  VOLUME XXII                                JUNE  1.5, 1946  ---.,Grand Rapids, Michigan                 N U M B E R   1 8
                                                                                                   _
                                                                 ous genIeration always asks-for  a sign;. yet, wh.en' the
         MED.1  `I!A.T~jlN.
                                                  _.             sign comes;God's  sign, they do not want it, and impose
                                                                 tipon it their own, interpretation. . . .
                                                                :  T h i s i s n o t t h a t ! . . . .
   The &dpduring Of The Promised
                    1                                                These men are not full of sweet wine'!
                                                                     Such an interpretation of these strange signs, such
                              Spifit                             an explanation of what these men spoke, wou!c$ to the
                                                                 mockers and unbelievers,' at least be harmless. It
                 Bzht` this is that which was sppken `by @em would leave  them  undisturbid. Who would have  to
               proph,et Joel; And it shall come to  pas8 in pay atterition  to the babble and'.tw&ddle  of drunken
               the last days, saith God, I will pout out of my men? If such an explanation, of the thing ha& come to
               .$p&it uptin all flesh ; and your sons and your pass in Jerusalem, could be accepted as correct, pyefer-
               claug&teis shall prophesy,  `and your young ably by majority vote, they could ignore this prophesy-
               men shall see visions, and your ok! rqen shall ing, the call to repentance and to be baptized in the
               dream dreccms: And 0~ my servants avd on name of Jesus, Who ha-d been condemned and crucified,
               my handmaiclens I will pour out in those days also by majority vote ; and they could continue in their
           of  my Spirit; and  they- shall prophesy.             siti!-
                                               A&s 2:16-18.          Life could go on &s before!
    .This  i s   t h a t   !                                         The templie could remain, the altar could'stand, `thi
     The "that" is the promise, spoken centuries before,* sacrifices` could be offered as always ; proper respect
 and preserved in. the-Holy Scriptures of the old -dis- could be paid to the leaders-of  the Church, the San-
 pensation.                                                     hedrin and the high priest, the scribes and the Phari-
  - And the  %i~"  .is the fulfillment of  ~the' promise; sees. And if these men that were full of sweet wine
 witnessed in the signs of the sound 2s of a rushing could only be persuaded to submit to the vote of. the
 wind, the cloven- tongues as of fire that sat upon each majority, or to the sentence of the supreme council .of
 of the company of one hundred and twenty gathered in the  IChurch,  and promise to speak no  more of these
 Jerusalem; and witriessed,  too, by the fact that how things, or, at least, to coil-fine their speech to.their own
 they all had  b,ecome  prophets, and spoke of the wonder- company, even thtey might be tolerated. On& does. not
ful  works of God "with other tongues, as the  .Spirit have to be hard on p_eople  that are full of :n@w wine!
 gave them utterance."                                               All would be well.
     T h i s i s t h a t !        . .  `-                            The axe could still be removed from the' root if the
     It certainly is not, thtis the apostle Peter "standing tree, alid the tree, the ecclesiastical tree, in which also
 up with the eleven," ,empliatically  declares -before  the mockers and unbelievers were permitted to.make  theiF
 great multitude that had come together to that wonder- nests, would remain standing;
 ful sight, what some of you mockers -make of this :                 Sol let us mock at the thing, and p,ass on!
 these are not signs of drunkennless. Thus, in fact, some            When John the Baptist spoke of things similar to
 of the multitude had tried to explain away their amaze- those now ut+erecl by this company of men and women
 ment : "Thee  meri are full of new wine.?' Unbelief, on the day of Pentecost, these same mockers and url-
 standilig amazed  and~dumbfounded in "the .day of the believers,-0, they were %l-+urch-men !"-made it very
 L&d," is always ready with  3.n  "explanation" of  the plain that his word could not be accepted: was he not
 sigps of. t$at day, an .expianation  that can. allay its in the desert, instead of in ,Jerustilem  ; and was he not
 fezirs' of the coming judgment, A wicked and adulter,          really.  an Anabaptist,  who-  .ca;me  neither eating nor


     410                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   `B E A R E R '

     drinking ; and did he, then, not have a devil? When, ma@estation  of the fact that the promise, as spoken
     in the days of iHis flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, followed up by th6 prophet Joel, has been fulfilled, then this is-the
     the preaching of John, procl$n@g the qearness of the day of the Lord !                        .i.--,,,
     same kingdom of God, these mockers  and unbelievers               Then; indeed, there- is  c$us~~;  $or  !*gFga,t  joy and
     that ar,e always cresenf wheiever the kingdom  of God `thanksiiving for the Church of :(.Z,c$l~  4~ the wbrld,, for
     is coming, sang's differ,ent `tune bu+with the same end those that .look for the salvation in Israel; but, as .?l-
     in view. Did `He hot corn?- eatihg and drinking, and ways on "the day of the Lord," then there .is reason
     that, too, .with publicans &nd sihhers ? ,O, to drink, even*.. for fear. and const,ernation  on the part oi al! Fhe carnal
     a glass of wine,-with respectabl,e  men, sue4 as Pharisees seed, for those that will. not repent, a,nd that- never
     and scribes, mdy be perfectly prop& ; but who does not enter into the kingdom of God,' whenever, and howso-
     know that one who eats with publicans and sinners  is a even it comes !
     glutton and winebibber? And,- besides, was iHe not                For then these men, instead of babblivg like drunk-
     from Nazareth, from which place nothing good ever en men, speak "as the Spirit gave them utterance," and
     came? And did they not know His Father and mother, they do, indeed, speak of the wonderful works of God!
     and even His brothers and sisters? IHow, then, could              God has poured out of His Spirit.
     l%e be the Christ? And if you should call attention to          ,  Atid it `is in the power df that Spirit that these
 the fact that this Jesus did many wonderful .works, and men now speak!
&at He cast out devils, the.explanation was not difficult            The Spirit speaks through them : they prophesy !
     to  find: He cast out devils. through  BeBlzebub,  the            In the Spirit, the God of our salvation; in Jesus
 prince of devils!                                                -Christ, has come down to us, to establish His dwelling-
        Yes, indeed, rumors had it, later; that He rose from place with us, and to abide with us for ever!
 the dead. But it was not at all difficult to see the true            For H,& is the Spirit of God. IHe 3s very God, like
 meaning of these rumors: His disciples had stolen the the Father and the Son. For so UHe is called, and so He
 body of Jesus, while the Roman`death-watcli sl$ept!               revealed in all His mighty works. All the  wqrks of
        These men are full of" sweet wine !                        God are of the Father, through the Son, and in the
        ,O, this explanation might not fit all the facts ; but     Spirit, And with the Father and the  Sqn, He is co-
 it -was satisfactory enough. And if only it could be equal in divine perfections. Nor is He a mere power
 officially adopted by majority  vote,. the voice of .these        or effluence of ,God Who is a Spirit. Indeed, when the
 meti would be silenced, and tile house of these mockers. text here teaches that, on the day of Pentecost, God
.would be saved from destruction.                                 poured out of His Spirit, the emphasis lies on the fact
        But, thus Peter, standing up with the eleven, this that, by this pouring out, many gifts of grace are be-
 is not that!                                                     stowed upon the Church ; besides, He is poured out on
        These men are not drunken. Apart now from the all flesh, and on all the servants and handmaidens of
obvious fact that such a theory would not explain the `the living God: all partake of the Spirit. But He is,
 signs of the sound as of `a mighty wiGd, and of the like the Father and the Son, a definite divine Person:
 cloven tongues as of fire, `it was dnly the third hour of        He wills, and knows, and acts ; He instructs, and wit-
the day. And to be sure, at nine o'clock in the morning nesses, and assures. IHe is the Spirit of the Father,
one might meet a stray drunk on the street, but how and of the Son,~in  Whom the Father  loves the Son, and
absurd to suppose that a company  of one hundred and the Son loves the Father,  -and Who searches the depths
twenty men would go banqueting and revelling in the of God! Where  He dwells, there dwell th6 Father and
wee hours of the morning!                                         the Son : there is the dwellingplace,  the covenant of the
       No, this is not that!                                      triune God!
       But this is the realization qf the promise!                    And He is the Spirit of Christ!
.       This is that which was, long ago, spoken by the               For IHe is so called. And, indeed, the Spirit -of God
prophet. Jog1 : "And it shall come to pass in the last and the Spirit of Christ ane one and the same divine
days, gaith ,God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Person, yet, the. viewpoint is different.  par as  the
flesh". . . .                                                     Spirit of Christ, He is the-God of our salvation, dwell-
     It means that God has visited His people!                    ing in and with the Church, to fill her with all the
       The promise has been fulfilled !                           blessings of grace obtained for her by the death and
                                                                  nesurreetion of her Lord. For the Son of God came to
                                                                  dwell in human flesh, tabernacled among us, obtained
       `This is that!                                             eternal salvation for us, died  and! was  raise,d;  was
       And that puts the mockers in an entirely critical exalted in highest glory, far above all principalities
position !                                                        and. powers, leading captivity captive, richly endowed
       For if this, these signs, and the fact that these men with all spiritual blessings of salvation for His people.
speak in other tongues, -and what they speak, is the And that exalted Lord; that exceedisgly glorious Christ,


                                            T H E   S T A N D - A R D   B E A R E R                                                                                      411

 -that rich Head of His Church, received the promise co&e  for all that look for tlie promise.;
 of the Holy Spirit, that in that Spirit He might return              0, glorious  Spirit of promise!
to His Church,  ar$ fill her with His grace.                                  .:
 .  ~`I  Thtis  thy-=:-a~o$tl~`"Petey,  "standihg  `hp with the              h:.fi.,il.  la,  `           .I:,  `_"                 I?lr:I.,                 ,I           r
 el&&i" ~x&&%x it& bospel on that n&moral&e  day of                   T h i s   i s   $htit.  a.  :. .                 .-y-,, `.                  `!`.I.
 Pentecost : "This Jesus -God hath raised up,' Lwhereof               The Word `sbokeni  by the, pibph&' iti`ikbw fulfilled.
 %e are all witnesses. Therefore being by the right                   And this means. tthat, on the day of Pentecost, it
 hand of Gdd exalted, and having ?ec*ived  of the Father was upon the Chiwch that the Spirit was poured out.
 the pr6miBe'bf the !Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this,             For always, the promise of God. is for the Church.
 which we now' bee and hear."          1                           Ever it follows the rule : "Unto you is the promise, and
     In Him, the exalted [Christ,  returned!                       unto your .childr&." It was to that Church that the
     He is the Spirit of the fulfillment of the promise. promise was mad,e, through the word of the prophet
 As such iHe was not yet under the old dispensation; be- Sael, and of other prophets `as well. If, then, "this is
 cause Jesus was not yet glorified. John `7 39. 0, indeed, that which was spoken by the prophet Joel," it is the
 also' in the Church of the Old Testament, the Spirit of Church that received the fulfillment of the promise.
 ,God, and that, too, as the Spirit of Christ that was to             `That church is not born on the day of PFntecost,
 come, was revealed, and operated. For also the saints as some claim, and as others often thoughtlessly r&pe$.
 of old were saved, were regenerated, believed, and had IOn the contrary, it was from the very beginning of the
 the forgiven&s of sins. Yet, `even as Christ had not world, and will be even unto the end. It was in Para-
yet. come, so .the Spirit of Christ, as the fulfillment of dise; and in the'ark, and in the loins of Abraham.- And,
 the ~promise,  was not yet. Even as `the Church of the for a time, that Church. is placed under the law, and
 old dispensation knew and saw the day of Christ only assumes the form of Israel's national existence, and of
                                                                                                                                                   s
 in the dim shadows of ,the law; so the Spirit of Christ the Mosaic institution.                                                                                    _
 led that ,Chureh always to the law, to temple and altar              And the line runs through.
 and sacrifices, to prophet an-d priest and king: to the              God does not forsake His people. He continues His
 signs and symbols of that which: was to come, in order covenant.' When the promise, long expected, is real-
 that they might dimly apprehend the things. of the ized, the Spirit is poured out upon the <Church. For,
 kingdom of God. And, for the rest, this Spirit dwelled it is true that the word by the prophet Joel spoke of.
 in a few prophets, enlightening them; and speaking "all flesh'.`; and it is equally true that this looks for the
 through them of things to come. ,These prophets saw fulfillment of the promise far beyond the boundaries of
 visions and dreamed daeams. They stood on the nioun- Israel's national existence ; it embraces all the nations
 tain-tops of  revelaiidn, whence they could  see the of the world.  Yaet,  !even so, the promise is for the
 things' of the kingdom of God, "the day of the Lord," Church, and its realization is accomplished in  the
 afar off; and the people dwelled.in the valley below, Church. The "world" cannot and does not receive the
 and looked up to these prophets for the knowledge of Spirit of Christ. Hence' the prophet explains: "yoz~r
 the Lord.                                                 ,.      sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young
     But pow the Spirit is come!                                   men shall s.ee .visions, and your old men shall dream
     He is poured out, not upon a few prophets, but dreams."
 upon all flesh!                                                      The  IChurch,  through the outpouring of the Spirit,
    #On all the servants and handmaidens of `the Lord would, indeed, put off her old garments of the law and
 H'e is shed forth !                                               of the shadows, and put on her beautiful garments of:
    Ndw, all dwell on th,e mountain-tops of revei+@on. grace and truth; but it wtis still the Church.
 All prophesy. All see visions, tind all dream dreams.                Hence, it was but proper that the, Spirit should be
 All look, `05 to be sure, still as in a mirror, but never- poured out upon the Church in Jerusalem.
 theless, at the glory of the Lord, and are changed into              And it was equally proper, and inevitable, that the
 the same, image.                                                  Church on which the Spirit was poured out, should not
  From the smallest to the greatest, they  ,now  .a11 be found in the temple, but in the upper room; should
 know the Lord!                                                    not consist of priests and scribes and pharisees, but of
     But then, the mockers may well be filled with fear ! the one hundred and twenty disciples of the Lord that,
     For then they are hearing, not the idle prattle of- under- the leadership of t&e apostles, waited for the
 drunken men, but the Word of ,God!                                promise ! In them the ?,hurch  is continued, and in all
     Then they stand condemned. For teen Jesus is the that, through their word, shall be called.
 Christ, whom  they crucified. Then He was raised from                The day of the Lord is at Kand! Woe unto &ll that
the dead, and is become the Lord of all!                           mock !                                                                               '
     Then the day of &he Lord is, indeed, at hand!                  Rkjoice,   0   Z i o n ! Thy salvation is come!
    But glory and blessing and eternal salvation +s ..              Put on thy beautiful garments!                                                H. H.


