."             VOLUME XVIII.                                                 A P R I L   15,  1542                                          NUMBER i4
               :
                                                                                     deems  it necessary  `to  perform  thfe painful  ~operaition
                                                                                     `-of  aeviewmg  the  sinful past  `of hisdisc,ipl.e,  ,and'of  eir-
      :             -M   E  m>I.`f.A                                                  p:osing  the real  nature .of  the s,in that  had been Com-
                                                                                     mitted.                                                       . .
                                                                                          Lovest   &ou me? Thou,  S,imoa,  son of  Jlonas  ?              .
                                                                                          !Is  ithere niot,  by-this  si.mpl,e  question; vivid1.y  recall-
                      .' So when-  theyshad   cUned,~Jesus   smith  to               ed  beforle  the  apositl'e?s  mind,  tas  well as  befcoae  the
                      Sition.  Peter,  .Simon,   son   of  JOWM,   ,lovest           .minds   lof  those present,  ithe   `chreefol~d   deniial  and  all
                        thou.  me-.riqore  than these? He  s&h   u?zto
                        him, Yea,  .&RI;   thou   lgnowest  that I love -that.  had been connected- with it? There  h'ad   Ibeen
                       thee. He s,aith  unt0  hik,,Feed  my sheep. . . .             timles  &en  Peter,  :h&fd  boasted;  ootnfident   loif  `his own
                                                           Jo'hn   il   :i 5-l 7.    strength arath.er  tihan  trusting iin  ithe  grace of his Lord.
               Love&   &ou {me?              .       .'                              Oh, how he *loveid `the  Lord ! -He   `iwoulld   ,lay  `down  his
               `Tlhou,   Simon; son  !of  Jonas?                        -            1i;f;e  for &he-  Majster  ! And not  kno,wing  the darkness
               Ah, yes, that  w'&   `lreally~the  qu~stilon'iDlilat`~ouc~ed          jof  the ihour  they  were ab,olut  to ,enter-,  he had continued
           the  heart  of th,e'm!at'cer  ,that  notv lhafd  to be settled be- to boast, not heeding the -warning  words of Jesus. The
           tween  $he  Idisciple  :and  his Master; atid'that, to.0, pub- Lord had-warned him-IanId  them  all, ithat  Satan  Idlesired
           licly,  in"the  preslence.  of other'lof  the apostles.                   to sift  +hem~ti~wh~ea.t,   that   H,e had  prayed  for  F&r
             The  questison  must be  laeke'd   and,  `answered,  itjhree            that his faith m.ight  not `utterly  fail ; H,e  had  foretold
           times, with lgrov$in,g  emphasis : 3ovest  thlon  me?                     His  selfdre&iant  ,d,isciplie  that  he wo,uld  id,eny  Him %rice.
           T  cOh,  yes,  th,i&   imp&d  a reminder  ,of  the  threefold             But Peter hald  nlot  tieeded  his master's  wordss. He  WE&
           denial on  the part  `of Peter, in that  awf,ulBest   `(of   <all         ready  to, ~go `wi&h  Him  itito  prison and into  ,deatih;  and
 hights,   v&en-  the`  Saviour  had  b.een   betrayed   into~  the                  though  tall1  sh,o,ultd b:e toffended,  .he  eeverr  would ! . . , .
           halndis   .of  sinners,  a.n'd.  when  the   ~diecippbe  had cursed           -A&  from that d,izzy  height of his self-ooU%dence  )he
           himself  land  sworn  $hat   hle  tia,d  no part  -with  Jesus had fallen' ,into  "the [dark deptih  !of  sham,e  where he l&y
           of -N,azai%th!    It  w&s  a painf,ul  mom8ent  for %he  apostle uttering  ~d!eprecati~on   .upo.n   tiimself  to  co%rvin;~~   the
           there   ton th,e  &ores  iof  &he  Gea (of  Tiberias, when-  Jesus Ieniemies  of Clhlr,i&  $hat  lie knew Hsim  not!
           inq&%d  *again  land  again : lo@est  thou me?                                -Simon,   (son  of Jonas,  llovest  thou me? . . .  ;                 -
               But   w a s   t h e r e   ` a n o t h e r   wlay?                        Intenti~,onal~ly  the Lord  he& calls  thle   ~discip1.e  byhi&
               Is there  lever  another way to  ;be  restored  unto  favor &&iwal'.name;  He  XTI,S  Simon,  $he   soin  of  J~onais.  `AS
           w:ith God, and u~ntd  confidence with the brethren;  than ;sa&   he   was   bdm.  Tf&   n;mn&   :&noted   ihis  natural
           that  *of   `be&g reminded  of`,;one's  sin  an.d  of  heartfelt Iexistence  and  .o@igin;             He was Simon before the Lord
           oonfessi~on'  in true "rep&anoe  ? Must  not `the  si;nner, ,called   ,h.im  PI&r, the Rock.  P&x  he   was,.   nlot  by
           w&o has sho;wn  (in  v.ery  `dIeed  by his unfaithfulness and jn&,m~,  a&  of hinx+&?,  bat  &lily  by virtue of thle  Lord's
           apostacy  &at  -he'   Idoes  not  move the Lord, have  `an                -calJing.    Only`   $hrm@li   g&we   oo'uld  he be  the   rock  in
           opp&-tunity  lopenly  to repudiate that  si:n iamid  to"confese           r&&on  to :&l-e  confession he had once mlade  t "Those  ati
           before  all  : Lord, thou knowest ithat   I%ve%ee?  With #he   *oh.&t,,  Il;l?le  Son  `of thle  living Goad."               !Only  a~ .P&~K,
           sinful  sentimen&&ty w$e  `fee4  `sometimes,  #as  if it  were            and   thferefore,  by grace,'  ioouBd he be  fatihf.ul  to that
           kinder `to let the matter `rest : why enumerate  ,one's                   &nfiessioh   r~egamlkss   toif  thie fury of  the   ,e:nemSes.    B y
           sins  `and  &ue~lly .remi.nd  him-of h.is  shame, ~especidiy  in          n&,ur.e   .j&   &&  Simtoq   I$&  ;SQZI   0-f  Jon~aS,  "filesh   aad
           pubhc?  The' Lord, W~ho is~motiv&ted  neither by`a creel                  bJ.o,od"!    P;;nd  as  `Sition  ke  woulfd  say: "Be it far  ftiom.
           desire  nee'dlessly   $0  humijl:iate;  nor by  miorbild   setnti-        thee,. Lord :m &is shalsl not be un-to  ithee."      As Simon he
      mental~ity,   but   .by truest  land   piurest   l,ove,   ~evi~d~enitly        w,oul,d   rather`  curse himself  `&an  be  `knowqn  as one  of


'     302                                               T H E   S T A N D A R - D   BEA.RER

      Jesus'  di:sciples.  . . .                                                       -l&&e  two  wo:rd:s   [are  by no  meants.   coyreotly   sendered
            Simon, son  ,of   Jlonas,   llovest  thou me?                              by Iour  Elngli,sh  `tlove"  and  "1:&e",  we will ,use  khem here
              `0, yes, thait  qu,estion  *ouched  the root (of  th,e m.atter.          to bring ,out  the rich  meaning  `of tie origi.nal.             Iln  ;the
      Th.e  sin PjeOer Ihad commiit;ted  oonoenne:d  hii love  fpr the                 first  two q.ueslti!oos  $he Lond had  mplvoyed  *he &ronger
      Mastw~. T*he  LolDd. might  fhave   iasked  him to review the                    wopd  for  htove, while  F&z  rhad  .replied  by  usinzg  the
      m&$er,  to tell  these, in @at tear)y  mto;mning  ,o,n  the shore                weaker word; Inot .dlaring  to 2employ  th,e stronger. B u t
      of the sea of Tiberias, once more just what had hap-                             in  the   thi.rd   qu,estPon  the  Lolnd  takes  `olver   the   weakez
      pened, what he had  :done,  and how he had  co,me   It,o  com-                   wotpd   P.e$er   yhad  used, as if He  cow  mean6   $0 ask: is
      mit :so.gr,eat  an toff,ense.          But  ti$ was not important.               that even  tr;ue  ? Acrid   80 we may  re&er  %hle  conversa-
      It  wlais a  matier of  his$o;ry.   An:d   history.  . .  .whjo  can             tilon $hus  : `%imon,   sloln  of Jonas, Jo'vest  +hon  me more,
      ufndo   i$? No, but  that  which  had  been  idone  concerned rthan   %hesfe?  Yea,  LoPd,  thou  knolwest   &at `I  <like  (or
      4&e  love-relatisn.           Of  that  love of  hi,s to the  Land               feel  Eove   flor)   thee!    Simon, son of J&as,  love& %hou
      Simon had been  lexkremely   ,oertain.   Loud!ly  he  ha,d                       me? Yea,, Load, &hou   know&   %at I  lilke  thee ! Sinuon,
      boa&d  of  iit. Anid  that l!o,ve had been put to hhe  test,                     son  of Jo~nas,  1:&e&  thou me? Lord,, thoa  k;n;owesit  all
      .an_d.  . . ..i% ihad  faile:d  ! Under the stress o,f temprtatitoa              +higfi,gs  ; #hmou   kInowe&   that  I like thee !"
      l&e  Idisciple  had utterly broken dlown,  and denied that                            Thus Simon is Ied back &er his w'ay  of sin, sitep  by
      $e  liove;d  bhe  Lor,d ! That  ,llovle~~eilla~i~on.must  be  reeSore,d.         step,  .hi,s  eelIf  -oo&denoe,  his  bolasti,  ih,is  sin.
      Th'e  &&al  of +hat  ;lov&  must be &racted  anld  the posi-                         And his denial is- exposed to  hilm  in its deepest
      tive con-j?esession, not aow by Simon, but  by.Feter,  not in                    .ntijne : a viol&io,n  of the Bove-r.elation.
      the vain  oolnfidlence  of  tihe   flfesh,  but  ,in  $he   strength                 Buit   ,ai,so   s  $h.reef~ol~d  oppotiunity  is offered him here
      lof   tgraoe,   must   tabe   its  @ace':  I love Thee, Lord, `Thou              to appeal., no l,onger  to his  ->own  $aithf.ul:ness,  but 60 the
      knowtestl  . . . .                                                               knaowlledge  of  Chrilst  Himself  that  he  llolves him, even
              Tlh*eFe   was  reason  for the qule&i,on  : liovesit  %ou  me? #mugh   .hie -`denial  may  te&fy  against  him.
              Y&`a, Lord,.  thou  knbwest!  . . . .                                         Simon, son ,of  Jo8nas,  lovest  thou me?
       -      Yses,  buk   boivle~sst~l&u me?  Three   tiz-nw-   tthe  qu~eastibn          Y:ea,  Lord,  6hon   know&!
      is  -aske,d,  and  6$  each of  the,se   thye&  questions the Lord,
      evid&tly,   refilse&   bacli  upon  the   ithreefolld   ld'enid   [of                Thloiu knowest  ithat  I l:ov~& $hee.!
      Pete?.       And  ,evti as  -each   ~d&nial had become more posi-                    !Im$lijed  in  bhese   lwovds  of Peter there is a most
      tive and  velhletienit,  so each  qti~esti~oti  bi  l&e Lord is                  humbl,e  oo1nf,&silon,  and a sincere longing to be r.es%or&d
      .mioae  &ssing  atild tiore  si,&%an$  than  thle  pr,ecedinlg.                  ho  %e $&or  -of   `the  Lomid.
      Love&   &Ou   mle  &o&e   than  these?  Sacs  is  *he   fir-sit                      We may  #surmise   that   persontal   borgiveness   hid  been
      `@utesltiion .  wit?`.   ~ef~&r~oe,   nort  rto  the  4d~iscipl~es   fislhing    neoeiveld  upon a p&z&e co&es&n by P,elter  besore  thaw
      u%enlsi,ls  tifd his former lodcupatidn;  as  fsdme  woulid  :have               Lopd   `a few  wie'eks  before. ,Had  not  ithe   miserab1.e  dis-
      ict, buf 50 %he  rest ,of  $hle  .di,&cip18e's  : Lovest.  thou me more ciple  been IespeciaXiy  priv3eged  by ithat  miessage  wh.icih
      than  &hese   love   ti,e ? Had nlolt  &he  apo&e  boa&d  th&, l&e  risen Lopd   l-imd   Ileft   wi6h  the  an.gel  in  *he  grave :
      thsough   a21  wlere  `offenl&ed,  he,  woiuld   `tiNever be? Weal,              "T'eill.  my (disciples,   rind  Peter"? Anld  had  eoit ;tlle  Land
      l$ein,   &t h#i m  tiolw say it:  `I,ovessrt  `thou  ine  more  than             &appeared   60 Simon  on   $hat   glori;ous   fist  (day  of  the-
      thes,e?  . . . . .                                     .                         week? C,ap it be possible,  then, .that   Pf&er  Ion  Ithie  o,c-
              Load,  bhou   knotiesit'!  . . . .                                       casion  of `uhat  meeting h,ad   nlot  unbug&ned  his  #deeply
              But   $he   s&ond  qqesit;i&   iS  mu& moire  u%geinrt   :               troublhed  SQL&  oonfiessed  his sin, anld  *received l&e  bjless-
      ~11oveSit   thou.  me? The first qtiestilon  had been relative.                  ing of  fo,rgivenless   ? Anld  hald  he not  %nf&med  &he rest
      Tt `had eoit @esitioneld  Pelter's   I;ov&, but  mer&ly  had   ijn-              ,of  %e apostl:es  abolurt  it aIll, (so, !&hat  be conId  again f,reely
      quired   labo'ut   .tie  oompa&i%e  gr,eatn,ess  and  8$&&h mo've  ab,out  in tiheir  comfpany  ?
      of that love.  . But much  `more serious in. its implica%ion                         Yet, the  apostlle  must be publicly, that is, in the
      is  the s&cond question, no longer  iriv&ning  a compari- presence of the other  apostl~es,  be restored to  tis office.
      @on,'  but abeollutie  i,n  i6s meanilng  : "Simon, son  of Jonlas,              And  %his could  not  bme  accomplished except in the  w&y
      ltovesk   thou  me?  Thion'   d&e&  not  tipeat   &hat  thou                     of a public oon5easion  befor;e  &hem.
      ldvi&  rnie  tio,re  th&ti  i&ese. Bu6'  Z'ovest  th;Ou me at all?                   H,ence,  the  nepeated  :  "lovest  thoa  me?"
              L&d,  ithI&   k.nowe&  ! . . . .                                             And  al-th~ou~gh   there  is a very  &ar   reference  here
              Y'es,  btit,   Simdn,   ~IOVF&   $hou  me even a  li&e?  Is              t,o &he  thne&$o;lid  denial, peter does not  dem'ur,  nor does
      rth&e   #ev:en  a'  l+tti,e affection in thy  ,hleart   towartd  me? he look  f.or excuses or  m,itigatin$g   8circumstances  to
      Suclh  is' lthe red meaning of' tihe $hird  qulestion.                 This      colver up his  si$n.   BOIW   ofhen   tih'e  sincerity  ,of  a  oon-
      ~d~elbc&e  shad,e  of mjeaning  ie .Ilo&  in our E,nglish  trans- f&&on  i's  made subject  to  &oub$,   .because   +he   gui.lty
      &uti80n-  ,enti&ly  . But  ithat  iit is  in6entiiona;l  thre  `original         party  i's  Il~o~ath  t,o confess  wbo4eheantedl.y  ! H:ow   o5ten
      .l&a$es  zio  rdoubk.     Zn ithe  Greek &h.ere.8ar4  twro `different a.  confes&on  is marred by an  lappeai  by the  ,guilty
      `tio%ds  for alove, itihe  #die weaker than  +he  &her.            Tihough       penson   to  c&utis$ance~  ,&ha&   somew$m,$   lexpiain,   .that
                                        .


                                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                               303

      would  ah-nest  seem to justify his  si,n!                     How   easil!y            No,  ,iadeed,  &h&y  are not ientrusted  to his  care alone
      Peter might  bav&  done this very thing!  H,e might                                in  di&ian&ion  from  &he  otihcer   apo5sitlles. P*eter  is  not
      have  menti~oned   th,e  fiast  Dhat   he was  wea.ry   anid  kx-                  app&nted   ahh&f <bishop  <o,ver  6hle  <entire  fllock  ,an  ;this oc-
hen&d  witth  griref and Idis:appoi,ntment  that night  w&n                              oasiofi.    Al,so   tihe   okher  apostles are  shefiends  of  khe
      he  :dsenied the Lord, that it was an awful night, that the                        sheep  under   CMst.   Noit  `one   aposhlle,   b,ut   Jail   ,of  them,
      enemy %otok  him by surprisle.                But he does  no&ing of               feed  &he   enbire   N,ew   T,estament   Church.  But  P&err.
      the kind. Without protest, without demur, he permits                               seemned   tlo have florfei%e$  the right to  5unctison  in that,                       _
      himself to b'e o&u&ed olnce  more allong  the who3e  way                           important  land  exalited  office. How co&d,the sheep of
      of his  gri'evlous  sin by the repeated qaes$ion  of J&us  :                       Jesus'  fsllo8ck  be  entru&ed  to one,  ,who   woul'd   ,daeny   &h@
      `Ioves;t   &oa me ?"                                                               clh&ef   Shepherd  in the  hour  of persdnd  (dan,ger  ? A,nd
           Then, too,  dl boasting is  ,gcmti  !                                         there$or.e,   it, was-  n,ecessary  that  P&er be  `restomd t,o
           And  what is  mor;e a mark of  th,e genuineness of                            hiis   ,office  as an  apostle,  and  tha&  too,  befcme   $&he  yrest
      repen&ance   $han  `that the  peniten,t   r,efrai,ns   .from   f,ur-               `of  *he  apositlles.
      ther   @asting,   ,?sstin%es   tihe  atti$ude  of true humility?                       And  completely r~estoire~d  is he  !
           Thfe   disciplle's   humi.lity  is revealed in  thle fact  ahat                    Over &e  flock of Jesus be is appointed a shepherd  !                   -
      $hr!ougholuit  he  refrailns  from  ,e;mp1loyi.ng  She  strange?                       T,hat   flock of the  chi,ef  Shephe+,d  is here mlentioned
      ,woxd   Ear  ilove,   &hough   $he   Saviour  uses  iit twice,  thus               from a  fihreef,oad   vi,evoint,  perhaps,  accoadtig  to *he
      suggesting   &at  Feter   take  it over. But  ;th:e   latiter                      original : lambs, &eep, little sheep. It is' at  l,ealsit  pas;
      never  `once  $akes that  stronger word upo.n  his lips, the                       sible   tihus   Q  Peed  &e   origilnal.    In ,arllswer  60 the ?irst
wcord   tih&   ld8enobes`  Bo8ve   .as  it  is  `a-   mj&ter  of  th!e  will,            avowal,  of Peter's  lo;vle   to  the   Lopd   tile  Savijour   s:ays   :
      ;yl&hler   khan  of  $he   Eee1in.g.         He  paefiers   &he  weaker "Feed my lambs" ; the second  time he eonimissions  +h&.
      wond.  And  so  :he  eonfesses  :  "Lo#rd,  in  bhe   light  of                    apostlle  : "S@pbe~dh~e  my sheep";  the  third  rtimle  he
      recent  `experilentee  I havIe  n~o  righi at present 60 profess                   enjfoi.ns  lhlirn  : "Eeed my little sheep." A  Idisti.nc;tion
      that I looivle  +hee  w&h  a firm  I.ove  ; I #dare not  say  th&                  thtit  does  naoit   re5er  to age merely,  biuk   has  respect
      I love Tbee  wi;tih a  ilove  that  will never be  soffenlded.                     ra!th*er  to  tihe spiritual  &en&h  ,EIZI~   de.velopment  of
      Neve&hellelss,  I  ;c!an   h~onestly  confess  thlzvt  I  <even now                the  .ilndivi;dual  sheep of  Jes7us'  flock.   Amtd  the  trust is               D
      feel  tihak I l'ove  Thee-!"                                                       twoEo9d  : he  m,ust feed *hem,  and   hse  must  watch  ov&
           All boastin,g  i,s gone !                                                     them, have  $he  ,over.si,ght  .over  &hem,  shepherdiae  rthem.
           N:or is  tlh,ere   a trace  l,eft   ,of  that  bol:d   self-reilianoe             Yes,  al11   the  Islheep of  %hle  Great Shepherd  m-u&  be
      that made `him run  into  the  enetiy'&  trap in  spit&  of                        watched.   Thepe  are false shepherds, and ravening
      the  Pepeated   wari%gs   `of  the  Lopd.                                          w'olves   thak  Iaye  bent  upon tihe  cdestrulciti,on  of tie sheep.
           He does  not  even   direc6ly  say:  "Y'ea,   LoDd,  I  llovte                AnId   &e sheep $hemselves  are indin'ed  to  b!e Wayward
T h e e ! "                                                                              aed  to wiand,er  away from  the fltock.          Wt&ch,   tierefo,re,
          `On the  eontzary,  he  ra&er' appeals to the Saviour's                        over my sheep  !
      k:nlo,w.l~ed~ge  of his  Jove   tto   Him~   th&n   40  hi,s  ,own   massu.r-          But  there  are %e lambs  tihat  need special care, and
      anoe   *of   thlai   Bove   : "Tho;U   know,est   :t;hait  I  Ilove   tihee   ;    are in  n,eed  of  scpecial   eourishment   ;  a,nd   -thle   y0.un.g
      thou  kino,w,est  al4 things,  tih!ou  klnolwest  &hat  ?I love tih'ee."           sheep  that  must  al;so be fed  acooEding  to thei,r  special
          His  tie&t ,experi,ehce  niight be consi;dered  abunldant                      needs. Feed,  bhen,  my  la,mba;   and  be not  f;oregetful
      pyoof   50  6he   ,obntrary.        1.t  was  sufficilent   ev&n  to  c&t          of my li+tlle  sheep  !
      sdtotubt   into   thbe'htear;t   an,d  mi,nd of  the   apos6l'e  himself,              Pflecioas  charge !
      as  .to  whether  he   -netally   liolved  Jesus.                                      How  necessary   f'or  a  shephler,d  of  that   filock of
          But  h.e appeals  to Christ's  khowl,edge  of Him  !                           Christ,  `thm&   he  ble   motivateId  by tie  alcove   `of the  &ief
 '        D;oes   l%e not  kinow   all  things-?  Doe; He  nlo;t  know                   Shepherd  ! To  f,tin&i:on.  as an 8posUe,  .appoinited  over
      the  diiciplse's   heazt?                                                          the entire New Tes%m,ent   C4huXr&, o'r  as a minieiter  of
          0, thle ,bl,essed  &mfo&!            In `spilte  of al1 the appear:            the Word, .whq  is to freed  the fl:oc!k  an,d  watch over the
      anoes'  to the oontrary  Christ~:kno~s  !                                          sheep   accor'ding  $0 the examp1.e   qf  It;lh,e  apostiles  and by
          Ytea,  Lo;rd,  thou kno,w& $hat  I Jove  Thee!                                 their  W,ond,  or  ito  fum.&i~on  in any  capaci;ty  as  o'ffice-
                                                                                         beaner  jn the Church.of  Cihrist,-+how  is i(t  possible, un-
          wericifiul   ae8tor,ation   !                                                  less wle Eo've  them? And  how  can w,e liove  tihem,  unless
          Flolr  i&e   iapostile   &s,   inld,eed,  fully  restorred  to his             we love Him Who loved His  o'wn  unto death? Hence,
      office,  (and   &tit,  +oo,   wi$h   un,condi;tional  and utrilimited              it was  quait8 lnece~s~sa.ry.  to repeat  Ithe question : "lovest
      trust !                                                                            thou me?"
          Chyist's   flllock,   .thlos'e  for  w,ho'm   Hfe   slhed  His life-               An.d  how  leomplete  is Jesus'  f;orgiveness   !
      bl.ood,   who'rn  He came to  slave  and out of whom  H.e                              Not : forgiven  but not  restored! Bu;t  forgiven  ccnd
      may  ldse   norue,   we   e&rusted  to  tile   shephepd's   c&e of                 completely restored!             -1
      P'&er  !                                        -                                      A d o r a b l e   m e r c y !                           H.  H.


