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                                                             1924 and again in 1926, and we published a similar
                                                             notice in one of the first issues of our faithful Standard
                                                             Bearer.
                                                                Neither, let it be said in all humility, was this vow
                                                             on our part a mere empty and vain boast, as our subse-
 An Open Letter to the Synod of the                          quent history has abundantly shown. With unceasing
                                                             labor and untiring effort, laboring, I may boast,  some:
           Christian Reformed Church                         times wellnigh  night and day, we have tried to fulfil
         Reverend and Worthy Brethren :-                     our calling in this respect. Almost constantly you have
                                                             heard our pleading voice. In lectures and sermons, in
   Assuring you of my sincere interest in the well-          brochures and books, and, last but not least, in our
being of the Christian Reformed Churches, that is, in widely distributed and still more widely read Standard
their true and spiritual well-being, their growth in the     Bearer, we caused our pleading voice to ring in your
grace and knowledge of our` Lord Jesus Christ ; and          ears, hoping and praying meanwhile that the Lord
being myself assured that this interest is mutual and might cause our plea to ring through to your
that you, on your part, take a profound interest in my hearts.
labors and activities, which extend partly among your           Think not, reverend and worthy brethren, that our
sons and daughters ; I thought it but fitting at this        efforts and labors were inspired by personal malice and
time, as you are assembled in  Synodical  gathering, to envy. Neither must you imagine that we were moti-
extend to you my sincere greetings and, at the same          vated by the desire to build ourselves into a Church-
time, to address to your august assembly a word of organization of tolerably good size and large numbers.
sincere admonition and exhortation in the Lord. Gladly       Surely, I gladly confess that all our work is imperfect
would I appear in person before you to address you           and defiled `with  `sin, that carnal motives and desires
vz'va  VOC~, for the living word is of infinitely more       often corrupt our best works. I feel that often, in the
effect, I realize, than the dead letter. But I feel that     heat of strife and controversy words are spoken that
you are not as yet in a state of mind (alas!) to grant had better been left unspoken, paragraphs are written
me that privilege, which you denied me the last time that had better remained in the pen. No doubt, the
in Kalamazoo at your gathering of 1924. And so, same imperfection will be found to characterize our
while not despairing that the Lord is mighty to change Iabors,  the plea we had with mother. Yet, by these
your mind in this respect, I must in the meantime faults and imperfections you may not judge our work.
make use of our ever willing and faithful Standard On the contrary, the deepest motive of our strife and
Bearer, which is not altogether a stranger among you, labors has always been a sincere desire to lead mother
and whom, even though he appears as my representa- in the way of God's precepts. Love to her prompted us
tive, I trust you will accord a hearty welcome.              to plead with her, not to rest, till she might put away
       You know, of course, worthy brethren and rev- her whoredoms out of her sight and her adulteries
erends, the Scriptures, that can make us wise unto from between her breasts. This I may confess before
salvation and that are given by inspiration of God in God and you all.
order that they might be profitable for doctrine, for           And our efforts have not entirely been unfruitful.
reproof, for correction and for instruction in right-           For, in the first plnc:l, I feel justified in saying t!lnt
eousness. You are, therefore, also aware of the fact, our very existence has exercised a restraining inflncn~.:e
that the Lord admonishes, in Hosea  4:2, his faithful upon the downward rush of mother in the direction of
children to say to their brethren Ammi and to their false doctrine and amalgamation with the world. Even
sisters Ruchama and to plead with their mother, the though she cast us out, our influence, upon her and her
Church in the world. Emphatically this latter part of household has been clearly perceptible, though she has
the admonition is enjoined upon the hearts and minds not thoroughly mended her ways and repented of her
of the faithful children, as is evident from the urgent evil work.
repetition : "Plead with your  mother,`plead   !" And-you    ~ But there were also more positive fruits.
know, too, how from the very moment your mother                 We did not only labor with mother as such, admon-
condemned us and cruelly cast us, her very faithful ishing her and pleading with her. We also knew it to
sons, out into the street to perish, we felt ourselves be our calling to labor amongst her sons and daughters,
called before God and our unfaithful mother, to plead to say unto them Ammi and Ruchama. Frequently
with her, that she might put away her whoredoms out these sons and daughters were oppressed in the old
of her sight and her adulteries from between her home, with the tyrannical hand of hierarchy mother
breasts. In fact, you know, how from the beginning would rule over them, and they cried out for liberty,
of our exile from your midst, we pledged ourselves to for the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free.
follow up this our calling. We openly and publicly Then, too, they were neglected and underfed, and they
served notice of this intention upon you, when we pro- began to show their lack of nourishment. They SUf-
tested against the action of mother concerning us, in fered of spiritual anemia. Mother was often busy


                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        289

entertaining strangers and these faithful sons and sider it entirely proper, yea, that I do not consider it
daughters could not be of the party. Then, too, she my sacred calling to open the door of my former home
went out frequently to visit these strangers and found and to cry to the children within that they must come
but little time to prepare proper nourishment regularly to us for proper nourishment. For, I do earnestly be-
for the children of her womb. And although she could lieve, that such obligation is upon me and upon my
not always be said to offer her children stones for brethren in the Protestant Reformed Churches. But
bread, yet the milk and water which she hastily pre- hitherto our powers have been limited and my hands
pared instead of solid meals were far insufficient to have been much tied by various and busy labors. The
satisfy her sturdy sons and healthy daughters. Sick of sphere of our work has been of necessity limited. And,
oppression and hungry for spiritual food, often having therefore, we have only gone out to help when we were
lost their appetite Yor a time, and having, within the called. Your brethren and sisters called us and cried
house, pleaded with mother that she might reform, but to us for help, and we went. And it is earnestly hoped
finding it all in vain, they opened the door and cried to in our churches that the time may not be far distant,
us for help. And we answered their plea. The result when we shall be able to extend the field of our acti-
is that many, though still in the old home, leave the' vities and to labor also there, where they do not as yet
house occasionally and eat a hearty meal at our table, realize their need., But even so, brethren, you may be
even though mother tries to persuade them, that with assured that it is in no wise our purpose to create
us they will be poisoned. They eat and drink our strife and division. On the contrary, it will always be
nourishment, obtaining it by visiting our churches, by our earnest endeavor to preach the full and rich truth
reading our books and pamphlets and by faithfully de- as it is in Jesus, to feed the hungry flock of our Great
vouring the contents of the Standard Bearer. This Shepherd, to say unto our brethren Ammi and to our
latter is true even of ministers who in turn elecit food sisters Ruchama !
out of our paper wherewith they "feed their own flock       A very concrete illustration of our manner of Iabor-
on the sabbath. You know, worthy brethren, that these ing I can offer you by relating to you of tiy present
things are so.                                           efforts and experience. While I am writing this I am
    But the results of our labors have  be& more posi- near the Pacific coast, in far away California, in the
tive still.                                              city of Redlands. Here I was called, called repeatedly
    Many of mother's sons and daughters, having occa- and very urgently. The brethren and sisters in these
sionally tasted our food, found that conditions at home parts called for help, even asked me to come over for
were hopeless and intolerable, and that the food offered the purpose of organizing them into a Protestant Re-
them there had become positively nauseating to them. formed Church. I restrained their zeal. I reminded
The result is that they also left mother's home.  br them that they were probably not sufficiently
rather, they reached the- conclusion that in their former  _ acquainted with our way of presenting the truth to
home a stranger had taken mother's place, and within take so important a step. I wrote them, if with them
our home they found their former mother's love and it was a question of the truth, as it always is with us,
care. Many of your noblest brethren and sisters, it were better that I should come over to expound to
worthy brethren, are no longer .within the walls of the them the truth first of all. They still asked me to
Christian Reformed Church-home. They have left you, come. Almost simultaneously I received a similar
not because they were wayward or rebelliotis,  but be- S. 0. S., this time from Los Angeles. A brother, not
cause .they were your faithful brethren in the Lord. aware of the request that had come to me from Red-
And thus it happened that at present we count seven- lands, asked me by letter, whether it would not be
teen congregations with us, many of them, indeed, possible to come over and organize a Protestant Re-
small and weak according to the standard of the world, formed Church in that large city. Then, before I de-
but spiritually robust and healthy, flourishing and cided to respond to the call, we sent them some of our
prosperous in the knowledge and grace of our Lord literature, as for instance, "A Triple Breach,"' which
Jesus Christ.                                            the people here read. Ministers from far and near
    Accuse me not, reverend and worthy brethren, of warned them against my person and doctrine. I have
going about  the country for the very purpose of creat- in my possession a letter that was written from the
ing strife and division. Such a viewpoint of our work far east, warning the people and admonishing them to
would not do justice to me, neither wouId it be salutary have nothing to do with the undersigned. Others
for you. For, it would only blind your eyes and harden spread the sad news, that I was afflicted with tuber-
your hearts against what is tangible reaIity for them culosis of the lungs and that it was necessary for me to
that are able to perceive. For, never yet have I tried come to California for my health. But nothing availed.
to intrude into my former Church-home to persuade I had to go. And I finally went, and have labored here
the children within that it was their duty to leave their now for more than three weeks with all my might.
home and their would-be mother. Misunderstand not           I am aware, worthy brethren, that the report is
my implications, worthy brethren. I do by no means being circulated among you, that with these insurgents
intend to convey the impression, that I would not con- in Redlands,  that were dissatisfied with conditions in


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                          . . . "                         --"-_-.-                                 -._ ..-_
their home-church, it was merely the language ques- and since that time I have labored among the brethren
tion. Believe it not, worthy brethren ! Why should you here, preaching and lecturing, instructing and exhort-
close your eyes to reality? Would it not be foolish ing, in their homes and on the pulpit, expounding unto
and tending to your own destruction?        I earnestly them in all the Scriptures, giving testimony.  of: the rich
assure you, the brethren in these parts being my wit- and full and unadulterated Word of God. I spoke
nesses, that I would never have organized them into a openly and freely to them, hiding nothing, but bring-
Protestant Reformed Church, if it had been a mere ing the full counsel of God and emphasizing that the
question of language. Besides, brethren, what is there grace of God is over His people and, therefore, is in
to this story of the language-question if I assure you, no wise common, that man is wholly incapable of doing
that in these weeks of my laboring in these parts, I' any good by nature and that even this so-called civil
have preached and lectured at least as much in the righteousness is nothing but corruption. And, worthy
English as in the Holland language, and this at the brethren, ask not me, but ask the brethren and sisters
emphatic request of the brethren and sisters here? in Redlands, and others from Los Angeles, from Long
Repeatedly I have impressed upon them, that with me Beach, from Bellflower and .other places, that have
it -was merely a question of the truth, that was for- heard me, and they will testify that they have heard
saken by our former mother in 1924, not of ought else. the truth, as they have not heard it in years, and that
And on their part they assured me with equal emphasis their hearts rejoiced. And the inevitable result is that
that they rejoiced in the truth and longed to be de- a congregation was organized in these parts and that
livered from the bondage of the Christian Reformed the seventeenth Protestant Reformed Church was
Churches. And so, worthy brethren, I pray you, for added to our denomination. At first there were thirty
your own good (for why should you wilfully close your that signed their intention so to be organized. And at
eyes to reality?) do not believe that false report.       present their number has increased to nearly fifty
       Nay, but the simple truth of the matter is this. families. Do you, then, not agree with me, reverend
The language-question was merely the occasion of the and worthy brethren, that the Lord has abundantly
present breach. The strife in these parts about the blessed our labors and that He gives us reason to
question of the language was merely a symptom of rejoice in Him?
something far more serious. Do you not believe with          But this is not all. As I suggested above,. there
me, reverend and worthy brethren, that when all is were several people among my audiences from other
well with the Church of Jesus Christ, when her sons places hereabouts. The seed has been sown, not only
aud daughters, being well nourished with the Bread of in the hearts of the brethren and sisters in Redlands,
life, are sturdy and beautiful, when the truth is but also among many others. Besides, I have per-
preached and justice and righteousness prevails, the sonally visited and spoken to brethren and sisters in
language-question may cause some difficulty, may bring Los Angeles, whose heart yearns also for the truth.
a ripple upon the quiet surface of the profoundly Had I had more time to stay in these parts, I certainly
peaceful life of the Church, but will never cause a would have preached and lectured in other places. For,
breach? People of God do not break with a Church it is my impression, brethren, that there is great need
on account of a simple language-question. Especially here of the full and unadulterated gospel of Jesus
our Holland-Reformed people feel the tie that binds Christ, by which I mean the gospel that is based on the
them to the Church of their childhood and youth alto- everlasting truth of God's sovereign grace. It is both
gether too strongly, to become separatists on account astounding and unspeakably sad to hear the people
of the question of Holland or English. But the under- here complaining about their lack of nourishment, to
lying cause of this trouble in Redlands  was, plainly, discover that they are no longer being founded in the
that mother had apostatized from the truth and de- truth! When I first returned from my visit to Los
parted from the ways of the Lord. Upon the necks of Angeles my heart was bleeding for these brethren. But,
her children, born in Zion to stand in their liberty, for the time being at least, I decided that the work was
she deliberately attempted to put the yoke of papal op- too much and it were better for me to limit my efforts
pression. She failed to feed them with the healthful to Redlands  only. But, worthy brethren of the Synod,
bread of life and they clearly showed their state of the harvest here is white. And with God's help we will
being under-nourished. Some of them had forgotten send laborers into this part of the Lord's vineyard.
how the true bread of life, as broken among them of          And now, worthy brethren, a word to you directly.
the Reformed Faith, tasted. Others hungered for it, You, as you are assembled in  Synodical  gathering,
and longed for liberty, for deliverance from the yoke represent mother, with whom I have a strife, with
of hierarchical oppression. Such, brethren, were the whom I am pleading, that she may put away her
conditions here, and these conditions were the real whoredoms out of her sight and her adulteries from
underlying cause of the cry of the brethren and sisters among her breasts. It is, therefore, but proper, not
here for help.                                            only that I report my activities and findings to YOU,
       The outcome corroborates this version of. the seeing that I am laboring among your brethren and
matter. For, I came. here more than three weeks ago, sisters and do intend to do so more vigorously and with


