 VOLUME XXII                      SRPTEMBER  1, 1946 - Grand Rapids, Michigan                               NUMBER 21

        MEDITATION                                              wijl-.dit Woord ,u ,en mij neer bepaald op het oog heeft,
                                                                ein zeer persoonlijk bedoelt te treffen.
                                                                  . Slechts in `t  voorbijgaan   lettend.  op dit Woord,
                                                                zouden we onze Zeergodsdient als maatstaf voor onze
       De  Znivere Godsdienst                                   kritiek bij dit Woord kunnen aanleggen, en tot de ver-
                                                                metele cynclusie komen, dat dit tech al te ondiep ge-
              De xuivere en onbevlekte Godsdienst voor sproken IS, .dat dit woord van Jakobus tech het eigen-
            .God en den  Vad.er is  deze:  Weexen en  we- lijke wezen van den wau`en, godsdienst niet raakt, dat
            duwen bezoeken in- hunne verdrukking, en zulk een godsdienst als Jakobus hier  beschiijft  de
            xichzelv.en  onbesmet bewaren van de wereld. werkheiligheid in de hand werkt,  en de zaligheid in de
                                            J a k .   1:27. werken zoekt. Ge moogt, zoo zouden we, met valsche
    Zijt daders des Woords!                                     overleggingen ons bedriegende, en once leer stellend
                                                                tegenover dit Woord Gods, kminen spreken, ge moogt
    Zijt niet alleen hoorders!                                  den menseh maar niet aan het werk zetten, alsof het
    En' bedriegt u niet met  tillerlei valsche  overleg-        daar al goed mee was, en alsof iemand zijne zaligheid        .
 gingen, waartoe wij, ijdele menschen zoo lichtelijk ver- zou kunnen verdienen door wat op bezoek te gaan bij
 leid worden  !                                                 arme  en verdrukte  weduwen   ,en  weezen. We  worden
    Meen niet  ,a1  te\  lichtvafdiglijk, niet al te  opper-    niet door de werken, inaar door het geloof zalig. Het
 vlakkiglijk, niet al te gemakkelijk, dat gij godsdienstig is niet door verdienst& maar loutere genade, alleen om
 zijt. Want de zuivere, onbevlekte Godsdienst voor God de volkomene gehoorzaamheid van Christus, dat we de
 en den Vader is deze, dat gij weezen en w'eduwen  in zaligheid.  beBrven. . . .
hunne  verdrukking bezoekt, en dat gij uzelven  ohbe-              Ja, er zijn nog meer bezwaren!              a.
 vlekt in het midden van de wereld, die in het booze               Al maar uit once leer tegen dit scherpe Woord Gods
 ligt, bewaart.                                                 redeneerend, zouden we het bezwaar kunnen opperen,
    En hoort dit Woord nu niet verkeerd;                        dat Jakobus' definitie van den zuiveren en onbevlekten
    Want we1 moeten we niet slechts hoorders, maar ook godsdienst tech niet opgaat, dat achter h& doen tech
 daders des Woords zijn ; maar het is dan tech ook zoo,         eerst het wezen moet worden gezocht, en dat dit eigen-
 dat we, eer  .we nog  aan  bet.  doen van Gods Woord           lijke wezen van den waren godsdienst niet ligt in het
 kunnen beginnen, we het moeten gehoord  hebhen. E1;            bezoeken van  yeduwen  en  weezen,  maar in den band
 juist  oxndat  Bet Gods Woord is, is bet zaak, dat we          des verbonds, dien God Zelf aanlegt in de wederge-
 nauwkeurig `letten op hetgeen Hij tot ons zegt.                boixte, en dien Hij ook aanhaalt `en aantrekt, en door
    Niet. nauw hoorend, en niet nauwkeurig lettend op de trekking waarvan wij eerst watirlijk  godsdienstig
 l&geen het Woord bns door Jakobus bier zegt, zoudt worden.               Een mensch  meet'  tech maar wedergeboren
 ge u tech met Galsche overleggingen kunnen bedriegen, worden,  eer hij het koriinkrijk  Gods kan'zien, en het is
 zoudt ge een oordeeler des Wbsrds inplaats.  van een niet allee?  al te oppervlakkig, maar ook gevaarlijk, om
 hoorder  kunnen worden,  zoudt ge kunnen vergeten, dat te leeren,  dat lnet al goed is, als hij maar de weezen en
 we het hier niet met-een woord van Jakobus, maar met weduwen bezoekt. . . .
 het Woord Gods te doen hebben, en ioudt ge vermetel               0, ijdel mensch!
 II het  recht kunnen aanmatigen, om dit Woord het                 Almaar door uit zcwe leer redeneerend, maakt ge
 voorwerp  te  maken  uwer critiek, en  .alzoo  aan den het I,zzelf onmogelijk zelfs om dit Woord te hooren, last
klem er van uzelven owttrekken! En d&t nog wel? ter- &an van bet te doen!


                  ,.

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

               Wait immers, zdodra ge ophiudt met redeneeren,                  `t Staat ook niet ZOO, d& als iem&ud  maar weduwen
       en, zooals h&t u past tegenover hit Woord Gods, de en,weezen  bezoekt, hij daardoor.  waarlijk godsdienstig
      .houding aanneemt van een hoorder   deri;' Woords,. om is.                  .I
       met zachtmoedigheid te o,ntvangen het Woord, d$t in u                   MaLr heeft iemand waarlijk deel aan he! wezen van
       geplant w&dt, zult ge merken, dat Jakobus hier niet den godsdienst, hij zal weduwen en weezen bezoeken in
       hei -zalig word.en door de `we&en stelt tegenover de hunne verdrukking, en. _ . .
       za,ligheid door genade; noch ook bedcelt  een omschrij-                 .Zichzelven  onbesmet bewaren van de wereld !
       ving te geven van het wexen van den zuiveren en on-
     bevlekten godsdienst; ma& dat hij  bier de  &ivere
       openbarhz~ van het wezen tegenover de vaische schijn-
      openbaring er van stelt, de echte vruchten tegenover de
       valsche- beschrijft, het waarachtige d&en scherp stelt                  -Zijt daders des Woords!
       tegenover  alle eigentiillige godsdienst.              -                Maar  Dali ook: daders  des Woords!
               0, zeker, uw leer_ is zuiver genoeg !                           En  bedlieg u niet door de valsche  overleggingen
               IHet wexen van den godsdienst ligt iliet in het be- van uwe eigenwilligheid!
                                       ..-
       zoeken van weduwen en weezen,  noch ook`in het afge-                  Want  zie;t, ge kunt  wcl een  dqder zijn, zonder dat
       scheiden leven van de wereld, maar in den band des                   ge nog dader d,es Woords  zijt.
       verbonds. Jakobus w&et het ook wel.                                     Indien iemand dunkt, dat hij.godsdienstig is. . . .
                                                                               Ja,  iod iemand is  we1 een dader,  ma,ar niet des
               Van  nature zijn we niet godsdienstig, maar  vij- Woords.
       anden Gods.                                                             Daar zijn godsdienstige daders, die luide roepen  :.
        We zijn afgeweken van den levenden God, hebben,                     Heere!` Heere !,' die' in Zijnen naam profeteeren, vele
      wat ons $etreft, den band des verbonds verbroken, die duivelen uitwerpen, vele krachten  doen, de' wereld voor
       ons in vriendschap aan Hem verb&d, eli hebben Fen                    Christus meenen te veroveren ; en waarvan de Heiland
      vriendschapsband aangelegd met den vorst der duister- .zegt, dtit zij werkers  der ongerechtigheid zijn, en dat
      nis. We  zijn schuldig en hebben  geen  recht om den                  Hij hen nooit gekend heeft. Z,e worden in den dag der
      levend&n  God te dienen. We  .zijn boos en  verkeekd,                 clagen uitworpen in de buitenste.  duisternis. Voor hen
      verblind, door de duisternis der zonde,  vervuld met alle iti er geen plaats in het koninkrijk der hemelen. Hun
.    `, ongerechtigheid, en willen van den dienst Gods- niet godsdienst is ijdel.
      weten. We keeren ons van God af, en wandelen een                         Ze zijn we1 daders, maar geen daders des Woords!
      iegelijk in zijne eigene wegen. Van-godsdienst is.bij                    Daar zijn andere godsdienstige daders, die getrouw
      den natuurlijken mensch geen sprake.                                  hun "godsdienstplichten" waarnemen. Ze zijn als de
               En nu worden we door genade weer vrienden Gods: FarizeeGr,  die niet was als andere menschen, die ge-
               God handhaaft Zijn Verbond. En Hij legt`den band trouw opging naar den tempel, zijn tietiden  betaalde,
       des  .Verbonds weer  aan in  Christus  Jefus. In  IHe&               en op zijti tijd vastte, maar die nog nimmer .verstaan
       ontva?gen we weer het recht om in Gods verbond in te                 had, dat barmhartigheid beter is dan offerande, no@
      gaan. En door Zijnen Geest en door middel van Zijn ook ooit zijn verdoemelijkheid voor God had gekend
      Woprd legt Hij den band des verbonds wekr in onze en beleden. Deze mensehen zijn godsdienstig vooral op
      harten  aan, haalt hem toe, trekt hem  aan,  ,en  ver- Zondag. Ze gaan naar de kerk; ze  missen nooit een
      andert  Hij ons tot ware' dienstknechten Gods.                        preek, ze zingen en bidden voor het uiterlijke met db
               S)aarin ligt het wezen van den godsdienst.                   gemeente, en ze bet@en hun'kerkgeld.    En daarin gaat
               En alleen waar flit-wezen is, kan de openbaring er hun godsdienSt  op. Voor d,e rest zijn ze ook vrienden
      van zijn, kunnen  de vruchten volgen.                                 der^ wereld, zoeken de dingen die beneden zijn, en wei-
         En dit alles wordt  oak in den brief van' Jakobus. geren om de smaadheid `van Chrisius te dragen en te
     _ niet voo&ij  gezien.                                                 lijden om der gerechtigheid wil.
       Of had hij er niet reeds aqi herinnerd, da! God ons                     Dit zijn ook daders,  maar geen daders des Woords!
      naar. Zijnen wil gebaard  heeft.  door het  Woord der                    Indien iemand dunkt, dat hij godsdien'stig is. . . .
      waarheid.? Had hij ens. niet reeds vermaand om met                       Daar zijn er, die godsdienstige, daders zijn, doordat
      zachtqtoedigheid  te ontvangen  het Woord, dat in ons ze ijveren voor de waarheid en de zuivere belijdenis.
      `-geplant wordt; terwijl We. afleggeq alle vuiligheid en              Elen helder en scherp inzicht. hebben ze in de leer der
      ~overvloed van boosheid? Had hij niet den waarachti-                  vaderen. Tegenover alle afwijken  weten ze die  3eer
      gen hoorder  en dader des Woords vergeleken bij .den                  te handhaven en te verdedigen. Grondig zijn ze onder-
      man, die inziet in de volmaakte wet; en daal;bij blijft?' wezen: En tot in bijzdnderheden ijveren ze voor de
      . .  ,l$+ar
          :              thans gaat bet. niet . qve? .de vraag .naar het    zuiverheid, der waarheid. Doch hierin gaat dan ook
      i,&zqn yan.den-gpdsdienst,  q?,qr ov& het waarachtige hun godsdienst op. Met de toepassing%an.hun  schoone
       dienen van God en den Vader. :  .'                                   en zuivere belijdenis nemen ze het niet zoo nauw.