          304                                                                                                                           T H - E   STAND.A.RTj   BEAR.ER

                                                        The Standard Bearer                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  -
                         Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and  August
                                                                                    Published by                                                                                                 _,   -
                                    The Reformed Free Publishing Association
                                                               -1101  Hazen stfeet,  S. E.
                                                             EDITOR  -  Rev.   ,H.  Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                       Syriode Om De Twe6  Jaar?
                   . Contributing editors-Revs. J. Blankespoor, A. Cammenga,                                                                                                                                                                ,In  bet rapport van ,Classis  West, l&s ik, Idat  aldaar
                    P. De Boer, J. D.  de Jong, H. De Wolf, L. Doezema,
                    M. Gritters, C. Hanko, B. Kok, G. Lubbers, G. M. Ophoff,                                                                                                                                                      i~nstructies  ter t&e1  waren  van de kerkeraden  vain  Hull1
                    A. Petter, M.  Schipper,  J.  Vanden   Breggen,  H. Veldman,                                                                                                                                                  ,en  Edgerton,  ,om  ,de synode voor  ke stellein  voortaan  elke
                   R..  Veldman, W. Verhil; L. Vermeer, P. Vis, G. Vos,                                                                                                                                                           twee  jaar inpllaats  van elk jxaar synodaal te lvergaderen.
                    and Mr. S. De Vries.                                                                                                                                                                                          D.e  classis   besloot   torn  zoodaGge   instructie  naar   d,e
                    Communications relative to  .contents  should be addressed                                                                                                                                                    syno'de   lop te  zenden   .en  Idlat   %p  genoemde   gronden."
                    to REV. H:HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin. St., S. E., Grand                                                                                                                                                                    Ik  aooht   near   ,die  "genoemde  gr,o,nde:n"   voor  Ide   in-
                    Rapids, Michigan.                                                              .                                                                                                                              structi,e,  doch  tevergeefs  ; ze komen i:n  bet rapport.n.iet
                   -Communications relative to subscription  -  should-,be   sd-                                                                                                                                                  voor.   Blijkbaar is  bed!oel,d,   dat  de gronden  ,door  <Hull
                    dressed  t-o  MR.. R.  SGHAAFSMA,                                                                    1101  Hazen  St., S.  .E.,                                                                               en Eclgerton  $enoemd  waren  en cloo'r  de classis  werden
                    Grand Rapids,  Mich.   All.  Announcements and  0bituarie.s.
                    must be sent to the above address and will not be placed                                                                                                                                                      overgenomen.
                    unless the regular fee of  $l;OO  accompanies `the notice.                                                                                                                                                              Dit  vend   ik jammer.
                                                             Subscription $2.50 per  year -                                                                                        '                     _                                  Ben  besluit  van   deaen  iaard   ga,at  al  [de  kerken   aan,
                             _                          I
                        E n t e r e d   as   second   &es   m a i l   a t   b r a n d   R a p i d s ,   Michigak                                                                                                                  en  .G  m.i.  x&t van  gewicht   .ontbloot.           De kerken  ihebben
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 %er-,dus  look  we1 bellang  bij, lorn !de groadlen  voor zulk  een
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 be&it te Iwe4en.              Hull1 en Edgerton  zullen  (de  zaak we1
                                                                                                                                                                            .                                                     goed   hebben   .overwogen.   E n   Classis   W,est  zal  -de   in-
          1                            ..,                               -                                                                           .                                                                           structi,e   we1  `van .a?e zij,den  hebben ,bezien,  eer ze  bet
          . ,                                 -.                                                        .                                                                                -.                                      b'esluit  nam `orn  baar  ter synoide  4e brengen.                 Maar a&s
                                                                                    CONTEN'~$                                                                                                                                    bet  straks  synode is, zijn  aer  sle&ts  ,een   btetrekkelijk
                                                                                                                                                                .,   I.                              P a g e                     kl,ein  laantal   afgevaalrdigden,   `de  helft   waarvan  met de
     "MEDIT,ATION                                                                 -                                          -                                        -                                            -             zaak  niet  lop de hoogte  .is fotd'at  ze in besprekmg komt.
                   RESTCRINlG  MERCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...*..' 
                                                                                                                                                                                 *...*;  . . . . . . . . . . . 301                Daarom  hatd   bet m.i.  beter  geweest,  clat   $ve  niet   een
                   Rev.  H.-  Hbeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                          bloote   .kennisgevi:ng.  in het rapport  :hedden   gehajd  van
                                   -:                                                                        .       -.                                                                                       -
     E                                                                                                                                                                                                                           betgeen   classis   West wijs  oordeelit,   maar   idlat  ook  `de
                DITORIALS  -                                                                                                                                                                                                     gronden  poor  `dit   besl~uiit  gepubliceerd  geweest  waren.
     _              SYNODE OM DE. TWEE  SAAB   ? ..*  . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .._..                                                                                 . . . . . . . . . . . . 304                 Zooa&   bet  besluit   daar   genoteerd   staa.4,  zonder  de
                   BEVOEGDHEID                                   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,.:  . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305          gron'den,  reaen er,  toen  ik chet JB's.,  ~allerlei  bezwaren bij
                        Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                        mij  op.
     `IlHE  TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE  -                                                                                                                                                                                                             Daar is #in de eersite  plaats  ,het  bezwaar,  Idat we, zoo
                   EXPOSITION OF THE  HEIDELBER'G  CATECHISM- . . . ...307 Idit  besluit   doolr   ,de synode  word*   8angeno'men,   vender
                          Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                                                                      van ,el*kanlder  verw,i  jderd Taken.               Dit is  poor  tons als
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 klein,e  kerkengroep   .in.   lon~s   tegenwoordig stadium van
     .GOMMUNICATION                                                           . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . * .,.........  * . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?.. . . . . . $ . . . . . ...*... 3 1 0                     ~ontwikkel~ing   aiet  wensohelij~k.  We zija nog jong.  I*n
                          Rev. G. M. Cphoff.                                                                                                                                                                                     mele  topziich4en  zijn we ,ook  -zwak.            ,We  bebben behoefte
                   BEROUW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  i................................;                                                                       . . . . . . .  ,...,.....  313
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 aan   elkamders  raad  ,en  steun.              En nu komen  we1  nSiet
                   Rev.-G.`                                                             V;os'                                                                    _                                                               atie   keriken   `door  hare  afgevaardigden              ter  synolde,   aoo-
                                                                                                                                   ., .                         ..-                                                              ds  `da4 vroeger  bet geval  was, 4oen  we nog slechts  Ben
'                  VERLEIDERS EN HUN PROOI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..,......,....  316
                         R e v .   W .   V e r h i l .                                                                                                                                                                           cllassis   vormden,  maar itoch is  bde  synode een ba.nd  der
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 gemeens&ap   vo'or  *de  kerken, en door om de &w,ee jaar
                   SIGNIFICANCE  OF THE NINETY-NINE THESES . . . . . ...3-18                                                                                                                                                     te vergaderjen  war,dt  #die  banId  er niet  sterker op.
          R e v .   G . '   Lnbbers.                                                                                                                                                                                                        Als  .ik  bet  besluit   bezie   nit  geestel~ij  k  ~o.ogpunt,  en
                                                   I                                                                                                                                                                            dat   in bet Xcht  Ivan (den  ,ern'st  lder  tijden, ;trekt   bet mij
                   EDUCATION IN HIGH SCHOOL AGE . . . . . . . . . . . . ."  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321                                                                                                             nijet   aan.  We  gaan   ,ongetwijf,eld   alls  Berken   moeihjke
                         Rev.  ,C..  Hanko.                                                                        .._,_                                                                       .  .--                           dagen   tegemoet.              T,ot  op zekere  ihioogte  is  :het  #nu  ree'ds
                                                                                                                                         -
     -. SEEKING CONTACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,                                                                                                                                     323
                                                                                                                                       . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  danker;   Het   i,s  4hans   &eds  heelemaal   aiet  moeislijk
                         Rev. B. Kok.                                                                                                                                                                                            om  z&h  #d:e  mogelijkheild  poor 4e ssitelll~en  van ,oxns4andiSg-
                         ---  -.                                                                                                                                                                                                 heden,  waarin  bet voor cle kerk,  [die  ,getroBuw  wil blijven


                                                       TH.E   STAND?AR.D   B E A R E R                                                                   305

  aaa Gods W,oor&  zeer eng zd  wcmden  in de  werelid.                        En    mij  te ~OveyYtuigen   V&n  ld,e  wi&&d  va,n   ,dik besluit.
  het komt  m.ij   voor, dat  <Gods   V& in  wlke   rtij'den  geen                       En in  elk  ieva;  hoop  ik,  &t  &ass&   We&,   n&t   a&en
  !vermdering&a   topaegt,   maar  j  uisit'   ~elkander  zoelct  en                 met  `deugdelijke   gro;nden  (ter synode komt,  mlaar  ook
  isterkt   i.n   Idlen  &rijld.    Uik  ,&ut   80:ogpu.nt  bad ik  heit  Bun-       rnieit  &.geJi#ngen   ls"oor   d e  wij.ze,  wa,arop  ,de   verse&l-
  nen verstaan,  inldien  classis  West had  ibesloten  om der                       lien&e  zaken,  Idie   khans  sync&al   b&art&d  wlonden,   dL;n
  synode  voor   ;te  ~sSel&m  het  ,aan+al   afgevaardigden   naar                  zu&n   .woaden  verzorgd.
  de  eyn!odte t,e  vermeer'deren.            l&tar  ldiit besluit   tie& mij             En  bet zou, m.i.  ,goed  sijn,  ,dat  classis   West   !ons
  niet  .aan.      Wie  weet   of ook  voo'r   .ons  #de  dagen   niet               6n.  ,die  ,gl?oaden,   6n  tdie  regelingen   l.iet  we&n   v&jr   Ide
  km&n,  `dat  Iwe  ni'et  zul&en  <kunnen  aam.enkomen  ! l&at                      8.s.   syn'ode:
  ,o'ns to&  vergaderen,  tterwij.1  w,e  inlog kunjnen  !                                                                                      H. H.
       Dan  ,zijn sdaar de zaken,  `die we  synodaal  Iverzorgen,
  en  ,dus  ook syno:diaaJ  ldi,enen   ite b:ehaAigen.                                                                    -
       Dlat  i&  bet  gevtil   met  de  zaak   IOnzer   inwendilge   zen-
  `ding.   WaTTen we  sberk  genoleg in  a&ntal  Ien   kra&ten,
  idan  zoudlen  we  n&mrlijk   voor   lel!kie  classis   eerie  classi-                                        Bevoegdheid
  cal'e   i;nweindi.ge   zendeling   hlebben.  Wee   kr'egen  .dan   look
  `o,p   lel,kle  verg&ering   teen  mpport   sangaamde   ,d,&  `w,erk.                   Ik  ontving  nog  heit  volsgende   schrijmen   vm   bro'ecler
  En zoo  hadden   ionae   kerken   `dan   Tee1  meer   eontact  met                 `Boekstra  in vlerbanld met mijn  :schrijven   cover de  kwe,+
  Id.ien  arbeild, ,dan  $hans  h'et  ,geval  is. D.at  diit &et  zoo is,            tie van  ,den   ,oorlog en den Zondagsarbeid:
  is  r&t  ideaal, ;malar   seen behelpen.             Mtaar  ;als  we  nu iook
  nog de  synodle  ,om  te  $w,ee   jaadr  ahen  samenlkomen,  en                    Booggeachhe   redacteur  "The  Standard  Bearer" :
  al den arbei'd ,en  jde ~egeling  van  den  arb.eid  der zenldi.njg                    Mag   i.k  s.v.p.  ,nog  een e:nkel  woord over  Idlen  Ztondags-
  in idIe   ha&en   leggen   Iwn  de  &n,dingscommissie,   maken                     arbeild   ?
  `we met  opzet  dat contact nog  minder   ,dan   bet   thans  is.                       In de S. B. van den  15,den   Maart,  `42  h,a,d  ik mijn
       H,etzelf  die :gelld;t  van `de school. Z,oioals   bet &hmns  i,s,            standpunit  %egeno,ver  Zondagsa~rbei~d          wea  ko&elijks  aaml-
 ' wo.rden  #de Th.eo$o~gi,s&e  8chooJzaken ,i.n  h&  inhe.rim  txs-                 geduid,   ma,ar   ln.iVet  verk.laa.&.  U .   E . ,   dat   &i~k&j~e
  s&en   twee   tsynlod&e:   vergad&nge                  b&artigd   ldioor de        beantwoorden,de,   mata&  het  verschil   tusschen  uw  en
  Theo1ogische school  oommissi,e.                  M#aa~   de   sym.ode   per?      mijrn  srtanfdpunt  heel  Iwat   ,duidelijker.      Mijn  standpiLuxt
  uor&   ko,ch  de  school. .  Moeten  er  .stude.n$en   ,ge&amib                    is : `%n   :onreich&vcaar~dige  :oorlog ,door  de  sove&eitd  a;m.-
  neer?d   woxden  voo:r  bet`   candi~da&schaap,  ,dNe  synolde  is                 `gegaan,  maal&  niet  aBeen   ,de   soverheid,   rn$alar  eoh   ,de
  bet  ,dsvatioe   aangewezen   llichaam. En we  moeten   tooh                       ,door   `de .ovlerheiid  a,a.nges$Ad~e  Zonldagsarbeider  schutldig
  leigenlijk  .ook ee;ns   wa$ vepdler.            E,r   mfag   we1   seens   wag    vo'or  ,God."
  m'eer   .aaed!a&  gewijd  woadlen   :a,an onze  school en  haaIr*                       De  xdacteur  in zijn  alitwoord   ze&  in  d,e   eerske
  cu?ricu81~um.   Ve$  verband   tusschen   aehool  Ien  keyken                      panagraaf  : `<GeeIn   ondexdaan   kin  `of mag  zon&ilg&  op  .
  is  ler nu  Feeds  nlet. `Gaan  we  zorn te  twee   j.aar   synodle                gezalg  `der   to'verhei:d.   Zoinde  blijfk   altij,d  een  pepsoon.-
  .hebben, ,dlan zu&n  J& in leltk gem1 weer  eeln curiact;orium                     lijke  zaak,  waarvoor  iemand in  ,alrle  gevallen   persoon-
  moeten   hfebben,   bestaande   nit  aeden vaa  cllassis  0;ost                    lijke   ~~antwoord~elijk   blijR,  en  schul'dig  is  POOY God."
  en  8&ssis  West  beXe,   $di,e  lmi~ns6en.s   een.m&l  per  jaa+                       Dat  sitr800klt  preci,es met mijn  ,standpu.nt.
  vermderen.            Ik ben  `bang,   d.at   ~~1:s.  `onder.  de  besrt;aandle         Jn   Ide ;tweede  paragnaaf  zegt  ,ciie   xdaoteur  : `:da$  op
  omsitan8d.ighedenl   en   yegelilngen  de synode  ,om  de  twee                    haar eigen  terrain   (&t   teyEein   van   hlet  zwaand)   ,de'
  jaar  vertgaderea   gaat,   dassis   .West   schier   a,lle  ,con$&                o,v&eid   be,&&  ,souverein   +s,   maar  1da8amojm   dan  ook
m e t   :d;e  school  ve&&,.                                                         a&en   %eyan+,w.oondelijk.  Zij  a&en   b&ft   (cte   bevoegd-
       Biovenldien  .wonden  de  behoefkige  keriken  ni:elt olassi-                 illeid,  lde  lautori+eirL  en  (de   #rtoeping  van God  `on+vla&en
  caal,  maar synodaal verzorgd,  ,en   zullen   ,de  besluiten                      om te  bes&issen   (hoe  z'e  ,het  zwaard  %aJ  hamteerea.         De,
  ~di!en~aangaan~d.e       .dtan  ook  zekw  sylnlodaail   moeten  worden            ind~ivi~deeele   ~ond~erdanen   ihebben   ida,t   niat,"   enz:
  genomen.         Het  zal  zeker   niet   (aangaan,   !orn   celke  claissis            De  redlacheur  m%akt   hiler  fdui:delij8,  ,dat   n i e m a n d
  te  Ja+en   be$sJuilten   solver  &den   ni$  teen  gqme8enschap@e-.               idan  ~alll~een de  !overk;eiad   &m&en  kan, wat  .een   rechit-
  llijke   kas.  l&ar  hloe  zal,  d,it   kunnlen?  Is  hl&  mogelijk                va:aydilge of  onreclhtvaandige   ~oor~olg  is.
  tom den  steil,n   voor  me&e   beho8ef+ige   gemeente  vast  te.                       Dalt  zaJ   zeker   waar zija  aangaande  hen,  d,ie  ,&be-
  e~e~den   Poor  kwiee   jcaren?           IOf  ad  -tdiit  ,ook in  banden         kend  zijn  meit  wlat  God  zegrt   vlan   `de  koninkrijken   lder
  mm-ten  komen  van  +n  aommi~ssie?                    I$et  k&s&e  mu  ik         we&d,  ds opgetek&d  in Dlan.'  2 :31-45 ; 7 :  l-8  ; 15-28,
  be&&   onwensch~elijk   schiten.                                                   in ~mrbarud  met Openb.13  ,811 17, `ea  .in verge;lijl&ng   met
       N'aar   misschien  komen al  deze  bezwayen   we1 Sij                         .d&   iteekenen   der   tij,deti.    Maar de  v&g   i:s :  sit&t   Ide
 mij  lop,  momdat  ik #die  grond,en  niet   we&,  ldile  (door   classis           ,zaak ook zoo  tiet  degenen,  die,  ,door  Gods  Gee&t  geleid,
  W&   zij.n  ,overwogen.                                                            Id,e   teek,enen  ideer  tijd'en  in oveTwegin,g  r@t  de  &er$(rnde
       Deze gronden  mogen   ,echiter   we1   .deagelijk  zijn om bijbel,&oofdstukken  mia of  .meer  verstaaVn?


3        0         6                                ,THE   STANDAkti   BE,ARER

     P,ersoo&k   zo,u ik denken,   dat  zij, die  &eze   hfoo$d-                   al of  niet   iech$v.aar,di,ge  van een  oorlog,   stem  ik hem
&-&ken  min (of   m.e.e,r   verstaaon  en de keekenen   d,er   $ij den gaanee   ;t'oe,  dlat een  Chr,isten   w.el   oo?`deelen   kan  in het
zien,  we1   een   `o'oad'eeil zoaden  kurmen   v&en  lover  den                   licht   rd:er   Schrift, en  `oak   metterdaad   oordgelit  over de
oostiog   e n   zijln   aanhangi'ge   Z,on~dagsarbeid.   Toeh   zou oorlogen   Idler   werelid.
ik  Igaarne   ldeae   ivraag   b&twoond   tillen   hiebben   d,oor                      Dlait doe ik  oak.   Zelfs   meen   ilk   ,d.e   vrijhei,d  te  moe-
onaen   rediacteur.                                                                ten  haedlhqen  om uit  geesitelijk   ,oogpunt   zulk  een
     Ik  lli,eit  in mijn  v~orig   schrijven  blij,ken,   ,dat,  na,ay oordeel   te  velllen   loo'k  rover   .den  ite&nw,oopdi,gen   oobog.
Fij.ne   gedaghten,   in  elen.   oprechtvaardigen              oo8r10g  d e            Maar  dqt  is. heel  -wat  a,nders  ,dan bevoegdheid,  gemg
ovex%eitd   we1  bovenal   schul~dig   ,&at,   .d&oich   `d&c  fook   DDE          en  roeping   om te  beslissen,   hose   (de   o,v~erhei,d  het  zw,aard
door  4e  ,overheid   gedrongecn   Z,oedagsarbei~d~ers   schul~clig zal  hanteeren.                        Dfme   bevoegdbeid   beeft   laPteen  )dte  over-
`s&an  san #d(e  aonde  fegen  het  ivij$de  gebold.             MB&  &due         heid.
te  dIeDken  rehen,de  ik look ml& bet feit,  .diat  `de overhei,d                      Nu  leert   Ions!   ,de  S&r%,   ,d:at   w,e  aan  de  ov.er1lei.d
dloo'r   ,Gotd  is  aangesteid  ah  zwaamd-draa)gster.  Maar,                      ,onderclani.g   zu&n.   zijfn,   I+&   aan   `eeti   goede  of  rechk-
zoo  da&i+, ik,  bee&  God  Idie   soverh8eild  oolk  bet  zwaaad                  vaandige   ,ove&eid,   `maar   aan   d,e   over*heid   als   aoodani&g,
gegeven   :om   o.nrechitvaardi8ge   ,din,gen   ;te   $oen?          Ilk  ZOIU     ds  `eerie   machit   `deoox   <God   olver   ,olns   gestel'd.     En `ondelr-
meenen  van  niiet.  En  nu -in  zulk  een  concr(eet   g~lal                      danigheid   w i l   niet   zeggen,   ,dat  w i j   eerslt  eens   ok-
mee.nde  ik,  ,da$  d,e  door de  over?heiid   gedreven  Z,oindags-                deelien  of de  overrhei'd   (alitij:d   als   `over&d,   ,en   !dlus   op
arhieild&  ,oolk y&uJ,dig  was, zoowell~als  de ove,rh,eid,  maar                  hIalar   leigen   temeitn)  in  een'e   r.echitvaardige   lof   tonrecht-
ti&tuturlijk   Iin   m.indeue  mat,e.                                              vaar'dige   zaa,k   ~gehoolrz,aamh&d   eislch$,   o'rn   ,dan  near
     Om  (d,ie   s&udld   aan  Se  $oonen   ,noem.d,e  ik A;dam  en 0n.s  oolrdeel  $e .han8dellen ; maa.r   Id.at  we ons  oordeel  alaIn
Eva in  bet  leggen  van  bunee   schul,d   `op   ,de  scllzloud'exs               clat   der   toverheid   ond$erw,erpen,   om  .God+y   til  gehoo,r-
~vlan   Sa6an.   :God  nam  ,dat  niet   aan,   .maar   ve&laa.nde                 zsmen,   ,en  bet  oo'rdeel  tee sllot..e   aan  God ~overlla~en.
alFen   schu1ldi.g,  .de ,een  meer   daJ1 `die  ander.                                 .E.igen   olor'd,eel   &eUen   tegenolvlelr   Idtut   d'er   (ovlerheid
     Deze   `dingen   ,aiidlm   beschouwencle   :gelo.of   i k   `in&t, in deze zaak,  ,waarin  de  overheid  alleen  bevoegdheid
Id&   ilk mij s&ulid+g   ma.ak  poor Cod   aan  revoluitie,  hoe-                  heefh,   elm clan  n,aar   eigien   ooadeel   ite  handel,en,   is  gpi.j-
we1   i!k  ga.arnt&   beken,   Idat  een,e   ~olnnech%va~axlige   ovler-           pen  &ax  be*  zwaard   der  ovexheitd,  is  revoltutie.
h & d   m.ij   h.ier$an   s;&uldi,g3anl   verklaren.                                    H'et  is  waar,   d&t  we  G&e  meer   gehoornamen   moe-
                              J. H. Hfoeklstia,   Soutih H'olland,  Ill.           ken   .dati  ide  menschen.
                                                                                        Mlaar   goled  opgevat,  is h&  !niet  mogelijk Gode meer
                                                                                   te  gehoorzamen   dan  de  overheild   nl<  owevheid.
                                                                                        Voor bet lhan%eeren  van  ,&et zmard  in `e'en'e onrech&
     F,eitelijk  giant  hlet  niet  meer  (over  oor10:;  en Zo&ags-               vlafaydi,ge  zaak  ++a& \d:e  ,overheid  schu4dig.                 M,aar  in h&
arbei.d  in  bolvtentiaand  artikel,  maaT   ,over   d,e  vraag of                 ontiezdanig   z i j n   aan   [de   o<e&eid  lo,olk   i n   zulk   eerie
Seder  burger  persoonlijk  veran*twooluldelijk  is  Poor  zijn .conrechvaax4ige   zaak   ,dolet  `de  Ch~rist&n   zijn  plioht.
 aandeel   .in  iden   oorllog,   i,ndien  hij  n.i.ets  ,anders   ~d~oet  dlan             Het  ivloorbeeld  van Eva,  ,dlie   baar   schu~ld   op de
 d8e   loverheid   ~gehoorzam~en.  Het 4s  blijkbaar  breeder                      sllang   &achtte   te werpen, is  ihiler  ~heelemalal   ni,et   van
 Hto&st.ra',s   s&!andplunt,   ,dat : 1.  ,Ixeder  on'depdaan   per- hoepassing,  om [de  eenvon,di.ge  redem, ,dart  tde .sl!ang ,geen
soon1ij.k   bevoegd  en  .gepoepen  is te oord.eeEen  over  bet overheid  was.
al of niet  ae&tvaar8di!ge  lvlan  seen loorlog.            2. Dat,  indien                 Doch  nog eens : we  gaai  1-n het punt af. Het gaat
ilemand  de  ,overhei'd.   gehoor.zaamit  door  aan   `de oproep nniet  meer iover  den Zondagsarbeid.
ondier  de  wapenen   gelhoor  te geven,  :hij  mede   schuldig                                                                                        H. H.
wordrt  VOOT`   ,God,   .indien  zijn  ,overheid   dhet  zwaaFd   op-
n:eemk  in een  onre&+vaardige                  ,oorlog.
     Zoo  aliDh,in:s  versta  i\k  zijn  &an,dpunt.
     En  Idan  maakt   bet  natuurlijk   n&t,  uit,  of  itemand
op Z:on#d:ag  `of `op Maamdag wepk%  toit h,et vervaaadigen
van  oor1oigsmateriaal.               De  zlolncle   ziit  nil&  m'eer  in  h&                                    I      N         MEMORIAM
gwerk-en   mop  Zlon8dag,.  maar in het meedoen a.an een on-
 rq%%aa~digen             ,oorlog.                                                          The  consistory  of the  Redlands  Protestant Reformed Church
     Nu  moert  bposd'er  Koekstra  rnij  ,goed  vers+aan.                         wishes hereby to express its sympathy to one of its former
     Ik   schlreef   ni,et,   `Uat   niemanld   dfan  aUeen de  ovler-             members, brother Harry De Gelder  ,in   thi!   loss   of his wife,
 b&d   &.maken  kan,   wat  een  rechhvaardige   lof  ~onrecht-                                     MRS. MINNIE DE GELDER-Ronda
 va&rdiimge  o&og   i s . "
     t0fwhooa   lhet   iln   ,de  mee&e   ge~al~l~ea  wfel niet zoo                         May our -God and Father comfort him in this grievous be-
 g.em&l&jk  zijn %a1  voolr  .een  gewoon bnrger, om een                           reavement in the assurance that she fell asleep in Jesus.
 ziver   o:oydeel   te  vellen   i,n   bijzonn:de&eden   oiler   heit                                                                       The Consistory.


