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       --"l_l

       THAT INSANE AMUSEMENT-NOTION                                 more serious time of life. Let the young folk, therefore,
                                                                    eat and drink and be merry. And especially the youth of
  It is amazing how quickly one becomes accustomed to               today, in the modern world, needs enjoyment and amuse-
insane ideas.                                                       ment.
  What is essentially foolish and, at. first,  ,appears  absurd,      One is not surprised at such language from those that
is repeatedly brought before our attention as really good           seek the things that are below.
and expedient and practical and .indispensible  and neces-            But in the Church?
sary and very desirable; gradually it turns our head,                 Among the people of God?
changes our judgment, our valuation of things and soon                How come that similar language is heard among them
has captivated us entirely.                                         today and that the problem of the amusements of the
  Let a new fad only be adopted by a few, let these few             young folk has become a very serious one, that even
advertise it, persistently bring it before the attention of         appears and looms large in Synodical  Agenda?          -,
the public. It  will certainly be victorious. The masses              Well, you see, it has been constantly  preac,hed.
will follow. The fad will win.                                        Social reformers, pedagogues, wise men and learned
  Thus it is in the business-world. If you want people to           and even divines look very serious and profound,  Iearn-
.discard  an old article and adopt a new product, no matter         edly speak of the special characteristics and needs of
how much better the old may be than the new, all that is            modern youth, of the Problem of the Age of  Ado-
necessary is that you put your new article in the lime-             escence,  etc.
light, paste pictures of it on billboards, extol its virtues          People begin to listen. Who is bold enough to reveal
in full-page advertisements, if possible throw samples of his ignorance by gainsaying men of learning with D.D.`s
it in every home, and you will win.                                 Ph.D.`s, and other mysterious tokens of wisdom and
  No diierent it is in society-life. If you want to change          learning behind their names ?
old and age-worn customs, that have stood the test of                 Solutions of the serious problem are offered.
centuries, and introduce new habits, all you need is pub-             Seeing that young people are naturally full of life and
licity. Long hair is certainly more beautiful than the              surely will have fun ; seeing further that the world
bob. And every young lady knows it. But if there are too            beckons them on eveiy side and provides all sorts of
many barbers in Paris to live on the man-trade, and if you          much wanted enjoyment for them ; seeing  finally, that
are a genius to invent new modes, and if you conceive of            they will surely be led into the world if we do not intro-
the ingenious idea of luring all the ladies of the land into        duce something into the life of the Church that will
the barber's chair, all you need do is to send a few bobbed         counterbalance the tempting power of the world, we must
Paris-specimens into every town and village of the world,           provide for them amusements ourselves.
let them parade the streets, appear in every conspicuous              Thus, gradually, the Church begins to.practice the pre-
place of public life, and though they must often part in            cepts of the wisdom of the world.
tears with their God-given beauty, you may depend on                  First, instead of edifying and instructive programs,
it, that before long the majority of the female world will          silly socials and' hilarious banquets `are introduced, where
go bobbed.                                                          one fairly bursts with laughter, opened with prayer and
  Thus it is with many notions; absurd if you will think            closed in the same manner, to ask the Lord for the for-
again.                                                              giveness of premeditated sins, for which the participants
  One of these insane ideas, that have gradually but                prepared themselves weeks in advance  !
quickly and surely turned our minds is that our covenant-             Next come very imperfect imitations of the theatre,
young-people need amusement.                                        pageants, dramas, moving pictures and the like, carefully
  Think seriously, think again, and you will agree that it introduced by some specimens that present a religious
is only a crazy notion.                                             appearance, not to give the more serious-minded in the
  O,nly refuse to believe all that is presented to you and          Church too sudden a shock.
to be dragged along with every new movement under the                 Soon it is argued that the body of our young people
sun, only maintain that you have the unction of the Holy            must have careful attention and athletics, ball-games,
One and that you have,no need that any teach you, and               swimming-poofs, bowling alleys and pool-tables are intro-
then judge of the statement: young people must amuse                duced, all for the development and enjoyment of the
themselves,  and you will agree in the light of Scripture,          covenant-youth.
that the notion cannot have its origin in the Church of               And presently you will find that people have accus-
Christ, but must have originated in the world, that its tomed themselves so thoroughly to the notion that young
source is not to be traced to Jerusalem but to Babylon.             people must amuse themselves and fun of some sort must
  Surely, in the world, where God's covenant is unknown,            be provided for them, that the Church in its largest
one expects such a view of life. Life is brief! One lives           gathering, the Synod, sits wise and discusses the very
only once ! And youth is the springtime of life. In his             serious problem: how can we provide wholesome amuse-
youthful days one cannot be expected to look serious all            ment for the young folks? I
the time. It is the time of joy and pleasure and hilarity !           And it is, by then, forgotten that the whole idea is
The time of fun and amusement ! Soon enough comes the               insane, never originated in the Church of Jesus Christ,


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                         235
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finds no item of support in the Word of God, but was               What you need?
originated by the powers of darkness to lead the youth             Not chiefly amusements, but edification. Instruction in
of the covenant straightway into the world and to hell!          the Word of God. Being well-founded in the truth, you
   I would appeal to our young folks not to listen to this       will be able to fight the good fight unto the end that no
false philosophy.                                                one take your crown.
   If you will think again, you will deem it an insult to          You need the Word of God.
your Christian young manhood and womanhood, that the               By giving heed to your way according to that Word
Church actually considers your chief ambition to follow you will cleanse your way.
after vain amusements.                                             The times in which we live are serious, in many
   Do not misunderstand me.                                      respects more serious than any former age. The world
   I do not mean, that you must pass through the world develops in its own direction. It opposes the light not
with heads bowed low, eyes  cIosed  and faces so long with open persecution, with sword and fire, but it intro-
"that you c&Id eat oatmeal out of the end of a gaspipe,"         duces itself to you in many of its forms as Christian. We
as Billy Sunday has it.                                          have Christian plays and Christian movies, Christian
   There is undoubtedly a place in our life for means of ball-teams and Christian athletics. There is a good deal
relaxation, for real enjoyment.                                  of Christian deviltry in our day which is deceiving.
   But I mean in the first place, that it is surely contrary       LU the more reason, why you must be strong.
to the Word of God to present matters as if amusement              Youth is above all the time for preparation. The thing
and fun were the chief thing in your young lives, so that you must prepare yourselves for is not to be able to win
it becomes a serious problem how to satisfy the craving in a game, but to have the spiritual victory in the battle
for entertainment. That is not true. It is certainly con- of faith.
trary to Scripture, contrary to your  caliing as  covenant-        Hence, instead of giving your chief attention to amuse-
children of Jehovah, contrary to your relation to Him and ments and fun, I pray you, search the Scriptures!
to the world in which you have been placed to be children          Development in the truth of the Word of God must be
of light.                                                        the chief aim of your societies.
   And I mean in the second place, that our joy must be            Study the Word!
Christian, that  .even  in moments of entertainment and            Study it for Catechism. Study it in your societies.
relaxation our calling remains to be children of light. Study it at home. You need it more than ever.
Our pleasures must be able to stand the unchangeable               And free yourselves from that insane  amusement-
test of the Word of God.                                         notion that is in the air and keeps thousands under its
   Young men! thus Scripture says, you are strong! You spell.
have overcome the evil one!                                        Then, by the grace of God, you will be able to stand.
   That means, that the world is no theatre and no play-           And to gain the victory.                                      H. H.
ground, but a battlefield, and that we have our fight not
against flesh and blood but against principalities and
powers, against the spiritual wickedness in high places.
That means, not that you are strong in body and have a                              De grootste  helden
well-developed muscle. That is very good. I like to see
a young man that is also in the physical sense of the word                       Tis  lichter in den krijg,
strong. But it is not the main thing. Physical exercise is                       wanneer de horens schallen,
for that reason worth but little. It can have but a small                        te strijden,met het swaert
                                                                                           ;A:.,.
place in our lives. It does not prepare you for the main                         e.n als eeq~ held te vallen,
battle. You cannot fight the devil with your powerful
fist. But it means that you are strong in spirit. It signi-                    \ dan, wanneer Godt ons soeckt
fies that the fear of God is in your hearts, that the love of                    met Sijne tegenheen,
God is poured forth in your souls, that your minds are                           te roemen  in Sijn gunst,
enlightened by the grace of God, that you are well                               te lijden gants alleen.
founded in the truth, in the principles of the Word of
God, that you understand the world in which you live                             De grootste  helden  zijn
and are well able to discern between the powers of dark-                         nijet aan het hoofd te soecken
ness and the light in Christ, that you have put on the                           van een luijtruchtig heir
whole armor of God and are able to stand in the evil day.                        met wapperende doecken.
   Young women, you must adorn the truth! It is your
calling, in the light of the Word of God, not to follow                          Die vindt ge daer men bidt,
after the vain fashions of the world, to become trans-                           int nederichste huijs ;
formed according to the manifestation and form of this                           die vint ge aen den voet
world, but to be an example of true Christian modesty                            van Jesus dierbaer kruijs
and beauty and virtue !                                                                              N. Kluyver, in "Timotheus"


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         CAN A  CLASSIS  (SYNOD) DEPOSE A                        tant the right to reject its deliverances and sever the
                        CONSISTORY?                              denominational tie.       Doing so, the church would be
                                  or                             militating against its own convictions.
The Plain Truth About the Institution of the Church                  (Reply) The church, it is true, may go contrary to its
                          of Jesus Christ                        own convictions. However?  a statement of this kind is
                                                                 equal to the admission that neither may the church de-
       We made the assertion that G. Hoeksema is com-            mand of the protestant that he crush his religious convic-
pelled to confess that he erred. Let us make our mean- tions. This the church does if it forbids the protestant to
ing clear. He avers that when he signed the Formula              reject  f&r conscience' sake classical and  synodical  de-
of Subscription, he reserved far himself the right of            cisions and penalizes that protestant for doing so. F u r -
spiri$al rebellion. The Church, so we maintained, must           ther, the church that grants unto the protestant the
admit that he has this right. In other words, at the             right of spiritual rebellion is not engaged in militating
time when G. Hoeksema signed the Formula of Sub-                 against its own conviction, but merely conceding that the
scription the church declared unto him: You possess the          protestant shall as well as itself, have the right to live
God given right to sever the denominational tie when his moral and religious beliefs. The  Classis  or Synod,
your conscience bids  you to do so.  \Ve maintained that deeply convinced of the soundness of its deliverances,
a church admitting that a protestant has this right is  of does not say to the protestant: "you are right as to your
necessity legalizing rebellion. The conclusion can not           views, the church errs." Nay, even though the  Classis
be avoided, therefore, that also  accotding  to G.  Hoekse-       (or Synod) grants unto the protestant the right of spir-
ma's views, Classis  must grant unto the local church the        itual rebellion it declares : "You protestant err, according
right to leave when it thinks it must. Now then, if to the firm conviction of Classis  (or Synod). Hence, you
G. Hoeksema would help himself out of the difficulty he          leave on your own responsibility. Your blood be upon
must do so by means of the following argument: Though            your own head." Though the  Classis  is firmly convinced
the protestant has the God given right of withdrawal!            that it abides by the  truth. yet it admits its infallibility
the church nevertheless, persistently forbids him to exer- and therefore recognizes the possibility that it errs and
cise this right. The Church, then, must declare unto not the protestant. It therefore declares, Protestant leave.
him : `"Thou shalt never sever the denominational tie."           So declaring,, the church legalizes the departure of the
Xow we have before shown that  A church refusing to protestant.. It legalizes rebellion.
recognize the protestant spiritual right of withdrawal is            (G. Hoeksema)        Though a church must forbid  6
proceeding from the false premise that it is the infallible protestant to reject for conscience' sake its decisions and
church on earth. Such, a church, it was pointed out, is           to leave, it can, nevertheless, concede that the protestant
engaged in binding the conscience of its members; is has his right. It can do so for the reason that a church
forbidding him to live his religious and moral convictions. from  its  own  point  of  U+W prohibits the protestant's de-
       In fine, Hoeksema shall have to repudiate the propo-       parture. From  the point of  view of the protestant  a church
sition which he strove to prove or otherwise indorse concedes that he, the protestant, has this right.
the evils enumerated above.  A4nd if he disallows his                 (Reply) This church, then, admits that there is an-
proposition he shall have to decry the action of  Classis         other point of view besides its own. A church admitting
Grand Rapids West against the local churches-Hope this, is proclaiming its fallibility.  Aq fallible church must
and Kalamazoo I.                                                  legalize rebellion. Further, G. Hoeksema must keep in
       In fine, whereas the spiritual right of rebellion im- his eye that the church, any church, is in the possession
poses upon the Church the solemn duty to recognize this of the infallible point of view of the infallible God. Xc-
 right and to legalize rebellion, G. Hoeksema, if he per- cording to His point of view the conscientious protestant
sists in maintaining that the Church cannot legalize re-          must leave a church which he (the protestant) deems
 bellion, shall have to deny that the protestant has this         false. .4ny church is duty bound to adopt the revealed,
 right. Denying this right, however, he would be indors-          infallible point of view of the infallible God. Doing  sr)
`W all the sins enumerated above. On the other it will legalize rebellion.
hand, if G. Hoeksema insist that the protestant has this              (G. Hoeksema) If the doctrines rejected were never-
right he must repudiate the proposition that his church           theless sound, would not the conscientious protestant
cannot and may not legalize rebellion.                            commit a great Sin for rejecting them, even though he
       We all know that G. Hoeksema, of course, will not          does so for conscience' sake? If so, might he not as well
admit that he must either repudiate his own views or be           remain in the church and cling to its doctrines?
content to roast in his own frying pan  or leap from this             (Reply) The protestant, who for conscience' sake
 pan into the fire and be consumed. He will attempt to rejects the truth (and this may happen, for the conscience
 put  out  the  iire or quench the  flame,  under the pan by      is no infallible guide) is not committing as great a sin
 means of the following reasonings :                              as that protestant who professes to abide by the truth
       (. C;. Hoeksema j "The church, convinced of the sound-     which in his heart he deems a lie. Such a one, besides
 nest of its own doctrines, cannot grant unto the  protes-        rejecting truth, is consciously taunting God and living the


