I                                                                               *
                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   ` B E A R E R                                        151

     laozen  en  onrechrvaardigen. (Deze stelling eischte  geen from work" mean when applied to God? It cannot sig-
     betoog, omdat ze door niemand ooit werd ontkend. Het nify an abatement of divine energy. For God slumbers
     is  echter  deze stelling, die door de commissie met  tek-      never. From everlasting into everlasting He is super-
     sten wordt bewezen. Geheel onnoodig en overbodig.) latively alive. Hence, when about to execute His eternal
         c)    De Schrift spreekt daarom van genade Gods over degrees He did not, like a sleeping giant, arouse Himself
     verworpenen. (Deze stelling is nooit door de commissie to action, to lapse again into a state of languid repose
     bewezen, maar werd  mtuurlijk   aangenomen evenals de when having ended His work.                    `Besides, whereas the
     e e r s t e   s t e l l i n g . )                               Almighty by His infinite might sustains all things what
         Eigenlijk komt dus heel de  redeneering van de  com- would have become of the works of His hands had He
     missie hierop neer: De broeders Danhof en Hoeksema fell into a state of drowsiness upon having completed His
     zijn in strijd met de  Heilige Schrift,  als ge eerst maar labors ?
     wilt aannemen, dat de Schrift juist het tegenovergestelde          Further; that God rested, does not mean that He
     leert van hetgeen zij schreven en predikten. Voorwaar, entered a period of recuperation. For work is not in
     een listige wijze van redeneeren !                              the least oppressive to Him.
         En zoo werd de Synode door een Remonstrantschen                When in action God's strength does not diminish. For
     grondregel voor de uitlegging der Schrift ongemerkt in His mighty works are performed without effort and exer-
     Arminiaansche  banen geleid.                                    tion. Besides, who would replenish the Almighty if He
                                                            H. H.    should  .become  exhausted? In a word, God in the begin-
                                                       .             ning merely spoke and His eternal thought crystallized
                                                                     into a grand image  - the cosmos  - of Himself. "And
                               THE SABBATH                           God said, let there be light and there was light. And
                          The Sabbath of  Para.dise                  God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the
                                                                     waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters . . . .
         The matter which was engaging our attention in the and it was so. And God said, let the waters under the
     closing paragraph of our previous article  *as the keen heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the
     delight which the Creator took in the works of His hands. dry land appear and it was so. And God said, let the
     The sacred historian asserts that thus the heavens and earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed. , . . and  it-
     the earth were finished, and all the hosts of them. And was so. God calleth those things which be not as though
     on the seventh day .God ended His work which He had they were."
     made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His                That God rested on the seventh day can only mean
     work which He had made. Xnd God blessed the seventh then that whereas the works of creationwere completed
     day and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested He ceased to speak creative words.
     from all His work which God created and made.                      God, then, brings to pass all that is in His heart by
         Let us set out by instituting an inquiry into the means of speech, i. e., the  creative word.  It is this word
     nature and character of the Creator's rest. The term by means of which the spiritually dead sinner is made
     "rest" has more than one meaning; viz., to cease from to live. This word should be carefully distinguished'
     action or motion of any kind  ; to cease from labor or per- from that word of God meant for the-ears of His rational
     formance; to be quiet; to  ,be undisturbed; to repose or creatures  - the word which the Apostle Paul had before
     slumber; to lean or recline for support; to trust or to his eye when he wrote: "And how shall they believe in
     reiy; to continue  fixed; to abide or remain with; to he Him whom they have not heard? and how shall they
     in the power of; to depend upon. Anyone with the vir- hear without a preacher" (Rom.  10:14). Let it be said in
     tues of God in his eye will agree that most of the mean- passing that he who insists that the spiritually dead sin-
     ings which the term "rest" may have are not applicable ner is quickened by the word addressed to the ear is
     to God. Being what He is it cannot be said of Him that exposing himself to the errors of Pelagianism.
     He reposes or slumbers; leans or reclines for support;             `The creative word of God is the exhibition of a holy
     trust and relies ; that He is in the power of or depends intelligent creative almighty power altogether peculiar
     upon another. To, the contrary, God is eternal and to God. When God utters a creative word He utilizes
     immutable  ; the rock of ages.; the sun, shield and high His power in such a way that the things which be not
     tower of His people  ; Israel's keeper who sleeps and appear as though they were. When this power is called
     slumbers never; the Father of lights and the overflowing word, emphasis is being laid on the intelligence permeat-
     fountain of life. God Almighty is He who experiences ing it. Hence, when in the beginning God spoke He was
     no fatigue when he labors; who- performs His mighty engaged in converting the chaos into a cosmos by
     works.without  effort for He needs but to speak.                incorporating His eternal and intelligent ideas in sub-
         Yet the sacred historian asserts that God ended His stance. This power is individualized in. the Son in such
     work which He had made and rested on the seventh day. a way that. He is called the Word, the image of the
     There was then, on the part of God, a cessation of. work invisible God, the first born of every creature, by whom
     which may be justly termed the negative element of the all things were created, that are in heaven and that are
     divine rest. 1Yhat  now  tloes the expression "cessation in earth.


152                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   R E A R E R
~"_^-                        -."- --.... "_"                                                                   -_...._.
       This creative word, we said, is altogether peculiar to      that He was pleased with the things that He had made.
God. When man speaks, things which be not do not In them He delights necessarily so for the works of His
appear as though they were. Man has no word which is               hands exhibit His virtues. In this sense only it can be
the projection of creative power in him. When he speaks            said that God took a breath, or that He was refreshed.
his ideas do not crystallize into substance outside of him Yet, it must not be supposed that the delight which God
reflecting his mind. Neither can man remove mountains              took in the work done, was a mental state with a begin-
by mere speech. This must be done by the persistent                ning and an end, and that, consequently, He did not
application of physical force  - a laborious process.              rejoice while at work. God's moods are not transient;
       Thus when God rested on the seventh day He cease3           His mental states are not subject to change. Such terms
to speak for the time being that word of His which as  begin&g  and  end are applicable neither to God nor to
creates.                                                           His  mental states for He is eternal. Before the founda-
       `Let us now attend to the positive element in the tions of the world, from everlasting unto everlasting does
divine rest. In the thirty-first chapter of the book  of He rejoice in the works of His hands, for they are ever
Exodus, we happen upon an announcement which  assei-ts             in His eye.
that in the seventh day God rested and was refreshed                  Let us now proceed to discover the sense of the an-
(Ex.  3197).  The word "refreshed" is deserving of our nouncement that God blessed the seventh day and sanc-
attention.     In the Hebrew text we may read: "And on             tified it. Let us set out by directing our attention to the
the seventh day God rested  and took a breath."  When              concept day. Day is a term signifying a unit of time.
applied to mortal beings the expression implies fatigue            Other such unitd are  th'e hour and the week. Time is
brought on by extreme exertion. The subject was en-                external and internal. External time is  the succession of
gaged in a kind of work which turned out to be a drain time units - the second, the minute, the hour, day, week,
upon his vitality. Hence, he ceases from his labors to month,  ~j; year. Internal time is defined as the duration
take a breath of which the wholesome effect is the of things  creatural. Man, to confine durselves to God's
rejuvenation of his powers. It is plain that the expres- moral creatures, has a duration, that is, a beginning and
sion must be termed an anthropomorphism when applied               an end. He is born and dies, comes and goes. His jour-
to  God, and explained in a sense compatible with the              ney is from the cradle to the grave. `His point of de-
character and nature of the Almighty. God, as was said, parture is the beginning. The  end- is that juncture at
is not subject to fatigue. Not being worn down by work which he is transported into eternity. Man, then, has a
He need not for this reason take rest. Eeing self suffi-           duration -.- his time, his day. Think away now the rising
cient, He is not dependent upon the elements for life.             and. the setting of the sun  ; the alternation of day and
He need not rest, therefore, to take a breath.          ~          night. Imagine the sun stationary in the zenith of heaven,
       However, from  the expression under consideration so that it were always day. Those living within the range
may be derived a meaning applicable to God.  when  a of the sun's light would be without a means for  coni-
human short of breath reposes the distressing effects of puting time and counting their days. All notion of time
exertion pass away, and the normal subject again feels             would be lost. There being no mile posts along the way
himself fit and well. Due to the  ciose relation between           there would be no means of knowing at any one time,how
body and soul the sense of one's physical well-being is            much of the distance between the cradle and the grave
usually accompanied by such mental states as joy. How-             had been. traversed and how much of it remained.  -A
ever, in the  a-ttempt  to arrive at a satisfactory explana-       perpetual day would make  i'c appear as if the existing
tion of the expression "to take a breath" we must reason           order partook of the nature of eternity. And the lie of
`in another direction. In moments of rest preceded by a the ungodly to the effect that his house shall ever stand,
period of intensive labor the mind, if not exhausted, invol- would seem to him more plausible than ever.
untarily returns to the work ended: The subject then                  However, God made it possible for man to measure
experiences a sense of satisfaction and keen delight while         his duration, to take his longitude and latitude. It is
engaged in reviewing his work providing it was well                God's will that man shall ever keep in his eye the fact
done. Certain statements, occurring in the first chapter           that his days are numbered. Admitting that the days
of Genesis, plainly indicate that the expression  "to take         of his years are but `three score and ten, at the most, he
a breath" must be interpreted in this sense. While shall count his days  (Ps  9O:lO). To express it other-
engaged in His creative labors God, so it is stated, paused        wise: men must link up his life with death and the grave.
now and then to see that the work was good. "And God               He may not say, my house shall ever stand. So speaketh
said, let there be light: and there was light. And God             the fool., To the contrary, heaven and earth shall be
saw the light  that it was  good. And God called the dry           associated in his mind, likewise sin and death, righteous-
land earth; and the gathering together of the waters               ness and life, man and God. It is the fool who dis-
called He seas: and God saw that it was good. And when sociates these things. It means that he refuses to count
the work begun was ended God again saw all that He had             his days. Characteristic of the ungodly is that he refuses
made and behold it  &ar  very good" (Gen.  1:31).                  to die. It grieves him mightily that his days are as
       God saw, that is, He centered His mind upon the grass, that as a flower of the field so he flourishes; that
work done and pronounced it very good, which indicates eventually he will be gone and that his `place then will


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   R E A R E R  e                                       153
             -......_ ~_--._-._-.--                       -~-"                                       --._l_--

     know him no more. He, therefore, takes steps while he of God's hand. It was the works ended that God blessed.
     lives to perpetuate his memory. With his gold he erects The term  dcLy  is here a signification of God's handiwork.
     a monument and engraves his name on the base  there- Upon these works the Creator pronounces His benedic-
     "of. Thus he attempts to perpetuate on earth at least the tion. He did so on the seventh day,  .the day upon which
     memory of his place. Those?  on the other hand, who are these works were ended. For the things of time a special
     of the conviction that a place is awaiting them in heaven, blessing was reserved. It was given on the day of rest.
     will wont to die. Such do not seek to perpetuate their The word "hallow" in like manner must be made to apply
     place on earth.                                                 to God's works. That the word "day" was used as a
        Man, then; has a duration. It is God's will that he signification of the things of the day, can be explained
     shall number his days. He made it possible for man to from the fact that time is the mode of existence of the
     do this very thing when He made lights in the firmament creature. The  tlii,ngs  made are creatures of time, with
*    of the heaven to divide the day from the night and to be a beginning and an end and subject to change.
     for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years;           God then blessed and hallowed the works of His
     further, to be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to hands. That God blesses is in harmony with the attitude
     give light upon the earth (Gen.  1:14, 15).                     which He was.assuming toward His work. The things
        The setting sun constitutes one of the engagements made, the Creator had pronounced very good. They were
     of the Creator, whereby He declares unto the inhabitants        the delight of His heart, the object of His love. When
     of the earth that they have had another clay.                   God blesses, He wills that the objects of His favor shill
         Whereas man knows that the days of his' years are at prosper. And so they do for whatever God wills comes
     the most three score and ten, and whereas his Maker $0 pass. He who is blessed by the Lord God is dwelling
     notifies him when the day is spent it is  perpetyally being in the light of His countenance. Such a one lives, thrives,
     made possible for man to number the days still remain- prospers. The garden of Eden, to begin with, exhibited
     ing. The man who has attained to,  let us say, fifty years      the good will and love of God. For the garden was a
     must say in his heart, I may live another thirty years;         place of marvelous fertility and healthfulness. It was a
     I will  tiot live another fifty years; I may die any time.      garden of delight. Everything in this locality radiated
     This man is numbering his days.                                 the goo-d will of God.
        Now the fool, too, numbers his days as is evident               That God blessed His work when finished does not
     from the fact that he makes a will in which he stipulates imply that He frowned upon it while  in progress. While
     how his wealth shall be distributed after his death. But at work, God had paused at regular intervals and saw
     the fool, though he  may count his days now and then, is that the work was good. But from the very nature  of
     nevertheless a fool as is evident from the fact that he the case He rejoices and blesses on the day His mighty
     continues to seek the things below and to keep eternity works are finished.
     out of his eye. That is to say he becomes none the wiser.          Finally, the seventh day was devoted to sacred use.
     He remains a fool unless God teaches him to so number Here again it is the things of  .the day, the work ended
     his days that he applies his heart to wisdom.                   which God consecrated to His divine service. What else,
         T'he term external time then is a signification of a        it may be asked, could  I-Ie be expected to do than to
     time unit. The distance between two successive settings dedicate His own works unto Himself? This was the
     of the sun is a time unit, called day. Internal time is the proper thing for Him to da as all things are out of Him
     duration of things creatural measured by and expressed and through Him.
     in terms of time units. It is the plain teachings of Scrip-        Rejoicing, in the works of His `hands, pronouncing
     ture that in the new heaven and new earth there will be them blessed and dedicating them unto Himself, are the
     no more time. The redeemed fall heir to life eternal.           three positive elements constituting God's rest. As the.
     The term  eternal  signifies both incorruptibility and end- sum total of God's works constitute His image, it follows
     lessness. It means that the inhabitants of the new earth        that the Creator, when engaged in rejoicing in and bless-
     will not be subject to change. Hence, internal time will        ing His work and consecrating it unto Himself, was
     be no more. Unto the Apostle John it was revealed that          rejoicing and resting in Himself.
     in the celestial city there is no sun. "And the city had           Rejoicing in. God and His works, blessing his Re-
     no  .need of the sun, neither of the moon,  tp shine in it,     deemer and consecrating Himself unto His service, are
     for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the        the three positive elements constituting the rest of the
      light thereof _. . . .  And the gates of it shall not be shut redeemed. The believer engages in these good works,
     at all by day: for there shall be no' night there" (Rev. because he is first blessed by his God.
     21:23, 25).    In this city then  is  neither internal nor         God, so it is said, made heaven and earth in six days
     external time.                                                  and rested on the seventh. The question arises, whether
         Let us now return to the statement to the effect that God as man has his days. Our answer is ready, no, in-
      God blessed the seventh day. The assertion cannot be deed. The assertion to the effect that God worked six
      made to apply to external time which like empty space          days and rested the seventh must  be interpreted in  a
      is without a content. Nor will it do to say that the bless-    sense congruous with the majesty of God. That God
      ing was made to descend upon the duration  of the works        worked six days and rested the seventh does imply


                                  . .
  154                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D B E A R E R

  that not He himself but that His works are confined             ever, that God began another great work immediately
  within the limits of time units. While at work He after the fall  -.- the work of transporting. His people out
  remained. eternal God, however.        Of the process of of darkness into His marvelous light. Hence, He did not
  creation he was the cause but not a part. For He worked         rest from the beginning until now. The above reasoning
  by means of speech and not as man does by the applica-          must therefore be set aside, as fallacious. As the duration
  tion of force. He needs but to speak and things are.            of the state of integrity is not  .known, the sabbath cannot
         With man it is otherwise. He has no creative word.       be appealed to in support of the theory of the periods.
  When he labors, he  .is a part of the process of which he          But the point that we were making is that God is the
  is the cause, for the reason that he transmits his strength     cause of the day but that the day does not shut Him in.
  unto the thing on which he lays hold. Hence, when the           He is eternal God. He is, however, the cause of both the
  work is ended his energies are spent. God,  to be sure, is      work and rest day. He made lights in the firmament of
  the fountain of life and power for every living thing.          heaven to divide the  dajr from the night. He gave and
  However, the life which He bestows is a thing created.          gives unto both the work and rest day a content. It was
  God is not continually emptying Himself into His crea- sabbath because the Creator rejoiced in the works of
  tures. He is  indeed  a fountain, yet not in. the sense that    His hands  ; because He blessed these works and con-
  His own life is perpetually flowing away like the waters        secrated them unto Himself.  Rence, God is Lord of
  of a fountain. If so, He is in a continuous flux. God,          His sabbath as well as Christ is of His.
  however, is Creator.                                               Adam entered the rest of creation.. How many such
         Further, in that God was the cause of the process of     days-tkere  were before  man fell is not known. In our
  creation, He was ever master of the situation: He was           former article we expressed the view  .that man fell the
  not bound by process  but the process' was bound by             very first sabbath. Very likely so for no good reason
  Him. In other words, God is not limited by time. He             can be given why God should have prolonged man's
  determines the duration of the process, lengthens or state of innocence.
  speeds it  up  at will. Hence, one day is with the Lord            The question arises how man came to know that the
  as a thousand years and a thousand  years  as one day.          seventh day was the Lord's sabbath? And  the answer is
' To deny this, means to place God in a class with man.           ready: by revelation. When man opened his eyes on the
  Those who insist that the six days of creation were not         day of his creation he saw God working. He himself
  days of twenty-four hours, but periods of a longer or was set to work. God brought to him the beasts of the
  shorter duration, may take this to heart. The real reason       held and every fowl of the air to see what he would call
  for the rejection of the traditional view is that  G&d          them. And Adam gave names to ail cattle, and to the
  needed more time.        Let these men hearken unto the fowl of the air and to every beast of the field. Adam saw
  Apostle Peter. Is it not a fact that even in our own day that on the seventh day God ended His work and rested.
  the physiognomy of an entire locality may change in a           And man followed God's example and rested likewise.
  space of time which is measured by minutes? When                He was with his Maker in the garden on the sabbath
  God shakes the earth, a city of the size of San Francisco       day. The blessing of God was upon every creature so
  is laid low over night. In less time than it requires to        that every living thing radiated peace. May it be sup-
  tell it large islands have been made to disappear beneath       posed that the pure heart of man was not attuned to the
  the surface of the sea. Under the caption, "Earth Sinks,        speech of the garden  - God's message of peace and
  Goes West in Honduras" appeared the followirig notice           good will? If not, man knows that he has entered God's
  in  The Grand Rapids Press  of  Dee 14:  `fTegucigalpa,         rest.
  Honduras, Dec.  14.-A section of earth  near Gracias, in            Besides, the first man, untainted by sin, had these
  -western  Honduras, was sinking to ,a depth of several          things in  com'mon with us, that he `partook of food,
 hundred  yards  and was swinging  w&ward Wednesday.              had an employment which demanded the exertion of his
  Authorities were unable to explain the phenomenon.              bodily energies, and was capable of sleep - all involving
  Inhabitants were terrorized." How dare they limit God           the means of maintaining the existence of his physical
  to time!                                                        nature. Man in his innocence needed a weekly resting
         We once had occasion to listen to the following day.
  dialogue on a classical examination, five years ago.                                                           G. M. 0.
                                                                                .
  Question: How do  yore regard the days of creation?
  Answer:  As days of twenty-four hours. Question: God
  rested on -the seventh day, did He not? Answer: Yes.                               CHRISTELIJKE KUNST
  Question: God is still resting, is `He not? .%nswer  : It
  would seem so. Question: Then at least the seventh day              . . . En wilt ge, in onderscheiding van de  ongewijde
  is not a day of twenty-four hours it  is? &Answer:  It can- wereld, een eigen "Christelijke" kunstwereld om u  heen
  not -be. Question: Would it not follow then that the first      tooveren, weet dan  wel, dat ge, (bij de volstrekte  ont-
  six days are also periods7 Answer silence.                      stentenis van een eigen Protestantsche kunstwereld)
         The one quizing thought he had scored a great vic-       geen. anderen uitweg hebt, dan om naar  Rome  over te
  tory and looked triumphantly about him. Fact is,  how-          stappen.-Dr.  X.  Kuyper, in De Standaard, 1881.