                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       $91
                                                    -            --___- ..__..._  --_.
greater zeal in the near future, the Lord willing, lest truth, and thus became herself the cause that her chil-
you should have occasion to accuse me of laboring in dren are no longer properly nourished with the bread
secret, which I never do; but also to address to you a of life.  This, brethren, is the underlying cause of
word of admonition and rebuke for you are they that much of your troubles. Do you not yourselves bear
must above all call mother to repentance and cause her me witness that your churches are no longer attended
to return to the way of righteousness and truth.           as they should, even though you introduce short ser-
   Let me, then, as a brother, first of all remind you mons, song services and cantata's, mother's day's serv-
of mother's sins, of which most of you are, indeed, well ices and other sillinesses?  Do you not see that your
aware, but which are so easily covered up and per- sonsand daughters, many of them, are easily swept off
mitted to sink into oblivion from a  faIse  sense of their feet by every wind of doctrine that blows, that
affection for mother; to remind you of which, there- Premillennialism, Baptism, Pentecostalism and other
fore, can be deemed neither superfluous nor unfruitful. isms deceive them, easily seducing them from `the.
Your mother, the Christian Reformed Church, sinned truth? And do you not also notice, worthy brethren,
in 1924, when she ruled that in her home the bread that these spiritual pestilences do not affect our
that bears the label: "The Three Points" should be churches? Pray, where is the cause? The deepest
considered to contain sufficient vitamen  to feed her cause lies in the fact, that mother in 1924 departed
hungry children, and that henceforth they should be from the truth of the Word of God and the Reformed
fed with no other bread. In that she erred seriously, Confessions! Will you not heed and return? I am
for the "Three Point" bread contains no  vitamen  at pleading with you to stand still in the way, to consider
all. It is prepared from flour that comes from the what is the right, the old, the proven way, and to re-
mills of Pelagius  & Co., and baked by Arminius & tract your Three Points and return to the way  of
Sons, Leyden, the Netherlands. The bread I speak of truth!
was long ago tested by the fathers of Dordrecht in            Your mother, worthy brethren, did in 1924 cast out
1618, and it was found, not only that it could not be      faithful sons, that pleaded with her not to feed her
served to the children of the Reformed Church-home children the bread of Arminius & Sons, Leyden, the
because it contained no vitamen,  but also that it con- Netherlands. She would not listen. And when we
tained poison, which these bakers stealthily tried to remained faithful and persisted in pleading with her,
instill into the spiritual stomachs and thus into the she became irritated and angry and in a moment of
lifeblood of the sturdy sons and beautiful daughters wrath she threw us out by main force. That is the
of the Reformed Churches. For which reason it was truth. It was evident that such was the truth, even in
decided that Arminius & Sons, Leyden, the Nether- 1924. `It is far more evident today. Does the thought
lands, shouId  henceforth and forever deliver no more never arise in your mind, worthy brethren, why it is
bread to the Reformed Church-home.                         that even today, after seven years of separate exist-
   But your mother in 1924, having obtained a taste ence, we are still a Reformed, a living Reformed
of said bread, and relishing it, decided to introduce Church? Do you not agree with me, that if it were
into her home, as the standard of nourishment, this true, that in 1924 we were departing from the line of             _
very bread. It contains the following ingredients, all Reformed truth, that departure would be far more
equally dangerous to the life of mother's children. In marked today? And what is the case? This, that your
the first place it contains the element of common grace. own sons and daughters bear us testimony that we are
For mother declared in 1924 that the preaching of the more Reformed than your mother! This, that they cry
gospel is a well-meaning offer of salvation on the part to us for food! Does this not remind you of mother's
of God to all that hear the preaching and that, there- sins? She sinned, when she cast out her faithful sons,
fore, it is grace for all, common grace. And this is a in order to be free to feed her children with the bread
serious error. For it stands directly opposed to what of Arminius ! Does it mean nothing to you, that even
has always been considered the very heart of the in the Netherlands they bear us testimony that we are
Church, the doctrine of God's sovereign and electing soundly Reformed?
grace.    In the second place, it contains the serious        Do not mistake the purpose of this my message to
poison of Pelagius that the natural man is able to do you. It is not a plea that you let me in again. I would
good works. For, in the second of the Three Points consider it historically impossible to return to the
she declared that there is some good left in natural Christian Reformed Church.  ' I would consider it a
man, by a restraining influence of the Holy Spirit, calamity both for us and for you. No, but I plead with
that began to operate immediately after the fall and mother, that she may put away her whoredoms out of
still preserves man from total depravity. And in the her sight, and that she may put away her adulteries
third point it declares that, by virtue of this restrain- from between her breasts. I urge you to call on mother
ing influence of the Holy Spi.rit and influence of God to repent! I pray you, even before you set yourselves
the natural man is able to do good in the sight of God.    to accomplish the work that is before  YOU  as a Synod,
To abandon the figure of the baker and his bread, to retract the Three Errors, to return to the way of
worthy brethren, mother in 1924 departed from the the truth, and to confess the injustice and unrighteous-


392                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   .                    ---  ._._..-_

ness which mother committed `when  she cruelljr  cast
her faithful sons out into the street!                                         Esau and Common Grace
        Then the blessing of God may return upon your
Churches !                                                              The Rev. J. K. Van Baalen's  task is to explain for
                                                          H. H.      the benefit of the Sunday School of the Christian Re-
                                                                     formed Churches the Sunday School lesson. His expo-
                                                                     sitions appear in  The  Bnnmer.   His comment on the
                                                                     reconciliation of Jacob and Esau  (The  Bunner,  Vol. 67,
                                                                     p. 465) reads:
  DR. UBBINK'S NTEUWE BELIJDENIS  `AAN-                                 "2. And now the miracle of grace occurs. Esau
                  GAANDE SCHRIFT EN KERK                             replies to all the humble bowings, and the `my lord' of
                                                                     Jacob with a good-natured `my brother'; he laughs the        .
        Tot mijn spijt kan ik in dit nummer mijn artikelen idea out of court that he should accept all those pres-
over bovenstaand onderwerp niet voortzetten. Ik ben ents. He appears to be glad to see his brother back.
op het oogenblik in Californie  en heb mijn "notes" over He even wants to leave some of his armed men with
Dr. U.`s boek niet bij mij. Ook heb ik zijn boek niet Jacob for protection through the land. They separate
meegenomen. Zoodat ik niet in staat ben in dit num- in the best of spirits. No wonder when Jacob finds a
mer hierover te schrijven.                                           suitable location, which the inhabitants of the land will
        In een volgend nummer hoop ik mijn critiek voort sell him, he names it `God is the God of Israel.'
te zetten.                                                              "3. We are here in the thick of the doctrine of
                                                          H. H.      common grace, that important Reformed doctrine. For
                                                                     here you may see clearly all the points the Synod of
                                                                     1924 emphasized in our Confessional Standards. Esau,
                                                                     so much is certain from Romans 9  :13, was not one of
                                                                   ' the elect, hence no saving grace was granted him.
                 CHRISTUS  ALLES EN IN ALLEN                         Esau, like all other men, was totally depraved. Which
                                                                     means exactly this, that the hatred in Esau could only
                 = Christus  voor ons ; Hij ons Ieven,               produce hatred and murder. To this man, to whom
                     Oorzaak onzer zaligheid                         no saving grace has been given, something has hap-
                  Onze Gids en onze Herder,                          pened which has caused him to forget about the plan
                                                                     to murder Jacob. Certainly it is not due to his sinful
                    Onze roem in eeuwigheid.                         nature that instead of the lust to murder a friendly dis-
   *                                                                 position toward Jacob has entered his heart.
                  Christus  om ons ; burg en voormuur,                  "To call this `an organic development of sin' would
                                                                     be the silliest excuse."
                    Tegen `s vijands overmacht ;
                  Tegen wien Zijn arm ons pantsert                      It is plain that the theory of common grace as
                                                                     steeping in the mind of Van Baalen  yields solutions
                    En ons  aangordt.  met.Zijn kracht.              and expositions amazingly superficial. Here it again
                                                                     appears that the soul contaminated with the aforesaid
                  Christus  in ons; onze vreugde,                    pernicious doctrine loses its capacity for penetrating
                    Onze zaligheid reeds thans,                      to the heart of a matter. The reverend writes, mark
                                                                     you, "To this man, to whom no saving grace has been
                  Onze kracht en onze vreugde                        given, something has happened which has caused him
                    Onze zon in zomerglans.                          to forget about the plan to murder Jacob. Certainly it
                                                                     is not. due to his sinful nature that instead of a lust
                                                                     to murder a friendly disposition toward Jacob has en-
                  Christus  voor ons ; onze lichtglans               tered his heart."
                    Op het donk're levenspad,        '                  According to the reverend "something happened to
            '     Onze staf om op te leunen                          Esau." What? This: Esau was brought under the
                     Leidsman, die de hand ons vat.                  beneign influence of a common grace. As a result sin
                                                                     in him was restrained and a disposition of true friend-
                                                                     liness entered his heart. The lust to murder was re-
                  Christus  boven ons, Zijn zegen                    pressed in Esau and a disposition to love, embrace,
                     Over al ons doen  verspreid,                    and forgive carried into his heart. Is it the reverend's
                                                                     view that Esau was regenerated and converted? The
                  Tot Hij zegenend terugkeert                        statement, "something happened to Esau" leads one
                     En ons voert tot heerlijkheid.                  on to conclude that such is his view. However, we


                                    T H E   .STANDARD  B E A R E R                                              393

 should not be too hasty in drawing conclusions here. dictory. God may hate the sinner in the man Esau
 The reverend emphatically maintains that Esau was while loving the man in the sinner Esau."
 and remained totally depraved and could only hate,             The reverend has it then that the man is not the
 that therefore nothing happened to him. It is plain sinner and the sinner not the man, that to the con-
 that the reasoning of the reverend is weighed down by trary the sinner is in the man and the man in the sin-
 contradictory elements. When ,he reads this, he will ner, that therefore the man and the sinner are two
 shout (outside the range of our hearing, of course)         disparate entities. It means, if it means anything at
 Not so! Something happened to Esau indeed. The all, that the man Esau was Esau minus the sinner, that
 Holy Spirit carried a friendly disposition into his Esau therefore was a sinless man.
 heart.                                                         The truth of the matter is that with one master
    Let me ask the reverend a question or two: Did stroke of his mighty pen, the reverend overturned com-
 this good disposition according to his theory become a pletely the argument circulating through the first sec-
 part and parcel of the man? Did the Spirit interweave tion of his exposition. It means that this composition
 it with the texture of his soul, so to say? Was this of his is teeming with contradictions. He sets out with
 good disposition engrafted upon his vile nature? In ai%rming that something happened to Esau; yet by
 other words, was Esau regenerated so that-his display his assertion that though harboring a good disposition
 of mercy must be termed good fruit that flowered upon Esau remained totally depraved he at once affirms  that
 a changed nature. Indeed not. The reverend will nothing happened to Esau. He, the reverend, sets out
 therefore be compelled to concede that though as he with the affirmation that Esau was totally depraved. He
 says the Spirit deposited in Esau's soul a good dispo- concludes with affirming that Esau was one of God's
 sition, nothing happened to the ma?z Esau. And this saints. First championing the theory of common grace,
 can only mean that the disposition did not become he thereupon in spite of himself cast the theory far
 Esau's, was not made to spring from the soil of his from him. This ought to be plain enough. If Esau
 very own nature, that Esau was therefore (on the was a holy man, what need had he for the restraining
 basis of the view we now criticise)  not the subject of influence of a common grace; what need had he for
 it, that it did not flower upon his nature, issue from that good disposition the Holy Spirit is supposed to
 his heart. It means that the Spirit, besides being the carry into the hearts of depraved men. The reverend
 creative cause of this good disposition, was at once may reply that common grace was needful for Esau
 its subject as well, that therefore the Spirit, not in and the  sinner. Indeed ! But what may an Esau the sinner
 through, but apart from Esau, embraced and forgave minus Esau the man be? A sheer nonentity, a mere
 Jacob.                                                      phantom having existence only in the reverend's mind
    But is this a tennable psychology? Indeed not! It where it also originated. Pray, what foolish reason-
 is a most impossible psychology. Fact is that a good ings have we here! Did it not occur to the reverend
 disposition, though having the Spirit as its creative that he reasoned away sin into thin air?
 cause and thus issuing in this sense from the Spirit, is       It is plain that the reverend has reasoned himself,
 at once the man, the flower of his nature. and the issue into a veritable network of  dif&zulties,   - a network  `"-
 of his heart. For this very reason, a man with a heart from which he will be able to extricate himself only if
 that harbors a truly good disposition is essentially a he get before his eye the truth and resolve to return
 holy man with a changed nature that agrees, must to it. And the truth here is that this so-called good
 agree, with his works.                                      disposition of Esau was sin, the mercy displayed cruel,
    The reverend may reply: My view is not that the and as such a part and parcel of the depraved man, the
 disposition is not the man. My statements yield not a issue of his vile heart. The truth, it is plain, is not in
 psychology so utterly impossible and unscriptural. I the need of a theory of common grace. The truth is
 maintain that they do. If Esau remained totally de- the annulment of this theory. Only he has use for
. praved with a good disposition in his `soul, and such is this theory who maintains contrary to the-plain teach-
 the contention of the reverend it follows with unrelent- ing of God's own Word that the mercy of a totally de-
 ing logic that this disposition was not made a part and praved Esau was mercy indeed, that the fruit of a bad
 parcel of the man. If the reverend will not own this tree is good fruit, that the waters from a bitter spring
 wholly impossible psychology, he shall have to concede are sweet. But no more than a bad tree bears good
 that the good disposition was the man. But such a fruit, no more could a vile Esau show true mercy.
 concession would imply that Esau as to the heart of his        The reverend may reply that the theory of common
 dispositions was one of God's saints. Wonderful to grace does not define the fruit of a bad tree as being
 say, in the sequence of his exposition the reverend good fruit, that the theory, carefully distinguishing
 teaches this very thing, teaches that the man Esau was between spiritual and natural good, holds that the
 a sinless man. Attend to the following: "But you may latter only has any true ethical worth.
 say is that grace? Was that evidence of an attitude of         Consider, however, that the Spirit is held to be the
 favor toward Esau on God's part? Is it not written, author of Esau's mercy. Can the Spirit be held to be
 `Esau  I hated?' Certainly, but the two are not contra- the author of the vile? The good that si,nners do must


