                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      437
-_
   Om au maar niet te spreken van de verwerping,              Instead of saying to Jacob, `My brother, I perceive
want daar moet men in het geheel niets meer van from thy response that thou art innocent,' Laban  "went
hooren !                                                   into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the
   Zoo staat het hart stil, het klopt niet meer in de two maidservants' tents ; but he found them not. Then
prediking.                                                 went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's
   En  als het hart niet meer klopt, wat dan? Dan is tent . . . . And  Laban  searched all the tent, but found
men dood. Dat spreekt we1 vanzelf.                         them not."
   De poging om dat hart weer aan den gang te krij-           The plain implication of this search was, `Jacob,
gen, door eens in het jaar of in de drie jaar een preekje thou dost lie when thou sayest that my gods are not in
te  leveren  over de uitverkiezing, is ijdel. Zulk een thy possession. I will search thy tents and produce
preekje kan op zijn best dienst  doen, om de gemeente not only my gods but much more of what is mine.'
met weemoed  aan den dierbaren afgestorvene te  her-       Laban  has searched but found nothing that belonged
inneren.                                                   to him. Tofhe best knowledge of all except Rachel,
   Ja, Schalekamp sloeg spijkers met koppen.               who had stolen these gods and put them in the camel's
   Zonder de verkiezing is er geen  Evangeliepredi-        furniture, the charge has been exposed as being a lie.
king !                                                        It is now Jacob's turn to speak. With a voice
                                              H. H.        vibrant with indignation he said to Laban: "What is
                                                           my trespass? What is my sin, that thou hast so hotly
                                                           pursued after me?" `By setting out hot on my trail
                                                           thou didst make it appear as if I fled away from the
                                                           results of my sin. I know the thoughts of thy heart.
                 JACOB'S RETURN                            I surmise what thou sayest of me to thy brethren. It
    We have noticed the insinuations of Laban's  speech. is that I have taken away all `that was thine; that I
Jacob had stolen away unawares. What had occasioned have begotten my glory of that which was thine. I
this strange manner of departure was not according challenge thee to repeat the charge in my hearing.
to Laban, the treatment he in the past had afforded        Speak! what is my sin?
Jacob but the latter's own guilty conscience. All along       `In the hope of being able to discover the evidence
Laban had been looking forward to sending him away for thy adverse appraisal of me, thou went into my
peaceably, with mirth, with songs, with  tabret, and tents.' "Whereas thou  hast searched all my stuff, what
with harp, so that, such was the intimation, during hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set it here
the entire period of servitude, he had cherished the before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may
kindliest feelings toward this fugitive. Let the breth- judge  betwist  us both." `Laban,  thou foundest nothing
ren know therefore that the reason for his flight must so that thou art compelled to admit that thy charges
be sought with him and not with Laban. Jacob's be- are groundless.
havior in Haran  had been reproachable. By an artifice        `By saying that thou was looking forward to send-
of his own invention he had taken away all that was ing me away with song, thou did&intimate  that during
Laban's  so that before the bar of his own conscience the period of my servitude thou didst cherish the kind-
he stood condemned as a thief. His manner of de- liest feelings toward me; that therefore my flight was
parture was in full agreement with his estimation of occasioned not by any ill-treatment thou didst afford
himself.                                                   me, but rather by my consciousness of my guilt. Thus
    Laban  will prove to his brethren that Jacob is a thou would have thy brethren believe that thy  be-
disreputable personage  - a thief and a religious pre- haviour toward me was above reproach ; that thou
tender. Though posing as a friend of the God of his therefore art innocent and I the guilty one.'
fathers  - a God in Whom he had said that he reposed          But in the audience of thy brethren I tell thee,
- Jacob had made away with Laban's  gods, for the Laban,  that the very reverse is true. I did thee well ;
reason, it must have been, that with these as his com- but thou didst award me evil for good. As the custo-
panions, he would feel more safe. Besides these deities, dian of thy flocks, I rendered thee a most faithful serv-
there might be much more of Laban's  stuff in Jacob's ice.' "This twenty years have I been with thee; thy
tents.                                                     ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and
    Such, so we saw, were the mean insinuations hid- the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which
den in  Laban's  speech. Jacob does not immediately was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee ; I bare the
arise to his defense. The charge lodged against him loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether
must first be shown up as false. Then he will speak. stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was: in the
So he says to  Laban: "Because I was afraid: for I day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night;
said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy and my sleep departed from my eyes. Thus have I
daughters from me. With whomsoever thou findest thy been twenty years in thy house ; I served thee fourteen
gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy
thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee."          cattle ; . . . . " `Daughters and cattle were all alike

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

to thee; the former thou didst barter away as well as dren which they have born?" `Though I ought to do
the latter. Yet thou art angry because I suffered thee thee hurt as thou art most ill-deserving, I can do thee
not to kiss thy sons and thy daughters? Thy wrath is nothing; for should I turn against thee, I would turn
feigned.                                                     against my own flesh and blood as these daughters are
       `Laban,  thou hast no just cause for complaint; not my daughters and these children my children.'
I but thou art the culprit. In response to the faithful         -Laban then told Jacob, be it by implication, what
services I rendered thee, thou didst change my wages was his trespass, and what was his sin. Jacob  bath
ten times in the attempt to stem the rising tide of my taken away all that was his. Laban  knew in his heart
success. "Except the God of my father, the God of that the charge was false : that those pilled rods had
Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, had really nothing to do with the increase of the cattle
surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath agreeing as to appearance with the specified colour.
seen mine aflliction  and the labour of my hands, and        Even if this artifice had been known to work the de-
rebuked thee yesternight."                                   sired results, which of course is most unlikely,  Laban
    In all likelihood this was the first t&e that Jacob by his repeated interference would have rendered it
publicly burst out in criticism of Laban's ways with ineffective.
him in the past. Also on this occasion he would have            Jacob did not deem it feasible to reply to Laban's
kept silence had  Laban not uttered a speech in which taunts. The trouble with them both was that neither
he appeared as the noblest and Jacob as the vilest of felt inclined to acknowledge and to confess to the other
men.      The latter had felt that his father-in-law's his sin. The one, even in this `final wrangle, had again
horrible distortion of facts should not go unchallenged, attempted to overreach the other, this time by speech.
that  Laban's brethren must not return to  Haran  with-         Laban suggests that he and Jacob make a covenant.
out a knowledge of what had been going on in those           "Now therefore," said he, "come thou, let us make a.
past twenty years. Therefore Jacob retorded, and that covenant, r and thou, and let it be for a witness be-
under the impulse of a just wrath.                           tween me and thee." Jacob, quick to comply, took a
    The sacred narrator states that he was wroth and stone and set it up for a pillar. He thereupon called
chode  with  Laban.     Though his utterances were in to his brethren to gather stones. They do so and made
agreement with truth, there is something decidedly re- a heap upon which they did eat.
pulsive about this speech also. Fact is that Jacob again        Thus being seated at and eating from the same
made to much of his integrity. All along he had at- table was a symbolical act betokening the good-will
tempted to overreach  Laban  as well as  Laban  had en- that the one party to the covenant bore the other, as
deavored to defraid him. But of this he made no              well as the firm resolve  @f both to honor in the future
mention. About his own detestable unbelieving crafti- the articles of the covenant that  .were about to be laid
ness he persistently preserved a profound silence. It down. Having eaten together, Laban  is again the first
was this evil bent of his nature that he would be made to act. Both in their own tongue, first  Laban  then
to acknowledge and bewail at Reniel.                         Jacob, call the table of stones, "The heap of witness."
   Jacob's fiery retort seemed to completely deflate the The cairn then was to do service as a monument to
wrathful  ,and haughty  Laban.      He refrained from what was promised, so that if in time to come either -~-
again bursting out an&w in unbridled rags. The words should set out against the other for the purpose of
to which he had listened had the effect of at least avenging his imaginary or real wrongs, this heap
taming him down, of checking the wild motion of his might arise before his eyes as the sign of what had
temper. His reply even betokens shame. The breth- been affirmed.
ren had heard him upbraided, had witnessed the verbal           The guilty and suspicious Laban,  however, felt .cer-
lashing to which he with surprising patience had sub- tain that the covenant would be without binding power
mitted. They were now in the possession of the truth.        unless Jacob was made to act and to speak in the con-
However, though manifestly embarrassed, Laban  re- sciousness that God heard what was promised and
peats, be it in a slightly different form, the old charge    would surely inflict punishment upon the faithless one.
that Jacob had taken away all that was his. Says he So he called, either the pillar that Jacob had set up or
to Jacob: "These daughters are my daughters, and the table of stones, Mizpah, "for he said, The Lord
these children are my children, and these cattle are my watch between me and thee, when we are absent one
cattle, and all that thou seest is mine ; . . . . "          from another."
   Laban is the kind of a personage wlio insists that           Thereupon  Laban  laid down the articles of the
the blame remains where he puts it; who against Covenant. Jacob shall not afflict his daughters ; or take
better knowledge and with a show of visible contempt other wives beside his daughters. Neither shall pass
for what has been said, continues to accuse and con-         over this heap to the other to do the other harm. Laban
demn if for no other reason than to make sport of and        concludes with an utterance that amounted to an oath.
torment the one with whom he has to do.                      Said he: "The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor,
   "All that thou seetst is mine ; and what can I do the God of their father, judge betwixt us." Jacob in
this day unto these my daughters, or unto their chil- turn sware by the fear of his father Isaac.


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        439

   It is to be noticed that the covenant arouse from God encamped about him  and his defenseless caravan,
Laban's  suspecting and distrustful nature. That his he would again contemplate and take home to his
fear for Jacob was indeed great is evident from his        heart the comforting speech of God he had heard at
nervous excitement, from his verbosity, and from the that place. And such a word ! "I am the Lord God
covenant articles he laid down. It was he who first of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land
said, Come let us make a covenant; who first called the whereon thy liest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed ;
heap, The heap of witness ; who repeatedly said, God and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth., and thou
judge betwixt us . . . . His fear betokens a  filthy       shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to
conscience. All the wrongs that Jacob had suffered at the north and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed
his hands stood out clear before his eye and were now shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And be- ~
shaking, so it seems, their accusing fingers in his face. hold I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places
He felt certain that without a covenant ratified by an whither thou goest, and will bring thee again in this
oath, Jacob would wreak vengeance both upon him and land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that
his daughters. That Jacob, despite his faults, was one which I have spoken to thee of."
of God's saints and therefore capable of blessing and         "I am with thee and will keep thee in all places . . ."
praying for his persecutors seems not to have occurreiX    As a result of past training, Jacob perhaps has asso-
to him. Himself  a-man of mean motives and wicked ciated the presence of the Lord with specific places such
designs, he could not believe that one so ill-treated as his father's tent. That the goodness and mercy of
would not avail himself of the first opportunity to the Lord were his constant companions, that the Lord
retaliate.                                                 was to be with him in every place, seemed to have come
    It was in this hour of parting that Jacob showed       to him as a surprise. Having awaked out of his sleep
himself up as one of God's meek. The ill-treatment         at Bethel, he had said, "Surely the Lord is in this place
afforded him in Haran,  Laban's recent cruel insinua- and I knew it not." There at Bethel he was taught
tions had left no poison in his blood. He can forgive. that every region he would enter would be transformed
The covenant having been made and confirmed, Jacob into a house of God .with  a stairway leading to that
in his generous good-will killed beasts upon the mount lofty deep where God is enthroned. But this was
and called his brethren to eat bread. All that night twenty years ago. Jacob is now about to enter that
they tarried upon the mount. I&will  gave way to a land - the land of Canaan  - where dwelt that brother
friendly social intercourse. A kindly, genial spirit of his who hated him "because of the blessing where-
pervaded the feasting assembly. Even  Laban  was with his father blessed him" and who had therefore
warm and cheerful. Jacob's sincere generosity to- said, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand ;
gether with the thought that these sons and daughters then will I slay my brother Jacob." Had Esau's fury
were about to pass out of his life forever, seemed to turned away during these intervening years, or was he
thaw out the cold spite of his heart. "And early in still purposing to kill him. Jacob was afraid. To
the morning Laban  rose up, and kissed his sons and reassure him, to revive his faith in the promises made
his daughters, and blessed them." Blood-tenderness to him at Bethel, the Lord in his great mercy now
triumphed for&he  moment over malice. "And Laban           opened his eyes to the angelic .hosts  by which- he was
departed, and returned unto his place." Thus the Lord surrounded. Who was this Jacob whom the Lord so
had delivered Jacob out of the mouth of the lion for pitied and in whom he took so deep an interest as to
the sake of His covenant.                                  station His angels as sentinels about his camp? One
                                                           not worthy of the least of all His mercies.
                                                              Esau, he it was with whom Jacob now had to do?
                                                           He was still the profane Esau of twenty years ago ; for
    "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God he dwelt in the land of Seir. Not interested in the city
met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is that hath foundations and whose Maker and builder is
God's host: and he called the name of that place Maha-     God, he could not possibly live out his life in Canaan, a
naim." That this vision was a repetition or better stili stranger and pilgrim in the earth. Looking for an
an extention of the vision at Bethel is evident from earthly kingdom with himself as chief potentate, he
this that it was not supplemented by the spoken word.      had established himself by his sword in the mountains
In imparting His thoughts unto man the Lord ad- of Seir to live henceforth by his sword. The wild Iaw-
dresses the ear and the eye. However, what the eye is less, and thus heaven-defiant, life of the bedouin chief-
made to see, takes on a meaning and utters speech only tain, living by plunder and with the mountains as his
when interpreted by the spoken word. Rightly con- stronghold, was his delight. It was with one of the
sidered therefore the word of the Lord that had come       stronger, with one of the mighty of the earth, trusting
to Jacob at Bethel was the supplement to both visions in the arm of flesh, whom this weak and plain man is
so that the angelic hosts at Mahanaim served to carry about to encounter. Yet he need have no fear as about
his troubled mind back to Bethel. With the ,&airway        him the angels of the Lord are encamped.
peopled with angels before his eye, with the hosts of         "Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his