                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R - E R                                                            157
--" ...._.II" ..." _.-.-..    -..-__---.-.                          ___.... ^.-.                       ..-l__-
saluut-gevende, steeds in de positie staande, en tot  krui-                         En elders, in een even  v&-dragenden,  diepklinkenden,
pen bekwame  lakei  of kamerdienaar.  -                                       en profetischen strijdzang zegt dezelfde Westersche  dich-
      Voor een christen staat het vast, dat ook de  nieuws- ter met  wstersch bloed en heldenmoed naast gloeiende
pers,  behalve  btthoorlijke en stichtelijke wedergave van                    verbeeldingskracht :
het  goed en slecht gebeuren om ons  heen,  leiding moet
geven en  oordeel zal vellen over  veel,  dat het publiek                     Zie (der Drukpers) het legioen romannen,
kan ten nutte komen of dat haar schaden  zal.                                 Gezondheid beide en schaamt' van maagdenwangen
      Men behoeft daarom nu juist niet te gelooven de leer                                                                     bannen,
die van  Groot-Industrieele  (dus niet van onpartijdige)                      En met haar sluipen in het eenzaam  slaapsalet,
zijde onlangs werd aangedrongen in een propaganda  ge-                        En  in den droom, of in de nachtwaak op het bed,
schrift, dat -- "hoewel de Amerikaansche pers niet  onfeil-                   Gedachten mengen, die, in `t  woelend  bloed gevloten,
baar is wat de feitelijkheid betreft, desniettemin zij diep                   D'  echt verontreinigen,  `eer dat hij werd  gesloten! . . . .
en meer dan  100 per cent eerlijk is in bedoeling en  toe- -  -  - --  L  -  -  -  -  -  -
lichting.   Er was een Judas onder de Twaalven van den                              Diezelfde Da Costa in zijne "Bezwaren tegen den
Meester; er was een `Arnold in de dagen der Revolutie  ;                      geest der Eeuw" (1823) over de zedelijkheid sprekende,
er was een Nero in het keizerlijke Rome; daar zijn  ver-                      gewaagt ook van "de  schade en ellende door de  ver-
raders geweest vermomd  als redacteurs, evenals er  be-                       spreiding van boeken, waaruit de geest der  Fransche
dricglijke bankiers zijn geweest en  slechte schoenmakers, Revolutie voorbereiders spreekt, van de ongohisten, en
menschen van allerlei rang en stand en positie.                I              hunne helsche geschriften," van.  de verpestende en  ont-
      "Maar over het gehcel genomen, kan gezcgd  worden:                      zenuwde romans  ; van de verzen van den diepgevallen
wat iemand in de krant  leest is gewoonlijk meer waar,                        Lord Byron; van de laffe  theorieen der Duitsche  neolo-
dan wat iemand hoort!                                                         gen over het huwelijk, . . . . seclert  alle soorten van  gods-
      "De pers is, als haar aangeboren, de waarheid geheei lasterende,  z&elooze,  en  oproerige geschriften door de
en al toegedaan; en dat is haar nimmer bezwijkende                            met  geweld  vrij  yerklaarde drukpers  in het oneindige  ver-
kracht."  -                                                                   menigvuldigd  worden.
      Tot zoover  The  Manufacturer.          .                                                                                           G. v. B.
      Zulk een met voordacht sterk gekleurde plaat moge                                                   - _.-..-_
&en louter-naar-prentjes-kijkende krantlezer  mooi vinden                              .
en hem behagclijk; hij of zij die zien heeft geleerd en                                                  OUR BIBLE  *
geestelijk  niet meer blind is, die afstanden kan berekenen
in  eIke luchtstreek, en verhoudingen op haar  rechte waar-                         In order that you  may appreciate the remarks I am
de weet te  s'chatten,  weet beter en verlangt wat  anders. about to make on the subject that was announced, Our
      Nog steeds is het waar van "de pers" ; in elk opzicht Bible,   I must explain to you, first, the standpoint from
waar; ja, nog sterker zelfs van kracht dan dicht bij                          which I expect to approach and to treat my subject; and,
het  midden  van de  19de eeuw,  toen Da Costa het zong                       secondly, I will try to define the scope of the present
in zijn "Vijf en  ~Twintig   Jaren"  :                                        l e c t u r e .

De drukkunst  - een reuzenstap ten  hemel  -- en ter  hel.                          As to the first, I must announce from the outset, that
Ja, menschdom! Ook ter helle!                                                 I cannot assume the attitude' and proceed from the stand-
0, wie in  arren moede dat woord in twijfel stelle,                           point demanded by modern  biblicaL  science, but am con-
Zie om  zich! Zie die pers, die in haar jonge kracht                          strained to assume the position of which a certain mod-
Den dag des Eijbels  aan `t verduisterd menschdom                             ern writer asserts that it "no doubt `still survives among
                                                           bracht  !          vast multitudes of our fellow-Christians, but for reflect-
Sinds tegen God ten kamp, verharde zondekweekster,                            ing Christians its day is really done."  ** This stand-
Verboden lust- en  haat- en oproervlam ontsteekster!                          point is the one of faith. Modern theology requires that
Zie  spottend ongeloof  aap  waarheid,  hemel,  deugd,                        we approach the Bible in an absolutely unbiased attitude,
Als opgedrongen door haar dienst  aan  `t hart der jeugd,                      without any prepossessions and so, happening upon it as
Aan `t oog der kinderen! . . . .                                              we would upon any other book on the shelf, start an
-----__-___-                                                                  impartial investigation, according to general historical
Hij zie die Drukpers,  als verwaten Koningin,                                 and literary principles. Regarding this question allow
Gezeten op haar koets, de meening als  slavin                                 me to make two remarks : First, such a would-be unbiased
In  teugels klemmen, en  aan `s  -4fgronds  macht verraden.                   position is frankly impossible for me, as I believe it is
Ja, ongeduldig, met een zwerm van vlugge bladen,                              impossible for any Christian believer. The believer car-
Vermenigvuldigddag bij dag, en uur voor uur,                                  ries the strong and spontaneous assurance in his heart,
Onze aard' bezwangeren van ondermijnend  vuur,                                 that the Bible is the Word of his God, and,  .therefore,
De Majesteit weirstaan,  CkJdS   ordeningen hoonen,                           ..-. ^-I,~
De tempels plunderen, en koningen onttroonen . . . . .                              * Lecture delivered under the auspices of the English Men's
-         II  __- --  - --  _ __ ___  _  _                                     Soci$;of$h:,,+st  Prof; Ref. Church, Grand Rapids, Mich.
                                                                                            ,  Ihe  Bible,   p.  380.                                        *
                                                                                                                         ".


          158                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                               _- ..-.__                  -_^^                    ____-
          cannot lie. With this conviction he approaches Scripture.        as a result-of which we possess in our Bible (and by our
          It is not as a result of dogmatic thinking that the Chris- `Bible I mean just now our English Bible, the Bible as
          tian assumes this attitude, for it  is  rather the starting we possess it today) the infallible Word of God. The
          point of all true dogma. But it is a spiritual and a priori Bible is God's wonderwork. How was the work accom-
          assurance, so inwrought in his mind and heart, that he           plished? Such is the chief question I shall attempt to
          could not possibly divorce himself from it, You may as answer in this lecture. To accomplish this purpose I
          well ask the mother to be unbiased and without pre-. shall have to call your attention to especially three stages
                                                                                                                  .
          possessions of love toward the babe on her breast and to in this work of God, namely:
          consider it as she would any other child, as to ask of
          the Christian that he divest himself of the assurance that          (1)  T he work of organic inspiration,
          the  BibIe is the Word of God. And, secondly, it is my              (2) Organic canonization,
          conviction that such an unbiased attitude is impossible,            (3) The organic testimony of the Holy Spirit in the
          not only for the Christian believer, but equally for any                  Church.
          scholar approaching the Bible. It certainly would be a              The first part of the lecture deals with the divine
          strange prejudice and a grave injustice on the part  .of  a      origin of the individual book  ; the second, with the work
          mother, if she would actually succeed to assume a neutral of God whereby these individual books were collected
          attitude toward the child in her bosom. And the very into one whole ; the third, with that operation of the
          position of modern science, that we must proceed from Holy Spirit through which the Church as a whole and
          the standpoint, that Scripture is only a book among also the individual believer comes to the assurance that
          others and no more and that it must be treated according the Bible is the Word of God.
          .to the same general principles as we would apply to
          other books is in itself a biased position over against Holy        I. It is not necessary for our purpose to elaborate
          Writ. The standpoint of unbelief is certainly no more upon the idea of inspiration and revelation. Just a word
          unbiased than the standpoint of faith. This latter stand- or two in passing may suffice. There can be no question
          point we are constrained to assume in this lecture. Hence, about the fact, that the Scriptures present themselves to
          my subject  cannot-.be what was the subject of one of us with the  cIaim,`that  they are divinely inspired. It is
          Bryan's lectures:  Is the Bible true?  for the simple reason not at all necessary in order to show the truth of this
          that throughout I must assume that the Bible is the statement to call attention to particular passages and
          Word of God and, therefore, true.                                texts, teaching that all Scripture is given by inspiration
             You can easily understand that this position not only of God. Rather is the case thus, that the entire Bible
          determines the main direction of the line of thought I claims for itself the prerogative of being regarded, not
"         shall attempt to develop, but also limits the scope of my as the word of man, but as it really is, the Word of God.
          lecture. 1 shall in  nowise try to produce proof, that the It does not argue with man, it demands subjection and
          Bible is the Word of  God,,,convincing to the unbeliever. obedience. Constantly it approaches us with the  author-
          I consider it quite impossible to create such assurance ative: Thus saith the Lord ! To deny that Scripture is
          by means of logical proof. As well may you attempt to the divinely inspired Word of God is to contradict the
          show the beauty of an artwork in colors to a man that is very testimony of the Bible. There is no room for argu-
          totally color blind. I well remember how, some years ment on this phase of the subject. To propose an
          ago, on a certain bright summer morning a friend of mine investigation as to whether the Bible is actually the
          and I were walking past a cherry orchard and I pointed Word of God is to deny its own claim, is to contradict
          out to my  companion"one  tree that was  esp.ecially  loaded its own very explicit testimony. Scripture is either the
          with the bright red fruit: The tree was perhaps a hun- ,Word of God or it is the most shameless lie that was ever
          dred and fifty feet away from us, so that not the shape presented to man as the truth.  ,4nd not only is this the
          of the fruit but only the color of it could be distinguished.    self-testimony of the written Word, coming to us from
          But my friend was color blind. He could not see the              all its pages, but it is a testimony that is sealed as true
          beauty of the tree. And the only way in which I could            by the Word become flesh.  1,t is quite impossible to
          finally indicate to him which tree I had in view was by believe in Christ as the Son of God and to deny the
          calling his attention to a ladder that stood up against its divinely inspired character of the books of Moses, the
          trunk. Thus it is with the beauty of the Word of God Psalm+  the Writings and the Prophets. For no one can
          and the unbelieving eye. You may point to the Book,              deny the fact, that at the time of the sojourn and public
          you may speak of many evidences that the Bible is the            ministry of our blessed Saviour there was already in
          very truth of God in Christ and that it is distinct from existence the volume of a Book, that was accepted by the
          all other books, but you will never succeed to reveal the Church of the old dispensation as the inspired Word of
          glory of the divine light that shines from its pages to the God. This volume, as is historically certain, consisted
          natural eye, darkened by sin. Neither is it my purpose           of the same books that are now contained in our Old
          to speak of everything my subject might suggest. Then `Testament.             They were looked upon as one whole. In
          the field of our discussion would be too vast. But it is the New Testament they are called: The Scripture, John
          rather my purpose to show you that wonderwork of God, 10:35, etc.; Holy Scripture, Rom.  12  ; The Scriptures,
     D


                                       T H E   STi4NDARD   B E A R E R                                                  159
               .~-...- .._...--
Matt.  22  23; The Law, John  1034,  etc.; The Law and the as mechanical, as if the Holy Sprit merely dictated and
Prophets, Matt.  5  :17, etc. ; The Sacred Writings, II Tim. the instruments of inspiration served as mere amanu-
33.5. Neither can there be any doubt about the fact, enses; writing down that which the Spirit dictated. Even
that our Lord regarded them as the end of all argument, verbal inspiration cannot possibly mean, that the true and
as having in themselves authority over faith and life. One infallible character of Scripture is lost as soon as a word
who did not know the Scriptures necessarily erred, and or letter of it would fall out or be changed. But it cer-
one who believed in Moses must needs believe in Him.            tainly implies, that. the words of Holy Scripture are the
So that it is quite impossible to go back to Christ, as is      vehicle of its thought and contents, that the two can
often the cry of modern theology, without at the same never be separated from each other, that the authors of
time falling back on Moses and the Prophets. One must the books of the Bible were certainly wholly under the
believe in the divine authority and inspiration of the Old influence of the Spirit that moved and guided them, and
Testament if he would believe in Christ.  O!r, would he         that, for these reasons it is not conceivable that the con-
rather choose to reject Moses and the prophets and refuse tents of their writings are inspired while the words are
to bow before their authority, he must needs consider not. And, therefore, we maintain the truth of plenary
the Lord of the Church either as an impostor  and liar,         inspiration, the authors of the books of the Bible being
or an ignoramus, who was subject to the errors and infallibly and fully guided to write the very words of
superstitions of his own day and contemporaries. The Scripture.
Saviour and the Scriptures are inseparably united. The             But this in, passing. We are less concerned with the
truth of divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures is  SLIS-    fact of inspiration and revelation as such, than with the
tained by their own testimony and sealed by the very question, how through the means of this revelation and
testimony of our Lord and Saviour.                              inspiration the one organic whole was obtained which
   The individual books of the Bible, then, originated we possess in our Bible. To see the problem let us look
through revelation and inspiration.from Jehovah. There at the Sacred Volume as we have it before us. Let us
is, indeed, a distinction between inspiration and revela- study its form. What draws our attention first of all is,
tion, although the two cannot be separated from each that is it divided into two large parts called: the  OId and
other. Inspiration is always revelation but revelation is the New Testament. Besides, we notice immediately,
not always inspiration. Inspiration is always an opera- that each part consists of several subdivisions, or books,
tion of the Holy Spirit from within the human instru- complete in themselves. The whole of the Bible consists
ment, an operation upon the mind and  wilI and heart of of sixty-six of such books, thirty-nine of which are found
man. ,4nd it must be evident, that when the Spirit so in the Old Testament and  twentyseven  in the New Tes-
works within a holy man, upon his mind and heart, tament. Advancing our inquiry we soon notice, that
upon his whole being, that he can speak or write the these books are written by many different authors, some
infallible Word of God, that through this  inspiraticn of whom are mentioned by name, but many of whom we
there is also a revelation of God. The two, then, coin- clo not even know. It is evident, too, that the books were
cide. But it is not always thus. God revealed Himself written in different periods; the whole of them being
of old in many different ways. Sometimes He spoke to finished in approximately  tweIve hundred years, if we
man directly, in an objective way, as to Adam in Para- eliminate the period from Malachi to the advent of the
dise, `to Noah before the flood, to Xbraham with whom Saviour. The-authors, when they wrote, lived in different
He walked and talked as a  .friend  with his friend, to countries, under the most diverse circumstances. They
Moses on the mount, who saw His glory. At other times wrote in the desert of Sin and Sinai, in  the. land of
He communicated with man through His servants, the Canaan, in Babylon and Persia, in Caesarea and Rome.
angels, who conveyed His messages; especially through They were men of education, some of them, but others
the Angel of Jehovah, as to Abraham and Hagar, Gideon were simpie Galileans ; they were prophets, priests, kings,
and  Manoah, Mary and the visitors of the empty grave choir leaders, shepherds,  -herdsmen, fishermen. They
on' the morning of the Saviour's resurrection. He revealed wrote as they were guiding their  flock besides the still
 Himself through dreams and  in  visions, as to Jacob, waters or as they sat on a royal throne; as they Iived'in
Pharaoh and  Nebucadnezzar. Daniel and Ezekiel, or by the courts of the great monarchs of the world or as they
means of a trance as to Peter on the housetop of Simon were imprisoned by them. They wrote, too, to a great
the tanner. And although we are more particularly con- extent without being aware of one another's writings
cerned with the composition of the books of the Bible, and surely without being conscious of the fact, that
with their inspiration in the narrower sense of the word, they were colaboring to produce one great literary prod-
we must nevertheless remember, that only by means of uct. Now, look again at this wonderful Book, this library
the whole of this wonder-work of revelation and inspira- of sixty-six books, produced under such various and dis-
tion were the divine contents of Scripture communicated similar circumstances. Certainly, there is between all
 to the Church.                                                 these books. as little outward and mechanical unity as
    We may add, that it is our belief. that this inspiration you can possible conceive. Moses did not write the
of the Holy Scriptures is plenary and verbal. Surely, we Pentateuch with a view to what others might, in later
 do not conceive of this plenary inspiration of the Word
                   _I                                           periods, add to his work. David had no idea, that the


