  V O L U M E   X X I I                      February 1, 1946  - Grand  l&pids, Michigan                                  NUMBER 9

                                                                          lhoogten  verkeeren, dat ?;vij nog wonen incde  vallei dezer
     .:MED-ITATION                                                        wereld, des  vieesches,,  der aardsehe .dingen,  id.er  ~dingen,
                                                                          die gezien  worden?  Vergeet hij  bet  dan. geheel en al,
                                                                          dat wij, o, ja, we1 een klein beginsel~der,$eu~we  gehoor-.
                                                   -.                     zsamhe5d'~hebben,   maar dat we zoo.  gewoonwieg,  zoo, in
                             ,
               Lijdzaamheids-Vfeugde                                      den dageh j*kschen ,gang van het ieven, veel meer .ien. veel
                                                                          dichter bij de aardsche idan ibij de hemelsohe  dingen, bij
                  Acht  hit  voor grootevreugde,  m;juze  b$oe- de  natuu,rlijke  dan bij  ;de geestelijke  dingen  Eeven, dat
                ders!  wanneer  gij in  -velerlei  verz~oleh&ge.n bij  Nons zoo  pl;otseling  uit de hoogte Qoeroept? Hier, in
                wait; Wetende,  d,at  !de  beproeving  T.&WS  ge- `de vallei  ,der  aardsche en  vleeschel,ijke   `dingen,  spreken
               .loofs  lijdzaamheid  we&$,  Doch de  lijokmm- we  immers doorgaans  andere  taal:  .'  H&r  zeggen we :
                heid  hebbe een  aolmaalct  ,w,erk,  `opdat,  gij `:&et leven is  to& dierbaar" ; of: "wat hebben we `thier
                mobgt  &Crn&kt  zijn en geheel-  opyecht, in mog ,goed" ; seln : "gezotidbeid is een ,groote s&at;`" en we
             Been  dimg  ga,brekkelijijk.                                 vragen : ."wat zulPen we  ,eten, of wat  !zullen we  ,drinken,-
                                               _ Jak. 12, 4.              Iof waarmee  zul~len we ons kleeden."                  .
     Hooge woorden ! :                                   -                   :Och, ja,  rwe  weten het  ,ook  wel: we  ,behoore-nr  eerst
   .  Acht  bet  ~`0.0~ groote vreugde. . . .                             het koninkrijk Gods te  zo:eken en  .Zijne  gerechtigheid.
     Louter vreugde, niets dan vreugde is het, wanneer                        Ma&, we  moeten  tech ook met  ,de  werkelijkheid
 gij in velerlei verzoekingen valt!                                       van het  leven  rekenen.. En  d.ie werkelijkheid is  (dan-
     We kunnen  dear zoo maar  keens  rnit bij. Jakobus tloch maar, dat we  moeten leven,  ,dat  er,, niet  alieen  van-
 zweeft ons in al te  hooge' sfeeren. En hij  vale ons ook :daag, maar  ,ook morgen,  .en  overmorgeq en de  volgende
 .ietwat   al,te  plotseling  ,op t' lijf. D,it woord,  j,,  vooral week,. en maand, Ten bet volgende jaar,, en zoover ,als-we
 tdit woord, had  we1 behoefte gehad  aan eene  irdeilding,               z&n kunnen, eten  fen  drinken en kleeding  len nog aooveel
 waardoolr   w e   misschien  langzamerhand  in;  tde  aheilig- meer moet komen. En we  moeten  ,een  huis hebben om
dommen Gods zouden  kunlnen  ingaan,  waardoor  .wle in  tie  wonen,- en  brandstof   ,om het  ite verwarmen,  ,en geld.
 zachtens  *en  geleidehjk zouden  worden  opgevoerd naar om het alles te kunnen  betalien;  en eene positie in  de-
 d'e  geweldige  ,hoogten,  vanwaar  !d$t woord ons tegen- wereld  `onihet  noodige  gel.d-te  km-men  verdieneni  E n
 ,klinkt.                                                                 dlaarom is de  werkelijkheid van het leven hier in de
     Miss&en had  dit  woo&  beter  aa!r~~  `t  ,ei-nde van den vallei,  waar  wij  wonen, dat we  `ens bezorgd  maken-
-brief kunnen staan.                                                      tegen  (den  ldag van morgen, daar  `we  immers  zoeken  de
     Wij  willen immers,  took in betrekking tot  d.ie  (din-. !d;ingen die  o,p de  .aarde,. niet  (de  :dingen, die in den  :hemel
 gen, die we overige& wel- weten en toestemmen, .gaarne zijn, waar  Christus  is,  lzittende   `aan de  rechterhand
 pe.dagogisch~  worden behandeld ! En nu valt Jakobus                     Gods. . . .  _.
 zoo ineens `met  d,e  dleur  in  ,huis~: "Jakobus,  een'.dienst-            Weet  .Jakobus dit alles  met, dat  ,hij zoomaar, zoo
 knecht van  God  ten van  ,den  Heer,e  `Jezus  Christus   ;  aan heel  `onpedagogisch, zoo  zon`der  ifnleiding of  voorberei-
 de twaalf  stammen,   dJe  in--;de  verstrooi.ing zijn:  zalig- `ding,  bij  io.ns  ,aankl'opt met een woord, dat  l.ijn.recht  `,
 iheiad. _Bcht het  vyoor  gro,ote vreugde, mijne  breeders! tegen  ens vleesch  indruischt,  tdat  ouxs veel te  !hoog  is?
 .wanneer gij in  velerlei verzoekingen valt.". . . .                        Vreugde in verzoekingen?
    ;%orter kon  bet  zeker niet.                                    1       ~0~1s  verblij,d#en,  bmdat we  m&&n  dn de  merzoekin-`-
     ,Onverwachter-.kolni   sdezie  ver5naning  moeilijk  zijn;           gen  vallen?
   Ach  I-  weet Jakobus  d'an niet, dat wij niet op de                      Verzoekikgen'?     Maar  $eteekent  dit woord  niet, dat


      194                                      i  T H E -   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

      j.uist  allies  wat ons  bier  op  aarde  d!ieybaar is, ons  ont- -aanmerken) ,-de  din'gten,   #die  gezieili  worden, maar de
      valt? Wil het niet zeggen, dat  we op ons  krankbed  ge-                  dingen,  die  i%et  gtizien  worden  ; en  ,dat deze  hooggre
      kluistierd   ligg& ; dat we onze  positie  verliezen, en geen            wet&schap niet ma&  naast,   `op  6&e lijn, of ook  zelfs
      an'dere  kuxnen  vind(en ; dat er  oor180g   Ii-n  `t land is, en        maar  dualistisch   t e g e n o v e r   dig`  anderq  *natuurlijke
      ,onzti zonen  mt  onze-woningen word&  weggeruki,  any w4eilachap in ons  st.a&, maar  deze  overheerscht, over-
      stiraks  misschien  `op `t  slagvleld een  wree!.j;en  dood  te wint, het  rw:ljgen  coplegt. . . .
      sterven ? .  Wil  ,het niet  zelggen, dat  we  ,om Christus'                  En dan, in het  ,licht van  diie wetenschap, spreken
     wil moieten li j den ; cl$-  `we  ldagelijks  voor de keuze               we eene andere  taal..
      komen te staan om  lH&i  te  verl~ooehenen of  oals leven,                    D a n   kr.ijgen  w,e  houva&  aan  di.t  ,w;oor!.2   vari,  d e n
      ,onz.e positie,  ,oxae  betre@$g,  onzen  naam,  ,o.nie eer bij          dienstknech$  v a n   G o d   e n   v a n   onzen  H e e r e   Jeius
      de menschen, ooze vrijheid;-alles, te verlliezen? Velerlei                Christus.
     verzoekingen ? Wil dat eigenlijk  fiiet zeggen :  hqe  meier                   Dan  kunneil  we hooren  het doorloopende  woorfid  def
a     hoe beter? En  ,om het ten slotte zoo  ster,k  mogelijk te Schrift : "Zalig zijt gij, als  u de  menschen  smaden  en
      maken,  zegt Jakobus  riiet, dat we ons  moeten  verblij- vervolgen,  ei? liegende allerlei kwaad  tegen  ,u spreken.
      d'en, als we er  midden in  vallen, zoodat we:  van  alle  zij-          Verblijdt en  verheugt u, want uw  #loon is  groat in de
      dleni  ler  d'oor  or&ngd zijn, en  nergens een  uitwe& zien? .bemelen,  wan$  ,alzoo  hebben  uij vervolgd de  profeten,
             `t Is ons te  hoog !                                              &e  voor  u  )geweest zijln;" En ook: "En  diet alleen dit,
             Bij `t hooren  (lea  tech  aiiet  &oren). van  dlit woord         maar  wij  roemen ook in  ,die  ,verdrukkingen." En ook:
      rijzen  er  ,aanst,onds  allerlei  bezwaren, bedenkingen,  be-           ".Het is  .u uit  genade gegeven,  ill; de zaak van Christus,
      zwaren uit  ,ons  vleesch in  `0~s  ,op!                                 liiet  alteen in Hem te gelooven,  .maar ook voor Hem te
        `t Is gemakkelijk praten, maar Jakobus moest  icy lijden."  E n   o,ok:"Want  `onze  zeer lichte  verdrukking,
      ook maar eens zoo voor  zitten als w.ij.- We moeten to&                  we&t ons een gansch  zeer  uitniemend   eeu'wig  gzwicht
      oak  l&veili! We zijn  ldan  &och maar in deze wereld, en der  heerlijkh&d." En'rook: "Wie zijn leven zal  ,wiUen
     . we  moeten  er ook  dqor  !,  %n  `tie  merblijdt  zich  nu in Ibehouden,   .d$e  ial het  ver,liezeq maar zoo  w,ie zijn leven
      lijden? Wie  zingt nu, als alles hem  tegenloopt?  Als                   zal  willen verliezen  bm  Mijnent&il, die zal het  be-
      `we ziek zijn,  mogen we dan niet  om  herstelling bidden? Bouden."
      Als er  .oorlog is,  biddben we dan  n.iet  ,om  vrede? Als                   Wetende. . . .                                      .
     er  geein werk is,  $ouden  Iwe dan  geen  biId:dageix  om  wel-               Och  nreen, niet maar met eene zekere  verstalnldelijke
     vaart ?                                                                   kennlis,  waardoor ge `t  we1  wee!, niaar  er  tech geen
          En nu, zoo  maar- ineens:  Louter vreugde, mijne houvast  aan h'ebt, geen moed to,e,  hebt, geen 16cht i!n ziet.;
     broeders !                                                                maaIr met  idle kennis des  Gle;estes,   ,des `geloofs,  waardoor
         H,oudt  bet er  Toor!            .                                    ge de  verbondim~g   yan de  natuurlijke   tot  `de geestelijke,
         Beziet al die verzoekingen als  `ool'zaken  van enkel                 van de aardsche tot.  ,de hemelsche  dingen in een  deuw
     blij,dschap  !                                                            licht ziret, ze landers waardeert;  wgardoor de  dingen
         Hemelhooge  w'oorden !                                                vajn Gods  Verbond  u `t hoogst en  dierbaarst   iijn;  waar-
                                     -         -                               door Go&  guest  u meer is  `clan de  ,uitgezochtste  spijz)en,
         Wetende. . . .                                                        en Zijne  goeldertierenheid  LI  beter  Is dan `t leven ;  waar-
         Ja, zoo  staat het  er:  aoeSenide!                                   door ge de  bel'ofte gelooft, omhelst, er  :n;aar grijpt,
         Dat wil  sdus zeggen, dat  dieze vermaning van Gods                   streeft, met  ,al.  wat- in  u is,  er  ,op  .vyrtrouwt met uw
     Woord  dooir  deili  rd:ienstkneoht  van' God  en van den                 gans&e hart,  ,dfe stad  `zoekt,  ,die fundamenten  ahe'eft, en
     Heere Jezus Christus,  tech  ,niet  in. de lucht hangt;  iil-,h           belijdt, dat ge  gasten   .Xil.  vre@mdelingen  op de  asrde
     tech aansluit bij iets, dat we  `we1  weten.                              zijt. . . .                   ._
         Het  4wil~-zeggiea:  dat we  ,ook  we1  vele  an'dere  ,dingen            Dan, ja dan,  begint  ge'fdeze vermaning te hooren:
     weten, de  dinken  `der  erv&Fing, de  dingen van ons  dage-              A:cht het voor  groote  vreugxl!e!,
     lijksch  l,eveai;  dat er ook  we1 in  ,ons eene  wetens&aYp  is,             Op die lijn van ihet zoeken ,der dlingen, -die boveni zijin,,
     waardoor  `w.e  streven  naa;r de  dingen, d.ie  beneden,   ,die van het  lomhelzen, der belofte,  `van de  rechhe  waardlee-
     ,op  #de aarde zijn ; dat, indien  ,er  ge/en  ,andeire  wetenL .ring  ,dei eeuwige  ,en  hemelsche  e&,geestelijke  .dingen,
     schap in  ,ons is,  sdeze vermaning  $ot  v;reugde  in! en om ligt immers  `o6k  hetgee.n  Jaliobus  &er  cnoemt als  voor-
     de  verzoeking&n  zeker boven  ollis  aitgaait en  ens te  hoog 8We.q)  ,dezer  wetenschap  : `fd?$.$e  ,bepr;oeving  uws  ge-
     moiet  jblijven, ja, ons  dw,aasheid  zal zijn  ;  ,dat  awe,  w'elis-    l o o f s   .Kj,dzaamheid  werl&" .
     tiaar, met  ens  natuurlijke wetenschap  en onze  natuur-                     Eigenlijk moest hier  vqrtaald  zijn: "uw  beproefde
     lijke  begeerten  tegen  id:eze  woorden!  van  ,den  dienstl             g e l o o f   ."
     knecht des  Heieren  zullen  ,rebe131eerem   m.et al, wat  .in  ,ons          De  bedseling  is :  idlie  Ivlerzoekiinlgeq  van welken  aand
     is  ;  maar-  dat er,  doo;r Gods  genad'e, in  (oas nog een              ze ook zijn, door wielke ,de vijand;de `wereld, uw vleesch,
     andere wetenschap is, eene  ihoogere, geestelijke  weten-                 de  ,duivel,  u  &edoelt ten  -val  te  Ibrengen, en die uit dat
     xhap,  `waardoo!r we  nHet  ,aqnerken   (en let wel:  &et oogpunt  dus  verzoek+nqen   zijn, staan  onder  .de  `hoo,ge


                                                    T H E - S T A N D A R D                                      E!EARER                                        195

  souverei&teit uws Gods en van den  Heerg Jezus Chris-                               En als  `dan de  verzoekingeiz'  tech  kome.n,  lis er in ons
tus,  Ten  hebbeti   Idaarom eene  zil!tiere bedoeliag  `dan  ,die geen kracht en geen moed om ze Ce dragen ixn lein&e toe.
  des vijands: ze  moeten uw geloof  beproeven. Ze- zijn                              En  d&aro.&  meet ons  vati uit  .de  `geweldige hoogte
  bedo!el,d om Gods  genadew,e.rk  %e  to&sen, de  kracht  er der geestelijke werkelijkheid  al&ijd  `weer  worden  tie-
  -v-am te  doen u&omen,  &de  Bee+l~ijkheid, de  onverwin- geroepen: Mijne broeders!  leeft uit het beginsel  dier
  lijkheid, de eeuwigheid,  sdk  vasbheid   ler van  te  idioen quit- ahdere  wetenschap; die  svlan boven  is!
k o m e n ,   tb,t  lof  en  pirijs  e n   heerl,ijkhei'd  i n   d e   `openc .       Acht het  voor groote vreugde!
baring van Jezus  Chris&us.                                                           Uw. geloof w'ordt beplroefd  !
       Het  gaat  eigenlijk in den  gr'ond der  zaak  ,om  uw                         Lij,dzaamheiicI  wordt  uw deel!
  G'od, om  u'w Heer !                                                                Gie overwint !
       En  als God  uI-nu zoo in bet  mlidden van den-  smelt-                                                             t  :.
  kroes  .der  beproevingen  werpt,  dawn is Hij bij  `u  m,et                        Tel;1  einde  toe !
  Zijne  gena!d!e;  dan ondersteunt Hij  u, en dan  versterkt                         Er mag van een  lhalverwege   op den  `weg neerzinken,
  Hij in u,  !naar de mate van de  zwaa'rte der  beproevin-                     of  t,eruggaan,  09  ,afwijgken geen sprake  zijn;                       `.       ..
  gen,  Z,ijn  eigen  genaidewerk;  ,dan-  wolr'dt ge  gel.outercl,                   Dan  to+  .behaalt  ge de  ,overwinn&g  Tdet.~:.~:&bh
  gereinigd,  geheiligd, verrijkt. En  clan ontvangt  dzoo plukt ge de  vrucht niet. Dan  smaak$ ge deze  yreugde
  uw geloof een  :beproefd  karaktel :  Christ'L1s heeft  meer nim?ner.
  gestaltie  lin  u  gekregen,  ge zijt  meer en vaster in Hem                        De lijdzaamheid  hlbbe een  volmaakt  werk!
  gewort&ld, Hij is meer  ,alles  voor,  u  gewo8rdenl,  ge smaakt                    Dat  %il zeggen,  gee  nioet  deil  Xtrijd  strij,den,  ,de  be-
  meer  .de  Kefde Gods, die in  uw  ;$alrt is  ,uitgesto,rt, ge proevingen  verdr?gen,  bet  liiden  +er&?&`iz, ten  einde
  zijt  ,rijker  ,gew'or?d:en   .in de  gepad'e  enI kennis van  onzen toe, aiet alleen  ulit  !&e~$?@pu~nt  van  fdieb  tijidsduu.P  .der-
  Heere Jezus  &ristus.                                                         4beproevingen  `&n  verzoel&-&n,  maax  !ook ten  opzichte
       En  ~&t  .beproefde karakter  van- uw geloof werkt  mu                                                   _.  _:
                                                                                van hare  d,iepbe en zwaarte,  eni van de  (offers,  die zij
  ii j dzainiheid.                                                              van  u  tvergen.                                    --'  Y+%'
       Dat wil  zeggeti : ge zijt overwinnaar -in  #den  strij.d                     `De weg  ka.n soms  lang zijn.
  geword,en, zoodat  ige nu  verdler  dlen  vijainld zonder  vlrees                   En hij  kan al  banged  &%5&n.
  kunt             ,ontmoeten.                                                        En  `dan  kunt ge  aan het  ibegin soms  meeneq dat
       Lijdzaamlheid  tolch is  ,die,  genac&ekqxht, waardoor                   daar  reedcs de  ,overwinning lag. Job werd  zwaar  vex-.
  ge het  l.ijd!en om  Christus'  wlil  ku&  vlerdragen,  `en  dat              zoicht. Alles werd hem on&omen. En  ,op  66n dag  stand
  wlel met  he$  oo,g  ,oi het  loo,n, op de  sta.d,  ,die  futndaImen- hij bij de  1ijWdisten  van  zijne  tien lievelingen.  DOI&
  ten heeft.                                                                    ziet, hij  ,wati lijdzaam. Hij  aa!nlb&d.   H>ij  .had  !d!e  ,over-
       Ge ligt  nitet  ,ondier, Ge  zijt  `overwinnaar, meer dan winning. Satan had  bet  verloren. De  knec.ht des Heeren
  ,o,verwin.nlaar.,                                                             riep uit,  ter;wij,l  -hij bij  cl&  ruYnen van al  .zijn  bezit-
       Ge ziet  albe  dingen, ook de verzoekingen,  ,ook al  bet                tingen  sto!ilid, en  zich  b'oog  lover de  t.iexi `graven zijner
   lijden dezes  ;tegenwoolrdigen tijds, in het  li,cht  ,der  be-              zonen en  dlochterelll-:  "Die  Hieere heeft  fgegeven,  d'e  Heere
   IoRe, der  ~eeuwigh:ei~d, van Gods  eeuwig  vx%nfdschaps-                    he&  g e n o m e n ,   d e   n a a m   des  Heeren  zij  gelo~of;d!"
  ever~ond. Ge  zijt,  .u  b,ewust van  (de  levende hope  ,door                `t  Wa,s  die overwinning. Edoch,  `t was nog pas het  be-
   de  opstand:ng  van  Zezus  Christus   uit de dooden. Ge                     giti der verzoekingen. De  `weg werd al  !d!onkerde+. E n
 omhelst de belofte met  ,een  vast  gelo80f  en  Ibl.ijmoedige                 `it duu.rde bnig. En  `t  soheen, dat  ,Job  tech  op den  w&g
 -  h o p e .                                                                   zou  bezwijken. . . .
        I!!$  -ge hebt het  I.eereF  ver.staan :  ".Het lijden dezes                  De lijdzaamheid hebbe  teen  volmaakt werk  i,.  -'
   tegenwoosdigeil  tijds is  niet'  te  wamdeenen tegen de                           Tem$dden  ,der  verzoekingtin:   meet  gie  gelheel  oprechi
   heerlijkheid, die  aan  ,ons  zal  geopenlbaard   worden."                   en  vdlmaakt zijn, in geen  `ding gebrekkelijk.
       IHet  l.ijidIen mag voorts zwaar  zijn,  maar  voor  uw                        Er moet niets  `aan  ontbreken.
   bepiroefd  gelo'of  .is het  licht:._"de  zeer  lichte  verdruk:                   Olok a@ ,de beproevingswkg Ia.@ wo!rdt, Al langer, en
   king, die  welhaa&  vobrbij(gaat   !"                                        er geen eind  aan  stihij!n;t te  komenl.  : Ook als  ,de  ver-
    -  .Ge zijt door middel  ,van de  velerlei verzoekingen,                    zoekiingem op  ldien  langen  weg  steeid$ meerder  .en  qteeds
   naar Gods bestel en  ,do,el, verrijkt me&  eenre  groote ,schat              zwaardler  wordeq,  ;heti  vu.ti.r  in  ,den  smelt&roes   ,a1  maaf`
   .van geestellijk  heil !                                          f          heeter  wor,dt. Ge  begint met gesmaad  te  worden  om
        E n   g e   v e r h e u g t   e n   verblij'dt   u !   ..         .'       Christus'  wil, Straks  verliest ge  uw  positie.  Eerl,ang
       -Wetende. . . .                                                          gaat  .$et  torn  ,uw  vnijheid, uw leven. . . .
        En ach, nu zijn we  bier, in  bet  l.ichaam  d,ezes  ,doods,                  Z,ijt getrouw  tot den  sdood !
   in de  vall.ei van de  aar%!stihe  d~i~ngen, zoo  liehi geneigd                    zmtiers ligt  daar  voor u, tot in den`dood, de  beloft!
                                                                                                                                    ,-           _
   om naar .ddie andeye,  die aards_che en vl~eesehelij~ke `weteg-                 Gods : de lkroon !des levenns !
   schap te leven en te handelen, zosdat we daarniar Ieven;'                          Groote vreugde !
. en de  dinqen zoeken, die  bened&  `zijn.                                              -.                                                ._  -H.,  ..gjY.  _-  .l=


