 V O L U M E   X X I                                          N O V E M B E R  15, 1944                                 NUMBER 4
                                     ,'

                                                                          Hij ge.openbaard worden of verheerlijkt worden. Niet

                                                                          doordat Hij. en Y nietig schepsel iets samen tot stand

                                                                         brengen, kan het openbaar Iworden,  (dat Hij GOD is.

                                                                         Niet doorda.t;Hij  iets werkt, dat het sch,epsel  ook wer-

                                                                         ken kan, en dat ,daarom  .door  den mensch  kan worden

                                                                         verstaan en doorgron,d,  wordt Hij verhoogd en groot
   Gebouwd Tot Een Geestelijk Huis                                       gemaakt.       Doch alleen door Zijn ,eigen  werk open-
                                                                         baart Hij Zichzelven.  Juilst  ,daa.r,  waar de menschen

                   Tot welken kometide,  ais tot eener?  levenden        voor het onmogelijke staan, w,erkt  God.       Hij .roept  de

                 Steen, va;n de menschen wel verworpen, ma,ar             dingen, die niet zijn, alsof ze waren, en maakt de doo-

                 bij Go)d. witv:erkxyen  en dierbaar; zoo yo?dt          lden levend. Hij doet wonderen, Hij alleen!

                 aak @ijzelben;  als levende stesnen,  gebobd                  Want Hij is God !
                 tot een geestelijk kuis,  toti eeia heilig pY$ster-           De geheel eenige Heer!

                ,cfiom,  om geestelijke <offeranden op te offeren,             De Souverein van hemtel  en aa,rde  !
                 c&e  ,GoicAe aangenaam zijn  door Yesus  CI~ris-             D,e God, Die een ontoegankelijk licht bewoont, en
f ::$"           tus. ( -                        I Petr. 2:4,  5.        Die bij niemand te vergelijken is, `en bij Wien  niemand
          Wonderlijke werk van God!                                      ooit vergeleken kan of mag worden!
          De Ker.k  wordt gebouwd tot .een  geestelijk huis!            . .    Hij bouwt Zijn huis, .Hij alleen; niemand bouwt het
          Uit alle geslachten, talen, natin worden  ,de uit-            met Hm, of is Hem in `t bouwen behulpzaam.
verkorenlen  getrokken, geroepen, geheiligd, en ver-                           Goddelijk wonderwerk !
 gaderd tot eene  geestelijke woning!

   Van het begin der schepping tot het einde, in de
 oude-  en in de nieuwe  bedeelin.g,  eeu_w  in eeuw uit,                      Een geestelijk huis! r
 worden menschen van `de m,eest  .venxhillende  hoe-                           Daaurtoe  worden ,de geloovigen  gevormd, gebouwd.

(danigheden  :en karaktertrekken, klein en groot, arm                          Ze hebben in en op zichzelven,  als indvidu'eele  ge-

 en rijk;yblank  en zwart, tot n geheel  vergad8erd  en                loovigen, los van `elkander ten  *los  van het geheel, geen

gevormd, dat straks als &n heilige tempel des Heeren                     beteekenis,  noch zaligheid, evenmin aln! steenen.  be- '
geopenbaard zal worden, een volkomen werk Gods,  een                    teekenis  .hebben  op zichzelf, afgedacht van het gebouw,

heilig priesterdom,  om eeuwiglijk geestelijke offer-                   vYra,arin  ze worden ingezet.
anden op te offeren, Gode  welbehagelijk!                                      Naar Gods  eeuwig bestek zijn dte uitverkorenen

          Een werk, wararvan  ied,er straks tot in alle <eeuwig-         niet een bloot aantal menschen, een willekeurige hoop,

hei,d  zingen  zal : '                                                  waarvan men af kan nemen en waaraan men,  kan toe-
             "Dit werk is door Gods  alvermogen,                        voegen * zonid,er het geheel te beschadigen ; ,een hoop
             Door- `s Heeren  hand `alleen .geschied.                    gezaligden zonder eenhei,d  of verband, zonder idee of

             Het iS! een wondier in onz'  oogen,                         doel ; maar een gebouw, een ,geheel,  d1a.t ,door ne
             Wij zien het, maar d.oorgronden  `t niet."                 hoof.dgedachte  beheerscht wondt,  waaraan alle onder-

          En zoo  komt God dan tok Zijn eer!                             deelen  ondergeschikt zijn,.,en  >dat door alle <deelen, elk

          Juist tdoordat  .Hij wonderen doet, komt Hij tot              op zijn eigen filaats `moet gediend worden ; ,een schoone
openbaring als ~God,  als Ide * eeuwi,ge Heer, de alleen                tempel, elk onderdeel *wla.arvan de' harmonie, q.~ schoon-
Heerlijke en Mlxhtige,  .de ,Onvergelijkelijke.  . . . -i               heid van' het geheel moet uitbrengen en :dienn.
          .Niet,  aoorwaar, door het ,werk van m.enschen  kan                  Gij aNor,dt  gebouwd tot' een geestelijk huis!
                              .                         ;_                            I .      _.: .


 7    4                                  T H E  S-TANDARD   B E A R E R


  .;:..' En, schoon geheel, door ne  Goddelijke gedachte         wil.,te  kennen .om  .dien te doen,  en Hem welbehagclijk

_ beheerscht ! `t Gelbouw,  ,dat nadir God!s! gemaakt bestek        te zijn.. MIei geheel               beskaan,  en met alle Idhngen,
                                                                                               LIW
 in eeuwig,heid  zal rijzen ! ft Gebouw van Zijne guilst-           zult ge Hem d1a.n  volkomenlijk uzelven t6ewij3d,en.  Gij
 bewijzen n eeuwige goedertierenheden !                            zult als Zijn vriend regeren over al d.e werken iijner
      Ach, hoe God-onteerend, hoe alle heilighedjen  met            handen in de nieuwe schepping, en alle dingen zullen
 voeten  tredend, spreekt d,e profane mensch, die niet              u cinderworpen zijn, .opdat  gij Hem zoudt <dienen, en

 verstavat,  dat Go,d  GOD is, en [dat Hij ALL'EEN  God             Hij alles zij in allen.
 is, van dit Goddelijke werk der zaligheid en der ver-                     Hij uw Vriend-koning.

 lossing! Deze spreekt, alsof het werk Gods,  in plaats                    Gij Zijn vriend-knecht.
 van n schoon geheel te zijn, in stukken en brokkelx'.                   Gods  Verbond en Koninkrijk, tempel en priester,
 te voo,nschijn  komt.     Die stelt het voor, alsof de Kerke       zullen, dan volmaakt n! zijn.
  Go& ,eige:nlijk.niet  anders is dan een hoop van geredde                 Daarom kan de apositel  schrijven 
                                                                     ,                                                  `in n adem
 menschen,  die God nog bijtij'ds  uit de klauwen van               van ,een geestelijk huis en een heilig priesterdom.           Het
 Satan kon verlossen. Een derde spreekt, alsof het werk             huis .is het priesterdom !
  Gds in elk. opzicht eigenlijk afhangt van den mexch,                   En dkarom  kan hij van ,dat  huis, dat ook'het  p?ies-
  en aleof .het, niet God, maar ,de  mensch is, die de Kerk         terdom  is, zeggen, dat het gebouwd iy om geestelijke
 bouwt jen vergadert.                                               of?eranden  ,op  %e offeren, die Gode  aangenaam  ,zijn
      Gij' wonc&  gebouwd !                                         dor Jezus Christus.
      Ge verstaat zelf nit hoe,, maar gij wordt gebouwd !                 Dan geen bloedige offeranden meer. Het geeste-
      Gij bouwt n.iet uzelf.    Gij `zet uzelf niet in `t boew-     lijk: huis is eens voor altijd ,door bloed gereinigd in
 werk van Go&!  gunstbewijzen! in.          God `is ,de bouw-       het `frolkomen  ,offer van J'ezus  Christus onzen Heer.
 meester.                                                                  ,Dan  ook geen uitwendige offemnden  meer, gelegd
      Gij wordt geb!ozcwd.  Ge Bwor.dt  niet masr  netjes           op een ,bepaald  daartoe .afgezonderd  en geheiligd `al-
 op een hoop gezet, maar inaar Goddelijke conceptie                 t%ar, van de vrucht des lands.
 z gebouwd, dat ge straks, wanneer het gebouw vol-                       Maar. dan zullen we ,de waarachtige ,offeranden  der
 to0i.d  zal zijn, allen tezamen ne id.ee  belichaamt, ne       toewijding ma:n onszelven en alle ,dingen, door Goord
  GOddielijke  gedachte voorstelt en dient: de heerlijk-.           "en `daad:,  ,Gode  brengen, eeuwiglijk en altoos !
  heid van  Gods  wonderlijke genade in den Geliefde;                      Gebouwd tot sen geestelijk huia!
  de. schoonheid en liefelijkheid van het ne  Go.dde-                    Een hei1i.g  p:&sterd,om  !
  lijke deugdenbeeld in den  Zoon, in Jezus. Christus                      Gode  geestelijke .offers brengen.d  !
  onzen  Heer !                                                           Heerlijke woning Gods  !
      Gij wrdt  gebouw,4  tot een geestelijk. huig.

      En `dit wil, ll~ereerst  zeggen, *dat  God in u Zijne

  eeuwige verbondsgedatihte  verwe&elijkt.          Het huis,              Woild:es  van genad.e  !
  dat Hij bouwt, is een huis  Gods,  een Bethel,  eene wo-                 Tot Welken, ,dat  is .tot  den Heere, dat is. tot Iden
  ning Gods.       En als gij tot zulk eene woning Gods  ge-        Christus Go,ds,  komende, wordt gij gebouwd !
  boulwd  wordt, dan houd6  `dit in, `dat Gold:  in u wonen,               Christus is de Hoeksteen, de Hoofd des hoeks, de
  en bij' u verkeeren  wil, en: u Zijne `gbedertierenhcid           voornaamste, en alles bepalende fundamentsteen van
 `en eeuwige gunst wil ,doen  .smaken,  .gemeenschap  met u         ,dit geestelijk huis.
  hebben (wil,  Zich op het allerhoogst aan u wil open.-                   De hoeksteen van en  gebouw `was immers .de sluit-

- baren, zoodat .ge Hem kent,  Hem ziet aangezicht tot:             steen van het ,fundament,  waarbij heel het fundament,
  aangezichk,  in Zijne geheimen inga.at,  Zijn vriend zijt,        waarbij ,dus ook heel het gebouw past en zich moet

_ in Zijn tabernakel onder n dak met ,Rern leeft en               aansluiten, Iwaapd.oor  de verdere afmetingen .en vor-
  verkeert.                                                         men en lijnen vta~n  heel het  ge$ouw  reeds zijn bepaald.
      Het wil ook.zeggen,  `dat ge in .die gemeenschap der                 En die Hoeksteen van het geestelijk huis Gods  is
  vriendschap Hem dient, en uzelven  Hem toewijdt, met              Chria;tus  !                                   .
  geheel uw har.t,  gehteel uw verstand, geheel  uwe ziel, en              Daarom is er immens! Yook  vervat in de Schrift:
al uwe krachten. '                                                  Ziet Ik leg in Sion (eenen uitersten Holeksteen,  Die uit-
      VIla,nt Hij ijs en blijft GOD, ook in Zijn hhis.              verkoren en .dierbaar  is."
      En als Go,d is Hij de geheel eenige Heer.                            Christus,  het ba.m,  Id$at st+t als geslacht, de Chris-
  En ook als uw Vriend, en in de gemeenschap                        tus Gods, De Zoon, Die vlees&  werd, Zich met ons
  der vriendschap, blijft l$j .de.  .geheel  eenige Souve-          vereenigde, .en o,nder  ons tabernakel.de;  Die ons djan
rein; uw H'eer  ! En als gij geb0uw.d zijt geworden tot             Vader heeft geopenbaard, Die aan het  vloekhout'onze
  een geestelijk huis, eene woning Gods, en Hij bij                 zoriden  Id.roeg en wegdroeg, Die in de  dienstknechts-
                                                              LI
  is len uw God is, dan zal Zijn dienst U ten volle een             gestalte Zich verned'erde  tot in d,en ,dood,  ja, den dood

  lief,dediost  zijq  zood&  het pw hoogste  genot; is Zijnei       :dea kruises, Di,e ,door God den Vader is opgewekt ten


                                       . .    T         H    E     STNDARD BEAl$.ER                                         ,__,                                 ) 70
   -_                                                                  . .                                                     & _


  derden dage in onver.derfelijkheict  en onsterfelijkheid                    lige profeten.       Hij legt'.Hcm, ~1s. Hij Zijnen Eerst-
  die opge$%nen is ten hemel,, de gevangen& gevanke-                          geboaene in de .werel.d ziend&,  alIs! Hij *toJ ons spreekt
  lijk wegvoerend, Die verhoogd is tot een Heer'en Chris-                     door Zijnen Zo& als Hij Hem 0vergeeft`i.n d&ti dood
  tnus boven alle dingen aan de pechterhand  des Va-                          des kruises,  a1.s  Hij Hem uik de dooden  opwekt in heer-
  ders, Die de belofte des Heiligen Geestes heeft ,ontvan-.                   lijkheid, als Hij Hem verhoogt aan.Zjne  rechterhand,
  gen, en op <deq Pinksterdag.tot  de Zijnen terug keerde                     en Hem de belofte des Heili&%"Geestes  schenkt, en 121s
  en inkeerde in djen Geest;, Dile  ,door apostelen en profeten               Hij ,door Hem+Zi$ne@?,Geest  .in.de.:giemeente uitstort. . .
  verkondigd is geworden van -den aanvang der. swereld                              Dan is de Steen  g+~gd!                               _..-
                                                                                                                                       I .:`l.>:i.: _. ?-
  af,-die  Christus is de uiterste, Hoeksteen v&n  het                              Dan is ,ein@elijk de Steen, -ojen `de ,bouwlie&n yer-
  geestelijk huis.                                                            achtten en verwi,e_rpen, maar Die. Gsd.e  ,dierbaar ,was,
         Tot' Hem komende, wordt gij gebouw,d  !                  '           tot een `.Ho'ofd ,des  hoe&+geworden !.                             :
         Op Hem wond.t het geheele huis opgetrokken. En                             Wond&ijk ;werk &i GO<! alvermogen'!                                      -
  buiten Hem is er geene woning G.ods.                                              Van Hem alleen !
         Hij is als Boeksteen  verkoren, ~eti d(oor  `God, &legd                                                                                  . .
  in Sion.
         Uitverkoren is Hij, niet in den zin, ,dat Hij uit                          Wonder van geaade !                                    1.. ^.
  andere steenen  gekozen werd. Dit kan in <de eerste                              _- T,ot Welken komende . . . . wordt gij g@@wd !,
"p l a a t s  reeds nooit ,de i,d.ee der Goddelijk>e  verkiezi,ng                   Tot Welken komende, als Tot eenen .leve&eti  Sten,
  zijn.     Waar zou de hooge God toch s$eenen v+nden voor                    wordt gij ook zelven als &vende st,eenen gebouwd !
  Zijn eeuwig huis ?       Dit is, in ,de tweede plaats, hier                       En immers, ook dit is Gods  -wonderwerk der ge-
  absoluut buiten gesloten, want deze Hoeksteeil is gc-                       nade !
  heel aenig. Hij is de eeuwi,ge,  en de eenig geboren                              Het is immers niet zoo, dat God. Idben levenden Hoek-
 `Zoon v2.n God; God:  uit God, Licht uit Lis:ht, wezenlijk                   steen in Sion legt, dat Hij ons er nu- voorts mee in
  God Zelf! En `dit is, in ,de derde plaats, niet waar,                       kennis stelt, ,dat die Steen daar gelegd is, en dat wij
 omdat Hij, Christus de Heer, de ,aIlereerste,  de geheel                     nu tot Hem komen, .om ons tot een geesitelijk  huis te
  eenige Uitverkorene is.                                                     laten bouwen.       De zaak &xxat  immers niet zoo, dat Hij
         Och, als menschen'een huis! bouwen,  wordt eerst het                 een levende Steen is, en :dat wij ook leverxde.-.steeneg
  huis ,zelf in plan gezet, en wordt de vormen de grootte                     zijn, en idat wij nu ,onszelven ,op .dien H,oeksteeti met-
  van het huis eerst bepaald, om da,n te berekenen, hoe                       selen en tot een geestelijk huis laten opbouwen. Wij
  groot en hoe zwara.r het fundament moet zijn, en welke                      z i j n   n o g  minder ,dan doode steenen.!           Met de ~bouw-
' hoeksteen er in en bij ,dat fundament past.                                 lieden van' ouds verachten en verwerpen ook wij altijd
         Doch zoo is het niet met het gelestelijk  Kuis, dat God              weer ,den levenden Steen, den door God gelegden Hoek-
  <de eeuwen door bouwt en straks in al zijne schoonheid                      steen in Sion.                           `.
  openbaren zal..                                                                   Er is in heel dat geestelijk huis nieb! van ons
         `t Gaat immers i.n den diepst& zin des woords niet                   werk.
  om dat huis, maa.r om de openbaring van ,de heerlijk-                             `t Is alles werk qn zijne genade !
  hedlen der deugden .Gods! En om die heerlijkheid                                  Hij, de Christus, is de eenige levende Steen.
  Zijner rd.eugden  op `t hoogst ite opetibar'en,  heeft God                  i     Buiten Hem, en zpnder verband met Hem, is er in
  Zija Zoon verordineerd als Eerstgeborene aller crea-                        geen enkelten steen van heel het .hui; eenig sprankje
  $uur, en als Eerstgeborene uit de dooden, opdat in Hem                      van leveti.
  al de volheid der Godheid wonen zou, en ide heerlijkheid                          Maar God Zelf brengt ons in contact, in levend ver-
  van Zijn deugdenbeeld in en door H,em zou uitstralen.                       band met dien eenen levenlden. Steen. Hij trekt ,ons
  En opdat ,diezelfde heerlijkhei,d  ,op ,duizend- en millioen-               tot Hem, want niemand kan tot Hem komen tenzij de
  voudige wijze uit God d,oor  Christus zou schitteren,                       Vader, Die Hem gezonden heeft, hem trekke. Hij
  .gezien, gekend, gesm,askt,  en verheerlijkt zou worden,                    hecht ons door het levend cement .des geloofis: ean-di,en
  daarbm  heeft God aan dien Christus eene Kerk, 8811.                        levenden Steen, zoodat door dat 1evn.d .cqntact hit
  geeste1ij.k  huis' gegev,en,  een huis, dat op Hem zou wor-                 leven ,van den Hoeksteen ook ons deel bwordit.  Hij
                                                   _
  Idlen gebouwd.                                                              maak.t ons in geestelijken zin a.an ,den ,Hioek&een  gel? j k-
         Christus de uitverkoren hoeksteen!                                   vormig.
         De van God verordineerde Zoon tot Christus!                                En Hij zet ook.steen  na
                                                                                                             _  steen, 
                                                                                                              _,.             ,de eeuwen door, een
     "De eerste Verkorene, waarop alle andere verkrenen                      ieder op zijne eigene plaats' in het gle@stelijk"huis
                                                                                                                                     "' _:
  volgen, en op Wien ze alle zijn aangelegd  !                                i n .
         En van God is Hij ten H,ooBd-des  hoeks gelegd !                           T&dat  het straks in hec@ijkheid  lals  voltooid ge-
         Hij legde ,.deaen Steen in-Sion vr de ,groedlegging                openbaar'd   z a l  woraen!
  der bwer'eld,  in Zij.nen  ee;uw.igen raad. En Hij legt Hem .                     Tot  p r i j s  Zijaer'heerlijkhyeid,!             .._.
                                                                                                                 _.
  in Sion ,de eeuwen door, ~QQL de verkondiging ,der hei-                                                                            - .: H. H.


