
                                                                           speech and all things speak to us of Thy adorable God-
                    FATHER'S NAME                                          head. -The fame of Thy Name is spread abroad upon the
                                                                           pages of history, and all the wondrous works which Thou
                       Hallowed be Thy Name!-Matt.  6:9.                   hast performed for Thy people from ages of yore witness
                                                                           of the glory of Thy wondrous Being. Nay more, for
   Abba Father!                                                            Thou `didst send unto us the Son of Thy bosom and He
   Who art in heaven !                                                     revealed and declared Thy Name unto us as never the
   Pray, hallow  Thine own Name, in our hearts and on                      wonder-works of day or night could declare it.
our lips, in all the world and in all Thy mighty deeds                          How wonderful is Thy Name !
and wondrous works; that we may know and hallow it,                             For Thou, art God and Thou alone.  There is none
love and adore Thee ever more and worship humbly as                        great beside Thee, and among all that is called creatur'e
Thy loving children. . . .                                                 there is none that can at all be compared  ,with Thee.
   For though we are but imperfect and even  w?rile  we                    Matchless is Thy goodness, for Thou art perfection in
pray confess our oft unfaithfulness regarding Thy great Thy$elf, a light and there is no darkness in  Thee  ; and
and wonderful Name, yet by Thy grace we also are con-                      within Thyself Thou livest from everlasting to everlast-
scious in our deepest heart of a strong yearning after ing the life of infinite goodness. The sole fount of good-
Thee and Thy communion and of a profound longing for ness Thou art for all Thy creatures and there is no good
the knowledge of Thee and we profess that it is our soul's                 apart from Thee. Wonderful is Thy beauty and Thy
desire that Thy Name be made great and glorified. And grace, and  Thy  glory is without end. For Thou  art
as the hart panteth after brooks of living water, so pan-                  infinite* in power and wisdom, in lovingkindness and
teth our soul after Thee, 0 Father, and it thirsteth after                 tender mercy. Thou  art the Cause of all,  the  Being
the living God !                                                           among all beings, the Light of lights, the Love of all love
   Our humble thanks we bring to Thee, for that Thou                       that is . . . .
didst show Thy Name unto us.. . .                                               And we know, that'we can but stammer Thy Name.
   For how could we know Thee, but by Thine own                            Thou only knowest Thy own Name in all the wonder of
revelation? Thou art infinite and dwellest in eternity;                    its infinite beauty.
and we are children of time and of the dust. Shall the                          But we have caught a glimpse of it, a creaturely re-
finite search out the Infinite? Shall time embrace Eter-                   flection. We have seen it in Thy works, we have heard it
nity?" And, too, our Father, Thou dwellest in the -light declared by Thy testimony, we have beheld it in Thine
and Thy name is Holiness and Righteousness ; but we                        only begotten Son, we have felt its great power of mar-
are rebellious children of darkness by nature. For we                      velous  Iove when we stood `neath the accursed tree. . . .
wilfully departed from the light and like brutes we tram-                       Father, the testimony of Thy Name has reached us,
pled under foot the preciousknowledge of Thy Name we                       has resounded within our inmost hearts; the power of
first possessed by Thy great goodness. Foolishly we                        Thy Name has humbled us, the beauty of Thy Name  '
chose the darkness for the light and turned our necks to                   has enraptured our soul.. . .
Thee. Can darkness comprehend the light,? Can sin                               Transported with delight because of Thy Name we
enter into the knowledge of the Holy One? Neither could bow at Thy footstool and pray:
we ever have attained to the blessed knowledge of Thy                           Our Father, who art in heaven !
glorious Name.. . .                                                             Hallowed be Thy Name !
   But Thou didst manifest Thy Name to us !                                     Abba, Father !


7;c                                        T H E   S+ANDARD   B E A R E R
                                               ------_-                                 ____--_____~

       Father, our Father !                                              may behold Thy beauty and see Thy glory and love Thy
       Matchless in glory and power and  beauty  is Thy appearance. That we may know Thy name with the
Name, for Thou art God.                                                  krrowledge of love of a mind enlightened by Thy Spirit.
       Kept holy Thy Name must be, never to be confused                      We pray, that Thou wilt set a watdh before our lips
with the name of any creature, never to be lowered to and sanctify ours mouths, that Thy name they may praise.
the level of any other name.  Ever* it must stand apart,                     We pray, that Thou wilt guide our feet in the way
                                                                   -.
alone, unique, the Name of names.                                        everlasting, that our walk may be to the praise of Thy
       Never should we, or any other creature attribute what glory.
belbngs  to Thy glory and to the power and beauty of                         We pray that Thou wilt powerfully and evermore
`Thy Name to another. All glory is only Thine, all power gloriously reveal Thy name in all the earth, that Thou
belongs to Thee. All praise and adoration must be given wilt stop every evil mouth and cut off all the workers of
to Thee alone. Before Thee alone all must be prostrate iniquity.. . .
in humble worship. For Thou art God and there is no                          Father, our Father, who art  ,in heaven.
God beside Thee ; of Thee and thru Thee and to Thee are                      Hallowed be Thy Name !
all things. To Thee be all glory, forevermore, Amen! . . .                   Abba,  Father !
"      Thus it must be in our heart. A sanctuary it is de-
signed to be to the glory and worship of Thy Name and                        Father in heaven !
all its issues should harmoniously unite in adoration of                     We pray, that Thou wilt  h&w Thy Name in our
Thee. From. it never a thought should rise but to rever-                 heartsand lives, that we may hallow it by Thy grace!
ence Thy Name; in it never a ripple of desire should stir                    For we know ourselves, that we are corrupt and
but to thirst after Thee  ; aut of it never a drop of love               ignorant, unless Thou workest within us to will and to do
should flow but to Thee ; on its hearth never a spark of                 Thy good pleasure. For Thou didst, indeed, create us to
zeal should be kindled but for Thy most holy Name. All                   know Thee and to adore Thy wondrous Name in loving
its life.and love, all its thoughts and aspirations should be            delight. But we corrupted ourselves and turned to dark-
to the  hallohwing  of Thy Name which alone is worthy to                 ness.  `By nature we do neither love nor glorify Thee, for
be praised forever.. . .                                                 the carnal mind is enmity against Thee. And oh! how
       Thus it should be in our mouth and on our lips and in             stupid and ignorant, how hateful and hardened our sinful
all the manifestation of our life. Never a word we should                nature is! How blind, how darkened our understanding!
utter that is not born from a heart sanctified by the                    How unwilling our perverted heart ! The purity of  Thy*
knowledge of Thy Name and does not praise Thy match-                     holiness fails to attract us ; the severity of Thy justice  -
less glory. Never our eyes should see with delight, nor repels us; the beauty of Thy lovingkindness finds no
our ears hear in approval what is not to Thy glory. Never                response within us! Though we should know many
our feet should carry us with our consent into the com-                  things about Thee, yet do we not know Thee in love ! . . .
pany of those, that blaspheme Thy Name, nor should we.                       We will not humble ourselves before Thy great-
ever work with our hands but to serve Thee in love. -411                 ness ". . .
our life and walk should spring from a heart that is con-                    We refuse to be awed in the presence of Thy right-
secrated as a sanctuary to Thy adorable Name. . . .                      eousness . . . .
       Thus it should be in all the world ! Every being must                 We do not prostrate ourselves in the dust,  worship-
spell Thy Name, every creature must sing Thy praise,                     ping, at the sight of Thy glory.. .  i
every name must be a reflecting of Thy glory.              The               We, according to the working of sin and death within
heavens and the earth must praise Thee. Every heart                      us, hate Thy great and adorable Name !
that does not love Thee must be changed or destroyed;                        Father, our Father, forgive !
every mouth that does not praise Thee must be sancti-                        Remember not our insolent pride, the haughty rebel-
fied or stopped; and all the wicked of the earth and those               lion of our heart and mind, because of which we so fre-
that love iniquity must be cut off, so that the time may                 quently dish,onored  Thy Name, in our inmost heart, with
come when no discord shall mar anymore the beauty of                     vile lips, thru our sinful and perverted walk. For, now
all creation's song and no corrupt or evil thing shall                   Thy grace is operative in our hearts and we have beheld
dishallow Thine altar, established to the glory of Thy                   the beauty and glory of Thy Name, we despise ourselves
                                                                                                                                  .
name in a new world.. . .                                                before Thee. ., . .
       Thus it is proper, for Thou, 0' Father, art God alone. .              Blot out our transgressions in Thy boundless grace,
       And thus it is the deepest desire of our inmost heart,            we pray!
as Thou hast renewed it by Thy wondrous grace and                            And hallow Thy Name within us . . . .
within it hast spread abroad Thy'love . . . .                                Do so, our Father, thru Jesus our Lord !
       And in that longing of heart, our Father, we approach                 For we know that Thou didst send Him and that He
Thee and pray above all things and before all things, that               came into our flesh, in its sinful likeness, to think, He,
Thou wilt hallow Thy name, in our hearts, upon our                       the Son, in our mind, to will with our will, to live our
lips, before and thru every creature..  .,.                              life and to hallow Thy Name in our nature. We know,
       We pray that we may rightly know Thee, so that we                 that He revealed Thy Name as never it had become mani-