                                                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                          251
      ___^_  ---..-...."  .._.....   ____"P   ..."  .._"  .-.. --  .._..........._    l..-"--,.l"_"  .._.        "..."- ".." ._...-" .-.-.. "l.".-"ll--l. - - - ___-. _-_
life of a hypocrite. This is one of the most serious objec-                                          Hoeksema (G.) sought to establish (see former article).
tions to Hoeksema's system. Instead of granting unto The question arises, Why the omission  ? The reason is
the conscientious protestant the right  to leave with re-                                            plain.  G. Hoeksema was bent on making it appear that
tention of his &ice and church properties. G. Hoeksema the proposition to the effect that the church forbids the
would penalize a recalcitrant consistory by deposition and conscientious member to withdraw is an extraction from
deprivation of church properties.                                   In other words he the Church Order and our Confession. Manifestly aware
would frighten men into remaining in the church.                                                     of the fact that these documents teach no such thing,
    (G. Hoeksema)                    The conscientious protestant may                                 Hoeksema placed in the room of the term  conscieiztious
err in his convictions.                                                                              protestant   the term  ,member.   He, thereupon, turned to
    (Replyj That is very well possible. Likewise may                                                 the Confession. From Art. XXVIII he draws rhe con-
the Christian Reformed Church, for it is not the infallible                                          clusion, and correctly so, that the Church of Jesus Christ
church on earth.                                                                                     ---the assembly of those that are saved-forbids-must
   We made the assertion that  G. Hoeksema's booklet                                                  forbid-its  members  to withdraw. He thereupon con-
is a rather deceptive production.                                Let us furnish some                 cludes that whereas the Christian Reformed Church is
more proof for the statement.                                                                         this true church it, too, must forbid its members to
. Attend, then, to the following argumentation found                                                 withdraw.
on pages  20 and 32 of the brochure. It reads: "The
question whether one can legitimately withdraw from                                                          The  quesrion  arises whether the conclusion is im-
                                                                                                      plied in the premises. Our answer is ready: indeed it is.
a certain organization, depends upon the character of the
institution.        And the divine character of the institution                                      If the Church of Jesus Christ must forbid its members to
of the church forbids and condemns all separation from                                                withdraw (and the true Church  mus.t do so) and if the
it . . . If the Church is clothed with the authority of Christian Reformed Church is the true Church, it follows
Christ, then it for that very reason has the right and the                                           that it, too, must forbid its members to withdraw. Let
duty to condemn in its law what Christ condemns . . . . it be repeated, however, that  G. Hoeksema must prove,
If the Church be a divine institution from which  Gpd                                                 not  rhat the Christian Reformed Church must forbid its
forbids men to withdraw, then the Church must deny                                                    amembers   to withdraw, but that the Christian Reformed
that right to its members . . . . The teachings we here                                               Church must forbid its  Conscientiozu  Protestants,  cofz-
oppose are also condemned by our official teaching of -vinced that the doctrines of the Christian  Reformed  Clturcit
the Christian Reformed Church. Art. XXVIII of our                                                     are not  iz agreement with Scripture,  to withdraw.                          This
Confession reads in part as follows:  "We believe since                                               is quite another thing. If the proposition to the effect
this- holy congregation is an assembly of those who are                                               that G.  Ho&ksema's  Church  must forbid its conscientious
saved, and that out of it there is no salvation that no                                               protestants to leave  were contained in his premises. the
person of whatever state or condition he may, be, ought                                               major premise should read: The Church of Jesus Christ
to withdraw himself and live in a separate state from -the assembly of those who are saved-must forbid its
it . . . .>? So far  G. Hoeksema. The above argumentation, conscientious  protest&g  members  (not merely  members)
in its entirety we inserted in a previous article  (,See                                              to leave. Where, me would like to know,  do,es the Con-
Standard Bearer of Jan. 15). It yields the following fession assert that the Church of Jesus Christ must for-
chain of thought:                                                                                     bid its conscientious protesting members to withdraw?
    (a)     The Church of Jesus Christ, a divine institution,                                         Nowhere.         The Church of Christ prohibiting such a
a holy congreg&ion,  an assembly of those who are saved, member from withdrawing would be lording it over that
must, in agreement with God's will, forbid its members                                                member's conscience.' Certain statements in the Con-
to withdraw.                                                                                          fession indicate very plainly that the  authr   rs of these
    (b) The Christian Reformed Church is the Church                                                   documents insisted thar Christ only and not the fallible
of Jesus Christ.                                                                                      church on earth is Lord of a man's conscience. One of
    (Conclusion) The Christian Reformed Church must                                                   the sentences constituting article  XXX11  reads as fol-
forbid its members to withdraw.                                                                       lows : "And therefore we reject all human. inventions,
    Let us to begin with directing our attention to the and all laws, which man  wouId  introduce into the wor-
conclusion. We sense at once,that it fails to express the ship of God, thereby to bind and compel the cozscience  in
real issue, the proposition G. Hoeksema strove to prove. any manner whatsoever." It is plain  rhat  G.  HYoeksema
.\ certain clause was omitted It reads : "the conscientious failed to prove what he should have  proved.  His entire
member, convinced that the doctrines of the (Christian argumentation involving the Confession is without value
Reformed) Church are not in agreement with Scripture'                                                 since it has no bearing on the main issue which he him-
    Supplying, then, what is lacking,` the conclusion                                                 self raised.       G. Hoeksema side-stepped the real issue.
reads : "The Christian Reformed Church must forbid the                                                Hence, he proved nothing.                                               1
conscientious member,  convinced that the doctrines of the                                                   The Confession, I repeat, nowhere teaches that rhe
Christian Reformed Church are not in agreement with                                                    Church  of Jesus Christ must forbid the conscientious
Scripture to sever the denominational tie.  \Ve have be-                                               protesting member to withdiraw  on his own responsibility
fore shown that this is indeed the proposition  which                                                  of  Course.                                                    G.  M .   0 .


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-    -    -     -        -      "-_-." .-.... ""                                                                                       255
                                                                                         l_-.ll"--__                 --__           --II__
               THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA                                        Each of these seven messages, then, must be applied
                                                                              to a period in the history of the church in this dispensa-
               The Church that Lost its First Love                            tion, from John's time to the second coming of Christ.
                                                                              But this view is plainly untenable. Already the fact that
                 To-`the  angel of the church in Ephesus.  _                  at the time when these letters were written the church
               write:                                                         revealed itself not as presenting only one prominent fea-
                 These things saith he that holdeth the
               seven stars in his right hand, he that  walk-                  ture, but under a sevenfold aspect would contradict this
               eth in the midst of the seven golden candle-                   view.  All the seven congregations mentioned in the text
               sticks: I know thy works, and thy toil, and
               thy patience, and that thou  canst not bear                    esisted  simultaneously, and it cannot be maintained that
               evil men, and didst try them that call them-                   one condition was dominantly, still less exclusively the
               selves apostles, and they are not, and didst
               find them  false: and thou hast  uatience  and                 condition of the church in general. But besides, the his-
               didst bear for my name's sake, and hast not                    tory of the interpretation that is based on this successive
               grown weary.
                 But I have this against thee that thou                       view plainly justifies, as Godet remarks that, "One may
               didst leave thy  first love. Remember there-                   doubtless, by taking up this latter standpoint, succeed
               fore whence thou art fallen, and repent and                    in bringing out some ingeniously conceived points of
               do the first works: or else I come to thee
               and will move thy candlestick out of its                       harmony, but they always have a somewhat arbitrary
               place, except thou repent. But this thou                       character." Hence, we will not proceed from this stand-
               hast that thou  hatest the works of the              '
               Nicolaitans, which I also hate.                           0    point whatsoever. Yet, it is our conviction that there is
                 He  `that hath an ear, let him hear what                     an element of truth in this view.
               the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him                                                          As a whole the seven
               that overcometh, to him will I give to eat                     churches, no doubt, must be taken as typical of the
               of the tree of life which is in the Paradise                   church in its totality as it exists at any period of this
               of God.
                                                    -Rev. 2 :l-7              dispensation.     Every one of the seven types may, no
                                                                              doubt, be discovered at most any period. But ,the truth
     The first  vision of the book of  Revelation covers the                  in the former standpoint is undoubtedly this, that these
passage from chapter 19 to the end of chapter 3. It                           seven types or seven conditions are not alI- equally prom-
comprises two main parts; namely, the vision of the Lord                      inent and vivid in every period of the history of the
in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks and the                         church.
seven letters to the different churches of Asia Minor.                           It goes without contradiction that in the history of
The latter passage comprising chapters 2 and 3 ,we are                        the church different features appear on the foreground
now to discuss. Its division is most naturally determined                     during different periods, according as it is a period of
by the various messages that are sent to the seven con-                       intellectualism or emotionalism or practicism, a period
gregations addressed. We have already remarked with                           of peace and luxury or of persecution and distress. In
respect to these seven churches that they must be taken                       times of persecution, for instance, it will be the condition
first of all in the  historica sense of the word as really of the church in Smyrna that is dominant, while in times
existing at the time when John is commissioned to write                       of material prosperity the churches of Sardis and
to them, but that at the same. time they must serve as                        Laodicea will most probably be reproduced in history.
being' typical of the condition of the church of Christ in                    And on this basis there is, indeed, reason to believe that
general throughout this dispensation. They are selected                       although the typified totality presented in these seven
from numerous other churches situated in the same com-                        churches must on the whole be taken in the simultaneous
munity at that time for the simple reason that their                          sense of the word, yet there is also succession, a suc-
seven-fold picture offered the clearest and most complete                     cession which may very readily be understood in the
portraiture of the church in general. The question, how-                      order in which the churches are addressed, so that shortly
ever,  may' be raised and has been raised and disputed                        before the completion of the kingdom and the second
frequently by interpreters whether we must  understand- advent of Christ the church of Laodicea is most easily
the totality, the completeness of the church as symbol- recognizable. And hence it is our view that we must
ized undoubtedly in the number seven, as being a con-                         neither find in these seven messages a historic record of
temporaneous, simultaneous, or a successive totality. seven rather definitely limited phases in history, nor a
Both views have been defended by commentators in the                          mere picture of a simultaneous totality, but  ,$bat they
past and both still find .their champions today.                              are both simultaneous and, in a sense, successive.
     There are those who advocate the view that in these                         As to the formal side of the seven letters to the
seven messages, picturing seven different conditions in                       churches in Asia, it may be ,remarked  that they present
the church of Christ on earth, we must discover a por-                        much the same aspect.  Each  `epistle begins with the
traiture of seven distinct phases in the history of the address of the angel of the church, upon which follows
church. According to this view it is possible to discern                      immediately the self-announcement of Him that sends
in history the same order of different dominant condi-                        these messages to the various congregations, the Lord
tions in the church of God as the one in which the seven.                     of his church:      Characteristic of these self-announce-
epistles of Christ to . the seven churches of  -4sia are                      ments of the Savior is that they are clothed in terms
recorded in Rev. 2 and 3.                                                     derived from  the vision of  1920. And with every  salu-


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256                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
           -.        --.-..._. --- __..-.                                                                                    --
tation  the Savior is careful so to express Himself that        father, and there also the apostle whom Jesus loved had
the announcement is significant with a view to the con-         spent many a year in hard and faithful labor. To speak in
dition of the church addressed. To the church that lost its     terms of our own time the church in Ephesus had enjoyed
first love and that `is threatened with the removal of the      the labors -of the best and most excellent preachers of the
candlestick from its place, He introduces Himself as the        time and He that holds the seven stars in his right hand
one that walketh in the midst of the golden candlesticks;       had blessed the church abundantly.
to Smyrna, the church in tribulation, whom He promises            Nor had the labors of these great ministers of Christ
a crown of life, He presents Himself as the first and the       been without effect upon the congregation. On the con-
last who was dead and is alive again, etc. - The announce-      trary,  even  at the time when John is commissioned to
ment assumes its peculiar form every time in harmony            write to them t`his letter the influence of their work is still
with the condition of the church addressed.                     plainly visible in the church. For first of all it must be
  Following this self-announcement. of Jesus comes the          observed that Ephesus was a church sound and strong in
description of the peculiar condition of the congregation,      doctrine. This is evident from the description Jesus, who
usually headed by an enumeratioq of the good features,          admittedly knows the church better than any human
wherever that is possible. To this general rule, how-           preacher, gives of her in this epistle. In the first place
ever, the church of Laodicea forms an exception, since          let me call call your attention to the important sentence
nothing commendable is to be found in her, while the            of Jesus: "Thou hast tried them that call themselves
congregation of Sardis is  almpst. in the same position         apbstles and are not and hast found them false." Clear it
except for that fact that in her midst there are still a few    is that in these words we may find an indication of the
faithful. On the other hand, both  thP churches of              doctrinal soundness and development of the church in
Smyrna and of Philadelphia are distinguished from the           Ephesus first of all.    True, they also imply a case of
others in that  they  offer no cause for rebuke and threat      discipline, but notice that it is a case of discipline exer-
of judgment, but only of praise and promise of reward.          cised over those that call themselves apostles, an&exercise
.4nd finally. each letter concludes with an admonition          of the key power because of the truth. True apostles
containing a promise for the faithful or penitent and a         were men with special authority, infallibly guided by
threat of judgment in case of unfaithfulness and impeni- the Spirit so that they could speak the Word of
tence.                                                          God. For that reason their word possessed  $he infal-
  Turning now our attention to the first'of the letters, libility and authority of the King of the church Himself.
the one addressed to the church in Ephesus; we find that Of this the congregation of that time were conscious.
its presents the picture of the church that lost its first as is evident from many a portion in Scripture. They
love. Let us consider  :                                        made a clear distinction between the word of an apostle,
       I. The Commendable Features of This Church ;             spoken in the name of the Lord, and the word of
       II. Its Serious Lack of Love;                            others. For that reason Paul so ardently defends his
  III. The Admonition It Receives.                              apostleship in some of his epistles. Whenever the enemy
        I. The church in Ephesus is the first addressed.        meant to neutralize his influence in the churches he first
Ephesus was a city of importance some forty  or fifty           of all made an attack upon the apostleship of the great
miles distant froni Patmos.  the isle where John received       preacher and missionary of the gentiles, aware of the fact
his visions:  It was rich in trade and commerce, famous         that in doing so they would at the same time undermine
because of its development in art and science,  put also        his authority. Now the epistle to Ephesus informs  US
notorious because of its shameful idolatry, its well known      of the fact that there'had been men in the congregation
temple in honor of the goddess Diana, its frivolity and         that called themselves apostles. Naturally they assumed
worldly-mindedness in general. It was one of the great          this title and claimed the prerogative of being apostles
cities of that time. perhaps best compared to the modern        for a certain purpose, for the purpose, evidently of exer-
metropolitan city known to us, with all its wealth and          cising apostolic authority in the church. They claimed
luxury and amusements, but also with all its carelessness       to be divinely inspired, they ,cIaimed  apostolic infallibility
and unbecoming levity of life, its vice and social evils.       for their teaching. The case was, therefore, thus, that
In that city a congregation had been established of which       there were men in the' church of Ephesus that taught a
there is every reason to believe that it used to be one of      false doctrine and for that doctrine claimed apostolic
the strongest and most flourishing churches ever founded.       authority. Fundamentally it was a question of truth, of
It `had been privileged to enjoy the labors of some of the      doctrine, no doubt. Who these men were the letter does
greatest and ablest, most devoted servants of the Lord          not mention. but we are inclined to believe that they
that ever lived. Paul had been there three times, at firs?      were the same as the Nicolaitans mentioned later. How-
only for a short period. but during his second missionary       ever this may be, certain it is that they taught a doctrine
journey abiding with the church for a period of well nigh       different from that of the apostles and sought acceptance
three years during which he himself testifies to have           for it in the church of Ephesus. But the latter had tried
labored day and night preach&g unto them the Ml coun-           them. had tested their doctrine. Perhaps they had an
sel of God. There %mothy, the spiritual son of the great        official trial of these false apostles.
apostle had labored.-to follow up the work of his spiritual       At any rate the result of it all had been that they had