                `76                                                                                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D  BE.ARER
                                                                     . .
                                                                                                                                                                                                          .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  P
                                                   The Standard Bearer'
                             Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and August                                                                                                                                       - EDITORIALS
                                                                            Published bi                                                                                                                                 ` "


                                       The Reformed Free Publishing ,Asso&iation

                                                             946 Sigsbee  Stree,  S. E.                                                                                                                                 The &angelical
                                                    EDITOR - Rev. H. ,Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                       and 
                      Contrihu$ting  editors-Rq&  J. ,Blankespoor,  A. Cammenga,                                                                                                                                                                '
                 P. De Boer, J. D. de Jong, H. De Wolf, L. Doezema,                                                                                                                                                  The Reformed Church _
                     M. Gritters,  C. `Hanko, B. Kok, G. Lubbers, G. M. qphoff;

                      A., Petter, M. Schipper,  J. Vanden  Breggen, H. Veldman,                                                                                                                          The union of the Reformed. Church in the United
                 _. R. Veldman, L; Vermeer, P. Vis, G. Vos, W. Hofman,                                                                                                                                 States!, and the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church was
                      J. Heys, Mr. S. De Vries.                                                                                                                                                        really effeqted  in the year 1934.
*                     Communications relative to contents should be addressed                                                                                                                             As early  as 1932) the General Synod of the Re-
                      to REV. H. HOEKSE.MA,  1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                                                                                           formed Church in the United States adopted a tentative
                      Rapids, Michigan.
                                                                                                                                                                                                       plan of union, which was referred to the several classes
                      Communications relative to subscription should be ad-                                                                                                                            of that ,denomination  (as well as to the districts of the
                      dressed to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 946 Sigsbee Street. S.  E.,,
                                                                                                                                                                                                       iEvangeliod  Church), and which was &opted
                      Grand. Rapids, Mich.  All Annourxements  and Obituaries                                                                                                                                                                                  . at a 3
                      must be sent to the above address and will. not be placed                                                                                                                        special meeting ,of` the same General Synod held in
                      unless the regular fee, of- $1.06 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                                        Cleveland, Ohio in 1934.       This plan consisted ,of twelve

                                                            Subscription $8.50 per year                                                                                                                articles, which, for a full understanding of the matter,
                      Entered as second class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan                                                                                                                           we ,quote  here in full,:
                                                                                                                                                                                                          "Preamble. The Reformed Church in the United

                                                                                                                                                                                                       States and  the Enangelical Synod of North America,

                                                                                                                                                                                                       und!er  the conviction that they are in agreement on the
                                                      _a
                                                                                CONTENTS                                                                                                               essential doctrines of the "Christian faith and on the

                MEDITATION-                                                                                                                                                                            ideals of the Christian life as contained in the Old  land
                                                                                                                                                                                                       New Testaments and as defined in their respe.ctive
                        GEBOUWD TOT EEN GEESTELIJK HUIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...'  . . . . 73                                                                                               standards of doetrifle,  ,do hereby declare their desire to

                         Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                              be united in .orie  body according to the articles mutually

                EDITORIALS :-                                                                                                                                                                          {agreed upon as follows:

                        THE EVANGELICAL AND THE  REF'ORMED  CHURCH.:id                                                                                                                                                              I. Name.

                                                                                                                                                                                                          "The name of the Church formed by this union
                        E%PrOSITION  OF THE -HEIDELBERG CATECHISM . . . . ..i9
                                                                                                                                                                                                       shall lee "The Evangelical and Reformed Church."
                R e v .   H .   H o e k s e m a                                                                                                                                                        Congregations and institutions may retain their names,

                      `AMMON'S                 ANSWER AND JEPHTHAH'S REPLY . . . . . .                                                                                                                 but they shall designate.their  membership in The Em;-n-
                                                                                                                                                                                     . . . . . . 62
                                                                                                                                                                                                       gelical a:n,d  Reformed! Church.
                             Rev. G. M. Ophoff
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             II. Doctrine.
                        CONTRIBUTI;N                          . . ..I.................... `a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S5             "We acknowlledge  -and  accept the historical con-

                                M r .   G e o .   T e n   E l s h o f                                                                                                                                  fessions! of the two Churches as the doctrinal basis of

                                                                                                                                                                                                       the union.
                ~       DE LES DER HISTORIE ..I............................... . . . . I...:  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      III. Supreme Judicatory.
                               Rev. G. Vos
                                                                                                                                                                                                          "The Evangeliad  and Reformed Church shall estab-

                . T H E O RIG I N O F T H E SOUL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88                                                lish, as its ,supreme  judicatory for the prosecution of
                               Rev. L. Vermeer                                                                                                                                                         .its work, a representative body to be known as `The
           i                                                                                                                                                                                           General Synod of the `Evangelical  and Reformeicl
                     `GOD'S REPENTANCE . . . . \.: . . ..*........... . . ..*...*...................... . . . . . . . . . 90                                                                           Church.'
                               Rev. S. T. Cammenga
                I,... - .:                                                                                                                                                                                             rIV. The General Synod.

                     GLEANINGS FROM  TWENTY YEARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92                                                                                                           How Com+tituted.
     .'
                               R e v .  W.`Hofman                                                                                                                                                         "The Gea,eral  Syno:d  shall be: constituted of Ian equal

                                                                                                                                                                                                       number  of or.dained  ministers! and lay members to be
                      FREEDOM OF RELIGION . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
                                                                                                                                                                                                       chosen by the Classes -which are now in the Reformed
                               Rev. P. Vis
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Church in the United States and1  by the Districts of the

                                                                                                                                                                                                       Evangelical Synod of North America, The  basis of rep-
                _..^                                                                                                         I /---.-  _-_ - _-___._
                         I_-__.____._._,
                                                 ._-.a...4.-_
                                                                                      ___-...
                                                                                                               ,. ._I._


                                         THE  STAND&R-D  B-E&K&R                                                                          "17

                                                                                                    the ba,st regu!ar meeting of the

                                                                                                    General .Synod.

                                                                                                             "5. The General Synod shall ye-

                                                                                                    view proceedings of the .Classes,

                                                                                                    the districts and the Synods,

                                                                                                    which they shall submit to each

                                                                                                    regular meeting of the General

                                                                                                    Synod.

                                                                                                             "6. The General Synod shall

                                                                                                    have .power`  to mainbain corres-

                                                                                                    pondence with other denomina- .
                                                                                                    tions  ; to hear and determine corn -
                                                                                                    plaints and appeals ; to decide
                                                                                                    controversies between subordin-

                                                                                                    atejudicatories; and to give coun-

                                                                                                    sel in cases referred to it by. one

                                                                                                    or more jLidic&ories.

                                                                                                             "`7. The General Synod shall

                 \    P H O T O   O F   T H E  W.HOLE  CONFEli&iVCE                                 promote the reorganization of .
resentation shall be: one minister  and one laymtgn  for               Classes and, Districts into conferences which shall be
every 20 congregitions  or major fraction thereof.                     constituted on a territdrial  basis and shtall  have the
Each Classis!  aad District shall have at least one                    same status aB Classes or Districts.                   However, the
minister anld one lay member as represent&ives  in the                 Generl  Spn,od shall not have power ,to unite subordinate
General Synod. A quorum shall consist of a majority                    judicatories'of the consolidated churches except blat their
.of the members of the body.  .The members of the                      request.
General Synod shall zbe  electe,d  by the Classes `and the                 "8. The General Synod shall meet in regular session
Districh!  in the same manner  1a.s Ithese now choose                  quadrennially, or more frequently, as the General
delegates to their respective supren$judicatories,  until              Synod may determine, and in extraordinary session %t
a uniform moidie  of election shall. have been provided                such time and place sus! it may determine.

by the G,eaeral  Synod.                                                    "9. The.  General Synod shall have  authority to

            V. Functions of the G.eneral  Synod.                       initiate la.ction  for the preparation of a  Constitutiorl
                                                           -.
       "1. The General Synod, thrsugh  boards and other                for the Evangelical and Reformed!. Church.
agencies by it, shjxll carry on the general work  ,of  th?                 "The  constitution shall be adopted by a two-thirds  "
Church which is now ,conduote.d  by the General Synod                  vote od the General Synod ain!d shall be approved in
of the Reformed Church in the United States and the                    such manner as the Gene'& Synod shall determine.
General Conference ,of the Evangelical Synoldi of North                                            V I .  Offilcers.

" America. '                                                               "1. The General Synqd  shall elect officers, wh:)
       "2. The specific work of the General Synod shall                shall perform the duties  that are custgmary  in juldica-
be                                                                     t,oriei:i  of that sort.
       : - Foreign Missions; Home Missions ; E,ducation  ;                                            . .
Publication; Ministerial Relief; Benevolent Actibities,                    "2. The General Synod shall appoint or elect  )l.geli-
and such other jwork as will promote the. kingdom of                   ties for its administrative and promotional York.
God and pertains to the Church as a I+hole.                      r                   VII. Subordinate Judicatories.
       "3. The work ,of f,oreign missions, of home missions,               "Until by regular action of the General Synod a~-
of education, of ministerial relief, and, of publicatibn               cording to Article V, S,ection  7, it is otherwise d,eter-
shall be colu:!olidated  under the Idirection  of the General          mined, the Synods, C%sses,  and:  Districts shall con-
Synod :as rapi.dly  cs the laws of the.State,  the charters,           ltinue ; and each shall coneduct its business in its own
co?,stitutions,  and the property rights  of the boards                way.    Whatever  action is submit&d  to the subordinate
of the respective Churches will permit. .In the  original              judicatories by thle General Synod shall be disposed
constit&on  ,of  the boards -otf the General Synod due                 of ibn the same way as these subordin&e  boldies  disposed
rejzognition..  is' to be given to representation of each              of such action by the General Synod or General' con-
of ,the consolidatedi                                                  ference prior to the union.
                          -church&.
       "4. The boards a?e  to' be governed according' to                                 VIII. Rights of Property:
their respective chj.rters.  At the regular meeting of                     `"1.. The Congregations, Classes, Synods, and Dis-
the General `Synod each board is to submit for leview                  tricts shall continue `to exist and to do their work in

a report of its operations.during  the time elapsed since              the way it was done prior to the union; they shlall  also

                                                                                                                                     .


       78:                                           T,HE:,   S T A N D A R D   B E - A R E R
              ._ .I-.             _ .<                                                                              ._.

        continue to hol,d  and_,-to  supervise' whatever ..property.            Supreme Jndicatory  of elzich Church shall report the

       they po%;ess  and institutions they control.               Co#ngregal    action to.  the Commissions on Union of the negotiating

       tions,  judicatorbe!s,  or .instiitutions  may unite by mutual           Churches, who shall then request  the officers of thq
      agreement, and such union shall be confirmed  in case                     supremle  judicatories to call a special meeting of each

        of con.grega,tions  by the Classes or Districts, or by each             judic&or.y  at the ,same  time aDd pbsce.                In joint sel:sioa
        as the ease may require; in caste  of judicatories' and in-             of the jtidicatories  the final report of the action of the
        stitutions. by the G'eneral.  Synod.              '                     Churches on the Plan ,of Union shall be made.                           The
                                                                                supreme judicatories of the Churches that have  %p-
              "2. T.h,e  theological seminaries, colleges, academies,
     and benevolent.  inititutions  that are under the con-                     pro&l the Plan of Union shall' fd.eclare by joint resolu-
       trol% af the subordijnate  judicatories1  ,of the respective             tion, that th.e union of the. Church is duly effected
     `Churches shall continue under the supervision of the                      at that time.    Then the delegates, `duly elected by the
        Synods, Classes, `or Districts, which bw.er,e  in cbntrol               Churches entering into the uni'on to ,constitute  the
                                                                                original Getieral  Synod, sb2Jl effect an organization
_      .of them before the union. Those institutions, hdwever,
       which were under the control of the  supreine  judica-                   by the election of ,officensl  atnd proceed to the trans-
       t o r i &  ,of the uniited Churcheisl.  shall p%ss  unlder the           action of business.           From the time of the orga,nization
        control of the General Synod. -In the constitution of                   of the Gen&ral  Synod until a constitution shall have
     the boa&  ,of directors of these hnstitutions  the iInter-                 been adopted!, ras  heretofore provided, this Plan of
       lests of the groupspreviously  in control shall be proper-               Union shall be the fundamen;tal  low of The Evangelical
       ly recognized;         A .union ,of ;these  schools may be effect-       and Reformed Church.
       sd aocording  to the provisious  defined in the previous                    "2.  The number of delegates to which each of the
       p a r a g r a p h   o f  ;this:,art'icle.                                uniting Churches shall be entitled in the first General
                                                     .                          Synod &all be determined by the Comm%sion;!  on
         3 "3. At the first session of the General Synod  a
       committee ,on charters slla;ll ,be appointed, which shall                Union and -be announced to the stated! clerks  ,or secre-
       recorninen,d  the procedure to' be adop&d  to safeguard                  taries of the Classes and Districts three months b,efore
       the instistutions  and their charters.                                   the meeting of the supreme judi'catories  for the con-
                                                                                sumation of the union.
                 I X .  -Authorizing  ,of  M i n i s t e r s .                   "3. Any part of this Plan of union  may be revised
        `_`:).+  "i=an'didates  fo? the niinilstry,.after  the union, and       or amended by The Evangelical  and Reformed Church
       until  `a unifdrm methold:  is prescribed by enactment of                in the same way as the constitution of said Church
        the General Synod, sl-&ll `be authoiized  to perform                    is revised or amenlded.
       ministerial acts by the Classes or Districts in the same                    "We recommend that the present Commission 01;
        way as they were authorized before the uni,c&  The                      Close;  R.elatiolusl  and Church Uni,on *be continued with

      . mhisters  ,of the Churches in the union I$hall b,e enrolled             instructions to carry out the provisions of Article XII,
       a$ mi,n+sters  of the Evangelical and Reformed Church.                   should  the Plan of Union be approve,d  by the Reformeil
         `. . . . .                X .  Meib&s.                                 Church in the United Stil;tes  and Evangelical Synod of

              "Men, women, Ised  children shall be admitted into                North America."

       the fell,owship of the Evangelical and Reformej!  Church                                                ,               ! s
        through baptism a,hd profession of faith. according
       ito`the  custom and  esage  of each congregati!on  prior to                As already stated, this Plan of Union was adopted
       the union.          When they shall have been  `u,dmitt&d,  they         by b&h  Churches in 1934, and the merger was accom-
       shall be zenrolled  &s! hnembers  ,of The  Evangeli,cal  and             plished.
        R e f o r m e d   C h u r c h .                                            More about ,thin! in the <next issue, D. V.
                                                                                                                                               H. H. _
                                   XI. Worship.

          "The ifreedom  of wor,ship  a$ present  enjoyed by the
        negotiating Churches- shall not  b-e interfereId:  with in                                             -

        The Eyangelical  an! Reformed Church.