*I                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         7 5
                                                                                                              ..
      fest before. We know, too, that He assumed the burden                Rbba Father !                              ,.
                                                                                                      .
      of our guilt and sin, and that He sanctified and glorified           Amen!           -
      Thy Name before all the world even unto death. We                       `.                                            H. H.
      know, that in His death there is life, that in His stripes
      there is healing, that for His Name's sake Thou dost for-                     EEN BEDENKELIJK STANDPUNT
      give. We know, that Thou, Father, didst send Him, in
      order that thru Him Thou mightest beget many chil-                   We  ,willen  thans, om  hit gewicht der zaak, nog een
      dren, that would have Thy Name written in their hearts,           oogenblik de aandacht vestigen op het laatste gedeeite
      a people that would declare Thy glory and speak of Thy            van het antwoord der Synode op  Middelburg's  bezwaar
      marvelous virtues and praises. We know, that He, our              tegen het tweede van de drie punten  door de Synode van
      Lord, Thy Son, arose in glory, and that Thou, hast re-            1924 uitgesproken. Dit stuk van haar antwoord luidt als
      ceived Him in heaven to behold Thy beauty in Thy                  v o l g t :
      heavenly tabernacle; and that Thou hast .fdled Him with              "(dat) Ret onredelijk is om te eischen, dat de  uit-
      Thy Spirit, in order that He might make His abode with            drukking `door de algemeene werking~  des Geestes' latter-
      all those whom Thou hast given Him out of the world. . . Iijk  in de Belijdenisschriften gevonden moet worden.,  De
          And we know, our Father, that His Spirit hallows              Synode tech gaf met deze en andere uitdrukkingen juist
      Thy Name in our hearts and that by His power we also              een interpretatie van  "de Belijdenisschriftep, en kon dus
      hallow it !                  `,                                   niet volstaan met die Belijdenisschriften. slechts woorde-
          We know, for we have experienced His power.. . .              lijk-na  te spreken. Dat.overigens  deze uitdrukking grond
          He sanctified Thee in our hearts, when He revealed to         vindt in de Belijdenisschriften, zoowel als in de  Schrift
      us the horror of our corruption and the perversion of our en in het bewustzijn van erkende Gereformeerde theolo-
      ways; when He caused us to despise ourselves and to gen, deed de Synode blijken door haar aangehaalde  be-
      humble- ourselves  .before Thee.. . .                             wijsplaatsen."
          He hallowed within our hearts and minds Thy justice              Wij achten dit een belangrijke uitspraak voor het
      and  .holiness,  when He broke our hard hearts into true          leven der kerken, die zich, hetzij met of zonder protest,
      contrition; when He created within us sorrow after Thee aan zulke uitspraken conformeeren en onderwerpen, mis-
      and the spirit of penitence; when He pressed the  pub-            schieo zelfs we1 de belangrijkste door de Synode van 1926
      lican's' prayer from our lips: 0 God be merciful unto us          gedaan.. Het is een. zeer belangrijke stap in een hoogst
      sinners ! . . . f                                                 bedenkelijke,  richting. Het is namelijk het oflicieel-syno-
          He sanctified Thy love -within us ; when He led us to         dale zegel op de Roomsch-pauselijke, tendenz, die in de
      the cross of Jesus ; when He made us behold the marvel            laatste  jaren  in het leven van de Christelijke  Gerefor-
      of the love wherewith Thou hast loved us from before the          meerde kerken tot openbaring kwam. Het geldt hier een
      foundation of the world ; and, when, there, in the blood of grondzui1  voor  ,het gebouw van Gereformeerd kerkrecht.
      Thy Son He washed our garments clean from the cor-                Hier ligt, op kerkelijk terrein, een beginsel, waarvan in de
      ruption of sin ; when He created within us the peace that         toekomst onze kerken zeker  moeten  verschillen.         Wij
      passeth all understanding and spread abroad. in our moeten  ons ook op kerkrechtelijk terrein niet ontwikkelen
      hearts Thy love, . . .                                            in de Roomsche richting van de Christelijke Gereformeer-
          Father, in that love, thru that Spirit we pray: Hal- de kerken, maar langs Gereformeerde lijnen.
      lowed be Thy Name !                                                  Eer we op het eigenlijke bedenkelijke element in dit
          Undone we are in self.            j                           antwoord wijzen, willen we eerst nog op andere onwaar-
          Prone to wander and to forget; and to extol self in           heden  de aandacht vestigen, die in dit gedeelte van  Be
      the pride of our sinful heart. Never will we trust in self uitspraak der Synode aan de oppervlakte en als voor het
      anymore, for we know, that even though we are partakers grijpen liggen.
      of Thy grace and Thou didst regenerate our hearts, we                In de eerste plaats wordt, door een slinksche beweging
      cannot do anything apart from Thee.                               der Synode, het bezwaar van Middelburg als onredelijk
          Take, pray, our hearts and minds and hallow them as voorgesteld.                Immers, er ligt in dit antwoord van de
      sanctuaries unto Thy Name.. . ,                                   Synode opgesloten, dat Middelburg met een onredelijken
          Take our hand and lead us, sanctify&g our lives unto          eisch tot de Synode kwam. Het onredelijke van den
      Thyself. . . .                                                    eisch zou dan daarin  liggen,  dat Middelburg gevorderd
          On and on!                                                    zou hebben, dat, eer iets in betrekking tot de leer, syno-
          Till all that is of sin and darkness, all that here bedims    daal vastgesteld zou mogen  worden,  de Synode  letter-
      and beclouds the glory of Thy name shall have been                Iijke uitdrukkingen uit de Belijdenisschriften zou moeten
      removed forever.                                                  gebruiken. Nu is het niet waar, dat Middelburg met
          And we shall see Thee as Thou art.                            dien eisch kwam. Tmmers, de Kerkeraad van  Middel-
          Face to face !                                                burg had zelf zijn vraag zoo gesteld : "Hoe kan de Synode
          And behold the beauty of the Lord in Thy eternal spreken van de algemeene werkingen des Geestes in het
      d w e l l i n g .                                                 stuiten der zonde, met een beroep op de Belijdenisschrif-
          Forever and ever.                                             ten ?,' Hierop antwoord de Synode nu: "Het is  onrede-