  412                                                                                                                         T H E   STA-titiARX)  B E A R E R . ' .   -
         _..-

                                    The Standard  Bearer.                                                                                                                                                                   E-DITORJALS.                                       .`-
                  ,Semi~Monthly,  except Monthly in July and August. I,:-                                                                                                                                                        -1                   ,`.,
          . . ).'-. .f..`i";r ;'                                          @ublishd   by                                                   `,,  .'  ;j  [I  " .
                  i  .).'                                                                                                                                                                                                The Liberated  Chtirches  r  2'
                          The  R&for&d   I&-&   Publishi&   kskokiation  . .
                                                          1463 Ardiilofe  St.::  SL E.                                                                                                                                       .In The Netherlan&                                  1
                                                                                                                    1,  >I                                                                               .-
                                               EDITOR - Rev. H;. Hoelwema
                                                                                                               f                                                                                                THE  ,CHURCH POLITICAL ASPECT:                 "'
     Contributing kklitors :ARev,  G. M. Ophloff, -Rev.  G. Vos, Rev..
     R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                                                                     As might be expected, the  heirarchical tendency
     Rev. J. D.  De Jong, `Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                                               and character of the Synod of Utrecht, 1943-1945,
    Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. %I. Glitters,  Rev. J. A. Beys,                                                                                                                                              reached its climax, and kxpressed itself most clearly-in
     Rev.   Tiv.  Hofmfifi.                                                                                                                                                                                     the deposition of officebearers, ministers z&d elders.
       dom&mications relative to conteiits  Should  be addressed                                                                                                                                                    The ,Church Order stipulates rather definitely th&
   `to REV. H.  HOEKSEMA,  1139  F%nklin  St., S. E., Grand                                                                                                                                                     this belongs to the jurisdiction of the consistory.
    R a p i d s ,   M i c h i g a n ;                                                                                                                                                                               Thus we. read in Art. 79: "When ministers of the
        Clollirliiinictitions   relative t6 &ibtiCription   &hdiild  be addi+%ed                                                                                                                                divine Word, Elders or Deacons, have committed any
    to MR. GERRIT  PIPE, 1463 Ardmore  St., S. E., Grand Rapids,
   Michigan. All Announcements, a6d -Obituaries must be sent                                                                                                                                                    public, gross sin, which is a disgrace to the Church,
   to the above address aqd will not be placed unless th.e regular                                                                                                                                              or worthy of punishment by the Authorities; the Elders
   fte of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                                                                                         or Deacons shall immediately by preceding sentence
                                  isubscription price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                                                           of the Consistory thereof and of the neare&  ,Chur&;
   Entered as Second Class  Fail at Grand Rapids,  Michigan.                                                                                                                                                    be suspended or expelled from their office, but -the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                Ministers shall only be  suipended.  Whether these
                                                                                                                                                                                                                shall be entirely deposed from offiice, .shall be subject
                                                                                                                                          - .                                                                   to the judgment of the Classis, with the advice of the
                                                                       CONTENTS                                                                                                                                 Delegates  bf the (Particular) Synod mentioned in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                Ar&l,e 11."
 RiEDIfi'ATI&N   -                                                           j                                                                                                                                      And in Art. 80 a list  bf such sins as render  onle
                                                                                                                                                                                                                worthy `of suspension "and deposition is offered ; "Fur-
 TI-%E QUTPOURI&G OF THE PROMLSED SPIRIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409                                                                                                                                        thermore among. the gross sins, which are worthy  of-
     Rev.  a. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                                          beicg punished with suspension or deposition from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                office, these are the principal ones: false doctrine or
 E D I T O R I A L S   -  '                                                                                                                                                                                     heresy, public schism, public blasphemy, simony, faith-
THE LIBERATED  C&JRC.HES IN THE NETHERLANDS..412                                                                                                                                                                less desertion of office or intrusion upon that of an-
 A S   T O   SUFFE~RING
                                                                 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414    other, peijury, adultery, fornication, theft, acts of vio-
 TIIE IDEA OF  CONSCI&CE IN THE  EPI'STLES  OF                                                                                                                                                                  lenee,. hab.itual ~ drunkenness, brawling, filthy lucre ; in
 P A U L. . . . . . . . . I . . . . . ..I. i..: . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415 short all sins and gross `offenses as render the per-
 EXPOSITION OF THE HEZDDELBERG  CATECH1S.M  . . . . . ...419                                                                                                                                                    petrators infamous before the world, and which in any
                                                                                                                                           u                                                                    private member- of the Church would be considered
          Rev. H. Hoekseina                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           `
            .                                                                                                                                                                                                   w o r t h y   o f   excommunication."
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Let us note here:
 THE CALLING  dF `THE  MiNItSTER   OF THE  GOSPEL..:...Iil                                                                                                                                                          1.  .That, the  susp@.nsion  and deposition of  office-
~~.  I C H A B O D
                           . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .I* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425                bearers must always have its beginning with the eon-
          Rev. LG. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                                                                    sistory.  Because of the itiportance of the matter, as
                                                                                                                                                                                              , .
                                                                                                                                                0                                                               well as to prevent the possibility that a consistory sit.
 WONDERE VEILIGHEID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .426                                                                    as judge in its own case,-the adviae of a neighboring
                                                                                                                                                                                                                consistory, is required ; and because all the churches,
          Rev. G.  Vas                                                                                                                                                                                          and not only the loctil'congregation, are concerned in
 IN HIS FEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...! ,.....................................................  428                                                                                     the office of a-minister, his deposition requires the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                advice of the classisj.  and of the synodical  delegates.
 !  8 Rev. C.  H,anko                                                                                                                                                                                              2. The , sins pn account .of which an officebearer
                                                                                                                                                                                                                cant be suspended or deposed from office cmust be of
PERIS'COPE                          . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . l............: ..,....................  431                                   such a nature that there can be no doubt about their
        ` R e v .   iB.  K o k                                                                                                                                                                                  Boeing heinous offenses, and worthy of punishment. To ~
                                                                                                        -.                                                                                                      remove  any doubt ofi this score Art. go-was, evidently,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                .put into the Church Order.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  .


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                                                                                                                         I.
                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          `4 1 3

           3. The sins must be of  suech a nature--that the                 "3., That he offered no grievances against the. dot-
       guilty party  is worthy of  .excommunication.        From . trinal' decisions of that Synod ,(`Sneek-Utrecht,  1H.H.)
       this it follows that one should never be deposed from nor-any other objections to the present Synod,  .and now
       office, unless he is also worthy of excommunication.             `publicly opposes these `decisions, though Synod main-
           We understand that the Rev. Barkey  Wolf, a. visitor tained. them over against objections filed by others';
       fu'om the Netherlands here, dropped the rem&k, at a                  "4. That he, even after repeated sunimons, with-
       conference in Calvin College, that Dr. Schilder was, drew. himself from the discussion of the differences of
     , in his opinion, not a Christian. This remark, however, opinion  (meeningsverschillen)  in  th;e  sessions of the                  ,
       he retracted, and for-it tie apologized. From his statid- Synod of Sneek-Utrecht May 1942;
       point, as a representative of the synodical  Churches                "5. That he exhorts the churches not to accept the
       of the Netherlands, he should  have let the remark doctrinal  de&ions as binding, and to act contrary  to.
       stand after he qade:it. That he apologized for it im- the decision of  -the Synod of Sneek-Utrecht that the
I      plies that, in his opinion, Dr. ,Schilder  should not have classes shall ascertain at the examinat-ion of candidates
       been deposed. `The sins that make  one w&thy of ge- for the ministry that these agree with those doctrinal
       position ape the same as those which make pne worthy decisi.ons ;                                           _'
      of  :excommunication. And to excommunicate  on'e  Srom                "6. That he refused to apologize for the attitude
       the fellowship of the Church is to declare that he is he assumed, tq acknowledge that he should fiave re-
       not a Christian. The Rev. Barkey Wolf sho@d have frained from giving advice to the consistory of Kamp-
       had the -courage of his conviction.                              en, to promise that he would teach nothing that is not
         .. But let us now turn `to the synod of 1943:45 to see - in full agreement -with the doctrinal decisions of the.
       liow also  -in this respect it simply  ignqred the  con- Synod of' Sneek-Utrecht, and to declare that he will
       sistories, rode rough-shod over its authority, and took in no way agitate  a*gainst these decisions  ia the
       matters in its own hand.                                         churches ; and that he thus perseveu:es  in the' attitude-
          As to the suspension +d deposition of Dr. Schilder, he a&umed  over against the Synod as the legal gather-
       its history is, in brief, as follows.                            ing of the Reformed Churches.      ._
           1. Because of ,Dr. Schilder's expressed disagree-               "Declares that he rendlered himself guilty' of the
       ment with the doctrinal decisions of the Synod  9f sin of schism mentioned  in Art. 80 of the Church
       Sneek-Utrecht; and- because of. a letter which he! had Order ; and deci<es :
       addressed to his consistory'in Kampen, and letter;s-by              "1. With deep regret, on the basis of Artt. 78 apd
       him written to all the ,churches ; the Synod, in itsi ses- 80 df the Church XOrder,  and of the "Rules concerning
       sion, of Febr. 25, 1943 deeidled to place Dr. Schilder           the termination of the suspension from, or the granting
       categorically before the demand that he teach not@g of permission to leave, the service"of  those, who occupy
       contrary to the doctrinal decisions of. Sneek-Utrkcht,           a permanent position as professor at the Theol. School
       that he do not agitate against those decisions id the of the Reformed Churches," to suspend him as pro-
       churches, and `that he apologize for his action of &nd- fessor at the Theol. School and as Emeritus-minister
       ing the above mentioned letter to the  consistor$  of of the Reformed Church of Rotterdam-Delftshaven
       Kampen. Synod gave Dr.  Schilder time to,  an@ver for the time of three months; in order to ,offer him an
     till March 9, 11  P.M. At this session Synod  had al- opportunity to confess his aberr&ion, and to declare
       ready decided that the attitude and action of  i Dr. himself with a view to the ,questioti  proposed to him
       Schilder made him guilty of phblic &@ism accqr@ng                by Synod ; to which-the Synod urgently_ exhorts him,
       to Art. 80 of .the' Chprch Order.                      1         praying the Lord that He may give him all he needs in
          To all the questions sent him by Synod, Dr. Schjlder          this way ; and
       replied with an unqualified, bpt motivated No. :                    "2. To send a cbpy of this decision, together with
          The result was  that in its session of  MarFh/ 23, copy of the reports -that have bearing on this case (in
       1943, Synod decided as follows:                             I    as far as necessary  &lso a copy of the reply of Dr.
          "C o n s i d e r i n g , : .                                  Schilder of March 8 and- 9, 1944) to Prof. K. Schilder,
          "1.. That Prof.  SchiJder,  in a letter of Oct.  i942 the Curators  of- the  Theol.  .School, the consistory of
       addressed to the consistory of Kampen, advised bhgt Rotterdam-Delftshaven, the classis Rotterdam, and the
       consistory, among other things; that it should not {con- consi@ory of Kampen, -and further to notify all the
       sider the decisions of the Synod `(of Sneek-Utreqht) , consistories of the Reformed Churches'of  the Nether-
       taken: in agreement with Art. 31. ,of the IChurch Oader,         lan&&"            `.
       as settled  .and binding;                              I          `The vote of the Synod was 41 `in favor, 5 against.
          "2. That he did  not comply with the  exprejssed              Two members were  absknt. (Verslag, pp. 160-162).
       expectation of'the Synod fltrecht, to acknowledge that              The Synod was flooded with protests, from the
       he' should h&e refrained from offering  his @&$ to churches against this suspension. This in itself should
       $he con&story' of &mpen ;                              !         have been sufficient to convince Synod that the `alleged
                                                            .~,


         4     1    4                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

        public schism of Dr. Schilder was a debatable question,
        and could hardly be considered. as falling under the                              As !h Suffering
        category of the `sins meant in Art. 80 of the Church
        Order. When one is accused of adultery or theft or                     I received. the follomiing  cotiunication :
        habitual drurikenness, there may exist doubt as to Dear Editor `of the Standard Bearer,
        whether the accused party is guilty, but there is no
        possible doubt as to guiltiness of the sin itself. But                 In recent discussions with the brethren the question
        in this case it was quite diffebent. `The. attitud,e  and has arisen whether the "sufferings of this present
        actions of Dr.  Schilder were enerally known. But time?? have any spiritual value in the plan of God and
                                            7
        the churches were. not convinced that by these actions as a means to our salvation and eternal glory?
       . he had made himself guilty of public schism.                 .1       To clarify the point, allow me to state the following :
              Besides,  tile protests were directed against the                `1,. Some passages of Scripture speak directly of
        hierarchical action of Synod .whereby it had suspended suffering for Christ's sake, .e.g. I Peter 2 :19 ff.
        .a minister of the Word, without even considering his                  2. Oth*er passages speak of falling into divers temp-
_       consistory.                                                         tations which serve to the trying of our faith as in
              The Synod, however; maintained its decision over James 1:2;
        against all protests.                                 1 `I              3. But (here  is] the point  in question) does the
              And in a closed session of Aug. 3, 1944, it`finally           Word of God alloy7 us to speak of "th.e  sufferings of
        deposed Dr. Schilder from office,~ both as professor tit this present time", by which I mean the sufferings
 .      the Theol. School, and as emeritus-minister of Rotter- in this  bodzj,  such as pliysical pain, agony, anguish
        dam-Delftshaven.                                                    qf heart, weeping, misery, distress, ldneliljess,  grief,
              On similar` grounds and in the same hierarchies1 etc., as having spiritual value.                  Do the afflictions
        way, Dr. S. Greydanus `was suspended as emeritus- .which ar.e common to the body as such have value in
        professor at Kampen, and as 8emeritus-minister-of the this;life  and for the life to come?  '  Alth6ugh these
        church of Paesens..                                                 are truly the consequetices  of siti which we `must bear
              Likewise, at a closed session of Aug. 18, 1944, the and are, in the life of the Christian, often closely
        Synod  suspend'ed those elders of the church in Kampen, connected with 1 and ,2 above, they are not necessarily
      that openly refused to recognize the suspension_ of the dire$ result of `the sufferings mentioeed  in ..l and
        .D?.  S c h i l d e r .                                             `2.above.  Do these also hav& spiritual value?
              Other actions of a similar nature could be men-                  a: If so, what value and how?
                                                                               b. May a Christian derive comfort from this suf-
        .tioned: But the above is quite sufficient to prove that
        the Synod of 1943-1945 took- and' maintained the heir- fering- knowing that it will be to -his eternal w,elfare
        archical  stand that it could directly. exercise keypower           and value?
        over the churches, its officebearers and members. In                   c. May we speak of these sufferings as blessings
                                                                            and means of God &hancing the blessedness of our
        fact, in the course.of a discussion on the floor of the
        Synod, this was literally~ maintained by Dr. K. Dijk, eternal salvation and glory?
                                                                               d. May we  tinite these present  suffering3 of the
        professor at Kampen : "Also -the Synod has keypower, bqdy with those of soul as having relative value for
        and not only the local church." This. is bad enough. our redemption in body and soul and, hence, speak of
        The action of Synod;however,  was worse, for it wholly them thus to comfort the sick, afflicted, suffering and
        ignored and denied the keypower  of the local church,
        and completely monopolized the keys!             .                  dying child of .God when w,e as officebearers call on
                                                                            them to console them with ,God's Word?
                                                                               I have broadened out slightly so as to clarify the
        We conclude,  therefone:                                            point in question. There is a difference of opinion on
              1. That we do not `agree with the doctrinal de- this score, some maintaining that these sufferings as
                                                                            in 3 above have qothing at all to do with our spiritual
        cisions of the Synod of Sneek-Utrecht, nor with their
       `modified form as adopted by the last special Synod.                 we1far.e  and have no spiritual value, but must pe borne
                                                                            only as the `natural consequence of sin. They main-
              2. That we still less agr#ee with the stand of the tain that only the suffering as stated in 1 and 2 above
        Liberated Churches on the covenant. In following have value in God's plan to effect our welfare and sal-
        IHeyns they leave- the. t.rack  of Reformed truth.
              3. That we abhor the hierarchical stand and actions vation. .
        of the Synod of Utrecht, and would never bend our                      Will you please shed some light on this question in
                                                                            the Standard Bearer for which I thank you in adaance.
      neck under-their popish yoke.
              In future issues we will discuss the rest of. the                                   Your brother. in.,Christ,
        doctrinal decisions of the Synod of Sneek-Utrecht;                                               H. A. "Van Putten.
        the Lord willing.             1.                H. .H.                                                  Holland, Mich.


