                                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        297
                  -~---__-.                                                                                                          c
                                    Jacob `s Burial                           arises and charges his servants, the physicians, to em-
                                                                              balm his father. "The embalming of the body was an
                                                                              Egyptian custom, practiced for pay by a special class
            I          The Suspicion Of  the Brethren                         of skilled artists, to whom the relations gave the body
                     "And when Jacob had made an end to commanding for that purpose." According to Heroditus, II, 86,
            1     his  sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and        there were three modes of proceeding, of which the
            1 yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his most costly was as follows: they drew out the brain
            ; people." So reads the record of Jacob's behavior in through the nostrils, and filled the cavity in the head
                  the hour of his dying. He had done now commanding with spices; then they took out the viscera, and filled
                  his sons. Commanded he had. The expression is signi- the space with all kinds of aromatics, after which they
                  ficant as denoting that his words had carried with sewed it up. The next step was to salt the body with
                  them the weight of that peculiar authority with which natron,  and let it lie several days and longer. Then
                  the discourses of the prophets of God were fraught. they washed it off, wrapped it in fine linen, and
                  Jacob had revealed to his sons the mind of God. And smeared it with gum. Finally the relatives took it
                  he had spoken in the unshakable faith of one raised to back, enclosed it in a chest, and kept it in a chamber
                  a height where the things of the distant future lay for the dead. The intestines were put in a box and
                  within the range of prophetic vision. Not one of his cast into the Nile. This was done because the belly
                  words could fall out for they were the very words of was regarded as the seat of sins, especially those of
                  God and therefore partook of the character of com- gluttony and intemporate drinking.
                  mands.                                                         Thus was Jacob and also later Joseph prepared as
                     Having done speaking he gathered his feet into the a mummy. Of no other Hebrew is this related. The
                  bed in the peaceful and joyful mood of a saint who          embalming among the Jews was of a different kind.
                  realizes that his last task has been performed, that he This process among the Egyptians continued for forty
                  has finished his course, kept the faith; that henceforth days. Then followed a period of mourning. For a
                  there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness, prince this time was thirty days. Thus forty and
                  which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give him at thirty, that is, threescore and ten days, were allowed "
       x that day.
       ;                                                                      to go by, before the mummy was laid away in a cham-
                     And he yielded up the ghost and was gathered unto ber for ,the dead. These customs were observed also
                  his people. Thus died another one of God's noblemen, respecting Jacob : "And forty days were fulfilled for
                  the trying of whose faith had worked patience. Yet, him ; for so are fulfilled the days of those whoch  are
                  rightly considered, he had not died ; for whosoever be- embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him  three-
                  lieveth in Me, said Christ, shall never die.                score and ten days." .
                     We now follow the sacred record verbally: "And              At first thought it may seem strange-that Joseph
                  Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, should insist that the remains of his deceased father
                  and kissed him." This is the only notice contained in be subjected to this heathen custom. Before comment-
                  Scripture of the expression of a grief on the part of a ing on this, let us fill out the account of this funeral.
                  son occasioned by the death of a parent. Joseph is here When the days of the mourning were spent, Joseph
       i          brought to the fore as the one pattern of filial piety. immediately proceeds to carry out the injunction of
       I          And his emotion ran as deep as his love for this parent Jacob. The next step to be taken was the gaining of
       i          was great. And this love was filial as to its character, Pharaoh's permission for leaving the country. But it
                  to be sure, but it was a love sanctified by grace and re- was fitting that on an occasion of this kind he let
                  inforced by the high regard that the saints have for a others speak for him. Moreover it was improper to
                  believer seasoned and sanctified by trial and so plainly appear before the king in mourning. So he spake unto
                  betokening by word and deed, by look and by every the house of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found
                  gesture that he belongs to a, heavenly kingdom. Joseph grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of
                  was a spiritual as well as a natural son of Jacob. And Pharaoh, saying, My father made me swear, saying,
                  this aged parent was perhaps the only personage with Lo, I die ; in my grave which I have digged for me in
                  whom `he could speak as a friend to a friend about his the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now,
                  beloved topics, the only personage in Egypt with whom therefore, let me go up, I pray thee and bury my father,
                  he could commune from heart to heart. At least the and I will come again."
 ;                brethren w,ere  still eyeing him with suspicion and thus       Joseph stresses his father's oath, brings it into re-
  I               keeping their distance. How great the void in his life, lief as the mainspring of .his request. Was he wanting
                  which the passing of Jacob left, must have been. And here in firmness and st,raightforwardness?  Did he lack
                  how great the feeling of loneliness that  `crept.`over  his the courage to say to the king, `Let me go up, I pray
                 soul in that moment when- he stood gazing upon the thee, and bury my father in the grave he digged for
                  lifeless visage of his father must have been!               him in the land of Canaan.' Did Joseph, in other words,
                     Having given free play to his feelings, Joseph fear to assume the responsibility for the request tind
III


298                                 T H E   S T ' A N D A R D   B E A R E R                 _--.                 -     -
was his falling back on Jacob meant to convey the im- king and to the Egyptians a conclusive proof that this
pression that he, too, thought the petition absurd and son was in full sympathy with that request and that
to induce the king to conclude that it came not from the mind of the Hebrew who had died was also in this
him but from his aged father and was thus the ex- son.
pression of a childish whim of an old man so attached       The king respects Joseph's oath and grants him per-
to the land of his birth that he could not die until he mission to keep it. "And Joseph went up to bury his
had made his sons and in particular Joseph swear that father: and with him went up all the servants of
they would bury him in that land? In a word, does this Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of
reference to the oath find its explanation in cowardise? the land of Egypt. And all the servants of Joseph, and
Some, among others, Calvin seem to think so. Wrote his -brethren and his father's house; only their little
Calvin ; "We have seen that Joseph adopts a middle ones and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the
course. For he was. not willing to utterly fail in his land of Goshen."
duty; yet, by catching at a pretext founded on the          It was, then, a great mourning procession that set
command of his father, he did not conduct himself with out for Canaan. There was a recognition here of
sufficient firmness. It is possible that Pharaoh was in- Joseph's high position not unmixed perhaps with a love
clined, by the modesty of his manner, more easily to of funeral festivity. "And there went up with him
assent to his requests. Yet this cowardise is not, on both `chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great
that account, so sanctioned that the sons of God are at company. And they came to the threshing floor of
liberty to indulge themselves in it: for if they in- Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned
trepidly follow where duty calls, the Lord will give with a great and sore lamentation; and he made a
the issue'which is desired, beyond all expectations."    mourning for his father seven days. And  .when  the
   This criticism on Joseph's conduct is unjustifiable, inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourn-
especially when placed in the light of his previous ing in the floor of Atad,  they said, This is a grievous
demonstrations of moral courage and integrity. How mourning to the Egyptians ; wherefore the name of it
strange the request, `Let me bury my father in Canaan,' was called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond Jordan."
would have sounded in the king's ears. Without fail,        The route taken, it seems, was the longer one
the question would have risen in his soul whether Jacob around the dead sea. The question why the mourning-
had so requested. Should Joseph then resolve to abide train did not take the direct way from Egypt to Hebron
by his `decision to refrain from mentioning the oath, he can be answered. On this route they would have en-
would -have been compelled to frame a reply that countered warlike tribes. At least at a later date the
turned on his cherished hopes and aspiration. But children of Israel avoided this same route on the west-
with such a reply `in his ears, the king would have ern side. Then, too, the march was anticipative of the
thought it strange that, whereas these same hopes had later journey. The Canaanites attentively watched the
stirred in Jacob's bosom, the request had not originated mourning procession. Little did they seem to realize
with him. Did Joseph surpass his father in piety? If its meaning for a later time.
the latter was not adverse to them burying his bones        It seems that the Egyptian division of the train
in Egypt, why should his son insist on conveying these tarried beyond the Jordan and that the sons of Jacob
bones to Canaan? But aside from this, whereas the only enter Canaan proper to do unto him "according as
request had actually originated with the deceased patri- he commanded them." For his sons carried him into
arch, what else could this son be expected to do than the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the
to present it to the king as coming from him. Common field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the
honesty demanded this. That Joseph had sworn and field for a possession of a burying-place, of Ephron the
after his father's dismiss petitioned the king to be Hittite, before Mamre. And Joseph returned into
permitted to keep his oath is but another demonstra- Egypt, he and his brethren, and all that went up with
tion of great moral courage and so much more proof him to bury his father,`after  he had buried his father.
that he fears God only. By carrying out Jacob's dying       Why, so it may be asked, did the Lord so arrange
request, this son publicly declares that he shares his his providence that Jacob as to his earthly remains
father's outlook upon life and the world, his father's was treated in agreement with Egyptian custom and
hopes and asperations, and that as to the heart of his was buried in all the pomp and glory of an Egyptian
disposition he is a Hebrew who also lives by a promise. Prince. The proof that this burial stood out before
   The king well understood that no serious and right- the eye of the sacred narrator as an event of no little
minded person would bind himself by an oath to carry importance is that he incorporated in his record so de-
out a request that he took to be a foolish notion of a tailed an account of it. In answering these questions,
befogged mind especially not if the carrying out of it regard must be had to Jacob's own request. What we
necessitated a journey of several' hundreds of miles .wrote  in a former article.has a bearing on the ques-
through a country of hostile tribes. The taking of such tions here put, Consider that the earthly Canaan had
an oath by a person of  Jostiph's  temper was' to the    been  set.   beforo  the eyes of the church for the
        .-,     I
       ,'  _' : 7,                                                                   _-...----.     ._-. ~- --_ - . ..-.


/                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       299
     - - - -            -_^.-  _. _" ..-.-                                                                    I-~
     purpose of serving it ,as a prophetic type of heavenly         However, if Jacob was to continue to speak from
     things. The same is true of the Old Testament institu- `out of Canaan to his spiritual kin in Egypt the event
     tions such as the sacrifice, Old Testament places such of his burial had to be made to rise before the eye of
     as the city of Jerusalem, Old Testament events such as this kin as an established fact. Consider that the voice
     the bringing up of Israel out of the land of Egypt, the of prophesy was to be silent now for some four hun-
     lives of Old Testament saints such as the life of David. dred years to come, that the church should have to take
     Especially to us, all these things are so many objects hold of and feed upon the promise as last proclaimed  ~.
     of sense in which we behold as in a glass a whole world and enlarged by Jacob. But if the promise was to be
     of heavenly realities that only the glorified eye of the apprehended by the church as setting forth a grace
     saint made perfect can have as the direct object of that would surely be brought unto it at the revelation
     vision. Knowledge of these realities must begin with of Jehovah, it, the church, had to be in the possession
     the perception of the things earthly, the things typical. of an unmistakable and  uncontrovertible  testimony
     Man is so constituted that he needs the sign as well as that there were fathers unto them, friends of, God,
     the word. It means that only wih these typical things who had actually lived and received, embraced and pro-
     before his eye will his faith flower. As to Jacob, he claimed the promise.                                    ..,
     understood that the promised earthly Canaan was but            And this testimony was that grave  of Jacob in
     a shadow of a heavenly country: for this country he Canaan and that great and illustrious company of
     was expecting. For this reason his request to be buried Egyptians by whom Jacob's embalmed body was con-
     in Canaan amounted to a declaration that he was to be veyed to that grave. Consider that his had been  -no
     joined to the heavenly commonwealth above and thus funeral concerning which the Egyptian historian had
     enter the society of just men made perfect.                 20 knowledge because of its secrecy and privacy or of
        It must not be supposed, however, that in those final which he would take no notice because of its.meanness.
     hours the earthly replica. had faded from his view as a To the contrary, Jacob's death and burial was an affair
     thing with which he had done forever. Well must he in Egypt, an event which the Egyptian Chronicler took
     have understood that the earthly was but a shadow, .notice of and entered into the record of Egypt's his-
     "cast by the heavenly and that the failure of the shadow tory. And even in Canaan, so grievous was the mourn-
     to make its appearance would needs indicate that after ing in this land, the event was immortalized. The
     all his hope was vain. There had been but one promise Canaanites said, This is a grievous mourning to the
     expressive of both shadow and body. And this prom- Egyptians. Wherefore the name of it was called Abel-
     ise, he knew, must take effect as to the whole of its mizraim. So did the Lord by firmly establishing the
     content would it be well with him. The insistence that event of Jacob's burial constitute that grave df his a
     they bury him in this shadow-land sprang from the pIedge of His promise to the effect that he would visit
     conviction that Jehovah would keep covenant fidelity, His people and bring them forth.
     that his kin would surely be brought up out of Egypt,          It was, of course, necessary that Jacob's body be
     a people redeemed, a people ready to enter the typical embalmed. For a body not so treated would immedi- -
     rest of Canaan in token that he and his own would ately have to be buried. It was the skill of these Egyp-
     enter the rest that remaineth for the people of God. tian physicians that made possible the removal of the
     As buried in Canaan, therefore, he was meant to speak body of this patriarch from  ,Egypt  to Canaan.
     to his posterity in Egypt, yea, to us al1 - to speak of        The following notice has to do with the suspicions
     the joyful expectation of those who put their trust in of the brethren. Though Joseph had taken them all to
     God.                                                        his bosom and had for several years now been caring
         Hence, the real significance of Jacob's  buriaI in for them generously, they still thought him capable of
     to arise a definite speech. As converted into an admoni- making them suffer for the wrong they had done him.
     tion and as cast into the mould of a New Testament They reason among themselves thus, "Seeing our
     phraseology, it reads : "Gird up the loins of your mind, father is dead, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and'
     be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to will certainly requite us all the evil we did unto him."
     be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus  .Christ;    Y3o they sent messengers unto Joseph, saying, thy
     as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves accord- father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye
     ing to your former lusts in your ignorance ; but as he say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee, now, the tres-
     who has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner pass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they-did unto
     of your conversation . . . . "                              thee evil ; and now we pray thee, forgive the trespass
         So, then, the real significance of Jacob's burial in of thy servants."
      Canaan is this: As carried from Egypt to Canaan, he           It is to be noticed that in their message they appeal
      is a figure of the ascending Christ. And this figure to their father's words; but it is possible that this was
      must have spoken to the church that remained in Egypt a mere pretext. If Jacob had entertained any doubts
      in much the same way as the event of the exaltation of as to whether Joseph had actually forgiven his breth-
      Christ speaks to the church of the new dispensation.       ren, it must be deemed strange that he failed to sound