                  *
440                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 brother unto the country of Edom. From this notice ous speech. Instead of fighting for his life, he will beg
 it is evident that word of Esau's change of residence for his life. Rather than meet violence with violence,
 had come to Jacob in  Haran.  By whom or when, is           he will appease his brother by recognizing him as his
not stated. There seems to have been in that early           lord and by sumbitting to his rule. Esau must know
time more intercourse between two related social             that Jacob returns not to vie with him for earthly
groups than one would at first suspect. At least the         power and glory or for a place in the sun ; but as one
report of Esau's exploits seems to have received a wide      of God's meek from whom the violent in the earth have
circulation. Jacob knew where his brother could be really nothing to fear. Jacob will be lord over his
found. In the mouth of the servants he sent to him he        brethren; he ruled even then; his kingdom however is
put the following speech: "Thy servant Jacob saith not of this earth. Hence, his followers do not fight for
thus, I have sojourned with Laban,  and stayed there him. There is then a most praiseworthy feature about
until now: and I have oxen, and asses, flocks and men-       Jacob's conduct. One of the reasons why Esau fell
servants, and womenservants: and I have sent  tom tell       upon his brother's neck is that he clearly perceived that
my Lord, that I may find grace in thy sight."                of all men, he was the most inoffensive- But this is a
       Jacob, it is plain, was aware with what kind of a matter to which we attend in a following article.
man he had to do. He well knew what, if anything,               The messengers come to Esau. What goes on in
would turn away his wrath and would render him well- his soul as he listens to their report, can only be con-
disposed, namely, the message that he had enough and jectered. See him there as he hears them out. At the
therefore had not returned to vie with Esau for their sound of that name Jacob his face registers both sur-
father's substance ; a message in which he ( Jacob) ap-      prise and anger. He frowns. His countenance takes
peared as prostrate at his brother's feet. Esau, he on  a  hard aspect. When in their master's name, they
knew, was a proud, vain personage, with a heart that address him as lord, a disdainful smile plays about his
craved earthly power, with affections wholly set upon mouth. He hears them tell of his  brother's-great  sub-
the things below, with an imagination that could be stance, and he is visibly perplexed. He cannot under-
fired only by the prospect of worldly pomp and glory, stand. The messengers have their say and are  siIent.
and with a sword that already had been unsheated in The strong man falls to meditating. His features
the interest of earthly gain. How he had carried on relax, somewhat soften and reflect a strange sobriety.
when he was told that the things he prized were to go        More to himself than to the bystanders, he finally mut-
to Jacob, as a result of the latter having supplanted ters, `He is my brother. Yet I must be on my guard
him? As often as the words of his aged father, "Be-          against him. He supplanted me once but not again.'
hold, I have made him (Jacob) thy lord, and all his          Once more he lapses into silence. His jaws set as he
brethren have I given to him for servants ; and with         dwells upon the past. Turning to his confidants he
corn and wine have I sustained him ; and what shall I        says, `That brother of mine returns with a large
do now unto thee my son.3" as often as these words           retinue. Who knows what his purpose may be? Is
would flash upon his memory, his breast would heave, he a soldier? Does he. come to conquer? Whatever the
his eyes would flash, and with clinched fists, we may seize of his body of retainers may be, feel assured that
imagine, he would mutter,  .It shall not be. His whole we are more than t-hey;  ' Up, my men, let-us advance
being rebelled against the thought that he would have against him.
to serve. He would not serve. To rule, to lord it over          The messengers may return to report what they
his brethren, was his ambition. As often as the image have seen and heard. Arriving at their master's camp
of his brother would rise before his eye, he would de- they say: "We came to thy brother Esau, and also he
spise him in his soul.                                       cometh  to meet thee, and four hundred men with him."
   Of this Jacob was aware. So he said in his heart,            Jacob is greatly afraid and distressed. `Shall I
`If I shall find grace in his sight, I must send him word    fail to pacify my brother? Did my humble and graci-
that I have no need of flocks and herds ; I must keep        ous approach, did my flattery, fail to break down his
silence about my prorogatives ; I must feed his pride        cold reserve, fail to soften him, fail to thaw out the
by addressing him as my lord, by prostrating myself malicious spite of his heart? Is he determined to
as his servant at his feet as, I beg his grace.'             remember? Does he come now to lay me low? What,
   Yet we must not be unnecessarily severe in our more can I do? Offer him armed  resistence  I cannot.
appraisal of Jacob's conduct in this crisis. He comes not The crafty Jacob, perhaps for the first time in his life,
as the violent of the earth come, in quest of an earthy is at his wit's end. He will do what he can. He divided
kingdom, prepared to force his claims or to  main-           the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the
`tain his rights by a body of retainers heavily armed ;      herds, and the camels, into two bands; for he rea-
but he comes as one of God's meek to take up his resi- soned that if Esau come to the one company, and smite
dence in Canaan as a stranger and pilgrim in the earth.      it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
Hence he has no sword to unsheath against Esau. In Then he prayed as he `had never prayed before. "0
the event the latter is of a mind' to impede his pro-        God of my father Abraham, and God of my father
gress, he will win him over by gifts and soft and graci-     Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        441

country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with                    ALGEMEEN AANBOD
thee: I am not worthy of the least of all t.hy mercies,
and of all the truth, which thou hast  shewed unto thy        Ook Ds. Joh. H. Rietberg van Maassluis, Nederland,
servant; for with my staff I passed over the Jordan ; s&reef iets, in De (Nederlandsche) Wachter,  over onze
and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray brochure, waarin we duidelijk maakten, dat de genade
thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of        Gods geen aanbod is, waarmede God welmeenend komt
Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me,      tot  allen,  die onder het Evangelie verkeeren. Naar
and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, onze gewoonte laten we ook zijne artikelen in hun  ge-
I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the heel hier volgen:
sand of the sea,  ,which cannot be numbered for multi-
tude."                                                            Een kracht Gods tot zaligheid of Genade
   How Jacob now comes in the dust before his God.                               geen aanbod
How he pleads upon His promises. "I am not worthy
of the least of thy blessings." Indeed. It was in this                                 I
dark hour that the black spots in his past career ap-         "Onder dezen titel verscheen in Amerika eene bro-
peared to him blacker than ever. Jacob is learning.        chure van de hand van Ds. H. Hoehwma,  redacteur van
   Having poured out his heart in most earnest sup-        The  Standard  Bearer.  Deze brochure werd  aan  onze
plication before God, he arises from the dust greatly redactie toegezonden met het vriendelijk verzoek  hier-
strengthened, but still disstressed and ill at ease. He aan in ons blad een breede bespreking te wijden.
stands in his faith yet not so that he can leave all to       "Om het groote gewicht van dit onderwerp wil ik
the Lord. He again falls to scheming for, notwith- gaarne  aan dit verzoek voldoen, met deze reserve, dat
standing his piety, he is still the crafty Jacob. By       de bespreking niet zeer breed zal zijn. De ruimte in
gifts, by flattery, by a show of humbleness, by a nega-    ons blad laat dit niet toe, en als er zeer breed op inge-
tion of his prerogatives, by crouching before his gaan wordt, zou deze bespreking een brochure  moeten
brother in the dust, he will put forth one more attempt vullen, minstens even groot als die van Ds. Hoeksema,
to blaze his way through his cruel reserve and to          welke ongeveer 150 pagina's  telt. Hierbij komt nog,
quench his wrath. Against this wrath he will direct        dat de brochure van Ds. H. een antwoord is op de arti-
train after train of gifts, which, like successive bat- kelen, die Ds. Keegrstra  s&reef in De (Amerikaansche)
.talions  pouring into, a breach, might at length quite Wachter, en ik deze artikelen niet heb om deze met de
win his brother. "And he delivered them into the hand brochure te vergelijken.
of his servants, every every drove by themselves; and         "Tech wil  ik trachten in een paar artikelen  aan te
said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a geven welk standpunt Ds. H. inneemt, `en of zijn be-
space betwixt drove and drove. And he commanded schouwing juist is, in overeenstemming met Gods
the foremost saying, When Esau my brother meeteth Woord en de Gereformeerde belijdenis.
thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and            "Het gaat over de vraag:  moefi de  prediking   xijn
whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee'! ecn  algemeen.   auwbod  van de  genade  Gods  i-n  onzen
Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's ; it is Heere  Jexus  Christus?
a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold also he         "De  &en beantwoordt deze vraag volmondig met ja
is behind us. And so he commanded the second, and en  zegt, dat dit eisch is van Schriftuurlijke prediking.
the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, on Terwijl de ander staande houdt, dat dit geheel  onschrif-
this manner shail ye speak unto Esau, when ye find tuurlijk is en met de Geref. belijdenis in strijd.
him. And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob           "Het eerste gevoelen is in Amerika verdedigd door
is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the 13s. Keegstra,  het tweede vindt zijn verdediger in Ds.
present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see     Hoeksema.
his face; peradventure he will accept of me."                 "In zijn `voorwoord' zegt Ds. H.: `De Gereformeer-
   ,The present Jacob sent over before him. He him- de belijdenis, dat het Evangelie een kracht Gods tot
self lodged that night in the company. At night he zaligheid is een iegelijk, die gelooft en de voorstelling,
rises and sent over the ford Jabbok the entire caravan.    alsof de prediking des Evangelies een welmeenend  aan-
And Jacob was left alone.                                  bod van genade van Godswege  aan alle menschen zon-
                                           G. M. 0.        der onderscheid ware, staan naar onze diepste overtui-
                                                           ging lijnrecht tegenover elkander.
                                                              " `Hier moet gekozen worden.'
   Toen eens een student in de Godgeleerdheid een pro-        "Op alles wat Ds. H. schrijft, kan ik niet ingaan.
fessor in de Godgeleerdheid vervolgde met allerlei  vra- `k Wil trachten mij tot de hoofdzaak te bepalen. En
gen, betreffende onoplosbare moeilijkheden in den dan meen  ik Ds. H. geen onrecht  aan te doen,  wanneer
Bijbel, antwoordde de professor hem:  ".Mijnheer X, gij    ik zeg, dat zijn opvatting deze is (zooveel mogelijk in
zult er in moeten berusten, dat God dingen  wcet, die zijn eigen woorden verkort weergegeven) :
gij niet weet ! 0, zoo  !"                                    "De voorstelling van een algemeen en welgemeend

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

iets ter  classis gebracht, nl.; om de bestaande  commis-                 A CATECHISM ON THE HISTORY OF THE
sie  of te veranderen  bf te vergrooten zoodat hare
leden  bestaan uit  mannen  zoowel van Oost als van                               PROTESTANT REFORMED CHURCHES
West.
       Aan het eind van bovengenoemd rapport bedankte                      X .    CONTINUATION OF THE  CLASSICAL  SKIRMISH
de Zendingscommissie, vroeg haar ontslag en Wilde het                      1. When did Classis reconvene to receive the an-
bijltje er bij neerleggen. Dat laatste kwam de  Classis swer of the Consistory of the Eastern Ave. Church?
tech  we1 wat vreemd voor. De broeders hebben  ge-                         On Friday, Nov. 21.
vraagd om  advies, vroegen om een welomschreven                            2. What was done with the Consistory's answer
werkplan, stippelde zelf goede lijnen uit, brachten dus to the classical demands?
iets dat werkelijk de moeite waard was om overwogen                        It was read and accepted.
te worden  en . . . , bedankten.                                           3. Did the  Classis discuss the reply of the  Con-
       De Classis was echter  met het werk der broeders in sistory ?
die mate tevreden, dat ze uitsprak (Art. 33 van de  klad-                  Not at all. Nothing was discussed on the floor of
notulen) : "Om het bedanken van de  Zendingscommis-                     the Classis.    It was moved and adopted to place the
sie niet aan te nemen, en hen verzoeken door te willen missive of the Consistory in the hands of the commit-
arbeiden" ; waar dan nog beloofd werd om, D. V., op                     tee Classis had appointed for this case. Then Classis
de volgende Classis-vergadering gereed te zijn met een adjourned again until the committee should be ready to
welomschreven plan, waarin de arbeid der Zendings-                      report and serve Classis with further advice `in the
commissie zal  worden  aangegeven. Classis benoemd matter.
enkele broeders om haar in deze zaak met advies  te                        4. When was the next session of Classis?
dienen op de eerstvolgende vergadering.                                    On Monday, Nov. 24.
       De aanvrage inzake ondersteuning voor behoeftige                    5. Was the committee ready to report?
gemeenten werd getafeld tot de December  Classis-ver-                       It was. The report here follows in full:
gadering. Beide, voor de Westersche en Oostersche                           "Your committee advises the  Classis,  Grand Rapids
kerken werden kerkvisitatoren benoemd, die hun werk East, to answer the  communidation  received from the
hopen te  doen voor de eerstvolgende vergadering.                       Consistory of Eastern Ave. Christian Reformed
       Zoo nu kwam ook deze welgeslaagde vergadering Church, relative to the requirements pIaced  before it
weer ten einde. Ouderling .Kuiper van Doon  sloot de on the 20th of November, 1924, as follows:
vergadering met dankzegging en de meeste der afge-                          "The Classis  maintains that it did not go beyond
vaardigden  togen  den volgenden dag weer naar hunne its jurisdiction in requiring of the Consistory of East-
respectieve  plaatsen. Het was een korte,  doch  heer-                  ern Ave. Chr. Ref. Church to require of Rev. H. Hoek-
lijke tijd die we doorbrachten. Gebiede de Heere sema an answer to the question as to whether he is in
Zijnen zegen over hetgeen werd besproken en beslo-                      full agreement with the three points established by the
ten, en stelle Hij ons verder in staat om een ieder op Synod of the Chr. Ref. Church, 1924 (cf. Acts, Art.
zijne plaats getrouw t,e zijn, wakend bij Zijn Woord,                   132, pp. 145 ff.) . The Classis calls the Consistory's
over de gemeente, en over onszelf.                                      attention to the fact that the actions taken both by the
       En dan, zoo de Heere wil en wij leven, tot ziens,                Synod and by the Classis are in full accord with Art.
broeders, tot op den eersten Woensdag in December! 30, D.K.O. . . . . `In major assemblies only such mat-
                                                          w. v.         ters shall be dealt with as could not be finished in
                                                                        minor assemblies, or such as pertain to the Churches
                                                                        of the major assemblies in common.' The Synod had
                                                                        acted in accord with this article when it, in respect to
                       IN MEMORIAM                                      this matter, went no further than to make a declara-
                                                                        tion with regard to the  doctrinal issues involved in the
   Op den llden Juni I.I., ontsliep in Zijnen Heer en Heiland           Common Grace Controversy. This is, of course, a mat-
onze geliefde President, Broeder                                        ter that pertains to the Churches of the major assembly
                     MEItiDERT STOUWIE.                                 in common and could not be finished in the minor as-
   Dat ook wij  allen,   evenals  hij,  bereid  mogen zijn om  onzen    semblies, such as consistory and  classis.      But the
God in Christus  te ontmoeten.                                          Synod did not require of Rev. H. Hoeksema to sub-
   Zwaar is het verlies dat we als vereeniging in hem verliezen,        scribe- to these doctrinal declarations, since this is a
maar nog meer voor zijne gade.                                          matter than can very  well, be taken care of by the
   Dat de getrouwe verbonds-God haar rijkelijk moge  onder-             minor assemblies. According to our Reformed con-
steunen  en zelf de diepe wonde vervullen met Zijne balsem is
onze bede.                                                              ception of church government, the rule is that disci-
                                                                        plinary procedure must be exercised by the church
   Namens  het bestuur der Mannenvereeniging van de Prot.               judicatories in the order of consistory,  classis and
         Ref. Church of Oskaloosa,
                           A. Van Mersbergen, Vice-President            Synod, not vice versa.
                           Gerrit De Wolf,  Secretaris                     "With regard to the various grounds upon which