                                     T    H    E         S    T     A         N         D    A    R    D            BEAR,ER  ~.         415     _
                                                                         L
ANSWER :                                                                 `The other reasons must' wait till the next issue,
                                                                   the Lord willing.
    It is difficult for me to believe that there can be a                                                                     ,H. H.
`dispute about the q~e@&n  as formulated abov& That
there are brethren who take the stand that suffering                                                        .'
in general, apart from direct-persecution for Christ's                                                            /
sake, -has nothing to do with our spiritual condition,
and with our eternal salvation, I can hardly conceive.                  The Id&a Of Co&science In The
As I write this answer to Mr. Van;Putten's question, .I
I have a vague notion that there is some element of                .                         Epi&t;!es Of Paul *
misunderstanding between the brethren, .and that the
brethren that oppose him in this dispute. can, prob-
ably, throw a different light oti the matter. If so, I                   The subject assigned to me is of an exegetical
hope that they will clarify the situation by writing nature. However, the purpose is not tk;e exegesis of
about `it..                                                        certain- passages of Scripture, particularly of the
    As the matter stands, I can only answer Mr. Van Pauline  .epistles,  but rather the arrival at certain.
Putten's  question by an unqualifikd affirmative: Yes, synthetic conclusions with respect to the idea of the
all the sufferings of this present time, both those that conscience as defined in these  passages. We approach
are inflicted upon us by the enem& of the cross. of the  passages  that apply' to our subject with  certain'
Christ, and those that come to us, not in the form of              definite questions in mind. What is the .conscience?
persecutions for IChrist's sake, but' directly from~ `the Is it a distinct faculty of the soul? ,Or is it rather a
hand of God.                                                       certain aspect of our  consciotisness?   The distinction
                                                                   is usually made between sequent and antecedent con&
   And I suggest the following reasons : .                         science, the former passing judgment upon the action
    1. One  canpot so separate suffering in general .performed,  the latter functioning before any moral
from suffering for Christ's sake as is, evidently done action, and enjoining upon the will the right course of
in. the above mentioned debate.       They  may be dis- a&ion in any given alternative. And the question
tinguished, of course. There are, indeed, afflictions arises: Is this distinction correct? Is the conscience
that come to us through. the agency of the hostile according to Scripture, equivalent, in part at least,
world, because the world lies~ in darkness, and we a?e to Kant's categorical imperative? Do all men, heathen
children of light ; because `we are conf,essing  believers, and iChristiar,s, have a conscience? Is the conscience
and `Christ becomes manifest in us ; because the -anti- infallible, and can one speak of an obligation always
Christian world requires that its subjects shall show fo follow the voice of  cdnscience?  What is a  goocl or
the mark `of the beast, and we refuse to receive it.               pure conscience; and what is its opposite? And to this
And there are other sufferings, which we endure in might be added,  pekhaps,  whether in the Christian
common with the whole world: sickness, pain, sorrow, there are two consciences, or, at least, whether his
war, depression, d,eath.                                           conscience at the same time accuses and condemns him,
    Yet, although they may be distinguished, they and justifies and approves him in the sight of God?
ca.rmdt  be separat%d.  In a  .higher sense, especially if Although, therefore, our task "is largely exegetical,
we iook at all things in a supralapsarian light, all the purpose of our exegesis must needs be from the
the suffering the elect  endure in this world is for outset to find an answer to these and similar ques-
Christ's sake, for God's glory's sake, and for their own t i o n s .
eternal salvation's sake.     If it had not been  `God's                 My subject limits the exegetical task to the Pauline
good pleasure to glorify Himself in the deep way of epistles. Even though I am personally by no means.
sin and g&e,- to make Christ His Son the fir&born sure that the epistl,e to the Hebrews was- writt,en by
of every creature, and that, too, as the  firstbegot-              the great Apostle, I have included in the discussion  s
ten of the dead, arid to lead His el& in Christ on tb                              I
                                                                   that follows the passages in that epistle that abe re--
the higher glory of His everlasting, heavenly taber- lated tdmy subject. We must consider then, the fol-
nacle, sin and death would never `have been. Now, lowing passages : Rorn..B :15 ; 9 il ; 13 :5 ; I Car. 8 :7, 10, _
however, we must be made perf,ect  through suffering' 12; 10:25-29; II Cor. 1:12; 4:2; 5:ll; I'Tim. 1:5, 19;.
and death. There is no other way into the glory  bf 3:9;  4:2;  1I"rim.  1:3; Heb.  9:9, 14;  10:2, 22;  13:18.
the resurrection.  IHence, we  may say that all the It ,would,  pe&aps, be possible, to arrange these pas-
suffering of this present time is for Christ's sake, and sages from tliti outset according to a definite classifica-
leads to glory. "Whether Paul, or Apollos,  or Cephas, tion, such as those that speak of the conscience in the
or the world ; .or life, or death, or. things present,. -or
things to come ; all things -are' yours ; And ye  a&               * Paper delivered  ,at the Conference  ,of Protestant Reformed
Christ's ; and ,Christ is God's," I Car, 3 :22, 23,                ministers  in Grand Rapids, Michigan.


                                                                                           .     .

  416                                    TH-E  ,STANDARD'  B E A R E R .   -

  heathen and. in the ,Christian; those that speak of a hearts of the .G@ntiles. `The question arises : how does
  good and of an evil conscience, and those that refer            God accomplish this writing? And the answer to this
' to the cons&ence of the weak and of the strong. How- quesfioti.  cannot be dubious in  *the general light of
  ever, without much fear of repetition tie may follqw Scripture. Thjs writirig is `Godls  `own testimony, Hix
  the order in which they occur in the epistles. And it tiitness,  concerning Himself, His will and law, in the
  is. in this order that we intend to discuss them.               hearts of the, Gentiles. And the witness of- Got! al-
   i The very first text to. be considered, Rom. 2 :15, is ways takes place by tlie Spirit and through the Logos.
  of  great  irnpo&nce for  our.subject.   .I translate  _tSle    There is no witness `of God without the Logos. And
  passage as follows: "Such as shbw that they have the there is no inscription of this testimony of God without
  work of the law written in their:rhearts,  for with this the Spirit. Since, therefore, the reference in the text
  their cofiscience  bears witness, `and by this their jtidg-s is to the heathen, the inscription of the work of the
  ments or considerations  (toon logismoon) accuse or law. in their hkarts gust be attributed to the gencTa1
  excuse -them among one another." I would call .a&en- testimony of &he Sljirit through the Logos in creat:.ou,
  tion to the  follow.ing  point_s of interest for our sub- "the light that lighteth every man that corn&h  into
  j e c t :                                                       the world." John  1:9. "Because that which may' be
         1. As the general relative  Hoitines,  that -introduces known of God .(or is known) is manifest in them ; for
  this verse, shows, the text is an explanation and fur- God hath shewed it unto them. For, the invisible things
  ther. proof of the fact, stated  in the preceding-verse, of him from the c&%tioli  of the world are clearly seen,
  namely, that the heathen which have not the law fusei being understood by the things that are made, even
 ta. tou nomou poioosin, by nature do the things of the his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they are
  law. ,I understand the genitive tou nomou as a sub- without excuse." Rom. 1:19, 20. It is evident, then,
jective genitive.  Ta  tou nomou, therefore, are the that this grapton in the hearts of the heathen ik not
  things which the law, wherever it exists and functions to be conceived as a sort of mystical code that is once
  as a coda of precepts, does. The law performs especial- for all inscribed into their inner soul and conscious-
  ly three-things : it presents' to the will of ma:n that ness, as' the written law' was engraved into tables of
  which is good and evil, it commahds the will to choose stone, but rather as the result of a continuous testi-
  the good and to r@ject the evil, and it judges the moral mony of God in them, .by His Spirit and through the
  acts qf man, either -approving and promising life, or Logos.
  condemning and threatening .death.  These functions              3.  Ndw, this testimony of God  -in the  hearts of
  are performed by the heathen fusei, i.e. wi+out any the Gentiles is not itself their coriscience, but is the
  external code of precepts, without a verbally revealed basis,. the  conditio sine qua non  of it. Without it
  law, -by nature : their own natural mind and `existenbe         heir would  be no  conscie%Fe in the Gentiles. The
  in conjunction with "nature" without them, creation, conscience itself is theawareness, the consciousness
  providence, history, and so&al interrelations.                  on the part of the Gentiles of this handwriting of
         2. By doing this, they show, according to vs. i5,        God in. their hearts,- and their inevitable agreement .
  that`,they  have  to  ergon  tpu  notiou grapton en  tais with it, and consent. to it. This is eyident from the
  -kardiais autoon, they have the work of the law written phrase in the g&i&e absolute that follows: sunmar-
  in their hearts. This expression is, tp an extent, iepexe-      tuyousees  autoon tees suneideeseoos: with which their _
  getical of  t.a  tou nomou  poiobsin  fusei.  Also  her,e I conscience bears witness. This phrase, and  espec-
  understand the genitive tou nomou as subjective geni.-          iaily- in this connection, is significant as far as our
  tive: the ergon tou nomou is the work which the law s_ubject is concerned, because it throws light upon
  does. ,Only, the  fact that they, the heathen, do by the  meaning  of the  terni suneideesis, and, it  seems
  nature the things of the law, so that formally they act to me; gives a  Father definite answer to the ques-
  &co?ding to the law, distinguishing correctly between tion concerning the subject referred to-by the pre-
  good and evil,- formally giving preference to the good          position sun ii? this  nomen`  compositum.  The noun.
  as an obligation, and judging -tfiemselves  and others, szineideesis  is derived from the verb ~sunoida, the per-
  is proof of the fact `that they have this threefold fect of eidon, with the infinitive suneidenai. The mean-
  groundwork of the law written in their hearts. The ing, therefore, is "to know together with," `to.be wit-
latter is the basis of `the former, and is manifest ness in  cofijunction with." The question, however,
   (endeiknuntai)  in the former. This ground work  -of arises : to know together with whom? Does suneideesis
  the law, this  basis of the threefold function of the           denote eidenai sun tini, to.know together weith someohe
  law,  ,is  grapion -in their hearts., The writing pre-          else,. or eidenai sun heautoo, to know toge$her with
  supposes a Writ,er. And from th6 fact that the writing oneself?  YIt is rather striking-that` in classic Greek
  c&cerns the law, the work of the law, it follows that the word seems to denote the latter: to know with
  the Writer -is none- other than the Lawgiver, that is           oneself. .This might be expected because of the con-
  ,God. God, therefpre, w.rites`the work of .the law. in the sideration, that the Gelitiles  did not acknowle'dge tk.6
                                                       -


                                   . .    T H E   .STANDARD   B E A R E R                                               417.
                                                                                                              .c
      work of the law in their hearts as the writing of God.       as the subject of the act. Conscience, therefore, is
      They simply knew the work of the law fusei b;i their much more than Kant's categorical imperative.
      own nature, that is, of themselves. IHence, acco~cling          3. `That conscience is, strictly speaking, not' ante-
      to their conception, the conscience was a know- cedent,  but always sequent, a judgment upon the act
      ledge which they had- with themselves .a witness accomplished. It may, of course, precede the actual,
      in conjunction `with their own. hearts.        But, and outward deed. But an act of man is not limited to its
      again' this might be expected,' in Scripture this is outward expression : it rises from the heart. And to
      different.    There suneideesis denotes not a know- the ethical  acta of man, as arising from the heart,
      ledge with oneself, but a knowledge together with conscience is never antecedent.
      the judgment and witness of God. This is  evidc!;lt                                           -
      from Rom. i:15, particularly from the genitivg abso-                                               .
      lute phrase we are now discussing. For the consciel:ce          Let us now, briefly, consider the other passages
      is here said to sunmarturein:  to witness together wi$.h.    of the Pauline epistles that have bearing upon our
     And there .can be no doubt that the sun in this ccm- subject, to discover whether they corroborate the con-
     pound refers back to the i&mediately preceding,  that clusions reached thus far, as w.611 as, whether they,
_     is, to the work of the law written in the -hearts., It perhaps, .throw additional iight upon the meaning  of
      is plain, then, that -it is the function -of the sun&?.a~&s the concept conscience.
     to know -together, to witness together with that testi-          In the ,epistle  to the Romans the word occurs twice
      mony of God written  iri the hearts of  the.  Gen%;Cles.     more. First of all in the well-known text of Rom. 9 :l :
      It is, therefore, an awareness, a knowing and ayseci?g       "I speak the truth in -Christ, I lie not, my conscience
     with the judgment of God concerning our moral ac- also bearing rye witness in the Holy Ghost." We find
     tions.                                                        here the same general truths we already discovered in
         4. This presence of the work of the law written Rom.  2:15. First of all, it is very evident that  alko
     in their hearts is further manifest in the fact that in here the conscience is Presented as having its ground
     their judgments of one another they accuse or excuse in a testimony of' God, this time not the general wit-
      one another. Thus we would. explain the last phrase, ness of the creation-Logos, but' of the Christ, wrought
     another genitive absolute: kai metaksu alleeloon tbon in the heart of the apostle Paul by the Spirit of Christ.
      logismoon kateegorountoon ee kai apoloyoumenoon..  Ac- This must be the meaning of "speaking the truth en
      cording to this interpr,etation  alleeloon refers to the Christoo,".  that is, in the sphere of. Christ. His speech
      Gentiles, not to loyismoon, and the meaning is, not is determined by the revelation of Jesus Christ. And
     that their thoughts, or considerations accuse or excuse this is also the meaning of the emphatic addition : "I lie
     one another, in which case metaksu his rendered by the not, sunmarturousees moi tees suneicleeseoos mou en
     rath& meaningless "meanwhile" ; but that the Gentiles Pneumati Hagioo." The sun in sunmarturousees again
     judge one another, the one accusing or  excu&g the is used with a view to the Holy Ghost in Christ, for moi
      other.' This interpretation is based upon the consider- is indirect object. The Spirit, therefo?e,  in the sphere
      ation that  nlleeloon  is here used in distinction from the of Whom Paul speaks, passes judgment that he does,
     ' preceding autoon, and that metaksu is evidently used, not lie. Secondly, also her& it is e-Jident  that the con-
     n"ot as an adverb, but as a preposition with the genitivk science is distinct from this judgment of the Spirit of
     alleeloori.                                                   Christ, is baaed upon it, and consists of awareness of
         Time; of course, forbids us to give an equally elabor- it, and agreement with it. .And lastly, also from this
     ate explanation of all the other passages in which the        passage it is plain that the conscience is sequent, not
     word, conscience occurs. Nor is this necessary. For           antecedent: it is a judgment of the ethical character
     w,e may consider Rom. 2:15 the most important pas- of his declaration that he lives in constant and pro-
      sage  for a discussion of our entire subject. In the found sorrow because of the state of his brethren ac-
      light of the preceding discussion we may even now cording to the flesh.                  .
     establish- the following conclusions :                           The other passage where  the word conscience oc-
         1. That conscieince is grounded in a constant divine curs in the epistle'to the Romans is 13 :5 : "Wherefore
     judgment written in the hearts of men by the Spirit ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also                 -
     and through the Word conoerning  their moral actions. for conscience' sake." Only in a general way can we
      This judgment is, of course, true and infallible. It is, discover the same meaning of the word here, i.e. as a
     therefqre, more than a mer,e "du sollst."                     knowledge and moral judgment together with the judg-
        2. That conscience  is the knowledge man has of ment of God. The magistrate is a minister of God.
     the ethical character and value of his' acts together Hence, he represents the  diviee judgment.  F& their
     with the judgment of <God, that he cannot but `agree conscience' sake, i.e. to keep their conscience free and
     with this divine judgment, and that, accordingly, he pure, believers must, therefore, be iubject to th,e higher
     approves or condemns, not merely the act, but himself, powers. For if they are not, the judgment of IGod will


418         ..                      (THE STANDARD `BEARER-'                                              ..