     300                                 THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   .
b                                   _^_._.                                                            --x--.-                   -
his son's feelings, and thus reassure himself. But He meant unto good the evil ye thought against me.
could it be possible that Jacob had so little knowledge Yet you sinned grievously against the Lord in selling
of Joseph's true ability as to think him capable of me to the merchants. It is the thought of Him that
avenging himself on his  defenceless  brethren after should make you tremble. Confess thy sin to Him, and
their father's death? Be this as it may, their conscience live. Trouble not yourselves to pacify me by your
now awake. They fear for their lives, and will ascer- weepings; for I contemplate no revenge. I love you
tain how he'is disposed toward them. The messengers and will nourish you and your little ones. But be ye
they sent before them soon return with the tiding that reconciled to God.'
he bears them no ill-will, that he had even wept upon             It is no wonder that Joseph wept at the sight of
hearing of their concern. "Then the brethren also those prostrate forms of his brethren and at the hear-
went and fell down before his face; and they said, be- ing of their reasoning. For this reasoning rose from
hold us, thy servants." They had sold him for a slave ; a suspicion that was as cruel as it was dark. Though
and now they offer themselves as his servants as an in the hour of his self-disclosure he had taken them
atonement. Joseph repeats what he had already said to his heart and had pressed upon the visage of each
to them: "Fear not, for am I in the place of God? But the kiss of reconciliation, though after all he had done
as for you, ye thought evil against me ; but God meant for them they should have been believing in him, they
it unto good, to bring to pass as it is this day, to save were eyeing him as an actual menace held in check
much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will by a regard for an aged parent but who with this check
nourish you and your little ones." So he comforted removed might take advantage of their helpless condi-
them and spake kindly unto them.                              tion and retaliate. But instead of upbraiding them he
       This is a remarkable speech. It betokens a knowl-, reassures their troubled  hearts.
edge of what constitutes proper godly conduct that is            The final notice turns upon the late. evening of
truly profound and a faith in the proposition that the Joseph's life. He and his father's house dwelt in
Lord reigneth and that His sovereign government Egypt, secure and unmolested all during his own life
spells salvation for His people that is implicit. It, this time. A hundred and ten years old did he become.
speech, compares most favorably with anything the And he saw Ephraim's children of the third genera-
sacred writers of the New Testament scriptures wrote tion; the-children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh,
on these points. Consider the utterance, "Fear not, for were brought up upon Joseph's knees.
am I in the place of God?" Place it alongside of Paul's                                                          G. M. 0.
e,xhortation, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,
but rather give place. unto wrath: for it is written,
Vengeance is mine ; I will repay, saith the Lord. There-
fore if thy enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give                             IN MEMORIAM
him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire
upon his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome             Whereas it has pleased our Heavenly Father to take mto
evil with good." And the admonition, "Be patient Himself the beloved wife of our fellow-member Brother
therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.. . ." S. Douma and the sister of Brother C. Pa&or,
Do not the aggregate of these sayings including that                               MRS. S. DOUMA, __  .~                      . ..-
of Joseph set forth the one doctrine that no mortal              The Con&tory of the First Protestant Reformed Church
may put himself judicially in the place of God, that hereby desires to express its heartfelt sympathy to these breth-
therefore the enemy shall be fed? And then the declara- ren and their families in this their.bereavement.
tion, "Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it              That the Lord may comfort them through His sustaining
unto good . . . . to save much people alive . . . " Did grace and that the aiiiiction  may be sanctified to our hearts!
not Paul give expression to an identical sentiment                   The  Consistory  of the First Prot. Ref. Church,
when he wrote, "And we know that all things work to-                                        H. Hoeksema, President
gether for good to them that love God, to them who                                          G. Stonehouse, Clerk
are the called according to His purpose." So, then,
what Joseph would have his brethren take home to
their hearts may also be expressed thus, `My brethren,                 Vrees niet, want  Ik ben met u,
know that I fear God and that. you, therefore, have                       Schoon `t weenend oog niet ziet,
nothing to fear from me. What is more, I was elevated                  Schoon `t oor niet hoort - Ik ben er              '
to this position of power by the Lord that the lives of                   En Ik verlaat u niet !
many people might be saved. Thus your sale of me
now appears to be the first step of a stairway that led                Vrees niet, want Ik blijf bij u,
to a throne. But you meant it not so ; but it was in                      `k Leid door het duister  heen,
your heart not to seat me in a throne, but to ,plunge                  Naar `t licht van d' eeuw'gen morgen !
me into an eternal oblivion. But the Lord reigueth.                       Vrees niet ! Geloof alleen !


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEA-RER                                           303
                                                                                        _l."-".----__l____-__II
troosting Israels. Zulke zijn voor de kerk des Heeren           3. What was the result for the Church?
wat Nathanaels naam beteekent, een gave Gods.                   Gradually the most fundamental truths were denied
    Israelieten, die Hem aangenomen hebben, dien Hij and false doctrines crept into the Church. The divin-
macht heeft gegeven kinderen Gods te worden,  die in ity of Christ, His resurrection, His vicarious atone-
Zijn Naam gelooven. Israelieten zonder bedrog, och, ment, not to speak of `such fundamentals as predestina-
neen, niet omdat zij ander maaksel zijn dan de anderen. tion and total depravity, were not considered essential
Ook niet omdat zij uitnemender zijn, maar o&t zij anymore as elements in any basis of unity. By many
niet uit den bloede, noch uit den wil des vleesches, noch Christ was considered the ideal man ; salvation was to
uit den wil des mans, maar uit God geboren zijn.             be delivered from a set of wrong notions ; sanctification
    Dezulken alleen hebben en wenschen Christus tot was to be delivered from some bad habits ; the truth
Leeraar en  Meester. Zij alleen belijden: Gij zijt de was lost; the Church was dead ; rationalism had gained
Zone Gods, God zelf: Gij, o Heere alleen zijt de Koning its victory.
Israels, die over uw Sion zult regeeren.                        4. Was this, generally speaking, the condition in
                                                             the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands?
                                               w. v.            It was ; and especially after 1816 the Confessions
                                                             were not maintained anymore; the clergy were at
                                                             liberty to teach as they pleased.
                                                                5. What happened in 1834?
  A Catechism On the History of the                             This was the year of the Separation under the
                                                             leadership of Henry De Cock,  .and a new day dawned
          Protestant Reformed Churches                       for the Reformed faith in the insignificant village of
                                                             Ulrum, Groningen.
                                                                6. What was the principle of this separation?
                        PART TWO                                It was a return to the faith of the fathers, espe-
                                                             cially with respect to the doctrine of sin and grace.
                                                             Once more it was emphasized that with respect to the
                             II                              work of salvation God is all and  -man is nothing, that
                                                             salvation is of the Lord, and that He is merciful to
         ON THE  KUYPEXIAN   VIEW OF  COMMON  GRACE          whom He wills. Yet there was no further and richer
    1. What was the development with respect to the development of the Reformed faith by the leaders of
Reformed doctrine after the Synod of Dordrecht?              the Separation. They returned to the principles of the
    There was very little progress in the development Synod of Dordrecht.
of the doctrine of sin and grace according to the Re-           `7. Was there no other separation from the State
formed conception. The eighteenth century presents Church of the Netherlands after 1834?
a most miserable picture. Rationalism lifted up its             There was in 1886 a secession from the Established
head and claimed to possess the sole right of supremacy Church called the Doleantie. The main leader of this
in the realm of theology. Whatever was not logically movement was Dr. Abraham Kuyper.
and rationally comprehensible it dismissed as unknow-           8. What became of the Churches of the Separation
able ; it laughed the miraculous out of court  .and God of 1834 and of the Doleantie of l&86?
out of the universe; it denied the possibility of revela-       They united into one denomination in 1892 and are
tion and the divinity of the Bible as the Word of God ; now known as the Gel-eformeerde  Kerlien  of the Neth-
Christ was degraded into mere man, the faith of the erlands. A small group, refusing to go- along in this
Church was declared to be vain.                              union and continuing a separate existence, is known as
    2. What was the attitude of the Church over the Christeli;iTce  Gercfo,rmeerde.
against this rationalistic spirit?                              9. What is the significance of the name of Dr.
    She assumed an apologetic position. Tempted to Kuyper in connection with our history?
meet the enemy on his own basis, she desperately at-            He made an elaborate attempt to reconcile a certain
tempted to hold fast that which she had, rationally to theory of Common Grace with the Reformed conception
defend the truth, not understanding that by this of Particular Grace. Systematically he tried to develop
method she denied herself, only to see the very his theory of Common Grace in the three volumes of
treasures of the truth she tried to save slip out of her what is usually considered his monumental work, De
hands. Men that meant well fought badly, awkwardly Gemeelze   Grutie.
employing the weapons of the enemy. Bulwark after               10. Can you give a brief sketch of Dr. Kuyper's
bulwark they surrendered until they themselves  payed life and work?
homage to the goddess of reason, and acknowledged her           Dr. Kuyper was born at Maassluis, Oct. 29, 1837.
supremacy in the domain where properly faith should His father was a minister in the Established Church.
rule.                                                        Young Abraham received his primary education in the


304                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
            ..._II                                                 - .__.__-._  - .._ - -.__.
public schools of Maassluis and Middelburg. His sec- not saving but pertains only to the present life and
ondary education he commenced at the Gymnasium history of man in the world and is universal or common
(High School) of Middelburg, from which he  gad-            to all men. To denote? the distinction Kuyper preferred
uated in 1855. He then followed the theological course to employ the word "gratie" to indicate common grace,
at the University of Leyden, and there he received a while he used the term "genade" to denote spetial or
thoroughly modern and liberal education. Having fin- particular grace. The fact remains, however, that also
ished his course he became minister of the Church at in the term common grace the word grace denotes an
Beesd, where he came into contact with simple folk attitude and operation of lovingkindness or favor.
who adhered to the Reformed faith and by whom he               13. What may be considered Kuyper's chief pur-
was induced for the first time to consider the Reformed pose in developing the theory of common grace ?
truth seriously. From 1867 to 1869 he served the
Church of Utrecht and there he began his fight for the         He sought to show that there still is a potitivelu
liberation of the Church from the bondage of the State. good world-life and development of the human race in
There also he came into frequent conflict with moderns, connection with all created things and by the theory of
ethicals and irenicals. In 1869 he accepted a call to common grace he offered an explanation of the posi-
                                                            tively good in the world in connection with the fact of
Amsterdam where he continued the battle for what he
termed a Reformed, Democratic, Free and Independent the fall and the curse of God in the world and the total
Church.                                                     depravity of the natural man.
              He became editor of a paper, De Stundaurd,
in 1872 and member of the Second Chamber in 1874.              14. From what presupposition does Kuyper pro-
Chiefly through his efforts the Free University of Am- ceed in developing this view?
sterdam was established in 1880, where he became Pro-          He maintains that if "common grace" had not in-
fessor of Theology. As has already been stated it was tervened and begun to operate immediately after the
chiefly  by his genius that the movement of the Dole-       fall, the end of all things would have been reached in
antie was inspired and sustained. In his later years he Paradise, with man's eating of the forbidden fruit; the
took a very active part in politics and was Prime  Min- whole world would have relapsed into a chaotic state ;
ister ofthe Netherlands in 1901 to 1905. He died Nov. Adam would have died the complete and eternal death
8, 1920.                                                    and there would have been no history, no development
   11. How ought we to estimate the life and work of the human race in the world. As a result there
of Dr. Kuyper?                                              would have been no room for the establishment and
   He was undoubtedly a man of keen intellect and development of God's covenant of grace in Christ, the
mighty vision. He was possessed of an almost unbe- elect would not have been born, Christ would not have
lievable capacity for work. He was a man of domin- come and the works of God would have been com-
ating character and strong will-power. He labored for pletely spoiled and destroyed by the wiles of Satan.
the liberation of the Church and for the revival of the The latter's purpose would have been reached. How-
Reformed Faith and Calvinistic principles as he under- ever, by His common grace God intervened, the uni-
stood them and he pursued the ideal of realizing these verse did not suffer destruction, man did not immedi-
principles in every sphere of life. It cannot be denied, ately die and the original divine idea and ordinance of
however,. that his early training and liberal education creation can be and is realized in the history of this
left an impression upon him which he never entirely world. ,4t the same time a sphere is created for the
overcame. In his attempt to apply the principles of realization and development of special grace in Christ
the Reformed faith to every sphere of life, he did not Jesus. He, therefore, conceives of the work of God in
keep in view that the struggle of the people of God is a a dualistic way. God has an original purpose with
pur,ely spiritual one. For the Reformed element in the creation, the normal development of all things under
Netherlands he desired and sought a place of power in man as their king.                         This purpose is apparently
the world, and in this pursuit of power the principles frustrated by the temptation of the devil and sin. But
of the Word of God were not always maintained and through the operation of common grace God carries out
applied. And it is in this light that we also must view the original idea and brings about a positively good de-
the attempt to develop the theory of Common Grace velopment of the human race in connection with the
alongside of the truth that the grace of God is partic- earthly creation. But, on the other hand, God also car-
ular. The theory served to create a synthesis between ries out His purpose of predestination in the redemp-
the Church and the world.                 *                 tion of the elect and the damnation of the reprobate.
   12. What is the denotation of the word "grace" in,          15. But does not Kuyper confuse the operation and
the term common grace as used by Kuyper?                    effect of God's Providence with that of His grace ?
   Kuyper makes a distinction between "common" and             In as far as He ascribes the preservation and de-
"special" grace. The latter only is of saving power and velopment of created things after the'fall to God's com-
efficacy and is particular, that  is? for the elect only; its mon grace, he certainly calls grace what is merely
fruit is eternal life and glory in Christ. The former is God's Providential care and government.