  160                                      T H E   STANDAR*D   B E A R E R
                                                        ".__                                       -     -
  psalms he sung behind the flock, or as a fugitive before        truth the presentation becomes  a dangerous error. For
  Saul or Absalom would ever become part of one beau-             it is the ground of the distinction that is usually made,
  tiful volume. Even the apostles and evangelists of the even in Reformed circles, between a human and a divine
  New Testament did not write their gospel narratives and         factor in the fabric of Holy Scripture. The question as
  epistles with the conscious purpose in view to complete         to the human and the divine factor in the Bible was one
  the Bible and to have their writings incorporated into one      of the chief points of controversy in the famous Dr.
  Book with the Old Testament. Outwardly there is no              Janssen case in the Christian Reformed Churches. Dr.
  unity of design and conscious purpose on the part of  .the      Janssen emphasized that there was a human factor as
  human authors. But look again, and a little more closely.       well as a divine, and that, therefore, with a view to the
  Examine somewhat the contents. Is there no unity? human factor, mere human, that is historical and literary
  Who could deny it? In spite of this most complete lack critical methods could be followed to account for the
  of outward unity, there is the most beautiful inner co- origin of Holy Scripture. And, although the other four
  herence and harmony one could desire. There is both             professors debated the  conclusion  of Dr. Janssen, they
  unity and progress in the successive books of the Bible.        conceded the  fact,  and today it is still the theory in the
  There is one greaf subject, that is developed; there is         Calvin Seminary, that there is a divine and human factor
  one Great Figure that is pictured and presented to us in        in Scripture.    Paul was there with all his individual
  many ways and in manifold riches of  be.auty. That one traits, with his mode of thinking and education. .And the
  great Figure is the God of our salvation in Christ, the Holy  ,Spirit did not suppress Paul's individuality, but in
  Immanuel, the Anointed of God, the Head of the Cove-            inspiration employed it as it was. delnd so the human
  nant, the Ring of kings. Christ is the center of the            Paul and the divine Spirit unite and  colabor to write the
  Scripture5 and undeniably pervades the whole. The Old           Word of God. The result is, of course. that there is not
  Testament leads us towards Him as a long shadow, cast only a divine-human factor in Scripture, but also a divine
  over many centuries guiding  us  to the Body; the New and human element in the  contents  of Holy Scripture.
  Testament is the fulness of light, streaming from His           One may deny this conclusion, but he cannot do so
  blessed countenance through the ages to come  unti1 the logically if he maintains the operation of a divine and
" consummation of all things. And altogether they point human factor in the composition of the Holy Word. The
  to the final day, the day of the Lord ; the day of the          theory of the divine and human factor leads inevitably
  complete victory of Him, Who overcame the world; the to the conception of Dr. Janssen. If Scripture  is  the
  day of the perfecting of God's Covenant and Kingdom, product of the happy co-operation of so-called common
  when in the new heavens and the new earth He shall              grace and special grace, of the human and the divine, of
  spread His tabernacle over all !                                iman and God, it is not absolutely the Word of God.
         Such is the fact of Scripture. It is a Wonder, but it       But this is by no means the true conception of organic
  is an undeniable fact, nevertheless; except, perhaps, to        inspiration. We must broaden our view. We must re-
  him that is willfully blind.                                    member, first of all, that  ail  things are the unfolding of
         The question is now : how can we explain this fact? the counsel of our God. From eternity He conceived of His
  What is that marvelous work of  God whereby He pro-             people as one whole, one great organism, with Christ as
  duced the Wonder of Holy Scripture?                             the Head, and all the elect as members of His Body--
         Our answer is:  this Wonder-product is to  be, ex- This people He forms for Himself in time, in order that
  plained only by the fact of organic inspiration.                it may show forth His praises- He calls it into being
         What do we mean by organic inspiration? Let me by the wonder of His grace and causes it to develop
  say, first of all, that we do not simply mean by it what it as His covenant-people organically throughout the his-
  is generally understood to imply. Generally, in schools tory of the world, from Paradise until the fulness of time;
  and catechism-classes, when the subject of organic from the first advent of  Immanuel till the consummation
  inspiration is discussed, it is-simply interpreted to sig- of all things at the end of this age. And this people of
  nify, that the Holy Spirit did not use the human authors        God's covenant develops in antithesis to the world of
  of Scripture as mere machines, as we use our typewriters sin and darkness. It has a battle to fight, a struggle to
  or pens, neither as mere amanuenses, as an office employs pass through, much suffering to endure. Its history is
  its stenographers, but as living and thinking men, with         not. to be interpreted according to mere evolutionistic
  their mind and will, and without suppressing their indi- principles; neither can you explain it on the basis of and
  viduality.     It is pointed out that the individuality of from the principle of a common grace; it is the  wonder-
  each human author becomes clearly manifest in his               work of God, wrought by His grace in Christ Jesus.
  writings. There is individuality in their choice of words,      From Abel to Christ and from His coming in the flesh
  their style, their manner of argumentation. There is a till the end of time this people appears as a wonder peo-
  noticeable difference between the style of Isaiah and ple, always in the world, continually in the midst of trib-
  Amos; the difference between the manner in which the            ulation and persecution, but always growing, evermore
  apostle John presents the truth and Paul's way of argu- entering into the fulness of God's covenant, till they shall
  mentation is evident. Now, all this is perfectly true, but have attained to the perfect glory the Lord has in store
  it is not all the truth. ;Znd' because it is not  all the       for them according to His everlasting  c-ounsel.   :4s the


                                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 161
-." -,-- ^__^^-.-.^-.     ___......._.. "...""-_-             _........     ."..._l_l_ ;.--                                        "--_-.--_-.-
wheat grows from the seed, as a tree grows from its root, of view, there is the most complete harmony and organic
so do God's people develop in the world. Now, even as                            unity in Holy  Writ..
the people of God so is the Bible the wonderwork of
God, designed to be a light for His people in the world,                              II. But this is not all of the problem we are dealing
a lamp unto their feet in the midst of darkness. Even as with this evening. -After all, inspiration and revelation
the Lord conceived of the whole of His people as an                              account for the existence of the various books of the
organism in Christ from before the foundation of the                             Bible  ; and organic inspiration explains the fact, that
world, so He conceived of the fulness of His Word as an                          there is an inner harmony and real, living unity that
organic whole. Even as Christ is the Head and the  ful-                          binds all these books essentially together. But it does
ness of the Body, His Church, so He is the very heart not explain how these different books were also actually
and center of the revelation we possess in the written collected and bound up into one volume which we  se%
Word. And even as the organism of the Church has a arate from all other books. Inspiration and revelation
history and grows organically, so there is an organic originated the separate books, but they did exist sep-
growth of God's revelation to His people, the Bible comes arately, perhaps in the midst of many other books, even
into existence historically. And it comes into existence                         intermixed with other volumes that were also inspired,
through the operation of the Spirit of Christ working in                         yet were never received in the Canon. Of such books
special organs of the Body, both in the old and in the that have no place in the Canon we read more than once
new dispensation. These organs of inspiration, Moses in the Old Testament and it is more than probable that
and the prophets, David and Asaph, Matthew and Luke,                             the Apostle Paul wrote other epistles than we have in
Paul and John, Peter and James, are ordained for that our possession and have been received in our Bible. This
purpose from before the foundation of the world and in                           raises many questions. Who collected these different
time they are called forth and prepared to serve as instru- books, separated them from all others; and, collecting
ments of inspiration. Thus these organs of inspiration                           them `into one book, called them distinctively the Word
do not constitute a human element in the inspiration of of God? How was it done? What guiding principle
the Bible, but even, as such organs they are divinely pre-                       controlled whoever gathered the books of Holy Writ
pared. Take for example David. Had he not been the                               into one volume? What guarantee have we, that these
shepherd of his father's flock, never would he have writ-                        sixty-six and no more, as for instance, the  apocrypha
ten the twenty-third psalm; but he was from' eternity belong in the Canon? How do we know, that these and
ordained to be that shepherd, in order that he might these only constitute the whole of the inspired Word?
serve as instrument of revelation and inspiration. Had                                To answer these questions we must call your atten-
he not been king of Israel, in the midst of the enemies,                          tion to the process of organic canonization.
that would fain cast him from his throne, that suffered                                Let us, first of all, dwell a few moments on the his-
many things from those that hated him, never would he                             tory of the Canon as such. In the fulness of time the
have written some of the psalms that are so clearly  Ames-                       Jews as we know were scattered almost throughout the
sianic  ; but his royal power and glory, his suffering and                        then known world. They are called the Jews of the
tribulation,  all are ordained for him in order that he                           diaspora, and they may be classified into three different
might serve as an organic instrument of inspiration. groups ; namely, those living in Mesopotamia, those in
Thus it is with Isaiah and  Hosea, with Joel and Amos,                            Syria and those in Egypt. Flavius  Josephus  informs  US,
with Paul and Peter. These holy men are not simply a                              that they carried their sacred books with them wherever
certain  human  framework upon which the Most High they went, and the Apostle James very emphatically tells
works the texture of His revealed word. On the con- us, that "Moses from'generations of old hath in every city
trary, they are ordained and prepared, themselves being them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every
the wonderwork of God's grace, with their talents and sabbath" (Acts 15  21)  . Now, it is well known that
individual characteristics, their circumstances and ex- Moses is a general appellation denoting also the prophets
periences, their battles and struggles. their sufferings and the Books of Wisdom. The Jews, therefore, at the
and persecutions, in order that each in his own place                             time of the sojourn of our Lord in the earth, were in
and in his own manner might serve to write infallibly possession of the Law and the Prophets. They already
the Word of God. And thus we deny, that there is a had some kind of a Bible, some volume that was sep-
human factor operative in the growth of the Word of arated from all other books. Now is there any evidence,
the Lord, as we may now possess it in the Bible. The that these books, known as the Scriptures, Moses and
people that receive the revelation of God, their history in                       the Prophets, etc., were the very same that are contained
the, midst of the world, their organs of revelation and                           in our Old Testament today? There is. There is, first
inspiration, it is all nothing but the wonder-work of God's of all, the testimony of the historian already referred to,
grace. And in Christ, Who is Himself the eternal Word                             Flavius Josephus. Says  -he:  "For we have not tens of
of God, yet in human nature speaks the Word of the                                thousands of books, discordant and conflicting, but only
 Lord, all lines converge as in a living center. Only if                          twenty-two, containing the'record of all time,-which have
we conceive of the matter in this light can we under-                             been  justfy believed to be Divine.  ,4nd of these five are
stand that amid all the diversity from an external point                          the books of Moses, which embrace the laws and the


162                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                              _-.^  ._"                                                         __-..__
tradition of the `creation of man reaching up to  his            the Holy Spirit. One certainly must either accept Christ
(Moses') death. Next the prophets who succeeded com- and the canonized Scriptures, or he must deny both.
piled the history of the period from Moses to the reign             Now the history of the New Testament is quite sim-
of Artaxerxes, the successor of Xerxes, king of Persia ilar, although it does not extend over as many years as
in thirteen books, relating severally what was done in that of the Old Testament. It is evident from the writ-
their times. The remaining four books embrace hymns ings of the apostles and of the Church fathers, that the
to God and practical directions for men. From the time           Old Testament Bible was accepted as the Word of God
of  ,4rtaxerxes to our own time each event has been              from earliest times. Gradually also the books that now
recorded; but the records have not been deemed worthy            constitute our New Testament came into existence. The
df the same credit of those of earlier date, because of          apostles considered it their first and chief calling to
qact succession of the prophets was not continued. But preach, rather than to write. It is also evident, that the
what faith we have placed in our own writings we have            contents of their preaching centered around the great
shown by our conduct; for though so long a time is               facts of the ministry and work of the Saviour. They
now passed, no one has dared either to add anything to           were sent into the world to be witnessess of His death
them, or to take anything from them, or to alter any- and resurrection and to preach, repentance and forgive-
thing.      But the  Jews  are instinctively led from the ness in His Name. And to this calling they were faith-
moment of their birth to regard  therq  as decrees of God,       ful. They had the Holy Ghost as  aposties of Jesus Christ,
and to abide by them, and, if need be, gladly to die for and even authority to forgive and retain sin, to. open and
t      h    e    m    .    "      *                              shut the kingdom of heaven. They were clothed with
       Now, if allowance be made for the peculiar arrange- special power and  infalIibly guided.  .And they had the
ment of the books of-the  Old Testament which  Josephus          promise that the Spirit would bring to their remembrance
follows; it is not difficult to show, that these twenty-two all things,  Lwhatsoever  the Lord had taught them. And
books of which he speaks are exactly the same as are thus there must have gradually grown a gospel narra-
now contained in our Old Testament. To this it may be tive, first, perhaps in oral form, then also written. Later,
added, that he does not catalogue the Apocryphal books           when. congregations sprang up in different parts of the
with the sacred scriptures. With some of them he was world about Jerusalem, Churches with their peculiar
acquainted, but he definitely excludes them from the list. problems, strifes and difficulties, the occasion was there
The same testimony, though with less precision is fur- for the writing of the epistle both special and general;
nished by  Philo of Alexandria. And what is conclusive, while St. Luke was moved to prepare a record also of
Jesus and the apostles, as we had already occasion to            the things Christ continued to do in the establishment
observe, plainly witness that the Old Testament Bible of the Church in the world, and  St. John received the
already existed. They quote from most of the books; visions of the things that must shortly come to pass on
they speak of the whole of the Old Testament as the              the isle of his exile. Thus, by the end of the first century
Scriptures, the Scripture, the Holy Scriptures, the Law A. D. all the different books of the New  Testamenr were
and the Prophets ; and this Scripture to them is the Word        in, existence. But even as it was with the books of the
of God, the end of all argument, authoritative for faith         Old Testament Canon, so it also was with those of the
and life. God saith apd  the  Scripture  s&h,   these two are    New Testament. They first existed as individual writ-
to the Apostle Paul exactly identical.                           ings. They were copied and spread over the Church, but
     In answer to the question: who collected these sep- they did not constitute one book; and at first no one
arate Scriptures into one whole so as to constitute one thotight of adding them to the Old Testament as an
volume, there is hut one answer  ,possible:  the Church. integral part of Holy Writ. But these books, had a
The time when this closing of the Old Testament Canon            testimony in themselves. Gradually their real character
took place cannot definitely  .be ascertained, but it must dawned upon the Church. And as early at 397 A. D. the
have been sometime between four hundred and one hun- Church of the new dispensation, convened in the Council
dred B: C. But the importance of these  facts  will readily of Carthage,  dfficially declared, while it gave a list  of
be seen. It means nothing less than that we have  the the New Testament books, that aside from the canonical
very testimony of the Son of God; that these books, Scriptures nothing is  t'o be read in the churches under the
severally inspired by the Spirit of Christ, as separated and name of Divine Scriptures.
canonized by the Church of the old dispensation, are the            So then, we come to the conclusion, that the  Old
Word of God. That is, not only the factor of inspira- Testament and the New Testament originated in the
tion and revelation, which originated the several books same manner principally; namely, by inspiration of the
bears the seal of our Saviour, but that of the  canoniza-        Holy Spirit and canonization by the Church; and that we
tion by the Cliurch of the old dispensation as well. And have the sure testimony of the Saviour that, according
this could be true  only  on the supposition, that also the to God's own will, it is in this very way, that the Church
Church in selecting and collecting the Word of God and           receives the infallible Word of God as a rule for her
placing the separate books in fhe Canon were guided by           faith and life. The question, however, still remains:
                                                                 How must we conceive of this canonization of the books
     * In Westcott: "The  Bible in the Church,"  p. 27.          of Scripture by the Church? We have already pointed to


