                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                            535
                                       __tlll__   __I______-   .---  ".._".--P-- 11111  ..."              _ .__--- ._...-.  __lll  ".l_____l_l---
          .-.__I         .."..,""--
 hij onuitsprekelijk  zalig  is en het eeuwige leven geniet.                   THE CONSTITUENCY OF THE CHURCH
 Hij kent Hem met  zijn vcrstand en aanbidt Hem in                                             AS INSTITUTION
 zalige bewondering, sprekend van Zijne  wonderen  dag
 bij dag; hij kent Hem met zijn hart, waarin de liefde                        With this article we resume our studies of the Church
 Gods is uitgestort en  wijdt`zich Hem toe met alles, wat as an institution.
                                                                                          .    Though these articles, thus far, were
 hij is en heeft; hij kent Hem met al zijne krachten en made to appear under the caption "The Church as Insti-
 dient Hem, regeerende door Christus' onder Hem, over tution," they were devoted, nevertheless, to the matter
 al de werken Zijner  handen  koning, strijdende en wor-                   of the Church as organism. This had to be done. For
k stelende door het geloof hier, overwinnende straks, om                   the task `to which we set ourselves was to describe the
 Hem te  zien  gelijk Hij is en eeuwiglijk Hem  gelijk te                  kind of institution into which the body of the Church
 zijn!                                                                     may project itself into. All are agreed, I dare say,
    Dan zal de Eeuwig-Ondoorgrondelijke door de Zijnen that the only kind  of an institution which Christ ap-
 tech eeuwiglijk op het allervolmaaktst  worden  gekend. proves of is the kind that displays the peculiar proper-
    En in die kennis Hem  genieten  en verzadigd worden                    ties of his body; the kind that promotes its well-being,
 met  Zijn Beeld.                                                          permits it  to thrive and prosper and to function to the
    Dat is de zaligheid des hemels.                                        very best advantage of Christ and his cause. The thing
                                                            H. H.          to do, then, is to turn to Scripture and institute an in-
                                                                           vestigation into the properties and duties of the Church
                                                                           of Christ. This has been done;  at  least in  part. Well do
                                                                           we realize that we by no means exhausted this phase of
                                                                           our subject. Only those properties were singled out and
                                                                           somewhat elucidated, the knowledge and understanding
                                                                           of which are indispensable to him, purposing to give a
                     PELGRIMSLIED                                          draft of the kind of an institution becoming to the body
                                                                           of the Church.
                                                                              Before we proceed to sketch the kind of an institu-
          Laat ons in%de  tenten  wonen                                    tion into which the body of the Church may project itself,
            In de  tenten  der woestijn,                                   the question must be faced and answered: What are to
          Waar de  Hee? Zijn gunst betoonen,                               be the component parts of this institution? Prof.  Vol-
            Daaglijks bij Zijn volk wil  zijn;                             beda has it that the church as  ihstitution  is, at least to
                                                                           all practical effects,. constituted not of the laity but of
          Waar men leert afhank'lijk  wezen.                               the clergy only. Let me quote a little from the report
          Hem eerbiediglijk te vreezen,                                    of the committee of pre-advice respecting the question:
           .Die alleen ons leiden kan                                      "Can a  Classis depose a consistory?" The selection we
            Naar het ware  kanain.                                         now cite, reads as follows:
                                                                             "The aforesaid (we translate) principles control, no
                                                                           doubt, the question of the legal competency  (Rechtsbe-
          Zwerven met de  luchte   tenten,                                 voegdheid)  of. the broader gatherings.
            Enkel van uw zorg gewis:                                          "(1) In the first place it is certain that Christ pos-
                                                                      f
          Wil ons, Heer, in `t harte prenten                               sesses all power  -in the Church and, according to the
            Wat  dat  Ieven voor ons is;                                   absolute character for all divine power, cannot transfer
                                                                           this power to another - neither to the congregation nor
          Op den weg naar Gods paleizen                                    to the office-bearers.    He can, however, exercise this
          Nergens thuis zijn, altijd reizen,,                              power through his chosen organs.
            Nooit, dan  voor  een korte poos,                                 "(2) It pleased him (Christ} to exercise his power
            Tenten  opslaan, zwak en broos.                                through human organs. To that end he instituted office-
                                                                           bearers in his Church. Their duty is to lead  ayd  rule
                                                                           the Church.
          Nochtans, in de tent der vromen                                     "(a) From this it follows that churchright power
            Wordt gedurig `t blijde lied  '                                (kerkrechtelijke  macht)  does not inhere in the congre-
          Van Uw liefde's trouw vernomen,                                  gation to be exercised by it, directly or indirectly that is,
            Waar het harte bij geniet.                                     through the' office-bearers to whom the congregation
                                                                           transfers its inherent power. For if the congregation
          Straks weer uitgerukt de pinnen   !                              itself, in an independentical manner, directly exercises
          Altijd weer van nieuws beginnen!                                 power, the ordinance of God whereby he established
            Vroolijk uitzien onder `t kruis                                offices in his Church, is not coming to its own. If, on
            Naar de rust in `t Vaderhuis.                                  the other hand, the office-bearers exercise Christ power,
                                                            `H. P.         no reason can be given for believing that this power
                                                                                                                                          ,  /


      536  -
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                                                                  ---.---....-.-. ^ ..-.. "-.-...    - ".--- ----  .-.......  -  _..-........-...---..   -.._

inheres in the congregation who may not exercise it nevertheless, rights which must be respected  (Acta der
                                                                          Synode, 1926, pp. 319,  320)."
I     anyhow.
          "(b) The  ofice of  believers,  then, is no office in an in-     The above translation comes pretty close to being a
stitutional sense, but a spiritual in distinction from a literal reproduction of the original writing. An examina-
      churchright power. Churchright power is, strictly speak- tion of its contents brings to light that its author neg-
I     ing, confined to. the church office. Neither the believer lected to think matters through before expressing his
I as believer nor the congregation as congregation is mind. Let us direct our attention to a few of his errors.
'     clothed with this office. This spiritual power is grounded             It must be borne in mind that the author's cogitations
     ' in the spiritual tie binding the believers to Christ, and - all of them  - have to do with the Church as institu- A
      more specifically in the majority (mondigheid) and tion and with the believer as a member of and in his rela-
      liberty of New Testament believers.                                 tion to this institution. This follows from the fact that
          "We must here distinguish accurately. The sub- the task assigned to the author was to ascertain who
      stantialness (zelfstandigheid) of the believers is not dis- may depose a consistory, the congregation or  Classis.
      advantaged, when the office of believers is thought of He, cogitating on matters such as these, is one engaged
      as non-institutional.                                               in his mind with the Church as institution.
          "Only there where the office does not exist and also               Now the report maintains that, though a member of
      cannot, because of circumstances, be instituted in virtue the Church as institution, the believer is, nevertheless,
      of the church`tie (according to the rule that the induction lacking in "kerkrechtelijke," that is, institutional power.
       into office is done. by the office, see R. O., Art. 4, 22, 24)     This power is confined to and exercised by the  office-
      "mogen de geloovigen hunne geestelijke macht  tot in het bearers only. On the other hand, so the report has it,
      kerkrechtelijke  doortrekken?  Yet in such exceptional the believer is not lacking in power.                                   However, the
       circumstances only..                                               power he may exercise is spiritual in distinction from
          "The Spiritual power of the believers, though non- institutional.              The point is, then, that, according to the
       official, is nevertheless, closely connected with the  insti- report, the power of- the believer  does  not enter into the
      `tutional life of the Church.       For the offices are insti- make-up of the Church as institution..
       tuted by Christ, unto the perfection of the saints, etc.              Further, according to the report, the office of believ-
       (Eph. 4  :12) and the official, that is, the churchright ers is non-institutional. Necessarily so, if the believer is
       power, is therefore never to be separated, neither in the lacking in institutional power. Ler us lay hold on the
       office-bearer, nor in its exertion over the congregation, implications  o.f the assertion to the effect that the office
       from the spiritual background of faith-communion with of believers is, as to its character, non-institutional. The
       C h r i s t .                                                      report admits,, that the believer is invested with an office.
          "This spiritual power is, as to its character, not `kerk- We must now face the question: What is an office? The
       rechtelijk'. Therefore, the congregation cannot transfer term itself is derived from the latin verb  facie,  meaning
       official `kerkrechtelijke' power to the office-bearers. This to make or do. In Scripture an  office is a duty, charge,
       power the congregation does not possess. What it does or trust, of a sacred nature, conferred by God Himself.
       not possess,' it cannot impart.                                    Upon the believer, Christ conferred certain duties. In
          "We come, then, to this proposition: The  .office-bear- the capacity of prophet, priest and king he shall be the
       ers receive `kerkrechtelijke'  .power (1) from Christ who salt of rhe earth, the light of the world, witness for the
       possesses and retains the fulness of power; (2) through truth, confess the name of his Christ, declare the virtues
       (per), the existing office (barring exceptional circum- of his God, and, as a member of the Church as institu-
       stances)  (see  R. O., art. 4, 22, 24) ;  (3) In conjunction tion, engage in the election of office-bearers and con-
       with the spiritual communion which the believers have sider and exhort his brother (Heb.  10:24,  25). In enu-
       with Christ.       An- unbeliever may not be chosen  ; the merating the duties constituting the office of the believer,
       `kerkrechtelijke' office may never be separated from the the author of the report we  criticise  mentions but two:
       congregation. It can be exercised in respect to the con-           (1) the task of electing office-bearers and (2) the task of -
       gregation only.                                                    approving or disapproving of the consistory's nomination.
          "The members of the congregation exercise their                    Now, the performance of these duties is the new man
       spirit&l power  - which power has a bearing upon the projecting himself in word and deed. With this assertion
       institutional life of the Church -- by the use of (1) their        the author of the report is in agreement. Says he: `*The
       right to elect their office-bearers; (2) the right of appro- office of believer is grounded in the believer's spiritual
       bation, that is, the right of approval  - which right communion with Christ." The office, then and the per-
       necessarily implies that of disapproval.        The right of formance of the duties constituting this office cannot be
       approbation is a real element in the legality of the insti- separated from the  .believer.  At least the latter is the
       tutional acts (whatever that may mean.-G.M.O.).  ;The              new man projected.
       office of believers, therefore, comes  tom its own.        The        The report asserts, as was before said, that the office
       question arises whether it would not be better to call             of the believer as well as the power which the believer
       this office a right rather than a power. For those ruled, exerts is non-institutional. Whereas the believer's office
       instead of engaging in the exercise of power, have, is constituted of duties,, and whereas the performance of


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               537
-~---.                                   -                _--_".__             --.._--.           ___ ".-

these duties is the new man projecting himself in word           tech niet haar orgaan, en hebben niet van haar hun
and deed, it follows that he.who  maintains that the per-        macht ontvangen.' G. Hoeksemd would have done wiser
formance of these duties are as to their character non-          had he refrained from quoting Bavinck. For whenever
institutional, excludes from the Church as institution the       Bavinck stands before a matter upon which  Keforrhed
entire believer. Hence, Volbeda's assertion to the effect        theologians differ, his custom is to glide over the real
that both- the office of the believer together with the          issue and cater to both sides. So he does respecting the
power he exerts are as to their character spiritual in dis-      question `as to whether or no the office-bearers in the
tinction from institutional, is equal to the assertion that      Church are organs  of the congregation. On page 413 of
the Church as institution is constituted of consistories         volume IV of his Dogmatics, one may read:  "Gerefor-
only; that the congregation is not a part of the institu-        meerden drukken  zich soms zoo uit, alsof de macht der
tion. Prof. Volbeda, then, reasons as does the Pope of           dienaren eigenlijk  aan de gemeente toebehoort, en door
Rome who says: "I (and the clergy) in distinction from hen in haar naam wordt uitgeoefend. Meermalen wordt
the laity (the congregation) am the Church.                      het beeld gebruikt, dar, gelijk de mensch ziet door het
   What is more, the various elements constituting the           oog en hoort door het oor, zoo de gemeente de  institu-
reasonings which we  criticise  turn out  fo be so many          taire werkzaamheden door de ambten verricht. Dit  alles
contrary propositions. To begin with, the report avers, is Ilechts ten deele juirt." Bavinck admitted, then, that ir
and correctly so, that  rrde geloovige  zich moet voegen         is at least-in  part true  that the particular offices in the
tot de plaatselijke kerk" (P. 318: Acta Synodi  1926). The       Church are so many organs of the congregation. Yet on
believer, then, so the report had it,  joins; himself to the     the page following (p. 414) one may read: "Maar  tech
Church. Hence, he is a member of the Church as insti-            al zijn de ambten in dien zin om de gemeente, zij  zijn
tution.    Whereas, according to the report, the office of tech niet haar orgaan, en hebben niet van haar hun macht
believer is non-institutional, that is to say, whereas the       ontvangen." This latter statement militates against the
believer is not a member of the Church as institution in         former. The statement : "Dat het ambt een orgaan der
his capacity of believer, the question cannot be sup- gemeente is,  is  ten  de'eie  joist,"  land the statement: "Zij
pressed: In what capacity is he a member of the Church           (de ambten) zijn  tech niet haar (der gemeente) orgaan,"
as institution? In his capacity of unbeliever? Further,          are contradictory. Both cannot be true. Fact  is  that
the believer is no member of the Church as institution. Bav,inck  strove to avoid a conflict with the exponents of
Yet he does things which only a member may do. He                the one as well as of the other view. It would seem that
engages in the election of office-bearers.      Once more,       the proper thing for G. Hoeksema to have done is to
the report has it rhat the act of electing office-bearers        leave the volume from which he quoted on the shelf.
is, as to its character, non-institutional. Hence, a non-             Once more, Bavinck averred, as was before said, that
member of the institution ..of the Church is permitted to        it is at Least in part true that the particular offices in the
determine, by a non-institutional act (election of  o-fl'ice-    Church are so many organs of the congregation. Our
bearers) what persons shall be inducted into the institu- comment is that not only in part but altogether is this
tional offices of the Christ's Church. Again, whereas the        true for the reason that, according to Scripture, the be-
believer is no member of the Church as institution, those        lievers, including those bearing particular offices, con-
elected to be vested with  the. particular office  - the         stitute an organism, they being members  of. one body.
office of ruling elder, of teaching elder and that of deacon     Permit us to again call attention to Paul's figure. "For
- are before their election and induction into these as the body," says he, "is one, arid hath many members,
offices, no members of the Church `as institution. Yet and  all the members of that one body, being many, are
are they selected for and inducted into offices entering         one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we are all
into the makeup of the institution of the body of the            baptized into one body &. . . For the body is nor one mem-
Church.     In fine, non-members of the institution of ber but many . . . . Now ye are the body of Christ, and
the Christ's Church invest, by a non-institutional act members in particular. And God has set some in the
(election) such persons, as are no members of this insti-        Church; first apostles, secondarily prophets . . . . Are all
tution, with the institutional office. Such are the strange      apostles i Are all prophets?" (See I Cor. 12.) One of
implications of the various propositions comprising the outstanding truths of the Chapter from. which we
Prof. Volbeda's report.                                          quote is that the office-bearers are members of the body
   The views which one happens upon in the report of the Church and, therefore, its organs. Said Bavinck:
we now analyze, are weighed down with still other objec-         "Meermalen wordt het beeld  -gebruikt,  dat, gelijk de
tions. The office-bearers are, and this of necessity, or-        mensch ziet door het oog en hoorr `door het oor, zoo de
gans of the congregation (see my former articles). This,         gemeente de institutaire werkzaamheden door de ambten
I know, is denied by a certain group of ministers in the         verricht."    Indeed, this figure is of no one less than
Christian Reformed Church, bent on giving to their evil          Paul and hence of God. If the adherence to the proposi-
works of the past a show of rectitude. Says G.  Hoek-            tion to the effect that the particular office is an organ
sema : "And to get back into sounder channels, let us            of the congregation, renders one an Independentist, than
listen to the word of Dr. Bavinck. He says: `Maar  tech          the apostle Paul was an Independentist. Fact is, how-
al  zijn de ambten in dien zin'om de gemeente, zij zijn ever, that Paul was no Independentist. It would seem,