394                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
.-                                                           -".-.--_---_-.".-"  .._--...._ ^^ ..-...-----.-  -      --..-
be termed spiritual good having true ethical worth as on speed as he progresses, and perhaps orders his four
of this good the Spirit is the author. That the ex- hundred to be on their guard, for he is still distrustful.
ponents of common grace well understand this, is However, all the misgivings that lurk in his bosom take
evident enough. Without any exception they all main- flight as he discovers that, he advances against a de-
tain with Van Baalen that this good, carried into the fenseless caravan, headed by women and children, at-
heart of this vile sinner, is not.impregnated  into his tended by a company of unarmed slaves. He spies the
nature. We have shown that such a view spells an im- leader of the train and fixes his gaze upon him. He
possible psychology. The theory of common  grace- sees it is Jacob. Jacob comes forward  ; and his manner
creates problems and solves none. It is unscriptural. of coming is that of a servant approaching his master.
It pitches those addicted to it headlong against every He bows himself to the ground, as he advances, once
foundation truth of  t.he Christian religion. This the and again, yea, seven times, until he is come  nea'r his
Reverend Van  Baalen and his fellows know right well. brother. Esau marks Jacob's bearing and says in his
Why then do they not throw the theory far from them?      heart, `Forsooth there is no cause for alarm. He re-
      I will now show that it was exactly due to Esau's turns a harmless, humbled nomad. See how he begs
sinful nature that he fell upon his brother's neck, that my grace. A feeling akin to pity creeps over the
rightly considered, his friendliness was hatred indeed, strong man's soul. Overpowered by a natural affec-
that when he embraced Jacob he was acting in perfect tion, he rushes forward and in the next instance is
agreement with his totally corrupt self.                  weeping on his brother's neck.
      Arriving in the vicinity of Jacob's camp, Esau         Once more, what a glorious display of nobility of
meets a collection of cattle, sheep and camels. To the character ! Can depraved man do good? Who with
question: Who art thou? Whether goest thou? Whose the spectacle of -Esau, taking a brother, who has twice
are these Before thee?" questions put to the drivers, he double-crossed him, to his bosom, - who with this
receives the following reply: *`They be thy  servan! spectacle before his eye will want to deny it, deny that
Jacob's; it is a present unto my lord Esau. Behold, depraved-man can do good? Bear in mind, however,
thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will `that, as Esau understood it, this brother declares, by
appease him with the present that goeth before me, his manner of approach, that he repents of his past
and afterward I will see his face ; peradventure he will ways and craves the pardon of the victim of his guile ;
accept of me."                                            that, further, he is of a mind to waive his claims to
       Esau proceeds. In the distance he sees approach- the rights he has gained by his fraud, is of a mind to
ing him another drove. He repeats his questions to receive him, Esau, as the elder brother, as the first-
which he receives a reply like unto the first.      The born in the house of his father and thus as the' ruler,
stzong man is visibly effected. His features soften.      protector, and benefactor of the clan. Satisfied that
We may imagine him saying more to himself than to Jacob had returned as a man of peace, instead of as a
his comrades, `He calls me .his lord. Can it be that contender for the priority ; assured that this man is of
the babblings of my mother about me serving him, now a mind to p<ass under his wing; highly flattered by the
rise before his mind as the -foolish  prating of an en- obeisance he made him, Esau, as to his spite, lapses
feebled mind? Has he come to realize that the fatness -into a state of psychical coma, so that his natural affec-
of the earth, power and dominion are indeed mine, that tion, no longer fettered by this spite, can now assert
I am master of all I survey?' By the time that Esau itself and operate. Esau's feet do not lose their swift-
has met the last drove and conversed with its drivers, ness -for shedding innocent blood, his mouth is not
he feels pretty certain, it may be assumed, that Jacob cleansed of its dreadful curses; what happens is that,
bears him no ill will, and has put far from him the      whereas  the.pretext  for cursing and spilling blood has
thought of contending for the first time. Once and been removed, these feet now carry him into the arms
again he has heard himself soluted as lord. His vanity of a brother who has fed his pride, and flattered his
has been fed to the point of satiation. He is delighted vanity by crouching at his feet.
with his brother. The flame of his mean spite burns          Esau loves - his brother. Who will deny .it? The
low now; for the flattering speech of the drivers is in truth is that sin has not destroyed, but  Eotally  COT-
his ear; and before his mind is the spectacle of the rupted the natural affections of man. This is evident
obeisance they made him. Other feelings rise in his enough. Esau's affection is now the overruling passion
soul.                                                    of his soul because Esau, the subject of this affection,
      A keen desire to see his brother's face takes posses- feels certain that the brother against whom he all
sion of him as he presses on. Blood tenderness is about along has been nourishing a po>?:@ql  grudge, is of a
to triumph over malice and carnal  vindictiviness,  now mind to do him well by respectink,,  and swinging him-
that the brute is being appeased.                        self in line with, his  carpal  ambitions.                It is plain
      Whereas the drivers have said that their master is enough then that in taking Jacob to his heart, Esau
behind them, Esau scans the stretch of plain before merely displays a capability of loving one of whom he
him and sights what he takes to be his brother's en- thinks is about to love him and to do him well. A love
campment. Eager to know its constituency, he takes that can be aroused and stirred to action only by  flat-


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                       3%
  _l_l..^.-  _...-. ".             -.......................-...   -.- .  .._.......l_l..__l..   ".._-- --_"~_l_l_ _._.....    ..__    _." ._.....
  tery and praise and by the pro:pect  of some personal Life can develop organically, but not sin and death,
  gain or advantage, Christ denounces a Szn, when He                               which are the opposite of organic. And even  if sin
  said, "For if ye love  them  which love you, what re- should develop organically (which is impossible) low
  ward have ye? do not even the publicans do the same? could this account for sin not developing in Esau, but
  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more being restrained so that he was kind to Jacob."
  than others? do not even the publicans so?" It is the                                  How clever, how profound, this reasoning! Col. 2:
  love that reaches out for, and lays hold on, the enemy, 9 reads: "Lie not one to a.nother, seeing that ye have
  the hateful one, to bless, to pray for, and to do him put off the old man with his deeds . . . . " Notice the
  well, that is the mirror of the love of God. Said Christ, term old w&n. The term man, the reverend shall have
  "Love your enemies, bless then% that curse you . . . . to admit, is an organism. Let him consider further
  that ye may be children of your father which  iS in that sin as such is a quality and therefore has no inde-
  heaven . . . .  " The plain implication is that those pendent existence, no more than let me say the redness
  who do not so love have not the heart akin to that of of an apple or the hardness of a stone. It is the apple
  the Father, and are therefore destitute of those that is red and the stone that is hard. So, too, sin, it
  hallowed dispositions worked in a man by- the Holy is the quality of the depraved moral creature and in
  Spirit. How say ye then that through the natural love this creature takes on flesh and blood, so to say. As
  of a depraved man runs a pure vein? Rightly con- the quality of the organism man, sin is indeed an  o'rgan-
% sidered,  this love is selfish and self-centered: it seeks ism. with a mind, a heart, and members. The organism:
  itself and was therefore denounced as sin by One who sin is at once the depraved.organism  man, old man -
  knows what is in man.                                                            of sin, the ungodly one, d.estitute  of grace. Does the
        True, Esau refused Jacob's present. It is only after OZG!  m,a%, the sinful organism, in a word, does sin de-
  considerable coaxing on the part of Jacob, that he con- velop? According to the declarations of Scripture it
  sents to take the gift. If it be considered that  he was does. I read in my Bible : "When the wicked spring as
  precisely the kind of a man that would cry for more                              the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do
  though the earth and its fulness were his, it cannot be flourish (grow, in the Hebrew) ; it is that they shall be
  that he refused to add to his substance because he has destroyed forever." Let the reverend consider that
  enough. What natural man has enough?                                             the explicit teaching of this `psalm is that the ungodly
        What then may have been the real reason for grow. To grow is to develop. So then, sin develops,
  Esau's refusal to be enriched? And the answer: his the same as the thistle, the weed, the emblems in crea-
  regard for self. Fact is that Esau thinks of himself tion of the sinful organism. BUD the development of
  as the first born, as the ruler, benefactor, and pro- the sinful  organism,is  a moral degradation, retrogres-
  tector of his clan and in particular of Jacob and his                            sion in a direction away from things holy.
  household.. He is delighted that Jacob has waived his                                  Virtue, holiness, `also develops. Holiness assumes
  claims to the rights he gained by fraud, and that he flesh and blood in the  new man. This man is holy and
  returns ready to take him, Esau, as his shield. He grows.                                        "The righteous,"' says the psalmist, "shall
 ..feels  certain that .Jacob is ready to recognize andre-                         flourish like the-palm tree; he-shall grow like-a cedar.
  ceive  him as lord of the clan. This is evident enough. in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the
  Consider that Esau suggests that they take their jour- Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God." .
  ney and go. Esau will  ga before Jacob's caravan and                                   Not only do the ungodly grow individually, they
  lead it, such was his intention, to Seir. How plain that grow collectively Bnd in dependence of one another.
  the thought has taken root in his soul that Jacob is The reprobated race constitute a sinful organism that
  now of a mind to come under his wing. For this reason grows. Sin as the quality of this organism develops,
  he turns down Jacob's present.  ,His prerogative, so he The reverend's philosophy holds no water. His re-
  thinks, does not allow him to descend to a plain where marks about sin can be made to apply to the sinner as
  he becomes the object of Jacob's benevolence. Not well. The sinner turns away from life. He is sin,
  Jacob but he is the benefactor of Jacob's offspring. To death. What the reverend therefore virtually wrote
  receive the present would be to deny his rights, and to                          is : "The just  can develop  or&anically, but not the
  concede that he has been displaced by his brother.                               sinner, they who are spiritually dead ; for such turn
         So then we are not at all in the need of a common away from life and only they who spiritually live can
  grace to explain Esau's kindly disposition and gener- develop: Scripture, however, declares that the ungodly
  osity. With the mainsprings of his actions laid bare, grow. The fundamental error of the reyerend is that
  this disposition and generosity rises before our eye as he looks upon spiritual death as inertia, upon the sin-
  being sheer selfishness, sin. The man after all was ner as a stock and block, and upon sin as lifeless
  seeking himself.                                                                 essence, a mere abstraction suspended somewhere in
        The reverend continues : "To call this (Esau's kind- mid air. The truth of the matter is, however, that
  ly disposition) an organic development of sin would be spiritual death is depraved live, an unholy energy, that
  the silliest excuse. How can something that is  dis-                             sin is the quality of the man, and the sinner a de-
  organic, turning away from life, develop organically. praved organism.


396                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-.-                                --.-_II-            -~           ---lll_ .-..____-                 ..."
       Instead  of branding our views as silly, the reverend stand for two disparate principles: the principle of
had better look to his own.                                  sin and the principle df new life. However, an Esau
       Attend once more  $0 the last sentence of the above with a principle of life residing in his bosom, is a
extraction : "And even if sin should develop organ- saint. Whereas this is not the reverend's view, his rea-
ically . . . . how could this account for sin not de- soning is utterly impossible. If the term nubn Esuu is
veloping in Esau, but being restrained so that he was not the signification of a life principle, the man Esazl
kind to Jacob?" Consider that the reverend first was at once Esau the sinner. And if Esau the `man
assumes that the development of sin was momentarily was a sinner, the distinction Eiau the <man and E'snzt
arrested in Esau and thereupon puts the question how the sinner  has no meaning. Fact is, however, that in
this arresting process is to be accounted for. What the thought-structure of the reverend, the term man
must first be proven is that this arresting process Esak does indeed stand for a holy principle. And it is
actually took place. We maintain the contrary. Fact this principle that was the object of whatever God bore
is that after the hour of reconciliation, Esau was that this reprobate. The theory of common grace, so it
much the harder. He had again with all the depraved again appears, does indeed involve its exponents in a
vigor that was his rejected Jacob as his channel of denial of the doctrine of the total depravity of man.
grace. His glee was but the token that, so he thought,           The reverend continues: "Nor has this anything to
he had fi-ightened  Jacob into recognizing him as his do with the question of supralapsarianism as the oppo-
lord and master.                                             nents of this valuable doctrine of  the Reformed
       Aside from this, the question, as put by the rev- churches would have you believe . . .  " Let me say
erend, is without sense. He asks: How can an organ- that is a bold untruth that the opponents of the theory
ical development of sin account for sin not developing of common grace maintain that the matter with which
organically in Esau. The' reverend should know that we now deal has to do with supralapsarianism and  in-
we have no such problem as he hear creates for us for fralapsarianism.
the simple reason that we maintain with Scripture                The reverend once more: "You know the differ-
that Esau's mercy was cruel.                                 ence: the infralapsarianism teaches that God has
       The reverend continues : " `So God's hatred of Esau passed by certain sinners as sinners, while the supra
was not an absolute hatred ; deadly and irreconcilable teaches that God passes him  up.with  His saving grace
with any attitude of favor' you continue to ask. And aparj  from all consideration of his sins . . . . "'
the answer is, Of course not."                                   Strange to say the reverend does not even under-
       According to the reverend then, God's hatred for stand the doctrines of infralapsarianism and supra-
Esau was not absolute but relative, a lesser hate, so lapsarianism. It is not the view of the  supralapsarian-
to say. Read, however what the Lord said by the ist that God passed by certain sinners apart from all
prophet Malechi : "And I hated Esau, and laid his considerations of  his.sins. In the thought-structure of
mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the supralapsarianism sin enters in not as the sov-
the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impov- ereign cause to be sure but certainly  &as the ground, the
erished, but we will return and build the desolate good-enough reason, of the rejection of the reprobate.
places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, The difference between the two schools of thought is
hut I will throw down ; and they shall call them, the this: According to the supralapsarianist sin is abso-
border of wickedness, and, The people against whom lutely necessary to the scheme of things that God in
the Lord hath indignation for ever."                         His adorable sovereignty had scetched out for Him-
       Can it be maintained, with our eye upon this scrip- self, so to say, that sin therefore had to come, is willed
ture that the hatred of the Lord for a race of men by God and has Him as its sovereign cause or necessity.
with whom He so deals is a lesser love? If so, words This the infraIapsariaqist  denies. The latter school of
have no meaning.                                             thought borders, to say the least, on Arminianism.
       Aside from this, on the  basis of  the reverend's         The reverend again continues: "But one of the
philosophy, the Lord cannot hate the man  Esaq at all strongest supralapsarians, Maccovius by name, a man
but must love him with a love that is absolute. For, who was accused of teaching that God is to blame for
mark you, according to the reverend the man  Esau is sin, defended himself before the synod by saying,
the Esau minus the sinner. The man minus the sinner `Why no ! I do not teach that God is the author of
is a man holy. Such a man, God in no wise, and to            sin . . . . .  '  "                 .
any degree can, may, hate. And as to the sinner Esau,            Here the reverend declares by implication that we,
God must hate him absolutely. The reverend therefore the opponents of common grace, teach that God is to
should have written: God hated and loved Esau. This blame for sin and thus the  author  of sin. Horrible!
hatred as well as this love was absolute. God's abso- I ask in all candor: Has this man Van Baalen no con-
lute hatred devolved upon Esau the sinner ; His absolute science? If these brethren will so misrepresent us in
love upon the man Esau.                                      public, how must they slander our views in private !
       As was said, the reverend's reasoning won't do at         Again the reverend : (quoting `Maccovius)  " `I
all unless the terms Esau the sinner and Esau the man         (Maccoviiis)  do hot say that God hated the reprobate