     . . .._ ~ .,...                                                                                                   -.
                                                 - - T H E   `S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     4 8 3
        _.                                                                                              *
     Liefde tot de broederen kennen en openbaren ze niet.                                   En-zoo'toch bedoelt het dit Woord Gods in Jakobus.
     Met welzijn van Sion zoeken ze niet. En in hun wandel                                  Als het spreekt van, weezen ,en weduwen bezoeken in
     in de wtireld komt er van die zuivere belijdenis niets hunne veTdrukking, dan is het zeker niet de bedokling,
     of niet veel tot .openbaritig.                                            -"    d-at ge dit woord zoudt opvatten als een soort elfdege-
              Daders, ja, maar geen daders dis Woords!                               bod, dat` ge slechts letterlijk hebt te volbrengen, om
              En het is tegenover all? dezulken, $n tieer anderen,                   de positieve zijde van de zuivere, onbevlekte Godsdienst
     die meenen, dat ze godsdienstig zijn, die daders zijn, in vervulling te  bnengen:                                       Neen, maar dan noemt
     maar geen daders des Woords, dat :Gods Woord hier op Jakobus, op de hem eigenaardige scherpe en zeer con-
     z`eer concrete wijze de waaracltige openbaring van crete wijze &lechts.  een instantie van het liefhebben
     h,et wezen van den godsdienst omschrijft  : weduwen en der broeders, .en het kiezen- en staan voor Gods zaak
     weezen bezoeken in hunne verdrukking, en zichzelven
                                                                              c-     in  deze' wereld.  .Imm.ers   .behooren  die  weezen en  we-
      onbes_met bewarei van de wereld !                                              duwen tot Gods Kerke in de wereld. Ze zijn in de ver--
              Daarin ligt het geheim van de zuivere, onbevlekte drukking, in de thlipsis, een woord, dat in de Schrift
      G o d s d i e n s t .          -          `. .                                 gebruikt  wordt voor de verdrukking, die Gods yolk oti
              De Godsdienst in actie.                                                Christus' wil in de wereld lijdt. En ze zijn de armsten
        ,Het dienen van  ,God  sen den Vader in deze  tegen-                         onder de a&en, de eilendigsten onder de .ellendigbn, de
      woordige wereld.                                                               weerloosten onder de weerloozen: weezen en wedtiwen.
              En wie meent, dat hij godsdienstig is, toetse.zich
                                                          _                          Een natuurlijken beseherper  hebben ze niet. Er is
      hieraan.                             Y
                               r                                                     niemand,.die  het voor hen opneemt.            -
              Zijt niet slechts hoorders, maar daders!                                       En gij          bezoekt hen!                -
              Maar da!! : daders des Woords ! ._               _                             Let wel,.ge  zendt hen niet per post wat geld, om hen
                    .                                                                van het noodige te voorzien, en hun nood te lenigen; ge
                                                                                     schrijft hun niet een vriendelijk briefje van  deel-
                                                                                     neming, met  verzoek  om het  tech vooral geheim te
                                                                                     houden. Ge,bezoe&t  hen. ,O, ja, ge bezoekt hen om te
              -Altijd de antithese.                                                  helpen en te troosten naar.uw vermogen, maar ge @et
              Weduwell-  en  weezen in hunne verdrukking  be- het persoonlijk. - Ge kiesf; hun deel. `Ge zegt tot deze
      zoeken. . . . en zichzelven onbesmet bewaren van de weerlooze schapen, die door de geweldigen  dezer wereld
      wereld.                                                       .                verdrukt word&, dat hun God uw God is, dat zij uw'
              Altijd naar den regel, dat wie een vriend der wereld volk zijn; dat ge met hen in hunne verdrukking &
      wil zijn, een vij&d Gocls ial gesteld worden.                                  meenschap  wilt hebben. Ge  neemt het op voor hen
              Hierin tech houden we Gods verbond in deze wereld, tegenover. de geweldige  en goddelooze wereld, die hen
      clat we den [Heere  onzen LGod liefhebben van ganscher                         verdrukt, ,en m& hen kiest ge, ook als het vuur der
      harte, van ganscher ziele, van' ganschen gemoede, en vervolging woedt, ook als bet inhoudt, dat ge met hen
      met alle-krachten;  dat we dus ook de broeders metter-                              smaadheid moet lijden om Christus' wil, voo? de partij
      daad liefhebben, want wie zijn broeder niet liefheeft,                              des levenden -Gods.
      dien hij gezien heeft, has zal hij ,God liefhebben, dien                               Neen; da% is geen humanistis@he  philanthropie ; het
      hij $et gezien heeft; dat we de wereld verlaten, onze is de openbaring van de liefde van Christus.
      oude natuur dooden,  en tilzoo in een nieuw godzalig                                   Het is bet houden van uw deel van Gods v&bond.
      ieven wandelen.                                                                        Het is de zuivere en onbevlekte Godsdienst voor God
              En het houden van dat verbond ,is de- zuivere, on- en den Vader.
      bevlekte Godsdienst voor God-en den Vader.                         -                   En in.dit doen, deze these, deze positieve  zijde van
              Voor menschen mag het anders zijn. `Groote dingen                           de zuivere -& onbevlekte. ,Godsdienst  voor God en den
     doen, duivelen uitwerpen,, vele krachten doen, de heele Vader, zit d,e antithese reeds in: .het uzelven onbevlekt
      wereld aan de voeten van Christus leggen,-dit  alles bewaren van de wereid. ,Ge hebt in dat bezobken  van
      rqag meer naar den mensch zijn. Voor God,  Die  ,in weezen en weduwen in hunne verdrukking imme&  pa?-
      Geest en in waarheid wil gediend worden,  en Die niet tij gekozen v66r Gods volk, v66r ,Gods  verdrukte kinde-
     van noode heeft van menschenhanden gediend te wor-                                   ren, `en daarmee voor Zijn verbond in de wereld, maar
      den ; Die de Vader is van alle Zijne uitverkorene kin- tegelijk ook tegen de wereld, den verdrukker van Gods
      deren, hen liefgehad heeft met eene eeuwige liefde, en volk.                                                      .._
      Wiens  leven en liefde in die kinderen  tot obenbaring                                 Ge bewaart uzelven onbescet van de wereld.
      moet komen,-voor Hem is het juist zoo : van Zijn par-                                  Midden in die wereld ligt  uw leven. Dwars door
      tij zijn, Zijne liefde openbaren iii- de liefde tc$ Zijne die wereld leidt uw weg. ..
     zaak en  tot,-de broederen, en geestelijk  antitheti&h                                  Doch in de wereld zijt gexiet van de wereld;
      .leven  in betrekking  tot  d,e wereld, d&  is de zuivere,                             En straks.  o,ntvaiigt ge kroon des levens !
I onbevlekte Godsdienst,                                                                                                                      EL II*
                                                                                     8
I                                   --


  484 .                                                                                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   IBEARER

                                       The  Standard   Bearer                                                                                                                             0'
                                                                                                                                                                                           .       EDI`TORIAL~.
                       Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and August
                                                                           Published by                                                 .- .
                                The  Reforined Free Publishing Association                                                                                                        -
                                                            1463  Admore  St., S. E.                                                                -                                                  Vitrolic Indeed!
                                                  EDITOR  - Rev. H. Hoeksema
     Contributing I%litors:-Rev.  G. M. Ophoff,  Rev. G. Vos, Rev.                                                                                                                         One of the cheapest, most- superficial, eviliest, but
     b. Feldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                                        nevertheless often very effective methods to brand a
     Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                        movement of a reformatory character in the church.
     Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M.  Grit&s,  Rev. J. A.  Beys,                                                                                                                     as false and of the evil one, is to concentrate all one's
     Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                   attention upon the leader of such a movement, vituper-
         Communications relative to contents should be addressed
   to REV. H.  HOEKSEM.A,  1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                                                                                             ate his character and personality, ascribe the move-
   Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                   ment wholly to the powerful influence of that person-
         C&munications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                                    ality, and presefit all other participants in the move- .
    to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St.,  S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                        ment as blindly following that strange, that ambitious,
   Michigan. All  Annoticements, and  Obit&ies  must be sent                                                                                                                           that impossible man. *
   ;to the above address and will aot be placed unless the regular                                                                                                                        This method has many advantages.
   fee of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                                                                   It simplifies the case immensely. In stead of col-
                               (Subscription  price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                                    lecting and -carefully evaluating the historical data,
   Entered as Second Class mail' at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                            the doctrinal implications, and the  chukh-political
                                                                                                                                                                                       transactions involved in the case, you can afford to
                                                                                                                                                                                       limit yourself to the presentation of a simple syllogism :
                                                                                                                                                                                       1. `The leader is no good ; 2. The movement is wholly
                                                                                                                                                                                       inspired by the evil leader; 3. The movement must be
                                                                      co-                                                                                                              evil.Moaeotier, if such a man liappens to be condemned
MEDIfI'ATION   -                                                                                                                                                                       and cast out by the church, the latter,  by fixing all the
                                                                                                                                                                                       attention upon the impossible and evil personality of
DE  ?TJiVERE   GODSDIEtiST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..~..481                                                   the leader, is at once justified. No matter what may
            Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                           be the doctrinal implications of the c&e, no matter
                                                                                                                                                                                       whether this leader actually taught false doctrine
E D I T O R I A L S   -  -                                                                                                                                                             worthy of deposition, no matter how many injustices
VITRO,LXCj                              INDE'ED,!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  +...* ..,... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                           484         the church may have committed in casting him out,
Ch-VE HIM A HEXRING! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . .  4X6 the church is plainly justified in her act for the simpl,e
EXPOSITION OF- THE HEIDELBERG G,ATlQCHISM . . . . . . . ...487                                                                                                                         reason that the-man is impossible.
            Rev. H. Ho&semi                                                                                                                                                               The method has been and is frequently employed.
                                                                                                                                                                                          It is very easy to use. It almost suggests itself.
THE FUNDAMENTAL  ,&INCIPLES   !OP  REF~ORMED                                                                                                                                           Usually in .any reformatory movement in the church
CHURCH PO,LITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490             there is a leader, called and ordained of God to blow
THE ARK OF GOD I!N D'AGO.N'S  TEMPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493                                                                                         the trumpet of Zion. Usually, always, su.ch a leader,
            Rev. 1G. M. O`pho$f                                                                                                                                                        if he be a inere man, is a sinful man, whose faults
                                                                                                                                                                                       of character should not be difficult to discover. How
tide LIED DEB  RUS,TE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                           496         easy, then, to eliminate all his good traits, to accentuate
           Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                                 the defects of such a leader, play them up, and picture
                                                                                                                                                                                       him as a man who uses his position and influence in the
OUR BAPTISM  FOlRM  (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ;.498 church to satisfy his own boundless ambition, in ckder
            R e v .   C .   Hank0                                                                                                                                                      thus to condemn the whole movement inaugurated by
                                                                                                                                                                                       him !
THE CONVICTING OFFSCE OF THE SPIRIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501                                                                                                           The method was used by the enemies agaihst David,
            Rev. .A. Fetters                                                                                                                                                           against the prophets, above all against Jesus Christ
                                                                                                                                                                                       Himself; against the apostles ; against Martin Luther,
PERrSCO.PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  + . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I.......... 5b3          against John Calvin, and against all that w.ere called
            Rev. B. Kok                                                                                 i                                                             i                of God to occupy an outstanding position in the church.
                                                                                                                                                                                          It is, I am sorry to say, this same method that
                                                                                                                                                                                       is emplbyed by. Clarence Bouma in evaluating and