538                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-_II                                                                                 .-
then, that G. Hoeksema and others could do no better                rule or to command.       In this narrow sense does the
than to retract their public utterances and institute anew          author of the report use the term power. It is his view
an investigation into the tenets of that system of Church           that only those clothed with the particular office exer-
Polity known as Independentism.                                     cise power and authority in this sense. In this, too, he
       Having again heard Scripture on the relation which           errs. Even when not clothid'with the particular office,
the office-bearers sustain to the congregation, we turn             the believer, in his capacity of a member of the Church
away, for the present, from this phase of  0th  `subject to         as institution exercises authority in this restricted sense.
return  ro it again at the proper juncture.                         such are the plain teachings' of holy Writ. However,
       Scripture affirms, then, that the particular office is       this matter will be dealt with in rhe sequence. In this
an organ of the congregation. Being organs of the con-              article we confine ourselves to the task of laying bare
gregation and members of the body of the Church, those              the implications of the proposition to the effect rhat the
vested with the particular (bijzonder) office cannot be office of believer is as to its character, non-institutional.
separated from the body. Hence, he setting the office of            This has been done, and the question arises why he
believers and with it the believers themselves - the body           whose views we  criticise places rhe  office of believers
of the Church --outside of the institution, drags along and consequently the believers themselves ouside the
with them the particular office and leaves the institu-             Church as institution. He did so in that he was bent
tion without a content. So it appears, that the asser-              on disproving the proposition to the effect rhat the con-
tion to the effect that the office of the believer is, as to        gregation can depose a consistory. So he merely postu-
its character, non-institutional, is equal to a negation of         lates that both the power and the office of believers are,
the very existence of the Church as institution.                    as to their character non-institutional ; that, in other
       We must yet attend to the last statements of that            words, the believers are no members of the Church as
part of the report we quoted. It reads: "The question               institution, and thereupon concludes that the congrega-
arises whether it would not be better to call this office           tion cannot depose. a consistory. Grant- the former and
(the office of believers) a right rather rhan a power. For          rhe latter follows with unrelenting logic. This syllogism
those ruled, instead of engaging in the exercise of power,          of his, pregnant with mysterious errors, was submitted ro
have nevertheless rights which must be respected.,' Ac-             Synod. Synod called it an excellent piece of work and
cording to the author of the  repoi?,  then, the believers          ordered it to be taken up in the Acts.
have no power. Whar is the meaning of the term power?
In Scripture it  ,is used as the signification of (1) ability;
(2) authority. In the statement presented above the term                Over against, the proposition disproved,  ir must be
power is used as the  sign&&ion of authority. Rut is                maintained that the office of that believer, having joined
it true that the `believer not vested with a particular himself to the Church becomes of necessity institutional.
(bijzonder) office is wanting in authority? Let us hear                 In a following article we enter upon a positive devel-
Scripture on the matter. John  1:12,  But as many as re-            opment of this principle.
ceived him, to them gave he authority to become the                                                                   G. M. 0.
sons of God, even  ro  them that believe on his name.
Luke  19:17,  And he said unto him, Well thou good serv-
ant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have
thou authority (power) over ten cities. Rev.  2:26,  And
he that overcomes and keepeth my word unro the end, to
him will  I give power (authority)" over the nations.
Rev.  22:14,  Blessed are they that do his commandments,
 that they may have authority to the tree of life, and                                Ps.  131:1,  2; Mark.  9:42
 may enter in through the gates of the city.
       Unto the believers, then, is given authority. Let us
face the question: What is authority? And the answer:                            Zalig, ja zalig, niets te  wezen
Authority is a right conferred. The child of God in his                            In ons eigen oog voor God;
 capacity of believer is vested with authority. His God                          Eigen zin en lust te vreezen
 confers upon him rights  - the right to become the                                Steeds te  rusten  in ons lot;
 child of God; the right to serve, to praise and to glorify                      Need'rig, kinderlijk en stil
 God  ; a right to enter  in through rhe gates, the right to                       Ons te voegen naar Zijn wil.
 the tree of life, the right  to, let shine his light, the right
 to elect office-bearers, to silence an erring minister of the                   Is ons zielverdervend eigen
 Gospel, and to depose a consistory, in short: the right                           Nog zoo dikwerf ongezind
 to reign with Christ. It is these conferred rights plus                         Om zich tot dien wil te neigen
 the ability to exercise them - rights and abilities merited                       Waar het hart  tech rust in vindt:
 by Christ - which constitute the believer a king. In the                        Werp die trotschheid dan, o Heer!
 narrow sense the term authority signifies the right to                            Door Uw Geest in oris ter neer.
                                                                           `I


                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                  541
/                           .-.        .__I__-- ._. - ._..-- -__-                --.-..                                    _.......  - - -
     te gebruiken mishandelde (gesteriliseerde) melk in uw                  THE SABBATH OF THE REFORMATION
     gezin  (dat der wereld toebehoortj en van uw tijd  van
     opstaan en nederliggen; van uw officieel bevolen wereld-             In the controversy respecting a weekly holy day,
     krant en het  bedrag  dat  u jaarlijks  aan de "community         parties have eagerly sought support for their respective
     chest" (weldadigheid) heeft af te staan ; van uw bad en opinions in the writings of the Reformers. These men
     uw gebed ; van uw Ieertijd en van uw leesboek ; van uw            have, on the one hand, been represented as holding the
     postpapier en van uw middagmaal-rantsoen  ; van uw                common creed of Christians on the subject, although it
     Bondspatent-hoesttabletjes en uw dagelijks  wenden  van           is admitted that their language in several instances is not
     het aangezicht, niet naar het Jeruzalem dat Boven is,             in accordance with such views, and have, on the other,
     maar naar zeker  centraal bureau op aarde beneden; van            been considered as denying the divine obligation of a
     het aantal dagelijks te verrichten heil-bokkesprongen en stated day of rest. Of late years, scarcely a volume or
     van de diverse tijdstippen waarop u met  h&l  .de wereld          tract in defence  of the latter notion has appeared, which
     die met u verbonden en &en is, vijf minuten doodenstilte          has not bristled with the names of Luther and Calvin
     demonstreert als een  loyale  cosmopoliet, die God niet           as the advocates of liberty from all Sabbatarian imposi-
     vreesde en geen mensch ontzag  weleer, maar die nu  ge-           tions.     Much, indeed, as Luther and Calvin and their
     worden  is tot minder dan een 0 in  bet cijfer, en die des-       associates are entitled to our admiration for their learn-
     ondanks mee moet doen  aan de majesteitsopenbaring van            ing and piety and zeal, and to our gratitude for the
     de massa die zich heeft laten knevelen in nooit gedroomde         services which they rendered, it must be recollected that
     ketenen van godslastering en duivelen-dwingelandij.               their sentiments do not on this or upon any other point
            Zoodat met en in en door dit alles de eenheid der amount to a test of truth. It is not, however, inconsis-
     wereldbevolking, der machtige menschheid door God tent with the great principle, that no man is our master-
     verworpen  (wijl zij Hem verachtte en naar de kroon               in  suchtmatters,  to feel a desire to have the sanction of
     stond)  als in  een. ander  da1 van  Sinear  openbaar wordt ;     the Reformers for our interpretation of the Sabbath.
     niet in de gemeenschap der heiligen van Christus' Kerk,           The friends of the Sabbath would be gratified by the
     van  Zijn door Hem gekochte Gemeente, maar in de                  persuasion, that such men had vindicated for themselves
     Gode-tergende aanbidding van het Beest, en door het a place in the great cloud of witnesses for the divine
     geloof in den Anti-Christ en zijne wonderen.                      origin and perpetual sacredness of that blessed institution.
            En dan  baden, en bidden nog wel,  zich noemende           Let us therefore inquire what were the views on the sub-
     Evangeliedienaren voor het  welgelukken  van den arbeid ject of the persons by whose instrumentality our deliv-
      van, en  danken  zij God voor den heerlijken zegen der erance from Papa1 bondage was accomplished.
     wereld in? den valsch-politieken Volkenbond, die den weg              The following remarks and illustrations will present
     ,bereidt   voor den Mensch der zonde, geschonken  aan het in a just light the views of the Reformers on the sub-
     naar "vrede en zaligheid" zoekende menschdom.                     ject of the Sabbatic institution:  -
                                                        G. V. B.           (1)  They, regarded the weekly day of rest and wor-
                                                                       ship as a most indispensible arrangement. In the  Con-
                                                                       .fession of Augsburg, Saxony, and Helvetia, we find such
                GRACE FOR USE AND NOT TO BE                            expressions as these applied to the institution: "It was
                           PLAYED WITH                                  requisite to appoint a certain day, that the people might
                                                                        know when to come together." Natural reason doth
                              "Grace is not only d o n u m, but t a 1 e n- both know that there is an order; and rhe understanding
                          turn. Grace is not given, as a piece of       of order is an evident testimony of God ; neither is it
                          money, to a child to play withal, but as
                          we give money to factors, to trade withal     possible that men should live without any order, as we
                          for  US."-`Ph.  M.,                           see" that in families there must be distinct times of
                                                                        labor, rest, meat and sleep ; and every nature, as it is
            Everything is  practial in the great gifts of God. He       best, so dorh it love order throughout the whole life.
      plants His trees that they may bear fruit, and sows His           "Although religion be not tied unto time, yet it cannot
      seed that a harvest may come of it. We may trifle and be planted and exercised without a due allotting and
      speculate  ; God never does so. When a man imagines               dividing out of time into it . . . . . Except some due time
      that grace is given merely to make him comfortable, and leisure were allotted to the outward exercise of
      t0     give him a superiority over his fellows, or religion, without a doubt, men would be quite drawn
      enable him to avoid deserved censure, he knows not the            from it by their own  affairs."  These passages teach us
      design of the Lord in the bestowal of grace, and, indeed,         that the Lutheran and Reformed Churches were agreed
      he is a stranger to the grand secret.                             as to the propriety, and the necessity to the ends of
            God works in us that we may work, he saves us that          religion, of certain times to be set apart for its exercises
      we may serve Him, and enriches us with grace that the             and study. The Reformers' individually apply these,
      riches of His glory may be displayed.                             principles to specific seasons. Thus Luther says:  "It is
                                                  C. H. Spurgeon.       good and even necessary that  .men should keep a par-
                                                                        ticular day in the week, on which they are to meditate,


1                                                                                      3.
tI                    542                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R  .'
                      -              ^"^.^ .--.-. ^-- -___-. -.__II_ ..-.. "..      .i-                        _I                         ~~~
                      hear, and learn, for all cannot command every day  ; and               lighten and reform the Genevese, while on him came
                      nature  also requires that one day in the week should be               the care of the churches, we need not say. But he has
                      kept quiet, without labor for either man or beast"                     not received the credit due to him as a friend of the Sab-
                      (quoted from Fairbairn's  TypoI.,  vol.  II, p: 467). O'n two          bath. Partial extracts from his notices of the subject
                      occasions we find him utter his earnest desire for the                 have been industriously circulated, while care has not
                      abolition of holidays, and on both with the  e-xpress  ex-             been shown to set forth such passages as the following:
                      ception of the "Lord's day" (Comment on Exod. 20 :8-11).               "It is for us to dedicate ourselves wholly unto God,  re-
                      On the worth and absolute need of the Sabbath Calvin is `nouncing our feelings and all our affections; and then,
                      even more explicit. It is requisite now  as'it ever was :              since we have this external ordinance, to act as becomes
                      "While the day has ceased as a figure of a spiritual and               us, rhat is, to lay aside our earthy affairs, so that we may
                      important mystery, there are other different ends for be entirely free to meditate on the works of God" (on
                      which it is set apart. And in respect of the duty of rest-" Deut. 5)  ., "The Sabbath is the bark of a spiritual sub-
                      irig from all earthy cares and. employments, and apply- stance, the use of which is still in. force, of denying our-
                      ing to spiritual exercises in public and private, the neces-           selves, of renouncing all our own thoughts and affec-
                      sity of the Sabbath is common to us with the people of                 tions, and of bidding farewell to one and all of our own        '
           /          old" (Ser. 34 on  Deut.. V). The observance of it com-                 employments, so that God may refgn in us, than of
                      prises in it all religions: "IJnder  the observance. of the            employing ourselves in the worship of God" (ibid).
      -               Sabbath is comprehended the sum of all piety" (Com-                    "Every,.man," so he remarks, as a reason why Christians
                      ment on Exod.  16:2S). The neglect of it indicates                     should not go to law upon the Lord's *day, "ought to with-
                      the destitution and the contempt of Christian blessings: draw himself from everything but the consideration of God
                      "And hereby it appears what affection we have towards                  and his works, that all men may be stirred up to serve
                      all Christianity, and towards the serving of God, seeing and  ro  honor him" (on Deut. 5). And as he excludes
                      we make that thing an occasion of withdrawing ourselves                secular labor, so also worldly recreations: "If we employ
                      further off from God, which is given us as help to bring the Lord's day to make good cheer, to sport ourselves,
                      us nearer unto . him ; and be we once gone astray, it                  to go to games and pastimes, shall God in this be hon-
                      serveth to pull us quite and clean aw-ay  - and is not                 ored? Is it not a mockery? Is not this an unhallowing
                      that a devilish spite of men?" (Ser. 34 on Deut. 5.)                   of his name?" (On Deut. 5.) Peter Viret, his colleague,
                      Such neglect not only is an act of indignity to religion,              was like-minded: "One end of bodily rest on the Sab-
                      but renders every part of it ineffectual and valueless:                bath," he says, "is that  manmight attend on the minis-
                      "He who setteth at naught the Sabbath day, has under                   try and service of God in the church, and that we might
                     B foot all God's service, as much as is in him ; and if the             meditate upon the works of God, and be occupied in the
                      Sabbath day be not  observed,,>all  the rest shall be worth            duties of charity unto our  neighbours" (on the fourth
                      nothing" (on Deut. 5). The observance of it, on the                    commandment).      The friend of Calvin  as  Gel1 as  of
                      other hand,. brings happiness to the individual, and se-               Lurher, Bucer, referring to the service of Gad as required
                      cures protection to the state. "The Sabbath or rest of                 on the Lord's day above all  ,others, gives utterance  .to
                      God is not idleness,  bur true perfection, which brings                these earnest words : "Let our manners show it, let the
                      along with it a calm state of peace" (on John 5  :lf).                 holiness of our lives testify to it, let our works prove it;
                      "The city will be safe, if God be truly and devoutly                   for who will believe that he has been present at the
                      worshipped, and this is attested by the sanctification of              assemblies of the Church, and has heard the word of
                the Sabbath" (on Jer. 17).                                                   God, with a sincere heart and a true faith, who bestows
                6            2. The sacred observance of the first day of the week the remainder, not only of that day, but  all of his life ;
                      was a duty which the leaders of the Reformation were                   not only more vainly, but more' wickedly" (on Matt.
                      careful to enforce. "Farel's, first experiments in disci-              12:ll).
                      pline," as Dr. Henry informs us, "had proved very dis-                    Thus also taught Luther and his friends:  `;Alrhough
                      tasteful.     Among the things forbidden were games of the Sabbath," says Luther, "is now abolished, and the
                      chance, swearing, slandering, dancing, the singing of conscience is freed from it, it is still good and even neces-
                      idle songs, and masquerading. The people were com- sary, that men should keep a particular day in the week
                      manded  ro attend church, to keep Sunday strict, and to                for the sake of the word of God, on which rhey are to
                      be at home by nine o'clock in the evening. These laws meditate, hear, and learn"  (Fairbairn'  as before). And
                      were proclaimed with the sound of a trumpet, and with                  even when in the vehemence of his zeal against a return
                      threats of severe punishment against transgressors. Four to Judaica1 observance, he. rashly orders persons to
                      preachers and two deacons were appointed,, and a school trample on the institution rather than pervert it \in that
                      was established. Fare1 published a short formulary of form, he does not forget to say, "Keep it holy for its use'
                      belief, consisting of twenty-one articles, and was prob- sake, both to body and soul" (Coleridg's table talk,
                      ably associated in this with Calvin, who published a cate-             11:315).  In treating of the fourth commandment Bucer
                      chism in French" (Life and times of John Calvin, vol. says : "It is our duty to sanctify one day in each week
                      I, p. 112). What a disciplinarian Calvin was, and how for the public service of religion; that there be one day
                      he laboured by unwearied preaching and writing to  en-                 in the week upon which the people have nothing else to