                         X$1. .Approv&  of Plan `of onion.                                  NOTICE - SUBSCRIBERS

              "The Pl,an of Uni,on  shall be submitted to the  su-
        preme judicatories of ithe Reformed Church iri the                         Will subscribers <who are willing to donate  c&pies

        United: States and the Evangelical Synod of North                       of October 1 and October 15, 1943, Volume 20, of the
        America. Each Church shall prbceed  according to its                    Standusd  Bearer, please send them to or contact:

      - own constituti,on  in the approval or di&pproval  of the
        Pltin  of. Utnion. When, th,e Plan has been approved                                                                R a l p h   S c h a a f s m a

        by regular action ,of the two negotiating -Churches, the                                                           " 1101 HFzen  St., -S. E.
        president and  the .secretary  or stated clerk of the                                          5.'                  Grand Rapids, Michigan.


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     79

                         _                                                                               .-..                   . __
                                                                  ..-    *heir names in the book of His foreknowledge from
_ -The Triple Knowldge                                                   before  the foued,atio,n  ,of  the world, He has that Dumber
                                                                         in His mind and heart eternally, and eterntsdly,  #with an

                                                                         unchangeable love, He l&es them. He knew them as

                                                                         such ion the hour of Christ's suff.ering  on the accursed

  An Exposition Of The Heidelberg                                        tree.      And Chrilst as the Son <of God knew them. .What
                                                                         is more, if He foreknew  all that  woul,d  believe and be
                         Catechism' :                                    slaved through the blood ,oif Christ, &Ze  als,o  knew with
                                                                         the same divine, unchangeable certainty, all. that would

                              L  P A R T   T W O                              reject the Christ and hate Him, and crucify Him
                     OF MAN'S' REDEMPTION                                afresh.       And even as He knew His own in love, so' He
                                                                         foreknew  the enemies of Christ in divine hatred.  Fore-
                         Lord% Day XII                                   knowinlg  this, a$ knowing this, i.e. being unchlznge-
               \                                                         ably mindful of this foreknowledge in love and fore-
                                    7.
                                                                         knowledge, of hatred., is it even conceivable +hat Gocl
               Atoned For The  Elect (cont.)                                  gave HiEf Son unto the d:eath pf the cross for those

     We will close this chapter'by edding  to what' has                  Iwhom  He foreknew  as His. ev.erlasting  enemies in

 been said about Christ's dying and making satisfaction                  wrath  and hi&ed?  And i,s it cqnceivable  that Christ,

 9or  the elect only a few remarks concerning the Ar-                         also foreknowing all that would not believe in Him,

 minian p%esentation  of this matter.                                    would, .nevertheless,  pay the price `of their redgmption

    First of all, it should be evident  t&k  the Armin&                  for them? , .'
 vi,ew  of election can be of no value or help to him in                         It sh,oul,d  be evident that the doctrine  of an ,eleetion

 the .defense of a Ghristus  pr,o  ~onvnibus, a Christ for all.          baseld  on tihe  foreknbwledge  of God cannot possibly

 The former tc&nlfl,ot  really `serve  as a basis for the                serve as-the ground ojf the theory that Christ lslhed  His

 latter.                                                                 IifebloQd  for ;all.
     Also the Arminian professes to believe in the truth                         He necessarily atoned only for the elect..

 of election. It is too pla,inly  taught in the Scriptures                       Finally, it must be pointed out that the Arminian
 to be d:eni~ed  altogether.       No one who believes th&  Bible,            doctrine of a Christus pro omnibus, of universal atone-

 and claims to deriv'e  `his doctrine from the Scriptures,               ment, is, i.n principle, a denial of vicarious atonement.
 can simply &ore lthe  truth that Go,d,  &U~I choslen,  His                      If Christ died for aal, iHe died insteccd of mo one!
 people from before the f,oundatio,n  of the *world.  But                *       Aad: if the Arminian will only be consistent,  alid
 the Arminian offers his own explanation elf this truth.                      carry out hiis!  ,do#ctrine  to `its utmost consequences, he
 He has his ,o'wn conception of sovereign eiection ulit?                 will proSe to be a modernist.           History, the history of
 salvation.    Accor'ding  to him, eternlzl  election is based                dogma, clearly proves this statement. No church can

 dn God's prescience, His foreknowledge, of those that                        with impuity deny the doctrine of sovereign election

 would believe in Christ, in&that  would persevere unto                       and of particular atonement.
the -end. He di,d  not- choose sovereignly; withdut re-                          That is the grave danger for' the church of the

 spect to w0r.k::     H>e chose them that, in His. foreknow-             Arminian view.

 ledge or. prevision, He knew would accept Christ as                             !Let us make plain the inhrinsic necessity of th?

 their Saviour.                                          -               movement from Arminianism to mod,ernism,  from the
     But I.et us suppose f,or a moment that this view .is                     d,o&rine  that Christ died &or all to the.denial  that He

 `correct. Can the doctrine of' universal r&tpn,ement  be                atoned at all, i.e; that He fully .s&iolfied  for all our sins.
 made to rest upon this view. of election as, itil basis?                        What  is:;the  implication of the doctrine of vicarious.

     Plainly, : this is &possible.                  ,                    atonement and satisfaction? It means: l/. Tb1.t  sin
     If God forelfnew  from eternity the number of theni                 is guilt, liability  to `punishment, zwqrthiness of God's

 that will beli,eve  in: Christ, and accept Him as their                 wrath and damnation. 2/. That the justice .of God

Saviouy,  it is evident that this number i.s fixed. It                   m`ust  be satisfied if .&he lslinner is ever to be received

 cannot,be  ehtanged.          No one can add-to  it, nor can any-       by God in favor, be freed from the power of dtell.th,

 o,nle .ever  subtract from it.           F,or, either God for,eknew     and be made. worthy `of life.           3/. That the jus&ice  :of

 this number with divine certainty, and then the num-                         God can only be satisfied by a payment  th&t  is made $07

 ber of the fo;eknown  elect is unchangeably detertiined  ; sin, and that this' payment must consist i.n bel.ring the
 or the number ob them that are saved ilsl undetermiti.ed,               wrath of God and the punishment for sin by an act  oP

 contingent upon the mind and will of man, but  thei?                    perfect obEldie&e  in love. 4,`. Tliat,  while the sinner

 even God does not forekhow  it. `But  again, if God                     can never perf;rm thi: act of perfect cibedience  and

 foreknew  with Ig5bsolute  certainty the number of them                 satisfy  the justice of God. G.od ordained Hiss .only

 that would  .be, saved in Christ, if. He had written  .a11              begotten Son to` represent them as the Christ, and to

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


      perform the act of obedience unto and in death fo?*                all jase free and worthy of life.

      them, in their .stead. 5/. That Christ Id:id just this 0'1              Vicarious atonement necessarily. implies that all
      the cross. He represented `us. He ,wa&  our Vicar.                 for.whom  Christ atoned are absolutely, objectively, for

      And because He was legally before God our Vicar, He,               &er free from the guilt of sin, and.aworthy  of eternal

      was able to t&e dur  sinq  the. gtiilt  and responsibility         l i f e .
      for them, upon' Himsielf.        And He -suffered  arid died            If, then, Christ vicariously atoned f,or 11.11  men, all

      in our stead. He .fully pails  for all our sins< This is           are saved,-an,d  all will have eternal 1Ve.

      "&mply  an <objective  Ifaot.    All the guilt of sin  ?f those         But the fact .iS, and even the Arminian must face it.

      "ifdr  whom Christ died on the tree  i,s for ever blotted          that all mefi are not actually saved..

      ;dut:  ,Objectively,  they whom Christ represenhed  on                  The Arminin  propo:;ition,  therefore, m&t be, and

      the crot:ts  are justified and worthy ,of eternal life. They       actuallp.is:  Christ die12 for all men, bnt all men are

     can never be condemned.            _                                not justified and saved.                                    J
            Let us clearly undersb2nd  this, for the .truth  of               What follows from &his  Arminian proposition as

      vicarious atonement means exactly this.                            to the value land power  of the death of Christ?          This,

            Suppbse  that one hunldjred  people owe a ,debt of ,one      that although He .died for all men, He did not vicarious-

      thousand dollars each to a certain cnelditor;  And                 ly atone for all, for if He h&d all men woukl  be justified

      imagine th&  som6  millionaire, loving those people                before God and be worthy of eternal life.

      and understanding that they haTe  nothing to pay                        And,  therefore, the man who teaches  thl1.i Christ

      their debt, approaches their creditor and  p&ys him                .died for all meil:  must deny that His death has the

      -one  hundred!  thousand .dollars to cancel the debt of            power of vicarious .satislfaction.         He must invent other

      the one hundred.      Are not la11 the one hundred  ,debtora       theories of the `death <of Christ, such as (the govern-

      debt-free? Can the creditor evier  (exact  another pay-            mental, thje moral, the mysticlad  conception, which we

      ment from them? You agree: their debt is paid .once                already discusse$  and exposed as fals:e  and contrary

      for all ; -no payment  can be demgflldied of them anymore.         to Scripture.                                 *
      Suppose their benefactor azmounces  to the one hundred                  Antd  thus, Arminianism is, i,n principle, nothing

      ,debtors  that he fully paid all they  sowed  their eneditor;      .but  m o d e r n i s m .  _
      and `sup,pose  again that they  ,do not believe him ; does              The doctrine of universal atonement is very dan-
      that make any difference as ito their ld:ebt-free  state?          gerous for the Church 6f Chris,t  in the world.

      You say: of course not, ifor  their being free from all                 And this raJso hold!;!  for the cam,ouflaged  Arminian-

      debt does not ,dep,end  upon thleir  believing the fact            ism that professes to ,believe  in sovereign election, and

      of its having been plaid, but simply upon the act of               i.n particular I&onement,  but presents the gospel as a

      their benefactor by which he  sati&ed  the ,,demands               well-meaning offer of salvation on th:e  part of Go15  to,

      of the creditor. Their benefactor vicariously satisfied            .a11  men without di.stinctioati.  God's awell-meaning  "offer"

      the righteous Id:emand  of their creditor, and for ever            of s&vati,on  cannot po&bly  be wider in scope than the

      paid all their debt in their stead. -Suppose that the              objective satisfaction and ju@,ificati,on  of the cross of

      1a.w of the land  is that any .debtor  that does ndt pay           Chris& And those that preach a well-meaning olffer

      his debts can be sentenced to jail; can the one hundred            of God to all-  men, must an,d twill ultimately embrace

      for whom their benefactor paid, ever be so sentencs.J,             the doctri,ne  pf uni%ersal  [atonement also.

      whether they  believe or disbelieve that their debt  is                 Let            contend for the true faith, ail,d  by God's
                                                                                      us
      paid? Of course not. They  are free fr,om punishment.              graoe  keep ourselves far from all these Arminian cor-
            Now let us apply this illustration to the vicarious          r u p t i o n s  !              o
      atonement and satisfaction of Christ according to the

      Arminian view that Christ di&l  fey all.       What lfollows?

I    ~ You answer: if Christ really  sati!?fied  f,or the sinIs of                                            a.
      all men, if He really paid the debt for all, it niust fol-                                 Christ Oul* Intercessor.
      low that all a& objectively justified before God, and

      that all are saved.       A.nd  you are right. Fdr their                ,In the eighth chapter of his epistle to the R,omans,

      justifi+ion,  the cancelling of their debt with God and            the apostle Paul writes: "who is he that conlSemneth?

      their eternal righteousness d,oes  not at all ,depend  upon        It is Christ that-died, ye.,  rathei;  that is risen again,

      their faith in this obj,ective  justification, but on!y on         who iIs{ even at the right hand  of God, who also maketh

      the objective f&t of the vicarious %atisfaction  `of               intercession for us." vs. 34.

      Christ, their benefactol;.       Supp&e  they do not believe            Yea rather !
      -that Christ's sacriafice  atoned for their_ sine  ; does that          The meaning is, that however importa,nt  it may be
      rh&ke the fact of rione  effect? Of course  ' not: Can' that Christ died, and th&, therefore, thiere is no power
      .Goicl  justly demand Ijaymenti  for their sins from-`them?         aa.ywhere  in the universe that is able to `condemn US.
      No ; the punishment f6r sin' is bora  once. for. all, and          .it is of still greater importance that He is risen again,


                                                              .-


                                                                                                                  ._     - r-'    ._ _-..
                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                             81
                               ,.~                                                                                                                _
that Be is exalted at & right hjtid ,o% Gad, anll that                             Nor do the'blessings,  of righteousness and life come
in heaven He..makeia!  intercession f&! `Rig pas@ with                         into the possession of sinners, merely by His being

the. Father. In `fact, His death  SiTould be of no z%.vz~~,                    @oclaimed  an.d  preached in all the `world,  ~aad. by men's

could b;e of no benefit to us, had He not also risen                           accepting this Christ as their p,ersonal Saviour.

ag"i.n;,.  for His resurkectioli  is God's own seal upon                           Nor agl.in may the matter of salvation be pre-

His vicarious sacrifice and perfect obedience. And                             sznted  as if Christ is the mediator  of atonement and

again, the power od His ~resurr~ct~sn  woul~cl:  n?ver  be-                    reconciliation, on the basis of Whose penfect sacrifice

come a power of aelvtition  for us, had not the risen                          we obtained the' right to righteousnesis  and l'ife,  and
Christ .also  ascended up to heaven,  land were He not at                      that n,ow it is God, apart  fsorn Christ, Who makes us
the right hand of God, ever living to. make int::rces,-                        partakers ,of  the  benefits of Christ.

sion for us.        What we need is the living Christ-to  save                     ,On the contrary, all ithe work of salvation is accom-

us. We do need the Christ crucified, Who was de-                               plished and perfected through Christ as the Mediator.
livered for our transgress,onrs;  the fesus  for UB,             But 3,o       Out of God ,and  through Christ we receive  1q.l1 the
less ,do we need the Christ exalted, .the  living Christ                       blessings  of grace.. 3He is not`.only  the Mediator of

Who has the power  to deliver us ,%rom  the bondage of                         reconciliation, but also the Mediator  of the application

sin and .d&h, and to make  its &ctual  partakers of                            ,nf this salvation to Us, of our actual `,deliverance  from

eternal life, the GhP&  in us. Even as it belonged to                          the dominion of sin Iand death, of our regeneratio?  and

the office ,of  the typical high priesit  of the old discens,a-                calling, our faith and justification, our sanctification

fion  to sacrifice h behalf of the people, but al;lso  to                      and,  perseverance, ,our perfection .and  glorification.

pray for them,  and: to bless them with the blessings of                       This truth is expressed in the cotifession  that Christ

Jehovah their God, so it                                 high-priestly         is our intercessor with, the Father.                 As the High
                                      bd6ngs $6 the
ocffice  ,of our" Saviour, not only  that He brings thy                        Priest of His people Be is <ascended into heaven,  <enter-

perfect sjserifice  in, their stead ,and in their behalf, but                  elti i&o the true,  holy ,of holies,  ever lives to make inter-

also that He intercedes f,or  them, and makes  them par-                       cession for them, in order that He may bless them

taker ofV all the Ispiritual  blessings .of  grace.                            with all the spiriltual blessings in heavenly places

    The*  work of Christ is tiot  finished on the cross.                       which He merited for them by His perfect lsacrifice

    It is true that just before He .died the Savitiur  ciied                   and obedience.

out : "It is finished." But this, next to the last -cross                          Thus thle Heidelberg Catechism teaches us.
utteranie  dla,re not be interpreted: as signifying that all                      Speakinig  of Christ ras our only High Priest, the

that  pertains, to thee work of salvation, as far as                           instructor not only mentions the perfect sacrifice of
                                                                      our
Lord `w:as concerned in it, was now  acsomplished,  and                        His :body,  whereby He `has  redeemed us, but also

that henceforth He dan. rest ana wait for the fruit                            emphasizeB  tha.t He `"makes continual intercession  twith

upon His labors.              ,The outcry must rather be under-                the Father for             And to this conti,nu$l  intercession
                                                                                                  us."
stood as having refer&ce to His suffering, to the per-                         of our only High Priest we must now' pay particular

fect sacrifice #which  He was to bring  ,on the cross.' ,I!.                   Iattention.

HiIs,  Iflesh  He must suffer  desth i,n all its hor.rible  dark-                  Scripture very frequently ylefers  to this prayer of

ness. He must taste the, depth of  Id;eath  before He                          Christ .in ,our behalf.

gave            the ghost.     He must bess  the full burden of                    It teaches us that we  hnve  a great  high pri$est, that
         up 
the wrath of God against the sin of His people.                   There        is passed into the heavenlsl,  Jesus the Son of God, an3
was, therefore, a measur;e  for His suffering.                And tha.t        that  He is not an high priest th3.t carmot  be touched
measure was now filled. Whatever He had to  I:aff&                             swith  the feeling of our' infirmities, but Who is in all

in the flesh  had been bokn  to the ,end.              Obediently`He           points tempted even  as we are;  though without sin.
hrl#d entered into the neithermost  parts ,of the earth.                       And it is exactly because  d <the,  presence of this great

Of this He is conscious even at the cross.                    Th%e  heed       high priest i*n th,e inner sanctuary of God that we may
of the serpent had been crushed. He may now give                               come boldly unto the throne of gyla.ce,  confident that

up the ghost, confident that He shall preslently  enter                        we will dbtai,n  mercy, and fin,d  grace to help in time

into the glory elf His' resurrectibn.             And with a view              of need. Heb. 4 :14-16.  He ins! the `forerunner, Who
to this accomplished sacrifice He cri:ed . out: "It i$                         entered into the holiles  for us, there to remain an high
finished."                                                                     priest for ever ,after  the order of Melchisedec. Heb.