196                                                                                                                      T ' H E   ST-AN.DARD:.   tiE.ARER~

             _-..  ,`Th&St&idgid  B e a x e r   :!  ._                                                                                                                                                                   `"
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                   -.
                     Semi-Monthly, except Monthly ii-July -and August                                                                                                                                                                      E.0 I T 0 R I A: L'.S               _
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                                                           PublislM  b y '   -                                                                                                                                            .
                        The Reformed  Fr& Publishing  A&ociation                                                                                                                          -.
                                                         -1463  Ardmora St, S. E.  :                                                                                                                          `The Cw&kogs z&d The -A-Group
                                                                .__.                 . ..I  c . . .                                                                         .-                                                                                         `~
                                                   EDITOR 1 Rev. H. Hoekiema
                                                                                 *_  _  ._  .._                         `.                                                     -                                                                                 ._
    Contributing Editors:-Rev...G.  M. .Opbo&f, Rev. G. VOIS, Rev.                                                                                                                                                 .-  @z!  who  can- re-call, from. -experience, the tension
    R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. .B. Kok,                                                                                                                                               that  ,existed  fbetween the A- and B-group of the Re-
    Rev. J.  D.-De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                                               forged  IChurehes in  khe  Netherlalnds-just   .bef,ore  l905,
   Vermeer, Rev. G. l&bbe&-Re$i  M.-&itters,   Rev.  J. A. Beys,                                                                                                                                              is not  .iri  need  ,of  documenkary evidence to convince
    Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                                           him  that the  C~ondusi6ns  of  Utrecht were  mot adopted
        Communicatiors  `relative to contents  .should be addressed                                                                                                                                           -qzCrary~ 40, the fomner. He  kmliolws that, in that case,
   to REV.  I-I.  HQEKSEMA,  1139 Franklin  -St., S.  E.,~ Grand                                                                                                                                              a large number of A-men  would  lh&.ve  made  the union
 Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                                            of 1892  uadone.
         Qommunications  relative  fo subscription should be addressed
    to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                                                           The opposition  ag&inst the views  ,of Dr. A.  Kuyper
   Michigan. All Announcements, and  Obituaries  must be sent                                                                                                                                                 came from them.
   \`o the above address and will aot be placed unless  the regular                                                                                                                                                      I!t was they who brought their  bbjections to  +hese
   fee of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                                                                                       views to the  Syeod  `of 1905.
                                      (Subscription price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                                                                Had they been  Gut  In  +he  w-roqg by  the Conclusions -
   Entered  .as Second -Class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan. of  U.tizecht 1905, they  would have sleparate.3. And  rc'his
                                                                                                      .                                                                                                       would  ,have  )been all the easier in  -bhoss days because the
                                                                                                                                                                                                              synod&Cal  u&n of 1892 was,  l~ocdly, far from accom-
                                                                                                                                                                                                              plished. That they were called A and B was not simply
                                                                     C O N T E N T S '   .'                                                                                                                   reminiscent  <of  the past. It meant that  .i,n  many  plabes
                                                                                                                                                                                                              the  .churches   `of the two groups  &d mot  have fellowship
MEDIfI'ATION   -                                                                                                                                                                                              tqgether,   ,stood sharply opposed to each  ,other. In the
LI'JDZAAMHEIDS-VREUGDE . . ..I.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 city  ,of  Grbningen, where  undersigned lived till 1904,
                   Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                           the Reformed Churches A and B  congregaiaed  on  ith'e
                                                                                                                                                                                                              sabbath in four  idifferent  meetinjg  places. Normally,
EDITORIALS -                                                                                                                                                                                                  according So the  syst,em -in  ,vogue  .in the Netherlands,
                                                                                                                                                                                                              $he entire gnoup  wou1.d have been  `one congregation.
THE CONCLUSIONS AND THE A-GROUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196                                                                                                                       The d.iff e?ent ministers` woul'd, aiter&tely,  have preach-
T.HE. LIBERATED CHURCHES IN THE  -NE%HERLqDS..198                                                                                                                                                             ed in all  t.he  chukches.   .H.owe.ver,  ithe actual  situ&ion
EXPO,+TIO;N  OF -THE HEIDELRERG ,CATECHISM . . . . . . . . . . 200                                                                                                                                            was  #hat  ihe-  ,one B-minister  .never preached in  the
FREEDOM FROM CONDEMNATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201                                                                                                     -A-churches,  and the  mimkters of the  A-&uKches  never
 Rev.. H Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                                             appeared in the pulpit of  $he B-church. Nor was  +his
                                                                                                                                                                                                              situation  ,due merely to ministerial antagonism. The
`1'HE  SECOND DEGRADATION OF PAPACY OF  THE                                                                                                                                                                   people  ithemselves were deeply interested. They listen-
 REmORM  POPES .: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..a.......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;;. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204                                                     ed closely to  the  preaching to  dteitect any trace of  devia-
 FAITH                                REWmDED
                                                                . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207    tioln from the  tyuth as  they saw it. And they often  h&d
            Red: G. M.  ,Ophoff                                                                                                                                                                               lively  Idiscussions about  .su~rc~, and  infm,  med<ate   and
                                                                                                                                                                                                              iinmediate  regeneration,  ,presupposed  regeneration,  amId
INSTRU'CTION IN THE WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  i . . . . . . 209                                                                                   relat,ed  :doctrines.             This was especially  *rue  (of  bhe  A-
            RI&.  J. D. .De.-~Jong                                                                                                                                                  _.                        group. Moreover,- the school;  q&&ion  was acute, and
                                                                                                                                                                                                              the relation between  Ka.mpen and Amsterdam was
HQ.LY  WRIT ..r ..:...........:.............*.: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 tense.  Alvleady there had  ,been-an attempt to abolish
,~~~~-  Fey.  G .   L u b b e r s                                                                                                                                                                             Kampen  zin  fa%r  ,of Amsterdam,  anid  tjhe  A-gr,oup deep-
:.,~l,-'                              ."_                                                                                                                                                                     ly resented this.
~i'~RIS&&`.......  , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213                                         I was at  $hat time member. of the  A-Churulch, but
            Rev. L.'                                                               Vkrmeer                                                      _                                   '
                                                                                                      .                                                                                                       attended and was  m&?ber   of  .what-was virtually  :a  B-
             .          .._                        I       _                                                                                          !                                   e
 _           I,,.,             ;.            -            f           .--.                                                                                                                                    .Youkxg  M,ens' Society. Anidi it is not  .at  ,a11  di@ctiljt for
 FOREIGN  MISSI!ON  ACTIVITY ..a...:  . . . . . . . . . . -.: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215                                                                                   m's to recall the tenseness of the  ,situation  on  Itho&
            `R e v .   W .   H o f m a n                                                                                       &+>-.
                                                                                                                                .-  3..                                                                       d,ays.                _
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         But  for one  wh'o  ti&&r  !iy&iu  that-&&ion,  book-             .


                                  .--
                                    ` - T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R                                                       ` 197

 lets like  "In Den Chaos," -"Rtondom 1905," and  :&pecial- -of  ibelievers were regenerated at  sbirth,  ?nd  %hat  ti all
 ly "Die Wachter  ,over  1.905')  are  .very  e&ghtening and           the  child.&n of the covenant regeneration must  b,e                            . .
 lin*ormative.                                                         pr&ipposed,  and as  teaohing that the sacraments seal
    They  pemiind us of  th.e tension  Jbefore 1905  between1 no  .internal grace but  &he promise of  Dhe covenant.
 the A-  ,and B-groups. They show  ho,w deeply serious Idem' p. 16.                       The  Rev. J.  Weiterhuis, a determined
 the A-group  `was about  &he  contir'oversy  in regard to the A-mail;,  pub&hed a special, separate edition  `of the
 question of  pr&upposed  regeneration.              The A-men         Condusions,   Laand in "De Wachter" he  ,wGte about  *hem
 strongly insisted that  "IHoly Baptism  d,oes not signify ,as  fol~l~ows,:.   `We cannot deny  tihat the Synod in re the
 and  seahwihhat  is present in the  ~shilcl to be baptized,           oontrover&al  points took a step in  the  righk  I&e&ion.
 or what  ,is  presutipose-d.  $0  ibe  pres;e&.,  but the promises    Those ministers who were of the opinion  ithat they  did
 ,of the  covens&, revealed in  the gospel."  An/cl they -not have to adhere  tom the  letter of the  Confessiotne,  if
 expl<a<ned  that : "It is  theresore in conflict  `with  `our ,pnly they  `di,d not  aba&on  the  `pef'omned principles
 Cclnfesgions  to teach that, not  the promise of  the  oove- .receiv.ed a good lesson (een  gevoelige'  les) . If, as
 nant, but  intsernal regeneration,  t.he being regenerated rumors  ~,have it, no account is  %aken of `the  short de-
 ,of the child that is baptized, is  sealed." "De Wachter claration of Synod, the way is  Jopen in  Bush  leases,
 over 1905,"  p. 6. In  the beginning of.  1965 tie-pro- to  britn& the  matter to  the  &tie&on  #o!f the  con&tory,
 fessors L. Lindeboom and M.  Noopd&j,  publjished a                   and  ,if  meed be to the  classis. As far as-`we  areicon-
 .brochupe,-   w.hich was  signled by forty church-members, cerned, we are  very much pleased  *with  this  s&or-t de-
 in  whiloh they  ththrew light  eon  thG  .oontroversial  ~points,    claration, and this  explaimis that we  proii!idled  tihe  oplpor-
 and  which was  particul&y addressed to  all.the  tion-               tunilty for all  tihe  tiembers  to secure a copy of it."
 sistories   abd  m e m b e r s   o f   t h e   Re$ormed   Churches: ddem,  p. 24.                                                      ,
`cf.  Ihtidom 1905, p. 97 ff.                                              There is,  t.herefore, abundant evidence that the
     And they  r,emind  .us  <of the agitation against  the p-group  were  well  satigfied,  everi  rabher pleased with
 Kuyperiman teachings on the part  08 "De Wachter," the Conclusions of  Utrecht 1905. .They considered that,
 under  the  ,editorship  ,of the Rev. T. Bos of Bedum.                in.&e`main, they `directed a  ,warning at the  add.ress
     It is on the  background  of  &his  sittuatiion and  ,of  tiha.t `of the B-men,  `of those who emphasized p&supposed
 attitude  .of  lopp.Ositiom,  $0 the views of Dr. A. Kuyper Sr.,      regenera~tioin.
 partioulsrly to that of presupposed  regeilieration, that                 Now, what is the  meaning  (of this  .histori@  fact??-
 ,the  fac$must   ,be explained  G&t,  aster 1905,  ithe  A'-men           Let me give the  *answer by  qeoting  the Rev. C.
 wle:rye  rather satisfied, proposed  that all  should abide by Veenhof, who writes  ?on page 53 of his  "In  Deia Chaos" :
 the Conclusions of  &he Synod  ,of  Utrecht,,   and changed               "In the present- time, it is sometimes alleged  .tia+
their attitude of  opposition.to  lone  af  Gooperation.               the proposition of Prof. Lindeboom  ,and his group, viz.
     This is simply a  matt.er of  ,h.istory.*          -              that baptism  dsoes not  seal internally  reali.zed grace,
     T;he aggrieved  lieaders of the A-group did not' in all           but  ,only the promise  <of the covenant, was  co&,emne$
 respeci;s fully agree with every  explression in  ithe Con- by the Synod of 1905.  It  *is pure  $011~ to aver  afiy-
 clusions, but they  felt  that  6his  `was  h.andly  possibl,e in $himlg like this ! The views  ,af Prof. Lindeboom  :w@re
`-view  ,of `the fact that they meant to  `be a `Compromise `completely left outside of the  soope of consideration-
 statement about the  ,oo&roversial  points.            But they by the  Syno'd. Let us not  f,orget that he  wa$  uiot  bhe
 fel)t that the  barfining implied in those  Concjusilon:, to          accuseid  b u t   tihe accuser!  ,Or, still more foolish, it is
 avoid all extremes, `was  chiefiy directed against Dr. A.             also argued that Prof.  Lindebooti,  during the  Idebate
 Kuyper and the  B-gr,oup. The  Re+. T.  :Bos wrote in on  %e floor  `of the  sjmod, though it did not intention-
 "D,e  Wechter" that  .th~e Synod  haid closed  &he door to            -ally refer  fo this  ,question,  `w?as  aomvetied  $0  bhe view of
 furbher deviations from  the Confessions ; and this was               Dr. Kuyper ! Believe it who will ! I+, is simply  rid&u-
 neoessary to satisfy the consciences of the  aggrieved lous to even suppose  ,such a thing. How  cuuld Prof.
A-brethren.  .Cf. "De  .Wachter  #over  19q5," by J.  Va]n bindeboom, a few years later, have written that the
 Hulsteyn, p. 13. He  aidhits that Synod had expressed                 Synod  of 1905 had  deoided   the  ,doctrinal  daifferemces,
 itself somewhat vaguely  and in  g&era1 terms, but  lh.e              tin  *he  m&n',  Ini the  sp`ilrit'  ,of himself  ,anld  bhose  lthat      _
 oonsiders  `this` praiseworthy, in view of the fact  &at              agreed  with  h i m ? "
 she looked  sfor a declaration  iol which all  coul(d  fin$'              In  other.  words : "Pro!f. Lindeboom  and: his group
 themselves, and to  zwhich  bbth sides could  su1bscrib.e.            !could  heatiily  tigree with this clause  --(the  ,beginning
 IcFem  p. 15. The fourth  ,of the Conclusions,  &hat con- #of  Dhe fourth conclusion, that concerning "het  boeden
cerning-the covenant- and the meaning of  .batptism,  the vocsr wedergebor&") ! They  stodd'  untioveable  `on  +h,e
 Reir.  B,os explains as being `directed,  `on  $he"one  ha&d          basis  ,of the  doetrimle, maintained  b$  itheir synod,  amd
 ,ag&nst   &h&e that  reco:gmized no difference  betweren taught  :and  idefended by themselves from their very
oovenant  chil'dren   .and those  +hat were without;  &d,              pgu$h, that  [baptism does  ,not  ..seal  a&&ing   that-  is
on the other hand, against those who  ,held  hhat  ,children           in man, but the promise of God." idem, p. 53.                         .