condemn &em, and they will be conscious of this judg- sold in the shambles, asking no question for conscience'
ment,. i.e. .their conscience will become evil, impure, sake, for the earth is the Lord's  And ttie fulness thereof.
guilty..                   1                                Bidclen to's feast, a believer with a strong conscience
                                                           #eats whatever is set before him, asking no questions
    Turning now to the first epistle to.the  Corinthians, for conscience' sake.      For the earth is the Lord's
we find that the terni consci.Fnee  is repeatedly used in and the fulness thereof. But if there should be pre-
chaptier  eight, and again in  ehaljter ten. These-pas- sent a man with a -weak conscience, and that man
sages are of interest to us, because they speak of a should call his attention to the fact that the meat that
weak conscience and, by implication, of a strong con- is set before him was sacrificed to idols, he should
science. In 8 :7 the apostle, having spoken of meat refrain from eating for the sake .of the other's con-
sacrificed to idols as being no different from other science.
meat for the siinple reason that an idol is nothing in
the world, and that there is but one God, cdntinues:           In the second epistle to the Corinthians we find
"Howbeit, there is not in. every man that knowledge: -three passages that speak- of the conscience. The first
for some with conscience of the idol unto this, hour is in ch. 1 :li. Here the apostle speaks  of his boasting
 (suneicleesei tou eidoolou heoos arti) .eat it as a thing or rejoicing (kaucheesis) , consisting in the testimony
offer.ed  unto an idol ; and their conscience being weak of his  consci,ence   (to marturion  dees suneicleeseoos
is defiled." We may note here:  0                          ~heemoon)  that in holiness and sincerity of God  (en
    1. That a weak conscience. is, evidently, a  &on- hayioteeti  kai  eil<krinia  tou  Thequ)  he walked in the
science th.$ is not sufficiently enlightkned by the gospei world, and more abundantly so toward them, the
and liberated by the Word of trutli. They;that are in Corinthians. There is no direct indication here as to
that condition have the  conscience  of-an idol. The the ground- of this testimony of-his conscience. In-
genitive eidoolou is a genitive objective with suneiclee- directly however, we may find it in the expression:
sei, In their conscience they are aware of the idol, i.e. in holiness and sincerity of God. The genitive` to&
as. a reality, as a real god, perhaps of a lower order Theou is a genitive of source. The holiness and sin-
than the Most  High. In other words, although the cerity of which he speaks, and ih the sphere of which
Spirit of Christ certainly inscribes the  judgmerit in he walks,`is from God. The testimony, therefore, that
their hearts through  the gospel, that an idol is nothing, he~walked in that sphere, is principally also from him.
and that, therefore, it is no sin to eat meat sacrificed And his conscience witnesses together with the testi-
to idols, they do not, clearly discern this judgment of mony of the Spirit.of God. Thus his boasting and re;
God in Christ, because of lack: of knowledge and the joicing -in this testimony of his conscience is not in
influence of their former heathenish instruction and self, or in the flesh, but in ,God alone.
life. To eat meat sacrificed to idols was, to them, to         The second passage is II Car. 4:2: "But ive have
have fellowship with real false gods.                      renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking
    2. That, if in that state and for other reasons than in craftiness, nor handling the word  .of God deceitfully  ;
the fear of God; those that have such a conscience of but by  mdni%estation  of the truth commending our-
an idol eat meat sacrificed to idols, it is. sin to them, selves. to every man's conscience in the sight of ,God."
and they  defile  their  coilscience  by so doing,. even The last phrase reads in the original: sunistanonentes
though  the..thing  .itself is an  .acliaphoron.  This is pros  pasan  suneide&n anthroopoon enoopion  to?  ._
evident from vs. 10 in connection with the last part, Theou. We learn here: 1. `That every man has a eon- .
of vs. 7: "For if any man see thee which hast know- science, and that, soreover,  every conscience -is bound
ledge. .sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the to respond to the manifestation of the truih. This is
conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat implied in the statement of the apostle that by the
those things which are coffered to idols?" And `in vs. pur,e and unadulterated proclamation of the truth he-
7: "and their conticience  being weak is defiled."         commends himself to every conscience of men. 2. That
    We learn here, that!, although the judgment of Goi every conscience of man must give positive testimony
upon which the conscience is based is always true and to the truth as truth. This is implied in the idea of
.infallible,  the conscience may err, at least in regard to commendation. Whether men receive the gospel or
ucliaphoro, through lack of kliowledge:  `Through thor- rej,ect it, they are' conscience bound to acknowledge the
`ough instruction in the truth of the gospel the con- truth 6f it when it is proclaimed to them in its purity,
science, the Christian conscience may be and must be 3. The reason is that. the Spirit always witnesses that
strerigthened. In the meantime the strong must noti the Spirit is truth. Here, too,,therefore,  the testimony
become a stumbling-block to those that have ,a weak of men's .consciences.  witnesses with the t&&nOhy of
.conscience, but  m&t rather  have respect  thereunto. the Spirit through the gospel concerning the truth.
This is emphasized once more in I Cor. 10 :25-29. The          And the third- passage is II Cor. 5 :ll : "Knowing
~IEJQ. with 3 strong conscience. may ,eat whatsoever is
                   i                                       therefore the f,ear  c$ the Lord (ton phobov $0~ Kg&u) i
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                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D .   BEA,RER                                        - 419

we persuade men ; but we are made manifest unto -God ; but by the Holy Ghost. Now  theyi are  ::diversities
and I trust also are made manifest iti your &opsciences."    of `gifts, but the same Spirit. And there- are differ-
The apostle always seeks to be well-pleasing to the ences of administrations but the same Lord. And
Lord, and labors in the consciousness of the impending there are diversities of operations, l&t it is the same
judgment in which all `must be made manifest before God which work&h all in all. But  the manif?station
the judgment seat of Christ. Hence, the fear of the of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Lord motivates him in'all his labors. Of this fact he For to one is given by th,e Spirit the word of wisdom;
persuades men. That this is true is mariifest to God, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
and he trusts that it may' also be manifest in the To another faith by the same Spirit; to anothe? the
consciences of the Corintliians, and that, too, in spite gifts of healing by the same  ,Spirit; to another the
of and in opposition to the slander of his enemies. working of miracles ; to another prophecy; to another
This confidence on the part of  the apostle can only discerning of spirits ; to ariother divers  kinds of
be .based on the knowledge that the Spirit of God in tongues; to another the interpretation of  tongnes."                  -
Christ dwells and witnesses in the Church of Corinth. I  ,cor.  12:3-10.                                . .
And as his godly and upright walk is manifest to God,        Moreover, the Spirit is described as possessing
he knows that the same divine testimony will operate virtues that are distinctly divine. He is omnipresent:
in the believers 6f Corinth, and find response in their "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?  ,Or whither
consciences..                                                shall I  ~flee from thy presence? If I ascend up to
                   `(to be continued)         H. IH.         heaven, thou art there: if, I make my bed in h.ell, be-
                                                             hold, thou art there? Ps. 138 :7, 8. He is- the om-
                                                             niscient, for He knows and searches the deep things
                                                             of God, I Cor.  2:10, 11. He is eternal, for by the
                                                             Spirit Christ offer,ed iHimself  up to God without spot.
  THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE                                       Heb. 9  :14.  IHence, He receives divine honor. On  a..
                                                             par. with the Father and the Son, H.e is mentioned in
                                                             the commission of Christ to the Church: "Go ye there-
;An Exposition Of The Heidelberg fore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
                    C a t e c h i s m                        of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
                                                             Matt. 28 :19. And with the Father &d the Son, He is
                                                             the source and Author of blessing: "The grace of the
                       Part Two..                            Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the com-
                 Of Man's Redemption                         munion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all." II Cor.
                   LORD'& DAY XX                             13.: 13.
                           1.  ;'                               Indeed, the Holy Spirit is God, co-equal with the .
                                                             Father and the Son.
                  The Spirit Of  God..                           However, it is equally  .important,  `and, perhaps,
   .Eternally, therefore, the Spirit searches the depths more imperative that the personality of the Spirit is
of God, and knows the mind of God. "For what man maintained and emphasized. For it is especially the
knoweth the things of a ma&,. save the spirit of man distinct personality of the Holy Ghost that is denied
which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth by all forms of Unitarianism. And if His personality
no man, but the Spirit of ,God.!' I Car; 2 :ll.              is denied, /His essential *Godhead  canriot be'maintained.
   Besid,es,  also the work of creation is ascribed to The two stand or fall together. If the Spirit is not
this Spirit of God; as well as to the Father and to the      a person, then what is called Spirit in Holy `Writ,
Son. In the beginning "the Spirit moved upon the             either .ref)ers  to the, one .God,  one in essence and in
faoe of the `waters." Gen.  1:2.  A,nd "by the  .Word        person, in the sense in which Scripture teaches that
of tlie Lord were the heavens made; and ali the host God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him mtist wor-
of them by the Spirit (breath) of his mouth." Ps. 33 :6.     ship Him in Spirit and in truth.  john 4  :24  ;- or it
And as He is the Creator-Spirit, sq it is also in the simply refers to a power and  ,effluence of God. If
Spirit that all things are sustained and constantly tll& Holy Spirit is not a distinct person, then He is
quickened. For "`Thou sendest forth thy Spirit,, they not God, but merely a-mode of divine revelation; or
are c&ated : -and -thou  renewest the face of the earth?     operation, or power, or gift; then, in fact, He is `not
Ps. 104:30. And that, with the Father and the Son, a t   all!
He is the Auth.or of our salvation, "applying unto us            And it would seem that the revelation we have in
that which we have in Ch&t,j' and filling the ,Chureh the Scriptures concerning the `Holy Spirit, lends sup-
with spiritual gifts, the Word of  ,God teaches us port to the view of the Spirit as merely a power of
everywhere. "No nian can say that Jesus is the Lord God,  rattier than a person. Both in the Old and in

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

the New Testament, the Spirit is presented as a ,gift size the gifts that are bestowed by the Spirit rather
  to men. He is bestowed on men, rests on them, fills than His personal subsistence; and even refer, by the
  them with wisdom and knowledge, in a way that might term Holy Ghdst, to the very special gifts that were
  leave the.impressi&  that He is an operation and power bestowed on the early Church, such  .as the gift of
  of G*od,  rather than a person. Christ breathes `on His tongu'es, the gift of healing, the gift of prophesying ;
  disciples,  and they  r,eceive the Holy Ghost. On the yet, the fact remains that there can be no doubt at
  day of Pentecost, the promise is fdlfilled that God will all that the SCriptilres  el&rly speak of the Holy Ghost
  pour out of H;is S&rit upon all fl&h ; and `they are all as a definite Person, subsisting with the Father and
  filled with the Holy Ghost. And the apostle Peter the Son in the divine essence. He thinks as a person,
  explains that the exalted arid glorified Christ has He wills as a person, He acts as a person. He searches
  "shed forth this that ye now see  and hear."' Acts 2 :33. ,the deep things of God, I Cor. 2 :10 ; and knows them,
  Even the apostles appear to have had the power to I Cor. 2 :ll; he teaches the apostles to speak, I Car:
  bestow the gift of the :Holy Spirit on men, by th.e laying 2 :13 ; iHe prays for th,e believers ,with groanings that
  on of hands. What .is more,. it appears that the gift cannot be uttered, Rom. 8 :27; he leads them that are
of the Holy Ghost is  somkthing that is received after childr,en of God, and witnesses with their spirit that
  a man. has been regenerated, has- repented, and come they are sons, Rom. 8 :14, 16 ; He is the Spirit of the
  to faith. For the apostle proclaims on  th.e day of Son, that cries Abba, Father, Gal. 4 : 6 ; IHe commands
  Pentecost: "Repent, and be baptized every one of'you Philip to join himself to the chariot of the Ethiopian,
  `in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, Acts 8 :29 ; and when the apostles want to go to Mysia,
  and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts the Spirit "suffered them not," Acts 16:7; He leads
  2  :38. And again: "And we are witnesses of these Christ into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil,
  things ; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath Matt. 4 :1-; He gives life, II Cor. 3 :6 ; and bears wit-
  given to them that obey him." Acts  5:32. And in ness that the Spirit is truth, I John 5 :6. And. as to
  Acts 8 : 14-17, we read : "Now when the &postles  which spiritual gifts, "all these worketh that one and self-
  `were at J,erusalem heard that Samaria had received same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he
  the word of .God, they sent unto them Peter and John: will.? I Cor. 12 :ll. Moreover, He moves upon the
  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, face of the waters, Gen. I:2 ; He strives with men,
  that they might receive the Holy Ghost: For as yet Gen. 6 :3 ; and IHe sends the prophets and servants of
_ he was fallen upon none of them: only they were bap- Jehovah, Isa. 48 :16 ; Ezek. 3 :12.
  tized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they            All these passages, and many others, teach us plain-
  their hands on them, and they received the Holy ly, that, like the Father and the Son, the Spirit, too,
  Ghost." And' in Acts 19 :l-6 : "And it came to pass, is a person, and not a mere, power or  .effluence of
  that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed God.
  through the upper coasts_came  to Ephesus : atid finding       He is the third P'erson of the Holy Trinity.
  certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received I       Third He is, not in. the sense that He is subordinate
  the Holy ,Ghost  since ye believed? And they said unto to the Father and to the Son, but in order.
  him, We have not so much as heard. wheth.er there be           For IHe is the Spirit, the Ruach of God, the Pneumn,
  ati Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what Spirited,  wind; breath.
  then were ye baptized ? And they said, Unto John's             And this name does -not denote His essence, for
baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with essentially, also the  Father  and the Son are spirit.
  the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that God is a Spirit, and they that worship lHim must wor-
  they should beliBve on him which should come after ship Him in spirit and in truth. But the name Spirit,
  him, that is, on `Christ Jesus. When they heard this, or Holy Ghost, denotes the third Person of the Trinity
  they weFe baptized in the name of `the ,Lord Jesus. in `His relation to the Father and to the Son. As a
  And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the /Holy persoti He is Spirit. Just as the names Father- and
  Ghost came on them ; and they spake with tongues and Son are expressive of the personal properties of the
  prophesied."                                                first and second Persons of the holy-Trinity respective-
         Besides,.it  is argued, by those that deny the person- ly, so the name Spirit denotes the personal property
 ality of the Spirit, that we never- read in the Bible,       of the third Person.               `.
  that the Spirit is w&shipped. The Father is the ob-            He is spirited, br,eathed forth.
  j'ect of prayer; the Son, too, is addressed in worship ;       He proceeds from the Father and from the Son.
  but the Holy Spirit never.                                  Thus the Western Church defined and maintained
         :However,  though these passages teach us that we the truth concerning the Holy Spirit in  distinctiori
  must, indeed, distinguish between the Holy Ghost, as fY;om the Eastern, which repudiated the fibioque, that
  the third Person of the Holy Trinity, and as the Spirit is, the doctrine that the Spirit proceeds, not only from
  of Christ ; and that many passages of Scripture empha- the Father, but also from the Son..