     80         ^                  ."            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
     __                                                                                                                   -      -
     Synode had dit alles  kunnen doen  ondkr leiding van eene        comparative religions will agree that the Bible is unique
     commissie. Dan had  .alles zuiver geloopen, en  hadden           among all books. Men like Semler and Michaelis used
     de kerken  zich niet behoeven te onderwerpen  aan een            to speak of the divine inspiration of the Bible. These
     pauselijke  synodale   macht, die haar voorschrijft van          men, were they with us would not object to endorsing
     boven af, wat voortaan hare belijdenis zal zijn.                 the assertion that the Bible is the only infallible
            Zoo staan we dus ook in dezen tegenover de kerken         rule of faith and conduct, and the infallible guide of
     waaruit we zijn geworpen, niet op grond van de Drie              truth and righteousness. Fact is, that the statement is
     Formulieren van Eenigheid, die we handhaven, maar op             of doubtful significance. The above article or statement
     grond van Drie Synodale  Punten,  die we niet handhaven.         or interpretation could not very well be quoted in sup-
     De Christelijke  Gereformeerde.  kerken hebben  aangeno-         port of the proposition, that the entire content of the
     men, dat de Synode oppermachtig is over de Belijdenis.           Bible, in all its  minute&  details is God-inspired, and
     Wij zullen blijven handhaven, dat ook de Synode gebon-           hence the infallible word of God; that inspiration must
     den is aan de Belijdenis zooals die is. In de Christelijke       be made to apply to the chronology of Scripture, and to
     Gereformeerde kerken mag men  nu voorts verwachten,              the historical data as  well as to the ethical-religious
     dat de  Synoden  met hare Belijdenis mogen omspringen            truths. It is a noteworthy matter that the article- only
     naar eigen goedvinden. Wat na 1928 de Belijdenis der asserts that the religious-ethical truths are infallible. *
     kerken zal zijn, hangt louter af van de  opime der  meer-           Our Confession, on the other hand, contains very defi-
     derheid van de Synode, die dan zal vergaderen. En de             nite statements relative the matters. Let us quote these
     kerken kunnen toezien. De ambtsdragers en de  leden              articles. Art. III, Of the Written Word of God: We con-
     kunnen  zich, onderwerpen  aan het  Synodaal-hierarchale         fess that this written word of, God was not sent, nor de-
     juk, of met den banvloek getroffen worden.  En,de schare,        livered by the will of man, but that holy men of God
     die de wet niet kent, is vervloekt.                              spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, as the
            Voorwaar, een bedenkelijk standpunt !                     Apostle Peter saith. And that afterwards God from a
                                                         H. H.        special care, which He hath for us and our salvation,
                                                                      commanded His servants, the prophets and the apostles,
                                                                      to commit His revealed word to writing; and He Himself
                     DR.  BOUMA'S  NEW  PLATFORM                      wrote, with His own finger, the two tables of the law.
                                 (Continued)"                         .Therefore we call such writings holy and divine Scrip-
,                                                                     tures. Art. IV, Canonical Books of rhe Holy Scripture:
            Dr. Bouma insists that "the Doctrinal Standards of        We believe that the Holy Scriptures are contained in
     this or that denomination shall not enter into the con- `two books, namely, the Old and New Testament, which
     struction of the platform upon which the Christian school        are canonical, against which nothing can be aIleged.
     stands." Whereas it is exactly the Doctrinal Standards              The remainder of the article is an enumeration of
     of any one ecclesiastical group which are expressive of the books of the Bible.
     the doctrinal distinctiveness of that group, it follows that        Art. V-From whence the  .holy  Scriptures derive
     the proposed platform of Dr. Bouma will necessarily turn         their dignity and authority: We receive all these books,
     out to be a vague thing. It cannot be otherwise but that         and these only, as holy and canonical for the regulation,
     such a platform will lack distinctiveness. And distinctive-      foundation and confirmation of our faith; believing, with-
     ness will be the most prominent feature of a school rest-        out any doubt, all things contained in rhem, not so much
     ing on such a platform.                                          because the church receives and approves them as such,
            A study of the little pamphlet, published July, 1925; but more especially because the Holy Ghost witnesseth
     by the National Union of Christian Schools and entitled,         in our hearts, that they are from God, whereof they carry
     "Basic Principles of the Christian Schools of America"           the evidence in themselves. For the very blind are able
     ---I say a study of this pamphlet will help one to form an       to perceive that the things foretold in them are fulfilling.
     idea of what Dr. Bouma's new platform will be like.                 Art. VI asserts that the Church distinguished the
     The inadequacy, the extreme vagueness, the studied in-           books of the Bible from the apocryphal books.
     definiteness of these so-called basic principles must be            Arr. VII-We believe that those Holy Scriptures
     apparent to all who read them. Let us analyze these prin-        fully contain the will of God, and that whatever man
     ciples.         Principle one reads: The Bible is the book of    ought to believe, unto salvation, is sufficiently taught
     books. By virtue of its divine organic inspiration it is         therein. For since the whole manner of worship which
     unique among all books. The Bible is not only the in-            God requires of us is written`therein at large, ir is unlaw-
     fallible rule of faith and conduct, but also the infallible      ful for any one, though an apostle, to teach otherwise
     guide of truth and righteousness.                                than we are taught in the Holy Scripture; nay, if though
            The above formulation of a most basic principle is        it were an angel from heaven, as the Apostle Paul saith.
     defective. What is asserted is true. The Bible is the            For, since it is forbidden to add unto or take away any-
     book of books, unique among all books. However, the              thing from the word of God, it doth thereby evidently
     statement is too brief, too indefinite. It does not say          appear, that the doctrine thereof is most perfect and
     enough. It has too many loop-holes. Many  .a writer on           complete in all respects. Neither do we consider of


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             81
                                                   ----~

        equal value any writings of men, however holy these men            The article asserts that God is, triune, i. e., three in
        may have been, with those divine Scriptures, nor ought         one; an epithet applied to God to express the unity of
        we to consider costume, or the great multitude, or antiq-      the Godhead in the trinity of persons. The term "triune"
      i uity, or succession of times and persons' or councils or       however, does not indicate whether the unity is ethical,
        decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of       or meta-physical or both ethical and meta-physical. The
        God, for the truth is above all ; for all men are of them-     modernist will say that the Father and the Son are one
        selves liars, and more vain than vanity itself. Therefore      in the sense that two friends are one. Let us compare
        we reject with all our hearts, whatever doth not agree         article VII of the Confession with this so-called inter-
        with `this infallible rule, which the apostles have taught     pretation of the Union. The article reads : "According to
        us saying, Try the spirits whether they are of God. Like-      this truth and this word of God, we believe in one only
        wise if there comes any unto you, and bring not this doc-      God, who is the one single essence, in which are three
        trine, receive him not into your house.                        persons, really, true and eternally distinct' according to
           Let us now single out some of the vital statements          their incommunicable properties ; namely, the Father, the
        comprising these articles. (a) These articles denominate Son and the Holy Ghost. The Father is the cause, origin
        the Bible the word of God. (b) It is declared that this        and beginning of all things visible and invisible; th Son is
        word was not sent, nor delivered by the will of man.           the word, image wisdom of the Father; the Holy Ghost
        (c) Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the            is the eternal power and `might, proceeding from the
       ,Holy Ghost. Hence, the Bible is in the absolute sense          Father and the Son. Nevertheless, God is not by this
       the word of God. The prophets and the apostles were             distinction divided into three, since the Holy Scriptures
       but so many mouthpieces of God. (d) God commanded               teach us, that the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost,
        His servants, the prophets and the apostles, to put His        have each His personality, distinguished by their proper-
       revealed word to writing. (e) Against the Holy Scrip- ties ; but in such wise that the three persons are but one
       tures, contained in two books, the old and the new testa-       only God. Hence then, it is evident, that the Father is
       ment, which are canonical, nothing can be alleged.              not the Son, nor the Son the Father, and likewise the
      , (f) We receive all these books and these only as holy and      HoIy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Son. Never-
       canonical, . . . . believing without any doubt all things con- theless these persons thus distinguished are not divided,
       tained in them. (g) It is unlawful for any one, though an       nor intermixed; for the Father hath not assumed the
       apostle to teach otherwise than we are taught in the            flesh, nor. hath the Holy Ghost, but the, Son only. The
       Holy Scriptures  ; nay, though it were an angel from            Father hath never been without the Son, or without his
       heaven. (h) It is forbidden to take away or add any-            Holy Ghost. For they are all three co-eternal and  co-
       thing to the  ,word of God. (i) We reject with all our          essential.  There is neither first nor last; for they are
       hearts whatsoever does not agree with this infallible           all three one, in truth, in power, in goodness and in
       rule.                                                           mercy:' (Art. VII of the Confession).
           It appears that these particular articles of the Confes-       The above article says something. Its language is
       sion are clear-cut and unequivocal statements of what           clear, to the point and unmistakable. No Russellite would
       the Church, a few centuries back, thought of the Bible.         endorse it as expressive of his view of God. This much
       Any one endorsing these articles will not and cannot            cannot be said of the statement "God is triune."
       submit the Bible to a scientific test. That is to say he           And now the statement, "God is the Creator of all
       will  not: do so if he is bent on playing fair. Such a one      that is." The theistic Evolutionist will agree to this.
       will not attempt to re-arrange the data of Scripture, nor       But he will not declare as his  <iew that the Father by
       will he place a question mark behind. this or that histor-      the word, that is by the Son, hath created of nothing the I
       ical event. In a word, he will leave the Bible alone. This      heaven, the earth and all creatures, as it seemed good
       man will bow before the entire book, not only as a be- unto him, giving every creature its being, xhapc, form and
       liever but also as a man of science and even as a polemic       several ofices to serve its Creator. This last phrase must
       or disputant.                                                   be made to apply to the creation of the species. One
           What could have induced Dr. C. Bouma to set aside species did not evolve out of another (evolution) but God
       these articles and recommend as a substitute the weak           created great whales and every living creature that
       and equivocal so-called interpretation of the Union? The moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after
       reason given is that these articles are deliverances of an      their kind,  and every winged fowl after his kind  (Gen.
       ecclesiastical body.    In other words, they are church         121);  What is said of the whales and of rhe fowls must
       creeds. We don't believe that this is the  r& reason. be made to apply to all creatures. Our Confession and
       What may it be?                                                 God's word not only assert that `God created all things
           The second interpretation or article of the Union but that God created all things after their kind. This last
       deals with God. The article reads as follows: "God is phrase was added by the Lord our God for the benefit of
       triune. He is the Creator of all that is, the Sustainer of      the Evolutionist. The Union failed to incorporate this
       all that exists, and the ultimate end of all things. God        phrase in its so-called interpretation of principles and
       who is transcendent and immanent, is the absolute loving        contended itself with the mere statement that God is the
       sovereign over all; men should seek to do His will on           Creator of all things. The Union, either wittingly or un-
       earth as it is done in heaven."                                 wittingly, opens the door to the theory of evolution.