                                     T - H E   STANDAREi  B E A R E R                                              485

 cohdemning  the well-shown schism in the Refqrmed               The key to the und&standing of the entire schism
.Churches of the Netherlands:                                 is this stra@e,  erratic, ambitious, impossible, vitrolic
     In an editorial in the Calvin Forum, entitled `:TQ       leader! Is not, then, such a movement plainly of the
 Schism in the Netherlands," he launches an attack devil;  and  ii' not' the  synodical  church at once and
 upon the person of Dr. Schilder, and attempts  tom completely justified in all its d,ecisions and actions?
 explain the schism solely from the evil -inz'(luence.  of       Vitrolic  controversy?  ,O, but indeed! A more re-
 the latter's personality. .,                                 ined  illustu'ation of it is difficult to find.
     I challenge anyone to find, in that editorial, even         But  hDw unworthy of a professor of Apologetics
 one item with reference to the facts, one  histo?icZtl       so to ignore the facts in the case, and-& superficially
 datum, one reference to the doctrinal iniplications, to explain the schism in the Netherlands from his own
or church-political principles and acts of the church impressioil  and evaluation of the psychological makeup
 involved in the case. And  even  in  as. far  .as the        of  Klaas Schilder !
article speaks of Dr. Schilder's part in the controversy         For facts in the case, we refer the reader to former
 and schism, the article is repeatedly guilty of mis- issues of our Standard  B,earer..  But just offhand, let
 representation.                      .  _                    me mention some facts which the editor of the Calvin
     Bouma at once discovers "the key to the under; Forum forgets  ?Q, his effort to attribute the entire
 standing of the Netherlands controversy of the last schism in the Netherland Churches to the evil persbn-
 decade and the schism which has now come to cap-it. . . ality  .of -Dr. Schilder.
 -in the strange man Klaas Schilder.": This "strange              1. The schism is not the `work of one man, even
 man Klaas Schilder" has, according to Bouma, "stirred though Sehilder's  influence cannot be denied. How to
 up discussions on issues which were of his own choos- explain the part of  Vzn Dijk of  ,Groningen, Vonk of
 ing and served his purpose these ten years or more." Schiedam, and above all of Greydanus ? The latter's
 This "strange man" "attacked groups .and individuals influence, even upijn Dr. Sehilder .is well known. And
 ever since he was established-in the chair of Dogmatics      it is .a patent fact that Dr. ,Greydanus  has done far
 at th? Kalipen Seminary." And this "strange man," more to attack the doctrinal decisions of 1942,.as well
 "when at last it was clear that a break with the church as the church-political injustices committed by the
 was inevitable, and. he would not submit to the author- Synod, than anyone else.
 ity of the highest judicatory, which had appointed him          2. It is contrary to fact  that Schilder  chose his
 to his. Seminary chair, chose his Own iswe in which own issues. There is abundant proof for the fact that
 to attack the church and its Synod." By choosing this he was  oppoBed to the action of the Synod of 1936
. issue; aqeordilig to Bouma, "he could have displayed whereby the well-known "meenitigsgeschillen"  were
 no more flagrant incotisistency-not  to say duplicity." picked up from the fldor of the Synod and put into the
 This Klaas  Schilder is presented  to' the  .readers  of category of official &cJesiastical differences.
 Calvin Forum as "a brilliant but, erratic person, a man          3. That it-was not Schilder, but IBepp  who even
 with great capacity for work coupled with an insatiable before 1936 chose the issues, when, in ,his series of
 ambition," who `"developed a resentment against the brochures "Dreigende Deformatie", he accused espec-,
 controlling leadership ,of the church," who "considered ially Vollenhoven and `Schilder of heresies, is. also a
 himself the champion  ,of Kampen" yersus Amsterdam, -matter of history.
 who is "a sworn enemy' of Kuyper and Hepp," and                  4. `That Greydanus, Schilder and Vollenhoven re-
 whose controversies became "increasingly vitrolic." fused to collaborate in the` same committee, appqinted
 He is- described by Bouma as "a  highly gifted but to study an< report on the doctrinal differences by the
 erratic and damaging personality." Mor,eover,- accord- Synod of 1936, with Dr.- Hepp when the' .latter con-
 ing to Bouqa, when this "strange man Klaas Schilder" tinued to launch his attacks upon his fellow committee
 was  finally "convinced that he was in the minority members, can be shown from the records.
 and that Synod meant business, he refused to respond             5. That not only Schi!de_r, hilt hundreds of others,
 to its summons. When  Sysod lays' down a  izertain           officebearers and laymen, implored the Synod`npt to
 minimum ,of decisions by which lie is to abide, he sets      continue in their way, but to postpone action until
 out to travel up and down the country to stir up dis-        after the war, is a simple fact.
 affectioil and  gets the church against the  Syliod."            6. That Schilder did not ignore the summons of
 And even when, after the schism was accomplished,            Synod, but responded to them by letter to the very
 the Synod put forth efforts. at reconciliation, these last, is also a matter of record:
 were "rendered impossible by the unpardonable atti-              `7. That the schism was not chiefly caused by any
 tude, utterances  and actions", of this strange, man definite  doctrinal differences, but by the fact that, the
 Sbhilder,  this erratic, damaging personality with his       Synod plainly attempted to raise the theory of pre-
 ins&iable  a m b i t i o n .   _                             sumed regeneration to an. ecclesiastical dogma, and to
     There you have it.                                       make -this doctrine binding upon all as well' as by the

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

     fact that Synod presumed to be the "highest judica- [editor  of The Banner. For the editor admits--that  the
     tory" in the church (as also Bouma erroneously c&s doctrine of the Liberated Churches, or rather of some
     it), is likewise a fact.  ~                   . .           of their leaders (the Churches have no officially adopt-
            But why mention more?                                 ,ed doctrine on this point) resembles the covenant
            As a proper evaluation and explanation of the conception of the late Professor Heyns. And he adds
     schism in the Netherland Churches, the article of that this conception ,is un-Reformed.
     Clarence Bourna has no value.                                 Is there no one among the ministers of the Chris-
            It is as superficial as it is .erroneous.             tian. Reformed Churches who have sat for years at
                                                    H .   H . the f,eet of Prof. Heyns, and imbibed his covenant con-
                                                                  oeption,,  and who have faithfully reproduced it in
                                                                  pulpit and catechisti-rooni, who will take it up for
                                                                  him?,
                    Give Hiti A Hearing!                             How sad!
                                                                   The point of this article, however, is to point out
                                                                  that our  church& are free  .frpm the-  ,ecclesiastical
            In -an article under the caption. "Schilder Repre- shackles of "sister-churches" that compel the Chris-
     sentative" the editor of The Banner forewarns the tian Reformed Churches to agree with their "sister"
     churches against the coming of the Rev. D. van Dijk through thick and thin, and that render it impossible
     of Groningen, officially appointed by the Synod of the to give a man a ilearing, that force us to condemn him
     Reformed Churches of the Netherlands, maintaining before he has an opportunity to open his mouth.
     Art. 31, to inform the churches here about the schism           `The point, of this article, moreover, is to emphasize
     in the old country. `There are several errors in that that the Rev: D. van Dijk should have a hearing, and
     little article. First  of all, the brother that is appointed that if the Christian Reformed Churches close their -
     by the Netherland Synod for this purpose is not A. J.        doors to him, .we should open ours to let him lecture as
     Dijk, but D. van Dijk of Groningen, according to my often as he desir,es.
     recollection. Secondly, the brother does not come here          It is well-known that tie do not agree with the
     as a "Schilder representative" but as an official dele- covenant conception of some of the leaders. of the
     gate of  the Liberated Churches. Thirdly, he is  liot Liberated Churches.
     a Schilder follower, but has already served the Re-             But we are not afraid of contamiqation.
     formed Churches in the Netherlands for years, and has           Let the man have a hearing!
     his own, rather pronounced views on the covenant.               The Christian Reformed Churches gave  Barkey
     Fourth!y,  the brother is not appointed to make propa- Wolf a hearing. And Barkey-  Wolf has not a Reformed
     ganda for the new group, but to present the side of the hair on his head. But they refuse to hear.the  Rev. van
     Liberated Churches with r.eference  to the schism, con- Dijk, because of his un-R,eformed views that resemble
     cerning which the Christian R,eformed  `Church have those of the late Prof...Heyns !
     been informed very onesidedly, as might have been               We gave Dr. Schilder a hearing wheri he was here.
     expected. But the purpose of this  littie article is to         We would'-,even have given Barkey  Wolf a hearing
     .warn  the Christian Reformed churches to give this in our churches had he desired it.
     man no hearing. The editor writes:                              Let us give the Rev. van Dijk a welcome, a home,
            "To permit the men who have cause the rupture in and a hearing, if he wants it.
     that Church to speak to our own congregations would                                                       . H. H.
     be a slap in the face of our sister-Church which they
     have forsaken. Those of ys who do not want to see
     an unnecessary doctrinal controversy transplanted to
     this ,country wili not *look. with favor on any one- who                        CLASSIS WEST
                                                                                                  _  *j
     ,endeavors  to make propaganda among us for an un-
     Reformed conception of the covenant of grace."               will meet in regular session, the Lord willing, Sep-
        That settles it.                                          tember 25, 19.46 in the Protestant Refortied Church
        Very few ministers and congregations in the Chris- of Oskaloosa, Iowa, ai 9 :00 A. M. Delegates d.esiring
     tian Reformed  ChLirches  (Church, according to  Kui-        lodging can contact Mr. G. Ryken, R. F. D. No. 6,  _
     per) will have the courage to face the possibility of Oskaloosa, Iowa. Since the Synod of 1946 again re-
     denominational wrath. This warning, together with ferred the report of the Psalter  ,Committee  to the
     a similar one that appeared in De Wachtdr, will p-rob- Classes for further study, all delegates are urge& to
     ably close the doors to the Rev. van Dijk.                   take your Acts of Synod 1945 with you.
        At the same time, Prof. Heyns is posthumously                                            `Rev. C. Hanko,
     -ejected from the Christian Reformed Churches by the                                                  Stated Clerk,