 ,                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        397

to such an extent?&&  We made them sin in order to
damn them . . . . ' "                                                   Het Oordeel Van Nederland
      Our view, of course, is not that God-made the sin-            Last ons thans eerst Iuisteren naar iemand, die een
ner in the sense that He became the author of sin. We gansch  ander geluid doet hooren dan de schrijvers, die
do teach, however, that God is the sovereign cause or we tot dusver aanhaalden.
necessity of sin entering in. The reverend's view ap-              Het is van docent de Bruyn en het artikel, dat in
pears to be that sin has as its sovereign cause not God zij'n geheel hieronder is overgenomen, werd door hem
but the sinner. *Let him show if he can that this view geschreven in De  Wekker, `t lijfblad van de  Neder-
of the origin of sin is not sheer Arminianism, yea, landsche Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken, de  ker-
Atheism.                                                        kengroep, die weigerde mee te  gaan,   toen  Doleerenden
      The reverend (still quoting Maccovius) c "I under- en Afgescheidenen  zich vereenigden in  66n  kerkver-
stand the words Esuu I hated as teaching a negative band.
hatred, that is, not a feeling of animosity, but merely            `Hij schrijft als  volgt:
a lack of desire to' save him; or, a decision to pass him
by."                                                                          GENADE   GEEN  AANBOD
      Let the reverend consider that'the  act of God con-          "Van een br. uit A. kregen wij de volgende vraag:
sisting in His passing the sinner by spells for that sin-          " Wij kregen toegezonden een  paar exemplaren
ner eternal damnation. If an act that implicates a van het boek, getiteld:  `Een kracht Gods tot Zaligheid,
creature in all the terrible, unspeakable woe of an. of Genade  Geen Aanbod', door Ds.  j  .H. Hoeksema,
eternal hell stands for a lesser love or negative pastor of  the, First Protestant Reformed Church,
hatred, how, I would very much like to know, is the Grand Rapids.                  Het behandelt hier geloofsstukken,
reverend defining the absolute hatred and love of God. waarover personen  in de Geref: Kerken zich hebben
      The reverend : "That such hatred is compatible with uitgesproken. Zou het niet dienstig zijn, nu dit werk
bestowing blessings upon Esau is evident . : . . " We eens in `De Wekker' te bespreken?'
agree with the reverend here. A hatred that i&nothing              "A&v. :  Daar bovengenoemd werk  aan mij niet is
more or less than a negative hatred or lesser love is a toegezonden, kan ik het niet breedvoerig bespreken.
nonentity, another creation of the reverend's mind. If Wel heb ik het ingezien, da& ook andere kerker,%ds-
God so hated Esau, He hated him not at all. Not hating leden  in andere gemeenten het mij toonden en mijne
him, He could bless him.                                        gedachten hierover vroegen, daar zij betwijfelden; of
      The reverend : "You can therefore be a strong de inhoud  we1 overeenkwam met de Ieer onzer Christ.
supralapsarian, if you so desire, that is, you can believe Geref. Kerk.
that God hated Esau apart from all considerations of               "De inhoud van dit. boekje zal  u we1 duidelijk wor-
his sinfulness, and yet believe that an attitude of favor den  &  u  weet  op welk  standpunt   Ds. H. Hoeksema
may have been extended to him . . . . "                         staat.  In de  jaren   1922-`24  ontbrandde in de Christ.
      Mark the phrase: "You can believe that God hated Geref:  Kerk in Amerika een.strijd  over de `Algemeene
Esau apart from  call considerations of his  sinful- genade'. Deze strijd was een gevolg van de verschill
nesso. . . . " If this were true, God would be a  mon- lende beoordeeling van Dr. Kuyper's werk over `De ge-
struous being. The truth of the matter is that the meene gratie'. Dit werk, dat'wij"in de Chr. Ger. kerk
Esau God eternally hates is a sinful, depraved Esau. ook niet in alles aanvaarden,  kan door eenzijdige `toe-
        The reverend makes still other statements upon passing in het leven  aanleiding geven tot  wereldge-
which I purpose to comment in a following article. My zindheid en misbruik~ van het leerstuk der gemeene
concluding remark is' that, judging from this qosi- gratie.. Zoo kwam er dan in Amerika sterke tegen-
tion of his the reverend, has no  1 understanding of stand tegen de leer der algemeene  genade en de Synode
things. The trouble with the brother is that he has a der Chr. Ger. kerk aldaar  kwam in 1924 voor de vraag
beam in his eye and this beam is his theory of common te  staan hoe men moest oordeelen over die leer der al-
grace.                                   *                      gemeene genade.
                                                G. M. 0.            "De Synode besloot dat vraagstuk niet in zijn ge-
                                                                heel te behandelen, omdat het voor de kerk nog niet
                                                 . ..- " -.>    mogelijj was hierover eene uitspraak te doen,  maar
                                                                tech  besIoot zij  zich uit te  sproken over 3  punten:
                                                                1. Aangaande de  gunstige  gezindheid Gods jegens- de
                        DAT TELT AF                             menschheid in het algemeen en niet alleen  jegens de
                                                                uitverkorenen, spreekt de Synode uit,  dat volgens
        De Oud-Hollandsche  dichter  Joan  Luyken  vertelt      S&rift en Confessie het vast staat,  dat er, behalve  de
van een zonnewijzer in zijn tuin met het opschrift : zaligmakende genade Gods bewezen  alleen  aan de  uit-
"Dat  telt af." Hij zegt dus eigenlijk, dat onze dagen verkorenen ten eeuwigen leven, ook een zekere  gunst
tellen niet is optellen, maar aftrekken.                        of genade Gods is, die Hij betoont aan Zijne schepselen
        Dat laatste is veel juister.                            in het algemeen. Zie psalm 145:9,  Matth.  5:45.

                                                                                                                    ._-  -_


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Vol. VIII, No. 13                                                           JUNE 15, 1932                                        Subscription Price, $2.50
                                    --".-^.^.-
li=====r
                                                                --=-=--==Tl ent time, so that they do not seek them, do not set
             M E D I T A T I O N                                                           their heart on them, do not love them. They have an-
* other life. They have become another people. They
                                                                                           are changed into aliens in the world and citizens of
                                                                                          another country, the heavenly. That country they
                      Inheritance Eternal                                                 seek. For it they long in hope. It they prize above all
                                                                                          the gold and silver, above all the pleasures and treas-
                               To an inheritance incorruptible, and  uu-                  ures of the world. For it they live and labor, for it
                            deNed, and that fadeth not away, resetied
                            in heaven for you.                       I Pet.  1:4.         they strive and suffer, to gain it they are willing to
                                                                                          lose all, yea, their' very life. For, they are begotten
   Glorious inheritance !                                                                 again unto a lively hope through the resurrection of
   Blessed haven of rest for the weary pilgrim!                                           Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus is risen! And He,
   Object of a sure hope unto him that is but a through His resurrection, became the glorified citizen
sojourner and a stranger in the midst of this present of that other country. His resurrection was no return,
world ! For you! .  * . .                                                                 but a passing on to heavenly glory. And they are risen
   For it is to them that the apostle Peter is address- with Him! Through Him they also are begotten again,
ing his epistle, that this part of the Word of God born from above, born with the life of that heavenly
speaks, comes with exceeding great promises. As land, of the `New Jerusalem. And because of that
strangers and pilgrims, as sojourners, that do not birth from above they have become strangers in the
tarry, that cannot  andXii1  not tarry, that have no world. Their life is hid with Christ in Go& They lift
abiding city here below, that merely ask to be allowed up their heads in hope and seek the city that lath
to pass through a land that is not theirs, the context foundations, whose builder and  artificer  is God!
views the Church, the children of the Iiving God.                                               For you the inheritance incorruptible, undefiled,
    Strangers they are, in deepest sense, because of that fadeth not away!
election. Strangers elect. God has willed it so, has                                            Blessed hope !
sovereignly conceived of them so, that they should be                                            In the world they have tribulation. For, even as
strangers for a while. For, He chose them, elected they are strangers in the world, so the world knoweth
them out of the world to be a peculiar possession unto them not. And, because they are sojourners and pil-
Himself, in distinction `from others. He loved them; grims, citizens of the heavenly country, of the King-
He hated others. For, He is God and not man. And dom of God ; and, because they desire to manifest the
He does all things for His own name's sake, that He life of that new country even as they are passing
may be glorified as the only Good and the glory of His through this present world and to walk as children
covenant-life may become manifest. And so He chose of light; and, because the world lieth in darkness and
them in divine and eternal and sovereign love, that in will not and cannot seek the things that are above, -
them He might manifest His love, His life, that they therefore, the world hateth them and persecutes them
might become partakers of the divine nature, thus set- for righteousness' sake. And often they are cast into
ting them apart, causing them to' be strangers with the  fiery furnace of affliction.
relation to the children of darkness . . . .                                                    But in the midst of the affliction, and all the more
   Foryou?                    ,'                                                          fervently. because of it, they long for the realization of
   Strangers they become in time, strangers to a world their hope.
of darkness, to a life of sin, to the things of this pres-                                      And longing for the object of their hope they are


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
410
_______  .._  "1_1_                           ^."_^-  -    -           "-_."lll_         -.---_-
comforted and deem it grace that they may believe in to remain; it is shown to us for a moment; then, passes
Christ and suffer with Him.                                     out of our sight. No day of joy we are able to pro-
    For, they know that an unspeakably rich inherit- long even one hour; the bright light of gladness fades
ance is theirs, is reserved in heaven for them, shall away into the darkness of sorrow's night. No treasure
surely be manifested and given unto them in the day so precious, so dear to our heart, but soon we must
of  final salvation, the inheritance incorruptible and relinquish our hold upon it. No object of love but it is
undefiled and that fadeth not away!                             torn from our hearts; no hope that does not perish;
    And even now the knowledge of that glorious in- no ambition that does not end in disappointment; no
heritance fills them with joy unspeakable and pursuit of ideals that does not ultimately prove vain.
reconciles them to their present suffering and tribula- Time pursues us, besets us, compels us to move on.
tion.                                                           When we would fain abide, she carries us on, away
    For, they know that the inheritance is reserved for from our fondest hopes, our dearest resting-place, our
them. They know, too, that no power of darkness can most blessed hours, on and on, till she causes us to
prevent their entering into its glorious possession.            enter into the dark recesses of the shadow of death,
    Yea, they are assured that even these powers of and we ourselves fade away, never to return . . . .
darkness must serve their final salvation and the fiery            But that inheritance is eternal !
furnace must prepare them as heirs for the inherit-                That precious possession we shall .enjoy forever!
ance !                                                          Even the shadow of death shall never be able to creep
    All things work together for good!                          over it. The very thought of the end shall never be-
       And they feel assured that the glory and blessed- cloud the bright joy of its possession. The glory of the
ness of that  final salvation is so great, that all the suf- heavenly joy shall be enduring; eternity shall be in it!
ferings of this present time cannot be compared with               For that inheritance shall be incorruptible, un-
the glory that shall be revealed in them!                       fading, undeflable  !
       They are begotten again unto a lively hope . . . .          There will not be any possibility of corruption !
       To an inheritance eternal!                                  It is not merely without corruption, but corruption
       Blessed hope of glory !                                  can never enter into that inheritance ! Corruption is
                                                                the destruction of anything by forces external to it.
                                                                And a thing is corruptible when it is exposed to these
                                                                forces that tend to destroy it, its power and its beauty,
       Glory unspeakable !                                      its life and its very being. In this present world all
       Eye hath not seen ; ear hath not heard ; never have things are corruptible and are corrupted. Our very
entered into the heart of man the things which God bodies are corruptible and so, therefore, is our earthly
hath prepared for them that love Him!                           life and existence. Corrupting forces and influences
       Adequately human words cannot describe, properly encompass us, lurk all around us. We carry them with
earthly language cannot depict the real character, the us, in our very blood, our bones and our flesh. Cor-
glory and beauty of that inheritance for the which ruption is in the food we eat, in the water we drink, in
these strangers elect, these reborn citizens of  the the air we breathe. -And to these-corrupting influences-
heavenly land hope and long.                                    we are exposed. We cannot resist them, we must needs
       For, even as they themselves are become wholly succumb to them. And as we are so are all things.
different from, other than the world in which they Corruptibility characterizes all things. But that in-
sojourn for a time, so the future inheritance is not to heritance is incorruptible. There are no corrupting
be compared, except in the way of contrast, to any- forces, that will destroy the beauty and glory of it be-
thing the eye doth see and the ear hear here below or fore our very eyes. It will stand in incorruptible be-
that can possibly arise in the heart of man. For, that auty forever and ever!
inheritance is heavenly, and heavenly things cannot be             Neither  shal1 that inheritance fade away!
adequately expressed in language earthly. Hence, the               Even as the corruption of anything is caused by
Word of God merely contrasts that blessed inheritance destructive forces that are external to the thing itself,
with all the eye can see and ear hear and the heart so the fading and withering of a thing is due to a want
conceive in this world and informs us that it will be of vitality, a lack of proper strength to endure forever.
wholly other than all we ever experience in the present Here all things are fading, must needs fade, because
land of our pilgrimage. The inheritance is  not cor- they possess but a certain measure of force to be and
ruptible,  not defilable, not fading away!                      to live. As a fire extinguishes itself by consuming the
       Time shall be no more !                                  measure of fuel within its scope; as a flower of the
       The inheritance is eternal !                             field withers because it possesses but a certain measure
       What a contrast to all we perceive and experience of life; so all things fade and wither and die, because
in this world! Now all is subject to time, limited by the measure of their power of existence is limited. So
time, under time's iron rule, dominated by time's in- we ourselves fade away quickly. Three score and ten
exorable law. No thing of beauty we can prevail upon years or, if we are' very strong, fourscore years meas-