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R  1                                         16.3
                                                                               ---. -._-__l^^"_^  ^_._
the fact, that also this was a gradual and organic process.    In  the first place, I answer that the facts are `true and
The Church did not of a sudden convene in council in cannot be denied. Neither have we any desire to deny
order to select some books and declare them to  ,be the them. We would expect it no different. The infallible
Word of God. Qn the contrary, gradually it became Word of God was given to  the*Church in a historic way,
clear to the organism of the Church, that  tile sacred         it was also preserved in a historical way. Inspiration
books bore a special stamp. Spontaneously they set them and infallible guidance certainly ceased with the apostles.
apart and treated them with reverence, respected their Fallible men copied the originals and their copies bear
authority and regarded them as canonical. The official the earmarks of their fallibility. But  in the first place,
act of a Church-council whereby the Canon was definitely I must remark, that these facts can easily be overstated.
described and closed, constituted not the beginning but Of the variants in the different readings nineteen-twen-
the end of the process of canonization. But by what tieths are of no significance  at. all, another  nineteen-
was the Church guided in fixing the Canon? Our answer twentieth of the one-twentieth that is left are of very
is ,twofold. In the first place, she was guided from with- little significance, and,  iinally, none affect the Christian
in by the Spirit of Christ that was given unto her and         faith at all. But what is of more significance is the fact,
dwelled in her. It was the very Spirit that had inspired that in no other way came the Bible into existence, of
the  .organism   df the Sacred Scriptures. The author of which our Saviour spoke, and to which He always
the whole Bible dwelled in the Church. But was there referred as the Word of God, possessing infallible author-
nothing in the books that guided her? We think there ity for our faith and life. Also in His day the originals
was. There was in all the books together the revelation were lost. The  very writings of Moses existed no more.
of the fulness of Christ. It was that picture of the Christ; The Bible of Jesus' day was also a copy of the original
as He was revealed in all the colors `of hope in the old manuscripts and it bore all the earmarks of having been
dispensation, that must have guided the Church of old; handled by fallible men. Yet, the Lord does not at all
and it is easy to see, that the Church of the new dis- hesitate to appeal to the Scriptures and to designate
pensation must have noticed before many years, passed them as Moses and the Prophets.  Sh'all  we be wiser
after the apostles had departed, that their writings fur- than He? Is not His example sufficient for us to follow?
nished exactly what, with the possession of the Old A beautiful piece of sculpture may be more or less weath-
Testament only, was still lacking of the whole of the er-beaten and show the marks of having passed through
image of the Saviour. If a life-size portrait of my mother years of history, it is the same work of art, nevertheless,
is torn  i'nto several fragments and mixed with parts of though here and there it may have been bruised,. And
other pictures, I will be guided by the knowledge of the the Holy Scriptures may clearly reveal that they have
features of my mother from within, and by the lines in passed through a history and have been handled by fall-
the various fragments from without in collecting the ible men, they are, nevertheless, the infallible Word  bf
whole and determining when the picture is complete. God, revealing to us the fulness of the beauty of the God
Thus, it seems to me, it was with the Church. There was of our salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord.
in the various books of the Old and of the New Testa-                                                      .
ment a full revelation of the God of our salvation in             III. I must needs be very brief in elucidating my
Christ Jesus. And there was within the Church the last thought. After all our faith in the infallible Word
Spirit that was  the Author of the very picture of Christ of God does not rest upon, is not the result of all the
in the Holy `Books. The organic operation of  .these two reflections I have attempted to bring before you tonight.
factors enabled the Church to separate the sacred books It is before all our reflections. It is first. As we stated
from others and to fix the Canon.                              in the beginning of the lecture, it is our starting point.
   But, some will say, even so the Church of today How, then, such is my last question, do you and I come
c&not claim to possess the unmarred and infallible to the assurance, that the Bible is the infallible Word of
                                                                                     ._
Word of God. For, so they will argue, all the original God?
writings of Paul and Peter, of  Jbhn and James, not to            The answer is, of course, through the testimony of  t'he!
mention those of Moses and David have been lost. What Holy Spirit in our hearts. There is, also here, an objec-
we possess in the original languages of Scripture is not tive testimony of the Spirit that unites itself with and
the autographs, but copies, imperfect copies of these corresponds to a subjective testimony in the heart of the
original writings.  C&y of the New Testament or  garts believers. The one is in the Word. For the Spirit in
of the New Testament  SO  they will emphasize there are the Word beareth witness that the Spirit is true. Scrip-
no less than almost four thousand different manuscripts, ture is a testimony. It gives witness to itself. For that
and these manuscripts differ, as far as the text is con- reason, faith in the Scriptures can never be the fruit of
cerned in more than one hundred and fifty thousand dogmatism or a matter of logical argument. He that
places. So that after all you have said and all the would believe the Scriptures must not proudly exalt
efforts you-have put forth to build your grand structure himself above the Word of God, but humbly submit him-
of an infallible and verbally inspired Bible, in the end self and open his ears and heart to its testimony. He
the structure collapses. The Church of today has no must listen rather than investigate; he must submit him-
infallible Bible. What to answer to these objections? self rather than criticize. He must above all be willing


 164             -._"_ll--_                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                      ___.-                                                             .___

 to have its light shine in his heart and uncover  tlie                               HET BESTRIJDEN VAN DE  "HEL"
' thoughts and intents thereof, in order that we may con-                                              OP AARDE
 sciously be naked and open before Him with Whom we
 have to do  ; and be  willing, too, to be cured by that                          Onder dit  als bepaald "geestig" aangemerkte,  doch in
 blessed light of sin and transgression and to do the will den grond lichtzinnig zijnde hoofdje, deelde niet lang  ge-
 of Him that speaks in the Scriptures. To such a one the leden  het "Industrial News Bureau" van "The Manufac-
"Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that bears testimony in the turer"' het volgende mede :
 Bible, will give  t'estimony  in the heart, through which he                     `&Een predikant te Dallas, Oregon, heeft dezer dagen
 becomes indubitably assured that the Bible is the Word de gansche stad zijner inwoning uitgenoodigd om een
 of God.                                                                  speciale `preek' van hem  te gaan hooren over het  onder-
        Only, also this testimony is organic. The Bible is not werp : `Fire Prevention (Het voorkomen van brand).
 the possession of any one individual, but it is the light of                     "Hij  had het kunnen  verge&ken  met de  zruur  en  sulfer
 God on the pathway of Zion on its way to heavenly glory zaak  door  het  Calvinirme   zoo  geliefd;  (de onderstreping is
 amid the battle and struggle and darkness of this present van ons,  G.  V. B.) maar hij deed  dat niet.  -
 time. Neither is the Holy Spirit given to believers as                           "Hij vertelde er van precies zooals het is en het  be-
 separate individuals, but He dwells in the organism of the                    hoorde ; met een verlies  aan menschenlevens van 15,000
 Church as a whole, and everyone can partake of Him of meer in een jaar, voor het meercndeel vrouwen en  kin-
 only as a member of Christ's Body. The testimony that deren en verpleegden in hospitalen.
 the Bible is the infallible Word of Go&is, first of all, in                      "Het is bijna zoo vreeselijk in hmerika als de  wereld-
 the Church as the Body of Christ. Christ gives through oorlog; en oneindig minder  verdedigbaar;  want daar is
 His Spirit witness to His own Word and He dues so in in dit  verlies door brand heelemaal geen pleit voor  natio-
 His Body, the Church. Hence, also the Church wit- nale eer  ; geen protest tegen een aanval van buiten  ;  doch
 nesses of the truth of that `Word, witnesses from the slechts persoonlijke vrekheid en zorgeloosheid en  waag-
 pulpit, in catechism and Sunday school, in  the home of h a l z e r i j .
 the believer. The covenant-child grows up in the midst                           Het is een xedelijke en geestelijke kwestie; waarop  de kerk
 of that testimony as  a,member of the Body of Christ. -we1 terdege  ee%s   `mag  letten,  en  die,  zonder   handschoenen
 He hears the testimony of the Church  ; he listens from aan, behandelen.  -  " (De onderstreping is van ons; en
 infancy to the testimony of the Spirit in the Bible  ; he de vertaling van het allesbehalve  mooi gestelde stukje,
 receives in his own heart,  as+a living member of the Eody zoo  goed en nauwkeurig mogelijk, G. V  B.)  -
 of Christ, the testimony of the Spirit. And thus he walks                        Wij meenden dit artikeltje  we1 kenmerkend te zijn
 in the light' assured that it cannot misguide him.                            voor den geest die onder Amerikaansche journalisten,
        Soon the light of Scripture will be  necessary no onder industrieelen en statistici schuilr, en telkens  op-
 more. When all that is earthy shall have passed away nieuw tot openbaring komt in nieuwsblad en "magazine"
 and our pilgrim's journey shall have been finished, then van  bns land, waarin het, volgens den  christelijk-politie-
also the earthly form of the truth of God in Christ shall ken redacteur van de "Christian Journal"' zoo'n  "zegen"
 have served its purpose; and in -God's eternal tabernacle is te  wonen, omdat daar "in  elken  hoek het  licht des
 we shall see Him face to face and in His light see the Evangelies heeft geschenen, en  om4at daar  overal de
 light forevermore!                                                            banier van het Kruis van  Christus in al haar verlossende
                                                                               glorie werd  ontplooid"  !
                                                         II.  `13.               Deze redacteur en Neo-Calvinistische  Volksvertegen-
                                                                               woordiger schrijft  nogal eens geestdriftig over het  "Licht
                                                                               der wereld" en het  "zout  der aarde," en over andere
                                                                               weinig-door-hem-begrepen Bijbelteksten en plaatsen
                                                                               meer, en hij ziet  overal in het land hemelvrede en  heer-
                                                                               lijke  vruchten van de christelijke beschaving in de Oude
                             IN MEMORIAM                                       en Nieuwe Wereld verspreid. Terwijl hij zegt "Gode
                                                                               dankbaar te  zijn, dat de groote rijkdommen van ons land
        Het behaagde den Heere den 7den December, 1927, tot Zich               zoo bevorderlijk zijn voor de uitbreiding van Gods
 te nemen mijne beminde gade, en der  kinderen  zorgdragende
  moeder,                                                                      koninkrijk in eigen land en daarbuiten  ; alsmede  voor
                                                                               het  kies-  en  stemirechx,  waardoor hier ieder burger zijn
                             MARTHA DEPPE                                      invloed kan gebruiken om al maar beter moreele en
                                          geb. Bolt,                           sociale toestanden te scheppen."  -
                                                                                  Wij  echter meenen steeds meer in dagblad en  tijd-
 in den nog jeugdigen ieeftijd van 36  jaren,   S maanden en  11               schrift, in bulletin en boek, een geest  zich te zien  open-
  dagen, nalatende haren man, Richard Deppe, en vier  kleine
  kinderen; tevens haren Vader,  Frank Bolt, eene zuster en drie               baren die spot met al wat den christen heilig en dierbaar
  broeders.                                                                    is  ; en die het leven, heel het leven, van individu en volk,
        Dat de Heere ens tot troost en sterkte zij in dit ons zwaar
  verlies, is Onze  bede.                                                      opvat  als een tijd om er geld uit te gaan kloppen  wat


                        A REFORMED SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE  published by
                        THE REFORMED FREE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

                                                                Editorial Staff:
                                                 H. HOEKSEMA                  G. M. OPHOFF                    tents should be addressed to Rev.
                                                                                                              11
                                                                G. VAN BEEK

                                            Entered  as second class mail matter at Grand Rapids. Michigan


     Vol. IV, No. 8                                         JANUARY 15, 1928                                         Subscription Price, $2.50

                                                                            for the glory that shall be revealed in us. And then,
                 MEbITATION                                                 with that look in our eye fixed on Jehovah, in that dis-
                                                                            position of heart and mind express it just in that very
                                                                            form: Thou shalt lead me with Thy counsel and after-
                       GUIDANCE AND GLORY                                   wards receive me to glory ! . . . .
                          `.     1                                               0, how blessed! . . . .
                             Thou  shAIt  guide me with thy counsel              How full af peace, satisfaction, submission and sur-
                          and  afterwards receive me to glory.
                                                           -Ps. 73 ~24.     render,, quiet  t&St and confidence, and all that is to be
                                                                            desired in time and eternity!
         How blessed is the man whose God is the Lord !                          A guide we need for the present.
         How happy is the soul, that is spiritually acquainted                   The traveler in a strange mountain country needs a
      with the unspeakably rich comfort, embracing both time                guide. He knows not the way and would be hopelessly
      and eternity, life and death, that is contained in the                lost would he venture out alone in the labyrinth of wind-
      words of the Psalmist: "Thou shalt guide me with Thy ing and climbing trails and mountain-paths. There are
.     counsel and afterwards receive, me to glory  !"                       lurking dangers of sudden precipices and hidden ravines
         Thou  shan't guide  me with Thy counsel! It implies with which he is not acquainted and in which he would
      all the soul could desire for the present.                            find his death, should he spurn the aid of a guide. The
         Thou shalt receive to glory! It embraces all the soul guide knows and wiIl lead him safely.
      can make the object of her hope for the everlasting                        So we do not know life's way.
      future.                                                                    There are ways that seem broad and smooth and
         Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel and after- others that appear narrow and rough, but whether the
      wards receive me to glory, or: in order  to  receive me to one. or the other be the better we cannot judge. There
      glory afterwards! It implies all that can satisfy the soul are wide and beautiful roads of joy and gladness, of
      with regard to the direction of the way in which she is prosperity and wealth, in the which there are no bands
      guided.                                                                unto our death; and there are dark trails of  sorroi and
         0, to appropriate these words and make them our grief, of suffering and pain, whose gloom appears like
      own! To receive them into our hearts and take them                     the shadow of death, but which to choose, `these or those,
      upon our lips as the expression of our deepest confidence ! we would not  know?  even were it left in our power and
      Nay, do not change them so `as to eliminate their personal             to our wisdom. Rand there are dangers in the way.
      note. Do not alter them into a mere piece of cold dog-                 False guides there are, whose direction would lead  LX
      matism so that you would say: The Lord shall guide His without exception in broad and seemingly happy roads,
      people with His counsel and afterwards receive them to but  that lead to destruction nevertheless. There are
      glory-! This also is true. And a precious truth it is for slippery places, hidden from our  view? on which if we set
      them that know the Lord.  But it does not bring the our feet we are hurled into certain desolation. There are
      truth as  .close to your heart and mine as do the words of enemies, that lurk to seek our destruction, that, like wild
      the Psalmist in the very way he puts  .the truth: Thou beasts would fain eat  our flesh . . . .
      shalt guide me and receive to  glory! To make them our                     How sorely in need, then,  are we of a g&de!
      words we must look directly at God, at Jehovah, at the                     The Psalmist had felt this need.
      unchangeable Rock  `of our salvation. `IVe must look at                   For a while he had mistrusted the Guide  of his life.
      Him with the steadfast eye of faith, with the tranquil look            In  ways?  narrow and steep,. rough and dark, he had been
      of confidence in them, with simple and childlike trust that            led, while others were allowed to  travel royal highways,
      loves and is conscious of being loved, that is weak but smooth and wide. These lived in ease and splendor and
      leans on the Strong One, with  the.  Mnging  look of  hope             knew no bands unto their death.  .4nd these were the


170                                            T       H         E      STriND:5,RD  .EEiiREl?
l_l"l_l_-^--.~.._.            __"^ ..- "IL _._..... ..." --.....-. ""."."...- ._........ ".          _-" . . ..-........"___-.- . .._- -." .._.... ""_____l_-- - - - - -
godless, the wicked that oppressed the people of God and                                 among many brethren. He fixed in His eternal good
spoke blasphemously against the God of heaven. Pride                                     pleasure the end of all His people and He determined
compassed them about as a chain. Yet their prosperity also the particular place in  thjt  glory I shall occupy
was constant and never were they in trouble. But he, the when the end of the way is reached.  But there is more.
Psalmist, washed his hands in  innocency and his delight                                  For not only did He establish the. end by His eternal
was in the law of the  T,ord.  Yet a way of unchanged                                    counsel He also determined the way that must lead'
suffering and grief had been mapped out for him: his                                     thither. Every curve in the road, every narrow stretch
punishment was waiting for him at every dawn of day. and steep incline, every hour of suffering and tribulation,
.4nd,  for a while his confidence in his faithful Guide had of grief and sorrow, every shadow of darkness through
been severely shocked. He had been inclined to oppose which I must pass He knows, because He so determined
his own judgment to that of his Guide. He had  relin- the way before the world was, in order to lead me on to
cluished  his hold upon the Hand that led him and become eternal, glory !
dissatisfied and fretful.     Other ways, better roads he                                      And He is powerful to guard me in the midst of
would choose for himself. . . .                                                          danger.
       But his Guide had been merciful to him.                                                 For God Almighty He is.
       1Vhen his feet had struck one of the slippery places                                    There is no way too steep for me to climb if His
and he had  wellnigh  perished, his merciful Guide had strong hand uphold me and lifts me up. There is no
taken him into His sanctuary, in order that from the darkness so thick and black that His light is not suffi-
viewpoint of that holy place he might see smooth and cient to lead me on. There is no ravine so deep that,
wide roads of the wicked in contrast to his own narrow should I stumble and fall, His might could not save me.
way once more. And he had seen, how the end of those There is no enemy that is so strong, that he would be
is destruction and how upon it the wicked are brought able to overcome me and cause my death and destruction,
into desolation in a moment, while the outcome of his if He choose to protect me.  ,411 the power of the world
own dark way was eternal light. and joy in glory  1                                      is not sufficient to prevail against His power. All the
       Xnd he had seen his foolishness.                                                  assaults  of. hell and the devil. are in vain when the Lord
       He had humbled himself before the Lord that led him of hosts is the fortress of my life, my strong tower and
and vowed that he would distrust Him never again.                                        refuge. Nay, more. For He guides me by His counsel.
       And he had felt how blessed he was, Jehovah holding And it was by that same counsel that also the enemy is
his  r.ight  hand. And in the consciousness of his blessed- placed on my way, and according to that counsel that all
ness he had cried out: Thou shalt lead me with Thy the forces of opposition operate. They do nought against
counsel and afterwards receive me to glory!                                               His will. They but execute His good pleasure.  PLnd
       How blessed is the man, whose God is the Lord !                                   executing- that everlasting counsel of my Guide, I may be
                                                                                         assured that they must all co-operate for my salvation !
  Thou  shalt guide me!                                                                        Xnd well may I entrust myself to Him!                            :
       How safe am  I? if these words are my confession!                                       For not  oniy does He know the way: and not only is
       The safety of a traveler depends upon the trustworthi-                            He able and strong to lead and to protect me in the midst
ness of his guide.. For to  that guide he surrenders. We of hosts of enemies that seek after my soul; but He also
submits his own judgment to that of his leader. He loves me with an immutable love. Well may I feel that
travels in unknown regions, blindly; to an extent, follow- I can safely lay my hand in His, that I may confidently
ing his director. Three things, therefore, are greatly press closely to His side. For He loved me before the
necessary in the guide. He must know the way. He world  was, I know not why. `He loved me, too, when I
must be powerful to protect his, guardian. He must be was in sin and rebellion and lifted my fist in His face.
favorably disposed to the one he guides and intend to                                     He loved me with a love that is faithful and true and
lead him safely to the place of destination.                                             passes far the bounds of all human comprehension. And
       One who does not know the way cannot lead others. He manifested His love, when I was still a sinner, a child
       One who is himself weak and helpless cannot protect of wrath as were also the others. He revealed how he
others in the presence of dangers.                                                        loved, when He sent His only begotten Son into the
       One who is our enemy and ill disposed towards us world, when He sent Him into my shame and into my
cannot be trusted to lead us safely on.                     "                             death, when He sent Him into the accursed death of the
       Thou  shalt guide me  with Thy counsel!                                           bloody "tree of Calvary. . . .
       How safe is the traveler, the pilgrim, whose Guide is                                   That love He also spread abroad in my heart. And
Jehovah !                                                                                 in that love of His, spread abroad in my heart, I love Him
       He knows, with a perfect and eternal knowledge the and feel that He loves me !
way and the destination. For He guides with  His'coun-                                         4nd feeling that He loves me with an infinite love. . .
sel. And according to that counsel He fixed the end of                                         rind knowing that He is strong. . . .
my way in eternal glory. For whom He did foreknow,                                             And assured that He knows the way. . . .
He also did predestinate to be conformed according to                                          I entrust myself to Him and looking at His face con-
the image of His Son,, that He might be the firstborn fidently express it:


                                                       THE  ST.4NDi43.D   EEAREIt                                                                           171
            _-....-........-..  "-~-.^^ .._ _- .._.           ~" ..." .._... ~- ..-..._-.-             -_--.- . . .._....._--_.__--._-_ ----.-____ ^ .._..______

   Thou shalt guide me  ,with Thy counsel!                                         Teach me perfectly to trust!
   Lord, all is well!                                                               For blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee !
                                                                                                                                                   H. H.
   And afterwards.. . . .
   Thou shalt receive me to glory!
   When the pilgrim's journey is ended, when the  last                                                         A PRAYER
curve has been rounded and the last incline has been
climbed, when the last dark valley of this strange coun-                          Oh, Strongest of the strong!  Re Thou the stay
try has been passed through, then, 0, then I will see,                               Of the weak creature that Thy hand has made  ;
that my trust in Him was not in vain, that He knew the                            I am so helpless that each moment brings
way, and that the end of it all is glory.. . .                                       Some new, some pressing reason for Thine aid.
   Afterwards . . . .
   Immediately afterwards. For  Iie has His house pre-                            Oh, Wisest of the wise! I nothing know,
pared for me, a house of many mansions. And in it He                                  I am so ignorant, so poor, so blind!
will receive me. He will open its gates and welcome me,                           Be Thou my Teacher, be my Light, my Guide,
His pilgrim-child, whom He loved for His own name's                                   Show me the pathway that I cannot find.
sake, and press me to His heart, and clothe me with
new garments, give me a sceptre for  the.sword,  a crown                          Oh, Kindest of the kind! I come to Thee
for the helmet, a palm branch for the  piIgrim's staff, dry                           Longing for favors that I sorely need;
my tears and receive me in His glorious house. There is                           Open Thy bounteous hand, for Thou art He
the Lord that loved me unto death. There are the saints                               Whose  chaise it is to give, in word and deed.
that have trodden the way of suffering and trouble before
me. There are the angels that so often served and-guarded                         Oh, Truest of the true! When others fail,
me in the way. There is no sin, no darkness, no sorrow                                Thy years remain the same  ; be it my lot
and no grief, no enemy, no battle. There is perfection,                           To share Thy faithful friendship! Dearest Lord,
the beauty of holiness, the blessedness of heavenly fel-                              3lid human changes, oh, forget me not!
lowship. There is light, the perfect light, that beams
forth from the countenance of Him that loved me. There                             Oh, Gentlest of the gentle! Speak one word                                  .
is everlasting glory. . . .                                                           .%nd give one smile, one single smile to me;
   Thus it will be immediately afterwards.. .                                      No voice is soft as Thine, no earthly smile
   -4nd afterwards. . . .                                                             So beautiful, so ravishing can be.
   Still afterwards. . . .
   For even then, at my entrance into the house of many                            Oh, Best among the good ! Make me like -Thee !
mansions, all is not finished. My body was still left                                 Strong, wise and kind in attributes divine,  _
behind in the dust of death. . .                       i                           True, gentle, food, in graces not of earth  -
   Afterwards He will also receive that body into glory.                              Let me in Thy reflected beauty shine.
He will raise it and glorify it. He will change its weak-
ness into strength, its corruption into incorruption, its
mortality into immortality. And as we have borne the
image of the earthy, so shall we also bear the image of                             THE MOON ECLIPSED ONLY AT  THE  FULL
the heavenly !                                                                                "The moon  is  never eclipsed but  where  it is at
   And afterwards. . . . .                                                                     the full. Certainly (;od's people are then in
    He shall make all things new,  dehver   ,the creature                                      most  danger."-T.  M.
from the bondage  of  corruption that it may partake of                              When all goes well with them in house and field in
the glorious liberty of the children of God. And in the                         basket and store, then should they look lest they be full
united and glorified heaveu  and earth He shall spread His                      and forget the Lord, and so become eclipsed. For the
tabernacle over me, over all, forever and ever. . . .                           world to come between us and our Lord  ,is very easy but
   Thou'shalt guide me with Thy counsel!                                        very terrible. When all is  app-arently  prosperous as to
    Lord, teach me never to distrust Thy guidance again !                       soul matters, and neither doubt nor fear, nor temptation
Teach me to surrender, to cast myself on Thee, for near                         comes in, then also should the heart look well to its.
Thee all is well, I know!                                                       bearings lest at this very moment some evil should inter-
    I know the way leads thither!                                               pose between God and the soul, and darkness should be
    I know, that sorrow and trouble and affliction, that                        the fearful result.
darkness and danger and death, that.enemies and battle                               Remember this, dear reader: eclipses happen at the
and struggle, that my punishment every morning,  ah,                            full moon. Look to thyself, then, in thy moments of
all belongs to the way in which Thou guidest me in                              greatest happiness and peace, for then is the time of peril.
order that I may be taken to glory!                                                                                             -Ch. II. Spurgeon.


c
I    ;I78                                         T.HE  STXND:1,RD  B E A R E R
      _ _ _ _   -  .._.  lll__-  ".---"."  "".                                            -....... ".-.                  -.....
     uit de  macht der duisternis  verlost  zijnde, tot het rijk               Maar nog eens vragen we: wist de Commissie, die in
     zijns  Zooms overbrengt, opdat zij zouden verkondigen de               3921 de raderen van 1618-19 liet zeggen, dat God genadig
     deugden desgenen, die hen uit de duisternis tot zijn  won-             is  aan  allen,  die het Evangelie hooren, dit  alles niet?
     derlijk licht geroepen heeft, en opdat zij niet in  zich-                 Wist ze niet, dat de Leerregels juist zijn'opgesteld
     zelven, maar in den Heere zouden  roemen, gelijk de                    om die  gro've  dwaling te bestrijden?
     apostolische geschriften doorgaans getuigen."                             Kende ze de historie niet, zoodat ze  we1 voor de  aan-
             Dit is  bet hart van III en IV.                                dachi kon hebben dat in de artikelen, die door haar  wer-
             En hier wordt hetzelfde geieeraard, wat ook in de              den aangehaald,  niet het eigenlijke hart der leer onzer
      oorspronkelijke Contra-Remonstrantie reeds werd  uitge-               vaderen  gevonden wordt, maar  slecht een antwoord op
     sproken, namelijk dat het bij de verkondiging des  Evan-               bedenkingen der Remonstranten?
     gelies geheel en alleen afhangt van een krachtige genade-                 Besefte  ze niet, dat door die artikelen zoo te hooi en
     werking  Crods in het hart van den in zichzelf dooden zon-             te gras  aan te  halen,  ze  10s te rukken uit hun  verband en
      daar, dat hij het Evangelie tot zaligheid en vergeving der            uit te  lichten uit hun historisch raam, ze onze  vaderen
      zonden ontvangt.                                                      juist het  tegendeel liet zeggen van hetgeen  ze feitelijk
             Welnu, hiertegen brachten de Remonstranten  twee- leerden?
      erlei bedenking in, niet uit Gods Woord, maar uit hun                    Wij meenen, dat ze dit alles  we1 wist. Wij kunnen
      eigen filosofie. In de eerste plaats  beschuldigden ze  al-           niet aannemen, wij  willen niet gelooven, dat een  Com-
      weer de Gereformeerden, dat ze God zoo tot een  leuge-                missie, waarin zulke geleerde mannen  zaten als de docto-
      naar maakten en dat ze nooit konden volhouden, dat Hij                ren- Bouma en De  long en professor Berkhof der zaken
      in het Evangelie dan welmeenend roept. En daarop  ant- niet kundig  waren.
      woorden onze  vaderen  in  artikel 8, dat God  we1  degelijk             Er blijft  voor ons slechts Pin verklaring over  voor
      ernstiglijk roept zoovelen als er door de bediening des deze rerdraaiing der belijdenis.
      Evangelies geroepen  worden;  dat Hij ernstiglijk  be-                   En deze is uitgedrukt in het sub-opschrift boven deze
      tuigt, dat het Hem aangenasm is, dat de geroepenen tot                artikelen.
      Hem komen; dat Hij ook  allen, die tot Hem komen de                      I,istig  gesteld.
      rust der zielen belooft en her eeuwige leven.  Dit alles                                                                     H. H.
      kan immers hoegenaamd geen bezwaar opleveren, om de
      eenvoudige  reden,  dat ook in het Evangelie niet een  alge-
      meene belofte wordt gepredikt, maar verkondigd wordt,
      dat een iegclijk, die in den gekruisigden  Christus gelooft,                   INVENTION OF FRESH  WEAPbNS
      niet verderve maar het eeuwige leven hebbe. God belooft
      niet  aan  allen  iets,  schoon Hij  we1 van  allen   &cht  bekee-            "As in war, as the arts of battery and methods
                                                                                     of destruction do increase. so also doth skill
      ring en geloof. God belooft slechts  iets  aan degenen, die                    in fortification; so in the Church, God still
      tot Hem komen. En die tot Hem komen zijn  degenen,                             bestoweth gifts for the further explication of
      die gelooven. En die gelooven zijn degenen, die door                           truth."`-Thorn.  Manson.
      Zijne genade met het geloof begiftigd  worden.  Van een
      genade  aan  "goddeloozen  en onrechtvaardigen,  waaron-                 At this present it seems to us. that our adversaries
      der natuurlijk ook de verworpenen begrepen zijn," is dus              have been far more acute in assailing the Gospel than
      ook hier  volstrekt geen sprake.            De commissie licht        the Church in defending it. Still on God's side it is true
      slechts handiglijk en listiglijk de  dingen  uit hun  ver-            that though his ministers may not be as faithful as they
      band en historisch  raam  en doet de  dingen  daardoor zoo            should be, yet He raises up one and another to stand  as
      kl.inken, dat  ze geheel iets anders zeggen dan  ze feitelijk         bulwarks for the truth, and so, after all, the grand old
      bedoelen en uitdrukken.                                               cause is not quite overborne.
             En in de tweede plaats brachten de Remonstranten                  To the end of the campaign it will be so, and there is
      tegen die leer der Gereformeerde  vaderen  in, dat God op             no real cause for despair, or even for  .despondency. The
      die wijze de schuid  kreeg, dat iemand onder de prediking             fortress of the Gospel is still unconquered. Her motto is
      des Evangelies niet werd bekeerd. En daarop  antwoor-                 INVICTA. The Gospel has' survived the brutal ignor-
      den de vaderen  in Art. 9, dat de schuld der  onbekeerlijk-           ance of many ages, and if now the world has changed its
      heid niet ligt in het Evangelie, in Christus, of in God,              fashions and profess itself to be wise, the same eternal
      maar alleen in den  `dooden  zondaar, die  zich op allerlei           system of truth will continue to baffle its designs. The
      wijze tegen dat Evangelie verzet, tenzij almachtige  ge-              assaults of  sceptics are a gain to believers, for they pro-
      nade hem verandert. Hoe hieruit nu kan morden  afge-                  duce a clearing and opening up of the truth. Opposition
      leid,  idat God genade bewijst in de verkondiging des                 directs attention to neglected doctrines, and heresy calls
      Evangelies  aan "goddeloozen en onrechtvaardigen,  waar-              for orthodox replies, and so our defenses become stronger
      onder natuurlijk  oak de  verworpenen begrepen  zijn" is              as our enemies become more furious. Happy citizens.,
      ons eenvoudig een raadsel.                                            ro  be thus shielded from the foe !-Ch. H. Spurgeon.


                                            Tj$E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 li9
                        ______ .-..--_..                                                         ,...............-."   ""-~--
  MAY A  CLASSIS  DEPOSE A CONSISTORY?                             In the previous year Rev. G. Hoeksetna and his fel-
    Or, The Plain Truth About the Institution of               lows had (to express ourselves in the words of G.  Hoek-
                      Christ's Church                          semaj  penalized the recalcitrant consistories of Hope
                                                               and Kalamazoo  I  by deposing and relieving them of their.
                        Introduction                           church properties. It can be well understood that the
                                                               division in the ranks of the committee members greatly
   The question, whether a  classis may depose a  con- embarrassed that clique in the church which bad been
sistory, has developed into a real live issue in our circles. engaged in making history.
The awakening of interest in the matter was occasioned             The committee having disagreed, the matter was
by the deposition of the  con&tory of Muskegon I by placed in the hands of an advisory committee constituted
Classis Muskegon in the year  1418.  Dr. Van  Lonkhuy-         of the following persons : The late D. R. Drukker,  ill.  M.
zen insisted that  Classis Muskegon had gone beyond its Schans,  J..M. Ghysels, H.  J. De Vries, H. Moes, G.  Dek-
rights; that the entire mode of procedure partook of the ker, A.  J. Wibalda, H. De Vries, B.  1-I. Lindeman, P. Van
character of hierarchy. Prof. W. Heyns maintained, on den Berg. To this group was added Prof. Dr. Samuel
the other hand, that a  classis can depose a consistory. Volbeda in the capacity of  "adviseur." In its report this
The clash between these two minds caused those inter-          committee advises Synod to declare,  "dat,  in  overeen-
ested in the matter to direct their thoughts to the articles stemming met de kerkrechtelijke beginselen die  aan onze
of the Church Order with a view of learning the truth.         Kerkenorde ten grondslag liggen, eene  classis de  be-
.jn apparent conflict was discovered between articles 36 voegdheid heeft om eene kerkeraad, die  zich zulks  waar-
and  8l. Perplexed and alarmed by the difficulties occa-       dig maakt, uit  liet ambt te ontzetten." The report,
sioned by the lack of a concensus of opinion,  Classis         although legitimating a deposition of consistory by  classis
Sioux Center and the consistory -of Chicago I placed           was nevertheless. rejected after having drawn forrh a
upon the table of the Synod of 1924 the following request:     lengthy discussion. In its stead the following substitute
"Geef ons zekerheid, terwijl de moeiten in  verband met motion is accepted :
deze kwestie steeds vermeerderen." The consistory of               "(a) Synod thanks the pre-advisory committee on
Chicago I even  affixe`d  to its instruction a petition to the deposition of consistories for its' excellent work, and
effect that Synod declare, "Dat geen  ciassis het  recht decides  rtiat  the report be taken up in the  -4cts (Bijlage
heeft een kerkeraad of ouderlingen of diakenen af te  zet- XVI) ;
ten." The following reasons were advanced: (a) Dit te              "(b) In connection with this report, and in answer
doen is in strijd met de Kerkenorde, Art.  84; (b) Met de      to protests received, Synod upholds  Classis Grand Rap-
beginselen van  bet Gereformeerde kerkrecht ; (c) Met de' ids West in its action of deposing the consistories of
getuigenis van de voornaamste autoriteiten  ; (d) En met `Kalamazoo and Hope. Grounds:
de historie. (Kerkeraad, Chicago I.)                               "(1)    Article 36 of our Church Order gives the Classis
   The Synod (zie  Acta van de Synode 1924, p. 15, 16)         jurisdiction over the consistory  ;
assigned the matter to one of its committees. The  foI-            "(2)    Articles  79 and 80 of the Church Order, and the
lowing report was submitted to Synod:                           formula of subscription state plainly that censure of
   "TJwe commissie is van oordeel  als  volgt:                 office-bearers shall be suspension or deposition from
   "(a)     Dat wij  thans niet  rijp.zijn  voor een uitspraak office."
in deze moeilijke kwestie;           1                             Let us pause at this juncture to consider what had
   "(b) Dat het  tech wenschelijk is, dat wij in dezen been done. The pre-advisory committee  - the one hav-
tot zekerheid komen. De tegenwoordige verscheidenheid ing been counseled by Prof. Volbeda  - urges Synod to
van beschouwing is schadelijk. De geschiedenis van de declare that a  classis can depose a consistory. Synod
laatste  jaren heeft dit geleerd;                               thanks this committee for its excellent work and advice
  . "(c)    Daarom benoeme de Synode, in  overeenstem-          and forthwith rejects the  r-ery'advice which it denom-
mmg met het verzoek van  Classis Sioux Center, eene inated excellent. The question cannot be quelled how a
commissie om van dit stuk grondige studie  te  maken.  en work can..be both excellent and worthy of rejection. If
op de volgende  Synode te rapporteeren.                         the work is of superior virtue, why reject it? If objection-
   "Xangenomen."                                                able, why declare it excellent? But the height of the
   24 committee was subsequently appointed. After a ridiculous,was reached when Synod accepted a substitute
period of application to the matter submitted to it, this motion to the effect that it uphold the action of  Classis
committee enters into the  Agendum of the Synod of Grand Rapids West in its action of deposing the  con-
1926 a record of its cogitations and conclusions. This sistories of Kalamazoo and Hope. Having set aside the
record. constituted as it is of a double report, signifies counsel of Volbeda, Synod in upholding  Classis Grand
that the committee disagrees (see  &qgendum,  pp. 126- Rapids West, sanctioned a course of action which it had
162). -4s  to the two reports the one asserts thar deposi- just denounced. It means that this body of men upholds
tion of a consistory by a  classis is unlawful while the what in its own eyes is wrong.
other maintains that a  classis may and can depose a  cou-         Let us clearly perceive the implications of  Synoh's
sistory.                                                        doings. The acceptance of the substiture motion to the


