228                                                                                                               T H E   STAN.DARD.BEARER

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                                              1101  Hazen Street,  S. E.                                                                                                                                 Irrational. and Super-rational
                                      EDITOR  -  Rev.  .H. Hoeksema

         Contributing editors--Revs. J. Blankespoor, A. Cammengs,
         P. De Boer, J. D. de  Jongp  H. De Wolf, L.  Doeaema,                                                                                                                                          At  the close of his article  entitIed   ?I Narrow
         M. Gritters, C. Hanko, B. Kok, G. Lubbers, G. M. Ophoff,                                                                                                                                 Bridge" the editor of  The  B~zn<:;. makes the following
         A. Petter, M.  Schipper, J.  Vanden  Breggen,  Hi Veldman,                                                                                                                               remarks :
         R. Veldman, L. Vermeer, P. Vis, G. Vos, Mr. S. De Vries.                                                                                                                                                                 .
                                                                                                                                                                                                           "Let us not forget that though the truth of
         Communications relative to contents should be addressed                                                                                                                                         Cod is not .irrational, it often. transcends-our
         to REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand
         Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                               reason. There are many  dpctrines in  Scrjy-  :,
                                                                                                                                                                                                         ture which appear to be self-contradictory.
         Communications relative to subscription should be ad-                                                                                                                                           On that very ground  the Unitarians deny the
         dressed to MR. R. SCHAAFSMA, 1101  Haaen St., S. E.,
         Grand Rapids,  Mich.  All Announcements and Obituaries                                                                                                                                          Trinity. No believer in the Trinity has ever
         must be sent to the above address and will not be placed                                                                                                                                        been able to show that it is i;l accord with
         unless the regular fee of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                                                         human logic to believe, that there are three
                                           Subscription $2.50 per year                                                                                                                                   distinct divine persons while there is ou~y
                                                                                                                                                                                                         one divine being. Hou- many have plunged
                                                                                                                                                                                                         from the narrow bridge of truth because thq
                                                                                                                                                                                                         could not harmonize the tri-personality  with
                                                                                                                                                                                                  .      the unity of God and therefore rejected the
                                                                                                                                                                                                         first or the second !
                                                                      -                                                                                                                                    Again, who can show that it is logical to
                                                                                                                                                                                                         believe that Jesus Christ is  only one  person,
   `,                                                        CONTENTS                                                                                                                                    the Second Person of the holy Trinity, and
                                                                                                                                                                                                         yet has two natures, a human and a divine
MEDITATIE                                                                                                                                                                      Pago                      nature. How many have sacrificed, in their
         DOOR ZONDAREN WEERSPROKEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..-... 225                                                                                                          thinking, the human nature to the divine or
            -Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                            the divine to  4he human  !. And as to the
FkTORIALS   - -                                                                                                                                                                                          human nature of our Lord. in the state of EIis
         IRRATIONAL AND SUPER-RATIONAL                                                                                                                                                                   humiliation, how impossible it is to maintain        . .
                                                                                                                                . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22s:             lagica.Zly   the absolute sinlessness of our Lord
         ELIMINATING THE INNOCENT PARTY . . . . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . 230                                                                                                              and His temptability at the same time !
            Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                               We find ourselves in precisely the same
THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE                                                                                                                                                                                     kind of a predicament  with, respect to  our
         EXPOSITION .OF  THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM . ...231                                                                                                                                               conception of sinful man and of the way of
            Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                             salvation. We accept, for example, the doe-
    THE NEW GENERBTIOK . . . . . . . . i . ..I.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  254                                                                        trine of total depravity but we also hold that ,
              Rev. G. M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                                                                         the natural man by the common grace of Cod'
    STREET EVANGELISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237                                                          is able to perform some  outward.good,   Like7
             Rev. A. Camminga                                                                                                                                                                            wise, we believe in a particular atonement
    DEBATE - Affirmative                                                                                                                                                                                 but we also hold that there is a  generai  offer
                                                                  . . . . . . `: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239           of salvation and we plead with sinners to re-
             Rev. R. Veldman                                                                                                                                                                             pent. Again, we believe the doctrine of ir-
    DEBATE  - `Negative ..I........... *...* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . f... -*......  241                                                                          resistible grace  ; we hold that a sinner's heart
             Rev. J. De Jong                                                                                                                                                                             must  *be opened by the Holy Spirit before he
    HETGEBEDEENS BEJAARDEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244                                                                                           can believe ; at the same time we summon him
              Rev.  Cf.  Voa.                                                                                                                                                                            to faith and repentance and urge  him. to come
   KERKNIEUWS' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :..._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246                                       to Christ. All this sounds foolish .to the man
             Rr. S. De  Vries                                                                                                                                                                            who applies the yardstick of human logic to
                                                                                                                                                                                                         divine truth. It is not foolish to the man
c4` . .  _  . ",                           .-  I.  .,I_,_.   .-  "                                                        .I" .                                    ,.                 .._                who accepts the Bible as the Word of God


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D - B E A R E R                                           229

     and believes that by the foolishness of the               the same sense, i.e. that one being is three beings and
   / gospel God is pleased to save sinners.                    three beings are one being. But this is not the case;
                                                               And there is nothing contrary to reason, even though
  Now, I wish to state first of all that with the first        it may far transcend our boldest comprehension, in the
sentence of the above quotation I `tvh.bleheartedly  agree.    doctrine that God is one in being, and three in persuns.
   With emphasis I would like to express agreement             And the same is applicable to the unity of the divine
with. the second clause of that sentence: the truth often      Person of the Son of God in the two natures, the
transcends  our reason. And I may add that, ultimate-          divine and the human. Readily we admit that also this
ly, the truth ulzr:ays  transcends our reason. Of course! truth far transcends our comprehension, but there  .is
HOW could it b.e different? The truth always concerns          nothing illogical or contrary to reason in the  doctrine
G&d, and God is the transcendent One, and as such He           that the eternal Son of God, Who subsists eternally in
is the incomprehensible One.        It is- the wonder of the divine nature, also assumed the human nature.
revelation that, while God makes Himself known to us,             But when the editor in the rest of the above quota-
He at the same time causes us to discern clearly that          tion tries to make us `believe that this principle, that
we cannot comprehend Him. And as one contemplates the truth is never irrational though it transcends our
and  searches~ this revelation of the Infinite, he always comprehension, is also applicable to and involved in his
confronts more inscrutable depths of mystery, which contention that atonement is particular and the well-
he can never fathom. Nor does the believer  haqe any ,meaning offer of salvation on the part of God is general
spiritual or rational difficulty with those mscrutable         and universal, that God wills to save on,ly the elect
mysteries of God which he knows and apprehends by and that He nevertheless wills that all men shall be
faith,' without. ever  comprehend.ing  them. For, as the saved, that man is totally depraved and that yet he is
editor of  The  Bumwr   admits, though they surpass our able to do good works, we must most emphatically
comprehension. they are not irrational. Hence, in the          disagree with him.
measure and form that they are revealed to us, we                 The editor, let me point out, does not do justice to
know them, and in as far as they are incomprehensible,         the doctrine which has been adopted by the  ,Christian
we worship and adore Him Whose depths they are, and Reformed Churches in 1924, and which he also tries
Whom to  know.,is  life eternal. To  .these  mysteries         to present to his readers. `When, for instance, he
certainly do belong the truths referred to above, that         writes: "Again, we believe the doctrine of irresistible
of the holy trinity, and that of the unity of Christ's         grace; we hold that a sinner's heart must be opened by
Person in the divine and  humad  natures. And to these ,the Holy Spirit before he can believe ; at the same time
belong many other truths, and ultimately all truths,           we summon him to faith and repentance and urge him
if we ,but make the attempt to fathom them. We walk to come to Christ," he does not state the matter quite
in .mysteries.                                                 correctly from the Christian Reformed viewpoint. If
   But I want to emphasize also .the first clause of the no more is said, there need be no logical contradiction
above q,uotation  : "the truth of God is not irrational."      involved in the statement, for when we urge a sinner
To say that the truth is irrational is to deny the pos-        to come to Christ, we do so on the supposition that God
sibility of all systematic theology; of all knowledge of       will draw him, and that otherwise all our urging is
God, of revelation itself, and virtually to assert that        absolutely vain. But the editor should haye.stated  the
God Himself is irrational. It is quite impossible for us.      matter as follows : "We believe  th.e doctrine of irresist-
whom God created rational beings, to apprehend that-           ible grace, which God gives only to the elect, and yet
which is irrational, i.e. contrary to reason. Nor are          we believe that God (not we) offers this grace well-
the truths, which the editor of The Bc&nmer mentions           meaningly to those whom He does not want to save."
in the above paragraphs irrational. To us it appears           That is the doctrine of the Christian Reformled  Church-
that he partially contradicts his statement that the           es. Briefly: God well-meaningly offers salvation to
truth is not irrational, whe,r .he writes: "No believer        those whom He does not want to have it. Still more
in the Trinity has ever been  able'to  show that it is in      briefly: God wills to save those whom He will  nut
accord with human logic to believe that there are three save.
distinct divine persons while there is only one divine            Now, this is nut a deep truth, but a very superficial
being;" If the editor had written that no believer             untruth. It does not transcend our reason, but its fals-
hasever been able to comprehend the tri-unity of God,          ity and nonsense lies quite within the scope of our
we would have no objection, but we do object to his            reason. Its untruth is so superficial that a child can
statement now. If the doctrine of the trinity is not in not fail to recognize it. It is irrational, indeed, and,
accord with human logic, it is irrational, and canndt.be       therefore, incapable of being accepted by  .the rational
a doctrine. Contrary to reason it would be, and im-            mind of the believer, No one can possibly believe both
possible.for  faith to apprehend, if the doctrine of3he        sides of a directly contradictory statement, for the
trinity implied that one is three aned three are one in        simple reason that by accepting,.the  one he has already

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

 rejected the other. Either God wills that all men shall
be saved in the sense that He is earnestly desirous of                                               Eliminating the Imwcent Party
the salvation of all men, and .in accord with this it is
to teach that He offers salvation well-meaningly to all,                                              BSot.her  Langerak suggests (see p. 206) that the
a salvation which Christ merited for all, and the ac-                                             exception which the Lord mentions in, Matt. 19 :9 ("ex-
ceptance of which is left to the will of man; or He wills                                         cept it be for fornication"), justifies the conclusion
that only the elect shall be saved, an,d in harmony with that in case of fornication the innocent party may re-
this is the Reformed doctrine of particular atonement,                                            marry, both the husband and the wife. He suggests
and of irresistible grace. But both cannot  `be true. that the text may be read this way (t.he meaning is,
And no man can possibly believe both.                                                             of course, that we may continue, fmi,sh, the text in this
             And, therefore, as long as  the editor of The Bcmne?                                 way) : "Whosoever shall put away his wife for forni-
tries to inculcate this contradiction into the minds of cation and marry another, does not commit adultery."
his readers, his attempt to fight ArmKanism  in the                                                   Now, as I have stated before, I understand full wol!
Christian Reformed Churches will prove fruitless. They that those who make a plea for the remarriage of
will not believe both sides of the contradiction he pro- the innocent party base their view exactly on the
 poses, but accept, one of them only. And that will be phrase "except it be for fornication," and explain this
the Arminian side, which is far more appealing to the                                             clause as modifying, not only the words "whosoever
flesh than the Reformed truth.                                                                    ,shall put away his wife," but also the words "and shall
             That this is true the editor of The Banner cannot marry another." In other words? they read: "Whoso-
fail to ascertain for himself, if he will but turn on the ever shall put away his wife and marry another except
 radio and listen to some of the programs that are it be for forni,cation,  committeth adultery." Bu'; even
broadcast from Christian Reformed Churches and so, the fact remains that the Lord adds: "and u-hoso-
under their sponsorship as "Hour of Praise" programs.                                             ever marrieth her (the innocent wife whose husband is
 Just recently I happened to listen to one of them, married to another) which is put away doth commit
 which, while the message delivered on that occasion                                              adultery."
 was a sad mixture of modernism and Arminianism,                                                      Now, what becomes of this innocent  womad  if the
 was concluded by singing:                                                                        text is read (or concluded) as brother Langerak sug-
                  "Tht%re's a Stranger at the door, Let Him in ;                                  gests? She is simply eliminated, and changed irito `t
                  He has been there oft before, Let Him  iii ;                                    guilty woman. Just notice : "Whosoever shall put away
                  Let Him in, ere He is gone,                                                     his wife for fornication, and marry another, doth not
                  Let Him in, the Holy One,                                                       commit adultery." In this case the woman has com-
                  Jesus Christ the Father's Son, Let Him in. _.                                   mitted adultery, and the innocent woman of Matt. 19  :9
                                                                        .                         exists no longer. The brother, therefore, would answer
                  "Open now to `Him your heart, Let Him in  ;                                     nijr Guestion by eliminating the innocent woman whose
                  If you wait He will depart, Let Him in ;                                        husbarid is married to another. But this is impossible,
                  Let Him in, He is your friend,                                                  unless we.eliminate  the words concerning marrying the
                  He your soul will sure defend,                                                  innocent woman from the text altogether, an  apocopa-
                  He will. keep you to the end, Let Him in."                                      tion which, in spite of the fact that it is found in cer-
             And all this while the editor of  TfLe Banner  is tain readings in the original, I do not think is permis-
pleading  tith his  read&s :  "I$euTare  of:`taking   yc:ur                                       sible.
docirine  from the gospel  ,&nins". 1 . : : "                                                         Hence, I can see only one possible explanation of
             I'would,  therefore,..+ai-nestly  invite the edit&: %rnc                             :Matt.  19 :9, and that is, that the words of the exception,
on the narrow  bridj$ of the truth with us,  ,biother,                                            ."except  it be for fornication," modify only the words
and' refrain  from  -ybur strange acrobatic  stunts  by "Whosoever shall put away his wife," and not also
tihich  you attempt' to jump off on both sides, and to                                            "and shall marry another." This is the only possible
stay ori the bridge at'txe same time !                                                            explanation, unless we would take the stand that the
                                                                                  H. H,           text teach- that the innocent ryutn may remarry, but
                        /'                                                                        not the innocent woman. The Lord then teacheshere,
                              ,.  .,:                _.
                              _                 ..A.?..      _._                        -,-  %    that .a man sins even if he puts away his wife except
                                    .  ,:: . .  ,. . .  %                .,  ,,.  ,,
                                                                         . .                      for fornication. If she commits fornication he may
                                         . .                                                      put her away. But if he puts her away and also
      ; ..,**,                           :_,                                                      marries another, he commits adultery besides. On the
                  J.    Yea, they are kept from paths of sm                                       basis of fornication he may put her away, but in no
                  I~ . ..Who.  walk in God's appointed way ;                                      case may he marry another, no more than the innocent
/,                      Thy" precepts Thou hast given  us,                                        woman,  whbse  husband lives in adultery, may marry
                        That:  :we  s h o u l d   faithfuiiy   o b e y ,                          a n o t h e r .                                       --I  .""


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         231

   This is quite in harmony with the context. The chism as ,briefly meaning Saviour: "why is the Son of
Pharisees placed the Lord before the question: "!s it          God called Jesus, that is Satiour?" Of old there has
lawful for a man to put away his wife for every been and still is difference of opinion among schoiars
cause?" That, therefore, is the main question. The as to the proper derivation of the name Jehoshua. Ac-
question was not whether a man might remarry after cording to some it is supposed to be a simple verba!
he put away his wife, but simply whether he might noun, and in that case the meaning is  salvation. Ac-
put her away. And after the Lord had answered them             cording to others, the name is composed of two parts,
by referring to the original creation  ordina.nce  of  mas-    Jeho,  an abbreviation of Jehovah, and  shtla,  salvation
riage, and solemnly declared: "What therefore God              or saves, and according to this derivation the name
hath joined together, let not man put asunder," ihe means Jehovah-salvation or Jehovah saves. We can-
Pharisees appeal to Moses to defend their stand that           not, of course, cuter  more deeply into the merits of this
a man may put away his wife. Still the question is controversy. Let it suffice to state that, in our opin-
not. one of remarriage, but of putting away t.he wife          ion, the analogy of many similar names in the Old
for every cause. And to this the Lord answers, that            Testament is decidedly in favor of the latter view.
Moses because of the hardness of their hearts had              Thus ihe name Jehohanan is composed of Jeho and
permitted them to put away their wives, "but from  thz         1mnan, and means Jehovah-gracious or Jehovah grant-
begi,nning  it was not so." Hence, in vs. 9 this is still      ed; Jehoiada is composed of Jeho and itin, meaning
the chief question. And it is this question which the          Jehovah knows ; Jehoiachin consists of Jeho and iachin,
Lord answers by saying that a man may put away his             signifying Jehovah appoints; Jehoiakim is composed
wife only in case of fornication, but he adds that if a of Jeho and iakim, and means Jehovah sets up; Jona-
man that puts away his wife for e;;ery Cause (which than f JehoiTathan)  is Jeho-nathan, meaning Jehovah
was the case put up by the Pharisees) marries another,         gives, etc. It is quite in line with these and many other
he commits adultery besides. And that no one dare con- examples in Scripture to explain the name Jehoshua
clude from this that remarriage is permissible in case         cr Joshua as being composed of Jeho  and  Shuu  and as
the other party is guilty of fornication is  ,evideut from meaning Jehovah-salvation. This, then, is the full
what the Lord adds: whosoever marrieth her that is meaning of the name Jesus. And thus explained, the
put away doth commit adultery. If a married and                name has a profound and rich significance. It signifies
divorced, but innocent woman, whose husband is mar- that Jesus is the revelation of the God of our salvation,
ried to another man, may not remarry, how can an or rather that He is Jehovah-salvation. In Him we see
innocent man, whose wife commits adultery have that            Jehovah, the EHJEH  ASHER  EHJEH, the I AM
right?                                                         THAT I ,-4M, the eternal, self existent, immutable God,
                                                H. H.          Who is eternal and immutable in Himself, and eternal
P.S. Next time, D. V. I will try to answer the question        and unchangeable also in relation to His people and
of brother Meelker.                                            covenant, come down to us in our misery and death,
                                                               reaching down with His mighty arm to save us. Crea-
                                                               tion is the revelation of the Almighty, Who calleth the
                                                               things that are not as if they were. But Jesus, i.e. the
                                                               Christ of the Scriptures, the Son of God come into the
                                                               flesh, bearing our iniquities, crucified and slain, raised
    The Triple Knowledge on the third day, gone into the heavens and exalted at
                                                               the right hand of the Most High,-this Jesus is the
                                                               revelation of Jehovah our salvatian, Who calls light
                                                               out of darkness, righteousness out of sin, life out of
 An Exposition Of The Heidelberg death, heavenly glory out of the desolation of corrup-
                                                               tion and hell.
                       Catechism                                   It is noteworthy that the Catechism in this eleventh
                                                               Lord's day lays stress on the truth that the name Jesus
                        PART TWO                               implies that He is a complete Saviour, a perfect Sav-
                 OF MAN'S REDEMPTION                           iour, in Whom we must find everything that is neces-
            ~          Lord's Day XI.                          sary to our salvation; and that for this reason He is
                                                               also the only Saviour, so that we "ought not to seek,
                         Chapter 2.                            neither can find salvation in any other," and that they,
                   The Perfect Saviour.                        "who seek their salvation or welfare of saints, of them-
                                                               selves, or anywhere else," do  uot believe in Jesus, "for
    The name Jesus, a Greek rendering of the Hebrew thought they boast of him in words, yet in deeds they
name Joshua or Jehoshua, is explained by the Cate-             deny Jesus the only deliverer and Saviour." The rea-


 232                                 T H E   S T - A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 son for this emphasis  on the part of the Heidelberger the cross. And Mary was there, standing at the foot
 is, of course, that the Roman Catholic church does,          of the cross, identifying herself with the offering of
 indeed, teach men to seek salvation also in Mary, in         her Son. By man and woman came death. Both sexes
the saints and in men. And although our controversy cooperated in our downfall, and both sexes cooperated
 is no longer so directly with  th'e Roman Catholic church    in our redemption. . . . Mary is the second Eve as
 as it was in the days when our Heidelberger was com-         Christ is the second Adam. And both repaired the evil
 posed, even in this respect and with a view to this of our first parents, Christ principally and Mary
 controversy the Catechism is not quite so obsoIete  as secondarily and subordinately to Christ. . . . Mary's
 is sometimes supposed, witness the following replies         work was to be our co-redemptress, and to mediate
 in recent years broadcast over the radio: "What is           for us together with Christ, but of course in subordina-
 her (Mary's) place  ii1  th.e Christian religion? Mary's     tion to Him. . . .    She is our spiritual Mother in
 place in the Christian religion should be obvious. She heaven, and she fulfills the duties of a Mother, winning
 is the morning star preceding the Light of the world,        for us by her intercession that grace of Christ which
 Christ. The only difference is that all her light is re-     is life to our souls and which, please God, will mean
 ceived from the Son she heralds. By God's eternal eternal life in the end." idem,  II, p. 162.
 decree Mary has been associated with the highest                Nor has the Roman Catholic doctrine changed with
 mysteries of  th.e Christian religion, being the very in- regard to prayers to Mary and to the saints in heaven,
 strument of the Incarnation of the Eternal Son of God,       and  wit.h respect to looking for help and salvation
 and, therefore, of our redemption. We have devotion from them, and even through their relics. "Why `<lo
 to her because of our admiration of her, and because Catholics believe that Mary prays for them and  heips
 of her interest in our eternal welfare. . . . In what them? Because they believe that she is their spiritual
 way did Mary take her part in the redemptive work of Mother, and that she has not lost her interest in those
 mankind which was  accomplishfed  by Christ alone?           for whom her Son died, merely because she is  ;r.
 Christ was the principal Author of our redemption,           heaven. . . . We do not pray to Mary instead of `:;.)
 but there were many secondary cooperators in the             God, but we do pray to her as well as to God. . . .
 work. we even find St. Paul saying that we are to fili       Two prayers are better than one, above all when thr
 up what is wanting to the sufferings of Christ. The          other whom  I have asked to join in my petition is
 explanation of this, however, would demand a treatise the very Mother of Christ." idem, p. 161. (And as to
 on the mystical body of Christ as comprising all the worshiping the saints, note the following: "Why pray
 members of the Church, and I can scarcely do justice         to Saints? 1s it not better to pray to God directly+!
 to it now. All I can say is that Mary cooperated in          No: always. The same answer applies here as in the
 the redemptive work in a way quite special to herself.       case of prayers to the Virgin Mary, who after all
 As Jesus is the second Adam, so Mary is the second           is the greatest of the Saints. God may wish to give
 Eve. As our first Mother Eve brought us forth to             certain favors through the intercession of some given
 misery and suffering, so our second Mother Mary, in          Saint. In such a case it is better to seek the inter-
 bringing forth our Saviour, brought us forth to happi-       cession of that Saint as God wishes."        And as  to
 ness and salvation. Mary's consent was asked by God          worshiping the relics of the saints, the same author
 when the time for the Incarnation was at hand: she           has this to say: `Why do Catholics worship relics of
 consented to the full work of Christ from the cave of        Saints? They do not worship relics. as they worship
 Bethlehem to the cross of Cal,vary. She provided the God, by adoration. If you mean worship in the sense
 very blood that was shed for us. In union with Christ of honor or veneration, then Catholics certainly vener-
 she had her own passion, and Simeon rightly predicted ate the relics of the saints." And when  o;?e objects to
 to her, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, `Thy        the Roman Catholic practice of expecting help  or
 own soul a sword shall pierce.' With, in, and through favors through relics, the same ,writer answers: "No
 the work of Christ her sufferings also contributed           real difficulty arises in this matter. No" one holds that
 secondarily towards our redemption.       And she was material relics of themselves possess any innate or
 given to us from the cross as a mother for a mother's        talismanic value.     But God Himself can certainly
 work. To ail of us Christ said in the person of St.          ,grant favors even of a temporal nature through the
 John, `Son, behold thy mother.' We Catholics, there-         relics of Saints, thus honoring His Saints, and rewarrl-
 fore, regard Mary as our spiritual Mother, entertain- ing the faith and piety of some given Catholic."'  idem, I,
 ing towards her the devotion of children. Every Chris,       p. 289, 291. These quotations may suffice to demon-
 tian woman above all, should regard Mary, the Mother strate that the emphasis of the Catechism on the ab-
 of Christ, as the glory of her sex." Radio Replies,  III, solutely sole sufficiency of Jesus as Saviour is, even
 by Dr. Leslie Rumble. Or note this by the same author        in opposition to the present Roman Catholic doctrine,
 in answer to another question: "Essentially that work        not out of date.
 was  accomplished on Calvary by the death of Jesus on           Vet, our immediate concern.  ,today  is not. so much