1 9 8                                                     TH.E  .STAND-ARD  B E A R E R
       .._  ._
,  ..0r,  mQre. briefly: the  Synod of 1905 had not  `d'e-                                "That   ,is the problem raised  here:  The passage is
.+le,d `contrary  $0  the A-group, as. the  edit,olr  <of  The :not concerned with the relation of elect$on to @e cove-
`Banner  thinks (contrary  to Heyns, who  was  dewitely ni-cnt,.  or  with the relation of  th.e  ,carnal to the  spiri&&l
 an A-man:),  abut  ,in their favor.                                                  seed,  eveiT  thou,gh these questions are  touahed  upon-~
      And the Christian  R&ormed  Churches ("Church" here, but  .the great question underlying  +hese chapters
      according to  Kuliper)  never  Feant to take  6  plosition                      is  bhis: can it be harmonized  wihh God's  spromise, and
      sontyary to Heyns,  when they  ad!opted the  Conc1.usion.s with  Hlis  faitihfulness, that Israel is being  il-ejiected and
 of  Utrechk in  1905..                                         -                     the Gentiles are  a'ocepted?"
         Nor  di,d they  <adopt. the.  theon of  presiipposed  re-                        The italics in the  iabove quotation are mine.
generatilon.                                                                              According to. the Rev.  BFemmeq  it `is  tihis question
        By. adopting those: Conclusions;  +he  Chriskian  Re-                         which the  apostle Paul in  &e passage from  R!omans
 f,ormed  Churches ("Church" according to Kuiper)                                     and  ib  ,Galaiiams  3, answers  !i:legatively. And  .attend
rather took the @and favor@ by'the "Libetrated  Church-                               to the  $olldwling :
      es" iliy the  Neth'erlaeds of today.                                                "He purposed,  ,alrea!dy when  IHe gave His promise
              The  itru+h of this can  .be  sdemomstrated  in still  ,an-             to Abraham, to bestow His salvation  upori the Gentiles.
 other. way.                                                                          He  `waaitecl  l,ong, centuries, in fact, with  +he realization
              Bu;t  tihis  -mu&wait  till:-the next issue, D. V.'                     of this purpose. Be waited until  out  *of Abraham's  -
                                                                      H. H.           seed the Christ should have been  bairn,  +n  #oFder then
                                                                                      to realize fully that  which He already intended to do
                                                                                      at the  timg of  Albraham. But  already in  the-tealts  !of
                   -.
                                                                               --.    Abraham and Isaac, He showed them  somethi.ng   [of  bhat
                                .                                                     which He  iintended to do later.
         .,  .k  ,`J$&~i~&&id  Churches                                                   "For even then the Lord  &owed  dearly that  1His
                                                                                      salvatioti  was not bound  tu the carnal seed'. For Abra-
.'                       . . "In The Netherkmds                                       ham had two sons,  Ishrnael and Isaac. Botih  wer?e cir-
        :          -,.                                                                c u m c i s e d . The covenant benejits were  pro.mised to
              We were to  prove that  the  gemeral position  <of  Ithe                both+.  But  w h a t   sai+h  tthe  Scitipture? `C a s t   loiut  t h e
 Liberated Churches, viz., that  alall, the children of be-                           bondwoman and her  son :  %or the son of the  bo!ai?ldwoman
 lievers are  nealjly in the.  covenant.   .in  vitiue of the                         shall  m,o% be  heir  with the son of  $he  frieewoman.'
 pr;omisej i.e., that  th!e promise `is for them  .all, is  eon-.                     (Gal. 4 :30). The one is a son  of  .the promise, born  n'ot
trary  td ithe plain teaching.,of  $h~e B4ble on tihis  poi&.                         out  ,of the natural  consider&ions  of  Abraham and
        I*. is  exactlF.this  tea&&Q   that is  ,denied in  Room.                     Sakah,  a s   I&mael, but born from the  supernattiral
 9:6-j&                  ,,          i.4..     :.r.:>     i          ..               power  ,of  0he word  #of promise. This is Isaac.  ' And the
              Th'e  nMh chapter of  ;the. epistle  `to the Romans                     other is  the'son of Abraham's  `invenitilon',  that he-could
teaches  .plainly  %hat God's sovereign  pkedestinati,on. cuts p&haps  be *established  through  Hagar. And  &his son
 right.  ithrongh   thhe. historical  line  `of the  looven,ant, and,                 is now struck with  *he vengeance of the  ,oovena&. He
 in the generations of believers, makes.  separati,on   !be- is `exiled from  khe camp  #of  AbT&am,  ~exGommuniGat~d
 Cween  khildren  lof  th!e promise and children of the :as a  covenantdbreaker.                                        Eva  &hen,  ,.itherefore,  Go18
 flesh.  ._.%  +_                                                                     partly  rievealed  tha$  <carnal descent from Abraham  <does
      -k. That  tl$s is.  emphatical,ly   a&d  exactl$y  *he  potint in               not guarantee eterrial  s.a@ation,  but (only faith  &I the
 Ram 9 :6-8 is  dien&cl by  +he leaders  ,of  ,the  bibera.ted                        p+romise of the Messiah Who wsould c~ome in the line
;clhurches.                    In&ead. of  -*he  antihhesis : election  a?zd `of Isaac. Even then  God  ,cut  `a  ,dead limb  ,out of  the
 reprobation, thtey in&t that: the. anti$hesis : faith and `cnee  ,of Abraham."
 unbelief  determines,.  aooord+ng to the  teaching  <of  R,om.                           Again  *he italics in the above  quo;tatilon  are mine.
      9;who  axe children. of the promise  .and  who. are  chlildren                  They  a?~?  .intended   ko bring out  that the titer  tireswits
 oi'  th!e  fleslh.                                  .                                both  Ishmael and Isaac as having the promise of the
              That  this is their  coritention may be  p!&ved  ifrom covenant, while  .the fact that  the former -does  :nrot  re-
an artlcl'e by +he'Rev. R. H. B,remmer,  in De- Ref,ormatie,                          oei-ve the promise' i,s  ,ascnibed  60  hlis unbelief only.
 Vol.  20,. No. 48, from which I  .$ranslate  l?he  f&owing :                         Whether  &his is  in! harmony  Sikh the teaching of  Roti.
              "This  ,concerns the great problem  ,raisejd in  R,om.                  9, we. will investigate  pa&sent&.
 9-12'  (g-11`?  H.H.) , aqltd in connectioin tith iit GaMans                             The  writer continues :
      3. It is this  great.  pzobl.em : is the  Word  ,of God  be-                        "Even  ,as  .t&e  SctiptnTes says  tof Esau  +hat  .he was
      come of none effect,  now the. blessing  #of Abraham is                         a fornicator  I(  Heb.  12.>16)   ,. that-is, a  oo,venamlt-breaker,
      bestowed  `on  tihe  Gentil,es, and  Isya$ is rejected? Is                      `who was  strutok by the  curse  &  ithe  covenalit. Again
 this in conflict with the  fa.ithfulness to His  World)  once                        God cut out a dead' limb -from the living  &pee of
 given?  _                                                                            Abraham.            -


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                         1 9 9

    And then,  inI  tlue  [clamp of Abraham, the tremendous the  p&o&se of God: "I will establish my  Icovenant be-
law was revealed that not  allI  .are Israel  that are  `of tween me  solid thee, and thy seed  aRer thee, in their
1sr:ael; that carnal descent does not-guarantee a  spirit-            generations, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed
L&,  believing, God-  ifearing  dispositi~on of the soul, cf.         after thee"? W:here, then, was the fulfillment of this
Matt. 3  :9 ; John 8 :36-44,  nor reception or  possessioml prom&e? In the light  ,of  $his promise to Abraham and
of, or  participati,on  in the promise of salvation. . . .            to his seed, how must  it be  understoiod  that so  .many
`There is  Ia  covenal&vengeance  ailid a  `covenantdblessing,        of Abraham's  seeci' never received. the blessings  prolm-
and the dreadful reality of this became  alread'y evident ised, were  .rejected?
.in Ishmael and Esau. Likewise the elective, sovereign                    This question the apostle  -puts in a very  spe&ic
,goo#d pleasure of the Lord  became evident.  _ Carnal                f,olrm, at least by `implication : Is the  W8or-d of God fallen
descent  surely does not guarantee  participa~tion in the             out, become  ,of  `ilone effect? Did God fail to  realizie His
blessings of the covenant. For this faith in the promise              promise to the seed of Abraham?
is necessity,  com'pliance  Ruth the  covenant-de"mand                    It is this question  w#h.ich he answers  in  the first
that a%ompamies the covenant-promise  and is insepar- part of Rom. 9.
ably  ,connectad with it."                                                And how  `does he answer it?
    Again `I  andersco:re, and  f,or the same purpose  tillat             Does he say : No, the promise of God is faithful, and
the `writer makes  fait.11  and not  pnedestination  the de- the Word of God has not fallen out,  !but the promise
ciding factor  to  sd'etermine whether  ,one  Ireceives the           was  condi~tional, contingent upon the  faithof those to
blessings of the covenant.                                            wh0.m it  `was promised ; :and since many did  not believe
    ,O?lle  more qnotat,ion :                                         the promise they  (did not receive  the blessings prom-
    "Thus also must be  .understood  vs.  3  ,of  Rtomans  9 :        ised to them,  bequeathe:d  upoin them, as  the Rev.  Bnem-
"That is,  %ey which are  ,of the flesh, these are not  the           mer would  `have it?
chiklren of God, but the children  lof the promise are                    Not at all. There is not  ,a  w.oir:d  int this  ljassage that
counted for the seed.                                                 su,ggests such an  interpr,etation.
    "Carnal descent does not determine  &he  aeceptio:n of             _ Moreover, in  that case, the  Wlord  ,of -God,. the prom-
the blessin,gs off salvation, only faith 4n the prom&~ does           ise to Abraham, would indeed have become  :of none
this  (I  undersc~cnre,  1H.H.). But  th,e reality  .of this  l.aw lefifect, and  that,~too) through the unbelief  ,of Abraham's
does indeed not  .emclude the fact that all  th,e  ,children          seed. And it is  exa,ctly  this  that the apostle emphatic-
of believing parents are really  chitldreni of the  Icovenant ;       ally denies. Th'e Word  ,of God has not  fal'len out.  Ma&s
if only, in the covenant,  -we maintain the covenant-curse            unbelief `cannot bring to nought the  f,aithfulness  ,of
and' the  covermnt-b1essin.g  next to each  (other, and we            GO&
(do not separate promise and demand, but view the                         But, thus he informs us,  ui:ider the promise to
position  `of the  chil~d~ren  i-ni  thi.s  l$ght."    . .            Abraham and his seed not all  the children according
    I ,might   ,qeote more.                                           to  ;the  fl,esh are comprehended !
    But, the  :above  is  suficient to  sholw that  ithe  R,ev.           The  Wo'rd of God has not  become:bf  none  :efgect  :
Bremmer so interprets Rom. 9 :6-8 that not election                   it never had reference to all the  descenldbnts of  Abra-
and reprobation, but faith and unbelief are  &he  Iaeeid- hzam !
ing factors in  determiniing who receives the  bllesaings                 That is the meaning of  R,om. 9.
of'the covenant that are  prom&d  to all.                                 More about this next time,  D.. V.
    However, it should not be  ,dif%ult to see  tihat the                                                                     ~  H.H.
author badly distorts the. plain  meaning  `of the -words
in! Romans 9.
    Let us follow the reasoning of the apostle.                 :              --- .  -  ._.-
                                                                                 .c     ,..j'
                                                                                  .'
    He is  ,dealing with a tremendous fact. Not  only                                            I N   tiEl\rlOI&M                  .I.,  -'
                                                                                                                              .-
,was the  nat.ion  ,of  Isra,el as such  rejsected, but thousands                                              _                           _  :
upon thousands of  imdividulal Jews  .di@ not enter into                 The Consistory of the First. Protestant &formed+hurch  .of
the  -kingdom  ,of God., had no- part with Christ  ,a.nd the          Holland, Michigan, hereby wishes to expreiss its.hea&eel~  sym-
bl,essi,ngs of salvation; now the promise  lolf  Go.d  .was           pathy to' our brother-elder, Mr.  H.. A. Van  Putten,  in the  loss
realized -through the death  and,  resurrl&ttio:ili of  C:hrist,      of his wife,                             .-
His  exaltatbon  and the  ,outpouring  lof the Holy  Spirit!                               MRS. H. A. VAN  PUTrlEN
T#hey  di.d not receive the promise.  -Facing this  falct,  "
the apostle faces  th,e question : how  must- this be  :ex- .            May the Lord give grace to $elieve  .@at He  _dioes -all things            ,
plained in the  ,light  (of  the  .prom%e to Abraham and  ' well and that His grace is  &Kent  unto those who trust in
his  see$?  .Were they not  Israeli<es,.&ildren  `of  Abra-           EI?m.
iham? Alnld  .if so,  -did  .not  th,e covenant pertain to  t$hem?                                                   W .   Hof~nn,  .Pres.
Di;d they not have the  p&n&e of  ,God? And  WELT   not                                                              R. Boum~eli.  Cl .x1<.


  200                                     ` T H E   STAND.ARD B E A R E R

                                                                           And if now we forget that it is He, the Christ, the
      THE  -TRIPLE  KNOWLEDGE  ' God of  `our salvation,, that is thus present with us as
                                                                       to His Godhead, the  ,statement of the Catechism  be-
                                                                       `Lames quite general,  .devoid of any special significance.
                                                                       For  in that  tc.ase it simply means  that,.as  Christ is God,
    An Exposition Of The Heidelberg and  `the  Codfhead is  :omni,present,  -H.e is immanent in
                           Catechism                                   ,a11 things,  and, thenefore, always near us. As He is' in
                                                                       the-heavens above and on  the earth beneath, as  He is in
                               P a r t   T w o .                       the rain  ~anlcl in the sunshine, in  tihe lightning  ,and in
                                                                       the thunder, in  [river and sea, in lake  ,and brook, in
                         Of Man's Redemption                           flower  and  .tree, in the beasts of the field and the fowls
                          Lord's Day XVIII                             ,of the air; and as He  upholds all things  aby the Word  ,of
                                                                       H.is power, So He is also present with us, in us, about
                                   L-3
                                   L.                                  us,  ,an.d sustains  aus by His  p,owter. But  iin that sense the
              The Presence  .Of  .The Ascended Lord (cont.)            statement  iexpresses  nothing special about  the  h%nd
         We must  Ibear in mind-that it is  He  of Whose  pre- of  nearness and presence with us of the Son  ,of God.
  smenoe with us the  Catechism  sp,eaks.                                  But how  ,different  a  ,oonception  awe'oibtain of this
         H,e, Jesus Christ our Lord, is ever present with              presence the moment we remember that it is the  Go,d-
  `us `in His  #Godhead   ,and majesty. He  fit is that  ,never head  .of the Christ  <of  whilch we  are'speaking,   ,or rather,
  leaves us in respect to His grace  ,and Spirit.                      that it  is  He Himself, personally, Who with respect to
         It is the presence  $of  .the Son  ,of God in the flesh,      His  %odhead is never absent from us, but  .always  `near !
  Who united  <Himself  bwith  c&r nature,  -anid still is God         For then we  bielieve and  .understand that  -it is We
  and man in unity  `of the  ditine Person; the  Presenae,             presence  ,of the mighty God  that  is  for  us,  iof  which.
  i& merely of God the  Creator;  :Who calls  ibhe things `we are trying to say  Bornething.  -It means that He
  that are not as if they  were, but of  -God  ,our  R&de&or,* favors us. It. implies that He  timploys and applies all
  Who quickens  Ihe  .deed.; of  Him Who.  ,died  for  ,our His  ,d.ivine virtues, His `wisdom and power, His infinite
  transgressi,ons,   aed  Whb  was,.rai$ed for  ,our  j~ustifica- love and  mer,cy, in  behalf of  our salvation. `It  signliifies
  `tiy in  :Wh?.rn  Go,d. was  re-tin~ciling the `world  u&o           not merely that, He is present with us  in His  provi-
  Hunself;   I  uiot imputing their trespasses  ,unto them  ; ,denee,- but  ,it  ltiharacterizes  and  ,defines that almighty
  and Who is.  exalt~ed in  the, highest  heaven.s,  th!e  ascend-     and  allwise providence for  us. as a government  :of
  ,ed Lord Who  lred  cipi$vity  captive, and Who, as the everlasting, immutable, ever faithful love. It  ,denotes,
  Head of the  Church,  Ireceived the promise of the Holy moreover, that He is present with us in His  .divine life,
  Ghost. H(e, the revelation  ,of the God  <of our salvation,          His covenant-life,  and that  IHe reveals the Father unto
  in Whom  the,  fultn,ess  .of  rthe Godhead.  ldw:elleth bodily,     us, that  we,.too,  might partake of His  l,ife,*anld share in
  Who is our  ,wis!om,  and righteousness, and  .sanctifica- His covenant  fehowship.                  The Redeemer-God, Christ
  tick,  zn!d  redeniptison,  ,is never absent, but  eyer present      our Saviour, is  !ever present with us as respect His
w i t h   u s .                                                        Godhead !
     I As such He is  present. with  .us  ,as respects His God-            He is present with  ,us with respect  to  H:is majesty.
  h e a d .                                                 .           Majesty is the dignity  ,of royalty, the  glo.ry of
         His Godhead is His  divin,-mat&e;  t!he  i.mplicati,on of sovereignty, the authority of  l'ordship. And  C.hrist has
  all infinite perfections, His self-existence  and  inde- majesty. As Son of God, in  H.is  divi.ne nature, -He is
  pence, His  eterni.ty  anI8  ,iwensity, His  soverei!gnty            the absolute Majesty  .in  Hi*mself. He is the Lord,
  and  immut,ability,  IHis infinite wisdom  anld  knowl~ed~ge, -cl,othed with  $divine dignity,  abso~lutely sovereign  over
  His  boun!dless  Iove and mercy, His  absol.ute  ri,ghteous-         all, possessing all and  lthe only power and authority in'
  ness and perfect holiness, His limitless power  !and Lord- all  Icreat,ion for ever. And at His  exaltati'oa  also  IHis
  ship  <over  ,a11 created  th#ings. With respect to  His  .God- hu.manInature  was clothed  Iwith majesty, for all power
  head  Hte is eternally in the bosom of- the Father,  eo- was given  .unto Him in heaven  *and on  iearth. He  &es..  '
  essential with Him  and  with.the Holy Ghost. He is                  He judges.         He executes judgment. His Word is
  the Son, the Word  `of, God, the  effuljgenoe   lof  the Father's ,quBck and. powerful, sharper than any  twoedged sword,
  glory, the  Iexpress  image of  His  sulbstan'ce,  Who knows piercing to the dividing  lof  :soul and spirit, of the joints
  the Father and  iS known of  H.im ; Who  l,oves the Father and marrow,  ban1d  discierniing the thoughts and intents
  anld  is  Iove8  loif Him  ; Who' ,dwel,ls  with  the Father  and    of the  hieart.
  the  IHoly Ghost in eternal fellowship.  ,of' perfect  frimend-          But  `*again,  we could but  trembll,e and- quake with
  ship,  an!d Who has life in Himself.                            -    terror at the presence  sof His  maj.esty,   wlere we forget-.
         With. respect to that Godhead `He is ever present,,           ful  Iof the truth that it is  iHui,r majesty  that. is never
 `never absent.
         /                                                             ,absent  Strom us  ; that it is  He,  the Christ  ,of  Goid\ Who
                                                                                              .

                                            . .