180                                     T H E   ST_4NDARD   B E A R E R
_^ ..." --              ___-_I-                                                                           ^.-
effect that  Classis Grand Rapids  Vl'est  be upheld implied        "(2)    Wegeert het ambt der geloovigen, dat in zulke
a disapprobation of the work done by Prof. Volbeda and bijzondere gevallen in werking dient te treden;
his committee which in turn amounted to a declaration                "(3) Ook door  rfe hiervoor aangevoerde  artikelen
that the deposition of a consistory by a  classis is unlaw- der Kerkenorde  niet wofdt geeischt  ; en
ful. On the other hand the acceptance of the  motion.to             "(4) In beginsel het  recht der `reformatie aantast.
approve of the  tiork done by  Classis Grand Rapids West                                               D. Zwier,
equaled the assertion to the effect that a consistory may .                                            D. D. Bonnema,
and can be deposed by a classis.                                                                       H. Keegstra,
       Synod's doings, it is clear, are constituted of con-                                            G. W. Hylkema."
tradictory elements. Synod said ,nay and yea relative the            One more delegate protested :
same matter.        It  .must not be supposed that Synod's           "Ik protesteer tegen het voorstel juist aangenomen in
strange behavior is without a reason. In the previous betrekking het afzetten door  Classis Grand Rapids West
year, let it be repeated,  Classis Grand Rapids West had          van kerkeraden, op de volgende gronden:
deposed two consistories. Whereas Synod upheld what,                 "(1) Een verloochening van het  recht van  refor-
                                                                                          -..
in a formal sense it had denounced, the conclusion is             matie;
altogether warranted that the chief concern of a certain             "(3) Aanranding van het ambt hetwelk  Christus
group delegated to Synod was not truth and righteousness, heeft ingesteld ;
but the reputation of  Classis Grand Rapids West and the             "(3) Een beginsel van geloofsvervolging.
stabilization of the victory scored by this  classis over the                                            J. Ten Harmsel."
?;o-called Danhof-Hoeksema faction in the Church. This               I't is the  copviction of Rev. G. Hoeksema that an  indi-
accounts for the conclusion arrived at by Prof. Volbeda dividual  member of consistory  is making himself guilty
and the committee which he counseled. I am now doing of rebellion and severing the denominational tie when
the permissible thing, namely, judging the tree by-its he rejects  synodical and classical decisions. Fact is, we
fruit. Volbeda should have cried put: "Brethren. you are          were deposed for doing this very thing. Let us hear
two-faced;  you are  .exhibiting  a malicious spirit  !" As it Hoeksema on the matter. "It may be  w,ell at this point
is he kept silent. Likewise his colleagues. Volbeda must to take our longitude and latitude- and see whither our
not respond by saying that the acceptance of the sub- little boat of Reformed Church Polity has drifted. Pro-
stitute motion implied an  actual  rejection of his report. ceeding from the seemingly innocent starting point that
Fact is, that when Synod approved of the  p-roposition            the institute of the Church is `purely local, we have
embodied in the stubstitute motion it at once approbated arrived at a system of church government that permits a
nearly the entire contents of the report. The point is, consistory, according  to ecclesiastical law,  to reject  syn-
then, that Synod,  in a  formal   sense, rejected what it odical and classical decisions without making  itself
actually accepted. This was done knowingly and with  & guilty of rebellion and without  the~necessity of severing
purpose.        Synod, while determined  to, uphold  Classis the denominational tie."
Grand Rapids West, feared and therefore refused to                   It needs no argument that this is congregationalism
assume the responsibility of Volbeda's view.          This is of the purest wool. If this view be correct, then all
true of at least some. Others cared very little whether action against Hoeksema and his consistory was a viola-
the report was accepted or rejected as long as Synod. tion of the  denomisational  contract (see his brochure,
upheld  Classis Grand Rapids West. This, we insist; is p.  33)..~ According to G. Hoeksema then the above  prot-'
the only solution of the strange phenomenon that Synod estants have  seirered  the denominational tie.
opened the front door to the proposition which it had                PLs to the above protests we are at one with the
just dismissed with a swift kick out of the back door. grounds adduced. The first of the two protests, however,
The proposition was set on its feet again and helped to           contains a clause which should have been omitted. It
the front door where it stood knocking. The occupants, reads  : "Ofschoon dankbaar dat de Synode de conclusies
without a moment's delay, open the door and say:  "Cer- met de gronden van het rapport der Comm. van  Prae-
tainiy, come in ! Happy to have  you  !"                          advies  niet aaritwaardde, kunnen  zij,`J etc.
       P, -few of the delegates protested. Their protest reads       Fact is, that when Synod passed the substitute motion
as follows :                                                      it approved by that very  act practically the  entiie con-
       "Ondergeteekenden  protqsteeren  tegen bovenstaand tents of Volbeda's report, for the reason that the con-
besluit inzake de afzetting van kerkeraden door  een van clusion arrived at by Volbeda, differs not from the prop-
onze classes. Ofschoon dankbaar dat de Synode de  con- osition incorporated in the substitute motion.                    This
clusie met de gronden van  hetsrapport  van de commissie motion was, let it be repeated, to uphold  Classis Grand
van praeadvies niet aanvaardde, kunnen zij  zich  niet:  ver- Rapids West in its `action of deposing the consistories of
eenigen met het besluit inzake het  concrect geval, dat Kalamazoo and Hope. The conclusion arrived at by the
hiermede verbonden werd, omdat naar hunne  rxrertui-              professor was that a  classis can depose a consistory. The
ging zulk een afzetting van kerkeraden:                           fact that Synod approved the application of Volbeda's
       "(1)    Strijdt met de beginselen van het Gereformeerd principles to  a concrete case goes to show that the rejec-
kerkverband volgens  Schrift en belijdenis;                       tion of these principles was but an ostentation, a  preten-


                                .   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             1si

tion. To accept Volbeda's conclusion is to accept at once    deeds. His booklet represents a mighty attempt on his
the antecedent propositions. This will be made plain in part to convince the Church that the doctrinal  impiica-
the sequence.  ..Is it a wonder, then, that when we dis- tions of rhe procedure which he so vehemently had advo-
covered in the protest of these protestants the assertion cated are  tru;. The attempt, however, ends in a dismal
to the effect that they are thankful that Synod refrained failure. A hasty  rea'ding  of the booklet is sufficient to
from indorsing these antecedent propositions the thought convince the reader that the sole motive of the author  is
arose in our soul : " Ze (the four pi-otestants)  kletsen maar to defend, whether right or wrong, the action  &ken by
Fat."'                                                       Classis Grand Rapids West. He endeavors to make it
    Further, the four protestants voice their disapproval appear that the principles permeating our Reformed..
of the passing of the  subsritute  motion. It is well that Church Polity permit no other procedure. As can be
they did so. They should also, however, have publicly `expected in a case of this kind the pages of the booklet
decried the Jesuitism of Synod, and its determination to are filled with reasonings which partake of the nature of
uphold  Classis Grand Rapids West whether-right or Bophistry:  Now it requires some skill to succeed in the
wrong. One may be of the conviction that the views attempt  ro give unto untruth the appearance of truth.
advocated by Prof. Volbeda are correct and therefore fee1 Hoeksema evidently lacked this skill, for his reasonings
constrained to champion them. In doing so, such a one, are so very palpably fallacious. What is more he
according to our conviction errs.     However, when a repeatedly undermines his own argumentations. In fact
group  of persons, more or less  co&inced  of the falla- with one blow he demolishes the structure which he
ciousness of certain views, approve nevertheless of their reared. These are strong statements, I know. Yet, as
application to specific cases in order to perpetuate a vic- we shall see, it is the truth.        .
tory  - such persons commit a grave sin. The Synod of           This brochure of  G. Hoeksema together with Prof.
,1926 committed this sin. And against this horrible sin Volbeda's report we shall subject to a careful scrutiny.
every honest delegate  shotild  -have raised a voice of The ostensible fallacies of these two writings shall be
protest.                                                     exposed. This having been done we shall present the
    We are altogether warranted, then, in concluding plain truth about our Reformed Church Polity.
that Synod, when it decided to uphold  Classis Grand
Rapids West, was impelled to so decide not by a love            L,et  us  set out by first directing our attention to  the
for what it regarded to be truth bur by a desire to make brochure of G. Hoeksema. It was Prof.  W. Heyns who
effective forever the dismissal of an element hot desired. supplied the booklet- with a preface. Its opening para-
    Thus we have traced the course of events leading up graph is interesting. It reads: "Deze brochure van Rev.
to the appearance of Volbeda's report and the  pcssing  by G. Hoeksema met een enkel woord in te Ieiden is mij een
Synod of a substitute  mot&n the doctrinal implications aangename taak. Dar ik haar met zeer groot genoegen
of which are, according to our  cdnviction in violent con- gelezen heb, behoef ik zeker niemand, die kerkelijk  mee-
flict with the principles incorporated in God's holy Word leeft, te zeggen. Met zeer groot genoegen, niet alleen
and our Reformed Confession.                                 omdat ik met den inhoud zoo geheel kan instemmen, en
    We decided to dissect, the Lord willing, the report daarin gegeven wordt een  duidelijke,  degelijke,  princi-
of Prof. Volbeda. The pieces together with our remarks pieele  behandeiing van het onderwerp, eene behandeling
we shall present to the readers of "The Standard Bearer'? die getuigt van ernstige  ,studie,  van een onbevangen
for inspection. There is still another little work which oordeel, en van volle overtuiging . . . . Wat kan het voor
we think ought to  .be divided and examined minutely, mij anders zijn dan een oorzaak van groote blijdschap,
viz., the brochure of Rev. G. Hoeksema bearing the title: de krachtige steun te ontvangen van een onzer  vooraan-
"CAN A  CLASSIS  DEPOSE A CONSISTORY?"  The staande predikanten, en van zijn hand een brochure te
booklet was written under the stress of circumstances. lezen, waarin hij als vrucht van een door zelfstandige
It was especially G. Hoeksema who had insisted upon studie en onderzoek gerijpte  overtuiiing, dezelfde  begin-
the deposition of the consistories of Hope and  Kalama- selen voorstaat en verdedigt, die eveneens niet anders
zbo I. He it was who had  ptompted  Classis Grand Rap- clan door zelfstandig werk de mijne waren  geworden, zoo-
ids West to take this action. Imagine the dismay of this danig dat ik niet anders kon dan ze aanvaarden als begin-
brother when the question as  ro  whether a consistory can selen van inderdaad Gereformeerd kerkrecht, zooals dat
 be deposed by a  classis drew forth a double and con- met name uir onze aloud& Kerkenorde wordt gekend . . . .
tradictory report from the committee to whom the mat- Van ganscher harte hoop ik dan ook, dat door de  broe-
ter had been submitted for study by the Synod of 1924. tieren,  Predikanten en Ouderlingen vooral, met allen ernst
Think of how the nomination of rhat avowed and influ- van deze brochure kennis  zal  worden  genomen, en dat
 ential opponent of his -- Dr. Van Lonkhuyzen  - for men het de moeite waardig zal achten de aangevoerde
 the chair of Practical Theology, must have still  more argumenten zorgvuidig en met een onbevangen oordeel  te
disturbed his peace of mind. No doubt it was the secret osenvegen  . . . . `Het is een bijzondere verdienste van Rev.
 fear that eventually his opponents might succeed in (G.) Hoeksema's brochure,  dat zij in hoofdzaak gewijd
opening the eyes of the Church ro the errors of his doings is  aan toetsing der heginselen. Daarbij  levert hij sreeds
 which incited Hoeksema to arise to the defense of his .bewijzen, en dat doorgaans bewijzen die, am se te  kmncn


  182                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                ._-. ____--I-~.-                             -_              ~l__^.lll-                  -.-
  heoordeelen, Get meer vordersn  dan bet noodige gezond  ver- average man hardly knows what to think.  SeveraI months
 stand."                                                             before the Synod of Assen took the action that so sur-
         We are heartily at one with this last statement.             prised us, Rev. Van  Dellen had testified in public court
         That the appearance of Hoeksema's brochure im-               that a  classis  can depose or remove from office a  con-
 mensely pleased the professor is wh'at could be expected. sistory.
  Further, elsewhere in his preface he agrees with  Hoek-                "And this brother claims to be in agreement with Dr.
 sema  (G.`) that the so-called "Doleantie beginselen," which Van Lonkhuyzen, yea, publicly states that he can thank
 are also ours, imply  .an unintentional, yet terrible, denial God for such a leader.
 of Christ's Kingship. We maintain, on the other hand,                   "Dr. H. Bouman, of the Netherlands, is now defending
 and we shall prove it, that Prof. Heyns is terribly mis- the action of Synod in deposing a consistory by an appeal
  taken about the quality of the contents of Hoeksema's to Rutgers. The Geelkerken faction is condemning this
brochure and the correctness of both his and Hoeksema's action also with an appeal to Rutgers. -4nd  Rutgers is
 views.                                                            .s. the great authority to whom Dr. Van Lonkhuyzen ap-
         Turning now to the brochure we may learn from peals. And Dr. Bouman formerly taught that the de-
  the opening paragraphs of the first chapter that the news position of a consistory was all wrong."
 of the deposition of Geelkerken's consistory by the Synod               The readers are now told of the change of attitude of
 of Assen comforted and cheered the author. Says he: Rev.  H. Hoeksema towards Van Lonkhuyzen. "What,"
 "The reception of the news, in this country, of the de- so the author asks,  "has Van Lonkhuyzen written dur-
  position of  Geelkerken"s  consistory by the Synod of ing the last year that has turned H. Hoeksema into an
 `4ssen!  almost rose to.the heights of a dramatic event. . . . enthusiastic advocate of his views?"
 It gave joy to many.. . . A dramatic surprise, for various              "But there  is  more," says the writer, "Prof. Heyns
 reasons.       Fi.rst, this news comes to our people at the has taught at our school for a quarter of a century or
 psychological moment. Our next Synod must decide on more. No official charge was ever brought against him.
 this question. And two contradictory reports are before The curatorium gave at least silent approval to his prin-
 US.      zind  now a voice comes to" us from across the waters, ciples and teaching. But now it has nominated for the
 bidding us not  to  fear that the deposition of a consistory chair of Practical Theology Dr. Van Lonkhuyzen, who
 is un-reformed."                                                    holds that Heyns' position is fundamentally wrong." So
         Hereupon the author directs the attention of his far  Hoekse,ma  (G.).
 readers to  `fthe elements of contrast that enter in  ; to the          Let us now comment upon the data presented above.
 confusion and contradiction presented by the facts." Says It is a fact that the Synod of Assen deposed Geelkerken's
 he: "Not so long ago the sword of church discipline was consistory. Hoeksema (G.) would have us believe, how-
 brandished in the-face of those who believed in this kind ever, that the action taken by this Synod was identical to
 of action (deposition of consistory by  classis or synod). the action taken by  Classis Grand Rapids  Ci'est  against
 Today such methods are shamed, and by the very author- the consistories of Hope and Kalamazoo: Hoeksema
 ities to whom appeal was made. . . . For the Netherlands leaves the impression, that the Synod of  :2ssen when
 Synod has, by its action, repudiated the teachings of its           it deposed Geelkerken's  cons&tory   indorsed  by that
 own leaders in the field of Church Polity.  -4nd that is very act the principles of Church government with
 the great significant fact that must stand before our ivhich  he (Hoeksema) appeared before the church pub-
 minds, now that our'first surprise is over. The Synod of lic in his brochure. The booklet abounds in statements
 Assen has done what the authorities in the Netherlands from which most readers will conclude that the course of
 had, since the Doleantie, condemned as hierarchy. action to which  a4ssen committed itself is identical to
  Formerly  - so the author continues  - it  w&s  considered that of  Classis Grand Rapids West. The mere announce-
 fundamentally un-reformed to depose a consistorp, ment that Assen deposed a consistory is sufficient to lead
  rhrough  classical or  synodical action. Now it is evidently most of  us  to believe that Hoeksema (G.) has the present
 considered fundamentally Reformed.          In other  ,words, authorities in the Netherlands on his side; and that they
 there has been a change of opinion in the Netherlands are at one with his principles of Church government.
 on fundamentals.. . . And let it not escape our attention Nothing is further from the truth, however. It is true
 that this action is not an isolated phenomenon. There enough that the action of the Synod of Assen was a
 are various indications that point to a breakdown in the repudiation of the proposition that the deposition of a
 Doleantie-system both here and in the Netherlands.  -4nd consistory by  classis or synod is unlawful. Dr.  IX H.
 as is inevitably the case, this breakdown has resulted in Kuyper formerly said : "En dan zij in de eerste  plaats
a situation which is very confusing. Yea, it is hardly an opgemerkt, dat een  classis of  synode niet het  recht heeft
  exaggeration to speak of a condition of chaos in the zonder meer om een kerkeraad of een aantal  kerkeraads-
 sphere of Reformed Church Polity."                                  leden  uit hun ambt te zetten. Een dergelijke  bisschop-
         In the sequence of this chapter the confused situation pelijke of hierarchische  ma&t komt  aan de meerdere
 in our own land is described. The writer continues as vergaderingen niet roe." And Dr. Van Lonkhuyzen also
 follows : "Consider the following facts, all of them taken quotes Dr. Bouwman to  this,effect:   "Uw vraag of ik ooit
  together presenting such a confused situation, that  the* in mijn colleges zou gezegd hebben dat eene  classis een