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                                                       T H E   ST_ANDARD   B E A R E R  /                                                  543
                                                                                                                                      ^_~

                do  than to go to church, there to hear God's Word, to            ger, commenting on Rom. 14: 5, says,  "As it was in the
                pour out their prayers, to confess their faith, to give           beginning of the world, so it must continue to its end."
                thanks, to make oblations, to receive the holy  com-              Beza, in his annotations on Rev. 1 :lO, observes "that the
               I munions: hence the Lord's day was consecrated to these           seventh day having stood from the creation of the world
                by the very apostles."                                            to the resurrection of Christ, was exchanged by the
                   3. The Lessons  .which the Reformers taught  on this           apostles,  ,doubrless at the dictations of the Holy  Spirit,
                subject were by them and by their flocks conscientiously          for that which was the first day of the new world." And
                practiced. We have seen no account of Luther's more               Ursinus, in his Catechism, after mentioning the reasons-
                private deportment on the day of rest; but, from the              for the institution, remarks, "As these relate to no definite
                character of the man and from his more deliberate utter-          period, but to all times and ages of the world, it follows
                ances regarding the sacredness and importance of the              that God would have men bound from the beginning of
                institution, we may presume that his Sabbath-keeping the `world even to its end to keep a certain Sabbath."
                would be such as becomes one so prayerful as he was.                 With such views of primal Sabbath, rhe Reformers
                The same conclusions seem  ro  be warranted by the hab-           could not but regard it as in substance perpetuated  in.
                its which he was the means of forming in others. For              the Jewish weekly holy day. While they agreed with
                it appears that such Sabbath  .desecration  as became             all Christians that God commanded the-Jews  to sanctify
                general in latter times was for  a- period unknown in             one day in seven, they had no conception of its dating
                protestant churches. , On this subject Calvin remarks:            from the 2500th year of the world, but considered the
                "I am obliged  ro  be a little more prolix here, because in. transactions of Sin  an& Sinai as rhe recognition of a
                our day some unquiet spirits make an outcry about the             world-old institution. And on two grounds  - its origi-
                Lord's day. They complain that the Christian people               nation in the example and command of Jehovah at the
                are nursed in Judaism because some observance of days             creation, and its renewal in the Decalogue - they held'
                is retained" (Instit. on fourth Commandment). "When it to be of divine authority.
                our shop windows," he observes in another publication,               Although particular expressions have been consid-
                "are shut on the Lord's day  - when we travel not,                ered to imply the contrary, the facts that have just been
                after the common order and fashion of men - this is to            adduced prove that the Reformers considered the Lord's
                the end we should have more liberty and leisure to at-            day-as belonging to a very different category from holi-
                tend on that which God commandeth."                               days. They reduced the number and altered the observ-
                    4. The Reformers believed the Sabbath to have been ance of holidays  - in some instances wholly excluding
                appointed by God ar the creation. In explaining Gen. them - and, if they had had their wish, would in every
                2~3, Luther says: "It, therefore, follows from this place,        case have done so. In no instance was it ever attempted,
                that if Adam had abode in innocence, he should yet have           or even proposed to them, to displace the Lord's day.
                kept holy the seventh day  - that is, he should have              They believed, as we have seen, that nature and order
                instructed  hisdescendents  concerning the will and wor-          demanded some time to be set apart in every age to rest
                ship of God, and rendered to him praise, thanksgiving,            and religion, and that a seventh day for these purposes
                and offerings. On other days he should have cultivated            was prescribed at the creation for the human race in
                his soil  and.  attended his flocks. Nay, after rhe fall he       their  sucessive  generations.       They at the same time,
                sanctified that seventh day ; in other words, he instructed believed that all obligation to  ,observe Saturday had
                his family on that day, as is testified by.  the offerings of     ceased. The question, then, to be determined was: On
                his sons Cain and Abel. Wherefore the Sabbath was                 what other day are we to enjoy the indispensible rest
                from the beginning of the world set apart to divine               and worship of a weekly holy day  - on what day are
                worship." In expounding Exodus 20:8, Calvin has these             we to be favored with the provision, and  .to fulfil the
                words: "Unquestionably, when he had finished the crea-            enduring appointment of paradise? That appointment,
                tion of the world, God assumed to himself, and conse-             and the moral part of it, as they called it, of the ,Fourth
                crated the seventh day, rhat he might keep his worship-           Commandment, they believed to be still in force. They
                ers entirely free from all other cares when engaged in            might have seen that nothing more than some indication
                considering the beauty,  e,ucellence,  and glory of his of the particular day was required. They did say, thar
                 works."    On the  -11th verse of the same chapter he            there is no express command in the New Testament
                 remarks, that the prohibition to gather manna on the             declaring, "Thou shalt keep holy the first day of the
                seventh day, seems to imply the received knowledge.and            week."    The conclusion to which some suppose  .they
                use of the Sabbath, and that it is incredible that, when came was, that the early Christians were left at liberty
                 God delivered the right of sacrifice to saints, the observ-      to take the day which they  ,might agree to prefer. Such
                ance of  the Sabbath could have been neglected. Let us            a conclusion, it might be shown, was utterly unwar-
                add a sentence from his notes on Gen. 2 :3 : "God, there-         ranted. Nor could they hold it consistently with what
                fore, first rested, then blest this  resr, that in all ages it    they themselves thus declare respecting the manner in
 1               might be sacred among men; in other words, he  con-               which the Lord's day was appointed.          In the Confes-
 I               secrated  every seventh day, to rest, that his own exam-         sion of Saxony we find' these words: "We thank God,
                 ple might be a perpetual rule." Of rhe Sabbath,  Bullin-          rhe everlasting Father of our Lord `Jesus Christ, who,
/                                         I
iI                                                                                                            `%...


!            544                                               THE.STANDARD   B E A R E R
             ___ll_...._-......l.....  ^ ..-                    -..--_l_ll.".l_---_._

             f'or his Son and by him, gathered an eternal Church, for                Word, for the administration of rhe sacraments, and for
             that even from the first beginning of mankind he hath                   public prayers. Thirdly, that we may not inhumanly
             preserved the  !public  ministry of the Gospel and honest               oppress those placed under us" (Instit. on fourth pre-
             assemblies; who himself hath set aside certain times for                cept). The following words of the same individual are
             the same; and we pray him rhat henceforth he will save                  clear and decided: "Most certainly what was commanded
             and guide the Church." "The general rule," as we read                   concerning the day of rest must belong to us as well as to
             in the Confession of Augsburg, "abideth still in the moral              them (the Jews). For, let us take God's law in itself,
          law, rhat at certain times we should come together to                      and we shall have an everlasting rule of righteousness.
             these godly exercises; but rhe special day, which was                   And, doubtless, under the ten commandments, God
             but a ceremony is free. Whereupon the apostles re-' intended to give a rule that should endure forever.
             tained not the seventh day, but did rather take the first Therefore, ler us not think that the things which Moses
             day of the week for that use, that by it they might ad-                 speaks respecting the Sabbath-day are needless for us:
           monish the godly both of their liberty, and of Christ's                   not because the figure remaineth still in force, but be-
             resurrection."             We add a sentence from  this same Con-       cause we have the truth thereof."
             fession, "The true unity of the Church doth consist in
           * several points of doctrine, in rhe true and uniform preach-                We need add nothing more than that the Reformers
             ing of the Gospel, and in such rites as the Lord himself                were  all' pledged by the Formularies which they had
             hath set down." These sentences point to the inspired                   subscribed, and by' their expositions of the Ten Com-
             means by which the will of Chrisr was made known.                       mandments in their Treatises and Catechisms, to the
                                                                                     doctrine that though the Mosaic ceremonies were repealed,
                    In yet another way, did the Reformers show their and though. the curse of the law was to all believers
             faith in the doctrine of a Divine and permanent Sabbath. abrogated, the Moral Law, including  rhe Fourth Com-
             They considered the Lord's day as coming under the mandment, is a perpetual rule to mankind.
          / authoritative direction of rhe Fourth Commandment.                                            8                             G. M. 0.
             They erred indeed, as we conceive by regarding this com-
             mandment as partly ceremonial, an error which has
             involved some of their other statements in confusion if
             not contradiction. But rhe ceremonial part of the pre-
             cept they believed to have passed away, leaving the
             moral part to sanction the Christian Sabbath and guide                            SUN-&AL WITHOUT THE SUN
             its observance. Thus Luther, after telling us that this
             commandment literally understood, does not apply to us                                            *`A sun-dial may be well and accurately
             Christians, says :                                                                         set, and yet, if the sun shines not, we can-
                                                "But in order that the simple may                       not  tell  the  time   of day."-Th. M.
             obtain a Christian view of thar  *which  God requires of
             us in this commandment, observe that we keep a festival."                  Our evidences of grace are in much the same condi-
             He then refers to two objects of the institution applying tion: they  are,good signs,  but  we cannot see them un-
             to our times, the provision of rest for. children of toil, and          less rhe grace of God shines upon them,  ,and then we
             of time and opportunity to men in general, such as they can almost do without them, even as an observant per-
             could not otherwise have, for attending to religion (on                 son can tell the time of day without a sun dial, by look-
             Exodus  31). The ideas of Calvin on the subject are thus ing to the sun itself.
             expressed : "The ancients are accustomed to call rhe
             fourrh precept shadowy, because it comprehended an                         Present faith in a  presenr  Saviour is better than all
             external observance of the day, which at the coming of the marks and evidences in the world. Yet, let no man
             Christ has along with other figures been abolished,                     be content if the marks of a child of God are absent from
             which, indeed, is by them expressed justly.`, But he his life, for they ought to be there, and must be  rhere.
             adds: "This gives only the half of the truth.. Whereupon                The presence of sensible evidences must not be too
             a higher sense has to be sought, and there are three much relied on; but the absence of them should cause
             reasons to be considered why this command is  to be ob- great searching of heart.
             served." He then proceeds to state and to enlarge upon
             the reasons, and adds: "The-sum  is, as the truth was                      Our main concern should be to look daily and hourly
          * delivered to the Jews under a figure, so it is commanded                 untd Jesus, trusting in Him, and not in evidences ; judg-
             to  US  without shadows: First, that  we  aim  at  a  perpetual ing the progress of our soul's day, rather by our view of
             resting from our works during the whole of our life, that the Sun of righteousness than by our own sun-dial. If
             God  may work in us by his Spirit. Again, that every one                Jesus be gone, all is gone: without His love we are
             should diligenrly exercise himself in private in the pious              darkness itself. What a sun-dial is without the sun, rhat
             recognition of the works of God, as often as he has                     is the fairest character, the choisest  past experience, and
             leisure ; then also that all together may observe the the maturest knowledge without Jesus' fellowship.
     I       lawful order  of? the Church established for hearing the                                                           C. H. Spurgeon.


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          549
yy_y  _YI..."...l..-.-."                                                                 P.---P-_-  .._ "._." ._ -_---
vangt  zijn loon in de plaats der buitenste duisternis, reprobation formed a very small part. The `Netherlands,
waar weening is en knersing der tanden.                         beside:, was once Lutheran, and the Lutherans followed
   Zoo spreekt het stellige en onfeilbare Woord des             Melanchton's  view. Coornhert wrote a brochure against
Heeren,  dat nooit vergaat!                                     Calvin"s  ideas.    Two ministers of Delft became weak
   De zondaars zullen van de aarde verdaan  worden  en          infralapsarians in attempting to refute this brochure.
de goddeloozen zullen niet meer  zijn.      Loof den Heere,     lnfralapsarianism  is a statement of the minimum of what
mijne ziel! Halleluja! (Ps.  104%).                             a man may think in regard to predestination and still
                                                G. V. B.        be Reformed. It was against the brochure of Coornhert
                                                                as well as against that of the ministers of Delft that
                   C O N T R I B U T I O N                      Arminius was to write. Arminianism was a humanistic
                                                                tendency prevalent in the Netherlands before the coming
   JAMES  4RMINIUS AND HIS ARMINIANISM                          of hrminius, but it smoldered.
                                                                   Our subject is the history of Rrminius' life and his
   Broadly speaking, the sovereignty of God is the heart        ideas. Who was he, that  he  should place his stamp on the
of Reformed doctrine  ; more narrowly speaking, election Arminian movement and give it his name? This is a
and reprobation, i. e., predestination, foims the heart of      difficult question to answer for two reasons. The first
Reformed theology. It  follo&s that whoever does not is: because Arminius never fully expressed himself in
give the doctrine of predestination its place in his system writing or speaking in public but used veiled language.
of theology and life is not Reformed: The deformed              Secondly, the material on his life as  q result of this is
conception of unconditional predestination is very diffi- scarce. Still we can trace his history and draw some
cult to maintain because it is contrary to the nature of the    conclusions as to his ideas from his actions, and the
sinner.    It does not make man's free will sovereignly actions of those who immediately followed him.
free.  It is an innate characteristic of man to find the           We will discuss Arminius in regard to:
basis of his salvation, not in God, but in himself. Man is         1. His early life.
supreme! Therefore, we can so easily understand that               2. His life as minister and professor, and his troubles.
the doctrine of unconditional predestination is not our            3. His ideas and a criticism of them.
daily living principle.      No, rather are we, then, quite        Arminius,  Jacobus  Hermansz, was born at  Oudewa-
Arminian. What is Arminianism? It is in essence a               ter, on Oct. 10, 1560. His father, a cutler, died while
setting up of man's will above that of God, making God          Arminius was still young. Xemilius, a converted Cath-
dependent on man.           Election, and that  unconditional- olic priest, educated him at Utrecht. When he was 14,
election, is the heart of Reformed theology. This is con- this second father died. Snellius, the mathematician,
trary to man's innate tendency, as it was to one class visited Oudewater, his birthplace, and noticed Arminius'
especially, the -4rminians.                                     ability. He took him back with him to  IMarburg.  Just
   The man whose motto was bona  conscientia   puradisus,       arrived at Marburg,  the news came that Oadewater ,had
a good  ccmscience  is a paradise, is the one who put his       been destroyed by the Spanish soldiers. Arminius re-
stamp upon the system called Arminianism. This man              turned and found his  reIatives  dead. Bertius and Taffin
was James Arminius. He lived from  1540 to 1609.  Re-           (Ithe minister at court) saw the boy's ability and sent him
fore we study his life and ideas, let us review the condi- to the newly established University of Leyden. This
tions prevalent in the Netherlands before Arminius" ap-         was in 1576. In the year 1378, Snellius became professor
pearance.                                                       at teyden.    He was professor of Ramean philosophy.
   As we said, Arminianism is  an`inherent tendency of It was through Snellius that Arminius became i;terested
human nature. We would naturally expect to find it in           in the philosophy of  Ramus.      He was soon known as
the Netherlands previous ta Arminius' appearance. Me- Ramus   redetiuus,  i.e., Ramus  returned to life. At the age
lanchton believed in conditional election.  E  Condit:onal      of 21, in 1581, he left Leyden, having finished his course.
election means that there is something on which God is             Through the influence of the Burgomasters of Am-
dependent in his election, viz., a foreseen faith. Thus         sterdam, Arminius was sent to Geneva to study theology
we get, not one ultimate principle, but two: God and a          at the expense of the Kramersgild  on condition that when
foreseen faith.      Calvin's doctrine, which though  infra-    he returned he would accept no position without the
lapsarian, was hard to many in the Netherlands. The approval of Amsterdam. At Geneva he formed a life long
principle of Erasmus, viz., free-will, was still present in friendship with Wtenbogaert and Junius, Jr. From Beza,
the minds of many. Coornhert, against whom Calvin the  sucessor  of Calvin, he heard lectures on the book of
wrote a brochure, differed with Calvin in  i-egard  to elec-    Romans. While here, -4rminius gave lectures to a group
tion and reprobation.         Herberts,  Coolhaas  and many     of students on  rhe philosophy of Peter  Ramus  (Pierre
others did too. It seems to me that as time went on the         de la  Ram6e). So forcefully did he  pur  forth the argu-
ideas of John Calvin were striking root, but it took a          ments of Ramus  that the professors were no longer able
long time for them to sink in. Even Calvin did npt al- to endure him - .4rminius  left for Basel. What exactly
ways consider predestination as important as later he the philosophy of Ramus  was is hard to discover due to
did  - in his first edition  of  the  Institute  election and lack of material . This much is sure that it was a revolt


550                                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
_--.--- .._......  ll_l_ __..^_  -- _......_ _ -..-    ""------_11                .lll" .----_...  --.-"^ ._                 _ .-.-_-.^  .._ 2
against Aristotelianism.                       Ramus  defended the thesis,    genius  - he referred things to his system. He drew
"All that Aristotle wrote was false," for his doctor's                        large crowds -- he was the bright light of the Nether-
degree. Wagenaar says the following in regard to the                          lands. About this time he was holding a series of ser-
philosophy of  Ramus, "Pierre de la  Ram'ee,  dien  fellen                    mons on the book of Romans (1591). He preached on
becritiseerder van Aristoteles, die met de reformatie                         the text, "For we know that the law is spiritual: but  1
meegegaan, in 1572 vermoord was in den Bartholomeus-                          am carnal, sold under sin." (Rom. 7  :14).  Ir  referred,
nacht,  doch  door zijn werk over de christelijke religie                     he said, not to a regenerate man who is not completely
nog sprak na zijn  dood en zoo grooten nadruk legcle  op                      sanctified ; but to an unregenerate man, who realizing
den  ~2, dat zijn godgeleerdheid dreigde over te gaan in                      that he could not fulfill the law, was seeking a savior.
zedeleer."r) `When first considering this essay, I thought                    Thus the man was doing good. Man was here on the
that the fact that Arminius was a vigorous adherent of                        threshold of salvation. He pictured, in other words, an
Ramus  might be very important. This can hardly be                            unregenerate man whom the Catechism says is dead in
true because most of the reformers tended more toward                         sins and miseries, unable to do any good and inclined to
the philosophy of  Ramus  than toward that of Aristotle.                      a11 evil, as one seeking a savior and thus was doing good.
       At  Rasel,  Arminius' zeal for  Ramus  was tempered                    The Reformed conception is and always has been the
by the influence of Prof. Grynaeus. Grynaeus thought literal interpretation of "dood in zonden en misdaden, on-
much of him, permitting him to answer objections to his                       bekwaam tot eenig goed en geneigd tot alle kwaad." Who-
 (Grynaeus') lectures. The University of  Base1 offered                       ever is truly seeking a savior from sins is one who is
him a doctor's degree without further study or expense                        regenerated, although he himself is not yet conscious of
on his part. This was refused at the advice of Amster-                        it. No, rhe text cannot mean what Arminius said it did.
dam. In 1584, Arminius returned to Geneva. He took                            What then? It simply refers to a completely regenerated
a trip to Padua with Junius and listened to a series of                       man who finds himself sanctified in principle and laments
lectures by the Jesuit Bellarminus there. He returned                         the fact that he still sins so frequently. Naturally there
to Geneva and remained until 1587, when he was re-                            was opposition  ro Arminius' exegesis  - it was un-Re-
called to Amsterdam. There seems to have been fear                            formed! Such exegesis made the natural man able to do
that Arminius had Jesuitic tendencies because he visited                      some good. Plancius, a consistent Reformed theologian,
 Italy and attended the lectures of Bellarminus. This                         complained.    A struggle ensued.    Moreover these two
fear was unjustified, because Arminius was, as a matter                       men disagreed in regard to the relation of church and
of fact, cured of all belief that the Church was not  SO state: Arminius believed in Caesaropapism, i.e. the state
bad. It may be that the rulers of Amsterdam shared over the church, and Plancius in  "imperium in  imperia,"
this fear and therefore recalled him.                                         i.e. a government (the church) within a government.
       Upon Arminius' return to Amsterdam (1587) he was                       Though previously not very good friends, these two men
examined by the  classis and became a candidate. Re-                          were now enemies for the sake of the truth.
ceiving a call from Amsterdam, he accepted it and was                            Amsterdam was soon in an uproar. When two im-
installed Aug. 11, 1588. By this time the fear of his                         portant. men are fighting each other's ideas, there is
Roomschgezindheid   was practically gone although it was                      bound to be interest in the subject amongst the people.
noticed that Arminius expressed himself in a latitudi-                        Moreover, people take sides. This was the case here,
narian way.               He became known as  the  leader of the too. What was to be done? Prof. Lydius of Franeker
church of the Netherlands. As a result of his popularity,                     heard of the trouble and decided to visit Amsterdam.
Prof. Lydius of Franeker thought him the man to refute                        On the way, he induced Wtenbogaert,  Arminitis'  friend,
the pamphlet of the two ministers of Delft who, setting                       from his student days on' and Taffin, the minister at
out to refute the brochure of Coornhert, brought in ob-                       courr, to accompany him. Plancius did not trust  Wten-
jections instead of Calvin's doctrine of predestination.                      bogaert who later proved to be a vehement adherent of
His consistory suggested this task to him also. He was Arminius. The city officials of Amsterdam thought
to refute the brochures of Coornhert and the two minis-                       much of Wtenbogaert. They sought his advice. He
ters of Delft by one brochure. Arminius assumed the                           advised a silent  conferences  of the ministers.    At this
duty but the refutation never appeared!                         What was      conference  -4rminius professed to fully agree with the
wrong? The arguments could not be refuted! Arminius                           Forms of Unity.     Moreover he promised to preach
 spent all his spare time in the study of this question,                      nothing contrary to the prevalent view of predestination.
but was weaned further and further from the ideas of                          The points in regard to which he disagreed, he would
 Calvin instead of developing these ideas. In other keep to himself till rhe next Synod. What more could
words, -4rminius began to differ more and more with the                       be wished? The brewing storm seemed to have evap-
accepted doctrine of predestination. Why did he differ?                       orated.
 "The Reformed view made God the author of sin !"                                Later, while still continuing the exposition of the
       Soon Arminius' ideas could be felt when he preached.                   book of Romans, Arminius gave his exegesis of Rom. 13.
 Every man of any importance has a philosophy, with                           His explanation gave the state too much authority over
 reference to which he proves things. This man was a                          rhe church. The church, as a whole, did not believe in
 `1  `CVagenaar,  L. H.:  Pan  Strijd en  Ovcrwiming,  page 35.               Caesaropapism but that state and church were sovereign