                                                                                                              -.-- __II_- - ---


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       305
                ..--_ ---  _._  "_                                                                                       .."-
          16. But is, then, the controversy about common cording to Kuyper, but for the intervention of common
       grace not a mere quarrel about words?                       g r a c e .
          No, for, first, it is by no means a harmless theory         b. That he did not, at once die the eternal death,
       that confuses God's providence with His grace; and, which also must have followed immediately had it not
1 secondly, the Kuyperian theory of common grace in- been for the operation of common grace.
; eludes much more than this.,                                        c. That he ,died the spiritual death only in prin-
1t        17. What else does it teach?                             ciple. Also this death he did not die completely. The
I         It does not merely teach that by the power of com-       moral, spiritual-ethical corruption was complete only
mon grace the world is essentially sustained after the in principle, not in degree.
       fall and the development of the human race made pos-           21. But how can mere restraint of corruption and
       sible and vouchsafed, but also. that a posi&vely  good death be productive of positive good?
world-life of the fallen human race in connection with                This would, of course, be impossible. Hence, Kuy-
       all created things has. thus been guaranteed. In all per also teaches that there is a constant operation of
progress and civilization, in science and art, in industry the common grace of God upon the mind and will of
I and commerce as carried on by the "world,"' in all the the natural man, whereby man is not regenerated, but
mighty works of the natural man Kuyper perceives a .yet so improved even in his mind and will, that he is
       positively, good element. The natural man accomplishes, able to bring forth good works in the sphere of this
 / in actual fact, many good things and performs many present life.
       good works. And that he is able to do this is to be            `22. But is, then, Kuyper's natural man after all
attributed to the operation of God's common grace.                 in ,reality totally depraved?
           18. Does Kuyper, then, not profess to believe in           Kuyper claims that he is, though in reality he is not.
       the total depravity of the natural man?                     It is very evident that Kuyper's theory implies the con-
          He does. On the one hand he attempts to maintain cession that fallen man would have been totally corrupt
       that the natural man is wholly corrupt and incapable if it had not been that common grace had checked the
       of doing any good ; on the other hand, however, by the corruption and improved upon him. Kuyper's natural
       wonder of the common grace of God, that does not man is: (1) A man that is unable to bring forth those
       change the corruption of man's hand, he makes him good works that follow from the principle of regenera-
 1 perform many good works. The corrupt tree in Kuy- tion, such as faith, hope and love, etc. (2) But a man,
 per's conception bears good, fruit.                               nevertheless, in whom a remnant of the original life
           19. Eut how does Kuyper try to explain this ap- and righteousness is left, so that he is able to live a
       parent contradiction ?                                      good life in and for this world.
           First of all by the theory that common grace-acts as       23. To what does Kuyper point as the basis for
       a checking or restraining power:                            this operation of common grace?
           a. Upon the curse of God in the universe, so that          To the covenant God established with Noah after
       the world did not become chaos or hell.                     the flood. This covenant, according to Kuyper, is not
           b. Upon the physical existence of man, so that he to be regarded as the covenant of grace in Christ, but
      did not immediately die the physical death.                  as a covenant of universal friendship with-the, entire
                                                                                               _._-
           c. Upon the ethical and moral corruption of man; and fallen human race as such. Its blessings are tem-
       so that he did not immediately become wholly corrupt poral, are only for this present life and *are intended
      in all his ways.                                             for the entire human race. In and through this cove-
           20. Does Kuyper, then, hold that man immediately nant the natural and totally depraved man becomes
      after the fall did not really die?                           God's friend and ally over against the devil and fights
           Indeed, he does. The threat of God: "The day that on God's side for the maintenance and development of
      i thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," Kuyper ex- a positively good world-life.
       plains, not as a threat which God Himself would execute        24. Which, then, are the three chief elements in
       in His just judgment, but as a fair warning, that the the Kuyperian conception of common grace?
       result of eating of the forbidden fruit would be death,        1. That God, though with a view to eternity and
      ' just as the result of touching an electric wire  ,of heavy the eternal blessedness of the Kingdom He is gracious  t
      voltage must result in death, or as death is the in- only to the elect, with a view to things earthly and
       evitable result of taking poison. However, when man temporal He is gracious to all men.
       ate nevertheless, God spread the wings of His loving-          2. That there is a restraining influence, ever since
      kindness over him, intervened with the operation  of. the fall of man, of the common grace of God upon the
       His common grace, which then acted as an antidote physical and ethical corruption of the world and of the
       against the spiritual poison man had taken. The result heart of man, so that the principle of total depravity
       was :                                                       cannot work through.
           a. That he did not immediately die the physical            3.. That there is a positipe influence of God's com-
       death, which certainly must have been the result,  ac- mon grace upon the mind and will of man, whereby he


3 0 6                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

is so improved that he can still live a positively good God on the other, cannot, will not and cannot will to
world-life.                                                  do the will of God. He is still prophet, priest and king,
    25. What is the practical danger of this concep- but of the devil and in covenant with him. And while
tion ?                                                       God in His providence and by the Word of His power
    That it easily leads to the Arminian conception of sustains his nature as man, and sustains his relation to
common grace and to the Pelagian conception of the the universe, thus providing him with means to develop
natural man ; and that it serves as a bond of fellow- and realize his life in the organism of all things, with
ship in this world between the children of light and these things man is always the sinner, the ungodly, the
the children of darkness. The antithesis is obliterated. object of the wrath of God, gathering for himself
    26. Is, then, this theory of common grace con- treasures of wrath in the day of final judgment.
trary to Scripture and the Reformed Confessions ?               However, there is an immediate operation of grace
    It most certainly is.                                    in Christ after the fall, whereby the covenant with the
    27. Can you prove this?                                  devil is broken and enmity is put between the seed of
   Yes ; but this we can more conveniently and in de- the serpent and the seed of the woman. This grace in
tail accomplish when we discuss the Three Points of Christ, however, whereby man becomes of the party of
1924, as they were adopted by the Synod of the Chris- the living God over against Satan and all the powers of
tian Churches, for these are really an embodiment of * darkness, is realized along the line of election. And
the Kuyperian conception of common grace together thus it happens that the elect and the reprobate, the
with a mixture of Arminian common grace, especially righteous and unrighteous, the godly and ungodly have
in the First Point.                                          all things in common except grace. They are, for this
   28. But can you not point out some of the errors present time, members of the same organism of the
in Kuyper's conception and reasoning ?                       human race essentially ; they live in the same organism
    Certainly. He first of all errs, when he states that of created things. But from an ethical-spiritual point
the whole world would have become chaos and that man of view they live from totally different principles. And
would have sunk into eternal death and hell immedi- in the end God will realize His eternal Kingdom and
ately had it not been for the operation of common covenant in Christ, who is heir of all things, and in
grace. For, he fails to consider the fact, that the world Whom all things will forever serve man, that man may
stood at the beginning of an organic development, that serve His God!
Adam stood at the head and was the first father and                                                            H. H.
root of the entire human race, that as such he had
sinned, and that the consummation of all things could
not possibly have come in the beginning. Hell and de-
struction could not come till all that are lost in Adam
are born and have filled the measure of iniquity.               Yea, I have loved thee with  am everlasting  love,1
   29. What other error is implied in Kuyper's con- therefore with loving-kindness have I  dmwn thee.
ception ?                                                                                                   Jer. 31:3.
   He confuses the moral and ethical with the purely               On the great love of God I lean,
physical. Sin could not possibly destroy all things                Love of the Infinite, Unseen,
essentially, though it changed the ethical relation of             With nought of heaven or earth between.
man to God. Essentially things had not changed in the                   This God is mine, and I am His;
universe, neither had man's relation to created things                  His love is all I need of bliss.
when Adam sinned. Man after the fall was still king
of the earthly creation, all things still served him, and       If ever human love was tender, and self-sacrificing,
he was still called with all things to' serve his God. and devoted ; if ever it could bear and forbear; if ever
This organic relation of all things with the heart of it could suffer gladly for its loved ones; if ever it was
man as its center, God maintained, not as Kuyper willing to pour itself out in a lavish abandonment for
thinks by common grace, but merely by His providence. the comfort or pleasure of its objects ; then infinitely
And thus maintaining the organic relation of all things more is Divine love tender, and self-sacrificing, and de-
with man as the center and head of the earthly voted, and glad to bear and forbear, and to suffer, and
creation, God also maintained His will concerning this to lavish its best of gifts and blessings upon the objects
organic whole, namely, that in and through man all of its love. Put together all the tenderest love you
things should serve Him and be subservient to His pur- know of, the deepest you have ever felt, and the
pose, the glory of His name. But the natural man, who strongest that has ever been poured out upon you, and
is wholly incapable of doing any good, whose carnal heap upon it all the love of all the loving human hearts
mind is enmity against God, while he is maintained by in the world, and then multiply it by infinity, and you
God's providence in that position and calling, both with will begin, perhaps, to have some faint glimpse of what
relation to all created things on the one hand and to the love of God is.


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        307
~____-..--  ..._"
                Our, Church Order                                whenever I please; that my will respecting this matter
                                                                 is the determining and overruling factor, so that to
                       (ARTICLE          10)       I_            what I decide to do father, according to the actual
     A minister once lawfully calIed  may n&                     meaning of his mandate, will yield ; that my will there-
                                                    leave the
   congregation with which he is connected, to accept a          fore must be accepted as final.' Who for .a single in-
   call elsewhere, without the consent of the Consistory. . .    stant would maintain that the mandate of the parent
                                                                 will yield the construction placed upon it by the child?
   From a glimpse into the history of the early stages No one.
of the movement known as Reformed Protestantism,                    True, the relation the consistory sustains to its
we learned that Article 10 was meant to declare that pastor differs from that sustained by the parent to the
the right to decide whether a call shall be  accepted~  or child.' It does not matter. It is not a question here of
declined  -shall belong to the consistory with which the relations but of the plain meaning of words  a`nd
minister called is connected. "Het recht eener kerk," phrases. And then it must be conceded that the phrase
wrote the late Dr. H. Bouwman, "om het aanvaarden "without the consent  of the consistory" cannot mean
eener roeping  te keeren, was tot aan het einde der'17e          "without the knowledge of the consistory," a meaning
eeuw  onbotwist  . . . . In de 16e en 17e eeuw lag de which it would have if the consistory were in duty
beslissing feitelijk in  handen van den kerkeraad of bound to always receive the decision of the minister as
classis . . . .  " Fact is, that before and after 1619 final. For what other reason would a parent charge
the Reformed churches were exercising the right in his child not to pass out of his sight than the reason
question, so that the only warranted conclusion is that that he, t.he parent, insists on conclusively determining
Article 10 was framed and adopted for the express pur- whether at any one time it is safe and right for the
pose of legalizing and perpetuating the aforesaid doing. child to pass beyond the confines of the home? Like-
   Yet someone may say that the evidence presented wise it may be asked: for what other reason would the
is not absolutely conclusive. To this we reply that it fathers of Dordrecht have ruled that ministers shall
is inconceivable that the Synod of Dordrecht, had. it not leave without the consent of the consistory than
not meant to give official sanction to the custom the reason that the latter. body have the right to con--
already in vogue, would unreservedly have declared: elusively decide whether its minister when called  el.Ge-
"A minister . . . . may not leave the congregation where shall leave?
with which he is connected, to accept a call elsewhere              But, as was said, the sentiment Reformed churches
without the consent of the consistory." Consider that now choosing to be bound by Dordrecht's rulings, read
at the time of the drafting and adoption of this article, into the article,. is : the final and overruling decision
ministers were doing the very thing here forbidden, shall be that of the minister. It means that by a kind
namely, leaving their flocks without the consent of their of silent consent the article has been relieved of its
respective consistories. How, then, can the conviction very core, that the right under consideration has been
be escaped that the article was meant to correct this permitted to pass from the consistory to the minister.
very abuse.                                                      What to think of this? And the answer: if Article 10
   But aside from what the article was meant to ac- is objectional it should be so modified as to be  expres-
                                                                     .__  -~
complish, if it be taken for what it actually declares; sive of right thoughts.
if the phrase "without the consent of the consistory"               Let us now once more take up the matter of the
be permitted to retain its full force, the construction right or wrong of this article and uncover the prin-
we suggest is the only possible construction. What ciple involved. The question is whether the right in
right have we to read into the article some such senti- question belongs to the consistory or to the minister.
ments as these: `the consistory shall in every instance It is an undisputed fact that the position of our fathers
be in duty bound to acquiesce in whatever decision the was that this right belongs to the consistory, and that
minister may make', or `in the event of conflict be- of this position Article 10 is the formulation. The
tween the decision of the consistory and that of the             stand they seemed to have taken is that whereas the
minister, the decision of the latter shall be final and to decision that must be made will have perhaps far-
it the consistory shall yield.' One may maintain that reaching effect for many besides him directly con-
the article should so be modified as to be expressive of cerned  - in this case the minister - the right in ques-
these sentiments; but what in fairness cannot be main- tion should be deposited in the many. But it is doubt-
tained is that the ruling as it now reads actually yields ful whether this view is altogether correct. Who in
any such ideas. The article does not read "without the this case are the many, the two churches concerned or
knowledge of," but, "without the consent of the con- only the church with which the minister is connected?
sistory." Imagine the following. A parent says to Both churches, certainly. But aside from this, the
his (her) child: `You may not leave the premises with- right to conclusively decide what shall be done with the
out my consent.' The child, hearing this, begins to call cannot possibly be held to belong to the congrega-
reason by itself thus: `This implies that I may leave tions. Consider that the call comes not to the  con@=-