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR'ER                                            411
                                                                               _lll.
ure the time limits, within which our vitality is con- whom He justified them He also glorified. That which
sumed. Then, we must needs bend our heads, inc1ine.t.o       eye hath not seen and ear hath not heard, and never
the grave and pine away. But that inheritance is un- entered into the heart of man to conceive, God pre-
fading and unfadable ! It possesses and inexhaustible pared to them that love Him from before the founda-
source, from which constantly its life's strength and tion of the world ! The inheritance eternal is already
beauty is supplied, so that it never withers. It is in- prepared !
separably connected with Christ and through Christ              Reserved in heaven for you !
with the ever living God. It does, therefore, never             Prepared that inheritance is, because centrally it is
fade away !                                                  realized in the Lord Jesus Christ!
   And it is undefiled and  undefllable!                        He merited the inheritance for His brethren and
   It is not subject to the defiling influence of sin!       they are coheirs with Him only. Rightful heirs are
   Even the first Paradise, though, at first, standing they, indeed, but not because of any merit or right-
in purity of righteousness and holiness, and in  t,he eousness of their own. On the contrary, they had for-
light of knowledge, was not  undefilable,  and therefore, feited all and were by nature objects of wrath as were
not incorruptible and unfading. And defilement came also the others. Sinful and guilty they have nothing to
and with it corruption and destruction, the withering plead if God would mark their sin. In His judgment
process of all things under the sun. And since that they could not stand. But they belong to Him, Who is
moment, all things are defiled and we defile all things. the Firstborn among many brethren. He came to take
By the words of our mouth, by the sight of our eyes, their guilt away, to merit for them the righteousness
by the touch of our hand we defile things, and walking of God, out of pure and everlasting.love.          His suffering
through this world we leave a track of defilement by and blood, His death and perfect answer to God's:
our feet that are swift to shed blood . . . . .              Thou shalt love me! are the meritorious causes of their
   But that inheritance, to which the pilgrim-strangers being the rightful heirs of the inheritance eternal . . .
look forward in hope, is forever beyond the very                Their hope is founded on Him alone !
possibility of defilement. No sin can ever enter there!         But still more!
    It is elevated to the sphere of the most perfect            He not only merited the inheritance for His breth-
liberty !                                                    ren in the way of His perfect obedience, but the in-
    The liberty of eternal+  righteousness ?                 heritance is centrally realized in Him and in Him it is
    It is the inheritance eternal!                           reserved in heaven for you and for me! For, He was
                                                             raised from the dead! And being raised He was clothed
                                                             with the very glory of that incorruptible and  unde-
                                                             fXable inheritance that never fadeth away. And into
    Blessed assurance of glory!                              the glory of that inheritance in the highest heavens He
    For, that eternal inheritance, which is not yet mani- was received, and He is filled with the Spirit and with
fested, but is the object of our fervent hope, shall all the gifts of grace necessary to realize for all His
surely become the possession of the strangers elect, brethren the final salvation that is -to be revealed in
that are begotten again unto a lively hope!                  the last time! . . . .
    The enemy may hate them in this world and in the            He is the central realization of the glorious inherit-
fury of their hatred may persecute them; they cannot ance in heaven!
deprive them of that inheritance!                               It is prepared!
    It is reserved in heaven for them!                          And it is reserved, reserved for you !
    Far beyond the power of the enemy that inherit-             No power of darkness is capable of reaching it to
ance is kept for the people of God, that are the objects destroy its beauty!
of His abundant mercy in Christ Jesus!                          We do not yet see it! But we see Jesus, crowned
    Already it is prepared for them!               -         with glory and honor!
    It only waits to be revealed in all its beauty and to       And we know that the inheritance is reserved in
be given into the possession of the rightful heirs !         heaven for us!
    Prepared it was for them from before the founda-           Blessed assurance !.
tion of the world. For, in God's sovereign and im-                                                            H. H.
mutable counsel that inheritance is prepared from
eternity, and they, the objects of His abundant and
eternal mercy, are in that counsel the possessors of the
incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that never              He1 en hemel  moesten geen invloed hebben op onze
fades. For, whom He did foreknow He also did pre-
destinate to be conformed according to the image of handelingen. De vraag is tech niet wat wij met onze
His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many daden  verdienen, maar waarmede wij den Heere ver-
brethren ; and whom He did predestinate them He also heerlijken.  *
called and whom He called them Be also justified and            Voor onze toekomst zal onze Vader  we1 zorgen.

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

                    Jacob In Egypt                            Why was Joseph so insistent that his family take
                                                          up their residence in Goshen? He knew and loved the
    Jacob with his family has crossed Egypt's borders purpose of God ; and this purpose required that the
and is now in the near vicinity of Joseph's residence. children of Israel retain their identity in Egypt. The
Instead of allowing himself and his own to enter the promise of God. had come to this family. Should it dis-
private precincts of Joseph's estate unannounced, appear as a result of being incorporated in the Egypt-
Jacob orders Judah to go before him and notify his ian commonwealth, this promise could not be  fulfXed.
illustrious son that his guests have arrived and are How well Joseph understood this. And he loved the
waiting to be directed to the land of Goshen. Joseph promise: the city that hath foundations, life eternal.
immediately makes ready his chariot and goes up to And being a man of faith, the things promised take on
meet his father.                                          form and substance for him; become to him the only
    It is approximately fifteen years ago that Jacob last blessed and worthwhile reality, a supreme good, which
saw this son of his. Joseph was then a lad. He has in order to gain he renounces the world.
changed then in the intervening years, for he is now a        Therefore he does what he must, what he is called
man and looks the part. And his dress is Egyptian. upon to do that events may take their rightful course.
It will perhaps be necessary for him to identify him- Consider how `God had set the stage, had created the
self. But ,no ! The aged parent is quick to recognize proper situations. There was a Goshen  - a luxuriant
the child of his heart in the Egyptian lord that ap- pasture land, at that time sparsely settled by a folk
proaches. There is an exchange of greetings perhaps not strictly Egyptian, a land where flocks could graze
and Jacob falls on his son's neck. He weeps - long and multiply, and where Jacob's seed, would dwell
and repeatedly. Such is the thought conveyed by the alone. There was an Egyptian people, civilized, cul-
notice, "And Joseph made ready . . . . and presented tured, refined, worldly, wicked, boasting of their
himself unto him; and he fell (namely, Jacob) on his achievements, proud of their progress and holding the
neck, and wept on his neck a good while."                 shepherd, the plain man, in. visible contempt  -  a
    Emotions at first run too deep for words ; but people with a superior complex, a folk who had re-
finally the parent speaks, "Now let me die, since I treated behind a wall of pride and ,arrogance  that no
have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive."          outlander could scale. Then there was a king so filled
    What is the feeling that prompts this speech? It with admiration for Joseph that he seems to have lost
is hard to say with any degree of accuracy. This is all capacity for independent thought and action,  -  a
certain: a great void in Jacob's life is fiRed,  a crave king, who dare not speak until Joseph has spoken, who
satisfied, a hurt healed, a hunger appeased, now that he dare not act until Joseph has said what ought to be
clasps this son, he thought dead, to his heart. He can done  - a king, in fine, ready to cater to his Hebrew's
now relinquish his hold on life, go down to Shoal with every whim, and to grant his every request. And,
a mind eased by the knowledge that he liveth. Though finally, there was Jacob, the chosen of the Lord, but
death were to take him this very moment, what  mat- because of his occupation  - he was a shepherd, a
tereth it? He had seen his face.                          plain man  - an abomination to the proud Egyptian.
   Joseph now prepares his family for a meeting with How great and incomprehensible the power and good-
Pharaoh. First he will go up and inform the king of ness of the Lord to order and execute His work in the
their arrival. The king will then summon them into most excellent and just manner!
his presence and inquire about their occupation. They        It is Joseph's calling to act upon the divine sug-
must say that their trade has been about cattle from gestions that come to him through the aforesaid situa-
their' youth even until now, both they and their tions. Were he a carnal man he would take no notice
fathers. So answering they will affirm what Joseph of the direction in which the finger of God now points.
has and will again tell the king. This reply of theirs Were he a man of ignoble ambitions, he would say in
will secure for them the land of Goshen.                  his heart, `I will refrain from disclosing myself to them
   It is to be noticed that Joseph is insistent that his and thus let them return whence Mey came, for let me
family take up its residence in this land. "Come unto claim them as my kin and I draw to my person the
me, tarry not; and thou shalt dwell in `the land of odium of the Egyptian for engagements such as theirs,
Goshen,"  had been about his first words after he had and thus emperil  my position.' Joseph, however, is a
disclosed himself to them. His instantaneous coming believer. Having respect, as Moses, to the recompense
to the fore with instruction respecting what move they of the reward, he, too, esteems the reproach of his
should next make points to the fact that he had thought people, yea of Christ, greater riches than the glory of
things through and had made his decision long before his position and the approval of the Egyptian. He is
the first appearance of his brethren in Egypt. And he of a mind therefore to do his duty as he now so plainly
was determined to direct them to  Goshen. Their settle- sees it - the duty, namely, of calling his kinsmen to
ment in this section of Egypt was, it is plain, a matter Egypt, for to Egypt, he knows, the way now leads ; the
of concern to him. He had induced the king to grant duty of claiming this despised people as his own, of
him a lease on this land for his kindred.                 publicly calling them his brethren, of disclosing to the


                                    T H E   STA~NDARD  B E A R E R                                                        417
-     -                                              ---___ --.-                          ___.___
Egyptian their occupation that they may be hated and           And the king hearkens to them. He speaks unto
held by the Egyptian at arm's length while they tarry Joseph saying, "Thy father and thy brothers are come
as strangers and pilgrims in the land of Goshen.     So unto thee : the land of Egypt is before thee ; in the best
he says to them in the hour of his self-disclosure, of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in
"Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, the land of Goshen let them dwell ; and if thou knowest
Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me Lord any men of activity among them, then make them
over all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: and rulers over my cattle . . . . "
thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen . . . . ," and          What generous treatment the world as represented
again, "And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto by this king affords the servants of Jehovah. Can it
his father's house, I will go up, and show Pharaoh, and be that after all there is a common grace of God so
say unto him, My brethren and my father's house, operative in natural man that his native corruption is
which were in the land of Canaan are come unto me ; confined to some deep under-chamber of his soul and
and the men are shephherds, for their trade hath been his corrupt nature bears good fruit? Indeed not. Con-
to feed cattle ; and they have brought their flocks, and sider, that if this Pharaoh was destitute of saving
their herds, and all that they have. And it shall come grace his generosity, though it glitters, was without
to pass when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say what ethical value. It may be, however, that this particular
is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants' Egyptian monarch was a child of redeeming grace. We
trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until call attention to the fact that Jacob, the prophet of
now, both we and also our fathers: that ye may dwell God, blesses him as the representative, we like to be-
in the land of Goshen;  for every shepherd is an abom- lieve, of the elect nucleus hidden also in this race.
ination unto the Egyptians. Then Joseph came and Having placed at the disposal of the chosen race his
told Pharaoh, and said, My `father and my brethren, land, there descends upon him the benediction of
and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, Heaven.
are come out of the land of Canaan ; and behold, they          Yet the high esteem in which he holds Joseph is no
are in t-he land of Goshen  . . . . "                       proof that he has been visited by redeeming grace.
     Then Joseph takes five of his brethren and presents There are cases on record of monarchs known to be
them unto Pharaoh. The king puts to them the desired Children of nature lavishing high honors upon saints.
question : "What is your occupation?" The brethren Daniel, because of his wisdom was raised to position
reply as they had been instructed: "Thy servants are of power and glory by a pagan ruler who feared not
shepherds, both we and our fathers. To sojourn in the God. Joseph had rendered a great service to Egypt.
land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for He possessed rare ability as a statesman. Small wonder
their flocks ; for the famine is sore in the land of that the king honored him and was at all times ready
Canaan: now therefore we pray thee, let thy servants to do his bidding. It was to his own great advantage
dwell in the land of Goshen  . . . . "                      that he did so.
     So do they speak of themselves to this Egyptian                                                         G. M. `0.
monarch. A rather touching scene, this. They who
plead with a heathen king for a little standing room in                                                            .
his country are the chosen of the Lord, who by virtue
of the promise posses the earth. And they have need ;                                BEDE
for the famine is sore in Canaan. So they go to beg-                 Heer en Heiland ! aan Uw voeten,
ging, rather than resort to violence. They are God's                    Buig ik mij ootmoedig neer,
meek and will therefore inherit the earth though now                 `k Mag U als mijn Redder groeten,
they are a people without a country. Because they                       U aanbidden als mijn Heer.
eschew violence, choose a conversation that is in
heaven and thus will to be strangers and pilgrims in                 Door mijn zondenlast verslagen,
the earth, they shall come into the actual possession of                Wist ik niet, waarheen te vlien,
all things.                                                          Maar Gij hebt mijn schuld gedragen,
     How humble the request with which these pilgrims                   Gij  .woudt  mij verlossing bien.
come to the world. Their demand is not that the
Egyptian give them a part of his country as a per-                   0, versterk mijn zwak geloove,
manent possession.      They care not for  tkis earth.                  Schep in mij een vasten geest,
Their hearts are set on the heavenly Canaan, the new                 Dat mij niets Uw liefde ontroove,
earth, that glorified region where God tabernacles with                 Leer me U minnen' allermeest.
His redeemed. Now, however, they are in dire need.
So they humbly petition the king to tolerate them for                Wil mij Uwe wegen leeren ;
a brief season as sojourners in a remote section of his                 Trouwe Herder, leid  TJw kind,
country. But a little while and they will be.gone - to               Dat in `t offer hares Heeren
Canaan.                                                                 Slechts de rust des harten vindt.