    I     -    --_-_                 T H E   STANDARD;   ` - B E A R E R                                           233

with the errors of the Roman Catholic church as with this marvellous work of grace. I& ur.consider  this a
those who, while they loudly and emphatically p'roclaim        little more in detai:.
that "Jesus saves", yet deprive Him of all power to save          We may distinguish here between that part of the
unless the sinner gives his consent. This is a great           work of salvation which Jesus accomplished for `us,
evil, and a very general and prevalent one in our day,         in our  behafif,   and that other part which He performs
all t-he more dangerous because those that thus preach         upon us and within us. The first part is the work of
Jesus ostensibly emphasize strongly exactly that which         redemption, whereby Christ purchased us free from
they, nevertheless deny: that Jesus saves. The name            the guilt of sin and from the bondage of death, and
of Jesus is on the lips of many a preacher today, who,         merited for us the right to be delivered, and to receive
nevertheless, proclaims a Jesus that is impotent to            all the blessings of salvation.    This is first. It is
save. And the words "Jesus saves" may be read on               basic.    For we must recall that we are guilty and
billboards and auto licenses, as well as above entrances       damnable before God, and that our being in the bond-
to church buildings,  *but if you should inquire of those age of sin is the result of God'd just sentence of death
that are responsible for these advertisements just what        upon us. We are born in original guilt because of
they mean by that winged slogan, you would discover            Adam's transgression, and we increase our guilt  daiIy
that they attach a meaning to it quite different from          by our actual sin. And guilt is liability to punishment.
what the words actually express.        For they do not And the punishment of sin is death. That punishment
mean that Jesus actually saves, but that He is  wilJlng        is not something that will be inflicted upon us in the
to save, provided the sinner gives his consent, will let       future, after physical death only, but that is also upon
himself be saved by Jesus ; if not, their Jesus is power-      us now. And to that just punishment belongs our
less to save. In other words, they do not find  in theii       spiritual death, our totally undone and depraved con-
Jesus absolutely all  t.hings  necessary to save a sinner,     dition. Hence, before all things, before we can even
and that, too, not a willing, but an  unwil1i;l.g  sinner have the right to be saved and delivered from the
that is dead through trespasses and sins. And, there- bondage and power of sin, it is necessary that our guilt
fore, it is not only proper, but urgently necessary for be removed, and that we become juridically or forensirl-
the church that prizes and would preserve the truth as ally righteous before God. To use an illustration, as
 it is in Christ, to emphasize that Christ is a complete,      our just punishment for our sin God shut us up in
a perfect and only Saviour, and that  He is not only the prison of corruption and death, and securely Iocked
willing, but powerful to save even unto the end. His           the door of our prison. He that would deliver us from
name is called Jesus, "because he shall save His people        our bondage cannot simply break into our prison by
from their sins."                                              main force. On the contrary, he must receive the key
    The  Heidelb,erger  instructs us that "the Son of God      to our prison door from God Himself, that he may set
 is called Jesus, that is a Saviour, because he saveth us      us free. But to obtain that key, he must make us
and d,elivereth us from our sins. Mark you well, He is worthy of liberation, he must remove from our heads
called Jesus, not because He is willing to save and to         the sentence of damnation, satisfy She justice of God
 deliver us, nor even because He is able to save and           and  remove  our guilt, and obtain for us everlasting
to deliver us from our sins, but because He actually           righteousness. And this is what Christ did for us. He
does save a.nd deliver us. And again, the Catechism            did so by His perfect obedience, His suffering and
 declares that "they who by a true faith receive this          death on the accursed tree, whereby He atoned for all
 Saviour, must  find all things in him necessary to their      our sins, and obtained for us that righteousness ac-
salvation." Now, salvation is that marvellous work of          cording to which we are worthy of eternal life and
God's grace whereby the sinner, loaded with a burden glory.
of guilt that renders him  damnab1.e  before God, chain-          Why, then, is the Son of God called Jesus? First
ed from within with shackles of ,corruption and death,         of all because He redeemed us. In Him God reconciled
which he can never break, standing  in  eiimity against        us unto Himself, not imputing our trespasses unto us.
 God, loving the darkness rather  thaii the light, wholly      In the death and resurrection of Jesus Jehovah is re-
 incapable to save himself,  or  to  .contribute   e%n  the    vealed to us as the God of our salvation, Who justifies
least  to his salvation, impoterit and unwilling to turn       the ungodly. That is the meaning of the name Jesus!
to God: to be saved, is redeemed from his guilt, is               But this is not all. In fact, if it were all, He would
liberated from his bondage of sin and corruption;' is          not be Jesus. He must not only accomplish that part
,-delivered from the dominion of  daach, and is raised to of salvation that must be done for us, in our behalf, but
the status of a free son of God, translated from dark- also that other part that is to b&"realized  within us.
ness into light! and from death to eternal life in fellow-     Not only our state, our legal status before God, must
sn:@ with God and in heavenly glory. And when  V-C?            be changed from one of guilt int.0 one of perfect and
say that Jesus is a complete  Savioar wo mean that  He         everlasting righteous&s&~ also our actual condition
nlone accomplishes absolutely a!1  that is  imjdieil  in must undergo a  completZ:and  rndical  ch&nge; such  2


234                                   T H E   S'rANDARD   B E A R E R

change as is nothing less than a resurrection from the and make us partakers of the blessings of grace He
dead. We must not only be redeemed, but we must merited for us by His perfect obedience. And by the
also be delivered from sin. We must be changed from power of that Spirit, and through His Word, He de-
death into life, from darkness into life, from rebellious livers us, and saves us even unto the end. It is He that
and cursing children of the devil into dear children of regenerates us, imparting unto us His own resurrection
God, from the misery and desolation of our natural          life: it is Hle that calls us, so that we come to Him and
state into the glory of heavenly perfection. Our whole embrace Him by a true faith; it is He that unites us
nature must be radically turned about, so that the with Himself, that lives in us, that cleanses us from the
image of God is restored in us, and instead of loving pollution of sin, that sanctifies us unto God, that pre-
the lie we love and do the truth, instead of being slaves serves us in the midst of t.he opposing forces of this
of the devil and yielding ourselves as servants of in-      world!, so that nothing can pluck us out of His hand.
iquity unto unrighteousness, we follow after righteous- And it is He that is the resurrection and the life, and
ness, and instead of being corrupt and rebellious of will that will lead us through death into glory, through the
and inclination we are consecrated to God. We must resurrection into the heavenly tabernacle of God. All
receive spiritual eyes to see the things of the kingdom this is in Jesus only, nor ought we to seek any part of
of God, and to recognize Jesus as the revelation of the this in ourselves, or in any other, The Son of God is
God, of our salvation ; and spiritual ears to hear called Jesus, Jehovah-salvation, because He is a perfect
spiritual things, and a spiritual heart to obey the Word Saviour !                                        H. H.
of God. And we must receive all these spiritual bless-
ings, not in such manner that after having once re-
ceived them we now possess them in ourselves, but                                      -
constantly. We must be united with Christ, that from
Him we may live as the branches live out of the vine,
as the members live only in organic union with the                      The New Generation
body. And so we must be preserved even unto the
end, and that, too, in the midst of a world in which           (AAS  was said, the task that remained to the one and
everything stands opposed to us, and in which the a half tribes west of the Jordan was to prosecute the
devil, the world, and our flesh constantly try to conquest by freeing their respective allotments from
destroy us. And, finally, we must be glorified. Through     the remnants of the heathen tribes, and especially to
death we must pass into heavenly glory, into the "first     clreanse  the land of the altars and shrines of their
resurrection" of the building of God, not made with pagan worship. But this was not done. With the ex-
hands, eternal in the heavens. And through the grave ception of Judah, the tribes, in violation of the com-
we must pass into the glory of the final resurrection, mand of God, concluded a covenant with the heathen
that we may inherit the kingdom of God, which flesh         and, according to the articles of this covenant, the
and blood cannot inherit. This corruptible must put on heathen were allowed to continue in the possession of
incorruption, and this mortal must put on incorruption,     many of their cities on the condition that they pay
and the image of the earthy which we now bear must tribute. What is worse, the pagan temples and altars
be replaced by the image of the heavenly, that in the were not broken down. We learn this from the rebuke of
new heavens and the new earth we may be fit in-             the angel of the Lord contained in the second chapter.
habitants of the tabernacle of God that shall be with          This sinful negligence, seeing that it is chargeable
men !                                                       to the old generation of elders and judges, heads and
       And when we say that Jesus is a complete Saviour,    officers, genders surprise. It `calls for an explanation.
we mean that He alone accomplishes all this marvellous      For in *the book of Joshua this old generation of lead-
work in us, and that they, who by a true faith receive ders stands out as truly godfearing. They had re-
this Saviour, find all these glorious blessings of grace mained loyal to Joshua during all his campaign. It
in Him, and in Him snly. He not only obtained the           was this old generation-that part of it included in the
right of our deliverance, He also received the key to       two and a half tribes-that had built the altar by the
our prison of sin and death, and the commission to Jordan from solicitude lest the posterity of those who
liberate us and to lead us on to eternal glory. For He dwelt in Canaan proper should say to their posterity:
is raised from t.he dead, and in Him is life and im- "You have no part in Jehovah," and so should restrain
mortality.     And He went into the highest heavens, their children from serving Him.  St was this old
and is exalted at the right hand of God, endowed with generation west of the Jordan who, fearing that, the
all power in heaven and on earth. And  bein.g exalted altar was to be perverted to unlawful use, gathered
at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, He themselves together at Shiloh to overrun the two and
received the promise of the Holy Spirit, in order that a half tribes with war, and who would not drop the
through that Spirit He might return to us, dwell in US,     thought of  wits against these tribes until they  .were


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         235

 satisfied that the altar had been reared in good faith.      failure to cleanse the land of the apparatus of pagan
 There is more evidence of the strongest kind that this       worship. Their doing was indicative of a wrong atti-
 old generation of leaders feared God. When Joshua,           tude toward God and thus preindicative of their choos-
 with a view to the double-hearted among the people,          ing  Baa1 in rejection of God. The significance of their
 said that, if it seemed evil to them to serve Jehovah,       doing was that it amounted to a breaking of God's
 they should choose them whatever pagan deity they covenant.
 might prefer and serve that deity, they indignantly             As could be expected, the Lord soon let Himself be
 replied, "God forbid that we should forsake ,the Lord heard of and this not through an earthly ambassador
and serve other gods, seeing that the Lord is our God but through an angel-the angel of the  Lord-con-
and that it is He who brought us up and our fathers           substantial with God. It is certain that this angel was
out of the land of Egypt from *the house of bondage, the Lord Himself, the Presence of the triune Jehovah
did *these  great signs in our sight, preserved us in all     i.e., Christ. For no ordinary prophet would so entire-
the way wherein we went and drave out before us all ly identify himself with God, as is done by this Angel
the people." The point to their reply is, "We, the            in His message to the people. "I have made you go out
people of Israel, as a nation, have our origin in election    of Egypt," He said to them.
and were brought into being by the wonder of grace,              The Angel came up from  Gilgal. For it was  .at
that we might be His people. Him ,therefore  must and Gilgal that he had appeared to Joshua, announced Him-
 will we serve.    For, denying Him, we disown our self to him as the "Captain of the Lord's host," and, in
 Maker, Him to whom we are indebted for our very              fulfillment of His promise, reiterated in Joshua's
existence."                                                   audience and for his encouragement, delivered all
    This is the language of faith. These elders feared        Canaan into the hands of the Israelites with the fall
God. And yet it was during their lifetime that the            of Jericho, the key city of Canaan.     This had been
covenant with the Canaanites was concluded and this several years ago, how many is not stated. The actual
with the temples and altars of these pagan people still       occupation of Canaan was now completed. But the
standing. But `these violations cannot be charged to survey of the whole land was such as indicated gross
the elders of the old generation. The fault lay with disobedience to the Word of God. The seriousness of
"that other", that next following generation of which their offence  is indicated by this, that the Lord ap-
it is stated that "it knew not the Lord, nor yet the          peared unto His people in person and communicated
works which He had done for Israel"  (Jos. 2:lO). It what He had to say `to them directly. `First the angel
must not be imagined that this apostate generation did directs their attention to the fact that He made them
not begin to make its appearance until all that gener- go up out of Egypt, and brought them into the land
ation, loyal to God, "were gathered unto their fathers." which He sware unto their fathers (Jud. 2:l). Thus
This cannot be the meaning of the notice, "And Joshua the people are again told that, as a nation, they were
the son of Nun died. . . .and also all that generation brought into being by the wonder of God's power and
were gathered unto their fathers, and there arose an- that therefore they belonged exclusively to Him body
other generation after them that knew not the  Lord."         and soul. "And I said," the angel continues, "I will
`Being the next following generation, many of the men never break my covenant with you." This statement
that belonged  40 it, were already in their prime when        of the angel is a reproduction of the thought expressed
Joshua died. After not so many years their numerical by Moses in this language, "Wherefore it shall come to
strength exceeded that of the older generation and pass, if ye hearken unto these judgments. . .  .that the
finally their influence and prestige was dominant.            Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and
Then, it must be supposed, strange voices were heard the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: and he
in the councils of the tribes. The men of `"that other will love thee and bless thee, and multiply thee" (Deut.
generation" were tired of war. Doubtless they used 7:12,  13). The children of the promise, the elect of
as an argument that the people of Israel had come             God, by His mercy, do hearken unto His judgments.
into the possession of all that land that they could          With them He keeps, never breaks, His covenant, the
conveniently cultivate and that it had become plain           covenant of mercy and grace, which He sware unto
to all, that the Canaanites could not be expelled Abraham. The others, who are not properly included
from their strongholds. So the tribes, one after the          in the covenant, do not keep His judgments.. They
other, over the protests of the godfearing elders, it -violate His command.             The covenant they despise.
must be imagined, concluded a peace with these pagan          This is the matter upon which the angel next dwells.
peoples, with the land still studded with pagan altars Moses had commanded that they "make no league with
and temples. As has already been explained, this was the inhabitants of the land," and that they "throw
the great offence  of that "other generation", namely,        down their altars." "But ye", says the angel to  ,them,
their accepting the inhabitants of the land as their          "have not obeyed my voice." They had entered into
neighbors, as a people fit to dwell among and their a forbidden fellowship with the nations against whom


236                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        -  `--.r- ,  ji.
                                                                                                  _.    .__-.  ___._  ,.._  _,._._,  ._
they were called to contend, and were  *tolerating their now in person by His own  mouth-,,spoken,   t.o this
idolatry wi't.hi,n the borders of God's country and there- generation, snow that it was about..&0  plunge deeper
by authorizing the heathen openly to manifest their            into sin. Bochim, too, would witness against them
depravity and  praotice  their abominations. "Why              in the day of judgments.       But  Bochim was also a
have  ye, done this."      The. angel demands to know.         memorial of  ,the reactions of  GodFs believing people
They had no reply. For they were without excuse. to His Word. They received His Word. They weep
For they knew, God had said (Ex.  23.~29,  30) and             on account of their sins. For them therefore the door
Moses had reiterated it, that the course, which they of hope is open.
now pursued, led to ruin. They knew that God could                It was not until the old generation that, on a whole,
not prosper their sin. They must then experience what we have reasons to believe, feared God, had died out,
the messen.ger  now announces namely, the covenant thet the sacred writer makes special mention of this
curse. "I also said-and I say it now-1 will not drive          "other generation" the next. following one, that, on a
them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns whoIe feared not God. *`And there arose," says the
in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you."      author, "another generation after them, which knew,
The covenant curse was to be realiezd through the              not Jehovah, nor the works which He had done for
agency of the Canaanites, who would first seduce them Israel." This cannot mean `that the new generation.
`to sin and thereupon, as scourges in God's hand, harass knew nothing about Jehovah and His works, were
and oppress them on every side.                                as ignorant of Him as h,eathen people who had never
       The true people of God were sensible of the sur-        heard of Jehovah's name and of His works. A clue
passing reality of the blessings which they had re-            to the right understanding of these statements of the
ceived. Their alarm on account of sin is great. "And           author.is given us in wha't he says of the old genera-
it  came  to pass,  when  the angel of the Lord spake these    tion, namely, that they "hsd known aE2 the works of
words unto all ,the children of Israel, that the people        the Lord  .that He had done for Israel," and at another
lifted up their voice, and wept. And they called the           place in his narrative (Jos. 2  5') , that they "had seen
name of that place Bochim-weepers-: and they all the great works of the Lord. . . ." The old genera-
sacrificed there unto the Lord," gave expression, thru tion had stood in the midst of the events. They had
their sacrifice,: to their contrition of heart and their witnessed the acts of God. They knew Jehovah and all
need, of forgiveness.     The sinful doings, which the His works through personal observation and exper-
angel had denounced, were those of the carnal seed.            ience. And the movements of the conflict made an  in-
But the guilt of these doings was communal. Besi'des,          .delible impression upon their souls and could therefore
the true people of God w,ere  also guilty by reason of not be forgotten. This alone would account for their
their own sin. Thus the conflicts and oppressions, in          serving God all their days, if nothing more is meant
store for the nation, would envolve, to be sure, also          than an outward conformity to God's laws. With
them but for their chastisement, and thus for the ad- many of ,the old generation, serving God may have
vancement of their spiritual life.  IAnd when, out of amounted  to.,j-ust  that, and nothing more. They saw
the depths, they cried unto the Lord, He delivered             God's works and despised God in their hearts. But the
them, delivered the nation for their sake. The mes- true Israel, seeing the events, blessed God's name be-
senger, had not shut the door of hope on them. For to cause they were man born from above, men of spiritual
them was the promise.                                          perception and understanding who knew and wanted
       Doubtless, Bochim is to be identified with Shiloh.      to know the events as works of God, wonders of His.
For this is the sacred place where the people of Israe!,       grace.             !
at that time, according to the command of God, as-                As to the new generation, it had acquaintance of the
sembled for feasts and sacrifices. Here is where the `Lord and all His works only through the report of their
angel would find them. The discourse of the angel              fathers. Hence they did not know God and His works
produced an outburst of weeping. Only because  it through personal experience, had not stood in the
was a weeping of true penitence before God on the              midst of the events and been mightily impressed by
part of God's believing people, could the place where ,them, as had their fathers. But there is more mean-
it occurred, receive the name Boehim. The spot, being ing contained in the notice, "AnId they knew not the,
called Bochim, was henceforth the memorial of the              Lord and His works. . . ." Being men in whose heart
Lordls  transacting with the nation at this spot, a            there was not the true fear of God they  did not aeknonc-
memorial of His discourse to them-a discourse in               ledge that it was through God that they had come
which the covenant  reIation  between God and His hither, that the events of which they had intelligence,
people, the obligations of His people in the covenant,         through the report of the fathers, were the works of
and the covenant curse and blessing was again clearly dehovah,  the wonders of His grace and that by these
set forth. The Lord had thus twice spoken to that wonders their nation had been brought into being.
"other generation", first by Joshua, His servant and           They reasoned about the history of their people as do


                                        T'HE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             237

the rationalist interpreters of our present time. They his best endeavors on the most favorite corner of some
rationalized God's wonders. The departure of their great metropolis.
people from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan were' i               However, in the largest cities of our country "Street
after all but human achievements, they said. Their `Evangelism" is still carried on to some extent. This
fathers. had seen and believed that victory came to levidently  is due to the fact that the radio is in general
them from the Lord. But they  Idid eat, built goodly aa rather expensive enterprise. Then, too, among the
houses, and dwelt in them (Deut. 8  :12) forgat God             very lowest class of people, such as are found in the
and said (Deut.  8 :17), "Our power and the might of            slums, the radio is a luxury. Such conditions neces-
our hands hath gotten us this wealth." Thus their               sarily call for another medium to reach these  sin-
not knowing the Lord and His works must also mean               darkened souls; and, naturally, the street-corner lends
that they knew little &out the Lord and His works,              itself the easiest for this purpose.               1:
of the true idea and purpose of their history, nation,             In considering the subject of "Street Evangelism"
institutions, promises of God and His worship. They the main point of consideration is whether or not such
had no insight into God's Word and no spiritual per-            an endeavor, at its best, is advisable and worthy of
ception of the things of God. For they cared only for recommendation.
themselves.      %hey coulld detect no. perceptible differ-        Possibly there are some who think it necessary to
ence between the worship of Baa1 and the worship of             consider another relative question first of all, namely,
Jehovah. The  contrarities  and the differences were may  "Street Evangelism" be conducted. Those bur-
all smoothed away by the evil influence of habitual             dened with this question are naturally of the opinion
intercourse with the idolatrous Canaanites. 1.t could           that this is the all-important consideration in this  so-
be expected therefore, `that, with the last restraints re-      called work of the Gospel. It, too, is rather surprising
moved through the death of the elders, this apostate how many serious-minded folk are of the opinion that
generation, being as it was, ungodfearing, openly               "Street Evangelism", in the good sense of the word, is
broke with the Lord to serve Baalim. Jehovah was so absolutely to ,be condemned.
holy and exacting, His religion, so cold, and His wor-             Having stated that the main point of consideration
ship so cheerless and uninspiring. In  Baal's temple in this subject is the  advisability and the  wco*mmend-
they could sing and dance and serve sinful flesh. The           a.bleness of this method of preaching one correctly con-
word sin was not found in the vocabulary of his priests.        cludes that the writer does not condemn "Street Evan-
        Herewith is completed the treatment of the first gelism" when properly conducted, Anyone condemn-
introduction to our book, which includes chapters 1  :l-        ing it must necessarily condemn both Christ and His
2 :lO; 2 20-3 :4.                                               apostles. From Scripture it is evident that both Christ ~
                                              G. M. 0.          and those whom He sent to preach did so in the streets
                                                                and even in the marketplaces. They preached in palace
                                                                and prison, to nobles and slaves, to harlots and drunk-
                              -                                 ards, at sea or on land, to barbarians and civilized, on
                                                                the high-ways and in by-ways, in season and out of
                                                                season. And why not? Should not the feet of them
   i          i' Street Evangelism                              that bring good tidings always be swift to bear the
                                   -                      -3    message wherever and whenever the way is open? Let
                                                                us beware lest we become complacent because we and
  , Some years. ago it was no uncommon sight to see             our children have been fed with the Word of God and
Iittle  and larger groups of people, on various street          we forget and despise the "dogs that are fed with  the
corners of the down-town areas of larger cities, listen- crumbs that fall from the Master's table." True pos-
ing tosome persuasive or emotional singing or to some           session of salvation must necessarily create within the
speaker doing his best to bring, or pretending to bring, heart the urge and longing to go out and tell others,
the Gospel.       Practically every denomination known regardless of whether it shall prove to be a savour  of
put forth its efforts in this direction. Whether it was life unto life or of death unto death. God forbid that
c,onsidered  a  *very effective method of bringing the          the zeal for true, whole-hearted, Biblical Evangelism
Gospel is hardly conceivable but it was at least a  goo,l       die in our midst.
vent or venture for so-called mission enthusiasm. Every             It is, however, not surprising that the more serious
corner  wit.h  its group seemed to offer another creed or       minded folk oppose the street-corner preaching. The
Christ.                                                         practise  of it was too often carried on by  would-be-
        Today the popularity of this type of "Gospel preach- preachers who somehow had failed to attain the office
ing" has greatly diminished since the new era of radio.         of the minister of the Gospel in the legal way. Too
The "Street Evangehst"  has found the radio a better often they were sponsored by some individual or indi-
medium to,reach  many more than ever was possible by            viduals, or by some society or club rather than by the