308                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                             _.                                                -         -
gation but to the minister. It means that to all prac- choosing the right course. But if the consistory will
tical extent he is again placed in a position similar to render this service, it, too, must be acquainted with and
that of a candidate with two calls. A choice must now carefully weigh the needs of the calling church as well
be made. To whom now belongs the right to make as the needs of the brotherhood it represents in order
this choice? It may be argued that the brotherhood that the judgment it finally renders may be true. And
with  which.the minister is connected has a claim upon the pastor on his part should feel the need of this
him, that to this church he sustains the relation of service. He should in addition to notifying his con-
pastor, and that therefore the right under considera- sistory that a call has been received, make it possible
tion belongs to this body. We reply that the very issue for this body to co-operate with him in reaching a de-
has become whether this body may still claim its pastor cision by laying before it the needs of the brotherhood
now that he has been called elsewhere. If it  is' the that called and all such circumstances that have a bear-
Lord's will that the call be heeded, this claim must now ing on the matter now to be considered and dispensed
be dropped and even waived while under consideration. with. And if there be an.earnest  endeavor on the part
To deny this is to maintain that it is principly  wrong of both the pastor and the, consistory to see the direc-
for a minister once lawfully called to accept. a call else- tion in which the finger  of God points, it may be ex-
where. Besides, the brotherhood with which the min- pected that the conclusions arrived at will agree. But
ister is connected is one of.the two churches respecting if there be disagreement, if the minister in opposition
which the choice shall have to be made. It therefore to the decision arrived at by the consistory, declares
cannot be allowed to decide. The same must be said that he must leave, the consistory has a right to call in
of the congregation that called.                                   the aid of  classis. But it should waive this right if
   Neither could the two churches jointly be allowed the minister declares that the call was so  binded  upon
to settle the matter; and this for the simple reason his heart that he could not do otherwise but decide to
that the call came not to them but to the pastor. Besides, accept. No consistory should want to thwart a min-
two such congregations would have difficulty in reach- ister's resolve to leave in the face of such a testimony.
ing a unanimous decision respecting the course the But this body .may seek the appraisal and advice of
pastor should pursue in the event both brotherhoods classis. And in the event the latter assembly sustains
desired him. In fine, the only one to conclusively de- its decision, it may as far as Article 10 is concerned,
cide whether the call should be accepted or declined is still persist in its refusal to consent to the minister's
the minister `called. From the very ,nature  of things, leaving. If it does so, the article forbids him to leave
the right in question belongs to him alone. He must and the church that called to receive him. It means
choose which of the two churches .he will now continue that the minister is then compelled to stay, that as
to serve. What his choice ought to be, is a matter to the matter now stands the right- to render a conclusive
be settled between him and the `Lord. I asserted, as decision belongs to the Consistory. For reasons already
much as this in my previous article when I wrote: "A given, we believe that this is wrong. The right to
consistory shall not refuse to consent to its pastor's ultimately and conclusively decide belongs to the
leaving, if the latter declares that the call has been pastor. If, after consistory and classis and, if need be,
binded  upon his heart so that he must leave for con- synod have spoken, the minister still cannot yield for
science's sake." And again: "When a  pious.  minister conscience's sake, he should--be  given permission- to
declares that in accepting a call he, according to his leave on his own responsibility.
firm conviction, responds to the very voice ?of God,' the             It could be expected, of course, that instances of
consistory and every other ecclesiastical body  (classis           ministers abiding by their decisions in opposition to
and synod) shall hold their peace."                                the advice of all the major assemblies  (classis and
   But has the consistory with which the minister is synod) would be rare. By going through with his re-
connected no voice in the matter at all? No more than solve, the pastor might attract to his person the odium
the consistory that called. Both consistories lay before of the entire church. Aware of this, he would in all
the pastor the needs of their respective flocks. And the likelihood choose to remain even if for conscience's
pastor weighs these needs and prays that he may reach sake he should abide by his resolve and leave. The
a decision pleasing to the Lord. Cases of course in consistory therefore should by all means refrain from
which the minister is no longer desired do not enter in gaining the advice of these major assemblies, if the
here.                                                              minister after a period of prayerful deliberation feels
       But we believe that the consistory should go beyond that he must leave for the Lord's sake.
the point suggested above ; that it should in conjunc-                Though the right to render a final decision belongs
tion with its pastor weigh the call and reach a definite to the minister, the churches should be in the posses-
conclusion respecting it, which conclusion it should lay sion of an instrument for controlling the clergy in the
before the pastor not with a view to setting itself up             exercise of this right. Cases may be imagined and may
as an overruling factor that takes no account of solemn actually arise in which it is imperative for the good
convictions, but with a view to aiding the pastor in of all concerned that the minister abide though he be


                                     TH-E  S T A N D A R D  BEARER-                                            309

decided to leave. In  all such cases he should be  com- gram of the calling brotherhood with a few numbers
peIled to remain. But this compulsion cannot very well of its own devising added to it.
be made to consist in anything else but moral persua-         And as to the minister, he is in a straight betwix
sion. And if all attempts to prevail  upon the pastor two ; and `in this straight, excited and perplexed. His
to reverse his decision fail, it is better to grand him mental state is therefore such that he cannot properly
permission to leave on his own  responsibility than to consider, weigh, appraise  - needs and conditions. He
compel him to remain against his will.                    knows' not what to do but finally makes a choice under
   So, then, the churches should be supplied with an the impulse of a questionable emotion.
instrument of control. And this instrument should be,         The proper behavior, I think, is this: the two con-
as it also is, Article 10 of the Church Order. This sistories involved lay before the minister the'needs of
Article allows both the minor and major assemblies their respective flocks. The consistory with which the
(consistory, etc.) to require the minister called to state minister is connected labors to reach a just decision as
his reasons for deciding to leave. It allows these as- to whether the call should be excepted by carefully  con-
semblies to appraise the reasons and to conclude sindering the needs of the calling church as well as its
whether they constitute a justifiable ground for the `own needs.         The calling' brotherhood acquaints the
decision that was reached. If not, it, this article, per- pastor with its needs and for the rest holds its peace.
mits them to dissuade the minister from-acting upon The pastor hears the advice of his consistory and with
his resolve.                                              this advice and with the needs of both brotherhoods
   But, as I already remarked, the article in question before his eye, retreats into his inner chamber for
is not altogether unobjectionable. As it fails to specify prayerful consideration. The decision at which he ar-
to what length the assemblies may and should go in rives is published and ordinarily must be received as
thwarting a minister's resolve to leave, it could be con- fina by both consistories.
verted by these bodies- into an instrument of cruelty.        Finally, the Christian Reformed churches of North
The article might therefore be supplemented by some America declared that ministers accepting a call to an-
such clause as this: `A consistory shall not trouble a other congregation must observe the following rule:
minister who testifies that the call has been  binded on "When a minister accepts a call to another church, he
his heart so that he must Ieave for conscience's sake ; requests of his consistory proper credentials testifying
and in no case shall a minister be compelled to remain to his faithful service and to the acquiescence of the
against his will.'                                        con&tory  in his departure. These credentials are sent
    Cases in which the pastor, who decides to remain, to the classical committee of the Classis  in which he
is told that he should leave bear no difficulty. A min- labors for examination and approval, this committee
ister who discovers that his services  are no longer de- sends the credentials to the counselor who, upon finding
sired will usually want to leave.                         the document in good and regular order, proceeds to
    It will be noticed that  the above cogitations are his installation. If the classis happens to be in sessibn,
suggestive of a behavior other than that to which the then it must perform this  w&k.  If the minister  r&-
two churches concerned usually keep themselves during mains in the same classis, then the approbation of that
the time that the minister considers the call that came classis only or of the classical committee is required."
to him. The usual  manner  of behavior of two such Th& ruling has  aIready  been commented upon in con-
churches is well known. If the minister called be a nection with Article 5.
personage with a name, if he is know% to be a power           As was said, it seems that Art. 10 was framed for
in the pulpit, a good mixer, a drawing card and what the purpose of depositing the right to ultimately and
not, he is overwhelmed by a veritable flood of invita- conclusively decide whether a call should be declined
tions to come. First the consistory of the calling in the ecclesiastical assemblies (consistory,  classis,
brotherhood rushes him to bind the call upon his heart. etc.) And the article by itself permits these assemblies
Then on an evening the young people appear. The fol- to exercise this right.            It was shown further that
lowing day another element. There will be letters a during the 16th century consistories also  appro&-iated
plenty. And how they all implore, beseech, beg and this right, but that gradually the attitude changed so
flatter in their attempt to mould.  his decision. Baits that by a kind of silent consent the minister is now
are prepared and dangled before his eye, such as a allowed to deal with the call as he sees fit. Yet the
larger salary, a better house to live in, less work, etc. article in its original form has been retained. And
No stone is left unturned to make it appear that the rightly so. Consider that the article merely allows the
minister by accepting the call will greatly improve his assemblies to render the final decision but does not
condition of life. So do they try and steal his heart. specifically stipulate that it shall do so. The article
   But the brotherhood with which the minister is therefore allows the affixing  to it of the clause sug-
connected, if it likes its pastor, will not be outdone and gested above. And the article so enlarged would not
outwitted. It will as fervently attempt to cajole him be ,expressive  of sentiments that militate agai,nst the
into declining the call. It repeats the unsavory pro- sentiments of which the article was meant to be the


310                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E - A R E R
-<                                                   .-".-                                                          _._
formulation. For though it seems that the fathers of die zijn eigen diepe ellende niet kent, en die niet ge-
Dordrecht meant to deposit the right under considera- voelt een Zaligmaker noodig te hebben."
tion in the assemblies, it is impossible that they meant         Mr. Poortenga noemt dat "stoute taal" en daar Ds.
to provide the churches with an instrument for over- Hoekstra den euvelen moed had bovenstaande te  schrij-
riding the conscience, the firm convictions, of pious ven, wijkt hij af van de waarheid, en houdt straks zelfs
ministers. Yet the churches would do well perhaps to geen "God meer over."
formulate the practice to which they now adhere and              Ik meende dat onze vaderen  het bijna woordelijk
to add their formulation to the article to supplement zoo neergeschreven  hadden :
its argument. But it may even be questioned whether
this is absolutely necessary. All right-thinking men will        "Voorts  is de belofte des Evangel&, dat een iege-
concede that the conscience of earnest ministers must lijk die in den gekruisten Christus geloofd, niet ver-
be respected. And to concede this is to acknowledge derve, maar het eeuwige leven hebbe ; welke belofte
that the decision of such a minister must ultimately be allen  volken en menschen tot .welke God naar zijn wel-
allowed to prevail.                                           behagen zijn Evangelie zendt, zonder onderscheid moet
       It is evident that Reformed churches, now adopting verkondigd en  voorgesteld  (uitgestald, aangeboden)
Dordrecht's ruling, recoil from amending or changing worden,  met bevel van bekeering en geloof."
these rulings. And rightly so. The Church Order is               "Doch  dat velen door het Evangelie geroepen  zijn-
one of the ties that bind us to Dordt. And this tie must de, zich niet bekeeren, noch  in Christus gelooven, maar
be permitted to remain in tact. To so alter the articles in ongeloof vergaan, zulks geschied niet door gebrek of
of our Church Order that little or nothing of the orig- ongenoegzaamheid van de offerande van Christus,  maar
inals remain is to severe this tie.                           door hunne eigme  schuld."
                                                                 "Doch  zoo velen als er door het Evangelie geroepen
                                              G. M. 0.        worden,  die  worden  ernstiglijk geroepen, want God be-
                                                              toont  ernstiglijk en waarachtiglijk in zijn Woord wat
                                                              Hem aangenaam is, namelijk dat de geroepenen tot
                                                              Hem komen ; belooft ook met ernst  allen  die tot Hem
                                                              komen en  gelooven,  de rust der zielen en het eeuwige
            Stemde Mij Tot Droefenis                          leven."
                                                                 "Dat er velen door de bediening des Evangelies  ge-
                       (INGEZO~~)                             roepen zijnde niet komen, en  niet bekeerd  worden,
       Het artikel van Mr. A. Poortenga, Lansing, Ill., daarvan is de  schuld  niet  in het  Evangelic,   noch in
Standard Bearer, March 15, bladz. 281.                        Christus door het Evangelie aangeboden zijnde, noch
       Wij  allen  weten, dat Ds. J. B. Hoekstra grijs  ge- ,& God, die door het Evangelie roept, en zelfs ook dien
worden  is in den dienst des Heeren. Voorzoover mij Hij roept verscheidene gaven mededeelt, maar in dege-
bekend, is Ds. Hoekstra altijd met eere genoemd een nen die geroepen worden  ; van welken sommigen zorge-
strijder voor de aloude Geref. waarheid; en nu op het loos zijnde, het woord des levens niet aannemen," enz.
einde van zijn leven wordt hij niet alleen beschuldigt            (Dordtsche Leerregels, hoofdstuk II, paragraaf V
van af te wijken van de waarheid ; neen, erger, Ds. en VI en hoofdstuk III en IV, paragraaf 8 en 9.)                       s
Hoekstra houdt zelfs "geen God meer over." O! ik                 Vrage: Wat heeft Ds. J. B. Hoekstra nu geschreven
vind het wreed een oude dienstknecht des Heeren zulke dat in strijd is met de belijdenis der Geref. kerken?
verwijtingen te doen ; mogen wij dat doen  ? Nog slechts Alleen Ds. Hoekstra gebruikt "welmeenend"  waar onze
een korte spanne tijds en die oude grijze profeet  des vaderen "ernstiglijk en waarachtiglijk" schreven.
Heeren zal zijn werk op aarde moeten overlaten aan               Volgens Mr. P.`s verklaring zijn de artikelen van
anderen. Maar ik ben er heilig van overtuigd of Ds. Ds. Hoekstra "mooi ", en worden  "gaarne gelezen," en
Hoekstra zal de welkomstgroet vernemen  uit den mond in den regel "aardig  goed gereformeerd".
vanzijnen grooten Zender: "Wel, gij goede en getrou-              Naar uwe eigene.  maatstaf, en naar den aard der
we dienstknecht over weinig zijt gij getrouw geweest, liefde, moest u gedrongen geworden zijn om te geloo-
over veel zal ik u zetten,  gaat in, in de vreugde uws ven, dat Ds. Hoekstra's bedoeling was aan te toonen en
Heeren." En nu vraag ik : is er oorzaak? Is er grond duidelijk te maken, dat hetgeen God belooft altijd wel-
voor de beschuldiging?                                        meenend belooft wordt. Al Gods beloften zijn in Chris-
       Volgens Mr. P. heeft Ds. Hoekstra het volgende ge- tus "ja" en ze zijn in Hem "amen."
schreven :                                                        Mijns inziens zoude een terugnemen van de  be-
       "Ze hebben geen behoefte  aan Jezus, als hun Herder schuldiging Mr. P. meer tot eere verstrekken dan het
en om door Hem gezaligd te worden. Dat ligt niet aan geschrevene.
Jezus, Die welmeenend roept, en ook niet  aan het  Evan-
gelie, dat een kracht Gods tot zaligheid is, maar bet                                              R. Heslinga,
ligt in de  verdorvenheid  en blindheid van den mensch,                                        812 Eastern Ave., S.E.