                                                   T H E   STANDAPD   .BEARER                                                                           307

                                                                                   %onceives  of sin as a cause, indeed, of spiritual and
- The Triple &mwledge physiOal  deterioratio~n,  but-not  as Ia deadly and quickly
                                                                                   operating  p:o.ison  that,  unless  it is  ,restrai.ned,   l&aids to
                                                                                   spiritual, temporal,  *and  eterna*l   d,eath,   there  is no
                                                                                   room for  ithe   restrai;n;t   `of sin, to which  Ca>lvin   first
                                                                                   emphatioal~ly  called a~tiention,  and on wlhilch  the entire
       An  Exposition Of The Heidelberg                                            doctrine of  gen.eral  grace is based. It is  ,exactly  be-
                              Catechism                                            cause ,of  th<s (that  th,e'  R,eformed  confession has Ialways
                                                                                   pliaicled  f,ull   ,emplhasis  on this  ,deadly   chalraater   ,of   sin,
                                      IV.                                          and opposed every  ~attemptt  to  iweaken   thie conception
                                                                                   of  sm. `Incapabl~e  of doing  lany   go;od  and  incl,ined  to
                             LORD'S DAY III                                        all1  evil'  was  the formula  the:   Heidelberger   .used  to
                                       4                                           express  ~tihis  truth.    Alnd  if you take your  posiition  un-
                                                                                   mo,vea:bly  in this truth, then it is  b:ut  naku,ral-  that
                      T,otal  Depravity. (cont.)                        4          you  wil.1 adiscorver  6n  &he narrative of Paradise, and in
      The  qu8esitioa   Iarises :  &at  is the  mceaning  of toitial dl the  rest  809   Scrip~ture,  and in human  llife  rfound   abo'ut
 depravity? The catechism answers : total  Gdepravriity you,~  and  .in your  [own   helaIr%,   evid~ences  of a divine
 si,g&fies-   "&at  we are wholly  inieapable  of doimg any operation, by  w&h   the  qui.ck  and  a,bsjolutely   fatal
 go:od,   land   ind~inetd  to all evil?"  But  it may be ex-                      operation of  sin  ihas been and  sti~ll is  res;tirai~ned  in
 pedient at this  po,int   ho ask the  further   questijon:                        m'any  ways, even .&ere where there is no question of
 but  what  is goold  and what  is evil? It seems a rather                         sawing   grtaoe.     Or  ,do  you  not find,  ,&en  by  hlea.ti:en
 sever,e   jadgmeti  thlat  all men  (are  wholly incapable of                     peoples and by unbelievers in your  own  .env&onment,
 doing any. go:od,  and if we Imook  ab,oilti us in  thie  worlld                  mcamy  phenomena that bespleak  a certain inc.linatioln  to
Iand judge `of men as  wle come  into  oontaot   wjiith .&em,                      goo,d  things, and a  certain indignation over  alI1  kin#d&
 we  `are, perhaps,  inclin,ed'  to doubt  the truth  ,of  this                    of &me? It is true, there  is not  found any ilnclination
 sta$~enrt.        That  rtihiere  is a good deal of  corruptioa to  saving  good,  but,   nevetih&?ss,  a  aerizin  aitiractiion
anmng  men  ,of   [every   ,&&ion   iin life  i,s  etidenrt.            That       for  integr$y and things of  s  (good   replolrt.           Are  ahere
 men  iIn   &ei:r   r.elation  to  lone   anoith~e~r   ar'e  often  m.oti-         not   la&s  of  meaaness,   dishonesty  and  perversilon  of
vated   ,by  ooveto8usness,  lust, pride,-  ambirtiom,   hatre,d                   justice,  a!&&  which  the  public  conscience,   ev'en  of
 and envy  and   thle  like no  ,one   can  deny.                But that,         unblel~iervers,  rebels? A,nd  oan  `one  nfot  rellalte  numerous
 outside   ,of   regeneratioa,   all  m'en  are always -wicked dieeds  of  ph.i&amth~opy  and  charity,  performed by un-
 and perverse, so that they never- do anything that is                             believers', by  whi,ch  they  (often   plut  to shame  tihe  b'e-
good, is  ~diffieu.lt  to  harmonize   w,itih  actu~d   expedience.                lievers? W,hen   *he daughter of Pharaoh rescued Moses
 1t.i.s   true   ,tihat  i.n  the  low.er  strata  (of   solcilety   lo:ne  may    frolm  the  Ni,l'e,   dild she  dto   goold   `or  evil? And is  it,
find men &h&t are so ,dleeply  anid  ho~pel~essl~y submerged                       then, not  evid~ent   fihlat the total  oorruption  of  olur
in the m.ire #of  sin .th,at on.e would not  besilttie,  pIerhaps,                 nature  th~n~gh  sin, a  truth  -wh.i&   w,e  unhesitatingly
to  oonsider   them   ho;tia4111y   depraved   ;  but  is there  not               oonfess,  is iin ,oonflic;t  witih aea&y ? And do you, there-
also  #a higher  moral  l,evel  so#n  which  one meets wirhh.  mten                fore,  cot  clearly  slee thfat  in such oases you  stan'd  be-
*hIat give themseJve,s  wwbolly  rto  dhle  -pursuiit  `of thle  happi-            fore  ~the-   alternartive  :  etihter abandon  yo1u.r   confessi~on
aess   amd   we%being  of  thesir   f&owme:n,  and  that  are                      of  itihe   ,deadly  character of sin ;  ,o'r   maintain   &his  con-
crharacterized  by integrity  and  nobility in  ala  bhteir                        fess&n  w$th  m&$-it  and main, but then  w.iti the  sd-
walk and conversation? An,,d is it not  a fact, too, that                          ditional   confes~silon  &hat  .tiere is an ,operat.ilon  `of gelneral
the same  .men  who on some  occlasions  and in some                               grade,  whlereby  this  ldleadly  opera$&  ,of   sin in numer-
siituations.   reveal1  th~emslelves  as  be,iimg a,ctu,ate,d`  by the. opus   cases   i$s r&rained." De.  Gemeene Gmtie,  I, 248, '
meanest  and most &rrupt  mtotives,   w,ill  at  o&er t&es                         249.
perform  %he  ~noblest  and  most  `unselfjish   deeIds?  Is,                          The  qul&&n  that  confronts us,'  ther.efore,   is
thlen,  one  not`  forced  to  the   coach&on, either that                         &ether   the  #life  lof   the.  natural,   fallen  man  in.  this
Romans  7 &es !us  la picture  of tie eatural  man, or thiat                       world, as we ~o~bserve it, must be ,explailn:ed  as being thte
there is, besides regenerating  graoe,  some  other   kind                         result  ,of   Q certain  graaae  ,of  God, whereby  ,sin  w'irthin
of  graoe  whereby men are somewhat improved,  so                                  him is restrained;  `or   whetier  all  its impulses and
that  in  actual   @e  ;Dhey  `are not wholly incapable of m.anifesta,tions  are quite in ,acoord  with 4&e statement
,doling  any `good $d `.in&ned  to ali1 evil?                                      of the. Heidelberg Catelchism  that  "we.  are wholly in-
     It is  snort   tid'  testimony of Scripture, but that of oapable'   ,of   ldo,ing  any  <goad  and  inohned  to  all evil."
this  apparent  &nflict `between ,our  Comfessi~0~n.s on this                      This is not a purely  s.cholastic  question, but  ,concerns
polint   kanld  &ual ,expelr;ilenoe  that  led Dr. A. Kuyper   rto                 the very heart,  `of  0u.r  Refozmed  truth on  this  po,int.   -
wrirte   /his   w&k  on  C~ommon  `Grace. W&es  -ihe  : "If one                    For,  if the life and wal%k.of  fallen, unregenerate man


3 0 8                                            +HE   ST-A-NDARD   B E A R E R                                          _

is  $0 be lexpJsaialed as I.&e  fruit  ,of   I&race,  this flruit-musit          Abilmele,&   k.ing   .of   !GerBr   sent,   and  took Sarah.          But
oetiainly be good,  &he  naituzd   majn  is  not   wh&ly   #de-                  Gpd time  ito Abiineleclh  in a ,dream  by nighi,  and said
pxaved,  and  the   ado&rine   NoIf  *okal   `depravity   ibecomes               `to  iti'm,   Bebold,   $ho,u   are   b u t   a   )dea,d  m'an,   f o r   the
an  fab&ra&i,on   thah   ld,oes  n'o&   :harmonise   w.i+h  actual               woman whi.ch'&ou  hast  take,n  ; f,or s!he is a man's wife.
experience. A.nd  again, if  .tii~s  $is  true,  rtih;e   itruth  of             BIL&  Abiunel,e:ech  bad  noit   ,come   ne'ar  her:  land   ;he  s'aid,
total   depnavity   cannot   b e   applQed   .in  a~ctual   li$e:   a            Lwd,  w;iiJt  .&on  slay ,aleo  a righkeous   nabio,n?           Sadd  he
bas?s  is ~esitablish~ed for-bhe  amaJga.jnatZon  `of .&he  ChurGh               no&  U.&O me, She is my sister?  a$nd  she,  eveIn   bei%,elf
and the .wloz4d, fior  lahe cooperat&%  aof   ;the belilevler  atid              sla.ild,   H,e is  .my  ba0the.r  :  i.n   ;the   inltegriky  of my  heart
%h!&   unbeli~ev~er:  In  tihat  ,case   l.&ere  is  so:me%onoond  be-           and innooency  ,of'  my  ha&s   hiave   ,I  Idone   %&I&.             AnId
tween  `Chrislt  and B&al.             Thait   l&is  is  *he   .llamentab$e      Glpd-said   unto  l-u.im  in a  &earn,  Yea,  I kno'w   &at thou
resullt   of rthe !dlocitrine  of  "oommo!n  grace" m,ay  ,be seen ,di:dst  +hi!s ,iin  the  iintegrity  ,of.hhy  heart ; f.or I `also  witi-
in  ahose   ch~urches   !&hcat   adopS&,d   tind  <glorify   itihis  ,doc- belId  three  from &nning  against me : therefore saffere'd
+:ine.       The  anti&&s   is  ,obJitte;rated,  and tie "sons  ,o,f             I  th,ee   not  60  touch her."  Geli. 20 :2-6. Now Dr. Kuyper
God?'  are more and  inor,e  Ilost  in 4&e wo&d.                 The @es-        oon&&s fnom  $his   passage  the  f,oJbwing   ; "mention
&it&, tiere$ore, lie  one of ,grea$, do&rina;l   la.nd  plnacticial              i,s made  IhI&,   there-f;olre,  of  ia  ,dir&t   lo!per&ilon   09  Go.d
tipdr;tance.  Anld   &is  qtiles%iOn  &nuot be  de&&d  by upon  &e  pIerson  of  Abimel@cb,   whfer?eby  a  sinf.ul  pas-
&akitig  our &andpoint  ,in.  expe%cence  and by pro.cee:ding                    si,on that -was  spoused  ,is  restra.ianed,  am  .impelling  siln
from what  w:e   Gee-   irll  SIE'  world  Iof  ittie life of  nakural           is &eoksd, (a premeditated evil h fruskrated  ; and %a*,
m'an,   ,burt   mu.&  be  ~a~~w~ered   sol&y in  the  iight  109   $he           koo,,. of  Butih  a direct  loperatiloln   t%s  &ffe&ed  alike  ,his
Wlowd   Iof  Gold;   and  next;  in  ,ti&t   tof  tlle.Re$ormed  C'on-           sensuali,ty  and  his soul, so' .&hat  he  became sensually la
fessssbons.                                                                      de,a'd man, and  in his  sod, tie passion `was  broken.                  It
         And  &en `w,e  may s;tlaDe  without fear of contra&c-                   was  aeoess(aTy  to [explain  this here  ~sometvihat  elabor&e-
rtion   &a$   tihe  Scri~p+u~es  never  sp.e&k   of'la   restrc&&g               ly,  becausle   Scripitu;Ue   hetie  explains, and  IGod   Hims&!  .
grace to  lexplain   $he   activity  %nd   ,deveJopment   `of  tihe              i&erp&s  It0   LIP  the  jop&ratioa   !of   ,oo~mmon  grace  tiore
tnatunal   man  in  .thbe   world.       Nei.ther  the ite,rm   nor tie          broadly  $han   .ulsual." De  Gemeehe   Gratie,   II, 58.
i,dlti  iIs  found irn  $hle B'iblie. Thle   lse lob  `tie rege&r&d                  BILL  +s  this  ~conciusiloa  of  D!r.   Kuyp.er's   &he true
is, indeed,  presenitdd   khmuglxouk   Ithe   W,ovd   `of  ,G.od  as             in%erpr#e$atiloti  of the  hexit  as. found in Gen.  20 ? That
ithe  fm(it  otf  grace;`  the   life  ,of   h&e natural  man never.             i+, is noit  &al,1  be #evident  from  tise  fioUowing  considera-
I% is true,  ,of  !croumse,,  thai  Ialso the `activity and  [develop- tions  . 1.  WJiatever   m'ay  be  +he   oorrec;t   expl,anatioln
ment  cof the  wicked  :%nd  Iof the  ldev,ils  ayle.&rictly'  under             df  Abimel,echs'  we,  it is at all eve&s a t&y exception-
,God's   CIOJX~TO~;   s o   mth~at,   8s  Art.   1 3   ,of   &e  &T&htirJmd      al  o,ccurr*ence,  from w.hic!h  no genera.1 conclusions may
Co&e;ssilon  teaches  .us, `cnotihin4g  can  be&8  x by chance,                  be  !drawn   tith  Tespect   to,  :a  possibl'e  operation  of  God
but  by $he  ,di.rectilon  Iof  ,o.ur  most ;gracious  lan(d   beaven-           resrtrainiing  sin in  ,a111  men.       Sarah was  +he  oovenank
Jj Father  ; who watches  overT'us  w&t% it pater.nal  cane,                     mother of-the promised seed, and for her sake God
keeping  a11  `cr.eatiures  so under His  piowe&,   *hat  mlot  a                does  not  permit  Abimello&  to touch  her.  2.  `J?hat
haiy   .of   ioiu~   @aId   (fo&  +hey   !arte   all  .numbeaed)  , nor  a       Abi~melecrh   wa;is   .an  umegenerahe  man is presupposed
sparrow,  ~cm  fall to the SgUoand,  wi4h~ouit'the  w;iUof  our ,by  D,r.   Kuypei's.  inrterp:reta%ion,  but is `by no means
&&her,  Gin whom  wle <do  entirely tru,st  ; being persuaded an  esbablished  fact.                            Iln &hose  ,dtays,  r.ellativedy   soon
th*aJt   he  1~10  restzaim %he  ,devil  and all  `our   enemiles,  that         afiter   time  flo'oid,   wh.en   S;hem  was still  living,   when   a
w&ho& His  wU and p#ermissilon  #hey  o&mot  Em&  UIS."                          ,Gojd-iearing  king I&e  Melcliis~adec  is still fountd  in the
Bti this  overruJ&n.g  providence  o:f  IGtd,   wiheyeby  He                     lmd  of Cana,am,  atid  bhen theu:e  mu&it have been thous-
bol,ds   r&e  wicked in His power and  ioontuo&s   all  their                    sands  ,of   &il;d%n  jof   Gtod  oIuct;side  of  Abrahjam  and his
lacti!ons,  is  qu&e   ,diff,erent  from a  tier&in   r,estraining               hou,se,   !a man Eke   Abimeleeh  .may  very well be classi:
gmce  b,y  w&&h   thle   u&egener,at,ei   a&   7itnwa&ly.   Borne-               fied   wikh %ose &hat  f,eareld  s&he  Lmd.'         In  %a&,  the  ted
.v&-I&   -irnpmolv;e'd and  [enabled   to'  ;clio   ibhle   go:od.   #Of  this does not  at   #alI  leave  the (impression  Q&z  be was a
tihie   Bibbe   niev'er  makes  me&ion.             _                            wicked  person,   `,Go,d speaks to him  :in  %  dr,&m,  and
  The  plassalges  from the  B,icbl,e   ion  wh?ch   ithits   Idoctrine          with  `evident   re$ekienloe   %o:.   l-&nself   ihe `answers : wilt
is  supp&k#d  to be  base'sed   &are   noit  to  ,&he  point. `A few thou slay a righteous  nati'on?  Moreover,  he says to
of  $hem   %e   will1  ,examiee  by way of  li,lJ,ustra&n.   AB                  Gold:   `tin  &e   ibntegrity  of  ,my  heart land  infiocency  of
`of $hem  iaire  menti~oidied  ilti Kuyper'i  De Gemeene  Grade.                 my hands  have  I  (done   &his   ;" and God Himself  oornobor-
!l%ere   .is, fizsrt  ~of   a$  <tie  ,cas:sle   of Abimel~ecih  in  ~ek&ilon    ate,d  this  iskatement.  3.  -Ik   aertai<nly   iis quite  .c!on&ary.
ho Sarah,  Abr&~am's   wise,   ,quoted   by.  Dr.. Kuyper 3s                     $0,  tie plain sitatements   `of $he. ;te&  when Dr. Kuyper-
,prcuof  of  !the   bnopositiion   $lua;t   there  is                            ,explaias   hhat   tiherze  wfas  in  Abti~mel~eclh's  Icn:se   a  `dire&
                                                           iEi  general  be-
&ralining   Igrabe  of IGold  `opera&e  in ,al:l  .the  umegener-                Io.ieration   ,Of  God  "whfereby  a  sin&l passion  #hat  was
atie.                                                      .
           .Let  us se+d  tihe  aoconnt  ,of  ,it in Scr;pptuye  : "And          arioused   is.  res;trtine&,  an  imspelling   s,in  iis  ,checked,   a
Aabraham  said  (of  Sairah  his yi$e,,:  Sbe.is  my si@&  : and                 prem@Mated   evil   is  frustr&ed."  There  WBS   nd  sinful