.'


       82                                       iHE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

             It is also asserted in the "Specific Principles" of the    the will of our Father. (g) God so restrains the devil and
       Union that "God sustains all things"' or to be more exacr,       all our enemies that without His will and permission they
       that "God is the Sustainer of all things." This statement        cannot hurt us.
       is supposed to set forth the relation which God sustains             What is the prominent idea embodied in the above
       to His creation. Let us compare it with  what  our Con-          statements?  Ir is this: God reigns in both the physical
       fessional Standards declare concerning this matter. Ques-, and in the moral world. In both these realms God's will
       tion 27 of the Catechism reads:  "Whar dost thou mean            is supreme  ; it is His will which prevails, not the will of
       by the Providence of God?"' And the answer: "The                 the devil and the wicked. All things,  includin'g the
       almighty and everywhere present power of God ; whereby           wicked de&Is of men, are matters of divine appointment.
       as it were by His hand,  SHe  zcpholds   and governs  haven,         It appears that the teachings of our Confessional
       earth and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and       Standards are at once a denunciation of the doctrine
       drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health       that; in the realm of the physical God is a slave to His
       and sickness, riches and poverty, yea all things come, not own laws and the doctrine that, in the moral world order,
       by chance but by His fatherly hand." Question  2%:               the will of man is free. On the other hand the statement
       "What advantage is it to us to know that God hath                that God is the sustainer of all that exists contains a
       created and by His Providence doth still uphold all              loop-hole large enough for the Pelagian  and for him who
       things ?" The answer: "That we may be  parient  in ad- denies the miracle,  ro  crawl through. Our Confession, on
       versity, thankful in prosperity; and that  in all things,        the other hand, closes the door to these heresies,. If they
       which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust           would' nevertheless enter the Reformed Church they shall
       in our God and Father, that nothing shall separate us            have to climb over the ,wall.  And that is happening, this
       from His love; since all creatures are so in His hand day.
       that without His will they cannot so much as move."                  Again I ask, why is Dr.  B'ouma  urging the friends of
             r2rt. 13 of the Confession reads thus: "We believe         the Christian school to substitute for a confession which
       that the same God after He had created all things, did not       is both safe and sound, the brief, the inadequate, the in-
       forsake them or give them up to fortune or chance, but           completd  and the vague? Let him give an honest answer
       that He rules and governs them according to His holy             to this question.
       will, so that nothing happens in this world  wi'chout  His           The Basic Principles of the Union also contain a
       appointment."                                                    clause which asserts that God is `the absolute loving
             That the aboi> statement must also be made, to apply       sovereign over all and further that God is transcendent
       to sin and ro the sinful deeds of men is evident from what       and immanent. This declaration is somewhat similar to
       follows. "Nevertheless, God `is neither the author of, nor the first article of the Confession which reads : "We all
       can be charged with sins committed. For His power and            believe with the heart and confess with the mouth, that
       goodness are so great and incomprehensible, that  $Ie            there is one only simple and spiritual being, which we
i      orders and executes His work in the most excellent and           call God ; and . that he is eternal, incomprehens-
       just manner, even then when devils and wicked m&n act            ible,    invisible' immutable,    infinite,    almighty, per-
       unjustly.. . . This doctrine affords us unspeakable con- fectly wise' just,- good, and the overflowing foun-
       solation, since we are taught thereby, that nothing can          tain of all good."      It should be noticed that this
       befall us by chance, but by the direction of our most            article asserts that God is also just. The Basic Principles      +
     - gracious and heavenly Father; who watches over  US               of the Union make no mention of this particular virtue
       with a paternal care, keeping all creatures so under His         of God. Can Dr.  Botima  &ive one good reason why he
      power that nor a hair of our head (for they are all num-          recommends setting- this particular article aside? Is the
       bered) nor a sparrow can fall to the ground, without the         substitute of the Union an approvement on this article?-
       will of our Father' in whom we do entirely trust; being          I think not. It is a matter ,worthy of note that the Union
       persuaded that He so restrains the devil and all our ene-        singled out and projected that ethical virtue of God
       mies, that without His will and permission they cannot known as love but failed to make room in its "Specific
       hurt us.  -4nd therefore we reject that damnable error of        Principles" for a clause asserting that God is just,  holy,
       the  Epicurians  who say that God *regards nothing but righteous.  This sin of omission can, very likely' be ac-
       leaves all things to chance."                                    counted for in this way: the Union would avoid a clash
             Let us now single out the important statements.            with those groups to whom a righteous and just God is
       (a) God upholds arzd governs heaven, earth and all crea- an intolerable and obnoxious being. A clash would pdt
       tures. (b) All creatures are so in His hand that without these groups, whose co-operation is sought, in a bad
       His will they cannot move. (c) God rules and governs mood. Having once vexed them with the doctrine of a
       all things created, according to His holy will. (d)  No&-        God who is just, the Union can never hope to obtain
       ing happens in this world without His divine  appdint-           their  co-opeiation.    And co-operation there must  be.
       ment. (e) Nothing befalls us by chance but by the direc- These non-orthodox groups must be persuaded to join
       tion of our most gracious and heavenly Father. (f) God us. They musr be made to seat themselves at our table
       keeps  all creatures so under His power that not a hair to partake of our good food. But now the Union realizes
       of our head nor a sparrow can fall to the ground without         that there are certain kinds of food, which those invited,


I                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              8 3