                    _  -                         TH-E  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R `                                                            201

      loved  ,us even  .unto  ,death, and Who was  rai:sed for our               Thus, then, is the nature of the presence of our
      justification, that is present with  ,us oonstantly and -ascen,ded Lord.
      forever.       N:ow we still tremble and fear, indeed;  -but              And  tl% presence is constant. He never leaves  :us+.
      with the awe and  revere&e  :of',love. .We know that, this                 We may not, be,  anta are not always conscious of this
. awful majesty loves  UIS, that He  empljo,ys His royal                     bbessed nearness of the God of  o,ur salvation,  b,ut His
      powler and dignity  ~unito  `our salvation, that  IHis mighty          presence never fails. We may wander  @ar away some-
      sovereiignty  rules over us in  aboundlless grace. And times, as sheep that  go astray, so  that, we are quite
      being thus ever present with us as  *respects His glorious             oblivious of His presence;  ,but  He never forgets us,
      majesty, He makes us longing  and'willing to bow be- neither forsakes us. Nor does He ever fail to bring  ,us
      fore Him, to know and  .to do His will.             Conlscious of back  from our evil wanderings to the blessedness of
      the oonstant- presence  .of His majesty, `we work out                  His  fel180wsihip.  But in the measure that we live by
 :our  ,own salvation with fear and  trembling,  and' become                 faith, hear* His Word, walk in His way, we also ex-
      diligent to strive to enter into His rest.                             perience that Christ,  tihe ascended  Lo:rd,  .as respects
          And  ,so we understand also that, finally, His  pne-               His  Godshead,  majesty, grace and Spirits, is ever pre-
      sense with us as respects His grace and Spirit,  is not                sent with us!                                                          I
      something additional to the foregoing, something  separ-                The  cons+iousness, of that presence is  the'joy of
      ,ate from the  rest,,  ibut that it rather explains the  modie         faith.                      I .
      tof His  ;vhole presence with us.                                                                                             H        .                 H;
          He is not present with us  in respect  to His God-
      head and Majesty, and in  ,addi.tion to this,  ialso with
      !His grace and Spirit, but the former are modified! by
 -~ the  llatter : it is a gracious Godhead,  &nd a  lgracious
      Maj.esty, that are present with us through -Jesus Christ,                                                            i  -
      our  assoended Lord.                                                        Freedom From Condemnatick
          His grace and Spirit : these two belong  together.~
          They. are not to be  Iconceived as  ooordinate.in their
      relati'on                                                                          ~There  is therefore now no condemnation for-them
                    to  ea,ch other,  ,but rather thus that the  ion;e is
      the cause, the source, the auther of the other. In  aed                          ,which are in Christ-  Jesug  who walk  not after  ;the
      through His Spirit, He is  .present  with us as respects                         flesh  but  ,after  the  Spti,t.
                                                                                                                                   Remans  89,.
H i s   g r a c e .                       a                                                                                                         .-
         .Of His Spirit we must speak  im a later  .connec-                   .: The eighth  ichapter of the  Remans is a  beauiiful,
      tion.                                                                  inspired song  .of redemption, sung in the pure  <anId
          F,or the present  it is  suficient  that we remember ,olear *atmosphere of  the  wondrous&rase of  God  :on the
      that this Spirit is the Holy Ghost  but as the Spirit of very mountain-tops  `of faith. Beginning  with the  nega-
      Christ, the ascended Lord. For to Christ  ,as the Medi- ,ti~e, yet  lemphatic  declaration that there is no `con-
      ator  :o9 redemption, as the  Head'  of  .His Church, the              demnation for them that  ,are  ins Christ Jesus, the
      promise  [of the Holy Spirit was given, And this  psom-                apostle  si.ngs of the- glorious liberty of the sons of God,
      ise was  fulfilleld when Be  ascenlded  &p  oa high,. and `of their freedom from the. law  ;olf  sint and death, of
      sat down at the  <right Band of God. For He  .asaended their blessed hope of `everlasting glory,  Iof  *heilK safety
      up  ,on high, leading captivity captive, that  IHe might and preservation in this present  worl,d, and of the cer-
      give gifts, glorious gifts of grace, gifts of  ,fongiveness            tainty of their final adoption unto  chiltdren and heirs  i.n
      and righteousness,  iof holiness and love  02 God, of the  ,day  .of Christ. The law of the Spirit of life made
.  `eternal `life and  :glory, to men.            Unto this  en,d He them free from the law of sin and  ideath, and they walk
-  neceived the Spirit. And in  that Spirit  H'e  returned not  ,after the flesh. but after the  Sp$rit. The  Spirit
      to His own, to dwell  i,n them and  be+th them for ever.               of `God in Christ  Jesns  dwells in them, causes them
  -For the  apostl,e  P$eter proclaims on  the glorious  (day to mind the things of the Spirit, leads  hhem, so  that
      of Pentecost : "The&ore  being by the right -hand thy His  gr,aaoe they mortify  the:  `deeds  ,of  ithe  `)3,ody,  wi$-
      of God exalted, and  ihaving received  `of the Father nlesses, with their spirit that they are the  `~children of
      the promise of the Holy Ghost, he  bath shed forth                     God',  ,and is the  `earnlest  of their  final salvation. Sons
      th.is which we now see and hear." Acts 2  :33.
 ,                                                                           of God  6hey are, and oo-heirs with Christ. And  even
          In that Spirit He is ever present with us.                         though in this  worl,d they will have to suffer  wihh  *Him,
          And that presence is  fuI1 of  grade.                              they may be  :a&ened  that they `will -also be  Iglorified
          Through the Spirit He is gracious to us, causes us with Him.  Atid  t!he_s&erings  of  this present time
  `to taste  8His  `gr&e and makes  us  pairtakers of  all the are  not  .w:orthy to be compared with the  gl,ory that
      blessings  of- grace He merited for  us,  C?$  this we                 shall be revealed  .in  them. All creation, now  subjeot
      must speak  in  our  -next chapter,  _.                  ~-            to vanity and to the  ,bondage of  $orruption,  eagerly


        -_
 202                                     T H E   STAN-DARD   B E A R E R

 1,0&s  forward and groans in longing for its  slhare in is  nlo  condemnation  far them that are in Christ Jesus.
 that glorious redemption of the sons of God. And we' Nevertheless, this is not the  meanmg of the  wouidls  here.
 lours.elves, that have  th,e* firstfruits  ,of  the  Spi,rit, also, We must  conaeive   ,of the  j,udgment as present. We are
 groan, as we are  savled in hope, while the Spirit  within now in  jm&gment. For `always God judges. And al-
 us prays for us with groanings that  e&not  Lbe uttered. ways  H.e  passes~a righteous judgment, and expresses a
 And the realization of this future glory is absolutely righteous  verdict upon  .us. And that  v!erdi& is, for
 certain. It is rooted in God's immutable counsel. To              those that  .are in  2Christ Jesus : No  aondenzltistion!
 that end  all things must work together. God is  folr us.             Dlo  cot imagine that this negative  expre&olnnl  is
 Christ  .diecl, was raised, is exalted at the right hand of       rather weak;  a.nd that the declaration  `of the apostle
 God,  ,intercedes for  us.  And  nfoithmg in heaven,  ' on would have been,  mu,ch more  rforceful if  .he had written
<earth, or  i& hell, can ever separate  :us from the love of positively that there is an eternal righteousness for us..
 God  which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are more For  .by the negative assertion the apostle refers to
 than `conquerors through Him that  1,oved us !                    ,our real situation, to what we are in ourselves, and to
     All this is introduced by  lthe emphatic statement what verdict  might be, nay, must  ibe expected when we
 of the first verse: "There is  therefo,re now no con-             stan.d in judgment before God. Condemnation, utter.
 demnation to them  which are in Christ Jesus!" And and complete  icondenmation,   nothinig but condemnation,
to this we would like to call your  attenti,on more particu- coul'd  p.ossibly be expected when  `wie stand  ibefoae'the
 larly.                                                            bar of  cdivme justice. F.or God is the righteous Lord.
     It is plain that in these words the  .apostlle  ,draws        He is  Go,d! He is the Holy One, that can have no
 an inference, a  l.ogica.1   oondusi~on from what he had communion with  sin: He cannot deny Himself. When
 expounded in the preceding  pa,&  of the epistle. I would He  j,ud.ges, His judgment  mm& always  blel according
 fied the  comiection,  not in any  !expression in the  ,im-       to righteousness. He cannot acquit the guilty. His
 mediately  precedmg chapter only,  :but in all that has           favor cannot be upon the  ungo8dly. To the sinner  H!el is
 been set forth in the previous section  c,on,cernilng  the a consuming fire, always, in time and eternity. 0, if
 righteousness of God  w&h is by faith in Christ Jesus.            you might conceive of God  -as some  goo,d natured being,
 "There  ,is therefore now  lnio condemnation." The word who winks at sin, and who is so weakly and  .effeminate-
 "now"  )does not imply that there  `was  conderrmation ly merciful that He cannot maintain His righteousness
 bef,ore,  butthat  now it is  Irlemo,ved, for there never was and pass a righteous judgment,  t.here  would be nothing
`any  ,coademnation  for them  t.hat are in Christ Jesus. profound and  am&ng  .in the statement of the apostle
 Rather must  ,we understand the words as meaning:                 that there is no condemnation. In fact, then there is
 "in the light  <of all that was  expoundseld  eoncernin,g  the no  conidemnati'on  for any  man!, and the  ad&ition:   "fo,r
 righteousness  ,of  Go8 by faith, it is now evident that          them that are in Christ Jesus," has no sense. But
there is not, that there never was any  .cond,etia%ion  at         now it is  diff%erent. The words place us before God,
 all for those that are in Christ Jesus  !"                        Wchose  velry  .essence is justice and righteousness,  an,d
     Thus conceived, the words have a  tremendloas  si#g-          Who will surely reward every man according to his
 nificence !                                                       ,works!
     To apprehend their  ful.1 import we must  ~unidesstand            And, as we  :&and before  thathighest'tribunal, what
-`chat they place us, sinners, in  `our present existence,. is our situation? Is there, in  #our  present existence,
 with  dl our present experience in  jud.gment,  Ibefore           anything at all  .that  can serve as a basis for the hope
 God, the righteous and only  Ju.dge  af heaven and earth.         and expectation that there is no condemnation? You
 F,or that is the  imglicatlon of the  w,ord  "condemna- know better. The very  Fopposite  is true. The fact
. tio:il?`. It is a legal term. `It means that God sits on is that absolutely everything in our present situation
the throne  )of judgment, and that  `wei  stand' before  H:im loudly and persistently clamors for our  ,condemnatio,n.  -
as the defendants.       It implies that the Most  IHigh Nay, what is `worse,  ,everything very [definitely testifies
judges us according to  the  St&test standards  (of justice ,that we  -are already, that we are always under  con+
 and  ritghteousness,.  and that  H!e passes sentence,  -,ex- demnation. As mere men, we are born under  condem-
presses His  verdi,ct  coecerning.lour moral,  ethi8cal state.     nation, for with the whole  [human race we are guilty of
 And, mark you well, we must realize that this is a Adam's transgression, and we are  children  ,of wrath.
present and constant reality. We  ,dare  niot project              Moreover, our nature is corrupt, so that there is no
this whole  situ,ati!on into the future, the  stil,l  ,distant  ,day good at all. in  .LW,  and we  ,are always inclined to do evil.
 of  jud!gment,  as if the text  shoul8 mean that in that And `we  Iknlow it, and  are keenly aware of it, when we
future judgment day we shall  b.e judged and  acqu:itied.          stand before the judgment seat  ,of God. Moreover,
 For that  would deprive the text  ~of its tremendous              whatever may be our  :boast of righteousness  b,efore
 significance. It is true that  there will be  `a  <day. of the men, when we face  the Judge of heaven and earth, we
 revelation  `of the righteous  j,udgment  <of God, and  that      keow only too well that we have sinned, `and that we
 in that day it  ,will publicly and  finally  .appear   *that, there have always  moorrupted  our way.  (Our  ,own conscience


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                       203

 accuses us, and loudly proclaims So  ,us the inevitable              in Christ Jesus." These words signify that in the
 judgment of God that we  ar.e under  co,ndemalati,on. midst  #of the natural body and organism of the  ihuman
-And so  doles all  our #experience  in  ,OLN-  prelsent  iexist-     race, of which Adam is the head and first father and
 ence. For  `w:e  he in the midst  ,of death,  ,and  &here is no      root, and  wh$icli lies under condemnation and wrath,
 way out. We are mortal and corruptible. We suffer                    there is another, a new `corporation  aii:d body, of which
 and  .die. And in  <all our suffering and death we feel              Christ Jesus is the Head  a,nd representative. And for
 the heavy hand of God, the Judge of heaven and earth,                those that belong  to  this new corporation, and that are
 upon us. His wrath `is revealed from heaven!  Con-, members of  this  spiritua.1 body, there is not, there
 demnation, utter and  irlrevo!cable  conldemnation,-that             never  `w.as, and there never  wi,ll be condemnation. In
 is the testimony that is, as it were,  sh&ed at us  fr,om            Christ Jesus,  and  (because  of their  reiation to Him,
 every side, as me stand  ,before.the  lbax of  God% justice!         they. are free from the  condenmation of the whole
     Thus conceived, the  w,orcls of the  apostle.are  seen human race, perfectly righteous, and worthy  #of ever-
 to have an astounding significance. T!hey are not the lasting life and glory. Where does this new body  hav(e
 expression of actual experience at all,  #but  its flat  con-        its origin? Who forms  .it? How do we become mem-
 tra&cti.on.    Our  owns conscience  ,condemlna us; yet here bers of it? And  how. do we know that we belong to it,
 is a testimony that overcomes and contradicts the voice and that, therefore, we are free from condemnation.?
 of that  consci~ence, and says :  therie is no  condemnati,on  !           T~he  answ,er  to  the first  questi:on takes us to eternity,
 O,ur `relation to Adam condemns  ,us and  ass.ures us                to the eternal  sotvereign grace of God. For this new,
 that we  ,are  Iohildren of wrath, yet  .here is a bold de-          spiritual corporation and body  folr the  whi,ch there is
 claration that lifts  US  `out  ,of that damning  conmeotion ,110   ,oondemnation,  has its origin solely in God's eternal                       _
 with the human race, and asserts: there is no  condem-               <counsel of redemption. Christ Jesus is the  eternalSon
 nati,on ! All  `our actual sins clamor for our  condema-             of God,  ondained from  b.efore the foundation of  the
 tion, yet  t.he words of  ,ou.r text  icontradilct their persist-    world to be the  -Bead of His people, their Redeemer
 ent  ,clamor  aql  Id'eclare : there  is. no condemnation !          from sin and death, the Captain  ,of,, their salvation
 A.11 our  exp,erience emphatically  wiltnesses that we  li!e through  .Whom  it pleased God to lead  Imany children
 in the midst  `of death, yet even  .wliilte we suffer and die, to glory.  An;d the members of this corporation, those
 the  wlords  od  tour text  wloulcl have  u's cry from the depth     that are in Christ  Jesu,s, are those whom God has from .
 of death : there is no  ,dondemnation  !        They are not         all eternity chosen in  iHim. Christ Jesus and His body
 the  iwords of experience, but the  tr.iumphant  shout  o:f lvere established  ailid  det,ermined in eternity  Iby  t.he
 that faith  tha~t overcomes the  worl'd, and that casts              soverei.gn  grace of God. For  -thus the Word  ot God
 itself  .upon the mercies  ,of God, and clings to Him as             teaches  LIS  in Eph.  1:3, 4: "Blessed be  the-`God and
 seeing the Invisible !                                               Father of our  Losd. Jesus Christ, who  bath  blesse:d'
     And the words are very  iemphatic. In the original .us with all spiritual blessings. in heavenly places in
 they read': in  no respect is there any  condemnat.ion.              Christ:  A,ccording  as he  bath  cho,sen us in  8him.before
 Experi,enoe  testifies that there is condemnation in                 the foundation of the  world,  that we should  be holy
 every respect : in respect to our  relati,on to Adam and and  w'ithout  Iblame  :before  lhim in  l,olve." That is why
 the  huma.n race, in respect to  8ouir  .original' guilt,  in we said that there never `was  co:nd&-rmation for, them
 respect to our  ,corruption and the defilement  ,of  our. that are in  C.hrist Jesus. Even though in time they
 nature, in  ,resplect to  olur actual walk and life, in  *respect    are born as children of  wrath, in God's eternal  cou,nsel
 to our  sufferi,ng and death:  wh.erever we look,  -and they stand  eternally as the company of the redeemed
 from  `wzhatever  aspect we  consid,er  our present  lexistence      and justified and glorified.1 F.or them there is no con-
 and situation,  ther:e  .is  no$hing   :but condemnation. But >demnation!
as we by  fait,h lay hold on the Word of God in our text,                                   (-to be continued)
 we  bo,ldily  -declare that  .in all these respects there is                                                                H. H.
 no  roond~emnation.  Positively, this means that  accord-
 in.g to the judgment of God Who cannot lie we' have no                                                                                                P
 sin, we  ane  .perfectly righteous, we  ark, the  :objects
 `of God's favor, and  w,orthy  of  .everlasting life and
 glory !    In the midst  `of sin we declare  that we are                                        L E C T U R E
 righteous! Under  ,condemnation  we -insist that we are
 justified ! Crying from the depth  `of {death,  w,e trium-                             By the Rev. `H. Hoeksema
 phantly  til,airn that `we have eternal life ! There is no Subject :                Children  of the Promise.
 condemnation !
     But how is this  possibl!e?           r                          Date :     Thursday, February 7, 1946.                                 .
    W,heurs may  ,be  fou,nd the  solutio:n of this paradox? Phe: Gospel Hall, South Park and W.  Vin'e Streets,
 . The answer is in the words: "for them which are                               Kalamazoo,       Mich.      _ .