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           451

the consistory bases its refusal to concede to the re- with the Reformed conception of church government,
quirements of the Classis, the Classis submits the fol- in which the rule is that disciplinary procedure must
lowing :                                                         be exercised by the church judicatories in the order of
   "Ad-l. In answer to the objection that the  con- consistory,  classis and synod and not vice versa.
sistory did not receive any official notice advising that Furthermore the Synod did publicly admonish the
the pastor had to be treated because of his teachings,           brethren, Rev. II. Hoeksema and Rev. H. Danhof to
the  Classis calls attention to the fact that the  con- abide by its decisions (cf. Acts 1924, p. 147).
sistory did receive the Acts of Synod of 1924. (This is             "Ad-3.    The  classis calls attention to the fact that
the usual method by which our Synods convey their Synod did not treat the protest of Rev. H. Danhof.
official notices to the various consistories). Now these Of course, the fact that Synod did not sustain nor re-
Acts clearly informed the consistory that the Synod ject the protest of Rev. Danhof cannot be construed
sustained the protests against the teachings of Rev. H. to mean that Synod tolerates public opposition to the
Hoeksema in re the three points, (cf. Acts of 1924,              doctrinal decrees which it has established, for `what-
Art. 132, pp. 145 ff.) In full accordance with Art. 30,          ever may be agreed upon by a majority vote (of the
D.K.O.  ` . . . . In major assemblies only such mat- major assembly) shall be considered settled and bind-
ters shall be dealt with as could not be dealt with ing' (Art. 31, D.K.O.).
(should be "finished," H. 1-I.) in minor assemblies . . . .`,       "Ad-4.    In answer to the fourth ground presented
it was left to the consistory to enforce the doctrinal           by the co&story,  the classis  informs the Consistory
decrees of Synod. Obviously it was the duty of the that these brethren had the right to protest, but to
consistory to interpellate the pastor as soon as he pub-         protest does not include nor involve the right to propa-
licly opposed the doctrinal declarations of the Synod            gate views opposed to the doctrinal decrees of Synod
in the Standard Bearer, Vol. I, No. 1, p. 3, Col. 2: `Naar       1924. In case their opposition should be or should be-
den inhoud zal dit tijdschrift zich geheel aansluiten bij        come of such character as to call for disciplinary
hetgeen gedurende de laatste jaren  is geleerd en gepu- action, Reformed Church polity requires their respec-
bliceerd geworden door de predikanten Hoeksema en tive consistories to initiate such action.
Danhof'; en: `De redactie van dit  blad oordeelt, dat               "Ad-5. In answer to the fifth objection, the Classis
geen Cereformeerde deze uitspraken der Synode, onge-             maintains that according to Reformed Church polity,
wijzigd en naar hunne (moet zijn: hare, H. H.) eigen-            the decisions of our major ecclesiastical assemblies are
lijke strekking, vermag te onderteekenen,' statements binding for all the officers and consistories within its
for which Rev. Ii. Hoeksema also holds himself re- jurisdiction and, therefore, also for Rev. H. Hoeksema
sponsible, since: `De schrijvers nemen niet slechts and his consistory. Accordingly all officers and con-
hunne respectieve  bijdragen maar den geheelen zake-             sistories of the Chr. Ref. Church are required to adhere
lijken inhoud, naar beginsel en strekking, voor hunne to our Synodical  decisions. In case an officer or con-
gemeenschappelijke rekening,' p. 4. Col. 2.                      sistory gives reason to doubt his or its adherence to
   "Art. 31, ". . . . Whatever may be agreed upon by these decisions, such officer or consistory may be called
a majority vote in the major ecclesiastical assembly upon to explain their position. Cf. the Formula of
shall be considered settled and binding . . . . ' places         Subscription  ' . . . . and further, if at any time con-
the consistory under the obligation required of it by sistory, classis or synod upon sufficient grounds of sus-
Classis. And the formula of subscription, ` . . . . And picion and to preserve the uniformity and purity of
further if at any time the consistory,  classis or synod, doctrine, may deem it proper to require of us a further
upon sufficient grounds of suspicion and to preserve explanation of our sentiments respecting any partic-
the uniformity and purity of doctrine, may deem it ular article of the Confession of Faith, the Catechism,
proper to require of us a further explanation of our or the explanation of the National Synod (the Canons
sentiments respecting  any  particular article of the of Dordt, H. H.), we do hereby promise to be always
Confession of Faith, the  Ca&chism,  or the explanation willing and ready to comply with such requisitions . . .  `.
of the National Synod, do we hereby promise always to                "Ad-6. In answer to objection six, the Classis calls
be willing and ready to comply with such requisi- attention to the fact that agreement with such confes-
tion . . . .  `, also gives the Consistory the full right sions on the part of ministers of the Chr. Ref. Church
to interpellate the pastor in regard to the Confession signifies agreement with such confessions as inter-
as interpreted by the three points established by the preted and explained by the Synod of the Chr. Ref.
Synod of 1924.                                                   Church. In the special case now under consideration,
    "Ad-2.    In answer to the objection that the Synod it means agreement with the confessions as teaching
rejected the advice of the advisory committee relative           (according to the decrees of our Synod of .1924) the
to disciplinary action, it must be said that as a matter truths expressed by the three points. If one declares
of fact, the Synod did not reject this proposal, since it        that he is in agreement with these Confessions con-
was not put to a vote. The Synod evidently preferred trary to Synod's interpretation, he does not measure
the inauguration of disciplinary procedure (if neces- up to the requirements of subscription as demanded by
sary) to begin with the consistory in full harmony Reformed Church polity.

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

        "Irrconclusion  the Classis would emphasize the fact H. Bultema it appointed a committee to make the case
 that it does not exceed the limits of Synod, but simply pending with the Consistory of Muskegon. Again,
 requires adherence to the synodical  decrees. The Synod removing all sophistry from the classical reasoning it
 unquestionably requires that its decrees shall be             is apparent that the Consistory of Eastern Ave. re-
acknowledged and adhered to within the  jurisdiction           ceived no official notice from Synod that its pastor
 of the Chr. Ref. Churches, and this is precisely what must be interpellated or disciplined.
 the  Classis requires of Rev. H. Hoeksema and his con-            c. It is sophistry, pure and simple when  Classis
 &story."                                                      maintains that Synod did not reject the proposal to
        This is the extent of the answer proper of the         advise to disciplinary action. For: (1) This proposal
 Classis to the missive of the Consistory of Eastern was properly before Synod in the report of the ad-
 Ave. Church.                                                  visory committee that had been accepted as read.
        6. What do you think of this answer?                   (2) Synod did vote upon this proposal and rejected it
        That it is a concoction of truth  .and sophistry, a    for (a) It was replaced by a substitute motion in which
 denial of most- fundamental principles of Reformed the advice to discipline did not appear. (b) The sub-
 Church. polity and a hopeless attempt to justify the stitute motion was adopted. (c) By the adoption of a
 Church in her corrupt practices and unrighteous deal- substitute motion the original motion is certainly re-
 ings.  3                                                      jected.
        7. Why do you speak of sophistry?                         d. It is sophistry when the  Classis  states that the
        For the following reasons.                             Synod did admonish the brethren publicly to  a.bide by
        a. It is sophistry pure and simple, when the its decisions. (1) It is true that Synod did decide to
 Classis attempts to explain Synod's failure to advise do so, and this decision appears in the Acta.           (2) It is
 the Consistory of Eastern Ave. to discipline the pastor, also true that Synod never carried out this decision.
 as being motivated by the desire to maintain the prin- Undersigned never received any public admonition. He
 ciple that discipline must be initiated in the minor as- was never even given a chance to listen to one. If
 sembly, i.e., in the consistory. For: (1)  Classis  and such an opportunity would have been afforded him, he
 all that attended Synod in 1924 were well aware of the        would just as publicly have rejected it.     (3)  It is a
 fact, that no such desire motivated Synod whatever.           patent fact, that Synod knew very well that under-
 ,Art. 30 of the Church Order was never mentioned or signed and Rev. H. Danhof would not heed any admoni-
 even thought of by Synod. Neither is there an item tions ; and, afraid of more trouble they just decided to
 of. proof for this classical interpretation of Synod's admonish the brethren and then cowardly went home
 motives in the Acts.      (2) The Consistory of Eastern without carrying out its own decision !
 Ave. never contended that disciplinary action must be-           8. In what respect do these classical decisions deny
 gin or may begin .with Synod, as Classis here alleges.        most fundamental truths of Reformed Church polity?
 But it did maintain that, if Synod had wanted disci-             a. First of all because it ascribes to Synod absolute
 pline at all, it was its duty to make the case pending and sovereign power to interpret, enlarge upon and
 with the Consistory of h'astem Ave. (3)  Classis now change the Confessions, which constitute the sole basis
&tempted to do what it maintains, according to Art. of unity of the Reformed Churches; These  confessions
 30, D.K.O. ,a major assembly might not do. And Classis        are not the property of the Synod ; neither are they
 is a major assembly as well as Synod. Yet, it here            imposed upon the Churches by the Synod, which is
 takes  up the case and demands of the Consistory that popery; but they are the expression of the faith of the
 it shall discipline its pastor! Putting all sophistry of Churches. Yet, according to  Classis,  Synod may inter-
 the classical reasoning aside, the fact remains  tkat. pret these Confessions without consulting the Churches
 Classis  now olfempts  to do what Synod refusad  to do, whatsoever! And, as the Three Points plainly show,
 i.e., make the case pending with the Consistory of the this implies that the Synod has the power to add to and
 Eastern Ave. Church.                                          to alter and corrupt these Confessions at random. And
    b. It is sophistry pure and simple when the Classis        when Synod has spoken all must accept the faith of the
 maintains that the Consistory of Eastern Ave. did Synod as their own, at least, until the time another
 receive official notice from Synod to discipline its Synod may be willing to listen to your grievances ! And
pastor, because Consistory received the Acts. For:             all this popery the  Classis proves by an appeal to Art.
 (1) There is no such official notice in the Acts at all.      31 of the Church Order:  " . . . . whatever may be
 (2) The Acts of Synod declared the pastor to be funda- agreed upon by a majority vote in the major ecclesi-
mentally Reformed in respect to the truths of the Re- astical assembly shall be considered settled and bind-
formed Confessions. It certainly is not the practice ing." But  Classis forgot to quote the rest of this article
in Reformed Churches to discipline fundamentally Re- of the Church Order, namely, the important addition:
formed pastors for doctrinal reasons. (3) It is not            "unless it be proved to conflict with the Word "of God
true that Synod considers in such cases, in which it or the articles of the Church Order, as long as they are
deems discipline by the Consistory necessary, that the not changed by a General Synod." This addition means
Acts are a sufficient notification. In the case of Rev.        that ecclesiastical decisions shall not be considered


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      453

settled and binding, not  even  till  the next  gencrnl    tioned by the Three Points. The pastor was now
synod, if they can be proven to be in conflict with the virtually placed before a Formula of Subscription,
Word of God. But  Classis would not allow such proof, which he had never signed and which read as follows:
It demanded absolute submission to the three points,       " . . . And further, if at any time the consistory,
until the Synod would meet again. This is not Re- classis or synod, upon sufficient grounds of suspicion
formed Church polity, but popery.                          and to preserve the uniformity and purity of doctrine,
    Besides, the history of the  Chr. Ref. Churches may deem it proper to require of us a further explana-
plainly shows, that this principle is not applied in other tion of our sentiments respecting any particular article
cases.    Did the "four professors" submit after the of the Three Points of 1924 (put instead of the Con-
Synod had spoken in the Dr. Janssen case in 1920?          fession of Faith, the Catechism and the Canons of
They raised uproar about it in the Churches. Did the Dordt), do we hereby promise always to be willing
Churches submit when the Synod of 1928 had spoken and ready to comply with such requisition." In this
in the famous "absolution" case? They refused to in- way the  Classis attempted to justify the corrupt prac-
troduce the absolution. When a decision is plainly con- tices and unrighteous dealings of the Church.
trary to the Word of God no Church or person may              10. Did the classical committee also offer advice
submit even for two years. But the brethren Danhof         to  Classis in the matter?
and Hoeksema had to submit unconditionally.                   Yes ; it reads as follows :
    b. Secondly, because the Classis argues repeatedly        "The committee is of the opinion that  Classis:
that discipline must be exercised in the order of con-     1. Should require again of Eastern Ave.`s consistory
sistory, classis and synod. This is a grievous error, for thaj it require of its pastor to express himself whether
the simple reason, that only the consistory may exer-      or no he is in full agreement with the three points as
cise discipline in any case, Classis and Synod may expressed by Synod, Acts 1924. 2. Should require of
give advice, they may never exercise discipline. The       Eastern  Ave.`s consistory to require of its pastor, Rev.
principle the  Classis advocates is not of Reformed but    H. Hoeksema, that he state whether in the matter of
of Collegialistic Church polity.                           the three points he will submit (with the right of
    9. Why do you say, that the answer of the  Classis     appeal) to the confessional standards of the Church as
is a hopeless attempt to justify the corrupt practices     interpreted by the Synod of 1924 and, in case of an
and unrighteous dealings of the Church?                    appeal, whether he in the interim will acquiesce in the
   a. First because the plain truth is, that under- judgment already passed by the Synod of 1924.
signed, according to the corrupt way the Church chose         "Classis  send a written communication together
to walk in this entire history, never had any oppor- with all the classical decisions pertaining to the East-
tunity to defend the truth. (1) Not over against the ern Ave. case to the consistory of Eastern Ave., re-
original protestants, because they came with an accusa- quiring of said consistory :
tion of public sin, and claimed to have the right to go       "1. That it require of its pastor, Rev.  II.  Hoek-
to the consistory directly. (2) Not with the  con-         sema, to express himself whether or no he is in full
sistory, because they rightly claimed that the pastor      agreement with the three points as expressed by the
had not committed a sin, and that the objectors must Synod, cf. Acts, 1914, art. 132, pp. 145 ff.
come with a protest, instead of an accusation of public       "2. That it require of Eastern Ave.`s consistory
sin. (3) Not with the Classis,  because Classis  refused to require of its pastor, Rev. II. Hoeksema, that he
to debate the question with him, though he begged          state whether in the matter of the three points (cf.
them to do so, on the ground that it was a matter for      Acts, 1924, art. 132, pp. 145 ff.) he will submit with
Synod to decide, seeing it belonged to the Churches the right of appeal to the Confessional Standards of
in common.     (4) Not before Synod, because Synod the Church as interpreted by the Synod of 1924, i.e.,
decided that he had nothing to do with the case, neither publicly nor privately propose, teach or defend,
never summoned him, never invited him to defend him- either by preaching or writing, any sentiments con-
self!                                                      trary to the Confessional Standards of the Church as
    b. The result of this corrupt practice was, that       interpreted by the Synod of 1924, and, in case of an
three points of doctrine had been adopted, for the appeal, whether in the interim he will acquiesce in the
adoption of which undersigned could not possibly be judgment already passed by the Synod of 1924.
held responsible, seeing he had had no part in the dis-       "3. That it furnish the  Classis with the definite,
cussion at all. Never had any ecclesiastical body given written answers of its pastor by December 9, 1924,
him an opportunity that these points were contrary to 9 A. M.
the Word of God and to the Confessions of the Re-             "The committee proposes that the president and
formed Churches.                                           secretary of Classis  be instructed to send the above
   c. Now the Classis attempted to justify this cor- mentioned communication to the consistory of Eastern
rupt practice ,and these unrighteous dealings, by an Ave.
appeal to the Formula of Subscription, replacing in           "The committee informs the Classis that it is not
that Formula the Confessions that are plainly men-         ready to report on the other matters before Classis  and