       do not care for. . These foods, upon which our fathers             We shall now quote from the Canons. Art. 3, 4.
       thrived, are being taken away and substituted for what         "Therefore all men are conceived in sin, and by nature
       appears to me to be husks. Dr. Bouma should know that          children of wrath, incapable of saving good, prone to evil,
       husks is food  tit for swine but not for man. Feed these       dead in sin and in bondage thereto,  and without the regen-
       guests husks and you starve  them  to death. If  ,Dr.          erating grace of the Holy Spirit, they are ?&her willing nor
       Bouma would be of real service to his fellow Christians        able to return to God, to reform the depravity of their nature,
       he must feed them food that nourishes, not husks. And          nor to dispose themselves to reformation.
       if those invited show contempt for food which is sub-              These articles emphatically assert (a) that man sub-
       stantial and nourishing it is well to let them be instead      jected himself to sin and consequently to  death  and the
       of catering to their whims.                                    curse; (b) that man has corrupted his  whole  nature;  (c)
          And what  ,of'_God's love for all creatures (including that man is wrrrerse and corrupt in all his ways; (d) that
       the reprobate) ? Bouma and his fellows have never suc-         ail the light which is in man is  changed into darkness;
       ceeded in proving from Scripture and the Cpnfession that       (e) that sin produces in man  all  sorts of sin; (f) that
       God loves the reprobate. And that particular scripture         man is neither willing nor able to reform the depravity
       to which the Union appeals has even no bearing on the          of his nature nor is  he willing to dispose himself to  reform-
       matter. The text reads: "While the word was in the             atton.
       King's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying,  "0           Now let us place along side of these statements what
     king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken : The kingdom is asserted by the Union, to wit: "`Man is a fallen and de-
       is departed from thee." Daniel  4:3X                           praved  creature.JJ    There is a remarkable difference, is
                                                                      there not, between what is asserted by Union and the
          Let me add that there is more than one reason why           plain teachings of the confession. The confession main-
       the Union failed to incorporate into its platform the doc-     tains that natural man is dead in sin and  totally  depraved.
       trine of a God who is jwt. - A doctrine of this kind is out    In vain do we search the so-called Specific Principles of
       of place in that system of thought known as Common             the  1Jnion  for a clause which asserts that the natural man
      Grace. And Dr. Bouma in particular and the members              is dead in sin. Nor do these Principles state that man is
       of the Union in general are aware of this. And they            totally  depraved. Tt is merely asserted that man is de-
       agreed to pass the doctrine by.                                praved  and fallen. A statement of this kind in-no wise
          Article (c) of the "Specific Principle" of the Union        militates against the semi-pelagian doctrine that man is
       reads as follows: "Man is a fallen creature. Though de-        capable of performing spiritual good in virtue of the fact
       praved man is nevertheless an image bearer  ,of God."          that there is in him a spark of holy life. In other words
       Let us tarry here for a moment. The  X.Jnion  asserts          the semi-pelagian will subscribe to the statement
       that man is a fallen and depraved creature. Let us now         that man is a fallen and depraved creature.                The
       hearken to the Confession.  (We believe that God               question is to what extent  is. man depraved. And
       created man out of the dust of the earth, and made and         the answer of the Confession is that man is totally de-
       formed him after his own image and likeness, good, right-      praved. The Union failed to answer the question at all
       eous and holy, capable in all things `to will agreeably to     and contents itself with the mere statement that man is
       the will of God. But being in honor he understood it           fallen and depraved.
      not, neither knew his excellency, but wilfully subjected            We have maintained all along that the doctrine of
      -himself to sin, and consequently to death, and the curse,      total depravity and the theory of common grace are
     2. giving ear to the words of the devil. For the command-        mutually exclusive. The exponents of the theory of com-
      ment of life which he had received, he transgressed, and        mon grace, on the other hand, insist that the two go very
      by sin separated himself from God, who was his true life,       well together, that the doctrine of common grace is one
      having corrupted his whole nature; whereby he made himself      of the elements constituting the Reformed or Calvinistic
      liable to corporal and spiritual death. And being thus be-      system of thought from the very beginning.             It was
      come wicked, corrupt and perverse in all  his ways,  he hath    always there, as well as this other doctrine of total de-
       lost all his excellent gifts, which he had received from       pravity, They deny rhat the presence of the theory of
       God, and only retained a few remains thereof,. which           common grace in the theology of the Reformed theo-
      however are sufficient to leave man without excuse; for         logian gives to that theory the appearance as if it were
     ' all the light which is in us is changed into durkness  as the a collection of contradictory statements. Ir  smeems,  how-
      Scriptures teach . . . . . . . . Art. XV. We believe that,      ever, that Dr. Bouma (and the group to which he be-
      through the disobedience of Adam, original sin is  ex-          longs) realizes that, due to the notable addition of the
      tended to all mankind ; which is a corruption of the whole      year 1924, his theology lacks unity and harmony. That
      nature, and an hereditary disease, wherewith infants            Dr. Bouma, be it as a schoolman, would dispense with
      themselves are affected, even in their mother's womb, and       such doctrines as the total depravity of man we interpret
      which produceth in man all  sorts of  sin, being in him as      as an attempt on his part to restore unity and harmony
      a root thereof; and therefore is so vile and abominable in      in his theology.
       the sight of God, that it is sufficient to condemn all man-        Principle c of the Union's "Specific Principles" further
      kind . . . . . .  ."                                            asserts that man, though depraved, is nevertheless an


f! 84                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            -      -

   image-bearer of God and through restraining grace is             nonsense packed in one brief paragraph.. And Dr. Bouma
   able to do civil good.                                           refers to all this nonsense as so many commendable state-
         Our Standards teach the very opposite from what            ments underlying the instruction in our schools.
   principle c asserts. See the articles which have already          * But perhaps the Union will complain that we are mis-
   been quoted. And then the eighth question of the cate-           construing its objective. If such be the case it is due
   chism reads : "At-e we then so corrupt that we are wholly        to the fact that the Union attaches a different value to
   incapable of doing any good, and inclined to  all wicked-        the depraved image of God than we do. The distinction
   ness? And the answer.: "Indeed we are except we are              "image of God -in the  ,wider  sense" and "image of God
   regenerated by the spirit of God."                               in the narrower sense" is well known. The term "image
         We are aware of how the exponents of the theory of of God in the narrower sense" is made to apply to the
   common grace mutilate this particular question and its           holiness of man while in the state of righteousness, while
   answer in the favor of their theory. The word spiritual          the expression "image of God in the narrower sense"  is
   is inserted and the question is made to read: "Are we            a term signifying man's rationality and morality minus
   .;wholly  incapable of doing any spiritual good. Further'        holiness.      This image is depraved, unholy. It is the
   the expression "inclined to all evil" is made to apply to        carnal man, the old man of sin. This image it is which
   the sinners' evil tendencies, volitions' and thoughts at         the author of the "Specitic Principles" had in mind when
   their base, root or source. The issues of the sinful heart       he asserted that man, though depraved, is nevertheless
   reach the circumference of the sinners being, purged.            an image bearer of God and that it is the supreme task
   This is Rev. Zwiers solution of the matter. The fact that        of the child to realize this image. We maintain  th.at  a
   the opponent must resort to the above tactics in order to        school whose all-embracing objective it is to equip the
   maintain himself and his theory ought to set him to              child to realize this image should not be called Christian.
   thinking. The distinction between `lzaturak)'  and spiritual     For in that degree that this image is reahzed  in that de-
   is not found in the Confession. The confession makes             gree is the child's capacities for sinning increased.
   mention of but one kind of good, viz., spiritual good. This             I know that Dr. Bouma will object to. my interpreta-
   could be easily proven.                                          tion of his objective. He will do so because he attaches
         We wish to call attention to another matter. Art. C        a different value to this so-called "image of God in the
   of the Specific  Principles  asserts that depraved man is        broader sense" than we do. According to Dr. Bouma
   nevertheless the image-bearer of God. True he is, we             and his fellows this image is not totally depraved. It is
   agree. Now, article  r7 reads thus: "The all-embracing           not accidental that the term "total depravity" is not found
   objective of the school is to promote the glory of God;' in the "Specific Principles." It is the view of the author
   (1) by seeking in humble dependence upon God to equip            of these principles that the depraved sinner is not totally
   the pupil for his supreme task, namely, to realize himself       depraved.       The totally depraved and spiritually dead
   as God's image-bearer."                                          sinner, revivificated by common grace, is to a degree
         Now this question:  f'Having once realized the image       good, virtuous and noble. The natural, unregenerated
   it bears, what will the child be?" Bear in mind that the         child is good material to work with. Properly trained,
   image of which this article speaks is lacking in holiness.       he would develop into a useful, peace-loving,  *and  law-
   For it is the image which the" natural depraved man bears.       abiding citizen, with the ambition to reconstitute the sin-
   Now it is asserted that the all-embracing objective of perverted world. The phrase *`to reconstitute the  .sin-
   the Christian school is to realize that depraved image,          perverted world" may be substituted by the term "social
   or rather equip the child to do so. What will be the             reformation."
   final product? An educated, trained, developed, hardened                In fine, the "Specific Principles" indicate pretty clearly
   sinner. For it must be born in mind that the training            that our Christian schools must become institutions of
   is religious. Now a religious training,' according to the        Social Reform. The land must be Christianized, that is
   apostle Paul will harden the depraved image bearer of `to say, made nominally Christian. The nominal Chris-
   God. We understand now. According to the Union it                tian is the man who does his duty as a father, as a hus-
   is the all-embracing objective of the Christian school to        band and as a citizen. He is the man who never fails
   develop the depraved image, the carnal man, the old              to vote-to vote for the best man. He is one who obeys
   nature.                                                          the law, provides for his family' goes to church, especially
         NOW  let  US  quote that part. of the article which re-    on Easter Sunday-reads his Bible, is mannerly and re-
   mained. It reads thus: "and by seeking in that same              fined but who, for all that is, nevertheless, spiritually
   dependence upon God- to reconstitute the sin-perverted           dead. It is the all-embracing objective of the Union to
   world by realizing God's Kingdom in all spheres and              people the land with such as he (the nominal Christian)
   phases of life." The Union has it that the depraved              is.
   image' once having realized itself as a depraved image,                 In a word, one of two things must be true. Since Dr.
   that is to say, this trained, developed and hardened carnal      Bouma agrees that it is the all-embracing objective of
   man' shall now, in that same dependence upon God re-             the School to equip the child ro reahze  itself as the bearer
   constitute the sin-perverted world by realizing God's            of this broader image, it is his view that the child must
   Kingdom in all spheres of life. We never saw so much             realize itself as a totally-depraved sinner, or it must be