                                                                                                        :
                                        T H E        STANDARD  BXA.R%R                                                 487

       c                                                          exaltation,' and as such came to dw,ell in the Church
                                                                  on the day of Pentecost.         "
    TME  TRIP&,E KNOWLEDGE                                           `b'his is th& teaching 6f iHoly Writ.
                                                                     In  John  `739, we-read: "but this he  sp&c of the
                                                                  Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive:
  An Exposition Of The Heideherg for .the ,Holy ,Ghost was not yet (given) ; because that
                                                                  Jesus was not yet glorified."
                   - Catechism                                       The word givers that occurs in our translation we
                                                                  put in parentheses, because it is a commentary rather
                           Part Two.                              than a translation, and, besides, it weakens the real
                   Of Man's Redemption                            force of these words. If it had been the meaning of
                         LORD'S DAY XX                            the'text, merely to express that the iKoiy Ghost was
                                                                  not yet given, it would have been easy to use the proper I
                               2.                                 word for this in the briginal. But in the Greek text,
            -       The Spirit Of Christ.                         the word given does not occur. The text reads : "`The
                                                             I Hdly Ghost was not yet, because that Jesus was not
     Besides teaching us that the Holy Ghost "is true yet glorified."
 and co-eternal God with th;e Father and the Son," the               This is verjr significant.
 Catechism also places the following confession on the               The meaning cannot be, of course, th:?t  the Holy
lips of the believing Christian : "that he is also ,given         Spirit as such, as the Spirit of God, did nut yet exist,
 me, to make me by a true faith partaker of Christ for He is very, God, co-eternal with the Father and the
 and  all His benefits, that .He may comfort  me and Son. Nor can it mean that there were no operations
 abide with me for ever."                                         of that Spirit of God at all, in creation and providence, -
     In these  words, our instructor speaks of the Holy or even with regard -to the work of redemption ; for all
 Ghost as He is become the Spirit of Christ.                      the works of God are of the Father, through the Son,
     A distintition  ,must be made between the Holy ,G@ost and ia the Holy Ghost. But the sense is that the Holy
 as such, as the third Person of the Holy Trinity, and            Ghost as the Spirit of Christ, Who makes us partakers
 that same Spirit as He is become the Spirit of Christ.           of the fulness .of Christ, was not yet. This is evident
     Just `as, concerning the Person of the Son of God,           from the context,  `On the last day of  the feast of
 the distinction must be made between the only Be- tabernacles, Jesus stood in the temple and loudly pro-
 gotteiz as such, as the eternal Son, the second Person           claimed Himself as the Fount of the water of life in
  of the Trinity, and the incarnated Son, Jesus Christ, the words: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, '
  Who tabernacles with us in the human nature, so we              and drink." And He gave the promise:  "H,e  that
  must distinguish between the Spirit of God and the believeth on me, as the scripture bath said,. out of his
  Spirit of  IChrist.                                             belly shall flow rivers of living water." However,' all
     Even as the only begotten Son and Jesus Christ are this could not be realized at` that moment. The Fount
  the same Person, so the iHoly Ghost and the Spirit of           of living water must first be opened. Jesus must first
  Christ are the same Person.                                     suffer and die, be raised to glory, and be exalted at the
     Again, just as the only  begditen   Sol!, the second right hand -of God. Moreover, He must receive the
  Person iq the` Trinity, is the eternal Word, the Logos,         promise of the Spirit after IHis exaltation, and in that
  through Whom all things are Lade, so the iHoly Ghost            Spirit return unto iHis own, arid dwell in His Church.
  is the Spirit of  all.  ck"eation, in  Whom  all things  are    Only through  th& Spirit that  would be given, the
  made, giving life to all things.                                Spirit of Christ, ctiuld His own come unto Him, and
     But, once more, even as the only begotten Son, from          drink, and could the promise be fulfilled that "out of
  before the `foundation of the world is ordained to be           their belly should flow rivers of living water." Hence,
  the Mediator of salvation, the,Head  of the elect Church,       it is added: "But this spake he of the Spirit, which
  and the Head over all things. in the new creation, so they that believe on him should receive." And as a
  the Holy Ghost,  in God's eternal good pleasure is prom- further explanation -it is said that `"the Holy Ghost
  ised'to Christ, ordained to be the Spirit of sanctifica- was not yet, because that Jesus was not yet glori-
  tion, that He. might dwell in the Church and make fied."
  us partakers of all the benefits  of salvation.                     Just as, before the fulness of time and tlie i*.rarna-
      And, finally, even as the eternal Son became Jesus          tion, it could be said that -Jesus Christ was r:ot yet, so,
  Chiist, our Lord and Redeemer, in the fulness of time, before the exaltation of our Lord, it is said that the
  through His incarnation, His death and resurrection,             Holy Ghost w&s not yet. -
  and His exaltation at the right. hatid of God, so the               This does not meaq that the saints of the old di&
  Holy Ghost became the Spirit of Christ after His pensation were not saved even as we. For, although


        488                                   T H E   STAND.AiXD   B E A R E R                               -
        Christ was nbt yet; the Son of God had been ordained         however, He definitely declares that He will send the
z       the  Nediator of His people in God's eternal co&se&          Spirit of truth unto them from the Father. Combine
        and even before His incarnation oPerated  and- became        these  ttio  sta'te&ents,   and  jrou understand that the
        revealed as such  &i  tize promise and through the           Spirit is to  be given to Christ as the  .Mediator  and
        shadows, And although the SpiPit of Christ w&s not exalted Lord first, and from and through Him, as the
        yet, the Holy Ghost  had been eternally ordained to be       Spirit of Christ,  He` is to be sent into the  Churuh.
        the Spirit of redemption, and as such' !He operated in The promise- of the. Spirit is to be fulfilled in Christ,
        the prophets, and led the people through the shadows         and in that Spirit He wili return to HiS own.
        to the hope of reality that was to come. But the saints          More clearly still ihis is set forth in John 16 :7ff. :
        of the Old Testament,, even with respect to the spiritual    "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for
        blessings of salvation which now are fully ours, were you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Com-
        saved by hope. Even as we in the new dispensation forter will not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will
        still look forward to the final reali'zation  of the promise, send him  u&o-  you. And when he is come, he will
        and can but dimly apprehend the glory of the heavenly reprove the world of sin, &and of righteousness, and of
        kingdom t&t is to come in the day of Christ, so `the         judgment: Of sin, be&&e they believed' not on me;
      - saints of the old dispensation were, indeed,  saved,' Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye
       yet the reality oi atonement and redemption, of justif:- see me no more ; Of judgment,  b.ecause  the ppince of
        cation and life; the fulness of the revelation of Jesus this world is judg;d.. I have yet inany things to sajr
        Christ and of ~the biessings of salvation in Him had         unto you, but ye cannot bear them  now.           Howbeit
     _ not yet been realized.`They  could only dimly appiehetia      when he, %he Spirit of truth is come, he will guide yoti
      them through the shadows and by the promise of `Him            into-all truth : for he shall not speak of himself ; ,but
       .that was to come,                                            whatsoever .he shall ,he&r;  that shall he speak :. and he
           That we must distinguish between the Hdly Ghost will shew you things to -come. He shall glorify me :
       as such and the Spirit of the exalted Christ. is taught for he shall receiye  Of mine, ah& shtill sh&w it unto jrou.
       `also in ot,heP parts of Scripture.                           All things that the' Father hath are mine:~ therefore
           Repeatedly, the Lord speaks of this Spirit in' His        said I that he shall take of mine, and shall shew It
       final addresses `to His disciples, spoken to comfort unto you." Note here that' throughout the Spirit of
       them concerning His departure from them through the           God is presented as` the Spirit of Christ; He cannot
       cross and the  resul;rection,  and preserved for us in come unless Christ' goes away, that `is, through death
       chapters -four&en to sixteen* of the. gospel according into the glory of (His resurrection and .exaltation. This
D to John.                                                           iti impossible, first -of `all, because through His suffer-
           Thus we read in John 14 :15-17:  "If ye love me,          ing and death, and. perfect obedience, Christ  m&t
      _ keep- my commandments. And I will pray the Father, merit tile @romi& ,of the Spirit ; and, secondly, because
       and he shall give YOU another Comforter, that he .may only after [His death and exaltation can He receive the
       abide with . . you for ever; even the Spirit of truth ;       Spirit, that as the exalted Christ He may return to
     *horn the world  camiot receive, because it seeth him and dwell in His oh. Therefore, it is expedient that
       not; neither kllbweth him : but ye know him ; for -he .the Lord should, go away. For ."it is the Spirit that
     _ dwelleth with you, and`shall be in you. I will not leave quickeneth, the flesh  profiteth--nothing." John  6-63.
       you cbmfortless  : I will come to you." Especially these And all the work of this -Spirit proceeds from, and is
last words  are- significant in this connection. Upon concentrated in the Christ. This is true of His. work
       the. prayer of Christ, the Father will send the Spirit in-the world, that must be judged by Christ, and whose
       to His-disciples, and in this Spirit Christ Himself shall judgment is to be-applied by ,this Spirit, for -He shall
      return to them. The- Spirit, therefore, -that will be convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
       given to the Church after the departufe and exaltation judgment. And this is equally true of  His saving
       of Christ is His Spirit, the Spirit of, the exalted Lord,     operation in the believers. He is the SpiTit of truth.
       through morn He Himstilf will dwell in IHis people, iHe serves the trtith. tie reveals the truth as it is in
       atid abide with them for~ever.                                Christ. ,Of the truth I-Ie witliesses, but not int,he sense
          -Again, in JohIT 1526 the L&d promises His dis- that He ever speaks directly, without the Christ, Who
       ciples: <`But when the Comforter is come, whoi I will         is the truth and the life. ,Qn the contrary, what He
       send unto  y`ou from the Father, even the Spirit of hears, that is of Christ, He speaks. Christ IK@ glorifies.
       truth, which proceedeth ffom the Father, he shall             Of Christ He receives the contents of His testimony,
       testify of me." In the sixteenth verse of chapter four- and of -Christ He witnesses in the Church. He is the
       teen, the Lord had presented the sending  forth of the Spirit of Christ.
       Spirit as an act of the Father.  IHe wbuld pray the            1 This condemns, @t it be remarked in passing, at
       Father, and upon `the prayer of the Mediator the the same time  ,a11 false mysticism, that is characterized
       Father wopld  send the Comforter unto. them, ,Now,
                                      . .                            by despising the Word of- the gospel, as we have it in


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D ` B E A R E R                                            489