Church of Jesus Christ through its offices. This, too.      sacrilege. This also holds true for any attempt to pro-
explaias why the ministration of the Gospel, carried on     claim the Gospel in the midst of drunks and hoodlums.
by the "Street Evangelists" of the Reformed faith,  was     The Gospel is sacred and should not be dealt with as
nothing more than a hawking of Christ and the bless-        the cheapest article on the market. The pearls of the
ings of salvation. The line of demarcation between          Gospel of peace are not for the swine to tread on.
those of the Reformed persuasion and those who built           Studying the various Scriptural passages bearing
upon the foundation of Arminius and his followers           record of Christ-`s and the apostle's Evangelism, as
was entirely eradicated. The result being that this ,conducted  in the streets of the Bible countries, it may
type of work left an unsavory effect upon those who         be observed that there was an occasion for preaching.
loved the faith once delivered to the saints.               Christ and His apostles seem to have  created   the cir-
   Xn any and all preaching of the Gospel, as well as in cumstances and conditions appropriate for Gospel
every type of missionary activity, it is a Scriptural,      preaching. Generally such circumstances were created
and therefore divine, requisite that such endeavors be by religious disputations or debates brought about by
sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ through its         personal contact with certain parties or individuals.
instituted offices, that of the elders with the minister When the climax of such disputes was reached and the
of the Gospel.    The Gospel may not and cannot be          audience had become vitally interested as to the very
preached  being sponsored  o.nly by some individual,        heart of the matter the dispute- was turned by Christ
society, club or federation. This does not mean that        or His apostles into a lively preaching of the  &U
such an organization or individual may not  uritness  for Gospel of redemption. To such methods Christ's time
Christ. Witnessing for Christ is always allowed, in and place among the slow and patient Easterners lent
fact, divinely  required  of every one of us. But wit-      itself much ,more  than the ,day and modes in which
nessing for Christ and prenching  Christ are two dif-       we live.
ferent things. Witnessing for Christ is giving testi-          Experience and reason witness abundantly that
mony of one's faith and telling others about Christ.        "Street Evangelism", even when properly conducted.
Preaching, on the other hand, is  delivering  the Word      is most generally not advisable in our time and country.
of Christ on Christ's own authority to those to whom        Disappointing as this may seem to those, especially in
one has been specifically sent. To preach, therefore,       our own Protestant Reformed circles, who are filled
one must receive an official commisio,n  from Christ, with zeal for missions and missionary a&ivity, I think
through the Church, to speak the Word of Christ, the        they may rejoice in the great and wide door which the
Gospel of Peace. In this way the Truth, too, will be        Lord has opened in the radio facilities utilized by our
vouchsafed while it is always in jeopardy when the churches. The response received through these chan-
breaching of the Gospel is a free-for-all. Therefore, nels is so encouraging that it demands of every one of
also "Street Evangelism" is the duty of the Church us to put forth every effort that the glorious truth en-
only and not that of an individual, club or society.        trusted to our Churches by the King of the Church may
   Considering the question whether "Street Evangel- go forth upon the ether waves, each week of the entire
ism"  is  advisable and worthy of recommendation vari- year. It is true that this activity may never bring
ous considerations must be made. If one studies the forth the organization of a congregation in the circle
present mode of living it is very obvious that the man      dear to our hearts, but let us always bear in mind that
on the street., driven by the hustle and bustle of life,    we do not labor  first of  all  for  the Protestant Reformed
considers himself as having no time to pause  enroute       Denomination, but for God and His glory. In this we
to listen to a somewhat complete proclamation of the have the promise that His Word shall never return to
Gospel of Christ. When life was at a much slower            Him void, but shall do whatsoever He pleases, even
pace it was even then very noticable  to any observer.      though it may seem to us that we plough on rocks and
and extremely discouraging to the preacher, that any labor in vain. Here we may sow in tears, but bearing
one who was present at the beginning of the "Street the precious seed we shall doubtless come again with
Evangelist's " message was generally absent long be- rejoicing for we know that our labor is not vain in the
fore its close. Such tid-bits of any Gospel message         Lord.
cannot be advantageous for any purpose.                                                                      A. C.
    To my mind it, too, is questionable whether thp,
sacredness of the Gospel permits its proclamation
under any and all circumstances. Quite often the
street-preacher has been seen to begin his message
without a single soul for his audience,  merely  hoping                 Make me, 0 Lord, to know my end,
that his plaintive voice and the contortions of his face                Teach me the measure of my days,
would draw some souls who had more pity for the lone                    That I may know how frail I am,
preacher than for their own lost soul. This  I  call                    And turn from pride and sinful ways.


z     -                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          2.79

Resolved that we should Establish day to day and in numerous things He bestows His
                                                                    grace on mankind in general. His blessing rests on
DUS own Schools Wherever Possible: reprobates as well as elect and His expressed ,desire is
                                                                    that all shall be saved. I need not take time and space
                                                                    at this time to state what we believe with respect to
DEBATE  - AFFIRMATIVE  :                                            each of the above. In a broader sense the whole struc-
           We have the children; the material means are at          ture of Reformed truth is affected by these doctrines.
our disposal; the teachers can be obtained; hence, the Predestination, particular atonement, total depravity,
possibility is there. That is the thrust of this wherever sin, God's counsel and providence, especially their
possible. The question is: Should we, the way being                 e~phusis  and  applicat&rn,-all  this and more is in-
open, establish schools of our own, where our Protest- volved. There is with our Christian Reformed breth-
ant Reformed children can be instructed by Protestant               ren always that other side, the slide we do not wan?
Reformed men and women on ,the basis. of what we                    and do not want our children to believe, but which
believe to be the unadulterated Reformed truth? The means so much to them, that they cast out of their
 negative has the burden of showing why this is neither ecclesiastica  fellowship all those who cannot see that
desirable nor mandatory. The affirmative answers                    other side.
this question with an unequivocal : Yes! And gladly                    Now mind you, these are precisely the doctrines
 we assume the burden of proving our position.                      which must affect, one- way or the other, all that is
           You will notice, that our subject does not limit us      done in a school, all the instruction that is given, the
to any particular type of school. It includes whatever prayers that are offered, the hymns that are sung, the
school, whether for elementary or higher education, it programs that are rendered. These points are not only
 is within our means to establish.                                  weighty in themselves, but they are strikingly basic to
                                                                    all instruction. Grace for all! A divine desire to save
           In defense of the proposition as stated above  1         all! An offer of salvation, of  *saving  grace to all !
 would like to set before you a series of clear-cut af-             Blessing for a11 men ! Sin is restrained ! Remnants of
 firmations.                                                        original righteousness are retained in all men ! Man
 I-The truths involved in our  corcrtroversy   z&th our can please God in every sphere of life! These and
           Christian Reformed Brethren, the doctrines which others are not comparatively immaterial principles ;
           make this school question the vital issue it ~2, are:    they give color and direction and perspective to all that
           a-Fundamental in themselves, and  b-&&c to  aU goes on in a school. And, naturally, with the affirma.
           irh9truction.                                            tion of such doctrines goes the contradiction, directly
                                                                    or indirectly, of the truths we confess and hold sacred.
           I need not elaborate here, since my opponent, I
 know, will grant me the truth of this affirmation.                 II-The school is of paramount  importarze  as an
 Nevertheless, this must be our point of embarkation,                   agency for the instruction of our covmant  seed.
 for were there not those doctrinal differences between                So is the home, of course. It, as far as the direct
 us and them who control our present Christian schools,             instruction of our children is concerned, is perhaps the
 there could be no question of separation.                          most important of all educational agencies.  iIn the
           As Protestant Reformed people, therefore, we be- home the child is instructed practically from birth.
 lieve that the doctrines at stake are fundamental, so              There the child receives its first impressions, learns
 much so that they in a broad way affect the entire                 its first prayers, hears its first Bible stories, receives
 structure of Reformed truth and our whole view of                  its first lessons in reverence, obedience and general
 God, the world and man. Our cause is a worthy one.                 behaviour.
 Officially and in a narrower sense the principles in-                 Also the church is a vital factor in the instruction
 volved are embodied in the "Three Points of 1924".                 of the child, more so than at first thought we might
 According to them who now cantrol  the instruction of realize. Here the child is indoctrinated, in catechism
 our children the natural man is able to do much good,              and as it grows older, in the preaching of the Word.
 also before God, by virtue of a gracious operation of What is still more important in this connection, in
 the Holy Spirit in the heart of every man. In things church the parents and teas$hers  are indoctrinated. In
 natural and civil, in politics and society, in business            this way the church exerts an inestimable influence on
 and art, in every sphere of human endeavor he can do both the home and the school. Here the doctrine is
 much to pleas*e his Maker. This, good is t.he fruit of a preserved and proclaimed which constitutes the basis
general operation of the Spirit whereby sin is restrain- of all instruction. The church is the supply  ba?e   t~l?
 ed and remnants of the original integrity which man                incentive and doctrinal conception for both the home
 enjoyed in Paradise are retained in him. Above all,                and the school. This point is too obvious to need more
 God is graciously inclined to all men in general. From             emphasis. Bear this in mind with a view to our pre-


240                                   THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

sent discussion. No, our schools are not church schools,      God may be glorified and that "the man of God may be
but the mighty influence of the church is definitely and      perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
necessarily behind all that goes on in the school. Under ,Can that purpose be reached where the truth is cor-
the present setup the influence is that of the  Christian.    rupted and our children are instructed on the basis of
Reformed Church.                                              a distorted view of God, the worl,d,  man and doctrine
       However, also the school must never be under- in general? I heartily agree with what my opponent
rated as an educational agency. Here the child is in- once wrote in the Standard Bearer, "After all doctrine,
structed in all that must prepare it for its place as a       false or true,  ~determines  the religious character of all
child of God's covenant in this present world. Here the instruction, life and discipline of the school. . . .
doctrine is applied to life itself, and that by men and We need men and women that are thoroughly learned
women with mature conception and definite conviction.         in the Reformed doctrine, that love the Reformed doc-
And what a part of a person's life is spent in school !       trine and are  abIe to base their teaching upon the
25 hours each week, 40 weeks each year, 12 years, in- Reformed truth." Indeed, even the best we can give
cluding high school !    12,000 hours under Christian them is not good enough for our God-given covenant
Reformed teachers and in a Christian Reformed atmos- seed !
phere ! And that during the most vital and impression-           A'nd thus our school must cooperate with the home
able period of one's life. For never is one so exceed- and the church. The highest possible harmony, cer-
ingly receptive to all one sees and hears. How fresh tainly, should exist between these three main agencies
and clear is the mind of the child, how retentive its         for the instruction of. our children. That point has
memory, how keen its imagination! How readily it always been stressed by leaders of the Christian school
imbibes all it is taught! In a measure this applies           movement. Only then can the education of our child-
even to the period of adolescence. True, at that age          ren approximate the ideal. There must be doctrinal
one is not as passive as formerly. Still, the conceptions     harmony.     Nothing can be more distressing to the
of the adolescent are not yet mature, his convictions         child than an education that contradicts itself, that
are not yet ripened and aged by experience, his mind          denies common grace in the home and the church and
is still very impressionable and he is not yet able pro-      tolerates, inculcates it in the school.
perly to discriminate. It is during that all-important           Then there is the influence they must and do have
period of life that the school, that is, they that teach      on one another. Church and home must exert their
in the school, exert their influence on our children.         influence on the spiritual character of the school. The
If you really love your church and are duly concerned         latter should willingly cooperate with the former. We
about the spiritual welfare of your children, thesc           should have teachers that seek to create in our children
considerations should stagger, should frighten you.           genuine loyalty to the Protestant Reformed home and
                                                              church and a real appreciation of the Protestant Re-
XII-The instruction our children receive must be based formed truth as it applies to all of life. More than we
       on our Protestant Reformed truth.                      realize, the welfare of the home and the church, and
   My opponent will grant also this affirmation, yet the future of the latter, depend on our schools.
this point must be stressed as a step toward our final
and correct conclusion.                                       IV-Our present schools  can;net and do  wt meet the
   The schools our children attend must be  Chris%n               educational `needs of our chiklren  and, our o.bliga-
schools, as Christian as it is within our power to make           tions as covenant parents.
them. They must not be public schools plus some re-              Emphatically, they cannot, and my opponent will
ligion and religious exercises. They must be based            never be able to prove the contrary.         The present.
throughout on the principle of the fear of the LOLYI and ,Christian  schools are Christian Reformed schools. Don't
permeated with the truth of the Word of God.                  deny this by saying that our schools are not church.
   That truth of Scripture, to us, is our  Protestnnt         s,chools.  That only means, that officially they did not
Reformed truth. All the instruction our children re-          adopt the three points and that they are not under
ceive must be based on and permeated with that truth.         direct supervision of the church. To all practical pur-
Whatever contradicts that truth is: not Christian, but        poses they are Christian Reformed, controlled by
unchristian, antichristian. In the measure "the three Christian Reformed people, a few hamstrung Protest-
points" with their implications permeate the education        ant Reformed board-members and teachers notwith-
our children receive; in fact, in th,e measure the pure       standing. The societies are Christian Reformed, the
Reformed truth does  %ot permeate that education,             boards are Christian Reformed, the teachers are Chris-
in that  measure such education is un- and antichristian, tian Reformed, hence, the schools are Christian Re-
Nor can the Christian school ever approximate its formed. I am utterly at a loss to understand how any
ideal and purpos,e  on any other basis than that of the       Protestant Reformed person can fail to see this. Con-
unadulterated Reformed truth. That purpose is thi:!           sequently, the instruction is Christian Reformed, that


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            241

or nothing, but, certainly it is  noC Protestant Reformed, them away from their own churches. And thus our
The  Ghristian Reformed church is the doctrinal supply schools as they are today are slowly gnawing away
base for our present schools. Mind you, this is not an at the foundations of our Protestant Reformed home
indictment against our present teachers. We  expect           and church.
not.hing else. We don't ask them to violate their own            No, 1. cannot be enthusiastic about the schools as
consciences by teaching contrary to their own convic-         they are today. Enthusiastic! How can any Protest-
tions.    Nevertheless for us this means two things.          ant Reformed person be? Is it nothing to you whether
a-The Christian Reformed doctrine is the basis of all         Protestant Reformed doctrine or Christian Reformed
the instruction. b-&r principles are not taught, but doctrine permeates all the instruction  oul' children  re..
rejected and ridiculed. Against the former we might ceive? That continuous dripping  ,of the  1i.e into the
conceivably lodge some kind of a protest. But how minds and hearts of our children must and will beak
can we protest against what is  .not  taught? Nor is          its inevitable consequences.
there anything we as Protestant Reformed can do about
the situation. There is no way to make the Christian
Reformed school Protestant Reformed unless we can                There simply is no other way to avoid the dangers
do the same with the Christian Reformed church.               that threaten us now and to approximate our ideal.
However, Rev. De Jong will give me occasion to say            We must have schools, which we as Y&e&ant  Reform.
more about this in my rebuttal.                               ed parents can control, wherein our tearhers can 12bor
      That our present schools are definitely Christian       according to their convictions azc` with :t free hand,
Reformed is corroborated by numerous experiences. and wherein all the instruction is based on `the truth
 Forcibly this fact is brought home to us, when our we love. We must have "men and women", says  .Rev.
children are taught the good points of the union, when De Jong himself, "that are thoroughly learned in Re-
such doctrines as that of the  cvvenant  of works is          formed doctrine, that love the Reformed doctrine and
taught as does the Christian Reformed church, and             are able to base their teaching upon the Reformed
when our children are asked to ,believe that "according truth."
to His mercy God would save all men, but according to            A Protestant Reformed home and Protestant Re-
His justice He cannot do this". Often young people formed church call for a Protestant Reformed school.
have said to me, "We can't make up our minds as to            The school is the extension of the home, we say.            A
 what is right. When we hear our teachers talk, it            Christian Reformed school the extension of a  Protest-
seems to us they're right. When we hear you talk, we `ant Reformed home? Shame o.n us for hugging such
feel that you are right:' Thus there is constant oppo- an inconsistency. Even our Christian Reformed breth-
sition to our church and doctrine, whether deliberate ren must feel that way about us.
or unintentional. Daily the seeds of doubt are being             When our passive, impressionable, little children
sown in the hearts and minds of our children. And             have grown up and the training period shall be past
remember two things in this connection: a-The lie forever, when their opinions shall have been molded
often seems so plausible at first glance. The flesh is and their conceptions ripened, when the tree shall  hav,?
so ready to believe, that God does love and bless all taken its permanent shape, then you and I must be able
men, that there is a restraint of sin and that the natural to say: We did our best! We sought to bring them
man can do much good. These things are the natural up in the aforesaid doctrine to the utmost of our
conclusions of the sinful heart. b-Always it is the power !            We cannot say that now as we take our
mature mind of the teacher overagainst the delicate,          children to those of the Christian Reformed. church
impressionable, trusting  min'd of the inexperienced and say, "Here's my child. Instruct it!"                  ;          .
child. When all is as it should be this 1s fine and `.he         Wherefore, if we love our Protestant Reformed
thoughts of our  chil,dren  :?re molded in  t?-.~3   r'ght    truth and church, if we are duly concerned about the
d`irezt2.m.  But how  precarious  is  the  3:tuation when spiritual welfare of our children, there. can be `only
all is `not well. Neither are all teachers above taking one answer to the question we are discussing: the ans-
undue advantage of their natural superiority.                 wer the affirmative was privileged to defend.
.1    And so the dangers are many. Nor can we as                                                          R.  V.  :I
parents completely control and counteract the evil
influences of the school, even in our own children.
Many parents are not able to refute all  t.he things
their children come home with. Besides, there are DEBATE  - NEGATIVE:                                                i
many things which never reach the ears of the parents,           As I understand the subject of our debate it is my
things which our children take for granted but which task to state why I think that we should not establish
are poisonous nevertheless. Then, our children form our own schools wherever possible. This is a very up
friendshipsi  especially in high school, which often lead to date subject, especially here in the city of Grand

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

Rapids. As we start out our debate I have all confi- shack; we are always sick because of the unhealthy
dence in my worthy opponent that he will write about living conditions. On a certain night I wake up and
the issue at stake. This is not- a personal matter at all      the house is afire, the whole thing burns down. Now
and the debate should leave no scars.                          it is no longer a question whether I like: to move, or
    As I see the issue the point at stake is not at all should move, but I must move. I halve no place to live.
whether an instruction based throughout upon Pro- And as I move in another house the motive was not
testant Reformed principle is not ideal for our child-         at all improvement, neither was it a matter of possi-
ren. There can be no difference of opinion among us            bility, but it was  a.bsolutely  ne,cessary. I could do
on this particular point. However that does not settle nought else.
the issue at all, although I have a notion that this will         But why not establish schools of our own if we
be the chief argument of my opponent. Neither is it have the means, the facilities, the children, if they are
the point in our debate whether we should establish most ideal for the instruction of our children? Why
our own schools if this becomes necessary. Nor is it           not? For several reasons. Let me enumerate a few
the point whether the present Christian Schools have of them. Of course I know beforehand that my oppon-
`just about reached the ideal so that there is really no ent and those on his side will deny that there can be
room for improvement. We all know better. And all any reason at all. I hope though that my opponent
those that have the true interest of our Christian             will not ignore or try to minimize some of these vital
schools at heart will admit at once that the schools are reasons I expect to enumerate. ,The financial argu-
far from, having reached the ideal. But the point at ment used so often against a school of our own does
stake is whether we should establish our own schools not enter into the picture. In the' first place I think
wherever possible.                                             this is usually a poor argument and I do not put  much
   The question may arise : "What is meant by aahere-          stock in it. Furthermore the argument is excluded be-
ev,er  powible." By this expression I understand the cause the very subject of our debate presupposes the
.physical  possibility. That is to say: there must be financial possibility. But here follow a few of the
a sufficient number of children, and financially it must reasons, all of which have been mentioned many times
be possible that the local sponsors of such a movement before.
can carry the financial burden. Naturally the avail-              First of all I am convinced that we have a calling
ability of teachers, a building site and the very possi- with respect to the present Christian School. We are
bility of building also enter in. `However, as to the members of the Societies, we send our children to
former we will leave out this element for the time these Schools. We have a moral obligation toward t`hc
being, and as to the latter this is a temporary prob- school in which we have a place at present. I know
lem due to war restrictions.                                   this is denied time and again by those who are on the
    Should we establish our own schools wherever pos- side of the affirmative. And I wish to state right here
sible? My answer is definitely "N.0 !" I want to look and now that: "As long as the affirmative denies that
at the matter of a school of our own from the view- we have a moral obligation toward the present Chris-
point of its  necessity  and not its  possibility.   I hope    tian School, its argument for a school of our own is
that my worthy opponent also clearly keeps this dis- not convincing, though it may seem that way, every-
tinction in mind. Perhaps with an example I can body just does not swallow sweeping statements with-
clearly illustrate the point of distinction I mentioned.       out even being granted a hearing." But why do we
 (The ki.nd reader of course should keep in mind that          have a moral obligation and in what does it consi,st?
an illustration has its limitations and especially in the Let me mention a few things. Nobody can deny that
ease at hand is meant to focus attention on one point) _       we are part of the present school system. We agree
Here follows the illustration as to the differen,ce  be-       with the principles as expressed in the various con-
tween possibility and necessity. For the sake of argu- stitutions upon which the  institmion  and its teaching
ment, conceive of it that I live in a fairly decent house.     is based. Besides we have helped to erect and main-
Naturally if I would move out and build a new house tain these schools, we always had a vital interest in
and a better house, provided of course that I have the them. The Christian schools are no church schools,
means, I would improve myself. Should I go to work they may not teach doctrine, much less the common
now and build a new house? Perhaps  I will, perhaps grace theory.              If this is done nevertheless we can
I will not. In order to come to a definite decision I appeal to the constitution, bring in our protests and
have to consider a great many things. .And after tak- complaints and attempt to make the Boards and the
ing all things into consideration I may very well come teachers see the error of their way. We should leave
to the conclusion that I will not build a new house but these schools where we were educated ourselves, which
stay where I am, even though my house is not as con-           we maintained in the past, which are founded upon the
venient and up to date as I would like to have it.-But truth of God's Word, which are no church schools, but
let  me  now   draw another picture.-1 live in an old parental schools, leave the schools in which we. are