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               257
--..-- -     - - - - -   - - - - -                     --..---- -_--"_"  ...-."          -_l__l_ll__ L-".-- .._. --_-ll._l_-__

detected their error, had pointed out their heresy and had      deur kan worden  gelegd, hun wakker maakt en doet op-
expdsed them as being false teachers and impostors. The         rijzen."  _                                       -4. V. D.
                                                                                                            \
conclusion, therefore, is fully justified that the church in
Ephesus was, in the first place, sound in doctrine,  well-
founded in the truth of the gospel. How otherwise could                        AREN VAN ANDERE AKKERS
they have exposed the errors of these false apostles?
Only those that know the truth, that are founded in sound                      Bijeengegaard door G. Van Beek
doctrine can detect the lie whenever it presents itself to                           De Publieke Opinie
them as the truth. Where knowledge of the truth'is lack-            De publieke opinie der aarde bespotte den rechtvaar-
ing and the church is weak in doctrine it is exposed to         digen   Noach; en de zonen der menschen, verzonken in
any and every heresy that comes along without being             ongeloof en wellust, hielden zijne openbaringen voor
able to offer successful resistance. That is why the            dweperij, waarmede men  zich vroolijk maakte,  doch die
church of today is in such a pitiable condition. There is       men te wijs was om in ernst van eenig gewichr te  bc-
no development in the truth, no knowledge of, no love for       schouwen. De zondvloed kwam, en oordeelde tusschen
the doctrine of the Word, and hence it is so easily             C&en  en velen.
seduced and led about by all sorts of false doctrines. Not          De publieke opinie  in Sodom en Gomorra was aan de
so the church in Ephesus. There was knowledge of the            allerafschuwelijkste ontucht overgegeven, en de  tijd-
truth there. And if there was knowledge of the truth
there must have been diligent study of "the Scriptures          schriften van die steden (indien zij, gelijk thans de tolkcn
and continual education in the principles of the truth.         wilden   wezen  van het algemeen volksgevoelen)  hadden
Where study and searching of the Scriptures, `where             het den ouderwetschen Lot zeer kwalijk genomen,  dat
sound and continual education in good doctrine are on           hij het voor zijn deur vergaderde volk.met de uitlevering
the wane, maintenance of the truth is inconceivable. All        van zijne hemelsche gasten  niet ter wille stond.
these, then, were found in the church under discussion.             De,publieke opinie der Joden  in de woestijn hield bet
They understood the truth definitely so that they were          daarvoor, dat het hun veel beter geweest ware door
able between truth and falsehood to pass correct judg-          Jehova's  hand niet veriost te zijn, maar in Egypte re zijn
ment upon those that called themselves apostles and were gebleven, dan op Zijn genade te betrouwen ; en het was
not. It was a church strong in doctrine.            H. H.       diezelfde publieke opinie, die God telken reize, verzocht,
                     (To be continued)                          die de oprichting van het gouden kalf vorderde, en, bij
                                                                ieder niet terstond voldaan verlangen, met den weldadi-
                                                                gen God zijner  vaderen  twistte, en Zijne wegen verliet.
            Het Probleem der Niet-vtemmers                          Het was de publieke opinie, die de profeten in  Jeru-
                                                                zalem steenigde en doode,  omdat zij niet hare tolken wil-
    De niet-stemmende burger des lands is een waar pro-         den zijn, maar die van den God der Waarheid, door wien
bleem geworden, zegt Ralph M. Easley van New York,              zij gezonden  waren.
die, volgens de National Press Service, "de  bescherm--             Het was de publieke opinie, die in Maria's  Gezegen-
engel is van een nationale vereeniging, die de kiezers op       den Zoon, den Zaligmaker en Messias van Israel weigerde
hun stembusrechten wil wijzen."                                 te erkennen, omdat Hij niet was geiijk zij hem  wilden
    "Als gevolg van zijn bestaan (namelijk van dien niet-       zien, en gelijk hare aardsche denkbeelden Hem  aan de
stemmenden burger) worden  onze congressioneeie repre- verbeelding  hadden  voorgesteld.
sentatives in  alle  partijen gekozen door minderheden.             Of verkiest men voorbeelden uit de Heidenen? Het
Dezelfde staat van zaken heerscht bij vele gemeenteiijke        was de publieke opinie van het besihaafde  gemeenebest
en Staatsregeeringen.                                           van Athene, die haar redder Milthiades in de gevangenis
    "Het buitengewoon sterk vermeerderend  totaal van liet omkomen, die Aristides verbande, die Socrates  rer
gemeentelijke en Staatsuitgaven, en de al hooger gaande         dood veroordeelde ; het was de publieke opinie die te
belastingtarieven, kunnen  aan de deur gelegd  worden           Rome den verrader en kindermoorder Brutus bijviel, en
van deze minderheids representatie.                             Rome onder het ondragelijk juk der Patricische dwinge-
    "Onze gouvernementen zijn  heden  ten dage  hoofd-          landen             bracht.
zakelijk voorzien van  mannen,  die eerder de  belasting-           Het was ten  allen  tijde en  overal  de publieke opinie,
eters vertegenwoordigen dan de belastingbetalers.. . . . . die, aan haar zelve overgelaten, alle kwaad berokkende.
    "Hoe de niet-stemmers op te wekken  tech hun  plicht        alle ongerechtigheid liefhad, schijnbare verdienste  hul-
te doen, ,is gemakkelijker gezegd-dan gedaan.                   digde, waarachtige nederige braafheid, eerlijkheid, recht-
    "Wij hebben hun stemplaatsen gegeven bijna vlak             schapenheid, en godsdienstigheid miskende, vervolgde,
aan hun deur ; wij hebben er in voorzien dat zij per post       en mishandelde. Dit is een feit, zoo onwedersprekelijk
hun stem kunnen uitbrengen  ; ja zelfs voor vervoer  ge-        als bedroevend voor den hoogmoed dezer eeuw.  c  Doch
zorgd.; maar hun daadwerkelijke deelname aan de regee-          her blijft een waarheid, wat men er ook tegen moge
ring blijkt op laag peil. Misschien  moeten  wij wachten, hebben.
totdat als een gevolg van deze niet-deelname in bet groat,                      Da Costa, in zijn "Bezwaren  tegen den geest
een politieke catastrophe, die dan rechtstreeks  aan hun                        der Eeuw,"  1823.

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


                                                                                                           tents should be addressed to Rev




Vol. IV, No. 12                                             MARCH  15,19X3                                        Subscription  Price, $2.50

                                                                              How  humiliating!
              M E D I T A T I O N                                   II Who will believe such a report? Who will embrace
                                                                          such a gospel  ? in whose eyes can such a Saviour find
                                                                          favor ?
                S U R V E Y   O F   T H E   CR,OSS                            Only in the eyes of those who are spiritually
                                                                          acquainted with  the deepest cause of all their woe and
                          But he was wounded for our transgres-           misery. Not as long as I stand with unbended knee
                        sions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the     and stiff neck, glorying in the righteousness of the-law,
                        chastisement of our peace was upon him;
                        and with his stripes we are healed.              `boasting of the things of the flesh, refusing to humble
                                                       - - I s .   53:s.  . myself before the living God and to acknowledge in
         "When I survey the wondrous cross                                shame and contrition of' heart that I have. lifted in
               On which  the Prince of glory died,                        wanton foolishness my fist rebelliously in the face of the
              My                                                          Most High. Not as long as I walk in the vain imagina-
                     richest gain I count but loss,
               And  pour con-tempt on all my pride."                      tion that I am well able to work out my own salvation,
                                                                         (. spiritually ignorant of the abomination of my sin and
    Only. in  the  state of mind expressed in the above                   know not that to live apart from God is death. Then I
 stanza  by Isaac Watts, the state of true contrition and                 hide my face from the Man of Sorrows and turn to put
 self-humiliation  befare God,  can we truly evaluate the                 my ,confidence  in men, in the might and glory of men, in
 cross and believe the amazing report of Isaiah relative                  their power `and wisdom, and I look for a Redeem&
 to our Redeemer.                                                         garbed in all the majesty and pomp the world possesses.
    How contrary to all the desires and expectations of                   Rut when my eyes are opened and enlightened to see
 natural men is the portrait the prophet visualizes and                   the truth of my guilt and sin and corruption, when by
 depicts before us in this chapter of Him that is to de-                  grace I have learned to acknowledge that I lie in the
 liver us!                                                                midst of a- death from whose bonds I can attempt in
    How cutting to our sinful vanity !                                    vain to deliver myself, then this Man. of Sorrows, with
    A Redeemer, who grows up, not with display of                         His visage so marred, is the Saviour after my heart, the
 might according to the standard of the world, but as a                   Redeemer, that satisfies my deepest needs . . . .
 tender plant; Whose descent does not remind of power                        The right view of Calvary's bloody tree can be had
 and glory, but is  ai a root out of a dry ground  ; Whose only from the deep shadows of the vatley  of humiliation.
 appearance among men makes no' impression of maj-                            Seen. from the depth of contrition the cross radiates
 esty and beauty, for there is to  Him neither form nor                   wit$ a wondrous light.
 comeliness, there is nothing that appeals to the human                      Surveying the bleeding Lord from the deep night of
 heart and mind so that we should desire Him! Men do                      sin and self-condemnation, we feel all our pride ebb
 not pour their honour and glory upon Him, for He is                      away and confess:
 despised; they do not put their trust in Him and follow                    u Wounded for our transgressions, bruised for  OUT ini-
 Him for He is rejected! Man of sorrows is His proper                     quities !
 name and He is acquainted` with grief. So marred is                          And still `trembling we prayerfully profess :
 His visage, so burdened is He with grief and sorrow,
 that men hide their faces  (ram Him and are astonished                              ":Forbid   ,it Lord that I should boast,
 because of His appearance.  :.  .                                                      Save in the death of Christ, my God !
    What a picture !              "                                                    All the vain things that charm me most,
    And such an one is to redeem us?                                                    I sacrifice them to His blood."


  266 .                   a  L              T H E   STAhDARD   B E A R E R
  _..._ -- ._....-                --.-.._l__-ll__                        -         -...                l_-...."---