 the -Holy Scriptures, as a' "dead letter," and would live ment or power of persuasion, he can make the word he
 by "inner light,". by direct testimony of the Holy Spirit. speaks, even though it be according to the Scriptures,
 in the heart apart .from the Word. The Spirit .speaks         either a, savor of life, or a savor of death. He pEeaches
 not of  ,.Himself. He takes it out of Christ. And this the  `Word,  &&same gospel to all; but whether the
 means .that for us, Who-have no other Christ than the effect will be unto salvation `or condemnation dypends.
  One that is revealed.  td  us in the  Scriptur,es,  the      not at -all on IHim, .but on Christ %Iimself,  Who makes
  Spirit of Christ never witnesses without the revelation His Wdrd powerful through His Spirit.
  of Christ in the Bible. He takes it outs of the Scrip-          In still otlier passages of Holy Writ, the >Spirit is
 tures, and r,eveals  it unto the Church.                      pl;esented  as the Spirit of Christ, and is even identified
     Equally true, of course, it is, that without the Spirit with Him. Thus in  Roman?   8:2ff.: "For the law  of
 the Scriptures are dead.. There -is no access to the the Spirit pf life in Christ Jesus hathhmade  me free
  Word of God, to the Christ of the Scriptures, except from the law of sin and death" : in the sphere of Christ.
  through or in the Spirit. In this sense, it certainly the law of the `Spirit dominates and operates, because                 _
 must be maintained that Christ must and does speak the Spirit is Christ's, vs.  i. Of believers it is said:
  His own Word, and that through His- Spirit. And              "But'we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be
  again,. this is true, whether the Word is a savor of life    that the Spirit of God dwell in you.. Now if any man
  unto life, br a savor of death unto death. "No man           have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his":/the
  knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any         Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ, `through Whim
 man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever we belong to Christ. vs. 9. ,Btit again, when the, Spirit
  the Son will reveal Him." Matt. 11:27. "And .no nian of Christ dwells in us, Christ (Himself, through that
  can say that jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." Spirit, makes His abode with us, for the  .apostle con-
  I Cor. 12:3. Hence, the apos$e  writes:  "But we speak tinues : "And if Christ be .in you, the body is dead be;
 the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden *is-          cause df sin ; but the spirit is life beca!lse of righteous-
  dom, which Gqd ordained before the world unto our .ness", vs. 10.' The.,Spirit of God is the Spirit of ChPist,
  glory. Which none of the princes of this world knew:         and through the indwelling  Spiiit Christ Himself
  for had they known. it, they would not have crucified        dwells in us. By this Spirit our mortal bodies, shall be
  the Lord of glory. But ai it is `written, Eye bath. not quickened, vs. 11; through this Spirit we are empower-
  seen, nor ear heard, neither have  ,entered  into the ,ed to mortify the deeds of the body ; by the same Sp<rit
  be& of man, the things which God hath prepared the. sons of God are led ; He is the Spirit, not of bond-
  for them that love him. But God hath revealed them age again to fear, but of ado,ption, so that by Him we
  unto us by  his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all cry: "Abba, Father," and He witnesses with our spirit
  things, yea, the deep things of God. . .  _ But the that we are the sqns of God. vss. 11-16. `The Spirit of
  natural man- receiveth ngt. the things of the Spirit of God, as the Spirit of Christ,`in Wh_om  Chri.st  dwells in
  God, for they' are f,oolisliness  to him: neither can he ,us, makes us partaker of Christ and all His benefits.
  know them, because they are spiritually discerned."             The -identity  of Christ and [His Spirit is literally
  I Cor. 2  :7ff. The Word is  .the Contents, the Spirit       expressed in II Cor.  3.:17: "Now the  Lord is that
  is the life and power of the revelation of God. Spirit Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there `is .
 and Word are never separated. _ Thus it is regarding liberty". The Lord here is Christ, and,He is the Spirit,
  the revelation bf Christ unto salvatiion. .<,Through  the because it is by His Spirit. that He dwells in His
  Spirit of Christ the Word becomes a savor of aife unto       Church, and liberates .us from the bondage of sin and
  !ife. Nor does that WorB, as we have it in the Scrip- the law, revealing IHimself to us by,His Word, so that
  tures, become a savor of death unto death by `itself.        "we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the
 .Also this power is of the Spirit. For it is the Spirit glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
  that convicts the t?orld @f sin, and- of righteousness from glory to glory;even as by the Spirit of the Lord.".
  and.of judgment.: of sin, because they believe n,ot on v s .   18.
  Him! Thus Christ is and remains the sov.ereign  Lord           s This, that the, Spirit of God is  .become the Spirit
  $&GO  in  respect   $0. His own, Word.     He reveals  the of Christ, of the exalted, Lord, and that, through ~this
  Father unto whomsoever He will. And whom (He will Spirit, Christ Himself came to dwell in His Church,
  He hardens. No flesh dare glory in- the presence of to make her partalser  of all the blessings of salyation
Jesus Who is the Lord !                                        He purchased for her by His perfect obedience even
     The preacher must understand .this, and, what is unto death, and to ibide with her, and dw'ell in her for
  more, he must be wiliing to submit his own ministry ever,-this is the meaning of Pentecost.  H.ence,  as
  to the sovereign will and pilrpose  of the Lord of His       soon as this Spirit is poured out the apostles under-
  Word, whether it be unto salvation or unto damnation.        stand the mystery of  Christ as in a flash, as they
  Never m&y he. act, or leave the impression, that h@ ~XX+     never had understood it b.efore. And. it is the Christ
 power over l&e Word of Christ, that by force of argu-         they preach on. th&t day, Whom the Jews crucified,
                          .


  4 9 0                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D -   B E A R E R   `.                      :
  Whom God hath raised up, and exalted at iHis `right own will upon the flock of God, they set themselves up
  hand. And "therefore b.eing by the right hand of God as lord atid ~masters  over God's heritage as usurpers
   exalted, and having received of the Father the prom-          of Christ's place, in ihe church, and are not shepherds
   ise of the Holy Ghost, he'hath shed fo?th. th& which- `,of- the flQck.but  wolves in sheep's `clothing. For it is
  `we now see and' hear." Acts 2 :33. The Spirit that- the word of Christ that rul&, admonishes, instructs,-
  was pro&s&d Christ in God's eternal counsel of -re- comforts, perfects, edifies, absolves the penite&,  sanc-
   demption He received. from the Father after His tifies, comforts and builds up. --Thisis the power and
   exaltation, and that Spirit ,He poured out into . the the function of the word, ai preach.ed by Christ in the
   Churcli, thus fulfilling His word : "I will not leave you     hearts of His people. Hence, it is sheer folly for a
 - orphans, I will come to you."'                                human preacher, a mere man, to say to the flock, "I
                                                  iH. H.         absolve thee". `There is only on& who can tell ,God's
                                                                 people that they are'-forgiven so that they believe it,
           >             --                                      ,and that one is Christ. Agd He does so by sanctifying
                                                                 IHis word unto their hearts-the word as proclaimed
                                                                 by His servants. -Hence, the human preacher of the
                THROUGH  THE  AC%!3                              word converts no man, however earnestly and even
                                                                 violently he may beseech, implore, beg, admonish and
                                                                 exhort, in the attempt to prevail upon his hearers to
                                                                 accept Jesus `out of sympathy for Jesus:
     The Furdamental Blrin~iple~s~ 8                                As to the character of the authority of the ruling
                Reformed  Church Polity                          and teaching ministry, it is legal in distinction from
                                                                 ethical. In the state, legal autho'rity,  is the right and
                                                                 duty to govern by laws and policies, punish crime and
      We noti pass on to the second principle, the divine        protect them that do well. For that purpose God has
  origin  of,  th.e' authority of the ruling arid teaching invested the magistracy with the sword. In the church
  ininistry. ALlthority;  here, is the right to rule and to legal authority  is the right and duty to preach the
  administer the word  and the sacraments. This author- gospel and to excommunicate out of the Christian
  ity does not originate' and inhere in the congregation         Church.    This is the key-power or authority, that
  to be delegated by the latter to the officebearers in          Christ gave to His church. But according-to reformed
  the church ; but it originates,. dbes this authoyity, in church polity, this authority the church exercises only
  God, its creative  source, was given  to Christ, who through the ruling arid teaching ministry. Only this
  bestows it upon the servants of His choosing. Thus, tiinistry  ma.y preach. the gospel. Article 2 of the
  as was said, the church is not a democracy. Its'govern-        Church Order of Dordrecht, r,e+ds  in part, "No one, .
  ment is nc$ of %he"people. The church institute is not though he be a professor of theology,, elder, or deacon,
  a man's brganization. The consistory is not ati exe&           shall be permitted to entei upon the ministry of the
  tive board, and its presiding officebearer is not the word alid the sacraments without having been lawfully
  president of a men's society. . A man's organization is called thereunto." This is ietihorough accord with the
  erected by man's `will ; the position of its presiding Scriptures. It requires but one brief passage to prove.
  officer is a cr&tion of man ; and the occupant of that this. We.have  this from Paul's pen. "And he,"-the
  position is placed there by man, and from man he re- ascended `Ch?ist-gave  some, apostles; and some pro-
  ceiies whatever authority he is allowed to  e%ercise.          phets ; atid some -evangelists.; and some, pastors and
  But the church is. the product of God's redeeming teachers ; for the perfecting of- the saints, for the work
  grace. It is an erection of Christ. The offices. in the of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,"
  church are His  ilistitutions.  ,They  v+ho  ?ill  th,em are Eph. 4:6. And then also this from the same apostle,
  His sel&tions. Servants of Christ are they, whom He `"How shall they preach excei)t they be sent." Rom.
  calls and sends thrbugh ,His church. They rule by 10 :15. In fine, the church institute is the only organi-
 - His authority. He qu&fies  them fok the dtities of the zation on the face of the earth that administers the
  office to which they are called, by His Spirit.  .The word officially. There are other organizations and
  church institute, in a word, is a wonder of grace ;. it ,is    institutions, seqeral of the&, that take it upon them-
  a spiritual heavenly entity, the kingdom of Christ, a selves to instruct men out.of the Scriptures. Societies
  holy brotherhood, chosen in Christ unto life ever- are formed for the purpose of the study of the word.
  lasting before-the foundation of the world. As to, the Our, Christian schools give courses in Bible study.. And
  rulers and teachers  ii1 the church, they rule, truly certainly there- must be an open Bible in every Chris-
  rule, only because and in so far they identify them- tian home. But none of this labor is official preaching
. selves with: the word of  Chkist.  Iti so far as they of the gospel. God will bless it, certainly, provided
  divorce themselves from that word  to impose their `it is not labor done with a view to provide men with a
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                                       T H E   -_  S `T A N D A R D      B E A R E R                                  491

  substitute for the preaching of the, gospel by the church and priests uiito God and the Father ; to hiti be the
  institute. If that be the aim, it `is lAbor lost, no matter' glory and dominion for ever, Amen." Htiving been
  how sound the ins'truction or exposition, how devoted made. kings .and priests tinto their God, the common
  the instructor, how apt to learn the pupil. And -the believers, too, have authority, that is, rights. And that
  argument that the word remains the word whether particular right which% basic to all their rights, re-
  proclaimed or  ,explained to. men, let us say by the          ceives a statement at  john's Gospel, chapter 1, the
 `Sunday school or by .the church institute .is, at bottom 12th verse? quote, 73ut as many as received him, to
  Pelagian, as' it proceeds from an unwillingness to take them gave he power to become the sons of God, even
  cognizance of *the fact that Christ is the preacher of to them that believed in his name." This. power, right,  '
  the word and that,, on this account,  the word is a  _ authority -of God's people-the Greek here has .exousia
  savor of life unto 1if.e and of d.eath untd death. .This -is fundamental. Because  -God's people have this
  being true, it follows that, if Christ expressly in&i- right, theirs is the right to confess the name of Christ,
  tuted  ,the preaching of the  wo?d for the feeding of bear witness fdr the truth, and walk in those good
  mei's souls, it is folly to  stippose  that  !He, will feed woiks which ,God bath: before ordained that they should
  men's souls by a substitute of the pr'eaching ministry. walk in them. These rights they exercise in Christ,
  Bible instruction, exposition of the word, by angencies       who realiz,es  in them tl;e fruits of His atonement. And
  other than the church institute, Christ will bless but also. as members of the church institute, the believers
  only as-suppliments  to the preaching of the gospel.          have their rights. They  initia'ce church discipline in
      And this leafis to the conclusion that there is no the church, Matt. 18 :i3, 14, elect, under the super-
  salvation apart from the church institute. Article 28 vision of the consistory their office bearers, raise their
 of the Belgid Confession reads in part, "We believe, voice in protest if the teaching ministry corrupts the
  since the holy congregation is an assembly of those word, deposes this ministry, if it will not repent, and,
  who are saved, and that out of it there is no salvation,      if prevented therein by the carnal seed iti the church,
  that no person of whatever state or condition he may br.eak  with this ministry and erect the church institute
  be, ought to withdraw himself to live in separation           elsewhere by choosing them a ministry, through which r
  from `it." This  Conf'ession  has reference to the the body of Christ can so function,, that it is perfected.
  body  of- Christ as  it functions through the church and edified. Th&e are the rights of God's people as
  institute, the ruling and teaching ministry, and it members of the church institute. And these  righis
  must be received as true  .doctrine.       It is not the they must be allowed to exercise without being penal-
  Romish teaching, that wholly identifies the church ized. And on their part, they niust not allow them-
  institute with a particular church or communion of selves'. to be prevented in the exercise of these  y'ights
  churches, and contends, that men living in a separate by the threats of the carnal seed in the church in power.
  state from this communion, `whether it be false or But it is consoling to know that the :exercise  of. these
  true, are shut out from salvation. This, to `be sure,         rights is not cpntingent  on their will but on the will of
  is folly. But, that one must be joined to the sacred          Christ, the Lord over all things in the church. For it
  ministry?the church institute-that Christ ili&ituted          is iHe who gathers His church. There is then such a
  for the perfgction and the edification of His body, is thihg a$ the office of all belieSers.-                 .'
  a solemn truth. And the reference here is not, of                    The next principle of truth that  calls for our at-
  course, to a ministry that  bcorrupts the word. That tention, is that of the autonomy `of the local congre-
 __ ministry must be deposed or forsaken. T,o quote the gtion.             That the local congregation is autonomous,
  Confession once,more,  "We believe that we ought dili- means, that it is a self-gpverning organization, under
  gently and circumspectly to discern from the word of Christ, in. subjection to no legal power other than that
  God which is the true church," that is, of which of its own consistory. The autonomy of the local ~pn-
' ministry it can actually be said, that the body -of Christ gregation implies, further, that all legal power in the
  functions through it, and, such is the implication, church is concentrated in the consistory. And  legal
, `join ourselves to that ministry.                             power, as was said, is key-powey,  the right to preach
      Let us now have regard to the third princikle  of the gospel and to excommunicate out of the ChrJstian
  Reformed Church Polity, the Priesthood' of Believers. church. Now also this principle of the autonomy of
  In speaking of t$Te priesthood of all believers, we. speak    the local- congregation is"basic. For, ,if the local con-
  the language of the Scriptures.. To quote oee Scrip- gregation is autonomous, if all legal power is coneen- -
  tur'e  passage from the revelation of John, the  ,first trated  in the consistory, if the consistory only and not
  chapter, the fifth and sixth-verses, "And from Jesus also the-  Classis, has the key-power, it follows that
  Christ who is the faithful witness, and the first begot- the power, authority,  to depose office bearers in the
  ten from. the dead; and the prince of the kings of the church, cannot be that of the classis. For, to depose
  earth. Unto him that loved us and washed US from office bearers `is to exercise key-power. .The leaders
  our sins in His own blood. And bath, made us -kings in the Christian Reformed Churches-churches also
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  4 9 2           -.                 T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R