42%                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                         -.-..-..-_-.... ^    .^"-_-
                          __
liefhebben, is er nog zooveel worsteling van  vleesch                         Man's True Freedom
tegen Geest. Dat Woord zal ook hen slag op slag moe-
ten veroordeelen, diep in  moeten snijden, zeer  moeten          (This is one of the commencement orations, delivered at the
                                                                  occasion of the commencement exercises of our Theological
doen.                                                             School on June 2nd. The other oration by H. Veldman  .gill
       De bedienaar des Goddelijken Woords zal veel               appear in our next number, D. V. - Editor.)
tegenspreken en tegenstand  moeten verwachten,  moe-                In a discussion of man's true freedom it is essential
ten kunnen verduren. Al predikende zal hij  moeten that we clearly understand what we mean when we
strijden den goeden  strijd.                                     speak of freedom, for upon this depends our answer to
       Zwaar is die taak, ook al mede, omdat de verkondi-        the questions, Was man free? Is he free? Shall he
ger van dat getuigenis zelf ook een mensch is en . . . ever be free?
een zondig mensch. Hij is in dat opzicht niet anders                Indeed, there is a sense in which the term freedom
dan de gemeente in het  midden waarvan hij optreedt. is used in which m&r never was free nor ever shall be.
        Wie is tot deze  dingen bekwaam?                         There is another sense in which it is used in which
        Niemand. Geen mensch nit en van zichzelven, ook man is always free as long as he stands on this side of
al is hij nog zoo goed onderlegd in de kennis van de the grave. Again, there is a sense in which the term
dingen,  die noodig zijn; om een goed  predikant te zijn. is also used, and in which we wish to discuss it, that
        Wie dit onderneemt in eigen kracht moet zeker val- man was once free, is so no longer as .he is by nature,
len.                                                             but becomes so to the highest possible degree in Christ.
        Daarom schreven  we: ikncdictio Domini  supc~r  can- The first of these in which man never was nor ever can
didntos  nostros!                                                be free may be designated by the name sovereig?t frce-
        De zegen des Heeren over onze  candidaten  !             +om. The second, in which man is always free may- be
        Zij dat onze bede uoor hen!                              called formal freedom; whereas the third, in which
        En moge het geduriglijk hunne eigcne bede zijn! man  wLas but is so no longer yet becomes so if  in-
                                                        H. H.    grafted into Christ may be termed true freedom.
                                                                    In respect to the first of these, viz., sovereign free-
                                                                 dom, it is very evident that man never was nor ever
                                                                 can be in this sense free. God alone is sovereignly free
                         GOD'S GAVE                              because He is God. The very confession that God is
              Neen, Gij liet ons geene  weezen,                  God implies that He is the sovereign whose being finds
                Liet ons niet alleen, o Heer !                   its origin in nothing but Himself, whose will deter-
              In de volle Geestesstroomen                        mines all things but is itself self-determined, whose
                Kwaamt Gij, Heiland, tot ons wecr.               counsel shall stand for He alone doeth all His good-
                                                                 pleasure. He is the fount of all good, and that in-
              Gij hebt ons Uw Geest gegeven,                     finitely and eternally. In other words, He is the un-
                Die ons leidt, vertroost, verlicht ;             caused cause, the Almighty, whose will alone is sov-
              Die als Leidsman onze schredcn                     ereignly free. There is no compulsion exercised upon
                Op den weg des levens richt.                     His will or being, but He voluntarily does all that He
                                                                 sees fit with His creatures. He is absolutely, infinitely,
              Van Uw wonderheerlijk leven                        eternally free, for He is God. Man, on the other hand,
                Aan des Vaders i-echterhand,                     is the determined and the dependent one. The ultimate
              Voor `t  begrip  zoo onverstaanbaar,               cause of all his acts and experience is God, and in all
                Geeft Uw Guest  ons het.verstand,                that he does or wills and is, he is dependent upon Him.
                                                                 We may not postulate of man what can only belong to
              Heerlijk, kostlijk is de gave                      God  - to do so would be to make of man God, and of
                Van Uw Geest ons, dierbre Heer !                 God a puppet. That man is or ever was in respect to
              Dat Hij dan ons U doe kennen                       anything at all sovereignly free we may positively deny
                In Uw volheid meer en meer !                     and be assured that we stand foursquare upon God's
                                                                 revelation in Scripture.
                                                                     In the second place there is a sense in which the
                                                                 word freedom is often used in which man is always
                   ONVERDIENDE LIEFDE                            free, viz., formal freedom. We use the word formal to
        Niets doet ons  Christus zoozeer liefhebben, als `de forthcome the notion that this freedom is the true free-
 vergelijking zan Zijne liefde met onze onwaardigheid. dom of man. `We mean by formal freedom that man
 Het is ons goed te  weten, dat Christus  ons liefheeft, wills, that man chooses between several possibilities.
 maar hoeveel meer is zulks bij de bewustheid, dat wij He can go down-town, for example,' or he can stay at
 zwart zijn als de  tenten van Kedar. Dit is eene  ge- home as he chooses. Yet we must never forget that
 dachte,  we1  geschikt  om ons van alle andere  dingen this freedom is first of all a dependent-creaturely one
 te spenen.                                                      - back of it is God's will and choice, and secondly that


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    423

this choosing is not by any means as free as it often Man's freedom is not independent but dependent upon
appears for it is dependent not only upon circum- Gqd, is not self-determined but determined by God, is
stances in general but also upon our individual make- not absolute but relative to his God. Shall man then be
up. It is this freedom which is amongst men in gen- truly free he must serve the Lord his God with all his
eral so lauded and praised, so discussed and expounded, heart and soul and mind, in brief, with all that he is
that the men of thought have almost deified man on and has. He must do that completely, that is, with
account of it. It is true that man to an extent de- body and soul, as prophet, priest and king. As prophet
termines his own actions, nevertheless it is nothing he must speak of his God, as priest offer to his God, as
but a formal freedom which he has as the image-bearer king rule over all things in the name of his God. More-
of his God. In the same sense that man still is the over he must do that all the days of his life contin-
image-bearer of God, i. e.,  as rational-moral creature, uously, always, from day to day, from moment to mo-
he is also free. But even as the positive contents of ment. Finally he must do that perfectly. In nothing
this image  as  rational-moral creature are absent after must he fall short of the ideal, but only  fulfil the idea
the fall, so also the positive contents of this freedom of his creation. If he is able to move and develop thus
are gone. It is the shell that once contained a nut that then he possesses the first element necessary for his
is there - the kernel is gone. It is a caricature which true freedom.
reminds us of the original, but it remains nothing but        In the second pIace true freedom implies that the
a caricature. Hence if by freedom is meant nothing sphere in which he moves and develops is such that he
more than that man wills and chooses, we readily is able to live out the idea of his being. All creation in
admit there is today such a freedom.                      other words must be adapted to him and he to it, all
    However just as Scripture always  emph&zes that creation must lend itself that he may serve the Lord.
man has lost all the positive content of God's image,. There must be perfect harmony between him and his
so it also emphasizes that man is not free, for true sphere, complete subjection to him of creation. Then
freedom he  has not.  This in the third place. True only can he fulfil the idea of his being.
freedom is positive, spiritual-ethical freedom, and of        In the third place true freedom implies that man
this we wish to speak. Of it we said that man had it vohmtarily  chooses to live out the idea of his nature,
once, has it by nature no longer, but is able to have it not however under the pressure of external force or
in Christ and then in its highest possible degree. Ac- compulsion but from an inward urge of love for the
cordingly we shall call your attention to man's true Lord. Quite correctly have the church fathers of the
freedom :                                                 past seen that freedom implies the absence of all com-
                                                          pulsion foreign to the nature of the will and the pres-
              I. IN  ITS  ORIGINAL  STATE,                ence of a voluntary choice. To be free man must will
             II. IN  ITS  WOEFUL  ANTITHESIS,             to serve Jehovah, to do the good, not the evil. This he
             III. IN  ITS  GLORIOUS  PERFECTION.          must do, not under the pressure of an external com-
                                                          pulsion, but freely, voluntarily, simply because he de-
                  I. In  Ii!8 Original State              lights therein.
   Freedom has correctly been defined by one of our           Applying these elements to man's condition in Para-
leaders in some such a way as that condition in which dise it is very plain from Scripture that man as he was
the creature is able in accord with its nature to move before the fall was free in a very real sense of the
and develop in agreement with God's ordinance for it wgrd. First of all man was able to realize the idea of
without being hampered therein by anything external his creation, to realize it completely, continuously and
to it. To illustrate this permit us to use the example perfectly, for he was created as the image-bearer of
of a bird. A bird's nature is according to God's ordi- God. We read in Gen. 1:26 that God said within him-
nance such that it is. adapted to  thb air and skies. If seIf, "Let us make man in our image, after our like-
we for a moment think away the air and skies the bird ness," and in vs. 27, "So God created man in his own
could never be free for its proper sphere in which to     image, in the image of God created he him." By virtue
move would,be  absent. Encage it or clip its wings and of this image he was able to live the life of God's
it is not free. It is only free when in agreement with fellowship as a creature and thereby  fulfl the idea of
its nature it soars about in-the heavens, and thus real- his being - he was free.
izes the idea of its being.                                   Secondly, we read in Gen. 1:26 also, "and let them
   However when we apply this  definition to man we have dominion over the tih of the sea, and over the
may say that three things are necessary for his free- fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the
dom. In the first place, it implies that he is able to earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth
realize the idea of his creation, to realize it completely, upon the earth." Not only did God determine to .place
continuously and perfectly. The idea of man's creation man in a sphere in which he could be free, but he also
is not to eat food and digest it, it is not simply to serve actually did this, for we read in Gen. 2 :15, "And the
but to serve God, it is not to choose but to choose  God, Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden
it is definitely to tell forth the praises of his God. of Eden to dress it and to keep it." This implies that


424                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-.-.^- --..-._ I.                                                                          -.---A.. __l- ..___._
the sphere in which he was placed was subject to him highest freedom possible. The highest possible free-
so that he could move and develop according to his dom is that man can only will to do the good and can-
nature without anything externa1  to hamper him there- not will to do the evil. This is reached in Christ alone.
in. He was free.                                             This freedom is a much higher freedom, is man's true
       Thirdly, not only was it possible for Adam to move freedom in its glorious perfection.
and develop according to the idea of his nature, but he
actually did. His being as created by God was not                        II. In  Its Woeful Antithesis
neutral but manifested itself positively. This is evident       This possibility of sin was the means by which
from the fact that as friend-servant of God he named bondage came upon man, for man is no longer the
the animals of Paradise. It was not so that Adam was possessor of true freedom. Man in Adam as the federal
in a sort of daze when created and that it took a few head chose the evil by transgressing the commandment
hours for him to "come to," after which time he must of God and eating of the forbidden fruit. Man lost his
choose between the good and the evil. Not at all, his freedom, and received its woeful antithesis.
naming of the animals shows that he went out to the             Man lost his freedom. Just what does that imply?
Lord his God positively from the moment of his crea- It means that the positive content thereof is no more,
tion. God caused the animals to come before Adam, that materially it is gone. It means that man lost the
and Adam knew their names, i. e., saw in them their image of God in its spiritual-ethical sense, that he no
individual natures and gave expression to this in longer has knowIedge,  righteousness and truth. This
sound. He called them by the names which they had image is necessary shall he serve his God, but now by
with God. Further it was not so that God by an ex- reason of ,his sin it is gone. It means moreover that
ternal compulsion forced him to name them, but so there is no longer a creation that is subject to him,
that when God commanded Adam had no other desire that he is driven forth from Paradise, that the proper
 but to fulfil the will of his God. His meat and drink sphere to live out the idea of his being is gone. FinaIly
 was to do the will of God. In this he was free in the it means that he is able no longer to voluntarily love
 true,  sense of the word.                                   the Lord his God, to serve him, that mind and will are
        Yet to predicate that man in his original state in so corrupted that he cannot will to serve God. He is
 Paradise had the highest possible freedom would be in not free.
 contradiction with the whole revelation of God's will          Yet this freedom was  .more  than lost, for in its
 in respect to man as made known by the. Scriptures. place came its woeful antithesis. Man remained  a
 Indeed, all of the Bible testifies to the fact that God's rational-moral creature, but in  pIace of the positive
 plan of the ages was not that man should have the contents of the image of God, knowIedge,  righteousness
 eternal freedom in the first Adam but in the second and holiness, there is now spiritual-ethical ignorance,
 Adam. Adam's freedom was in respect to the earth, unrighteousness and unholiness. Further, all creation
 not in respect to heaven ; Adam's freedom was pre- was cursed for man's sake. He must now labor in the
 paratory, not final. In respect to the former Scrip- sweat of his'brow  to sustain the body, but it is ulti-
 ture everywhere witnesses to the fact that Adam was mately to no avail for his body goes to the grave, since
 the lord' of the earth, not the Lord from heaven ; that death already works in' hismembers.  The earth brings
 Adam's body was earthy, not heavenly; that heaven forth thorns and thistIes,  the forces of nature destroy
 and earth were not united together in him, but are him. It is because God is not mocked, man cannot be
 that in Christ (Eph.  19, 10). Hence that glorified as God ; only in the service of God is he free, in the
 nature of man, which is our portion in Christ, in its service of sin he is in bondage with body and soul for
 individual place in the gIorified  creation is a higher time and eternity unto death. Everywhere man meets
 manifestation of man's freedom than the former. In the stone wall of God's justice, and apart from God
 respect to the latter, that Adam's freedom was pre- there is no happiness, no peace, no life, in brief, no
 paratory, not final, Scripture is aIso very plain. Adam's freedom.
 nature could be corrupted, could pass over into bond-          Add to this that man's intellect is darkened, so that
 age, if he by an act of his will chose the evil. His will he cannot even see the kingdom of God (John 3 :3),
 was truly free in so far as he eould and did choose the and that all that he is able to will is sin and evil. It is
 good, yet not in so far as it was possible for him to not so that man's will is free so that he can choose good
 choose the evil and thus cast his body and soul into or evil as the Arminian  would have it. Nay, he is one
 bondage unto sin and with it the entire creation. How- hundred per cent the servant of sin unto death with all
 ever, this possibility was not an actuality but only a that he is and has. In the words of Rom.  8:6-8 we
 possibility. We cannot say that because his will was have a description of this bondage. We read there,
 thus he was already in bondage, for a man that can "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spirit-
  become a slave although at the moment he is none is ually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind
 not an actual slave but a possible one. That Adam is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Iaw
 could also will evil and thus voluntarily subject himself of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are
  unto bondage is not bondage, but neither is it the in, the flesh cannot pIease God." Notice that the carnal