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

therefore, advises that those matters be held over till                                QUESTIONS
Dec. 9, 1924.
       "The committee proposes that Classis adjourn till            In The Bamnev of June 5 (page 525) one may read :
Dec. 9, 1924, 9 A. M."                                           "This issue contains . . . . the full text of Dr. Craig's
       11. What is remarkable about this advice?                 commencement oration . . . We trust that thousands
       That its pompous phraseology and laboriously of our readers will take pains to read the masterful
accurate language smacks of the worldly lawyer. We oration of Dr. Craig from start to finish. We know
may safely conclude that by this time the classical              they will be amply repaid for the time and effort re-
committee, without the consent of the  Classis,  had quired. For those who are not acquainted with the
sought the advice of a worldly lawyer. They began to fact we state that Dr. Samuel G. Craig formerly was
be anxious for the brick.                                        the editor of  The Presbyterian  and is now editor of
       12. What else is rather strange?                          Christianity Today and a staunch'supporter of West-
       That all unexpectedly the committee advised  Classis minster Seminary of Philadelphia, of whose teachers
to take a long recess, though otherwise they sought to Drs.  Machen  and Van Til and the late Dr. Wilson are
expedite matters as quickly as possible. For what rea- best known in our group."
son they could not be ready with the rest of their report           We have read the text of the doctor's oration with
is a mystery till this day, except to the initiated in considerable caution. And now I find myself wonder-
the secrets of classical politics.                               ing and asking questions. The brethren, I am sure,
       13. What did  Classis do with the entire report?          will not object to me informing them what thought-
       It was adopted and "so ordered."                          elements it was that incited my wonder and set me to
                                                     H. H. `-    interrogating.
                                                                    The subject on which the doctor spoke reads:
                        -      -      -                          Christianity  and Culture. We have before us the writ-
                                                                 ten text of the oration. In the opening paragraph of
                                                                 this text the writer set bounds to his subject and de-
                      BUIG MIJN WIL                              fined the term culture:
                                                                    "
              Buig mijn wil naar Uwen.wil,                               . . . . I have thought I could not do better than
                 Breek mijn tegenstand, o Heer !                 speak to you concerning certain phases of the  reIation
              Speen mijn hart en maak het stil,                  between Christianity and culture, taking the word
                                                                 `culture' not merely in that narrow and somewhat in-
                 Tot het niets dan U begeer:                     dividual sense in which it suggests little more than
                 U alleen en U geheel,                           refinement of taste and manners, but also in that broad
                 U voor eeuwig tot mijn deel.                    and more social sense in which it is so widely used
                                                                 today - a sense that makes it largely  synonymou.;:
              Breek Gij door mijn doofheid  heen,                with the word `civilization.`."
                                                                    The word civilization  appears in the  text  asthe
                 Open d' ooren voor Uw Woord ;                   signification of art, literature, science, agriculture, in-
               Gij kunt spreken, Gij alleen,                     dustry, commerce, in a word, the entire complex of
                 Dat de  doode zelfs U hoort,                    man's  1awfuI pursuits.
                 En  zich opricht naar `t geluid,                   What drew our attention first of all is the thought
                 Van Uw levenswoord : Kom uit !                  coming to the surface in the following excerpts :
                                                                    "We cannot but think that these underestimate the
                                                                 resources of Christianity and that despite widespread
               Breek Gij met Uw hemelsch licht                   desertion and open rebellion it will yet make good its
                 Door de blindheid van mijn zie1.                right to determine the culture and civilization of the
               0, dat van Uw aangezicht                          future . . . .    Here is our ultimate confidence that
                 Mij &en straa1 in d' oogen viel!                Christianity will never become a dead religion and that
                 Om de neev'len, dicht en zwart,                 at the end of the day the culture and civilization of the
                                                                 future will be fundamentally Christian."
                 Weg te drijven van mijn hart.                       In the above-cited selection civilization appears as
                                                                 a distinct entity that passes, when overruled by Chris-
               Breek mijn stug en koud gemoed,                   tianity, into Christian civilization. The question arose
                 Dat het voor U open ga ;                        whether Christianity or better still the Spirit of Christ
               Koester mij met zonnegloed,                       as operative in men's heart begets a Christian civiliza-
                                                                 tion or a civilization that is Christianity  ; whether
                 Tot ik dorst  naar Uw gena,                     Christianity when pervading civilization is reduced to
                 En met volle teug geniet                        an attribute or so changes and dominates the thing on
                 `t Levend water, dat Gij biedt.                 which it lays hold that the final product is again Chris-


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          455

tianity ; whether, finally, Christianity is one thing and     `from the abyss'; as if in a state of closer union with
Christian culture or civilization another, or whether the power and cunning of the adversary" (Fairbairn
the two are one and the same. If the latter be the case, on Prophesy, page 324).
such distinctions as rsligion  and culture, and Christian-       So then, the Christian civilization that appeared
ity  and culture would seem not to hold. What saith when the leadership of our western world passed into
the apostle James? "Pure religion and undefiled be- the hands of Christianity is a Christianized paganism,
fore God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless a modern heathenism, demon-possessed, and  soming  up
and the widows in their affliction . . .  "      If true out of the abyss. What really happened is that pagan-
philanthropy is religion, why not true civilization and       ism crawled into a Christian shell and assumed for a
culture?                                                      season the appearance of a lamb, the appearance of an
   We again quote: "When Christianity entered the ange1 of light. This was a new and master-stroke of
world, it found a world rich in culture and highly de- Satanic policy.
veloped in its civilization - a civilization, however,           What now has happened recently? In the words
that was antagonistic to Christianity to such an extent of Dr. Craig, the plant, one of whose products is the
that the Christian could stand in sympathetic relations       denial of Christianity's right to shape the culture and
with it only by denying his faith. With that culture civilization of the future, bore its first fruits and thus
and civilization Christianity engaged in a life and           revealed its true nature to all. This plant has its
death struggle. After three centuries of struggle the historical roots in the eighteenth century in the so-
leadership of our western world passed into the hands called "Enlightenment." The doctor continues : "Then
of Christianity. From that day to this Christianity has       for the first time since the initial triumph of Christian-
maintained its supremacy so that civilization as we           ity there appeared within the limits of Christendom a
know it, with all its defects, rests on and is pervaded       world and life view, and so a culture-ideal, radically
by fundamentally Christian conceptions. For it is only opposed to that of Christianity. In fact, we may go
within comparatively recent times that within Chris- further and say that never before in the history of
tendom itself the right of Christianity to dominate the mankind had there prevailed a system of thought and
culture and civilization of the future has been seriously life and that to such a degree and to such an extent
questioned."                                                  was hostile to Christianity. Previous to that time the
   What reahy  happened when after three centuries of various world and Iife views that had  prevaiIed  among
struggle the leadership of our western world passed all peoples and in all ages had been of the supernat-
into the hands of Christianity, and what the nature of uralistic type, but nothing is more characteristic of the
the resultant Christian civilization is, Patrick Fair-        empirico-scientific view that then made its appear-
bairn described in a work on prophesy. Delineating ance than its thorough-going naturalism, the confidence
upon the wounding of the beast of revelation - the with which it seeks in this world all that thought and
antichristian world-power as it comes to a head in the        life can ask. The modern world and life view separates
godless state - and its subsequent dropping for a sea- itself, therefore, not only from the Christian but from
son of its wonted appearance of hostility to the cause all preceding world-and life views that had commanded.
and the kingdom of God 1 to cease for a time to act the allegiance of any considerable number of people by
as a beast, he (Fairbairn) continues: "Now some- reason of the fact that it professes to explain the entire
thing that precisely answers to this change did take          world, including man and religion and morality, with-
place about the period in the church's history, to which out the aid of any supernatural factor, purely from
the symbolical delineation refers  - the period, when         resident forces and according to unvarying laws."
the sixth head of the beast tended towards the seventh           What happened then was what was bound to hap-
and last, when the empire began to totter to its fall,        pen: the beast that came up out of the abyss, this
and fresh races strove to form themselves into new Christianized paganism, modern heathenism, has
states and dynasties. It seemed then as if the beast thrown off its Christian shell. To this paganism ap-
had received a deadly wound ; for in the last stages of plies the proverb : "The dog is turned to his own vomit
the old Roman empire, and in the formative epoch of again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing
the new states, the beast apparently passed into the in the mire." And "the latter end is worse with them
woman,  through the formal  ,reception  of Christianity than the beginning. For it had been better for them
by  the ruling powers. The beast then . . . " was not         not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after
and yet was ; "for the deadly wound was presently they have known it, to turn from the holy command-
healed; the old spirit of contrariety to the mind of ment delivered unto them."                 Forsooth, their is an
God, and conformity to the flesh and the world, soon organical development of sin. The world will con-
returned though under another form, and as a kind of tinue to increase in wickedness, and will indeed arrive
Christianized paganism. Nay; and to mark the char- at the end of its career ripe for judginent.
acter of this modern heathenism, its more subtile,               How  does Dr. Craig imagine the future? We
demon-possessed, artfully contrived nature, the beast quote: "We cannot but think that they under-estimate
is said to come now, not as formerly from the sea but the resources of Christianity and that despite wide-

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

spread desertion and open rebellion it will yet make                 If it were true that men repudiate Christianity be-
good its right to determine the culture and civilization cause they think it false, would it not follow that the
of the future. At ths same time it would be to mini- mere remova of the intellectual objections to Chris-
mize unduly the strength of the enemy to suppose that tianity would make a man a Christian?
Christianity will be able not only to regain the ground              The big task the doctor held before his audience,
alreaay lost, but to go forward to larger victories               receives a statement in the following selection: "The
except at great cost and sacrifice."                              task of convincing our modern age that it has been
       History then will repeat itself. The leadership of premature in assuming that Christianity is false may,
the world will again pass into the hands of Christian- therefore, not be shirked. Nothing is more needed to-
ity. Civilization will again rest upon and be pervaded day than men with sufficient breadth of knowledge and
by fundamentally Christian conceptions. The culture power of thought to make clear to reasonable and rea-
of the world will again be dominated by Christianity. soning men that the Christian world and life view is
The beast will again crawl back into his Christian shell the only tenable one. No greater responsibility rests
s.nd drop for a season his appearance of hostility to on Christian colleges and  seminaries  than the produc-
the kingdom of God.                                               tion of men capable of doing this. We believe it can
       The question arises: what are the grounds upon be done, and we count it one of the chief glories of
which this prediction reposes ? We again quote : "I am Calvin. College and Semina.ry that they have played so
confident that Jesus Christ being what He is, the                 conspicuous a part in recent years in showing that it
Saviour of the world and the Lord and Life of human-              can be done by actually doing it."
ity, He will make His cause to ultimately triumph so                 Will life bear out the statement that a sinner will
that the kingdoms of this world will become the king- not turn unto the Lord until it has been made very
dom of our God and His Christ."                                   plain to him that the Christian religion involves him
       It is certain that Christ will make His cause to           in no intellectual difficulties whatever?
ultimately triumph, but is this triumph to consist in
another Christianized paganism among a race of men                                                                G. M. 0.
that has recently declared itself to be done with Chris-
tianity  ? Is this to be the desired  consumation?  So
the text of the oration seems to declare.
       The doct.or continues : "In the second pla'ce it should                            IN MEMORIAM
not be overlooked that the attack that is being made on              Na enkele dagen van lijden, behaagde het den Heere, uit ens
Christianity~is fundamentally an intellectual attack and midden  weg te nemen, den llden Juui, onzen  geliefden Echtge-
that as such it can be met and overcome only with in- noot en Broeder,
tellectual weapons. We are the advocates of a Chris-                                    MXINDERT  STOUWIE,
tian culture and civilization because we believe Chris- in den ouderdom van 50 jaren en ruim 10 maanden.
tianity to be true ; others are the advocates of a non-              Geve de Heere ons genade, dat wij getuigen mogen: "Wat
Christian type of culture and civilization because they
                            ~~.-~                                 Gij doet, Heere, is  welgedaan."                       _ .  .-
believe Christianity to be false. The basic reason for               Namens de broeder, zuster en weduwe,
the present-day deflection from Christianity, especially                                                  Mrs. M. Stouwie
in college and university circles, is that on more or less           Oskaloosa, Iowa
solid grounds men have been led to believe that Chris-
tianity is false. I do not mean to imply that most of
those who have rejected Christianity have deliberately
examined the evidence for and against its truthfulness.                             THE GLORY BEYOND
Few have done anything of the sort. The explanation                         0 how beautiful that region,
of their rejection of, or at least indifference to, Chris-                  And how fair that heavenly legion,
tianity lies rather in the intellectual atmosphere in                          Where thus men and angels blend !
which they live  - an atmosphere that is hostile to                         Glorious will that city be,
Christianity. This atmosphere itself, however, is a                         Full of deep tranquillity,
product of those who have consciously rejected Chris-                          Light and peace from end to end.
tianity, so that indirectly if not directly the inteliectuai                All the happy  dwelIers there
element is always present."                                                    Shine in robes of purity,
       Can it be that the deep reason for the present-day                      Keep the law of charity,
deflection from Christianity is that men have been led                         Round in firmest unity.
to believe that Christianity is false or do men declare                     Labor finds them not, nor care ;
Christianity to be false because they have deflected                        Ignorance can ne'er perplex,
from it? The latter, it is certain. The natural man                         Nothing tempt them, nothing vex:
insists on walking after his own lusts. Therefore he                        Joy and health their fadeless  blessing,
scoffs and says in his heart that there is no God.                          Always all good things possessing.