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              243

vitally interested, the schools where our children are know of one community where the above has been
instructed or give instruction? Leave these schools            tried. And it worked, it works today. As I see it
because they are minus the label Protestant Reformed,          this matter is of such weighty importance that even
and because we have no full control of them, or because        if the present movement for a school of our own here
we are .a minority? It seems to me that every un-              in Grand Rapids should succeed, this above mentioned
biased person will come to the conclusion that we can          matter of neglect will haunt and bother the movement
not just. merely leave those schools and build our own.        for many years to come. And a goodly number of our
To me that looks too much like what we call in our             own people, ,even if they would send their children to a
church life `wegloopende protestanten'. And woe if             school of our own certainIy  would always condemn the
people do that with respect to the church, that is bad.        manner in which the school came into being. Let no-
But then it would be perfectly in order to do the same         body think that you can merely brush these things
wit.h respect to the school? Of course not.                    aside. Much less can those who are on the affirmative
   In the second place I would not establish schools of side win our people for the idea of a school of our
our own whenever possible because the present chris-           own by merely stating that those who are against it
tian  ,schools  do not cast us out, as it was in 1924 with are not Protestant Reformed. That argument is not
respect to the church. On the cont.rary they seek our true, besides it is very dangerous and has already sown
help and cooperation. And let no one say that this is seeds of'bitterness among brethren that belong to the
merely a matter of the dollar. There, are many in-             same household of faith. The matter of .a school of
stances wherein the Christian schools have not. benefited our own wherever possible must be debated in a sphere
financially at all by having our children in their school,     of brotherly love and respect, otherwise the end will
still they kept them and wanted them. And it is ro             be hopeless confusion, `verkettering,' division and bit-
exception that some of our children received and un-           terness. And you can not win one soul for the move-
doubt.edly  still do receive Christian instruction in our      ment by the method of ignoring the arguments of the
present Christian schools which is partly paid for by          opposition and display the attitude: "We are all right
Christian Reformed people. Don't say: "They are and those who do not agree with us are all wrong."
merely interested in our dollars." That is too much to         Naturally I happen to be on Athe negative side, hence
swallow. Fact is there are a goodly number of chris-           I must defend the negative side, but irrespective of
tian school people outside of our Protestant Reformed          this  I am firmly convinced that the above subject
churches who are sincerely interested in us, in our            certainly is debatable. $And to win anyone for  the
children. People who admire us for our positive stand movement you must first be willing to see the other
on Christian instruction and who desire nothing better man's point of view, believe in his sincerity, and then
than to keep us and cooperate with us for principle's          try to convince him that he is nevertheless wrong. .A
sake. Personally I also think that the Christian school        simple `for' or `against' does not decide the matter.
movement certainly needs all the support it can be             Instruction based upon Protestant Reformed principles
given. Should we withdraw arbitrarily while no one is ideal for our children. But from the foregoing
casts us out but on the contrary  they want to.keep  us?       does not at all follow that we must now establish
That would be foolish and morally wrong.                       schools of our own where ever possible. There are
   In the third place it is my,position  that we have no       too many problems that enter in before we should
moral right to leave *the school unless we have first decide upon such a move in any local community.
brought our grievances to the proper authorities, at-             I have more to say on this subject but space does
tempted to improve the Christian character of the in- not permit. In the next Standard Bearer we expect to
struction, have done our utmost in the spirit of love to       finish the debate. Let the readers be judges and kindly
see to it. that our schools live up to their constitutions,    wait with your final judgment till you have read all
.and in every way have shown that we seek the t.rue            the rr&erial.                                  J. D.
welfare of the Christian schools. And if we utterly
fail in *this then the matter becomes altogether differ-
ent. However, the very thing I mentioned, we Pro-
testant Reformed people never did. We have been too                      Teach me, 0 Lord, Thy ways of truth
negative since `24; We should have been,  weLshould                      And from it I will not depart;
be today, more positive and constructive. I for one                      That I may steadfastly obey,
am willing to confess this. I know it is very easy to                    Give me an understanding heart.
say : "We have no calling here," or "You try it once
and see how far you get." The fact is, generally speak-                  Thurn Thou my eyes from vanity,
.ing, we never tried. It is very easy to do some mud-                    And, cause me in Thy ways to tread;
slinging but whereas we are all guilty of neglect, let                   0 let Thy servant prove Thy word:
 US admit it, confess it. Besides, this is also a fact, I                And thus.  TV godly fear be led.


                                                            -.--
                         ---."
VOLUME XX                                                  MARCH  1.5,  1934                                   NUMBER 12
                                                                - garden of Gethsemane, He  had.never  ceased talking C,o
          MEDITAT                                                        And just now He u-as warning them about  the
                                                                     danger of the "hour".              `.
                                                            ----L
                       -~                                               Ah, the time had been, when He had rsent Ithem in+o
                                                                     the villages and cities of Israel, prea,ching  the gospel
                                                                     of the kingdom of h.eaven,  without purse and scrip and
                                                                     shoes.
                FOT 1 scq unto you, that this that is written           In those days, He  now reminds them: had they lack-
              mu.d yet be accom@khed  in me, And he was              ed anything then  ? And they said : Nothing.
              reckoned  amoqq the transgressors  :  ,foq;  thrj         Gladly the people had received them, and supplied
              fhsngs concrrning me have an end.                      their need !
                              .*           x Luke  22:-W.               How popular was their Master in those days!
   Dreadful hour !                                                      How well He was known as the one that went
   The sinless One  wzs to be numbered with the throughout  ,the land doing good, healing `the sick, giv-
transgressors !                                                      ing sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, firmness
   `He that knew no sin, Who did no evil, neither was of limb to the lame, cleansing the lepers, and raising
guile found in His mouth, the Son of God in the flesh. the dead ! How ready they were to receive them iI1
was to be considerEd  reckoned and treated as a public               their homes, `that  they, might know more about Him,
enemy !                                                              about His marve!lous  works, and about the kingdop
   Well might the Saviour warn His disciples in  ::hir               He preached and had come to establish?  Was He not
darkest of hours, when the darkest forces of the powers the Messiah that was to come? . . . .
of darkness would assemble to commit ;their  darkest                    Glorious days those!
c$eed,  that now they had better buy a sword, and sell .   B u t n o w ! . . . .
whatever they had, if nee,d be, .:o secure onz!                         Now they would not be able so to pass :hrough  the
   For thus the Lord had spoken to  t.he twelve !                    !a?d! Nox the inhabitants of the towns and villa&
   And, though it must have sounded strange to them. of Israel would not receive them with op:n arms, ready
coming from His mouth, the thing appealed to l:hem,                  to svpply  them with food and drink a-nd shelter. On
and they were ready.                                                 the  contraiy,  fear, suspicion, enmity, hostility  `&!-I
   Busily, very busily, the Lord had 6een instructirxz               opposition they would meet !
them in these last moments of His earthly presen:?                      No time it was to go without purse and scrip an:1
and fellowship with them.  Ine?ssan$ly  He had been shoes, relying on the good will of thz people.
speaking, exhorting, comforting them,  prayin  fol-                     No time it xas at all to go through the land preach-
them and with them, preparing them for the things ing the gospel of the  kingdom  of God.
that were impending, warning them of the darkness                        It was time for the sword!
of  (this hour in which  they  wouid all be  offendEd   i?.             "He that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise
Him, and one of them, one on whom they were inclined                 his scrip". . . .
to look as a leader, -would even deny Him. In  th-?                     And if need be, let one sell his garment to buy a
upper room, where they had eaten the  pas-,hal  suppel:              : word !
with Him, and on the way from that room, through                         For it is the hour of the ptiwers of darkness!
the fo'rsaken  streets o1 Ithe Holy Cit$,  and;toward  the
     1                                        .I     &1
    ,. . .

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

Chris:  of God, what is written of Him: "And he was ing" while others are %inners and publicans"' ; some
r&one3 among the transgressors  !"                                  are honorable and decent members of society, while
       The sinless One must be delivered to  *the wrath of others are criminals; some are good. citizens, while
the ungodly, and He must suffer and die as a trans-                 others are public enemies. . . .
gressor !                                                              And with the Iatter the Lord was to be reckoned!
       As a pu,blic  enemy !                                           Sinners were to reckon Him as not worthy to live
       Hour of horror!                                              even in the society of sinners !
                           -                -                          Transgressors were to set Him apart as One thai
                                                                    was worthy of being judged and condemned even by
       Reckoned with the transgressors!                             transgressors !
       Yes, indeed, you are, perhaps, ready to say: thus               Be was to be numbered with the outcasts of society,
it must  needs  be, for the Saviour had to bear our sins, with  public enemies, with the scum of the world !
and to accomplish this, He must needs be made sin,                     That was  ::he dreadfulness of the hour!
that we might become righteousness of God in Him!                      And that, too, was its offense!
       But wait!. . . .                                                It was especially that element and aspect of ,:he
       Do not as yet look at that awful hour of perplexity          suffering of their LorcI  which the disciples could no!
and offense in the light of our more  perfest  under- understand, and which they would not accept. For it
standing o,f iit, in the light of~the gospel of the glorious        they were not prepared in that night of nights.  0,
resurrection and exaltation of our Lord, and in the                 plainly and repeatedly their Master had forewarned
light of God's infinite wisdom and-clearly revealed pur- them that they must be prepared for just that dreadful
pose to reconcile the world unto Himself, and that, too,            event. *Again and again He had told <them in words `1,
by causing His only begotten Son in the flesh to be                 child could have understood, not merely that He would
reckoned among the transgressors !                                  have to suffer in order to enter into His-glory, but that
       0, to be sure, all this is true, we know !                   He would have to be delivered into sthe hands of the
       But this "hour" is an hour of perplexity, not of leaders of the Jews, to be condemned as an evil  doe>*,
clear understanding of the mystery of redemption !                  and that, therefore, He must be numbered with the
It is not yet time for the formulation of dogma's of transgressors, and as a public enemy He would hare
forgiveness and atonemen::  and reconciliation and the              to suffer and die:    But the disciples had not received  ir.
love of God. . . ,                                                  Once, indeed, by the mouth of Peter, they had indig-
       Wait! . . . .                                                na:?tly contradieted  that saying. That would never be!
       It is the hour of darkness !                                 But since f:hen they had kept their peace whenever th?
       And the text in Luke, the word as the Lord address- Lord had spoken of His decease at Jerusalem. But in
ed it to His disciples in that night of His deliverance             their deepest heart they had never believed it. Christ'5
into the hands of sinners, does not first of all signify            words had not registered  i:l  ,:heir consciousness. The
that  GOCE numbered Jesus with the transgressors, but               saying "was hid from them !"
that this would be done by men !                                       And even in this darkest hour they did not under-
       That was the dreadfulness of the hour !                      stand, witness their reaction  aild their answer to Jesus'
       With the transgressors  .He would be reckoned, He            warning that  khis was an hour for the sword. For,
the sinless One, by ungodly sinners! A transgressor                 with a certain joy of heart ,they had taken the Lord
is one that rebels against the established law. Such                literal!y at iHis word this time, and h.ad replied : "Lord,
is the meaning of the word in the Scripture that  must              behold, here are two swords  !"
be fulfilled, and  th,at,  in  its literal form is found  in           They had prepared themselves,  an3 exactly because
the twelfth verse of the marvellous  fifty&third  chapter of `their preparedness they were not ready for the  hour  I
of Isaiah. And the word used here in Luke signifies                    Dreadful hour !
those that are lawless. With rebels against the law of                 Horrible prospect !
God and man must He, the Son of God in sinless                         Their Lord numbered with the transgressors? Be
human nature, be reckoned. But even so the horror of it far from Him ! That would never be !
this thing is not fully expressed. For "transgressors"                 0, perhaps, they vaguely understood that the  MeA-
01' "rebels" or "lawless ones" is no: to be understood              siah wouId  .have to suffer somehow. Di& not all the
here in its common and general sense. It has a spe&ll               shadows of the old dispensation Ipoint to this suffer-
meaning. It refers to a special class of sinners,  i.12             ing? Had not the prophets plainly spoken of the suf-
those lawless ones that are set apart as such even bj fering Servant of Jehovah? Hardly could they  be
sinful men themselves. All men are transgressors be- wholly ignorant in respect to the suffering of the Christ
fore God. But even among men there is a difference. that was to come, and that had now been with them
Men, sinful men, classify  ,themselves.  And according ,t-hese three,blessed  and marvellous years: That some-
to this classificat.ion some are `"members in good stand- how a sacrifice had to be made by the Messiah  in or&:

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

        to  enter into His kingdom of  gIory,   they--must hav:?                       way `He must travel because with  the-' transgressors
        apprehended, be it ever so vaguely.                                            He was reckoned !
            However, it makes a world of difference how a man                              For, indeed, it meant that He was set apart as :I
        suffers !                                                                      public enemy. It implied that those who had  received
            Even suffering may be .gIorious!                                           power from above `would book Him as a criminal. But
            Give a man a sword, a:ld let him die on the  batt!+                        it meant,. too, that as a criminal He was treated! He
        field, and he will be honored as a hero. Or let a ma.3                         was taken prisoner by those that were in authority.
        p!ainly  and openly sacrifice himself for his  fellowmen,                      He was bound,  indi,cted,  tried, found guilty, condemn-
        and even men will praise his courage and nobility n!'                          ed. He was  treated   & one whom  everi one had  the
        soul and spirit. Or again, let a man die as a martyr                           right to despise, to reproach, to fill with  contempf:.
        for a noble cause, and the generations that  follolv                           He was beate:],  buffeted, mocked at, spit upon, sco~rp-
        will erect monuments in his honor.                                             ed, sentenced to death," publicly, by the law, in. tile
            But the Christ must, not die as a hero. . . 2 .                            presence of all men ! . . . .
            He may not die as a martyr. . . .                                             But even so, we have not said enough.
            It may not even appear  &to men that He dies to                               For the Scriptures must be  fulfilled!  What  was
        sacrifice Himself for others.                       .                          written in `the Scriptures must be accomplished, fin-
            He must die without glory, wi:thout the praise of ished, perfected in Him!
        men even in and because of His suffering.                                         And that implies that there had, indeed, been others,
            He must be reckoned with the transgressors!                                all through the old dispensation that, even as He, ha4
            Die He must as a public enemy !                                            been reckoned with the transgressors, and that, too.
            Frightful hour !                                                           for the very  cause He represented, and although  thev
I                                                                                      were innooent of the crimes of which they were ac-
                                                                                       cused: but that in Him this Scripture'was to reach its
                                                                                       end, its climax, its complete and ultimate fulfillment.
            Unspeakable suffering!                                                        None had been perfectly sinless as He.
            Such, indeed, i4 Tas for our Saviour.                                         And none had ever been so reckoned with  thr
            For, first of all, Iet us remember that He was th+                         transgressors as this sinless One !
        absolutely sinless One !                                                          He was condemned and treated, not merely as a
            And who can fathom. the suffering of Him that                              criminal, but as the chief of all evil-doers, as public
        was without sin as He was numbered among the trans-                            enemy number one!
        gressors?                                                                         He was condemned to the death of the cross!
           0, to be sure, that He was the sinless One mean+                               IAnd to make sure, that all that would might under-
        that He was without guilt, that He was innocent of the stand the meaning of this horrible thing, they crucified
        crimes of which they would accuse Him, and, on the                             :two other public enemies with Him !
        basis of which they would reckon Him with the scum                                And Jesus in the midst!
        of society. It meant, moreover, that He had always                                Ua fathomable agony !
        done good, that He had been a public benefactor of
        men, healed them, blessed them,  preacheY  the gospel
        of salvation to them.
            B'ut it mea'nt much more.                                                     But why?
            It implied that He knew no sin ! Not merely men                               Why  w~ust this Scripture be fulfilled?
        must fail to find any accusation against Him, but God                             Why  .must   the sinless One be reckoned among the
        Himself must  pronoun,ce  Him blameless, the  Judg:!                           transgressors and die as public enemy number one?
        of heaven and earth could only declare that this ww                               0, awful hour! The world must be exposed in :!I!
        His beloved Son, in Whom He was well pleased. He,                              the horror of its iniquity, that ,,it may be condemner!,
        the Lamb wfthout  blemish, knew.no  sin! His own coa-                          and God may be justified when He'judgeth ! If, in the
        science never accused Him. He hated sin and loved hour of judgment, the world shall be asked: why did
     ~. righteousness. He dreaded sin. `He was filled with you number the sinless One @th the transgressors?
       horror at the very sight of sin. The very contact with                          they will answer: because in our' darkness we could
        sin was repulsive to Him. His whole soul rejoiced in                           not toierate the Light!
        righteousness, and in the love of God! His very meat                              Why?
        it was to do the Father's will.                                                   0 blessed mystery ! Go3, too, had numbered Him
           He was to be numbered with `the scum of a  sinful                           :vith the 4ransgressors,  in His eternal good pleasure.
       world !                      I_     ,. ,:      :          .:.     I     .i .
                                                                               ,i,     that they might be made righteous in and through Him !
           Who  shell fathom the  sojrrdw of  His  sotif?:   `.  .'                       0.  rlej.~fh   c,,T  virhw  f
        `.  .But,  m  Ihe  swt>nd.  pl8ce,  consid&.   the:  dreadful `f-.-                          ~. .."
                                                                                             ,, .  `  ".  ,.,.  c  .,...  ., . . .    *     *    R.  R:


                                                       ."                                                                                                                                                                          .  .,  .I
252                                                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                              The Stand&d Bearer
          Semi-Monthly, except  Monthly in July and  .\uguat                                                                                                                   EDITORIALS-
                                                     Published by                                                                                                                                                                                   -
                    The  Refermed  Free Publishing  Associatien  *
                                        1101  Hazen Street,  3. E.                                                                                                                      Concordiit
                                  EDITOR  - Rev. H. Hoeksema

      Contributing editors-Revs. J. Blankespoor,  A. Camrnenga,
      P. De Boer, J. D. de Jong,  1-I. De Wolf, L. Doezema,                                                                                                           It is not necessary for the Standard b'ca!rer to intro-
      M.  Gritters,  C. Hanko, R. Kok,  G. Lubbers, G.  al. Ophoff.                                                                                                duce to our readers the newest arrival in the field of
      A. Petter, M.  Schipper,  J.  Vanden   Breggen,  H. Veldman,                                                                                                 current  Protestail::  Reformed literature,  Concordi</.
      R.  Veldman,   I,.  Vermeer,  P.  Vis,  G. Vos, Mr. S. De Vries.                                                                                             It introduced itself in the form of a  samp!e  COPY  of
      Communications relative to contents should be addressed                                                                                                      the first issue sent to most of our readers, if not ail,
      to REV. H. HOEKSRMA,  1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                                                                        ttige+her  with the announcement that it is wi!!ing to
      Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                            visit them every two bveeks  for the small sum of once
      (`~,rnmunications  relative to subscription should be ad-                                                                                                    dollar in eight months.
      dressed to MR. It. SCHAAFSMA,  1101  Haren  St., S. E.,                                                                                                         We only write this editorial to welcome it, to
      Grand Rapids, Mich.                            All Announcements and Obituaries                                                                              recommend it to all our readers,  to wish it a prosper-
      must be sent to the above address and will not be placed                                                                                                     ous existence and a long life, to offer  *:he  Stamdaw!
      unless the regular fee of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                      Bearer as an exchange  paper as a matter of courtesy.
                                      Subscription $2.60  per year                                                                                                 and to make a few remarks about its contents  and
                                                                                                                                                                   appearance.
E_                                                                                                                                                                 - The  Concord&x  undoubtedly fills a need in  out*
                                                                                                                                                                   churches  ; among our people there is room for this
                                                                                                                                                                   paper. Even though Our  Church  News did not seem
                                                             -                                                                                                     to enjoy the high esteem and hearty support of many
                                                                                                                                                                   of our people, when it appeared  nG longer in our
                                                                                                                                                                   homes, we all felt that there was somethiag missing,
                                                     CONTENTS                                                                                                      especially in the line of news from ou!r churches. Many
 MEDITATIE                                                                                                                                      Page               fe1t that we should have something to take the p!ace
                                                                                                                                                                   of that weekly. But SwhiIe several  of our people talked
      AS  THE PUBLIC ENEMY . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                    249            about the desifability of having some kind of Church
           Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                        News, six western ministers got together, deliberated
EDITORIALS  -                                                                                                                                                      upon the matter, took action, and  *the result is  th:?
      CONCORDIA                                                                                                                                      "52
                                    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  I Concord&z with which by  this time we have all  made
      ANTWOCkD ON -BROEDER  MEELKER . . . .._._....................  254                                                                                           acq,uaintance.
           Rev. H. Hoeksema '                                                                                                                                         And although it may appear somewhat bold  tn
THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE                                                                                                                                               enter everybody's home without being invited, espez-
                                                                                                                                                                   ially when you make a charge of three ce;lts for the
      EXPOSITION OF THE HEIDELBERG CATECHIZM  . ...255                                                                                                             privilege of being visited, Coneor?& does not have to
           r:w. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                        be ashamed of its appearance, and had pretty solid
      TIJDTNG UIT RANDOLPH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258                             reasons to think that, once having gained  entrance
      THE PSALTER, ITS REPRINT AND REVISION . . . . . . . . . . . . 269                                                                                            into the homes of our people, they would invite it to
      Rev. A. Cammenga                                                                                                                                             stay.Concwdia is a bi-weekly. It proposes to visit us
      BARTHIAN `.ESCHATOLOGY                                             . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . ..:........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...261    in the weeks ,when  *the Standard Bearer does not ap-
             Rev. A. Pitter                                                                                                                                        pear.
      HET GEBED EENS BEJAARDEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  264                                                   It means `to be a good deal more than a  mer:?
               Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                                        Church News. Besides news from our Churches,  ?t
                                                                                                                                                                   offers a Meditation, Editorials, a Doctrinal Depart-
      DEBATE -  N,egative  Rebuttal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ...=.....  , . . . . . . . . . 266                                  ment, a rubric on Education, a  &uestion  Box, Current
             Rev: J. De Jong                                                                                                                                       Events, and a "-Children's Corner". The contents,
      DEBATE i- Affirmative*Rebuttar . . . . . . . . . Y...: . . . . . ::: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  270                                            therefore, are rich and varied, and not so heavy and.
             Rev.  R.  Veldrnan                                                                                                                                    therefore, more easily readable than those of  the
                                                                                .                                             .  I  *
                                                                                                                    .  _                                           Standa.kd~  :.Bmrer.: AusL  .its.:  clriff;_nalars  TYq~   abh
                                                                                                                                                                   +xectid   ,tieir. design and-gave: the paper a pleasant.