                                                                      .-


            204                                 T H E   STANDA-RD   B E A R E R

                                                                             camps. The one  `Was headed by the aforesaid  oounts  losf
                                                                             Tusoulum and the other by the Roman family of the
                       THROUGH  THE  AGES-                                   Ptolomies. The latter, making use  .of the reports of
                                                                             the daily rapines, murders, and abominations of Bene-
                                                                             dict, stirred up the Roman  peopl,e -against  ,him. The
               The  Second  Degradation  of  the                             result was that-he was expelled from the  ;city  an:d the
                                                                             vi&o:rious faction--the' family  ;of Ptolemies-  plased
                   Papacy, and the Reform Popes                              John, Bishop of Sabina,  iunder  the name of Sylvester
                                                                             III,  in-W papal  `chair as antipope (Jan. 1044). Per-
                                                                             ceiving that -he  ha,d *become an object of  pablic con-
                   In the  p,revious  arti'cle  regal-id was had  to the first tempt and abhorrence,  ton account of his enormous
            ,degradation of the papacy, which  oocurlred in the tenth wi,ckedness, Benedict decided to part with the popedom,
            ssentury; As we saw, the popes of this-period with few and accordingly*  sold it to John  Gratianl, who assumed
            exceptions  wtere  tiioked men, the reason  .being that the  nfatne  ,of  I Gregory VI. Regretting the bargain,
            thei.r election was  ~control~led  iby political factions in     Benedict claimed the dignity again.  -Tjhus, there.  nocw
            Rome  ,headed by Italian' nobles; As was explained,              were three popes claiming possession of the papal
            from the tyranny of these  niobles the papacy `was throne-BenedictIX,  ,Sylvester  .III, and Gregory` VI.
            rescued  iby  LOtho I surnamed the Great. lOtho   and his        Their rivalries bespoke the general condition of Italy.
            successors-Otho II (937-983) and and  rOtho III (983-            The streets  !of  R,ome were filled  with hired assassins
           -1002)  ,did the papacy a great service. They  ~d&ver&d' and the Whole  <country with robbers.  &Ietiry III, em-
            it from the power  `of Roman  nobhes,  rest,ored it to           peror of Germany, of the house of  Franconia, hearing
            wealth,  .and  placed in the papal throne  oclcupants who of the  :dreadful  d.isorders that prevailed in Rome,  and
            were at  elast' not  lcriminds. But the  reform  lof the         entreated by the  advolcates of reform to take action,
            papacy  Iv\nas' only temporal. It was followed by a <went to  R,ome in person. to enquire upon the spot into
            second period  of. disgrace that lasted till  th,e middle  ,of the conduct  :bf the popes and the state. of. the  ohurch.
          _ the 11th century. After-the death of  O&o. III, the Arriving at Sutri, a small town about twenty-five miles
          papacy  -passed  iunder the  oontrol  of the counts of the nio?th of Rome, he  #ordered Gregory VI to convoke there
            powerful  Tusculum family in Italy. The next three               a synod to consider the claims of the three  rival'pon-
            popes-Benedict  VIII., (1012-1024) John XIX  (1024- tiffs. Benedict IX and  Silvester III were `declared
            1032))  and  Benedi,ct IX  (1033-1048) were the creations usurpers, simoniacs, intruders and as suoh deposed.
            of. these  ,counts. All three were unworthy, but th.e            Gregory  VI-l:ik@wise had bought the  .papecy.       But as
            last-Benedict  IX-was one  &of the worst occupants  `of he,  :otherwise-..Was a worthy person-his purpose in
            the papal throne. His two predecessors had  bo,ught buying the papacy was to reform it-he was allowed
           the papal  ,dignity by open  ,brib,ery, and  (his  .el.ection to depose himself,  which he  Ichid in these  `wor,ds,  "I,
            likewise was a -mere money  Ibargain  between the  Tus-          Gregory, bishop,  ,servant of' the servants of God, do
            `culun  Ifamily and-the clergy and the populace of  R,ome.       hereby adjudge myself to  Ibe removed from the-pontifi-
            He was a boy of only ten  ,or  tkelve years of age  when cate of the Holy.' Roman Church,  ,because of the  enor-.
            he became pope, but this poy-pope equaled and  .and mous error which by  simoniacal impurity has crept
            even surpassed  .John XII in  twickedness. He <was ,child-       into and vitiated my election.." Then he` asked the
            ish and  vici'ous, growing worse as  he'-advanced  .in years.    Council, "`Is it your pleasure that so it  shall be?" to
            He committed  mun$ers and  adullteries  in open day-light, which the assembled fathers  repljed, "Your pleasure is
          robbed pilgrims on  ,&he graves of martyrs,  and con-. our pleasure; therefore, so let  .it be."  Thereapon   .he
            verted Rome into a haunt of thieves. And his crimes              divested himself, in full  councils, of the pontifical robes,
            `went unpunished; for a pope could be judged by no surrendered  the. pastoral staff, renounced all claim to
            man but by God alone. Besides, Gregory was  patrkcian            the  papal-,chair, and  b,egged' for forgiveness. Simony
/           of the city, and Gregory was the brother of this  Bene-          is the vile doing  iof buying the  sa,cred-  office with a
            Idi'ct ; and  Alb,eric,  ,the powerful oount of  Tusoulun, who price. But there were few popes  in- the tenth  oentury
            had spared no money in getting  him. ejected, was his whose election  #was not vitiated  ,by this sin. And as
            father. Desiderius, afterwards pope  ander the  nam.e of compared with the atrocities of many of these  J,udases,
            Victor II, speaking  `of him, styles him Simon the Sor- the sin seemed a  smaB  ooe. Of the  thr,ee  deposed'pon-
            cerer and describes him as abandoned to  ,a11  maneer of tiffs,. Gregory is the one  :who is recognized in  all the
            crime.     It is reported  thatat  one time he wanted to         catalogues among the lawful  po,p.es.  The see  being
            marry his. cousin  a.nd to seat her  irni the papal chair;        -loant by the resignation of Gregory, Henry nominated
            ,but, the father of the woman refused unless he  .abdi-          anld the clergy and the people  ohose  ,a  nm pope, `who
            cated the papacy. There were at this-time  two power- &ssu,med the name of  ,Cllement II and  who'crowned the
     '      Iful factions in Rome, dividing the city into  <two hostile king emperor. So was the papacy again  rescutid! by  a;'
                          ,


                                        THE,  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R '                                                  205

 ki:ng of Germany-rescued for  Ihe second time from tiis juncture, dared to break with the  king of Germany
 political factions in Rome.                _                        can.  ,be explained. Henry  II;I:  .had died,' 1056, and his
     The  conltrol of Henry III  aver papal  ~eletiti~ons  ,&as      son  ati&-.heiY   to the  thyoWn,  Htenlry IV, then was a boy
 complete fox the  r.est of his days. He raised  sluacessive-        of six, under the regency of  .:his  &other,  Agn.e& But
 `ly to the papal throne  four of his own  selfections-the           the papacy was well aware that it could not maintain
 agoyesaid Clement II, who survived his election  olily itself without the military support of some temporal
 nine  m,onths;  Damascus II,  who  ,died twenty  bhne days power: It  `could  count on  the  aild of Godfrey of Tuscany..
 after his  .consecration; Leo IX  and  Vi&& II. Leo IX              But  &is  .`was not enough. The  Normans  were  ohaf-
 was a  m'an of  noble  .bi,rth,.  v,enerable   appea.raince  and    fing under  the-yoke imposed upon them by  the-German
 tipotless  character,  ;vrrho vigorously  aid'dressed himself crown. Aware  ,of this,  Nilchol& II  ackno;wler$g~d  their
 to  the  iask of reforming- the.  chtich by holding synods. conquests,  fTeed  th,em  !from their allegiance to the
 .anld enforcing papal  auth.ority in the  con&mnation  of Emperor and  armexed  their  territo,ry to this own throne.
 priestly  maTriages and simony. Toward the  cllose  ,of He claimed that right  .on the  iground that, being lord
 ,his career he undertook a  mil!itary expedition against            elf  locds,  ,it lay also within his power to grant and  wtith-
 the  Normans,  iri defense of  church property:  .De- hold kingdoms. The  Normans  did not demur. `They
 feated  and taken prisoner, he gained release again by              were  .eager to league-%&h the pope in  free&g them-
-granting  the N&mans  their  8conqaests.  ' Victor II, who selves from the shackles of the emperor. The  con-
 died  $wo years after his  8electi70n, was the last of these -quests of  tihe  Normans  included  als,o Lower Italy,  w&here
 German popes;  --After  his  m,death, the  p'eople of  R,ome,       dw& the Lombards  a&  ,besides many Greeks and
 as led  -by  the,reformers,  ,ele&ed Stephen `IX, Aug. 3,           Arabs most of `whom were heretics. But Nichollas care-
 1057 ; but he died in the  followling year. The  &ath  of fully avoided any  interference with  henehics, for he  did
 Stephen  result&! in  a crisis.  `The corrupt Roman not want  to be hindered in his  ,opeYations for the  ag-
 N,obles, from whose ~ove~lord&p  the papacy again had grandizement of the  &ur&. The  paeacy; as  .it  "became
 .be& rescued by Henry III, set up a pope  acoording to              flesh and blood  .&en in these reform popes,  wa's ready
%hei!t*  .own mind, who  namled himself  Bentedict X. The            to twist itself into any  &ape in  lo,rder to  ac&iev;&   ,its
 reform party protested,  ,bjut they could effect  n.othing          aims for world dominion.  A's  stEengthen[ed  .by these.
 against superior force and were  ,obliged to flee. The new alliances, Nicholas II  n.ow  dam&/cl' to assert himself
 situation was saved by  lone man-Hildebraed, the soul               which he also did by forebidding by investure under
 and leader of  tihe reform party. He gathered  .his  fo!- any  circumstanc;es.
 loZwers  ,in a small town-Siena-in the vicinity .of R,ome,              Pope Nicholas II died July 27,  1061. Some months
 amcl th'ere &e bish(op .of Florence was chosen as Nicholas          later the cardinals nnder  %he guidance of  IH$ldebrand,
 II. The,neti pope  -`was made master. of Rome  .by a elected a new `pope, who took  the name Alexander II
 military force supplied by a lay  ru4er in  ItalyeGodfrey           (1061-10'73).    But the German bishops,  resenkful  :o$ a
 ,of  Tuscany.                                                       method to papal:  el!ectidin  that  excl.ude&  `their king, did
     The most significant  ,evenrt  of the  pontif&te  af not acknowledge him, but  ohose for their pope at a
 Nicholas II was  bhe enactment of -a special  1~ on the council held at Basle, bishop of  Parma,  under  ;the name
 matter of papal elections.  H.eretofore the  pop!es  $ad of  Honoriqs  II. The election  of this  anti-pope was a
 been chosen  lby the clergy  an,d the people  .of  R,ome. protest against the  new system of-  &uneh government
 That was called a  canoni  ek&ion. But in the past,                 of these Hildebrandian popes.         Especially- hated was
 as we  ha?e  seen, the people often  .h&l been  Ibxibed  to the  tondinance forbidding  %he clergy, Co marry. Thus,
 raise to the papal throne the candidate of whatever the  opposition1  i.ndud,ed the  ma.rried  clergy and the
political1   party was dominant in  Rom& The  a+-n  df  the  .simontioal laity. what was desired is  la  .mad%atio& of
new  leg.islation  was twofold, namely, to  remofve  bhat  ,discipline  and legalization of clerical, marriage.. All
evil  an,d to free the election of the popes  $y:orn the  con-       hopes  wqle pinned on the ability  `of  Hcjnoriaus  to  ma.in-
trol  .of the kings  lof Germany.  Accordingly,  it  -provi:ded tain himself. Doubtless, be wonld  .have won, were it
that  the  pop:e  shoulld be  [chosen by the  college  .of car-      not for a single event. Anno, arch-bishop of Cologne,
 dinals,  whi,ch  .incl&ed not  all1 the  cleqgy but  %he  pres- wrestled the tutorship of Henry  IV  lout of -the  hands of
 byters  )of the most  @p&ant churches  in Rome, the his mother Agnes  an,d threw his influence on the side
leading  ideacons  or heads of  the  %harity districts into          elf the reform  par.ty.    This hastened a  :decision  c,f the
whi,eh Rome `was  ,divided, and the  suburban  bishops.              contest,. A synod of  Germah-and   Italban bishops, held
It  provilded,  ,d$d  hhe  ri~ew  legisl&i:on, that the  selectioti at Mantus, May 31,  d&la@ed  Alexam&r  the.  pightftil
Iof this body be submitted  to  &e people for  applrobation.         pope and  anathamatiz.ed Honorius, who disappeared
 It  refrai(n,ed from  ,giving the emperor a  shar;e in the from history.
`choice  abut stipulated  that  l&e pope might come  from               NV% only in Rome but  throughout  tlxe  chunch, the
anylwher,e in the &&ch. The new  ,constitution  governs  offi,ce of  bishohs  had-  !becom.e a matter of  traf;fic and
the election of popes to this day. That the papacy,  at              s&. The evil practice is  known  .by  the name  "simoqy".


The  neason of this abomination, which  prloceeded from was founded by God alone. The Roman pontiff alone
the seat of the  pojpe,  wilt1  ,be made plain in the sequence.    can  with right be  called  universa!l. He alone  can de-.
It `will be found that  tihe root  iof  this  evil_was- the        pose or reinstate bishops. It may be permitted  hi& to
acquisition of  lenormous material wealth  `by the  Ro&an          depose  emp.erors. He himself may be judged of no one.
hieyarehy. `All  ,during his pontificate, Alexander II, as He may absolve! subjects of their fidelity  .to  wi'cked
supported  .and encouraged by  Hiklebrand, made relent- r.ul'ers."            On these  priti@es  Hildebrand, as pope,
less war against simony by  tihreatening  the off&ding reigned  ,an@ strove  lfor  n80thiilg short of  wor'ld  dimin-
bishops with excommunication. By  t:he same weapon,- ion. And because of  tshe  uncommon  :consistealcy and
be made war  lalso8 against clerical marriage. But in              vligor of mind and  ,wiil  rwith which he acted upon these
Germany there again arose a powerful opposition to                 princ<pl,es, and also because of the success which he
the Hildebrandian polity,  iwhiCh led to the  oonflict be-         achieved, he has been surnamed "The  Gr,eat".            The
tween Gregory VII  ,(Hildfebrana)  and Henry IV.  Alex-            way which he waged was at  bo'ctom  an unholy  ,con.test
@der extended papal jurisdiction  ,,remarkably.   Wibh ,between  priestcraft and  statecraft  fol" all power on
Hiidebrand's  guiiclance, he sanctioned the piratical ex-          eartih.
pedition of  Will.iam the Conqueror  afgainst England                  But the`prospect of  b?ingin,g   ille  %orld at his feet
in 1066, knowing William's plan to bring the English               seemed  rrllot. any too  :bright  t o   I%ldebrand, -judging
see under papal  jurisdi,ction.                                    from his lamentation  irn, which he describes the  con-
    Alexander `II died  ApEi  21,,  1673.  -After a three          i&ion of the times :-"The  Eastern  Church  fallen from
,days' fast, ordered by  Hilllde!bran~d, the  car;d.inals as-      tihe faith, and  attacked  ,bby the infidels  froth without.
sembled to elect a new pope. Even  idtiring  bhe progress          In the West,  Soutth, or North scarcely any  bisho,ps who
of  -trhe  fun:eral  service  ,of Alexander the  peopl,e shouted, have  ,obtaineld their office  ,regular;ly, or `whose life and
"ZUdebrand   shdl be pope." A  ,bishop ascended the                conduct correspond to their calling, and who are
pulpit and declared, "Men and brethren, ye know how                actuated  *by the love  ,olf Christ instead of worldly  am-
since the  :days of Leo IX  Hil!debrand   ha.s exalted  tihe :bitio& Nowhere princes who prefer God's  hoinior to
Holy Roman  ,Church,  and  de%e&ed  th$e freedom of our            their own, and justice to gain. The  Ro,mans,   Longo-
city. And as we cannot  find for the  papacy_a better              .bards, and  Normans  among whom I live, as I often
man, or even one that is his equal,  llet us elect him, a told them,  ane worse  ahan  Jlews and heathens. And
clergyman of  .,our  ,c$n?ch, well  .known and  thoronghly when I look at myself, I  fieel oppressed by such  a bur-
approved among us." The  cardinals and the clergy                  den  #of sin that. no other  hape  &f salvation is left to me
replied, "St. Peter  el.ects Gregory  (Hlildebrand) pope." but  iln; the mercy  .of Christ  albne."  rBow could he, a
The people bore him to the  &uneh  !of St.  P,eter, where mere  &an, even  w.ith the weapons at his  disposal,-Ex-
he  was'clothed  Iwith the pontifical robes, and declared comm~u:nicatitio  a n d   t h e   ?nte$dict-ever   su,coeed  i n
elecbed, as : :a man eminent in piety  and  leakning, a binding a `world of  such meh to his throne ! But aside
lover of equity  aLi  j,ustice, firm in adversity,  t,emporate Strom this, who  was  Hilldebrand to complain about
in prosperity,  acoordiing to the apostolic precept (I Tim. bishops actuated by  worlcll,y ambition, and about princes
3  :2), `without reproach. . . . temporate, sober-minded,          preferring  their  town honor to that  ,of God  and gain
chaste, given to hospitality,  ruling his house well'. . . .       to j.ustilac  I He was to them all  th,e  shining example of
already well  bEought  up and  edlucated in the bosom of           such perfidy.    He complains about. the people of his
this  mobher   ohurch, for his merits  sdvanced.`to` the           patriarchite being worse than heathen's ; but  w,hat else
ofifice of archdeacon,  ,whom now and  hencefortih we  ,wil:l      co,uld he expect  *seeing that what he sought was not
call Gregory, pope, and Apostolic Primate." We must .thle church in the world but very actually  khe world!
attend to his  concepti,on  ,of the  relat,ion of  chupoh and      What  ,else could he expect  ,considering the methods
state.      T.he rulers in  thos,e  ,days did not `believe  i.hl  th.e that were employed in bringing the heathen into the
separatSon  of  chu;rch and state  .in the sense that,  kc- church? And  welil might he be  oppr!essed   bby his  sins,,
&:ding to  divine  ordinanoe,. each must limit  its&. to           espk&`aUy by  ihe sins  ,of usurping  ,Chri,st's place in  the
its own sphere  `of  operat,ion.  (Church and State,  s.:ch universe, of using excommunication to frighten men
was the conception, formed. the Christian  ool:mon- into kissing his toe, and also  oif inventing the interdict'
wealttb.      According to the papal party it is the pope,         for the  aggranfiizement   `of the church. Had he wanted
lbut according to the emperial party  .it, is the  emp$ror,        to be of real  beinlefit to the church,  .he would have re-
who forms in this  oommonnvealth the supreme judicial nounced- his  worlldqy  ahbition, stepped down from his
power,  .anld  this  8s the  v&e-gerent of  Chri`st in  chu!rch    throne,  .disposed  #of his vast estates,  and.become a  com-
and state.  IHeFce, we see  .emperors   ,1&e  Oth'o  I, and .mon pastor and  admonishsd  all the  bisho,ps  to  .do  like-
`Henry III  <depose  .and elect popes ; and popes  tike .wise. Yet he  died, May 25, 1085, with these  words:
Gregory VII and Innocent  IPI,  ld,eplose  .and.  el,ect emper-    "I have loved  righteousness land hated iniquity; and
ors.  Hikd'ebrand's  principles are well  set,fort&  in the therefore I die in  ex:ile",, to which  on.e bf his bishops  de-
`pictatus  .of  Cardi:%  Deusdedit. "The Roman church plied, "Nay, in exile thou  canst not  die, who, as the