                                                                                                               a
                                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                      551

 in their own spheres. The church did accept pay for the                    to the University. Such an one was Arminius. He filled
 ministers and with it a certain amount of control from                     the need. Previous professors had not all agreed with
 the state, but at the same time believed itself to be the                  Calvin's view of predestination, why must Arminius?
 judge in regard to church matters. The followers of                        (Coolhaas, an opponent of unconditional predestination,
 Arminius, the Arminians, believed in Caesaropapism.                        had been professor there.) Moreover, they needed a
 They did so probably because the state authorities hap-                    moderate man to offset the one-sidedness(  ?) of  Goma-
 pened to favor them more than the Calvinists, and seeing                   rus. The students wanted a native as professor, not a
 that they needed protection against the Calvinists, who                    foreigner. So it was almost decided to appoint Arminius
 were in the majority, they preached the supremacy of                       in the place left vacant by ,the death of Junius.
 the state. On the ground of Caesaropapism, proceedings                        Arminius, in justice to him it must be said, never
 were never taken against Arminius.                        Listen to what sought the position. He loved his congregation; he felt
 Rrandt, an Arminian, says: "This he (Arminius) expe-                       indebted to Amsterdam for the education it had made
 rienced when engaged with the exposition of Romans,                        possible for him. Still he felt that he was a born teacher.
 where, in the course of profound and learned discussions                   It was hard to leave his beloved congregation. What
 on the various duties of magistrates, he was thought by                    would be best? He decided to accept the appointment.
 some to have conceded to them too much of charge and                       provided Amsterdam would give him his resignation. Hc
 jurisdiction in matters of religion. But we find it no-                    had promised not to leave Amsterdam, to accept another
  where recorded that on the ground of these and other                      call, without its permission. They decided to let him
  things of the like trivial importance,  precedings  were. go provided he would have a conference with Gomarus
 openly and publicly instituted against  him."l)  Still it                  to clear up differences. Arminius agreed.
 meant more enemies for Arminius.                                              Gomarus had advised the Curators not to appoint
      Arminius was a very educated preacher. Yet people Arminius, although  rhey had not asked his advice. He
 felt that he erred, but it could not be proved black on                    appeared before them Nov. 9, 1602. He offered the fol-
 white !  I-&s congregation loved him dearly. In the time                   lowing: "Hij . . . . komt er. voor uit, dat hij sedert Armi-
 of the plague, in 1602, he did much to relieve the spiritual               nius' verklaring van Romeinen VII  aan diens  rechtzin-
 cares of his people. There was a bond of affection be-                     nigheid twijfelt. De correspondentie met Prof. Junius
 tween him and his congregation.                                            heeft dien twijfel versterkt.  Als hij  - zoo besloot  Go-
      In his spare time, ever since Arminius had been con-                  marus  - `te ,4msterdam   blijft, kan hij slechts Pkne Kerk
 vinced of the untruth  (?) of the Reformed conception                      bederven, in Leiden, vele  ; te Amsterdam heeft hij tal
 of predestination, he had diligently studied the question.                 van  mannen,  om hem tegen te spreken; te Leiden maar
 He had carried on correspondence with prominent men enkele.  a .Aan de Hoogeschool is meer gelegenheid tot
  in order, as he said, to get at the truth. He seems to                    disputeeren en daaruit kunnen erge oneenigheden  ont-
  have been a very open-minded person, willing to be con-                   staan. Om zich den weg naar het professoraat te openen,
  vinced that he was wrong if it could be proved. He                        zal hij  we1 beterschap beloven, maar men moet niet op
  disputed with Junius, professor of  0. T. exegesis at                     die woorden vertrouwen . . .  .'  "I)           Gomarus was repri-
  Leyden. (These disputes are known as  .47&o  collatio                     manded for this advice. The Curators sought the advice
 D.  F?ansisco  j&o  d-e  Predestinatione,   per  litteras  habita.)        of Oldenbarneveldt. He referred them to his good friend
 They were strictly private. It seems that a student in-                    Wtenbogaert who satisfied them that Arminius' heresy
  mate of Junius' house made a copy of these disputations.                  was one of exegesis and not one of doctrine. His appoint-
  It came into the hands of Plancius, the learned theologian                ment was- now made `5 fact.
  and geographer. Plancius now had proof that Arminius                         The conference between Arminius and Gomarus took
  was not Reformed. These 27 points about which they                        place May 6, 1603. Two delegates of the church were
  disputed were a conclusive proof!                                         present,  \`Vtenbogaert  with a few friends and the Cura-
      In  1602, the year of the plague, two of the three pro- tors. Gomarus asked Arminius his ideas in regard to Rom.
  fessors at Leyden died. Only the strenuous  supralap-                     79 in relation to "dead in sins and miseries, incapable
  sarian,  Gomarus, remained. The son of Trelcatius was of doing any good, and inclined to all evil." He explained
  appointed in his father's place. Who was to be appointed it in such a fashion that even Gomarus  ha& to admit it
  in the place of Junius? Arminius was the most promi- was a possible explanation. Arminius then delivered a
  nent theologian of his time, why couldn't he be ap-                       harangue making plain his detestation of Pelagianism
  pointed? He could be! The University of Leyden was                        and Socinianism. The church delegates and Gomarus
solely under state control, the church merely acted as                      seemed to be satisfied  - even they thought Arminius
  an advisory body. How foolish, you say ! Yes, but so it                   was telling the truth. Arminius posed as Reformed as
  was. Arminius had been educated both at Leyden and                        later he so frequently did, Arminius accepted the ap-
  at Geneva  - he was the man! Several of the Curators                      pointment on the following condition:  ". . . . (hij)  be-
  of the University were good friends of his, viz.,  Crom- tuigde en beloofde, dat hij de gemeene leer en den  Heidel-
  hout and Dousa. The Curators wanted a man recognized bergschen Catechismus niet openiijk  Wilde   tegenspre-
  abroad as well as at home, one who would be an asset ken, maar dat hij, in de wijze van uitleggen van zekere
  1)Guthrie:   Bzandt's Lift  of  `1.  h&&u,  page  67.                     *jWagenaar,  L. H.: Pan  Sttijd  cn  Ovcrwinning,  page 42, 43.


                                           #
552                                               T H E   STANDAK.D   B E A R E R
                                                                                                  - - -                  -...             _~-.-_______  .,-.-

Schriftuurplaatsen, zijne vrijheid  Wilde  behouden, `en                          Netherlands.        `He kept his heresies out of his public
aan nicmands woordcn gebondcn  zijn."`)                                           disputations. The churches brought in objections against
                                                                                  .Arminius  to the Curators. This body refused to con-
       Gomarus had been made Prof.  Primalzls  of theology.                       sider the objections; they said that the gravima, burdens,
He now bestowed the title, "Doctor of Theology," on                               or objections, should be  raken to a National Synod.  :Z
Arminius after he had successfully passed his examina-                            National Synod could not be held because the -4rminian
tion and had written a thesis: The Nature of God.  Ar-                            government would not allow it. The trouble brewed on.
minius was now professor of' theology. Bertius, a  Ke-
formed colleague, says that the church of  -Amsterdam                                In 1605, the  classis of Dordrecht brought a gravamen
and the  classis gave Xrminius a recommendation of                                to the South Holland Synod.                      This body asked the
praise to Leyden. He became professor of 0.  T.  exe-                             Curators and magistrates of Leyden if there was any
gesis in September  (?), 1603.  Xlready on Feb.  7,  1604,                        trouble in the school.  C_)n Aug. 5, 1605, the professors
he lectured against the Reformed conception of predesti-                          Arminius, Gomarus, Treclatius and the "Regent van het
nation, although not in the classroom. Gomarus accused                            Kollegie   Kuchlins" handed in a letter which is worthy
him of not keeping his promise.  ;Irminius  maintained                            to note. In contained the statement, " `dat er we1 eenige
`that his conception came as close to the Confession and                          disputen onder de Studenten  vielen, maar dat zij niet  wis-
Catechism as that of Gomarus. He added that neither ten, dat er onder de Professoren eenig geschil was,  voor
one of them had to accept the views of the Forms of zo  we1 de  fundamenten   der  Leer  aanging'."l)   It seems that
Unitv without testing them wirh the Bible. Eight                                  Gomarus wished to smother the question too.
months later Gomarus brought in counter-propositions.
"Arminius  Wilde,  `dat God de menschen  we1  verkoos  tot                            In 1607, Arminius and Gomarus went to a meeting to
de zaligheid, maar uit aanmerking van bekeering en vol-                           prepare things for the next Synod. There were, prob-
harding;' Gomarus zeide met Calvin en Beza, `dat de                               ably, some 19 or  20 there. Arminius, Wrenbogaert and
zaligheid en verdoemenis zonder eenig inzigt van  bekee-                          two others wanted the Heidelberg Catechism to be recon-
ring of hardnekkigheid door een eeuwig, onveranderlijk                            sidered as well as the Confession because (1) they were
 Raadsbesluit is vasrgesteld.' Arminius drong  aan, `dat                          written in a tempestuous time  - that of the Reforma-
 hieruit een onvermijdelijke noodzaaklijkheid van  zondi-                         tion, (2) they were human writings and so fallible. The
 gen volgde; dat geen zondaar het op die  wijze in zijne                          others did  not wish this: the bond of unity was estab-
 magt had  nict te zondigen; dat dus de sroomsten zig lished, it could not be reconsidered. They disagreed.
 niets meer konden toeschrijven, dan de boossten, en dat                          In 1607, the peace treaty with Spain was being con-
 men niet begrijpen konde, dat God met eenig regt iemand                          cluded. While the treaty was being considered..the  Synod
 straffen  ken!  die  `t nief in zijn vermogen had om het                         was forgotten. The trouble was continuing to spread
 zondigen na te laaten.'             Gomarus antwoordde, `dat de throughout the Netherlands due to the influence of the
 stelling van Xrminius den Mensch verhovaardigt; dat Arminian candidates who became ministers.
 men Gode  alleen  de eer moet geven; dat alles wat de
 mensch  vermag,  van God  koomt,  en dat God dat  vermo-                         ~)Anonymous: Lewnsbeschriiving  van  Eenige   Yoorname . . . .  Mannen
 gen geeft  aan wien hij  wil'."`) There was now dishar-                          en  Frouwen,   ?Ol. I, page 152.
 mony in the school. Moreover Xrminius exegeted a                                                           (To be continued)
 passage from the New Testament, which belonged to
 Gomarus' field, and thus made Gomarus antagonistic.                                                                                    P. DE BOER.
 iirminius could not endure the Reformed conception of
 predestination. Why not? "It made God the  ,luthor of
 sin !"

       Trouble in school means trouble abroad. So here
 too. In a short time more people were choosing sides.                                                        I N   M E M O R I A M
 What could be done?                 &-minius' ideas were un-Re-                     Wederom behaagde het den Hecre den 9den Augustus een
 formed. That was well known. The church as a whole                               onzer leden  door den dood weg te nemen,
 was against him. Yet the State favored Arminius, and                                                       MRS. A. ZUIDEMA,
 the State controlled the church. The University of  Ley-
 den was under state control.                   What was to be done?              in den ouderdom van 69 jaar. Waar zij, volgens  hare belijdenis.
                                                                                  een lidmate  was van het lichaam van Christus, gelooven wij dat
 Arminius could not be rooted out of the school! An-                              de Groote  Landman  ook haar  als  ten rijpe  schoof  heeft  binnen-
 other thing, who could prove that Arminius was  un-Re-                           gedragen in Zijn Hemelsche schuur.
 formed? He was rhe best debater and scholar in the                                   De Heere trooste de bedroefde familie.
                                                                                          Namens de Hollandsche Vrouwenvereeniging  "Weest een
 1) Anonymous:  .Lewmbeschtijting  van  Eenige  Boorname . . . .  Mannen                  Zegen," van de Eerste Prot. Geref. gemeente.
 en  F"rouwen,  vol. I, page 149.
                                                                                                                                 Rev. H. Hoeksema, Pres.
 ")Anonymous:   Lcvembcschrijving  vm  Benige   Foarname   .   .  ~  .  Mannen
 en  Frouwen,  vol. I, pages  150? 151.                                                                                          Mrs, j. Cammenga,  Seer.