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                lS3
                                                                 ^-___I_.-.-_^-.-..-
  kerkeraad  zou kunnen afzetten, bevreemdt me eenigszins.        to Hoeksema's comment.  Says he: "In other words it is
  Ik  herinner me niet dit ooit te hebben geleerd, en ik zou said the Synod recognized the right of the consistory to
  zeggen dat dit onmogelijk  is"`(Quoted from G.  Hoekse-         sever Church relations. And had the consistory done
  ma's brochure, p.  `99). Dr. Bouwman now seeks to prove         so, it would not have been deposed. Classis West, on the
  that it is legal to depose a consistory (see "De  Reforma-      other hand, did not  recdgnize  the right of Kalamazoo  I
  tie, April 2).                                                  and Hope to sever church relations. So  there'  is a  dif-
     The Synod of Assen, then, did what also in the pre- "ference" (Brochure, p. 98).
  ceding decades was rightfully deemed unlawful. This                Hoeksema admits then that there is a difference, and
  Synod deposed a consistory. It must not be supposed,            the tenet constituting the difference is so very funda-
  however, that in doing so this Synod meant and actually         mental that it forms the boundary line between Reformed
  did deny the tenets of the Church Polity of  Voetius  and       Church Polity and that of the Roman Catholic Church.
  Rutgers. Exactly this is the contention of G. Hoeksema.         In other words, the Church Polity of Hoeksema differs
  Says he: "The Reformed Churches of the Netherlands              essentially from that of the brethren across the sea.
  are evidently in the throes of what may become a                   Let  US  now quote Dr. Bouwman in -"De Bazuin"
* mighty ecclesiastical civil war. The warning the Synod          (March 26) : "Het geval had  zich nu kunnen voordoen,
  directed to all the classes to at once proceed to depose        dat de kerkeraad van Amsterdam-Zuid den band met de
  any consistory that sided with Geelkerken has an ominous andere kerken had verbroken. Dan  hadden  de  Classis of
  sound. It tells us all too plainly that the Synod some-         Synode de leden  van den uitgetreden kerkeraad niet kun-
  what feared that the rebellion would spread, yea, that          nen afzetten, want de Kerk oordeelt niet over degenen
  the whole denomination might be disrupted. ,  An< in            die buiten zijn."  Hoeksema's comment reads as follows:
  such a crisis  all the former theories, dating back to          "The logic therefore is as follows: a consistory has the
  Doleantie  times, could not save the Church. Indeed, they       right `to leave, but if it doesn't, it is deposed. But this
  were danger&s. The situation was reversed  now: There is a most  iticonsistent  position," so Hoeksema continues,
  was a danger from- below, not from above. The general           "fey  if the consistory has the legal right to leave, then
  Church and `its authority must save the day. With the           the denomination is  con&ved   of  as a  con.federation.   And
  mutterings of possible rebellion all about them, it would then in case the consistory refuses to leave or to submit,
  have been ecclesiastical suicide to speak the language the only power the federation has is to declare, as  Classis
  of former days. The Synod at  ,4ssen got into the               East did, that the consistory by its own attitude or acts
  psychology of the system we defended long before it             has severed the bond. A consistory that has  the legal
  proceeded to depose a consistory. It speaks with the            right to leave can never be deposed. On the other hand,
tone of authority. It never hesitates. Sometimes even             if a consistory does not possess this right, then the
  it moves with surprising swiftness. For there is danger. general Church may not recognize it as a legal act'. Then
  Schism threatens the body of the Church. It  ~must be           that very attitude. is schism, rebellion and must be cen-
  opposed. It must be called sin, not a legal right. It sured.  When, therefore, the brethren  i,n the  Netherlands
  must be censured ;. . . Let us get over our surprise, and slip in the sentence,  `e-n  zich  tech in  het kerkverband  wil
  thank God for the great moral courage of our Nether- handhaven,' they are clinging desperately to the phraseology
  lands brethren to repudiate their own teachings, and for of  a system  that they repudiate when they depose a  con-
  their love for Christ's Church that proved stronger than        sistory."  So far Hoeksema.
  love of self.     And let us hope that they will frankly           The brethren by no means slipped in a sentence.
` admit that they have changed" (Brochure, p.  100).              They meant exactly  That  they said. They cling to the
      This last statement which expresses  Hoeksema+              phraseology of the old system because they still believe
  hope to the effect that the brethren in the Netherlands         in that system as much as ever, even though they do
  may frankly admit that they have changed is significant. attempt to defend Assen's action. The brethren across the
  It-is an admission on the part of Hoeksema  (G.) that           sea, as Hoeksema  (G.) correctly observes, maintain that
  these brethren have not yet admitted that they changed.         a consistory has the legal right to sever the denomin-
  Have they not actually changed? The truth of the mat-           ational tie. These men actually do conceive of the denom-
  ter is that they no longer regard the deposition of a  con- ination as a confederation of churches. Hoeksema (G.)
  sistory by  classis as a mode of procedure incongruous          himself proved conclusively that the Church Polity of the
  with the tenets of the Church Polity of Kuyper and Rut-         brethren across the sea differs most essentially from
  gers. The so-called Rutgers system lies as close to             that of his. For it must be borne  in  mind that these
  their heart today as ever.                                      quotations from "De Bazuin," etc., are all found in  Hoek-
      Hoeksema  himself admits (p. 98 of the brochure) a          sema's brochure. Amazing! On one page he tells his
  difference between what was done in the Netherlands and         readers that the Synod of Assen got into the psychology
  the action of  Classis West. The following quotation is of the system he (Hoeksema) defends long before it pro-
  somewhat expressive of this difference : "Indien de classis     ceeded to depose a consistory, that therefore it was at
  van Amsterdam-Zuid de schorsing niet  erkent en  zich           one with his system of Church Government. On the
  tech in het kerkverband will handhaven dan  zullen"  etc.       following page he proves most effectively that his sys-
  ("De Reformatie,, March 19, 1926). Let us now attend            tem differs most essentially from that of the delegates


184                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D  BEAfiER
._.. ^ ^ ^ ^._"...^"  "..                        -.
to the Synod of Assen. Here we have one example `of                        Let us now ascertain the task to which Hoeksema set
how  Ilo&sema  repeatedly turns against himself in his                  himself.  X statement of this task is found on page 14.
brochure. It would seem that he fails to sense the real                 We present the following selection: "And finally, now
meaning and implications of both his own statements                     that the Synod at Assen has repudiated the  teachings(  ?)
and those of the men he quotes. Hoeksema rejoiced when                  formerly held so dear, is it not time that we here in
the news of the action of the Synod at Assen reached                    America  do  a little thinking  of  OUT   own, and try to dig
him. There was no need of that, however, for he and                     our way through the confusing mass of opinions and
the brethren across the sea are as far apart as the-two                 quotations and so-called  principl,es until we again have
poles as to their views on Church Polity.                               firm ground under our feet?
       Hoeksema also directs the attention of his readers  to              "TO this task we have set ourselves in this brochure."
the condition of chaos in the sphere of Reformed Church                    Hoeksema  CC;:), then, set himself to the task of doing
Polity at home. He cites the behavior of Rev. Van  Del- a little thinking.  ilnd sure enough, the brother did do a
len in court. This man though claiming to be in agree- little thinking  - very little. "We do not propose," so he
ment with Dr. Van Lonkhuyzen, testified in court that continues, "merely to give a practical answer to the prac-
a  classis  can depose a consistory.  A confusing situation.            tical question, whether a  classis (or synod) can depose
Why  did Van  Dellen turn against his own theolies? a consistory. Still less do we intend to prove our point
Hoeksema has the answer: "There was something wrong merely by quotations from  authorities  and nothing more.
with these views so that they could not be used in' L.et  us  face the plain facts that the authorities are
court" (Brochure, p. 14). Here you have the reason for repudiating their own theories( ?). And the brighter side
the condition of  choas  at home. Hoeksema (G.) and his                 of this rather discouraging and confusing phenomenon is
fellow-s were no longer asking:  LIThat is right and truth? this, that we will now get back to our official documents,
but what is expedient, what pays? When Van  Dellen was to our Confession, our Church Order, and last but not
restifying  in court and when Hoeksema (G.) was  think-                 least to our Formula of Subscription.
`ing out his system of Church Polity, they both had the                    "And as we read their clear simple language, so simple
Church properties of the deposed consistories in their that an ordinary layman can understand it, it will become
eye. The chief concern of Hoeksema and his fellows was increasingly plain to us that some of our leaders have,
the property rights of  .$he faithful few. This is evident no doubt unknowingly, led us  toward the far country of
from the pages of `his booklet. We present the follow-                  Congregational Independentism."
ing selections. "The fact remains that the Doleantie                       A comnion layman, says Hoeksema, can understand
people got nowhere in court.. . . Finally, let it not be it. That he were, then, a common layman in order that'
forgotten that the method used would be very dangerous he might understand. "The confusion," says Hoeksema
for the  `Ioyal element in any Church, in a state where the             (G.)> "that has arisen will be seen as inevitable, the result
;irticles of Incorporation are not as in Michigan. The of the commingling of two elements (Congregationalism
real protection of the loyal element, if this method is and Presbyterianismj that cannot go together. And we
used, is given by the state, not by the  classis.             Surely    will feel the need of returning to a truly Reformed con-
this is self-evident. The consistory has control  ,of the ception of the authority of the Divine Institution of the
property.                    Now then, according to  this method, the Church of Jesus Christ." Brother Hoeksema writes a
recalcitrant consistory is deprived merely of its denom- nice style.
inational fellowship, not of its consistory rights. Go into                We also know now his method. Hoeksema does not
court with that plain statement of the case, and without intend to prove his point merely by `quotations from
good Articles of Incorporation, based on the system we authorities. He is going to do a little thinking.
defend, and the local consistory will keep its property.                   `Let us now turn to chapter 11 of the brochure. The
 But even here in  hIichi<gan we should not adopt this author sets out  by,stating  the issue. He proceeds as fol-
method. It is safe because of the protection the state                  lows:  "What action must be taken with respect to a  con-
gives to the loyal element. But the rights of the loyal- sistory that refuses to obey classical and  synodical deci-
ists should be protected by the Church, not merely by sions? Must it be deposed as  Classis Grand Rapids West
the state. We may not say,, we will let the state do                    did with the advice of the Theological Faculty, in the
what we don't dare to do" (Brochure,  p. 96).                           case of the consistories of Kalamazoo I and Hope? Or
        The entire behavior of  cIa&is  and of the  so-cafled does the recalcitrant consistory, by its refusal to obey,
loyal element exhibited that same spirit of aggrandize- itself sever the denominational tie? PLnd must the classis
ment. They took absolutely all.                                         then merely recognize this state of affairs and deprive the
     The Synod at  -4ssen   shawed a different temper. The consistory of the rights and privileges of denominational
fact that it conceded the right of the unyielding  con- fellowship as  Classis Grand Rapids East did in the Hoek-
sistory to sever the denominational tie, meant that it sema case ?
was of a mind to keep its hand off from this consistory's                  "It should be understood from the outset that these
properties. And so it did. This matter was brought to two methods are essentially different.                           Classis  E a s t
a peaceful  set.tlement  by the local congregation. The meant to  do something-very different, and actually did
property was divided.                                                   something very different from what Classis West did . . . .


                                                                                                            .

                                      TIiE  S T A N D A R D  BE,4RER   "                                                                 185
__---- ---".--_^  ._... ".._                          -_"  ^  ^  ".."  .._.  ^."               _".."  .._..-..---
Suffice it to say in this connection, that the controversy                          "It  needs  no argument (Hoeksema) that if these
that has arisen among us concerns -the question what three propositions are correct,  the.  deposition of  a  con-
action the ecclesiastical court must take,  ,when  a  con- sistory by  Classis or Synod is out of the question."  (We
sistory is recalcitrant. We are dealing here with a ques-                quite agree, G. M. 0.) "We hope to prove, however, that
tion in Church Polity. And from this ecclesiastical view- each of these so-called principles is un-Reformed.  Xnd.
point  Classis East took an altogether different action                  in so doing, the true principles of Presbyterial Church
from that of its neighboring  classis.  I                                Government will emerge into clear view. And in the
   "And there can be no doubt that it meant to do some- light of the principles, the deposition of a consistory by
thing very different. . . . Some years back  Classis Mus-                major assemblies will be seen to be fully justified.
kegon deposed the Bultema consistory. The professor                                 "A. Ecclesiastical ties rest on voluntary consent,
in Church Polity at our Seminary has always sponsored                    and can therefore be  ,legitimately  severed when it is
this this kind of action.                                                so desired.
   Notwithstanding all this,  Classis East struck out on                            "Dr. H.  H; Kuyper," so the author continues,
a different path. It evidently (or perhaps I should say, "recently discussed this idea in an article on `De Vrije
its leading men) did not approve the old method. And                     Toestemming' in  De  Heraut   (Jan. 3, 1926).  - He says :
Classis East could avoid the stigma of  hierarchy(   ?) only `Het  nil sine  consenszts   p<ebis, niets zonder de vrijwillige
by taking an action that was essentially different from toestemming van de gemeenteleden, is daarom de gulden
deposition.                                                              regel, die heel ons kerkrecht beheerscht.              (Quite true,
   "Moreover, the difference between the two kinds of G. M. 0,). Zelfs geldt dit niet alleen ten opzichte van de
action is very plain and simple. Deposition officially gemeenteleden en de ambtsdragers, de toetreding tot en
deprives a consistory and its  individua1  members of all het verlaten van de gemeente, het  zich stellen onder de
the rights and privileges belonging to their office. The kerkelijke tucht, maar ook ten opzichte van het  verband
other method leaves the consistory in office, but deprives               der kerken onderling . . . . Geen Synode kan daarom een
it of those rights and privileges that flow from denomin- kerk dwingen in dit verband  opgenomen te worden,  even-
ational fellowship.  Classis West-said to the consistories min als zij haar beletten kan dit  verband  te verbreken.'
of Kalamazoo I and Hope, `you are no longer in office.'                             "Ruyper  agrees, of course, (Hoeksema, G.) rhat ac-
Classis East, on the other hand, said to the consistory of cording to divine law, it is every Christian's duty to seek
Eastern Ave., `you remain a legal consistory, but we and establish and maintain continued relations with the
hereby declare you a consistory outside the Christian Church. And it i's sin before God," he says, "to sever
Reformed Church'." So far Hoeksema. (G.).                                the tie, or to refuse obedience to ecclesiastical authority."
   The above statement of the issue is very clear and to But he adds, `beide wat naar kerkelijk recht geldt en wat
the point. No one could improve upon it.  Classis East wat naar Goddelijk recht onze verplichting is, heeft men
did indeed mean to do something very different from                      prcMrn;;l  te o'nderscheiden.' . (Kuyper is quite right,
Classis Grand Rapids West.                                                   * .            *. In other words,  m ecclesiastical law the
   Let us now return to the brochure. We again quote right  ro separate must' remain undisputed.
the following: "No discussion of the question whether a                             "Dr. A. Kuyper took the same position years ago in
consistory can be deposed by  classis or synod can bear                  his `Separafie en' Doleantie.' He says (p. 19) :  `Geeste-
any fruit unless it enters into a  raiher  thorough consid- lijk is de regel dus eenvoudig deze: Geen breuke tenzij
eration of the principles involved. To this task we set Gods Woord of de oprechtheid dit eischt. Kerkreclitelijk
ourselves in this brochure. , And we hope to show con- daarentegen is het recht tot verbreking van het  aange-
clusively that the principles underlying the denial of the               gane  verband  in beginsel onbetwist.' And on page 20
right of  Classis or Synod to depose a consistory are thor-               he says: `Omdat het  instituut  steunde op vrijwillige
oughly unreformed,  yea:  in plain conflict with our Con- stipulatien, moet ook het recht tot verbreking van het
fession, our Church Order, and  esp.ecially  with our For- verband  we1 in beginsel erkend  worden.'
mula of Subscription." Well, brother Hoeksema (G.), we                              "Against this view," says Hoeksema (G.),  `(we submit
shall see.                                                                the following objections."
    We again quote: "The view that a  Classis or Synod                              (1) Even the premise from' which the whole argu-
has no power to depose a consistory proceeds from the                     ment proceeds is not correct. Not all ecclesiastical ties
following three propositions, all from their very nature                  are the result of voluntary act. Baptized members are
of a very fundamental character:                                          members of the Church institute, even though incom-
    "A. Ecclesiastical ties rest on voluntary consent, plete members. Our Synod holds that "unfaithful bap-
and can therefore legitimately be severed when it is so                   tized members become the object of church discipline."
desired  ;                                                                Surely, discipline is exercised only by the Church insti-
    "B. The institute of the Church is purely local;                      tute and only upon members. And yet all must agree
    "C. Ecclesiastical authority, in the first instance and               that only baptized members never become such through
in the last analysis, resides with the congregation, not a voluntary act.
with the office-bearers,                                                            `(2)    Even if we waive this point for the sake of argu-


    186          .'                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R  :
                                          _._^  ..." ..." ..- -^ "~."~           -"..".._-.-  -.._._             --.- -... "- ..-_
    ment, the conclusions contained in the above quotations steld, en ze met macht over ons bekleed, waarom we ons
    do not follow from the premise. Dr. A. Kuyper  con- aan hun toezicht hebben te onderwerpen." This  is? of
    tends that the right to sever the tie must be admitted course, sound Reformed Doctrine. But how the view we
    because it was the result of a voluntary act. But this are here analyzing and criticizing can be harmonized
    does not necessarily follow. This would be the case            with the principles involved in this last quotation is  be-
    only if it were an absolute axiom that any tie  volun-         yond our understanding.
    tarily established could also be severed at will.                 The two aspects of Dr.  Kuyper"s  position are in  con-
        But this is not true in the sphere of divine relations,    Aict, the one with the other. The Church we are told,
    and for that matter not even true of ties that are in a        speaks with the authority of Christ. And yet the law of
    sense purely human. The thirteen American colonies,            that Church must permit and legalize what Christ  con-
    for instance, founded the American commonwealth, these  `demns. There is a conflict here between divine law and
    United States of America. But they established an  indis-      ecclesiastical law which cannot satisfy the Christian
    soluble union. Once in it, no American-state can secede  ' thinker,
    or withdraw. In a word it is very well possible, through        If the Church is clothed with the authority of Christ,
    an act that is purely voluntary, to establish a tie that       then `it, for that very reason, has the right and the duty
    can never again be legally broken.                             to condemn in its law what Christ condemns. Else its
        And this is especially true in the sphere of divine divine authority means nothing. It is a pious phrase
    relations.  ,Dr. H. H. Kuyper, in De Heraut article from hanging in the air; but not applied in practice.
    which we have already quoted, refers to the marriage              If the Church be a divine institution from which God
    tie to illustrate his point. God demands, so he reasons, forbids men to withdraw, then the Church must deny
    that the marriage tie  .be sought and established. But no that right to its members. . It has not only the authority
    human authority can force any one to act in conformity         to do this  ;-- it is the solemn duty of the Church to con-
    with this Divine law. No one, of course, would disagree demn in ecclesiastical law what it knows stands con-
    with this reasoning. But that is not the point to be demned by Divine law. Else the Church no longer speaks
p r o v e d .                                                      to its members and through  2s rules in the name of
        What must be proved is that after the tie is estab- Christ and in conformity with His will. Then the rules
    lished, it can be legitimately severed. Surely no Reformed of the Church permit and legalize what Christ con-
    man would  defe'nd such a proposition, least of all Dr. demns.
    Kuyper. Except on the one Biblical ground of adultery,                (4) The view we are here criticizing involves an
    we are all agreed that the severance of the marriage tie unintentional but nevertheless terrible denial of the
  ' is not only wrong in God's sight, but should not be Kingship of Christ. We are all agreed that the one great
    recognized -as legal by the Church, yea, not even by the       dominating principle of Reformed Church Polity is  the.
    state. It is a divine tie, severanceof which is condemned kingship of Jesus Christ over His Church. But here
    by both Divine and human law. In a word, the  illusfra-        again we must not be satisfied with a phrase. We must
    tion Dr.  H, H. Kuyper uses proves the very opposite of give it real content; we must make it mean something,
    what he contends.                                              yea, everything in practical Church government. In a
        And when Dr. A. Kuyper contends that the right to word,.we must let the will of Christ speak through the
    sever any ecclesiastical tie must be admitted because it rules of the Church.
    was voluntarily established, his reasoning involves a log-        We must  condem; in ecclesiastical law whatever we
    ical fallacy. He proceeds from a supposed axiom that is know that Christ the King condemns. And then with
    not an axiom at all. For as we have conclusively shown, all respect for the superior learning of the brethren from
    it is-very well possible, especially in the sphere of rela- whom we differ, we will, for the honor of Christ the  I
    tions divinely established, and even in more purely hu- King, reject the so-called Reformed principle that eccle-
    man relations, to establish ties that can never be legally siastical law can ever legalize what Christ the King
    broken.                                                        condemns.
        (3) The question whether one can legitimately with-           We would emphasize in this connection the word
    draw from a certain organization, depends upon the char- lega&e. The question is not whether a certain member
  `  acter of the institution. And the Divine character of the can say, I resign as member or I want to resign. No one
    institution of the Church forbids and condemns all sepa-       would contend that the Church authorities could, in
    ration from it.                                                such a case, use physical force or coercion, as does the
        In De Heraut article already referred to, Dr. H.  H. state to enforce its claims. And we are all agreed, of
    Kuyper, in discussing the demands of divine law in this course, that the name of a member who persists in his
    connection, emphasizes the fact that the Church is more desire to resign cannot forever be kept on the  ,member-
    than a human institution. "De ambtsdragers," he says, ship books. On these questions there is no argument at
    "zijn geen bestuursleden eener vereeniging, door de leden      all. But they are  aIso all beside the point in issue.
    gekozen en die daaraan hun macht ontleenen, maar Chris-          , The question is simply this: Must the Church of
    tus, de Koning der Kerk, heeft  deze ambtsdragers  inge-       Jesus Christ recognize the right of withdrawal, for any
                                     Y