                           A   R E F O R M E D   S E M I - M O N T H L Y   M A G A Z I N E
                      PWLISHED   BY   THE   REFORMED   FREE   PURLISRING   ASSOCLATION.   GRAND   RAPIDS,   MICHIGAN





                                         Entered   as  second  class  mail   matter   at  Grand   Rapids.  Mich.


Vol. VII, No. 20                                               JULY 15, 1931                                        Subscription Price, $2.50

                                                                              TIis promise? Where, then, thus these mockers tantal-
         M E D I T A T I O N                                                  ize, where is the promise of His coming? Is there even
                                                                              a sign, that the promise will ever be realized? Do not
                                                                              all things remain as they were from the very begin-
                                                                              ning ? Have not all things remained unchanged ? Vain
            LONGSUFFERING OVER US                                             hope! . . . .
                      The Lord is not slack concerning his                            Thus they mock!
                    promise, as some men count slackness; but                         And God's people often take it to heart! . . . .
                    is longsuffering to usward, not willing that                      Not, indeed, as if they should fail to put their trust
                    any should perish, but that all should come               in that promise. The Lord is true and faithful. The
                    to repentance. - II Pet. 3:9.                             promise is not the word of man, whose breath is in his
   Where is the promise of His coming?                                        nostrils, but the sure Word of Jehovah concerning the
   Scoffers, walking after their own lusts, mockingly glory He has in store, according to His everlasting
cast the question into the teeth of God's people!                             counsel, for those that love Him. And He is the Amen.
   They look not for the promise.                                             And as He is, so is also His promise, faithful and with-
   Loving the present world, walking after the lusts of out repentance.
the flesh in the darkness of covetousness, their hope is                              But is not the Lord slack concerning His  prom-
not, cannot be  fixed  with longing upon the moment of ise?
final deliverance, when the Lord shall come to avenge                                 Does He not give the enemy reason to mock and to
His people and justify His cause in the sight of all the cast the slander of their wicked unbelief into the teeth
world! . . . .                                                                of the people of God?  '              -
   And not longing for the hope of His coming they                                    Does He not delay the final realization of His King-
cannot tolerate the testimony of the Church, witness- dom ?
ing of the hope that is in them as they look for the                                  God's people long for the coming of the Lord. It is
final salvation and for the grace that is to be revealed their final, it is their only hope. True, there may be,
unto them in the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ there are periods in the history of the Church, when
in glory. And they wickedly contradict the testimony even in her the light of that hope appears to be dying
of believers, trying to deprive them of the joy of their out. The things of this world then have a mighty hold
hope and to silence its voice forever! . . . .                                on them. Their spiritual life is waning and pining.
   Wizere  is the promise of His coming? Is not that Their faith is not strong; their life is no testimony of
promise as old as the ages of history? Have not the the love of  Christ;  their distinctive character as a
saints from the beginning witnessed of that hope? peculiar people of God, a chosen generation, a royal
Did  r$~y not, for the hope that was in them forsake the                      priesthood, a people that is called out of darkness into
world and count the reproach of Christ greater riches God's marvelous light in order that they might shew
than ah the pleasures and treasures and favors and forth His praises, disappears ; the spirit of this world
glories of Egypt? Did they not, with their eye on that dominates in the Church and the children of light
hope, prefer to suffer with the people that were par- appear to have made common cause with the children
takers of the same hope with them ; did they not suffer of darkness. And learning to love the things of this
s!lame and mockery ; were they not deprived of all their present world their hope of things to come appears a
earthly goods ; were they not chased over the earth,                          lifeless thing, a dead dogma, a creed without faith. . . .
cast into prisons and dungeons, put to death with cruel                               Yet, this cannot last!
tortures, because they tenaciously clung to the hope of                               For a time they may seem overcome by the spirit
                                                                              I .-


358                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                             -.

of this world, they have been begotten again through Lord tolerate the wickedness `of the ungodly and their
the resurrection of the Lord from the dead, and the persecution of the righteous? . . . .
life they have received must assert itself anew, till           We would make an end of things  and cause right-
their longings and aspirations have once more become eousness and justice to appear gloriousIy  over all the
divorced from the things of the world and again they workers of iniquity ; how, then, can the Lord abide in
profess in word and deed, that they are strangers in the silence on the throne of His glory in heaven? . . . .
earth and seekers after the city that hath foundations,         The Lord is longsuffering over us !
whose builder and artificer  is God. And so they live in        He is not slack concerning His promise. If you
hope. The promise of His coming is the joy of their count His forbearing to realize His promise immedi-
life. Here they must suffer. In the world they must ately slackness, you do not understand Him and you
have tribulation, for striving for the faith of the gospel ascribe to Him what is unworthy of His name !
they must needs provoke the fury of the adversary.              There is another reason, why He does not inaugu-
But when the promise of His coming shall be realized, rate the final realization of His Kingdom and eternal
they shall have the victory ! No more battle, no more covenant at once ; He is longsuffering over us !
suffering, but the full glory of God's eternal Kingdom          Do not miss the meaning of these words. He is
and covenant, the  inherita,nce  incorruptible, undefiled longsuffering over  us, over His people, over them that
and that never fades away ! . . . .                          look for the hope of His coming, over His eternally
   The promise of His coming!                                beloved Church. To read this as if the text spoke of
   But is not the Lord  sIack concerning that promise? a longsuffering of the Most High over the wicked, is
   Is it not true, as the mocking enemy emphasizes,          to change the Word of God, is to deprive these words of
that this promise was given from the beginning of his-       their precious comfort for the waiting and hoping
tory  ? Was it not given in Paradise, did not all the people of God ; it is to cast the bread of the children
saints of the old dispensation possess it, was it not before the dogs and let the  littie ones go hungry. Not
renewed when the Lord first came, suffered, died, arose, over the wicked, not over the  scofling enemy the Lord
entered into glory, shed forth His Spirit upon the is  longsuffering,  but over His children. His forbear-
Church? Has not the Church ever since looked for that ance is over the wicked, meaning that He would strike
blessed promise ? . . . .                                    them down into perdition immediately, were it not for
       Can it be gainsaid that for the hope of that promise His unchangeable purpose to realize all His counsel.
the people of God have suffered innumerable re- But His longsuffering is over His beloved people. Thus
proaches ? . . . .                                           it is according to these words of Peter: the Lord is
   And how can it be denied that things remain as            longsuffering  over us. Thus it is in the conclusion of
they are from the creation of the world on'?                 the parable of the unrighteous judge: and shall not
   Is the Lord slack concerning His promise ?                God avenge His own elect, which day and night cry
   Where,  o where is the promise of His coming?             unto Him, though He bear long with them, be long-
                                                             suffering over them ?
                                                                Longsuff ering over us !
                                                               --Precious  word of blessed comfort ! .
   Behold, I come quickly !                                     For it implies, first of all, that the Almighty, Triune
   Over against the anxious query of His people, Covenant God remembers His people constantly in ever-
counting it slackness when the promise is not yet real- lasting, unchangeable, unfathomable love. He forgets
ized, the Lord assures them, that He hastens His them not for a moment. A mother may forget her
coming !                                                     sucking babe; though she may forget, the Lord never
   He is not slack concerning the promise, even though forgets His beloved. They are dear to Him; they have
to our impatience the time may seem long.                    a constant place in His heart ; He has engraven  them in
   Especially in times of suffering and persecution, both the palms of His hands . . . .
when the deviI goeth about Iike a roaring lion, when            It implies, secondly, that because of this everlast-
all the fury of the powers of darkness is let loose upon ing love He is concerned about them as they are in the
the Church ; in times when the ungodly mockers pros- midst of the world. He is not indifferent about their
per and their eyes stand out with fatness, while the         suffering  and distress, but keenly sensitive with respect
punishment of the righteous is there every morning; in to all their  afflictions.  They that touch His people
times, when the righteous are in distress and tribula- touch the apple of His eye ! . . . .
tion and pressed from every side, so that they cry out:         And so it cannot be counted slackness, if He does
how long, o Lord? and no answer comes from heaven, not immediately deliver them out of all their troubles
and the Lord seems not to care, and all things remain and realize the promise of His coming and the final
as they were from the beginning,  - especially in such glory of His kingdom. In His everlasting love He longs
periods it may appear to us, as if the Lord is slack con-    to save them to the full and would avenge them
cerning His promise . . . .                                  quickly! . . . .
   We would forbear no longer; how, then, can the               He is, however, longsuffering over them !


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            459

    As the husbandman longs to gather the precious is given as a reason why the Lord abides and does not
fruit into the barn and would do so immediately, but is immediately fulfil the promise of His coming. He wills
longsuffering over it till the proper time of the harvest  ; that all shall first come to repentance. He wills not
so the Lord would gather His people into His everlast- that any should perish. Till all shall have been saved
ing home and make them partakers of the final glory He will not come again. But never would He come
of His Kingdom without delay, were it not, that the          again if His glorious revelation must wait for the sal-
harvest must be ripe, that all His good counsel must vation of all men without exception !
first be fulfilled . . . .                                      All, however, must come to repentance!
    Humanly speaking, for the very term  longsuffering          All, that is, whom the Lord loved in everlasting
is human, the Lord restrains the promptings of His love and sovereign grace and ordained unto eternal
love, till the hour of deliverance has fully come.           glory, predestinated to be made like unto the image of
    Till then the promise of His coming must wait for His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! For such is the will
its realization.                                             of the Father, Who chose them and predestinated them
    Neither is He slack in bringing about that proper and gave them to Christ, that of all these He should
hour.                                                        lose none, but should save them all and raise them in
    In His longsuffering over His' people He hastens to glory at the last day. And such is the will of our
their deliverance.                                           blessed Saviour, Who received His own from the
    Behold, I come quickly !                                 Father and shed His lifeblood for them on the accursed
    Yea, come Lord !                                         tree to redeem them  from.  the guilt and power of sin.
                                                             And such is the will of the Spirit of grace, Who is
                                                             given unto them, that He might make them partakers
                                                             of all the blessings of salvation in Christ Jesus !
   The promise of His coming !                                  Not one of them may perish, can perish, shall ever
   Blessed promise ! Rich in assurance of unspeakable perish !
glory !                                                         For they are not an arbitrary number of individual
    Certain of its  fulfllment, as all the promises of God believers, without unity of thought and divine plan.
are in Christ yea, and in Him Amen !                         They constitute one whole !
   Hastening, always hastening on, thruout the ages             They are the one flock of the Good Shepherd. They
of history, toward its  final and complete realization in constitute the one glorious body of the Lord Jesus
the day of Christ!                                           Christ, in the whole of which the glory of the riches
   Drawing nearer, always nearer, as the years roll by, of God's grace must shine forth forever, each indi-
in all the events of history, in the fulfiling  of the full vidual member of which must serve his own purpose
measure of iniquity by its workers and in the con- in his own, divinely ordained place in the body, to add
tinual ingathering of the elect, till the Body of Christ,    to the Iustre of that gIorious  grace. They are a holy
in which His fulness must dwell and His riches be dis- temple in the Lord, God's  dwellingplace,  and every in-
played forever, shall be complete . . . .                    dividual stone is necessary, according to God's ever-
   Then .the day shall have arrived !                        lasting counsel, to complete the beauty of *the whole . . .
   Then, when all the chosen of God shall have been             Hence, God wills not that any should perish, but
born, shall have come to repentance, shall have served       that all come to repentance !
the purpose of God's counsel, then the exact hour shall         "And He is longsuffering over us !
have struck for the realization of the promise of His           Oh, never count it slackness of the Lord, if it should
coming. Not before. Then without delay.                      seem as if He is long in coming !
   For God is not slack concerning His promise.                 He is hastening on through the ages to reach the
   But He is longsuffering as the husbandman over the consummation of His blessed counsel.
fruit over the land. And, therefore, He wills not that          He abides to save us all!
any should perish, but that all should come to repent-                                                        H. H.
ance !
   All ! Every last one ! Not one may be missing in
that day!
   How foolish, how utterly contrary to the meaning
of the text, how absolutely impossible is the inter-                     Zielevreugd en boezemprangen
pretation that would make this all inclusive of every                      Wisslen ieder oogenblik :
man in the  universalistic  sense of the world! Foolish,                 `k Voel een ongestild  verIangen
because it is contrary to the  pIain  teaching of the                      Tot mijn allerjongsten snik.
`Word of God. Contrary to the evident meaning of the                     Maar de Hoop vervult de zoomen
text, because the Lord is not longsuffering over all but                   Van des werelds nachtgordi jn :
over us, the people of His free and sovereign love, and                  Jezus komt eens  - en volkomen
all is as comprehensive as  US. `Impossible, because it                    Zal -dan mijn verlossing  zijn!