    But H.is wo;k `as Saviour  is n$ot en'ded with' His                        6 :20.    In distinction from all priests that wene  before
death on the cross.' . .'                                                      Him, "this man, because he continueth ever, hath an

    $e arolsle;  Iand  He &tereld i,nto  the glory of the                      unchlangeable  priesthood.               Wherefore he- is. .ablle to

Father, not merely in order to enjoy His own glory,                            save them $0 the uttermost that come unto God by

but that the salvation He merited for His  p:eople  by His                     him, seein.g  he ever iiveth to maLe  intercession, for

perfect obedience might become ?&e po++sion                                    them." Heb. `7 :24, 25.          And "we have an! high priest,
                                                                  $~f  g.11
the Father b&l given Him. ' :+                 . -                    ?        V~Q  is set og l&e  right hand of the throne of the
                                         -m__  I, __..z  -
                                                                                                           _


            8z2                                         T"HE STANDARD  BfiARER`

            Majesty in the heavens ; a minister of the  sanctu&ry,               out  of the land ,of Egypt they todk  from him the

            and ,of the true Ds!bernacle,  *which the Lord pitched,             land between Arnon, &2.bbok  and.; Jordan, about co-

            and not man."       Heb. 8 :l, 2.     "For Christ is not entered     extensive with the iilheritance  of Reuben and Gad.

            into'the holy p&es  made wi+h  hands, which are the                  The messengers communicated the king's l*eply  to
            figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to ap-             Jephthah, who was ready with an ailswer.      The king df

            pear in the presence of Gdd for us." Beb.  9 :24.         While,    -AmmolT  was told that what he said `~13:s  utterly untrue.

           therefore, Iwe  have bol,dness  to enter into the holiast by         Israel took not away the land *of the chil.dren  of Ammon.

            the blotid  of `Jesus, bi a new iaad living way, which He            The facts in the caisle, as presented to the king  b:J

            has consecrated sor us, -through the veil,  that is to say,          Jephthah's messengers, are pre:isely  these.. Coming

            His flesh, and while, moreover, we  have  in that holiest            up from Egypt and  having arrived at .Kadesh,  the

            an high priest over the, house of God, we may surely                 pebple  of IIsrad petitio,ned  the king of Edom  for a.

            draw near, ~a& ourselves: enter into the sanctuary, with             passage through-`his `land ; but the <king wduld not
            a true heart, and in full assurance of faith.          Heb. 10:      hearken. The petition was repeate,d  to the king of  '
            19-22.     "An,d if any man sin, ,we have an la:dvocate  with        Moab, and he, too; refused; Having been f80rbidden

            the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." I John 2  :1.              by the Lord to employ force in *dealing with these two

            Who then is be that condemneth?` Christ has not only                ,kings  and, their peoples, they went their `way, circum-

            died, He is also risen, He is also at the right hand                 venting the land of Ed,om  -and the land of Moab, as

            of God, He ak:o  maakes  intercession f,or  us. Rom. 8 :34.         they- went an,d  pitched finally on the other side of

                   Hence, accor,ding  to Scripture, Christ is not only          Arnon. .In Heshbon (Num. 21) ruled the king of the

            our High Priest  in that He redeem&h us by the one                   Amorites.    He; too, received a request to allow the
            sacrifice of His bod'y,  but alSo in His continual inter-           people of Israel to pass through his land.    Not only did

            cession, which has its answer in His blessi.ng _UIS;  `with         he refuse, but, {adding  insult to injury, he even mobil-

            all spiyitual  bles&ig$  in heavenly places.            H. %I.      ized his mi(litary  forces and made war against Israel.

                                                                                 That move r&.ulted  in his :dawnfall.  For the Lord

                                                                                 delivered him and all his people into Israel's hand.

                                                                                 Th~ey smote hini a:nd  possessed all his land with its

                                                                                 inhabitants, all the. coasts of the Ammorites, from
              Ammo& Answ&  and`Jephthah.`s                                      Arnon even untd Jabbok, aid from the wilderness
                                       Reply ^                                   even unto Jordan. This precisely was the territbry
                                                                         cr     that the king of the Ammonites was now claiming for
                   As w~a:s  said, Jephthah'ls,right  to wage war with the      himself .and  his people.    But Jephthah insisted that
     '      Ammotiites  was implicit only in his divine calling. He             the king's claim d.id not even `wear the appearances
            therefore must wait with ,drawing  his sword until                  of truth. And Jephthah was right. But the matter
            God raised him up ; until Gbd's Spirit raised him up.               of the king's claim to this territory is  rather  compli-
            And,  Jephthah-,did  Iwait  for the unction #of the Spirit;         cated.    To under&and  his argument, we must be clear
            but i.n the meantime he could request the Ammonites                 on the following. Firstly, we  must pay attention to

          , to justilfy, if they were able, their invasi0.n of God':3           the f& that the Ammonites and the Amorites were
            country. He ,did so. The ,question  he put to the king              two different peoples. The forti,er  we?e  descend'mts
           .`of Ammon was pertinent.             "What least thou to do with    of Lot, while the latter were Canaanites, under  ;the
            me, that thou art come against me  to, fight in my land?"           curse of God.    Secondly, the contested territory origin-
            As was said, it tias  a most embarrassing questicon  th,at          ally had belonged to the  M/Iaabites  and partly to the
            Jephthah put. to the Ammonite  king. It is about a.3                Ammonites, as appears from Joshua 13  :25,  a passage
            embarrassing a questi.on  as could be put to  laay  govern-         that rea&:,  "And %heir  coasts-the coasts of Galdiwas
            ment of this ,day.  and age,  embarked as they all are,             Jazer,  and all *he cities of Gilead, and half the land
           on _pdlicies of imperialism.            For it is a question of      of the childreti  elf Atimon,  unto Aroer, that is before
'           ri&ht  before God, land:  for such a question the Ammon-            Rlabbah."     Thirdly, the Bing of the Amorites had ob-
            ite king was ill prepared. For the answer that was                  tained it ,by conquest from Moab and from Ammon;
            needed and wanted was: not one divulging the truth                  `though  perhaps not so much from Ammon as from
            but one that would justify thievery  and niurder, in a              Moab.     So, when Israel finally arrived upon the scene,
            word, the vile ambitions of a !d!eprta!ved  man. But, as            the contested  territory was in the hands of  the king of
            was said, the king had an answer.               He said to the      the Amorites, who reigned at Heshbon; .Thus  the
            messengers-sent by. Joshua : "Becatise  Israel took away            ground on which the king of the Ammonites: ~12,s now
            my'lla.lnd,  when they came up out of Egypt,_from  Arnon            urging his claim seems to have been this, namely, that
            even unto Jabbo,k,  and unto Jordan: now, therefore,                at least a part of,  th% contested territory originally
            restore these lands peaceably." Thus what the king                  Ihad belonged to his people as a gift of their god
            of' Amman  mt&taine$  is th&  w&d  &rael  cg~e   u p                Chernosh?  -ra!nd that Israel therefone, instead of taking


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               83.


       the land for th.emselves,  shou1.d  have restored it to his      actually existed and that he was tai god to be reckoned

       people, after having wrested it from th%e Amorites:              with. Attention is called to the fact that in Deut.

           Jephthah replies firstly that' "now the Lord God of          2 : 19 it is remarked that "Jehovah gave tbe lllnd to the
       Israel hath dispossessed th,e Amorites from before Hi:;          sons of Ammon for a possession.:'       But Jephthah, it is

       people of Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? Wilt            maintained, connects the same sentiment with the

       thou now," he says  to the king of Ammoa.,  "possess             name of Chemosh, whom Ammon credits  with his war-

       that which Chemoch thy god giveth thee to possess?               like achievements. bit is held that Jephthah th*ereby

       So *whomsoever the Lord our God sbn;ll  drive out from           achieved his aim, which was to point out, in the most

       before us; them will we possess."  Jiephthah here dir-           striking and conclusive manner, that if  Ann-non  re-

       ected the attention of. the Ammonite king to the                 fused to recognize the rights of Israel to its: territory,

       ground on which he, the king, and his people were                he at. the same time undermined, in principle, his

       basing  their title to the land where they `now dwelt.           own right to the country he inhabited. It is asserted

       Their ground was that, as they said, Cbemosh their               further th&, in coaoeding  the existence of Chemosh as

       god had given them their present possessions, that is,           a local deity, supreme in his own .domain, Jephthah

       had given them the victory ovtimr  the original inh%bit-         was compelled to refrain from claiming for Jehovah

       ants of the land- where they now dwelt.       And yet they       a universal domain, thus compelled to refer to Him

       :denied  Israel's right to the land that Israel's God had        as la national deity, which he also di,d: by calling Israel

       given Hi;s  people: They demanded that Israel restore            His people.

       the contested territory to them, th,e Ammonite~.        Jeph;       Now this interpretation of Jephthah's reply, of its

       thah's aim was to expose, ,on the ground of their own            purposes and aims, is thoroughly wrong. If it were

       forms of pagan thought, the unreasonableness of their            true, JepKthah  would have mvolved  himself in the

       d e m a n d .                                                    heinous sin of. .denying  Jehovah .before  the heathen.

           The remainder of Jephthah's reply is `dir,ected              For the substance of this interpretation is that. Jeph-

       against the claim of the king to the contested territory         thah placed Jehovah in the same category with  Che-

       on the ground that the lan,d  originaday  belonged to his        mash.  To ,do that is, on the one hand, to deny that

       people; if not the whole  lan'd then at least a part of it,      Jehovah is the God,,  .,only  and true, and on the. other
       and it must be, a very insignificant part.. By lfar the          hand to .ascribe  being to gods that the Scriptures call

       most of the contested territory must have belonged               vanity. That Jephthah fell into this sin i,n la well-

       to Maa$b.    For the king is a&d,  "Art thou anything            meaning attempt to. dissuade the Ammonites, is re-

       better than  Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab?          lfuted by the following facts: 1) Jephthah's being

/      did he ever strive against {Israel, or did he ever fight         raised up by the spirit of God to deliver Israel im-
       against them?"     If any natio,n  could maintain ,!a$ claim,    mediately after his fruitless negotiations with the king

       it was Moab ; but Balak, the king of Moab, never raised          of Ammon; 2) the Iachievements  of his faith-by faith
     , it, nor :did h,e make  war on that account.  ' Besides, it       he overcame the world as represented by Ammon  ;
       was thr,ee  hundred yeans ago now that Israel drove out          3) his being given a place, by the writer  ,of the (epistle

       the Amorites.' "Why therefore," says Je,phthah to the            to the. Hebrews, in that company'of heroes of faith,

       king, "did ye not recover them within. that  tim,e  ?"           by which the .church  is compassed. about.      If Jephthah
       Not once, in-all the three hundred years had either              conceded the existence of Chemosh, there is absolutely

       Ammon or Moab claimed the land.          The only explana-       ao point to hi3 argument; in this case, the argument

       tion of this `was that all alo,ng it has been acknowled.ged.     is without force.    For if, in Jephthah's reply, Jehovah
       that the claim had no foun,dation.     Jephthah concludes        is but a national deity, same as Chemosh, .if He is not
       that "I have not sinned against thee, but thou dost me           God, only and true, and as such the creator of  heaven

       wrong to war against me: the Lord the Judge be                   and, ,earth,  He has no right to this earth, not even to

       ju.dge  this day between the  chil'dr.en  of Israel an.d  the    the smallest part of it.    Jehovah is all or He is nothing
       children ,of Ammon."     But the .king of Ammon "hear-           at Iall.  And the same ho& true d Chemosh. If Je-

       kened not unto the words of Jephthah w:hich he ;?;ent            hovah and Chemosh are but two gods, two of many

       him."                                                            gods, neither is God and in this case neither has  1aa.d

           We must atten,d  more closely to Jephthah's reply.           to bestow upon his devotees.      Thus, if in the reply,. the

       Jephthah, it is said by some interpreters,  qt least ap-         reference is merely to two national gods, J,ephthah.,did

       peared to re.cognize  Chemosh as a local deity to whom           not point out that if Ammon refused to recognize the

       the Ammonites  were indebted. Hie conoeded,  so it is            rights of Is:ra:el to its territor,y,  he at the same time

       said, that it was Chemoish  who had given the Ammon-             undermined' his own right to his land. For if the

       ites th,e  victory as invad'ers  ,of the country where._they     reference was to two'local deiti#es, neither Israel nor

       dwelt.    The Ammonites could  be expected to regard the         Ammon had rights to any land.

       concession as a confession of  Iwhat Jephthah bielieved             Yet at first glance it idoes  seem as if the reference

       to be the truth about Ammon's deity, namely, that he             is to two local deities. Consider once more the  dan-


                                                        . .


8     4                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R


 guage of that  reply.    "Wilb thou not posaezs  that which      that the Jeh0ma.h  of Iisrael  was the God.           The report of

 Chemosh thy God giveth thee to possess? So who-                  *his  marvelous works had penetrated -that heathen

soever  the Lord our God will drive out  \from  .before  us,      world.      And it lived in constant  :dread  of `Jehovah.

them shall we possess.!'      The first impres;s:ion  re@eived    In one of the war,s <with  the Phil&tines, the ark of God

is, that the antithqsis is between "Jehovah ,our  God"            was carried i,nto  tile aamp'  of Israel.    When. the Philis-

and "Chemosh thy God", between  "that tihi,z.h  Chemosh           tines heand  of it, "they were afraid, for they said,

 giteth  thee" and "that whi,cl-i J(ehovah  giyeth                Woe unto us! for thene hath not been such a thing
                                                         -us".
Apparently the reply does ascribe being, power and                heretofore. Woe' unto us! %foi who shall deliver us

right to Chemo&  laa well as to Jlehovah.  Appsrentlp             out of the hands of these mighty gods? these'are the

the reference is to two loos1  ,deities  indeed. Actually         gods that smote the Egyptians with 1%11 the plz@ues  in

however the' reference is to Chemosh, to be sure, but to          the wilder~ness,"  (I Sam. 4:6-8).

the Jehovah of Israel as the-,only:_true  `God and thus to            We just saw that, according to Deut. 2:19,  God

 Chemosh as a nonentity. The concluding. statement                gave the land to Amman.        He did so in the same way

ment of Jephthah's reply has great weight here. It                that He gives  the land to every nation, yll3mely, accord-

sliows  how the zeference  to Chemosh and Jehovih  is to          ing to His counsel, in His providence and  usually

be interpreted., It indiaa:tes:  the principle of truth that      through unrighteous wars of conquest.            The history of

underlies this reference. It gives force and meaning              the nations is on a whole'a_history  of such conquests,

to the entfre-  argument. This concluding statement               of expansion through violence, through thievery and

reads, "The LOX@ the  Judge, be judge this  day betw,een          --plunder,  through the. subjugation of the weaker n&ion

the children of Isra,el  and the children of Ammon.               by the istronger.    Thus the territory that each nation

Jephthah said riot,       "the judgk Chemosh," or "th.e           possesses, is, .in this sense, given it of Go&            But as it

judges. Chemosh and Jehovah," ,but he' said, "Jehovah,            came into the possession of what it holds through un-

the Judge be judge this day.  . . ." This certainly               iawful  violence, it does not hold what it  ha:p.in God's
is a reference to Jehovah as: the only true God and to            favor.     Nor does it have Ia& right to what it possesses.

 Cbemosh `as zi non&ntity..  What is here claimed for             Only God's peopl!?  have rights, the rights that were

Jehovah  is 3 ,dominion  that is universal.      What -comes      werited  for.  them by the atonement of Christ. It

plainly out here  is that Jehovah is God and aone  els?           it folly therefore, for a ,nation  to take            arms agdinst
                                                                                                                 up 
and that Chemosh is therefore vanity, an idol, the                the invader on the grounds that- it  h2.s a right to its

work of men's hands.        As interpreted: in the.  light of     territory. If it were wise, it would `.discern  that the

thiti concluding statement, it will be seen that th?              invader was sent OS God to scourge it for its sins and,

reference to Chemosh, as being a  dIei-ty  ,with ljl.nds  to      as -so discerning, ,woul.d  humble itself under Go.d's

.bestow,  partaker of the character of irony,- sarcasm  ;         mighty hand. As to Israel of the Old Testament Dis-
it thus will be seen that iwe have to, Ido `here  with a          pensation, it too, had received  i'c31 land from God.

statement, the intended implication of .which  is the             .It hlad received- this lam3 according to God's promise

apposite of the litenal  sense of the  words.     This ia: the    made unto the fathers, in covenant relation  ,with  Gdd,

impiication  : " Wilt thou not possess that which a not-          and in God's favor, had thus received this land in ful-
g0.d  giveth thee to possess? So, whomsoever the only             fillment of a promise and as a gift  o,f God's grace.

trae God, ,the  Lord our Go.d,  shall drive out from be-          This. clan be saiid of. no other nation on the earth.