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                207

     .vicar  ,of Christ  an.d his apostles,  hast received  all the her. He  had slain her husband. And her  t,wo sons
     nations for  thiifle inheritance, and the uttermost parts          had died in the land of Moab without children. Thus
     `of. the  ,earth for thy possessions',' (Ps. 2  :8) . As well      there- was  -no man child left to her to perpetuate the
     as any words  cou!l.d, these  wands  lof, that  Ibishop  set name of her  husbailld  an,d to repossess his inheritance
     f0rt.h the  absu!rd pretention of Gregory. That it `was` in Israel. IHence, his name was to  ,be extinguished
     thought that this pope in his dying moments could take             and as,-npon Naomi's death, his inheritance would go
     ,comfort  from the mention  ,of it, is revealing. .  W,e must      to. his  nlearest kin, his  pvery  :plaoe in the  Israelitish-
     now attend to the acts of  this pontiff  .by which he              commonwealth,  tire (typical)  Icity of God,  Iwould know
     sought to secure his  polwer  an,d freedom  off the  #church.      him no more. That to her was the certain token that
     `&is  .wil:l be done in the article to follow.                     the Lord had forsaken her dead'. He had blotted out  I
                                                       G.  lit. 0.      their name and taken, from them their "place  i'ti His
                                                                        country. This was her great grief. For to every  God-
                                                                        fearing Israelite the land  off Canaan  #was heaven. For
.                                                                       there dwelt God. There His people  so,ught and found
                                                                        His fellowship.  Consi'dering  thte calamity that had be-                    I
            THE  DAY.OF  SHADOWS                                        .faliien her and the `departed, it seemed-that God  h&l            .
                                                                        excluded her  an.d them from His fellowship. It was
                                                                        as she lamented. "I went out full". `I had husband
                                                                        and sons  and a  ,name and place in `Israel.' "And the
                        Faith Rewarded                                  Lord hath brought me home again empty," empty of
                                                                        all these.
        Ruth, so we saw, had made the  goo,d choice. She                    True, there was a law in Israel  (Deut. 25  :5) that
     was  `dead to Moab, to the pleasures of  Moab,  which when a man died without issue,  !&is brother was bound
     were the pleasures of sin; dead was she to Moab's                  t,o marry his widow. This was the right of the woman.
     idols, but she  was.alivle   to',God. Thus she  want,ed' God,      She could  ,demand it of him, and if he refuse,' put him
     His people, and Naomi. Forsaking Moab and all that                 openly to shame. The firstborn of the  iwoman suc-
     Moab represented, she `went to God in Canaan. He                   ceeded  in the name of the  .dec,eased husband that his
     .was  call.il?g her to His sanctuary. Naomi, {considering name be not put out in Israel.                   The law  reads, "If
     that the blessings of  Abralham  were for- Israel  alone- brethren  ,dwell together, and  o::le of them die, and have
     it was the dispensation of  shadows:was  insistent that            no  chiild, the wife  ot the  !.d'ead shall not marry without
     Ruth return to her people. But she was  adament.                   unto a stranger : her husbands brother shall go in unto
     Great was her faith and great therefore was her deter- her, and take her to him a wife, and  perform.the  ,duty
     mination that nothing  sho.uld `deter her. "Cease nrging ,of a husband's brother unto  her: And it shall be, that
     me to leave thee. . .  ." said  sh.e  to. Naomi.  T,hen she        the firstborn which she beareth shall  suoceed in the
     l,eft  #off speaking to her. But she was still doubtful.           name of his brother which is dead, that his name be
     Yet, in the end she was  maide to see that Ruth was                not put out of Israel." Thus the firstborn, that she                    -
     truly accepted of God.           S h e   g a i n e d   permissi,on   o.E bore, was accounted the issue of the  oi:!e who had died.
     Naomi to go to the field and  gl!ean ears of corn after            in  ccrder that his name and  Iplace might be perpetuated
     him in  whose sight she might find grace,  a.nd the  Lord          in Israel. If a man  6'ie without children, a  branoh
     directed her feet to the fields of Boaz,  iwho bestowed            withered in the family tree.          To remedy `this, the
     upon her signal favors  an,d blessed her. Considering              brother married the widow, and  regard'ed  the son she
-her  .good confession and her love of God and of His                   bore as  their to the name and the inheritance  ,of the
     people and of Naomi, mindful of how she had  ,come to              deceased husband. And if there was no brother, the
     trust under the wings of Israel's God, he perceived that           law, as given in Deut. 25  :5 ff, does not declare it, but
     she was-of  th,e sheep of God's pasture, despite her being         it, is  an inferenoe in accordance with its spirit, that in
     a  rvfoabitess. Naomi, too, perceived, that the  l&d had           that case the obligation passes over to the nearest  rela-              .
     aocepteld Ruth's person, and  j~oyfully exclaimed, "Bless-         tive of the  deceas,ed. This is what the narrative of our
     ed  #be `he  ob the Lord,  wh'ohath not-left  .off his kindness    book plainly shows. Naomi  und'erstood these things
     to the living and to the dead."` This exclamation of               certainly. Yet, at  [first she could take no  cosmfort from
     Naomi  #on hearing the name of Boaz, is worthy of                  them, for  .sh!e herself was too far advanced in years
,,caref  u'l;  att,e,i:ition.    Without knowing what field to          to bear  ,and Ruth  `was  `a heathen with respect to whom
     select, Ruth  lhad lighted on that  `of  Boaz.          Without    the law  ,could not operate. Of  thisshe felt certain.  To,
     knowing who he was, she was favored by him. Naomi .her mind there could be  `11.0 husband-for Ruth amomg
     profoundly recognized God's hand in this. Let us                   Elimelech's kin in  .Canaa:l. She could not see how the
     aememlber that her great grief  ,was that God's hand               covenant  Iof Jehovah, established, as it  Iwas, with Abra-
Iwas, against her, that God has inflicted sorrow upon                   ham and his seed,  ~could include Ruth, At the same


 2         0          8                . - T H E   dTANDARD  BEA-RE@

 time, she must have perceived that any heathen, who              of Boaz for the rest of the season. It was again in this'
 like Ruth, came to trust under the wings of the Lord             confidence that, at the end of the  barley harvest, she
 God-of Israel, was accepted of him and `His, people:             actively sought rest for Ruth, that `it might go well with
 Boaz had  Iunderstanding of this and likewise all the            her. She sent Ruth to request  Boaz to  &&fill the right.
 elders  an.d the  p.eople. For Ruth is  bl'essed of them all.    Now this right `had its symbol,  nnder which it was
 There is the notice,  "And'all the people that were in           claimed.. We are made acquainted with it by the words
 the gate,  an'd the elders, said, . .  1 . The Lord make -addressed by Ruth to Boaz, and by her  s&ion in draw-
 the  woman  that is come unto- thine house like Rachel ing  an* end of the coverlet  `over herself. Boaz had eaten
 and'like Leah, which two did  .build the house of Israel         aillid' drunk and his he&t was merry, and he went to
~ and  180 thou  Iworthily in Ephratah, and be famous in lie  doiwn at the end of a heap of corn. Then came Ruth
 Bethlehem:  land  let thy house be like the house of softly, uncovered his feet, and laid her  ,down. Becom-
 Pharez,  whom  Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed                ing aware of her presence at midnight, he wasstartled.
 which the Lord shall give thee of this woman." As-               "Who art thou," he said to her. And she said, "I am
 suredly,. Naomi, too, knew that if the Moabitess truly Ruth thy handmaid, spread therefore thy skirt over
 sought she  w,ouild find and that asking she  woul'd re-         thine handmaid ; for thou art a  atear kinsman." Tlhe
 ceive. H.ence, the reason  of her urging Ruth to return repl'y of Boaz is worthy of  oar&u1 attention. "Blessed
 to her people was not that, to her mind, a truly con-            be thou of Jehovah, my  rdaughter! Thou hast made
 verted heathen found no favor with God.              Such a      thy {latter kindness  `even more  beautiful than the form-
 strange  behlef could not have been  hers. The reason            er, in  asmaoh as thou followest not  youngmen whether
 that she with  such persistence, urged Ruth to return            rich or poor." Ruth's former kindness approved itself,
 was that, whereas Ruth was a  Mloabitess,  she  had.~great when, after the  death`of  her husband, she left parents
 Idifficulty in believing that Ruth, in  cleaying to her, was     and home in  `order to take `care of her mother&-law,
 t,ruly being constrained by the love of Christ,' and not         unmoved by the certainty of misery and humiliation  ,in
 by a purely natural love of Naomi. Either wittingly              a fouleign land. And this is what  sh,e does now. Young
 or unwittingly, she put Ruth to the  sever,est test.  AnId       and comely, she might  ibefore this looked  OL&a  husband
 the test was endured. Every one in Bethlehem, hear- according to her wish, rich or poor, from among the
 ing Ruth's story,  conch&d that her heart was with               young men of Israel. But  this she  ,did not. Instead of
 God and His people. And of God and His people she preferring the love of young men,  was were natural, she
 was accepted. And when Naomi heard of Ruth, that,                came to assert her right with one more advanced. in
 without knowing what  fie1.d  t,o  sellect, she had  light&      years  an:d this one was Boaz, her redeemer. She asked
 on the field  ,of Boaz, she instantaneously perceived that       him for the protection of his,  wiings, in order that he,
 the  Lord had not,  <as it had seemed, left  ,off His kind-      a  *blood relative, may again raise up a name for her
 ness to the  livinig and  .to the dead, that is, to her de-      husband and mother-in-law. In this also she offered
 ceased husband  anld to her deceased son, the husband            her heart and happiness as a sacrifice of  llove to her
 of Ruth. Having-beard Ruth's story of her experiences            famiily. She had  came to trust under the wing of
 of the day, she was persuaded, that, however  i&deservL          Jehovah and she was ready to run the way of His
 ing she and her dead might  Ibe, the Lord would not  blot        commands. Doubtless Boaz was no longer young. But
 out  Elimelech's.  name  <but -would perpetuate his name Ruth  !found  r,est with  hi.m more  thm she would have
 and place in Israel, and this by uniting Ruth and  Boaz          found  a.rn0n.g thousands  rof young  m!en.    '
in marriage. .Thus, despite her sins, the  Lord was for              ITrembling,  Ruth had done what she had been in-
 her  anld the dead. She  and they  wlere forgiven.  For structed. What Boaz hitherto had said, contained no
 He showed them kindness. Her joy  `was  1fd1. And                decision but only praise.       Bence, he speaks to her
 she blessed Boaz.                                                again, addressing her as daughter. ,He will  ,do all that
      That Naomi so interpreted Ruth's lighting  ,on the she required: for "all the  #city of my people doth know
 filelads of Boaz and the latter's kindly  tr,eatment of Ruth,    that thou art a virtuous  Iwoman.? However, there was
 is plain. Having heard  R&h's story, she  sai$ to her,           a  kinsmanI, nearer than he, who proved' unwilling. So
 "The  .man  .is  near  Iof kin  .unto us, one of our next kins- Boaz,to&  Ruth and she was his wife.
 men." In saying this to Ruth, she had reference,  ceri                                                          G., M.  6.
 tainly, to the  obli:gation  und'er  whilch the law in Deut.                             .  2
 25:5ff. put Boaz with respect to Naomi, Ruth,  an8 the
 d'ead. And even now,  she.  iwas persuaded that  Boaz
`would assume the obligation. How otherwise could she
 say that the Lord  was showing  .kindness unto the living                 `No foreign foe provokes alarm,
 and the dead. The  ,marriage would take place.  bf                              But enemies within  ;
 that she was  confild'ent. It  Iwas in this  ,confidie&e that              May God destroy their power to harm
 she instructed Ruth  t,o glean in no other field but that                       &cl  rfy~mpenfg  *heir  ht


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                      209

                                                                  of entertainment, (bodily  exe?cize, etc. (Although per-
                                                                  sonally I am  lnot at all athletically  in'clined, was always
                IN  HIS  F'EAR                                    clumsy at it, and neither did I ever care for  alI,  kind of
                                                                  social activities). -However, the complaint is heard
                                                                  often  th$ the  ,church   is  doing  nothing  for her  chil!d%en,
          hptruction In ,The Word                                 3or the youth, in the line of [entertainment, social
                                                                  activitiks, etc.  An,d this complaint  is hurled against
                                                                  the church "as a rather grievous accusation, an  iedi&-
    In our' last article under the  gene&l heading "IN m&t. There  ar,e those, and  ,often-young  people express
HISS FEAR," we emphasized that `the man of God must themselvles that way, who seem to have  a.  fi&io,n that
bte thoroughly furnished Unto all good  iwo!rks.' tie also the  !Church' must-do  somekhing  in that line. If any
brought  <out that  in this  furbishing unto all good works reader of this  artilde also  h&s that notion, I would say
the  Church Institute has to' perform a very  vital task.         to  sulch a person: "My friend,  this is not at  all. the busi-
And we promised. to say something  mor!e  in our  Inext           ness  #of the church." Don't expect  Ientertainment,  youth
article  about the question as to how the Church must oenters and what have  yo;u,  ifro~ni the church. It's not
quit herself  #of that task.                                      the  caliing  ,of the  churtih, it does  not  I,ie  within her
    We  liye in an age  Iwherein  the Church by various           sphere of labor, it is  Inone of her  Ibusti:ess.          ,.
means tries to hold  on to her  youthf;ul members  and                The  f~oregoing does not mean that the  ihurch has
ketip them in her bosom. This effort  .in  its& is laud- no  !interest in these things, but it means that all such
able. A  ,chuulch which is not  inter.ested enough in her things are not sponsored by the church,  th'e initiative
 own membership  atid p&s forth no  effmprt to keep her to bring these plans, programs and  entertaicqments  into
members, give guidance,  instructi,on,  I.eaidjership  to her ib!eing, does not at all  proceed and  shoulid not proceed
youth, is not  `worihy  to  even exist. We  Fay  go still $ro,rn the church institute. And when the  cl-mulch  aever-
further and  saly that a church  ignorilnlg  an,d neglecting theless, perhaps sometimes under pressure of its own
her seed, her  childBen, is actively  en;gaged in  commjt- members, starts  wit,h these things, she is definitely on
ting suicide by  strangulaii,on. She is (doomed to die as the  iwrong track. She neglects her specific  ,calling,
 an  ,organization, and that for the very  sitiple reason und,ermilnles the very foundation of her existence, be-
that she is not at all interested in Ber  `own future and comes  a. secular  ,organization, and deteriorates  s@irit-
tielllbeing.    The church  ,of tomorrow is  th'e  `outgrotih     ually.
.of the church  `of today,  tile youth  :is the  futune of  &e        No, but  the church must  fwwish the  mcvn of  -God
,ohur&. Neglect the youth and you destroy the church wnto  all good w,orb. And the  church is an  $-&itu@on
`by  @e mere process  ,of  graid'ual  elimination!.               which is  preeminent,ly fit for this  ~partil&ar task. You
   However, the very f&t that a church puts  folrth ask  " Why" ? Because the church handles the Word
seffort, even special- effort, to retain her youth does of God, preaches, declares, proclaims.  the Script&s.
 as yet not imply that she  `furnishes  the  rnam of God That. is her Go&given task, as is  .very plain from the
unto  all good  Iworks.' She may  `do many things for             S c r i p t u r e s .   thems&ves.
her youth, but unless she  do,es  t&e right  &hing she  Idoes         And "All Scripture is  given .by inspiration of Gold;
not live  up  to her God-given  ,calling.                         and Is profitable for doctrine, -for  repro&, for  Corrcc-
    Alas, there are too many churches in  `our day which tion,  for  itnstruction in righteousness." That's why
sallly neglect  their  basic. calling  tiith  respect to. the $`cti@zh?"e  is the  mleans whereby the man  cof  Go,d is
comi*ng generation  snld  wasbe their time  &th trivialities. fu?nished  unto  all good works.
A host of societies are  organiied and many programs                  If  yo,ur aim in life is  nlot any  h.igher than to  ,do
 are  held which have  ntothin:g at all, or scarcely any-         `works', you do not need  Scriptire.           Y'ou  c a n   lxearn
thing, to do with the basic  calJing701f the  church  toiward     `work'  ofi a farm, in the kitchen,.  iin a  scho.1,  .in a
 her seed. Hailing a strong  ,desire to keep her youth; machin(e shop, in a (college, in a  u'niversity,   ,etc. The
many a  church. caters.  to.  the wishes  ,of her  `see13 and     world  has a great many institutions  Whi'ch  are  w.eU
 gives the youth the things  the'y  *crave. For that  neason qualified to make  you  a& expert in your  partileular
the church sponsors  til.ubs and societies which chief trade,  avlocation, field of labor`. To give a clear  examtile
 puqose  it is to entertain the youth, to give  them a  goo'd     of  + what I  .mean : If  ye?:  w&ant to become a good auto
time, to emphasize bodily  exercise,  t,o stress  he&h  anld mechanic you don't  need--S.cripture,   because the Bible
hygiene. This is also to a  ,gre& extent the  -purpose of is  nq  eext book  for various  Draid'es,  abut you must study
recreational  jrouth  oenters for  yoimg people who belong mechanics, and you  must acquire practical  ,exp.&rience
to  tihe same  ~&lurch,--denomination,,  or. in the  ,broader in-a garage,  ,etc.
 sense of the  wqrd can be classified as Christian  youth:            On. the  *other hand, if you  are  -ever- to become an  '
    Now; the writer of this  arti&le is the last  one. to         expert in, performing `good  ,works';- as we  hav,e  ,def?ned
claim that our youth should not have  a `certain amount a n d   de&ri#bed  th!em  i n   a   previqus  ,tiiYj&le,  y o u   negd


 210                                          THG`  S T A N D A R D ' B E A R E R
                                                                                             _j
 Sctiptuye. Th*e world  cannot  furnish  you unto  al1 good            way of all those  ;who  l.o~ve to walk in the precepts  elf
 works. And that for the simple  r.eason that the world ,our  cbven&t- God.
 lies in darkness, is spiritually  cor&pt, lives in-  enmity                Theresore, we need instruction in the Word of God,
 Ooward God, denies the truth  of  God',   l,oves, teaches,            i!n the inspired Scriptures if  iwe are to  ,b,e furnished
 practices  thle lie.       The world is spiritually-ethically         unto all  goo.d works.  And:dor that purpose  we need
 ,corrupt,   an~d for that treason  ca:n never furnish  the  ma'n      nothing  else but the Word.
 of  &d unto all good  Iworks that  a&e  spiritually-eth~ally               If you agree with the  foregoi,ng  and  clearly grasp
 ~oocl. The wisdom and  philos.  jp,hy  ,of the world is-  in- its meaning,  you  will also  immedia;tely  understand why
 de_ed  #enmity with God.                                              the Church is a very important institution to  furiitish
          From the  foregoing  ,$ol!ows  with iron logic that          the man' of God unto  a.11 good- works. Ytea, the  church
 Scripture  is the sole means  wliereby the man  df God                is  l$eeminently  fii for this task. In fact without the
 may be furnished unto  al,1 good  ,works. I said  the sole church  even  the parents could not  p,erform  their task
 means,  ailid that is just exactly what I mean. Pephaps in this work of  th&?oughly  furnishing. their  chibdyen.
 you ask, "But is there proof for this?" Yes,  in.deed,                For the Word of God was entrusted  u'nto the  lchubch for
 there is, and ye have this very  ,definitely and specifically the purpose that she might declare,.  proclai.m,  ,pneach,
 stated in II Timothy 3  :16. This text, which we  qaoted expound, teach it to `all creatures'. Yes, but that means
 ~alre'ady, states  soMe  viery fundamental  prind@les.  From [first  ,of all unto her  otwn members, her  oWlal consti-
 the  text it  ,is as  clear as crystal  t,hat if it is  ?our aim      tuency, and  ntieessarily unto her own seed.
 in life to  $e equipped with the necessary  knowl,edge to                 3ndeed the Word of God  & the sole means to furnish
 please God to live to His  Nan-&s honor  anti  Lglory in the  ma< of  G,od unto all good works. And the  Churi&h
.  `every sphere  bf life, yoa  ne&  thle Word of God. For             being, so to speak, the custodian, proclaimer,  intier-
 trhe  Wo!rd of God, and the  W<ord  (of  Go,d  alone, reveais         preter,  beacher  of the  Scriptur&, as authorized by God,
 ri%s  itill, it is a light  upon our path and a lamp  :$&ore          in an  of&%1  manner,  mu& serve as the  institu&n  anid
 ,our feet,  a~vn;d it is the complete  and sole source  of in- the instrument  pan  ,excellence  whereby  &he man of God
 formation. we need to be pleasing  .unto him  2nd to                  is  ,made perfect, that is  thoro,ughly furnished unto
 become equipped to serve Him with all  o'ur  heart and a l l   g o o d   w o r k s .
 mind `and strength, `to, be thoroughly furnished.'                        We did not quite  r&ch  the-,goal  which we had in
          For  .the above text clearly states that  8criptur.e  is     inind for this time. Hence,  (we  diid not fully answer the
 first of  ali. profitable unto  doebrine.                             haestion  which we set  lout to answer. For this reason
                                               The Word of  Gold\
 furtiishes  us positively with the knowledge of  the truth,           there must needs be a  sequ,ence to this article. There-
 of the will of God. Would you like to know  how to  &live,            fore we must leave for the next time the question as to
 how  tq  `p1eaee God,  wouBd  you.like  tq  knorw His will and        lzow the Church teaches the Word,  atid instructs  i1n the
 &onstatiOly  Iearn  mlore  aboat. it, learn it  ,better,  uinider-    `Word fthe man of God,' lby whom is meant here the
 stand if deeper                                                       covenant seed,  atid endeavors to make that Word  paofit-
                       ? Then you need  khe  Scripttires,  and
 they can,  .will, and do tell  po:u  all1 you need to  knolw.         able for doctrine, for reproof, for  correiction,  for in-
                                                                       struction in righteousness.
 And, as we saw in a  previ,ous article, in  om$eer to per-
 form good  wqrks, it is indeed  <basic' to  knoti  bhe  iwill                                                                     J. D. J.
 of God.
     In the second place; the Word of  Co,d is profitable
 to train us into  right&usln:ess,  because that Word of                                           IN MEMORIBM
 God tells us how we must live in  thi,s  woti.d in  eviery
 sphere. of  Me. It teaches  IUS to discern between light                 The  Men's  Society  of the  C&&on Protestant Reformed
 and darkness, good and  ievil. It gives  .us  all the pre-            Church  mourtis  the loss of  one of its most  .faithful  members,
 cepts of God  whi'ch we are to  #observe in our entire life, b r o t h e r                         S"
 an!& it states the principles  which must guide  IUS  i!;x our                                     C. N.  KUNZ
- every thought, word, deed, and in  bur entire  w.aik of
 life.                                                                 who was suddenly taken away out of  tour midst,
                                                                          May the Lord comfort the bereaved family in this way of
     In  th.e third  p&e; the Word  oi God-is  a1s.o   profit-         affliction.    And may the sudden departure  ,of brother Kunz
"able Eor  reljroof, for coraection. It is profitable to con- `spur us on to renewed zeal and vigor in the Istudy of the Holy
 vict us of sin, -w&n:,  ~tiondlemri, ribuke  US if -i.i any way,      Scriptures, which was 60 dearly loved by our departed brother.
 manner or  s$%&5ii  bf  .life, we  ha%  ,g&i&  astr&y. !It               +Blessed  `are the dead which die `in the, Lord."
 admqnishes us  consta&y to walk  ini  the  w@?a  bf God,
 atid-it  tikih&%Z7igly  c+iden&, ,&i? &Zy ,evil %h&ght,                                                  In' &rn& `of  the.  Society,
 wo&, deed. The`W&d  of  Gdd'is   tib&lutely  u&omrpro-                                                         Pi&s. John D. De  Jong
 &&@i,  a;a$  .it  i$.  $  alId  t&l+&  a'&ifii&  f&t  up&  t&e                                                 Secy. N.  Kumz