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

                                                               And the modern world, outside of Russia warns
              E D I T O R I A L S                           against the antireligious spirit of Soviet Russia! It is
                                                            afraid of Bolshevism.
                                                               But, in the meantime, is not modernism inculcating
                                                            the very same spirit that has declared war upon God
  THE MILITANT GODLESS OF COMMUNISTIC                       in Russia?
                                                               No, I am not particularly referring to the Society
                RUSSIA AND MODERNISM                        of Atheists in our own country. I do not deem its pro-
                                                            paganda of direct antagonism against belief in God the
       All the world appears to stand aghast at the atroci- most pernicious. But what is the teaching of our
ties committed against faiths of every denomination in modern schools, colleges and universities ? What is the
communistic Russia.                                         message that is delivered from the modern pulpit, by
       And well it may.                                     men that pretend to be ministers of the Word of God
       Russia brings into practice the principle that `is unto the flock of Jesus Christ? What has been done
expressed in the phrase of  Marxian  origin: "religion is with the Holy Scriptures ? They have been discredited
the opiate of the people."                                  long ago and men of science (and who dares to remain
       Why not deliver the people, then, from the stupi- erect when the trumpet calls us to bow down before
fying effect of that opiate?                                its god?) have assured the masses that it is no more
       We are told that all the powers of the Russian the authoritative Word of God than any other book.
Government are bent upon extinguishing the light of What has been done with the truth of creation? It has
all religion and of obliterating the last traces of it in been substituted by the hypothesis of evolution, a mere
the minds and hearts of the Russian people. It has philosophy of man. What has become of Jesus Christ,
declared war upon God !                                     the Saviour of His people, Who shed His lifeblood for
       There exists in Russia an organization that calls our sins, Who arose for our justification, Who ascended
itself "The Society of the Militant Godless" whose aim into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God; Who
is solely to make propaganda against the knowledge of will come again on the clouds of heaven to judge the
and faith in God, and to direct the persecution against quick and the dead? He has been transmuted by these
the professing believers. It is said to have a member- modern wise men, before whom the masses bow in
ship of three and a half million. It floods the country fear, into the good man of Galilee, a great teacher, a
with literature of an Anti-Christian character, adapted worthy example, a martyr for his cause, into anything
to the needs of all classes of people. It attempts to but the Saviour of men! The virgin-birth is denied, the
counteract religious services and festivals by the pro- atonement is called  blood-t.heology,  the resurrection is
motion of counter-programs. Religious rites and cere- spiritualized into thin air, the doctrine of the second
monies are ridiculed and carricatured  in a manner that coming is changed into that of man's improvement of
is most repulsive. The faithful are persecuted. And the modern world.
into millions upon millions of the coming generation a         War upon God? In Russia, you say ?
deep-seated and radical hatred of all religion is incul-       0, thou hypocrite !      -
cated.                                                         Why look right through the beam in thine own eye
       Surely, conditions in Soviet Russia are terrible.    to pick out the mote that is in thy brother's eye?
       Well may the world stand aghast !                       You look with horror at conditions in Russia? And
                                                            you disdain the man that sells Bolshevistic  propaganda
                                                            on the streets of your cities? You tremble at the
                                                            thought that the spirit of Russia will invade our own
       In the meantime, let us not forget, that the very country and you stand aghast at the antireligious
world that expresses its horror at this war against God, spirit and its work in the far-away land of Sovietism?
the world of modernism, commits the very same evil.            You do well.
       Surely, Communism and Atheism are principally           But know, too, that modernism and atheism do not
akin.                                                       really differ; that the wise man of this age may take
       Ni Dieu, ni maitre ! is its slogan ; no God, no      away the God of Scripture and reject the foolishness of
master !                                                    the cross ; but that before long the masses will also
       It was the slogan of the French Revolution, usually attack the idol they themselves attempt to substitute
glorified in this country ; it is the slogan no doubt, of for this God of His Word and will demolish it !
the Russian communists, not principally differing from          Our modern critics of the Bible are they who in-
the French Encyclopedists,  yet usually condemned by troduce Bolshevism in our land!
the modern world and accused of atheistic radicalism.                                                      H. H.
       Communism breeds atheism.
       And, still more correctly, atheism gives rise to         "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away
Communism.                                                  their cords from us."


 `266                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   *

                                                                There should be no misunderstanding respecting
                        PENIEL                              the nature of the striving to which Jacob was called.
    Having sent over the brook Kedron all that he had, The striving had to be spiritual ; the weapons used,
Jacob was left alone. "And there wrestled a man with supplication and prayer; the two contestants, Jacob
him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw and Jehovah ; the good to be gained, the blessings of
that he prevailed not against him, he touched the           the covenant, salvation, yea, Jehovah Himself. It was
hollow of his thigh ; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh       to be a struggle having as its basis the promise of God:
was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he           the greater shall serve the lesser - a struggle to be
 said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said,        carried on with increasing spiritual vigor as from the
1 will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he point of view of nature it would seem that the desired
said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. good was impossible of attainment.
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob,            A sinful man wrestles with Jehovah for the
but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God        heavenly gift when he confesses that, being an  ill-
and with men, and hast prevailed . . . . "                  deserving and condemnable sinner, he, by the right-
    So reads in part the sacred record of that event in eous judgments of God deserves temporal and eternal
Jacob's life of the greatest significance.                  punishment; that, because of his sins, he is not worthy
    Who was this man who so suddenly and with such          of the least of God's mercies and of all the truth shown
alarming firmness threw himself on this lone monad? him. A man wrestles with Jehovah when as a broken-
That he was no ordinary mortal is evident enough.           hearted sinner emboldened by a gracious promise he
What man with a single touch can dislocate the              besieges the throne of grace for the eternal inheritance
joints -of his adversary. Who has power to bless?           that issues from a divine sovereign mercy.
Forsooth, Jacob was face to face with God. But it was           A man strives with his fellow men, with the world,
not until he had received in his body the mark of God's when by the light he emits, he testifies against their
infinite power, that he knew.                               sin and calls them to the service of God. The perfect
    What may have the rea.son  for this assault? It is striver with God and with men was Christ Jesus. How-
certain that at Peniel Jacob learned the lesson .of his     ever, Himself without sin, His strivings, His prayers,
life. For the first time in his career he  was aware        His supplications, were those of the sinless man, who
that his wrestlings had been not with  fle& and blood,      could take His stand on His own perfect obedience and
but with Jehovah, that to have power tith  God one will that He and those given Him be glorified. How as
must weep and make supplications.                           the perfect One with a perfect trust and devotion, He
    The name Jacob means supplanter. The giving of wrestled with God in behalf of Himself and His people!
this, name to Jacob signified that he was to do what        *`Father, the hour is come, glorify thy son, that thy
this name expressed, to wit, supplant his brother who son may also glorify thee . . . . I have ,glorified  thee
by reason of his birth-he was the first-born-occupied on the earth. I have finished the work which thou
a place that involved him in certain rights, the right gavest me to do. And now, Father, glorify thou me
to the headship  over the brothers of the tribe, the right with thine own self with the glory which I had with
to a double portion of the inheritance of his father,       thee before the world was . . . . I pray not for the
the right to the priesthood and in the house of Abra-       world, but for them which thou hast given me; for
ham the right to the blessing of the promise which they are thine . . . . And now I am no more in the
included the possession of Canaan and the covenant          world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.
fellowship with Jehovah, and still more the progenitor-     Holy Father, keep through  .thine own name those
ship of him in whom all the families of the earth were whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we."
to be blessed. Jacob had been selected-for and assigned        How in the anguish of His soul He could supplicate
to this place ; that the purpose of God according to        as when in the garden He prayed, Father, if thou be
election might stand. For this place he had to strive willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my
with the Lord, prevail and thus supplant his brother, will, but thine be done.
the first-born child. Even in the womb he had strug-           How He trusted in God: "Thinkest thou," He said
gled with Esau and at birth had been made to cat&           to Peter, who had unsheathed his sword in behalf of
hold of his heel that the parents might know who the        his master and who in his blind fury had hewn off the
lesser was by whom the greater was to be displaced.         ear of the servant, "Thinkest  thou that I cannot now
    Contrary to the current view then, the name Jacob pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more
was indeed an honorary title. This is evident from than twelve legions of angels?" When was He ever
the following scripture : "And they shall spring up as known to meet violence with violence? Though reviled,
among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One       Be reviled not again ; though He suffered, He
shall say, I am the Lord's ; and another shall call him-    threatened not; but committed Himself to Hii that
self by the name of Jacob ; and another shall subscribe judgeth righteously . . . ."
with his  hanii unto the Lord, and surname himself by          How, finally, He strove with His brethren accord-
the name of Israel."                                        ing to the flesh by His light He let shine, by His faith-


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      467

ful witness.. How persistently and with what great for like the wares of the trader in the market. Taking
courage He exposed and denounced the wanton ungod- advantage of Esau's profane indifference to things
liness of depraved man. For this He was hated and          holy, he bought the things of the Spirit for a pot of
crucified. But He prevailed with God and with man:         food.
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and              ,Some years later Isaac ordered his favored son to
given him a name which is above every name ; that at prepare him savoury meat that his soul might bless
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in him before he die. Again it was Jacob's calling to
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the strive with his father, to rehearse in his hearing the
earth ; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus    speech of God: "the greater shall serve the lesser," to
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."            rebuke him for his carnal obstinacy, and for the re-
   Because He strove and prevailed, every saint in mainder to commit his case to the Lord in the firm
principle is a striver with God and man. The stage of conviction that somehow He would bring to pass the
action the Lord sets for him is essentially identical to thing that he had purposed. However, instead of
that of Jacob. Consider that the earth is and always fighting the good fight, Jacob passed through a thicket
has been in the actual possession of the Esaus, the        of lies and deceit to frustrate his father's designs and
men of violence. But the earth the faithful shall in- to gain the coveted rights.
herit; for, being meek, they hope to the end for the          In Haran it was his lot to live under the same roof,
grace that is to be brought unto them at the revelation so to say, with the crafty, unscrupulous Laban. Once
of Jesus Christ and as faithful servants of the Most more the opportunity for a spiritual struggle, this time
High war the warfare of Jehovah with weapons that with  Laban, presented itself to him. He passed it by,
are spiritual.                                             however; and again began to live by his guile. Laban
   Of Christ, the perfect striver, Jacob was but a was paid in his own coin, outwitted, overreached, by
type with all the imperfections characteristic of the his crafty nephew who  fma.lly stole away out of Haran
type. Especially during that period of his career pre- like a thief in the night with a substance he imagined
ceding the ,wrestling on the bank of the Jabbok his he had gained. by his skill in dealing with men.
essentially holy striving was so mixed with the issues        Jacob had arrived with his caravan at the borders
of the flesh that it appears in Scripture as predomi- of Canaan. He was afraid; for in that land dwelt the
nantly carnal.    Esau, being the fist-born, had the brother whom he had so sorely provoked. Instead of
preference. Being profane, he despised his birthright bewailing his sins before the Lord, and besieging the
- its internal privileges: the covenant fellowship of throne of mercy for the land from which he had been
Jehovah, and the progenitorship of the Christ. The e-xpelled  ; instead of retreating under the shadow of
external rights of his birth - the lordship over his His wings, and from this place of safety and spiritual
brethren and the fatness of the earth, he prized and recuperation venture forth to engage with Esau in a
firmly resolved to procure. On the day when he came spiritual struggle by first admitting to him that he
home from the hunt so faint that he felt as if he was      had dealt treacherously with him in the past and by
about to die, he sold his rights. With his hunger thereupon directing to him the kind of speech he
appeased, however, his carnal lust for authority and       ought to have heard, Jacob sallies forth to gain from
for corn and wine again asserted itself.                   Esau the land of promise again by his wits.
   This profane, brutish man is the brother of Jacob,         When it was told him that Esau was advancing
to whom by dint of election all the rights of the first- with four hundred men, Jacob was at his wits' end.
born belong. With this brother of his, Jacob is called As far as can be known he for the first time in his life
upon to strive, to contend, to engage in spiritual war- prostrated himself at the Lord's feet to bewail his
fare. If true to his calling, he will rise to the defense sins and to plead  for his protection. He did so, how-
of the covenant his  `rother holds in derision, contend ever, not until after he had sent away his servants
for the truth his brother's despises, rebuke his with the droves.
brother's profanity, sound in his ears the warning that       Looking back upon his career as a spiritual warrior,
unless he repents he will come to eternal grief, and it is evident that many times he had been off duty.
call him to repentance. True to his calling, he will       His failings were many and grave. Often he had car-
look away from self and lay hold on Jehovah not to         ried on more like a child of nature than like a child of
leave Him go until He bless him.                           grace. Instead of bringing into submission his crafty
    So striving, Jacob will be true to his name and dis- nature, he, as was said, had lived by his wits. Instead
place Esau ; for he was a reprobate, one of the violent of curbing the evil tendencies of his heart to take
of the earth against whom the Lord hath indignation. matters in his own hand, and thus out of the hand
    However, though as to the heart of his dispositions of the Lord, he had given these tendencies the reins
a believer, Jacob's striving was that of a man over- and permitted them to gallop forth into deceitful and
ruled by the flesh. Instead of holding the birthright crafty conduct. Instead of trusting in the Lord, to
sacred, a good to be gained by prayer, he seems to fulfrl His promise, he had trusted to much in his own
have regarded it as something that could be bargained ingenuity to maintain himself over against those who

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

had sought his ruin. In all likelihood, he had left              Jacob's senseless wrestling rises in his mind as the
Haran  priding himself on his ability to overreach those prolongation of what all his life he had been doing,
who would overreach him. This then was his sin: his          namely, snatching by guile and deceit the good things
failure to leave matters to the Lord; his carnal reliance    of God out of the hands of the violent; advancing
in and repeated falling back on his own craftiness in        against the world as it took on flesh and blood in men
the attempt to gain what had been promised.                  like Esau and Laban, - advancing against the world
       What Jacob seemed to have been unmindful of is        with such carnal weapons as fraud and cunning. The
that Esau and Laban and let us include Isaac, were           Lord, therefore, in brute strength -the representative
only so many instruments with which the Lord had             of the naked forces of Jacob's own nature: carnal,
supplied himself to test him, to try his faith, so that      cunning, tenacity, toughness, craft, quick presence of
he with whom Jacob in the last instance had had to do        mind - meets him on the bank of the Jabbok. And
and had attempted to outdo and to overcome was not Jacob again meets violence with violence, matches his
Esau or  Laban  but the Lord. What Jacob failed to           physical strength with that of his opponent, a strength
sense therefore was that his saviour was not his wits that stands for the fleshly weapons with which all his
but the Lord ; that the reason he had not been over- life he has armed himself in his striving for the rights
come laid not his ability to overreach his adversaries of the first-born. The carnal principle out of which
but the unwillingness of the Lord to crush him.              he had and was again about to act, now that he stood
    And now he has arrived at the borders of Canaan,         ready to cross Canaan's borders, was that the time had
an exile, who some twenty years ago had been com-            come for him to wrestle by his carnal skill the land of
pelled to flee from the results of his sin. He thought promise out of the hands of his brother. This land, so
to gain this land from which he had been ejected again       he thought, has been promised him by the Lord, who
by his wits. This the Lord could not permit. Jacob's means well enough, but stands helpless `over against
old confidence in self, a confidence already severely        the profane Esau, determined to keep him out of his
shaken by the report of Esau's advance, had first to heritage for ever. Hence, it is up to him to trick his
be broken down, old sins had first to be confessed, and brother by his guile into permitting him to proceed
a new reliance in divine power and mercy had flrst to and thus to help the Lord to make good His word.
be gendered in him, before the Lord could permit him According to Jacob's way of thinking then, there are
to proceed. Jacob had to enter Canaan with a lively          two lords with whom he has to do, God and Esau. God
sense of his own unworthiness, with his confidence in has been gained. Esau must still be pacified and thus
self destroyed, with his faith in God quickened, keenly the way' for him and his caravan cleared. God has
aware that to live is to cleave unto the Lord as the         been prevailed upon by prayer. Esau must be won by
rock of our salvation, and so humbled as to' be ready        gifts, by smooth speech, and by a show of humility.
to admit. that Canaan, that land where the Lord taber-           So then what Jacob must be made to see and to
nacles with his people, is a free gift of grace bestowed confess before he can pass on, is that he has to do with
upon an ill-deserving yet elect and purged sinner, in- the Lord only in that Esau is but a mere human, whose
stead of-a thing inherited-as the meed of man's own breath is in his nostrils, whose heart is in the hand of
prowess.                                                     the Almighty, a mere human, who lives and moves and
    It is night. Jacob is alone when suddenly he feels has his being in God. What Jacob must know is that
himself sieged by a grasp he at once recognizes as he who casts himself as an impediment upon his path
formidable.. In vain he attempts to shake off his            is not Esau but the Lord. What he must be made to
assailant. A strength-exacting struggle ensues. Jacob realize is that he who will gain by his wits, by the
strains himself to gain the ascendency. How quick his carnal forces of his flesh, what the Lord will bestow
gusts of vehement assault! Time and again he hurls as a gift of grace, comes to eternal grief; that the
himself upon his unknown contender with all the force saint who strives to gain the world by the skill of
that is his. A sigh of relief escapes his bosom when nature does foolishly in that the Lord reigneth and
in the course of the combat it seems to him the              therefore by Himself is able to save to the uttermost;
stranger shows signs of weakening. Once more he that the meek therefore, who pray and supplicate, pre-
gathers all his strength for one final assault when with     vail.
a swift and unsuspected movement the stranger strikes            So the Lord strips himself, so to say, for a contest
his thigh.     Its muscles instantaneously shrivel and and throws Himself upon Jacob in that same natural
Jacob with his arms about his assailant, hangs help- strength in which he all along had contended. Jacob
less.                                                        goes down in defeat with the muscle, upon which he
    All in a moment the full truth flashes upon Jacob's most depended, contracted. He knows now that he was
mind. He sees who it is with whom he has to do. Who          in the almighty grip of the Lord. He learns his lessons
but the Lord could lay him low with but a single touch ?     so that when the Lord, after having laid him low, would
HOW utterly vain his striving has been then. The very break his hold with a view to leaving him, he sobs, "I
strength he has spend in the attempt to gain the will not let thee go except thou bless me." The muscle
ascendency is His.                                           of Jacob's thigh has shriveled and with it his  self-