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                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          421

    Direct and literal proof from Scripture, for this
double procession of the Holy Spirit, can, probably,                  THkOUGH THE_ AGES
not be furnished. .In fact, on the face of it, the text
in John 15 :26 would appear -to favor the idea that He
ppoceeds  from the Father only: "But when the Com-
forter is come, whom I will send unto you from the                  The .Calling of the -Minister
Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth                          of The Gospel  *
from the Father, he shall testify of me."
   IHowever, we inay note, first of all, that He is called
the Spirit of the Son in Gal. 4 :6 : "And because ye are         IChrist gave to his Church key-power, that is, the
sons,  ,God bath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into right and-duty to pr.each the gospel and to. excommuni-
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." And there  can cate out of the Christian church. The church, that is,
be no doubt, that as the Spirit of the Son iHe proceeds the church as institute, is the only organization on the
from Him. Moreover, although in the passage just face of the earth that administers the word, preaches
quoted from Galatians it is  said`that God sent the the Gospel, officially. There are other organizations
Spirit of His SOn into-our hearts, this sendihg of the and institutions, several of them, that make it their
Spirit takes place through Christ. He sent Him unto business to instruct men out of the Scriptures. So-
us. John 15  :26; 16  :7. Besides, of this  Spirit- our cieties are formed for the purpose of the study of
Lord declares : "he shall `testify of me"; and again: God's Word. And our ,C&istians  schools give courses
"H,e shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and in Bible study. And certainly theu:e must be an open
shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father Bible in every home. But none of this lab& is official
-bath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of preaching of the Gospel. God  will bless this  -labor
mine, and shall shew `it unto you." John 15 :26; 16 :14, ce+ainly, provided it is not labor done with a view to
15. And, lastly, `it may be pointed out, that in the providing men with a substitute for the preaching of
indwelling Spirit, sent into our hearts, we have fellow- the Gospel by the church institute; If that be the
ship with the triune God: iri the Spirit, through the aim, it is labor lost. It is the  chwrch as institution
-Son, the Father makes our abode with us. "If a man that officially preaches the Gospel. The church, how-
love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will ever, exercises this right and duty not through any
lovti him, and we will come unto him, and make our of and every one of its members but only through
abode with, him." John 14 :23.                                those whom Christ raises up, calls and qualifies for
   Even thouih, therefore, one may not be abl,e to find this work, to wit, the ministers of the Gospel. This
the literal expression that the Spirit proceeds from the is an article of faith with us. We declare, in the
Sori, the general teaching of Holy Writ -certainly sus- language of the Church Order, Article 3, that "no one,
tains this doctrine.                                          though he be a professor of theology, elder or deacon,
   FYom the Father He proceeds, as 1;h& Spirit of the shall be permitted to ,enter  upon the ministry of the
Father, unto the Son ; in order, through the Son, and word and the sacraments without having been law-
as the Spirit of the Son, to return unto the Father.          fully called thereto."
   In the Spirit the Father knows and loves the Son ;            It is the calling of the ministers of the ,Gospel  for
and in the same Spirit, the Son knows and loves the which I ask your attention. In treating this subject,
Father; while in' Himself, searching the deep things I arrange my materials under the following points:
of God, the Spirit knows and loves the Father and
the Sqn.                                                           The Calling Of The Minisier Of The Gospel.
   In the Spirit, the Father eternally says unto the
Son : "Thou art my Son,  @is day have I begotten                     1.  The Reality of it.
`Thee".; and in the same Spirit, the Son cries eternally:            2.  Its Essence.
Abba, Father !                                                       3. The Means by which it is effected.
   ,Of the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit,              4 .   I t s   A u t h o r .
the three Persons of the holy Trinity live an eternal                5. Its Significance.
lifbe of friendship in infinite perfection.                          6.  `Its Sign.
   He is our covenant God in Himself.,
   And when that Spirit is sent into our hearts, and             My subject, as I have formulated it, contains the
makes our abode with us, it is in that Spirit that we, term calling. This word, as I am using ?t, means not
too, have covenant-fellowship with the living God, and occupation but summons, and. thus -signifies, as a word-
that the word of our Lord is realized : "I in them, and element in my theme, not the office of ministers of the
thou in me, that they -may be made perfect in one? * A.ddress delivered .on the occasion of the graduation of Candi-
John 17 :23.,                                  H.H..          date James Howerzyl.


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  422              -                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                   1
  Gosp,el, and thq duties that belong thereto `-as such, E'zekiel, "Son o/" `1?zan, stanri u.pon thy feet,' and I will
  but the mini&eT's -being called to this office and its speak unto thee. . . . Son of man, I send thee unto the
  duties. This  th$en  iS the matter with which  vire are children pf Israel. . . .,'Ezek. 2 ;l-3. God calltid Moses
  now occupied.                     I_,  1                /          actuaily. `The Lord .appea?ed  urito him and said to him,
     Certainly, it must be a matter of cominon  know- "Come now, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that
  ledge among us that the propositi& to the effect that thou mayest bring forth  .my, people  -the children  of,
  the minister of the Gospel is called qf ,God-is-an  article Israel out  of  Egzjpt".   (Ex.  Y  :9,  $0). The Lord called
  of faith contained in -our official cre&ds. There is that Samuel. Thus we read, "`And the Lopcl came ancl stood,
  clause in Art. 31 of the" Belgic Confession, rea`ding,             and  call&l as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. . . ."
  "Therefore every one must take heed not to intrude The apostles were called of Christ actually. Who `will
  himself by `&decent meaq, but is bound to wait `till deny it. "GO ye therefore," said the resurrected Christ
  it please God to call him., that he may have testimon$ to them,  "a&  teach all nations.-.  .  .`, (Matt.  .28  :20).
  of his calling, and be certain and assured that it is Paul's calling was an actuality, was it not? He heard
  of God." HereAit  is plainly stated that the minister Christ's voice, "I am Jesus whom thou persecuteth."
  of the Gospel is called of God. And the Foim of the And the prophets and the apostles knew themselves
- Ordination of ministers of God's Word, contains this as called of .God. Samuel did, for he said, "Speak, for
  question, which it puts to' the minister, "I ask thee thy s'ervant heareth." Ezekiel did, for l+e said, "Ancl                   '
  whether thou feel&t in thine heart that thou art law- `the spirit *entered into me when he spake unto me, and
  fully called of God's church, ancl therefore of God Him- set me upon my  feet,  that I hearcl him that spake
  self, to this holy ministry.,' ,And to this question the unto me." All. the prophets knew that they were
  one being ordained replies,  IrYes, truly, with all my called of God and that Christ spake through them ;
  heart." And the.  .concluding  paragraph of the  call- for they invariably began their discourses with, "Thus '
  letter reads,  `INow clear reverend brother, may the saith the Lord." The apostles knew themselves as
  King of the  church- so impress this call upon your called. In his epistles to the dhurches,  Paul, for one,
  heart ,ancl give. you light,. that you may arrive at, a sets out with placing himself before God's people as
  decision pleasing to him." Certainly the statement,' a servant of Christ, called to be an apostle, separated
  "May the King of the church so ikpress this call upon unto the Gospel of God. I quote, "Paul, a servant of
  your heart," is_ equivalent. in meaning to th'e statement Jesus Christ, callecl to be ari apostle, separated unto
  that the minister of the Gospel is called of God.                  the Gospel of God." And again at I Car, 1 :l, "Paul
     That the minister of the Gospel is called of God is callecl to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will
  also, to be sure, the plain teaching of the Bible. This, of  God."
  too, certainly; is a matter of common knowled@  among                 Well now, the calling of the minister of the Gospel
  us. There is this text, "Anti he gave some, apostles; of today is just as actual as was the calling of Moses
some, pi-ophets; and some, evangelists;  ancl some and Samuel and ail the other prophets and apostles
  pastors and teachers-for the perfection of the saints, of  the  Sc_ripttires.           Also now, when God calls a man
  for the work of the ministry,  fok the edifying of the to the holy mini;stry  He speaks to him as actually as
  body of Christ" (Eph.  4.~11, 12). According to this he spake to Moses and Samuel, and' the man hears
  text, the- ministers of the Gospel ar,e Christ's gifts to ,Christ's  voice as truly as did they. And this of neces-
IHis church, which must imply, certainly, that He calls sity; if the man is actually called of .God to the ministry
  IHis servants and qualifies them for the work of the of the Gospel.
  niinistry. Then, finally, there is this text from Paul's            . I have heard this denied, by one who himself was
  pen, "And how shall they hear without a preacher, and a minister of the Gospel. And what is worse, he was
  how shall they preach except they be sent?,' Sent -by not a  modernist  preacher, but a  man of supposedly
 I whom? By Christ, the Lord of the Church. So, then, reformed persuasion. He said thip to me, "It is non-
  according to the plain teachings ~of God's Word, the sense to say that we.ininisters are called of God. I for
  ministers of the Gospel are called of God.                         one never heard the call.. With just as  good a  con-
     Let us now attend to our first proposition: The scidnce, I coaild have become a lawyer, or a doctqr, or
  minister's  beiilg called of  ,God is an actuality. The a farmer as a minister of the Gospel. I selected this
  minister of the `Gospel, of today; that is; of the post- profession, because of `its greater appeal. But as for
  Apostolic Church, is as actually called of God as were me being.callecl of God, I knoti nothing of that." And
  the prophets and the apostles df the Scriptures. And yet, when, on the day of his ordination, the church put
  they wer,e called of God actually. Spake the. Lord to to him the tyulestion, "Dost thou feel in `thy heart that
  Jeremiah,  "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thou art lawfully called of God's church and therefore
  thee; and before thou earnest forth out of the. womb, of God Himself to this holy ministry," he, too, replied,
  I sanctified thee, and I ord&inecl thee~ a prophet unto "Yes, truly, with all my heart."
  the nation." And this is the word of the Lord-unto                    Let- me ask, Why should not a minister of the


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      423

       Gospel of today be called of God as actually as- Moses       3.2. Let us then, in the second. plice, consider the
       and Samuel, and all the other prophets- and apostles essence of this calling. J&t what forms the essence
      . of theScriptures were callled  of God? Cali it be that of being called of  Godk`to the holy ministry? The
       after the death`df the last apostle God ceased to speak question is answer&d at I Cor. 9 :16. I$ is Paul speak-
       to His people and -to communicate  to them His will? ing `here. He says,  IFOY  necessity  is  la@  aLpon me;
       It cani-tot be. The fact of the matter is that God con- yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel." Here
.      tinued to speak to His people through the past ages we -have the answer: to the question, what forms the
       of this dispensation to the present and that He will essense<  of being called of  ,God to the holy ministry.
       continue to speak to His people leverlastingly. Through It is this necessity, obliigation, as laid upon- the one
       Christ in  the Spirit of Christ, He  calls  IHis people called, so that he feels i$n his heart that he must preach
       irresistibly out of the world into His sanctuary; testi- the Gospel.     There. never yet lived a man, actually
       fies wii& their spirits that they are the sons of God ; call'ed of ,God .to the holy ministry, who did not say,
       tells them that they are forgiven; that they are His and say continually, "I must .preach ; necessity is laid
       heirs and co-heirs of Christ, and that by virtue thereof upon me ; woe is unto me, if I do not preach the Gospel."
       they possess all things. And with this  tesi;imony  in A man is not called of God to the holy ministry, be-
       their hearts, they rejoice in Him their God and Saviour, cause  he  desires and wills to preach the gospel, because
      and walk"and talk with the Lord. Wlell, now; if there in a pious moment he promised God to dedicate his life
       is this intimate intercourse of :God with His people, to the work of the ministry; but the fact is that in the
       should it be considered strange, that (God calls His sight of God a man is 3 minister of the Gospei because
       servants-the ministers of the Gospel-to the  w&k he &z& be in that he feels in his heart that this neces-
       of the ministry as truly as Moses and Samuel were sity is laid upon him. For what says Paul there  tit
       called to this ministry? How shall a man preach, if I Cor. 9  :16.  Let-'us  quote the apostle a little more
       he be  not called? How shall he have the right to fully, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing
       preach, if  -he be not called of  God?. How shall he to  blory of: for  ,necessity  is  laid  tipon  *me; yea, woe
       have the ability to pxx?ach, if he be not called of God. is unto me, if I preach not the goepel! For ;if I do this
       How shall he have the -faintest desire to preach-to thing willingly, I have rewaril, but if against my will,
       preach the Christ of the Scriptures-if be is not called a' dis@nsation is gizuen unto- me." How strangely thle
       of God?                                                   apostle speaks here doesn't he? "If against my will I
          But let there be no misunderstanding. In saying preach the gospel, a clispensatzon. is given unto me."
       that the common ministers of the post-ap&tolic age This reasoning of Paul loses for Us its strangeness, the
       are called of God as actually as Moses and Samuel were moment .we discern  its meaning. A good paraphrase
       called of God, -1 am not placing t&e common ministers of this Scripture is the followipg, "If I, Paul, do this
       in the Christian church in a class with the prophets thing willingly, preach God's Gospel because I so
       and the apostles of the Scriptures. `The latter, too, choose, desire, will,, decree, and not because- I must
       were ministers of the Gospel ; however their ministry in that necessity is laid upon me ; if, in a word, I am
       formed a very special office in the church. The. func- minister of &he Gospel. by my will instead of by the will
       tion of their; office is known frQm the statement that of God, God is under obligation' to me, and I' have
       the church is built upon the foundatioll  of .the prophets reward.  But-says the apostle-such is not the case.
     and the apostles.        Thus  their task was to lay the I have no choice in the matter. I  must  Ijreach  ,God's
       foundation of the church universal, which. they did Gospel, because Christ laid this necessity upon me ;
      - through their infallible doctrine. With the death of and because-the apostle means to say-Christ, who
       the last apostle, their function ceased, and with it the redeemed me from all my sin by His blood, and thereby
       office of th& apostles ; and the Canon of the Scriptures made me His own, qualifies n?e, sustains me, and con-
       was closed. Thus, .the common ministers in the Chris- strains. me by His love iti my heart, to obey that neces-
       tian  chL!rch  are not successors of the apostles. The sity, laid upon me by him. Hence, .I have nothing to
       latter could  have no successors. It means that  th& glory of ."
       common ministers of the Gospel together with  all          `. In a word,  PSul is  a-minis'ter  of the Gospel, not
       God's people. arle seated at the feet of the prophets because he willed to be, abut because he had  to be.
       and the apostles of the Scriptures, whom the church The fact of the  .matter is that  Paul  was unwilling.
       now pdssesses  in the Scriptures, that Christ through "If against my will, a dispensation is given unto me".
       them prepared for His church. There  -is then this What-man is willing to pn?ach God's Gospel?. I speak
       difference between the prophets and the apostles of now not of unbelievers but of believers.- Was Moses
       the Scriptures and- the common ministers in f;he Chris- willing to be a  Ininister of  th"e Gospel?  When the
       tian  c.hurch.  But  certailily   th,e latter are called of Lord eventually came to him and by His command
       God as actually as were the former called of God to laid `necessity on Moses, `he resisted. He said to..the
       the holy .ministry,                                       Lord, `Behold, they will not bel@ve me." And. again,


                  ,           :
424                     ._           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   ,a