                                        T H E   STANDARD  B E A R E R .                                                       - 211

                                                                     *deed, expressed in the  ivers,es 9 `and 10 of this chapter.
                                                                     -But these verses do not  cojntain the subject discussed
            FROM  HOLY  WRIT                                 -' by the  A@ostle.  --.The thought  contain@2 in  tihese verses
                                                                     is only introduced  $by the writer in a subservient  w&y;
                                                                     intiocluced  to'show  th,e historical dispensation of God's
                     (Ephesians  1: 6-10)                            redemptive history where not only  all "wisdom and
                                                                     prudence" are  gi.vfn,  are a possibility, but; where also
  a  Wle  sciuld  Iremlember that in  our  discussion `we they are  (freely  exeysised,   ;by the  redeeme,d and for-.
are still  ,occupi.eld   by'the  Verses' 6-10. Up to this  ioint     given Sons of adoption.
we have' c'alled  attenhi'on to the 7th  vlerse. More  parti'cu-         Hence, the  sulbject is, a  particulariza$ion'  of "all the
tlarly, we would point out, that we have  ,called attention blessings in heavenly places"; of which verse 3 speaks,
to the  :following  elelments :                                      and to which Rev. H.  Veldman  ~calls? attention. Among
    1. We have called attention to the phrases, "the                 all these  bllessings  which are  OUYS by Christ's redemp-
redemption in His blood,' and "the forgiveness of sins." tive labors, the apostle  silnlgl.es out "all  iwisdom and
In doing so, we attempted, not, only to  sho,w the impli- prudence."  -
cation  ,of  leach phrase  tak.en by itself, but  a'lso to  &ow          It can be of great service to `us to take notice  *of the
how these two  id.eas are related mutually as a benefit Apostlds  mode of reasoning. rHe  do&s not reason from
of  Goid's grace.                                                    the  !Council to time and the benefits which  w,e receive in
    2. Attention  Iwas also  direcked  to the fact, that:            time, but  H,e reasons in the very opposite direction. He
(a)  W,e have  thits  Ibea!efit as the  1ivi:ng Church of God,       reasons from the concrete  b,enefits to their  source and
the body of  .Jesus Christ. We have this  as.a present ,eternal   los&groundl"";He  takes his  stznld in the  -miidst
an'd an abiding possession,  .both  legally  8 and  spi!ritL!ally    of the blessings,  oti the-  historic&l,  ,plane, on  the. level
ethically. .(b) We have  tihis  [great benefit in  tour Head,' ,of the concrete situation in time, in  Iour world lying in
the Beloved Son of God `in the flesh, the Firstborn  of- the midst of death,  sohd under sin. Hene  the cross was
evtery creature, and the  First&egotten  rout of  ithe dead.         raised up, here the  .blosd  *of Jesus was shed a ransom
    3. It also became  evid.ent, that, whereas  iwe have             for many. It  iS here that we confess the Articles of
this redemption and forgiveness of sins in the "Be-                  o'ur  $postolic,  Christian faith. Here  twere we born and
loved,.`, this at once  igm@lies that we have it  iccoad?ag to       here we die, here  w,e fight the battle  aaid long to be
the  iiches. of  ,God's grace.           -                           delivered. Here  tih#e Church has received every spirit-
    We believe that the above  lilnre  `of thought we  sound ual blessing in heavenly places ! And the Apostle takes
in the verses 6 and 7. That line  oif thought should be his  stand, his `point  Iof  ,departure here in this  "W!orld,
kept in mind, also,  in. the further  sbudy of the verses            ti time, among the  ,blessings in time! And  th,us having
that follow.                                                         taken his stand here, he traces these  &.essings In hea-
    The apostle has  more to say yet about the "riches" venly places to their source, their Author, Who works
of this  -grace.   J.ust because  grecla is "rich,`,,  ri'ch  in all things according to the Council of His will.
the  Belovkd Son in  the.flesh, rich in  His atoning  <death,            And this same mode of reasoning  th,e writer  foll?ws
and justifying  r.esarrection  and  glbrification, it must           in the  verses. Again he  is, speaking of  tehe blessings,
needs  abou,nd  in mother  gra,ces than the  "f'orgiveaess  of that are ours. They are ours now  .in  the dispensation
transgressions". And these other graces are not mere- .of the -&&ess of times. They are for the  .whole  Chuulclh,
ly additional graces, but they  are rather benefits  im-s emphatically for her. And, as was said, they are the
plied, benefits to  which we have an  acquire@, a be-                blessings of f`wisdom and prudence". Theses we have
queathed right in the Lord, a right that became ours                 in a divinely arranged historical context. We have
in the redemption in  .His blood.                                    these in knowing the Mystery of  Go,d's will., or,  since
    These other  abenefits   ar,e many.  H&wever, in verse           God has  m&de known the Mystery  lof His will.  I;m-
8, there are two that are singled  ,out,  and placed  strik-         porta,nt as the knowledge  ,of this  wiill is,' it is  .not the
ililigly on the foreground. They are called "wisdom and              subject, at  ,best it is that  ,par.t of  the text which shows
prudence". 0% these we  wrote in  `our first article' (page us how and  why we have this" wisdom  ani.? prudence.
164) "That to this Church,  &ho  t.hhus has been redeem-                 To be sure, the Apostle does speak,  tin this  passage
ed,. God has caused- to abowid all wisdom mand prudemce,             of Holy Writ, of God's eternal good-pleasure, .His plan
by revealing the Mystery of His uM;Il to thewPl This a;:d Decree,  &s it determines the  entir.e history of the
thought is developed by the  apos+l,e  in  tlie  mer&s 8-10.         .world, and  the economy  `of Salvation.. It  is God's  good_
    At` the outset, we would.  embhasize  very  strongly!            p&as&e  to reunite all things in Christ our  I+ord,.things
that  ihe subject  in this  poi%.on is  not at all :  T$le eternal in  hea.ven and  things  ,on earth. And this God  &s made
purpose~of God to  r&ins&  :&  tihihings  in-  Jesu:  Ghrist,        knowa  untd us now in the Dispensation .olf the fulness:  of
all  tliitigs-in   heavennan&&  ,e$&h,  anid that, in the  dis-
       _                                                             tfmes, as  IHe  did  not  do this to  i&i  for&er.generati;ons
ptiris5tion of the  ftifness  of  time. This-thou&hi  is,  in- of  the sonsof lie<: Eph. 3 :l-6. The  fact that God thus


    2li                                       T'HE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

   reunites  all things- in Christ in the  present'dispensation          this grace to abound? Does  ,it  tell,  `us what motivated
   is  assum.&d,  a4  may'be evident from a comparison  mit!y God to thus give grace in such a rich measure? If so,  _
   Acts 3  :21,  where we read: "Whom  _the heaven  must then  the phrase  $ adverbial with the verb. HoweveY,
   receive Until the times of-the restitution of all things." %here is also  an.other construction possible, `a  colil;lstru,c-
   It is here assumed  &at God will reunite' alJ things in               tion, which has our  preferc%e. According to this  con-
   Christ, rather then  expli,citly taught. Not the fact as              &ruction, which views "all  ,wisdom  and  pruid'ence" as
   such,  lbut the  maFcing  known. of  this truth  is the im-           the content of the  rich& of grade given, the Apostle
   portant point here.  ._ . .                                           is  .speaking  of the actual display  ,of  #grace as  revealed in
       That this making  lcizown is' indeed the important                us, and not at all  tof  &e manner of  God's dealing with
   point we trust will  $ecome further evident in the  do&r              us.  Noi God's  <doing is here  then\ characterized, but
   study of these  veyses. Let us, therefore,  turn to  the -His gift  t%  us  is here named. Wisdom and prudence
   text to attempt  .to see its  impli~cat&ns.                           are then not attributes and perfections- in God,  .b&
       As  tias  alreid;  sai%d,  th'e  subj,e&, here is :  Gold  hns    they are gifts of  Gpd to us! Thy are concrete exhibi-
   caused ~$1 wisdom-amd prudence to abcrtind tlo us.                    tions  am$ manifestations of the riches  `of God's grace,
       The  verb "to  abound" calls far just a few remarks. ,a  particulaYsization of all the spiritual  p%essings  in
   The fundamental  meanilng  of this verb is  that.cof :  over-. heavenly  plaiaes, and that, also, as the  pecuLiar  gral&e
   flowing, to exceed a  lfixed number or measure. Henoe,                that the  Ne'w Testament Church may possess  hiving
   it means to  abotind.       It  i_s  the very opposite  o'f that' come to  mafilhood, to maturity in the Dispensation of
   which is  parti&,  and  in.btit a limited degree. `In (con- the  ,fulness of times.                   .
 .  nection with this  verb, we should further  n,otice,  ;that              This construction and interpretation just  enurn&-
   it can be taken  $either in intransitive  ar  ilnr a  transitivle     ated  inay  Ibe said to  have the following in its favor.
   sense.     Tihe  King  .Jarhes',  Version  arenders it intransi-          In  the. first place, this  is the more natural interpre-
   tively  an'd translates: "Wherein He hath abounded".                  tation in the light of the  ,immedliate context. .On would
   On the other hand; the American  .Revise< Version                     rather expect  a further  indictition, a more  ,explicit
-  rentd'ers  it  traa,sitively  and translates :  "Whi,ch He  haf;h     statement of  l&e grace that is caused to abound, than
   mad.e-to abound". MateriaUy  iit  `does not make a great that  wo'uld expect a further  descriptioinr of  6he  mannkr
   deal of `difference  iwhich  rend,ering  on'e choose+ In              in which  %od  cause'd this grace  t,o abound.
   both  cases God is t&e Author, He  <does something, That                  Secondly, if "wisdom"  woul& here refer to God's
   this is the case even  wheli one renders it transitively              w)isdom one would  .hardly expect it to be prefixed,  modi-.
   becomes'  evident as soon as  ,one asks the question:                 fied by the adjective "all". "All" and  `fevery"  ane
   Wherein does God  aboun,d  toward~as  ? Ali;id the answer hardly terms  `chat fit with the wisdom  iof  cod. W h a t
   then is : in the  richesof  His grace. When God -abouti&              is more "all" is not the same as  thc"highest"' wisdom.
   in this  "rilches", He does so, with a view  to. us,  causa-          "All, rather presupposes a predetermined measure.
   tively.     Causatively, with Divine  ,eficaciousness   t!he And this notion  idoes-not fit with the infinity of God.
  riches of grace becomes abundant from God to.  ius.. In elective grace  G6d has  determinted   the extent  toi
   However, be this as it may,  we  "prtifer  to render this             "every spiritual blessing  ti  heaveniy places": And  "alil
   venb transitively, and  trrcmsla~e,  as does the  Ametican Wisdom" Father refers to all the wisdom that  Ifits in
   Revised  Versi,on,  "Whi'ch He has caused  to abound."                that Divinely  ,arrang.&d  pattern of things. Compare
       -The  xqu.estion is : what has  Go;d caused to abound to          the "all" in  verse 3  with  the "all" of this passage.
   us? The  amswer to this question, to a  ,great  .extent, de-          Someone, may interrupt and say: What  ab,out  Eph.
   pends on the interpretation of the phrase: "in all wis-               3 : 10 ? Do we not read there of "the manifold wisdom
   dom  an@ prudence." The first matter, Do  whi'tih we of God?" We answer to this, that firstly, it should
   must give attention is, the question of the  &mmatical                not be  ove&&ed, that in 3  :lO .we have the addition
 place that this phrase  ,oocupies in the sentence. Must. "of  ,Gdd" ; secondly,  .we  should bear in mind that  "mani-
  it  Ibe  joint with the verb  "H,e caused to abound", or  does fdd" there, evidently, characterizes this simple  anid  _
   it belong with the participle that follows, to wit,  "hxv-            Di&n@w&lom  in its historically revealed character.
   ing made known th.e mystery of His. %vill". Grtimmatic-               Of this wisdom, `thus  conc+ved, the Apostle exclaims,
   ally both  ar.e possible.. The `more  natural of the two              in  profoulnld -amazement :  ",O the  deptihs of the riches
   oolnstrections  would  Ibe the former.         We would then          both of the wisdom  Jand knowledge  `of  G6d! How  uni
   read :  ,God  has caused the riches of His  gra!ae to abound          searchable are His judgments, and `His ways past find;
   to us in all  wisdom and prudence.                                    ing out." Rlom.  11:33.
       Buthow will one  ,decide? To come to  a'id'ecisiron  we               Thirdly,  anld' this is very  ConeluSive, the apostle  `does
  -lw51'1 have  ,as yet another  qu.estion,  namely, how must not only  iwpi+e "in all  &sdom,`, but, he adds "and  pru-
   we  lviiew  the  relatiunshiap-  tad "in all  .Yvisdom  and  pru- .dence". No,w  prudenice;   pra&ical   sagalcity, a judging
   dence" to the verb "caused  to abound". Is this  khrase               of -and choosing  ibetween  the, various alternatives  -  illu  ,a
   thus related that. it  tells how God  makes the  riches of            given  case is not to be ascribed unto  Gdd.. His is a


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                                          T H E   - S T A N D A R D   B E A R E 'R                                          213
                                                                                  -
different, a Divinely other wisdom. That this is the               any time in its history.. The might of its enemies has
proper interpretation of the phrase "in all wisdom and             been crushed  permanentl:y.       The two nations that have
prudence" is  clea-r, beyond a  shadow  ,of  .doubt  whenwe come out of the war as the mightiest nations on earth
make a study of the  paral$lel  passage  ,in  Cal.  1:9, 10,       are Russia  an'd the  U,nited States". And remember the
which reads, "For this  ,cause  owe also, since the  `day we Rev. Ghysels was  Iwriting a Thanksgiving Day medita-
heard it, do  n.ot cease to pray for you,  aG,d to desire          tion, while sitting in Washington, D.C. -Perhaps that
that ye might  ,be  fillsed with the  knowl'edge of His  iw'ill    aocoulnts for such foolishness. Foolishness it certainly
all wisdom  and spiritual understanding, that ye might             is.                     _
walk worthy of the Lord unto all  pleasing,Jbeing fruit.-                 We we not CL- Christian N&ion. And there `is no-
ful  ,in  ,every good work,  an!?  imxeasing in the know-          where a Christian `nation anymore, as in the  ,d'ays of
ledge of God." From this passage it is abundantly Israel.. We, a Christian Nation? when  n'early 70 per
 &dent that the apostle has in mind a "wisdom and                  cent of  ,our  popdation  does not  `evlen attend divine
understanding by which we walk  aoctirding to the  1%~             worship on the  Lorfci"s Day?  Ameri'ca in  wlhich you
 of God  ,and in His fear. This wisdom is "spiritual",             find more  ldivorce and  Hollyiwood adultery than  5n
 it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, it  <is the part of the       any other nation under  t,he sun,  includinag Japan and
men who has the mind-of Christ.                                    Germany. A,merica which does not  even safeguard the
    Wle conclude there, that the phrase "in all wisdom right of the Christian workingman to  work when his
 an$`.pru,dence" does not define God's dealing with us, fellow-workmen strike. America which is facing  ,dis-
but it indicates concretely the grace that becomes ours            aster, according even to President Truman, if it persists
when He opens  th.e  flood-gat,es  lof  th'e heavenly bless- in its present  iway, stronger than at any time in its
ings upon us as  thie New Testament Church !              :'       hist,ory?   And "the might of its enemies crushed per-
                      (T,o be Continued)                           manently"  ? One would almost think that Rev.- Ghysels
            . .                                  G .   L .         was  cl'osiqg his eyes to reality. He speaks like a  Ichild.
                                                                   It will  soon be  revealet.2  that the might of its enemies
                                                                   is greater than ever  .bfore. Think of Russia. Think.
                                                                   of the enemies  w.ithin our  own borders, such as Com-
                   -PERIS.COPE                                     munism, Socialistic labor unions, greedy Capitalists,
                                                                   corrupt  Politicians,~ etc. I just received at this moment
                                                                   a  ,cartd -from one  ,o~f our boys just returning from
                                                                   `Europ,e, in  which he writes:  f`The Germans are run-
A   C H R I S T I A N   N A T I O N ?   -  -                       ning the  YanBees instead of the Yankees the Germans,
    We become impatient  w.ith church  .people who talk over  :here". Please let us not be so superficial as- to
abo,ut nations that are  christian, in  ,distinnlction  fr.om haughtily think that America has crushed the might
nations that are not.. Especially when they  1 speak of of her enemies permanently.
America as a Christian' Nation. Not  [long ago we read                    But what we wished most  ,of all to emphasize is that
an article by Dr. G. Goris on "Not by  m.ight-but by in all history, there has been but one nation which was
th!e Lord" in  ,which  <he  Icompa.res (our country  rllot only worthy  #of the name Christian, and that only because
but)  the  Ualited  Nati(ons   as countries whose battles          God  had:made it His own,  pecu.liar  people. Not surely
were won as  Daviid won his battle over Goliath. Not               because there was no- corruption or sin to be found in
by might but by  the- Lord'.  ~.Hitler was the modern              its  b,orders.  ~ Surely Israel sinned grievously and -made
Goliath.    Then he continues : "`Yes God' is involved in herself worthy of  rej,ection.. But there  Iwas always
&is war. ,God is interested in the fate  `of  the oppressed        the elect nucleus,.. and for its sake Israel was not  de-
nations of the world who, without any reason are at-               str.oyed until Christ was born in the  fulness of time.
tacked and crushed and their liberties taken away.                 In Christ  ,Jerusalem is above and is the mother of us
God hears the call  ,of Czecho-Slovakia, Belgium, Poland,          all. But the Holy  Spit%,  poured out upon the Church,
China, Norway, the Netherlands. This battle is the                 is poured out upon  al;Z  flesh. It is not confined to any
Lord's."     When reading  seoh I say  to myself:  W,hat national boundaries.                   It brings forth children. from
nonsense! If one must  ,be a Doctor  t,o write  such non- all nations, tribes and tongues. Tihierefore  the  Ch~urch
sense,' then I am  .glad there are no  D!octors in the             is  in  stri,ctest sense a universal  ch~mxh,  in so  far%hat
Pinot. Ref. Churches. F'or note:  #what  have the United it is not  confi.ned to any certain country.  ,Of  tlzat  uni-
Nations  idone to free Poland, and' the Baltic countries?          versa1  ch&&  aboiiei may  ii  be said  : Ye  aye  a  Axen
D1oesn't.  God hear their call? Just a  few issues ago of nation.               America is not the object  otf  God's.  choicfe;
the Banner (Nov.  16) Rev. M. Ghysels wrote : "Israel not any more than -Japan is.                      True, there are many
felt grateful that it was  stronig to withstand its foes .children of God in  Ameri,ca   .but they are also in other
and secure against danger.           We can say the  samie countries, also in  th(e  ,defeated   nat,ions. Now,, my chief
thing about our nation. It,ia stronger today than at               remark  ,concerning all this, is that we must have only