                                              T H E   STAN-DA'RD;   B E ' A R E R   1                                                  309

 passion, and ,surely  no premeditate,d  evil1  on the part of          God-provoking  presiumptioti  as  thlat  of Pharaoh, but
 ~;Abimelech.       He-acted  bn the supposition that Abraham oonstantly  to the oorruption  of mo,raks,  i.e. to the  beinig
 and Sarah  spo,ke the truth, and  that  he  h,ad  the  per&&           swallowed up `of what is human by besti&ty."  De Ge-
 right to  takje  Sarah to wife. And God  IHimself  seals               @eevze   &atie,  II, 412.
 the statement of  Abitmelech  that  h'e had done this in                   The "giving over" of which the  apfostle  speaks  in
 ihe  integrity of his heart.  It  is true, of  course,   that          this passage, therefore,  ,is explained  fas   r,eferting  to
 the act `of intercourse with Sarah was pr,evented  by an such a withholding of the operation of co,mmon  grace,
 .a&  o,f God, but  th$ was no  restraint of  sin, no  influeruae       that man is left to himself, to his own  h&c,  siln is no
 of a  oertain grace whereby  Abimel~ech's   nature  was                longer  restrainedj  and the world is left to develop  in-
 alomewhat   improrved,  for the simple reason  &hat  there corruption to its own destruction.                          And  this  pre-
 was no intention  ,of   s,in in  `Abimelech's   h:eart  at  al*l.      supposes  tihat  there. was a period in  whir&  God  &d
 4. `Finally, let us also note, that the act of  ,God  whereby          restrain  .the  process of  oorruption   antd  thte  breaking
 tie deed of intercourse with Sarah on the part of out  `of sin by restraining  graoe.   Remans   1:18ff. does
 Abi.m&oh was prevented,, was  naoit  an operation of not  ,d.irectley   teaoh.   ~ommo~n   gralce,  but  presuppiposes   it.
 grace, but  suclh  an influen'oe  cof ,God  upon the, bb.o'dy  of However, against this explanation  sever&   o,bje&iome
 -Ab&elech  that   interco,urse   wliti Sarah became a  physii-         may be raise,d.     1. Certainly the text in Reomans  1 does
 laal   .imposs:ibility.    TIh,is  is #eti,dent  from the text itself : not speak -<of  restrtiining   .grace,  but of the very uppo-
 "B,ehoB!d,   thou  art  bsut  a  ldead  man,  _ for  tire woman site : of a wrath sf God i&fat delivers the ungodly over
 which thou haI&  taken." Flos  all  these  reasons it may to  t#heir   ,own   corr,uption.              "Fior  the wrath of God is
 be oonsidered  quite &dent  that Abim,el;ech's  ease. can-             r'evealed  from  heam:en  against all  ungod'liness   an'd
 not  b'e qjuloted  in proof !of  the do~ctr~ine  of .a general. re-    unrighteousness  lof   `men, who hold the truth in  un-
 strain.i~ng   Igrace  in the nature  of.  al11  unregenerate men.      ri:gh&usness;))       In these  w0:rd.s  of  the   eighteenbh
      Th,e  second  passlage  from Scripture to which  wse              verse the theme of the  *entire  se&ion  to the eed of the
 must  call  attentiioa  `in thi.s  oonnection  is Rlom. 1: 18ff.       onapter  its announced. And the apos;tl,e  (explains first
 `Espstially verses 24, 26 and 28.  Wle  read  thlere:                  $of  all.  just bow mein  {hold  the truth in unri~ghteonsness,
 "W~her~efore   Go,d-  also gave them                                   in  mordler  then  to'sbow  how God's wrath is revealed
                                             up unto uncleanness
 throfugh  the  tlusts of their,  town  hearts,  t,o  ~dishlononr       from  Heaven  agaianst  such ungodliness of m'en.           Their
 thei.r  owln  .bod&es `between  themselves".  tvs. 24. And             utigod~liness   .and   unrighteousn,es,s  consists in this : a.
 again : "For  .tl&  cause  God  gav,e  them  ,up unto vile             They  knbw   Go'd,  for  the.invisible  thilngs  of God from
 affections: for even  their  wlolmen   m;di,d   chanlge  the           the` creation  cof  the  world are.  :&early  seen, and  that
 natmal,  .use  into that  which is  agai.nst  nature." vs. 26.         which is  kno,wn  of %od  is manifest in them. b. They
 And  lonlee more: "AnId  even as they  ,di#d  not  like  to re-        Iglori.fy  Him not as  Go,d,  neither are thankfu~l.      This is
 tain God in  their  krmtiedge, God  game  them over                    their iniquity, and against this is  .the  wrath of  Go,d
 unto a  r,eprobate  mind, to do those  thinlgs  which are              revealed. Now,  I'et us note that the apostle does not
 n& loonvenijenit."  vs. 28. TIO  un~derstand   ,how  the  d,oc-        write that  ;there   wlas a  time  whlen   thi:s  was different,
 t&e  o2  a  restrainin,g   grsce is elicited from  these               as Dr.  Kuyp:er  presupposes.  &ways  Go'd  made Him-
 pass~ages,  we must let Dr. Kuyper speak. He explains self known as Go,d  ; and always men h'eld  this  truth in
 these passages as follows :                                            anrighteousness.   Henoe,  the wrath of God of which
                                                                        the apostle speaks in this chapter was dways r8evealed.
      "Ttis fact (that  thle   nabions   ,d,evelmoped from bad          And how wa.s this wrath of God revea18ed?            First of  all
 to worse, H.H.)  the apostle attributes to  this, that                 in  *tii.s, that God made them foolish, who professed
 it pleased  Go'd   grad~ually  to cause His  `~oommon  `grace themselves to be w&e,  so that they bowed themselves
 `to  shrink  (te  doen   inkrimpen)   .'     Common. grace was befor,e  man and. beast and  Ocreepinig  things. And
 `extended aafter  the flood, now %again its infliuence  was secondl~y  i,n this, that God cast them  iInto. the mire of
-.  cause  to  &rink,. and  Ihis  shrinkinlg   sof common  grace        utter moral  degra,dation.  The  sectiio,n,   thereflore,  does
 tie apostle pi$ures  to us in tiieste  wlords,  that-it pleased not speak of r'estraining  gralloe,  but ,of ,d,elivering  wratih
 ,God   "to   g!iv&  them over to a reprobate mind". . . .              by which men  devel,o#p  in sin and  aorruption.  2.  The
      "T.hi's  "giving oiyer"  of-&e  nations by God may. not word that is  used  for "giving  ,over"  may not  ble ren-
 be  ~uindersto~o.d in  the  sense of a  cyommon  hardening.            dered by the merely  .pas&ve  "letting go", as  Kuyper
 Ob,durat~on   ' and  ~hardenin~g  incites to rebellion and wonBd   explain.                Three times the apostle uses the word
 enmity  agaiinst  God,  while   `to be  g&n  o&r'  in itself           paredooken.  And  that  this word has a very positive
 merely  imp&s   &a$   thle evil  loi sin is no  Ilonger  re-           an.d'  active moaning may be gathered  friom   o&hler   in-
 strained  so. fore&$ly  as before, so that as a result the             stam~oes where the  sam,e  word is  empZoyed  in  HoIy
 evil   work~ed-   $hrough  in a most  danger(ous-  manner.             Writ. It  ooeurs  in  Matt.  10  :21:   "Anid  the brother
 Hen,ce;  as  8+   $esult  of  &hi& `giving  over'  the apostle         &al:1   deliver   ap the brother  to.  death,  and the  father  the
 points  as oft&n as -three times, #not `60 an audacious                child." It is plain -that  here the meaning is not : "the


           3 1 0                                          T H E' S  TrA   N-D-A  RD.   B'E A  R- E.R

     .     brother shall let go, or  aband$on  the- brother-to  .die"
          but  that  a positive  a.ct  is meant whereby  -the:brother                                         Communication
           is put to dleath. In  Alcts-8   :3 we read : -"As  for'Sa;uJ,  he               As the readers will recall, a brother sent  me,  some
-         made  hav~oc  of the church, entermg.  into every house,
          and  hailing men and women committed-.them  to.  pri-                        questions  ,oln   l&e  book  <of   E~colesiastes.    Two of  these
           som."      The.   word in the original that is rendered. b,y                questions I  havle   answere,d  in the immediately  f,ore-
           "committed" in this  verse is." the. same. that is. trans-                  going  issufe   ,of  this  magazme.  The questions  Ileft   un-
          lated b'y  `!,gave  over"  ,in Ram.  i. Yet it  is  plainthat the- answ.ered  fo,r  lack of space are the following:
          meanmg  .is n!ot  *hat,  S*au~l~  let them. go. into- prisaon,  but              "Fimal~ly,  how are the qu~esti~onable'  actions of Solo-
          that he ~aotively  made them prisoners, led them- into.                      mon to be  ex-phined   in.  the light of his  tisdom
          bonds. In  -the  same sense the.  word  occurse  in Matt.                    whi~ch-  God gave him? I  refer now to such  thin'gs  as
          17~22  : "T,he  Son ,of-man  shall  be ,betrayed-  (Idelivered.              ?nis~  overtaxing- the people for the. sake of maintainimg
          up) into  tih'e   hands-.of  `men.", And  again in -Matt.  24 : 9 : his `extravagant way of living, his marrying so many
          "They  shald   #d&ver   you   u.p   to. be afflicted." These wives, and ,es.pecially  his turning swlay  from the Lo,rd
          examples might easily be multiplied.  Antd-  they shed to  sente   the  idols  iof  his heathen wives in the last years
          light  upon  the meani~ng.lof,  t.he word pas  the apostle em-               `of-his  life."
          pl~oys  it  iln  R80mn,  1. N,o  more than it  can  be said  that
          anyone is  dlelivered.   upop  into prison  or.  unto  fd'eath,                                            REPLY
          i,nto  *he  htands  of- anyone or ,unto  afl%ctiloe  and. tribu-                Let me first bring` out clearly my  ~corr~espoad~ent's
          lation,  by an  set of mere passive  .abandonmen~t,  no                      problem.         Identifying  Solomo8&  wisdom. with godli-
          more  can the words. %-m  gave them up" have that  pas+                      ness, he levi'dently  reasons thus :  HIOW  is the ama&ig
          ske  denotati~on.  in  lzh>e  first  ,chapt,er   ,of  the  epistl~e   to     discrepancy  `between  Solomon's  gr,eat  wisdom and his
          the Remans.         It  d;enotes  a plositive  ,act  mod  `Gofd, whereby `(deep  fall'  i,nto  sin to be accounted  fair.         Ho'w   coald   a
          in  His   ho:ly wrath  Go,d-  cast  tihe  u.ngo8dly   .&hat   woulld         man  ,of   suoh  `wisdom  ldo as he  di:d--live  so extravagant-
          not-  (glorify   fH.im,   dneither  were  thanjkful,.   de,e.per  into ly; @ace burdens so mibearablle  upon the p,eople  whose
          tie mire-  lof  sin and corruption.  Tie  jbe,  sure, this' act king-he was; practice poligamy  and practice it on such
          of God &es: not ,d.estroy  ox i!gnor.e  ithe  moral -nature o9               a  scale'as he is  r,eportied  to have done; fill his  haram
          man. Be  ,gave  them  up thnouigh  their o;wn  lusts. But                    with  wolmen  taken.  from among tie  dau(ghters  of
          the fact  aemains   tihat.   #he  words  "he gave them up"                   heathen nations; and btiild:hi,gh  places  for their gods.
          denot,e  an  active   .dleli.vering  up on the part of God. Blurt            Ho,w  could a man so wise, so godly, $di,rect  his life imto
          if- this  6s  true,  itihen  .it..must   ,also  be plain that' this          such a `colurse.      This is the lastsof the   bhree  questions
          term  (does  snot at  al;1 presuppose : a previous period of                 with  whilch  my  corr,espondent  came  t,o  me.           Let me
          restraining  .grace.  Were the- meaning of the term                          give  tihe answer-one which, I hope, will remove the
          "to  let go" it would  have  sense to say that such a                        difficulty that here presents itself.
          plrevious  restraint  was  presiuppos'ed;  I let  `go   that-                    In  r,epJy$ng;   ilet me. begin  with saying that we
          whit&  I withholid-  or restrain first. But now the word-                    shoujld  not  imalgine  the cloud under  whit&. Solomon`s
          ,den&es   ia positive act of-delivering up, &is divine act ld80ings   br80u~ght.  whim,  to  halve   been-  more dense than
          <of  restraint is  rnoi  at  aI41   presupplosed;  3.  R~esi~des,~           it  factually  was. What I mean. is -that we should not
          the question arises:: why  shoualdGoXd   cautse  His common                  look for sin in Solomon's way  Iof lif,e  where. no sin is
          grace to "s#irink"  ? Dir.  Kuyper  .anls'cT"ers  : blecaus,e-men            to be found. T'o  do so is to, make it unnecessarily diffi-
          increased in  unnighteousness  and  u.ngodliness.                   The      ou~lt  f,o'r  ourselves  t,o find the proper solution for  the-
          shrimkim~g   of  con?lmon  grace was  a.punitivemeasure on                   prolblem  with which  we her.e  Ihave  to deal  ; and we. do
          the  part  ,of  God. But how .,oodtd'  men develop in. cor-                  S,olomon  an injustice.  Shoultd  we be  &it&al  of  Solo-
          rupti,on  and' break out in iniquity, as long as  Go,d- by mon'because  of his extravagance? I think  nlot.  I take
          the operation of common  -grace restrained sin in their                      .it now that my correspondent uses the term  eztruva-
          nature?  It  is  e&dent   tihat   U-US  we are  reasonmg  in                 gumce  in the sense.  not  of*  wastefulness but of lavish-
          circlles  : the caus.e  ofthe- shrinking of commoln  grace is ness, profuse,,  thus  as the anti-synonym of miserliness.
          ,tie ibreaking  out- .into  sin on'  the part. of. the xngdly,               Let us consider that God' was  extrava,gant-with  the
          and the cause of-thze:  latter is the ehrinking:of common people of Israel when they  kept His  corvfenant  and
          .g.Paoe,    The   ,causle  is the  Ieffect  and  tihfe  effect' is  tihe.    espeoial~ly  so with Solomon  whiile  he walked in the
          ,causle  ! But  `apart   fr'om-.this,  it  s,hould  be  qu>ite  cl:ear       statutes  ,of   th.e Lord. When  the-  nation kept covenant
          th&  Romxms  1  cannot   (be  referred  80  as a  proof-`&r                  fidelity, Canaan  wlas to it a  lan,d   "flowing  with milk
          the  d'octrine  of a restraining grace;  It  -tea,a.clhes   the              and  Ihoney."       So the Lordhad. promised, "And it shall
          viery opposite.                                                              come to passs  if thoa  shalt hearken diligently unto the
                                                                                       voice of the Lord  $hy-  God;. to observe  sand  to  ldo all
                                                                     H',.     H;
             . .        ._,,                                ..                         His commandments  w&h.   I.' command thee this day


                                             `T:H'E S  T..A   N.D.AiR-D   ..B'E   Al~RlE'R                                                   311

 .  .  . .that  the Lord shall  make thee plent&us  in goods             in  riches" so' well  was  in wisdom. -(  2 Chron. 9 : 15-22).
 (m~ark  you,  plenteous),  in the fruit  `of  -thy'b,ody,   an;d        Also this  :bns~yness   .of  the king  fo,rmed  a part of that
 ,in  t.he fruit of  -thy   cattle,  and in the fruit of thy             labor of-  %hich.  he :  spleaks   .in  :the-  book of Ecclesiastes,
.grdund,   inn the land  `vvhich   :the  Load  ,sware  unto thy :as having been.  laid upon his  .hands-by  the Lord. So
 fathers  to  .give   thee,   .The Lord  -shall.-open  unto thee         I  .do-  not  bel&e  that we should -regard  this doing of
 his  Igood  treasure, the '  .heaven.;  to :give  .`the  rain unto      Solomon as  itidicattie of a icarnal  lust of earthy mag-
-thy  land in,   his  :season,   %and  to`  bless all the work of        nifican'ce  and criticize him for .it. 7&e  Lord  was=   ex-
`thy  hand  : and thou shalt  llen'd  u&o many  .natio'ns,               tragant  with  hi'm. It is not so  unlikely  that these  en-
 ,and   -thou  shalt  .not   `iborrow"   (.D,eut.   28:1,   -11,  12). .;ga!gements  were pIerformed`  by ; him in the awareness
:Th&  lending to many. nations  was  made-  possible, cer- that he  foreshow,ed  one -greater than: he-Christ Jesus.
 tainly, by the Lor,d's   :.;girving  Y&m  a great  abunda'nce           -This, of course, is not saying that.  he:had   C,hris,t   .as the
of  ,his  material treasure.  -`iBrinlg  ye", said  the'Lor,d  to        idir,ect  object  #of  is- vision. :But  there ean:be  no doubt
`His:people.Israel,     by the mouth of His prophet, `.`blring           that such Old  T!estament   worthi,es  as  -.Sokomon  and
ye  .all'the  tithes into  the  storehouse,  that  there may` be         David, men of  more..than  -,common  insight, perceived
meat in mice house, and prove.:me  eovv  her&%,  sti'ch                  that the economy of  .whioh  -they. in their :capecity of
.&he  Lord lof   h,osts, if I will not open  poa:the windows             theoc&ic kings-formed. a. part,  w,as.  type and symbol.
cif  heaven,  anid  pour  you  out a  tblessing;   that  theye  shall    Besides, -a man nleed:  not:accuse,-lti.mself         if .he  is ,rich,
,no,t be- room  enough  to.  receive`it"   (Mal,~  3 :`lO)  . .In the provided  he,  can  truthfully~.say%hat  the  .Lord  has made
 Old Dispensation, and  in-  this-Dispelton  only; mater- him  ri,ch.-  `-What,  (of course, gives a man .a right to. say
&al  sbundlance  : bespoke the Lor,d's'  favor and this in this  :is that: he comes by. his: riches in. .a strictly honest
`+a@eement   -with   .the  symbolic&typical  character  .`of             way  (which i.n  thihis   -.day `is- impossibl'e)   :anld  in spite of
that- epoch. This must'  ,be born in mind in  -pa&ng -his.  not .seeking  the- things. on earth and wlorking  for
judgment upon  Sollom,on?s   ,extravagance.   Th,e  Lord the (bread-  that perishes.
<was  ,extravagant  with  hi+m. `Pleased  {with  him. on  ac-                `Solomon was extravagant in stil.1 other- ways. !H,e
aount  ,of  his  choosinlg  .wi,sd,om.  and n&niches; the Lord           ha-d-many  senvants   in.his  employ.  -His   oourt  personnel
gave  him  Iboth.                                                        :was  :,amazingly  xlange. .But  there was need-of this, too.
     S~o~l~omon  was made- as  amazmgly  rich  3s he` was                True it is that  #hihis   need.  to an extent was his own
`made -wise. Speaking now  hyperb&cUy,  the Lord                         creation (his wives and concubines numbered  lone
`tbew into- his lap. ~mountains  of Igol,d. :The .books  .of thousand), but -only to an `extent. His palace was
.&e   :Ksings   anId  th'e   Chronides  bear  out the truth of always  ,full   `of visitors.              "rAll  .the'  kings of-  th.e  ewth
this statement. "A.nd  he  (Solo~mon)   reigned  over  aill .sought  the presence of Solomon  to hear his wisdom,
the kings from  th,e Euphrates `even unto~'  the land. of that God .had  .put.in:his  .heart" -(2  Cl-rron.  9 :21)  . It
&he  Ph%stines,s  .and:to:.the:  border of Egypt" (2: Chron. was God Who  sent  %ese visitors  ; not Solomon.                               Ac-
"926).     "AnId  all the ykings  :of Arabia;  and-  governors           camodations -had-to' be made  for-  them  aIll.
-:of  -the   cou.ntry   :brought   I gold  <and  silver to Solomon.          D&d now the maintenance of a- court sd very costly
,Anld   all-the  -kings of -the  earth soulght  the plresenlce  of `:bring  Sololmon'  under the eeoessity of. over-taxing the
Solomon. . .  .and they brought every.  lman  his present, peoplle?  There are  solEd.,ground.s  in Scripture for say-
vessels  o,f  ,@ver,  &nd vessels of.  golId,   .&nd  rai,ment,          ing- that -it  :dihd-not.    -The books- of the-Kings contains
harness,  and spices,  Ihorses,  and mules, a rate every -an  .estima!te  of the- amount of- food daily -consumed by
year" (2 Chroa. 9 :14,  223, 24). "Now the  w,ei,ght  of his~ho~usehold.                      "And Solomon's provision for one day
[gold  that camle  to'Solomon  in one year was ,six (hundred             was thirty  measzlres   #of   finlie  -`flour, and  threescore
and  threescore,  and six .talents   -ofgol:d".  (2 Chron. 9 : 13) .     -measures  of' meal, ten  -fatoxen,  and twenty oxen out
Solomon  -was thus provided by the Lord  ti:th the-means                 of the pastures, -and an: hundred- sheep,  besid& harts,
f,or   ~establi,shing  himself as  k.ing  i#n  .greatest  splendour.     ,and   roebu'cks,   ,and   fallow:deer,  -and fatted fowl" (1
Be  `di,d so, rightly .bel&eving  that it was  the: Lord's will.         -Kings   .4 :22,  23). ~`-Tkus~~  h~is  prolv.ision  for -one- year-
.I&   mad,e  t@o hundred targets of beaten:  golId  ;- tihree            -co.unting   lomy +he.  -oxen and the sheep-amounted -to ;
-hundred  sh~$elds  `of beaten-  Igol'd.   M,oreover,  he  madIe         6760  %n-imals.  Certainly  -the.   burdten  could not have
him a great throne of  rivory,  which he overlaid with been'  restinjg   heaviily  on -the people- -on -account- of this
gold. There  w,er,e  six steps to it, with a  fooitstool  of provision..  .-Tbebe-,wasgreat                 abundance  in -the land at
~gold.  A lion stood on each side of the sitting place, this -tim,e.                    What is  mjore,  -only a- portion  -of-  Solomon's
six  li'ons  on' .eac#  sidle  &of  the six steps, `thus  fourteen       provision- came from  the  so&of  Canaan. --Much, if not
Ilions  in all1 and $1  of-:&old. -And  all the  Idrinking  vessels      most  %f  `it, was'  <brought   up   .by the- -nations over -which
og `king  Solom&   and,   al11   thle  vessels  of.  the forest of       he rul,ed.  .Afterstating  .his  provisions for one day, the
Lebanon were  ,of--  pure  go&d  ; none were of silver; it               sacred narrator  oonti,nues,~  "For (mark you, for) he
was  cot  ,an@hing  accounted of in the :days  lof  Solo8mon.            had dominion over  all  -the   region  on this side the
-,And.ki,ng   S&mon surpassed  &l.`the   -kings  of the earth            river. . .  .,, ( 1   `Kings   4:`23,   `24). That Solomon's
                !