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       469

conceit, his pride, his self-reliance, his self-confidence glorious aspect of his spiritual wrestling with God,
and self-sufficiency.                                        namely, the prevailing.
   "And he said unto him, What is thy name?" This               The declaration, `*for as a prince hast thou wrestled
name declared what Jacob as to the heart of his dis-         with God and with men and hast prevailed" applies
positions was, a wrestler with God and men. It, this         surely not merely to the wrestling on the bank of the
name, signified the calling wherewith he was called, the Jabbok but to a much longer stretch of Jacob's life.
calling, namely, to supplant by a spiritual struggle his Jacob appears in Scripture as possessing the life of *
reprobated brother in the matter of the birthright.          regeneration long before this struggle. In distinction
So the question, What is thy name, was equal to the from Esau, he prized the rights of the first-born. All
question, Who art thou ; what is thy calling? And this during the period of his exile in Haran, he, despite his
contender replies, `Yes, Lord, my name is Jacob. Lord,       ugly traits, gave evidence of being a child of grace. If
I know I have been a discredit to my name; that I have every saint is in principle a spiritual wrestler, Jacob,
walked unworthy of the calling wherewith thou hast wrestled with God and with men already as a son in
called me, shirked my duty, carried on like a child of his father's house and later as an exile in Haran. As
nature, armed myself with the forces of the flesh to was said, his essentially holy striving was so mixed
war a carnal warfare. I know I supplanted my brother with the flesh that it assumed a carnal aspect. It was
by quile because I stood not in my faith that thou art on the bank of the Jabbok that he let go of self to
sovereign God and art therefore able to bring to pass        cling unreservedly to the Lord. And there the Lord
all that is in thine heart. Lord, I repent. Forgive me called him Israel.
according to the greatness of thy mercy and bless me            "And he said unto him, What is thy name? And
now.'                                                        he said, Jacob." This response to the Lord's question
                                                             implies a confession of sin. The Lord replied, not by
   And the Lord replied, "Thy name shall be called no unbraiding the contrite confessor, this He never does, I
more Jacob, but Israel: for thou hast striven with God but by giving him a name that betokened the spiritual
and with men and hast prevailed."                            achievement of the new man. The Lord then testified
   The Lord Himself, then, established the meaning that this praying and supplicating sinner found grace
of the name Jacob, when He said, For thou hast               in His sight. And this sinner is glad. A sweet peace
striven, so that it is certain that the name did             arising out of the consciousness that God is indeed his
service to signify not the carnal deceiver but the holy      Friend and Saviour fills his soul and will, so he feels,
contender in Jacob. By giving to the name the mean- keep henceforth his mind and heart.
ing of deceiver, the reply of the Lord is reduced to            Thoughts arise in his heart as he cleaves to his
something that approaches nonsense. "Thy name," we assailant whom he now to his great joy knows as his
should then have to read, "thy' name shall be called no      God: How can a vile sinner see God's face and live  -
more deceiver but Israel, that is, conqueror of God,         God's face, that Being of matchless purity and
for thou hast wrestled (properly, deceived, if we should     strictest righteousness, by no means clearing the
give to the name in question this other meaning) with
                                             .-.__-.   ~. guilty, yet longsuffering  a@ of great mercy,  forgivm---
God and with men and hast conquered."                        iniquity and transgression.    Let God tell him; tell
   How much better it is to read, `Thy name shall be him more of his wonderful and adorable Self. So he
called no more wrestler with but conquerer of God for        puts the question: "Tell me, I pray thee, thy name.
thou hast wrestled with God and with men and hast But the Lord replies: "Wherefore is it that thou dost
conquered. The correlative of conquerer is not deceiver ask after my name?" `Why wouldst thou have me lead
but wrestler.                                                thee deeper into the mystery of my Being and thus
    If this view of the matter is correct, the question into the mystery of thy redemption? Were I to do so,
arises how the loss of the name Jacob is to be explained.    thou wouldst not understand as yet, for thou art but a
Said the Lord, Thy name shall be no more Jacob.              child. Yet the time will come when thou wilt be made
Rightly considered this name was not dropped at all,         perfect and know as thou art known. Now it must be
but taken up as to what it expresses by the name             enough for thee to know that I am thy God forever.'
Israel. To conquer God is to wrestle with Him. The           And he blessed him there, and departed. Jacob, satis- :
latter activity may be said to reach its climax in the       fied and glad, is still filled with wonder. So he calls
former. How could any saint ever cease to be or to do the name of the place Peniel: "for," says he, "I have
what the name Jacob, correctly interpreted, expresses.       seen God face to face and my life is preserved."
The essence of the wrestling is a cleaving unto Him              "And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon
as the God of our salvation. This clinging unto the him . . . " the sun, that emblem of Jehovah's friendly
Almighty is an exercise with which the saint will never countenance, in whose light Jacob now shall walk. The
be done. Eternally will he be the prince, who has great truth, and God is the truth, arises in his heart and
power with God and prevails. By the might of his             dispels the darkness and the gloom. Jacob now walks
Saviour he is a wrestler-conquerer. As to Jacob, he          in the day.
will henceforth be known by a name expressive of the             "And he halted upon his thigh as he passed over

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

     Penuel" and thus on his body carried back to his com-              Ds. Vos schrijft: "Indien  de ontkenners van een
     pany the marks of his wrestling with God. He is                gemeene gratie deze beweging  hadden  begonnen, zou er
     a broken, humbled man, clinging to the Lord and all heil van te verwachten zijn ; maar nu staat het ding op
     the world can see it for he halts upon his thigh.              zijn kop." 4)
                                                                       Doch de ontkenners  van de g. g. beginnen  niet. En
                                                   G. M. 0.         nu anderen  we1 beginnen deugt het niet. 5) Waarom
.                                                                   niet de zaak bezien in het licht van de "constitution"
                                                                    van de C.L.A. ? Waarom de afzetting van de Prot.
                                                                    Ger. predikanten met de C.L.A. in  verband  gebracht?
                 WERELDSCHE VEREENIGINGEN                           De C.L.A. is niet verantwoordelijk  voor de fouten die
                          Critiek en Repliek                        de Chr. Ger. Kerk heeft gemaakt. Dt? C.L.A. heeft de
               THE CHRISTIAN LABOR ALLIANCE                         afzetting van de Prot. Ger. predikanten niet goedge-
                                                                    keurd, spreekt zich er hoegenaamd niet over uit, en
               Geachte Redakteur  :-                                laat zich met heel deze gemeene gratie kwestie niet
         Met belangstelling las ik het stuk van Ds. Vos  be-        in. 6)
     treff ende "Wereldsche Vereenigingen" in het nummer                Ds. Vos  gaat  we1 heel ver als hij schrijft: "de
     van 15 April.                                                  wereld-liefhebbers beginnen  een aparte organisatie."
         Hoewel instemmende met veel wat de broeder Dit houdt in dat mannen'  als Calvijn, Brakel, Hellen-
     schrijft, spijt het ons  tech dat Ds. Vos  zich uitliet over broek, Kuyper an anderen, omdat ze in de gemeene
     de nieuwe Christelijke Werklieden Vereeniging zooals gratie geloofden, liefhebbers der wereld  waren. Dat is
     hij deed, de zaak niet  juist voorstellende,  noch   konse-    al te kras, en wil er bij mij nog niet in. 7)
     kwent zijn eigen beginselen toepassende.                           Net spijt mij dat de C.L.A. de medewerking nog
         Onjuist is de.voorstelling  als h,ij schrijft: "Dat de     niet heeft (we  hopen van later wel) van  mannen als
     Chr. Ger. Kerken bezig  zijn om een Chr. Labor Alliance        Dss. Vos, Hoeksema en anderen. Indien de  leden  van
     in het leven te roepen of het schim ervan te doen her- de C.L.A. modernen  waren, dan zoudeq  we de houding
     rijzen. Hoe ter wereld kan die kerk daar nu mee be- van Ds. Vos kunnen verstaan. Maar nu niet; tenzij
     ginnen  ?"                                                     (we  hopen van niet) dat Ds. Vos behept is met een
         Feit is dat die kerk als kerk daar niet mee begint.        kerkelijk egoisme zooals helaas ook velen in de Chr.
     De C.L.A. is een niet-kerkelijke organisatie en behoort Ger. Kerk zich openbaren, maar niets schaadt de ge-
     zulks te zijn. Kerkelijk egoisme is ten strengste ver-         meente des Heeren meer, volgens mijn bescheiden  mee-
     boden in alle vergaderingen van de "local units" zoowel ning, dan deze verdeeldheid en uiteenrukking van de
     als in die van de "central beard." Zelfs de president van leden  der eene algemeene Christelijke Kerk in het  prak-
     de vereeniging is geen lid van de Chr. Ger. KFrk. Het-         tische leven. 8)
     zij dat Ds. Vos verkeerde  inlichting  ontving, of dat hij        Mogen we verwaehten dat Ds. Vos op deze zaak
     bevooroordeeld was, feit is dat zijn voorstelling onjuist terugkomt ?
     is. 1)                                                                                   --.--      Albert  Piersma   -
         Ten tweede spijt het ons dat een man als Ds. Vos
     in dit geval niet in beoefening heeft wat hij predikt.             Grand Rapids,  Mich., 6-l-31.
     Immers Ds. Vos gelooft dat een Christen geen lid mag
     zijn van een wereldsche "labor union." Nu zouden we                                    Repliek
     van Dss. Vos en Hoeksema en anderen, verwachten dat               Bij wijze van inleiding, vergun me om op te mer-
     ze een Christelijke werklieden vereeniging zouden ken, dat het schrijven van broeder Piersma  mij zeer
     steunen  met hun medewerking te geven inplaats van de welkom is. Welkom, allereerst, omrede hij vanuit  bet
     zaak in een bespottelijk daglicht te stellen. 2) Vooral kamp der Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken notitie
     omdat deze vereeniging tot grondslag heeft :                   nam van het feit, dat wij nog steeds den strijd strij-
         "De C.L.A. erkent God als souverein en Jezus  Chris- den tegen Moeder. We  stemmen  gereedelijk  toe,  dat
     tus als Heere in alle terreinen van het menschelijke de  breeder,  hoofdzakelijk de Christian Labor Alliance
     leven, en gelooft dat alle pogingen tot verbetering van verdedigt, tech meenen we een toonaard te beluisteren
     iqdustrieele  toestanden door Christelijke beginselen die een grieven vertolkt, vanwege de scherpe woorden
     moeten worden  beheerscht. Waar deze beginselen in             door ons geuit met betrekking tot de kerken waartoe
     de H.  Schrift  zijn gegrond, in de geopenbaarde wil ook hij behoort. Als dit zoo is, dan is het in hem te
     Gods, erkent de C.L.A. dit als haar grondslag."                prijzen. Eere wien eere toekomt. Zulks doet  behaag-
        Zou Ds. Vos niet kunnen instemmen met de inhoud lijk  aan.              `t Was te wenschen, dat de leiders uwer
     van dit artikel ? Is deszelfs inhoud niet Prot. Gerefor- kerken met zulk een gee&  bezield waren. Voor jaren
     meerd ? En is het tevens ook niet Christelijk Gerefor-         hebben onze vooraanstaande  mannen nu al gestreden,
     meerd ? We kunnen Ds. Vos verzekeren dat geen enkel geschreven en georeerd  en schier  alle krachten inge-
     artikel van onze grondwet van een algemeene genade spannen om uwe leiders te bewegen in eerlijken strijd
     rept. 3)                                                       de zwaarden te kruisen. En alles tevergeefs. Hunne