        Wounded, bruised !                                         b1oo.d by gazing on His agonized frame on the cross.
        And, oh, how deeply  wo,$ded, how terribly bruised Mercilessly He had been spiked to the tree. And still
  was He!                                                          there is no pity.       Still they plot to deepen His grief.
        Was there any form of suffering,, inflicted by a wicked Still they mock, curse, rave, shake their head, pour out
  world upon the righteous,  ,which He did not bear?               the vials of their fury.. . .
        Was there any fire of hatred, smouldering in the dark         Wounded, bruised, broken in body and soul. . . .
  bosom of sinful humanity, that did not flare up against             Even so, you do not penetrate into the awful dark-
  Him ?                                                            ness of His grief.
        Are there any dark desires of wicked hatred, still con-       Was there a sin of His people He did not bear? Was
  cealed in the deep recesses of a human soul,  filled  with there, in God's own heart a consuming fire of wrath,
  enmity against the living God, that did not eagerly leap that did. not burn against Him  ? Did not God deliver
  forth. to seek satisfaction in His excruciating agony? His only begotten Son and put all the burden of our sin
  Are there still, latent in the human mind, powers to'lay and transgression on Him? Oh, watch Him, as dark-
  plots and to conspire for evil that were not brought into ness covers Him and the sun begins to hide her face
action against Him? Is there, beyond the footsteps He from Him ; still wait, as the darkness swallows that
  left in the valley of humiliation and shame and suffer- bloody spectacle on Calvary and hear His profoundly
  ing, still a deeper descent? Are there pains He did not mysterious, yet heart-rending cry: My God, my  God:
  suffer, sorrows anywhere He did not bear, agonies that why hast Thou forsaken Me? . . . .
  did not cause His frail frame to writhe?, . . .                     He that knew no sin was made sin!
        Oh, how He was bruised !                                      God hath put Him to grief!
       All, the whole burden He bore  !,                              Oh, how bruised is He !
       Only look, from the depth of your shame, at the Man
  of Sorrows, as `His frame is suspended by bloody nails on           Wounded for our transgressions !                     ,
  the accursed tree of Calvary's hill. Remember how this              He was bruised for our iniquities!
  brutal suffering is the final result of the hatred of all.          There is the blessed solution to this mystery of
  `He was forsaken by His own, betrayed by one that ate Calvary's Man of Sorrows and all His grief.
  bread with Him, persecuted and condemned by the                    Let us turn away our eyes from the wicked deviltry
 Church in its most representative body, delivered by `then of a world, of which you and I by nature are also a part,
 power of the sword, despised as a fool by the wisdom and whose darkness is condemned by* this onslaught on
 of the world ! He is a spectacle of woe to all that behold the Light. Let us turn our gaze from the cruel soldiers
 Him. Deep lines of past agony. in His countenance still and the mad crowd `and close  our ears to the cutting
 speak of the unspeakable suffering He endured  in the mockery of priests and scribes. And let us contemplate
 .night just  bast, the beginning of the hour of darkness, the deeper cause, the profounder reason for all this agony
 when all the  powers of hell were sallying forth to cap- of the Man of Sorrows.
 ture and destroy Him, when His soul had been exceed-                What is the deepest source, whence all this suffering
 ingly sorrowful even unto death, when His bloody sweat springs ?
 had mingled with the dust of the Garden, when the kiss              Love, divine, unfathomable love !
 of treachery had been pressed on His lips, when they                God loved you and me, who stand gazing on that
 had led Him forth as the most dangerous criminal. Oh, accursed tree from the dark recesses of a broken and
 in that night He, the Holy and Righteous One, had met humiliated heart. He loved us, I know not why, before
with all the manifestations of the wicked heart of man; the world was. He loved us with a love that would
 with the cunning devices of hatred, the bold hypocrisy shrink from nothing to glorify us with the glory of the
 of a priesthood long corrupt", the grievous denial of the image of His Son, with a glory that could not be attained
 disciple, weak according to the flesh, the fierce hatred . except through that deep and awful way of sin and grace
 of an impotent darkness against the Light. They had and the death of His Only Begotten. He chose us, I
 mocked Him, spit on Him, beaten Him, tantalized Him, know not why us and no others. He gave us to His
 condemned Him to death. And deeper, still deeper, the Son, ordained to be the Christ, the Head of His people,
 way had become with the dawn of morning. The power the Captain of their salvation. He imputed all our sin
 of the Roman sword had been summoned against Him. and guilt to Him ; and He sent Him into the world, that
 x murderer had been preferred above Him. Cruel stripes by His blood He might make reconciliation and prepare
 of a wicked scourge had plowed their furrows into His for  us  eternal life.
 back. Mock-robes of royalty had been  cast about His                God's boundless love arid our transgressions, there is
 shoulders. The mock-crown of cruel thorns had been the `key to the true explanation of this awful spectacle
 pressed on His brow. A mock-scepter had been pressed of suffering.
 into Hishand and mock-obeisance had been offered Him.               For our transgressions, for our iniquities!
 Compelled He had been to bear His own tree to the place             Hopelessly we were lost in sin. Condemnation and
 of execution, till His enemies feared that their Victim wrath were upon our heads because of our actual sins
 would succumb before they could satisfy their thirst for rising up against us day by day, and these actual sins
                                                       I


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                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D  BEARER   *                                *                257
                    ._-.-----11_--..---                                                        .-
       issue forth from the foul fountain of our corrupt nature,         -Slaves of sin, following after the lust of the' flesh,
       by which we are in qurselves abominable in the sight of         foolish and loving the darkness rather than the light,
       Him Who is holy and righteous. And this corruption              willing servants of the devil by reason of our corrupt
       of  our' nature is the corruption of the whole human            nature, hating God and hating one another.
       nature,  botlnd  tiith chains of death because of the sin          Neither had we the right to be  healed!
       of one, righteously imputed to all. Neither was there hope         But in His stripes there is healing. For by His suffer-
       for deliverance till all this foul stream of our iniquities     ing and awful agony He secured for all His, the right to
       was blotted out and the foul source of our transgression        be delivered.
       stopped. Nor  could  our guilt be blotted out without the          And having merited the right, He receives the power
     most perfect satisfaction, neither could this satisfaction        to heal.
       be accomplished without  suiTering,  the suffering of              And having received the power He heals us.
       death, the bearing of the  pimishment  inflicted by God's          Makes us children of light.
       just wrath. And because He was made  our,Head  and                 Gives us Iife eternal!
       our Redeemer, one with us, our Lord, responsible for us,           Blessed Calvary !
       representing us, covering us before God, all our sins and                                                         Ii.  H.
       transgressions, the full burden of our iniquities was laid
       upon Him and alone He bore the great wrath of God,
       the Holy and True, against the sin of all. . . .                DE REMONSTRANTIE VAN 1610 EN DE DRIE
          Golgotha is no' mere display.                                   PUNTEN VAN 1924. - EEN VERGELIJKNIG
          Its suffering is a matter of strictest necessity.
          Another way, in which the  lpve of God could spread                            Listig Gesteld (slot).
       itself aver His transgressing children, there was not.
          Love, purest, deepest, widest, boundless love is the            We  zullen  in dit  artikei  onze beoordeeling over den
       ultimate Fount from which all this agony springs.               vorm der Drie  Punten  in vergelijking met dien van de
          For our transgressions wounded, for our iniquities           Vijf Artikelen der Remonstrantie  beGindigen.  In  bet
       bruised !                                                       vervolg  hopen  we verder een vergelijking te  maken   tus-
          And still  contempl+ting  this deepest cause of Cal-         schen de Remonstrantie en de Drie Punten  uit het ,oog-
       vary, the love of the Father, manifested in the love of punt van den inhoud.
       our  I,ord Jesus Christ, we are impelled to sing:  I               Over den vorm van Punten II en III kunnen we kort
                                                                       zijn. Ze zijn bijna letterlijk overgenomen uit het  voor-
                "Were  the whole realm of  nature mine,                stel der Commissie van Praeadvies, dat we reeds  be-
                    That were a present far too small;                 spraken. Dit  beho&  ons  niet te verwonderen.  Hodfd-
                 Love, so amazing, so divine,                          pun't  tech is Punt I. Daar is .dan ook het meest over ge-
                    Demands my soul, my life, my all."                 sproken op den vloer der Synode. De beide andere pun-
                                                                       ten  waren bijna niet in bespreking geweest. Het was
          0, blessed Cross !                                           inderdaad dan ook v?or de Synode het moeilijkst om uit
          Surveying its awful spectacle from the dark valley           te.spreken,  dat er een  geriade  Gods is voor de  verwor-
       c~f humiliation, it radiaks with marvelous light of beauty      penen,  met name in de prediking des Evangelies. Was
       and grace.                                                      dat er eenmaal door, dan was het niet alleen tamelijk
          For we realize,. that upon that patient and silent           gemakkelijk  om de andere  dwaling,   dat de natuurelijke
       Sufferer there is the chastisement of our peace, and that       mensch het goede voor God  we1  doen-  kan, ook uit te
       our healing is in His stripes.      .                           spreken, maar  volgd'e dit laatste ook feitelijk met  nood-
          War, enmity, unrest, rebellion against the living God        wendigheid uit het eerste. Loochening der particuliere
       is ours by  nature,  apart from the cross.  Unrest  which,      genade in den strikten zin moet noodwendig gevolgd
       when the Lord opens our eyes and causes us to view              worden  door loochening van de algeheele yerdorvenheid
       ourselves `in the light of His holiness and justice, over-      des natuurlijken  menschen. Hoe dit ook zij, de Synode
       whelms our soul with sorrow after God, causes us to             heeft  niet veel verandering aangebracht in den vorm
       realize how  true it is that our heart finds no rest till it    van Punten  II~en  III zooals deze haar door de Commissie
       rests in the living God.      That peace, the `peace that       waren  voorgesteld. Wat we dan ook eerder reeds schre-
       passes all understanding is in His chastisement. For ven,  toen we de voorstellen der Commissie bespraken,
       by His suffering `He removed the curse-of the law, hav-         geldt ook thans nog van deze  punten,  zooals ze door de
       ing become a curse for us.                                      Synode werden aangenomen.
          We,  therefore;.being  justified by faith, have peace           Dit is vooral waar van Punt II .
       with God !                                                         Het listige in den  irorm van dit Punt  bestaat in de
          And by the wondrous power of the cross we are                eerste plaats en vooral in het feit, dat het de dingen  niet
     healed.                                                           scherp en belijnd uitspreekt en daardoor niet zuiver
          Sick we are, deperately sick, hopelessly sick if man         voorstelt. We hebben er reeds eerder op gewezen, dat de
/      must cure us.                                                   waarheid geen behoefte heeft  aan dubbelzinnigheid.  %e
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                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                  -._I_                                                                                                            273
                                       -.._  ".-.^^                                                              -..._             -
daad voorstelt  als leidende tot bekeering. :Dezc  vrucht                    CAN A  CLASSIS   (Ok SYNOD) DEPOSE
der Gemeene Gratie heeft opzichzelf we1 geen beteckenis                                     A CONSISTORY  2.
voor het eeuwige  leven,   schoon  zc voor het  tegenwoor-
dige  tech van beteekenis is, maar  ze kan  tech leiden tot                 Or, The Plain Truth About the Institution of
de openbaring der zaligmakende genade.                    Hoe het                             Christ's Church
Modernisnie, met zijn verguizing van Christus  in de rich-
ting der zaligmakende gcnade  zich beweegt, is ons een                     One should  use some caution when  deaIing  with a
raadsel. En wij  maken  ons stout te zeggen,  dat het ook               document as the Confession, and when quoting it in
Ds. De Jong een raadsel is. Hij zou  ens metterdaad                     support of one's views. Art 27 reads as follows: "We
een dienst docn, als hij dit in eigen  kolommen  of in ons              believe and profess one catholic or universal church,
blad eens wat nader uiteen  Wilde zetten.  -41s hij dit                 which is an holy congregation of true Christian beIievers,
niet wil  doen  nemen  we  aan, dat hij het niet kan en dat             all expecting their salvation from Jesus Christ. . . . This
hij zichzelf niet  goed begreep,  toen  hij dit schreef.  Zich          Church has been from the beginning of the world, and
met een minachtend gebaar van een criticus  afmaken be-                 will be to the end thereof.. . .  "
teekent  gewoonlijk, dat men eigen zwakheid heeft  ge-                     The Church of which this article speaks is the
voeld. Maar in elk  geval  vinden wij ook dit laatste een               Cliurch universal which has been from the beginning
verschrikkelijke voorstelling.                                          of the world, a church not confined, bound or limited to
    Zeker, Ds. De Jong, de schrijvers hebben  zich  we1                 a certain place or to certain persons, but spread and dis-
eenige malen  te bedenken hoe en wat zij onder de oogen                 persed over the whole world. The following article
der Iezers brengen.                                                     (Art. 28) asserts that every `one is bound to join himself
   Dat bedoeldet ge tech zeker met toepassing op uzelf.                 to the true Church, wheresoever God has established it.
   Maar dat de aandacht van Ds. De Jong op deze  din-                   Fact is, then, that this one universal church is estab-
gen  werd gevestigd en dat hij ze dan  tech onveranderd                 lished by God in various places of this world. The term
laat staan,  dat' is erg.                                               establishment  is  the equivalent of our term  institution.
    Dat is  tech  we1 verschrikkclijk!                                  The believer, then, joining himself to the one universal
                                                         H. H.          church has to do, nevertheless, with one of the numerous
                                                                        church establishments.  I The'yuestion now is whether
                                                                        any one of these numerous church establishments must
                                                                        forbid a believer joining it from reserving for himself
                                                                        the right to sever the tie with this particular church
                           TN. MEMORIAM                                 whenever he (the  believer)  should be of the conviction
                                                                        that the church joined errs, deteriorated.  W'here does
   Wziar het den  Heere  behaagdc een  onzer  vroegere  leden (in       .the Confession teach this? Nowhere. Where does the
den laatsten tijd begunstigster),                                       Confession teach that the local establishment must for-
                                                                        bid the  conscientious  protesting member, convinced
                           MRS. H. KUIPER,                              that at least some of the doctrines of the local estab-
door den dood weg te nemen. op den  2den   Maart. 1.1.. in den          lishment joined are false, to withdraw for conscience's
hoogen ouderdom van 86  jaren,  daar betuigt de Hollandsche             sake ? Nowhere.
Vrouwenvereeniging  "Weest een Zegen" van de Fuller Ave. Prot.
Geref.  Kerk  te Grand Rapids,  Mich.,   langs  dezen weg hare  har-       Let us understand each other well. We do not mean
telijke sympathie met de bedroefde familie.                             to say that the  true church of Jesus Christ grants unto
                     Namens de vereeniging,
                                     Mrs. M.  VanderVennen,             the conscientious protestant,  6ontempIating  rebellion,
                                                       Secretaresse.    the right to leave the church and go over to  the  wo-rld.
                                                                        A member, insisting that his conscience compels him
                                                                        to leave the church and enter the world is giving  uttcr-
                           IN MEMORIAM                                  ante to a lie. ,4 church must not listen to such a one.
                                                                           The question is whether a  Iocal church (or group of
   Den  llden Februari  i.1. behaagde het den Heere  plotseling         churches known as a denomination) though convinced
door den dood van ons weg te nemen, in den  oud'erdom  van 75
jaren en 8 maanden.  onze geliefde Moeder, Behuwd- en  Groot-           that it is one of Christ's churches, may forbid a con-
moeder                                                                  scientious protestant contemplating joining another
     SUSANNA VAN ANTWERPEN,  geb. Wondergem.                            church which he (the protestant) regards as living.
                                                                        nearer the truth  - I say, the  cjuestion  is whether a
   Zwaar valt ons dit verlies, maar we mogen gelooven. dat  ze          church may forbid this protestant to leave if he is con-
de eeuwige rust is  ~ingegaan,  welke  bereid  is dengenen die den      vinced he must. Where, I would like to know, does the
Heere vreezen.
                      De bedroefde familie,                             Confession teach this? Absolutely nowhere.
                               Mr. and Mrs. M. Van Antwerpen               Further, we must keep before our eye the difference
                               Minnie Van Antwerpen                     between a member contemplating secession for the pur-
                                           En de  kleinkinderen         pose of putting an end to disciplinary action, and the
                                                                        conscientious protestant impelled by his conscience -to