       312                                   `-  THEE   S T A N D A R D  -BEA-R`E'R   '

       burdlen  was not  h.eavy,  but if anming  li,gh;t,  -is a vliewr    e%use  suggested to them by their fsorm&  superinten-
       smupported  also by a statement  sound  at 1 Kings  4:20,           dent,  Jeroboam.
       "Judah- and Israel were many, as the  sand  which is by                 Solomotits  poligamy is a mark against  h+m.  But
       the .sea in ,multitude,  eating and drinking, and mnking            here it  ~must  be considered that an ,example  had been
       merry." And further, "And Judah and  Isra,el   dwelt                set him by his  own  father.,  Daivi,d,  and  either  Old Testa-
       safely, every man under his vine and under his  fig tree, ment worthies. And  altho,ugh  the practice  Igoes  con-
       from Dan even to B,eersheba,  all  ith'e  days  ,of  Solomon" trary  to divine  ,ordinance,  it is not  f,orb&dden  in the
       (1 Kings 4  125)  . Then, finally, this scripture : "As f'or        law of  Moses.
       all  th>e  people that  w,er,e Beft of the  Hittites, and the           The only sin with which  the  sacred   narrator   charges
       Amorites, and the Perizites, and the Hifvites,  and the             `him is his loving many strange women  aed  his allowing
       Jebu,sites,   whilch  were not of Israel, but of their I&ild-       his wives  ts  ;turn away his heart after other gods.
       ren,  who w.ere Ileft  in the, land, whom the children  of          This  wan.  his  gr.eat  sin. He went far, fell  tleep..   H,e
       Israel consumed not, them  dild  Sol&mon  make to  pay              "built an high place for  Ch,emosh,  the  abomia$ion  of
       tribute until this day. But of the  chilcdren  of  dsrael           Moab  in the hill that is  besore  Jerusalem,  and  for
  `did  Solomon make no servants for his work ; biut  they                 Molfech,  the abomination of the children  ,of   Amman.
       were men  ,o,f   wfar,   .and chief of his  caphains,  and cap-     And likewise did  he for all his  ,strange,wives,   .whioh
  tti.ti  df his chariots  an'd   horstemen"  (2  Chr,on.   .8  :7-g).     burnt  incense  and sacrificed unto  their gods" (1 Kings
       With these scriptures under our eye, it cannot very                 11). Our author passes.  judfgitnent   ~oa  this sin in this
       wel'l  be  anaintai.ned  that the  Israelitish nation' was .language,   "A& his heart was not perfect  with -the
       being  ower-taxed  by Solomon. The plain design  of                 Lo?d His God, as was the heart- of David his father.
  bhese   slcrriptur'es  is to represent Solomon  as a  benevo;lent        And  Sollomon  did ,evil  in the sight of the Lord  and  fol-
       rul,er and his ki.ngdom  in its greatness-and in its pros-          lowed not  titer  the  Lor,d,  as  di,d  Dmarvid   `his father"
       p.erous,   -wle&oader~ed  oondition. The period.. of the            (1 Kings 2  :4, 6). Yget  a+,  the -heart  ,of his disposition
  judges was a time of public'  cru,deness  in whilch  there               he was a  tr.ue  believer. "And Solomon loved Ithe  Lord,
  was  no order.        The age  #of   D.a&d  was that  *of   con%immuB    wal.king  in thle statutes  qf  David his father" (1 Kings
 warfare  iri which victory oiver  all enemies came at last                3 :3). How   oodd  he, a believer,  an,d  a  tian  of such
       and with iit the beginning of a well-ordered con'dition.            wisdom  oommit  this  sin. It is wall to notice the  follow-
       But  oompllete  peace  ca.me   wiOh   So1lomo.n.   During~  his     i.ng. The great riches in silver  and'gold  are mentioned
       reign the kingdom of Israel reached its highest. And in the pr,eceding  section, chap. 10 :14-17; and also the
       at  -&is  reach  +t was the  histori!cal  prophecy of the           nurnb,er  of horses brought out of Egypt. The mention
  kinigdom  of Christ in glory. But how could-  it"have                    ,of  the many. wives immediately  fc&ws.               What was
  been this  ait this time if the people were groaning under foreseen in the law fmor  the kings  happened: "*his  heart
  the crushing yoke of a cruel ,despot  ?                                  was turned away. This  cormecti,on  tells us that it was
           But  Idi'd  not the  tribbes  after  S&om,ons'  death  ~say     not  cour.se   ~en~suality  that  garve   ri,se  to  such  a  lange
  to Rehoboam, "Thy' father made our yoke  grie+ous:                       harem,  but the reason was that as Solomon grew -in
  now therefore make  thlon  the  Igrievous  service of thy                richces,  esteem and power, `excelling all   okher kings in
  father,, and his heavy yoke which  hve  put upon  US,   lighit-          these, `he also  wishe,d  to surpass them in  th'e  largest
  er". First, it is well to notice that the yoke they speak possible harem. Here, too, pride came  #before  the fall.
       of does not mean  evlery  kind of load, but the  levy-              Second,  th&   turn&g  awny   h&   heart  occurrXe8d  in his
  work  fbor Solomon's public  b&dings.  The  worg used old age. "And it  ca.me  to pass  w;hen  Solomon was  old,
  in the original  fo,r yoke tells  `us  this. This yoke rniy that his wives turned away his heart. . .  ." Thus it
  not  be taken to mean all the burdens lai,d  on the people _ occurred at .a time  ,of   lif:e  when, in  consequen,ee  of
  i.te.  the taxes  aed  produ,c.e  which they ha,d  to pay' and           luxury and indulgence, the energy of spirit an'd  heart
  `d&v&.  But the  bornplaint  even as so  limited,  is not                deserted him. These heathen wives were a dissatisfied
  weif,oun#ded.  The tribe  l,eaiding  this insurrection is ' lot.  R,eveling  in luxury, they lived a vain, useless
  Ephraim-a tribe which  ha,d  always been exceedingly                     and dull life. It was no doubt to stop their persistent
  jealous of Judah. At the head, too, stood a man who                      Fatling  for some `diversion to break the monotony of
 `already `had tried to raise an. insurrection. Complaints                 their.  m+serablle-  existence, that Solomon built them
  from the mouths of ,such  ca,nnfot  b,e taken as testimony               ,high   pblces  for their  (gods.    It is not stated that he,
  under -such circumstances,  except  jioliaed  to okher  and              as  wel!  as his  `wives,  formally worshipped these idols.
  purely  hilsitorical  evidence.  W,e  have none  sach.  No- His sin was that he  allowsed  his strange wives to ob-
. where is  the  v&e of  complaifit  heard about this  labonr,             serve idolatrous worship-in Jerus&m  and even went
 and so~~ author, a<s  has already been  shown rela+es  to it              so far  a.s  to  favo'r  it by the  ,builtding  of  high  places.
  with praise  to So&oimon:         "But of the children  of Israel Fir&y, we should have a  right   concept5on  of Solo-
  did Solomon make no servants for his  work."                For this     mon's  wlisdlom.
  $+a+o;n   $he  cQmplfai.nt  ~-nu;st  be taken as  only  a w&ome
  G                     *                                                      TF.ere  ia &Q a wisdom that as such is to be`identi-


                                  -.       ,:T..H  E  S.T`A   N.D..A  R`D  `-B-E   k$:E   R                                                     313
                                                              .~       .:                 ._.             .  .-..    _                     _
  fied.wiJh  godliness. Christ says that unless a man bte                    another.
  born again, he cannot see, that is, spiritually discern                      These  remanks  of mine  .ap$y in all their force to
  the kingdom  qf  heaven7cannot see it in $he  sense that                   a13 the other organs of revelation.               (Solomon was thjs
  a. man cannot  en?dure  upon his eyes the sig&t  of -one*                  -ari   ,orgai  of revel&ion)  ._ By  re$son   6f  their  revel&-
  whom he bitterly babes.        Seeing  the heavenly with an tion they were wise; but spiritually they were far
  eye of love-th.is  .is true wiedlom  so that in the mind qf                from  petiection. But  their  spirikual  weaknesses. and
  the  man  endlowed,  with  it thz  things which ar,e of the                imperf,ections   di,d not bring their  tea+ings  under a
  Spirit qf  God stand Qut as a blessed aed  most desirable aloud.                       W,hat  they spoke is the, truth ; for God spoke
  entity. Tq be wise in this sepse  is to jud,ge  +n love-that               thlaough  them. This must  also-b,e  said of $he  teachinigs
  the best in ,ends  is to love G,qd and TV see Him as He                    of  S'olomon.   SQ the  qu.estion,  "how are the  question-
 bs.  .Translated  into action it is building on Christ for .abIe  al&ions.of  Sqlomon  40 be explained in the light of
  eternity and  seeking  His  kir@om and its  .Fitghteous-                   his  wlisdom,`!   :ia pne  lth,&  may  and.   mu&  be asked in
  nes's.  It is thus  the  fllow.ering  of a true faith  anId   a            refmerence   also   to,  !tet us  say,  David, king  .of  Israel; all
  livirig  hope and takes i'n the whole man-his  rn@$,  will,                the <other  prophets,; and al1 the prea,&ers  of the gospel.
 heart and all his  stren:gth.                                               Rightly  cons$ered, it is a question that may  be asked
      Now to Solomon rthe  Lord&d, `~Beh~l,d,  I  have  done                 in  regerence  $0  epery .beliwer.           Bow  iS it that  with  all
  aocbrdirtg  to thy wor.ds  : Lo, I have gilven  thee  a wisle              our  knowltedge  and  ins&U,  with  all.  our   capac.ity  to
  and &ders,t%n'ding  hea&  ; so that .theFe  .was  no.ne  like              see deeply into the. heart of matters, we persist in
 thee bef0r.e  thee, neither after thee  shall ally  arise like              transgressing  in every way and in thought, word an.d
  unto  thee"  `( 1 Kings 3 :X2)  : Of  a11  men of all  times               de.@  the  law  of God,  eve6  at  ti,mes becoming so  un-
  and of levtery  land .Solomon  wa,s  the wise@. Just what s,pliritual  tlhat-  the brethren d-o  n&  know what to make
 was this gift?  was it exceptional  go8dlieess  and the                     `of  -us artymor,e.     The simple answer is that  kno,wledge
 wisdom-thereof?  kf so,, the  oolnstrLiIc&ion  to be placed                 is not yet virtue. It   :is not  enopgh  that God put the
 on  thhe   wor,d of the  Lord that  cam!  ,to  SoJomqn  is :                truith in our hearts; Hle must also make us to love the
  Lo,  `1   have,.so   replenished-   thee   w&h  spiritual life,            truth. To hear and to do the  words of Christ, this is
 caused thy fai;th  to permenently  flower slo  wonderfully,                 grace. So you see th.at  .ther,e  is just as much  reason to
 that as a saint thou wilt tower albove  all  the saints of                  marvel at the  inoonsistenci,es  of  bali&ers in  generatl
  all history and;  wilt thus stand ou+  ais  tihi  amost amazing as to marvel at  th+e   <of  Solomon.
 mofiel  of tru.e  virtue that humanity ~$11  at any time  be                                                                       G. M. 0.
 m&de  to  behobfl.  This was not God's  .pro$mise  to  Ssolo-
 mon. If so, the promise, was not fulfilled.  S&mon
I  was  a  believer-ceultainly.  From  +he   secr,ed   r@rratifv;e
 we learn that he truly  loved-God.       Yet he was no spirit-
 ual giant  Iof such, stature as to dwarf  tihe faith of all
 other believers.. But he was a man of great wisdom,-                                                       BAuw
 a wisdom to be defined  ,as  a sanctified  ratiional   pow& of
 mind  and  ..heant  to form: 1)  ,T,hte  fittest  ,an'd truest                                      (Psalm 51;  Tweede  Deel)
 jqd.gment   m any matter  pr.esetited  for  consi'deration   ;                   Over den psalm in bet  algemeen hebben we eenige
 2) judge whait  is be&  in ends to be pursued and what bladzij,den   geschreven.   Nu rest ons nog eenige  woor-
 is;  be&  in means for attaining those ends  ; 3)  see&g Eden over den psalm in het bijzonder.
 deep,ly  into the heart lof  things both natural and spirit-                    DiEel$,aan  het begin werpt David qiich  in ,de armen
  ual; 4) summing up -relations and ,drawing  rilght  con-. van Gods  :d,eu,gden   &an  genade en barmhartigheid, van
 elusions.     Thus  Sol~omon's  gift,  rtihough  sanctified by grpote   goedertierenheid.
 graoe and in this sense spiritual was not as such `grace,                       MleFkt  er. op, dat wanneer de Heilige Geest van
 the spiritual power to love Go,d and to walk  iri the way                   God  oes ontdenkt  aan  onze zonden, we zoo oprecht  wor-
  of His commands. Hence, his  sgift  as  sulch  was no                      den  al,s  God.        " `k Verbong geen  kwaald  dat  .in mij
 guaranty against  apo&cy.  `It did not as  sulch  arrest werd gevonden  !" ,is  `de wet des Geestes des  levens.
 in  h.im  the  riotingi of sin and  empower `him to bring                   David   brengt  geen  verza,chtende  omstandigheden bij,
 himself forwar,d  as a man spiritually-perfect or nearly                    oak  niet in vers  7. Hij  heeft  niets in te brengen, dat
 so. With-  al3  hi.5 great insight he continued to be a ,dienen  Bon  om de  R,e'chter  voor hem te  sternmen.   Als
 believer with but  a smaJ1 beginning of true obedience.                     hij zijn mond open&   .het  is am  zichzelf  te verdoamen.
 His- `spiritual l,if#e  c0ntinue.d.  to be +ubject to the same              Oak   bekent   hij. zijn zonde  ni,et   .nol,ens   votens,   omdat
 flu,duation&  as that  `of any other believer.                 Hle  ,was    het  niet  te  loochenen  is,  omdat   hij  tech  uitgevondlen
 wlo&erfully wise and at once as  spiritual!ly.  foolish as is. 0 neen,  hij   bekent  en  b,elijdt  van hart& Zijn
 the `rest of God's  belicying'  people. For to discern  the                 gaesche   wezen  is in  deze.  belijd'enis.
 right  is. one thing ;' to Jove   .and  to do the right  quite                  Hoe  zit  dat.?

                                                        `,                                           .


      Hierboven  gaven  we eigenlijk  tde  reden  al&de aan.              die--zonde--met  verdragen. Dat  wordt nog duidelijker
  ~Hetkomt  bier van daan  datDavid bn  `t  voile  liicht%taat.           bij -bet  vol.gende  Avers.     Tegen U, U  ,alleen  heb  ik  ge-
  E.n omdat hij  dat  licht  bemint.  Daarom is het  be-                  zondigd  !  -Daar  is  :de overwinning. der  --genade.   -Daar
  lijden van zijn zonde t&ens een belijdenis, dat-hij  het *.glinstert  h,et `werk  -der -heiligmaking  ! Alle-zoede,  oosk
  licht  bemint.                                                          die van cd'e  tweede -taf,el  der wet, zijn  ,eigenlijk  alleen
      D,oroh bij de':kennis  @an  dat licht weet  Davi,d,   dat  es zonde  tegen.,God.   -0 ja,  .hij  had gehoereerd met  Bath-
  ontkomen  mogelijk is. `Hij .pleit  op dat licht, dat van seba en hij'had oo:k  gemoord  tegeno,ver  Usiah,-doch  ten
 `Zijn--aan?zitiht   Straalt.                                             slotte   waren   :het  zonde  -tegen  God. Alle  -werk,  alle
     W&es   ,mij genadig, 0  Gomd   ! Ziaedaar,  David,  zidh             -actie   , .allee   -.  gedauchten,  woorden en  we&en,   moeten
 +erpeede`in   :de'  armen   ,van  zijn  .God.       Wees  `rnij,  ge-    zoovel'e  uitingen ~zijn :van  liefde tegenover God.           H e t
  nadig!  `Hij  giijpt  `God  8an  in  -.Zijn-.deugden.  David            tweede:  gebod  is  .gelijk  aan  het eerste.        Het  ltweede
  we,et, -door Godldelijke:  aanspraak  ve&ean.d iijade,  :dat gebod,   .dat   wilzeggen,   ,de  tweede  tafel  .-der  -wet-stoelt
 .er o~ntkoming'm~ogelijk  is. Dat  .er deugden in God zijn op  d,e eerste. Daarom  zegt  David:  ~Tegen  U, U alleen
  die Iden  schulfdige  Ivrijspraak  kan schen~ken.                       .heb  i.k  .,gezondigd.    x
      En-dat heeft de Heere Zijn  tiolk  van- de vroegste  eeu-                In de volgende  ~clausule   -me&en  w,e op,  ho.e   -groat
  wen af  geleerd.;Die  waarheid  sehi.tterde  in  den'lgeheelen          de  li,efde  Gods. is  di,e in Davids hart is  uitgestort.  Hij
  .dilenst   ,van  Jehovah. God. zhad:  bet-.Zelf   geptie~dikt   `aan    uegt  : "opdat   -Gij.  reGhtiaardig  zijt in  Utw   spreken  en
  Atdam  en Eva,.  `De .Heere  slachtte:een'-die'r'$n        tobg.  de rein-zijt- in  Uw-   richten."      Wat bedoelt-David daarmee?
 v&en  aan  het  naakte  lichaam  van Zijn&in;deren.   `A&l               Dit :  .David   isbezorgd  over  .de  .eere  Gods.  -Hij   ve.r-
  ,off,erde  een  laq   o~dat  God'het  aan'Aclam%e$oEen  had.            waoht,  ,dat de Ibezoekeede  .en straffende  hand van God
 -0  ja, lde Heere-  had Zijn vol:k  onderw'ezen.        Zij hebben over hem zal  .-komen.                Is  ,die hand  er en  *als  David
 -bet   oak  verstaan, al is het, dat  -zij  bet  niet  266 he&r          stra~ks  ,zich  zal  mo'eten  *krommen  vanw,ege  de krachtige
z&n  als wij, die het  voorredht`  hebben van  h,et'  Kruis               hand-des Heeren die hem zal  doen  schreien,  wil,David,
  Evangelic.                                                              dat hijzelf en een ieder-het zal weten  :- al dit overkomt
      Wees mij genadig !                                                  mij, onidat iB tegen den Heere heb overtreden.             Als de
      Die genade ,Gods  is. die dengd, waardoor de Heere                  Heere  stra!ks+  "spreekt"  in de straffen,  dan wil  .David,
  Zioh  ~nederbuigt  naar het voorwerp van Zijn eeuwige                   .dat  een ieder  -zeggen  zal : .de Heere is  rechtiaardig  in
  liefde, met het  doe1   o,m  hen -zoo  schoon   en..lieflijk  te        Zijn  spreke-n.   Alsde Heere  straks   komt om David  `te
  ,maken   als Hij  Z,elf   is..                                          ri,ehten,  dan wil David dat  geheel  Israel zal zeggen :
      Is dat voonwerp  van Zijn llieffde  in groote ellende  en           Onze  <God is rein in Zijn  ri,chten  van onze koning!
  smart, dan is die  liefdk   tev,ens   ~barmhartigheid.  En              Daarin  blijkt  ,de  -1iefde   -IGods.   Die'liefde  is altijd  be-
  David was in smart. ' Probeer~  het niet ,orn-.in  woorden              zorgd ,over  God, meer  -dan  over -zichzelven.
  uit te  tdrukken   dfe  smart  die.72  verscheurt  lbij  ,de  ge-            Luistert `naar  -de Iberijmde  psalm : " !k Erken mijn
  waarwoordinlg  van  ontdekken'd  licht.                                 &huId,  die U tot  straf  bew,oog;  Uw  dloen  is rein, Uw
      David  bidt om de  verzwelging   lder   l'eelijke   sonide          vonnis-  gansch  reohtvaardSig   !"
  door de  liSeflijkheid   d>er-genade.  Hij bidt om  d,e  rom-                Dat zal heerlijk bhjken  als de H,eer,e  zal brullen uit
  mel,ende   inrgewan.den   ,Gods   `o~ver   z i j n   ervaring   v a n `Zion in den  dag   d,er   -dagen.   Do&   dart   willen   tij  nu
  groote smart bij het zien  zijner `ongerechtigheden.                    al hebben in `t diepste  hart  .en  op zij.n  minst in de kerk
     - Hier-lkomt  bij, idat  David een groote haat  beeft, een           dies  .Heeren.      Daaroim  heeft  Djaviad dit dan ook `in den
 afkeer  van de  c zonde. -  Luistert  Sl&hts   naar  hem : psalm opgenomen. Het  is,.o:pdat  hij  ons zal leeren  van
 .Wasch   -mij   we1  van mijne  ongerechfcighei'd,  en reinig de wegen des Heer'en.
  mij van anijne.zonde.  ,-Da-t is ook een van de ware ken-                    Hoe  d&p-heeft  David het  prolbleem  der zonde -be-
  merken des `Christens. Een kind Gods -haat  .d,e-zonde.                 studeerd. Let er  ,op,  dat  hij  niet   bij  d,e  bloote daad
  ,`O ja, :weweten bet wel; `dat  :dit ook.betrekkelijB  gezegd jblijft   staan.   V'erre  van de  schuld   :op zijn ouders  te
kan   ivan   sotmmigen   adie   zonder  genade zijn.  Doch  dat           werpen, rept hij van de-  erfsmet, omdat hij het de
  soort menechen  haten  de zonde,  wann,eer   ze zien en                 Heere wil vertellen- hoe zijn gansche natuurlijk'e  hart
  ervaren,   ,dat zonde pijn  ,en smart  veroorzaakt.  Als &r~dorven  is. " `t Is  met-  alleen  dit  kwaed  dat  ~roept
  leen   dronkaar,d  zijn  verwoest   1,even   en-huisgezin   ~ziet,      ,oni  straf ;. Neen, `k been in  on'gerechtigheid  geboren ;
  kan hij dronkemanstranen           schreien.    D&h Idat  is geen `Mijn   zotide  maakt mij  `It  voorwerp van Uw toren,
  haten  van de zonde zooals  wle het bier vinden.   `. Davi,d <Reeds  van het uur van mijn  ontvang'nis  af  !"
  haat  de zonde omdat  ,hij  haar kent.          Hij  zegtrdat  dan         --David  heeft een diepen  blik in zijn zondig besrtaan,
  ook in het volgende vers.         Dat   vijfde  vers  is  :de  reden    `doioh  hij kent ook Zijn God.  Uit dezen psalm blijkt
 .Ivoor  zijn bedte om reiniging. Het  redebleleid-  loopt zoo : ~duidelijh,:waarom  d'e Heere hem  een man noemt naar
  Rei-nig-mij  van-mijn zonde;  0' God! Want ik  Iwieet wat Z i j n   E i g e n   h a r t !
  monster die  zond,e   -is; Neem weg  ,mijne   ongeredhtig-                   Hij  zegi5  het al:  Zi.e,  Gij hebt lust tot waarheid in
  heid,  want ik kan het  vreeselijlke  en afzicht,elijke  van -bet  binnenste,  en in  -l&t   verborgene  maakt Gij mij