  organizkd on the basis of the Church-Order pf Dord-         classis but the consistory has .the key-power. A l s o
 recht-are now insisting, and have been for some years        article 16-of the Church `Order  sets-forth an identical
 back, that the Classis, too, has the key-power,. which it -doc&rine..  The article reads, "The office of Minister
  exercises in the local congreggtion by del?osii&  if beed :iS  ,Zo &ntinue in prayer and' in the ministry of the
 be, its office bearers ; and in 1924 the Classes Grand word, to dis]?`ense the sacraments, to watch over the
 Rapids West and Grand Rapids East of these churches, brethren, th? elders and the deacons, as well as the
 went to  d,eposing office bearers  rikht and left, and' congrega&n, and finally, with the  exaers,  to exercise
 claimed and ,still claim that the Church Order of Dord- church discipline and see to it th'at everything is done
 reeht sanciions that action.                                 .decently  and in good order." This -article, certainly,
     There is then this question. Is' the principle of the has reference to the- consistory, not to the  classis,
autonomy of the local church Reformed? It is Re- and to the  consistory.  it assigns the key-power. In
 formed. It is the plain`teaching of the Church Order agreement herewith the Church ,Order,  in Article 36,
 and of the Belgic Confession.. Article 84 of the is careful to refrain from saying that the classis has
 Church Order reads, "No church shall in any way the same power over the consistory, that the consistory
 `lord it" over other churches, no minister over other        has over the flock. Let us quote this article, "The
 ministers, -no elder or deacqn  over other elders and classis has the  same jurisdiction over the consistory
 d.eacdns? And Article 31  of. the Belgic' Confessioli        as the particular synod has over' the classis and the
 ,co&ains  this clause, "As for the ministers of God's geneial synod over the particular." True, this article
 Word, they have epually the same power and authority does say, that the classis has jurisdiction over the con-
 whijresoever  they  ire, as they are all  tiinisters of sistory; but ,it does not say, and this ?s the point,' that
 Christ, the only universal bishpp, and the only head this jurisdiction is th.e same as that; of the consistory
 of the Church:" Now. also this teaching of the legal over the flock. In fine, according to the Church Order,
 .parity of the office bearers in  the  ch!lrch, our Re- the con&tory  and. not the class% has the key-pow&.
 formed f&hers took over from  Join Calvin. This It means that the local congregation is an -autonomous
 Teformer, as already has been said, ,insisted that there organization.
 is legal parity between those whom the scriptures des-         :That the local congregationis  an autonomousorgani-
 @ribe as bishops, presbyters, pastors,  and teachers,        zatioi; also follows from the truth and fact `that the
 -$hat thus the one shall' not" set himself up as a legal church institute does not extend beyond the local con-
 "power  over the other, or sbme over  otheqs. Now it gr@gation in the sense that it broadens out into a
stands to reason, that if. the office bearers in the. classical and  synodical  church. The opposing view
 churches-elders, pastors and teachers-are-in a legal was that of the late Prof. ;Heyns, whd for thirty years
 aspect, equals, `each  of the other, the classis, which is gave instruction in Church Polity in the seminary  of
 an ~:assembly  of elde?s.  and ministers, cannot set itself the Christian Reformed Churches. His- textbook con-
 up as .a legal power -over the consistory, in that the       tains the following paragraph. Quote, "There is a,,
 latter, too,. is a college of eiders and niinisters. And local church,  .there is a classical church, there is a
 this is equivalent to saying, that the local congregation synodical church. The consistory is the governing
 is autonomous, under Christ subjecting itself to no council of the local church, .the classis of the classical
 other- legal  pow!er than that of its own consistory,        church, and the. synod of the synodical church, formed
 whether that .power,  be the pope or classis and synod,      of the sum and total of all the churches in. the denomin-
 makes no essential. diff,erence.                             atiofi. -The character .of these three governing councils
    The autonomy of the local congregation comes to           consistory, classis,  and synod, does not differ essen-
 the surface also in articles 15, 16, 17, 22, 27, 30, 33,     tially.  Artic1.e  36 would not read as it does, were
 and 36 of the Church Order of Dordrecht,.  in fact, in       classis and  synod not  consistories.9' In the sequence
 the'_ totality of all its cardinal articles. For these Heyns concludes. that whereas  classis is a  consist-
.articles sharply distinguish between  the consistory ory, it  ,too,  hati the key-power, -which it exercises,
 on the one hand and the classis on the other, and assign,    if need `be, in all the churches that delegate to the
 either :directly or by -implication, they key-power to classical assembly. And elsewhere he presents the
 th:e consistory only. Let us concentrate on just a f&v view, that the minister of the gospel receive, through
 of these articles. Article  15  .reads,  "Likewise.no one ordination, the authority to administer the word and
 shall be permitted to preach `or admin.ister  the sacra- the sacraments in all the churches, and not merely in
 ments in another church, thus handle the keys of the the church `by which he was called. Heyns is con-
 kiligdom  in that church, without the consent of .the        sistent; but he also is very wrong. For, according to
consistory of that. church." Thus, whether one shall the Belgic Confession, Articles 31 and 32, a consistory
 exercise the key-power in a church is contingent not is a ruling council, each and every-member of vh<ch
 upon the consent or will of the classis but upon that is chosen by lawful. election of the. church in which it
 of the cog&tory!.  which can only mean that QQt the          fur&ions,  Hence, if the  classis  w,ere a consistory,


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                                      THE  STANDARD  BEA'RER                                               o .        i 493

each' and every member of this assembly, should have churches? There ds not an atom of difference. To say
to be chosen by lawful election of all the churches               that ther8 iti, is to juggle terms and play with words.
represented, in which case the -churches- in the limited          &&the cqnclusion at which we again have arrived'is
area would-form one large congregation . .But .th&f$ct            that,.  &&&ng  to the Confession and `the Church
is that each lninist,er and each elder-is chos& by lawful Order, the Church Institute is the-local  congregation,
election by that church only that delegated them to the that, if so, ,it must of necessity' also on this account,
classis meeting. Th.e fact of-  the matter is that, a be' autonomous, and that, if a&tonolnptis,  the power
classical consistory, according to the ,Confession,  is a to depose .office bearers is not that of the classis b.it
nonentity; The assembly is either a consistory and of the local congregation.
then it is not a classis ; and if it is a classis, it is not a                                              ,`G. M.  b.
consistory.
     Our Church Order, as well As the Belgic Confession
limits the  ehurcl. institute to the local, congregation.
Article 15 of the Church Order -reads, "No one shall be
`permitted, neglecting the Ministry of his church or
being without a fixed charge, to preach indiscriminate-                   THE `DAY OF SWBWS
ly without the consent and authority of  classis or
synod. If, now, as Heyns has it,  $11 the churches
are the church institute, with synod as, the over
all ruling council or consistory, the  niinister of                    The Ark of God .in Dagsxi's Tcmplo'
the gospel indeed receives, through ordination, the
authority to function .in each and every church, but              .     Having called Samuel snd Revealed.  to him the doom
if so; this article is out of place, as it requires that no' .of Eli's house, "the Lord appeared againlih Shiloh,"
one shall be permitted to leave  the ministry of his so we read, "for the-lord revear<d Himself to Samuel
church to preach indiscriminately. And likewise Art.              in.~Shiloh  by the word' bf the Lord. And the word of
`7 of the Church Order. The article reads  "`No  one              Samuel came to all Israel." As was explained,  the,
shall be-called to the ministry of the Word without word of Samuel that-came. to all Israel. was not a com-
being stationed in a particular-place." And Article 10 mand t6 the effect that Israel march to battle against. :
of the Church  SOrder is a-rule to the effect that "A the Philistines. But it was' indicative of the fact that
minister once lawfully called, may not leave the con- the Lord again was about' to -do gr,eat  and terrible
gregation, with which he is connected, to accept a call things, that, in other words, the salvation of the faith-
elsewher-e,  without the consent of  the--consistory." If ful  was nigh. For Israel again had a prophex  of God.
the Church Institute is the synodical  church, inclusive After four, hundred years of silence, the Lord again
of all the particular churches, and. if the minister is spake. _ There were -again _ visiqns breaking ~11~~ !$I
pastor of them all, why should a church other than                and spread abroad.       And the true: Israel rejoiced.
th.e one with which he is connected, have to call him, Samuel was an answek  to their cry,. "There is -no more
if it desires. him as. its pastor. It is ,plain that the aily prophet : neither is there any among us tl:al, know-
attempt to fit the articles of Dord's Church Order                etir  ?,tiw  long;. 0 God, how long shall the  XLV~XI  r*y
into a hierarchical system of church  governm&t,  is reproach?" The adyersary was reproachi?:;  icl those
like trying -to fit square pegs into round holes. It days. Israel was being oppressed by. the Philistines.
simply can't be done.        These articles do not. all6w Atid the worship in the sanctuary was in charge of the
themselves to be explained at all on the basis 6f such a wicked sons of Eli. And they were not being  r.e-
system. To nevertheless. attempt it, is to reduce the             strained. But Israel again  hag a prophet,  Sameel,
totality -of these articles to a collection of etiigmas.          God's gift to His people, indicating that H,e was about
Besides, it would have to be regarded nothing short to send salvation.  Even-.by  the mouth of two pro.-
.of algazing, if oui r.eformed  fathers, after levelling to phets-"the man of God" aild Samuel-judgment had
the ground eonceptionally the Roman hierarchy, had been pronounced on- Eli's house. The prtimised  salva-
turned away from their wgeckage, to erect, alongside tion included certainly the lifting of the- oppression of
of it, an essentially identical structure for their own the  Philistines.  Hannah had made  ,mention of this
churches. The rehabilitators of hierirchy in reformed in her prayer of thanksgiving, "The adversaries of the
communions d.eny that their system is -a return `to Lord shall be broken iti' pieces ; out of heaven he shall
Rome. They say that the classis, ,in-. their system, is thunder upon them."
not a higher but a broader assembly in relation to the                  So were the faithful in  Israel--God's believing
consistories. But what may be the difference hetwenll             people--&gain reassured, but. not only they but the
a broader assembly with key-power ,over the consist-              carnal Israel as well but without reason-. `They, too,
pries  and a higher assembly with key-power over the              concluded that salvation w&s nigh also for' them and