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
 -".-".     '       .l____l                                                                                                    $33
                                                                                                    l-_l-~l_  l__l
 atkractive,  and artistic, even a somewhat poetic  ap-                 In the first issue the news from our churches id
 I;earance.         Instead of the commonplace and  pro&t-           predominantly western. But I hat-e no doubt  thqt this
 Our Church  Naws we  now have a  Concordia,  the doc-               will be remedied in future issues. But with respect.
trinal rubric has the heading iimong Our Tmmsurss,                  to the contents of this news, I would suggest that it
the educational department is entitled  Hearth  `and                be more strictly limited  ,:o  church  news,  aild that per-
Belfry,  etc. The cuts that have been designed for eanil            sonal newi be eliminated in as far as it does not con-
 subrie heading add to the aitractiveness  of Concordia's           cern the church. Trio's and calls extended, acceptEd
appearacce.           Those six ministers that designed the         or declined, serious illness of a minister that effe:ts
new bi-weekly did a good job. Honor to them!                        the church he serves, society news and news of o:her
                                                                    activities in which tb churches as such are interested,
                                                                    ,should have a place in a p.ublication  like the Cor,co~dia.
                                                                    But one be careful with news of a strictly personal
      And now Coneordkc  will bear with me, if I make 2             nature, such as tha: Mr. N. underwent an operation,
few critical remarks. The new arrival may as well get. and Mrs. N. is recovering from the flu,  etc . There
used to criticism anyway? for whoever makes a public are many people who do not like to have their name
appearance in this hard and cruel world must expect                 published in connection with such  incidents,  while
close and critical'inspection.                                      others delight in just such news. The result will be
      First of all as to the name.                                  that some people will be offended because their names'
      Whatever the editor may say in defense and ex-                do appear, while others will feel hurt when their
planation of it, except for its pleasant and  poetical              names are not mentioned when t.hey  broke a thumb,
sound,,1  don't like it. First of all, the name is decided- or had a tooth pulled, or sprained an ankle, or en-
ly Lutheran. The Lutherans, perhaps due to the fact joyed a tea at the tome of Mrs. So and So, etc. And
that, one of their oldest confessions is the Formula                before you know  it, you will have a whole page  OF
Concord&,  have  almos:  appropriated this name  fo:-               personal gossip, such as, for instance, used to  appear.
their institutions.            For a specifically Protestant Re-    (and, perhaps, still appears) in "Onze Toekomst," and
formed  publicatioil  the name is hardly possible, surely in "De Volksvriend." If personal news is important
not appropriate. From which follows, in  ,the seconr! enough to be published, let the  Consistory  of the
place,  that the name does  nvt. at all suggest the char-           church to which such a person belongs make an official
acter and contents of the thing that bear; the name.                report of it, but do not leave the choice of such news
In fact, it would be more appropriate for a chorus or               items to a corresponden,t  or reporter.
an  orcheStra,  ,than for a Protestant Reformed  paper*.               The print, although rather clear, is too small. Al-
And the editor himself seems to have felt this, for ho ready several readers have complained of this.
writes : "The `Standard Bearer' is, purely and simply,                 Finally, I think that  Ccuncoydia  should  be-ome   a
a Theological periodical; the appeal of  `Concordia's               weekly as soon as possible. Not only wduld  that make
voice is in a c'ifferent pitch, eveli though we purpose tc          the news that appears in it less old, but I am sup?
sing the same melody. In `Standard Bearer', `Beacon                 that our people would like to receive a paper of this
Lights' and `Concordia'  we,.see  the beginning of  :L              kind in their homes every week. And in connection
symphony, a harmonious song, a mingling of pleasant                 with this, I would suggest that the six western minis-
sounds.           No one is attracted to the monotone. III .ters  seek the cooperation of all our ministers, and
the `Standard Bearer' we hear and are charmed by the                enlarge the membership of their Society as well as
`Basso  Profunzo.' It is well. We intend to accompany their editorial staff. Otherwise, when the first en-
you in `Tenore di Grazia." `Evidently, the name Con-                thusiasm for the undertaking has somewhat cooled off,
cordia was even to him suggestive of a chorus rather                they might find it. rather hard to keep their nose to
than of a `paper. With all respect, therefore, for its the grindstone, and write for and take care of a publi-
suggestion of  ,poetical  flights into higher spheres, and          cation every two weeks.
its musical sound, I am of the opinion that the name                   I heartily recommen,d  Concord&x  to all our readers.
Concordz'n can hardly be considered appropriate as :E                                                               H. `H'.
designation of the  con&its and character of a Protest-
ant Reformed publication. And the same objection
I. offer to the name of the publishing society:  !Z'ha:
El;aqwl SocCety.  Anyone that is not acquainted `with
the real purpos,e  of <the brethrea that have organized                                 CLASSIS EAST
themselves under that name, will. surely receive the
impression  that it designates a mission society. And               will meet in regular session Wednesday, April  5, nt
mission  so&et& are not  R*eformed.              To preach  the     0:OO A. M., at Fuller Ave.
gospel is the task of the  .Church only.                                                                D.  Jonker,  S.  C.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              255
                                                                                                              -             -
de wereldrevolutie `t welk  bracht de chaos-glans.  Go%        of help on the part of man. Hence, it would seem to
WIJSHEID en ZIJN  STEMME,  ZIJN GEEST,  Zijn                   be somewhat superfluous to write a special chapter on
ziel, Zijn Woord, weet men geheel .te remmen,  te wer-         the absolute efficacy, the sureness, the unfailing power
pen overboord. En nu, wat is dan trouwer, en  wat              of Jesus as Saviour.
is dan zoo kloek? dan,  dst de MAN wordt VROUWE.                  Yet, to cut off a11 possibility  of misunderstanding
en de vrouwe draagt de BROEK? En zoo ziea wij de on this point, and with a view to the prevailing a11d
wereld, de vrouw  als MAN'TJE, braaf; het wijfje pernicious spirit of Arminianism in circles that pro-
mooi  bekereld, en mantje  als  haar slaaf. . . . Dat          fess to beleve in Jesus the Saviour,  it may be expedient
deed eens Rome  vallen in puin en as en slijk, en vaagde to emphasize for a moment the truth that Jesus actual-
uit de TALLEN van `t OUD ROMEINSCHE RIJK. . . ly and effectually saves, and, that, too, without  ,the will
De pantalon  als tooiing van `t zwakkere geslacht, ziet or consem  of the natural man, yea, in spite of the fact
op des WERELD'S  ROOTING het  uur der bange  nacht             that the  latt.ter will never give  hi; consent to be  savecl,
. . . . Mijn ziel huldt zich in zakkeil wanneer zij on         and will exert himself to the utmost to oppose this
de straat een christen ziet in pakken waarin het  man-         Jesus  tha,t saves him from his sin and death.
volk `gaat.  Ik wil haar laten lezen  wat Mozes  danr-             0, the difference between sound doatrine  and the
van zegtt,  hetwelk haar kan ge;lezen  en wand'len doen        Arminian error on this point often appears to be so
oprecht.                                                       slight and insignificant, that it would not  geem worth
*) Deut.  22:5.  -i-j Deut.  22:5.                             the effort Ito explain it ! When you insist that Jesus
                                        Hans Hansen.           is a complete Saviour, and that  .one must find in Him
                                                               all that is necessary unto salvation, the,  Arminian
                                                               seems to agree fully and wholeheartedly with you.
                                                               Salvation is all .of Christ, in no respect  or degree of
                                                               man, he will say. 1%: is not of works, it is all of grace!
                                                               Christ alone merited our redemption for us by His
                                                               perfect sacrifice on the cross, and that, too, while we
   The Triple Knowledge were .yet enemies. And in Him are all the spiritual
                                                               blessings of salvation.. He bestows them upon us. * He
                                                               regenerates us and gives us faith whereby we may
                                                               appropriate Him and all the blessings of grace. There
 An Exposition Of The Heidelberg is nothing of man in it. Of ourselves we can do noth-
                     Catechism                                 ing. We cannot believe, we cannot accept  Him, we can-
                                                               not fight the good fight and persevere to  <the end.
                       PART TWO                                Always His grace is  first. And the Arminian will not
                                                               even  object if you insist that Christ bestows these
                 OF  MuIAN's  REDEMPTTOh'                      blessings of salvation only upon the elect! Surely God
                     Lord's Day XI.                            has chosen them that believe in Christ, and that will .
                                                               inherit eternal life, from before the foundation of the
                        Chapter 3                              world, and these are surely and infallibly aad power-
                                                               fully saved. Jesus saves!
                 The Effectual Saviour.                            You say, perhaps, that all this is sound doc%ne,
    In the pre\ious chapter we emphasized the trut.h           purely Reformed, and that no man confessing these
that Jesus is a  perfeEt  and complete Saviour, i.e. that truths can possibly be an Arminian?
He perfectly accomplishes all that belongs to and is              But what about the Arminian document that  ~`1;
implied in the work of salvation from beginning to             composed in Gouda the Netherlands, in 1610,  knonn
end. He not only performs that part of the work of as the  Remowtrantie?  That document begins with
salvat.ion  that must be accomplished for us, in behalf an article on the doctrine of predestination as follows:
of us, our redemption  ; but He also is the. Author of the     "Wij gelooven, dat God,. door een  eeuwig  en  onver-
wonder of salvation that must be wrought within us anderlijk  besluit.  in  Jexus  C,hristus   Ziinen Zoon. eer
and upan us to lead us out of sin and death and shame `8  were&  g-rend gelegd was,,  besloten  heeft  wit het
to  everlast.ing  life and righteousness and glory. Now, geuallen  ,,mensc,helijk   geslacht   dieg(snen   i n   Chf-istus,
this really implies that He must be an effectual Sav-          en om  Christus'   wil en  dowr  Ch~L~tus  zalig  te  ma&n.
iour, i.e. one that is wholly capable and powerful to die  d,oor de  gem&e des  HIeiligen  Geestes  in  Jesus  ye-
save. For if He alone accomplishes  aZE the work of            1oove.n  en in  cl&  geloof  en in de  gehoorzaumheti   d&i;
salvation, if we really  find in Him only  all that is        gdoofs door diexelfde  genade ten einde toe vobharden
necessary unto our salvation,  ilt follows that His alone ,zoudex." After all, does not this article plainly an1
is all the power to save, and that He is in no need            explicitly teach that only the elect shall be saved, and


 .i  `.
20                                            T-HE'  STXN'D',4R   D'  `13 E A'R  E'R
      6                                                                                                                         - -
that election is an eternal and immutable decree? Yo:;                 doors of his church, Jesus Saves, Sioes not represent
object, perhaps, thawi  thi3 article  teaches  election  of            what he actually teaches." For his Jesus, the Armink,)
believers and of those that will persevere, but does                   Saviour, is capable, of saving only those sinners that
not.the  &icie also definitely  skate that one can believe             are willing to be saved. And such there are not! The
only  t.hrough  the grace of the  .Holy  Spirit? Or con-               Amninian  Jesus does not save!
sider the third  article of this same document, an3  see                  And that is why it is so extremely important that
w,hether you can find anything in it that is not sound                 we understand the difference between this Arminian
doctrine :  *`PVij  gelooaen, dat de  wiensch  .het  mti{~-            error and the truth of the Word of God 011 this point.
*&kend.   geloof  van xichsebven  niet heeft,  noch  uit               It appears so insignificant, but it is very fundamental.
@a.-hf  va;L _*ijnen vrijen &l,`lllzoo  hij, it! den staat de')*       It is not merely a question as to whether all men oi
.a&&&ng en  der .C-or&e  niets   goeds,  dat  zcaartijk  goed          only the elect are saved.* it is a question that concerns
I$  I(`gelijk  inzanderheid  het  za~,i~~akend   yeloof)  ,`uit        salvation itself. For in order to be able to  presenr
ch van  Sch  .retven  kan  denken,   ~wilten  of  doen,  ma'ar atonement as universal, and salvation as an opportun-
dat  bet  noodkg  is,  dat  hij  :va~?  `God  l:p  ,:Christus  door    ity for all men, the Arminian must deny the efficacy
.$ju  ,Heiligen   Geesf  umde  herborex  en  .`uernieuu:d   in         of grace; in order to be able to teach that Jesus is will-
,ziju ve+stand, genegenheden, wil, en ai'le kmchten, op-               ing to save all, he must deny that He effectually saws
dat  hij  bet  xare  goed  recht  -naoge   versta.an,   bedenketz.     any !
.@len  8,~  volbrenge~~~A"          Would you suspect. that men,          Let `us clearly understand this.
.yho did not hesitate to express themselves so ,sfrongly                   Christ died for all men, the Ar'minian teaches. B:.
on the, total incapability of man 10. do any good,,. .ani!             His death on the cross He obtained the forgiveness of
on the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Spirit,               sits and reconciliation for  every  man. But did Ho
could'  teach  the doctrine of universal atonement and-  oi            really, according to Arminian doctrine? Did Chris:
.t'he free  will of man in the matter of salvation?                    by His perfect sacrifice really obtain salvation for :!V
      This kvould  seem impossible.                                    men in the sense that through His death all-.men  were
   `-  .Yefy'this  is exactly the truth. In the second article brought into a skate of  recon5liation  and eternal
`of  .the  mine,  Remon.stranCie   the Arminians declared.             righteousness before God? Or let us put the question
`idat',k~rachtens  Gods  eeuwig  besluit  Jems   Christus,             thus: did Christ then, actually pay for the sins of all
d$+f Zuligqcake~  der wereld,  .~*oor ied,er mensch gesto~wcx          men by-`His afoning death? Not at all! The Arminian
`i.~+.atsoo dat'Hij vom- allen door den kruisdood  de ver-             dare not teach this. He understands full well that.
.$$ng en de  zyrgeving   de,r  <zonden  ~~erworv+y  heeft,             if Christ had actually and effectually paid by His blood
&o  `nochtaw dat niemand de  wwgeving   der  sonden                    for the sins of all men, all must he saved. For then
$erkelijk   geniet,   dun de  geldovige." Here they teach the &is of al! u-ould be blotted out, forgiven for ever,
the error of general  atonemeiit.  Christ died for all.                and all men  woulcl  be justified. And not only does
Yet, only believers actually enjoy' the forgiveness, of                actual experience as well as Skpture  condemn sue:1
sins  khich, the Saviour merited for all.  ,4nd in the                 universalism,  but such a doctrine would indeed make
fourth article of this document, after they emphasized men careless and profane, seeing that their  salvatio:?
strongly that the grace of God is the beginning an?                    and justification has absolutely nothing to do  with
end of ail good, so  thak without it man does absolute- their own attitude toward sk and righteousness, an-l
ly nothing, they  dec!are that this grace is not irresist- toward the Christ of God: And, therefore, in order to
ible : "Maar u:at de manier ?a~ d.e ,werking  dier genadl>             be able to maintain  `the universality of the cross, the
`&ngaat,  die is  ,niet  onweerstaanlijk;   -want  dnar  staat         Arminian denies its effe~tualnes.  Christ did not pay
vaz veien. geschreven : dat zij den Heiligen Geest Iceder-             for the sins of all, actually and effectually, but only a.<
sta`an  hebben.  Han:d. 7 en  elde,r.s op vele plantsen."              t.o His  inter&n. Effectually  he atoned for no  o'nc.
           In this last statement may be found the reason wh;v         As  to  His  intention  He atoned for (~11. li1 the death of
the Arminian can-often use language that leaves the                    Christ. there is the possibility of forgiveness .Por a!1
 imp'ression  that he is perfectly sound, that he believes             yne;;.   ..4,ctually  there is forgiveness in that death  for
 in an effectual Jesus and in sovereign grace, while!                  no one. And so it .comes  about that Arminianism is
nevertheless, he rejects  both. 0 yes, it is all of and                principally a denial of the blood of Christ and of
 through grace, ,but whether a man shall receive this vicarious atonement. A man that preaches salvation
 grace or not depends on  ,himself!  For grace is  n+                  depe::ding  on the free ivill of man, and a Christ for all,
 irresistible! And this means'ethat  it can be efficacious             may not be conscious of this, and he may not intention-
 only'3 man consents. If the sinner resists, ths Saviour               ally deny the atonement, in fact, he may appear to
,can do nothing with him. Jesus is not an  effectua!                   preach righteousness  through  the  b!ood emphatically,
,Saviour.  And because He is not an effectual Saviour,                 it is nevertheless the truth that He denies the truk'2
`.He is really not a Saviour at all,. The rlogan which t.he            of vicarious atonement.        For vicarious  alonement
 Arminian loves to write on billboards and over `the                   m&ms that desJs  actually and effectually blotted out
                               .


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   I                                                           2.57
                                                                                                                                    ,
 the guilt of si3 for those for whom He died. Arminian-                  utterly false! A Christ  ;~ro  omnibzu   is a Jesus for
 ism teaches that Christ did this for no one, but tha!;                  n o   o n e .    To maintain the universality of salvation  th?
 in His intention  f-Ie did it for  nbl!  men.  Jesus  is  not,          Armi:lian  must change the certainty of salvation, into
 an effectual Saviour. For the majority of men  Hz                       a mere chance dependent upon the  wil1  6f man.  r'n
 died iil vain.                                                          preach a univers&l  Christ he mu& present a powor1e.w
     And the same is true of the Arminian error ,with                    Jesus.
 -application ,to the Work of salvation as it is wrought                       Let LIS see this clearly.
 upon us and within us, <As we have leariled from the                          A universal Christ must needs be  dn impotent
 quotations  made above  flom the  Remomtmntie,   th.e                   Jesas. And the converse is equally true : a mighty and
 Armiaiah  emphatically teaches that grace must do i'                    effectual  Jes%s must  needs be particular. Either  yo:r
 all. Man can of himself do nothing. It is only through                  offer a Jesus that is w,illing  to save all men but cannot,
 the grace of the Spirit of Christ that he  is regenerated or you preach a Jesus that effectudly saves His ,peoplc
 and that he can believe in Jesus. And so it is to the                   only. And we may go a step further, and say: Christ
 end. Grace must hat only save the sinner: Et must                       either actually and effectually saves or He does not
also preserve him. Of himself he can do nothing  tn                      save at all! But the name Jesus means that He is  a!1
 fight the good fight even unto the end, and to be                       effectual Saviour of His people, not that He is a pox-
 faithful. But through the power of grace he is able to                  sible  Saviour of  all  men. For thus even the  ang?!
 stand and to persevere. And all this grace is in Jesus,                 interprets the name : "Thou shalt call his name Jesus :
 Is He then, according to this Arminian doctrine, an                     for he  shall  save  his people  from their sins." Matt.
 effectual Deliverer from the power and dominion af                      1:21.
 sin and death, and does He really liberate the sinner                         And this is the teaching of Scripture throughout.
 from the shackles of corruption? This the Arminian                           The name Jesus expresses that Christ is an  effectua!
 could never maintain, and at the same time defend                       Saviour, because there is  election  in that name.  `He
 the universality of salvation. For it is evident that  i! shall save His people ! And this m&ns that it is th.c
 Christ would thus effectually and powerfully deliveT-                   eternal will and immutable decree of God that Jesus
 all men from sin aad death, no one could possibly Fe                    shall surely and infallibly save all those, and those
 lost. And this is contrary to all experience. All  me;l                 only, whom the Father has given Him. "For I cam2
 are not actually saved. The majority of men are lost.                   down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the
 Even the majority of men that come into contact with ,will  of' him that. sent me. And  this is the Father's
 Jesus through the  preaching  of the gospel, must have                  wil! which hath sent me, that of  alL which he hath
 nothing of Him. Anrl so, as we have seen, the Armin-                    given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up
 ian  introduces  his  rIo&ine  of resistible  grace.   Cllrisf          again at the last day." John  6  :38, 39. That is the
 died for all, not actually,  but in His intention.  Xnd                 reason why the Lord can assert so positively  iii
 no\\.--,  Christ is the Deliverer of all men, not effectlraliy,         the face  of  the'  unbe!ief  and  apostacy  from  .Hi~m   `of
 but again in His intention! He is z&Zing  to sa\:cl all the Jews in Capernaum: "All that the Father givefh
 men,' if +hey  ,>vill only let Him. He is ready to be&o\\-              unto me shall come to me ; and him that cometh t,o iii?
 His saving grace  upoa  them all, if only they do not re- .I will in no wise cast out." John  6  :87.' He is  the
 sist Him. He would like to enter the heart; of ail men,                 good shepherd that lays down his life for the sheep,
 if they will only open their hearts to Him, but if they an&that, too, according to the commandment He re-
 refuse to open when He knocks, He is powerless to                       ceived from the Father, John  lO:ll-18. He  knoks
 save them. He  offers salvation to all men, well m&n-                   His sheep and is known of them, John  1O:ld.   *4n13
 ingly, earnestly, but He  effectually saves no  one!                    His sheep are those whom the Father gave Him,  aoh?
     And thus it is with respect to preservation and                     10 :29. They also hear His voice, and He knows them,
 perseverance. To the end tile Armiaian  Christ i,i the                  and they follow Him, and He surely gives unto theql
 utiklin~ but  pou)erless Saviour, powerless, that is,  t.r?             eternal life, and they can never perish. Their ultima'ce
 overcome the resistance of the sinner. When once the salvation is absolutely sure, because He is an effectual
 sinner has consented to be saved, and Christ has come                   Saviour, that holds His own in His hand, a;ld no one
 into his heart, it is by no means sure that he will be                  can pluck them out of that mighty hand. John 10:
 saved in the end. To be  .sure; Christ must preserve 27-30:
 him if he is to be saved. *And Christ is u;iblin,c  to keeg                   And thus this name of Jesus is preached and ex-
 him.    But grace is  ilever  irresistible, and if the  be,.            plained by the apostles after the resurrection. "For
 Iiever is not willing to let Christ continue to Iyork in                Tyhom  he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to  be
 his heart and to preserve him by the grace of His                       conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
 Spirit, he will fall away  and be lost. The Arminian                    the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom
 .~?SlJZ '  ia  ant  :3n  uffaitua!   Savif3w    ~1s.  t-hey  preacL2    l:f: d&j pl-edestinate  t&.m he. a!so called.:. and `tihtiti `.&
 l-E@, $2: ~dg'a~~&3~u~  `~$iwes  Xhes&t  apily `t.9 I-I&,  .is          rally, ihe: `&-a!$~ j.ustifi@  : and. whoti
                                                                                                                      _       he 
                                                                                                                            ._,_         justifie'd,