"0, my Lord, 1 a& not eloquent. . . . but I am slow of good soldier  of  Jesus Christ, for in doing this thou
speech and s16w of tongue." And finally, "0 my Lord, shalt save thyself and them that hear thee. And when
send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt the- chief shepherd shall appear, thou shalt receive
send." So: persistently unwilling was Moses that final- a crown of glory that fadeth not .awajr." So speaketh
ly the anger of the Lord was kindled against `him. the voice that comes to a man called of. God, comes
Some time after that, when Pharaoh increased the to him from out of the burning bush, Christ's church                    .
burdens  and_ in consequence thereof the people be- in affliction.                                          .
wailed their lot in his ears, he wanted to know why              Assuredly, it is the voice of the church; for as you
the Lord had sent him. Somje time after that, when -perceived, I was quoting here from the Form of
tile people went to loathing the manna and to crying Ordination of ministers of the Gospel. But conside?
for flesh, Moses, driven to distraction by their wailing, that the church is not the author of that voice. The
prayed the Lord to kill him out of the land.                  author of that voice is Christ. And here is the proof.
    There was a time when Moses was willing. In fact             1. Consider in the first place that this voice com-
he was that willing that the Lord couldn't use him. mands a man to preach God's Gospel. The church
That was the time he went forth and slew that apart from Christ cannot issue this command. It has
Egyptian. He was in the prime of' life then, ambitious, neither the right nor the power. For the  Gospel  is
.full of courage, and impatient.                              God's Gbspel. And apart from Christ the ,Church is
    A man is a minister of the Gospel not because he non-existent.           Therefore the voice must be that of
wants to `be but because he must be. Necessity is laid Christ, the! vicar of God and the Lord of the church
upon him. The essense of. being called of God is that and the life of God's people.
necessity and the grace to obey it. And this necessity           2. Secondly, consider those commands and exhort-
is laid upon a man. It thus springs not from a promise ations that the church addresses to the man whom she
on the part of a man to preach God's Gospel ; for if so ordains. From whence are these commands and ex-
the man is called not of God but of himself; this neces- hortations? All of them, without exception,  are taken
sity springs from an objective command imposed upon from the Scriptures of God, so that, in commanding.
a man by one who has the authority to command him; and exhorting a man called .of God, the church directs
and that one is none other than Christ. For the  Gospel to him God's very own words,  and this under the con-
is God's Gospel ; and Christ is the head-over all things straint of a faith gendered in her by Christ's Spirit
in the church and the Lord of that man on whom `He and under the impulse of- a. love shed abrbad in her
lays. ,that necessity.                                        heart by her God, and with a mind and a will that bear
    This brings us to our third point, namely, the the impress of Christ's image, and with a heart upon
means by which this calling is effected. This means whose tables He inscribes His law. Verily,  thle voice
is a voice-a voice coming to a man, calling him and is Christ's.
exhorting him and commanding him to preach God's                 3. Thirdly, let us consider that after His resurrec-
Gospel ; and that voice comes to him, as it came to tion and ascension, Christ does all  lHis proclaiming
Moses, from out of the burning bush; that is, from out through the voice of His church. It is through the
of the bosom of the afflicted church  .of God in the voice of the church that He proclaims all His ,Gospel
world. And that voice-the voice of ihe church-prays to all His creatures. It could be expected therefore
and  .commands, and admonishes the man called of that by the voice of the church ;He should also call iHis
,God. "Come over and help us," says the voice to him, servants to the holy ministry, `proclamate to them
and further, "Take heed therefore, beloved brother, the commands by which He lays upon them the neces-
and fellow servant in `Christ, unto thyself and to all sity of preaching `God's Gospel. Indeed, it should have
the flock, over which the ;Holy Ghost hath mad'e  thee to be considered strange, if  Chr`ist, passing by and
overseer, to feed  the church of God which  (`He had completely ignoring His church, had continued to call
purchased, with His' own blood ; love Christ and feed His se&ants by His own personal voice, coming to
His sheep, taking the oversight of them not by con- them directly  from His throne in heaven.
straint, but willingly ; not by filthy lucre, , but by ~ a       4. Fourthly, the commands and exho&ations  and
ready mind, neither b,&ing Lord over God's heritage, woyds of blessing that the church directs to the man
but as an example to the flock. Be an example to all whom she ordains impress themselves .upon his mind
believers;-in word and in conversation, iti charity, in and will ; they gY;ip his soul and bind themselves upon
.spirit,  in faith, in purity. Give attendance to reading, his heart ; they raise him up,, sustain him, comfort him,
to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift. that give him utterance, so that he boldly opens his mouth
is in thee, meditate upon these things, give thyself to proclaim the mysteries of the Gospel in season and
wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear td all ; out of season, and though reviled and persecuted by
take heed to the doctrine, and continue steadfast there- unprincipl,ed  men on account of God's  ,Gospel.  The
in. Bear patiently all suffering, and pppression,. as a only possible explanation of this is that the voice of the


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D -   B E A R E R                                                  425

  church is the voice of Christ. By those commands, city, and told it. . . . ." Heb., "And the man  calie
  .exhortations,  and words of blessing as voiced by the to tell it in the city. . . ." Fleeing from the scene of
  church and `proclaimed by her to the man whom she battle, the man (messenger) had not without intent
  ordains, Christ exhorts, -commands  and blesses the man strayed into Shiloh; he had resolutely pursued the
  and thereby calls him irresistibly to, the holy ministry way that led to this1 city iintent on* reporting to Eli,
  ,nqt. certainly once and for all on the day of his ordina- he being the highpriest and as such the high&t official
  tion but contipually  though all the days of his lif'e as in Israel. The view `that the messenger had purposed
  long as He has use of the man .in His church here to divulge the terrible news first to Eli' is in harmony
  below. .                           ,I(  t                 `.           .with the notice, "And the map came in hastily and told
                    ito be continued)                                    Eli". Heb., "Atid the man hastened, and- he came
                                               `C: M. 0:               ' and told. Eli." That> he had not arrived sooner j was
                                                                         due to his having been prevented against his will by
                                                                        -anxious inquirers among the people, who had inter-
                                                                         rogated him on the way about the outcome of the
                                                                         battle. As soon as he could free himself, he hastened
        -THE DAY, OF SHADOWS                                             to Eli. The report of the messenger had spread with
                                                                         lightnihg rapidity, and created a great emotion. "The
                                                                         whole L city ,cried." "And Eli heard the voice of the
                                                                         cry and he said, What meaneth the voice of the tumult."
                       klhabod                                    '      For his' heart tremble&  for the ark of God. Prlesently
                                                                         the messenger stood before him with- rent cloth%s and
     The Philistines. fought, "and Israel-so we saw- with a head strown with earth. But  the'se tokens
 w'as smitten, arid they fled every man tb his tent : and of grief could make no impression on Eli ; for he
  thene was a  very, great slaughter; for there fell of "was ninety and eight years old ; and his eyes were
  Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God dim (Heb., his eyes stood; teat is; were set), that he
  was  taken; and the  two osns of Eli, Hophni and could not see". His eyes .were "skt', from Eeebleness
  Phinehas,  wfere slain." So had ~the' Lord made a be- of the optic nerve. It is the description of the motion-
  ginning of performing against Eli all things which less appearance of the eye's, quenched by senile weaE-
  ,He had spoken, concerning his house (chap. 3 :12). n&s. But the process of blinding was not completed ;
  What the sacred writer relates in the immediate sequel his eyes still had a glimmer of light. For according to
  shows that Eli, however d,eserv@g  of punishment on 3 :2, "his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see."
account of his failure to restrain his wicked sons, was And according to 4  :13, he sat by the way looking
  nevertheless, in the heart of his dispositions a man o u t .                                    s
who truly feared  the Lord. We read,  %d there ran                          Eli being partially blind,  tile  tiessengkr  had to.  '
  `a man of Benjamin out of the army and came to introduce himself, which he did in these words, "I am.
  Shiloh." He came with `grievous tidings, as was indi- the One :that came out of the army, and I fled today
  cated- by his rent clothes and the earth upon his head. out of the army." The expression "I am the one who
  And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat  b$ the came" `(a correct translation of the qal active part.
  way watching. The `Hlebrew  text reads here, "And he with the article) indicates that it had already been
came, and behold, Eli sat upon the seat by the side, of told Eli that a messenger had arrived from the battle.
  the way looking. out." As appears from verse 18, field with tidings ; but- he was still ignorant of the
  ihe way by which Eli sat led by the side of the gate full truth. Having leaytied  .that -the man who stood
  of' the tabernacle.. iHere he Bat in his seat ; that is, before him was that messenger, Eli. said, "What is
  in a seat that he only was wont to  occiupy.  The there done, my son?" Heb., "What is the thing  ,or                                  s
  Hebrew word translated seaf in our version is throne, matter, my son ?" The messenger replied  ifi four
  and it appears With the article and thus implies some- short sentences, each a blow, the last of which crushed
 thing of an official dignity. On that way Eli was' look- the aged priest;, "Israel is fled b,efore  the Philistines,
  ing out intently, forgetful of all'abdut him, in intense and also there hath been a great slaughter among the
  expectation of a messenger with tidings.          Such is people, and ,also thy two sons Hophni and' Phinehas
 the thought conveyed in .the pie1 part. of the original are dead, and the ark of God is taken.`? The double
 text. "For Eli's heart was trembling" not primarily "and also" indicates the .excitement with-which these
 for his sons and for the army of Israel, but "for the words were spoken. It is expressly remarked that the
  ark of God." Under the pressure brought to bear news of the capture of the ark by the Philistines led
  upon him by l&e Elders of Israel, he had let the ark to Eli's death.. That was the death-blow. "And it
 50 from its dwelling-place  into ihe camp- without the came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of ,God,
 command df God. "And when the man came into the that he fell from off the seat backward by the side


 4 2 6                                     T H E   .STANDARD  .BEARER

of the gate, and his neck brake and he died : for he was by which she would have it called, "Icliabod," meaning
an old man, and heavy." It shows that the ffear of God Pzot-gZoru.  Why should the child be named  Ichabod-
was deeply rooted in his soul.` Yet there is the ques- The woman appointed over  her-r-the midwife-must
tion just why the'loss.of  the ark of God was a shock come close to hear her reply, fbr she was dying, "The
to him so-.great  as to render `him-insensible so that he glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is
fell from his seat? Was Eli, too,  worshipping the taken;" These were her last words.
ark and was he shocked i&o insensibility by the loss              This woman, like Eli her father-in-law, feared the
of an idol? He should not be &cu&d df this. At 4 :3 Lord. The wife of `2 deeply corrupted man, she was
we read, "And Samuel  spake  `unto all  the house of not `on& with hini in spirit; She loved the Lord and
Israel, saying, if- ye do return unto the Lord with all kept His covenant. Let  us therefore try to under-
your;' hearts, then put away  tlXe  ,&range  gods and stand her grief. The ark of .God with the law and the
Ashtardth  from among you. . . ." There is no state- mercy-seat was for the true Israel the throne of grace
ment occurring in the narrative to indicate that Eli ar.d as such the visible pledge of the covenant which
served idbls.        This was not his sin.  IHis guilt was the Lord had made with His people. As enthroned
.that he .was unwilling to take action against wicked &qve the ark He sat as Israel's God and dwelt in the
priests who desecrated the sacrifices. Besides, an idol- midst of His people. Thus the capture of the ark
ater, being a rational being, does not truly believe in seemed to declare that the Lord had abandoned His
the. existence of his idol and could not there&Fe be throne and annulled .His covenant; that, in a word,
so evilly affected by the tiding of its captur,e tis to fall the glory of Israel was gone  -into captivity indeed.
insensiblle to the ground.           The Philistines ascribed The glory of  Isl"ae1 is the glorious Jehovah as `the
t&eir vietory over the Israelites to Dagon ; thefefore `fountain of all the glory, honor, and true beauty that
they brought the ark as a thank-offering to his temple. was found in Israel. And the Lord was now. in cap-
But in the crisis of the battle, they.cried not to Dagon tivity.  .The  ,God-fearing  in Israel  weBe  as perplexed
to deliver *them but relied solely on their own arm- and as troubled as were the disciples in the hour of
the arm of flesh-to save them. Eli's great grief Christ's crucifixion. It is plain from the psalms that
was caused by his interpretation of the capture of the the capture of the ark must be regarded as a type of
ark of -God. The ark was Jehovah's throne ; it .was the humiliation of Christ.
the symbol of the covenant and the chief instrument                                                      G. M. 0.
of its working. To Eli therefore, its capture by the
heathen betokened that the Lord had east off and
departed from His people. That was his great grief
undoubtedly. Thus, though thg mamz?r of his death
was terrible in that it bore the mark of divine judg-                  SION'S- ZANGEN
ment; he nevertheless.died  in the fear of the Lord.
    The narrative of the events that led to Eli's death
is followed by. the .sad story of his daughter-in-law,
the wife, bf .Phinehas. .She was "with child to bear.                      Vfbndere  Veiligheicl
And she heard the tidings that the ark of God was
taken and that her father&l-law and husband were                              (Psalm 91; Eerste Deel)
dead. And she bowed herself and gav,e birth to a son ;            IHet eerste vers van een psalm geeft tins- vaak in
for her pains turned upon her." It is not  exp!ieitly          een paar woorden de inhoud van den geheelen .psalm.
stated that her pains came prematurely on account Zoo vindt ge h&, bij voorbeeld, in psalm 73: Ja, waar-
of her being..so violently effected by the- `evil tidings; lijk, God is Israel gded ! En de psalm is een eommen-
yet this is the thought conv'eyed  by the order of the taar op die woorden. Zoo ook hier: Die in de sehuil-
clauses in the narrative. She was with child. She plaats des Allerhoogsten is gezeten, die zal vernachten
heard the evil tidings and travailed. These events are in de schaduw des Almachtigen. Psalm 91 zal ons dit
a c t i v e l y   r e l a t e d .                              vers verklaren.
    The child- having been borne, the mother lay on               Wat in het eerste lid van dit vers staat is reden voor
the brink of death, slain by a great sorrow; `The word hetgeen -ens wordt veroorzaakt door Uw zitten in de
of the midwife-the woman appointed over her, "Fear schuilplaats des Allerhoogsten. Het eerste lid is oor-
not, a son thou hast borne," was calculated to revive z a a k   v o o r   h e t   t w e e d e .
her soul by arousing the mother's love in her heart.              In  bet Engelsch staat: "abide", verblijven,  doch.
But the word failed of its aim. She gave no `answer. de idee is zuiverder uitgedrukt in de Hollandsche yer-
Sloe turned not her eyes to the speaker. Her soul was taling.  H@t is "vernaehten".  '
ciccupied with the loss of the ark. When her thoughts             De nach% is beeldspraak van bet, kwade, het ge-
did turn to her child, it was only to whisper the name vaarlijke, het bange, Nacht  en  storm  behssren bij