I                                                        T  Hg:  S'T'A  N.D.A-R.D   B-E.4 R E R                            .                            3x
          wijsheid bekend! -Hoe  schoon.                                                   En  clan   gaat het  hooger  op: Schep mij een nieuw
              ZOO is het. De Heere  neemt  het aangedcht der                           hart,  80 God!     En  vernieuw  in  he+ binnenste van mij
          menschen  ni,et  aan.        De  Beere  iiet het hart.  aan..  .: En         eenvast~ep..geesf!  Wat een gebed !
          het hart van David doet  juist   zooals  Gods  doet:  God                        Een  nieuw  hart :  bet  o,ude  deugde niet. Een  vasten
          en  Da.vid.b,ei,den   gruwen  van zijn zonde. Daar in dat                    gee&, de oude was  10s en  ongestadig;  en  valsch.              Dat
          .dilepe.  hart h'eeft David gesmaakt hoe.  vuiig  zijn zonde                 zijn  oude hart en zijn oude geest  niet   ,deugden, was
          met Bathseba en  te:genover   Uriah  was.                 E n   i n   het    bewezen. Al die vreeselijke  gescrhiedenis  van Bath-
          diepe  hart maakte God hem wijsheid  Ibekend.  Wat                           seba en  Uriah  had dat  onomstootelij\k   ,bewezen.        David
          een  schoonLe  belijdenis.  Ivan.  de. Souvereine  Genade.                   ,durR  266 niet  verder.  0 dat mijn- hart zoo door U
          `it Mag  niset,  ,doch   ik zou  haast  gezegd hebben: hoe                   omgeschapen  worde, dat mijn hart met de  daden   ge-
          P r o t e s t a n t s c h   {Gereformeerd   klinkt   ,die   Ibelijdenis.     paard  ~gaande;.enkel   billiijhh,eid  en  Keflijke   schoonheid~
          David zegt hier  ismmers,   dat  het  )d,e.Heere  was die hem                .openbaarde!  De  zucht  der heiligmaking !
          op het pad van den  bo&eling.zette.              Het-was-  d8e H,eere-           Onitroerend   klinkt   bet   bange:   Verw,erp   m i j   tech
          .die  .ook in die  naeht  van  slangazhtige   daden   tot  David' niet, 0 God, van  voor  Uw aangezicht. 0,  neem.tech
          zei!dle :  Z:oe,k Mijn aangezicht !         Zoek.  bet,  David,  met' niet   Uw,en   Heiligen   (Guest  van  mij   !          Van God  ver-
          groat   geween  en in de  ervaringvan  veeltranen;  Canen-                   worpen   .te  worden.!    Kan h'et  vreeselijker   ? Soms ka-n
          d.es   harten.   Wijshleid'   IGods,   h,et   ib-ewandellen   van.  ,d:e- mijn hart  achreien   voo,r  de  ontelJbare  schare   ,die  nu
          beste wegen en-het  tgebruiken.  vanrde-,beste=middelentotr                  alreede.   naar'   d'e ziel  ellendig   omzwerven:   Waar?'  En
          hetbereiken   ,van bet: hoogste: doel-:   :d:e :glorie-van  Gods.            waalrhelen?.   Z,e  kunnen  : niet  o'phouden  van  bestaan-!
          Naaun! Dat is  hetschoone   vati den  een-en~vijftiger!                      Van God  verworpen,  `onder  bet   vloeken  des  Almac%$i~
              En  ,dan:  vaart  bij.  voort   ,orn  te  smeken   om  1.ich.t:  en  :. gen;   E,en   verteread   :vu.ur,   Wiens.mlammend   aangezikht
          blijdechap.      Hij heeft  bet   zwarte  en  ,duistere van  zijn- mij altijd weer  opzoekt  ten  tkwad'e!   Kimt   ,gij  er in
          hart   ..en   dad,en   beleden..    Nu- zal hij  zich-,.   uitstrekken       komen?'  David  siddert:  0  verwerq  mij  met.  . . .
          `naar-  de vrije gave-van  .de   -lieflijlkhe,den   ,,Gods.   Spree%-            Wat dan?
          ,de   Bijlbel  niet  eldlers~  van de "gewisse  weldadigheden                    Hij  wil de  v!r,eugde  van  lGods   heil  en de  ivrijmoedig-
          Davids"`? Hij  smee~kt   om de:  withei.d. der  onschuld,                    heid `in  bet   bijzij.n  van God. En,  achj waar is God
          h&   sdhitterend   achooee,  d,er   reinheid.   Och,'   H e e r e ;          niet ?  !Hoe  zalig  is. het  Polk, dat naar Uw klanken
          waschmij   we1  van mijne  ongerechtigheid   !                               hoort,  0 God !  J-a, dat is zoo. Ge  moo,&  er  we1  bij
              .O;..indien-,dat   zijn.ervaring:mag-zijn,        dan  zal  David:       zeggen  : Hoe zalig is  bet volk en de  .Engel,en  die zoo              -
          opspringen:van+vreu,gde-  in:djn-  God; Dan  zullen   zibch                  maar  ;b;.ij  God kunnen zijn in.  .dat  land waar  nimmer
          die.  beenderen   verblijden   :die  <God:   venbrijzelde.   Hoe- tranen  vloleien  ! Stelt  het. U  tech   iv,oor:  Ze zijn in  den-
          km-men  we David. iverstaan  .1 Er  is~immers   ,geen  Mij,d--               hemel,   vlak   voor den grooten  witten  troon. En  ze
          schap,  dan- in den  gli,mlach  iGod8s?.   I-Ioe  zal' ik  ,eten  en         worden  niet weggeworpen,  noch   verbrand.  voor dat
          dnniken   jen  vroolijk   zijn,   wanneer  de Heere in mijn                  Aangezicht.   E:eu.wig   lonken   ,d,e  oogen Gods in Jezus
          voile  hart `en .daden:  dbndert  :  ,Gij zijt die man !  ?.' David'         tot  dile  a&are  en die vliegende Engelen. En  ae zijn
          wil een  effenqad  zien tusschen zijn verstoord  gemoed                      niet bang:! O-aGod,   geef mij  d,ie mrijmoedige  Geest !
          en  dten  Heere~ zijn God.                                                       Ja, als dat  geschieden  mag; dan zal David  pred,iken
              Daar,om, Heere,  verberg  Uw  a.angezicht   Ivan  .mijne                 #de  Iwegen  Gods tot de zondaars; `Dan  zal  David  niet
          zonden  .en   ,dlel,g.  uit  al  :mijize  ongerechtigheden ! Als we Meer  hoereeren,  no&moorden.   Dan.is  Bathseba veilig
          da-t   nu: neerschrijven in den:  jar,-  1942;  ad&n.   kmmen                op  8 het  adak, en mag  .Uriah  slapen den slaap der  ver-
          we dat niet  doen  zonder   aan.   bet-  kruis  van  Jezus. te               moeienis.
          denken.   ;O;  daar   h&t   g e   d e   verberging;   Daar  hebt                 Dan  zal- er  vrucht  zijn. Dan  zull.en de Engelen
          ge de  u.it,delging.  Do,&  t,en_koste van  bet  Lam.  Uw                    Gods  zich-   venblijden.  en  vroolijk   ,elkander   w*ijzen  op
          God en mijn  .God;cen.   D'avids  God-~v~erbborg  Zijn  aan,ge-              arme zondaren die in het stof liggen te  kermen;
          zieht.  van onze  zondien:   Het  zij zoo. En de-  Elngelen                      Als  dat   geechieden   ma&  d a n   zal-  e'r  e e n   Engel
          Gods  zingen  het amen  er op.               D'och  ten  koste-  van- snel~lijkvliegen~~tot~  den  Mid'delaar  en  : jubelend zeggen :
          Jezus.    De  Heeretverbor:g  Zijn aangezicht. niet'van de                   O-   Koning;Jezus   :'  ,er  ligt  een zondaar- in `t stof ! Dan
          zonde als  schuld   ,die  op Jews lag. Als  dezelve   .geeisCht              zal  Jezus'   Zich  keeren  tot den Vader en  aeggen  : Vader,
          werd; zie, zoo  -werd  Hij,  ;vlerdrukt;  .H,et  ,.bang-vrceemde             een"   arme   zondaar  roept  Uw  Naam   aan!;  En dan zal
          werd door Jesaja gezegd :  Het-  behaagde   d? Heere Hem d,en  Vader zeggen:  Ik  hoor  hem!
          :s  verbrijzelen.      Ja, hij heef.t  alle   Uwe  zonden   uitge:               En.  zoo  he&en   Deb  gebeden van David hun eigen
          tielgd;   Doch  ten koste. van  J~ZLIS,   Hij  &i&5$ Hem eindo.
          L-it om  SJwentwil;   H.ij  werd  zoo  vreeselijk-bang-   ui+                    Het.   eind,e  van het heil des Heeren.
          gedelgd,   -dat-  H i j   i n   vertwijfeling   m,xst   uitroepen:
          W,aarom, 0  Mijn `God hebt  Gij Mij verlaten ?  Hier                             Aanbiddelijk Opperwezen !
           h&t   ge  h e t   4worstelen   m e t   hoofdletters,         '                                                                      G. v.

     I


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  31'6                             !-.         X.T:HE   ,.STANDA.R'D*   B                     E    A      R      E      R

                   Verleiders En  Hun  Prooi                                  zijn tin `door  m8enigex4ei  begeerlijkheden gedreven  wor-
                                                                               den,  vrotiwkens,   (die altijd  leeren  en  nimme,r  tot de
                                                                              kennis   d'er   waarheid   klomen".
              -                                          II Tim. 3 :6, 7.              Hct  ingaan  in :dce  .huizen,  idat  ook vertad,d  kan  wor-
          Karakteristiek,   iln  Paulu,s   Bri,even   aan   Timotheqs,        den "in de families", gesehied   ,op een wijze, waardoor
  is  ~h&t  aantal  vermanigen,  dim&   dikwij.ls  waar$huwingen              het  moeilijk  iis,  bet  ware  ,motief  van  bet   vallsche   Iti
  zijn,  tegen  de  vakxhe   I;eeraars  en  -bun   valsche   Jeer.            onderschei.den.  Sommigen  bebben  gemeend,  Idat bet
  In  [de   bxeiide   B,riev,en   aan   `den   j:eugdigen   Tim~otheus  is ,d,eze  verl'eiders  te  doen   w,as,   om.  aan  de  lusten  des
  dit in hat  oogloopend.                                                     vleesches   bo&  %e  Ivieren,  zoodat  hi,er   spsake  zou zijn
      Bij-  oppervlakkige   lezcng   s&ijnt  bet  alsof,de  Apostel van het  zoehefi  van ver;der  niet te noemen ontuchtig-
 o;v;er   -dingen  spreekk   .die nog  .i:n  Id'&   verr,e`toekomst  lig-     $eden.   Wel+swaar,   zijln   !er  zulke praktijken daar,'
 gen.  Hij  spr+ekt`immers over "zware  tij,dei en  over                      waar men `eerst  begint te sp?eken  over de (e&en  vrouw
  d,e   laat%te   dagen"   ?     Wie  etihter   mlet   d,e wijze van als  Id,&   ~&ees&elijke   vr0,u.y   @enlk   aan  "Neveldijk" en
 spaeken   d,er Schrift  bek'end  i,s, weet  d.at  m,eesta.l  de  ver-        "Schapen   aonder   Hend,er"  en  "Kinderen   buns   tijgds"),
 maningen   w'orden  gesproken  poor  h:et   !he1d8en  en tie toe-            terwijl  men daar  benevens  er nog een "geestelijke"
 komst  beilde.   Wezenlijk   ie  `dat   -a.ltijld   ht   ,ge+al,  m&         cvrouw  op nahoud, die man dan  zielsvriendin   noetit
 sdit  yerschil,   hetgeen   waartegen   gewaarschnwd   tiordt                of  ,met  iets van dien aard betiteld, met  h'et  ,gevolg-  da'i
 in bet h-eden, yoridt  in verd&e en .voll,e  `ontwiikk&ng                    men  tensltotte   niets   anders   ,dan. het  vJe&soh   overh,oed.
 gezi'en  in de toekomst  `door  d,en loop dler  tijden. Aldus                Natxmrlijk,  want  h,&  was met  vlmeesch  begonnen.   Maar
 is  ldikwijlls  ied,ece veEmaZling  -rioodzakelijk  met-het oog zelfs in die  zi2ekelijke   kri.figen   b&ijR   `,dat   &ensl,otie   be-
 camp 6et he&n ens  met het,oog  op de tmoekonist.                            perld  lein  beboior8en  `d,e  nitspattingen   t& ,d.e  uitzolnderin-
      In de. eersSe  vijf verzen  van -dit  hoof(dstuk  worden                g&n.
 ,cle   ~verl~ei~ders   ten   voete  toe  uitgesclhilfd&d,   zoodat   hnun             Die Apostel  bedo&  Idaar  ,dan look  niet  voo,r   te wear-
 verschij.ning   ge,en   ver&nde.rin,g   ho,&ft  te  bar,&.  Zij              schuwen.         Ware -dat  de z&d&  gevtreest,  dan iou de ver-
 w'oulden,   tiat  bet&ft  :h<tin   innerlijk'zijn,  genoemd, lief- manin)g   gelheel   anders  zijn  gew8ees$  en  dan   zo;   h.ij
 hebbers  van  zichael'ven,   liefh'ebber;s   der   ivelltisten  en `Timotiheus   zetir  zeker  de  opd.Eaoht  hebben  gregeven,
 l,oochen.ti~rs-van  d,e  kracht, .di,e  do&  de Godzaligheild  trot geli   jlk hi j idfeed in vefband  met d'e  gemeente  be  CoFinthe,
 Bop&nbaring   moeit  kom'en.   `Dat   inti'erlijk  zijn  sd,eugt in
                                               .                              om  ~dezdken   ,o.nd&r  rdme   C,hrist&jk~e   tu&t   te  bretigen,
 geen  ,enkeI   opzi,chk.                                                     indien   n~iet  uiit  #die   ,gemee&e   te  barmen,   opciat  de  ge-
     Zekler,  zij hebben &en  gedaante of schtjn,  van God-                   meenlte   clolo,r   di,ein  weg   ao,ude   gezuiiveu?d   warden.
 &&gheild  . "VYioomheiid"   iS  huri   klee'd  waarniede  zij                         Trouwens,  :de  rtekst   weerspreekt  de  hierboven   ge-
 tcekoop   Ioopen.       D'och  de Apostel  ziet   dwars   ,door  bun         noemde   voorst&iag.  Es  woadt.  immers  gezegd,  dat
 gewaa>d  heen. H-et gepraat  `over   `den   godsdienst,   w,or,dt            deze  vrouwtj,es   "leergierig"  zija,  s&oon  het  wa& is,
 d1080r   huti-   (dasd   wieersprok.en.   ZOO   staan  zij  voo,r   d,en     dat zij nimmler  tmot .d,e  kennis der w,aarh'ei,d  komen, i&s
 aandscht  van den Apostel. De vraag  `dekt de lading clat   meet  ,onBedelijlsheid   n&s  -uitstaanlde  heeft.  Wanit
 nilet. Hun theori'e  en bun  praktijkzijh  niet  een, ,doch                  a&ij,d   <leeyen   ziet   lop  altijld   gewillig  Kijijn   corn  te  hooren.
 rtw'ee  z&en,  @e  ,elkander   absoltiurt'   `weerspreken:   Alis            Z&den   w,e de 2iekst  i,n  eigen   wfoo,rden  weer geven, dan
 zij s@x+ken  ,dan iis h:un  taal  all,eszin5  go.ds~dilenstig,  maar         vertal,eh  we als  IV;&&:  Deze  ver.leSders   sluip.en   d'e
 ,d.at  is dan  oak  alleen he!  ktleed;-waa?medle  zij zich  heb-            familiekringen   van   sommige   `der  gemeen%e  binnen  en
 ben  omrhangen.           Want,  warm&F   -filet;   toekomt   aan'  de vinden  in :d4e  ktitngen  vrouwtj,es,  (die  gem&kelijk  olnder
praktijk  des   Jleve,ns,  ,dan werpen zij  bun   kl'eed  w,eg  en            h.un   b,etooverir@   .wor;den   gebracht-vrouwtj&s   on?der
 t&en  zij te voorsehijn;  zooaIs   zij  tilerkelijk   zijq  Dan              Idlen  last  Iv;an  zonden  zijnde-geleid   dobr   ,de  neigingen
 draaik  bet  al:les  om  lhet  vleesch en  wor'dt  er ni,&ts van             van  hujn   aontdeti   ,en   ziuh  in  a;lle.Klei  richking  begevend,
 ,dlen   Gee&   gezien.                                                       <die  ook alitijd  l,eer'en  en nimmer bekwa,am  zijn, om tot
     Zeide de Apostel nu  sniet  meer, dan was het v&r  de kefinis  d&  waapheid  De k'unnen  kom'en. De Jevensrich-
 gemieente   u&r&   ;moeil,ijK,   ,om  vari  r&et  laf  ,d,ezti   ver-        ;ti.ng.  zelf  openbaati'   ,dan   versehill~eede   sehakeeringen
 leiders  te  ~on~d&kenn~en.  Maar met- de  waarsohuwiltig,                   van  zo,n,de. H,et  Jigt  `er  rnaar  `aan  naar  .welke  ketter zij
 waa&oor   Timotheus   `en   d,e   `gem&nte  zi.bh  :dienen   t,e             luisteren.
 wapenen,   gaat   nag   gepaa%(d  de  vi.ngerwijzing,   cxmtrenk                      W& betreft bet  in&an  toit ,deze  huizen  merken we
`het  hio'e  van bun  list&e mani,er  van we&en. Zij  Beb-                    op, ,d& dfe  wijze van het optxed~kn  van  ,deze  mannen  (den
 hen-   :h,et  gemimt  op de onvaste  zEelen,   `die;  hoewel  leden          indrulk  ;traehtte  $e bew.erken,  &of h&c  hen ite  doen  was
 der  gemeente,   voor   allierlei   ver'derf   bloat   staan  en-  er        brn  anderen   te  leeren.   Wat  nu  preei'es   bun   mtetihode
 gehoor   aan   1,eenen.                  .                                   w.as  v&t niet  met   zekerheitd   te  %eggen.              Te oordeelen
     Meet nadruk wijst  d'e Apostel lhi,er op als-hi-j zegt  :                near   ,hu)ti   fdoel,'  dan hebben- zij  zieh   vobr   gedaan   svls
                                                                                                                                            .
 "Want  &ze  zijn het  ,dile  in de huizen  in~luipen,  en                    zijnde zeer  .go,dsdisen'stig.                                       ,'
 ,nernexi  `de movwkene  gevangen die met zonden  beleden                              Zij hebben  immers   &n  "gedaanke"   vsin   godzaJig;
                                                                                        ~.


                                                 T H E   STANDA,RD   BE.AR-ER   .                                                                      317.

heid.   D!e  vorm ontbreekt  :ni,et. We mogen  ,wel   zeggen,                    lgiffe.nis,  he .bioete  ,en  thet berouw voor God .dlen  Heere.
gelijkhet  meestal is, ,dat  hoe meer ahlet  w'ezen  id'er ,golds- Zichzelven   te kennen, vergeving  te zoeken in het  bleed
dienst   ,ontbreekt,  des  te menigvddiger   word,en  dbe  Tar-                  van  Christus,  is taal  .di,e  zij niet  km-men, maar dok niet
men. Altijfd  leen  teeken  van armo'ede, a&  )de vorm  oar-                     wi.&ti   verst&n.           Hek   ,is de  godsdienst   idles   vleesches,
zaak   wordt  dat  men de boofdlzaak   nlet   m,eer kan vinden.                  die  zi&zelf   vleit en zichzelf  streelt. Is   rhet  tdan zoo
H,et  is  vvaar,   ,ook   ,d,e   leenvoadigste   vorm  isgeen   waa,r-           verb.az0n.d   moei.lijlk   :om   te  -zien,   `dat   m!en  zeer "gods-'
iborg   rV!oor  .de lechUxeild  ,des l&&en.        Maar  alms   ,dat  waar   ~dienstig"   zij.nde   tooh  met zonde  belladen   blijft?   Wie
is  tdan  kan. bet  zonder  tegenspreken  worden   gezegd,                       moeten   we1  `verstaan,   dat  Bet  look   ,hi(er   geld&   w,ile  zich
idat,  waar  bet w'ezeln  .ontbaeek.t,  (de  vorm  des  te grooter               keert  van  bet  Wlooad   Goads, begeeft  zioh   tenslotte tot
ilnd.ruk  rnlo,et maken-welke  vor,m  .het  `da-n ,ook  zij.                     alles   wat   mlet  Zijn  Wooed  in  strij'd is.  Z,ond#e  balart,
     D'eze   verl~ei~d~ers   waren   ,dan  bo;ok  zeer  `drukke  men-            zonde,   maar  voo,ral  i:n   id'e  kring van  Cods -Kerk.
s&en. Zij  spraken   maar   nilet  in  !de  publimelke  Isamen-                       Deze  zware  tijlden  ii'en  Idan `oak  niet  op :een  ivervol-
komsten   :dler .gemeente,  neen, zij gingen eelr  (oak  up  u.ii                ging van buiten af. .Ook  dat  zal  zeker  @omen,  do&  is
en bezochten  IdIe  :h,uizen,  torn .op gehe.el  particuliere wijze              met  ,d$e   gevaarhjkste   vijland   tegen   w5en  #dfe   Kerk   zal
,de  mensohen   6e  ,onlderwijzen,  zij  bet dan  look,  `dat  zij               moeten   strij,den. Juist  het  tegen,deel  is  waar.  Van
bdit   idedlen   xonder  het Woord  #of   meet  verdraaiink   van                buiten   ,af  .weet  zij;-   tdat  lhet   ko'men   zd   ,en het is nooit
,hetzelve.                                                                       moei,lijk   ,den   vijlanid  te kennen  ten   Ite   herkennen.  Hij
     Zij  ha&en bet  -eohter   gemunt   mopi   ld,eze  vlrouwkens.               is  al:tijd   ldezlelfdte,   `di,e  zioh   mset  ruw   geweld   werpt  og
Wlaarom  juist  ideze  vro,uwen ? lemaml zegt  ;ergen's,   dait _Id,e  soh.aapskoo,i  van  Ch~ri,stus.  De  bri~esch~ennde  ieeuw,
tde   Apositel   ,spreekt   v a n   "vr,ouwen",   lomdat   dlezle   ge- `die   roind@at,   bruit   [door  de  w#erel,d,   ,di'e  de  K&k  zal
makkelijker misleifd  lkunnen  worden.                D,at  is wei  waar,        v&en   verslin~den.  d <Gods  Wooed  `en de  .geschi,edenis  der
maar   dan   ,ook   al,leen~   als   bet  zu.lke   zijn,   wlaarvan   `de        Kerk  zijn  tons  genoegzaam  bekend,  Nom  te  wet&   wat
tekst  spreekt.   E r  
                                 ,zijn   look   bee1   veel   afnd'eren.   Ons iedere   keer   weer   #de  taktiek  zd  zijn in  !het   aanlvlaLlen
@n.&wooad  is,  ,dteze   "vroIuwkens"   thitelden,   even&   hunne               van  `den  Bmooze.
verlei,ders,   xhet   wezen   poor  Iden  vorm.   Wezenlijk  was                      Neen,   poor  ,d#e   Kerk  zijn de  zwaarste  tij den,  wan-
bij  leermeester   `en   leerlinge   bet  B&e   nloodige   nilet   aan-          neer zij in  haar   boesem   meded~raagt   (de type van  `de
wezig.        Daarom  valid het on'derwijs  ,er ook zoo.  ma,ar  in.             f`vrouwkens'?,   :die  zichzelf  lleeraars   kiezen.             De  ai&
Be&r nog, de  vorm  werd   &enlijk  voor  $et  wlezen                            ml&en  van bet .liehaam  van  C,hristus,  ~zooals  idat  liohaam
gehooden.          Daarom   ,zijn  zij  dan   sook  gewillige   leer- in  bet iichtbare  tot  `openbaring  komt.,  brengt  I&- ver-
lingen,   Idle,  h,oe   kinderachtig   oak  zijn  go,dstdienst  mo'ge            lIeidlers   uit   haiar   ,eigen   .lendenen   voort.  Ezn   look   d e
zijn, bij  zulke   mensehen   seen  luistereed oor  vi&en.                       "vrouwken~s".         Daar   ligt poor  haar  de  zwaarste  etrijld,
    IGodsdi~enst  kan ;o!ok e.en  zalak  van amusement  zijn,                    .om   ni,et   al&es  .wat  ook  `d'e   schijn   moge   .zijn,   poor  bet
wsardioor  het  -vleesoh  w'ordt  gestreeld.             Zie  rnbaar ron-        wezen  te ho~~Ien. Wite   ldat  niet  zi8et, we&t   juist in de
tdom   U #en luister `eens  naar d lhet  hum,anistiixch   gedoe,                 hand  !het  geva.ar,   Idat geh.eel  zijn Kerk   opgaat  i.n   vorm
d,at door uw radio  k'omt.  Zielfs   voor  .dle   verkoop   van                  zomler   w8ezen.                                         .
een doos  .schoensmeer  wil men nog  we1  godsdienstig zijn                           Tiemeer  nog,  waar   geheel   `dit   werk,   dat   uit  bet.
en look  we1  poor bet  bakken,  van  lhet  brood en ide oake,' &esch sopkomt,  ,zich weet voo,r te (doen  ralsof  bet tot bet
zin-gt  men :de  mhymne van  all'e  herken.                                      :echhe   wezen  der.  .dilehnst   .des H'eeren  ,beho;ort.     Er is een
     Z.oolfang  men ld.an  ,ook  maar  m,et lelen  waas  of vernis               zehere  mate van list  tale  nooNdig   .om   anderen   te  ver-
zijn go d~sdienstig  gesprtek  inklleed,  ,w%en   ,dleze "ivrouw-                lleiden.    H'et   eeemt  ,een   o:nstamdvastig   karakter  en teen
ij,es"  w,el  inaar  jan `en  a&man lu~isteren.             Daarom   idan        persoon   bela~den~met  zonden,  ,om  `er  zioh   ,op be beroepetn
o;ok   zegt   ,d!e   Ap:ostel,   !dat zij  Idoor   $d'ez,e   l,eeraars   ZQO,    zeer   go8dsdi~enstig  te  zijn-al$h.ans          "vroom"   te  kunnen
gemakkelijk   gevanigen   kujnnen   worden   genomen.   Z i j spreken.
komen   niet   sl'eehts   .onder   <den  i&r& van  !deze   ver-
;Ieiders,   ldooh   worden   zelfs   (door  hen in  vervoering  of                    En  bet i's   jai&  dan zoo gevaarlijk,   tom.al~ledei  leer
verrukking   gebracht.                                                           loo8gluikend   ,toe te  1a:ten.        Want   ni'et   alleen,   jdat  ver-
    ~Geheel   bet  spreken   van   deze   verl:eiders   heeft  vat llei~ders   ,en  ivledeid!en  ten verderve  gaan, majar   oak  voor
op  len vindrt   zijn aanknoopingspunt            in h&u.n  zondig tie-          tijd  Ien  wijile  werpen dat  so0r.t  men&en  ,zich gaa:rne  ,op
geen. En wat verschil  maakt   bet dan wie  spreekt,                             als de  verpersoonlijlking          lvlan  de  wijsheid; die  ,er voor de
zoolang  als  er  aan  het  zondi,g   Ibegeeren  wordt  vol- ,genxente  van noode  is.
,daan.   Zelfs  is  ler  telkens   meerdere   ,behoefte   ,om  naar                 Wat   er  etihter   rontbreekt  is:  D:e Dennis  ,der   Waar-
allerlei   leugen   te.  lui,steren,   zoolang   a l x   a l   idit  ,ge-        .beid
Bnoei  ,en zondig gedoe  maar   olvertrokken   wordt  m&t                             Dsarom  geeft  look  al  bet leeren  voos d:iezellfde  men-
,een  schijn van  godsdi:enst?              B,eladen   m e t   zonden,' schen  ni,ets, behalve  tdan, dat  de bhmle  nog st,eeds meer
maar van  zdndel,ast   ,en  zondeschuld  weten   zij   niet                      bl.insd  wordt.
af,  sevenmin  als van de noodzakelijkheid  ,der.   rvler-:                                            `_                                      w. v.  t