274                                           . T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
            _---           -._ - -_--."                           ll__~ll___--"  .-.. "^.
leave in that he deems some or all the doctrines of a              tion) is twofold: (a) (we are quoting the form) To the
church false. The former (he breaking away from the end that he (the one excommunicated) may hereby be
church for the purpose of escaping discipline) be- made, if possible, ashamed of his sins  ; (b) and likewise
ing not  3 conscientious protestant is of the con- that we may not by this rotten and as yet incurable
viction that the doctrines of a church are in                      member, put the whole body of the church in danger, and
agreement           with Scripture         and that consequently that God's name may  not,be blasphemed." The church,
he is breaking away from the  true church  and                     then, disciplines  and' excommunicates also to save, if
from Christ. To sever the tie with a church whose sev-             possible, a stubborn member. Now, the church granting
eral doctrines I deem sound, is to renounce what accord-           unto the stubborn member the right to leave forfeits its
ing to my  firm belief is the truth. An ungodly member             right to apply this remedy; grants unto this member the
of the chtirch will, when disciplined, not recoil from this        right to reject the only remedy which, if blessed, will
act. Applied discipline induces  him~ to leave. Whereas effect a cure, Such a church exhibits a sinful indifference
he carries about with him the deep-seated conviction that relative the spiritual welfare of this spiritually deterio-
the church which he leaves- is the true church, his act rated member.
of withdrawal is a conscious, intelligent and  wilful                 What is more, the motive'impelling this disgruntled,
denunciation of the truth, yea, of Him who is the truth,           non-conscientious protesting member is deeply sinful.
namely, the Christ. The church may no more grant unto His sole purpose is to put an end to the process of dis-
this member the right to withdraw than it may grant                cipline. Such a one is, according to his firm belief, with-
him the right to steal or to kill. Of course, when this            drawing himself from under the jurisdiction of Christ.
member resigns there is nothing left for the church to             In leaving he sins greatly. Hence, he has no God-given
do but to recognize his resignation and to remove his              right to sever the tie binding him to the church. Christ
name from the church record. Likewise must the request does not give men the right to reject Him. Not having
for membership papers be granted. In respect to the                this right, a church may not grant it. -4 church .may not
matter of the application of discipline, the church goes say  yea  when Gods' word is nay.
all the way and excommunicates this member in the                     We are, by all means, ever ready to concede that the
event he shows no repentance and in case he permits the            Confession, by implication, forbids a church to grant
tie binding him to the  churth to remain intact. However, unto this member the right to withdraw. But where, we
tu grant a request for membership papers, to recognize a would like to know,. does the C6nfession  bid a church to
resignation of  a godless member, to excommunicate a deprive its conscientious protesting member, contemplat-
member of the church are. works and procedures which               ing secession, of his God-given right to serve God accord-
differ radically from the act of granting unto a non-con- ing to the dictates of his conscience? Where, we would
scientious: protesting member or members the right to like to know, does the Confession bid a church to urge
withdraw from a church or group of churches. A church its member to set aside Christ as Lord of his conscience
may not say to a disgruntled member contemplating out- and to place in the room  of Christ an infallible church?
running discipline : "The church grants you the right to Nowhere. It follows, then, that G. Hoeksema's appeal
resign as member. Do so and put an end to the process to the Confession is vain. The statements quoted plainly
of discipline." This may not be the manner of speech of show that he side-stepped his own issue. Hence, he
a church unto this member or local group of members. proved nothing.
To the contrary, the church must say to him: "Remain                  May not the objections enumerated above be raised
in the church and submit yourself to discipline." Further, also against granting the right of withdrawal unto con-
the granting of the request for membership papers is scientious seceders? In replying we call attention to the
always done with  the understanding that he who leaves fict that the correct view of the matter is that a church
joins himself to another local church of the same denom- does not grant but  acknowledges  this right as God-given.
ination. Finally, the very application of discipline must In doing sot it (a church) is acting in agreement with the
be regarded as a loud protest against the withdrawal of            revealed mind of God. And the conscientious protestant
a non-conscientious protesting member.               Let us make exercises this right when he  is,  convinced he should.
our meaning clear. The  F&m of Excommunication Until then, a church, if it thinks it must, proceeds with
asserts and correctly so, that discipline including excom-         discipline. Hence, not a church but the conscientious
munication is a remedy. Says the Form: "Since then he seceder puts an end to the process of discipline. Being
(namely, the one excommunicated) daily aggravates his convinced that the protestant, contemplating secession,  I
sin (which in itself is not small) by his stubbornness, and        errs, a church will endeavor to prove unto him from God's
since we have signified unto you the last time, that in            word that he has departed from the truth. If the prot-
case he did not repent, after such patience shown him estant cannot adopt the point of view of his church, all
by the church, we should be under the disagreeable that is left for him to do is to withdraw, providing he is
necessity of being further grieved by him, and come to the of the conviction that the breach between the church and
last remedy.`"                                                     the truth is sufficiently wide to justify and necessitate
       The purpose of discipline (including excommunica- his leaving. However, if the protestant remains  and


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                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              275
     -                                 --...~-               "l.---^...^.-l^  .._..- _ __--
     propagates his views, the church, being of the conviction Nor the idea that it can legally refuse obedience to any
     that he errs, censures and eventually excommunicates classical  or synodical decision.               Sometimes it would
     him as a schismatic in the event he continues to disrupt seem that Article 31 must be used to support this last
     the church of which he is a member. Even though the idea. It is then explained as follows: `The decisions of
     protestant, after having vainly attempted to convince the       Classis and Synod are binding,  urrless the consistory
     church of its error, agrees to keep silence, the church in     considers then un-Scriptural; then it can refuse obedi-
     whose estimation  he errs, must apply censure in the ence, and if necessary leave the church. But it should
     event he (the protestant) fails to sever the tie; and in       be noticed that the last idea (the right and duty to leave
     case the church must believe that he (the protestant)          the church) which is the very heart of the Confederation
     departed from the truth to that extent that his entrance       conception, is not found in Article 31 at all. It is a
     into the Kingdom of Heaven is out of the question unless purely gratuitous addition to it.
     he repents. On the other hand, the conscientious prot-               " `And to make matters still worse, it conflicts with
     estant may stay his excommunication by exercising his          the very explanation  J.ansen and others give to the
     Gad-given right of withdrawal. He and those like                Article . . . . And the result is, that the words,  "se'ttled
     minded may establish themselves elsewhere as a chufch and binding unless it can be proved," mean for them set-
     of Christ.                                                     tled and binding unless someone considers it proved that
          This raises the question whether the conscientious a  certain decision is in conflict with Scripture. Then it
     protestant      should always exercise his spiritual right is  not binding, then you have the right and, unless you
     of withdrawal (rebellion). Our answer is ready: If the         submit, the duty to leave the church.' And. all that is
     protestant is convinced that the church of which he is a       supposed to be an explanation of Article 31." So far
     member has deteriorated into a false church,  he> (the         G. Hoeksema.
     protestant) must withdraw. He may not permit the tie                 G. Hoeksema, it must well be understood, is at work
     binding him to a false church (false, according to his         in the above paragraph, censuring the views of his op-
     conviction) to remain intact. However, if the protestant       ponents. According to G. Hoeksema, then, a consistory
     is of the conviction that his church, notwithstanding its      may. not reject what it deems to be an un-Scriptural
     errors and sinful practices, may, nevertheless, be denom- classical or synodical decision  atid  leaye.        The question
     inated a  true.church, he (the protestant) should remain arises, What is this c&sistory then allowed to do? May
     and continue to publicly protest against doctrines and         it reject, according. to G. Hoeksema,  the decision and
     practices  ,which he deems false. If he remains in the         remain in the church? His answer is contained in the
     church and holds his peace he sins. There  are many following selection. "For if the words just considered
     such protestants in the Christian Reformed Church  - mean, `unZesr  some one  considers it  proved,' then a  con-
     members who hold their peace though they detest the sistory that refuses to be bound cannot be troubled in
     three points and denounce in their heart the action taken any way. You cannot then add,  `but: such a consistory
     by their church against Danhof and H. Hoeksema.                severs church relations.'  " These quotations are found
          In fine,  one of the foundation tenets of G.  Hoek- on pages 34 and 35 of the brochure. And again: "And
     sema's system of church government is that a church the refusal to be bound by such a decision is not rebellion
     cannot permit the conscientious protesting office-bearer or revolution. That is a right guaranteed by the con-
     or consistory to depart without penalizing him. Such a tract. The consistory can reject such decisions in accord-
     consistory must be deposed and deprived of its proper- ance with the contract, and therefore such action is not
     ties.    This, we" insist, is religious persecution of the a severance of the denominational tie. Van Lonkhuyzen
     purest wool.                                                   says, `Tevens blijkt hieruit dat we van te voren een
          Thus far the fallacies of the system of church gov- accoord  maken  dat als iets voor ons duidelijk is dat het
     ernment which we criticize have been but partly exposed. niet is "Gode  gehoorzaam," dat het tegen Gods Woord
     G. Hoeksema would penalize a withdrawing oft'ice-bearer        ingaat . . . . dat we het dan niet zullen behoeven  aan te
     or consistory. What, according to  G. Hoeksema, must nemen'  " (Brochure, p. 31).
     be done with him or it in the event it (the  con-                    The above quotation furnishes an answer to the ques-
     sistory) decides to remain?         Then, too, according tion what the behavior of the church is toward that pro-
     to G. Hoeksema, these office-bearers must be pen- testing member, off ice-bearer (or consistory) who, having
     alized in the event they refuse to hold their peace rejected a classical decision, fails to withdraw but remains
     and continue to publicly voice their grievances. Let us in the church instead. According to G. Hoeksema this
     pay close attention to the following selections: "This         protestant, having rejected a classica  decision severs by
     federation-idea lies at the heart of the controversy that this very act the tie binding him to the church. Whereas
     has arisen. It determines one's whole system of church it is G. Hoeksema's view that the member (office-bearer
     government. And this fundamental conception is simply or consistory) who withdraws must be penalized, it fol-
     a theory gotten elsewhere and superimposed upon our lows that the protestant who rejects a classical decision
     Church Order. Surely, the word federation is not found         but fails to withdraw must be penalized anyhow. For,
     there. Nor the idea that a local consistory can withdi-aw.     having rejected a classical decision, he by this very act


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276                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
_.-        __"".^  -... """.- .-_--                    "_^l__"                   ___-.  ^...^ .._ l_ll_
severed the tie binding him to the church.  It. is clear                     it (the decision) is not in agreement with Scripture. He
that it makes no difference whether the protesting office- should be permitted to do so without being ordered,by a
bearer withdraws or remains. In either case  hC is cen-                      few  gemi-gods in the church to hush up. The clause
sured, penalized. Hence, he is permitted neither to with-                    (contained in the Formula of Subscription) : "And if
draw nor to remain. The question cannot be suppressed, hereafter any difficulties or different sentiments respect-
What would G. Hoeksema have this protestant do  ?                            ing the aforesaid doctrines should arise in our minds, we
What, according to Hoeksema, must the church request promise that we will neither publicly nor privately pro-
him do to? It stands to reason that if the church will                       pose, teach or defend the same, either by preaching or
neither permit the protestant having rejected a classical                    writing, until we have  fu-st revealed such sentiments to
decision to withdraw or to remain, without censuring the consistory, Classis  and Synod, that the same may be
and penalizing him, all there is left for the church to do there examined, being ready always cheerfully to submit
is to command him to remain, uproot his convictions,                         to the judgment of the consistory,  Classis  and Synod,
silence his conscience and bow to the decision of Classis                    under the penalty in case of refusal to be, by that very
(or Synod) even though he (the protestant) is of the                         fact, suspended from our office"  - this clause, I say,
conviction that it militates against Scripture. We chal-                     applies only to the  aforesaid doctrine  and not to classical
lenge G. Hoeksema to show that a church inaugurating and synodical decisions. The point is that an office-bearer
his system of church government will not either be Iord-                     or consistory need not keep to this mode of procedure
ing over its unsubmissive member's conscience or perse-                      when he feels constrained to attempt to convince  the
cuting him for his beliefs.                   Hoeksema will  -reply  that    church that a certain  dlassical  or synodical decision is
the protestant has the so-called spiritual right of rebel-                   not in agreement with Scripture. Heretofore members
lion.     But what of this? A church, according to G.                        of the Christian Reformed Church had the right to criti-
Hoeksema  cannot recognize this right.  I't follows, there-                  cize a classical or synodical decision without being re-
fore, that it must deal with its members in a manner                         quested to keep themselves to the mode of voicing a
d e s c r i b e d   a b o v e .                                              grievance outlined by the  Formula~of  Subscription.  .We
       Further, we also question the veracity of the proposi- could adduce  examples  a plenty (and we shall do so in
tion to the effect that a member, office-bearer or con-                      tlie sequence) to prove that the office-bearer  in. the
&tory rejecting a classical or synodical decision severs                     Christian Reformed Church always had this right. (and
 by that very act the denominational tie.                                    the common member also, for that matter).            Danhof
       Once more, it appears that G. Hoeksema fails to dis- and H. Hoeksema, strange to say, were deprived of this
 tinguish between classical and synodical decisions and                      right. They were not permitted to prove by teaching
 the dogmas contained in our Formula of Unity. He and writing, that the three points of Synod were  un-
place3  the decisions of Classis  and Synod in a class with                  Scriptural. Classes Grand Rapids East and West iden-
the teachings constituting the above mentioned  do&                          tified the three points with the Confession, and the
 ments  and maintains that" the office-bearer signing the                    aggrieved protestant was told that in protesting he must
 Formula of Subscription pledges to behave toward class-                     keep himself to the course mapped out for him by the
 ical and synodical decisions in the same manner as he                       Formula of Subscription. The question arises whether
 promises, when signing, `to behave toward the dogmas                        Classis,  having identified the three points with our Con-
 uniting the churches constituting the Christian Reformed fession, might forbid the aggrieved member or office-
 denomination. This, to put it mildly, is a terrible un- bearer, convinced that Synod's deliverances militate
 truth. The `Formula of Subscription makes no mention against the Confession, to publicly voice his grievances.
at all of classical and synodical decisions or deliverances                  Might classes insist that the three points are so many
 other than those contained in  the_ Confession  &nd  Cute-                  extractions from the Confession and hold for this rea-
 c&m of the  Reformed Churches,  together with the  espla-                   son the aggrieved office-bearer to the mode of protesting
 nation of some points of the aforesaid doctrines, made by th.e outlined in the  .Formula  of Subscription? Our answer
 National Synod ui Dordrecht,, 1618-`19.  `Read this Formula, is an unequivocable No. Whether or no the three points,
 found in the back of the Psalter, and be convinced. Fact                    are so many extractions from the Confession should have
 is, then, that the only synodical deliverances the office-                  remained for a while an open question. The aggrieved
 bearer, attaching his signature to the Formula of Sub- office-bearer should have been permitted to exercise the
 scription pledges to defend, are those mentioned by this right of attempting to prove unto the church that these .
 Form and none other. This does not mean that an office-                     points are un-reformed without being accused of break-
 bearer or consistory will refuse to recognize classical and                 ing a promise made when signing the Formula of Sub-
 synodical decisions. Should the various consistories be                     scription. What happened is that the aggrieved office-
 perpetually ignoring decisions of  Classis and Synod, the bearers were referred to the Formula and ordered to
 inevitable result would be the disruption of the entire                     hush, up. They refused, of course, and were therefore
 denomination. This stands to reason.  It does mean,                         expelled as  schismatics.  Preposterous !
 however, that an office-bearer or consistory rejects and                        We do not mean to say that the aggrieved office-
 publicly  criticises  a decision if he or it is convinced that              bearers should have been allowed to protest indefinitely