                                                                  -
                                     T H E   STAND.ARD  B E A R E R                                                    4 2 7

 elkaar. En dan is storm het waaien van de toornende                   En als men hem toeroept vanuit de wereld: Wach-
 orkanen ,Gods.                                                ter ! Wacht&! Wat is er van den nacht. ? Dan ant-
    , Paulus z,egt van. den mensch : De nacht is voorbij woordt hij : De morgenstond is we1 gekomen, ,doch  het
 gegaan en de .dag is nabij gekomen. Laat ons dan af- is nag steeds nacht ! .Eq dat is waar. De morgenstond
 leggen de werken der duisternis en aandoen de wapenen is `gekomen : dat is Jezu&hristus. Hij is het iribegrip
 des lichts. Laat ons als in den gag eerbaar wtindelen,        van  alles w&t  licht en .dag is. Zijn naam is Lukas:
  Dat zegt hij in den brief  a&n de Romeinen ; en in           Opgang uit de hoogte! Hij is niet  alleen of slechts
Thess. 5 :5 zegt hij : Gij zijt allen kind,eren des lichts Licht, Hij is het schooqste  Licht wat ooit geopenbaard
  en kinderen  des dags, wij- zijn n,iet, des nachts., noch    is. Hij is schooner, Licht dan straalde in den vroegen
  d,er  duisterxlis.  .                                        morgen van de histor&.  Hij is het hart van God. Ziet            .
     Ik denk dqt het U we1 duidelijk zal zijn. nu, wat & ge, alles wat God is en doet is goed, maar er is verschil.
 tekst beteekent. Vernachten wil zeggen, dat ge de Jezus Christus is het lieflijkste van wat God ooit ons
 vreeselijken nacht van zonde, schuld en verdoemenis           getoond heeft. Mooier, heerlijker, schooner Ban het
  doorkomt.                                                    niet.       -
     En wat een nacht !                                                Nu dan, Christen komt dien nacht door. Hij ver-
     0, ik weet het wel, dat ik onzin spreek voor allen        nacht. Hij zal den vollen dag zeker zien en begroeten.
die geestelijk blind zijn. Die spreken van  "verlich-          Dat w,ordt ons in dit .eerste  vers gezegd. Terwijl de
 ting", van de "verlichte eeuw", en meer van die dingen. wereld'izich al maar en steeds erger verderft, komt hij
  Die denken, dat de wereld al beter wordt; en alhoewel den nacht door.
  ze  nioeteli  toestemmen, dat het menschelijke ras er                En gij doet dat in de schaduw des Alm&htig&.
  nog niet is, tech zien ze uit naar den vollen dag van                De .Almachtige is ,Gdd, hier vanuit het oogpunt van
  licht en verlichting, van heerlijkheid en schoonheid. die deugt Gods, waardoor IHij alles kan doen wat IHem
  Het koninkrijk van vrede des menschen ial geen einde behaagt. Almacht is  niet,. dat  .God  alles  doen' kan.
 hebben.                                                       Want dat kan Hij niet. God kan nlet liegen. God kan
     Wat een droombeeld!                                       geen raad tegelijkertijd rkchts en links laten draaien,
     Het tegenovergestelde is waar. He6 is nacht, stik- want dai? is li$gen. Almacht is, dat Hij alles kan .doen
  donkere nacht  op. `t  heden.  Er heerscht een dikke wat Hij gaarne  wil. Zoo is  er geen  bepaling  van die
  dnisternis in deze wereld.                                   deugd. Zij is zoo groot als God -is.
     Dat was eerst niet zoo.  EePst was het  licit  eti                En Christen vernacht, komt den nacht van  zondk,
  scheen de zon den ganschen dig. De ,ethische zon van schuld en verdoemenis doorj in de schaduw van dien
  kennis,  gerechtigheid  en heiligheid in het heerlijke Almabhtigen God.
  paradijs. De mensch zag waar hij aan toe was. Hij                    Dat hij in de schaduw .van Gdd zit, wil zeggen, dat -
  kende God en was zalig ; hij deed gerechtigheid en hij ,dicht bij .God verkeert. Als iemand zijn schaduw
  jubelde van geluk ; hij was heilig in denken,  spreken zod dicht bij U is, dat ge in die schaduw kan verkeeren,
  en  handelen en hij zag God vanuit een heilig, rein dan is hij zeer dicht bij U. En dat wordt ons hier ge-
  hart. Het was de  voile dag.                                 leerd. De Almachtige  .God is dicht bij Christen en
     Doch nadat de zonde haar intrede deed in de 266 komt hij door den nacht heen.
  wereld, gleed er een akelige schaduw vanuit de  he1 over             En de aeden is,, omdat hij zit in de schuilplaats des
  dit zonnige tafereel.  Het-werd nacht. Dat  miil  zeg- Allerhoogsten.
  gen,  alles wat de menlsch  deed was verkeerd. Dtit is       a' Het woord, dat vertaald  iS door  %ehuilplaats"
  zijn. nacht,  allereerst. De  aarde.  werd vervuld met wordt we1 honderdmaal gebruikt in de Heilige ,Schrift.
  wrevel. Men haatte elkaar en men haatte ook God.             In psalm 25 heet het de "verbbrgenheid des Heeren" ;
     Daar kwam dit bij : .de orkanen van den toorn Gods in psalm 27 wordt dit woord -gebruikt waar in `t Hol-
t loeiden, en stormden. D.e nacht Len de storm behooren landsch staat : " `t verborgene van Zijn tent". Het is
  bij elkaar.. God stormt van den hemel.                       een woord,  dat ook gebruikt wordt voor het heilige der
   Ziedaar Uw wereld van vandaag.  IHet is  iacht, heiligen. En dtit is `dan ook de gedachte hier.
  want men steelt, roof& vloekt, haat en verderft alies.               Zitten in de.  schuilplaats des Allerhoogsten  be-
  En het stormt want de toorn  ,Gods is  -geopenbaard          teekent,  dat men opgenomen is in het verbond  de&
  van  ,den  hemel.  Daarom eischt Stalin hardelijk en genade. Het heilige der heiligen was daar type. van.
  Molotov brengt zijn harde eischen over.  Daarom              In -dat IHeilige der heiligen woonde God immers met
  wordt  Engeland   kw%ad   :en knarsetandt Amerika. Z i j n   v o l k ?
  Daarom is ,er &era1 onrust, onzekerheid, bangigheid,                 En dat is  reden  avail de veiligheid van Christen.
  vreeze en sidderen  der volkeren. 8et is veel donkerder Want daar gaat het over in dezen psalm.
  nu dan eeuwen.geleden.  Het is stikdonker.                           Die plaats, in het heiligdom, is verworven door den
     Temidden van dien stikdonkeren nacht verkeert IHeer,e  Jezus Christus. En als het U gegeven is om
  ook Christen.                                                daar te zitten, komt ge zeker den nacht van zonde &,


   428                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE.A&ER-  -r                           :

   verdoemenis door. Want Jezus heeft dien nacht yoor inoord  door de goddeloozen, dan is het tiog heel pas-
   U doorgestaan.                                                  send om te zingen : Veilig in Jezus' armen!
          Daar. zit  `Cllristen,  want hij komt er  -nooit weer       Om dat te qerstaan, moet ge weten en gelooven,
   uit._  Qaar woont hij met God in den Heere Jezus dat er verschil  is tusschen vleescli en geest,  tusschen
   Christus.                                                       Christen naar het vleesch en Christen naar den nieu-
          Die gedachte wordt verder &gewerkt  iti den psalm. w,en mensch. Naar het  vleeseh wordt ge  we1  ond&-
      IOmdat Christen zoo veilig  is, zegt hij verder: Ik drukt, doch naar `den `nieuwen mensch wordt ge nooit
   zal tot den Heere zeggen:  M@e  Toev1uch.t  en mijn onderdrukt. ,God zegt immers, dat Hij niet toegelaten
   Burg, mijn God op wien ik veqtrouw  !            -,             heeft, dat iemand Zijn volk  ond.erdrukte?  En  dat is  s
   Ik zal tot den Heere zeggen! Heerlijk voornemen. ons genoeg. - Ook zal de ondervinding het U 1eeren;dat
   Let hier tech op: daarin hebt ge juist het onderscheid          dagen van vleeschelijke smart, goede dagen zijn voor
   tusschen hen die God vreezen en die Hem niet kennen. de ziel en het hart, dat wederomieboren en bekeerd
   De eersten zeggen : Ik ga naar God heen ; ik ga Hem is. In de grootste smarten blijvep onze harten in den
   zoeken, zelfs bij `t krieken van den dageraad. Ze zoe- IHeer  gey-ust. Dat is  een feit.  O?k  weet het mijn ziel
   ken Hem vroeg ; en daarom vinden ze Hem ook. En zeer wel. Ik--heb het bij ondervinding.                             X
   de laatsten zeggen dat nooit. s.0, ze mogen de woorden             Eti dat komt, onderwerpelijk, omdat ik door. ,Gods
   uiten,  doch ik bedoel een zeggen, dat  wa& is. De genade op  Hem-vertrouw.  Verttiuwen is  botiwen op
 .. Yeilige Schrift gaat ons daarin voor, want de. IHeilige        God. Ge laat het aan iHem over.
" Geest zegt : Niemand kan ieggen : IHEE.RE  .JEZUS !.                Uw triumfkreet is: Hij zal het maken?
   dan door' den  Heiligell Geest. De  godd'eloozen  zijn             Klinkt het U niet bekend in, de ooren? Dat komt
   bang van -God, haten Hem en willen nooit naar Hem Slier vandaan: Zoo  leidt-<God   Z-ijn  volk altijd. Opdat
   toe., Hoe verder God zich van hen houdt, hoe beter.             die roeme, roeme in den Heere !
     Ik zal tot den Heere zeggen ! Daarin hebt ge het                                                         . #    G. V.
                                                                                   N
   beginsel des hemels,       Ik  ve+zeker  U dat ge  die hun-
   kering noqit zult vcrliezen. Tot in alle eeuwigheid zult
 * ge tot Uzelf zeggen: Ik ga het den Heere zeggen. En
   het  hunkerend zeggen is hetzelfde als  doen  ; ge  &lt
  het doen tot in allBe, eeuwigheid.
      En de inhoud van Uw boodschap is: Mijne  To-e-                            J,N HIS  .FEA&
   vlucht, mijp Berg; tiijn ,God, ik vertrouw op U!
      En ge moogt er hier tusschen tw.:e haakjes we1 bij-
 _ vocgen: cn hier was  ei: is  bet God om  te  ,dasn! De            Call it a digression if you will, but the contributor
  Heere  verlustigt   Zitih  juist in het zeggen van Zijn of the next few articl,es for this department intends tb
   volk. Hij heeft  ,er  sehik  -in als gij  -tot Uzelf zegt :     use the allotted space for a brief discussion of our
   Ik ga naar den Heere om iEIem te vertellen wat ik van Form for the Baptism of Infants, as we find it in our
   Hem denk ! De  IH,eere  verlustigt  Zich in het gebed Psalters.
  van Zijn volk. Hij bemirit  "de stem des roependen".                An apology for this digression is hardly required.
      Mijn Toevlucht en mijn Burg! Wat  juiste  ver- The  F&m  itself is significant and rich enough to
  tolking van den Naam des Heer.en  nu in den nacht.               warrant a discussion at any  available opportunity.
      Hij is onze  Toevlucht.   Warit  er  zijn' vijanden die The subject matter is always `of fundamental import-
   op ons loeren. .Er zijn duivelen en die door duivelen ance, and is especially timely today while a new inter-
   bezeten zijn. Er is een volk dat er altijd op uit is bm est is being aroused by the discussion of this subject
   Gods volk te plagen, te dooden` den ganschen dag. En both in the Netherlands and in our own country. And
   dan gaat dat volk naar God heen. Eti dan is God hun though it may not entirely comply with the nature of
   tot  .een Toevlucht. En beschermt Hij hen.                      this department, a discussion of this kind `can serv6
      En als ze zoo -bij God aankombn,  tot Hem gevlucht the praitical purpose of enriching for us the signifi-
  zijn,.dan is Hij hun ook een Burg. Dat wil ieggen, dat cance of our own baptism and the baptism of the
  ze veilig zijn in :God. God heeft Zijn armen om hen covenant see-d of the church, .&s Well as reminding us
  heen gestrengeld  en "Hij liet geen mensch t&e hen te anew  -of our covenant obligations resulting from this
   ondeidrukken,,.      En  `dat  is  waar ook al  branden de baptism.                     '
  brandstapels van het vuur dat gestookt wordt onder                  The  .Form for infant  `b'iptism- is but one of the
 en voor Gods volk ; dat is w&ar al druipen de slacht- many forms that we use in our pubiic worship as the
  banken van het bloed van Gods volk. Ook dan is het occasion requires. Accomp&yili&   this- part of  t?le
  waar, dat zij veilig zijn. ,Ook dan is het  waar, dat form is another for the  baptisti  df adults. Besides,
 zij omstrengeld worden door Gods armen. Al staat ge. we have a form for the -celebration of the Lord's
   op het @chitvot en .wordt  g&mart&d- eu @Q fir&e  vey-
                                 ..-                               Supper, for  -ihe  confjrmatiog   of.  m~rriagje?  f0.y  Ed.-

                                                            --


            ,                                                                            I

                                                               -



                                                                                       - -.
                                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEA-RER                                  429

 communication and for the  `~ea&nitting  of excom-, the `foes that have continually as&led them. This
 municated persons, for the  `.ordination   of  ministers,                 is as true today as it has ever been in the past, for
 of elders and  de?-F,ogs!-~c$ professors  a"d  Qf  mission:
 ari'gi&  -.  ;  -.                                                        the. opposition is. as keen and bitter as ever before,
                   __,--.s `:--;li::i':~:;:;i.,;  -;`I              L      even within' the stronghold,,;ofl Reformed persuasion.
    All these se&e;ar v&$ hefinite` purpose within th.e -Possibly  their :g~~z+te@~:enemy  ,&the error)bo$ .the free-
 church.         `They serve to instruct the church in the will that forces. its %ag.into th.e Reformed churches.
 significance of her various institutions,` in order to It is a matter of either-ozy ; either Y,ou hold the truth
 help ~her in keeping them according to. the mandz& of God's covenant-througlio&z, or you d&y it by intro-
 of Scripture.  The Baptism  Fo?m treats the signifi- ducing the error of  the  f$ee-will.   The two cannot
 cance of baptism and  the  n&es&y of infant bap- live together under the same roof, fdr `the on@ annuls
 tism, and directs-the church in the proper administra-' the other. Arid, finally, the `Baptism Form is im-
 tion of it. The -forms for ordination of office biarers                   portant because of its practical value. If the sacra-
 discuss the significance of the office and  lead% the ment of baptism is to mean anything to .us, and our,
 ordination in its proper channels.                                        baptism is to have  positive value for us,  w,e  ~must
     But the forms do also more than that: They understand their significance. In this. 3 serious sttidy
 serve to  mite the churches that have these forms of our  Fokm can greatly aid us, for it is compact,
 on a coinmon basis of faith and confession. In that yet complete ; simple, yet to the point ; doctrinal, yet
 sense they are confessions as well as the well-known at the same time deeply spiritual and practical.
 Three Forms of Unity. With this difference, that                             Biesterveld  informs us in "Het Gereformeerd Kerk-
 in these forms the church confesses her faith in re- boek", that -our present form for infant baptism is a
 gard to the rites that she is called .`to keep, tihether composite  of' various other forms existing in the
 it be baptism,.the  confirmation of maFriage,  the ordin- churches of the Reformation a$ that time. The first
 ation of office bearers, et  c&era.   __                                  section, up to the prayer,  is,,said  to be taken from
     Thus  &ey also serve to  pr&erve the truth as the forms of Calvin and Micronius.  -`The prayer was
 confessed in these Forms for the generations-.to come. adopted from the form of Zurich. The  qu'estions to
 They are witnesses of the truth overagailist  all heresy the parents- were composed by Datheen, .who made use
 that seeks -to- undermine it. The very fact that they of the iuestions from the form of a Lasco, from which
 have been used for 1nor.e than three hundred years, also the thanksgiving was borrowed. Various synods
 and are still accepted as the standards of the church, from  1578-1.586  `advised  the- use of the form in the
 shows that they are time-tried bulwarks of truth, public worship, and the &nod of Dordrecht, 1618-19,
 capable of preserving it for the'future. A church that made a few .revisions  before it became the finished
 understands and cherishes her fornis will not readily product as we now know it. -
 depart from the truth' that is confessed in them.
 That does  .not mean that our forms are beyond                               `For  conv&ience  the  %orm can be divided as fol-
 all  c@ticism.  .- This would only spell a stagnation lows:                                   " ,
 for the church.. Nor d&s it mean that they can be
 placed on a par with Scripture as an appendix to it. I. A brief discussion of the significance of baptism.
. Scripture is the infallible Word of God, our confes-                       -This- is again divided into three parts :
 sions are the work of men. Scripture lays down the                          A. Baptism as a sign of our entrance into `God's
 fulldamental  truths, our confessions draw their formu-                         covenant thrqugh regeneration.
 lation of these truths from Scripture.  Y'et even in                        B. Baptism as-a seal of.the establishment of Goci's
 this the church of the past has been so guided by the                           doyenant  with us.
 Holy Spirit that she  -was  .able to formulate these
 truths as  she saw them in the form of a  confies-                           C. The fruit of baptism for those sealed.
 sion.,Of the various forms we possess the Baptism Form II. A discussion of the necessity of infant baptism,
 is by no means the least important. And that for                           pointing to the Scriptui-al basis for it.
 various reasons.. In the first place, it deals with one                     A. A defence of infant baptism overagainst  those
 of the most  fundam&ntal  truths of Scripture, which                            who deny it.  -
 is  t+e peculiar  ~heritage entrusted to the Reformed
 churches, namely, the truth of God's covenant. That                         B. The basis for it.
 truth. is ati fundamental to our Reformed faith as the III. The ritual for baptism.
 doctrine of. ,God's sovereignty, and therefore worthy
 of serious study. Secondly, the trtitti  of God's cove-                     A. The prayer.
 nant,  and with it the  sacrain& of infant baptism                          B. The address td the parents, inch&g the ques-
 have always required a staunch defence Qveragainst                              tions to be affirmed.