                                                                    :_

3     1         8                          TH-E   STANDAR.6   BEARER

                                                                   the ninety-five were the occasion of the breaking forth
     The Significance Of The Ninety Nine
           -                                                       of the -reformation, -may be- the reasons why these
                              Theses                               theses `under discussion were forgotten through the
                                                                   ages.
     The reader of these lines is warned, at the very                     Focussing our attention on the theses proper we
outset of this essay, that he must not  coafuse  the               wish to 1cal1  attention to three matters.
"ninety-nin.e  theses" with the "ninety-five  th,eses".                   First of all to: The main subject of these Theses.
This warning is  not  superfluous, for  noit a few will                   The great subject treated of in these theses is:
when reading the title invariably think of  Ithe  eve .of          The  B,oedage  of the Will of Sinful, Fallen Man. It
all-saints day, .dct.  31, 1517, when Luther nailed his            is the same subject that Luther later treated in his
ninety-five theses to the door of the castle church at             book "The Bondage Of The Will", written against the
Wittenberg.          S'omeone  may even say, when reading          Diatribe  (abusive   d.iscourse)  of  Erasimus  on this sub-
the title to this writing: Now that is a serious error             ject.
on either the part of the writer or the printer.                          The position taken  ,by the great reformer, is that
     The reason for this is `obvious. The "ninety-nine             man's will is  spiritua~lly   not  able  and  fTee  to choose
theses of Luther  .are little  kn'olwn.  So little, in fact        the good, but that it is in bondage. To show that this
that  librarians at accredited  oolleges  and seminaries is  th,e teaching' of Luther we  w.ill  quote from the
told me and w.rote  me, that they had never heard of               "theses" -quite ext,ensively.          (For the sake of brevity
the "Ninety-Nine Theses"; that  t.hey   wer,e  ivlery  sorry,      and  cl,arity  we  (will   numgber  them-between  ,brackets.)
but they could not ,give  me a copy of the same in full, _-               Luther says (4) "It is true, that man having be-
neither  conld  thley   giv,e  me- any criti,cal  discussion on    come a  bad.tree,  is not able to-do or to will, except evil".
them.                                                              (Veritas itaque est quod horno.  arbor mala factus,  non
     However, after some correspondence with the  Pritz-           potest nisi malum velle et faciere) . Thus also in (5)
laff Memorial  Li,brary,  St; Louis, MO., they informed            "It is false that the desire left to itself  `(appetitus
me that they only had these "theses!' of Luther in                 li,ber)  is  ab,le to choose in  ,both   oplposites  (the good as
Latin. I bere wish to acknowledge my  indetbtedness                wlell  as evil, G.L.) (in utrumque oppositorum) indeed
to them for loaning me the "Works of Luther" (Opera                it is not free `but  in b80n'dage."
Lutheri)  as also to the Rev. Petter for his kind assist-                 That Luther has in mind spiritual and not physical
ance in the translation and for his helpful suggestions            bondage (the latter would be "determinism") is  &-
in general.                                                        dent from the following. In (6) he-writes :?it is false,
     A few remarks concerning the history of these                 that the  wil.1  is able to conform itself by nature to
theses may first of all be in order.                                             .  v"
                                                                   ri;h$eachm,  se con 
                                                                                        (        ormare
                                                                                                 f,          d,ictamen   recta   natur-
     It is quite certain, that these were written in the                        Here Luther speaks of two matters, which
year of 1517, possibly some months before the writing merit  <our  attenti,on.                (a) He does not say that the will
of the ninety-five. At  th,is  time Luther was professor           does not conform itself- to anything, -does not choose
in the university at  Wittenberg,  a man of good stand-            at all, but that it cannot conform itself to right teach-
ing in the Catholic  chu.rch  of his day. Luther wrote             ing.  (,dictamen   recta)  ; And as we shall  .have  occasi,on
these theses, b,ut :did  not publish them. H,e  sent  them         to demonstrate in an other  connecrtion  is this  .essay
to the theologians at Erfurth to a certain John Lange              this "right  tea'chin.g"  is the good  .Law  of  ,God   (-Lex
at that  tim,e  Prior. H,e wrote as follows : "My suspence         [bona) . .  (b)  He says that this is so of man "by nature"
as to your decisi,on  upon these parad.oxes   d.sgreat,  ex-       (naturaliter)  .       Luther here refers to the spiritual
tremi,  t:oo  ,gaeat  perhaps, and full of anxiety. I strong- olperation   <of  man's  .mind and w$ill, `as spokmen of by the
ly suspect that-your theologians will consider as  para-           apo'stle  in  ,Eph.  2 :l-3. That thus it was  befor,e  the
d.oxical,  and  evlen  as kakodoxical (unsound doctrine, mind of Luther is evident from  whit   he.  says in (7)
G. L.) what is in my oponion very orthodox (sound                  to wit, that the will "necessarily brings forth works
teaching, G. L.) . Pray inform me as  Boon  as possible deformed and evil, without the grace of  God':.  Burt
of you.r  sentiments upon them. Have the goo'dness  to that  fromthis  `"does not follow (net. . . sequitur) that
declare to the faculty of theolo:gy,  and to all, that I am        the will is naturally `evil, that is, that it is  th:e  nature
!-prepared--to  visit you, and to maintain these propo- of evil, as-the Manicheans teach."                       (quod sit  naturali-
sitions  publi!ely   ,either  in the  ,university  or in the ter mala, id ,est, natura mali, secundum Manichaeos) .
monastery."          BistorzJ  of the Reformation,  D'Aubigne.     It should not be forgotten, that the Maichaens,  sought
Vol.. I, p. 245.                                                   for the  brinciple of sin and  ,evil   .in "matter" in the
     Luther never  r'eceived  any notice from  th,e theo- material world. Consequently they did not see the
logians. It was only after  pulblishing  the  niney-fiv,e          doctrine of the "old man"  jversus  the "new man" as
theses that the world was set aflame with reformatory taught by Scripture,  -but  they spoke of the  "hilgher"
fire. The fact that these theses were ignored, and that and the "lower" in man.- The  "hi.gher"  the soul is


                                           TH.E  STAND.AR.D   B E A R E R                                                        3 1 9

  the good in man, and the "lower" the body. is evil.                   work the works of the law".        (Mal.edicti  sunt omnes,
   Now Luther warns that this  constru&i,on  must not be                qui operantur oipera  legis).
  placed on the "bondage of the will".                       0  1.          How can man come under the judgment (81)
      It is a  spi,ritual-ethical  question. That such  isthe "Blessed are all who work the works of. the grace of
- case is most clearly expressed in (17) "Man is not God"? Luther answers (29)  "T.he  highest and infal-
  `able by nature to will  IGod  to be God, yea, rather he              lible preparation and unique disposition unto grace,
   wills  ,himself   t,o be God,  ,aed  God not be God,`.  (N,on        is the  ,eternal   ele,ction   and.  predestination of God,`.
 potes homo  naturalt,er   vell,e.   Deum   esse  Deum, imo             (IOptima  etinfallibilis  ad gratiam  praeparatio et  unica
  vellet   se  ,esse   Deu!m,  et  Deum  non  esse  Deum). "To dispositio, est  eterna  Dei electio et  Praedestinatio)              .
   assert (18) theref,ore  that man can choos,e  God above              For (30)' "on the part of man, nothing precedes grace,
  all things  is's   f*ictitious  term, yea, a  monstrousity"           except indiaposition and rebellion against grace".
 (Derminus   f&us,  sicut Chimera).                                        From the above can be seen the great theme of the
      According to Luther the evil of man's will is                     Ninety-Nine Theses.
  brought to manifestation by th,e good law of God.              He
  .stresses  that the  ,ethi!&   ,of  Scripture is a matter of
  love, question  ,of  the heart. It is  evlerything  or noth-             The second matter to which we call attention is:
  ing.  H,e writes  .(64)  "But it follows that he, sins, not           Luther's Purpose In Writing These Theses.
  spiritually fulfilling the law"  (.Sed  sequitur, peccat                 The doctor of Wittenberg did not intend these
  non spiritualaliter  legem  implendo).  Limkewise  he af- "theses" to be against the Catholic church. He "believed
  firms (65) "he who spiritually does not  becom,e  Jangry,             an holy  cathohc  church" and  Iwas  " a living member
  nei+her  lusts, does  :not  kill, f.ornicate  and steal". A n d of the same". As  such-his  purpose was to  sarve the
   (67) "It is the justioe  of hypocrites not  -to  kill in deed        church. from errors, and heresies whi!eh  had crept into
  and openly, neither to commit fornication."                          .-her.  The error of  PeIagianism  was undermining the
      This  ,good   lgw   f,orces  the "evil will', to show that every  foundations of the doctrine of grace. And it is
  it is exceedingly evil. It is (71) as "good law of neces- against these errors, that this product from Luther's
  sity an evil to the natural will". For (86) "the will of              pen is pitted. And as we saw above, they were direct-
  anyone so-ever prefers if it were  poss,ible,  that there ed  tom-the universities of his day, the theologians who
  (were no law, and itself altogether free'.                           were departing from the faith of the Latin fathers, at
      Luther  also  asserts, that  .man   alzunzjs  sins, and .whose  head `Luther places Augustine.
  neaer   .keeps the law. He writes (63) "He continually.                  That such is the position of the Reformer is evi.dent
  sins (Assidue peccat) who. is -without the grace of from the  -theses  themselves. In (1) Luther writes :
' God, not killing, not fornicating, not  stea1in.g"  (qui              "To say, that Augustine speaks excessively against the
  extra  gratis D,ei est, non occidendo, `non moechando,               heretics, is to say, that Augustine nearly everywhere
  non furando) .                                                        deceives.?'  Aed (2) "the same is (the) Pelagian  @on-
      But what must be said of thtose  cases where there .tention)  and cone&es to.aIl  heretics an opportunity of
  is a certain external orderly deportment, and adher-                 triumph, yea, indeed, of victory".
  ence to the  bw of God? Is there not a  #certain  "in-  '                That Luther's purpose is to maintain the teaching
 cli.nation  of the will" toward the law of  (God,  a certain          of the Latin fathers, he by implication states in (51)
  `%elatiivle  good" ? (The reader ought to compare  "Dje              "It is strongly to  .be doubted, whether the opinion of
  Drie  Punt,en  In Alle  D.eelen   Geref~ormeerd"`  by Prof.          Ar,istotle  was held among the Latin fathers" and in
  L. Berkhof) .         To this Luther answers.:  (77)   `!A11          (99) "In this book  (volumn)  nothing is said, neither
  works of the law, Iwithout  the gra,ce  of -God, outwardly           do we believe taught, by us, what is not in agreement
  `appears `good, but inwardly it is  sdn?.       (Omne  oipus         with  txhe  Catholic church doctors".
  legis  sine  sgratia   Dei,.   foris apparet bonum, sed  intus           Luther  therefo8re  consciously takes position upon
  est  pescatulm)  .     And here Luther has in mind the               the  Augustiniian   traditioln  in the "Theses". His  pur-
  virtues of which pagan philosophers sing  ; the scholas-             pose is positive, not negative. He wishes to build, not
  tic teaching of the good of man, without the gr.ace  of              destroy. He is  consenvative  in the good sense of the
  Go.d,  following the ethics of Aristotle.                            word. This does not mean that he Ql,erates  what can-.
      But how does  L&her  explqain  this phenomena- of not be taken into  th,e  structure of Augustinian theology.
  "outward righteousness"?  :Hs  says (79) "a will turn-               To -the contrary, these must be shown to be false, and
  ed unto the law, without the cgraoe  of -God, .does  this ,as  not having a part in the truth of God.
  for the  endeavouring  of a kind of advantage of its                     The ,representative  teachers of these heresies, who
. own". `(Conversa   voluntas  ad'  legem  sine  cgratia  Dei          are attacked by Luther are those standing on the
  ,est comunod,i  sui talis) . However, this striming  to out- Aristotelian-Aquinian tradition. Sometimes the re-
  wardly keep the law  does not have the sanction of the               former merely speaks of them  all  in one breath, and
  Law-giver,  and.  therefore (8) "Cursed  are-all  who then again he singles out their  tea.chings  and  calls


                                                                      __



320                 o                        T.HE  S T A N D A R D  BEAR.ER   _

th.em  by name. Those mentioned are: Aristotle, Por- however,- attribute a formal. value to  logics, and the
phyry of Tyre (b. 232-d. 304 A.D.)  Wilii,am  of Q,ccam                     syllbgism.    Says he: (48) "`it does not follow, that the
(1280-1350?)  Duns  Scot&   (X%5?-1308)  Gabriel Biel truth of the Articles of the trinity  conflick  with the
(1425-1495   (.~                                                            sylloy&tic  forms". `(Non  tamen   ldeo  sequitur,  verit-
    `These  men.   all  -h.ave  in oommon,  >hat  they teach                atem   &%iculi  Trinittis repugnare  for,mis  syllogistics) .
that man in the way of -rational processes and judg-                          Lu;ther   .therefore  does not deny that logic has a
irnents  can come to the--kno.wledge  of God,, apart from                   place .in theol'ogy.       The truth of  revelatio,n  is not  ir-
revelation.  `These  were the men of the synthesis  be-                     rational, although it is not the product of reason.
tween theology  ,aed   philosoljhy.   -But  as always  the
la$t,er  pred'ominated  <over  the f,ormer.      The  axiom  herle              Thirdly we wish to call attention shortly to: the
is : "Intelligemus   `- ut  icredemus",      we Bnow that we Significance  of these  Theses.
may believe. Luther said following Augustine: We                               Historically, these theses  have  great  significance
belierirre in order that Iwe  may know.                                     for the churches of the reformation. They show that
    !Of  Porphyry Luther writes : (52) "It had been the  Refdrmation  was in its birth not merely  reaction-
good for the church, if Porphyry with his universals                        ary against some abuses in the church, but that the
had not  ,been  #born  a theologian". (Bonutm  .erat  e(ccIesia,            de,epest  questions in life were at stake. It was the
si  the801togus  n,atus  non-. fuisset  P,o.rphyrius  cum sui question of--God  or-.man,  grace or "good Iworks",  sevela-
universalibus)  . Of this  Porphyry,  M. De Wulf "His- tion or reason of man. And the Reformation stands
tory  bf  Mediyeval   Plhilosopliy"   rpkge  140, writes  as. for the former of these alternatives.
f,ollows   : "The  Isagoge  (,PorphyY'y's   introducitory   corn-               Protestantism in distinction from Catholicism  fol-
mentary on Aristotle's  logics.   - laws  `of thinking)                     10,~s the Augustinian conception of sin and !grace.            It
stu'dies   the  five predicables :  (.genus,  species, specific was for Luthep  more than a logical problem of seeking
difference,  proper&ty.  accident) i it served a.s  an intro- : after truth in the abstract  ; it was  .for him a question
du.ction  to l&e  study of the Categories."                                 of life or ,death.      ICatholicism  left the Augustinian tra-
    "In the  fsffigoge  Prophyry  do'es  not go beyond  $he                 dition, and  Icontinued  in the  A.ristotelian-Aquinian
logical aspect  ,of  bredicables,  he does not enquire into                 error. Even the counter-reformation           did not have the
the  renl  or-ontological significance  `of the  ,Catxbories.               spiritual potentiality to retrace its  st'eps.  Hence the
He  .meTely hints at the great problem of `the  o:bjectively                theology of Roman Catholicism is  Pelegian-rational-
of universal  notion,s  : and hjs statement of the  ,qLlestion              istic. One has but to inquire into, their conception of
later on  b,ecame  the starting point of the "universal"                    "man"  "'unag&  of God" "the fall"  aed it at once be-
controversy".                                                               comes evident that they  .are  Pelagian. Man is "natural-
    N'ow  it w,as such  men as Tho,mas  Aquinas and Duns ly $OO'd".                       He is good "in puris naturalibus". What
Scotus  and  .,Gabri,el   B&l,  who  ,&limed  that the ktiow-               man lost was the "image" which does not belong to
ledge  `of God `was  possible in the way of reason. This                    man's essense, for it is some added besides, it is
is  noit   mer:$y  the  opillioxi   `.Of  Luther,  Ibui;  also of  a        "superadditum".
scholar such as W. D. Ross. Writes he:  -"St.  Thomas                           Now it is a remarkable phenomena that the theo-
and Duns  Sootus  e&pressed themselves cautiously, but logical "issue"  df  1924 Was centered about the same
-tendled  to interpret *Ayistotl$s  God in a. theistic sense." questions, as Luther is treating in th,ese  theses. The
Aristotle,  page  183.                                                      question in thlese  theses  .are  of such  a nature,  that it is
   - Over `against  these  men, Luther states that this                     "ei-ther  or". One must choose for Luther or  f&r the
Aristotelian in.ter.pjr,etation  of God and divine matters,                 Scholastics. Points II  aed  III of 1924 choose the latter
can have no place in theol,ogy.            Just as it is true, that $of  the  $wci.  Now I know, that the  .approach  to the
the will  ob  ,man   ,cannot  find God, so also-his reason  loan-           questions in these "points' `is different from that of
not reveal Him. The one is as absolute as the other.                        the Schohstics  And  Roman Catholicism.  F,undament-
for (41)  "nkarly-  the whole  Aristohelian   ,ethi&  is bad                ally  there is no difference. Both  ar.e   Pmelagian.  The
and hostile to grace". AnId  (42) "It is an error (to `one-speaks of the "restraining influence of the Spirit"
say) that tlie view of A.ristotlk  concerning ha.ppiness  i,s               whi,ch  is not  r,egenerating,  and so  la?an can perform
not in co:nflict  ~wit.1~  thle Catholic doctrine." And again civil righteousness,  can   litve  a  naturally   goody  life.
(43, 44) "it is error  ito say  th&  without Aristotle-&e                   Rome also teaches  that man can live a  natzLra&  good
is not a theo180gi,an,  pea one is not a iheologian,  except life  .by  virtue of his being "in  puris  naturalibus".
he become with.  Aristotl,e.'   '  An,d  therefore  accor.ding              Luther  d&es  berth.
to Luther the whole  #matter  can  be  thus stated: (50)                        That those who maintain  tile "points' `of 1924 must
"Briefly the whole Aristotle is to theology, what  dark-                    speak of the "tiystery"  when  the`error  of tlieir stand
n.ess  is to -li.gh&."                                                      ifi  pointed  `out,  is due to  the fad that  they  attempt  fro
    This can' only mean tha$  materidly  Aristotle, (i.e. bringArisfotl,e  and Augustine together. They &tempt
r&son)  can  give nothing to theology. Luther does,                         a synthesis bettieen  "natural theology"  $d  the Yevela-