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 494 3                              _
                0  4                     T H E   Si`-ANDARD  B E A R E R

that the' Lord was for them. And though their hearts grateful to Dagon for his assistance. He had served
were far from God, their expectations ran high, so them well. With. his cooperation they had conquered.
that they dayed to risk war with the Phili$ine$ think- Wanting30  give Dagon his due, they brought the ark-
ing that the Lord would fight for them. Defeated -in into his temple as aq offering to their deity and set
battle, they were  amazed and asked, "Wherefore hath it near him, in order that by its position it might set
th,e Lord smitten us before dur enemies?" Why had forth for the Philistines the subjection of Israers God
the Lord done that, they meant to, say, after reviving to, Dagon. How the Philistines taunt God! How vain
our  hopes by the gift of Samuel? What they were the thing  that they imagine! For  they.hold the ark
willingly ignqrant of is that the presence of Samuel because thk Lord had delivered it into their `hand, the
among them could only indicate that the `Lord was reason being that- He "greatly abhorred Israel" on
about to send %alvation to rHis people, the peniten't in account of their-high places and graven images. There-
Israel and not to meti such as they. They wanted de- fore "he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent
liverance without  repentanck.  But the Lord smote. which he had. placed among men ; `and delivered his
them before I th.eir enemies. Still they would not be strength," and thus the, ark, "into captivity, and his
instructed. They took to them the ark of the covenant glory into the <enemy's hand. He gave his people over-
of Jehovah out of Shiloh and removed it among them to the sword ; and was ~wroth  with this inheritance.
that it might save them out of the hands of their The fire consumed their young men  ; and their maidens
enemies. They thought that it would save them as were not given to marriage. Their priests fell by
if `by magic, it being the ark of the covenant, and in       the sword and their widows made no lamentation,"
this lifeless. thing they now put their trust, and said      Pa. 78 :55-64. In this language the psalmist cotiem-
to it, "Thou art my- God." .Rather than forsake their        orates by song those : catastrophic events. IHe sets
sins, and .turn to the living God, they put their trust, them foPth, one and all, as God's works, which indeed
in a religions symbol.. We need not pause he`re to set       they were, as the human agents through which He
forth the implications of the doing of these Israelites, wrought-the apostate elders by whose direction, the
as this has been done  iti a former article (The Standard    ark was removed to .the camp ; the Philigtines by whose
Bearer of. June 1, 1946). To be sure; these men of sword Israel's young men and priests were slain-were
IsPael kn,ew better, for they were rational men. Their His creatures, living and moving and having their
blindness was not intell,ectual but spiritual-moral. What being in Hirri. Therefore the removal of the ark from
they needed is not mdre instruction in the field of          its resting place in Shiloh was and could be God's
theology but a  new  heart to receive the instruction forsaking the tabernacle at Shiloh and the slaying of
that already had Been given. What they needed is a' Israel's young `men and priests by swords wielded by
severe chastisement, a hard blow that, .as blessed to human hands  ,God's -giving  -over  [His people to  the
their hearts by Chr&t's Spirit, would gender in them         sword and the capture bf the ark His delivering this
the will to put &way their', idol& including the ark of symbol into the hands of the adversary.
the covenant-of this object,  tqo, they made an idol,           Yet in their willing iinorance the Philistines as-
for in it they trusted and believtid that it would save cribe their military achievement to their' own arm as
them-cleanse themselves of their vain imaginings,            strengthened by Dagon and thus interpret it as a
think right of ,God, the knowledge of whom they were triumphing of their god over Jehovah. This is the
holding in unrighteousness, and serve the living God usual, construction placed upon the doing of the Philis-
 with all &heir hearts, repenting of their. sins. That tines according to which they removed the ark to the
would be the only solution of their troubles. Hence,         te@ple of their God and stationed it near his .image.
thk Lord did not give them more instructioh,  but He But their manner of dealing with the. ark of the cove-
 dealt them that blow. The Philistines fought, "and nant can be explained otherwise. The heaihen hero-
 Israel was smitten; and fled every man `to his tent:        worshipping Roman emperor Alexander Severtis placed
 and there was a very great slaughter; for their fell        the  .busts .of Abraham and Christ in his domestic
 of Israel thirty thousand footnien."                        chapel with those of. the heathen gods `Orpheus atid
    As to t1.e Philistines, the issue of the battle must Appolonius.  May it not be that the Philistines as-
 have- amazed them. The men of Israel had been `yan- sumed a similar attitude toward Jehovah, that they
 guished even with- the ark among  theti.  That was ascribed the v@tor$ they had achieved not to Dagon at
 proof enough to them that the Jehovah of the Hebrews        all but instead to Israel's God, and that in removipg
 w&s but another diety. However famed for  IKis strength His-ark to Dagon's temple they w,ere  telling men that
 it now appeared. that He Was not the equal of their         Jehovah, though inferior in  `power to Dagon, was
 own god Dagon, who, they wanted to imagines had             nevertheless a god to be reckbned with, ranking even
 given them the victory. And what a victory! Even with their deity and therefore deserving of a place
 the ark had been theirs for the taking. They liked to. in his ho'use next to his image. This view of their
 believe that they had captured God. And they were           doing is cqntradicted  by the sacred text, and by other


                                     Ti-IE  S T A N D A R D   BeARER.                                            .495

  atrocities of theirs alluded to by the psalmist. `There with. the Philistines.. They `expected a new demon-
  is the notice that the ark was taken `(I Sam 4:11) and stration of divine power in connection with it in iheir-
  the psalmist speaks of God's delivering His strength in- behalf. Their great error was their being willingly
 to captivity. Now a capture is a seizure, an act of t&&g ignorant of the fact that they were ill-deserving on
  by force 01: strategem, and thus implies a combat, a account of their apostacies, and that the Lord there-
  clash of .opposing forces. Thus the language of the fore was against them. A  neti revelation  df divine
  sacred text discovers to us the thoughtS  of the hearts power took place but orily to work the triumph of the
  of the Philistines as being that they and their god Philistines over Israel's army.
  Dagon had emerged  victorious from a war with Israel's         ,Such then were Israel's thoughts about the ark.
 G o d . What is m&e, having put to flight Israel's arniy,    Thus when Eli received  idings that the ark had
  the Philistines, so we learn from Psalm 78, hastened passed into the  hands of the Philistines, he was so
  to $hiloh,  massacr,ed  its. inhabitants, and slew Gdd's    shocked that he fell sen&less to the ground ; ,and~ the
  priests, their aim being to destroy  His service and wife of Phinehas lamented in her .dying moment that
  memory from the face of the earth. It shows that they the glory of Israel had  d,eparted.  And figuratively it
  set Jehovah before them not as a hero to b.e worshipped had. The Lord had delivered his strength into the
  but ai a fallen and contemptible god worthy of their        enemies hand, and in a sense was n&v a captive of the
  scorn. So did they treat God now that ihey thought adversary. So-he willed it. It was Hi&-doing. Nothing
  that they had Him in their cower. If  eyer a heath.en       like this had even happened. It amazed and per-
  people .were worthy .of doom, it was these Philistines plexed God's people and their `hea@s were troubled.,
 = at this juncture of their history. Such offences against The Lord had  goee into captivity.  .Henc< in Ps.  75,
  the diyine majesty, the insults such they they were the capttire  of the ark and its being held by the adver- j
  -heaping upon God's,  name, and the- injuries such as sal:y is presentecl  as a prefiguration of God's delivering
  they did His people, called for severest punishment.        Christ into the hands of the wicked. And the ques-
  It was time  foi the Lord to act; and  H,e did so. In       tion was, what would the Philistine now. do with the
  the poetic language of the psalmist, iHe,  "awak&ned        ark of the- Lqrd, `now that He had delivered it into
  as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shout- their hands. Fundamentally, it was a question what
  xeth by reason of wine." This language -implies that the Philistines w-ould do with God. This is what they
  the Lord had been in a state of sluniber. Yet He that did with Him. Through the treatm&$ -that they. af-
  keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.. The forded the ark, they heape cogtern& upon Him when
  L;ord  is ever absolute action in mind and will and they set his ark in Dagon's temple.
  being, so that the thought conveyed is that the work-                                                  G. M. 0.  `,
  ing of His strength was such as to effect the triumph
  of the enemy eve? Israel and the capture of the ark.
  That revelation of  -His  pdwer whereby Israel was
  protected and made to triumph  over its foes momen-
  tarily ceased. And in that moment the enemy, as                               oar New Schedaake
  raised Up and sustained by the Almighty, `overcame
  Israel, and so willed to imagine, Israel's mighty. God.
  Yet, how ever vain  this imagining. `It is true  that,,        Besides the rubrics taken care by the Revs. Uphoff,
  whereas the Lord had delivered [His strength and glory Vos, and undersigned, we propose the following
   into their hand, they n'ow held captive the `ark and schedule for the `next volume of our Standard Bearer:
  thus, in a figurative sense, `God Himself. For symbolic-
   ally the ark of thk  covenallt was the strength- and          Frpwt  Noly  W&t,  The' Revs. H. Veldman and G.
  glory` of Jehovah. For .its lid, as sprinkled with the         Lubbers,  each'  &  m o n t h s .
2 blood of the atoning sacrifice, was in `Israel the very        Irz ~His fear, The Revs. M. Gritters and- J. `Heys;           ~'
seat of grace and mercy  and saving  pdwer and thus              e a c h   s i x   m o n t h s .
  of judgment for the adversary. Thus every salutary
  revelation of the might of the Lord was -associated         .  Pe+cope,  ?`he Rev.  W.iHofftian.  -
   with the ark and took place in connection  with it.           `That we limit the number of contributors is no         `.
   The people of -Israel passed through the Red Sea with reflection at all on those that have contributed before,
 _ the Ark of the covenant holding a  positio'n  midway nor on any  other, but is motivated, apart from the
  ' between the shores of the sea and in-this position hold- desire to avoid a clash with Concordia, by the belief
   ing at bay the floods of water that threatened to en- th2t a man will do better work if he can write for a
   gulf th& people. In the mivd of the people of Israel, longer period on a certain subject, and that it will
   the Ark and the Lord were inseparable.  .`This ex- be conducive to more unity in the material offer,ed.
  plains their removing the ark to their camp in the war                                                    H. H.