                                                  A   R e f o r m e d   S e m i - M o n t h l y   M a g a z i n e
                                PUBLISHED BY THE REFORMED FREE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.


                  nhonld   be  sent   to  C.  3.  Doom,   906
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       Vol. IX, No. 14                                                                     APRIL 15, 1933                                                                        Subscription Price, $2.50

                                                                                                          things were done, and women had spoken of an empty
                            M E D I T A T I O N                                                           sepulchre and a vision of angels . . . .
                                                                                                                And, besides, also certain of them that were with
                                                                                                          them, had gone to verify the tale of the women, and
                      The Risen Lord Expounding In                                                        found it as they had said . . . .
                                                                                                                But Him they saw not!
                                        All the Scriptures                                                      Thus they had informed the stranger that had
                                                                                                          joined them in the way, they knew not whence, and
                                              Then he said unto them, 0 fools and SIOW                    had revealed a profound interest in the subject of their
                                           of heart to believe all that  the prophets                     busy conversation.
                                           have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have                            And then, without warning, suddenly, He spoke as
                                           suffered these things and to enter into his
                                           glory? And beginning  at Noses  and all the                    if He were master of the subject and could assume an
                                           prophets, he expounded unto them in  all the                   attitude of authority, rebuking them rather sharply:
                                           Scriptures the things concerning  himseIf.                     0 fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the
                                                                               Luke  2495-27.             -prophets have spoken !
                                                                                                                Amazed they must have been at this sudden turn
                   0 fools!                                                                               of the conversation, now the taught became the
                   And slow of heart to believe all that the prophets Teacher, yet, they could not but submit to this note of
        have spoken ! . . . .                                                                             authority.
                   Suddenly, all unexpectedly, to the utter amazement                                           Was there not a familiar sound to the words He
        of the two sojourners that traveled from Jerusalem to spoke, that set their heart  aburning_?
        Emmaus in the afternoon of that memorable tist day                                                      Touched they were but not offended; vaguely they
        of the week, the rebuke had sounded from the lips of felt that He was about .to "substantiate His word of
        Him, Whom they had though% a stranger, a stranger, to rebuke !  *                                                                                ,$.&; 1 .":: :p
        be sure to them, but a stranger too, in Jerusalem! . . . .                                              0  fools!  Slow   of  g&J
                                                                                                                                                  "il .;,,:; ,,,, ",:b,, "iT$
                   They had unburdened their hearts to Him, had                                                                                    .*#i<.  .,.:t<  .,. F
                                                                                                                                                        .~g&gpw" ". ..-."
        spoken to Him of that which must need be the only
        subject that could possibly occupy the mind of whom-
        ever was not a total stranger in Jerusalem, had in-
        formed Him, so they thought, of the things that had                                                     The third day!
        come to pass in the ancient City of God these last days;                                                And what a day it had been!
        the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet,                                                     Jerusalem had been a witness of strange and won-
        mighty in word and deed, on Whom they had fastened drous tales and  rumours  from  e&T+dawn  till the hour
        their hope as the One that would deliver Israel ; the when these two sojourners had 6% for Emmaus.
        things which the chief priests and the leaders had done                                                 Idle tales they had seemed to most of the  discipies.
        unto Him, how they delivered Him to be condemned to For, the joy of the resurrection of their Lord did not
        death and crucified Him ; the things, which they could immediately fill their hearts. The cross had been too
        not comprehend, though vaguely they,had caused their real, had proved too terrible, had too completely shat-
I:...,". hearts to be set aglow with a new hope, a strange
   .                                                                                                      tered their hopes. But little were their hearts and
+::.; expectation, for, it was now, the third day since these minds.`.prepared  for the glorious fact of the  resurrec-   '
:`: :., ,~,. ?


tion. Besides, the rumours  were still too vague to con- them that every detail of His life and ministry was
stitute a firm ground for their hppe.                        pointing to the same conclusion: Jesus of Nazareth was
   Indeed, it was the third day, but! . . . .                the Messiah, He that was to redeem Israel ! All His
   Some had spoken of a vacated sepulchre and a vision life and walk among them proved Him to be the
of angels. Women had carried the angels' message of Messiah, the Christ. Besides, so they had confessed
the resurrection into the Holy City. They had gone to Him to be ; so He had corroborated their confession.
bestow upon His dead body the last labors of their And yet, one part always refused to be fitted into this
love and had been mildly rebuked for seeking the Living puzzle, always mocked their every attempt fully to
among the dead ! Others had witnessed that they had explain Jesus of Nazareth. And as long as that one
met Him, had seen Him, had heard His voice, had wor- fact had not been explained their conclusion that Jesus
shipped Him. Yet, it all had been so strange, so tran- was the Christ was reduced to absurdity . . . .
sitory, so different from His life and walk among them          They had a problem !
in the past, that all these testimonies sounded like idle       And better it would be for them to state their own
tales. He had come and gone, had been seen for a problem clearly, concisely, to review their entire line
moment and disappeared ; those that had met Him still of reasoning, than merely and at once to listen to what
wondered whether it was He !                                 this Stranger would have to say. Hence: what things?
   Yes, it was the third day, and the one thing that            And talk they do ! Gladly, eagerly, as if to satisfy
seemed tangible, was that the sepulchre wherein He themselves rather than this Stranger, they reviewed
was laid was empty. Yet! . . . .                             the history, the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth,
   The two disciples had waited in Jerusalem till the a mighty prophet before God and all the people, killed
afternoon, still expecting further developments. $.rt        by the priests and rulers . . . . and we trusted that
finally they had departed from the city that had made He would have redeemed Israel . . . . and, besides, it
such fearful history these latter days, to assume their was the third day . . . . and, then, there were these
journey homeward. However, if they had abandoned persistent  rumours about the empty sepulchre, the
all hope in Him Whom they had thought to be the One angels, His resurrection, yet, they could not believe,
that would redeem Israel, their interest in the subject understand . . . .
of Jesus of Nazareth, now crucified, had not dimin-
ished, and busily they conversed together, arguing,             d fools ! How stupid of you !
comparing, recalling, marshalling the facts,. reviewing,        0 slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had
attempting, evidently, to solve a puzzling problem ; cap- spoken !
tivated by the subject, so completely submerged in              A sharp and unexpected rebuke, no doubt, yet, it
their own thoughts and discussions, that they had not filled their hearts with hope, for, evidently, now they
noticed the stranger that suddenly joined their com- had stated their problem this Stranger saw its solution,
pany. neither recognized Him as He approached them thought e,asy to explain what they considered an insur-
with the sympathizing question :                             mountable difficuIty  !
   What manner of communications are these that ye              And that difficulty  must be solved before they could
have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad ?               firmly grasp that for which their anxious hearts
   And their answer had been partly rebuking: Art vaguely groped :
thou only a stranger in Jerusalem? What should we               For, it was now the third day !
talk about? What could possibly the subject of any-
one's conversation if he were. not altogether a stranger                                -     -
in the Holy City? What, b&the things that had there
come to pass in these days?,.,::-  Were any other things
of  sufficient import to attract the attention?    Could        Ought not? . . . .
anyone think and speak of aught else? . . . .                   That part of the history of Jesus of Nazareth which
   Still  the  Stranger gently persisted : What things ? you consider so inexplicable, which you cannot fit into
   It were better for them to unburden their heart, the nuzzle, is it not clearly an integral, a logical, a
to state their own problem as clearly as they might. necessary part of the whole?
For, a problem they evidently had. They did not mereIy          That part was the cross!
pass in review the things that had occurred these               Still they did not understand the cross, the suffer-
last days nor did they simply recall many a word and ing, the death of the Messiah.
deed of Jesus of Nazareth from the motive of pious               For the cross they could not find a place, a logica
remembrance of the dead. They had hoped that He pIace in their conception of Him that would redeem
were the one  t.hat should redeem Israel. And still,         Israel. And because they did not see the word, the idea,
somehow, vaguely, inexplicably, that hope lingered in the divine purpose of the cross, they could not reach
their hearts. And as they recalled what they had seen the joy and hope of that third day. Without the cross
and heard of Jesus, His gracious words, His speech the resurrection is foolishness.
with authority, His mighty works, --it still seemed to           Hence, it is to th.at  seeming incongruity of the suf-


fering of Christ that the Stranger immediately refers,        sented  itself, they would again reason, the  difbculty
in order to its divine wisdom and absolute necessity.         would force itself upon their hearts once more and, per-
   Ought not the Christ to have suffered thus and to haps, they would soon doubt their own senses . . . .
enter into His glory?                                            Hence, the cross, the word of the cross, the idea, the
   There was no other way! The Christ could not               divine necessity of the cross they must see first!
possibly reach the glory that was set'before  Him except         Then He will manifest Himself, they may see, and
in a way of suffering and death ! What seemed so ab- they will believe !
surd was perfectly logical ! What appeared impossible            As at it was with them, it is still with us! With
was absolutely necessary ! And the necessity was a you, with me . . . .
divine one! All necessity is in deepest sense. It pro-           Ought He not to have suffered thus ? What say we?
ceeds from the very Being of God. And from God's Have we realized the necessity of the cross for Him
Being and Nature proceeds His counsel. And from His that must redeem us? Have we felt the power of the
counsel flow all things. This is the ought; the only cross ?
ought of all things. And it is a necessity which can be          Then we may also lay hold by faith on the glorious
explained, elucidated to the mind of the believer. For, reality of the resurrection!                ,.
not a dark, fatal, irrational necessity is the fixed pur-        For, the Lord is risen indeed !
pose of God's counsel, but one of highest wisdom and
goodness. He will glorify Himself, for He is God and
the sole Good. He will manifest His glory in a cove-
nant-people, that must reflect all the glory of His divine       He expounded unto them !
life and goodness, live it, taste it, witness of it,             Taught them to see clearly from all the Scriptures,
eternally adore Him for it, a people of whom His own that the Christ must have suffered these things to
Son must be the Head. He will realize this people in enter into His glory!
the way of sin and grace, thus leading them to highest           What a sermon !
conceivable glory. Hence, His own Son, standing at               Beginning with Moses, who spoke of the enmity be-
the head of, in the stead of a people that is by nature tween the seed of the serpent and the Seed of the
guilty and under condemnation of wrath,, must redeem woman and of the bruising of the hee1 of the Iatter; by
His people, redeem them in the way of justice and whom the shadows were instituted and the types, that
righteousness . . . .                                         clearly witnessed of the fact, that nothing could be
   Ought, then, not the Christ to have suffered these purified without blood, that pictured His suffering be-
things, in order to enter into His glory?                     fore the eyes of a hoping people; leading them onward
   There was no other way for Him !                           through all the prophets, that testified by the Spirit
   Not even from the mount of transfiguration could of Christ that was in them of His suffering and the
He have entered into glory !                                  glory that should follow,  - He expounded unto them
   For, inseparably He was united with His brethren. in all the Scriptures !
And His brethren were in the power of sin and death.             Till the picture of the Christ, that would redeem
And, before He could enter into His glory, before He          Israel, was complete ! Till the ought of His suffering,
could lead His brethren into God's eternal tabernacle, as a necessary part of His program had become per-
He would have to redeem them, to atone for them, to fectly evident !
bear their sin, to suffer for them, to die in their behalf       What a sermon !
and in their stead, to give the perfect answer, the              A perfect exposition !  "
eternal answer to God's demand of justice: thou shalt .          Not a rationalistic argument, building up a grand
love Me! . . . .                                              but vain edifice of human ,philosophy  ; not a miserable
   His suffering constituted an integral, a logical, a and sentimental appeal to the emotions ; not an accumu-
necessary part of His program as the Messiah, that lation of separate texts ; but one grand, clear exposition
would redeem Israel!                                          of the Old Testament Scriptures it was. A sermon with
   Ought, then, not? . . . .                                  unity of theme and purpose: The Ought of Christ's
   Oh ! a necessary lesson it was for the sojourners to Suffering ! A sermon with perfect unity of argument,
Emmaus  !                                                     beginning with Moses, thru all the prophets, in all the
   The Lord might have manifested Himself to them at Scriptures . . . .
once, might have convinced them that He was alive,               Leading on to faith in the Risen Lord !
that on this third day He had, indeed, risen from the            A sermon as we still have it and more in the  Scrip-
dead. But even it would not have solved their diffi- tures of the New Testament! Always with the same
culty. Still the cross would have been a  stumbling-          theme !
block, a part that did not fit into the puzzle, that did         He ought to have suffered !
not logically and necessarily connect itself with the            And He is risen indeed!
resurrection. And after a momentary, vision  _ of. the           Believe and rejoice !
Risen Lord, that would fleet away as quickly as it `pre-