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                                                                                  To live one must receive, absorb, consume, grow,
                M E D I T A T I O N                                          labor, yield and thus reveal the glory and virtue of
1                                                                       1 Him that called him out of darkness into His marv-
                                                                             elous light. If we walk in the light and have com-
                                                                        .    munion with one another, we know Him and walk in
                   MERCY FOR MERCY                                           `His light ; if we walk in darkness and say. that we
                                                                             know Him, we are liars and the truth is not in us, for
                        Blessed   are  the  merciful:  for  they   shalI
                    obtain  mercy.  - Matt. 55'.                             He is a light and there is no darkness in Him and ?$s
                                                                             light must needs radiate through us. He that would
      Mercy for mercy !                      .                               continuously receive the blessed stream of God's grace
      ,4n implacable law in the kingdom of heaven it is, must needs be gracious; he who professes to be the
that only they that are mercifully disposed in mind                          recipient of His graee and manifests no grace in his
and heart are the proper recipients of the mercy of life is a liar. One who would always comfort his heart
God.                                                                         at the  burnin-g  fires of God's mercy must needs be
      A stream receives continuously only when it gives.                     merciful; if mercy does not glow in our hearts and
      Its waters are clear as crystal only because it does radiate in our lives, we know Him not, neither have
not attempt to retain but always pours forth the                             ever been the objects of His living mercy. When the
streams it receives from its headspring. It receives outlets of a man's heart are closed, the refreshing
because it gives and ultimately empties its contents                         streams of God's bounteous mercy will not Aow
into the wide ocean. And because it yields what it                           through.; when he will not forgive he cannot possible
receives it is constantly able to receive more. Dam experience forgiveness ; when he will not love, the
its mouth, close up its outlet and the rushing stream everlasting streams of love from the headspring of
from the mountains will seek or dig another bed for                          God's heart do not flow through him; when he is not
its course, will find a new outlet  and,leave  but a stag- meek and cannot humble himself he has never.. tasted :
nant and foul pool where formerly its living waters the unspeakable sweetness of God's humiliation in %iYis :
flowed.                                                                      Son on the awful tree of blood and agony.. I+, soul. is .,
      A fire must consume its material and distribute its                    still like a stagnant pool, foul and dark; hiding,&.  its-j
heat to the comfort of them that dwell in the house in depth all the stinking rotteness of sin and unrighteous-
order to be receptive for more fuel.                                         ness, of envy and hatred, cold, motionless, lifeless . `. . . Y !
      And the living stream, by rushing and meandering                            Only the merciful receive mercy.
through its bed will widen and deepen it and thus will                            Mark  :  the  merciful!
become receptive for more abundant water according                                Not they that merely show, imitate, simulate
as it yields more. . . .                                                     mercy, but they that  clre merciful.
      It is a universal law.                                                      Xercy is least of all a matter of outward show, of
     Life must live.                                                         a flitting smile of kindness, of a vanishing tear of com-
      And to live it must take and give, receive and pro-                    passion. It has nothing to do with mere human phi-
duce, consume and radiate, absorb and emit.                                  lanthropy or commercialized charity, with a show of
      Neither is there any fear of exhaustion, for the love that can embrace humanity and hate the indi-
Fount  of all, Who fills all that all may emanate His                        vidual, that can shed tears of commiseration for the
glory and goodness, is infinite, fathomless, inexhaust- sufferer that lives a thousand miles away and, at the
ible . . . .                                                                 same time be  f?Ied with hatred and envy for the
      The law is valid in the spiritual sphere of the                        brother next door or for the fellow that crosses our
kingdom of heaven.                                                           path. One may open his purse and shut his heart ; one


~ 554                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   R E A R E R

may open his house and kindle his hearthfires to com-        power of his own will and heart to open up that foun-
fort the shivering beggar he finds on his doorsteps,         tain and cause its waters to gush forth over his suffer-
while his soul remains as cold as an iceberg in the          ing neighbor. His heart is shut to God and His Christ,
polar region  ; one may feed the hungry while his own        but he opens his hand and gives and imagines that it
soul is famishing for want of merey . . . .                  is mercy, and that because of his show of mercy God
   Surely, the merciful will show mercy.                     must needs be merciful to him ; his soul was never
   But the outward show of mercy must be preceded hungry for the Bread of life but he opens the bread-
by, must be rooted in, must issue forth from the well-       basket and feeds the hungry and mistakes his action
spring of mercy in the heart; and this well-spring of        for true mercy, pleasing in the sight of God and for
mercy in the heart must be connected with the ever-          the which the Most High is obliged to be merciful to
lasting Fount of mercy in the heart of God !                 him. . . .
   To be merciful is a state of the heart, a constant            Oh, the foolishness !
disposition of love                                              For in the imagination of his heart he is merely a
                        for  the miserable, caused by the
living experience of the very mercy of God to us. . . .      well-spring of mercy, independent, self-sufficient, and
                                                             of mercy himself has no need !
   There is an everlasting stream of compassion,                 Never was he poor in spirit and hankering after
Eiaving its source in the love of God to His people,         the riches of grace.
rushing in abundant riches over Calvary's bloody hill,           Mourning in sackcloth and ashes because of his own
and pouring itself into the hearts of them that believe      misery, his sin and corruption and undoneness, he
in His name, loving and sympathizing, forgiving and          never knew, nor was he ever comforted by forgiving
healing and filling with the blessedness of the right- compassion.
eousness of God. . . .                                       * A stranger to meekness, that is rooted in true
   And  whoever has  been refreshed by that living humiliation before the Most High, he is, and never did
stream of mercy from the heart of God, in him the            he taste the power of Christ's humiliation for His
stream becomes a living fountain of mercy, springing people.
forth into everlasting life. . .                                 After righteousness he never hungered and
   And as it springs and gushes, it becomes deeper           thirsted, nor was he ever filled with the righteousness
and wider and always more receptive. . . .                   that is a gift of God to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.. .
   Mercy for mercy !                                             Yet, while his heart has thus always been shut to
                                                             the tender mercies of Jehovah, and the foul, stagnant
   Blessed are the merciful.                                 pool of his corrupt soul has never been cleansed by
   For they shall obtain mercy !                             the streams of God's grace, he is so full of pride as
   Oh, do not misunderstand the implication of this          to imagine that he obliges God, when of God's gold and
profound beatitude, as if our mercy were before the          silver he yields a penny to the poor; when out of
mercy of God.                                                God's breadbasket he drops a crumb to the hungry;
   The gushing waters of the crystal fountain are not        when he sticks his finger into God's water to cool the
before their source; the rushing stream does not pre- tongue of the thirsty.. . .
cede its headspring on the mountain ; and our merciful           And so he would read the Saviour's beatitude: our
disposition or practice of compassion does not precede       mercy is the cause of God"s  mercy, the deepest well-
the mercy of God.                                            spring of mercy is in us!
   If such were the implication of the Saviour's bless-          But while the foolish and ignorant  may  thus boast,
ing, who would have boldness, save the utterly ignor- who, that has his mind enlightened by the gracious
ant and blind, to appropriate this blessing for him- light of the Spirit, would thus exalt himself?
self? Who could even imagine that but a few drops                Desperate, indeed, were our case, if such were the
of this shower of blessing would sprinkle down upon          meaning of the Saviour in this fifth of His beatitudes !
his bowing head?                                             For by nature we are darkness and prone to evil. Our
   Indeed, the blind may be, nay, is so foolish. For hearts are  filled with the dark and foul sins of hatred
the natural man does not understand the things of. the and envy. For we are enemies of God and deadly ene-
Spirit of God. He cannot discern them, because they          mies of one another. The power of spiritual hostility
are spiritual. And not discerning them at all, he does       against the Most High and against our neighbor,
not see the darkness and corruption of his own mind          always iurking in the darkness of our sinful heart,
and heart, and will not acknowledge that he is by            may hide itself behind a show of humanitarianism and
nature an enemy of God and an enemy of his fellow.           fleshly love, but even this carnal impulse of human
He cannot see the kingdom of God and he does not sympathy is soon overpowered by the dominating
know the real character of the mercy in that kingdom.        spiritual power of hatred within us and the same hand
He is sufficiently foolish to imagine, that he is some- that fed thousands in simulated mercy, erects the
thing apart from God, that there is a well-spring of scaffolds and kindles fires at the stake to destroy the
love and mercy of his own heart, and that it is in the       righteous . . . .


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    555

    Oh, the hypocricy  of our sinful heart!                  ter of living experience for them.
    The same eye that sheds a quickly evaporating tear          And having the love of God poured out in their
of commiseration for the sufferer flashes flames of hearts, and having themselves tasted the unspeakable
fury at the neighbor that crosses our way; the same sweetness and riches of God's mercy, they are the
tongue, that bewailed the misery of the miserable, merciful.
speaks words more deadly than poison, slanders and              The stream of God's mercy flows through them and
backbites and glories in the shame of a brother; the becomes manifest in mutual compassion.
same hand that dropped a penny of God% dollar into              Blessed are the merciful.
the hand of the poor grabs the brother, that cannot             That are  f!lled with mercy. .
pay his debt, by the throat, demanding the last  farth-         With the mercy of God !            .
ing . . . .
     Thus we are.
     Thus I am; thus you are, whatever your name and            They shall obtain mercy!
station and show of compassion may be.                          Again, do `not mistake the* words.
     Neither lies it within our power to cleanse our            Do not expect, that.your mercy to others will evoke
heart. Education will not do it; good examples will the mercy of others to you. Such is not the intention
not s&ice; practice or formation of character is im- of the Lord's blessing. Such will not be your experi-
potent to change us. We are dead  .in sin and misery. ence in the midst of the world.
Our very nature is corrupt. Our very heart, whence              Nay, not the mercy of man, but the mercy of God,"
are all the issues of life, is wicked. You cannot train you will obtain, who are merciful.
the tiger into a lamb. You cannot sweeten the water             You will here experience that mercy only in the
of the well by painting the pumphandle. . . .                way of mercy. Shut up your heart to the brother and
     If the fire of God's mercy must be ignited by'ocr you will find your heart shut to the blessings of God's
mercy, the case with us is hopeless.                         mercy. Forgive not oneanother and the prayer for
                                                             your own forgiveness will be choked upon your lips.
     But, thanks be to God, who is rich in mercy!            But be ye kind to oneanother, tender-hearted, forgiv-
     For His love is always first. His mercy is from ing oneanother even as God for Christ's sake hath for-
everlasting to everlasting over them that ,fear Him. given you, and the mercy of God will enrich your heart
Thoughts of boundless mercy He had before the world and mind and life !
was. And in those thoughts eternal of fathomless love           And you will obtain mercy in the end !
He determined to lift us out of our misery into eternal         &fercy  `when the shadows of death creep over  "
glory, to forgive and to cleanse, to embrace us with you. . . .
arms of everlasting love. From these eternal thoughts           Mercy in the hour of judgment.. . .
of mercy issued the Christ, His Son in the likeness of          Mercy in Father's house.
sinful flesh, Who became poor that we might be rich.            Forever !
From the fountain of that eternal determination issued                                                    H. H.
the cross with all its agony of suffering, Himself in                                                     i
ever faithful love bearing our sins in His Body on the
tree, that we might obtain mercy and forgiveness in
His blood. By the power of that boundless mercy the                          GOD IS DRIEVULDIG
grave of our Redeemer opens and He issues forth, free
from bonds of death and hell, into glorious life eternal.       De ware Christgeloovige Kerk uit  ahe. eeuwen  be-
According to this abundant mercy the Father of our leed altijd, dat God in Wezen Ben, in Personen  drie is.
Lord Jesus Christ, He exalted Him into highest glory, Deze belijdenis kwam niet op mechamsche wijze tot
gave Him the Spirit and made Him to be the living stand en vond haar oossprong niet in +eed : kring van
Head of all His people. And still rushing from the schoolsche geleerdheid, waarin de poging' werd ge-
eternal mind of our merciful God the stream of His waagd om het bestaan Gods uit te drukken in een for-
compassion is carried by that Spirit of our Lord Jesus mule als vrucht van filosofisch nadenken. Ook werd
Christ into our hearts, causing us to be poor in spirit ze niet allereerst opgesteld door synode of concilie,  om
and to know our misery, making us mourn in sack- haar op te dringen aan het geloof der gemeente, zooals
cloth and ashes because of our spiritual poverty, caus- b.v. we1 het geval is geweest met de thans befaamde
ing us to abhor ourselves and to cast ourselves in Drie Punten. Zulks is een poging om de vrijheid der
shame and humiliation before the throne of grace, Nieuw-Testamentische Kerk te vertrappen en haar te
making us hungering and thirsting for the righteous- onderwerpen  aan de dwinglandij van  hierarchale
ness of God, thus cutting  a  bed through our very hearts machten. We1 is die poging meer dan eens gewaagd
that His abundant streams of everlasting mercy may in de geschiedenis der Kerk,  we1 gelukte ze ook telkens
m....                                                        en telkens weer en is de gedachte, dat de Kerk hare
     Objects of mercy they become.                           belijdenis onvangt  van boven af, daar de geestelijken
     The fathomless mercy of their God becomes a  mat- eigenlijk de Kerk zijn, zelfs belichaamd in heel het


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560                                      T H E   STAN,DARD   B E A R E R

             NIcODEMUS   WITH   CHRIST                       and higher truths would he unfold, what a glorious
                        (John  %I-21)                        kingdom would he usher in ! RestIess  and unsatisfied
                                                             with things as they were, all his Pharisaic strictness in
   Christ's first visit to Jerusalem, after His baptism,     the keeping of the law having failed to quiet his con-
appears to have been a brief one ; not longer, perhaps,      science, and give comfort to his heart, Nicodemus was
than that usually paid by those who went up to the           looking about and longing for further light. Perhaps
Passover. Besides the cleansing of the temple He             this stranger who has come to Jerusalem, may be able
wrought some miracles which are left unrecorded, but to help him. He may be poor and mean, a Galilean by
which we may believe were of the same kind as His            birth, without official rank or authority; but what of
subsequent ones, and these were generally miracles of that, if He be really what He seems, one clothed with
healing. Many believed on Him when they saw these a Divine commission ; what of that, if He can"quench
miracles performed ; believed on Him as a  wonder-           in any way this thirst of heart and soul which burns
worker, as a man who had the great power of God at           within? If he could be seen by Him alone, Jesus would
His command ; but their faith scarcely went further,         surely lay aside that reserve which he appeared to
involved in it little or no recognition of His true char-    maintain, and instruct him fully as to the mysteries
acter and office. Although they believed in Him, Jesus of the coming kingdom. But how could such a private
did not believe in them (for it is the same word which       interview be brought about? He might send for Him;
is used in the two cases).        Knowing what was in and sent for by one in his position, Jesus might not
them, as He knew what was in all men, undeceived by          refuse to come. But then it would be noised abroad
appearance or profession, He entered into no close or that he had been entertaining the Nazarene in his
friendly relations with them ; made no hasty or pre- dwelling. Or he might go to Him when He was teach-
mature discovery of Himself.                                 ing in public, but then it would be seen and known of
   But there was one man to whom He did commit all men that he had paid Him an open mark of respect.
himself on the occasion of this first and short residence He was not prepared to face either of these alterna-
in Jerusalem, to whom He did make such a discovery tives ; he was too timid, thought to much of what his
of himself, as we shall presently see He never made to       companions and friends and the general public of the
any other single person in the whole course of `His city might think or say. Yet he is to eager to throw
ministry. This was a man of the Ph'arisees,  one of the      the  chance away. He must see Jesus, and as his fears'
sect that became the most bitter persecutors of Christ; keep him from going to or sending for Him by day, he
a ruler, too, of the Jews, a man well educated, of good goes by night, breaks in upon His retirement, asks and
position and in high office ; a member of the Sanhedrin. obtains the audience.
He was one of the body that not long ago had sent the           There was something wrong, no doubt, in his choos-
deputation down to the Jordan `to inquire about the          ing such g time and way for the interview. It would
Baptist. He knew all about John's ministry, about his have been a manlier, a more heroic thing for him to
announcing that the kingdom of God was at hand, that have braved ail danger, and risen. above ail fear of
there was one coming after him who was to baptize            man. But whatever blame we may choose on this
not with water but with the Holy Ghost. He had been ground to attach to Nicodemus, let it not obscure our
wondering what this ministry of John could mean,             perception of his obvious honesty and, earnestness, his
when Jesus appeared in the city, cleansed the temple,        intense desire for further enlightenment, his willing-
wrought those miracles. He saw that among the class ness to receive instruction. He came by night, but he
to which he belonged, the appearance and acts of the         was the only one of his order who came at all. He
young Nazarene, who had assumed and exercised such came by night, but it was not to gratify an idle curi-
an authority within the courts of the temple, and when osity, but in the disquiet of a half-awakened conscience
challenged had given such an unsatisfactory reply, had       to seek for peace. Rabbi, he says, as soon as he finds'
excited nothing but distrust and antipathy, however,         himself in Christ's presence. He salutes Him with all
in which he did not, could not share. He could not           respect. The Rabbis of the temple would have scorned
concur with those who spake of Him as an ignorant            the claim of one so young in years, unknown in any of
rustic, a mere blind zealot, whom a fit of fanaticism their schools,  \vho had given no proof of his acquaint-
had driven to do what He did in the temple; still less       ance with their laws and their traditions,  - to be re-
could he agree with those who spake of Him as an garded as one of them. But the ruler, in all likelihood
imposter, a deceiver of the people. We do not know by many years Christ's senior, and one who on other
what words of Christ he heard, what acts of His he           grounds might have counted on being the saluted
witnessed ; but the impression had come upon him,            rather than the saiuter,  does not hesitate to address
whencesoever it came, that He was altogether different       Him thus: "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher
from what his fellow-rulers were disposed to believe. come from God: for no man can do these miracles that
Could this indeed be the man of whom John spake so           thou doest except God be with him." He shows at
much; could this indeed be the Christ, the Messiah for once his respect, his candor, his intelligence, and his
whom so many were longing? If it was, what  new faith. He does not doubt that those are real miracles