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   ` B E A R E R                                              277
 .- ---._-                                                               9%
 without official interference. If the Christian Reformed           Synod and be always ready to cheerfully submit to the
 churches, after having heard the protestants, should still         judgment  uf these bodies or in case of refusal, be  SUS-
 have been of the conviction that the three points are              pended from his office.
 reformed, these churches would have had the perfect                   The following selection verifies the above accusation :
 right to silence the protestants and proceed with cen-             ",4nd all this is the plain teaching of the Formula of
 sure in the event they refused either to hold their peace          Subscription. All this all our  elders  and deacons have
 or to withdraw.  .However,  when a synod  (or  classis) for-       admitted upon taking office. Sometimes we stand amazed
 bids aggrieved members to publicly criticize its decisions,        that there is any dispute at all about these matters. If
 it (the synod) is trampling under foot the members'                all our ministers and elders and deacons would just
 rights. It seems  t6 me that a church actually interested          read the plain simple language of the Formula they have
 in truth, and conscious of their own fallibility would, solemnly signed, our problem would evaporate into air."
 by all means, welcome such criticism.                              Being ready always cheerfully to submit to the judg-
     The question arises why a certain clique in the Chris-         ment of consistory,  Classis  and Synod, under penalty in
 tian Reformed Church insisted that Hoeksema and Dan-               case of refusal to obey  Classis  or Synod, then such  bbe-
 hof should either hush up or keep themselves to the                dience  is part of the duty of their office. If it is the duty
 mode of protest outlined by the Formula of Subscription            of each individual member it automatically becomes the
 in case they had anything to say. The framers of  th,e             duty of the whole body. If all the individual members,
  three points were well aware of the fact that their deliv-        through insubordination to  Classis  and Synod, deserve
  erances would not survive the  attack<  of the aggrieved          suspension, so also the whole body, or rather the i-ecalci-
  protestants. They feared, therefore, to recognize these           trant majority if such be their attitude.
 protestants' right to publicly  criticise  their (the clique's)       To conform to their theories (we are still quoting G.
 productions. Well did they know that the three points              Hoeksema), some Reformed men would have to re-write
  would not  ,show  up well if subjected to -the acid test.         the Formula of Subscription as follows: "If individual
 These protestants, therefore, must not be permitted to             members of the consistory refuse to submit to Classis  or
  talk openly.    The Formula of Subscription's mode of             Synod, then  the consistory shall suspend them, but if the
  voicing a grievance was made to serve as the silencer. consistory as a body refuses, obedience, then  Classis  and
 Well did Prof. C.  Bouma and G. Hoeksema realize that              Synod can merely sever the denominational tie."
  this mode of protest would ultimately land the grievances            But such (so G. Hoeksema continues) is not the
  of the protestants in the "doofpot."                              language of the Formula of Subscription as it comes
     Further, G. Hoeksema and his clique had firmly made            down to us from the Fathers of Dordt. They believed in
  up their minds that H- Hoeksema and Danhof had to go.             real subjection of all con&story members to  Classis  and
  C. Bouma and G. Hoeksema well knew that the meas- Synod. It made no difference to them whether one or a
  ures adopted would place the aggrieved office-bearers             few or a majority of the consistory refused obedience.
  before the choice of seeing their grievances land in the          They each and all render themselves unworthy of office,
  burke (doofpot) or conducting themselves in such a man-           if they will not submit". . . . (Brochure, pp. 55, 54).
  ner as would give unto G. Hoeksema and his fellows the               We shall not now expose the terrible fallaciousness of
  apparent right to set them outside the church. G. Hoek- the above interpretation of the Formula of Subscription.
  sema and his  .felIows  well knew that the protestants            We shall do so later on when engaged in rearing upon
  would  choosk  to do the  littter.  They<had  to and so they      G. Hoeksema's razed thought-structure, another one  -
  did, -and their expulsion followed .as a matter of course.        truly Reformed.  A certain brother said to us recently:
c  Mter all what  happened,  it is very plain that the three        "Please tell us what is truth. Replace the structure you
  points were thought out and framed for the purpose of             destroy by another." We promise to do so in due time.
  railroading these protestants out of the church. This was,        But we cannot very well begin building until the old
  at least, one of the reasons. When we think of all these          structure approved of by the leaders in the Christian
  things, we rejoice exceedingly that the judgment day is           Reformed Church of today, has been leveled to the
  approaching.                                                      ground. The materials for this new structure `we shall
     In his brochure, G. Hoeksema does not, of course,              derive from Scripture as reproduced in our Formulas of
  present matters in the above light. He fails to dis-              Unity.
  tinguish, as was before said,  between the doctrines signi-          The reason we inserted the above quotation in this
  fied by the term  aforesaid doctrines  (a term found in the       essay is to prove that G. Hoeksema actually quotes the
  Formula of Subscription) and such decisions as a pres-            Formula of Subscription in support of the proposition
  ent  Classis   or Synod may make.  `El& places present day        that an office-bearer (or group of office-bearers)
  classical and synodical decisions in a class with the             aggrieved by  a'Classica1  or  Synodical  decision may not
  aforesaid  doctrines  and thereupon quotes the Formula of         publicly voice his grievances but must keep silence and
  Subscription in support of the proposition that the office-       reveal his sentiments to  consistorf,   Classis and Synod
  bearer aggrieved by a synodical or classical decision             same as he must do when there arises in his mind differ-
  must reveal his sentiments  to the  .consistory,  Classis  or     ent sentiments respecting the AFORESAID  DOC-


         278                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D  :E:EARER
         -_-".^-                                                                     .-...._  --.^  - -                       .a1-"-_11
         TRINES  I wish to say, in passing, that  G.  Hoel+ema's            G. Hoeksema now takes a step forward  and  asserts
         brochure is a conglomeration of deceptions, perversions         that the act of withdrawal and the severance of the tic
         and nonsense,      intermingled,     intermixed and inter-      binding one to the Christian Reformed Church is a
         twined in such a way that the "critic bent on dealing with      terrible sin. Says  he: "`The question whether one can
         them, one by one, hardly knows where to begin.  G.              legitimately withdraw from a certain organization, de-
         Hoeksema may read this. He is regularly receiving               pends upon the character of the institution. And the
         these days a copy of The Standard Bearer.                       divine character of the institution of the Church forbids
            Some of the readers may remark tbat~the  above quo-          and condemns all separation from it . . , . If the Church
         tation does not at all assert that the `office-bearer           is a divine institution from which God forbids men to
         aggrieved by a synodical or classical decision must, in         withdraw, then the Church must deny that right to its
         the event he wishes to reveal his difficulties, follow the      members . . . . . The view we are here criticizing involves
         course  mapped  out by the Formula of Subscription.             an unintentional but nevertheless terrible denial of the
         Where does the quotation assert that the aggrieved              Kingship of Christ. We are all agreed that the one
         office-bearer may not publicly assail present day class-        great denominational principle  i,f the Reformed Church
         ical and synodical decisions.       We  repIy  that nowhere     polity is the Kingship of Jesus Christ over His Church.
         does the quotation assert this. Bear in mind, however,          But here again we must not be satisfied with a phrase.
         that the sole reason for the appearance of G. Hoekskma's        We must give it real content; we must make it mean
         brochure was the action taken by  Classis  Grand Rapids         something, yea, everything in practical church govern-
         West against the office-bearers of Hope Riverbend and           ment . . . . " (Brochure, ,pp. 20, 21, 22).
         Kalamazoo 1. What had these office-bearers done to                  G. Hoeksema has it then that  the act of withdraw-
         incur the wrath of this  classis? Rejected certain Synod-       ing from the Christian Reformed Church is a terrible
         ical decisions (the three points).  For this reason these       denial of the Kingship of Jesus Christ.
         office-bearers were penalized (deposed and relieved of              G. Hoeksema takes another and final step forward
         their church properties). Pray, for what other reason           when he quotes from the Confession to prove, that he
         did  G,. Hoeksema appeal to the Formula of Subscription who severs the tie with the Christian Reformed Church
         than to make it appear that also according to this docu- is denying the Christ as his King.                    Article  28 is
         ment an @ice-bearer, aggrieved hy a present-day Synod-          quoted  : "We believe since this holy congregation is
         ical or Classical decision, must keep himself to the man-       an assembly of those who are saved and that out of
         ner of voicing a grievance, described by the Formula,           it there is no salvation, that no person of whatsoever
         and, according to his own agreement be deposed, in the          state or condition he may be, ought to withdraw him-
         event he refuses to do so? But enough of this.                  self, to live in a separate state from it; but that all men
            G. Hoeksema's system of church government, we                are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with it;
         said, is like a house divided against itself.. Let us supply    maintaining the unity of the Church, submitting  them-
         some more proof. G. Hoeksema urged  Classis  Grand I selves to the doctrine and discipline thereof."
         Rapids West to penalize the office-bearers constituting            According to G. Hoeksema, then, the Christian Re-
         the consistories of Hope Riverbend and Kalamazoo I.             formed Denomination is constituted of holy congrega-
         He got his way. These consistories were penalized (de-          tions. No person of whatsoever state or condition he
         posed and deprived of their church properties). We              may  be? ought to withdraw himself from the Christian
         repeat, the sole purpose of the appearance of Hoeksema's        Reformed Church-to live in a separate state from it. Out
         brochure was the justification of this action. Hoeksema's       of the Christian Reformed Church there is no salvation.
         booklet, we said, represents, a mighty attempt on his              We know, too, now the sin of the aforesaid office- ,
         part to make it appear that the penalization of these           bearers.       Withdrawing from the Christian Reformed
         office-bearers was just. Roeksema will show that the            Church, they made themseIves  guilty of a terrible denial
         action taken against these consistories was well-deserved.      of the Kingship of Christ. They withdrew themselves
         Let us direct our attention to his argument and trace           from a church out of which there is no salvation. Who
         the path of his reasoning. He sets out. by describing           will dare to maintain that these office-bearers did not
         the aforesaid office-bearers' behavior. These men re-           deserve to be deposed and deprived of their church prop-
         jected synodical decisions and severed, by that very act,       erties  ? Furthermore, they go eternally lost if they do
         the tie binding them to the  Christian Reformed Church.         not repent. Finally, all those not in the Christian Re-
         So Hoeksema reasons. Says he in reply to Van  Lonk-             formed Church are doomed : Baptists, Presbyterians,
         huyzen  : "The consistory can reject such decisions in Episcopalians, all members of the Reformed churches,
         accordance with a contract and therefore such action is         of the Protestant Reformed churches, etc., for out of
         not a severance of the denominational tie" (Brochure., p.       the Christian Reformed Church there is no salvation. He
         22). So says Van Lonkhuyzen. Thus, according to G.              leaving this church is denying the Kingship of Christ.
         Hoeksema, the aforesaid office-bearers, having rejected         Such are the teachings of  `the brochure. I know that
         synodical decisions, severed the denominational tie. That       some of the readers for example, G.  Hoeksema,  will
'        is to say, they withdrew from the Christian Reformed            accuse me of. drawing false conclusions. We insist, how-
\  C h u r c h .                                                         ever, that such are the plain teachings of the brochure.
I:.II


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I
                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D '  BEAtiER   >                                      273
                    ~llllll_                                                                                  -.- -.-. l---.--