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          323

Hij gedaan om Zijns verbonds  wil) kan Gods volk dien ideal of the Free Christian School has, 4n &zct, been
raad kennen en  aan zijn gebed ook  inhoud  geven.          realized ; nor even  that in late years it has been ap-
   Natuurlijk kent de bidder niet de bijzonderheden proximated. On the contrary, we believe that there is
van dien raad. In algemeene  trekken verstaat hij den a grave clanger  that, while we do maintain separate
w.il en raad Gods, zelfs tot  aan het einde der wereld toe, schools, the specific principles that lie at the very basis
in betrekking tot alle  dingen. Maar in bijzonderheden of Free Christian Education, will be forgotten, if not
weet hij den weg Gods niet en behoeft hij dien ook niet despised. The more reason for all that love those prin-
te weten. Daarom blijven er vele dingen  over, in be- ciples to maintain them, preach them and apply them
trekking tot dewelke hij niet weet, wat hij bidden zal. as far as possib!2.
En  tech zal het in zijn hart zijn, om ook die dingen           Let us not grow lukewarm in respect to Christian
Gode op te dragen,  zijne begeerten en zuchtingen Gode Instruction.
bekend te maken  en voor het aangezicht des Heeren te           Tt will be our death as a Reformed people!
leggen.  Maar in betrekking tot die  dingen  zij in de          Hence,  l&e Standard Bearer does not deem the
allereerste  plaats opgemerkt, dat wij nooit iets mogen present financial difficulties the most serious problem
begeerep of bidden, dat niet met de reinheid van Gods our Christian School supporters must face. It cannot
heiligdom  .in overeenstemming is. Zondige begeerten, even consider these financial difficulties quite as serious
begeerten naar aardsche, wereldsche  dingen,  naar din- as some appear to do. It certainly cannot agree with
gen des vleesches, begeerten, die eigenlijk niet God tot those, who would subscribe to the statement, that the
het hoogste voorwerp hebben,  moeten zeer zeker  wor-       Public Schools will receive our children if we not re-
den bestreden en niet onder de gebeden der heiligen ceive aid from the state.
worden  gebracht. Onze begeerten in bet&king tot de             Yet,  it recognizes, of course, that at the present
dingen,  waarvan wij niet weten of ze in Gods raad be- time, due to the economic confusion, the Christian
sloten zijn, moeten dus beslist heilig zijn. I2et gebed Schools are facing a very real financial problem, which,
blijve altijd een gebed des rechtvaardigen. In de tweede though it is in no way as vital as the problem of the
plaats, zal in betrekking tot die dingen,  waarvan het maintenance of the principle, must be solved.
kind van God niet weet, of ze in Gods raad besloten             Nor do we agree with many of the methods that
zijn,,zijn gebedshouding tech altijd zijn uitgedrukt  in are being employed to  solve this problem. To these
de woorden: Uw wil geschiede! En dan bidt hij tech methods  :Ind to the reasons why we do not agree with
zeer wezenlijk weer om de vervulling van den raad des them we hope to call your attention in another article.
Heeren, zijn eigen begeerten onderwerpend aan dien In this article we would like to submit a suggestion of
raad. En in de derde plaats,  moeten we ook niet  ver-      a method by which the problem ought to be solved and
geten,  dat in betrekking tot diezelfde dingen,  als wij the difXculty  ought to be wholly or for the most part
niet weten,  wat we bidden zullen, de Geest voor ons        removed.
bidt met onuitsprekelijke zuchtingen. En die de har-            Our suggestion is based on the conviction that also
ten doorzoekt weet, welke de meening des Geestes zij, this problem ought to be solved systematically and not
dewijl hij naar God voor de heiligen bidt!                  in the many haphazard ways in which we have been
                                                 H. H.      trying to reach a solution and to overcome the  dficulty.
                                                                In offerilig  our sugges;tion  of a systematic solution
                                                            we proceed from the principle that our Schools are
                                                            Free Christian Schools. They are not Church Schools.
     Financial Problems of Christian                        They are not parochial Schools. They are the schools
                    Schools                                 of the parents.
                                                                Applying this principle, the Standard Bearer sug-
                            I                               gests the following:
                                                                1. Let the Boards as early as possible, sometime
       A SUGGESTED METHOD TOWARD SOLUTION                   during next summer, long enough before the schools
   The Standard Bearer, let it be understood, is prin- open again, prepare as accurately as possible a com-
cipally one hundred per cent in favor of the Free Chris- plete budget for the school year  1933-`34.
tian School and of a strong and positive program of             2.. Let all the items of that budget be brought i&o
Christian Primary and Higher Education. It would reasonable harmony with the financial condition of to-
exhort all its readers to maintain this principle, to day. Let us no longer imagine that prosperity will re-  r
labor for its realization and for the attainment or ap- turn. It will not, at least not for a long time to come.
proximation of its ideal. It loves to co-labor  with all All things must be brought to a lower level. This fact
that firmly stand on the same basis and are not we may just as ,well all face honestly.
ashamed also in this respect to be a peculiar people in         3. Let the Boards also make as careful an estimate
the midst of the world, that we and our children may as possible of all means of income and receipts for the
fear the Lord and maintain His covenant.                    year  1933-`34, on which they can positively depend,
   We do not flatter ourselves and others that the such as tuition, membership fees, items in the budgets

                                                                                    .'


of various churches, etc. And let them clearly and
definitely   state how much the estimated receipts fall                     Our Church Order
short of the proposed budget.                                                          Article 11
   4. Let the Boards call a meeting of the societies
they represent, of all parents that have  children at            On the. other hand, the Consistory as  representing  the
                                                               congregation, shall also be bound to. provide for the
school and those that have not but pay membership              proper support  of its Ministers, and shall not dismiss
fees and let them clearly and fully explain the entire         them from service without the knowledge and approba-
financial situation to the Society, causing them to un-        tion of the  Classis  and of the Delegates of the
derstand that they are the only responsible party. This         (particular) Synod.
will prove a great help in itself. Everywhere the cry is
heard, that our Christian Schools are in financial             The opening phrase  "oh  the other hand" joins this
straits, that they are on the verge of being closed. Yet, article with the foregoing. The two rulings set forth
the people that sponsor the schools, are not thoroughly a series of duties that plainly comprise a unity. A
acquainted with the situation, nor are they caused to minister may not leave the congregation with which he
feel that the Society and not the Church is the re- is connected without the consent of the consistory. On
sponsible party. Let them adopt the budget and assume the other hand the consistory shall also be bound to
the responsibility to pay it.                               provide for the proper support of its ministers.
                                                               One feels that the ruling now to be considered was
   5. Let the members be offered an opportunity passed also with a view to the ministers not properly
(preferably not `in the meeting, but by a list and a provided for by the congregations with which they
visiting committee) to give free contributions above were connected and whose condition of life therefore
their membership and tuition fees to cover or partially made a change of pastorate so urgent that they would
cover the difference, if any, between the proposed bud- leave at the first opportunity without even gaining the
get and the estimated receipts for the year 1933-`34.       consent of the ecclesiastical assemblies.           There are
Those that are still able to give and have a heart for several cases on record of ministers or their wives en-
the cause of Christian Instruction certainly ought to be gaged in various kinds of secular pursuits because
willing to do their part if only they could defmitely salaries were not large enough to live on. It would
know about what is their part.                              repeatedly occur that classes and synods had to see to
   6. Let the Schoolboards insist that children must it that ministers went not to teaching school, opening
pay their tuition fees in order to attend the Christian schipbuilding  yards, exploiting mines, practicing law
School. It is not the duty of the Schoolboards to exer- or medicine and the like with a view to swelling in-
cise charity. Children that do not pay tuition must sufhcient incomes. The revenues derived from lands
certainly be removed.                                       were often to meagre or were appropriated largely by
   `7. On the other hand, means must be provided for the "jonkers" and church wardens. The result was that
those children whose parents are unable to pay. 1 sug- ministers were compelled to engage in all kinds of. work
gest that "Supply Funds" be created by societies for that they and their own might have bread. The
this purpose that are independent  from the  School- churches strongly disapproved of this. They did so not
boards, but work in conjunction with them for the pur- out of the consideration that the minister as represent-
pose of paying the tuition of the children or part of the ing the spiritual may set up no connections with the
tuition of those children whose parents cannot pay at natural. There were other considerations. The whole
all or the full tuition. If this proves impracticable I man as to all his time and talents must spend himself
suggest that the parents be instructed to apply to the in the work of the ministry. What is more, the church
deaconate for this purpose; instructed,  I mean, not by according to Scripture is in duty bound to provide for
the Schoolboards, but by the Consistories.                  the proper support of its ministers. And this duty de-
   8. If still the proposed budget be not wholly cov- volves upon every member.
ered, I suggest that the Boards ask for a few free col-        Let us show from Scripture how true these state-
lections from the local Churches.                           ments are. In the old dispensation the church was con-
   In conclusion I would make yet another suggestion, fined to the people of Israel and ran parallel with this
for the purpose of promoting good feeling among all people. Church and state were one. Citizenship spelled
the members. In localities where the members of the church membership. The laws of the state were at
School Society belong to different Reformed denomina- once ecclesiastical.             The priest as aided by the
tions, and where the Schoolboards almost perpetuate common Levites performed the service. These precepts,
themselves because of their right to present a nomina- therefore, that had a bearing on the matter of the
tion to the Society annually, let these Schoolboards take support of  the priest and his helpers, is of value here.
care that the various Church-groups are represented on There are several such precepts. Unto Aaron and his
these nominations in proportion to their membership. sons the Lord gave a portion of His offerings made by
Taxation without representation never works out.            fire to be eaten by the males among the children of
                                               H. H.        Aaron (Lev. 6:14-18). The remnant of the sin offering


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         325
- -                    ----"               ._ll_ll^"ll__--_ll_l.l_^  .-..."                        .---- --._._- -
should be the priests as a meat offering (Lev. 15:11-           shoulder and the wave breast, their oblations, meat
13). The priest further was allowed to retain the skin offerings and trespass offerings, their best oil, and all
of the burnt offering which he had offered and all the the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first fruits
meat offering that was baked in the oven and all that of them which they offered unto the Lord, this action,
was dressed in the frying pan. The heave offering was let it be considered, was typical and thus a prophetic
the priest's; likewise the breast and the light shoulder depiction of a higher spiritual engagement of the New
of the wave offering. Let us attend to a statement of Testament church, an engagement consisting in this
the priests' portion which may be found in the 18th church providing for the proper support of its min-
chapter of Numbers: "And the Lord spake unto Aaron, isters. It means that the church of today must and
Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave also will, if spiritual, provide for this support.
offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of             The force of this will be felt the more if it be con-
Israel ; unto thee have I given them by reason of the sidered that the church of the new dispensation is the
anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. same church that came into being in Paradise, the same
This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved church that the Lord took by the hand and led out of
from the fire: every oblation of their's, every meat the land of Egypt. There is but one shepherd, one
offering of their's, and every trespass offering of flock, one promise and one hope. This is so plain from
their's, which they shall render unto me, shall be most the reasoning of Paul in Galatians: "Now I say, that
holy for thee and for thy sons . . . And this is thine: the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from
the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offer- a servant, though he be lord of all ; but is under tutors
ings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto and governors until the time appointed by the father.
thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee by         Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage
a statute forever; every one that is clean in thy house under the elements of the world: but when the fulness
shall eat of it. All the best of the oil, and all the best of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a
of the wine, and of the wheat, the first fruits of them woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were
which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given under the law, that we might receive the adoption of
thee. And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which sons." In this Scripture the one church appears first
they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine ; every as a child under tutors (the church of the old dispensa-
one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. Every tion) and thereupon as a son that crieth, Abba Father
thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. Every thing              (the church of the new dispensation). Now the child
that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring and the matured son, certainly, are one and the same
unto the Lord, whether it be of men or beast, shall be          being. Add to this that the type is the pictorial and
thine: nevertheless the first-born of man shalt thou prophetic representation of the realities of the gospel
surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt period, as associated with the body foreshadowed, and
thou redeem." See further Nu. 18:8-32  ; Deut. 12:11,            what follows? That the mandates quoted above are
12, 17-19  ; Deut. 14 :22-2'7  ; Deut. 16 :lO-15, etc.          today as binding and valid as ever; that, in command-
       The Levite and the priest together with the institu- ing the children of Israel respecting the matter of the
tions they represent disappeared with the advent of support of the priest, He placed the entire church under
Christ. The laws that bore on the matter of the sup- a yoke that, as cast into the mould of a New Testament
port of the priest are therefore no longer in force as phraseology reads, `Thou shalt maintain the service I,
to the exact form in which they were promulgated. But thy Lord and Saviour, instituted. Thou shalt, there-
as to the immutable truths pervading them, they are fore, provide for the pastors and teachers I give my
still binding.                                                  church. Take heed to thyself that thou forsake them
       To clinch this argument we call attention to the fact not as long as thou livest upon the earth.'
that Israel together with all its institutions was a type.          That these reasonings are correct is evident from
There was in the old dispensation a typical priest, sacri- the fact that the above-cited mandates of Moses were
fice, temple and land. There were typical places, per- in substance reiterated by Christ and the apostles.
sonages and actions. Now the Biblical type is a de- When Christ sent forth His twelve apostles and later
piction of things heavenly. And this type was true so on the seventy to preach, He said to them: "And as ye
that all its features reappear in the heavenly replica. go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The aggregate of types, therefore, are to us a glass in Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast
which we can behold a whole world of heavenly real- out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide
ities. In this glass we see Christ the true lamb ; we see, neither gold nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor
in this glass, the true commonwealth of Israel, the scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes,
church of the living God-; we see new heavens and a nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat"
new earth peopled by a redeemed race with whom the               (Matt. 10:8-10).  Here the disciples are bidden to re-
tabernacle of God is.                                           frain from setting out upon their preaching tours as
       Now the action consisting in the people of Israel laden  down  with the means of living. These means
bringing to the priest for his support the heave would be forthcoming, such is the assurance, from