(fore us, them will we possess," or "If you Ammonites             Israel's wars of conquest were ordlered  by Jehovah.

lay claim to a land that, on your  positio'il,,  y?u do `not      They `were  thus holy wars, Jehovah's wars.                This can

even possess as, according to your false  belief, it was          b!e said of the wars of no other nation.               Israel there-

given you by your i.dol, `a god  non-existing, we `without        fore had a -r<ght  to its territory, B right given it of

question .do right in possessing a land given. us by              God.      Ammon had right n,ot even to his own territory,

the ,only  and true God, our Lord and God ; and in ths            much  less to Israel'&    Yet here he was in God's coun-
attempt to wrestle from us this land, you fight against           tpy,  poised for an attack upon God's people  becau'ae  hc

.%nd  revile the God who is God." Jephthah did, not                wanted their land. He was told of the wrongness of

 dispute An-n-non's claim to his landi.  He *w!a.s  aware         his doing., But he w.ould  not hearken unto the'words

that it was given him of God through His prqvidenee.              of Jephtlu2.h.  He hardene,d  his heart. As Pharaoh,

What Jephthah, by implication, disputes is that Ammon             he said in his heart, Who is the Lord that I should

p&ssesses  his land on the ground that it  wa;s given             obey His voice.      "Then the Spirit of. the Lord came

him by Chemosh. His argument, concisely stated is                  upon Jephthah. . . . and he passed over unto th?
this: "You cllaim that which; on your position, you do            children bf Amman."        This could be expected. For

no& poss&:s.;  so w,e claim that iivhich  we ,do actually         Amman  would not hearken. "And the Lord delivered

possess."    It must not be supposed that the Ammon-              them into his hands. And he smote them-with R

ites faibed  to grasp the real intent  6f Jephthah's words;       great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were

The -heathen  aations  surrounding the holy land kne;v            sub:dued  before the childpen  of Israel.              `. . G. M. 0.


                                                                              T H E '   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                                           85


                                                                                                                                                         If
                                          Contribution                                                                           Bonds are for the church to buy

                                                                                                                           L To gather interest bye and bye,
     Esteemed Editor :                                                   ::<.: `.                                                To profit while 0u.r brethren die-
                                                                                                                                                      Peccavi 
                       It is to my ,deep  regret that ,!you have. ,d&med my                                                                                       !
     former communication to be so `full of sarcasm and
     insinuations that you ewill no longer exchange views                                                                                                .If .-
                                                                                                                                 It is wrong to be ,forthright
     on the matter. I will admit that I attempted to pre-                                                                        To hold your point with all your might
     sent the matter in a-manner which might  arouse'some                                                                        And not to hush in cringing fright-.
      from what appears. to be a deep  asleep or a careless                                                                                           Peccavi! .                                                 i
      indifference, but I had not intended. to deliberately                                                                                                                                               .'
                                                                                                                                              `\
     and `maliciously ,attack  anyone personlsaly  only insofar                                                                                           I                   f
     as was necessary to clarify or substantiate my argu-                                                                        By these lines I could .amend
     ment.                                                                                                                                                                             .         -:.
                                                                                                                                 And gain again Ia4 esteemed friend,
                       Henoe I am now~ submitting an apology which is                                                         1'11 keep on saying to the end-
      conditional but if the "ifs" are true it is of course an                                                                                         Peccavi !                                           ::
      admission on my part that I have greatly ,erred.  lt
      goes as follows':                                                    7 `.j                                      `$Literally  means "I have sinned".
                                                                           j .1                                                                                                                  21' ;
                                          I$' _ PECCAVI  *                           ' c.b:                                                               Respectfully yours,
                                                                                                                                                                  George Ten Elshof. "

                                           '                 If
                            I have wounded any soul tod!a.y,                                                          Responsum :                                                    ?- :: .;
                            There is a song that goes that way,                                                                                           SI t
                            And:, if .I have, I too twill say-                                 `.I.                          Sub conditione  vult dicere  frater "Pec'cavi,".
                                                '      Peccavi !,                                                            Et revocare quod prius ab illo noxie scripturn;  `_
                                                                                                                             Opportet etme laete "Absolve  te" dicere illi,
                                                             If                                                              Veniam dralre  ei, sub conditione  ,endem.'
0                           I have #written  something rude                                                                                                                         Hermanus.
                            And used examples which'were  crude
     I,:                   _Or hid the truth beneath a hood-
            -7..  7                                    P e c c a v i !                                                                                         -
                  3                                                                                                                    I.,
                  ,-
                  f                                    If                                                                              D e  Les Der Hi&orie
              .ii           So it seems, I brave ,annoyed                                                                                                                                                             I
                            And means and methods have employed                                                                               (Psalm 78; Tweede Deel)
                            At which some hearts weren't overjoyed-                                              *
                                                        Peccavi                                                             Dit lied bezingt de groote ,daden  Gods. Het in-
                                                                   !                                                   begrip  dier dad,en  is de *historic van, Israel, vervuld,

                                                             If"                                                       vol gemaa.kt  door Jezus ; ze is ook een les voor de kerk
                                                                            ,`_
                            I, a creature of the dust,                                                                 van het Nieuwe .Testament.
                            Have .drawn  conclusions so unjust                                                              In het begin hiebben  we opgemerkt, dat we moeten
                            That in me you have lost your trust-                                                       hooren met lief,de  en ~66 gehoorzaam zijn. Het is de.
                                                        Peccavi                                             .          mond des Heeren die sgreekt.
                                                                    i                                                       En dan, nadlat w,e in liefde bet  oor ge:l,eig.d  hebben,

                                                                                                                       zullen we alle ,de redenen des Heeren  niet verbergen
            -!                                               If
                            You should think me so unwise                                                             voor- onze kinderen.            We zullen apreeken en zingen  van
                                                                                                                       de "loffelijkheden 
                          . That ,you  my reasonings despise                                                                                        des' Heeren, Zijae sterkheid  en de
                           And (what is w,orse)  refuse replies-                                                       wonderen  die Hij gedaan heeft  !" .:
                   ( -                                  Peccavi!                                                            Dat zullen we nu voortzetten:-  -:-,
                                                                                                       .
                                                                                                                            Asaf ,zal ons verder onderwijzen in wat de Heere
                                     "
                                                                                                                       door ,Zijne  mond sprak.
                                                             If -'                                                                                                     .;,             a
                            You have thought "He's being `smart'                                                            Eerst wijst hij ons op Gods getuigenis in Jakob en
                            And seeks to tear the church apart"                                                        Z i j n e   w e t   i n   I s r a e l .                s.
                          (Though it is dearest td his heart)-                                                              De. mensch hrs'd behoefte aan zhlk  een .wet.
                            - :                      P e c c a v i !                                                        Eerst  al, omdat hij geestelijk  zedelijk  schepsel is.


86                                        T H E   S T A N D A R - D  BEA.RER


Alles heeft een wet.      Ook datgene #wat niet ,denken en              God vordert, dat de naneef, ,eeuwen lang, `_
loven, bidden en smeeken kan.        Er is een wet voor het             Van kind tot kind, dit onderwijs ontvang'."
beest en voor `de roodre klei, voor damp en rook, voor               In ons eerst stukje kwam die waa,rheid: ook al te
bergen en dalen en bloemen.        Doch ,dle menseh is ,naar      sprake.     `k Zal er nog wat van zeggen.
Gods  beeld- geschapen en .daarom  heefl hij een hoogere             We weten, dat God .alles doet wat noodig is tot de
wet noodig. Die wet was Adam iageschapen.             Hij had     komst en de d,aarstelling  van Zijn koninkrijk.       En toch
God geduriglijk lief met al wat in en aan hem was.                is het k `waar, dat d,e Heere al ,die dingen van Zijn
Doch die wet dmer liefde kwam tot hem en vervulde.hem             heerlijk koninkrij,k  werkt in. ons en door 0.~.       En zoo
als ,een aardxh schepsel. ,IIij ontving haar als een              kunt ge het zien in uwe  kind'eren  en in Uzelf 09 Hij
mensch die uit ,de aarde aardsch was.         Doch nu heeft       Zij,n eeuwige verkiezing aan het uitwerking is in Uw
hij die wet dubbel noodig.      Hij is een zondaar gewor-         geslacht, dan wel .Zijn verwerping.
den.    En ofschoon die owet van God nog spreekt in zijn             ,Ik wil mijzelf en U een vraag doen. Hoe zi.en we
hart en hem veroordeelt, t,och is dite  stem niet meer zoo        op -,deze  kinderen terneer? Wat zeggen we tot onze
krachtig als voorheen. Doch vaardigt God diezelfde                kinderen? Hier staat dat ,de vaderen zullen spreken
wet van Adam weer uit doch nu voor zondaren die                   van Gods  d&en en geboden en wetten tot hunne kindc-
door Hem bemind zijn.        "Ik bn de Heere uw God die          ren die na hen ook `weer hetzelfde zullen doen. Z
u uit Egy.ptelan,d, uit het .diensthuis uitgeleid heb !"          en niet anders wordt de godsvrucht voortgeplant.           We
      Het is heerlijk om -de geboden Gods  `te hebben.            zongen zoo even "Van kind tot kind,, dit onderzoije
      Hoeveel te meer we inzien iin ,de wet die der vrij-         ontvang'." Gebeurt dat bij ons ?     Of groeien de kinde-
hei,d is en `daarbij blijven, hoe meer we ,zalig zijn.            ren verwilderd en dom en ,d,waas op?         Doe zullen `de
Dit zit z : de wet Gods  lweerspeigelt de groote ,d,eug-        kinderen .de loffelijkheden Gods  vertellen en in ver-
den Gods., In n woord is ,d:e wet vervuld, en ,dat 6ne         rukking er van zingen als `wij hen nooit leeren?        Maakt
word is liefde, Goddelijke liefd,e.      Gij zult liefhebben     ge U wel eens bezorgd over de kinderen die  n.og niet
,den Heere uwe God. . . .                                         geboren zijn? Welnu, ge kunt Uwe kindskinderen zien
  We -wet is'heerlijk. Straks zien we ,diezelfde wet,             in de lievelingen die om Uw schoot en knie  da,rtelen.
vervuld als Jezus klaagt en schreit aan de kruispaal.             Gij zijt de man en de vrouw .die het stempel zet op het
Hij is die wet aan `t vervullen!.       Hij buigt `recht ,door    nageslacht, uitzonderingen daargelaten. Toen Paulus
angstig lijden en, sterven wat hij krom maakten. En               aandachtiglijk Timotheus bestudeerde smaakte hij het  ~
Hij doet voor allen wat de kinderen Gods  hadden moe-             geloof, ,dat eerst in zijn grootmoeder en ltater in zijn
ten doen, van Adam of aabn  tot het laatste ki,nd van God         moeder geleefd had.                          '
in de dagen van Antichrist.                                          Waarom moeten we z met kinderen en ongeboren
      De wet en de geboden God,s  zijn heerlijk.    Want het      kinderen ,handelen?
leven ten volle ilaa)r die geboden is die hemel daarboven          "Opdat hmme hoop op God zou zijn!"               En. dat is in
bij God.-  In den hemel zal men niets doen dan God lief-          n woord heerlijk. Als uwe hoop en de hoop  Uwer
hebben en naaste minnen om Godsw.iL                               kinderen op God is gesteld, laat het dan maar stormen
      Rn dan zijn er velen .die in. onzen dag `zeggen:            in de eeuwen der geschiedenis der wereld. Dan mag
preekt toch niet die akelige wiet Gods!       Mirabile ,dictu.    Pilatus spotten en het volk te hoop loopen  ; ,dan mag de
      En waarom gaf God die w'et aan het gesllxht van             mensch der zonde ons benauwd maken  ,en Antichrist
Jakob en Israel?                                                  Uwe kilnderen  lw,eigeren  brood. te verkoopen ; geen nood:
      Hij gaf die wet aan een schreiende en  worstel:ende         want dan zijn wij en zij veilig. Als het anker Uwer
Jakob, opdat hij <dezelfde wet zou vertellen alaa Juda.           hoop `en de hoop Uwer kinderen sop God is, dan kan
En Juda zou het zij,ne-zonen  vertellen. En zoo komt              Uw levenscheepje .nooit losgeslagen *worden. Want
die wet ,eindelijk bij U in Grand Rapi,ds en in Edger-            djan wordt ge in veilige haven binnengeleid, daarboven
ton hier en overal `waar het volk,van  God woont.                 bij God.
      IIet staat -er : "opdat  zij,`ze hunnen kinderen zouden        De hoop is, verwachting. Dan ,verwacht ge een
bekend miaken. : opdat het navolgende geslacht ,die weten         eeuwighei,d  van Godlof uit uw keel.    De hoop verwacht
zoude, ,de kinderen die geboren zouden wordten, en                de vervulling van Gods  beloften.
zouden opstaan en vertellen ze hunnen kinder,en.  . . ."             De hoop is took  verzekerdheid. Ge zijt dan niet
      Wat een roerende, verrukkelijke waarheid !                  bang meer.      Ge weet dat Uw deel zeker is bij God.
      Wordt ge niet ontroerd bij het lezen en het zingen             De hoop is ook het verlangen der liefde.          De liefde
van dit lied?                                                     Gods  `die_ in Uw hart uitgestort is richt zich op het
      Luistert naar die klanken:                                  voorwerp der hope en ,dat is `de hemelsche erfenis.         E n
  "Want  God heeft Zijn getuigenis. gegeven                       als ge mij da#n vraagt:. waar bestaat ,die erfenis in?
        Aan Jakobs huis: een wet, om naar te  leven,              Dan antwoorden wij in n woord: die erfenis is om
        Die> Israel zijn nageslacht moet .leenen,                 voor God te mogen staan van eeuwigheid tot eeuwig-
        Opdat men nooit haar kermis  moog' ontberen ;             heid en te zeggen, te zingen en te jubelen: Deze


                                      T H E  STANDARD   B E A R E R                                                                  8'7


  God is onze God en"Hij is genadig en barmhartig,                        En nu volgen verder de voorbeelden uit  ,de ge-.

  lankmoedig en groot van goedertierenheid!  Eh de                   schiedenis van Gods  volk.

  `vertrekken van het paleis Gods  .zullen  Uwe jubel-                    ,De  kinderen vz,n  Efram die, al-hoewel zij gewapen-

  stem Weerkxatsen.        In steeds wijder kringen vempreidt        de boogschutters waren, omkeerden ten dage des

  zich  ,die `lof van God en zal de nieuwe  aard,e  en de            strijmds.     We weten niet, en de geleerden zijn het er ook

  nieuwe-h.emel  vervullen. .                                        niet over eens, wanneer dit geschied is. Het hindert
      Dat is dn ook de reden waarom wij de kinderen                 niet. Het voorbeeld is teekenend. Hier was het volk  "
  psalmversjes leeren.       Ze moeten wennen en voorbereid          van God, organisch, in de slagorden Israels.' Zij gin-
  worden voor het hemelleven.                                        gen op marsch naar den Filistijn of  Amoriet.             En toen
                                                                     het er ,op aankwa.m  keerben  zij zich om en  gi.ngen  op
      Nog ,een vraag: Vindt ge die voorbereiding ook in
                                                                     de haai.      Principieel doet Gods  ware volk dat nooit.      Er
  d'e publieke school ?
                                                                     is iets in hen, dat nooit op de haal gaat.            En dat iets
  We .moeten  verder.
                                                                     is het leven Gods  zelf. Wilt ge een voorbeeld?  Zie
      Ovze  kindenen  m.oeten  de :wet  des Heeren  ontvangen        dan naar Job. Daar ging het om tusschen God en
  "opdat zij niet zouden worden gelijk hunne  vt-ders,  ee          Satan.       Satan zeide,  ,dat  Gods  volk,, als het er op kwam,
  wederhoorig en wederspannig geslacht, eeri geslaeh t               <den `Heere zou ,zegenen  in. Zijn aangezicht. En God
  dat zijn hart niet ri.chtte,  en welks geest niet getrouw,         zeide:  beproef `het. En ofschoon de duivel alles pro-
  was met God."                                                      lxerde,  was het slot van ,die zijde vlj.,n Job's  geschiede-
    Wat een  vreeselijk voorbeeld ter waarschuwing!                  nis, ,dlat Job in alle deze dingen niet zondigde en den
      Ge vindt in de kerk `Gods van. alle e;euwen.zulk  een          Heere niets ongerijmds toeschreef. Hoe zou het ooit
  geslacht mm dat soort vad,ers.  Even zij aangestipt,               kunnen,? Dat "iel%"  in ous .is het leven. Gods  zelf.
  dat wij allen zoo  0zijn  van nature,  doch dat is d,e ge-         Daarom'zegt  Johannes, dat die uit  .God  geboren is niet
  dachte hi,er niet.    Hier wordt een  bijzondersoort men-          "kan" zond'igen.       Neen, uit dat oogpu$  keert zulk een
  schen beschreven. Het zijn de vaders ,die verworpen                nooit terug van ,d;en  vijand. Hij .is getrouw 5 zijn
  1wierd:en.  Het.zijn  de verharden on,der  ons, die e? zu!-        geest.       Wilt ge daar ineer.  commentaar over, leest dan
 len zijn tot den laatsten dag.                                      Psalm 44 : 18-23.
   , Dat volk is wederhoorig en (weerspannig.                              En waarom hand.elt  dat valsche volk zoo?  -                    1
     De e&e  be3ohrijving  ziet op hun hart len die andere _               Hier is het antwoord: zij vergaten  God,s  daden en
  op hun uitwendig leven. WedFrhoorig  menschen zijn                 wonderen die ,H:ij  hen getoond had.
  menschen die in het hart zeggen: Ik wil niet gehoor-                     Iets te vergeten is eigenlijk verschrikkelijk. Als
- zamen al praat ge nog zoo  veel. Wcdcxspannige  men-               men iets vergeet, dan bestaat zulk een ding nbet meer
  schen zijn rebellen die d daad bij het woord voegen               voor ons.        Onze leeuw  wordt voona.,l  ,d!oor dit kwaad
  en opstaan tegeil  God ,die Zijn geboden ;8.an Jakob gaf.          gekenmerkt.        Is het dan ook wonder, ,dat men vandaag
     Hier is het  gyoote  verschil tusschn het geslacht             meer bezig is met de daden der  menschen en de won-
  ,dat naar God vraagt en de  wederhoorige  en weer-                 deren ,die de mensch gedaan heeft? Daar komt alle
  spamlige:  God.s  volk rxht +jn hart en de nnd!ere niet.           pelagianisme uit voort. $%s,ande  temidden van Gods
  Zijn hart niet richteti wil zggen, flat men ,zijn bart'in         gethigenis  van `Zichzelf moesten we eigenlijk de heelen
  de verkeerde richting stuurt. Het gerichte hart is                 dag op onze knien liggen en almaar loven `en prijzier!
  het hart #dat naar God`uitgaat. Zie verder het 37ste               den levenden en grooten  God! Vergeten? God ver-