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

     C. The ritual proper, as given in- Scripture.              to do justice to the sacrament. There-are many signs
   ., D. Th,e concluding thanksgiving.                          in  n$uEe and in  our daily lives, which are by no
                                                                means sacramdnts. Jesus sayA thatall things "happen
    +  T&  s Form starts  -out by saying,  "The.~.principle     in payables", that those to ~@~~.,$.~a g$q; $@now
  @r& of tlie doctrine of baptism are thesesthree.  a . ." the  my&eriles of the  kingd& of heaven may both
         Although' it spea$$,of the l.!!doctk;ine" of baptism, see and understand. A sower goes out to sow, wheat
  we note at dnce that the chui%h is speaking, and is and tares spring up  And mature in  the,~,same field,
  giving expression 40 her faith in regard to the sacra- the wind blows Firhere it listeth:  These; are so many
  ment of baptism as that faith lives in her heart. She signs, as also the vine, the olive tree ,@li the oak, the
  draws from he? o&n dliristian experience as it is based lion, the lamb and the ieagle, the sup, moon and stars
  on the Word of God. She confesses that "we and our in the heavens, the grass and tile flowers of the field,
  children are conceived and born in sin, and therefore the `evening and. the dawn of each day. But these
  are children of wrath, in so much that we cannot are not yet sacrameilts, for sacraments are holy signs,
  enter, into the kingdom of God, except we are born uwhich differ from all `other signs because they are
  again." To that she adds that `+God. . . 1 makes an instituted by God to be administered and kept by the
  eternal covenant of grace with hs, . . . .  .adopts us chilrch to strengthen the faith of the believers. !(The
  for chilc@en  and heirs, . . . `. washes us in His blood word `sacrament, means `holy sign'). Both baptism
  from all our sins, . . . . and sanctifies us to be mem- and the Lord's Supper were thus .instituted by God.
  bers of- Christ, . . . . daily renewing our lives. . . ." The latter, the Lo?d's Supper, was instituted when
  And, finally, she speaks of a new obedience that is Christ celebrated His last passover with ;His disciples
  worked- in us by the Holy Spirit, namely, "that we            in the night of the betrayal.  Matt.  26:26-29. The
  cleave to this one God. . . . trust in Him, love Hiin former, baptism, was instituted when Christ sent
  with all our hearts, with al our souls, with all otir His disciples out to preach the gospel of the king-
  mind, and ,with all our str,ength ; that we forsake the dom of heaven, with the instructions to baptize those
  world, crucify our old nature, and walk in a neti and who believed. Matt.  28:28. Both of these had been
 . holy life." We immediately recognize tlie three well- institut,ed  in' another form in the old dispensation,
  known parts of our Heidelberg Catechism ; a confes- for the Lord's.  Supper came in the place of the pass-
  sion of our misery, our deliverance and our gratitude ;       over, and baptism came in the place of  chcum-
  all of which is signified and sealed to the believer by cision.
  holy baptism.                                                     Atid because they are holy signs through the m-
         The first paragraph reads: "First, that we with stitution of God, they are also seals, sealing to us the
  our children are conceived and born in sin, and there- promise of God which comes `to us thrbugh His
  fore tire children of wrath,~  in so much that w,e cannot Word.                          .
  enter into tl:e kingdom of God, except we are born                                                                           C. H.
  again. `This the dipping in, or sprinkling with water
  teaches usj whereby the impurity -of our souls 3s signi-
- fied, and we admonisheg  to loathe and humble ourselves
  before God, and seek for our purification without ,our-                    WEDD1N.G   A N N I V E R S A R Y
  selves."
         [Here baptism is called a sign. which signifies the                                    1921 - 1946
  impurity of our  souls  and our need for purification             On June 15, the Lord willing, ,our parents,
  outside of ourselv&.                                                                -
         Very plainly the fathers immediately set out to                                        jOHN  KNOTT
 oppose the  Ronian Catholic conception of the sacra-                                             `
                                                                                                   - and
  ment, as if the grace of God were inherently present                            MARTHA KNOTT nee STAP
  in, and transfered to us through the channel of the hope to  celebrake  their  2,5kh  wedding anniversary. We extend
  sacrament. In that case the value of baptism would to them ,our hlearty  congratulations, and, thz&ful that ,Go#d has
  lie in receiving the water itself, so that the `Catholics spared them for each other and for us, pray that they may have
  are alivays eager to baptize the child as soon as pos- many more years together.
 sible after birth to be sure to transfer this grace to it.                                                    Edward J.                ^.
  The danger of that ierrpr  is not altogether foreign to                                                      Ilk-old  ,G.
  our Reformed circles, especially  among those who                                                            Robert
  speak of a certain "baptismal grace" which the child                                                         K e n n e t h   5.
  receives at the time of its baptism. The form empha- Grand Rapids, Michigan
  sizes that the water is `symbolical, a sign.                      Open house will- be held  at 602  Ale~an&zr   St.! S. E.,
         Yet, if we would call it a mere sign we would fail     June 22, frop  `7:OO tP  1O;OO  P.  3%


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       431

                                                               should  have no place in Christian fellowship. Con-
                                                               structive criticism should be, and is,  wel'comed,  but
       ...;,,  PERISCOPE                                       it should come from those within who are supporting
                                                               this  wopk;:inot  from those who, have withdrawn from
                                                               an organiiationi:and seek %o discredit I it by:.outslde
                .I,!     .,;     I.
 The' Northen Baptist Convention :                             -attack." It is  m'or@ly  and. ethically -wrong of this
                                                               conservative element :ho vithdraw their financial sup-
 )! Several,thousand  delegates and gue'sts met in Grand port from the cqnventiop,and its agencies, as long as
 Rapids, Michigan, to attend the Northern Baptist Con- thejr are its members. If they are. convinced that
 vention, fr&n`lMay 21 to May 26. * The sessions were the majority of the church has departed from the
 held in the large ,Civic Auditorium, which has a seat- truth and are not worthy of their support, they should
 ing capacity, of over 5000. Among th:e distinguished have the courage of their convictions and come out
 `guests who were to address this  ass!embly was the from among them and be separate.
 Hon. Harold- E. Stassen, former governor of Minne-
 sota, but who was compelled to cancel this speaking Compromise Adopted On Faith Test:
 e-ngagement because of the national railroad strike.
 The president of this large church Convention w&s a              It has been said that one cannot `split' a rotten
 woman, a certain Mrs. Leslie E. Swain of Craigville, rail, neither can one split a church that is thoroughly
 Massachussets. It is indeed a sad commentary on the corrupt. Thus also the Northern convention, instetid
 church when an ientire  d,enomination  is presided over of coming to a definite split, thle two parties have come
 by a woman. There have  ind'eed been times in the to an abominable compromise, in which they have
 history of the- church when women played a predomin- officially rej,ected  the Old Testament as the divinely
 ant role, just think of Deborah in the days of the inspired record of the Word of God. Iri her opening
 judges, but this was usually the case when the church. speech "The" State of the Family" the president Mrs.
 found itself in a, very sad state of affairs. In this Leslie E. Swain said among other things, "We are
 the Northern Baptist churches, according to reports, faced with a decision as to what is most important-
 does'not prove to be an exception.                            our differenoes  or our `similarities. If .we' choose the
                                                               -former' we shall destroy much in which we claim to
 A House Divided Again& Itself:                                believe. If we choose the latter we shall be acting like
    The Northern Baptist Convention is composed of mature  IChristians who are willing to face responsi-
 Liberals, (Modernists) socalled Neutrals, and Funda- bility." The area of agreement was' finally reached
 mentalists.    It appears from the reports that the in the adoption of a compromise resolution re'affirming
 liberals, or modernists, are far in the majority. The their faith in the New Testament as the divinely in-
 conservatives are outnumbered approximately 4 to 1. spired record, which implies that the Old Testament
 Due to the f&et that the defiomination  is so steeped in was officially rejected. That this reaffirmation of
modernism and unbelief, the conservatives have form- faith- in the N,ew Testament, was the divinely inspired
 ed a Baptist Foreign Missio_nary Society of their own, record, was mere sham and mockery, is evident from
 having their own missionaries *ho are supported by the fact that a resolution requiring "that all secre-
 contributions from churches in its membership, who taries and missionaries of agencies of the convention
 have withdrawn all but `a small fraction of their sup- be not `employed unless they affirmed their faith in
 port from the denomination and its agencies. `This the incarnation of Christ as stated in Matthew, Mark
 has caused the convention to se_ek  the adoption of an and John is to be considered true and trustworthy:
 amendment to give a church reDresentation according That the record of the miracles of Jesus are true and
 to the proportion of its  contriljutions  to the  unifi.ed    trustworthy, and that the New Testament doctrines
 budget of the convention. If only one fourth `of its are obligatory in `Christian faith and practice", was
 total gifts went to the unified budget it would have lost by a large majority, according to a report in the
 only one-fourth the r.epresentation  it would be entitled     Grand Rapids Press. Indeed the Northern Baptist
 to if all its gifts went to the unified budget. Apart Convention presented us with a sad carricature of Xhe
 from the issues involved  wk principally agree with Church of Jesus ,Christ.
 the report of the committee which is  3`s follows:                                  :i:  $ * *
 "It has  :been brought to  t,he attention of this com-        FAMINE IS LIKE THIS:
 mittee that certain churches which have recently
 withdrawn all btit a small fraction of their support             Und'er the above heading, in the  R,eaders Digest
 from the convention and its agencies are` planning of April, a  certain~.John  Frederick Muehl, formerly
 to send large delegations. to  .Grand Rapids in an of the Royal Army wedical Corps ; now a stud,ent  of
apparent effort to control the convention. Such tactics law at the University of Michigan, describes his im-


         432                                  T H E   STA`NDARD  B E A R E R   `_

        .pretisions, of' the great Bengal -famine of 1943-1944, .suf?fering during-a famine is a cost, even greater than
         as he experienced -them .?luring a week's stay at Cal- the lives that are lost. "The human mind," thus the
         cutta. During the first evening of his -stay,. Calcutta writer continees,  `can adjust to almdst  anything; but
        .seGmed  unbelievable, in comparison with  the Burma  1 never realized how great that  &j&m.ent   &h: be
         fu'o&;&hi'cli  he baa. left' by plane, just three %ours till the day in Calcutta when 1 found myself eat'ing a
        :befo%&  Th&e was  sd&p and  hot water for bathing. candy-bar, disinterestedly watching .a;`woman die,"                                           .`m
        .There was Firpo's  Restaura& and several- hotels,                 The writer concludes his article by warning ds thbt-
         "each with its special assortment of steaks and chops, iri our modern world' the -millions who -have -plenty to
         past&s .ano ice cream."                                       eat are not-much.further  away from the millions who
            But. he `was soon to. discqyer that Calcutta was also are starving, -`than  .thes$  above  me-htion`ed  society
         a city of hufiger and death.. He says, "For those who. women were from the starving thousands. in the- strpets
         lived in its sprawling native sections, for th.e beggars of  Calc&ta.
         and untouchables, who. ,walked  the streets `endlessly, -.
         there was no rice or millet. For them there was only                                    * * *            :i:
         th.e .baFe sidewalks, where they begged for food; where
         they rubbed their swollen bodies an.d crawled after the . . BHAMEFUL; INDIFFERENCE :
      affluent sahibs, where at last they lay dead in the ,
.~       gutter, awaiting the lorries that would come and take
         them away to the burning yards." Everywhere rice.                 In close connectioti with the foregoing article
                                                                                                   WLWL   wJ.ci   s"Lr;g"llll;   aI  IrlLlC  
                                                                                                                                              WA
                                                                                                                                                 w  t:
                                                                       were  struck by a paragraph of
                                                                                         r  a  par,agraph of    ,the
                                                                                                                  ,the  address of the
                                                                                                                          address of the
         was dear, but human life was tiheap. He continues, president of the Northern Baptist Convention, in
                                                                                         he Northern Baptist Convention, in
       ' "FOP the bloated dogs of Calcutta this was a time of which she ,describes
                                                                                         :ribes  the
                                                                                                the' shameful indifference of a
                                                                                                     ' shameful indifference of a
 .       f casting. They ro3ked the stfieets,  picking at .human       great share of our populous over against the 
                                                                                         )ur populous over against the sta@ng
                                                                                                                                         sta@ng
         fl,esh and carrying human bones. They attacked the millions of the world.
                                                                                          world. The.
                                                                                                    The.  extyact,'
                                                                                                           extyact,  according to the
                                                                                                                         ' according to the
         freshly dead as soon as resistance ceased.. More than. 'Grand Rapids Press, reads as follows : "The other `day
         once I saw a dog fighting with an hysterical woman we were told that half of the people, at a news reel'
         for possession of her husband's body."                        UNRRA presentation of the famine needs of the world,
            iHe also describes the indifference of the `better by Fiorello LaGuardia, laughed uproarously.  Granted
         class' and b&tter  `Ted poljulous, to this `awful spectacle that the former mayor of New York is sometimes
         of human buffering. Inquiring of a majorofficer in amusingly v&iferous in his statements, it is a tragic
         chjrge of  a- Famine  R,elief Station,  where the dead commentary on our pseudo-Chrsitian cidilization  wheti
         were being counted in the rear, while t&e living were sleek, overfed people can hear of millions of people
         being tempted, with a single bag of rice for thousands dying of hunger and not weep." _                              .'
         of starving souls, he received this frank answer; "You
         c&n% stop a famine. with.a few bags of rice, you know.           A sad  .com&entary   incleed upon our human' race,
         But the Stations serve  a, double purpose: just the and sadder still upon our so-called Christ&n  civiliza-
         chance -for .a handful of rice will attract' those who        tion. It is a startling revelation of our  hutian de-
         are close to collapse, atid even if we're unable- to feed     pravity. Man by nature is a selfish brute, and  con-
         them, it makes the bodies much ,easier  to collect."          stantiy manifests the Cair?s spirit, "Am I my brother's
            Seeking to direct the conversation -toward the keeper ?" ,This spirit is also manifested. when we
         famine, at a certain club where a group. of women complain of the relatively small sacrifices' w,e are called
        were gathered, a member of the circle `exploded, "Lodk upon to make, in oEder  that `some of our abundance
        here, young man,! This famine is causing us enough o? food and .  grain  may--be shipped to  the starving
        troubbe already. 1011 the streets we:re claw&d at and millions of the woi-ld.
        jabbered to, and .in                                                                                                        B       .                         I<.
                                 ow!  -homes we are virtually be-
         sieged. My garbage can- has been rifled twice with-
        in l&e week, and just last Monday the Club discovered.                                  --
        that nearly half its ducks had been stolen right off the
         lagoons. You are apparently a stranger, so  w.e  can-                                 IN MEM6RIAM
        forgive you, butthis~subject  is tiresome and unwelcome
        to us all."                                                        The L&d in His infinite wisdo~m  and love suddenly call.ed
            City officials -continually received; complaints -from to  Him&f our  b&hex-  and elder,
        prominent citizens whose yards and driveways had not
        been cleared of the dead bodies. Among the complaints                              HENRY  BRUNST-IN,G
        was one from a Christian l!!!iciission,  threatening court         IKay  the Lord comfort his wife and  ~son, and  idirect our
         action if its grounds  Were not  cl.eared.    The writer hearts"into~  the  love   o!  `God  and  &to the -patient waiting  for
        sbser$es  that thi's indifference. to human misery and Christ.                     Congr&ation of  S&llflower,   `C~~ifior@,