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R ` D   E E A R E R                                     561

which Jesus had been working ; he is ready to trace to enjoyment of Jewish privileges was by baptism, by
its true source the power employed in their accomplish- washing with water. John had adopted this rite, and
ment; he is prepared at once to acknowledge that the       by demanding that all Jews should be baptized with
worker of such miracles must be one sent and sancti- the baptism of repentance, as a preparation on their
fied by God. In saying so, he  know7s that he is saying part for the coming of the kingdom, he had in fact
more than perhaps any other man of his station in already proclaimed, that, as every heathen man became
Jerusalem would be ready to say. He thinks that he         as a new man on entering into the commonwealth of
says enough to win for himself a favorable reception.      Israel, so every Jewish man must become a new man
Yet, he is speaking far below the truth, much under        before entering `into that new kingdom which the
his own half-formed conceptions and beliefs. It is         Messiah was to introduce and establish. It was virtu-
but as a teacher, not as a prophet, much less the great ally to symbolize the importance and necessity of re-
prophet, that he addresses Jesus.                          pentance - that change of mind and heart which
   One might have expected that, having addressed          formed the burden of his preaching, as a qualification
him as such, he would go on to put the questions to        in all candidates for admission into the kingdom -
which he presumed that such a teacher could give re-       that John came baptizing with water. But he took
plies. But he pauses, perhaps imagining that, grati-       great pains to inform his hearers that, wCbile he bap-
fied by such a visit, pleased at being saluted thus by     tized with water, there was one coming imniediately,
one of the rulers, Jesus will salute him in return, and who was to baptize with the Holy Ghost. Was it
save him the trouble of inquiry by making some dis- likely, than, or we may even say, was it possible that,
closures of the new doctrine which as a teacher sent when Nicodemus now heard Jesus say, "Except a man
from God, He had come to teach ; or by telling him         be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
something more of the new kingdom which so many into the kingdom of God," he could fail to perceive the
were expecting to see set up. How surprised he must allusion to the water baptism of John and the Spirit
have been when so abruptly, yet so solemnly, without baptism of  the  Messiah?
exchange of salutation or word of preface, Jesus says,        In common with all his countrymen, Nicodemus
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born      had assumed that, be it what it might, come how or
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Such a when it might, the iMessianic Kingdom would be one
man as Nicodemus could scarcely have been so stupid within which their very birth as Jews would entitle
as to believe that, in speaking of being born again,       them to be ranked. The popular delusion John had
Jesus meant a second birth of the body. He is so dis-      already, by his baptism and his teaching, done some-
concerned, however, disappointed, perplexed, besides thing to rectify. The full truth it was reserved for
being perhaps a little irretated, by both the manner Jesus to proclaim, and He. does it now to Nicodemus.
and the substance of the grave, emphatic utterance  -      This master in Israel had come to Jesus to be taught;
one which, however general in its terms, was obviously let him know then that it is not a new doctrine, but a
spoken with direct and personal reference  - that, in new life  .which Jesus had come to proclaim and to im-
his confusion, he seizes upon the expression as the        part. It is not by knowing so much, or believing in
only one that had as yet conveyed any definite idea to     such truths, or practising such duties that a man is
his mind. As affording him some ground of exception, to qualify himself for becoming a subject of the spir-
some material for reply, and taking it in its literal      itual kingdom of Jesus Christ. First of all, as a neces-
sense, he says: ""How can a man be born again when sary preliminary, he must be  .born  again ; born of the
he is old, old as I am? Can he enter the second time Spirit, have spiritual life imparted, before he can see
into his mother's womb, and be born?" The wise and so as to apprehend its real nature, before he can enter
gentle Teacher in whose hands he now is, takes no          so as to partake of its true privileges, the kingdom of
notice of the folly or petulance of the remark. He God. This kingdom is not an outward or a national
repeats what He had said, modifying, however, His one. It is a kingdom exclusively of the new-born -
expression, so that N&odemus  could not fail to see of of those who have been begotten of the Spirit - of
what kind of second birth it was that He was speak- t.hose who have been born again, not of blood, nor of
ing, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. For that
born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into      which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
the kingdom of God."                                       born of the Spirit is spirit.
   Had Nicodemus  anly had time at first to collect his       A mystic thing it looks to Nicodemus, this second
thoughts, he would have remembered that it was no          birth,  - this birth of the Spirit; secret, invisible, im-
new term, framed now for the first time, that Jesus        palpable  ; its origin and issues hidden, remote. Marvel
had been employing in speaking of a second birth ; it      not, says Jesus, at its mysteriousness. The night is
being a proverbial expression with his countrymen quiet around you, not a sound of bending branch or
with reference to those who became proselytes to the rustling leaf comes from the neighboring wood, but
Jewish faith, and were admitted as such into the now the air is stirred as by an invisible hand ; the sigh
Jewish community, that they were as men new-born. of the night-breeze comes through the bending
The outward mode of admitting such proselytes to the       branches and rustling leaves ; you hear the sound;

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

but who  can, take you to that breeze's birthplace, and - in redeeming. The one is but an earthly operation;
show  you where and how it was begotten; who can              a work  performed within men's soul ; but the other,
carry you to its palce of sepulchre, and show you             how high have you to rise to  .trace  to its source ; how
where and how it died? Not that the wind  - the air           far to go to follow it to its issues? "If  I have told
in motion,  - is a wit more willful  or  capricious, or you these earthy things, and ye believe not, how shall
less obedient to tied laws than any other elements, or        ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things.
is chosen upon that account to represent the operations          "And yet who can speak of these heavenly things
of God's Spirit on the souls of men. All its move-            as I do? You take me, Nicodemus, to be a teacher
ments are fixed and orderly ; but as the movements of         sent from God, perhaps you might even acknowledge
an invisible agent, they elude our observation; nor if        me as a prophet; but know me that I am no other than
you sought for a material emblem of the hiddenness            He, the Son of God, the Son of man, coming down from
with which the Holy Spirit works, could you find in heaven, ascending to heaven, but leaving not heaven
the whole creation one more apt than that which Jesus         behind me in my descent, bringing it along with me;
used, when He said to Nicodemus, "The wind bloweth            while here on earth, being still in heaven. `No man,
.where  it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof,       I say unto thee, bath  ascended up to heaven, but He
but canst not tell whence it cometh  or whither it goeth :    that came down from heaven, even the Son of man
so is every one that is born of the Spirit."                  which is in heaven.' "
   Already a dim apprehension of that for which he               And having thus proclaimed the ground and. cer-
was being apprehended of Christ has begun to dawn             tainty of His knowledge of all the earthly and all the
upon Nicodemus. He receives the truth as affirmed             heavenly things pertaining to the kingdom, Jesus goes
by J&us as to the necessity of the new birth. He be- on to preach His own Gospel .beforehand  to Nicodemus,
gins even to understand something as to its nature. taking the lifting up of the serpent in the wilderness,
Yet a haze still hangs over it. He wonders and he             as the type to illustrate His own approaching lifting
doubts, - giving expression to his  feebngs  in the           up on the cross, declaring this to be the great and
question, "How can these things be?"                          gracious design of His death, that whosoever believeth
   If Christ's answer may be taken as the best inter- in Him might not perish but have eternal life: "For
pretation of this question, Nicodemus was  *now               God so loved the world, that He gave his only begot-
troubling himself not so much either with the nature          ten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not
or the necessity of the new birth, as with the manner perish, but have everlasting life."
of its accomplishment; the kind of instrumentality by            We will not attempt to enforce the great truths
which so great an inward change was to be effected ;          about the one and only manner of entering into
for, read  aright, our Lord's reply is not only a descrip- Christ's spiritual kingdom; about the universal need
tion of that instrumentality, but an actual employment of the Spirit-birth in order to make this entrance ;
of it. First, however, a gentle rebuke must be given:         about His own character and office ; the manner and
Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these            objects of His death; the faith which, trusting to Him,
things? Hast thou forgotten all that is written in the brings with it everlasting life ; the moral guilt that
book of the law and in the prophets, about the coming lies in the act of rejecting Him as Redeemer; the true
of those days in which the Lord will pour out His             character of that temper of mind and heart which
Spirit upon all flesh ; about the new covenant that the prompts to faith on the one side, and to unbelief of
Lord will then enter into with His people, one of those the other, which are all brought out in the discourse
two great provisions was to be this: "I will give them        of our Lord to Nicodemus. But it does fall within
a heart, a;d 1 will put a new Spirit within you ; and I our present design that I ask you to reflect a moment
will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will        or two, - first, upon the time at which this discourse
give them a heart of flesh?" (Ezek.  11:19). What had         was delivered ; and next, as to its effect upon Him  to
so often and so long beforehand been thus spoken of           whom it was addressed.
was now about to be executed. The Spirit of God was              It was delivered weeks or months before the Ser-
waiting to do His gracious work, in begetting many            mon on the Mount, or any other of Christ's public ad-
sons and daughters to the Lord. Let Nicodemus be              dresses to the people. Standing in time the first, it
assured of this, on the testimony of one whose knowl- stands in character alone. You search in vain through
edge of the spirit-world was immediate and complete.          all the subsequent discourses of our Lord for any such
He had spoken very confidently of his knowledge of clear comprehensive developments of the Christian
Jesus. We know he had said, Thou art a teacher sent saivation; of its source in the love of the Father; its
from God. Let him listennow to words of equal con-            channel in the death of His only begotten Son ; and of
fidence, which no mere human teacher, though he were          the great agent by whom it is appropriated and ap-
even sent by God, could well, upon such a subject, have plied. You search in vain for any other instance in
employed : "Verily, verily, I say unto thee; we speak
that we do know, and testify that we have seen ; and which the three persons of the Trinity were spoken of
ye receive not our witness." This work of the Spirit          by our Lord consecutively and conjunctly; to each be-
in regenerating is connected with another  - my own ing assigned his proper part in the economy of our


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        563

redemption. It may even be doubted whether in the             ful to Him the office of His hand in sowing it.
whole range of the apostolic epistles there be a pass-           He knew indeed that the  seed,  then sown was long
age of equal length in which the manner of our salva-         to be dormant. For three years there was no token
tion through Christ is as fully and distinctly described. of its germination. Nicodemus never sought a second
   Delivered thus at the very beginning of our Lord's interview with Jesus, but kept studiously aloof. Once,
ministry, it utters a loud and unambiguous protest indeed, and it is the only sight throughout three years
against the error of those who would have us to be-           that we get of him, he ventured to say a word in the
lieve that there was a decided and essential difference       council against a hasty arrest and condemnation of
between the earlier and later teachings of our Saviour  ;     Jesus, but he met with such a sharp rebuff that he
between the doctrine taught by Christ, and that taught never opened his iips again. The memorable words,
afterward by His apostles. It is quite true that until however, of the midnight meeting at Jerusalem had
within a few months of the final decease accomplished not been forgotten. There was much in them that he
at Jerusalem, our Lord studiously avoided all refer- could not understand. Who was He who had spoken
ence to His death. It is quite true, that, in not a single of himself as the Son of man, the Son of God, of His
instance  - not even where one would most naturally ascending and descending to and from heaven ; of be-
have expected it  - in the prayer that He taught His          ing in heaven even when He stood there on earth? He
disciples,  - is there an allusion by Jesus to that death,    had spoken of His being .lifted  up, that men might be-
as supplying the ground of our forgiveness. But that lieve in Him, and, believing, might not perish, but
this marked, silence is misinterpreted, when it is in- have everlasting life. What could that lifting up of
ferred that He did not assign to it that place and im- Jesus be, and how upon it could there hang such
portance given to it afterwards, we have here, in this issues? Much to perplex here, yet much to stimulate ;
discourse to Nicodemus, the most convincing proof.            for that life, that eternal life, of which Christ had
Let those who delight to dwell on the pure morality of spoken, was the very life that above all things he was
the Sermon of the Mount, and to contrast it with the          longing to possess and realize. In this troubled state
doctrinal theology of the apostles, declaring their pref-     of mind and heart, with what an anxious eye would
erence for the teaching of the Master above that of Nicodemus watch the after-current of our Lord's his-
His disciples, but ponder well this first of our Lord's       tory  I For a year and a half He had disappeared from
discourses, and they will see that instead of any con- Judea ; was heard of only as saying and doing wonders
flict there is a perfect harmony.                             down in Galilee. Then came the final visit to the cap-
   But if He never afterwards unfolded His Gospel so ital, the great commotion in the temple, the raising of
plainly or so fully, why did He do so now; why reveal Lazarus, the seizure, the trial, the condemnation. Was
so much to Nicodemus that he appears to have with-            Nicodemus present with the rest of that council of
held from the multitude? Am I wrong in regarding which he was a member on the morning of the cruci-
this as due in part to the very circumstance that this fixion? If he was, he musf have ingloriously have kept
was a nocternal and a solitary interview with  Nicode-        silence, `for the vote was unanimous. I would rather
mus? No one but this ruler of the Jews may have               believe from what happened on the after part of that
heard these words that Jesus spake that night, and            day, that he was not present, did not obey the hasty
he would be the last man to go and repeat them to             summons. With him or without him, the verdict is
others. There is good reason to believe that the Gospel given.        The license to crucify is extorted from the
of St. John was written and published some years after vacillating governor ; the cross is raised.
those of the other Evangelists. It is in the Gospel of           At  last,. the words that three years before had
St. John alone that the interview with Nicodemus is           sounded in the ruler's listening ear, and which had
recorded. The other Evangelists appear to have been since been frequently recalled, the mystery of their
ignorant of it. How the beloved disciple came to this meaning unrevealed, are verified and explained. The
knowledge of it, it is not necessary for us to inquire.       cross is raised; Jesus is lifted up.     The darkened
He may have received it from the lips of Nicodemus            heavens, the reeling earth, the prayer for His cruci-
himself. Enough for us to know that it was not cur-           fiers, the promise to the penitent who dies beside
rently reported in the Church till St. John gave it cir-      Him, the voice of triumph at the close, proclaim the
culation. At any rate we may be sure that it remained         death of that only begotten Son of God, whom He had
unknown ail through the period of our Lord's own given to be the Saviour of the world. The scales drop
life. It was not, then, in violation of the rule that He off from the eyes they so long had covered. Fear goes
acted on afterwards that He spoke now so plainly and          out, and faith comes into Nicodemus' breast, a faith
fully as He did to Nicodemus. It was a rare oppor- that plants him by Joseph's side in the garden, and
tunity, one that never perhaps returned, to have before unites their hands in the rendering of the last services
him one so qualified by capacity,  by acquirement, by to the body. which they buried in the new sepulchre.
honesty, by earnestness, to receive the truth ; and the          What `a flood of light %ell then on. the hitherto mys-
very manner in which the Saviour hastened to reveal terious words of the crucified: what a rich treasure of
it, is to us the proof that He saw good soil here into        comfort would the meditation of them unfold all his
which to cast the seed, and the proof, too, how  grate-       life long afterwards to Nicodemus; and what an honor

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

to him that he was chosen as the man to whom were                                  ONZE  ROEPING  EN  TAAK
first addressed those words which have comforted so
many since : "God so loved the world, that He gave                     Voor een kind van God, met name voor een Gere-
His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in                  formeerd kind van God, die heeft  leeren verstaan, dat
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."                  hij in heel zijn wandel uit het beginsel van het leven
                                                    G. M. 0.        der wedergeboorte moet wandelen, is al zijn handel en
                                                                    wandel, is heel het leven in al zijn rijkdom van scha-
                                                                    keeringen, eene  roeping Gods. En uit die  roeping
                           OMHOOG!                                  Gods volgt dan de taak, die hij in het leven heeft te
                                                                    verrichten. Hij arbeidt omdat hij  geroepep  is. Zijn
             Moede pelgrim `t oog naar boven                        taak is ook eene roeping. Wat hij doet, doet hij om
                Als het gaat woestijnen door,                       Gods wil, doet hij als voor het aangezicht Gods, doet
             Door de hitte neergebogen                              hij als vriend Gods, doet hij als een geroepene.
                `t Oog omhoog, Hij ging u voor.                            We1 zijn er bijzondere ambten en daarom ook bij-
                                                                    zondere roepingen. Wie  als ambtsdrager in Gods
             Jezus, Heiland onzer zielen,                           Kerke wil arbeiden, moet daartoe in bijzonderen zin
                Rust-aanbrenger voor Zijn kind,                     des woords geroepen  worden  van Christus' wege en
             Alle knie zal voor Hem knielen                         behoort van die  roeping  ook overtuigd te zijn in eigen
                Vijand eens zoowel als vrind.                       hart.Maar dat verandert het feit niet, dat elk kind van
              Daarom dan het oog naar boven                         God  we1 zeer degelijk altijd arbeidt, altijd optreedt
                Hoe ook neergedrukt door smart,                     als een geroepene Gods.
              Laat, ja laat  ens Hem dan loven,                            Vader en moeder in hun gezin, zoowel  als het kind
                Vredevorst ook voor ons hart.                       tegenover zijn ouders vervullen eene roeping.
                                                                           De vrouw in hare woning, in hare huiselijke  bezig-
              Door Zijn ,,Geest  wil Hij ons sterken.               heid ; de man op het kantoor of in de fabriek of op het
                `t Kind dat het verwacht van Hem,                   land; de onderwijzer voor zijn klas en de geneesheer
              Zal Hij steeds meer doen bemerken ;                   tegenover zijn patienten; welke  taak.iemand  ook moge
                Hij wil hooren onze stem.                           hebben te verrichten, hij is daartoe, ook tot die be-
                                                                    paalde taak, van zijn God geroepen, en is daarin, als
              Hoe de druk der pelgrimsreize,                        kind van God, om Gods wil bezig.
                Spoed benemend  soms voor `t oog,                          Heel het leven, dat door de zonde verdorven en
              Voeden zal Hij ons met spijze,                        ontheiligd is, wordt door genade geheiligd.
                Als de reis ons zwaar dan woog.                       . Wij zijn geen Anabaptisten.
                                                                           Geen scheiding van natuur en genade willen we.
              Dan verkwikt door Hem in `t strijden,                        Ook in geen tijdelijke en gedeeltelijke heiliging
                Zelfs nag met een traan in `t oog,                  van geheel de wereld door gemeene genade gelooven
              Zullen  wij trotsch al ons lijden,                    we.
                Richten onzen blik omhoog.                                 Maar in de genade van onzen Heere Jezus Chris-
                                                                    tus, die door haar wondere kracht eene natuur, dood
              Wetend dat ons aardsche tochten,                      in zonden en misdaden en Iiggende onder den vloek,
                Kronkelend zijn, Hij wijst den weg.                 wederbaart, begiftigt met een nieuw  leven, door de
              Jubel dan, gij vrijgekochten,                         opstanding van Jezus Christus uit de dooden en die
                Daarom allen  dan zoo zeg:                          ons nu  overal   wil  doen leven als  kinderen  des  lichts
                                                                    temidden van eene wereld, die in het booze ligt, is ons
              Hij zal verder ons geleiden,                          vertrouwen.
                Door het dorrend land zoo droog,                           De kinderen  Gods zijn geroepene heiligen. Uit de
              Eenmaal al Zijn volk verblijden,                    _ duisternis zijn ze geroepen tot Gods wonderbaar  licht.
                Als zij landen daar omhoog !                               Dat is hun roeping.
                                                    - K .   v.             En uit die  roeping volgt hun taak. Die taak is,
5                                                                   dat ze nu ook in dat licht zullen  wandelen, dat ze het
                          -~                                        leven Gods zullen openbaren, dat ze zullen  verkondi-
                                                                    gen de deugden Desgenen, Die hen aldus geroepen
     Een wachtkamer noem ik de wereld beneen                        heeft,  Zijn lof zullen verkondigen. Dat ze dit tijdelijk
     Wij wachten, en zien naar de wijzerplaat heen,                 in deze wereld  zullen  doen  en dat  wel' op antithetische
     Wij wachten, tot eind'lijk de vliegende trein                  wijze, veroordeelende en geestelijk  overwinnende de
     Ons nadert  J wij wachten op `t fluitende sein.                machten  der duisternis, de goddelooze wereld ; en dat
     Wij wachten, bezitter van hut of paleis,                       ze straks  zullen  ingaan in de volkomene overwinning,
     Bevreesd, of - verlangend, naar `t eind van de reis            nadat ze een korte wijle ook door genade in de zaak