  vers. Daar  staat : "wfa& hun hart was niet recht met              geten? Zijn ,daden  en wonderen vergeten? Het is in
  Hem!"                                                   `> ,'      n woord vreeselijk.
     Daarom was hun geest dan ook  niet getrouw met                       Stelt  het U voor, *wilt  ge?      Daar staat God te mid-
  Gd.                                                               den van de menschenkindere.n.            Hij buigt Zich terneer
     Beteekent ,dit  soms ,dat  men zonder zonde .is ?       Na-     en kleedt- hen? jla., ook de `verwatenen. Hij loopt hen
  tuurlijk niet.    Als het .dat  beteekendes,  dan `was  er niet    vooruit en zet ze neer aan deti disch.  Hij geeft hen
  leen die nalig  werd. Het zbeteekent,  #dat men van de             eten en drinken en vroolijkheid,.         Hij staat vlak bij hen
  partij des levenden Gods  is ten allen tij,de.  Ook ,dan           en zegt : hier, hier hebt ge adem in Uwe: longen ! Ademt
  als men gezo:ndigd  heeft. Dan gaat men naast God                  toch, want anders sterft ge.          Straks liggen ze te islapen.
  staan en dan `richt meri  zichzelf en `dan zegt men met            Zie weten van niets, doch God staat bij hun bed, bij alle
  God: des ,doo,ds  schuldig; da.n verliest men zijn l.even;         millioerxen  bedden `en zegt tegen `de grooten  en de
  `dan. haat men zichzelf. Dat zijn de* getrouwen met                klei,rien:  hier is ed.em  voor Uwe longen, en hier zijn
  God. Het is het volk, dat Jesaja  beschrijft als hij               Mijne vingeren ,om  Uw hart, anders zoudt ge sterven.
  zegt : "kinderen die niet liegen zullen !" De fundamen-            En het `hart van die menschen tikt en slaat en leeft.
  teele leugen spreekt dat volk nooit.      De fundamenteele              En al dien tijd, voor eeuWen,  vergat men God;             Is

  leugen is ook de. ontrouw en vindt haar uitdrukking, in            het ni,et vreeselijk?

  des duivels venijn : Er is geen God !                                   Kunt ge er eenigzina  inkomen hoe er toorn  opge-

                                                                     c


                                                                                                                                . ___.
  88. ,, ,'                                 T H E  sTAND.A.RD                  BE A R E R


  stapeld  wordt  in .h& hart van God over zoo groote                 counsel.    But `Gold  .&es  not create the soul in dis-
  goddeloosheid ?                                                     tinction from the boldy  whioh is generated by itlne  par-
      Ik hoor  U zingen  van uit de verte: Ik zal nl2.uw-             ents.    Thti  soul  alsq.  i"s generated with. the body and
  keurig op VW werken-  en derzelver uitkomst merken.                 thus .both  body band& soul are  products of :the act of
  En, inplaat:3  van. bittere smart, daasvan spreken dag              the parents.    There ti! nothir_g  ,especially  divine in the
  en nachi  !                                                         .matter  of the sbul. ,This  t.heory  is believed mostly  by
    Ik smeek U :.` vergeef ze niet,  .het is God die u                the Luthqians,  although there were also some from
  b a r m h a r t i g h e i d   b e w e e s !  ,                      Reformed circl:es  who believe5  in this i,d,ea  coi%cern-
     .Vergeet  Fe_ niet : het is Zijn liefdevol  hx.rt!               ing the origin of the soul.           I

                                                                          The third theory is called Pre-exisbentianism,  which:

                                                                      claims that :God `created &ery sdul ,of man in the be-

                                                                      ginning of time.      In other words, when God rnadtig the

                                                                      heavens and  earth in the beginning, incleding  man,

                                                                      Be .also  created all                then and there. Thus the
                                                                                                souls, 
                                                                      soul `was created for you arid me previous to our

                                                                      existence, long bef,ore  we evey  were generate&d or born,

      Undertaking to write -on this subjeCt,  we are^ver>r            yea, in the very beginning of time. There were,  IX-

  conscious of the fact that when  wk have finished, there            cording Lt.0 this view billions upon billions of souls

  will be much that, was leflt unsaid conceE:ling  this               created by God in the beginning an.d be&g  reserved

  subject, and that it zyill be far from us to have written           for the individuals Xor which they were  intesded, were

the final .word  a.bout  the origin' .of the soul. Only               each one placed in I&he  body of [such .a person at the
  we ,desire to review a few ideas *concerning t;he soul's            -time of his or her. birth. Though this .view seems

  origin and then !:leek  to trace in few words  thte  lin!e of       very absufld,  yet' it cla&ed  its followers throughout

  thought we believe will .give. us somew.hat  of a con-              the history of the church.       Howbeit the first. two views

  cep:t.ion  on this subject.                                         were  the gen'erally  accepted views of. the Christian

      At the outset. we may mention  the'  fact that -there           worl,d,  snd they wi,ll  claim the mosit.  of our discussion.

. are predominan~tly  three theories concerning the origin                If we w,ere  forced to choos!e  betwee:n  Creationlism
 of <the  soul.     The.  first Itheory.  is called `Creationism.     antdj  Traducianism, we too wbuld  choose C&ationism,

  This name is selfLexplanatory,  in so far that  iti. sug-           if for no other r.eason than that view claims .that the

  gestis!  to us the ildea ,of creation.    The soul -is create?..    spiritual element of man comes exclusively from God,

  .Not only' thje ,original  soul of Adam is thus dreatecl            and not from mtafn,.       It certainly must be held fast 40,

  by God, but every soul of every mortal  th2.t  ever has             -that  God lighteth every man that cometli  into the

lived or t3ver  shall live.upon  earth, is created by God             world. John 1:9vv.        And even thouih  it ti true'that the

  almighty. And that creation of every soul ,did~  not                image ,of  God in man has spiritually-&hically  changed

  take place in thje beginning of time, or at the time                into its opposite, neve:rtheleas  it is exactly. in that

 -Adam was &eat&,  xbut the,crers.tionl  of each soul takes           opposite thf2.t r,eveals  that man is also the  pro,duct  `dir-
 `place at the time of generation anId.  birth. of the indi-          e&y of God the Cqator.          Man Id;efinitely  bears, :thouglc

  vidual.    There abe  various opi.ilions~  as to I:he exan,t        i$ be ia ,but_a formal way, the stamp of God upon him,

  time. of lthis creation, whether I2.t  the time of genera-          and this stamp is never erased.            It marks man as the

  tion or later .at the furthef developm.ent  of the child.           irma.ge-bearer  of ,God, with God's light Izhi::ing  upon

  But the main point .of thi!3 theory is that. the spul is            .him, even though the darkness which enshrouds man,

  created separately ,during that tim& Also, according cannot comprehend that light of God, And that light
  lto this theory, God is the creator of that soul. He                is surely born prir+ly  in the soul of nian.            So that,
  creates- 12. new soul whenever a n,ew  body has been                in Cr,eationism  man is upbeljda  as the creature of God,

  generateId:.     And He unit& ,that alewAy cieated  soul            nat  only  in the beginning, but also  todl2.y  and through-
 with %hat newly generated body. Such is the Idea                     out the history of m&.
  contained in ihe theory of cr&atio,;&m;  and this thleorg              ;However  -to hold to Crea:t.ionism  exclusively and
  has been' mairily  believed by R&forme,d  people, al-               Ideny .any of the el,ements  contained' in TradunYiani!:m,
  though ther;e.  Were la.lso some who could  not find  them-         would  not ,do justice to what iS revealed to us in Holy
  iaelves  in rtllis  explanation of the origin of the soul.          Scripture either. T.he  view that man generates lsncl

      Secondly, there is the theory of Traducianism.  ,This           produces both soul and body in his offspring, has much
  view sets forth the idea that ,the  soul &not a now  crea-          that appeals and contains certain ,elements  :that  cannot
 ,tion  of ,Gold, but rathe.r is the fruit of  !gene?ation.    Ac-    be denied. For ins%anoe.  the traits of character of a
  cordingly, there is :n,q  direct aat. of cod tlsking  place         parent visib1.e  in the child, cnnot merely be explained
  at the time of thk birth of a child, &en though ihis                ;11:1  physical, i.e. in the body only. For not only  `does

  all .tak& place Qinder  the  pred&&inated  cQura6. of Gad'a~ cme see physical likenesses in the child but certainly


             ._                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           b       i-39

           also phsychical,  likenesses ?6 the soul. In fact even                  brings forth a man as God created it and formed it

           the moral-ethical side of a parent  is gene&ly reveal,ed                with His hand.     Man ,does  not then bring forth merely

           (also in the offspring. This is even corroborated by the                a dea,d folrm of a man whereiD  God creates  (a soul every
          I Scriptures Iwhen it teaches us in Matt. 7 :16 that mei1                time a inanchild is begohtea.  But man bring&  forth
           do not gather  grapes from thorns, nor figs from                        a human naiture,  complete as to body and soul.          On the

           thistles. Like produces l_ike.  M.ental  and mou?l.l, as                other ba.nd  man is not *the o,illy  active party in beget-

           well as physical qual,ities  appear in the ,offislpring,  even          ting and giving birth to a  chil,@.     God too operates. with -ca

           though these various qual?t.ies  are often r&her curious-               His Spirit in ihat  compl,ete:  human naiure  at &he same

           ly distributed. *Sometimes  these qualities conce:etrate                time, anld  makes of `that human nature ca per.sonnZ

           in o:l18e  of thee offspring, la.ed  sometimes these qualities          nature and a spiritial nature.         This act of God makes

           are Ndil::4ibuted  to many of the, offspring.              In fact      of each humtx,n  ,b'zing  a personal, spiritual,. responsible

           this ,disi?ribution  elf the qualities of parents in the off-           being before God, without d@racti.flg  in the least from

           spring is so apparent, that oftentimes the ancentral                    the organic unity man sustains to "IziS paren&  and for

           quality leaps- as it were `over one or more genenltion                  that martter to the whol:e  human race as crested in

           and reappears in a distant relative.              Certainly there       A d a m .  .
           is something to the view ithat `the soul of man is  geln'er-                T.he  above staked  vi,ew  also can be maintai.ne,d  with

           ated  in the chil& lznd  thus:! we cannot entirely overlook             a view $0 the birth of Christ, who assumed the  ,whole

           dthe" theory of Traducianism.                                           complete human :nature  alus was in all things like unto

              ~To obtain a somewhat independ;ent  conception  of                   us, awith.  the exception of sin.      When we read ii1 <Luke

           the subj.ect m&ter,  we w@d  submit first of all a short                1:35: "The Holy Spirilt  shall come upon thee (Mary)

           study ,of  the  creation of man/accor.di.ng  to Genesis 2 :7,           and #the power of *hi Highest ls!hall overihadow  thee;

           wh'ere we read:. "And the Zord Go.d formed man of                       therefore also th1a.t  Hqly  thing which shall be born' of

           the dust .of  `the ground and breathed into his nostrils                thee, shall be called the Son of God", this refers  not

           fhe breadth ,of 1if;e ; and man became a living soul". First            to that act of God whereby .the person  of the Son came
           of all iit is pl&n,  from this text that man was created                from .heaven a.nd assumed $he human nature, but it

           very distin$ively,  that is, man was formed by ,God in                  refers *to the complete, human nature `which  we born

           di&n&ion from the animal which was created  by God                      in the virgin Mary and brought forth from her, .by the

           also but so that the'earth  brozqyht  forth the animal.                 iow,er  of the Holy Spirit. Mary the  virgin, brought

          See Gen. 1:24.          So tha.t  it is first of all plain that `God     for:th .the  complete human na*ture,  as to body and soul,

           formeti the whole  nature of man with'  `an act of His                  perfectly like unto  us in.aZ!  things, only by the power

           own hancl, thereby rev@alin,g  Ithat man was made ,in                   ,of the Holy Spirit that complete, human nature, as

_          God's own image. Seiooedly  it is equally plain from                    to both body  and 13.0~1,  was kept holy by the Holy Spirit.

           the text thtsk God Idid ndt merely create from the ,dust                But that human nature, brought forth by Mary, became

           of the ground a molded form of a man, such as a                         personalizeid  by tthe  fact that the person of the Son of
           piece of dead ,clay formed to look like a man, but that                 God ca.me  ,down and assumed .that complete human
           instead God .create.d  a complete man, a *complaYe  living              natur,e.

           organism or natuye.          Thirdly, w.hen we read then that               In like mann'er  now parents produces  their lik.eness,

           God blew into him ithe breath.of  life, bhis cannot mean                as to both body and soul, while at the same  fime  God

           that God blew into man a soul, -bult  th2.t  God gave                   `works  `in tha;t  o;therwise  impersonal and unspiritual
           .-another elementt  to man, which is distinct  from the                 nature, .a spiritual, personal being. Therelob  thins!  oQf-

           aninial,  in that ma,n is, by that breath of God, a dis-                spring reveals *hat  he is not as the beast of the field,
           tin&, spiritual, personal nature fit and able &o  live the              nlor a product  of evolu.tion  mer.ely,  but a product of-

           life of [God  in a crjeaturely  way.        So ;that  we may con-       God,`"a complete  F;uman  b!eing, personal, spiritual, and
           clude that man `was createid  .enJtirely  Idifferent  from any          responsiblfe  to God for la11  his acts, whether they were
           other creature, in that God $ormed:  him from the dust                  good or ebil.     0 true, there is also that organic unity

           of.the  ground, brea.thing  at the same kime  into him the              which makes him a part of the whole human organism

           breakh  ,of life, and that this whole process of cr,eation              and makes him co-responsible with &hers, in the call-

           was dir.ecltly  worked by ;the hatid  ,of ,God.        A complete       ing yherewith  he is called. H,e has therefore responsi-

           man was form@.  from !the (dust  0.8 the groun#d,  and                  bilities land duties to perform toward his  .fellow man

     ,     God breathed in that  man th.e ,brfeath  of life enl2bling              also, and especially toward  those who brought him

           thalt man to be &he pergect  iniage-bea&er  of God in il,his            forth, namely, his parent!?.  An13 the parents inj'turn
           ,world.                                                                 have a calljng toward th'eir offspring. For the sins
                   In the iight of the foregtiing,  it is noit 1310  ,difficult    of th.e parents )will  be' visi.ted  upon the -children, even

           to regard ;the origin of our S6ul  alome:\Vhat. differently             u.nto the third and-fourth gene&ion of them that hate               ,
           khan both Creationism and Tpaducianism  conceive 01                     Me, says God in His Holy Gaw.` And it is suY;ely  true

           i,t, `If man- b`?rings for,th  ta complete person, then  he             that we can see plainly the-marks of the' parents, and

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

the inheriteh  traits in the children. The looks not                 He has ,d&ermined  the eternal, end and purpose of all
only, Jbbut  alslo the behaviour of the parents  )2..re  easily      things. Al! things must serve that purpose without

discernable in the chilrd?en.       It is for that reason that       exception.
good, upright, God-fearing  parents, t&i:nbng  their chil-`              In thi -second place,  we may express that  God's
dren iail,  the `way in which they shall go, hav.e  the joy          counsel is alw&ys  Yeaching,  His d,esired  effect.    Nothing
iand comfort at their decease, that the children will not            can withstand the decreeing God in all His sovereign

depati  from these ways of the Lord.        It is also for that-     counsel and will.     By the greatest to the smallest thing
r,eason  that all training is home-cenker.ed  and the home           in His creation He is served, be it willingly or unwill-

will be reflected in the school and the church and in all            ingly. His counsel shall stand and He shall do all His

oth,er  spheres of life.    Like produces like, even'a!sl  like      good pleasure, the Bible teaches us. Thus, it must
seeks like. .We with our  chjldr.en  lnre a marvel of God's          follo,w  that nothing can ever, nor does ever really op-

creation, and i.t is God's eternal  #good  pleasure to bring         pose' Him to hinder Him in His  wor,k.

forth His adopted and blesse,d  chilldren,  from our                     Thirdly, `we must bear .in niind that God's .counsel

childreln~.  I                                                       is uneharigea,ble.    I& is the coim~el  of an .unchangeable
                                                   .L.     v    .    God, Whose works arti in per&t  &nd absolute harmony

                                                                     with His Perfect ~Being.  Neither can there be any-

                                                                     thing that would persuade God to leave His perfect

                                                                     way,,for  He is the highest good, and cannot  be tempted

                                                                     with evil. U,nchangeably  therefore, His will is done

                God's Repentance                                     eternally, and  in time from the beginning of Genesis
                                                                     1:l to the f@l realization of the tabernacle of God
                                                     I
      The subject of the repentance of God has always                as it shall be with men when Christ shall have come

been considered one of the more ,or less difficult sub-              again.

jects found upon  the pages ,of the divinely i.nspired.                  What has  been said is certiainly  based upon the

Scriptunes. Consequently, much has been #written  in                 Word of God. Do we not read in Numbers 23 :19 : ",Goci
an attempt to arrive at a cleJa#r  understanding of what             is not a man, that He should lie, neither the son of man,

Scripture mearis when it. speaks of repentance on                    that He `should repent : hath He said, and will He not
the part ,of  God. I                                                 d"o it, ,or hath He spoken, land Will He not make it.
      In the treatment of the subject at hand, it is first,          good"?    And again, does not Isaiah 46 :lOb inform US

of all necesslary  for us to determine who and what                  that, "My coun$el shall stand, and I will do all My

Gpd is concerning Whom the Scriptures tell us that                   pleasure"? 0

He repents.      Turning to God's_*  own revelation, the                 Now it is in apparent. contnadlction  to Tthe above

Bible, w,e  find that there God  describes Himself to `us            named passages of the Wo.rd of God, that the same

as the i*nfinite  and eternal One, ' the I AM, the God               Word of Go4 lasso in&ructs  us that God repents.         Some
Who always is, and never becomes. He says  o,f Him-                  of such passages are: Gen. 6  :6 "And it repenteth

self that He is the same yesterda,y,  today and forkver ;            Jehovah that  He had made a man on the earth, and it

with Whom there can be no variation, neither shadow                  grieved Him at His heart."

that is cast by turning. (James  1:17)                                   Then, too, a palssage  such as I `Samuel 15 :ll `ex-

      Further, He reveals Himself as the  kod  Who is 5              presses : "It repenteth Mfe that I have set .up Saul to
willing arid d'ecreeing  Bei'ng.    This Iset of God's willing       be king, for he is turned back from following Me."

and d#ecreeing  is known as His counsel.                             Among others setting forth the same thought  lsse:`.