                                                                                                   ,


2.58                                      TH.E  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                     I_._.
them  he  &o  glorified."  ROTX.   8:29&l. The purpose lishes  His throne in those hearts of His own, breaks
of election must st.and, not of works, but of him that the rahackles of sin and death, rules over  them by His
mlleth,  even ~5 it is written: "Jacob hat-e I loved but graze, justifies and sanctifies them,.  preserves them
&au  have  I hated."  Ram.  9  :13.  "For he  saith to               even unto  the end, without. fail, and without any pas-
l~~~es, I will have mercy on whom 1 will have mercy, sibility of failure, till He shall raise them at the last
and I will have compassion on whom I will have com-                  day, and  .lead them into the glory prepared for them
passion, & then it is not of him that will&h, nor of before the foundation of the world.  Yes, indeed,
him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."                    Jesus is willing to save, but He is also powerful to
Ram.  9 : 15, 16. Salvation is not a chance, or `a possi  _ save whom He ,-will. He is. an infallibly effectual
hility,  but  an absolute certainty, for  the God and Saviou f- !
Fnther  of  QUL' Lord Jesus Christ "hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
,accor&g ai h.e h&h &own us in him before the found-
ation of the world." Eph.  123,  4.
        C.onsider  what this means. It  is according to the
pattern, and strictly within the  acope of election that
all the spiritual blessings of  graze  come upon us.                                 Tijding Uit Randoph
These blessings are sure because they have their source
in God's eteraal  election : they are certain because they                                                       Reeds eerder werd 21
are particular. This mean:? that God has recox*Aed  us                                                          de Standard Bearer mel-
in Christ, according as he hath chosen us, that He pre-                                                         ding gemaakt van Ran-
pared the atonement of Christ for us, according as  %I:?                                                        dolph, Wisconsin.  Dt!
has chosen us in Him; that He blotted out our sins,                                                             redakteur van genoel.i;i
according as He .has chosen u.3 in Him ; that He called                                                         blad schreef tocn in  ver-
us, bestowed faith on us, justified us, delivered UP,                                                           band met arbeid door
sanctified us, acoording as He has chosen us in Him;                                                            hem en  an?eren   bier
aad that He will surely  preserve  and keep us, and                                                             verricht  van de  "open
glorify us in the end, all according to the pattern  and                                                        door"  2ie de Hcere der.
within the scope of His eternal election of us in Christ!                                                       Protestantschen  Gers-
   .And so, Christ is an effectual  Saviour,  not of al!                                                        formerde Kerken hier
men, but of His people, those whom the Father h&h                                                               te Randolph  gegevcn
given Him: He shall save His pcop2e from their sins I                                                           had. Dat was meer dap
His death on the cross is effectual redemption, i.e. 1~1                                                        een  jaar geIeden  Late!-
His perfect obedience Jesus actually paid for all th0                                                           schreef de  Secretari;
sins of all  His  own;  a;ld He effectually obtained  for                                                       van de Zsndings  Com-
them all true  ,and everlasting righteousness, and the                                                          miasie een  nieuws-be-
right to eternal -life and glory. Atonement is not `1                richt vermeldende  het feit, dat een aant@ geloovigen
mere intention for all, but a certainty for the elect.               met hunne  kinderen hier  ia Randolph tot eene  ge-
Their sins are blotted out, and they cannot. be impute3              meente  waren georganizeerd. Zoo zag de gemeerte
to them any more. God has blessed t.hem  with the te Randolph, die Protestantsch Gereformeerd heet,
blesiilg of forgiveness, not because they willed to r+ het licht.                                          8
ceive  it, for they did not will, neither could they pos-                Sedert dien tijd stond het leven hier niet stil. f+-
sibly will to receive righteousness, but scli;iy because             dikanten van Classis  East bleven  per classicale rege-
on the accursed tree Christ truly represented the elect,             ling getrouw  komen om voor 0:~ het Woord te bedie-
and He really brought the perfect. sacrifice of' atop.+              nen. En de: kerkeraad nam maatregelen om een eigen
ment,for  them. And He is an effectual Deliverer, illat
                                                              .      herder en leeraar  te verkrijgen. Randolph beriep Ds.
is not only  wi!ling,  but perfectly  atile and  powerful            G. Lubbers van Pella, Iowa. En op onze eer.s:e beroe-
to bestow all the blessings of salvation upon us, and                ping kregen wij het antwoord: Roeping aangellomen.
that not because  we will or desire or  prx;; Him to                     Op den avond van Jan. 27 mochten we onzen  ,nieu-
give us these blessings of salv&jq+?,  but in spite of the           wen leeraar met zijn gezin in ons midden  verwqlkomen.
fact that we do not and cannot  q(i!l to  receive   His              Wij  haddeil dien avond ook het  vo&r,echi..om   Ds.
grace, and because He is the  migh&;   :ind effectual                Hanko in ons midden  te hebben. Zijn Eerwiakde  was
Saviour,  able to save whomsoever He will, and  willi,nK             er op ons verzoek en nam het presidium waar voor
to save whomsoever  Re received of  His Father,  i.e.                dien  avond.
~~~~@l~$  i He  en$er$   itit+.  t-heir  b&&s, .  !$,a  .`&&  ,Q!    . . _ ~ ,.j?ao~  .een  progrsnm2i~~~+%+s  gzzorgdi !i?nd ~tn I j.ogg
~?j'ti$ .$hey  `@l(l `k&@"$htit ,$$iirist~ lX$i.:- He ~~@~-          gi+  vi+. l-J& l~Ll$ne telj.  k&e.,.: z&2$. -wig ii(lQJy,  tins
                                                                                     ..a.. .  1                          ..'     .-     .


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEA.RER                                                259

eene blijde gelegenheid. 0.a. mag het volgende  uit-              Verder mogen wij mecledeelen,  dat de catechesatio
treksel van een der stukken dien avond voorgelezerr,          klassen voor klein en groot nu geregeld gehouden wor-
dienen, om den geest te vertolken, die er dien avond          den. De  vergader-plaats  is in de studeer-kamer van
in ons midden heerschte.                                      den leeraar. Er zijn ingeschreven: Elf catechesanten
    "Van avond  is het een avond  ;an groote blijdschap. -,in de namiddag klas en zeven  in de Dinsdagavond klas.
Voornamelijk nu wij voor het eerst  onzen   beroepe`l             En nu, zooals boven reeds afgeschreven  w&d,  onzs
herder en Ieeraar .in ons  midden, mogen hebben. Wij          hulpe  en verwachting is van den' Heere. Hij zal  bet
lezen in Gods Woord: De  `mensch. overdenkt zijnen            maken.
weg maar de Heere  bestuurt.  zijne  gangen.   Wij  zeg-          Dank vooi de  plaatiin& Redakteur.
ge:l Hem dan ook allereerst  dank, dat Hij in het hart
van  onzen  leeraar gegeven heeft, om ons beroep  op                                    De Kerkeraad
hem  uit.gebracht   `aan  te nemen. Moge de Heere  h&                   der Prot. Geref. Gemeente te Randolph, Wis.
kronen met Zijn onmisbaren zegen. . . .
    "Het past ons dezen avond met den Psalmist uit
te  roepen:   Looft,   looft den Heer, mijn ziel met  aile
krachten. . . .
   "Wij  zijn  we1 klein! Maar heeft de Heere niet in
Zijn Woord gesproken: Waar twee of drie ill Mijneu                               The Psalter,
Naam vergaderd zijn, ben ik in het midden van hen-
lieden?  In dat  ,certrouwen   willen wij op dezen  onzen               Its Reprint and Revision
ingeslagen weg voortgaan. Niet van den mensch, mast*
van den Heere  onzen God  alles verwachtende.                     It is  chara:teristic  of our Protestant  .,Reformed
   "Wij  danken  voornamelijk Ds. Hanko,  onzEn  con- Churches that we adhere rigidly to our Reformed
sulent, voor zijnen ijver en bemoeienissen  aan on.;          Church Order. This is also true with respect to our
sls gemeente  betoond, zoodat, mede door zijnen arbeid,, congregational singing in  pubhc worship. Barring  n
wij hier nu als gemeente mogen bestaan en Zondag op few exceptions, mentioned specifically in article  sixty-
Zondag het zuivere Evangelic  mogen hooren  v,erkon-          nine of the Church Order, our singing in public wor-
digd  worden.  Geve de Heere,  date  dat  Evangelic  ai- ship. is restricted to the Old Testament  .Psalms.
.tijd voor ons moge zijn  eeae lamp voor  onzen  voet            Most all of the various denomination; of Reformed
en een licht op ons pad.                                      persuasion have either altered, the sixty-ninth article
   "Ook zeggen wij  onzen   Classis dank voor hare of  the Church Order or have ignored it altogether and
hulp, die  ze ons met raad en daad betoond heeft  ; have  mtroduced  hymn singing in their public worship.
vooral  in het zenden  van predikanten  elken Zondag om       The reason for such action is based on the fact,  that
hier het Woord te bedienen.                                   restriction to the Old Testament. Psalms deprives them
   "Zegen de Heere ons als gemeente. Moge de woor-            of the light that the New Tes,tament  adds to the'old.,
den van eene zekere dichter ook de onze zijn:                    Our Protestant Reformed Churches are not at all
       Faalt aardnche vrienden vaak aan krachten,             in -agreement with this since we are convinced that
       "Nooit kan `t geloof te veel verwachten,               the Holy Spiri,t has shed the right  of the New Testa-
       Des Heilands woorden zijn gewis,                       ment throughout the  01,d Testament Psalms by means
      Maar  nooit een  .vriend als Jezus is.  e'              of the prophetic strain running through the entire book
       Wat zou ooit Zijn  macht  beperken?                    of Psalms. The Psalms, when properly  istudied,  con-
                                                      .t
       `t  Heelal  staat onder Zijn gebied,                   tain far more brilliant light of New Testament realities
       Wat Zijne liefd'  ooit. will bewerken,                 than any of the best hymns ever composed ,and, pub-
       Ontzegt  Hem. Zijn vermogen niet."                     lished. The Psalms have always proven `themselves
                                                              as containing a far deeper' and profound truth of
   Op Zondag, Jan. 39, werd onze beroepen leeraar. spiritual realities than the hymns, due to no  o:hcr
onder leiding van Ds. Hanko, in het ambt bevestigd. reason than that the  Psa!ms are infallibly inspired by
Dit was in den namiddag dienst. (Morgen-diens",  heb- the very Spirit of God v.-hile the hymns are not. Fo.:*
ben wij incRandolph  niet.)    Onze aandacht werd be- this reason it is our avowed hope' that our Protestant
paaId  bij Kolossensen 4 :17. Beide leeraar en gemeehte       Reformed Churches may continue  t'o`adhere  faithfully
gevoelden,  d,at zij onder het  beslag  van het  Woorri       to"its purpose to sing only' the Old Testament  Psalmi
kwamen. Het kwam met Zijn hoogen ernst en zware               in public womhip  and never forsake this `princi'@li"'
last! Aan het eind van den dienst sprak Ds. `Lubbers             The. Synod of' our `Churches has foreseen that ff
den zegen uit over de gemeente, en in den avond dienst        this principle is to be carried out then it will be neces-
sprak hij tot ens over, "Acht geven op het Profetisch         oarv.for  our Churches to publish a n'ew edition of "The
Woord". II Pet. 1:19.                                         Psalter". This need is brought upon us becausd"the

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

present stock of P::al,ters  is rapidly dwindling. A com- ed upon by any who would choose to adhere to the
mittee on Psalter Survey and Reprint reported to  the          doctrine of common grace.
Synod in 1942 that the sto:k  of new Psalters (large              In consideration of all these facts the committee of
si,ze)  on the market numbered one hundred forty-six our Synod could do nothing else but advise the reprir.t
copies, compared  to the fact that there were over  twn        of "The Psalter".     This  idvice our Synod of  1943
thousand copies in actual use in our Churches at that adopted with this exceptioil, namely, rather than de-
time..  .On the other hand, the need of reprinting "The ciding to reprint `!The Psalter", Synod decided to print
Psalter" is brought upon us by the fact that  the'form-        "A" Psalter. Why this difference in phraseology?--Be-
er publisher and copyright holder of the present day           cause the same committee which advised the reprini-
.P,salter  did not foresee a large enough market  ,to war- also advised a revision of the present Psalter.
rant the financial liability to reprint the present Psalter       The Synod was so advised by its committee not on
since, to his knowledge, only our Churches and "The            the basis that a revision was  absolutely necessary  but
Netherland Reformed Churches" (the latter more com- rather because it was u&a to do so. When one con-
monly known as "De  0u.d Gereformeerd Kerken")                 siders that our Churches will be required to spend ap-
were the only churches using said publication.                 proximately five thousand dollars in the reprint  oF
   Were there another publication on the market con- The Psalter, together with the fact that this book will
taining the Old Testament Psalms fit for  congrega-            be used for many years to come in our public worship,
ttional singing our Synod might have considered the            it stands to reason that it is wi.s,e to correct any pos-
same rather than contemplating the reprint of the              sible errors and weaknesses and produce a  bettel
present Psalter. To the knowledge of the i;lvestigat-          edition than its predecessor.
ing committee ,there  is no such publication. Besides,            Although "The Psalter" is a monumental work in
if this type of publication had been found, a reprint, in.     the Church of Jesus Christ, nc-.-ertheless,  the versifi-
part, would still be necessary since such a publication        cation and music are the work of men and it aecessar-
would not contain our Reformed Doctrinal Standards ily bears that distinguishing mark throughout, namely,
and Liturgy, just as vital for the needs of our Churches
as the Psalms themselves.                                      that it is not without flaw and can be improved
    .?I number of Voices have been raised saying that upon.
we could better use the "Psalter Hymnal" publish?:1               Enumerating such flaws and weaknesses in  detail,
bythe Christian `Reformed Churches, rather than sub- ,together  with a detailed' account of the improvements,
mitting ourselves to the  tremendou:s  task of reprinting      is out-of the question in this writing. `However, to
"The Psalter".     This, too, was considered by  th? give an idea of the changes deemed necessary to im-
Synodical  committee in charge but it was finally turned prove the present Psalter we will give just a  fei!
down. The first reason for rejecting the introduction examples.
of "The Psalter Hymnal in our Churches is becaus?                 In the first place, the wording in the versification
,the committee thought it unwise to iatroduce  a book          is not always grammatically neither exegetically cor-
containing hymns lest a weaker element in years to             rect. It cannot be denied that Psalter number four,
come might yield to the temptation of singing hymns the fifth verse, has a definife Arminian tendency ex-
and Psalms or of singing  more  hymns than Psalms as           pressing the idea that today we have the chance of
is the case in not a few Churches using said publica-          accepting s.alvation while tomorrow it may be too late.
tion. The committee  aso felt that a Psalter,  prmted          entirely inconsistent with the sovereignty of God an.!
at a great expense and with ardent labors in the early         with the Psalm itself as recorded in Holy Writ. The
years of our Church history, will serve as a monument same may be said of number two hundred thirteen,
and it will bear witness to our future generations of verse thirteen, and also of number two hundred  fifty-
our stand with respect to the material to be sung i::          five.    With reference to the latter, how much more
the worship of our Covenant God.                               accuraLclp   the idea of the Psalm is  .expressed  in  the
    One other matter was considered by the committee ver:itI:c?:icn of number two hundred fifty-four.
of Synod before it advised to reprint and, revise the           With  respect to the grammar used in the present
present Psalter and  ,that was to request and contract Psalter one does not say too much when he states that
the printing of "The Psalter Hymnal" without  th.2             in many casts it could be improved upon. The phrase-
hymns which it contains in its present form. How-              ology is sometimes obsolete and clumsy. We refer to
ever, on studying this matter it was proven that the such phrases as: "my heart was a!1 on fire" found. jn
Psalter section of said publication was rather ab- number one hundred five, verse three; and, "lf i&at
breviated and also showed a more or less tendency to           the Lord had not our right maintained, if that the  Lord
eliminate such stanzas which would give a definite had not with us remained" found in number three
Psalter selection a place in the category of the "Im-          hundred fifty-three, verse one.
precatory Psalms" (vloek Psalmen), a category  frown-           Besides this; no one will deny that "The Psalter"


                                           TH.E  ,STANDARD   B E A R E R                                           261

 contains a goodly number of tunes which have proven
 unsatisfactory  aild which could easily be  eliminated                  Barthian Eschatology
 and replaced by more favorable tunes. Then, too, some
 selections are duplicated a; far as the versification is        In writing on the above subject one is inclined to`
 concerned without any definite advantage of the second help tlie reader just a little by rendering the technical
 t.yne over the first.                                        term E-schatology  by our simple phrase "the Doctrine
     Finally, it may bk. said that the present Psalter        of the Last Things". However some caution is neces-
 would'  bet improved by  addi'ng  a goodly number of sary here, for especially wit.h Barthians, more than
 .chorales,  so fitting for public' worship. It would  bc     with other theologians we must be very careful in ren-
 wonderful if our new Psalter  .would  contain a number dering his terms and concepts.
 of the chorales found in our Holland Psalm book which            This is true with respect to all of  hii3 work  fo-
 are so very dear to the old& &n&r&on and which will,         Barth often struggles for ati entire page trying .and
 no doubt, find a. hearty response in the hearts of the       trying ito say what he means, using: that is, I mean,
 younger generation as well. Undoubtedly our Synod            in other words, by manner of speaking, etc. But this
 could'  &tain the right to incorporate  into- our  ne'+\`    is especially the case with his Eachatology and we shall
 Psalter a number  of the best translations of the Ho!-       se& that Barth's doctrine is quite different from our
 land versification of the Psalms with the accompany-         Doctrine of-the Last, Things. And one'  hesitates as he
 ing music riow appearing in "The Christian Hymnal"           goes along to say something definite.
 and "The Psalter .Hymn'al". `It may be possible that            &  ,the first place we  mu&  not expect to  tid his
 our own `Churches contain sufficient talent to produce       Eschatol neatly laid out for us in the last locus in a
 a still b&&r  translation of the Holland versification. Theology set, for in the prospectus to a promised Dog-'
 06 the Psalms. If so, we would urge these talented           matik Barth sets forth that the last volume will treat
 folks among us to set themselves to . this task and          the doctrine of Redemption (ErlGsung)  , after a volume
 submilt  samples of their work to  "our  Sjrnod or its       on the Reconciliation (Versijhnung) . And since he
 committee.                                                   considers Ethics as an integral part of Dogmatics he
     Possibly some of the younger generation, who have        will treat the will of God viewed as promise at the
 never learned to sing the old Holland Psalms, are not        end of this last volume as an integral part of it. From
 to greatly enthused about the incorporation of such this it may appear that Barth's Eschatol and our
 translations into our new Psalter, but it might well be doctrine of the last things are not the same. In fact
 borne in mind that in the loss of the Holland Psalms         he rather sarcastically ridicules the method of present
 we loose in part a precious heritage of the faith of Dogmat& when it loosely adds at the end of its Loci
- our fathers as expressed in the chorales of the Churches    "an innocent little chanter on the last  things".
 of the old fatherland.                                          Now this difference between us and Barth is caused         i
    Considering all these things it is doubtful that many by especially two things: 1. His method of explaining'
 will be. found in our Churches who would care to claim       Scripture (which is a subordinate part of his doctrine
 that Synod's great task of printing and revising "The of the Word of God) and, 2. His idea of Histosy. And
 Psalter" is a useless task. Singing in public worship ic     these things make it PO hard for us to understand
 an integral part of the wor&ip of our Covenant God           Barth. I may mention my own experience as typical
 whose praise must be expressed, in  carefully Ch&n           I believe. When I was at school his "The Word of God
 words, with the best of music and conformable to God's       and the Word of Man" first appeared in English and
 own  Word.                                                   several of us bought it. But after struggling with it
           ii..`_      `.,  _.*.  i.+.-           A. C.       for some time I sold it again. Later I bought a new
                                                              copy and fared only some better and disposed of it
                                                              allso, yet since then, I have again had a copy and was
                                                              able to  enjoy  it more. Since then, of course  Barthian
                                                              literature has flowed from  t.he press in an ever-increas-
                                                              ing stream. I believe this experience was typical be-
                     TEACHER WANTED                           cause on the one hand the language and presentation
                                                              is very elusive and trying, but on the other hand tre-
                                                              mendously challenging. For although Barth is strange;
    The First `Protestant Reformed School of Redlands.        provoking and exasperating and even d&gusting, he is
 California, is in'  heeh of a Teacher to teach eight         indeed a theological giant and he has, compelled the               i
grades--man or woman. Those interested please cor-            Church to come back and listen to him after throwing
wspond  with Herman Joling, 845 W. Brockton  Ave..            him away in exasperation and disgust.
Red!lands, California.  I                                        That  ,the  Bart.hian  Eschatology is especially in-;


2 6 2                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

fluenced  by his method of explaining Scripture will          alongside the eternal light existence of God.  NOV.
appear  in two phases. There is first of all his  inclina.    this night-span in which we find ourselves is some-
tion to higher criticism. Any small detail which might        times touched by the light-life  of, God, and that  ia
seem out of place to Barth is very readily removed  bv        revelation. But this revelation is not history or a part
calling it a mistake on the part of the writer. And           of it. We cannot see it or, as a historian, talk about it.
this is not  because  he thinks to have found such mis-       It belongs to another world. Perhaps we can say only
takes, but apart from any actual mistakes he holds            that the spiritual man can "feel" it.
that Divine Revelation is such a tremendous thing                Now the greatest of these penetrations coming from
that it can not at all be hampered by ,the littleness of the other world is the Resurrection of Christ. Barth
man.     Students of Scripture have often had  som.2          does not weary of marveling at, and glorying in the
difficulty, for example, to harmonize the Apostles'           Resurrection.    It is one of his greatest themes. And
apparent expectation of an early return of Christ with it is just the Resurrection of Christ that is the Eschat-
the. fact that they and their generations have long ology. For Eschatology is not the end of time in days
since passed away without seeing the fulfillment. Such and years, but it is the reaching of the goal which God
things would of course, give Barth no trouble whatso- has in mind with penetrating our world by resurrec-
ever. He would simply ignore details and grasp the            tion po,w.er.
great central fact: Jesus is Coming!          .                  This penetration Barth expresses as follows in com-
   But, further, there is also Barth's method of inter- menting on Rom.  1:4  : "In the Resurrection the Holy
preting this permanent core of Scripture. The method Spirit touches the world of flesh." However, it touches
is  somewhat  similar to the old allegorical method which     it as outside lines (tangents) touch a circle, without
sought several different meanings behind the evident touching it, And precisely because it does not touch
meaning of the words.        Barth, however, calls his        it, it touches it as its boundary, as new world." Barth
method the mythologizing method.          So he says in hereby means to say that because of its wholly-other-
"The Word of God and the Word of Man", "What                  ness it barely touches, yea, really it never comes to  us
would it matter if Abraham and Moses were the pro- to be a part of history. The illustration requires, of
ducts of later Myth-making, and again in his `?Com-           course, to imagine the ideal-lines of the mathematician
mentary on Romans" at 9 :I2 he says that the Reform-          and not our crude pencil-lines, which lie visibly against
ers, when they applied eledion  and rejection to .indi-       each. other.
viduals were speaking mythologically and uuggests                 Now in this vein Barth does not weary of emphasiz-
that this is in line with Paul. Thus the concrete his-        ing that nothing is of value that has no share in the
torical characters ai<d acts represent to us principles       Resurrection. This is, indeed, a beautiful idea and is
and powers and ideals just as the old  "hero-and-             perhaps all too easily criticized and hated by Pelegaian
monster" tales may point to, some long-forgotten strug- and  worldly:minded  critics, for the antithesis of re-
gle for principles.                                           generation is surely as deep as that and is not further-
    We may recall the Geelkerken controversy that             more limited to men only, but extends also to the re-,
arose in Netherlands in 1926. I do not know whether storation of the frustrated creature, as Barth so beauti-
he was influenced by Barthianism, so I use it only as fully developes in his Commentary on Rom. 8. But it
an illustration, but Geelkerken raised the question           is surely not unbiblical to say that it transforms his-
whether the serpent, the tree, etc. of Genesis 3 were tory and historical things. And so 1 do believe that
true objects of sight and touch, etc., (zintuiglijk  waar-    Barth in his emphasis on the absolute difference be-
neembaar) and wanted to distinguish between mechan- tween God and the creature,' and between that of sin
ical rigidity and organic freedom in understanding the and grace, slips into an unscriptural dualism- between
teaching of the Bible. Now this same method of ap- nature  an.d grace, between heaven and earth, between