                                              THE  STANDA-RD  B E A R E R                                                    571`

     REV.  HESSEL  BQUMA AND THE IMPRECATORY                             Though repulsive to him, the writer, nevertheless,
                               PSALMS                                cannot do otherwise but vindicate their induction into
                                                                     Scripture. He does so in a manner, at best, but  fairIy
          one  of the Rubrics of THE BANNER bears the                satisfactory. Says he  : "Dr. A. Kuyper says of these
     title  C1)UR  BIBLE.  At present it is being attended to        vloekpsalmen,   imprecatory psalms, that a Christian can
     by Rev. Bouma. In THE BANNER of April 13,  lY28,                read them and understand them and enter into the feel-
     he placed an article of some importance as an indicator ing of the author only in moments of intense spirituahy.
     of the time of the day in the Christian Reformed Church. When we can feel something of the immeasurable love
          The reverend writes: "There is one more problem of God, we feel also something of the power of his
     in connection with the book of Psalms that  is  hard to         wrath that burns against sin." Not a statement excelling
     understand, but should not be omitted.            That is the in intelligibleness.       The writer continues as follows:
     problem of the imprecatory Psalms, where the author "We must be careful not to take these parts out of their
     calls for God's wrath upon his enemies. I will quote setting and judge them independently.  I have quoted
     some of the outstanding passages, that- it- may.  be clear s0m:her-e-because-  a.critic-of  God's word- usually -does
     what we have in mind,                                           the same thing, and it is well for us to feel for a moment
          "Ps.  525, 6: `God will destroy thee forever; He will      the horror of these words in order that we may try to
     take thee up and pluck thee out of thy tent, and root thee see the true meaning of them. Do not take them inde-
     out of the land of the living. The righteous also shall         pendently, for this is unfair, and actually gives a wrong
     see it and fear, and shall laugh at him . . . . .'              impression.       Permit me to use an illustration. The
          "Ps.  69:22-28:  `Let their table become a snare before    human eye is one of the most beautiful parts of the body.
     them; and when they are in peace, let it become a trap.         It is called the mirror of the soul. But this is true only
.         "`Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot          when the eye is in its place. When you remove it from
     see; and make their loins continually to shake.                 its socket and see it lying on the table that same eye is
          "`Pour out thy indignation upon them, and let the          horrible to behold, and the empty socket deforms the
     fierceness of thine anger overtake them ;                       whole face.
          " `Let their habitation be desolate; let none dwell in        "Therefore, first a word about the  historicai  setting.
     their tents.                                                    Ps. 52 has reference to Doeg, the Edomite, a herdsman
          " `For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten;          of Saul, who kilIed  eighty-five unarmed, helpless priests
     and they tell of the sorrow of those whom thou hast             when he knew that they were wholly innocent of the
     wounded.                                                        charge brought against them, and when not even the
         "`Add iniquity unto their iniquity; and let them not soldiers dared to raise their hand against these servants
     come into thy righteousness.                                    of God. And he carried on his cruel work when he went
         " `Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not to the city of these priests and  kilIed  every woman and
     be written with the righteous.'                                 child.       When you try `to visualize this slaughter your
         "Ps.  109:6-13:  `Set thou a wicked man over  mm,           soul must be stirred to righteous indignation. The sense
     and let an adversary stand at his right. hand.                  of justice is outraged and demands some visitation of
         " `When he is judged, let him come forth guilty; and        this evil. The purpose is not to exclude this man from
                                                                         .  `.
     let his prayer be turned into sin.                              recervmg  mercy, but that the righteous shall see and
         " `Let his days be few ; and  let another  ,take his fear . . . . Whom? God. `And shall laugh at him.' It
     off ice.                                                        is not the laughter of enjoyment in the punishment of
         " `Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a           the wicked, but that of the man who fears God and now
     widow.'                                               3  I      sees that the wicked man, who acted as if he was inde-
         "Ps.  137:8, 9: `0 daughter of Babylon, that art to         pendent and could carry out his wicked schemes without
     be destroyed, happy shall he be that awardeth thee as           any interruption, is brought to the bar of God. +
     thou hast served us.                                               "Ps. 137 has reference to the people of Babylon dur-
         "`Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy             ing the time of the Babylonian captivity. Israel is God's
     little ones against the rock."'                                 people, and Babylon is the power trying to destroy it.
         Hereupon the reverend describes his reactions in-           In  IsraeI God is mocked when these Babylonians say:
     forming his readers of his dislike for the sentiments           `Sing us some of the songs of Zion." They indicate
     which the prophet, under the prompting of the Spirit is         that Zion belonged to the past. Zion represents the
     made to express. Says He: "To be frank, I do not like service of Jehovah, and this is destroyed by Babylon.
     to read these verses, and would not read them in family The Psalmist declares that God shall conquer and that
     worship when children are present. It causes a  feelmg          the forces of evil shall be destroyed.
     of horror to pass over my soul.        It seems that these         "That he uses those shocking words concerning the
     thoughts are contrary to the spirit of Christianity, and        little children being dashed against the rocks iinds its
     should not be found in Scripture. How can we under- explanation in the conception of punishment of that
     stand these portions  as  being inspired and in harmony period. In the Old Testament period the matter of re-
     with the general tenor of  Scripture?"                          ward for good deeds and punishmenr for evil deeds was


592                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                -W.-

to a large extent considered as belonging to this life.          sight of blood. Pilate was not without a sense of justice.
Possession of health, long life etc. were the signs of No one is. Many a godless man clamored for the exe-
God's approval. Poverty, sickness, death etc. were con- cution of Leopold and Loeb. The mob is ready to hang
sidered punishment for some particular evil or `sin a man        the negro having attacked a maid. And who will not
had committed . . . . .                                          sympathize with the underdog? According to Scripture
       "Pss.  69 and 109 are Messianic Psalms. And what          the spiritual man is one who loves God. Crime agitates
David says in this connection is not any worse than such a one because it is sin committed against God.
what Christ  said of Judas, that it were better if he had           The Reverend says that only in moments of intense
never been born. When we think of our Christ, of his             spirituality can these psalms be read with profit,. im-
life and his infinite mercy shown toward Israel, try to          plying that these moments are rare. Yet further on in
picture before our eyes his many deeds of love, we can-          his article he informs his readers that one is spon-
not help but become indignant at the Jews that rewarded taneously spiritual all the time. Says he: "When we
with hatred and nailed him to the cross. This is true            think of Chrisr . . . . we cannot help but become indignant
in every case when we hear of some great evil. There is          at the Jews that rewarded him with hatred and nailed
a spontaneous burst of anger toward the doer of the              him to the cross. This is true in every case when we
wrong.  That,is the proper attitude. Wrong should not hear of some great evil." Fact is, then, that we are always
be condoned.                                                     intensely spiritual.     But when Bouma happens upon
       "Another element thaf enters into the consideration these psalms in Scripture he suddenly becomes unspir-
is compassion toward the injured party; when weakness            itual. He can't read them in  family worship.
is crushed to the dust, when innocence is betrayed or               These psalms, once more, can only be read in moments
violated, we desire to protect the helpless and demand           of intense spirituality. Let me say that it requires no
j usrice.                                                        more grace to read these psalms with profit than it
       "This does not necessarily imply a feeling of malice      does to read let us say Rom. 5 and 8.
toward the one who inflicted the wrong. Your heart                  He, Bouma, reads these psalms only when intensely
rnay be touched with compassion for him when he re-              spiritual. Hence, his subjective state determines what
ceives his just reward, and that in spite of this you would      of Scripture he reads. This custom is as hurtful as the
help if necessary in the inflicting of this reward for evil.     custom to pray only when the desire is there. So, too, the
       "To consider this matter in this light we must have       sick man refused to eat because he was not hungry. The
a strong sense of justice and a great desire that God's          result was: he died.
will may be carried out. To avoid all feeling of malice,            In his reply to B. J. De  Haan,  the reverend asserts:
especially when we ourselves are involved, seems to be           "These few statements prove that although Scripture
beyond human possibility ; and yet we believe that a             is inspired, this, naturally, does not imply that it is
child of God can approach this.  .And in this light we           helpful for everyone <vho reads it. You can give spiritual
must understand rhese particular Psalms. To this Dr. food to some who cannot digest it, and it becomes detri-
Ruyper referred when he said that only in moments of             mental."    Is he (Bouma) not in agreement with the
intense spirituality can we enter into the spirit of it.,'       stand taken by his Church that the Gospel is a blessing
       In offering our comment we set out with the asser-        to all those hearing it?
tion that most any Modernist would be quite ready to                Finally, Bouma defends these Psalms, though he
subscribe  tb most of the contents of the above produc- does not like them. He, defending a truth having no
tion. To begin with, the writer failed to appraise cor- place in his heart, is one smitten with the malady known
rectly the frame of mind of the  authors  of the psalms          as Dead Orthodoxy..
from which he quoted. David is said "to be calling for                                                            G. M, 0.
God's wrath upon his (David's) enemies." He did so,
however, because the wicked for whose destruction he
prays are the antagonists of God. Those hating God,                           MEADOWS  AND MARSHES
he hates. His own enemies he loves. An ardent love
for God then prompted these prophets to speak as they                                    "Meadows may be occasionally flooded,
did.                                                                                but  the marshes  ,are drowned by  the  tide
       Further, according to Bouma, the intensely spiritual                         at every return thereof."-Th. M.
man is greatly agitated by a gory spectacle ; one becom-            There is all this  difi@ence  between the sins of the
ing indignant when visualizing the slaughter of innocent righteous and those of  th  urigodly.
priests, women and children; one with a sense of justice,           Surprised by temptation, true saints are flooded with
sympathizing with the underdog, rejoicing when the a passing outburst of sin; but the wicked delight in
culprit is apprehended and made to atone for his crime, transgression and live in it as in their element. The
and experiencing a spontaneous outburst  of anger saint in his errors is a star under a cloud, but the sinner
against the doer of evil. However, these mental states           is darkness itself. The gracious may fall into iniquity,
and attitudes do not  necessarily  render  a  man  spiritual.    but the graceless run into it,  xvallow in it, and again and
It  is  said of  Xero that when  a  chiId he fainted at the      again return to ir.                    C. H. Spurgeon.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D  BEARER                                                                    573

       ARMINIUS   AND  H I S   ARMINIANPSM                   marus  was angry. Soon after this Arminius became ill
                                                             and retired to &dew-ater  to recuperate. He soon became
                       (Continued)                           quite well. The States of Holland called a second con-
   In  :\priI,   1608, Wtenbogaert asked for a Synod to      ference at the Hague. This took place in  -4ugust. The
settle the difficulties. The States of Holland agreed to     debating was participated in by  -4rminius,  with four of
an appeal of  -4rminius  that he and Gomarus debate be-      his adherents, and by Gomarus, with four adherents.
fore the Supreme Court in the Hague. Representatives         The discussion continued for a time. Arminius again
of the South Holland Synod asked that instead of a con- became ill. He was consumptive - he had overworked.
ference under court supervision, a conference should be      He died Oct. 9, 1609, at Leyden. He left a wife, seven
held under the supervision of a Provincial Synod be- sons and two daughters. Thus died the man who had
cause it was a religious question which was at issue. lived a very troublous life.
This plea was denied. Gomarus refused to debate under            You ask: If Arminius never submitted his ideas in
court supervision because he was a "kerkelijk persoon."      public writings, how did they spread? I answer that
He was afraid that by agreeing to this conference he Arminius spread them in an indirect fashion in his class
would do an injustice and harm to church polity and work. Resides, he held  .private  lessons,  privata   collegia,
thus restrict the freedom of the church still more.  Go-     for interested students.              These students never spoke
marus,  however,. finally agreed to the conference.. The their mind when examined by the classes. The trouble
court asked Arminius to submit his opinions in regard was behind the fence and therefore hard to get at.
to the Confession and Catechism in writing. Arminius             Since Arminius submitted very little to paper, it is
refused!  - Was he not the one accused?(  !)     Gomarus hard to determine his doctrines from his writings. He
submitted his opinions, when asked, on the doctrine of died prematurely and his ideas were  .not as yet com-
salvation. -4rminius  agreed to submit his opinions when pletely worked out.                 In general, it may be said that
so ordered by the States of Holland. The court re- he denied  unco?ditiond  predestination. He thought that
ported this to the States, adding that there was no differ- by saying that God elected some to eternal bliss in Christ,
ence between Arminius and Gomarus in regard to funda- and condemned the rest to eternal damnation without
mentals, and therefore they should tolerate one another. any ground for so doing to be found in man, i. e. fore-
When this report was read at the  Ct'JnferenCe,   Gomarus seen faith, was to make God the author of evil. It surely
asked for the floor. He disagreed with the report. He iS true that God is the cause of sin, still. he is not the
said that the differences were such that he (Gomarus)        author. Moreover, it must be maintained that God out
would not dare appear before God with them.          They of his sovereign good  pIeasure  decided to save his own
were not in regard to non-essentials.     Now  -4rminius     in Christ regardless of any objective goodness to be
was ready to speak. On Oct. 30, 1608, the States Gen- found in man. God did not elect man on the basis of a
eral had ordered Arminius to submit his ideas. He gave       foreseen faith, that is putting the wagon before the
his objections. They were in regard to predestination,       horse.        Faith is a result of this election and not a
free-will? grace, the Confession, etc. . . . He did not ground. Arminius thought that unconditional election
desire trouble. No, he would rather resign. On Dec. d,id an injustice to man's free will. He forgot that man's
13 Gomarus answered. He called Arminius a Pelagian, will is creaturely free and not sovereignly free.                                   God
called his ideas Jesuitic, and was angry because Arminius alone is sovereignly free. Whatever man wills to do is
had appealed to the state courts instead of to the church merely a result of what God wills man to do. As pre-
court. "Heftig toornde hij tegen Arminius'  onbetrouw- viously said in this essay, I believe that Arminianism is
baarheid, die den  Paus nu voor den Antichrist scheldt, an innate characteristic of man. When man fell into
hem dan weer een lid en ware zoon  der Kerk noemt ; nu       sin, all his faculties went contrary to God, he became
de Kerkleer veroordeelt en haar dan weer  -  als"hij         incapable of any good, he considered his own will su-
onraad  speurt  - voorspreekt. Ook is `t Gomarus een preme. Even as Christians, it is so hard for us to believe
grieve, dat Armijn het Kerkelijk  gezag  afbreekt  door and to act according to Phil.  2:13 : "For it is  Crod which
zich altoos tot de Staten te begeven  en hun gezag oak in    worketh in you both to will and to do, of  His  good
bet  zuiver-Kerkelijke  uit te  roepen."r)  Gomarus ended pleasure." Arminius tended toward a religion of ethics,
his speech pleading for a National Synod.                    probably as a result of his Ramean philosophy, as quoted
                                                             from  Religion  and  Ethics  encyclopedia,  "in fact, Armin-
   In 1609 - there was a truce with Spain - the church ianism was at bottom an attempt to formulate a protest
struggle became more intense.      All ministers of any
importance wrote either for or against  arminius and against Calvinism from an ethical  standpoint."l) Yes,
Arminianism. The various classes deposed some Armin- as Reformed, we believe in unconditional predestination,
ian ministers. In Juiy, Arminius held  a "Dispuut" but do we act accordingly by preaching it as the heart
about man's calling to salvation in which he denied of Reformed doctrine? Can we say that we believe
irresistible grace, with the limitation that God gives something unless we act accordingly? Every sinner as
strength to man to do that to which he calls him.  Go-
                                                             1) Hastings, J.: ElrcycIopcdia   of  R&ion  a n d   E t h i c s ,  `iAminianism,"
                                                             nage  809.