326                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
        _.--_-..                             .----"..-". -^^  ^  -_.....-- -_l_llll"  _. -- .._ -..-----    -
those receiving them and hearing their words. These,         these converts and devoted himself exlusively to the
the hearing ones, are in duty bound to provide for ministry of the Word.
them, as the servant is worthy of his hire. But they,            Paul's reason for engaging in manual  labour  at
the disciples, are to bear in mind that their spiritual Thessalonica was his resolve to hold himself up before
goods, their gospel, are no articles of commerce, mer- the shiftless and lazy of the church in this place as an
chandise, to' be dealt out in exchange for the commodity example of orderliness. Let us hear the apostle on
useful to them. What they freely received, they must this matter: "Now we command you, brethren, in the
freely give. The means of living, given them by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw your-
"worthy houses" are not therefore to be defined as so selves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and
much pay turned out to them in exchange for their not after the tradition which he received of us. For
gospel ; for the gift of God may not be purchased with       yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we
money (Acts  8:20).                                          behaved ourselves not disorderly among you ; neither
   These injunctions of Jesus are not at variance with did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought
Paul's doings. Of this apostle it is recorded that at        with  labour  and travail night and day, that we might
Corinth he earned his means of living by the perform- not be chargeable to any of you ; not because we have
ance of manual labour. The record reads: "and came           not power (not because we have not the right to lay
unto them (namely, Aquila and Priscilla residing in you under the necessity of supporting us, G. M. 0.) but
Corinth). And because he was of the same craft, he to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation For even when we were with you, this we commanded
they were tentmakers (Acts 18:2, 3). From his part- you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
ing words to the elders of the church at Ephesus, it ap- For we hear that there are some that walk among you
pears that he did likewise at Ephesus. He reminds these disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
elders that "ye yourselves know that these hands Now them that are such, we command and exhort by
(Paul's own hands) have ministered unto my necessi- our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work,
ties, and to them that were with me" (Acts  20:34). and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not
And from his second epistle to the Thessalonians, we weary in welldoing. And if any man obey not our
gather that also during his stay in this city he min- word by this epistle, note that man, and have no com-
istered to his necessities: "Neither did we eat any pany with him, that he may be ashamed" (II Thess.
man's bread for nought; but wrought with  Iabour and 3:6-14).
travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable           The apostle's reason for labouring with his hands
to any of you" (II Thess. 3 :8).                            at Ephesus was his determination to avoid furnishing
   It must not be supposed, however, that by this the slanderers with the slightest excuse for saying that
action of his the apostle meant to lay down a rule other the  gospe1  ministry was unto him a smokescreen behind
than the one already laid down by Christ. The truth of which he coveted another man's silver or gold, or ap-
the matter is that for certain cogent reasons the parel and to show forth by ministering unto the neces-
apostle at times deemed it necessary and expedient to sities even of those with him (his helpers) the Chris-
depart from the aforesaid rule and thus to waive his tian virtue that consist in labouring to support the
right to lay "those hearing him" under the necessity weak. The record of this reads: "And now, brethren, I
of supporting him.     -                                    commend you to God, and to the work of His grace,
   What were these reasons ? One of them was the which is able to build you up, and to give you an in-
poverty of the people with whom he abode. Aquila and heritance among all them which are sanctified. I have
Priscilla were in all likelihood poor people, barely able coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye
to provide for their own support. Consider that they yourselves know, that these hands have ministered
had arrived at Corinth as refugees from Italy. The unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews to vacate I have shewed you all things, how that so Iabouring  ye
Rome. The mandate had also effected Aquila and Pris- ought to support the weak, and to remember the words
cilla as they were Jews. Leaving Rome they  immi-           of our Lord Jesus Christ, how he said, It is more
grated to Corinth where they immediately began work- blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20 :31-35).
ing at their trade. But they were strangers in a large           But so far from the truth it `is that the apostle by
city and their income therefore must at first have been his action meant to set aside the rule laid down by
too meagre for three. So the apostle did the expected Christ that he uses his practice of ministering unto his
and right thing. Unwilling to draw on their means, he needs during his staying at Corinth as a lead to bind
laboured with his hands and thus ministered to his this rule upon the hearts of the members of the church
own needs. Whether he continued doing this during at Corinth. These members, it seems, were questioning
his entire year-and-a-half stay at Corinth is not even Paul's calling, and criticising  him because among other
certain. As the Lord "had much people in this place"        things he forbore working. This proves, by the way,
many heard Paul and came to the light. It is possible that ordinarily he refrained from providing for his
that eventually he allowed himself to be supported by       support. His reply to these critics reads: "Have not


                                                      T      H      E            STANUAK.U   k5tS-AK,r;I-d                                  YZ'I
-                  .-- ..._." ..-. --.." . ..." .^_._lll__l_lll.--.  - _-..           ...-_I__--                -.-                           -_-
we power to forbear working?" To this he answers in his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that
the affirmative, and presents the following reasoning soweth to the Spirit shall of the Aesh reap Iife ever-
as a support to his answer. We quote in part: " . . . If                                 lasting" (Gal. 6 3, 8).
we have sown unto you spiritual things, it is a                                             Calvin in his commentary on this text says that this
great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? word should make us tremble. And so it should. Con-
If others be partakers of this power over you, are not sider that the apostle brands the negligence of church
we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; members over against the ministers a mocking of God
but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel respecting His ordinance. But the Most High is not
of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister mocked. Attention should be directed to the pronoun
about holy things live of the things of the temple  ? "whatsoever." The harvest is invariably in agreement
And they which wait at the altar are partakers with with the sowing. As from wheat the husbandman de-
the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they rives not corn or barley but wheat, as men pluck good
which preach the gospel shall live of the gospel. But I fruit from a good tree only, so, in the moral world, will
have used none of these things: neither have I written a man without fail reap corruption if he sows to the
these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it flesh. And the corruption a negligent brotherhood reaps
were better for me to die, than that any man should                                      is death, even in this life.
make my glorying void. For though I preach the gospel,                                      An individual sinner, still in his sins, cannot die
I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon spiritually in that he is dead. As to the believer, his
me ; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel !                                  spiritual life can wane and suffer an eclipse. But the
For if I do this things willingly, I have a reward: but seed that abideth in him again eventually flowers. The
if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is                                      believer is imperishable. However, a church, a local
committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily organization of believers, and a denomination of such
that when I preach the gospel I may make the gospel organizations, dies as time wears on when the genera-
of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in tion of just men in it gradually disappears to make
the gospel" (I Cor. 8 3-U).                                                             room for a seed of evildoers. When this process is com-
     In a second -epistle to this same- church, the apostle pleted the church must be said to have died. In respect
touched upon the matter of their failure to provide for to it the threat of the glorified Christ, "or else I will
his support while he laboured among them in such a come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candle-
way that these brethren could not escape the conclusion stick out of his place, except thou repent," has been
that they did not do  well by him during the time that realized. The candlestick in the organization was the
he tarried in their midst. Wrote the apostle:                                           true element through whom the Spirit witnessed. Its
     "Have I committed an  offence  in abasing myself death is its harvest. And its history reveals that it
that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to sowed to the ,tlesh. There was among other things a
you the gospel of God freely? I robbed other churches, growing indisposition on the part of this church to be
taking wages of them to do you service. And when I bound by the word, to provide for the support of the
was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to services Christ instituted, and to  care  for faithful min-
no man ; for that which was lacking to me the brethren isters. I say "faithful." For, as Calvin remarks, it is,
which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things and always has been, the disposition of the world,
I have kept myself- from being burdensome unto you, freely to bestow on the ministers of Satan every
and so will I keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in luxury, and hardly to supply godly pastors with neces-
me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions sary food. It is one of the tricks of Satan to defraud
of Achaia. Wherefore? because I love you not? God godly ministers of support, that the church may be de-
knoweth. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut prived of such ministers.
off occasion from  ,them which desire occasion  ; that                                      In exhorting the congregation, the interest of the
wherein they glory, they may be found even as we" (II apostle did not devolve upon the pastors as such but
Cor. II:?-12).                                                                          upon the gospel ministry and only upon the pastors as
     Verily, the Scriptures that turn upon the matter attached to this ministry. He exhorted because he was
under consideration are so numerous, and the reason- desirous that the gospel ministry should be preserved.
ings that circulate through them are so pointed that Whatever exposes to injury or endangers this ministry
the only conviction at which we can arrive is that we he warned against. Whatever is needful to its pre-
have to do here with a duty so urgent that the neglect servation, he advocated. If he saw therefore that the
of it constitutes the gravest sin that is sure to spell taking of support on his part would jeopardize the
disaster for the negligent brotherhood that persist in it. word, he would minister to his needs with his own
Holy Writ plainly teaches this. Wrote Paul to the                                       hands. The gospel must be furthered above all things.
Galatians : "Let him that is taught in the word com-                                        The apostle's method of dealing with the churches
municate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be are of great value to the missionary minister if he
not deceived ; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man labors with men but recently converted to Christ. A
soweth, that shall he also reap. For  he that soweth to church comprised of such converts is still in its infancy.