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

 dat het Evangelie aheen verkondigt, wat wij moeten
 doen, niet wat God doet. Het staat juist andersom.                WHY NOT COME OUT WITH THE TRUTH?
       Ook ben ik het niet eens met grond 5, als zou de            In his treatise on Infant Baptism, Dr. M. R. De
 prediking des Evangelies een bron zijn van zegeningen Haan  asserts that Reformed teachers theoretically
 voor degenen, die  zich verharden. Het is waar, dat zij,      deny baptismal regeneration. Good Reformed theo-
 die onder dat Evangelie verkeeren en  niet zalig  worden,     logians do indeed deny baptismal regeneration, both
 gaven des Heiligen Geestes, verlichting,  hemelsche           theoretically and practically. Though they do deny it,       *
 gaven, etc., smaken, naar Hebr. 6:4 V.V. Maar het is some Reformed  ( ?) theologians teach a view of baptism
 ook waar, dat diezelfde plaats leert, dat dit alles hun equally as undesirable. In  Dr, Beets'  Exposition,  of
 niet tot zegen, maar ten vloek is. Zij verwerpen, wat         Reformed Doctrine,  one may happen upon statements
 ze smaken en komen in een hopelooze toestand, zoodat such as these:
 ze nimmermeer tot bekeering kunnen komen.
       En eindelijk, om nu maar niet te spreken van de             "Children of believers are born in covenant rela-
 zoogenaamde voorbereidende genade, die  tech alleen tion. Baptism is for them a sign and a seal that God
 den verkorenen geldt, ben ik het nog minder eens met          is their God, and that to them belong the covenant
 grond `7, alsof de verkondiging- des Evangelies ten blessings, and also the covenant obligation to live as                           I
 zegen is voor de menschheid in bet algemeen, gods-            children of God.                                                  .
 dienst en zedelijkheid zou werken, de zonde tegen zou             "Baptism is not administered to us to convey any
 houden, bederf en-ellende zou stuiten, de  schuld  vermin-    special grace, or to declare that the individual infant
 deren. Dit is zeker niet in overeenstemming met Gods          is already born again. We do not know anything about
 Woord, hetwelk duidelijk leert, dat de  schuld dergenen,      the individual infant, whether it is one of God's elect
 die het Evangelie verwerpen verzwaard wordt en dat or not, whether it is born again or will later be born
 zij straks met  dubbeIe   slagen geslagen zullen  worden;     again, whether it will die young or live to old age.
 noch ook met de geschiedenis van Israel, die ons juist We are happy to know the child was born in a cover
 leert, dat er geen volk zoo goddeloos wordt, als het nant home, to which the covenant relation extends,
 volk, dat onder het Verbond verkeert in historischen We have every reason to expect and to hope that the
 zin en tech verworpen is ; noch  ook met de geschiede-        child will grow up a believer, for 2 has the promise of
 nis van het Christendom, die ons hetzelfde schouwspel         God's gra)ce which promise God usually fulfils  through
 biedt, als die van Israel ; noch ook met de ervaring.         a faithful covenant training" (Italics mine).
 De zonde mag een anderen vorm aannemen ;  zi j mag in             `What should his baptism mean for every youth?
 verfijnder  vorm  zich  aan ons voordoen, van  verbete-           "It should deeply impress him with his calling as
 ring of stuiting der zonde onder het Evangelie is geen        a covenant child. He must appreciate that the promises
sprake.                                                        of God's Word to His people have been confirmed to
       De aanhaling uit Calvijn is geheel  op mijne hand. him and that it is his solemn privilege and duty to
 Zij leert alleen, dat de prediker het Evangelie moet          ask the Lord for the  fulfilment  of these promises, that
 verkondigen, ook al weet  hij vooraf, dat het geen alge-      by the grace of God he may in his whole life behave as
 meen  aanbod van genade is van Godswege aan allen             a child of God . . . . but the covenant child must           :' 1 ~: :` :,
 menschen. Hij moet een reuke des doods ten doode,             show that he realizes there is a difference. God claims
 zoowel als een reuke des levens ten leven  willen zijn.       him and God makes this claim as a gracious Father,
 Dat Ds. R. deze aanhaling uit Calvijn doet, kan alleen        who will gladly give all that is needed to live a Chris-
 verklaard worden  uit het in het oogloopende feit, dat        tian life if it is sought in the way of faith."
 hij de kwestie niet verstaat.                                     We first of all take note of the fact that in the
       En hetzelfde is waar van de aanhaling uit de  belij-    above-cited selections the word  children appears as the
 denisschriften. Ds. R. kan  weten,  zal  we1 weten,  dat signification not of an elect race or family, but of
 wij die aanhalingen ook in onze brochure hebben. Daar every child baptized, head for head, reprobate and
 hebben we ze ook verklaard. En het zal hem tech we1           elect alike. This is evident enough from the follow-
 duidelijk zijn, dat onze belijdenisschriften nooit  spre-     ing : "We have every reason to expect and to hope
 ken van een algemeen aanbdd  van genade en zaligheid          that the child will grow up as a believer, for it had the
 aan alle menschen, welgemeend van Godswege.                   promise of God's grace,  which  promise God u&ally
       Dit laatste is en blijft Remonstrantsch.                julfils . . . .  "
       Genade is geen aanbod Gods, maar een kracht Gods            The implication is that God sometimes does not
 tot zaligheid.                                                fulfil the promise, namely, in the event the child bap-
       Maar Ds. R. heeft over de kwestie niet geschreven. tized is a non-elect. But what saith the apostle? "Not
 Hij wijdde zijn artikelen aan de stelling, dat het Evan-      as though the word of God hath taken none effect.. . "
gelie verkondigd moet  worden   aan  allen  zonder onder-          True, as constituting, together with the elect, the
scheid.                                                        one chosen race, the apostle says of the reprobate that
       En daarover bestaat onder ons geen verschil.            to them pertaineth the promise, and the adoption, and
                                                   H. Ii'.     the glory. Considered by themselves, however, they


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       379

have not the promise in that, though of Israel, they         ers like Dr. M. R. De Haan to prove that Baptism (the
are not Israel. Not having the promise, their perdition outward rite) does not save, that the promise  per-
does not involve God in an act of unfaithfulness, and        taineth to the elect seed only, and thus to render men
thus render His promise of non-effect.                       susceptible to his baptist view.
   Fact is then that only in the event the individual           Both Dr. Beets and Rev. H. J. Kuiper have in the
child baptized is an elect may it be said that it has        past deplored the fact that so many from Reformed
the promise, that God claims it as a gracious Father,        circles join themselves to the kind of brotherhood of
and that upon reaching the season of discretion will         which Dr. De  Haan is pastor. Let them consider that
receive all that is necessary to live a Christian life.      the reason lies with themselves. They do not come out
Whether the child is an elect can only by known from with the truth.
the fruit it bears in this season. The Canons of Dordt          As to the doctrine of infant baptism, it is indeed
do assert, as the writer whom we quote informs his           Scriptural.
readers, "that Godly parents have no reason to doubt            Said the Lord to Abraham, "Thou shalt keep my
the election and salvation of their children whom it         covenant therefore, thou and thy seed after thee in
pleaseth God to call out of this life in their infancy."     their generations. This is my covenant which ye shall
But what Dr. Beets failed to tell his readers is that        keep between me and you and thy seed after thee:
this assurance is purely subjective in that there is no      every man child among you shall be circumcised, and ye
word of God of which it can  catch hold.. He (the            shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin ; and it shall
doctor) even expostulates upon the matter at hand in         be a token of the covenant betwix me and you. And
such a way as to leave the impression that there is such he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among
a word. Attend to the following: "God's covenant is          you, every man child in your generation, he that is
not a mere form, it is a  sa,ving covenant, and God can      born in the house, or bought with money of any
give regeneration to a child equally as well as to an        stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in
adult. God has declared, He is the God of the covenant thy house and he that is bought with thy money, must
children  ; if He takes them away, we believe He takes needs be circumcised ; and my covenant shall be in your
them to Himself, not because they are without sin, but       flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircum-
in virtue of the covenant of grace."                         cised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not cir-
   True it is that if the child that dies in its infancy     cumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he
is saved, it has the promise ; it is regenerated; and        hath broken my covenant."
God declared that He is its God. But the point is that it       That the keeping of the covenant consisted in the
cannot be established on objective grounds whether the circumcising of every man child must have meant that
child is regenerated and thus saved. The assertion circumcision stood for, represented, or designated, the
that the child is saved because it was born in the cove- entire covenant with all its blessings and privileges.
nant, was baptized and is the offspring of believing         It directly signified regeneration. Says the apostle,
parents, is untrue. Wrote the apostle: "Neither be-          "He is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is
cause they are the seed of Abraham, are they all chil-       that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but
dren: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is         he is a Jew which is one inwardly ; and circumcision is
they which are the children of the flesh, these are not      that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
the children of God: but the children of the promise whose praise is not of man but of God." Then there is
are counted for the seed"  (Ram.  9  3, 8).                  also that text in Colossians (chap. 2 :ll) , "In whom
   We are aware that the writer of the above selection also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made
quoted the Canons of Dordt. Aside from how the partic-       without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of
ular article having a bearing on the matter at hand          the flesh by  the.circumcision  of Christ."
should be explained, fact is that the promise pertained         However, circumcision stood for more than regen-
to the elect seed only, so that the truthful answer to       erating; it stood for all that went along with the in-
the question whether the particular child (of believing ward circumcision of the heart, and all that this cir-
parents) who dies in its infancy is saved, should be         cumcision presupposed, to wit, the love of the Triune
that the Lord only knows.                                    Jehovah for His people; His drawing nigh unto them
   Some may say, that this view is hard, that it leaves      in the cross to save them from their sins and to render
the parent mourning the loss of an infant child, wholly them by grace His friends ; His lavishing upon them
without comfort. Onr reply is that this does not fol- the fulness that dwelleth in Christ; His taking them
low. The Lord has a balm for every wound that He             to Himself in His house to be unto them a close com-
inflicts. But the question first of all is not whether a     panion forever.
doctrine is hard, but whether it is true. Nothing is            Those are the matters which circumcision in the
gained and much is always lost by concealing the             last instance stood for. To this rite, so designed as to
truth. The dire results of keeping silence respecting depict the operations of the Spirit upon the sinful
the truth and of placing in the room of the truth, the       heart, the covenant together with all its blessings was
untruth, is seen on every hand. It is easy for preach- atied so that he, despising this rite, rejected the

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

entire covenant and all it stood for, to wit, the love and    and unto your children." `With you who cry out, and
friendship of the Triune Jehovah together with the            by your crying out give evidence of having been
sum total of blessings of the kingdom. To refuse to           brought under the regenerating influence of the Holy
perform this rite was equal to facing the Lord with           Spirit,  with you and your seed the `Lord made a cove-
the blasphemous speech : Thou, God, I reject ; Thy love,      nant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed forever.
as presented to me (not offered) in circumcision,  1          For ye are men of Israel, spiritual seed of Abraham.
spurn ; Thy claim upon me and my seed I challenge ;           Therefore repent, be baptzed, and receive the gift of
Thy grace, I despise ; Thy Heaven with all its bliss, I       the Spirit.' In substance the same speech was directed
loathe. Hence, he despising this rite, had to be cut          to Abraham. Said the Lord to Abraham, I am the
off from his people; for he broke, that is, despised, re-     Almighty God ; walk before me and be thou perfect.
jected the covenant.                                          Abraham fell on his face, in recognition of the fact
       On the other hand, because of the aforesaid con-       that the Lord can be a friend only to him who is per-
nection between the covenant and circumcision, the            fect. The covenant of grace demanded therefore a
Jew, who by faith excepted his circumcision, declared         Christ. It demanded the shedding of blood. The Lord
and confessed before the face of Jehovah: "Thou art           continues, aftnr  Abraham had fallen on his face, I will
my God, for thee my soul dost yearn ; make me pure            make my covenant between me and thee and thy seed
within that I may see thy face ; satisfy me with thy          after thee . . . Thereupon Abraham was ordered to
likeness and I shall be blessed."                             circumcise himself and the man child of eight days old
       This rite had to be performed upon the man child       among him, and every man child in his generation. . .
of eight days. Circumcised he carried upon his body           In view of this, how can the conviction be escaped that
the very token, sign, symbol, of the covenant and of the children of believing parents of that audience of
the love of the covenant God for His people, and was          Peter, were baptized along with those parents ? The
thus set apart, by this sign, from the world.                 promise pertaining to these parents was the same as
       If the covenant made with Abraham had to be in         the promise on the basis of which the man child of
the flesh of the man child of eight days, it  must follow     Abraham was circumcised: "I am thy God and the
that the church of the new dispensation is duty bound         God of thy seed" is a divine utterance directed to be-
to baptize infants of believing parents. For, the cove- lievers of. the new as well as to believers of the 016
nant made with Abram, our Baptists friends shall have         dispensation. What is more, the covenant was one,
to admit, was the eternal covenant of grace ; further,        and this covenant was  affixed  to essentially the same
baptism as well as circumcision is a sign or token of token.
this covenant. True, the command to baptize infants              If the above reasonings are valid - and they are
is wanting. Such a command, however, was not                  valid - the doctrine of infant baptism reposes on solid
needed; it was not needed because of the continuity of ground. For the utterance, The promise is unto thee
the church, and of the covenant. It was not needed            and unto thy children, was directed to New Testament
because baptism as well as circumcision is a token of         believers.
the one covenant.       Hence, what was needed is the            Once more, God's ways with Abraham show that
divine prohibition to baptize infants, were infant bap-       He establishes, makes, and confirms His covenant, not  -
tism in conflict with His will.                               with the individual as isolated from his house or
       That baptism is a sign of regeneration and thus a      family, but with the individual in conjunction with his
sign of the covenant as well as circumcision, the apostle     house, his generation. The token of the covenant had
makes plain in the chapter of his epistle to the  Colos-      to be in the flesh of every member of Abraham's
sians. The well known text reads: "Buried with him house. In the new dispensation it is no different. The
in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through Jailor was baptized, he and all his house straightway.
the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him           In fine, the above arguments cannot be overturned
from the dead." Once more we ask, if, in the Old Tes-         without overturning Scripture. Contrary to Scripture,
tament dispensation the token of the covenant had to          which declares in plain speech that circumcision was a
be in the flesh of the man child, how can it be that in       token of the covenant of grace, the Baptist separates
this day the token of this same covenant may not be           this token from the eternal covenant of grace and
on the forehead of infants of believing parents?              afllxes  it to the typical commonwealth of Israel ; that
       On the day of the outpouring of the Holy               is, he insists that circumcision had only a national
Spirit, Peter said to  th.e men of Israel, to the             significance.
men of Judah, to the people of the covenant, to the               For an adequate exposition of the doctrine of In-
spiritual seed of Abraham, that is, to those who had          fant Baptism, I refer our readers to a pamphlet on this
responded to Peter's sermon with, What must we do             doctrine now on the press and thus soon to appear, -
to be saved, - to this element Peter said, "Repent and        a pamphlet written by my coheague,  the Rev. H. Hoek-
be baptized, every one of you in the  name of Jesus           sema.
Christ, for the remission of sin, and ye shall receive                                                    G. M. 0.
the gift of the Spirit. For the promise is unto you