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   85
                        -____--

that he fails to regard the unregenerated child as being         world, which shall pass away, the members of the `Union
totally depraved.                                                and Dr. Bouma are bent on reconstituting. It stands to
   What is actually, according to Scripture, the supreme         reason that they will never succeed. For God refuses  fo
task of the child? Says Jesus:  "Ye are the salt of the          build their city. It is not Scripture  w%ch furnished these
earth ;-but if the salt shall have lost its savor, wherewith     men with this objective, but Dr. A.  Kuyper.
shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing,             Planning on reconstituting the sin-perverted world
but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot by men.         the pedagogue of the Christian  sc`hool  must reach the
Ye are the light of the world. A city'that  is set on a hill     masses, or rather, the children of the masses. Non-ortho-
cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and  put           dox groups must approve of our school aiid be willing to
it under a bushel, but on a candlestick  ; and it giveth         place their children under the tutelage of our peda-
`unto all that are in the house. Let your light so' shine        gogues. The members of the Union realize that if they
before men, that they may see your good works, and               hope to achieve their aim, they shall have to eliminate
glorify your Father which is  `in heaven." Matt. 5 :13-18.       from the platform upon which our school rests such ele-
"Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the            ments as are disgusting to those groups whose co-opera-
Son of man confess before the angels of God." Luke 12 :8.        tion is sought. An examination of the "Specific Prin-
"That ye put off concerning the former conversations the         ciples" indicates that this has been done. But a school
old tian, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;     with such a platform will not be equipping the child with
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind ; And that ye          what it needs to perform the task assigned to it by God,
put on the new men, which after God is created in right-         viz., to confess the name of Christ, to let shine its light,
eousness and true holiness." Ephesians  422-24.             '    to witness for the truth and to realize itself as one born
   Let us attend to the last scripture first. The new man        of`God. But this ii neither the objective of the members
must be put on. That is to say, it is the supreme task of        of the TJnion. The all-embracing objective of the school
man  (in&ding  .the child) to realize himself as a new           is to equip the child with what it needs to realize itself
man, a new creature, which after God is created in right-        as a depraved sinner, in order that the child, having come
eousness and true holiness. As-a new creature, he shall          ro  itself may reconstitute the sin-perverted world. This
let his light shine and be the salt of the earth, confess the    being the objective most any platform will do. This
name of his Christ and witness for the truth. This, ac-          having been accomplished the Union will at once have
cording to Scripture, is the supreme task- of the child.         made a beginning of getting rid of certain objectional
True it is that only those born of God who can and will          truths-those truths responsible for the distinctive char-
perform this task. This does not exclude the development         acter of our reformed creed. Dr. Bouma  real?zes  thar
of one's natural gifts and talents. But the great message        his first move must be to  wean   the  ch2d  away from our
of Scripture is that one's natural gifts and talents must be     creed. >This having been accomplished, the rest is easy.
purged by the blood of Christ. The development of  un-           For that child is the future elder, minister of the gospel.
cleansed talents and powers only increases the depraved          That child of today is the delegate to classis  and to synod
sinner's capacities for sinning.                                 of tomorrow.                    ,
   What should be the all-embracing objective of the                                   (To be continued)
Christian school? Scripture has the answer. "Train up                                                           G. M. 0.
the child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22 :6). Why
did  not the author of the Specific Principles draw from             .           THANKSGIVING   PROGRAM
Scripture when defining the supreme task of the child?
There is a reason. If it is the supreme task of man to              The Girls' Society of the First Protesting Chr. Reformed
                                                                 Church, Grand Rapids, Mich., expects to render a program on
realize himself as one who has been regenerated and              Thanksgiving Evening, November 25, at  7:OO  P. M., al: the church
sanctified by the Spirit of God it follows that the sole         on corner Franklin St. and Fuller Ave.
                                                                    A short miscellaneous program wilI be given after which the
reason for the existence of the Christian school is the          Rev. H. Hoeksema will speak on
elect of God. And a school whose all-embracing objective
it is to equip the child  {or this task is not the kind of                     "THE PRESENT DAY YOUTH."
a school  to which the great majority of parents would              This will be instructive as well as entertaining for both young
send their children, that is to say providing the school         and old.
would actually equip the child with what it needs to per-
form its task aright. Such a school should be based on a                              KENNISG&ING
platform constituted of elements obnoxious to the great
majority of men. The masses would pass this school by.              Donderdagavond, 18 Nov. 1926, des avonds om  7~4.5,
   Now the members of the Union are big men with big             hoopt  Ds. H. Danhof van  KalamGzoo,  eene rede te  hou-
ideas bent on doing big things. They are planning on             den in de Prot. Chr. Ref. Church  aan Roosevelt Ave.,
reconstituting the sin-perverted world. Let me say that          nabij Grandville Ave., over het volgende onderwerp :
these men are planning on doing things which the Lord            "Zintuigeli jk Waarneembaar en Zinnebeeldig."
God does not want to do. The world, says rhe apostle                Komt, hoort en  w,eest  overtuigd!
John, passeth away and the lust thereof. John 4:17. This                                                   DDE COMMISSIE.

                         .-
    ,


f' 86                                      T H E   STANDA.RD   B E A R E R

                                                                          P;ber.(d.  1817
                                                                            6          B.C.) Abrami((d.1822 B.C.).
                                                                                 -I--

                                     Shem  (d.1846               _ Shelah 1 . 1 8 7 7
                                                   B.C.7                            B.C.)

                                                    Arptia: id(d,190




                                     Noah(diI.998
                                                B.C,
                                                    1





                                     THE DELUGE




                   IN THE LINE  OP SHEM                            the Church of the future. We also argued from the very
                                                                   idea of God's covenant and contended that it is contrary
         For a while we departed from our discussion  of. the      to Scripture to maintain that God can enter into a cove-
   historical line of the development of the covenant of Cgd,      nant-relation of friendship with the naked world outside         e
   in-order to prove the truth of our contention, that the         of Christ. He can have no communion with sin. And
   Covenant, God established with Noah before as well as           lastly we showed that there is no trace of such a friend-
   after the flood, is nothing but a phase, an historical mani-    ship of God to the reprobate ungodly, since all of Scrip-
   festation of tha Covenant of Grace, which God establishes       ture teaches that God hates the workers of iniquity and
   with His people in Christ. We showed by quoting from            prepares them for the day of final vengeance even through
 . and referring to well-known Reformed writers of the past,       the things they receive in this present time as means.
   that we are in guod  company and that there is no aberra-          We will now resume our discussion of the historical
   tion from the historical line of Reformed theology in this      line of development from the time of the deluge. In the
   contention. Certainly did Dr. Kuyper depart from that           drawing above we prepared ,a rough sketch of the period
   historical line, when he proposed the view, that in this        from Noah to Abram on the basis of the ages of the post-
   covenant with Noah, God entered into a relation of friend-      deluvian  patriarchs as recorded in Gen. 11. And we have
   ship with all men, with sinners as such, outside of Jesus       indicated the date of  .their  death. If we study that sketch
   Christ. We further showed from the narrative in Gen-            we will be able to notice some remarkable facts.
   esis, that the Covenant is established with Noah and his           First of all we may notice, of course, that there is a
   sons and their seed, not as the progenitors and repre-          marked decrease in the number of years. This diminish-
   sentatives of the whole human race, but as the remnant          ing of the number of years in men's lives did not entirely
   of the predeluvian Church  and-as  the representatives of       take place gradually but especially at two different points