                                      T H E   ST`ANDARD  BEA,RER                                                425

mind is not an "enemy" but "enmity" itself, and relative the earthly creation only, but also relative the
further that the flesh iannot:  be subject to the law of h e a v e n l y .
God ! Again in John 8 :43-45 the Lord in no dubious           Moreover if we say nothing more than that man
terms says to the Jews, "Why do ye not understand my regains his freedom of the will, we do not by any
speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. We are means say enough. The first man could sin, the per-
of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father fected man in Christ cannot sin. So we read in I John
ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, 5:18, "We know that whosoever is born of God  sin-
and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in neth not ; but he keepeth himself, and that wicked one
him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: toucheth him not." Or to state it still more strongly,
for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I the same author says in I John  3:9, "Whosoever is
tell you the truth,. ye believe me not." Notice, the un- born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed  re-
believing Jews -and they are representative of all maineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born
men as they are by nature.- cannot hear Christ's of God." Notice, he cannwt  sin. That could not be said
word. Why can they not? It is because Jesus tells the of Adam, but can only be said of those in Christ. The
truth ; if he told a lie, they could- and would hear him. reason why we possess this in Christ alone is because
Not now however. Man is a slave of Satan, a child of Christ is Immanuel, God with us. God cannot be any-
Belial, a son of perdition !                               thing else than free. Bearing the image of Christ
       The law of God cannot redeem man, it but brings man can be nothing else than free, for no more than
out the extent of his bondage unto sin and corruption. Christ can become a devil, no more can his child, ac-
Death and hell, pain and suffering, fear and the judg- cording to the life of regeneration, will sin. He cannot
ment stare him in the face everywhere. If you call sin. If to man in Christ were simply restored what he
this freedom, that man is able to bring about his lost in Adam then the possibility of another fall would
greater curse; if you call this freedom that man can not be precluded but now it is, for we shall be with
transgress the ordinances of God for his bodily wel- Christ and reign with him forever and ever (Rev.
fare, and thus bring sickness and disease upon himself; 22:5). Another fall is impossible - the saints shall
if you call this freedom that all creation purposes the persevere unto all eternity.
death of his body, then there is freedom. But it is the       That liberty is present, according to II Cor. 3 :17,
freedom of the lie, it is the freedom of the tree that is where the Spirit of the Lord is, for, "Now the Lord is
uprooted, the freedom of the fish on the dry land, the that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
freedom of the bird in a cage, bondage unto corruption is liberty." That this liberty is in the knowledge of
and deaths Yet so complete is man's bondage that he God in Christ is evident from John 8:31,  32 where we
thinks he is free, that he kisses the rod of bondage, and read, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on
delights in his service of sin.                            him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my dis-
       Such is man's condition by reason of sin. Not free, ciples indeed ; and ye shall know the truth, and the
but in bondage, the woeful antithesis of freedom !         truth shall make you free," and again in vs. 36, "If
 _       _-                                                the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free
               III. In. Its Glorious Perfection  -         indeed." That his freedom finally is not characterized
       Yet it is only through the deep way of sin and by compulsion, by a force operating contrary to man's
death that the creature of God comes to his highest will may be gathered from Rom. 8 :15, "For ye have not
freedom, the glorious liberty of the sons of God. It received the Spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye
was God's plan to unite all things, the things in heaven have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
and the things upon the earth under the one head, our Abba, Father."
Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:9, 10). It was Christ that          The highest perfected freedom of the people of
took away our bondage and gave us the glorious liberty God's eternal choice is progressively realized. We pos-
of the sons of God, of which Rom.  8% speaks.              sess it, but as yet only in principle, for we are not yet
       To say that what was lost in Adam is regained in delivered from the body of this death, nor creation de-
Christ is but a partial truth, and hence an untruth. If livered from the bondage of corruption unto the glori-
man simply regained what he lost then he is not lord ous liberty of the sons of God. It is realized in the
of heaven and of earth but only lord of the earth, for way of struggle. We must struggle and fight to stand
Adam was never more than this. This is not so. I Cor. in the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free. It
15 :45-50 specifically teaches that as we bore the image is a struggle, however, that gives the assurance of
of the earthly, i. e., Adam, so we  shall bear the image eternal freedom, the confidence that we shall be com-
of the heavenly, i.e., Christ the Lord of heaven. God's pletely redeemed from sin and be servants of right-
work in Christ is no reparation for then man's ruin eousness. Because it is a struggle, Paul in Gal. 5 :I
in sin would at least in the lost be a partial victory for admonishes us to stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Satan and a partial defeat of God's purpose, but it is Christ hath made us free that we be not entangled
the consummation, the glorious perfection of all things, again with the yoke of bondage, words which have
and centrally of man's freedom. It is a freedom not rderence first of all to the law of Sinai but  which


426                                           T H E '   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                    -..^---   -             -
are based upon this conception of the freedom of the
sons of God.                                                                        Ingezonden
            After the long struggle is finished we shall appear                                     City, April 25, 1932.
before the throne of God to bow the knee to the Lord
and with the elders we shall say, "Thou art worthy, 0 Rev. W. Verhill:-
Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou                    In uw art&e1  (Standard Bearer, April 15, "De  Ken-
hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are nisse Gods" bladz. 321, tweede gedeelte) gebruikt u het
and were created" (Rev. 4  :ll) . To sing eternally the volgende : "Hij maakt dien mensch schepsel, hem  bin-
song of the redeemed, to be able eternally to do onIy               dend aan een noodzakelijke bestaanswijze, den tijd,
that, eternally to do so voluntarily is the liberty of the hem  xijn  eindigheid   verkondigmd.",   (Onderstreeping
sons of God ! Then shall the earth be filled with the van mij.)
knowledge of the Lord and shall be forever realized the                 Hoe verklaart u dit in verband  met Zondag 3 vraag
word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, "I will 6: Heeft dan God den mensch alzoo boos en verkeerd
put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their geschapen? Neen Hij; maar God heeft den mensch
hearts ; and will be their God, and they shall be my goed en naar zijn evenbeeld geschapen, dat is, in ware
people"  (Jer.  31:33),  and that by the mouth of Isaiah, gerechtigheid en heiligheid, opdat hij God zijnen schep-
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy  momi-              per recht  kermen, Hem van harte liefhebben en met
tain : for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Hem in de eeuwige zaligheid leve?t  zoude, om Hem te
Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Is. 11:9).                      loven en te prijzen.
                                             I thank you.               Eveneens in derband met artikel 14 onzer  geloofs-
                                                                     belijdenis, waar we lezen, "Want het gebod des  lcuens
                                                Peter De Boer        dat hij  ontvangen  had, heeft hij overtreden."
                                                                        Bij voorbaat mijn dank beide voor plaatsing en
                                                                     beantwoording.
                                                                        812 Eastern Ave., S. E.               R. Heslinga
                          I WILL LOVE HIM                               Broeder Heslinga heeft mijn stuk we1 goed  gelezen,
                               John 14:21                            maar het wil mij voorkomen,  dat  B&n der woorden,
                                                                     door hem onderstreept, verkeerd werd opgevat. Het
                    "I will love him," *Jesus says it,               schijnt  alsof hij hierdoor den zin aldus wil verklaren:
                       Can it be He speaks to me,                    "Hij maakt dien mensch schepsel, hem bindend  aan een
                     In those accents pure and holy,                 noodzakelijke bestaanswijze, den tijd, hem zijn e&de
                       May I gr,asp  it - He loves me?               verkondigend." Vandaar zijn probleemstelling, maar
       .                                                             hoe komt dat nu overeen met Zondag 3, vraag 6, en
                     "I will love him," earthly love-is              artikel 14 onzer geloofsbelijdenis?
                                                                        Volgeris br. Heslinga'zou ik gezegd cif bedoeld heb- "
                       Tender as the clinging vine ;                 ben, de Heere bindt Adam {over mien  het hier gaat)
                     But the  w.ondrous  love of Jesus               aan eene noodzakelijke bestaanswijze, Hij maakte dien
                       Is a fountain deep, divine.                   mensch schepsel, en Hij verkondigt hem (Adam) dat
                                                                     z$m einde  aanstaande of nabij is. En we stemmen toe,
                     "I will love him," Lord, reveal it,             indien dit door ons geschreven was, het moeilijk zou
                                                                     zijn om het  verband  aan te toonen tusschen  daf  ge-
I                      Manifest Thyself to me,                       schrevme  en Zondag 3, vraag 6, en Artikel 14 der be-
                     Show me more of what Thou art,                  lijdenis. Dit is  echter  niet door  ens beweerd. We
                       More of what I ought to be.                   wezen in het bovengenoemde artikel op de orde  waar-
                                                                     op de Heere Zijn schepping in het  aanzijn riep. Wezen
                     "I will love him," angels cannot                er op dat, door middel van deze orde, er voldoende stof
                                                                     aan Adam werd gegeven, hetwelk hem tot, nadenken
                       Know the depth of  I,ove Divine,              zoude bewegen en waardoor hij zijn God, ook in de
 1,                  They can never say with siriners,               werken Zijner  handen, zou  leeren  kennen.  bewonde-
                       I am my Lord's, and He is mine.               rend Zijn lof zou uitspreken, en, door middel van dit
                                                                     onderwijs,  dieper ingeleid  worden  in de  ken&, het
                                                                     kennen, van zijn God.
 ,                   "I will love him," blessed promise,                 Eindelijk wezen  we er op, dat de Heere in de schep-
                       Hold me ever by Thy love,                     ping van den mensch hem (Adam) deed zien, dat ook
                     May I never lose its sweetness.                 hij door zijn gebonden zijn, een nog hoogere toekomst
                       Till Thou welcome me above.                 h e m   wachtte., M@, eindigheid bedoelden.  we dan ook


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   ` B E A R E R                                                              429
_-"..^^ _... --.           ___- - -..................-..-  -- ..-.--  _.__I    ._....." ..- ^-         _ . - ..__..._.._.-  -..._l_ll.--.^  -...
                                                                                  building is fatal to the lie that defines  the church as
                    Our Church Order                                              the product of the will of man; for a building builds
                       Axt. 1. For the maintenance of good not itself but is build. So, too, the church: it is build
                     order in the church of Christ it is necessary                and its builder, its creator, is God.
                     that there should be: offices, assemblies,                           A building presupposes a design and the design
                     supervision of doctrine, sacraments and                      according to which any structure is reared implies a
                     ceremonies, and Christian discipline; of
                     which matters the following articles treat selection of a definite number of materials so that the
                     in due order.                                               name building as applied to the church spells design
                                                                                 and thus an eternal, sovereign election. And the de-
    The Ianguage in which the articles of our Church signer of the church is God.
Order were first written is Latin. Placing the English
version of Art. 1 alongside of the Latin text, the dis-                                  Finally, the church, being a building, has `its
covery is made that this version represents a remark- foundation and corner stone, Christ Jesus.
ably free translation, to say the least, of the original                                 The church is a house and its divine occupant is
which as literally translated reads:  "The legitimate God through the Spirit.
order  of  the ecclesiastical discipline is set down thus:                               The church is a temple, a structure of priests, that
sflices,  assemblies, supervision.9 .  i . .  "                                  declares His virtues. The priests and the temple, the
    In the original text the term church, it will be house and its occupants (the believers) are one and the
noticed, appears not as a nown but as an attributive. same.
It is joined to and describes the nown discipline.                                       The church is more than a structure ; it is at once
    The primary meaning of the term discipline is: an organism. An organism is a structure endowed with
education, instruction. Its secondary meanings are : life that issues from a life principle of which the struc-
(1) instruction and government ; (2) rule of govern- ture is the seat and God the creative source and cause.
ment, method of  reguIating  principles and practice; Whereas the church is at once an organism such
(3) subjection to laws, rule, order ; (4) correction, earthly phenomena as the human  .family, the human
chastisement; (5) in ecclesiastical affairs, the execu- body, and the vine, were made to appear for the ex-
tion of the rules by which the church is governed, cor- press purpose of doing service as so many emblems of
rection.                                                                         the church. The seat of life of the church is its head
    Finally, the term legitimate has aIso the meaning Jesus Christ.. From Him the Redeemer of the body
of  right, proper.  The original text could also there- the Spirit of life proceeds, He was first anointed ; and
fore be translated thus: The proper order, arrange- the precious ointment went down to the skirts of His
ment, of the matters of Church government is set down garments.; as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that
thus : offices, assemblies, etc.                                                 descended upon the mountains of Zion; for there the
    The translation found in the English and Holland Lord commanded the blessings, even for evermore.
versions however have received a general acception.                                      The believers then are one body in  Christ,  and
    A word about the church. The church of God ap- members one of another, having gifts according to the
pears in Scripture as a house, a temple, a thing set, grace that is given each one. They .must abide tliere-
established, built. I quote : "Now therefore -ye are no fore in Him. For them not to hold Him the head is
more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens of fatal ; for He is the vine and they are but branches.
the apostles `and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being In Him all the building fitly framed together groweth
the chief corner stone; in whom a11 the building fitly unto a holy temple in the Lord.
framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the                                         Once more, the church is an organic structure, a
Lord: in whom ye are also  builded together for an building that is at once an organism. The latter in
habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph.  2  :19-22).                          distinction from the former is not the invisible essence.
"Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual Both must attain to visibility in the institute. Neither
house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacri- is seen without the other.
fices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ"  (I Pet.  2:5).                                 Scripture speaks of but one church, of but one
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that such a spiritual, organic structure. "And we being
the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (I Cor. 3 :15).                               many, are one body in Christ" (Rom. 12  :5). "Ye also
     This house is seen in Scripture, also as a body, an as lively stones are built up a spiritual house" (I  Pet.
organism. "It groweth unto a hoIy temple in the Lord" 2:5). As an idea, eternally before God's eye, this
(Eph. 2:19). "The believers as living stones are built structure is complete. As a creation it is still in the
up a spiritual house" (I Pet. 2:5).                                               building. The completed and glorified structure will be
     It means that the building of God is only one of its seen on the new earth.
kind, it being at once an organism, a thing that lives                                    The church is now in Heaven: "But ye are come
and grows. The proper term for a phenomenon of this unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living G&cl,
kind  is spiritual organic structure.                                             the heavemy  Jerusalem, and to an innumerable com-
     The church is a structure, a building. The name pany of angels, to the general assembly and church of