The treatment afforded such a Aock must be in agree-
ment with its youth. The shepherd bears in mind that             De Nederlandsche  Geloofsbelijdenis
he deals with babes in the need of milk and with lambs                                   Artikel 22
who must be carried. Paul's exhortations were directed         VAN  ONZE  RECHTVAARDIGMAKING   DOOR HET  GELOOF
in the first instance to such babes in Christ, to churches                         IN  CHRISTUS   JESUS
comprised of believers who had but recently come to
the light. In laying upon them the yoke of Christ he               Wij gelooven, dat om ware. kennis dezer groote ver-
used tact. Gradually and gently yet surely he led them           borgenheid te bekomen, de  H.  Geest in onze  harten  ont-
                                                                 steekt een oprecht geloof, hetwelk Jezus Christus  met
into the truth of their divine obligations and refrained         alle  zijne verdiensten omhelst, Hem eigen maakt, en
while they learned and grew from ruthlessly forcing his          niets anders meer buiten Hem zoekt. Want het moet
claims. By so doing, he might injure these lambs. He             noodzakelijk volgen, of dat met al wat tot onze zalig-
would therefore minister to his own necessities. It was          heid  noodig is, in Jezus Christus  zij; of, zoo het alles  in
                                                                 Hem is, dat diegenen die Jezus door een oprecht geIoof
proper that he did so.                                           bezit, zijne geheele zaligheid heeft. Nu, dat men zeg-
   Some of these apostolic churches matured sooner               gen zoudt, dat  Christus   met  genoegzaam is, maar dat
than others. The brotherhood at  Philippi soon saw its           benevens  Hem er nog iets meer toe behoeft, ware eene
obligations and as constrained by love began to admin-           al  te ongeschikte godslastering; want daaruit zoude
ister to Paul's needs. From the very outset of its               volgen,  dat Christus  maar een halve Zaligmaker ware.
career, it seems, this church communicated with the              Daarom zeggen we terecht met  Paulus,  dat wij door
                                                                 het geloof  alleen,  of door het gelaof zonder de werken
apostle's afflictions. His epistle' to them contains a           gereclitxaardigd   worden.   Doch wij verstaan niet, dat
touching word of recognition of their liberality: "But I         het om eigenhjk  te spreken, het geloof zelf is, dat ons
rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your          rechtvaardigt; want het is maar een instrument, waar-
care for me has flourished again ; wherein ye were also          mede wij Christus, onze rechtvaardigheid, omhelzen.
careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak             Maar Jezus  Christus  ons toerekenende  alle  zijne  ver-
                                                                 diensten en zoovele heilige werken, die Hij  voor  ons
in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatever              en  iu onze plaats heeft gedaan, is onze  rechtvaardig-
state I am, therewith to be content . . . . "                    heid; en het geloof is een instrument, dat ons met Hem
   To this church the apostle felt himself  especiallg           in de gemeenschap  aller  zijner goederen houdt; dewelke,
attracted. The great love he bore these brethren over-           de onze geworden zijnde, ons meer dan genoegzaam.
flowed his heart and filled his epistle. Consider the            zijn tot onze vrijspreking van onze zonden.
ejacmation  : "Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved            Een ieder die dit artikel nauwkeurig doorleest voelt
and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the dat hij in dit artikel is toegekomen aan het hart der
Lord, my dearly beloved."                                     zaak, wat onze hoop des eeuwigen levens betreft, en dat
   The church at Galatia was one of those churches naarmate de Kerk des Heeren belijdt, beleeft en hand-
whose growth, it seems, was slow. Tt failed to properly haaft dit stuk der waarheid, zij daarmede staat of valt.
provide for its ministers.  *To this community of be- Immers alleen indien we zuiver verstaan en vasthouden
lievers, the apostle found it necessary to sent a word dat wij "door het geloof gerechtvaardigd  worden",  heb-
designed to rouse them from their lethargy.                   ben wij "vrede met God door onzen Heere Jezus Chris-
   The rule laid down by Christ respecting the support tus." Omdat dit leerstuk dan ook zoo gewichtig is,
of the service He instituted is also binding for the daarom wordt er 001: in onze belijdenis breedvoerig
ministers. Though it- is generally agreed that he should over gesproken. De voigende  vijf artikelen worden  er
not help to bring up his own salary, he should con- aan  besteed.   We1 wordt dan ook de  heiligrnaking   be-
tribute to the support of the service and to the support handeld, alsmede de afdoening van de ceremonieele
of every worthy cause in the kingdom of Christ if he wetten, maar deze zijn niet afgescheiden van de  recht-
can. Here, too, actions speak as loud if not louder than- vaardigmaking, maar staan in het allernauwst verband
words.                                                        daarmee. In dit artikel worden  we gewezen op het ge-
   The usual and best answer to the question what loof,  dat ook in onafscheidelijk verband  staat met onze
amount should be disbursed to the minister is: An rechtvaardigmaking, omdat het absoluut onmogelijk is
amount large enough to enable him to properly support de heerlijkheid der rechtvaardigmaking te  proeven  of
himself and his own and to contribute to the worthy te kennen, dan  alleen  door het geloof. En de  reden
causes in the church. The question has also been dis- waarom dit onmogelijk is, is omdat God geen ander
cussed whether a minister under any condition should middel gebruikt om ons die kennis onzer rechtvaardig-
give up the whole or part of his salary. If the members heid te geven, dan juist het middel des geloofs. Dit
of his flock are with few exceptions actually poor, as zal ons straks ook duidelijker zijn, als we verstaan het
they are likely to be in times of prolonged and acute wezen en de werking des geloofs.
depression, the pastor will allow them to minister to his        Vooral  echter   moeten we onderzoeken wat de
bare necessities only. There are cases on record of S&rift en dus ook onze belijdenis verstaat door recht-
ministers with means serving a poor and small flock vaardigmaking. Beide Roomschen en afwijkende  Pro-
with littIe  or no pay. This surely is allowable and com- testanten verstaan door de rechtvaardigmaking een  be-
mendable.                                     G. M. 0.        ginsel der genade in de harten der kinderen  Gods, waar-


Nathanael, dat de door hem Gevondene, de door hem The same as that of his spiritual forbears. He believed
Verwachte is.                                                    with the  heart;  that God is a being of perfect rectitude
   We hebben Dien gevonden van welke Mozes in de who without fail causes sin to return to the trans-
wet geschreven heeft, en de Profeten, een spreekwijze gressor as punishment, yet a Being capable somehow of
waardoor het geheel der Oud-testamentische Schriften taking the sinner to his heart and cleansing him from
werd aangeduid. En al moge Nathanael bedenking heb- all his sin. He believed that man's only way of ap-
ben tegen hetgeen Filippus daar nog bijvoegt, het  hin-          proach to God is through the blood of the sacrifice, that
dert deze niet. "Kom en zie" is de vrucht van  "Wij              he sprinkled with this blood is fed with mercy forever.
hebben gevonden." Hij schaamt  zich zijner  roeping              He believed that the country promised is in the final in-
niet. Al evenmin, dat Jezus uit  bet verachte Nazareth stance heavenly where just men would walk with God.
afkomstig is. Alles waar Filippus behoefte aan had, Because he so believed he gave commandment concern-
was Dien Eenen, den Eeloofde. En al is het waar dat ing his bones. Had he not been looking forward to his
hij slechts langzaam, van stap  tot stap  zal vorderen in appearance on the far off shores of a land that is
de kennis en aldus overgebracht  worden  uit de oude in brighter than day he would have given them command-
de nieuwe bedeeling, rotsvast  is nu alreeds de  overtui-        ment to let his bones mingle with the dust of Egypt
ging des geloofs in den Messias door hem gevonden. De forever. He believed in a living God as his Saviour.
Heiland zal er voor zorgen, dat het schemerlicht plaats          Hence he must have believed in a blessed immortality.
maakt voor het volle, heerlijke licht waarin zij allen           He, too, died embracing the promise that the Lord
zullen  deelen  na Zijn opstanding, door de uitstorting would surely visit also him. And these convictions he
Zijns Geestes.                                                   compressed in the one request, "Ye shall carry up my
   Kind zijns tijds, zijner bedeeling, verhindert hem bones from hence." There is then no essential differ-
niet om de waarheid in haar middenpunt te zien in ence between his faith and ours, between the hope in
Christus  Jezus.                                                 which he9 let us say, they, and we are called. There is
                                                      w. v.      one body, and one Spirit,- one Lord, one faith, one bap-
                                                                 tism, one God and Father over all, and in all. Verily,
                                                                 there is one universal church, which is an holy congre-
                                                                 gation, of true Christian believers, being washed by
                    Joseph's Faith                               His blood, sanctified and sealed by the Holy Ghost.
                                                                 And this church hath been from the beginning of the
              The Coffin In Egypt                                world.
                                                                    They must wait with carrying up his body until the
      And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God          Lord visit them. It means that for some three hun-
   will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto
   the land which He sware to Abraham, to Xsaac and to           dred years to come there will be a coffi in Egypt as
   Jacob.    And Joseph took an oath of the children of          well as in Canaan. So the Lord would have it for rea-
   Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye  shall      sons now to be considered. Know then that both coffins
   carry up my bones from hence.                                 betokened the same faith. Yet each perpetuated a
      So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old:        message that differed somewhat from that of the other.
   and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffi in
   Egypt.  - Gen. 50:2426.                                       Of the great patriarchs it is written: "These all died in
                                                                 faith, not having received the promises, but having._
   So he, too, insists though not immediately yet event- seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
ually that they bury him in Canaan. But what mat- embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers
tereth it where they bury him? Was he not of the con- and pilgrims in the earth." So, too, was Joseph and
viction that in death he will be with the Lord and that every saint disposed. This they all confessed. But we
the vacated house of his earthly tabarnacle  will be com- single out now the great patriarchs and in particular
pletely broken down and reduced to dust? Why then Jacob because we have regard now to the meaning of
have them swear that they carry his remains out of his grave in Canaan in distinction of and in conjunc-
Egypt? For the very reason that Jacob had charged tion with the meaning of Joseph's grave in Egypt, -
them to bury him with his fathers.                               the meaning of these graves in the first instance for
  Joseph believed. "By faith Joseph, when he died, the church in Egypt. Jacob saw the promises afar off
made mention of the departing of the children of and embraced them. He thus declared that he sought
Israel  ; and gave commandment concerning his bones" a heavenly country.                 Consider that essentially this
(Heb. 12 223). Because he believed, the things prom- promise for him( and for every saint) went into fulfll-
ised had taken on substance and solidity not only but ment in the very hour of his death. For he sought not
stood out before his eye as the sole and highest good.           an earthly but a heavenly country, that is, a region
And the evidence  of this good was his faith. His com- were men made heavenly are blessed because they have
mandment therefore had the ring of finality.                     God as their friend and walk with Him. It was to a
   So had he continued in the faith grounded and set- life of a fellowship with God unmarred by sin that
tled. What may have been the articles of his faith? Jacob  and they a11 looked forward. And it was in the


hour of death that this desire was granted them. True, and with his eye fixed upon that crown he had gone
without US, in the words of the sacred Writer, they about his duties. And because that faith was his he
could not be made perfect (Heb.  11:40).  But they had kept himself unspotted from the world as repre-
were made perfect with "us" when the exalted Christ sented  by Egypt with its heathen temples and  worship,
poured out His Spirit upon the church in heaven and with its'king and people that knew not God. In this
on earth and constituted those given Him by the world the Lord had placed him, there in the land of
Father His very body. And not until the church ap- pyramids and sphinx, the emblems of Egyptian super-
pears in glory will the promise they embraced have stition, to save many people alive. For him to have
gone into complete  fulfilment. But if regard be had to left this world for his father's tents in Canaan would
what must be said to form the essence of the expected have been to forsake his calling. He must remain where
good - life with God untainted by sin  - Jacob re- the Lord had placed him. This he had done as one con-.
ceived the promise when he died. This was the truth scious that he served the promise and that through him
of which his cof3.n in the cave that was in the field of, also the purposes of God were being realized. In his
Machpelah was meant to be a memorial so that the mind his career was associated with Heaven. At the
dying request of this patriarch has this in it: `I am end of it, therefore, he saw.God  awaiting to award him
now to be gathered unto my people who went before a crown. He knew he -was running a race that had
me to be with the Lord and thus to receive the promise been set before him by the Lord. His life therefore
of a heavenly country. I, too, am now about to be took on meaning for him. It is the man who shuts him-
joined to Him and to them. This I know. Of this my self up in this world and directs his mind to the things
faith there must be a remembrance. Bury me there- seen as the prize to be captured, and whose every
fore in the earthly replica of the heavenly  - the land thought accordingly is that there is no God,  -
of Canaan - in that cave where they buried Abraham it is this man who should say with the Preacher: "Van-
and Sarah his wife and Isaac and Rebecca his wife and ity of vanities ;  al1 is vanity." What profit hath a man
where I buried Leah, that you and your generations in of all his labours  if he labour  not as the servant of God.
Egypt may know by faith that the promise was fulfilled Of what real meaning is a life divorced from heaven?
in respect to me, and will be fulfilled in respect to you;       Joseph had embraced the promise. And the expres-
may know that you have your flesh in Canaan as a sure sion of that faith was his untiring devotion to his duty.
pledge that he will bring you up. Hope therefore to He wanted to be in the service of Heaven. He
the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you.' therefore walked in Egypt as before the face of God.
   But, as was said, there is also to be a coffi in Egypt.    And by that same strength in which he did so - the
Consider that he,. too, was with the Lord in his death. strength of God -- he  clave to the promise.                            G.M.O.
His command therefore has this in it, I am about to
enter upon the blessed existence of the just. The prom-'
ise is about to be fulfilled unto me on a high spiritual                                  NOTICE
plain and will therefore be fulfilled in respect to you          Op de laatstgehouden vergadering van de Reformed
on the low earthly plain. The Lord therefore will visit Free Publishing Association werd Mr. R. Schaafsma
you. By twining about my coffin the commandment to van Grand Rapids, benoemd om te trachten de  achter-
bring up my bones, I for your very benefit render it stallige leesgelden en ook vrije giften  te collecteeren  in
the memorial of my faith. Take it and set it off before Kalamazoo, Hudsonville, Holland en omstreken zulks
the eyes of your children as the incasement of the met medewerking van de plaatselijke  agenten.
bones of him who because he believed gave command-               Broeders, please, helpt  Mr. Schaafsma !
ment that his bones be brought up.                                                                                     The Board.
    So, then, in Canaan was found the remains of a
man who because he believed that the people of God                                   IN MEMORIAM
enter the rest, ordered them to bury him in the typical
land of rest in token that the Lord would visit his seed         Heden  gewerd ons het schokkende overlijdensbericht  vanuit
                                                              Amsterdam, Nederland,  van onze geliefde Moeder, Behuwd-, en
in Egypt. And in Egypt was found the coffi of a man Grootmoeder,
who because he embraced the same promise gave com-                           JELTJE MEINTES RUITENGA,
mandment that in the day of visitation his bones be                        Weduwe van Sijmen Rintjes  Boschma.
carried up and deposited in this same shadow land.               Zij  mocht  den hoogen leeftijd van 90 jaren bereiken.
The grave and the  coffi did service as monuments to             Zacht  en kalm  nam de'Heere  haar tot Zich. Haar laatste  ge-
                                                              liefkoosd woord,  uit II Tim. 4:7, 8, zij ons tot vermaning en ver-
the faith of the just. And the church in Egypt would troosting.
have need of these monuments.                                                               R. S.  Boschma
    Such then is Joseph's faith. He shows that he, too,                                     B. R. Boschma-De Booy
arrived at the brink of death in the sweet consciousness                                         . . ..k.- En kleinkinderen,
that he had fought a good fight, had finished his course,                                   Ha%iet
                                                                                            Symen
had kept the faith, that henceforth there is laid up for                                    Albert
him a crown of righteousness . . . . And in that faith           Zealand, Mich.,  U. S. of A.