                  ~~~  _.   .-
---17
_c

5 7 4                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 long as he wishes to esplain  God's actions from his own,           Thirdly, the Remonstrantie was  written by his scholarly
 is pulling God from His throne and putting himself in               friends who had been in close contact with  -%rminius
  God's place. God decrees solely out of His good pleasure and so could know his ideas. You will grant, undoubt-
 and never with a view to something which is objective               edly, that  21rminius'  theological views are contained in
 to Himself. To Him be honor and glory forever! Yes, this Confession. Besides, you will grant that  ir  contains
 predestination is a hard doctrine for every sinner dead in          only the essentials. I feel that  by only reviewing and
 his sins and miseries. Still we may never think  of pre- criticizing his views as found in this Confession I am
  destination being accomplished contrary to man's  will:            doing ,\rminius  too much justice because his ideas surely
 but so that it is worked out through man's will. God                were more radical than this, but I can not be expected
 uses the proper means to reach His end, the salvation of            to give a complete review and criticism of his views.
 the elect in Christ. With Rom.  9:19 I say, "Therefore              Shall we review, and criticize the views of Arminius as
 hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom                  we go along?
  he will he hardeneth." and at the same time with Rev.                  Note carefully that the language used' in the Remon-
 22:12b,  "and my reward is with me, to give every man rtrantie  is veiled and so the articles sound very Reformed
  according as his work shall be." These two are both true upon first sight. The latter is more true for us of this age
 and must consequently both be given their place in the because we are drifting further and further from the true
 bringing of the gospel. Still we cannot harmonize man's             Reformed conceptions. In the two respects mentioned
 responsibility and God's sovereignty ; Arminius at- these five articles remind me much of the "Three Points"
  tempted to do this but lost God's independence in the              of 1924.        But to come to the point, let us consider,
  attempt, at least he limited God's sovereignty,           It is briefly, each article to see what Armin&  did believe and
  better to lose man than to lose God. We must lose                  did not believe. Thus doing, we may obtain a conception
 neither, however  - both are true. They are not even of what Arminius taught, and the importance of his
  contradictory but my finite mind cannot comprehend                 ideas.
  their relationship. Both are revealed, both must be                    Art. I says: "Wij,  gelooven, dat God door een eeuwig
 preached. He who  does not reckon with both is doing en onveranderlijk besluit, in Jezus Christus, zijnen Zoon,
 ,an injustice to God's Word and is unworthy of the name             cer  `s  werelds  grond gelegd was, besloten heeft uit het
  Reformed.          Arminius did not do justice to both and gevallen zondig menschelijk  geslacht  diegenen in  Chris-
  therefore was unworthy of the name Reformed.                       tus, om Christus' wil en door  Christus zalig te  maken,
         At the time of Arminius, election and reprobation die door de genade des Heiligen Geestes in Jezus geloo-
  were considered to be two equal parts of predestination, ven en in dat geloof en in de gehoorzaamheid des  ge-
      i.e. just as God had pleasure in choosing some to eternal      loofs door diezelfde genade ten einde toe volharden zou-
  life, in this same way he had pleasure in condemning               den en daarentegen de onbekeerlijken en ongeloovigen
      others to hell on account of their sins. It is not true, in de zonde en den toorn te  laten en te verdoemen  als
      however.      God does not delight in the death of the vreemd van Christus, naar het woord des H. Evangelies
      wicked. The necessity of God's own nature imposed bij  Job. 3  :36:  ?Vie in den  Zoon  gelooft, die  heeft  het
      upon Him to reprobate some when he chose others.               eeuwige  leven,  en wie den  Zoon ongehoorzaam is, die
      Choosing implies reprobation. Gdd wished to glorify zal her leven niet  zien,  maar de toorn God's blijft op
      himself through a people bought in Christ who should hem."*) This article teaches election on the  .basis  of a
      glorify him in an antithetical way. Just as the farmer         foreseen faith. We discussed this when we considered
      plants a seed of grain, to get grain, so God planned all his theological views in general (cf. above). This is not
      things to be united in Christ; but as the farmer does          necessarily contrary to article 16 of the Confession. The
      not wish the chaff and the straw primarily, so neither Confession looks at things historically and so neither
      does God wish primarily the death of the wicked. To            Arminius nor Gomarus can draw much proof from the
      get the grain  it  is necessary that there be chaff and        article.     Wirh the Synod of Dordt (1618-1619) we re-
      straw. To that end God endures with long suffering the ject conditional election because it is contrary to Scrip-
      wicked, in order that he may reap the harvest of his elect,    ture. .Icts  13% says, ".lnd as many as were ordained
  who must in the meantime serve him in an antithetical              to eternal life believed." This does not sad that as many
      way. This idea in regard to reprobation is a later de- as would believe were ordained to eternal life, but  thar
      velopment of Gomarus' supralapsarianism.                       those ordained believed. Thus belief is made a result of
         But I wander! We can say more of Arminius' ideas.           election; it cannot at the same time be the basis of it.
      We can assume that his ideas are contained in the              Moreover,  I John  4:lO reads, "Herein is love, not that
Renronstrantie  of 1610. Why may we do this? First,                  we loved God, but rhat he loved us, and sent his Son."
  a confession, such as  rhe  Remonstrantie  is, would not Besides, John  15:16,  "Ye did not choose me, but I chose
  contain the most radical ideas but  only the essentials;           you.?'      Still another, Rom.  9:18, "He hath mercy on
  these essentials  i"irminius  surely had.       Secondly, the      whom he will, and whom he  will he hardeneth."                                    X11
 Remqnstrantie   was written in Jan. 1610, i.e. some three
 months after  -4rminius'  death, and his ideas would not            l)"De  Remonstranti  ~--an  1610   tu  de  D r i e   Punten   v a n   IY24"   i n   Tlu
                                                                     S2mdard   Bcmrr  of  Sov.  lj, 1927.       IN.B.: These articles are taken  from
 3s  yet have been changed in regard to  the  essenrials.            this magazine because they are most complete there.)


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             575

      these texts disprove conditional predestination.  We,             Christ. Isn't that Reformed? It surely is, but see the
      therefore, must say that the doctrine of election,  ZLS  hr- inconsistency in this respect in the article as a whole.
      minius taught it, is unbiblical and  SO  God-tergend.             it was said `that God bases his election ,on a foreseen
         ;Zrticle II  is as follows:  "Wij geiooven, dat  krach-        faith, i.e. faith already there.  ht the same time, this
     tens Gods eeuwig besluit Jezus Christus, de Zaiigmaker article teaches that no one can come or even wills to
     der  wereId,  voor ieder mensch gestorven is,  alzoo  dat come to Christ without being regenerated by God. These
     Hij  voor  allen  door den kruisdood de verzoening en de two things are inconsistent. Here lies a proof that the
     vergeving der zonden verworven heeft,  alzoo nochtans             Remonstrantie  uses veiled language, in which it consis-
     dat  niemand  de vergeving der zonden werkelijk geniet tently follows  iirminius' footsteps. Here is a dualism.
      dan de geloocige, naar het  moord  des Evangelies bij            This is just what Arminius tried to maintain. This article
     Joh. 3 :lG: Want zoo lief heeft God de wereld gehad, dat          by itself is truly Reformed, it is inconsistent with the
     Hij zijn eeniggeboren Zoon gegeven heeft, opdat een teaching of the other articles. It does not teach free-
     iegelijk,  die in Hem gelooft niet verderve maar het  eeu-        will !
     wige leven hebbe; en in den eersten brief van Joh. 2  :2:             Article VI is:  `Wij gelooven, dat deze genade Gods
     Hij is de verzoening voor onze zonden en niet alleen  voor        het beginsel, den voortgang en de volbrenging van alle
     de onze, maar voor die der gansche wereld." This ar-              goed is, ook in zoover de wedergeborene mensch zelf
     ticle may be summarized as teaching general atonement znnder deze voorgaande of voorkomende, opwekkende,
     (at-one-merit). Christ's atonement was of infinite value volgende en medewerkende genade  noch  het goede  den-
     because He Lvas infinite. StilI Christ died only for those ken,  willen  of doen  kan,  noch  oak eenige verzoeking kan
     whom the Father had given Him. He did not pay for the wederstaan, zoodat alle goede  daden  of werkingen, die
     sins of one more than was necessary. If Christ died for men maar bedenken kan aan de genade Gods in Christus
     all, either part of his work is lost, because unaccepted, or moeten  toegeschreven  worden.           Maar wat de manier
     all are saved.     God never punishes sins twice, so if van de werking dier genade aangaat,. die is niet onweer-
     Christ paid for all. all are saved. None of Christ's work staanlijk; want daar staat van velen geschreven, dat zij
     is ever lost. Scripture, however,  teachcs  atonement only den Heiligen Geest wederstaan hebben. Hand.  7 en el-
     for those who the Father had given Christ,  i.  e.  those ders op vele plaatsen." All except the last sentence of
1    unconditionally elected.     In John  10:lSb and  27b we this  _ article is Reformed. Free grace and that alone !
     read, `I lay down my life for the sheep, and I know               The last sentence is heretical; it is not true that a sinner
     them." The text given as proof for their conception by can resist divine grace. Doesn't a sinner always resist
     the Remonstrants and thus by hrminius, I John  2:2, grace ? The idea rooted here is that the Holy Spirit
     "and he is a propitiation for our sins: and not for ours          never works in a man in an irresistible way, but in such
     only, but also for the sin of the whole world" according a way that He can be withstood.  hs a corollary of
     to Reformed exegesis (which means exegesis of one text            this we must conclude that a sinner can will or not will to
     by the whole Bible), teaches that Christ atones for the           accept the Holy Spirit. If the sinner permits His en-
     sins not only of ours but for those of  al1 classes and           trance, he is saved: if not, he is  lost: It was just this
     nations, i.e. for the organism of the world, the elect.           that  :1rminius  meant. `How then could he maintain that
     The elect really form the world: they are the vine from           man never willed to accept Christ apart from the Holy
     which the branches, the reprobate, will be lopped off.            Spirit? That is his dualism! The fathers of Dordt con-
     No, Arminius, Christ died for the sins of his own alone 1         demned this heresy. God does what he wills to do; if
     (Cf. the second head of the Canons of Dordt for further           he wills to save someone that person will surely be
     proof.)                                                           saved. There is no resistance of divine grace. "Who
        The article which follows is a Reformed one. It is:            can resist Him ?" Jeremia 31~33  says, "I will put my law
     "Wij gelooven dat de mensch het zaligmakend  g&of in their inward parts, and in their hearts till I write it."
     van  zich  zelven  niet heeft,  noch uit kracht van zijnen Jeremia does not say,  "I shall," but he says "I will"  -
     vrijen wil,  alzoo  hij in den staat der afwijking en der it is an absolute certainty. We may say, therefore, that
     zonde `niets goeds, dat  waai-lijk   goed is  (gelijk  ,inzon-    in so far as this article teaches the resistibleness  CJf
     derheid het zaligmakende geloof) uit en van zichzelven divine grace it is a damnable heresy. Be it so!  ,Goma-
     kan  denken,   willen  of  doen, maar dat het noodig is, dat      r-us. must surely have been a Reformed theologian to
     hij van God in  Christus  door zijn Heiligen Geest  worde         detect the errors of Xrminius and his followers.
     herboren  en vernieuwd in zijn verstand, genegenheden,               What does article V say? Listen:  "Wij gelooven,  dat
     wil en  alle  krachten, opdat hij het ware  goed   recht          die Jezus door een oprecht geloof zijn ingelijfd en  over-
     moge  verstaan  en bedenken,  willen  en volbrengen, naar zulks  Zijn levendmakenden Geest deelachtig zijn gewor-
     bet  Woord van Christus: Joh.  15:s: Zonder  ,Mij  kunt           den, overvloedige kracht hebben, om tegen den Satan,
     gij niets  doen." Trigland and Groen van Prinsterer say de zonde, de wereld en hun eigen vleesch te strijden en
     that this article teaches free-will. so it is  usuallv   con-'  .de over-winning te verkrijgen: welverstaande altijd door
     sidered, too. It teaches, like  -4rminius. that man can do        den bijstand van de genade van dien Geest; en dat Jezus
     do no good whatsoever unless regenerated by the Spirit            hen door Zijn Geest in  alle  verzoekingen   bijstaaq de
     of  (~~Jd,  and that man does not even will to accept             hand  biedt en. zoo zij maar alleen ten strijde  bereid


676                                        T H E   ST-AND'ARD   B E A R E R

zijll en  zijne   hulp   begeeren en in geen gebrek   zijn,         formed, who believed in a church  Fupreme in its own
staande  houdt,   alzoo  dat ze door list  noch   geweld  des       sphere,  jvere of the poorer class.  Arminius  was married
Satans  verleid  of uit Christusj handen  getrokken kunnen to the daughter  of  a rich merchant,  and  rhus belonged
worcien  : zie het I\-oord van Christus  bij Joh. 10: niemand       to the better class. -4rminius  was a friend of a good
zal ze uit mijne hand rukken.                                       friend of  0ldenbarneveldt, i.e.  17'tenbogaert.   &minius
       "llaar  or'  ze  tloor  nalatigheid het beginsel van  bun    also felt that if he agreed'to the supremacy of the church
zijn in  Christus  niet kunnen verlaten, de tegenwoordige           in church  matt-ers,  he would be judged by the church
wereld  weer  aanhangen, `van de heilige leer, hun  een-            rgfficials  and necessarily condemned because his group
maal   gegeven afwijken, de goede conscientie verliezen was the minority group.  Oldenbarneveldt,  a  Caesaropa-
en de genade  vermaarloozen  dat  zou eerst nader uit de            pist, ruled while -4rminius was at Leyden; for this reason
Schrift  moeten  onderzocht zijn, eer wij het met  vnlle            it was impossible to get Arminius  (Jut of Leyden. The
verzekerdheid  onzes  gemoeds  zouden  kunnen  leeren."             government fostered Arminianism  - is was the religion
This surely is un-Reformed. It teaches that man by of the better classes.
his own free-will holds on to divine grace, so if hk desists               I cannot but summarize .&rminius with the words- of
holding, he will be lost.  Tt is man's free-will that de- Wagenaar, the best authority on the state of affairs at
termines whether he is to be apostate or not.  ,4t the the time of the Synod of Dordt:  "Op wijsgeerig gebied
same time the article teaches that it is Christ that holds          stelde hij  Ramus  tegenover Aristoteles, op  theologisch
them with his divine grace. Again, we have a dualistic terrein Pelagius tegenover Augustinus, op kerkrechtelijk
conception. Arminius,  Arminius,  can you not see that erf het Caesaropapisme tegenover het presbyteriale srel-
this is wrong ? One text will be sufficient to disprove sel, en in het politieke perk de  oligarchic  tegenover de
this Arminian  doctrine of the possible  apostacy  of the democratic,  in zoover hij steun bood  aan de burgerij;
saints. It is John  10:2X$' 29: "I give unto them eternal ook begon reeds Arminius in `de Kerk het provincialisme
life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch te  stellen  tegenover het  breedi:  nationale srimenleven."l)
them out of my hand. My Father who hath given them                         In 1618 to 1619, after the government of Oldenbarne-
to me,  is  greater than all; and no one is able to snatch          veldt had been over'chrown, a Synod was held which
them out of the Father's hand." The meaning of this condemned the heretical  ideris of Arminius. The docu-
text is plain and indisputable.         We cannot  fal1 away ment here drawn up is known as the Canons of Dordt.
from the grace of God because we are born of seed in-               ply it, the Reformed added a rich confession, which deals
corruptible.                                                        with the heart of Reformed ideas,  to. its Forms of Unity.
       So we may conclude, having reviewed the essentials .4 definite stand was taken in regard to  uncondirional
of Arminius' doctrine, that Arminius believed in an election. Would that it had taken a more definite stand,
eternal  eledtion  on the basis of foreseen faith; general          however ! 1 would almost say: Would. that it had  ac-
atonement applicable to the elect only  ; that the sinner cepted Gomarus'  supralapsarianism  - Gomarus  the Re-
is dead in sin and misery, incapable of doing any good formed man of his age!
and inclined to all" evil, but at the same time free to                    We close, pleading that, as Reformed, we may again
accept' or reject the atonement of  Chgist;  that grace is live out of the rich heritage the fathers of Dordt left  us.
resistible. These are the chief points  of Arminius' theo- Oh, that we may not follow the inherent tendency of
logical conceptions. It is impossible in an essay of this o,ur minds!  May we not follow in the footsteps of  &-
nature to deal with the complete system of  ;Irminian- minius!                   Let us not do so in the future if we have done
ism. -4rminius  stressed the good moral life of a Chris- so in the past! To God be all the glory and honor for-
tian. The Reformed riew lays stress on God's uncon- ever !
                                                                      .
ditional election and makes it the cause of a good moral
life. Thus doing, God is made absolutely independent                l)WageFanr,  L. H.:  ?`m  Strijd  en  Ozrm+nning,  page 59.
of man. =  -4rminius  did the opposite.  Arminius  surely                                                            P. DE.  EOER.
was un-Reformed !
       hrminius wished a revision of the creeds then exist-
ent. He never gained his wish. The Forms of Unity
were even made better by the addition of the Canons of                                      HENNISGEVING
Dordt.                                                                     Op Dinsdag, 18 Sept., des avonds om `i':45, in de'
       Caesaropapism, that is, the supremacy of the State FulIer  Ave. Prot. Geref. Kerk, hoopt
over the Church in all matters, was another doctrine of                                   DS. G. M.  OPHOFF
Arminius. Gomarus believed that each was supreme in
its own sphere  (as far as  I can make out).  Xrmini:.ls            a% aftredende rector der Theologische School eene rede
said that such a I-iew  resulted in  a  state within a state.       .e houden over het  Onderwerp:
                                                                                 .*
It may be that he b`elieved  in Caesaropapism by  force.of
circumstances. The magistrates of Amsterdam had once                           "IN GODS  LIGHT  IIET LICHT ZIEN."
supported him.  1Vasn't  he indebted to them? `The  Re-                                                          Hollandsche taal.