     Is it not a fact that we  were penalized, that is deposed doctrines and discipline, we will not, as office-bearers,
     and deprived of our properties? Is it not also true that cheerfully see any of our members depart to churches
     we were penalized for withdrawing from the Christian           of less pure formation. But as long as affiliations are
     Reformed Church? It follows, then, that the act of sought with a Church that we can recognize as a part of
     withdrawal was held to be a sin. Our sin was that we           the great body of Christ, those who  leave  us are not
     denied the Kin&ship of Christ. All such statements as:         withdrawing from the true Church. And the protestant
     "If the church is a divine institution from which God          principle of pluriformity forbids the exercise of discipline
     forbids men to withdraw, then the church must deny             leading to excommunication.`* So far G. Hoeksema.
     this right to its members" I say, all such statements             We call attention first of all to the statement that
     must be made to apply to the Christian Reformed                reads : "Fir& by the foregoing we do not mean, of course,
     Church. Also the statement  "The view we are here criti- to deny members the right  .to ask for the transfer of
     cizing involves a terrible  de&al of the Kingship  of  Christ." membership-papers to some other congregation, or even
     That he who withdraws from the Christian Reformed to depart to some other evangelical church."
     Church denies, according to Hoeksema, the Kingship of             The word Foregoing signifies the preceding section in
     Christ, is evident from the statements which immediately       which the author reasons that the Christian Reformed
     follow.    They read  : "We are all agreed that the one Church must penalize its withdrawing office-bearers. It
     great denominational principle of Reformed Church is plain that Hoeksema (G.) was keenly sensible of the
     . Polity is the Kingship of Jesus Christ over His Church. fact that his' readers will conclude  after having attended
     But here again  we must not be satisfied with a phrase.        to his reasonings that he who leaves `the Christian Re-
     We must give it real content; . . . . ."                       formed Church commits a great sin and must therefore
         Who does the pronoun  WE  signify. Who and what            be penalized; that this church cannot even permit its
     else but G. Hoeksema himself and the Christian Reformed        members to depart to some other Evangelical church.
     Church of which he is a member. Hence this Church              In the preceding section, I repest, Hoeksema teaches this
     must not be satisfied with a phrase. We (the Christian         very thing. He is well aware of it that such indeed are
     Reformed Church) must give (so Hoeksema continues)             the teachings of this section of his booklet. To neutral-
     it, that,is,  the phrase "Kingship of Jesus Christ over His    ize the nonsense found on these particular pages, Hoek-
     Church" a real content. In a word, WE must let the will        sema (G.) informs his readers that he meant not to deny
     of Christ speak through the rules of the Church. (What         to members the right to seek affiliations elsewhere. After
     Church? The Christian Reformed Church.  G. M. 0.)              all, then, the members of rhe Christian Reformed Church
     What now is that will of Christ? That men refrain from may affiliate with other churches, even with a church
     withdrawing from His church. Doing so they deny whose doctrines and practices are rather far removed
     Christ.    Hence.  WE,  the Christian Reformed Church,         from Reformed principles. For G. Hoeksema can recog-
     must forbid its members ro withdraw. We, the Church,           nize this. church as a part of the great body of Jesus
     penalize those members who do leave.                           Christ. How, then, we would like to know, could  Clas-
        Clear?  is it not, that we were not engaged in drawing      sis Grand Rapids West penalize the consistories of Hope
     false conclusions.. In fine, the plain teachings of the        and Kalamazoo I for withdrawing and for denying by
     brochure is that the Christian Reformed Church does            this very act the Kingship of Christ, if G. Hoeksema and
     not permit its members to withdraw. Doing so, these            this  Classis  recognize the principle of pluriformity and
     members commit a great sin. They deny the Christ, and          concede that the Christian Reformed Church is but one
     are, therefore penalized.                                      of the many churches belonging to the great body of
         G. Hoeksema? I am sure, will aver that I grossly mis-      Christ? That the Church of Jesus Christ has many forms
     represented his teachings. He will accuse me of ignor-         is largely due to the fact that: certain groups of believers
     ing a certain paragraph on page 23! 24. It is our aim to       withdrew from certain churches in much the same way
     ignore nothing of what he has written. The paragraph           as the consistories of Hope and Kalamazoo I withdrew,
     reads as follows: "Two closing observations may not be         withdrew    according to G. Hoeksema, from the
     unnecessary before proceeding to another phase of our          Christian Reformed Church.         I f   G .  Hoekscma  b e -
     general subject. First by the foregoing we do not mean         lieves in the principle of pluriformity, should he not
     of course, to deny to members the right to ask for the         have permitted these consistories to withdraw and estab-
     transfer of their membership papers to some other con-         lish themselves elsewhere as a church of Jesus Christ.
     gregation, or even to depart to some other evangelical         without penalizing them for the terrible sin of denying
     church. By so doing, they do not withdraw from the             the Kingship of Christ? G. Hoeksema must admit that,
     Church of Jesus Christ. They merely seek affiliations          although from his point of view  rhese consistories err,
     elsewhere. If a member desires to affiliate with a church      they together with their flocks, must be regarded as
     whose doctrines and practices are rather far removed           churches belonging to the great body of Jesus Christ.
     from our Reformed principles, our consistories no doubt        Had not the Synod of 1924 declared that H. Hoeksema
     have a duty to perform ere the dismissal is granted. If and Danhof are Reformed relative fundamental doctrines?
     we believe with heart and soul in our own Church and its         It is plain that G. Hoeksema again turned against him-


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      280                                      T H E   ` S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

      self.      If he wishes to maintain the principle of  pluri-    "fundamenteel-Gereformeerde" (maar door eenige  kerk-
      formity, he is duty bound to decry the action taken by leiders niet gcwildej leeraren uit te doen  werpen als kct-
      Classis  Grand Rapids West against the aforesaid  con-          ters en  rebellen  en de bestrijding van welke leugenleer
      sistories. Then he and this  classis owes these  consisto-      door ons  aan genoemde Kerk een  belijdenis-uitzichtven-
      ries an  ipology to say the least. If  G. Hoeksema con-         ster naar de wereld  heen  en haar  "goed" verschafte,  waar-
      tinues to uphold  Classis  Grand Rapids West, he must door haar blik  i-erruimd wordt geacht te zijn; een  Drie-
      deny the principle of pluriformity. Thus it appears that        Puntige "uitbouw" aan de  belijdenis,  die meer  aan een
      G. Hoeksema again must choose between the fire and the          ruggegraa&erkromming  doet  denken  dan  aan een  sier-
      frying pan.                                                     Iijk balkon, vanwaar af de Naam van Christus  wordt uit-
             Let us have the situation well  before our minds. If geroepen en Gods eeuwige deugden bekend gemaakt.
      G. Hoeksema wishes to uphold the charge lodged against             Wij meenen, dat het steeds, en steeds sterker en
      us - the charge namely that, in leaving, we broke away meer, noodig zal zijn, om de gedachte, inhoud, strekking,
      from Christ, he must forsake the principle of pluriformity, en gevolgen van de "verleiding" en de leugen die aan de
      and tell the world that those, not members of one of the        befaamde  Drie  Punten   van de Chr. Geref. Kerk hier te
      Christian Reformed churches are doomed; that those              Iande ten grondslag liggen  aan te wijzen en te  bekam-
      leaving this church, leave Christ; that outside of this         pen  ; en om elkander op te wekken  alleen  en geheel en
      church there is no salvation.                                   volkomen ons te houden en getrouw te blijven in  op-
             If he would repudiate all this nonsense, and cleave      rechtheid  aan wat  onz&   vaderen  in vervlogen  eCuwen.
      to the principle of pluriformity, he must admit that we         (waarop wij immers zoozeer roemen),  ondubbelzinnig en
      did not reject Christ when leaving his church; that, con-       klaar hebben beleden  voor  vriend en vijand, voor de
      sequently, we were unjustly penalized.                          broederen en de Overheden.  - in wat wij de  Drie  For-
          G. Hoeksema, we insist, must again choose between mulieren  van Eenigheid zeggen te zijn van onze kerken -,
      the fire and the frying pan..                                   in tegenoverstelling van de humanistische, naar de  wereld
                                                     G. M. 0.         en  he1 heenvoerende, gedachte der strijdige, der  Schrift
                                                                      en der Godzaligheid vreemde, leer der Gemeene Gratie
                                                                      van het Neo-Calvinisme; een anti-Doopersche levens- en
                                                                      wereldbeschouwing, maar die niet rust op het onderwijs
      DE GEMEENE  GRATIE-LEER TER CHR. GEREF. van Christus,  noch gesticht is  013 het fondament der
                    PREDIKANTENVERGADERING                            Apostelen en Profeten; die Grieksch-Romeinsche  idee&
               Gehouden  te Apeldoom, Nederland, Juni 1927            ten grondslag heeft en veeieer  aan de Renaissance  zich
                                                                      aansluit  dan in de regeneratie  wortelt;  en welker  "ont-
                                 (Vervolg)                            wikkeling," zoo hier te lande,  "waar het Calvinisme zoo-
                                                                      veel goeds en grootsch deed,`! als in het "door Frankrijk's
         Wij hebben,  zooals   we1 reeds  hleek,  nietwaar, met rivieren aangeslibde" land, o. i. reeds. zeer  verderfelijk
      aandacht de Stellingen van Ds. Van der  Molen,  waarop werkt op de openbaring van het denken  en doen  der zich
      zijn  referaat  over: Het  al  o,f  &et  Schriftuuriijke  der  Ge- noemende zonen en dochteren van de Afscheiding en
      meeke &&tie-leer  rustte, bezien en nagegaan.                   Doleanti&  en van het zaad huns zaads; welke  zich nbg
         Hoe zou het ook anders kunnen bij ons?                       &el,- den  vromen  Grden  napratende,  zoo gaarne  "issus
      Wij  hopen  nimmer "geloofsovertuigingen" te  doen              de Calvin" noemen.
      afhangen van zondige en goddelooze ambities, of die                Wij  willen  nog  we1 aannemen, dat vele Chr. Geref.
      "levensbeschouwingen" af te stroopen, als een slang haar .predikanten  met de behandeling voor hun gemeente van
      huid telkens.                                                   den derden Zondag van  "onzen Heidelberger," niet het
         Voor ons staat,  _I en dit ga voorop -, het  onschrif-       tegenovergestelde  zullen  leeren  van hetgeen in het  Ant-
      tuurlijke feen "Schriftuurlijke,' leer der Gemeene Gratie woord op de achtste Vraag wordt gegeven, in  verband
      bestaat er eenvoudig niet) en dwaze van de  algemeene           ook met het antwoord op vraag 5;  noch ook, dat zij den
      Genade-leer, door Dr. A.  Kuyper Sr. om  bepaalde   reden,      tekst van de zeven en tachtigste vraag zullen  omkeeren,
      (niet alleen wegens zijn liefde voor archeismen) Gemeene        of het antwoord op wat in vraag 87 wordt  aan de orde
      Gratie-leer  genoemd, onomstootelijk  tast.                     gesteld, of dat op de  Xste vraag.
         En voor ohs Gereformeerden hier is het duidelijk en             Wij gelooven ook nog niet, dat zij allen  op den kansel
      klaar, dat die dwaalleer den Calvinisten in Nederland           zoo oneerlijk  z&en zijn  bm in twijfel te  trekken  en in
      liet goede spoor heeft  doen  bijster  worden,  en het ware,    kwestie te stellen de waarheid door de  -4rtt. 12, 13, 14, 15,
      Geestelijke, gezicht op het  Ieven  des menschen hier  be-      16, 24 en 37 van onze Nederlandsche (Geref.) Belijdenis
      neden  heeft verduisterd.                                       openb-aar gemaakt; noch dat zij voor de Gemeente opzet-
          Neen,  &j zijn nog niet  "zat" van al dat  "gepraat en telijk de klare Schrifttaal opzichtens de Praedestinatie,
      geschrijf" over de Gemeene Gratie, welke  "geniale"   uit-      de zaligheid der uitverkorenen, het doemvonnis der ver-
      vinding van den eminenten "grootmeester der  Calvinis-          worpenen, de verkondiging des Evangelies, de volharding
      ten" in Nederland  aan de Chr. Geref. Kerk in de  Veree- der heiligen en zoo meer, in de Dordtsche  Leerregelen
      nigde Staten gelegenheid schonk om twee bekwame en vervat, zull& verdraaien en verwringen, gelijk de Synode