                                             T H E   STfiNDARD   BEARER   - -                                                  87

      of  time of great historical significance. There is first a    true with regard to the division of the human race, apier
      marked decrease of a few hundred years immediately             the building of the- tower of Babel. In the first place, we
      after the flood. Noah, who was six hundred years old           may easily surmise, that this separation implied far more
      when the flood came and who, therefore, still belongs          than a mere change of tongue into different languages.
      largely to the period before the deluge, still lives more      At the time of the building of Babel's tower we have un-
      than nine centuries. But Shem, who was born one hun-           doubtedly the first beginning of the development of the
      dred years before the flood dies at the age of six hundred     human family into different races. This beginning was
      years. And- this number drops immediately to about four        caused forcibly, by an act of God from heaven. He made
      hundred years in the case of those that were born after        an incision. He forcibly bent the different branches of
      the flood. Arphachsad lived but four hundred and thirty-       the organism apart. This must have implied a change in
      eight years; Shelah four hundred and thirty-three; Eber        the physical and psychological makeup. of men as well
      four hundred and sixty-four years. Then, after Eber, in        as, where different tribes spread into different parts of
      the days of Peleg there is another noticeable drop of some     the earth, a change in their mode of living. And the
      two hundred years, for Peleg reaches the age oftwo hun-        result seems to have been that the physical organism was
      dred and thirty-nine years ; the same age is recorded of       weakened, and men revealed less power to resist the
      Reu  ; Serug's life was shorter still by nine years ; while    elements that inevitably draw them back into the dust.
      Nahor, the grandfather of Abram, dies at the age of one           There is, therefore, in this diminishing of the number
      hundred and forty-eight years, and Terah, Abram's              of years of man's life no act or operation of grace. It is
      father, again passes the two hundred mark. Twice, there-       a curious thing, indeed, and only one of the many para-
      fore, we notice a rather sudden drop in the number of          doxes of which the book is full, that in his  De  Gqmeme
      years in men's lives. The first follows immediately upon       Gratie Dr. Kuyper first argues that the longevity of men
      the flood, the second comes in the days of Peleg and "in       before the flood must be explained as a matter of common
      his days the earth was divided" (Gen. 1025). Of course, grace. Had grace not entered upon the scene of history,
      there is more than mere coincidence in these facts. There      common grace, man could not have had physical exist-
      can be no question that after the flood the earth showed       ence, says Kuyper. He would have died before the tree
      a* considerably different aspect than before; and there        of  life7 or he would have been annihilated, or he  would
      must have been marked changes with  regard!  to the            have descended into hell, whatever you prefer, but cer-
      earth's surface, the seas and rivers and oceans, the sea-      tain it is, that without common grace man would not
      sons and the climate; and hence also in the mode of liv-       have been, the first man would also have been the last.
      ing of men. Exactly how we must conceive of this change        And now, he not only lives, but what is more he lives for
      we know not, since Scripture does not definitely inform        centuries, a sign that he possessed great physical
      us. Certain it seems, that after the flood there was con-      strength, a proof of abundant common grace. Or, if ypu
      siderably more dry land than before, the first world was       do not wish to see the first Adam' die in paradise, you
      standing out of the water and in the midst of water, and       may grant him a few years, perhaps, he might have devel-
      by means of this that world was then overflowed (II Pet.       oped into a few families without this operation of com-
     `3:5, 6). Certain it is also, that the deluge was effected      mon grace, but after that he certainly would have suc-
      not only by rains from above, but also by the opening of cumbed to the power of disease and death :  "Doch zie hier
      the fountains of the deep, something which most prob- nu ook de gemeene gratie. Ware die ook wat het Iicha$m
      ably signifies, that the Lord at the time of the deluge        aangaat niet ingetreden, zoo spreekt het vanzelf, dat deze
      raised the very bottom of ocean and sea, at once flooding      vreeselijke macht  van ziekte en dood, zoo al niet terstond,
      the dry land and creating new continents: In this way          dan  tech kort daarop,  aan het Iichamelijk bestaan van
      we would also explain the beginning of the rainbow. It         den mensdh een einde zou' hebben gemaakt, vooral toen
      is not at all necessary to assume that the bow in the          heel het geslacht nog slechts uit enkele personen  bestond.
      clouds also existed before the flood. If the first world       Doch zoo geschiedt het niet. Integendeel, ook wat het
      was standing out of the water and in the midst of the          lichaam betreft, treedt er een genade tusschenbeide, die
      water, and if, what we read in Gen. 3:5,6 is conceived of      de booze werking van de gevolgen der zonde stuit. Aan
      as the prevailing condition of the climate before the          den eersten mensch wordt niet  alleen   levensverlenging,
      deluge, namely, that the Lord God did not cause it to          maar zelfs een levenswerking van eeuwen geschonken, en
      rain, but let a mist arise from the earth to water the         dad  velen  gepoogd hebben, die lange levens der  oud-
      ground, we can easily understand, that the appearance of vaderen  weg te cijferen, is alleen wijl zij de groote genade
      the bow in the clouds actually dates from the time imme-       niet verstonden,, die in het rekken van het leven der oud-
U     diately after the flood. However this may be, all  these       vaderen,  niet enkel voor henzelven, maar voor heel ons
     . things, as well as the announcement of the regular suc-       geslacht gelegen was" (Gem. Gratie, 1259). It is, of
      cession of harvest and sowing and of the seasons, plainly      course curious that Kuyper in this connection speaks at
      indicate that the second world was considerably different      least  bf a few families that would have existed without
      from the first. And it is also evident, that this change in    common grace, and that would have succumbed to dis-
      nature must somehow be linked up with the first decrease       ease and death ; while he assures us otherwise, that with-
      in the number of years of the life of man. The same is         out the operation of this common grace the human race


                              .
     x8                                       T H E   STAN.DARD   B E A R E R                                              -         -

     would have disappeared somehow with the first Adam,                  It is evident, that there is' no need to explain either
     and, in that case, there would have been no further dis-         the longevity before the flood or the shorter lives after
     ease and death. But in this connection the author is in          the flood from any sort of grace whatever. There was
     need of the powers of disease and death and,  ,therefore,        simply a different operation of the Providence of God,
     of a few families at least. Hence, he just lets them ap-         working thru different causes, after the deluge. It is
     pear; he grants that they might have been, even without          evident, that the fast development of the human race
     the operation of common grace. This we note only in              which characterized the period before the flood could not
     passing. We want to call attention to the fact, that the         continue. God had assured Noah that no such catas-
     longevity of the predeluvian patriarchs is presented as a        trophe as had come upon the world in the flood, would
     matter of common grace. But later in the work, when              ever occur again. A long period of development lay be-
     he speaks of the  condirions  of men after the flood the         fore the race according to the counsel of God. And it is
     author gets into trouble. For, it is his view, that there        entirely in harmony with this purpose of God, that the
     was a more abundant dispensation and operation of this           development of the race is led into different channels.
     common grace after the flood than before. But now the            For the development of sin is not restrained, but keeps
     question arises: How to explain the decrease in the num-         pace with the organic development of the race. If the
     ber of years of the life of men in the light of the fact, that long lives of the predeluvian tribes, therefore, had been
     there was a greater abundance of common grace? Before            conducive to their fast development in sin and their be-
     the flood the long ages of men were explained as a sign          coming ripe,  for judgment in a short time, after the flood
     of abundant grace. The longer men lived on the earth this is changed, and the development and process  of
     the more of this common grace they received. And now ripening for the day of final judgment is. stretched over a
     it must be shown, that it is also true, that the sooner          longer period. Many causes co-operated unto that end.
     they die the more of this common grace they have ! Kuy-          And one  ,of the causes is the  .decrease in the length of
     per knows a .way : "De gemeene gratie heeft in haar eer-         man's life. By a different operation of His Providence
     ste periode (van Adam tot Noach) een sterke uitwerking in a world that had considerably changed thru the flood,
I    op het lichamelijk  bestaan van den mensch gehad, gepaard        God alters the process of development. But  s2ill the
     aan een minder sterke werking op  geestelijk  gebied.  -1ets     process is organic and still sin follows that organic devel-
     wat blijkt uit het feit, dat de levensduur bij het eerste opment of the race.
     geslacht minstens  achtmaal  ranger   was dan thans. Dit nu         Another fact, that draws our attention as we study
     wijst voor de periode v66r den zondvloed op een sterker the drawing above, is that in those days, when as yet
     tegengegaan van de werking des doods in  `s menschen             there was no written Word of God, the tradition of God's
     lichamelijk bestaan, gelijk bevestigd wordt door Genesis dealings with His people. and with the world could easily
     6 ~4, waar we Iezen, dat er in die dagen `reuzen op de aar-      be preserved orally from generation to generation. Even
     de waren,  geweldigen, die van ouds geweest zijn, mannen         though the length of men's lives diminished in that
     van  naam.' Thans is dit niet meer zoo en terstond na            period, the fact remains that Noah still lived. when Abram
     den zondvloed  ziet ge den Ievensduur van ons geslacht was born, and that Shem lived for a hundred and fifty
     bijna op de tegenwoordige maat dalen. In ander verband           years after the-birth of the father of believers, that is, he
     komen we op dit punt terug. Doch hier zij reeds  opge-           is still living when Isaac is married. There was there-
     merkt, dat sterking van onze lichamelijke  kracht tegen den fore, a practically direct and first-hand tradition of the
     dood in omgekeerde verhouding staat tot de sterking van flood and an almost direct tradition of creation and the
     onze geestelijke kracht tegen den  geestelijken   dood . . . . fall in Abram's, days. This is significant. There was as
     Men zegge dus niet, dat de `gemeene gratie' in dit opzicht yet no written revelation, no inspired record of &hat God
     aan het voor-Noachietisch  gesiacht  .milder   is toebedeeld.    had accomplished for and promised to His  covenant-
     De zaak staat omgekeerd. De inkrimping van  onzen                people in the past. There certainly was revelation. God
     levensduur is  ,meerdere genade"  (Idem,  pp.  27.5~2%).  Of spoke to His people. He revealed Himself to Noah and
     course, all this is philosophy without the merest item of His sons, and He spake with abram  as a friend with his
     proof for it in the Word of God. But at any rate, it is          friend. And although Scripture does not inform -us, we
     evident, that the theory of common grace is very elastic may surmise that the Lord spoke with and revealed Him-
     and it can be employed to prove most anything you de-            self to others of His children in the days when the writ-
     sire. If you desire to explain the long lives of the  pre-       ten Word was not yet. But revelation could not be pre-
     deluvian peoples, you simply have to assert that it was          served except  thru the medium of oral communication
     restraining grace that held in check the power of disease        from generation to generation. And it will easily be seen
     and death  ; because of much common grace the people             that the value and reliability of this medium was greatly
     lived so long before the flood. If on the other hand, it is      increased by the fact that Shem could directly tell the
     your purpose to throw light upon the decrease in the             story of the flood and of God's covenant even to the tenth
     length of men's lives after the flood, it will fit too, for      and eleventh generation after ,Noah.
     ylou  explain that the diminishing of physical strength             Closely related to the preceding stands this other fact,
     operated favorably upon the spiritual life of men. Tt was        which a glance at the drawing will immediately reveal to
     common grace that people died so soon after the flood. us, that  -4bram  was by no means the sole believer and