      In respect to this counsel of God  `we may say first           Ex. 32:141  Jer. 18:8;  Jonah 3:lO.

of all that it is all-comprehensive.      It is no mere "blue-          With the foregoink  in mind, we must bear in mind,

print" which God has ,drawn, and according to which                  in the second place, that in re,spect  to the term "re-

all things now ba,ke place in heaveIn  and in the earth.             pentance" Scripture means thle ,following  : First of all
If this were true, `His counsel w,ould be no more than a             in'the Old Testament the word originates from a ver'o

plan of an architect who determines in detail  hdw the               meaning `to pant, to graaa,  consequently the mbaning  :

structure that Is to be built shall be made, but who                 to lament, grieve, repent. In the New Teatament we

does not at the moment know what will become of the                  find tw'o words one of which means to think with, to

building after it hfas been completed. ?`his, however,               care afterwards, to repent one's self, while the other

is the truth concerning' God's :counsel, namely, that God            ,means  to consider #with, to change ,one's  mind, to re-

has not ,only  eter.nally  determined how things shall               pent. '
be created in .the beginning, but also con'crols the de:.                Taking all these wor,ds  together, we m&t come to

velopment'of  His entire creation in time. To that we                the conclusion that  repenbtnance  ,with--us,  is to change

must add also this thtit  God not only has planned, and              one's mind, reverse one's purpose.       In that sense I am

does even now control all things,,but  in His counsel too,           about to, or have done something, something else inter-


                                      TH:E STAN.DAR?  BE,&RER                                                                     91
                                                            _i..                               =.

 venes,  -and upon ,consideration  I' do not carry out  tiy         *denied  Him. However; if wle clearly  understand .that
 original intention, but .take  another step instead.     This       the revelation of the New Dispensation is different
 is however sn&er true with the  Lord our God! With                 from that of the old, we have no difficulty whatever.
 Him there can be nd change of purpose.         His work is             With the above things in mind, .it #would  be well for
 perfect; let us never  overl'ook  that truth. With God;             us now to express1 ourselves specifically in regard to the
 we might possibly define repentance as ,that act of the             seemingly ,difficuit passages of Holy Writ which we

 Triune God, #whereby  `He, for the sake of attaiiling His           quoted at the bcgigning  of our discussion.
 unchangeable purpose, employs nieans  which                            We must understand,, that. Scripture, in  spekking
                                                         would
 seemingly a1tra.r  His original intention.                          concerning the repentiaace  of God, speaks in the same

     With that idea in mind, we may, no doubt,  procee.3             anthopomorphisti'c te.rms  as it..does when it attributes

 to pnter  somewhat more in detail upon the subject                 hands and feet, eyes and e&Y's,  etc. to the Lord God. All

 <which is b,eing  treated.                                          d us surely are well aware of the fact God is a Spirit,
     It must ,become  clear to us, that when we speak  of            and therefore  does not ba,ve  bodily members and organs

 God as repenting, we are using finite terms for a?1                 such as we have.    Neither is it true that our hands and
 infinite lalct of God. We use a $rm taken fr,om,the                 feet, and eyes and ears are represented  in God.         Rather
 realm of the creature  to-expr&$  an act of the Sovereign           do& God, as the all-seeing One represent  tlua;t  power

 Creator. We then speak anthopomophistically about                   of sight in our. `eye, and His perfect sense of hearing

 God.    In other >words, we speak about God in terms.  09           in our ear.    So too, when  we. see some of God's acts,
 a man.` In hamfan  language theref.ore,  do we speak                since we cannot kno,w  His original intention at the

 about Him.    We might here also remind ourselves that             moment, apeak  of' God, no, rather God speaks of  Him.-

 the fact that God must speak to us in human `language              -self, to us as la: God #who repents. .
 is not a result of sin. Even in the stat&of righteousness          ,' Just as we, then,' conceive of the Almighty  having
 in the,original  qaradise  God had to speak to Adam lan-            an absolute eye and' ear so also do we conceive of an

 guage which he, as a cre&ure,  even though he `was                  absolz~tti  act of repmtance on the part of God. W?

 created in God's ,own  image, could under&and. True                must crarefully  avoid makizig  God's act of repentance

 enough, Adam had more capacity to receive and grasp                an act of a succession of moments or koura, as is char-              .
 the Word of God's revelation before the ftzll  than after           acteristic df oz~r deeds,  but must maintain that, even

 it, but this does, not alter. the fact that whenever the            as all of God's works are <eternal,  so ~.lso  is His repent.-

 Lord God had revealed Hiniseif God had `to speak upon              ante.    Thus, we may submit, that God eterna&  repents

 the level of Aham's  own finite nature.       Even is this         having. made man on the earth.         Eternally He repents

 tru,e  presently  when the-church:shall  have ent,ered  the        hsving  made Saul king .over  Israel, and eternally He

 new heavens land the new earth in which righteousnnss              _ repent? over Nineveh.
 shall dwell, )-for even there in heaven we will receive                pees  this mean that there is a change in God?            ,On
 God's revelation in a human, though glorified nature.              the contrary. We #do change when `we repent, for our .
    Upon  investigation, we find that it is solely in                repenttiece  is an act of a Sew moments.           The Lord

 the Old Testament that Scripture spasks  to us con-                Jehovah, however, doesn't change, for His act is an

 cerning repentance on .the  part of God. `Certainly                 eternal act ,of repentance.     If it were true that there

 the reason for this must be sought in f;he fact that the           is a change in God when He repents having made man

 Old Tkstament  is filled with figures, types and shadows           on the earth, or lvsving made Saul king, then it must

 In that ,dispensation  the  Lord rfevealed  Him`self to His        follow too that there is a change in God also when He

creature in a much more sipple  f,orm than He did in                forgives ,our sins. Legally *we were children of the

 the times in which the New T&&z.ment  was written.-                dgvil,  and legally God's wrath wa,s  upon               in time,
                                                                                                                     us,
 Israel `was yet a child before the coming ,of  the Christ,         before the first advent of Christ. But we were in

 `and  was under tutors and governors. Thus it necei-                Christ etermah@.  Thus, God does not change when
 sarily follows that the mode of revelation had to  be              He forgives us, but is ever the same,  having chose:1

 different than after the coming of the Saviour.                    Hi& church before the world's foundations.              It is for

    .We must also be& in mind, and that especially; that            that very reason to that He can love,us'  #even while we
 prior to the advent ,of Christ, the Spirit, although               were enemies.     ,Theg same is' true of God in  erespect  t?

 active, was not as yet poured out into  th,e church.               His eternal hatred ,of the wicked.      ,He hates the wicked

 Consequently, we have a much  brosder  revelation of               eterna@ and shows to them no ,favorable  raktitude

 thle Adeeds  of the Lord our God in the inspired ~writizngs        (whatever. Not even in time. God cannot deny Him-

 of the evangel&s, and apostles than _ we do of the                 self!

 write&  of the Old Testament. canon. We  would al-                     In the light of all which has been witten, we main-

 most expect that we would retatd  in one or more of                tain that -in .respect  to Nineveh, God had proclaimed :
the Gospel narratives that, it repented Jesus that He               in forty dls.ys Nineveh shall .be destroyed.     The inhabit-'

 had chosen Judas, who  betrayed Him; al@ Peter, Iwho               ants of Nineveh. show an attitude'of  humility and sor-


 92                                            THE STANDABB  .bEARER
                     .I-
 row for sin.     Consequ,ently,  Nineveh is not destroyed.                  Gleanings From Twenty Years *
 Did God change His plan` because, of their repentance?                   . /
 Not at all.     God never even.  intended to destroy the                    We have called these sad facts because they  re-
 city. But, when He comes with the statement: "Nine.                      veal the following.    There is a difference of at least
 veh shall be destroyed," it is as John CMviri  puts it,                  $525 in receipts and adtual  cost of the paper each year.
 "Because He did tiot wish them destroyed, but reform-                    This means that, on ati average, 310 subscriptions are
 ed, and thereby saved from destruction."                    Eternally    not paid for yearly. S,econdly,  they reveal that the
God decreed riot to de,stroy .the city of the Ninevites.                  Standancl  Bearer is still a babe ; supported and fed b:
       With regard to God having repented making man                      mother and aMached  to her apron strings at 20 years
 on the earth, we find that it was never even God's in-                   of age.' Thir,dly,  that there is much precious material
tention to destroy la11 mankincl  from off the face of the                (books and pamphlets in Tower Room at Fuller Ave.)
-earth at that time. In order, however, to bring out                      going to waste in cold storage. ,This  material wi!l
 what He ,might  have done, and <what He. doles actually                  soon be of no value at all for much of it is in  ;t:h?
 do, swe read immediately in Gen. 6 93, "But Noah found                   Holland language.  Finally, th.ey  reveal that, appar .
 grace in the  #eyes  of the Lord."                                       ently',  ;t.here  is no coopleration'  or communication be-
       In respect to S!a.ul,,  G&d1  never intended to have the           twieen  those responsible for the contents anid thoa,e
 house of Saul sit upon the throne  af Israel at Jeru-                    responsible for the publishing of the &andanJ  Bearer.
 salem.     Saul wa3 not the type .of Christ, it was Damid.                  It is understood that the purpose qf the Standard
 Indeed, if God had intended to choose the house of Saul                  Bearer is primarily ;to propagate the tru,th  and not
 to function in the same capacity as David was to func-                   at all to make money. Though i;t may never make
 tion, then, of course, .we would ascribe a change in                     money, we believe that, at least, it can  atand  on its
 purpose  to Gdd.  But, it was always  God:`s  intentiog                  own feet witihout  &the  support of special gifts and col-
 that the house -of David  w,ould  sit on the throne at                   lections. We can even vision  ;t.he possibilky  of the
 Jerusalem. But, in order to prove to the wicked ele-                     publication earning money-and iln substantial amounts ;
 ment lalmong  Israel that the king of their choosing                     or if preSerred,  of reducing its subscription  rat-es  to
 wou1.d not succeed, ,God  places Saul in the kingly office               a great  extent.
 for a time, instead of His chosen, David.                                   These fa$s certainly demand action, and we would
       When, then, awe  come upon passages of Scripture                   propose the ,follo;wing.  . Normally; wi;ti few excep-
 which speak of Go&  repenting having  done something,                    ;tions,  every copy of the Standard Bearer should be
 we do well to always bear in mind, that  thr2.t  which in                paid for by a subscriber. (At  presknt  the Standand.
 our terms is calred repentance, `is on th& part of God                   Bearer is being se.& free of charge to all our Young
 but a means to an end; tl;le end which is the realization                People in the service and as such is, doing a splendid
 of His original eternal purpose.                                         service.    1.t might ble necessary `on a special occasion
                                                         S. T. C.         of this nature to ask help, but norm,ally,  iit should not

                                                                          be required and all subscriptions should; be paid for).

                                                                          Those who are unwilling to give 114 per copy for

                                                                          mtiterial  of the Standard Bearer's value certainly are

                                                                          mot reading the paper; with such we are better off

                                                                          without. It has also been re,po.tited  lat this meeting

                                                                          that many of the arrearages of former yeans. have
                            IN MEMORIAM                                   been paid,  and, that, thkrefore,  the fai+h, expressed in

                                                                          sending it to non-payers for a time after their sub-
       The Con&tory  of the First Protestant Reformed Church              scriptions had run dut, has been amply rewarded.
 of Grand Rapids, Michigan hereby Gvishes  to express its heart-          Buit even then #the facts still reveal that about 250
 felt sympathy to our brother consistory member, Deacon S. De             ,do n& pay for the paper. At l:east,  150 of these can
 Young, in the.loss  of his mother,                                       and should do so. Therefore, if a subscriber does not

                                                                          pay his fee, and can, he  shoulid; no longer receive the
                       MRS._ C. DE YOUNG
                                                                          paper.

       May the Lord comfort the bereaved  w,itb  the assurance                As to the books. in the Tower Room, if nothing

 in their hearts that  -the Lord has taken  her to her Etelvnnl           else,  we shoul,d  give them away. Our purpose is to

 Home.                                                                    propagate the truth and cetitainly  they ape not doing
                                                                          that'where $h&y  are at present.    Undoubtedly, the two
                             The Consistory of the
                                                                          radio programs sponsored by the Eastern group and
                             First Protestant Reformed Church.
                                                                          The Western  Societies, would; .welcome  them as gifts

                                   ?H. Hoeksema,  Pres.                   to be offered over the  air40 ~11  those writilng  in and
                                       G. Stonehouse, C/lerlr.            acknowledging the progmma.          .
                                                                                           B


                                         `,
                                         THE,  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E ' R                                               93


      It would seem.  beneficial if there were perio.dic                 If the appointment of a full time  agent  is not feas-
  meetings beXween  the Editorial and Business staffs            ible or possible, local agents &could  be appointed, X.0 ac-
   of the paper it&o discuss problems of mutual interest         complish the same  end in each congregation ; .on the
  and consideration.                                             same basis of remuneration. . Subscriptions might. be
      Finally, th,e Standard Bearer should be in every           raised by a special drive of intense effort.  Upon  the
  Protestant R1eforme.d  home, and paid for by the fam-          balsis, of the present figures, if 2000 copies of the
  ily receiving `it, an,d in many thousands ,of  homes out-      Standard Bearer were printed and sent out and if
  sidle our denomination. We see no reason why :.t               1800 of these tiere  paid for, the magazine would al-
  Icould not have a paid subscription and circulation of         ready be standing on its o_wn fee% and comfortabljr
   5,000 copies or more. This would bring the price              set.      Thus the money now collected to.support  it could
  way down, for ljrinting  costs  do not tincrease  propor-      be !diverted  into other channels.        .
  tionately with a rise itn circulation.                                 There are several  other suggestions of value. More