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     286                                  _,    T H E   S T A N D A R D -   B E A R E R
     _.--.l_-  ._.-..........  ----1-1                .-                           --.-  ._--.-.......  I__--   ..- --  .._....  _--___- ._-
     is niet alleen nut, zoolang het water op ons is, en dat wij       DR. H. BEETS ON THE DOCTRINE OIF ELECTION
     het water ontvangen, maar ook al den tijd onzes  levens.
     Hierom verwerpen wij de dwaling der Wederdooperen,"                  In a recent article appearing in The Banner, Dr.
     etc.                                                              Beets comments on a certain article appearing in the
             De tweede vraag van  "Een Lezer" begrijp ik niet          Christian Standard of N ovember 6,  1?27.  It was given
     recht.  Voorzoover  ik zien kan is er in I Petrus  4:6 in         in the shape of an address at a recent convention, so
     het  geheel  geen sprake van de goddeloozen, die in den           Dr. Beets' informs us. Its author is the Rev. J.  H. S.
     zondvloed zijn omgekomen,  maar eenvoudig van dooden,             Raum.    Under, the title "Why I Left the Reformed
     aan wie het Evangelie werd verkondigd. De tekst is                Church:" he writes :
     welbekend en luidt als volgt: "want daartoe is ook den               "For a Hollander, familiar with the history of his
     dooden het  Evangelic  ,verkondigd  geworden, opdat zij           native land, to forsake the Church of his fathers is some-
     we1 zouden geoordeeld  worden  naar den mensch in het             what like an American disowning his country, or a Saul
     vleesch, maar leven zouden naar God in den geest."                of Tarsus breaking with the traditions of Judaism . . . .
        We zullen ook hier den vrager niet  bezig houden               The break with the Dutch Reformed Church on my part
     met eene opsomming van allerlei verklaringen over dezen           was not the result of the impulse of a moment or a
     tekst. Hij kent ze wel. Onze verklaring, die zeer  een-           momentary peeve because of real or imaginary wrongs
     voudig is, is de volgende.                                        suffered at the hands. of men, but rather the result of
        De dooden, waarvan hier sprake is, zijn de ontslapene          convictions, which grew out of incidents which started
     geloovigen.      Hun is  bet Evangelie verkondigd  gewor-         thought and provoked questions which the Church could
     den,  natuurlijk  niet nadat  ze gestorven zijn, maar  toen       not adequately answer.
     ze nog leefden. En de Apostel Petrus wijst de gemeente               "The first of these incidents occurred when, at the
     op  bun voorbeeld, en op het  doel, waartoe zij het  Evan-        age of sixteen years, I came before the consistory of the
     gelie ontvingen. In het  verband  heeft hij gewezen op            Second Reformed Church of Muskegon, Michigan, made
     de levensopenbaring van de levende geloovigen in het              a Confession of faith in Christ and asked to .be received
     midden  van en tegenover de wereld. Zij  moeten  niet             into the fellowship of that Church . . . . At that same
     meeloopen tot dezelfde uitgieting der goddeloosheid als           meeting a druggist of our city also applied for member-
     de wereld,  maar  wandelen als  kinderen  des  lichts. Dan        ship in the Church, professing faith in Christ as his
     zullen ze wel, evenals  dhristus,   moeten  lijden in het         Saviour. And when in the course of questioning which
     vleesch, want de wereld zal hen riaar het vleesch oordee-         followed, he was asked whether or not he believed that
     len en hen  lasteren en vervolgen. Maar daartoe is hun            God, in His Infinite mercy, had ordained some unto
     juist het Evangelie verkondigd geworden. Zoo was het              eternal life and others to destruction. I will never for-
     ook met de ontslapene geloovigen.          Ook  zij  ontvingen    get the scene as he lifted up his arm and doubled up
     het Evangelie, opdat zij naar den mensch zouden  ge-              his fist and struck the table before us and said: `No
     oordeeld  worden  in hkt vleesch, maar  tech zouden leven         gentlemen, I do not, and, what is more, I cannot believe
     naar God in den geest. En zij moeten  zich wapenen met            in that kind of a God.'        After more  ,consultation  the
     tlezelfde  gedachte, namelijk dat zoo iemand in het vleesch       chairman informed him that they were sorry they could
     geleden  heeft die heeft opgehouden van de zonde                  not welcome him into the fellowship of the Church at
        Het schijnt ons toe dat bij deze eenvoudige  verkla-           that time and that they suggested that he join one of
     ring  .aIle moeilijkheid wegvalt.                                 the catechetical classes to the end that he might in due
        Hopende, dat ik den vragers eenigszins van dienst              time make a proper and true profession of the faith. On
     heb mogen zijn, verblijf ik de uwe in `den Heere,                 the way home that night there arose in my mind the
                                                            H. H.      first great question, namely, `What right had those men
                                                                       to accept the boy and reject the man because one said
                                                                       he did and the other said he didn't believe certain dog-
                                                                       matic statements of religion, while both were equally
                                                                       willing to confess their faith in Christ? Thus there
                                                                       arose for the first time in my experience the question
             Thou  hast lit up with ardor rare
                 a                                                     of final authority. That question would not down, and
             Some hidden souls, Thy special care;                      it received no satisfactory answer from the spokesman
               Make me to them akin!                                   of the Church. (Strange reasoning-Ed.)
                 Give me what  Thou<to  them hast given,                  "Then another incident that  m.ade a lasting impression
               Their high devotion let me win,                         and opened up channels of thought occurred about three
                                                                       years later in the old home at Holland, Michigan. Father
               Their calm dominion over sin.                           had been discoursing on his favored religious  theme-
                 Making of earth a heaven. -                           the doctrine of election with its various ramifications and
             The wondrous and mysterious grace                         implications  - when. a brother suddenly said: `Well
             Of ever looking on Thy face.                              father,.if what you say is true, and I have no reason to


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                                                                                                           _............_    -          -      -
  `doubt it, why should I worry about my soul? If I am                         waywardness of the young brother. The home training
  to be saved, I will be saved ; and if I am destined to be                    was very one-sided. That the' father chose election as
  lost, I cannot change the verdidt of the Infinite. Why                       his favored theme does not, according to Dr. Bee&+ savor
  should I worry about religion?' That brother is today                        of a well-balanced teaching of the whole of the reformed
  seeking consolation and joy in the world and its allure-                     system of truth.
  ments.    This incident aroused a revolt in my heart                             We grant, for the sake of argument, that this father
  against the theology and religion founded upon such a                        unduly stressed the doctrine of election. What-of  it?
  premise, and resulted in a final break, in thought at                        Does Dr. Beets mean to tell us that this brother would
  least, with the Dutch Reformed Church and the tradi-                         have been spared for Christ and the Church had this
  tions of the Fathers."                                                       father laid more stress on those truths which may be
     Here follows Dr. Beets' comment:                                          termed the counterparts of rhe doctrine of predestina-
     Now what shall we say about these reasons? First                          tion? Let us see. One such truth is the doctrine of
  that the president of that "august body" in Muskegon                         the total depravity ;lf man. It reads in part (Art XIV) :
  went beyond the creed of the Reformed Church when                            And being  thus.become  wicked perverse and corrupt in
 he stated what he did, not in the infralapsarian form                         all his ways, he hath lost all  big excellent! gifts, which  3
 in which our fathers put it in the Belgic Confession (see                     he had received from God, and only retained a few
 above), but in the supralapsarian way in which it is not                      remains thereof, which, however, are sufficient to leave
  found in our creed.                                                          man  with&t  excuse; for all the light that is in us is
     Secondly, that the druggist aforenamed apparently                         changed into darkness, as the Scriptures teach us, saying:
 was but poorly posted on the, subject and drew unwar-                         The light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness com-
 ranted inferences. Thirdly that most likely the, home                         prehendeth ir not: where St. John calleth men darkness.
 training was very one-sided. Why the father should                            Therefore we reject all that is taught repugnant to this,
 have election as his favored theme does not savor of a' concerning the free will of man, since man is but a slave
 `well-balanced teaching of the whole of the revealed SYS-                     to sin; and. has nothing of himself, unless it is given
 tern of truth. And what the other son proclaimed was                          him from heaven.  For  +uho may presume to boast,  that
 not Calvinism, but fatalism. So far  Beet&..                                  he of  h&self can do any good, since  Christ saith, No man
     We wish to make a few remarks on Dr. Beets' reply.                        can come to me except  thR Father who sent me draw him?
     Let us set out by asserting that we do not                                . . . . . . And therefore what the apostle saith ought justly
 like Dr. Beets' article.        His words do  not impress                     ro  be held sure and firm,  that  God  worketh in  US both to
 one as having  flowed  forth from the pen of one                              will and to do of his  godd  pleasure. `For  there.is  no will
 in whose heart'the truth he apparently defends, dwells.                       nor understanding, conforming to the divine  Gill and
 To begin with the editor blames the president of that                         understanding, but what Christ hath wrought in man:
 august body in Muskegon for the behavior of the druggist.                     which  he teaches us when he saith, "Without me ye can
 It (this august body) went beyond the creed of the Re-                        do nothing.`,
 formed Church when it stated what it did, not in the                             Does Dr. Beets mean to tell us that this doctrine, if
 infralapsarian form in which our fathers. put it in the                       it had received more emphasis, would have held  that
 Belgic Confession but in the supralapsarian way in brother? Is this truth any more attractive to the natural
  which it is not found in the creed. Does Dr.  Bee& then,                     man than the doctrine of election? Could nor this brother
 mean to say that the hot indignation of the druggist was                      also conclude from this doctrine, `licrell  father if what you
 justified and that it is not true that God ordained some                      say is true, why should I worry about my soul? I am,
 tot eternal life and others to destruction? Is Dr. Beets                      you say, a spiritual corpse incapable of  turn'ing  to God
 of the conviction that this druggist would have embraced                      out of myself. God must do it all.  IIe is the author
 the doctrine of predestination had it been presented to                       and finisher of man's salvation in all its details. Hence,
 him in milder form?          If so, he is sorely mistaken.                    why should I worry. If I am  ro  be regenerated, I will
 Further, it is not at all true that the Belgic Confession's                   be regenerated: and if  not? I cannot  qhange the verdict.
 farmulation of this  truth  is milder.          Says Prof. Ten                   In short, does Dr. Beets suppose that any one of the
 Hoor (an avowed infralapsarianist) :  `(Het infra beweert                     doctrines constituting the "Reformed system of truth"
 zachter en billijker te zijn,  doch dit is  slechtr   schiijn.                would have proved less repulsive to this brother than
 Dit bezwaar is zonder beteekenis, daar dit niets tot de                       the doctrine of election?  Preposter'ous.      To say so is
zaak af of toedoet.         Het zachtere of hardere is geen                    to make depraved man true and God a liar.
 maatstaf"   {  Com.pendium,  p. 31).                                             What is said of the law applies to the whole of
    That this druggist saw red when confronted by the                          revealed truth.     "For when we were in the flesh, the
 doctrine of election was due to the vileness of his nature.                   motions of sin which were by the truth, did work in our
 Beets should have told his readers so instead of blaming                      members  ro bring forth fruit unto death  ._. .  .." What
 t h e   t r u t h .                                                           shall we say then-is the truth sin?-
    The  dbctrine  of election excessively stressed by a                          -4ccording  to Dr. Beets, the doctrine of election is
 certain father receives the blame for the indifference and                    sin. It repels the sinner and the fault lies with the dot-
                                                 S


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                          :..Ip--..                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE:ARER                               ,-            -         -
                   "..                     - . ..--. -.___-.-.--  -.._ ".-                -_--.."--                     _-- --... -.

                   trine of election. Not so, however. God forbid. Nay,                       by-living a so-called noble or virtuous life, treating evcry-
                   I had not known sin, but by the truth. But sin, taking                     body well, you can attain the apex of perfection and
                   occasion by the truth wrought in me  all manner of sin.                    become godly. The cross of Christ is looked upon as a
                   (Think of this brother.) For without the truth sin is                      matter of the imagination of some conservative, narrow-
                   dead.              For sin- taking occasion by the truth, deceived         minded, silly, simple and imprudent folk. The progres-
                   me and slew me. Wherefore the truth is holy, and just' sive men consider the truth of the Cross as mere blood
                   and good, was then that which is goocl made death. unto                    theology, a doctrine not fitting the taste of refined
                   me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin,                         humanity. There are other progressive persons who hold
                   working death in me by that which is good. That sin                        tenaciously to the terms used by orthodoxy. These men
                   by the truth might become exceedingly sinful. For we                       use the terms, but corrupt their meaning so as to suit
                   know that the truth is holy, but I am carnal, sold under                    their godless, their philosophical, and their cunning
                   sin.                                                                       allurements in thought, especially religious thought.
                            By all means, Dr. Beets, please let God be true and               This enlightening is called progressiveness in religion.
                   this brother  a liar, carnal, sold under sin.                              And all this silly nonsense is handed out  .as being the
                            `It seems to me that Dr. Beets let Rev. J. S. Raum                new religion: This soap-bubble religion, the climax of
                   say what he (Dr. Beets) would like to say but dared not.                    fool&hness,  is looked upon as being worth while, pru- .
                   The article radiates a spirit of revolt against the doctrine                dent, and very cultural; A new religion is what is
                   of election, notwithstanding the fact that the author is                    wanted. The human soul, it seems, can no longer find
                   apparently defending this truth. We fail to sense in                        any satisfaction in the way God revealed Himself. Some-
                   the words of Beets that attitude and disposition of mind                    thing new, sensational, silly, superficial, something which
                   and heart pervading Rom. 8 and the entire Scripture for                     stirs the emotions and which satisfies. the devilish long-
                   that matter.                                                                ings of the sinful heart, is wanted.                         And all this is
                            In this way are they discrediting the truth in the                 termed progressiveness, while it is nothing else but
                   Christian Reformed Church.                                                 spiritual anarchism. * It is not, however, our intention to
                                                  (To Be Continued)                            cumber  you much about the term progressiveness as
                            .                                                 G. M. 0.         applied by modern ministry.. We will remain close at
                                                                                               home.
                                                                                                  The title of this  article has, undoubtedly, appeared
                                                                                               somewhat ridiculous to the reformed thinker. And we
                            COiNSERVATISM  AND PROGRESSIVENESS                                 would agree, provided we were intending to treat these
                                                                                               terms as such. This, however, is not our intention, for
                            The last term in this title is supposed to be applicable           we are fully conscious of the fact that in the light of
                   to the twentieth century.                   It is an appellation which      God's revelation these two terms are, or may be, used
                   demands consent, and which stigmatizes the general con- as synonyms. It is our intention, in the- first place,  to
                    dition. of the world., It is indeed to be admitted that                    determine what these terms imply, and secondly, to states
                    there is a great deal of truth in it. There is no rational                 the danger of the use of these terms with the connotation
                   being, who wouId  not be willing to consent to this truth,                  of this enlightened twentieth century. The title,  there-
                    that there has been a tremendous progress in the evolu-                    for<  ii`s not at all deceiving;-it simply indicates what the
                    tion of the various sciences. To mention but a few. It                     content of this article is to be. It is desirable to state,
           : is a fact, which boldly stares us in the face, that the med-                      that even though we are not an authority on defining
                    ical and the surgical sciences have developed wonder-                      terms, yet we will attempt to show in which way we
                    fully in the last few years. It is also true that marvelous                may, rather we must, use them.
                    inventions have been made in the mechanical and the                                                                            A. `C. BOERKOEL
                    electrical spheres. All this speaks of progress, to be sure,                                       (To be Continued)
                    and it would be sheer folly to deny such. This age, how-
                     ever, appears, to be specifically progressive in religious
                     thought. At least this is the preposterous and bold claim
                     of this conceited;selfrighteous  twentieth-century human-                    "All truth as it operates takes on necessarily an indi-
                     ity. The claim is, as stated by as eminent a writer as                    vidual and personal aspect. Truth is never impartial ; for
                     Harold Bell Wright, and modern preachers such as: Dr.                     it always judges, condemning or confirming him to whom.
                          Fosdick, Rev.  Wishart and other noted ones, that  ortho--           it addresses itself.
                          doxy of the Reformation is a thing of the past, and a new               "So, he who judges is himself judged by'the  selfsamc
                          religion is taking. its place. Jesus Christ is stated as             judgment. `Judge not that ye be nor judged.'
                          being a perfect example to follow, in order to reach a                   "Cast in the alembic of personality truth  ' always
                          blissful eternity.  `<In His steps," and you can become              vibrates with moral considerations."
                          like unto Him, perfect in loveliness, and worthy of a                                                                Dr. `A. v. C. I?. Huizinga
                          happy hereafter. After restraining yourself some, and                                                                in "Theological Essays"


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