proach and interpretation is used by Barth with re-           earthly and heavenly time-( the antithesis between time
spect to both the first and the last things as they are and eternity to which s.ome object is undoubtedly as
recorded in the Bible.       Somethisg of this method absolute as that between Creator and creature). One
strikes us throughout  his "Commentary on Romans"             needs only to read his comment on Rom. 13  53-11 teach-
and his "The Resurrection of the Dead" which is com-          ing that government is a necessary evil to which we
mentary after a fashion on the First Corinthians.             must be subject because of sin, and I Cor. 7 (see the
Always we see him getting behind the words and ap- "Resurrection of the Dead") where he contends that
parent meahing of t,he Apostle and finding a "spirit-         marriage is far from "sacred" m Luther taught, but
ual", other-worldly meaning.                                  rather a divinely ordained condition to prevent im-
    And yet this is not all, for the result is still fur-     purity.
ther removed from our grasp by his idea of history,               This absolute opposition  between the earthly and
which I am rather hesitant to describe. Simply ex- the heavenly causes  Barth to speak very little of
pressed, History is as it were a dark span of existence calendar time in Eschatology, and causes him to lay


                               i    T H E   STANbARb   B E A R E R                                                                   26s

all emphasis on the  i?on-temporal  workings of Christ's comes an unscriptural dualism.
Resurrection Power; So he says that Dogma is, as far                Thus finally it is even questionable whether Barth
as we are able ,to know it, the knowledge of a travel&         believes, in a judgment day in our sense, for also the
knowing through means, but it shail one day be im-             return of Christ is conceived as belonging to that
mediate knowledge when we have arrived in the realm eter;?al ,world. In his "Credo" he says: "From thence
of Redemption where all contradiction between being He shall come" means that he returns `from His con-
and manifestation is  r.emoved not only in promise  but        cealment. . .  .to be directly present. . .  .as that was
as really as it is in God Himself (Dogm. 1st Ed. Vol. I,       the content of the Forty Days. That will be a second
pp. 106-124f.f.)    Thus all that is said about a man who Easter." But according to Barth the forty days were
has the Holy Spirit  is an Eschatological statement, that      not earthly time but  altog&her different from the
is, as a heiiever  he is. able to embrace that which is        "time" of His  .earthly life.
already true for him from God's side although it  is               But perhaps our greatest disappointment is his
not true from  his  &de,.  We are redeemed, set free.          mythologizing of the Doctrine of  lthe destiny of  alI
children of God in faith. And thus the certainty of men, that is of the doctrine of election an.d reprobation.
faith is the certainty of hope, for if we could ind,eed        For Barth really teaches the salvation of  all men.
see it (now as it is a reality, that would be our existence    This could be sustained by many passages., Thus:
with Him in eternity in the Kingdom of Glory (Dogm.            A psychologically observable individual could not be
2n,d Ed. Vol. la, pp. 529-533.) Here also we must re- capable of election and  reieztion. He is only the stage
member and observe that Barth is not really speaking           where election and  reFroha!ion  takes place. So love
of hope toward the future and faith toward the future.         eternally overcomes hate alnd life is victorious over
but hope and faith toward something that is alreadp            death. He repeatedly speaks of the rejection of  the
real from God's side but hidden from  UJ                       elect an,d the election of the rejected ; Esau becomes
    Against this we must surely maintain that  though          Jacob. By Christ's  righ'eousnes:,  there is justification
we grant that some things are true in God's though.!           for all men; for all men death is swallowed  up in vic-
and imputation with regard to us and by the  Holv              tory.  ZAnd this lies  precisely  in the sovereignty of God
Spirit an actual inward transformation already exists.         who rejects all men his:oricslly  and elects them super-
vet it cannot well be denied that the adoption, to wit,        historically.
the redemption of the body is ,now a realifty,  not only           How strange this all sounds to one who is accustom-
from our side, but neither in the heavenly ,\vorid nor         ed to see in the Bible histories concrete fruits of
is the new heavens and the new earth which is also             individual election and of reprobation appearing!
a part of our redemption now reality.                          Surely we learn from Scripture  a doctrine of individual
    Insofar as those things are real  ;:ow they are in         election and reprobation ?nd we are also given to se*:
the eternal world of GocI and they shall never becorn,?        it manifested if we only  believe that the Bible  rezords
ours ,until 1vr-e receive them in the heavenly world of        real history and is not a mythology.
creaturely perfections, which is non- a part of the                Thus I cannot see brt iThat Barth teaches the salva-
creature with its space and time determinations, and tion of all men as Ithe end of hEztory  whether that be
shall also fully and finally be completed in the exten- a calendar-end or an ir%al end which is always going
sion of our time into the future heavenly world.               into realization. And although  I realize that these
   No%- this  (same dualism is maintained when Barth things barely appear under Barth's vague  naradoxical
comes to the. resurrection of our bodies, upon which           style and method of interpretation yet his  dootrine
he touches especially in his book "The Resurrection of of the relation of man and God does raise our  ex-
the Dead"- a book that treats the First Epistle to the pectation of such a general salvation. The antithesis
Corinthians, but in such a way that the whole book  i.q        of judgment as it is found in Barth never bears. that
Es,chatological  and chapter 15 is the great and main          sharply ethical quality that it does in Scripture. Man's
part with the other chapters.,  serving only to come to        creatureliness  is his fetter. We have no probationarv
chapter 15. Here it is emphasized that the resurrec- history as the Bible presents ir' an3 so man appears on
tion of the dead is an indivisible point where time            the stage  s.tanding  in  juclpment.  For sin was not  :W
touches eternity and of that eternal &ho can speak!            event or historical happening but an inner destiny  OS
Always the same idea is found that the end is not :I           human events: not a fall in, but wi-ii'h the life of man
part of time but that which lies beyond time. Just as before it was manifested in the consciousness  o~:s.ub-
the last waves are not the end of the ocean but the            consciousness of this or that per:,on:
coast is its end. or rather to bring out the idea of goal          From the side of God's sovereignty we have the
the eternal is the "end" that lies beyond time which           wholly-otherness, distance, hiddenness that also da-
is the "means"`. ladeed this idea of means and end tracts from  the sharp ethical light in which the co!>-
ti Z%riptural  and we do uot usually see it sufI$jent!;T~.     trov~,rs~--'  o$  Sod with  !pg?  ;tandr,  as  ijt  33nears   ~tc  .m:
i&C, $& ~sg&  be remedied,  by $1 ?Ump-&&&..~~e-               ~;t~~~~,,~@ptVps,   ;+-  ..-.  ,_  _,             .  :,...c    ..t...`-.~

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

   Thus with all respect for Barth's emphasis on all             op aarde was, dat Hij niet bad voor de wereld. Maar
these things that are especially dear to the  Reforme'l          verge&  bet niet, dat Hij we1 tqen de wereld bidt. 13~
Christian he has a reprobation from which he himself dat is verschrikkelijk.
undoubtedly feels that man must somehow be saved.                     Weet ge wat ge we1 moogt bidden als men het I?
   Whether Barth  :still holds these views,  I cannot benauwd maakt? Dit: ge moogt den Heere alles ver-
say, but they are indeed taught in his "Romans" and              tellen, wat men  U aangedaan heeft.  Klaagt  Hem
his Volumes of Sermons "God in action", an3 "God's vrijelijk Uw nood in alle oprechtheid. En ,dan moet ye
Search for Man".                                                 ook nog vragen of de Heere dien breeder  of zuster wil
   There is a ray of hope in that in his "Dogmatic" of           bekeeren  en ,dalt hem of haar de zonde vergeven moth-
which the first half volume on "The Word of God" has             ten  worden.  Want, en hier is het punt: wij  wetell
appeared there is a greater emphasis on the ebhical              niet of het menschen  zijn waarop  de Heere vergramrl
relation but also the full development of that view will         is tot in eeuwigheid,
no4 app<ear until he comes to his final volumes.                      Daar komt nag &en belangrijk punt bij : wie is cr
                                                      A. I?.     .die ooit  geheel  onschuldig voor den Heere komt  te
                                                                 staan'! Daarom, ziende op onze kortzichtigheid  e:l
                                                                 domheid'  aangaan,de'  den vollen raad Gods, ter eener
                                -                                zijde; en op onze zonden, ter anderer zijde, past het
                                                                 ons niet om den vloek over iemand af te bidden.
                                                                      Doch Jezus kan dat wel.
       Het `Gtibed Eens Bejaarden                                     Hij kent  ,degenen  die de Zijne zijn; en Hij is
                                                                 gansch onschuldig.  Als gij een zaak hebt tegen  Chris-
                    (Psalm 71; Derde Deel)                       tus, Ban verliest ge het eer ge begint. Dan wordIt  Uw
                                                                 deel : beschaming, verteering, smaad  .en schande. Dat
   iHet eerste vers van dit derde deel van Psalm 71              leert  de tekst. Uiteindelijk is dat de hel. Nogmaals:
doet ons si.dderen.                                              wie zou niet sid,deren?
   Ik zal het afschrijven: "Laat  ze beschaamd  worden,                Hoe  ,dom  in, het om  Christus en  Zijn volk  t,e  be-
laat ze verteerd  worden  die mijne ziel tegen zijn; last        lagen!  Hot vers sprak van ongelukkige measchen die
ze met smaad en schande overdekt worden die mijn                 tegen de ziel  waren van David en Christus.  Datzelfd?
1trvaa.d  zoeken." vers. 13.                                     volk zocht hun  kwaad:  Duivelsch werk! En hoe ijde! !
   Wie zou niet sidderen bij het lezen van zulk een Er komt tech niets  vaneterecht.  David zal het U leeren.
oordeel. Want een oordeel is het. En het is ook uit-                   Daarom volgt er op :, Doch ik zal geduriglijk hopen !
gevoerd. Deze woorden zijn door den Heiligen Geest               en zal al Uwen lof nog grooter maken.
ingegeven. Ik weet wel, dat er zijn die  zich  etooten              Dat, geliefde lezer, is het geheim van Christen's
aan de vloek-psalmen, ,doch tea onrechte. Dat volk overwinaing.                       En hij  overwiat al gaat hij op den
vergeet,  dat God met grimmigheid vervnld is en met              brandstapel. Hij blijft geduriglijk  hopen.   Hopen is
gramschap  gadeslaat alle verworp.enen.                          het verlangen -der liefde naar haar voorwerp. Als gij
   En dewijl David ook profeet  is, en hij al die vloe-          al grinnekende en al schaterlachende Uw prooi aan
ken  profeteert  en vooruit uitspreekt ziende op den stukken rijt,  ziet zulk een ziel op tot God en ziet al
Christus, sidderen we bij het Iezen ervan.                       Zijn wi)n,heid.  De& gij, dat Jesus niet gezien heeft,
   Laat ons nooit  vergeten, dat Christus Jezus de ver-          dat Zijn Judas, Herodus, Kajafas en de benden  Hem
worpenen bij God aanklaagt al die  lange jaren  van de           van God geschonken  waren? Het kruis was een  ge-
geschiedenis..                                                   schenk van God  aan den bloedenden Jezus.
   En dat hebben we hier.                                              En gij dan?
   Jezuls   klaagt   Zij,n nood bij God. David ook,  doch              Al uw tranen en smarten en schreeuwen in  baag-
het is slechts in zeer betrekkelijken zin, dat men het  op       heid en vreeze vanwege de duivelen, de goddeloozen
David toe kon passen.                                            en vanwege de  machten der zonde, zijn naar U  toege-
   Neemt slechts de proef. Wie is er onder U die dit             zonden van God.          David wist dit. On  ee3  and-era
vers na  skan bidden en het dan ook toe durft  te passen         plaats traant hij tot God en zegt: "Leg mijne tranen in
op concrete gevallen; wie kan vloeken en om den vloek            Uwe  flesch".        Daar zijn ze veilig bewaard. Hun
bidden van nu levende personen? Neemt nu maar bet                bleed,  hun tranen en hun lijden zijn dierbaar in Zijn
erg&e  geval: durft ge dan den Heere aa4n te loopen  en oog ! Geen wonder: Hij heeft dat bloed, die tranen
vragen: Heere, laat hem met smaad en schande  over-              en dat lijden naar hen toegestuurd. ,Hij had er een
dekt worden  ! ?                                                 doe1 mee. Zij bleven geduriglijk  hopen.  Het was de
   Neen,  maar we .s.idderen. Want Jezus durft en kan            beproeving van hun geloof. En als het geloof in ai zijn
bet  ~41  doen.  En.  Uij  doet; het  nay. En God'  $a&t  bet    ~~lierharheid   i,ev!rorschijn.   tr&xlt  in:  al  zija  pw&~As
t&serlijk.   daf32, Ja?ztEs   lx&%  .&t  m3Bgez@w@e3$a  :gJ
                                           -     -               :r llofii3ha4~+3R;r$&f.
                                                                 z-"ZA  >  -                 I. f,i&.*:s~7.de+;t. $+.+ ~t.3hif $7
                                                                                                                      -*-me  I

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

  toepassing is  (ten finale  ea in absoluto op den  Christus          Geliefden, wilt ge gaarne zingen tot in eeuwigheid? .
G o d s ?                                                              Daa is er maar  een antwoord:  Looft,   looft  dell
      Terwijl  dan de ouderdom en de grijsheid daar is,            Heer,  o ziel, met alle krachten !
  verlaat mij niet, o God! totdat ik dezsn geslachte i-er-             Dat doende, zult  ge zingen tot in eeuwigheid!      '
  kondig Uwen arm,  allen nakomelingen Uwe macht!                      In de wazige verten der tijden  hoor  ik de  eersto
    En God heeft het verhoord.                                     hallels.
     Daarom onderricht Jezus Christus met Zijn ,sneeuw-                                                           G. V.
  witte haar Zijn geheele kerk van eeuw ltot eeuw. Hij
  is er voor geschikt.       Hij wandelt cog steeds in de
  groote mogendheden Zijns Heeren. Hij is er voor ge-
  schikt.      Zijn sierlijke kroon van wit haar is een
  symbool van groote wijsheid, eeuwige mijsheid. Hij
  kan ons  leeren.                                                 Rkolved that we should Establish
         Daarom is het nu cenmaal een feit, dat de Heere
  ons oude mannen  geeft in de huisgezinnen en in de               Dur own Schools Wherever Possible:
  kerk op aarde. De oudsten in Israel. Die &ten in de
  poor-t. Daar wordt recht  gesproken.                             DEBlATE - Negati\re  Rebuttal
         Daarom moet ge nooit de oude mannen vertrappen.               There are of course a good many things in the
  Nooit de oude  mannen te zamen rapen in een gesticht. article of my opponent with which I can heartily agree.
  Dat vloekt tegen Jezus met Zijn witte haar.                      A number of things are simply not debatable among
         De beste plek voor grootvader. Tot de laatste snik. us. We  ktnew this before the debate ever started.
         Die oude man (en vrouw) heeft een sierlijke kroon. After all both the affirmative and the ilegative claim
  Zij wordt gevonden in den weg der gerechtigheid. Zii [to love the Protestant Reformed truth and the cause
  getuigde van levenswijsheid en stervenswijsheid bij              of our churches. Besides in our debate we must and
  den  Christus. Jezus heeft lang geleefd. Mar Hij is              do assume that all of us have the true interest of the
  ook lang gestorven  in den eeuwigen dood. Daar in die cause and the spiritual welfare of our people at heart.
  vreeselijke gerechtigheid heeft Hij wijsheid geleerd.            But even though the foregoing is true, that does not
         Veracht daarom nooit de oudsten. Eert hen.                mean at all that both parties would come to the same
         Want zij zijn bij uitnemendheid geschikt om te conclusion.
  leeren.  Als gij gaarne wat  weten  wilt van Gods arm                The concluding sentence of my opponent',3  article
  fen groote macht,  dan leert dit vers U dat ge  naa?             was : "Wherefore, if we love  btir Protestant Reformed
  Christus moet gaan allereerst. En dan naar de ouden truth and church, if we are duly concerned about the
  in Christus. Zoo loopt de iijn.                                  spiritual welfare of our children, there can only be
   Dat oude volk kan  roemen.                                      one answer to the question we are discussing: the
   Luistert naar  6Pn van hen. (En wat een wondere                 answer the affirmative was privileged to defend."
  Oude !)                                                          -Naturally the negative side does not at all agree
         "Ook is Uwe gerechtigheid, o C;od ! to: in de hoogte ;    with  (this closing  8tatement.  Neither would we sub-
  Gij die groote dingen gedaan hebt : o God ! wie is U             scribe to the inference which may be drawn from the
  gelijk?"            a                                            sentence we quoted that those who. do not subscribe
         Deze  oude man roemt in God. Het steeds weder-            to the affirmative have no love for the Protestant
  keerend refrein in dien roem is: Wie is U gelijk? Dat            Reformed truth and are not duly concerned about the
  is eigenlijk de naam van  Micha en van den Archangel             spiritual welfare of our children. `I know that there
  Michael. Dat is een mooie naam om mee rond te  loo-              are some people who take (that stand and who have
  pen.       Als Michael  zich beweegt door de zalen des no scruples in making remarks to this effect. Which,
  hemels, dan fluistert men elkaar toe: Daar zweeft by the way, i:s a very poor method of trying to win
  "Wie-is-gelijk-aaa;God  !" Wat een heerlijke naam om people over for the affirmative side.
  te  dragen.                                                          Let us now proceed to examine some of the argu-.
         Nu dan, dat is ook de roem van Jezus, van U, van          ments which my opponent has sot forth to defend his
  alien die uiteindelijk zalig  worden.        Ze  zingen dan      proposition. His first affirmation deals with the doc-
  van de hooge gerechtigheid en van de wondere  dingen             trinal difference between us and the Christian Re-
  die God gedaan heeft.                                            formed brethren.  ,Of course there can be no argument
         Een Pelegiaan zou daar versmoren. Die roemen  van about  it that there is a marked difference between us
  wat de mensch doet. En Anti-Christ hoort de  men-                and the Christian Reformed brethren on a number of
  schen zeggen: Wie is gelijk het Beest  1 Doch die stem-          doctrmal  points which are indeed fundamental. And
  men verstommen in den tweeden  dood,                             as doctrine is basic to all instruction it stands to  rea-


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             267

son  thait also these doctrines in question, as enumerated      question. If it were actually w frightening .we migh.!
by my opponent, certainly cannot be divorced from  ilie well shudder to ever send our chil'dren  to the present
instruction our children receive in the  chriztian  schools.    Christian school. Fact  i;z, however, that we always
However, a  fatal  weakness in my opponent's argument- recommend the Christian school to our people, we
ation is that he drags  Ithe "Three Points"  intO the dis-      tell them that it is wrong to send the children to the
cussion, as if the Christian schools had officially  adopt-     public school. But now we find out that when it real!;
ed these Three Points.       Fact is, the common gl'ace         aomes  Ito the point the thing is so frightful?-Of course
issue has as yet never been an issue in the Christian           there is an eIement  of truth in the contention of my
schools.    Perhaps this is partly due  to  the  fact th.at opponent as he describes this particular point in hi;
we Protes';ant  Reformed people have ilot bee11 as con- article, but he certainly overemphasizes the- point
~lstanl  as we should be. But the same can be said              which of necessity weakens his argument. If it werrl
about the Christian Reformed people. Fact  is:  the             actuniiy as bad as my opponent claims that it-is, hon
"h:istian  Reformed school people have never  o&!ially          then did our people ever become Protestant Reformed?
adopted the Three Points, neither have they tried to            How then does he explain that there are *still such :I
force them down our throat, nor have they ever told             goodly number of young people that are so thoroughly
us that if we adid not agree with them we would be cast .Protestant  Reformed in spite of  at.he fact that they
out of the `schools. Hence, let us not run ahead of his- attended the  ch&tian  school? I firmly believe that
toray.  By simply stating that the  +urch  controversv          if they had at-tended the  pubIic school they would not
is also the school  conltroversy  we make broad state-          stand where they stand  t.oday.  Not, as though  thn
ments that cannot be proven and that contradict the             Christian School made them Protestant Reformed, but
actual existing realities. And in as far as the nctua:          the School was indirectly `axontributing  factor.-Wha.5
influence of the Three `Point doctrine is concerned             then is so frightening about the-Christian  s,chool? I am
I like to state the following: (1) In many cases that is        glad we still have Ithem. I wish they were much better.
over-emphasized; (2) In some cases there is cause  for          I think we could do a good deal more for them.
alarm  ; (3) My opponent knows very well indeed that               Again we agree with our opponent that the in-
a number of Christian Reformed teachers do not draw             struction our children receive must be based upon our
the conclusions which follow from the doctrine of the           Protestant Reformed truth; that is  i,deal. And Church
Three Points. They do not drive this doctrine at all:           and Home must exert their influence on the spiritual
(4) Where there  is cause for complaint, what have  u:l:        character of the School. And the latter should willing-
done about remedying the situation? We cannot just ly cooperate wilth the former. However, idealistic, as
run away, can we?        (5) It is  the conviction of the       this may be, fact i,:. that we do not have such+chools
negative that by and large those Christian Reformed             at present. It would be folly to deny the facts  ,in the
people who are Christian school minded are  *the, better,       case. But now we must approach  <the matter of the
soundest Reformed element in the Christian Reformed             school issue realistically. `1 have more to  say about
Church.     Seeing that there are about fifty percent           this in the sequence of this article.
Christian Reformed people who send their children to               My opponent claims: "Our present .&hoots. can noi
the Christian School, we can freely conclude that and do not meet the educaGona1 needs for our children
the Christian Reformed School people are indeed less and our obligations as covena& parents." He further
Three Point minded than the Christian Reformed                  stat es : "They cu;r,not,  and my opponent will never be
Church is officially. And the rule is also that these           able to prove the contrary. The `present Christian
Chri&ian  School people are the inost  promising pros-          Schools are Christian Refomned  schools. Don't den::
pects  P;o win over for our cause and our churches.             this by .saying  that our schools are not church schools,
(6) In view of the fact that we still have many things etc.-Again, of  .course,  there is  mu:h in these  state-
in common, having also  .the same background, in vieiv men& of my opponents with which I agree. However,
of the serious times in which we live, i&ncluding the           as I stated already in a differeilt  connection, I do <deny
uncertain future, in view of the fact that it is sinful         that the present Christian School is Christian Reform-
to unnecessarily break ties that bind together, we  mu&t        ed. (Understanding by Christian Reformed the official
be very careful arld take no unwarranted steps. Why doctrine of those  chur:he, as  it was adopted in 1924).
deliberately seek a splilt in the ranks of a movement           As we sai,d before, the schools never adopted these
that needs all possible support if it is to exist, if it is points and told us to get out if we could not subscribe
to flourish?                                                    to them. Ln the second place my opponent knows very
Of course we agree with our opponent when he                    well Ithat there are a number of teachers who do not
states that  the School is of paramount importance as           even know what the Three Points imply. Of course
an agency for the  in&u&ion  of our covenant seed. this is not to their credit, it's rather weakness than
But if by means of some statistical figures he tries to strength. Nevertheless they do not deliberately  teaoh
frighten us, he certainly overemphasizes the point in the Three Points  `as woul~d be the case were-my oppon-


268                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR'ER

ent correct in his contention. They are more `generally'        ing sentence of my opponent's article: `Wherefore, i:'
Christian (we have them in our churches too). Natur-            we love our Protestant Reformed truth and church.
ally.4hat   ca*n not satisfy us, but neither is this a mat,-    if we are duly concerned about the spiri:ual welfare
ter wherewith Christian Reformed tszhool  people can            of our children, there can be only one answer to ttle
be satisfied. Yes, I do believe that a number of our            question we are discussing: the answer the affirma-
Christian school teachers are not distinct enough in            tive was privileged to defend." As I stated before,
t.heir  teaching, not Reformed enough, but neither do           with  this conclusion we of the negative can not  agree.
they make the pupils swallow the doctrine of common             It is the conclusion which is based upon the  idealisti-.
grace.-On the other hand my opponent also knows                 It denies any moral responsibility with respect to thd
very well that there are also a  ilumber of teachers,           existing Christian Schools. It is a virtual denial .that
both  from our churches a,nd outside of our circle:?., who we have any rights in the present Christian Schools.
do understand the implications of the Three Points              It advocates the `wegloopende ,protestanten'  policy in
but who certainly do not agree with this general- an1           the sphere of  {the schools. It does not reckon with
common grace doctrine. In stating our case we must              `bet  historisch gewordene'. And neither does it reckon
also do justice to our present teachers.-My opponent            with practical reality.
further states : "a. The Christian Reformed doctrine  i;           Let me finish this rebuttal by making a few ob-
Ithe basis of all the instruction.  b. Our principles are       servations and conclusions.
not taught, but rejected and ridiculed." I would em-               The question of school  training is a matter  of khe
phatically deny both assertions. Of course here again           parents and not of the church. `Hence, we should
is an element of truth, but my worthy opponent  is              cooperate with the existing Christian schools as long
certainly overstating the matter. I have here in froiit         as possible. And where the necessity does not exist
of me six type-written sheets with the main heading:            we should not build schools of our own.         Why de-
"PRINCIPLES OF PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN IN-                          liberately go in the direction of `verbrokkeling  vail
STRUCTION." There `principles' were composed by krachten ?