430                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                 " ...--." II__-
the firstborn, which are written in heaven . . . .  " plays all the features of the kingdom of God, and this
(Heb. 12 :22, 23).                                           kingdom is at once an organic structure. The struc-
       This organic structure, however, is manifest on ture presupposed by our Church Order properly dis-
earth, and its manifestation is the local congregation. plays all these features. The kingdom of God is an
The statement that the local brotherhood exhibits the absolute monarchy. God is king supreme, Christ is
body of Christ is incomplete. Fact is that this brother- His vicegerent. His word, being the word of God, is
hood exhibits not merely the body of which He is head, sole law. He is therefore the  sole legislator of His
but even the structure, the building, of which He is church. His subjects, however, are spiritual majors.
chief cornerstone and foundation; for the local broth- `They have been made by Him priests and kings unto
erhood is by itself what the one universal church is, their God. They have the anointing and therefore
namely, an organic structure. It is a structure of know. Now faithful over a few things they will be
priests that praises God. It reposes upon the word and made ruler over many things when they enter the joy
thus upon Christ as its foundation. It is at once an of their Lord.
organism whose head, organic prophet, priest and king               As has already been shown, if believers organize :.
is Christ. And He through the agency of the special in agreement with the stipulations of our Church
office in conjunction with His word and Spirit func- `Order, the resultant organization displays properly all
tions as the head of the local body.                         the features of this kingdom. Entering into the make-
       So, then, the church of God is manifest on earth. up of this structure is the special office. And he vested
It appears especially on the Sabbath when the mem- with this office, though the organ of the congregation,
bers belonging to the local brotherhood assemble for is at once the mouthpiece of Christ  sp,eaking  His word
praise. Then the temple is seen and heard as the house that came to the church universal though the channel
of the living God, yea, as a body that eats of the bread of the prophets and apostles. And as to the believers,
of life, and drinks of the living stream of grace and they, too, constitute an  integra1  part of this structure.
thus grows more and more into a holy ternpIe in the As spiritual majors they submit themselves to the
Lord, an habitation of God through the Spirit.               word of God. Further, those vested with the special
       The organism, once more, can be seen. Consider o5ce are not so many vicegerents of Christ. The
the word of our Saviour: "I am the true vine, ye are church has but one such dignitary. And He, namely,
the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the Christ, is actually present in and rules the local con-
same bringeth forth much fruit . . . .  " (John 15': gregation by His Spirit and His word in conjunction
5, 8). So also Ps. 1: "Blessed is the man that  walketh with the special office.
not in the counsel of the ungodly . . . . he shall be               Besides the structure presupposed by our Church
like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth Order, there are other structures to be noticed, namely,
forth his fruit in his season . . . .  " The fruit can that of the Roman Catholic Church, that of the  Erast-
be seen. Not so the root. But the fruit, surely, as well ian and that of the Congregationalist.
as the root is the organism. However, the holy ener-                The institute of the Roman Catholic Church,
gies of the believers, their faith, hope, and love, their though a  magnificant  structure, is nevertheless an  in-
inner unity, as such are invisible. Only as incorporated genius invention;-. According to Rome the institute
in word and deed, in a living confession as claimed by proper is the organization as comprised of the sum-"
all, does that which by itself is invisible, become the total of the local congregation so grouped that the
object of vision. The organism calls for the institute. clergy governing the whole forms a veritable pyramid
       The institute is a number of believers organized whose apex is the pope, the infallible vicegerent of
for the purpose of serving as a local manifestation of Christ. Scripture knows of no such structure. In
the body of Christ. The only kind of an organization Holy writ the local brotherhood is the institute, com-
that will serve this purpose is one that is founded on plete by itself and exhibiting all the features of the
the word of God and whose members submit to this kingdom of heaven. The fundamental error of Rome
word as proclaimed by Christ Himself through the is that to all practical extent it transfers the rule from
agency of the special  o5ce He instituted. Every broth- Christ to the pope, and the capital of the kingdom of
erhood (of true believers) is the kingdom of God, a God from heaven to earth. Not the Jerusalem above
sphere where Christ rules supreme through His word but Rome is the seat of government of the church an
brought by His special agents who themselves are earth. According  to Rome, further, the pope is the
bound by that word.                                          church and the church in and through the pope in
       Our Church Order does not purposely define or de- conjunction with the sacraments is the only and in-
scribe the kind of structure (institute) a 1ocaI group fallible dispenser of grace. Outside this organization,
of believers once organized should display. This struc- so it is maintained, no salvation can be had. It can
ture is presupposed so that if believers organize in easily be seen that we deal here with a false church
agreement with the rules laid down the resultant or- formation.
ganization turns out to be the proper structure.                    The congregationalist destroys the special office by
       What is this structure? One that  properIy   dis- depositing the rights perculiar  to this office in the con-


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     431
                                   -.                    ---~                                         __,....__  --" .._.....-^.."  -..._ --
gregation; and the Erastian surrenders the church to not be equally close. It follows from the very nature
the state.                                                     of things that the local brotherhood can be comprised
   The institute is local. What now is our Church only of believers having the same confession ; and only
Order? It may be defined as a collection of rules in those distinct groups of believers having the same con-
agreement with which the local brotherhood (the in- fession can dwell together under the same denom-
stitute) governs itself by itself and in its relation to inational roof. But on the new earth the Good Shep-
other churches: those with whom it dwells under the herd will appear with His flock cleansed from its sin
same denominational roof, so to say, and those with and therefore  Orze as to all its manifestations.
whom its sets up more remote connections. The con-                 Let us now turn to the English rendering of the
gregation and in particular the consistory has the right first article : "For the maintenance of good order in
and is in duty bound to lay down such rules. Their the church {gemeente)' of Christ . . . . " What may
lack would spell chaos. One example. Art. 64 reads: be the signification of the word  Church  (gemeente) in
"Tke administration of the Lord's supper shall take this translation. . Some maintain that what is meant
place only there where there is a supervision of elders, here is the multitude of believers over the whole land.
according to the ecclesiastical order and in a public So Joh.  Jarisen: "Bet woord  gemee-nfe  van  Christus
gathering of the congregation." It can easily be imag- doelt hier op de `schare  der geloovigen over heel het
ined what might occur were there no such rule.                 land."  T,his explanation smacks of collegialism. Jansen
   As has already been intimated, our Church Order feIt this. For he added: "Dit echter  mag niet worden
constitutes the common floor upon which also our opgevat in den zin van het collegialisme; dat alle  ker-
Protestant Reformed churches have jointly taken their ken saam als een soort  genootschap beschouwt over
stand.          It means that they declared, the one to the heel het land, met afdeelingen. op onderscheidene  plaat-
other, that they were at one with the church polity sen . . . .  " Consider, however, that a church (ge-
that lies at the basis of the rules comprising our Church meente) is always an organization so that if the multi-
Order and would also with a view to each other ob- tude of ,believers  over the whole land is a church, this
serve these rules. This church polity is known as multitude'is an organization, gertootschup  met afdee-
presbyterian-synodic. Consequently one finds in our lingen op onderscheidene plaatsen. According to the
Church Order articles stipulating that the churches Reformed conception,  tke  church  is the local congrega-
shall meet in classis and in synod at regular intervals. tion.
   The term presbyter means elder. It is applied in                For the maintenance of good order in the church
Scripture to two sorts of persons who minister in the four elements are necessary: offices, assemblies, super-
Church of Jesus Christ, namely, the elders and the vision of doctrine, sacraments and ceremonies, and
ministers of the Word, who are also elders. The word Christian discipline. The f&t two of these have to do
synod means convention, council or meeting, in Church with the institute, the third with public worship and
historyj a council of ecclesiastics to consult on matters the fourth with Christian discipline. These four may
of religion. So then, the first member of the com- therefore be compressed into the following scheme:
posite term presbyteriamsynodic  stands for the local           (a) The formation of the&mrch  ; (b) public worship ;
brotherhood and the second  (synod&)  for the assembly (c) Christian discipline.
of local institutes. The character of these broader                As to the offices in the church, they are divine in-
gatherings, the nature of their authority and the re- stitutions. "And God bath set some in the church, first
lation they sustain to the local brotherhood, are mat- apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, . . .  "
ters with which I purpose to deal in other articles. I Cor. 12 :38. And again in Eph. 4 :11 : "And he gave
   That churches having the same Confessional stand- some apostles; and some prophets, and some evangel-
ards are in duty bound to set up with one another the ists; and some pastors and teachers . . . . " To these
aforesaid connection follows from the mandate of offices the congregation is enjoined to submit itself:
Christ, "Confess my name." Christ's name is the "Remember them which have the rule over you who
signification of what He is as to His person and works. have spoken to you the word of God . . . .  "  Beb.
He is the head of the body, the church. And the 13 :7.
Father, having made peace through the blood of the                 By assemblies is meant not the ordinary  assem-
cross reconciled by Him all things unto Himself. He blings of the congregation for public worship, but the
is the Good Shepherd and brings His sheep. And there consistory, the classis, and the synod both particular
shall be one fold and one Shepherd. Believers there- and national.
fore must and do exercise communion of saints, jointly             Supervision of doctrine, sacraments and ceremonies
praise and serve, jointly war the warfare of Jehovah, may not be wanting. Supervision of doctrine because,
and thus come to the fore as being one in Christ. And according to the prediction of the apostles, men would
this visible unity testifies to the fact that Christ is the arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
Good Shepherd who gathereth His scattered sheep.                after them, Acts 20:30. And the apostle John. warns
   On this earth the connection between individual his flock that many false prophets are gone out into
believers and between distinct groups of believers  can- the world, that therefore the sheep are to try the
          I)


432                                    T H E   STAN'DARD  B E A R E R

spirits whether they be of God. And hereby they may set forth by Christ. Of necessity they appeal to the
know the Spirit of God: Every Spirit that confesses conscience of those holding his conviction. Such then
that Jesus is come into the flesh is of God, I John 4:        are in duty bound to adhere to these rules. For all
1, 2.                                                         this, however, our Church Order represents the fallible
       Supervision of the sacraments -because of the work of man. Herewith we have touched upon the
danger that unspiritual men desecrate them by not fundamental difference between the rules of our
discerning the body of Christ and thus eating and Church Order and God's very own law. The former
drinking unworthily.                                          are fallible, that is, may be in err. Hence we may set
       Supervision of ceremonies, that is, the remaining ourselves up as judge over them. Our attitude toward
church solemnities.                                           them must be critical. They must be appraised. Only
       Of Christian discipline. This there must be. Unto as prescriptions found by the appraising mind to be
the church was given the keys, the word that disci- good, wise and just, do they appeal to conscience and
plines, of the kingdom of heaven. This word, when lay claim to obedience. In a word, the authority of'our
properly preached, declares unto all believers the for- Church Order is ethical.
giveness of sins and to all unbelievers that they stand          As to the word, the law of Christ, over this word
exposed to the wrath of God, and eternal condemna- we do not set ourselves up as judge to ascertain
tion. The ungodly in the flock who reveal themselves whether this word is worthy of acceptation. We sub-
as such and thus become known must, if they refuse to mit solely because He hath spoken. Aside from any
come to repentance, be excluded from the Christian previous investigation on our part, our firm belief is
church. So Christ would have it: "If he neglect to that His law is perfect, His word good. Proceeding on
hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen this faith, we apply our minds to the study of this
man and. a publican," Matt. 18 :17.                           word for the sole purpose to taste that it is good, yea,
       A final question: what is the authority of the rules to taste that He is good.
comprising our Church Order? This question cannot                The view coming to the surface in the following
be answered without first ascertaining the character of excerpt is; it seems to me, not above reproach: "Het
these rules. The articles of our Church Order cannot gezag der Kerkenordening rust op het gebod van on-
be placed in a class with the very word of God, for they derwerping  aan de ambtsdragers. Gelijk kinderen  ge-
are not that, but man-made rules regulating the life hoorzaamheid verschuldigd zijn aan de ouders . . . .
of the local brotherhood and the mutual intercourse of zoo vordert de Heere ook gehoorzaamheid  aan de  ker-
a denomination of churches. Hence their authority, kelijke  machten" (Joh. Jansen) .
their right to rule or to command, is not that of, the           According to this reasoning we submit to the
very law of God. The authority of the divine law is church authorities solely because they have spoken.
that of the divine law-Giver, one inhering in absolute Fact is that the sanctified mind submits, may submit,
supremacy, infallibility, infinite perfection, and there- to these powers because it detects sufficient wisdom
fore absolute, original and violable with pain. The and truth in the word they speak, in the rule they pre-
church has but one such authority, namely, Christ. His scribe. The relation these powers sustain to the com-
word only `is law. He gives  to- right and wrong a con- mon member is not that  -of father and child. Thebe-
tent and sets forth the eternal principles of truth and liever is a spiritual major. The authority of the
justice.                                                      Church Order  inheres in the wisdom, justice, goodness
       The church of the new dispensation, however, has and truth the sanctified mind is able to detect in it and
the anointing. It is a spiritual major. In the old dis- not therefore in these church powers.
pensation God did things for Israel instead of in and            Herewith we do not mean to deny that these powers
through it. He taught Ephraim to go, taking them by have authority ; but their authority consists in the
the arm. His law was" regulative of the life of the           right to declare the `word of truth and to lay down
church as to all its minutest details. Nothing was left rules right and proper, rules pervaded by truth.
to the discretion of the believer. Today it is different.                                                 G. M. 0.
Says the apostle John: "Ye all know." In agreement
herewith, much is left to the sanctified discretion of the
saints. They are allowed to prescribe a rule of action
for the execution of church government, and to regulate
mutual intercourse. It is this activity that gives a             The Field Day of the Protestant Ref. Churches
Church Order. What now is its authority? As was will be held July 4 at Franklin Park, Grand Rapids.
said, Not that of the Word of God. Its authority is              The program begins at 1O:OO A. M.
ethical. That is to say, according  to, the conviction of        Refreshments and coffee will be obtainable at the
the collection of believers who take their stand upon it canteen. Bring your own cups with you.
as upon a common floor, its articles, though no laws             A good program has been arranged. Plan to spend
promulgated by the Lord God, are nevertheless as a the Fourth with us, and have an enjoyable day.
whole pervaded by the principles of truth and justice            The proceeds will be for The Standard Bearer.