214                                          T'HE  S T A N D A R D   ` B E A R E R
-
such a  wo,rl:d. and life view, which sees the  blessiulg of a minister (Rev.  I.  Vo~gel) came and after a  spee,ch,
Jehovah NOT on a (certain country called  Ameri,ca or in which' he  enlighten.ed  the brethren, 40  conlfessing
Britain  or: Russia, but God's view we  must'  ihave, members  -signed the act  ,of Liberation.                   At another
which sees the blessing of Jehovah  ;ON'LY  npon the place 61 members organized a  lil;ew  ,congregation. Many
peculiar people, the chosen nation from all peoples and more examples  .coul,d be quoted. Though we as Pro-
from under  a:11 flags.  Therefoire also the church as          testant Reformed are not  .one with either the Synod
church shows'not a flag of  `ortie  certain, nation, tbereby group or the "Liberated" group, nevertheless we see
sphttiqg  the  ohuroh  ,of God on earth  i&o national much semblance in  th,e  tbeginnings  there  an,d as they
groups, but the church from  all nations.  mar.ches on          were. with us around 20 years ago.           Here and there
,under the banner  #of truth. And she has not  .her enemy small groups of believers "liberated" themselves from
beyond  -t;he Rhine or on the other side  od the Pacific the Christian Reformed hierarchy,  rep.udiated the lying
Ocean, but her enemies are also  amolng all nations,            "three points" and organized themselves into  slmall.
namely, those  :who  care'not for the truth of God. There       Protestant  R,eformed  congregations. Some  ,of these
is-no Christian nation since Christ proclaimed to Israel :      small congregations have grown  lconsiderably,  some
"Behold,  ,yourhouse is left unto you desolate". Except         have remained about the same, some have even dis-
the Nation of God, the mystical body of  :Christ  throu:gh-     appeared from our church map.
out  the world.                                 '                  We have good reasons for passing on this  news
                                                                to our reading public.  .Man.y of you belong to such
                                                                small flocks. `Those small flocks  Iusually experience
SMALL CONGREGATIONS  :
                                  .~,  `.                       much  struggl,e  to keep going. Generally they are poor
 While thinking about the great,  universa~l Church             ( financi,ally) . `There is not much in them that  would
of God  .out of  all nations, we also thought of the many       attra,ct others,  Iexcept the truth. It is hard often to
small and  &al manifestations  .of that one Church.  Ie elect  .a consistory of four  ,or five members.                 Many
many cities and  ,villages and country  commun~itiles,  that times reading  servSces have to be held, with not always
Chqroh   ,of God comes to  manifestat%ion. And many of reading talent in their midst. The  dealcons `often must
those congregations are. small. We experienced the              sweat to get the  monthly salary check for the minister.
gathering of those small  groups when they were first Many  ,other hardships are encountered. But it is ever
organized many years ago. We still see them -and may thus. It was so in the days  af the-Apostles, as  f.i., in
share with them.        Bnt  its  usled to  .Ibe  thrillling to see the church at Philadelphia. There were but eight
these small groups  ,come into being..  Wewere reminded members of .the  chu.rch at the time of  th,e flood. When
of  th.is again  &en reading "De  Reformat&", and the most  Ipeople left  ,off from following the Christ, and
beginni:i?lgs  of churches who  become "liberated"  rfrom       the twelve stood before Christ, He asked them: "Will
the  Synodical Church in  `o1.d Holland. A few typical          ye not also go?" And Jesus emphasizes that it is but
c@otations  are  ilnteresting. (I  translite, L. V.)            a LITTLE  f,lock, to whom the kingdom shall be given,
    "Meppel--We, notice that also at Meppel,  .memlbers according to the Father's good pleasure. We therefore
and elders have been suspended from  otffice, despite           say also to  .our  q,ittle flocks, that they must not  Ibe dis-
the words of the minister that nothing serious has hap-         couraged simply  tbecause  they are small. We  lilke to ,
pened.  .And on Nov. 18, 1945 these men  :began services grow numerically also, but only because of  theI truth;
upon the old  Ref,ormed  basis."                                Essentially it makes no  ,differe?nce whether we  are.
       "Ijmuiden~On~  Nov. 5, 1945, Prof.  ~ K.  Schildler small or  ,large, if `we are gathered- together in the bless-
ad,dressei$. a large gathering, giving light concerning         ed NAME, for the  Lord!  assunes  us: "where two or
the  guestions-  troubling the churches.  Th,e question three are gathered together in  .my name, there am I
#of  "liberatior?' is  .very acute".                            in the midst  ,of them".
    "Gameren-Here  *at,  Gameren a majority of the                                       8    *  x  *
&onsistory,  (includiing  Rev.  R. Brands) have liberated
themselves from  -the evil, unscriptural, and church- A NEW CHURCH
pohtically-condemned -decisions. of "Synod" and thus               `I am not referring to a  mreiw Protestant Reformed
has again brought our church back to her (original)             Church, but to  `a new `Christian Reformed Church, in
basis".                                                         Kalamazoo,  Mi$chigan. With what the Editor of  Con-
    And many more church notices  mare to be read. A t loordia wrote  concernin*g the church, formerly minister-
Emmen the brethren who are grieved at the action of ed to by Rev. H.  Dar&of, we heartily agree and we will
the Synod gathered in an open cafe Because the  build-          not repeat what he said. But a few remarks we wish
ilng of the  Reformei$  church  `was  ,denied them. Therie      to make in addition to that  ,of  R!ev.  V&s.      T.he name
were about 130.  peop1.e present. The gathering  was of the new  church was sent  LZS  .by a friend. It is "The
led by an elder who  .was admonished and soon suspend-          Grace Christian Reformed Church". This church form-
ed from office for  .this  seeiking after the truth. Then       erly called itself : "The Protesting First Christian
            :            -.  I


                   a                              T H E      STANPARD,  BEA-RER                                                               215

  Ref'ormed  Chtirch".   - It  carLied this  name~for the  Ilast am-has  ~become even  moye general  (,or shall we say
  21 years.  An!d if riames mean anything it means that                  ccmmoti)   t h a n   m a n y   a n   orthhodox   church  o f   cother
  this Kalamazoo  church has ceased to protest. W.hereas                 d,enominations.        In Calvin  toiciay there is  u10 room  for
  it formerly protested  a.gainst the  inju.stice done  to  thelti       t@y  Calvin.istic truth and teachings. Her professors
  by the Chr. Ref.  church.es, and  prote&d   agsinst the                even advise putting out of her church  denominatioln,
  adqption of the three points of common grace, now                      fundamentally  Rleformed  and  therefo,re Calvinistic
  they, withdraw their protest., They used to stand on                   teachers.` Surely such  litt.le  leaders( ?) are not to be
  O!NE grace, now they stand on TWO graces. Let me                       trusted in beginning an institution as a Calvin  Unilvlers-
  quote the  `literal, words  OIP Rev. H.  Da&of, written in .ity ?               Calvin College and  Thedlogilaal  School should
  The Standard Bearer, Vol. 1,  p.. 6, No.' 12,  `(I translate,          re-learn  Calviil:ism.
 L.  V.),: "The Christian Reformed Church wants  TWO                                                  :i:  :k  *  *:
 graces ;  TWO life principles ;  but  iwe. want only ONE.               GERMAN  @URCiI+ES
 Besides the saving `grace; which God gives to the elect,
 He-also  reveals,  accor,ding  to  Synoidiy a  cert%n grace or              "Protestant&m has made its first  contri:butiofi  to-
 favor unto reprobates ; who  b,ecause of such  cerbain ward the reconstruction of religious life  -in Germany
 grace, can  p&orm good [before God. Because it is  im- ;wiih the giving of  the sum  gof $180,000. The money
possible for  es  ti; see it that  iway, and therefore can               came from various denominations and creeds.                          The
 preach  unt,o the churches with a free  consdeace,  there-              step, was taken as Confessional  (an&i-Nazi)  church
 fone  and therefore ALONE, are we separated from the                    Ileaders  agailn  t.ook the reins in Berlin. The money is
  Christian  R.eformed  Churches." Now my  Iremark is :                  t.he first of a  muoh larger amount that  wil'l be needed
 that  ,according  to the `very words  ,of  th'e Rev. H. Danhof if the German churches are to take their places as
 the church at Kalamazoo, by adopting the name Grace                     forces fos reconstruction". So we read in the Religious
 Christian Reformed Church,  has finally stopped  pao- Telescope. Only a  dro:p in the bucket when we  consi~der
 testing  agaiast the two graces  0~.  life principles, and              the  hunid'reds of -churches destroyed  ,completely  with
 has  ~accepted  t h a t   docixine.  It formerly  be@eved in other hundreds  partial1.y  damaged.  Ylet it is a  .begin-
 ONE grace to the  elefct  only, now it believes  also'in the.           ning.                                                      L..  v    .
 ssJond grace  elf the Christian  Reformeicl' Church; Hence
 her  newly adopted  name: "Grace Chr. Ref. Church".
 And we believe  also in the  ,co-resppnsibility  of all its
 members to  tihis new name. and  aqilso  new teaching.
 Those  w&o cannot  .bear  th,is  respolnsibility,  must  joinn.                   Fsreign Mission ~Activity
 our  ~Protestant  Refo&ned   Chuvtch  in Kalamazoo.
                            :i:    :i:  Q    L                               The, Synod of 1944' had received an overture from
                                                                         Classis West that  Syno~d  "iixv.estigate the possibility of
 A CALVIN UNIVERSITY                                                     establishing an outlet for  F-ore&n Mission  Eedeavo,r
     Here is an item of interest  to.th'ose  who have wished             in the way of supporting some  reputablie Mission now,
 fmor  and  lconged to  .have  -alsp a Calvin University.          It    and, in case this proves to  .be impossible,  that a fund be'
 appears  ilill the  PresbyDerian  Guardian  ai  lfolloiws  :' "The      established for this work in order that when the  .opi)or:
 Board of Trustees  <of the  C,hristian   Unilviers,ity  Assozb:         tunitypresents  itself, either to support some reputable
 tion  *of America met in Philadelphia  ,on  ,Oct. 10th.                 Missilon or to  establi)sh  ,our own Foreign Mission, we
 `Among the items transacted was the  r3e&ion  <of the                   will be prepared to make use of it".
 fiollowing officers  ,of the  iboard: Pres. Dr. Ned B.                      The  Synlod of 1944 adopted this  over&re and gave
 Stonehouse,   Glenside,  P a . ;   V i c e   P r e s .   Dr.  `H,owaad the  matter to the Mission  Com.mii&e -for  study.\ It,
 HiTgins,   Nelw  Y.ork,  N .   Y .   ;  Se&y,  D r .   R'obert   K .    `was also decided  .&hat  $-he Mission  Committiee send a
 Rudolph,  Phil&delphia   ;  anId  Tress,  Mr.  Lambert Steen;           copy of its report and recommendation  t&o the various
 Midland Park, N. J." Note that  al% these members of                    C'cinsist'ories  f o r   study,  previious  t o   i t s   discussion  a t
 the board of  tirustees   ar.e Eastern men.  -And as  fap               Synod. Since nothing  .wcas  ,acxomFlished before  Syno:d
. as  ,we know only  Nled. B.  Stonehouse was  formevlly  bf, of 1945, that  Syno.d  remindsl  the  &liss:ion Committee
 the  Christ&ill  Ref,orm&d Churches. Calvin's prof eseqrs               of  .its mandate. Since  t.hen  the'pres&  Mission Com-
 a>e left out. Not  lo,ng.agd some  ,of the leaders of the               mittee has  ,beeni  stLldying  tihis matter and is ready. to
 latter named churches were  p&lin!g  Ifor a specific Calvin repotrt.
 University  to.grow up from  Calvin  Seminary and  Cal-                     The Mission  Conxnittee  fieeling that  this  rep6rt is
 iri College. They even  abemoaned the  $a& that a #Chris-               of  inDerest to  our Churches as a whole and not  on~ly
 tian. University as proposed by  these Eastern men was our  Consistories, snd since, no doubt, all of  otir people,
 too general  and not specific enough.  H,owever,  Calvin                are interested  -in the matter, decided to  pu@lish its
 has become very  UN-&&inisti8c  in1 some  ipoints  jof truth finKEn& and  reixmmendati~ns   in the  Standard  Bearer.


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  216-               I                                    ,T  H  E S TAN D AR D  B.E AR E  Rb:.::,                                                  0

      Instead, therefore, of sending a copy of the report -than average mentality.
 to all our Consistories by private mail, we publish it in                             4. From testimony it is evident that the Chinese are
  this issue of  th'e  Stanldard Bearer, and  Consistoriles  will                  receptive to the Truth and willing to give audience to
  please. take note.                          -                                    _ the  Missionary.
     The report here  f&c&s:                                                           5. A work in (China  womd  inlot be too great a finan-
      The Mission Committee has studied  --the mandate cial burden for `our Churches.  -
 r,eceived from Synod of 1944  regardin!g Foreign  Mis-                                6; Many' lesser  considerat.ions, viz. : climate, trans-
 .sion endeavor (cf. Acts 1944, Art.  49).  - As a result                          portation facilities, density of population, etc. favor
 of our study  a,nd investigations we. offer `the following
                                                                      .            the choice  ,of China over  ,other  possiibilitiles  oonsidere.d!~
 advice and  recommenldatioas :                                                      V. That Synod devise ways and means to seek out
     I.  ,That our Churches raise a fund with a  vi!ew to                          and  ,encourage  young men to present themselves for
 -seeking   #out and  establishincg a Foreign Mission of our this work.
 own at the  ,earliest   possi,ble  dat,e.                                             G r o u n d s . :
     .(&o;un&  :  ..,  1:;.  :.'                   I'      -     _                     1.  Poreignl- Mission service is work of a  spe&al
     1. Foreign Mission  a&iv&y is our calling, as church-                         nature and implies a  particulai  callin~g,  !e;g. the Apostle
 es  of Christ, to  ipreach the Gospel to  all nations.                            P a u l .
     2. The opening of a work of-  our  <own is- the ideal                          - 2. About a year's study is required beyond the
 in order that all  .of  oujr Mission activity `may be  ex- .theologi,cal training period to gain  a..working know-
 clusively~~based upon and  controlled.by.,our  o'wnchuroh- ledge of the language. Tihis would require-young men
 es  and, their principles..          . .  .s                                      for their  abimlity to learn and in order to insure a great-
     3. Our Churches are  no,w numerically and- financial-                         er length  ,of  servilce in the work.
ly  strong.lenough to support a work  ,of their own.                                   .3. Particular training throughout' the period  lof
     4. Missionary  lteaders of other  dmenominatilons  have preparation  ;would be  Ibeneficial.
 advised that  th.is procedure would be most preferable. -                             VI. Finally,  the.Committee brings to the attention
     II. That the minimum amount necessary for the -elf Synod the question as to  ~whether or not the  existing-
establishment  ,of  ,a Foreign work is $10,000 and we                              M&ion  Funds should be used for the establishment
 suggest this as the  ipiitial amount  to`be raised!                               of a Foreign Mission endeavor.                             g
     Ground :  -  -  -                                                                                             .Respectfully submitted,
     Preliminary  injvesti,gation  neveals that  t:his would                                                        _  T:he Mission Committee:
 be the amount `required (in  nolrmal times) to  .provide                                    :                                   R.  Veldman, President
 for  travelling expenses, investigation of field, language                                                                      W.  Bofman, Secretary
 study,  ,purchase  or rental of buildings,  !etc., required                                                                     B. Kok                          e
 for  the establishment of a work.                                                     .-                                        N.  Vander Wal
     III. `That this fund, after its  es-tablishment,  may be                                                               N      .          Yanker
 used to  sup,port  some reputable existing Foreign Mis-
 sion endeavor  ilnr case it becomes  ,impossible to begin
 a work  `of  `our own.                                                                                  WEDDING                        ANNIVEkSARY                                -
     sGrouti:ds :
     1. Many factors may make it  impossibl,e to estab-                               On  January  20, 1946,  ,ouv  dear  parmfs,
 lish a  w.ork  04  oulr own in the near future.                                                             JAKE DE VRIES
   ' 2. Since  :we can  `do something,  *we are not to be ex-                                                             and
 cused  ,from assuming  &&o!bligation  in this respect, but                                            JEANETTE DE  VRIIES-Boertjes                              _
 are in duty bound to do  ,what we can.                                            celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. We ,as children are
     3. This  wo~ldkeep the  wo>k  .and  pr$ncipal  of For-                        deeply grateful to our  faithful covenant God for  spa&g  them
eign Mission activity alive within our Churches as                                 these years,  ,and in giving to us such Christian parents. Our
 preparatory to  establi,shing  our  ,own work.                                 m- brayer  b that God may be with them in His grace, in their re-
     :I.V.  Th~at  ,Synod consider China as the possible field maining years, and provide for them  .abundant entrance into
 to begin  .ou&r Foreign  Mission  Actilvity..                                     His kingdom.
     Grounds :              , :L "                                                                                       T h e i r   grazeful   c h i l d r e n :   -
     1. Many large portions of China have never  h.eard                                                                                             Harriet              "
 the  GospeL                .-                                                                                                                      James
     2. Preliminary investigation  indi,cates that China                                                     .      _                               Bernie
 presents an "open  ,door"- for- the Gospel and that work                                                                                          ' Caroline
 may soon be  ibegun there.                                                                                                             Mainard                               -
     3; Testimony of  ,Missiona$ies that have served  in`                                         .                                                Anna Mae
 China reveals. that the Chinese are generally `of  greater.                                                                                        Raymond