Protestant Reformed men in conjunction and coopera-                We of the negative fear that the narrower interest  "
tion with Christian Reformed brethren. I assure my              in a Protestant Reformed school-will result in a dis.
opponent that they  are quite soundly Reformed. These           interest in the broader cause of christian instruction.
`principles' have been adopted by one of the Christian          I am informed that we have a genuine example of this
schools and it is according to these principles that the        in our own good city of Grand Rapids. Here we have
teachers have Ito instruct the pupils. Would Rev. R.            a seperate Christian School. But what i,s, it and wha:
Veldman or any of those who so strongly a,dvocate  `A           fruits does it bear? Among  4he evil fruits are those.
School  of-our own' have any objection to such a matter         I am told, t.hat practically none of the children atte.:d-
of procedure if it could be brought into practice mar'!         ing this grammar school finish their studies at a Chris-  ,
generally, particularly in. ereas where we have children        tian High School. There is a distrust, perhaps we
attending the present Christian schools? Did the af-            might call it a despising of the larger, Christian Schoo!
firmative  s,ide ever try anything like this?                   movement. And the result is that practically all the
       Of course at times confusion is created in the mind:     children receive their high school training, which is
of our children due to the fact that there is conflict be-      compulsory in Grand Rapids, in lthe public schools.-Ts
tween the teaching of home  ai1.d church on the one             that what we want? I  should say not. But is there
hand and the school on the other hand. However, this not a real danger that we steer in this very direction
is not the rule but the exceptional case. And some of if without provoca&n we insist in building our own
these things might be easily remedied too if we  mani-          schools because they are `ideal?' Indeed that danger
,fested a little more concerted action. (I am  sorr>-           exists.
that I lack the space to broaden out on this point.)                If the matte+  `of a school. of our own is-so all im-
       My opponent is not enthusiastic about the schools portant, then we have several questions, the amwer  to
as they are today. I can understan,d  that, and I can           which must be supplied by the affirmative. For ex-
even subscribe to it. But again that is not saying              ample: If it is so ,aZl important, why was this matter
everything. f am sure that if we worked .a little hard- not taken care of the moment our churches came into
er for the present Christian Schools, showed a mop;:            existence? And how is it possible that our churches
active interest in them, and sought more their real             ever did come into exis,tence?  ,And how is it possible
welfare we would become more  e&husiastic. You can that we ever could organize new churches, these people
not be enthusiastic about a thing, if you do not 1% r;rk        all having been reared in commusnities where there was
hard for it.                                                    no' Protestant Reformed School? And what mus: we
       Ideally, yes, the Protestant Reformed home and the       tell our smaller congregations which can never hope to
Protestant `Reformed Church call for a Protestant Re-           establish a school of their own? Must we on' the 011':
formed School. Once again I will quote the conclud-             hand with all our might denounce the present chriatia:r


                                     T H E   STAN.DARD  B E A R E R                                                         269

school, and on the other haild mus.t  we tell our sma!lel*      the christia:~  schools first of all, but let us place the
conprega:ions  : "You  better cooperate wit:h  the existing blame squarely where it belongs, namely, in the Home.
Christian schools and by all means send your chiklren           And next in line woul3 be the church. Let us never
there?"--If our own schools are so vital and if  oui'           make the Christian school the goat of our failure tn
churches  are lost without  *them,  why then establish          instruct our children in the Pro'estant  Ceformed truth.
or even attempt to establish any churches in zommuni-           Besides, schools of our own  wonld  not  remedy  tili:.
ties where we can see with our eyes shut that they can          For if the home is gone and if the church should br
not have a school of their own? Wouldn't such church- come delinquent, the school, which is  no: eve:1 directly
es be doomed from the start?                                    suppose3 to teach doctrine, can not remedy  the situa-
   If  t,he affirmative side is so positive of its case         tion.
how then can it be explained that by far the majority               But there is still another matter closely related  t,?
of our peop!e are -either against it or lukewarm toward         the foregoing. I am indeed afraid  thait some  peoplk!
it? How do you explain it, that most of what I would            think too  himghly of a Protestant Reformed school  as  If
call `our Christian school men' are opposing the idea?          such a school would be the cure-all and solve `all ou1
And a goodly number of these men certainly can talk educational problems. Even such schools of our own
from experience for they have worked for the existing           would be very imperfect. Such schools would be no
Christian schools. They, if anyone, should see the need         more perfect than the aggregate' spiritual corJiGon
of schools of our ow,n.                                         of our homes and churches. Water does not rise higher
   Why despise and agitate that which we so long have           than its source. T believe Jve do better to first consoli-
defended  as Protestant Reformed people? What brings date our homes and obtab more ideal conditions iq
this sudden change about? Of course the Christian               our churches. instead of trying to force the issue of  :X
schools are not what they should be, but we  certain!\-         school of our own. The time is definitely not  ripe
can thank  *the schools for many things which our now because our people are not ripe for it. They still
children learned there. We are indebted to the pre-             must be educated with a view lto, and won for,  th?
sent schools.  ' To mention one thing: I am  positirl?          ideal of the affirmative. It is indeed a  questipn  hox.1.
that my child will appreciate it all his days that h?           much better our own school would be cornpared with
we2 to a christian. school where he was taught Biblical         what.we  have at present, some symptoms, are  .lot  :oc
History. And I challenge any Protestant Reformed reassuring in this respect. And the question may K-V
school to teach my children more thoroughly the Bibli-          be raised if the actua1 beiterment  would< warrant al1
cal history than my oldest .chil,d has learned it in thz ,the expense, all the trouble and friction it wouk~cause,
present Christian school. Even my  opponenlt  kn0w.s            the damage it would do to the school movement in
very well that as a  rule.you  can pick out the children general, and the internal troubles it would cause among
in the catechiasm  class that have had Christian school         brethren that belong to the same household of faith.
training. They are far head of those that were de-                  Lest. we be accused that we are merely negative, let
prived  .of  rthis. That is the rule. Should  we  i?ot ap-      me propose the  following  suggestions :
preciate these things?                                              1. Wherever this is possible let us organize so-
   My opponent is positive  th'at we  have the teachers.        cieties for Christian instruction based  upon  Refoime?
However, he did not prove his point. Personally  I              principles.
have every reason to doubt this. Not as though we                   2. Let us as Protestant Reformed people compose
do not have teachers who are members of our*churches.           a work-programma of "Principles of practical  chris-
But how many have evidenced a genuine interest in               tian instruction," coveri.ng  all the branches of study in
a school of our 0w.n and how many are enthusiastically           our Christian schools.
supporting this cause? After all we  wduld  want                    3. Then let us  propalrate  these principles in the
<teachers that are capable  a:ld teachers that are heart Christian school circles, and let us do that  i:l the. spirit
and soul favoring the cause. Do we have enough of               of love:-If we  .Eucceed,  even partly,  we have  gaizerl
them? It has not been proven.                                   much, we become a vi?al par: in the Christian .school
   I have no room to say r&h  against the contention movement and we have done it a great favor.
that it i.z. the fault of our present Christian schools that        In the above mentioned method of approach we XC!
our children become Arminianists and worldly minded.            positive and not negative. we build instead of destroy:
 (My opponent did not make this siatement,  but I have we start where we should star::, namely, at the  righf
heard it more than once from  ;the affirmative  side.           end and not at the wro::g end. And if these prin-
hence the point I like to make) . Our schools are fag*          ciples should be wholly rejected so that the situation
from perfect, but such sweeping statements put it on becomes practically unbearable, then we can .;a& aboitt
too thick. I would say this: "If our  youth is not  in- a school of our own. But in the meantime u-e havn
doc$rin~i~d  .in. thy Protestant. ,F$efnrmed truth and hs- witneseed:  maintained ,:md,. -dated ,-.9-u% -p$~ciplc~,-  Y?
. ~~~e~.&rm&iaz  &d. ;worldti-.m&l,ed-  l&~.no$.&.me            have  .?ost n&hing,.ag:d.  &@he. ,en&,we .ca i1 c~q&,zj~&;t;,lac

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

wholehearted support of  pY;actically  all our people,                      cIear to us all, ithat we ca.n never hope to approximate3
whatever course may be necessary.-1 hope that the                           oui ideals in our present schools. The latter are too
brethren of the affirmative may seriously consider thoroughly ChGstian  Refwmed. I hope for the truth'j
these suggestions. They still can change  tlieir  prc-                      sake, for principle's sake, that the negatiqe  will not
sent plans and methods, of approach.                                        becIoud   the issue by denying this. Nothing can be
       Should we establish our own schools wherever pos-                    gained by denying facts. I know very welt  t,hat theg
sible? By no means, but let us with the maintaining                         are  not church schools. But is a  church all that can
of our principles approach this whole matter realistic- be Christian  Reformred?  Societies,  boa&, teachers,
ally and not idealistically or fanatically. And let us                      instruction, too, can be Christian Reformed.               Thus
build  schoobs  of our  ow*n whenever it is  `necesswy.                     schools ran be and are  Christ.ian  Reformed if they
And it is only necessary if there is no other christia?                     are controIled  by men and women from the Christian
school or if there is no longer a place for us in the                       Reformed church, who  sin'cerely  believe that our cove-
present Christian schools.                                                  nant  chiIdren should be instructed on the basis of the
                                                          J. D.
                                                 4"                         truth as they confess it. ,And in such schools we cat?.-
                                                                            not hope .to approximate our icdeals of education. That
                                                                            leaves us only one course: schools of our own.
                                                                               In the main the Rev. De Jong presents three rea-
DEBATE  - Affirmative Rebuttal                                              sons why we should not establish schools of our own.
                                                                            How valid are they?
       Often, in worldly contests, the remark is made: and
now, may the best man, or the best team, win. In this                          I-We  hme`a calling ar,d mom1  responsibility with
Discussion  I care nothing about that. My sole desire                       veszect  to ow present Ch~ristian Schools. Many people
is that the truth may win out in the minds and hearts                       seem to stumble over this- obstacle. Still, how valid
of our Protestant Reformed fathers and mothers,  anr! is this objection?
that this debate may serve as a means to bring us to                           Let us briefly consider some of the  statsmc!?ts
a clearer understanding of our covenant tailing with                        made by the negative in this connection.              "We  ar?
respect to our children. With that only in %ie\v let us                     members of the societies, we send our children to
read carefully all that has been written  t&us far on ;these schools." Yes, we do, and as long as this is the
this. subject. Nakhing  else matters.                                       ease we should cooperate as much as possible. Hon-
       The negative side states, "The point at stake (in                    ever, this will no longer be said of  us if  we  ha-:.x
this debate) is not. at all whether  ai1 instruction based schools of our own. Neither does membership in a  c.er-
throughout upon Protestant  Reformaed principles is tain society obligate one to continue such  membershlp
not  ideal,for  our children. There can be no"`differenec                   forever. From a society we can withdraw at any time,
of opinion among us  on this particular point." I knen                      the more so if that society has forsaken the principles
we agreed on this. Nevertheless, my opponent is not                         of the Word of God. "We helped to erect and maintain
correct in writing, that this is "not at all the point at                   these schools." That is an argument based on pure
stake." Notice, that he himself agrees, not that Pro- sentiment, and t'herefore no argument at all. We may
testant Reformed instruction would be better> but it                        not permit such considerations to determine our course
is the ideal. The moment you speak of the ideal with of action. Certainly, we helped erect them long, long
respect  ,to anything fundamental you have yourself before  otir Christian Reformed brethren departed from
stated your calling.         We must &rive for the ideal  ;                 the truth and the lie  ,of common grace swept  th?
nothing less will suffice. That means, :that we must                        Christian Reformed world like a prairie fire.  And
strive for schools of our own,  ,u&e.ss  : 1) There are after  tthey  departed from the Reformed truth we con-
other things, other ideals, greater in importance than                      tinued to support them,-for twenty long years. For
that of Protestant Reformed instruction for our child- two decades more we  permit.ted  the Christian Reform-
ren, and to which the latter must be subservient, or:                       ed brethren to educate our children!             Isn'it it time,
2) It is possible to realize this ideal in the present                      then, that we dismiss this sentiment from our minds
s:hools.     If this latter were possible the need of a as a reason for not establishing our own schools? Per-
school of our own would be eliminated, of course. As                        mitting mere sentiment  :to determine our policy in
to the first of these alternatives, I feel .aafe in assum.                  matters of principle is a dangerous practice. If that
ing thait no Protestant Reformed man or woman would                         which we helped erect becomes corrupt, as is always
want to maintain, that in the sphere of education                           the cake with the manifest&ion of God's covenant in
there can be a higher ideal for us, than that all the in- the world, we must have the courage and the strength
struction our children receive should be  p$rniea:2<!                       to  lea;ve iuch an institution for the truth's sake. No
with  9ur `Protestant Reformed tliuth.  And the'secon:l                     schohl   o? institution"can  be `as important  t.n us as the
il@rnaXive   ib. a  defiriite   `imbossibility.   --~`.If-  $hould   lj,    ptiincipres  for  whiCh  `%he$  `w&-e   &&ted  .;ri.  the  `first

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

 place. Con:tinues the negative, "The Christian school: grams,-generally speaking everything in our present
are no church  schoois, they may not  teach  doctrine, s:hooIs  is minus the Protestant Reformed label. That
much less the common grace theory." Even the nega- does not mean, of ,course,  that they bear no label at all.
tive cannot believe this. That question of "church They do. The Christian Reformed label. Shall we
schools" we may now dismiss from consideration. On leave, asks the ilegative, for no more reason than $hat ;
this point we agree, I think. The affirmative  does not for pouch  a relatively unimportant thing as that? Any-
claim that our present schools are church schools, and thing I might try to say in answer to [his question can
the negative will not gainsay the intimate relation be- only weaken the argument the negative here adduces
tween church and school. But, since when do our in support of the affirmative.
Christian school constitutions say that they may not            To my mind the Rev. De Jong makes one serious
teach doctrine?       High schools. have courses in Re- error. Apparently he puts the institution of the school
formed doctrine, taught by ministers of the gospel, 03 a par with the institution of the church, that is, a-i
and Bible instruction is given in the grade schools.         far as our  ob!igations,  toward both are concerned.
Moreover, is Christian instruction ever possible with- However, a school is the property of a mere soniety
out doctrine? Remember what my opponent once wrote and does not bind like a church. At any time it pleases,
in the Standard Bearer, "After all doctrine, false or a group of people may form a separate society and
true, determines. the religious character of all the in- start a school of its own. That need not even be for
struction, life and discipline of the school."               principle's sake.    How were many of our present
    The negative continues, "If this is done (that is,  if schools, started?.. People simply moved away from the
doctrine, particularly "common grace" is taught) we schools their children attended to a Vneighborhood  where
can appeal to the constitution, bring in our protests ,there was no school. As suon as there were a sufficient
and complaints, and attempt to make the boards and           number of such families a new society was organized
teachers see the error of their way." The constitution, and a new school erected. If new schools' may be
I'm positive, will be of no help here. And as to bring- erected for no greater rearon  than that; shall we be
ing protests ! We might con.ceivably  protest against ,denied  Ihe right to establish a society and school of our
some outstanding error in doctrine or practice. How- own for the sake of the troth ? Think this over soberly
ever, how many of these things  come to our attention? and carefully and let us  a& ourselves in all sincerity
After all, the children themselves must  report them.        whether t.his entire moral argume:lt  is not an excuse
And again I ask: how can we protest against what.  is        rather than a sound o&&ion.  That even the leader:
root taught? That is our main concern. Our prin- of the Christian Reformed Churches do not at all agree
ciples are not inculcated, that is certain. Nor can we       with my opponent on this  poi:lt seems to be indicated
expect Christian Reformed teachers to consider this          by what the Rev. J. J.  Hiemenga  wrote in ,the Banner
their calling. How an we protest against this? And           of March 3 under the caution "A Calvinistic Univer-
we must make the boards and the teachers see' the            sity". Wrote he, "We all know that any one, or a:iy
error of their way? The error of common grace? group, has the right  CO establish an educational insti-
After all these years? That means that the Christian         tution.  .O,f course, ther: is no question about that."
`Reformed brethren must instruct our children to the            .It is in this. .connec:ion that the negative speaks of
end of time. Every so often new board members are "wegloopende Protestanten". It is evident, however.
elected  and new teachers are hired to teach in our          that this was written in haste and must not be  taken
schools.     Where is the end of this responsibility and     too seriously. On second thought my opponent  wi3 see
how can we ever hope to succeed? And then my op- that this comparison edoes not apply here at all. Who
ponent writes, "Leave these schools where we were are "wegloopende  Protestanton"?                   Are thev  peon13
educaited  ourselves., which we maintained in the past,      who leave our churches for the sake of conscience and
which are founded upon the truth of God's Word?"             truth, because they earnestly believe the pure do-:rin?
Of course we shall if it is for the sake of the truth,       is taught elsewhere? Of course not! They are peo$e
of God's church, and of the spiritual welfare of  out        who leave the church for nil kiads of trivial r2-asons.
children.     And as to being founded upon the truth while they confess that we have the truth. Were w?
of God's Word ! From the Protestant Reformed point           to leave the school for such insignificant reasons th:?
of view, is that true? "Leave these schools," writes compari,e.on  would hold.            But surely, brother, you
he, "because they are minus the Protestant Reformed would not apply the term t.o Yhose who le::ve the pre-
label ?'     For the sake of the principle involved  I'm sent schools for the truth's sake.
happpy my opponent made this statement. That  i$
precisely the point, the admission that should settle          II-The present Christim  Schools do not wst `us ouf.
the matter for every one.  Th,c?y   nr*c  m+rs  the  pro-       Also this seems  ,to present  an  obstacle to  some
ri&ani:  R~f~~~wd  k&4. The boards, the' societies, the      people, aIthough I cannot see in all good conscience
t%-trIlel-~,   f.hq inst.rucbiont  the hymns, prayers. pro- why we must Ts-ait until n-s're set 9ut before we begi,?

                                l


                                       T H E   STANDARO   B E A R E R
--_.  ""
to instruct our children as we should. Of course they          things we do not know. Yet,  ive do know, that  oul
have not east us  ou.t, partly because we do not  oppote       children are in the hands of Christian Reformed  me.1
them as we should, and partly because the schools are and women. Secondiy,  so much .in our schools is color-
their own. "They seek our help and coopera:ion",  says         less, so much like public instruction. How shall we
the negative, "They desire to cooperate with  US  ,L'!);       remedy that? One cannot  Ice at every board meeting.
principle's sake." For whose principle? sake, owrs 02'         Thirdly,  how shall we lodge grievances against wha! is
#w&f  We  all know the  answer.  They seek  our                not taught, and what we cannot reaso::ably  expect to
cooperation, bat. for their school, that their teashers        have  ftaught?  From the viewpoint of our  i:`ieal it is
(a few exceptions notwithstanding) may apply  an4              hopeiess to  protes't.    To approximate our ideal  we
maintain  their  *doctrine.  They are satisfied that  we       should have to make the teachers Protestant Reformed.
be yoked together, but under their yoke.  Mind you,            My opponent once wrote, "The spiritual quality of YOUI
.this, too, is written without bitterness; we can expeat       teaching depends on Ithe doctrinal conceptions of the
nothing elne. "Many christian school people are si,n-          teacher". How must we go about this? Where is  the
cerely  interested in us and our children,"' writes my         end? In a large school there are many teachers, and
opponent. 1 believe that, but they are interested i;:          every few years the personnel changes. Resides, to
instructing our children in the #truth as they see it.         reach our ideal the boards and societies must be made
Can we be content with such interest? We, too, are             to see our point of view. We should have to catechize
interested in their children, and  if, ever we  shoulld see    them, and this, I'm sure, they'd graciously refuse. In
our ideal realized we should be happy to receive them fact, to reach our ideal the whole Christian Reformed
into our schools. Our Christian Reformed brethren              Church mouId have to be made to confess her errors.
who read this must not be of.fended. You must be able Where's the end? And while all this goes on we mud
to see our viewpoint. You realize very well, that from let  ithem instruct generation after generation of oui
the Protestant Reformed point of view the stand of             chilsdren  ?
the afffirmative is the only consistent one. SureIy you            Even  ,so, have we not done much to  EulfiI this  CUE!.
don't believe that we are bound to stay where we are.          ing? 1924 is already 20 years ago. Since that  i;ime
                                                               we raised our voices against the errors of our Christian
    III-We  have no moral  $yJLt to leave the  xhool
unless we first bring our  y~rievances to the proper Reformed brethren, also those in control of our schools.
                                                               Also here you cannot separate church and school. T1-e
authorities and attempt to improve the  christinn  char-
acter o.f the instruction. A brief reply  shouId   suffice same brethren and sisters are members  df both. .FOL
                                                               20 long years our Standard Bearer explained our pcsi-
here, essentially this is the same objection as the  first.    tion. For 20 long pears our churches in many locaii-
    Notice how weakly my opponent  express.es  himself         ties stood as a witness for the truth. For 20 long ycals
here. We must "attempt  rto improve the  Christian             our ministers spoke whenever the opportunity presenr-
character  of the instruction." Dues my opponent mean          ed itself, and I know that they did not hide the  tr;l:h.
by this that we must strive to make gthat instruction          And the Christian Reformed brethren know exactly
Protestant Retormed? If so, he should have stated it.          where we stand. These are the facts.
If not, I cannot agree with him at all. I make bol'cl to           A few remarks in closing my side of the debate.
say, that my opponent chose these words deliberately           First, let us not forget, that if we leave all we helped
for he himself must realize the utter impossibility of         erect and maintain behind. All we do is start ane1.L.
working for Protestant Reformed instruction  ii1 our and take our children out of the present schools. Isc'c
present schools. What do our  chiIdren  really need:           that fair enough? Secondly, my opponent made some
"Christian character" or "Protestant Reformed in- statements that  shoul,d  not have been made, and  that
struction" ? To me only the latter is Christian, for could easily "leave scars". That is easily done in & de-
what is not Protestant Reformed is not Reformed, and bate. Let us weigh our words, whether we  t'avol*  11
what is not Reformed is not Christian. But certainly,          school of our own or not. This applies also to those
it cannot be our calling to stay where we are until            who side with the affirmative in this debate. Let us
we make these schools Protestant, Reformed.                    never think that offensive, derogatory remarks will
    This also points to one  rea$on  at least why our further this cause. On the road to Kalamazoo there':
people do not bring more grievances to ,t*hose in charge       a sign that reads: "Use soft words  aad  hari argu-
of the present schools. What grievances can we bring? ments". Enough said. Finally, may this debate by
We  could, perhaps, protest against a few isolated state-      the grace of God bear its good fruits. Let us study
ments and practices, at most. But that would hardly this vital issue in faith, without prejudice, free from
scratch the surface; would not bring us closer to our          carnal and aelfish motives, only asking: Lord, what
ideal; would in no way satisfy our needs. First, how wilt thou have us do? Seeking first the Kingdom of
many.   of  ;the...things  to which we  object come to our     God and His righteousness, the way, I'm confident,,
&t..entinn.?    Very  fen>,    We cannot protest against;      will become plain.                            ,  R, v.