      The question remains-how shall we &complish                societies, Isuch as :t.his, `might be organized in other
  ,these ideals? Perhaps, &hey  could be attained along          localitiies, where our Church membership would war-
  ::he following lines.    It is possible that a full time       rant i;t,.     This, too, has beea. suggested before and for
  agent might be appointed for our 3 ptiblicait,ions:  The       the details of working it out we refer you to Volume
  Standard Bearer, Beacon [Lights, and the newcomer,             17, number 11, page 256 of the Standard Bearer.  This
  Concordia.    At the same time this individual could act       society should ce&ainly  be increased in size.           (Both
  as agent f,or  the books ~now  appearing .from  the pen        these could be accomplished, by an agent, by the way).
of the Rev. H. Hoeksema.  With :t.hei:e  supplying his           To .arouIse  ititerest in the present organization,, ither?
  basic income i:t, is conceivable that this agent could         is, even now, no reason why `some members from our
  learn  between $3000~$4000  per year, or more, sccord-         outlying  Churches  should a.ot be. inclnded'in the Board.
  ing to his own initiative. You  are,  perhaps, smiling         At all times the organization and cause should be kept
  at that figure as Idid  those who heard the original           vividly bef;ore  the .minds  of our people, to hold their
  remark. tie;t's  look ait it a moment. The agent would         interest.        It was no;t. Ieven asked,  to announce this
  be paid o& a commission basis for all collections and          ?ne&ing  on our Church bulletins, at least not in Hol-
                                                                 land. Ais, a valuable source of income, notices of an-
  1 new suhsjcriptions  received.    He should be responsible
  for all colledtions  of subscriptions and thus receive         niversaries, weddings, etc. should ,be encouraged. .
  comtiission  on all renewals.         A man of initiative              It is evident that..many  more things could she sug-
  should soon be able to boost the circulation of the            gested and said than we. have done. We would like
  Standand  Blearer  to 5,000 and the Beacon Lighits to          to make it very clear and emphasize ithat our only pur-
  4,000 while Concordia, because of the nature of the            pose has been to arouse some thoughts for ,discu&ioil
  paper, might never be raised above 1,000.       If he were,    ---nothing  more.        `1% would be presumptuous  on our
  on the mbasiisi of these figures, paid 50 -cents per sub-      pa& to assume to have solved all the perrennial  prqb-
  scription &llection  from the Standard B,earer  he would       l,ems  of the Standard Bearer, which mdre and wise1
  receive in one year $2500 from that source, plus his           men, have be&n dealing with for the past twenty
  commissions while securing *the new subscribers.  Fror.1       years.        We haye  only brought.  out some factis, and laid
  ;the  Beacon Lights he should receive 25 cents per             our interpretation upon them ;to arouse interest in our
 subscription collection which would net anotl-ier $1000.~       Standard Bearer and present-"Gleanings from Twen-
  The Beacon Lights c*~u!d pfzy  tllis commission by dais-       ty Years."
  ing its subscription price 25 cents per year;                          I1n closing we present a poem which was found
                                                      so also
  Concordia. From. Concordia he would receive  some              in one of the early issues of the Standard Bearer.
  $250 ;. for a total of $3750. From sale of books, he           The opigiinal  is in Holland and our translation is rather.
  should certainly .make  commissions in a years time of         free. Anyone intkrested;  can look up ithe  original in
  $600.    (Based on the sale of  1006  books at an average      Volume 2, number 15, page,401.

  price of $1.50 and current rate of commission of

  40%).     It is conceivable, if this agent were a `man                                STANDARD BEARER
  of ability, that he might at the same itime serve the

  Chur&,,es  in ioither capacities e.g. Stated. Clerk and        St.andard  bearer'&ead. lan&  studied, here and there

  Treasurer of the Classis  and Synoldl: Thins would net                  and everywhere ;

  him about $450 more. `This would make a gross total            Of the readers, of Chur,ch  papers, Standard Bearer

  of $4750, which, less ;t.ravellilng~-  and expenses, would             has a share.

  be a `net income of some $3000 or more, according to           Wit&  its contents, most its raajd:ers,  are compiletely

  `the man's `ability and personal initiative.' He could                  satisfied,

  .clrtainly  make a comfbrtable  living in a pleasant  po-      For the 3 poinix  the "Synod", it ha3  persistently de-

  sition In 3 w&hy Kingdom cause.                                  ' nied,

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

      In its contents is agreement, but the title- that  ii-                   Does  not cause I us much of wonder, for here too, WC
                                                                                `.
               bears- i ..                                                             kee  t h e m  l!a.g.

       "Standard B'earer"-seems  presumptuous-that that                        For'also when our Standard rose, many tried to kill

               name it wears.                                                          the babe,

       With the contents, as we write'this, ,will most every-                  Sku,at, its growth, or smother mother  ; by God's grace,
        o n e  lalgree,                                                                it grew and stayed'. ,,i
       But that the name has ,been  well chosen, many people.                              `.

               camlot  see.                                                    And what else could one expect, for when God is our

                                                                                       intent,

       That's; however, not in order, for th,e name the know-                  When wbe seek the truth of Scripture, and in that  our
               ledge gives,                           1                                efforts spent,
       Of its origin an,d  purpose, and for- the cause that it                 Then to those who would defy us, while we  <write to

               still `lives.                                                           glory God, i
       Let us therefore, take a look, and a wee bit closer                     Comes, as foregone conclusion, shame-o,f iall their

               go,                                                                     purpose odd.
       That the meaning- "Standard Bearer"-all the read-

               ers thus may know.'                                             I'his  does not mean, in any case, that we those persons

                                                                                       hate,

       Standard-precept-law, Iare  and h&e  been all well-                     But rather. that our purpose is,-admonishing that

             k n o w n ,                                                              sInfu1 state-

     j Through the ages they appear; and  e"en  in Old Testa.                  To lead them beck to God's own truth, and by  God%
               ment are shown.                                                         grace, we prayed,

       Therefore, Standards : _ binding rules-are, of coume;                   That  `they shall see: apart from Christ-God's grace
               authorities,                                                            is ,NOT displayed.

       R!aised above us, given power; rooting out atrocities.                                                                ._
                                                                           `_ * Standard Bearer-Fiag of Truth-We~tchword-Motto.
       When #with  this Standard in the land, rule is wielded                          proudly waves,
               over all,'                        <                             Proclaim loudly, in all ages, that by Soverei-gn  Grace;

      There is _ order, right and union, there is peace, for                           God saves.
               which men call.                                                 Standard` Be,a(rer---by  God's power, seek and strive

       And wh,en  ail, with one accord, from that Standard                             with all your might, i
              do not stray,            .                                       By the grace that God shall give you, to proclaim
       There .iS blessing,-truth remains; they will hold it                            His Truth and Right.

               thus for aye.                                                                                                        W. H.

                                                                               "Speech delivered  at the Annual meeting of the R.F.P.A. on
       "Bearer"holder  of a standard,`those  who wield the
                                                                   7           Thursday evening, September 14, 1944 in Fuller Ave. Corn-  .
             `rule must be,                                                    ments and criticisms con,cerning  any of the material here  pre-
       And whenmany  work together, there is strength in                       sented  is invited

               unity.

       But, however, OUR Standard, is af greater, higher,
                right                                                                                          -

       It is the B\a.nner  of our King; raised by Christ and in

                His might!
i                                                          :                                     Freedom Of Religion

       It is THE STANDARD-staff and banner-battle flag

                with this express :                                                   Freedom of religion. We hear  those swords almost
       "For the Great Exalted Captain-advancing in His                         every day. In Eact;  today both in the Church and in

              : Righteousness".             -                                  the world men speak of it almost daily.             And no won-
       Beneath this standfstrd,  `we will fight for: `Truth  and               dier,  for it is one of the freedoms for which we are
                Right, in Jesus' name,                                         said to _be  fighting this war an.d for which we >are
       `Till the last apostate brother, by God's grace, ia                     paying a tremendons.  price. However, we may add
                brought to shame.                                              immediately, if it happens to be  tme  freedom of re-

                                                                               ligion that: is at stake, then we may well speak of  it

       That the foremost of `the  princes, shrank before God's                 and fight ,for  it, for true religion is a boon.
               battle flag,                                                           Still the question cannot be suppressed: but is it


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R ,  '                                           2)


  truly real fre(edom  of religion that is' at stake? And          he delight3 in God land it is his heart's desire to keep

  if so, will it becomle  a, blessed rezdity  after the `war is    all of. ,God's commandments. Hence, both his desire

  won? These questions, as well as many others, muat               and calling is to revesl  his christian liberty, elsewhere

  have an answer. However, to answer them we must                  and always.

  bear in mind that fr,eedom of r.eligion is closely related           To do this, however, the Christian in a sense is  .de-

  to Christian liberty. For whe,n we speak of. freedom             pendent  upon his fellowmen. For he daily come3  in

  of religion `we naturally ask irmnediately  what it stands       contact with them and in many ways if they so desire

  for and what it implies.       And in'answering this quea-       they can interfere with his calling and hinder him in

  tion it makes a great deal of difference where we go             his task. If hle is to be faithful to his calling and

  to find th'e  answer. For if we take notice of the differ-       realize  the desire of his heart, they must allow him to

ent natiqns we soon discover that opinions vary as                 preach and teach and to walk in the light in every

  to what freedom of religion really'means.  That is               sphere of life.    It is now the right to do this, as given

' true ,even  of the Allies.      Though they are fighting         him by his fellowman, that bears the, name of freedom
  side by side in an all out "battle  for religious freedom        of religion.    Christian liberty, therefore, refers to our

  they have not definitely decided what it  @-d' imply relation to God, freedom of religion to. our position
  nor are they in agreement  `as to the conoeption  of it.         among men.         Christian liberty delivers us from the

 Think only of Russia.        Therelfore  to consult the great     law of sin, freedom of religion gives us the right to

  men of the' world as-to the meaning of religious liberty         manifest this without interference in the midst of the

  can only lead -to confusion and we are sure that even            world.

  the. answer of the bsest would hardly satisfy. . How-               .From  the foregoing it is not. difficult to determine
  ,ever;  if we look at ,freedom  of religion in the light, of     what  true freedom,pf  religion should be and of what

  Christian liberty the answer is plain, IaJnd  also.the  rea-     it should consist. First of all, since Christian lib,erty'

  son why it is necessary but nevert,heless  is so often           @annot  thrive without the Scriptures, it implies free-

  lacking.    Hence we must take our subject in close con-         dom of the Bible. itself.    Should the Bible be removed

  nection with Christian liberty.                                  or slrackled  in any way the exercise of Christian liberty

     And speaking of Christian liberty, we may say that            would b'ecome  quite impoz+sible,  f,or ,the very life of the

  it is the state in which  `a. man's inner nature is in           Christian is dependent on the Word of God.         Secondly,

  perfect accord with the law of God. As man `is by                it also implies that the Christian must have the right

  nature he hates that law and cannot desire ieven for             to interpret the Bible  in its ow.n  light without being

  a moment to love or keep it. Therefore-natural  1y1an            limited by any humtan power from without. No one

  is in bondage and his only liberty is to sin.  - But by, may force certain views upon him, but he must be at
  a *wonder of God's grace the believer is delivered from          liberty to explain Scripture as he understands it.

  the bondage of sin and death and he again  hss his               Thirdly, it also includes the right to expound the

  delight i.n the law of God.     In principle `he again loves     Scriptures in preaching and teaching wherever the

  the Lord his God with all his heart and soul and mind            Christian may desire to do so. For the Church has

  land strength, and it is his desire to serve and  glorifji       received the injunction of her Lord to preach' the gos-

  Him. Therefore, in principle he is again a free man              pel unto all creatures and Christian parents  ar.e ad-

  who walks in. the sphere of God's law and thus enjoys            monished to declrare  the mighty deeds -of Jehovah to

  God's favor and peace.                                           the generations following. Therefore true, freedom

     And i&his  liberty the christian can never lose.    Man       of religion must needs include the right for the gospel

 ,majy deprive him of his name and position,, may behead           to run its course and to instruct men everywhere  ia

  him on the scaffold or burn him at the  stake;  bu.t he          the fear of God. And finally, it also means that the

  will never succeed in taking from. him his Christian             Christian must have the right to live according to the

  liberty. His delight in God's law cannot be bound                Word of God in every sphere of life. Wherever he

  with shackles' of steel, and no tyrant' or dictator can          goes an,d  in everything he does he must be at liberty to

  ever destroy it.    Christian liberty, therefore, is I&ways      do the will. of God.     In every sph1er.e  of life ,he must

  victorious. It is a life that cannot die.                        have the right to let his light shine unmolested and

     But for that very reason the Christian's `calling is          undisturbed.

  to manifest that life in the midst of the world. By                Since the nature of true freedom of religion is such,

  sovereign grace he has been called from death unto               it is not difficult to .understand  that it has often been

  life and he stands as a free man in  the.midst  of a world       found wanting in the past and `that its history is one

  in bondage to sin.     Therefore, to the praise of his God,      of continual battle. For natural mlan hates God and

  in the home and by the way, in church mnd school, in             does .not desire to see the manifestation of His graze

  his *work an'd play, he must walk as a free man and              in the exercise of christian  liberty. Therefore instead

  thus reveal the life that is from above.     But to do this      of allowing the Christian true freedom of religion he

  is also his desire.    For by the indwelling of the Spirit       either advocates `ai liloerty  that is a sham or he seeks to


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                                            1



                                                                                                        __A
                                 >
            96                                                    -:-TH.E ZTANDARD  BE A R E R  ,.                                                             -.
                   :                        c n
                                            ._J"

            deprive the  `christian  of liberty altogether. But re-                                what it might a;ad  should be, but.we must remember
           .g&3l~ess  which course he may chobse to follow, his                                    that even this liberty shall be  taklen  from us in the
: :         aim always  is to keep the chris,tian'~3  light under a                                future.         When that day comes only he will be able to
            bushel. And history proves that in the past natural                                    stand  who has made use of his liberty in the past.
           man has triled:  this in a threefold way! -Firstly, by                                  Therefore our place in public service, in the catechism
            means of. the state. The state with its sword  power                                   room and in society life should never be found V&ant,
           has often been used by. ungodly men to ipterfere  with                                  in order that we. may be able to sbz.nd  in thle  evil
            the internal affairs of bhe church, to persecute its                                   day..
           members I%nd to kindle the fire at th,e stake.                        Secondly,                But, 6n`the other hand, it behooves us to look for-
           the-,church  itself has often been a menace to religious                                ward to ,the day of our ILord Jesus Christ.                                 Then bur
I,..    l i b e r t y .               That was `especially-the case at the time."qf'               Christian liberty shall be perfected'. And in the new
          1. the `.reformation  when the' Roman Catholic Churc+                                    cretition  ye shall `esercise  it unmolested  and undis-
           .denied  the coTon  member  the right to illterpret                                     turbed.                                                                      z
           the Scriptures, thus shacliling  the Scriptures and bririg-                                    May  we lealrn to pray w$h  the  church of all ages :
            ing the. common member in  bondlgge  to the Chur-ch,                                   Come, Lord `Jesus, yea,, come quickly.
            And t&t was also the case at any  tim,e  when an unk                                                                                                               P. v.
            goclly  majority in the church 1orde.d  it over thte  faith-

           ful-minority; And, finally,' socikty too, with its public

            ipin,ion,  carnal lusts and h&r,ed  of the church, l%,s

            often been used as an efficient instrument to deprive

           the Christian  of his religious liberty. By persecution

           `and by depriving the Christian of name and  positi'&                                                                     IN MEMORIAM

            in the.  world it has often made the exer&e  of Christian
                                                                                     4.-
           liberty difficult.                                                                             The Con&tory  of the First Protestant Reformed Church

                  Nor  is freedom  of religion whst  it might &+d                                  of Redlands, California, `hereby exprasses  its sincere sympathy

           should be @day,  not even ip our United States? For                                     to our brother-deacon, Mr. J.  Noordmans,  and family in the

           ewte notice in the,  first place, that  our nation allows also                          loss of his father;

            freedom bf irreligion.  A man is at.iiberty to serve
                                                                                                                                   MARCUS  NOORDMANS
            God or Satan, to erect a chur,ch or `a theater,  to `wglk-

           the way to heaven or hell.                          In this respect our lapd  is        .at the age of 78 years.

           truly a land of the free, that is, a land in which  a:,mj.n
                                                                                                        M a y   t h e   L o r d  abindantly  .comfort  thcI  b e r e a v e d   i n   t h e
           may live as he pleaisa3? This is not true  freedoil of
           religion, but only the .freedom  of indifference. ~$%iid                                loss they have  sustained, and cause them to experience the
                                                                                                   nearness of 
           secondly, we no$ice,  too, that it is not quite as ea!sy to.                                               `God also in this sorrow.
            exercise Christian liberty in our  llzjnd as it mig& ap-                                                                      The Con&tory,

           pear.      It is becoming ever mqre difficult for thde Ghris-
                                                                                                                                                  2. Van Der Wal, Clerk.
           tian labor man to fjnd himself a job without denying
                                                                                                                                                  P. De Boer,  Pres.
           his Christian principles by joining an ungodly union.

            To prleach  the go:3pel  over the air on a  `lirge scale is

           well nigh impdssible. Atid to let our iight shih,e  in                                  :                                  ----
            every sphere ,of life la:lready means that we have no

           place in'society arid politics tinti  that we are hated arid

           d e s p i s e d .                                                                                                           NOT_ICE                            :
                  Therefor'e  we sh'ould have no foolish `illusions in                                         Communications relative to renewal of subscrip-
           regard to freedom of religion in the future.                                     For    tions and membership fees  or gifts should now be
            Scripture' t'ells us that men &all incr,ease in wicked- sent to Mr. Gerrit Pipe, 946 S&bee  St., Grand Rapids
           ness and tha.k sin shall abound.                          Rather then to #build         6, Michigan.
           high hopes for the future ,we must expect that  -in the

          -future the state, the false chilrch  and society will. unite

           their power anti deprive us of t,he liberty which &e

           today still enj,oy.                        Yea,_ even so that in the  futuFe.:he

           Christian cannot buy or sell Iexcept  he have the mark
                                                                                                                 The day"is  Thin;,  and' Thine the night,
           of the beast.                         :
                  Therefore, on the one hand, we do well to redeem                                                   ' And Thing  the shining sun ;
           the-time  and to appreciate and mak'e  use of the liberty                                            -At Thy command earth's bounds are set,
            which today. &ill irs QU~#,?  True, this liberty i$`not                                                   AQ$  ch@ging  seasons run,
                                                                                            1           . .             . . . .                                      .

                           ._