1                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                               .                   89
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      faithful  worshipper  of Jehovah left when he was called               DE JONGSTE KERKELIJKE STRIJD
      out of LJr of the Chaldees and, later, out of Haran. Thus
      it is often presented. Abram pwas called out of Ur in order          %la.ssis  Grand Rapids  Oost, Nov.-Dec. 1924
      that the true religion might be preserved. All the world
      had turned again to idolatry. There were no people of                              (Vervolg van  p, 71) .
      God left in the earth. Even Abram's family had departed
      ,from  the service of the true God and were bowing before         Velen `in het kamp onzer tegenstanders hebben uit
      idols. Conditions were once more as they were at the           deze geschiedenis aanleiding genomen om rond te strooi-
      time of the flood. And now, in order to keep him from          en, dat het bij den leeraar van Eastern Ave. eigenlijk
      the contamination of such an idolatrous world,  ,Abram         niets anders dan stijfkoppigheid was, dat hij zich in dien
      is called out of that world and is set apart, a stranger in    namiddag van 11 Dec. niet gaf en  ,zich onderwierp  aan
      the earth, in order that thru him the Lord might preserve      de eischen  der  Classis.  Toegegeven nog, zoo redeneert
      the knowledge of His Name. And the basis for this view         men dan, dat de leeraar de Drie Punten  niet had kunnen
      is presumably found in Joshua 24 :2 : "Your fathers dwelt      onderteekenen, de  beloftk af  te leggen, dat hij in het
      of old time beyond the river, even Terah, the father of publiek het zwijgen zou bewaren over die  punten,  was
      Abraham, and the father of Nahor ; and they served other       tech gemakkelijk genoeg. Hij bleef dan immers voor
      gods.,' But this presentation of the matter is not quite       zich het  recht  behouden, om gravamina in te dienen bij
      true and does not square with the plain facts, as they are     een volgende Synode en behoefde immers zijn geweten
      recorded in Scripture. It is true, that Terah, the father      niet te verkrachten. En dat de leeraar zelfs dat weigerde,
      of Abram was an idolater. But it is no less true, that         zie, dat is  tech een duidelijk bewijs, dat het geen  beginsel-
      Terah was of the ninth generation after Noah, and  that        kwestie bij hem was, maar dat hij eenvoudig den stijven
      alongside of this ninth generation there were still living     kop er voor zette en niet buigen Wilde ! En dit alles ter-
      a large number of the older generations that  l&ew             wijl de Classis zoo schier alles in het werk stelde om een
      Jehovah and served Him. Let us consider that besides           breuke te voorkoinen.     De leeraar is tech de oorzaak der
      Terah there were, at the time of Abram's birfh, still living breuke. Hij is  we1 degelijk de scheurmaker.
      the following patriarchs that are mentioned by name in            Welnu, ofschoon we ons niet kunnen  voorstellen,  dat
      the Word of God: Noah, Shem, Arphachsad, Selah, Eber,          zuik een argument in  allen  ernst kan  worden  gemaakt,
      Reu, Serug. If we will take a look at the drawing we will      zullen we  tech duidelijk  maken,  waarom dit ten  eenen-
      notice that of these patriarchs Noah died two years after male valsch is. De belofte, om  zich het zwijgen te laten
      Abram's birth; Shem was the contemporary of the father         opleggen en gravamina in te dienen, was al even  onmo-
      of believers for one hundred and fifty years ; ,4rphachsad     gelijk als het onderteekenen van de Drie  Punten  en kwam
      died at about the time of Ishmael's birth; Selah lived till    ook feitelijk op hetzelfde neer. Laat hetgeen hier  volgt.
      Isaac was a young man ; Eber died four or five years after     dit duidelijk  maken.
      the death of Abraham, while Reu and Serug died nineteen           In de eerste plaats kon de leeraar geen gravamina in-
      and forty-one years after the birth of Abraham respec-         dienen, zonder daardoor toe te  stemmen,  dat de Drie  Pun-
      tively. Surely, in all these older generations the knowl-      ten in de  Belijdenis  lagen.   We1 zou hij hebben kunnen
      edge of Jehovah and the service of the true God were           protesteeren tegen de besluiten der Synode van  15324.
      not wanting. If you add to this, that there were other         Immers tegen besluiten eener kerkelijke vergadering  pro-
      sons and daughters  :of these patriarchs, that again had       testeert men. Doch een protestant tegen besluiten eener
      their families (of Shem four other sons are mentioned by       vergadering laat zich in het publiek niet het zwijgen op-
      name and of Joktan, the son of Eber, thirteen sons are cleggeq. Integendeel  zal hij alles  doen,  wat in zijn  ver-
      named in Scripture) we certainly will change our con-          mogen is, om aan het kerkelijk publiek, v66r  de breedere
      ception of the situation. .4bram was not called out of an      vergadering samenkomt, waarop zijn protest zal worden
      idolatrous world in order to be set apart for his spiritual    behandeld, duidelijk te  maken,  dat hij het  rechte  voor
      safety, but he was called out of a community where there       heeft. Het zwijgen bewaart een ambtsdrager alleen in
      were still hundreds of God's children, in order to be a        verband  met het Onderteekeningsformulier. En dit ligt
                                                                     in den aard der zaak. Immers in het  Onderteekenings-
      stranger in a strange land. Years afterward, his sons and      formulier gaat het niet over protesten tegen  Synodale
      his son's sons must get themselves wives from that coun-       besluiten, maar over gravamina tegen een duidelijk stuk
      try, whence Abram had been called, and such a beautiful        der leer, szooals  deze uitgedrukt ligt in de met name ge-
      example of a covenant-mother as  Rebeccah comes from           noemde Drie Formulieren van Eenigheid. En omdat de
      Mesopotamia.    And, therefore, even though the Lord           kerken niet kunnen of mogen dulden, dat een ambtsdra-
      purposes to continue the historical line of the covenant       ger in het publiek de Belijdenis aantast, geen leervrijheid
     . in the family of Abram, never may we present the matter;      kan toelaten  buiten  de  perken dier Belijdenis, ook zelfs
      as if at that time, when Abram was called, out of Ur and       niet voor een tijd, daarom wordt van alle ambtsdragers
      Haran,  he was the only child of God left in the world.        ge&xht, dat ze beloven zullen nimmer in het publiek iets
                                                                     te leeren,  dat in conflict is met de Belijdenis. En indien
                                                       H. H.         men tech voor eigen geweten in strijd komt met die Belij-