                                                 T H E   S.TAN.DARD.   B E A R E R                                                          .3.21

 tion of God. It may be that not all  arfe   conscious  of                      mobe,  readily `than another,. and some `will show out-
 this who maintain the theory  .of  common grace. They                          standing ability in one subject while others will show
 also do not  go as far as Rome does, (but  thtit  is not  dne                  ability-   iri  solne   `other   subj'ect.
 to  th'e  teaching of "`points II and III"  lblit   d.ue  fo  an                   By  the time the child has reached the high school
 inconsistency  &of  the  defgenders,  because  they  hold to age  th,e problem of his  educetion  fully asserts itself.
 Calvinistic -tradition.                                                            The period `betweeti  the ages of  twelve  ,or  thirteen
     I am aware  that this is saying quite a lot, `but the                      and `eight,een,  commonly known as  the. pe&od  of early
 con+iction  has grown  upon   me  durifi&  the past few adolesaence,  marks a 8definite  change in the child him-
 years, that "common-.grace"  is not an outgr.ow,th  ,of  the self. He `begins to assert himself  an'd  take on maturity.
 A~~gustini&C%l6inisti:a          tradition, but  ,of  the  Aristo-             The childishness disappears and physically he begins
telian-Aquiliian      synthesis. At least that is the judg- to look  "gram  up". His features  `change,   hii  cha;r-
 ment  #of  `Lather in the Nine-Nine Theses.                                    acteristics and interests become- more pronounced.
                                                               G. L.            He becomes more independent in his thinking,- not
                                                                                merely accepting the word of parent or  tea!cher,   ,but
                                                                                tries So reason  o,ut the problems he  .meetS  by individual
                                   -                                            thinking. Almost  oivier  r&h&  the child of yesterday
                                                                                outgrows his shorts  OT  her braids, and has -become
                                                                                an individual who must be treated as such. In this
          Education In High School Age                                          period of transition between childhood and maturity
                                                                                the  ,educatilon  becomes an education  #of the individual
     Trainin,g  tile  child in theaway  he should go, wei.ghs                   and must serve to d'evelop  and culitivtite  the particular
 heaivily  with the  .pasent  who is conscious of  heis  re-                    abilities  <of  the individual child. The oppo;rtunity  must
 sponsibility as  :parent:   T.o  devellop  and cultivate the -be  taken in its stride  ibecause  the high school age
.`tal,ents  which  ,,Go,d has  lentrust,ed   to our  chilldr.en  so             passes swiftly by and maturity is soon reached.
 that   *hey   scan take their  God-,given   pla'ces  in life, is a                 The   timie   leomes when the rparent  faces  the question
task  w&  cannot esteem lightly.                                                with all its i,m$lications  :' shall I send my child to Bigh
     As the child  .grows  older, the  proMem,  instead of                      school? .
 .dissolving  itself, Ithrusts  itself fully upon us.                              `T-h%  -question  is of a  oomparatimely  recent date.
     During the gralmmar  school years the question of Not many years ago only the well-to-do were in a
 ,edu&ion is a comparatively simple one. To'day every                           position to give their chilcdren  a high school  educatfon,
 parent  realizes  that .a  gramimar  school,  ,educati,on  is while those of moderate means even wondered as to
 essential to the child's  future  welfa.re.              For he himself        the value of it. No one went .to high school unless he
 has  neith!er  the time nor  khe  ability to  ,girve   hiti  the               had in mind Borne  definite profession, such as becom-
 education  he  needs.  Besid,es,   ;the  laws  again,&  illiter-               ing doctor, or lawyer, 6r .minister.  By the time that he
 acy,  ,espedially  in  ,o,ur   .count,ry,   ar,e  ,definit,e   enough   ,on    had finished the' grades the father coul'd  of$en  use him
 that 8core.                              z                                     in his own field  `or  Ibusiness  or  l,abor.     Frequently  it
     Nor does  the  su'bject  matter in  which,  he is to be                    was simply taken for  grati6ed  that the child would
 instructed during `his early .years  cl;eate  any rea'l  diffi-                follow in the footsteps of his father and his further
 culty. He must learn. to  r,ead  and  #write,   make  his teducation  rested s,olely  on the lshouiders  of  ;the  parent.
 ac.qnaint&e  with-numbers and the  intriic$cies  of  arith-                    If su~ch  was  nbit the ease, it was  oRen  quite itipb;rtan;t
 matic,   know   s0methjri.g  about geography, `history,                        that the child should help suppor,t  the  family, and his
 health and  sci,ence..   -  Whether   it. be a boy  OP   8.  gijrl   a future  depend,ed-  largely on the kind  ,of  job he  c6uld
 c.ertain   amdtint  ,o;f  gener.al  kniov?Mge  tiust  :be acquired f&.                          -         "                         . .
 to ibecoine  acquainted with the world in which we live                            This  his  undergone a  remarkabl,e   change   .during
 and to be zble  to makes its way  through it.                                  .the  l,ast few years. Withess   the'faot that in 1910 about
    The' Christian parent, not content with  ~2  mere one million`children  ,of   Amekica   gradutited  from high
 secular education,  -nor  Satisfied with  mer,eJy  adding                      school, while  t+enty  years yater, in 1930,. the number
 Bible study to the list of subjects taught, insists that                       had  increased'to  five million and is very likely still  ofi
 all the  instructi,on  be based upon  the Word  (of  God,                      the increase.
 with  SGod as its  joenter,  so that the child will  learn  to                  .  Vari.6ti.s  fa,ctors  have. influenced- this rapid  expan-
behold  the beauties-o?  the Lord and His  mighty tionks,                       sion in higher e,ducation.        ,One  of these is the fact that
 and to live a `God-centered life, ,even  in the mEd&  of a                     many  &a&es   have  introduced `Jaws  makirig  school
 wicked world.                                     .`.                          attendant&   coFpuls&y   until  the age -of sixteen  or
      So far the  ma%te?   .df   edvcation   pr`esents  no real                 eighteen. years.       There' are  01bj,ecti40ns  whilch  can be
 problem as far  as. the individual  &ild is concerned,                         raised against  Iaws  of this nature, particularly the fact
 except  `po&bly  that  ,on,e   chilld   takes  to  1,earning  far              that many ,children  are inducted ;nto  the high Schools


          322                                         THE   STANDARD   BEA.RER

          who have no ability or desire to study, but ark com-                    a]!i  evil. Behind this lies-the wicked desire of man to
          pelled  tb  Iwfaste their time there while they might be -set himself up as  ,God,  to seek a self-centered life and
          spen'ding  it profitably  in preparing themselves  f,or                 to  determihe   .for himself what is the highest good.
          borne work they are capable of doing. Yet the fact                      Often the parent will sacrifice himself  witho,ut  end
          remains  ithat  these laws are there and also  enfosrced.               to give his child an education with the sole purpose
                 But there are ,also  pther  sactors  that  enter in. Our th,at  he may "make  ,good"  in the  #world.  The child
          `way of living has undergone .a redi,cal  change during                 must not .go through life as he was forced to `do, work-
          the last few decades; so that the higher standard of ing by  the  s&at  of his  `brow  in menial labor for a
          living and'the  improved means .of  communication thru meager  inoome.                         He must arise to some `prominent
          the radis aed the press  have mad'e  an adivtinced`educa-               position and  "amo&t  to something"' in life. It' does
          `tiori  an  invaluafble  asset. The introduction of the                 not  make  a great  ,&al  of  ldifl!er,enck  what position  or
          machine  has caused iabor  and industry to make great                   vocation he chooses as  lonlg  as it  mafkes  his future
          stri'des   ahe$d,   bti,t have  .als-o  tended to make our`.liVeti      secure.    Professing Christians will  even  risk sending
          far  more  ~compli&ated.      Where-formerly a man had to their children -away  fr'om  home and  z;hurch  into an
          have brawn to handle `a pi&k  and`  shovel in digging a                 utterly worldly  ,environment  if  .tie profit can be
          di.tch,  he now  needs.  a  tir&n to  manilptilate   the  ctiti-        measuY;ed  in dollars and cents.  LilXe `do they seem to
          plicated   pie&e  of machinery that  do&   the  work far realize *hat  they are training th.e ,child  to labor for the
          more  qui!ckly   an.d-  efficientljr.   M'ode?n   inlvl&ibns,  no       bread that perishes, even at the expense of his soul.
          less, create a demtind  for s;killed'craftsmen.afid        trained          Another ,coimmon  trend in modern education is the
          w,or,kmen.     The  blacksmith  shop, for one thing, is  ndw            trend toward "culture".          It is not entirely  ,distinct
          transfonmed intb a- modGrn  autombbile  industry where                  from the trend `coward materialism,  btit  is nevertheless
          car  astier car is  rtin  off from the  assetibly lines by              to be distinguished  Zr,om  it. Culture,  *hey  will tell
          experienced  wbrkers.          An'd'   b&hind   t h e s e   workers     you, is an end in itself and has its  o,tiri  excuse for
          stands a  staff of executives;  `offices  workers, engineers,' being. A man of culture is a man of prominence who
     _  desigtiers,  `chemists,  mech$&s   and  others. Likewise                  vises  to a positioli, honor  and fame among men. The
          &%tricity   .and the  rardio  have opened  6ew  fi`elds  of main  questi'on  is not  w.hat  a  ian  is, or `what  he does,
          endeavor  `demaedinjg   trainin,g   anld experience;  - Now or  even  why  hi  .`does.  it, but simply how he  cloes  it.
          more than ev&r  in-dustry -sends  ,otit a- @all  for  poun,g            Whatever profession or business he may choose, he
          men and young  women `whd  iclan  be inducte-d-  into  the              must make  himself a man of influence and be somebody
          wo;kk  arid inal&  advanoemeti+s  `as atl&y g6 -&ng.'          The      in this world, no niatter  what. "Culture" becomes the
          @resent  war, instead of  slaokening  this  demknd   fo,r               outward  s,heli  in-whidh  a man lives among his' fellrow
          trained  worikmeti,   only  tends  ,to   in,crease  it, So  th&t        men, a cloak of self-righteousness to hide the  .corruption
          today  ;many  positions cannot be obtained without-  s5me               of the heart and gain the high  respekt  of others. It
          sort  6f  advanced  kduc&i!on.                                          means worldly mindedness in a world where `Gbd  h&s
            .The  question  oft   whether  a child  should   feoeiivie  an        no place an'd  Christ  .has long since  ,been  cast  o,ut.
          Advanced   ,edticatioti   `rel:ega%es  itself  ih  m'any   cages  to        We  cannot ignore  ;the  fact that these and  similar
          that other qye&idn,`tihat       isthem  proper' forni  of.educa-        tendencies  take  a prominent `place in  tihe  p&lie  high
          *iOn  for  the.   particdlar child? The?e   shotild  not  ,otily        schools.  TLh&  world that is  "lieutral"  orveragainst  re-
          be a' d&itiilt&  end `iti view in s-endilig-  the child  to- high       ligion lays  .do'wn  its  o,wn   godl,ess  principles  an,d  incul-
          s!&ool;   btit-  the chil,d,should`  also begill' ta specisilize  in    cates  theim into the receptive minds of the youth of
          sotie particular field of stu'dy-ad  Soon as  pOs`sibl~6. : Bis         high sc.hob;l  age. The public high school  student,  who
     &+lity  and  lifkin&   for a  certairi   branch   of  study  oft& reached the age that he considers himself  qui,te  capable
          holds  th.e key for hi.s future. The child wh'o  is makitig             of thinking for himself and formulating his own orpin-
     [rabid-   strides`to+rd maturity and  must-   take  his' place ions, is subjected to the subtle influence of th&e prin-
          in.life-  totio?rbti,  must nbt  whiK away those precious               ciples for five or six hours  `of  ,every  day, five days a
          ye&,-lbut  tiutit receive  his  prepara;titin  tbday;                   week and some forty weeks  -of the year, for four or
            . But these'  tl&g&  as" important `as they"  may-be-  by more years. Place overagainst that the Catechetical
          thenihelies,  only  sci%Xch  the surface  df  the  probleti.            instruction of' about thirty hours,  more  or less, per
          Far more important is the question for every Christian                  year, the attendance  `of the  pu$blic  worship on Sunday,
          parent, What  is  thle  ultitiafe  pufpose  of  givibg' your            and the influence of the home. Even outside of the
     ?hil#d'  an adti&ced &d-h-cation?                                            fact that the time spent in positive   instru&ion  in the
     .        `Only  to6  rea,dily  cati  wee allo'w`ourselves  to'be swept school far exceeds that of both the home and church
          alopg  tiith the trends.`of  .$Pesent  day  educ@ion:                   together, there is a very  n,a,tural  and constant con-
           In the' field of  `modern   eduIc&ion  there is-  a.`very              flict between them.  The  child is led into a  mazk  of
          de&nit%   and-   coinmon   trend   tbtiard.  mai%riciKsism.    The      contradictioris   and  confusions, even  whil,e  he is  beinlg
-         love `of money  is still, as- it alvirays  has-(beein,  the rodt of trained  for  the  future.  This can  ,vnly  be  detrimental


                                        pTl3R  STAN-DARD   BIZA~XER                                                             323

 t o   h i m ,                                                    be faithful to our Reformed heritage,              How to se. :k
     Well may even the Christian slchools  and Christian contact with' all such is the  subj,ect  of this present
 hi.gh  schools be on the  al&e&  against these. modern           article      .-
 trends. We need  ,Christian   scl~ools   f,or higher  edutia-         During the first ten or twelve years of our  exi&ence
 tion, but we cannot rest there, for we need Christian as Protestant Reformed Churches it was- our po!lcy  to
 schools that  .are  based on the Scripturally Reformed seek  (oontact  only with those seeking  LE.,  and hence 111~
 principles which we maintain and defend. The child to labor in such localities and communities  Iwhere  the-e
 must be taught that "wisdom is, the principle thing,             were those w.ho  were already interested in our cause
 theref,ore   .get  wisdom, and with all thy getting- get and requested us to labor in their midst. It was espec-
 under,standing."   (Pr,overbs  4  :7). Wisdom, not in the        ially the Rev. H. IIoeksema,  who, during these years
 sense in which the lw.orld  seeks it, but wisdom which           was sent out into various localities of the  ,Christian
 has the fear of the Lord as its  beginninlg,  its basic          Reformed  Chur,ches,  .and rendered invaluable service.
 !principle.   T.rue  wisdom sees God in all things, seeks        He would `enlighten and instruct such communities in
 to delve ,ever  deeper into His  ravlelation  and to behold      re the Common Grace conitroversy,  and point out the
 His beauty, strives to live  according  to His statutes heresies contained in the -"Three  P,oints".  If there
 and to do all things to His gl,ory.     God's friend-servant were a sufficient number of those that were  nnitally
 in the w!orld  must bear the image of Christ Jesus in            interested in the Reformed  truth,  these groups were
 every sphere  `of life unto the  *glory  of the Father. Need then  or.ganized  into Protestant Reformed  congrega-
 it be said that an `education tha& will be used by God,          ti,ons. During the first years of our existence, there
 through His Spirit, to incul,cate  that true wisdom must were several such  ~communities  that were interested
 be a thoroughly theo-centric education?            _  I          in.  the cause. of our churches. Among the first con-
     We hme not begun to reach our ,goal  until we have gregations- so organized there were Hull,  Byron  Center,
 created a real cooperation  Ibetween  the  -home,  the           Hudsonville,  Roosevelt  Par&k, South Holland, Oak Lawn,
 church and the school in the  ledecation   02 our children.* .Doon;   SiouxCenter, Pella and Oskaloosa. Later Hol-
 We need schools'that are founded, four-square upon               land,  .Crestdn,  Rook Valley, Orange City, Redlands,
 the Word of God. But we also need a training for our Bellfiolwer  and &arid .Haven  were added. Due to the
 children in the Church whi,ch   .fits  the child of today,       fact that` the-Colnimon  `Grace  controversy, during these
 in order that he may learn to know the Word of God first years, was a, very live  issue also in the Christian
 and apply it to the daily walk of life; a faithful and `Reformed  Chu$ches,  there  ,was  a far greater interest
 re:gular   ,attendance  of Catechism- and the divine wor-        than  no,w.  Gradually there is arising. a generation
 ship. But we need, no  I~&, a home where-parents are that-is  more-  or less ignorant of the controversy which
 living examples to their children, instructing them in           was `waged during the years  1920-24..  This was in no
 word and `deed and transmitting to the generation to             small part due to the fact that the leaders of the Chris-
come the ,heritage  of truth handled d,own  to them` from tian Reformed Churches soon learned that the more
, the fathers.                                                    they sought to defeizd  the theory of Common Grace as
     The man o,f God must be made perfect, thoroughly expressed in-  the "Three Points", the more the pe,ople's
 furnished -unto all sood works.                                  eyes  wer,e otpened  t,o its fallacies, and hence they have
                                                   C. H.          avoided the issue as much as possible. Instead of in-
                                                                  structing the people as to the issues involved in the
                                                                  Colmmon  Grace controversy, as the Synod of 1924 ad-
                  .-         _.-                                  vised, they  ,have  used every possible means to. cast
                                                                  ing remarks at our churches. It has time and again
                                                                  been  present,ed  as though the Protestant Reformed
                                                                  C~hunc.%es  are a group of people, who a few years ago
                        Seeking Contact                           ~`witBdrew'fr6n-i  khe  CZhristian.R,efor8med     ,Churches,  and
                                                                  caused- an unnecessary breach_ under the leadership
     In our last article, ,entitled  "De keuze  van een zen-      of a f,ew  ministers who could not have their `own  way.
 dingsveld", we purposed to set forth how that we as Otllers  have  spreakl  the  -rumcw   that  the  doictrine  of
 P&estant  Reformed  ,Churches  felt it our duty to  caI1         the Protestant Reformed Churches is extremely dan-
 the Christian Reformed  Churc.hes  back to `the faith            gerous, making God.  the author. of. sin, and denying
 of our fathers, and cause her to  retra&  her heresies the responsibility  I of  man:   Wee  have even met more
 and return to the truths of God's absolute sovereignty than one during the .past  few years, who were under
 and of  thle total depravity of man, the  tw,o  cardinal         tlne` impression `that not the  achristian   Ref'ormed
 doctrines of the Reformed-faith. And  afurther  that if Churches, but that we had adolpted  the "Three Points"
she refused to return from her evil  tiay, to call out of in 1924. One elderly gentleman even informed me
her midst all those, who; together with us,. `desired to that  some years ago during house visitation he  ,had


  324                                           .T-HE-.         ST.AN?ARD:,Bl$A$ER
                                                                                                         -
.~  remarked  to the  visitin'g  pastor,  `fwat  wil -die Ds.                 ways and means  .of  announcing these meetings.                                                    Et
 %Hoeksema   to@  met  iijn  `fdrie   punten'?`?,  and that his               has been ,our  lexperiende  that th'e  ,bes$ way to find con-
  pastor had  left.   hii  in. his ignorance,  instea,d   qf  in- -tact with  R,eformed   5Christians  is to bring  them   the
  forming him that not  khe   R,ev.  Hoeksema, but that                       Reformed truth. If one  ctin `only succeed in  arbuging
  the- Christian  Rleformed  Churches had accepted the                        enough  inter'est  so that they will come  and  listen  6~
 .."Three  Points". We  hafve  even met  !gembers   ,of-  the the expounding of the Reformed doctrines as revealed,
  Christian Reformed Churches  whd`were  entirely ignor- in-&he   W,ord  of  ,God,  then you can soon find an  entran&
  ant of the fact that there was a protestant Reformed                        into-  the, hearts and confide& of those that love  the
  denominat&,  and  lived  under the impression that Reformed truth.                                                                   But  mien  as it is in the field  .of
 -ther'e   was   ,)3tit   one.   `!Ds.   _  Hoe,ksema's   &ur,ch".    This radio, all your efforts  ar,e  .in,  vain unless you can get
  wide-spread-..  ignorance is largely  ,due  to -the policy                  t@n to "tune iin". It  is certainly. true- that only. the
  of:  "dood+&j.g&' which the leaders of the Christian Lord, by His grace and Spirit, can incline the  hearts
  Refo&d.   @m&es  have adopted, while on $he  other                          unto  His truth, @but  it is and remains our `duty  to use
  hand their false accusations have filled the hearts  .,of                   every means at our disposal to seek contact  with many
  others  with suspici,on  and prejudice against tis.                         of our Reformed brethren who are still ignorant of
           It  vas for these, reasons that we as  Ptrotestant                 the truths for ~wh.ich  we stand, and for which we.wepe
 :Reformed  Churches felt  Ithat  it  &s not sufficient to                    cast out from. the fellowship of the Christian Reform-
  wait until there were those  that.sought  contact with )ed   C:hur&es.  It is  ,our   .hope  and prayer that we as
-us,  but.  th.at  we should go out and seek  8contaot  with                  churches  pay- continue to see this as our  ,<uty and
 Resormed  Christians everywhere and combat these                             ihat  the Lord will soon provide  OLE  churches with
 evil reports  and  this  wide-apr,ead  Aignoranice,  and show                anolther  home missionary, who will  make  it ,h.is  calling
 that not we, but that the  <Christian   Reformed.Churches,                   tq seek contact with these R,eformed  brethren.
  in  ,adopting   thte "Three Points" had departed from                                                                                                             B. K.
 the Reformed faith. It `was  f,or  ..this  purpose that                                                      -                  ._
 ,our  churches felt the need of a home missionary..                                                                       . . .
           It must, `however, be self-evident,  -that  it- is far                                ".                        _`.
 more ,difficult  to seek' contalct  w'ith  th,ose  that are'gross-                                           .             .               -
 .ly  ignorant  of our churches,  `or  deeply prejudiced
 a,gainst  them,  than,  with those who- first  so@ht  contact
 with. us and requested us to labor in Itheir  *mid&                    It                                                 .-  -IN  M E M O R I A M
 was  comp&atively   ,easy  t,o  ~come  into a `community
 where there  wtire  those who were  already  vitally                                  It has pleased, the Lord' to take into Ijis  Heavenly  .Home
 intcerested   eeough  in the cause  ,of  our lchurches  to ask               on Friday, -April.  3.  at .8 o'clock, -my  beloved wife and our dear
us to  come,  and in  s.o)me cases `even ready to  join  *he                  ,sister,
                                                                              `. ._
 fellowship of  #our   Ichurches.   T.he  soil, as` it were, was                                                         MINNIE  D,E   GEILDER-Ronda
 all prepared and all that had to. be done was to sow                         sit the  age. of 58 years and 14 day,s.
 the seed. Then it was oftentimes .on$a  matter -of -a                                                                                 Harry  DeGelder,  kedlands, California
 few  w'e&s  and there would be sufficient  interest,  to                                 -.      .                                    Mrs. John  VerLeen,  Holland, Michigan
 warrant the drganizing  of a new- congregation. It is                                                                                 Miss  Dena  Ronda, Walker, Michigan
 a far different matter, however, there  wher,e  as  yet                                                                               Mrs. John Posthumus, Walker, Michigan
 nd interest-has  b,een   @own;  Then it is very  diffi-                                                                               Henry Ronda, Detroit, Michigan
 -cult.                                                                                                                                Arthur Ronda, Grand Rapids, Michigan
      So'  iit was in our missionary labors. fOn,e   can.hardly                                                                        Mrs. R. N. Terpstra, Walker, Michigan
imagine how difficult it is to find contact and gain the                               Revelation's  21:4.
 confidence of those that are filled with Prejudice against
 ,our  churches, and ,&en.  if tber,e `were a f&w that,  were
 syrripathetic  to  `our  cause, they would  *hesitate.  to re-                                                                                -
 veal their sympathies for "fear%f  .the  Jews": - It  often
 took  wetiks  and'  tmonths  to  `overcorn  `this fear and
 prejudiice,  an'd  `gain the confidence of a few.              In-order
 to gain this confidence it is very  imp&ant  that -the                                                             _                  !LNOTICE-!
 mi,sssionary  live in the community in w;hich  he labors.                    All  `Announcements   ,atid  O.bitua&s  must be sent to
 .He  should continually come  ia  conttict   with-  those whom Mr. R. Schaafstia,  1101'Hazeiz  St. S;  E., Grand Rapids,
 he seeks in their daily walk'of life. It is also of ,grea;t                  Michigan, and~.till  not'be placed nnless  the regular fee
 importance to find a  Icentrall'y,l6cated   meetifi,g  `place                of  .$l.OO   ao0ompani&s  the notice.
 where he can lecture and speak, and also find the best                                   PLEASE ilo not send riot&s  to the printers.