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                1x7
~-..-^-.ll_                   -.^  II___-  _...._  _I^                       ^.,^ -....._ -                         - - - - -   .-..._

reason whatsoever, as a legal right guaranteed by eccle-                   AREN VAN ANDERE AKKERS
siastical law? If so, the Church declares legitimate what                         Bijeenvergaard  do%r G. V.  B.
it  knows Christ the King condemns.  Bnd this is from                             Niets Nieuws onder de Zon
its very nature an impossible position. Such withdrawal
being contrary to the will of Christ the King, must result         Omtrent de dagbladpers schreef in 1833  Willem  de
in disciplinary action on the part of His Church. And Clercq, een der vrienden van Bilderdijk en van bet Reveil,
not the member's desire to resign, but only ecclesiastical en Nederlands eerste  declamator  :
censure can finally result in a `legal severance of the tie.       "De volkeren van Europa waggelen gelijk-  roerlooze
   (5) The position we here oppose is also condemned schepen, en zoeken tevergeefs naar vastheid in .een staats-
by the official teachings of  our Christian Reformed gebouw, hetwelk niet meer op de eenige waarheid van
Church.       Article XXVIII of our Confession reads in Gods Woord, maar op den wuften wil der menigte, of
part as follows: "We believe  gince this holy congrega- liever, op het  despotisme der dagbladen gegrond is,"
tion is an assembly of those who are saved and that out
of it there is no salvation, that no person of whatso-
ever state or condition he may be, ought to withdraw                                           Revolutie en  EvoIutie
himself, to live in a separate state from it; but that all         . . * . De Revolutie is na herhaalde mislukte  proefne-
men  are.in duty bound to join and unite themselves with ming in het stadium der Evolutie overgegaan.
it, maintaining the unity of the Church, submitting them-          Tech is Groen's werk ("Ongeloof en Revolutie")  daar-
selves to the doctrine and discipline thereof,"' etc.           door in  `t-minst  niet verouderd.
   The visible institute of the Church is here referred            `De vijand is van gedaante veranderd, maar niet van
to, for only of that Church, and not of the Church as a gezindheid ; beide  malen  is het de mensch, die in  alles
purely  spiritua1  body can it be said that men join them- voorop gaat; beide  malen wordt God, Zijn Woord en
selves, to it or seek to withdraw from it. -4nd we have in      Wet, buiten beschouwing  gelaten.
this article of our confession not merely an abstract              Zelfs is er, van dit standpunt bezien, geen verbetering
statement of Divine law but we have the doctrine of the maar verergering waar te nemen.
Church. We have ecclesiastical law before us. And as               Er is vooruitgang geweest, maar in den zin van  ver-
long as this article stands, it is in conflict with the law dere ontbinding.
of our Church to seek to withdraw from the Church of                       Dr. H. Bavinck in de Voorrede van Gr. v. Prin-
Christ. He who assumes this attitude acts contrary to                                 sterer's werk: Ongeloof en Revolutie.
our Confession, and is for that very reason an object of                                       Vierde Uitgave, 1913.
ecclesiastical discipline.
   And this same principle is implied in our last question
we ask prospective members, on the occasion of their                                           Onvergankelijke Eere .
public confession. It reads as follows: "Will  `you sub-
mit to Church government, and in case you should be-               De lof van tijdgenooten is kort van duur  ; de  toe-
come delinquent, to church discipline  ?' That promise, juiching van het  nageslacht  onzeker; de lauwerkrans van
if it means anything at all surely means not to withdraw den  d`ichter  verwelkt; maar wie in den Zoon gelooft,
from church discipline. By promising to submit 211, our he& het eeuwige  Ieven.
members have admitted that they have no right to with-                                                                   W. de  Clercq
draw.                                                                                           in de "Gedenkzuil voor Bilderdijk"
    And yet, that is what members often seek to do by
resigning.      They mean thereby, automatically to put a
stop to all disciplinary action. And if the consistory              De grondslag van de burgermaatschappij is het  stem-
recognizes such resignation as a legal act, it robs itself recht geworden, en het eenige cement der  samenleving
of the right to proceed further with censure.                   is het geld.  '
    But any member who claims to have that right to                                                           Groen van Prinsterer
resign is untrue to his own solemn promise. It is an                                                    in "Ongeloof en Revolutie"
unethical act and can, even if only for that reason, never
be considered legitimate within and by the Church of
Jesus Christ.                                                           Geen Gebrek  aan Patriottische  Woorden
    And the consistory that accepts such resignation and            Aan de woorden NATIE en VADERLAND is geen
thereby recognizes it legally legitimizes what it knows to gebrek.           ~
be contrary to  the-will of Christ rhe King and makes an          Maar wat is de natie, wat beteekent vaderland,  wan-
 empty farce of the solemn promise it demanded upon the neer men de  banden  vernietigt der eenheid van  geschie-
occasion of public-confession. So far Hoeksema.                 denis,  godsdienst,  zeden,  gewoonten, beginselen, tusschen
    In a following article we shall refute the entire line bet voorgeslacht en de  nakomelingsschap  ?
 of argumentation. It will then appear that it is false.                                                       Groen van Prinsterer
                                                 G. M.  0.                                              in "Ongeloof en  Revolt&e"


190                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R --I_  ._._ - ..."l___l-..-- .._ ~111
--1111-                    - ..___ --.l_ll^  .-.-         ._..... --..
              THE TREE AND ITS FRUIT                                      nature of a bad tree can only be changed by grafting,
                                                                          Regeneration changes the nature of the sinner. The
                    I      For every tree is known by his own fruit.      regenerated man is by virtue of his changed nature  like
                         For of thorns men do not gather figs nor
                         of `bramble bush gather they grapes.             unto a good tree bearing good fruit.
                                                     -Luke  634.             Every tree is known by its own fruit.  The. fruit
                                                                          characterizes the tree. This follows from the fact that
       The image of the fruit as exhibiting the nature and                the nature of the tree determines the nature of the fruit.
character of the tree is often used by our Saviour. His                   If the tree is good the fruit is good. Is the tree bad,  sot
purpose is to bring into relief the essence and form of                   too, the fruit is bad.
true Christianity over against the sham religion of the                      This is the second thought contained in the text.
scribes and pharisees. These words were also directed to                  Every tree  ti  known.  The tree reveals its inner, hidden
such in his audience who heard His words but refused to                   nature in its fruit. For this reason fruit trees are named
practice them. Of this type there were many. To such                      according to their fruits. Branches, leaves and trunk
Christ will say in the day of judgment: "Depart from Me                   may differ. The fruit trees, however, are best known
ye that work iniquity." An external piety was common                      by their fruit.
to both these hearers and to the pharisees. That our                         Every tree is known, that is, every kind of tree, the
outward deeds and words  measure'up to the standard of gcod as well as the bad. So every man is known by his
Christ is not enough. Our works must be the projection                    works. Man cannot  comp.rehend  himself or others. We
of a regenerated heart. The main spring of our action                     can know our nature and that of others. We cannot
must be love. Our works must be done through faith. penetrate into the chambers of another's heart. We may
Then do they meet with the divine approval.                               observe the issues of the heart, however. A man is turned
  Further, not only the outside but also the inside of                    inside  out by his words and deeds. A man than may
the cup must be cleansed. The source of our works is jbdge another's nature. Scripture does not forbid it.
our heart. As man is, so his works are. This is the first                    In a sense it is easier to learn to know a tree from its
thought of the text. "For every tree is known by his                      fruit than a man from his works. Sin demoralized man
own fruit."' The fruit is being regarded as an earmark                    more'than the tree. Also fruit trees, however, show a
of the tree; the works as earmark of the man. Christ                      degree of abnormality. There are the dead branches.
calls man's works, fruit. Hence, the character of a  man                  Some years trees do not bear. Or the fruit may be of an
and his works are most intimately related as well as the                  inferior quality. This does hinder us, however, from
nature of a tree and its fruit. The nature of a tree knowing the good tree by its fruit. For on the tree is
determines the nature of the fruit. As is the tree so is its found some good fruit. What is more, a bad tree does
fruit. As man is so are his works.                                        not bring forth good defective fruit.  Men  do not pluck
       There is a living. connection between a tree and its               thorns from fig trees.
fruit. The fruit is no mechanical addition of the tree.                       A greater problem is man's deceit. There are bad
To the contrary, the fruit is an outgrowth of the tree. trees bearing bad fruit which has the appearance of
The fruit is the result of vital action. It belongs to the being good fruit but which is in reality poison. Satan
nature of a fruit tree to bear fruit. A normal fruit tree                 often acts as an angel of light. Hypocrites often act as
bears fruit. The fruit tree is an image of the  spiritual-                true children of God. Sometimes it is very difficult to
ethical man. He is not merely a tree, but a tree of a                     give a reason why they are bad fruit. These, however,
definite kind. Man is a fruit tree. His words and deeds                   are exceptions. The rule is that we know the tree by  its
are his fruit. Man's fruits or works are not added to him. fruit.                                   .-
They are an outgrowth of himself. Every tree bears fruit                      Great caution should be used in determining whether
according to its kind. It means that the tree reveals itself one is a true or a false Christian. To know the true we
in its fruit. The fast- rule is that the good tree bears good must be able to judge correctly the fruit. The question
fruit. The Christian, i. e., the good man, performs good is what are good fruits. If  \ve are mistaken in our judg-
works.                                                                    ments of the fruits we shall likewise be mistaken in  our
       The nature of the tree determines the nature of the judgment of the tree.
fruit, not the soil nor the rain or the sunshine.                             In the first place, we must bear in mind that real
 Theo fig tree and the bramble bush may be rooted                         fruit nourishes. The good works of the believer must
 in the same soil and be exposed to the same influence of promote the welfare of the individual believer and of the
 rain and sunshine, yet the bramble bush will bear no figs.                congregation as a whole. To express it otherwise, these
 A tree will bear no fruit without soil, rain and sunshine. fruits-must redound to the upbuilding of the temple of
 These elements, however, do not change the nature of the                  God.
 tree or of its fruit. So it is with man. His environments                    In judging the nature of fruit we must make sure that  ,'
 may be ideal. If he is a bramble bush, however, he will we are applying the correct standard. The only standard
 bear no fruit. Rooted in good soil, exposed to rain and is God's Word. Because a fruit appears and tastes good
 sunshine he thrives  - as a bramble bush. Hence, rain is not always a sign that it is good. Good works must
 and sunshine turn  out  to be a curse unto him. The measure up to the standard of God, found in His  Word.


                                         T H E   ST~%.ND:\RD   B E A R E R                                                           191
         - . . --.---l-.^lll_-_

"  ;i work is good if it is performed through faith, according                      AREN VAN ANDERE AKKERS
 to the law and to God's glory.                                                        Bijeenvergaard door G. V.  B.
     The purpose of the fruit lies not in the  .tree. Our
 good works have their purpose not in ourselves but in                                  Omtrent  Volkssouvereiniteit
 Christ and the congregation. Fruit is grown to be used.
 As the branches of the tree as so many arms offer to                       . . . . "De volkssouvereiniteit is, in de toepassing,  beur-
 man their fruit, so the Christian offers his fruit to Christ        telings bij elke factie, welke  zich boven het  souvereine
 and the congregation.                                               volk verheft.
     A tree which bears no fruit is without  ;L  purpose.                   Het  Bewind  verneemt  niet, maar  maakt  bekcnd   wat de
 A tree bearing bad fruit is dangerous in that some, in              Algemeene Volkswil voorschrijft. De Centralisatie is
 their ignorance, may eat of it.                                     een ijzeren net over de bevolking gespreid;  duizendvou-
     Fruit may have a beautiful appearance and yet  `be              dig samenstel van snaren, dat  elken  burger bereikt; elk,
 bad fruit. Likewise the works of man. They may appear eerbiedwaardig medelid van het Souvereine  volk, in het
 good and yet be bad. Think of the prayer of the pharisee            groote Marionettenspel, doet draven en dansen op de
 on street corners. The rich young ruler said to Christ,             maat van het  Ajgemeen  Bewind.
 AAll  these things have I kept from my youth on. This                      Her  +olk heeft zaakgelastigden, maar deze  handata-
 young man was calling the attention of Christ to an  ap-            rissen under de dubbelzinnige uitdrukking van  Repre-
 parently beautiful record. Yet, it was all bad fruit. Then          sentanten, gaan te werk, alsof de souvereiniteit op hen,
 there is this remarkable scripture: "Many will say to  Ale het eigendom op den rentmeester, overgedragen was.
 in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Zoodat elke partij die in de wetgeving de overhand  vey-
 name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in                  krijgt, elk  bewind   boven  de wetgeving verheft; elk  des-
 Thy name done many wonderful works?  -\nd then  wi!l                poot maakt van de twisten in bet bestuur en van de zucht
 I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from                  naar orde gebruik, ter vermeestering van de oppermacht.
 Me ye that work iniquity" (Mat.  27:22,  23). Christ calls                                                 Groen van Prinsterer
these seemingly good works  unrigheousness.                                                               in "Ongeloof en Revolutie."
     If some of the confessors  of  the Lord Jesus Christ did
 as these men and perform the  gre'at  works which they                                              .
 performed, these confessors would certainly conclude                       Het is altijd een fractie, een factie, een coterie, een
 that they were Christians. And yet Jesus calls these men. veelvermogend individu, een "homme-pouvoir," die het
 workers of iniquity.                                                souvereine volk vervangt.
                                                     G.  14. 0.                                              Groen van Prinsterer
                                                                                                          in "Ongeloof en  Revolutie."
                     HET WOORD GODS
             Laat des Heeren Woord u  laven   !                                          Meerderheid en Minderheid
             Last het schijnen  vbor.  uw voet !
             Zelfs de bange  nacht der graven                               Volkomen voortdurende eenstemmigheid is  ondenk-
             Wordt  verhklderd  door zijn gloed.                     baar  i en wanneer  nu de wil der meerderheid drijfveer is
              Blijf aanbidden en  gelooven  !                        van het gezag, zou dan de minderheid in de overmacht
             Sta uw  besten  schat niet af!                          der tegenpartij  reden  van tevredenheid en waarborg van
             Last  u `s  werelds   haat niet rooven                  geluk bezitten  ? Wordt de verdrukking behagelijk,  om-
             Wat  u `s Hemels Iiefde gaf !                           dat zij van het goedvinden der meerderheid uitgaat?
                                        J. J. L. t. K.                                                       Groen van Prinsterer
                                                                       I                                  in  "Ongeloof  en Revolutie."

                    OVERLIJDENSBERICHT'
    Daar het den Heere behaagd heeft om het gezin van onzen                 ,De  jaren  1789-1794,  in afschuwelijkheid  onvergelijk-
  herder en leeraar, Ds. Wm. Verhil in rouw te  dompelen  door
 het wegnemen van hun jongste kind,                                  baar, zijn ook bij  uitnemendheid  Ieerrijk.
                                                                            Hier Ieert men, hoe het  ongeIoof te meer ontplooiing
                           MATTHEW,                                  en overmacht  aan het  menschelijk  bederf geeft, naarmate
 zoo spreekt de kerkeraad der  Prot.  Ger. gemeente te Hull, Ia.,    het schitterende fragmenten van christelijke waarheid,
 zijn  innige deelneming'uit met de treurende  familie  en  hoopt
 en bidt dat  onze  getrouwe Verbondsgod balsem mag gieten in        met verloochening van den Christus, in  zich opneemt.
 de  geslagen   wonden.                                                     -Usdan  vertiendubbelt de wasdom van  het  giftige
    Moge  de Heere Ds. en Juffrouw sterken om de kastijdende         zaad, dat  zich in honderdvoudige vrucht openbaart.
  hand Gods te kussen en sterke Hij hen verder. om den arbeid
  in ons  midden  begonnen, voort te zetten met dezelfde kracht             Hier  geldt de uitspraak: "Indien  bet  licht  dat  in  U
 waarmede de Heere hen onder ons tot dusverre deed arbeidea          duisternis is, hoe groot  znl de duisternis zelve zijn  !"
                           Namens  den kerkeraad.
                                    Ed. van der  We&, scriba.                                                Groen van Prinsterer
                                                                                                          in "Ongeloof en Revolutie."