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                                                                           macht genomen voor God DrieEenig om de w,ereld te
                     S 10 N `iii Z AN GE N . . .                          scheppen. Dat kan zelfs een kind verstaan. Doch bet,
                                                    ,                      kieeft  onlloemlijk  veel .meer kracht Gods genomen om
                                                                           de nieuwe wereld' met al haar aankl.eve  te doen zakken
                                                                           en zinken op de  .eeuwige  fundamenten  van Zijn  on-
                       Eeaa Lied Der Ruste. .                              begrijpelijke-liefde in Christus Jezus. Want het funda-
                                                                           ment van het nieuwe Jeu'uzalem rust op het -hartebloed
                                (Psalm 92)                                 van Jezus.
                                                                     I        Wilt ge, de onmogelijke arbeid is het ophalen van
             Een psalm, een lied op den sabbatdag.                         Jezus .uit den eeuwigen dood. De onmogelijke arbeid
             Hose  eenvoudig,  hoe lieflijk  kli&t dat.                    iS om een eeuwigheid vati toorn, vloek, verdoemenis te
             Ja, indien men dan al zirigen zal, we zullen zeker-           dragen, weg te dragen, en terug te komen met genezing
      lijk zingen op den dag wamleer  we ingaan in .de vol-                in Zijn  armen, met opvqering tot onbegrijpelijke
      maakte  werken  Gods. Want daf is de  idee van den  - schoonheid en-heerlijkheid voor het in zichzelf schul-
      sabbat. De sabbat is de kroon  der dagen, door Israel's .dige en doemwaardige v&k. Hij bracht mee gaven
      ,God geheiligd.                                                      "tot der menschen troost." "`Zelfs het  wederhooyig
             God heeft oo& gerust San Zijn arbeid. Na-zesdaag-             kroost zal daarvan mogen deelen.,?
      schen arbeid -van het scheppen der dingen; heeft de                   Kunt  ge  er, bij?
      lHeere een dag apart gezet om in te gaan in Zijn vol-                   Zingt er van, geliefden !
      bracht werk. Om de  dingen die Hij geschapen had                       . Dat is uw Sabbat.
      te bezien en ervan te jubelen: Ziet! het is zeer goed.                  En nog zijn ,er menschen die zich Christen noemen
             En gij moogt dat .God nadoen. Dat is Uw sabbat- en tech niet gaarne  naar <Gods Huis gaan. Nog steeds
      vieren.  .,                                                          moeten we commissies uitzenden naar  trage.   kerk-
             Do& de s&bonheid van dien eersten sabbat is gaan gangers. Zingt tech, zingt tech van dien vreeselijken
      tanen.                                                               arbeid van Christus. Beter gezegd, zingt  tech van
             We hebben gezondigd, En we mogen nu niet meer dien vreeselijken arbeid van God.
      ingaan-in dien sabbat. De Heere gaat een ander werk                     Het is goed da! men den IHeere  love, en Uw& naam
      wekken,  een werk waarvan het eerste, het scheppings-                psalmzinge, o `Allerhoogste !
      werk, een syinbool was.                                                 Ja, want het loven van God en he! psalmzingen van
             ,De Heere gaat Zijn  v&k verlossen  in  Christus Zijn na&m-  is de hemel,  daarboven bij God.
      J e z u s .                                                             Het is  goed, dat men dat doet. Vraagt het  aan
             Een type van dien arbeid en van die rust vindt ge             Gods volk, dat liever in Gods Huis BBn dag verkeert,
      in de worsteling en het jagen om de ruste Kanagns in                 dan duizend dagen  eld,ers, in  d.e  tenden der  godde-
      te gaan `onder Mozes en later Jozua.               :                 looz&.  `;
             Go&gaat Zijli volk verlossen.                                    Het `loven van God is, dat men het den Heere ver:-
             Dat  we& is een  starre onmogelijkheid.                       telt hoe groot, hoe heerlijk, hoe  schoon Hij is.  Vele
             lHet kan immers -nie'c? Daar hebt ge een vrage der psalmen Lullen het U leer,en: Hoe groot, hoe vreeselijk
      eeuwige foltering der hel. De mensch die zijn hand zijt Ge alom uit Uw verheven heiligdom: aanbidlijk
      tegen God opheft, kan niet,`kan nooit veer naar den Opperwezen! .                                          t
      hemel.  Het kan niet, eerst, want de` m,ensch  zal zich                 "Dat men. Uwe goedertierenheid verkondige in den
      nqoit bekeeren. Het kan niet, tweedens, want God is                  morgenstond, en Uwe getrouwheid  in de nachten ! ,Op
      recht en  heilig en waar.                                            het tiensnarig instrument ,en og de luit, met een voor-
             En tech gaat God dzit onmogelijke werk do&. -  ' bedacht lied op d.e harp.!'
             En  viraar hebt ge den. reuzenarbeid van God in                  Gods goedertierenheid !
      Jezus Christus.                                                         D.e zucht,- ve?latigen, bet-hunkeren Gods om Zijn
           Dat het een  r.euzenarbeid  is  kunt ge merken uit volk te zegenen. De hartstocht van God `01% Zijn volk
      Efeze  :L :19 en 20. Let tech op de woordenkeus van ,in de ruimte te zetten bij de rivier ,Gods die vol`waters
      den Heiligen Geest : "en welke de uitnemende groat; is.
      heid Zijner kracht zijn aan ons die gelooven, naar de                   Wat is het ? Wat hebben we er van gezien,  ge-
      werking der sterkte Zijner macht, die Hij gewrocht hoord,  beqerkt ?                                  .               .
      heeft in' Christus, als Hij {Hem uit. de. gooden  heeft op-             Och  &me!  De heele wereld is er vol van. Als
      gewekt en Hem gezet heeft tot Zijne rechterhand in alles wat Jezus deed en sprak opgeschreven ware, zoo
      den hemel."                                                          zoude de geheele wereld  .dezelve woorden  .en  daden
           `-  Daa.r  hebt ge  htit  groote   onmogelijke   yerlossings- xiet kunnen bevatten. De goedertierenheid Gods is
      werk.
       _'                                                                  Jezus  aan het kruis. ,Ge kunt de, zucht Gods om .U
             iHet  .heeft een groote werking  der sterkte Zijner te zegenen  meeten  aan het kruis. En bij dat kruis


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                                            T          H         E            's.TAN,~ARD  &ARE&                                                    497

      hoor ik God getuigbn: Ik heb Mijn eenigen Zoon niet Mijti trouw. {Hoe staat het .er ook weer? "Daar Zij6
      gespaard,  doch heb  Hmem  voor U  allen  overgegeven!                          geheiligd-volk  van Zijnen trouw mag zingen."            -
      Ik toon, bewijs Mijn liefde jegens Uj -Mijn kind, door                             ?a, Gods trouw is wonderlijk. Hoe steekt  het af
      in den Middelaar te sterven, te betalen, te voldoen'voor bij onze onl%duw. God zeide van' eeuwigheid : Ik heb
      alle Uwe zonden ! Wie kan dat verstaan?  (                                      U lief! En nadat wij in de zonde vielen zegt Hij het-
          En Uwe  getrouwheicl in de nachten!  -.                              :      nog: dat  ig Golgotha. Zoo zijn wij,  -arme  men&hen,
          Die Zijn Woord gestand doetis de G&rouwet En niet.. _Wij veranderen. En schaamte kleurt oris aan-
     dat is God.                                                                      gezicht.  -.
          Van eevwigheid  `heeft iHij het in Zichzelf gezegd:                             Maakt er maar muziek bij. Het i,iensnarig instru-
     Ik heb Mijn volk lief en Ik zal ze zegenen tot in alle
                                                 .          :                         ment. Dat is de voile wil Go*&. Tien is e&n rond getal.
       eeiwigheid.                                                                    De muziek Gods zal het U vertellen in liefelijke akkoor-
          En, dat heeft God bewezen in de zending van Zijn den, @at God goed is en trouw. Maakt maar `een voor-
      ioon in gelijkheid des zondigen vleesches, opdat Hij in bedaeht lied. Dat heeft God ook gedaan. Alle-liederen
       dat vleesch voor de zonden-van Zijn volk betalen zou.                          Gods zijn voorbedacht. Van voor de  grondlegging
          Wij zondigen vooraleer wij vari die wondere liefde der wereld. Jezus haalt psalmeil aan die voorbedacht
      hoorden. Doe+ God is getrouw. Hij kwam en voldeed waren in bet Oude Testament. Opdat alIes rustig en
       aan. het hoogste recht.                                                        kalm  e n   z u i v e r .   g a a n   m o g e .
          Wij zondigen nadat wij er Tan hoorden': in en met                               "Want' Gij hebt mij  yerblijd, Heere;  .met Uwe
      Petrus zullen we den  IHeere  verloo&enen.  Doch Hij                            daden ; ik zal juichen over de werken Uwer handen,!" ~
      is getrouw en gaat van uit de zaal van Annas naar die.                              Hpe schoon gezongen ! Doch ook : hoe weinig .ge;
       van Kajafas,  4,Pzetrus  vijorbij,  ,a1 biddende.                      God is zien in onze dagen..                .
      trouw  ,6n wij zijn ontrouw. Petrus en wij weenen                                 Gods  daden  eti  de werken  van `Gods  handen-:  tiaal*
      bitterlijk.                                                                     zijn ze?  Wie heeft  oogen ervoor? God is uit  h6t  ge-
          Wij zondigen elken dag temidden van de uitstorting zicht verlooren  : hoe zal men dan Zijn daden .en werken
      van  .a1 de' genade Gods.  Doch  ,God is getrouw. Hij                           zien? Om Zijn werk en daden te zien, moet ge eerst
       kan Zichzelven niet  verlo&henen.  Hij geeft genade                            God-iien? Ziet ge God? Die vraag is eigenlijk ge-
     - voor genade. En hier weidt mijn' ziel met .een ver- makkelijk te beantwoorden. Want God is niet verre
      wonder,end  oog !                                                               van ons. En Zijn daden zijn erikei majesteit.
          Zullen ge:dan  niet in de nachten er van zing&?                                 Maar de mensch is van nature een hater Gods.. Eti
          In den morgenstond komt ons zijne goedertieren-                             dan bedrijft hij moord in' zijn hart en verstand; En
      heid  voor:  :  `Asaf zegt, dat hij  elken  morgen zijn  be-                    dan zijn al zijnY gedachten, dat er geen God is. En als
       straffing vond. -Soms heb ik we1 eens gedacht, dat het men God niet meer ziet, dan ziet tien Gods daden en
       266  verstaan moet  wordeh:. `s morgens wordt men Zijner handen perk 601~ niet meer. Die dingen zitten
      wakker en dall ziet men overal Gods wondere  zegenin-                           in een vast verband.
       gen :' Hij stond bij ons bed al die uren van den nacht                             Is er dan  tech  oorlog,.  of  `een oogst  df  dro&$e of
       en deed ons hart kloppen, oni bloed loopen, ons lichaam ellende en dood, dan is het geen werk Gods, doch dan
       rusten ; Oj gaat tech door, steeds door ! En bij het zien is het Hitler of .Roosevelt,  .of de zon, of de regen, of de
       van al die zorg, al die zegeningen en wonderen  God.s,                         koorts, of de vijand die vloekt.  Doch men zegt  &et
       boog Asaf bet oog en zuchttg : Wie Fen ik? Is dat geen met David: laat Simei vlqeken, .-want God heeft. tot
      b e s t r a f f i n g ?                                                         hem gezegd : Vloek David !               .
           Het beste is dat men' zinge in d:en morgenstond.
     Zegt~het  al jubelende, dat Hij de wondere en de goed-                               Maar wij zullen er van zingen, geliefden,! We zien
       ducnde  God is.                                                                God. We zeggen met David : Ik stelde .den Heere ten
           Maar des  nachts  zingen we van de  trouw.  Dat                            allen dage voor mij ! Daarom zal ik niet wankelen !
       gaat -dieper.                                                                  Neen, maar dan gaan we zingen van -Zijn daden. zin-
          De nacht'vertelt me, dat ik een vyile zondaar ben.                          gen?,  J?, want al Zijn  daden iijn  goed en wijs en
       De nacht is bang en donker en jaagt mij de schrik op lieflijk. God heeft nog nooit wat gedaan ,dat qiet aan-
       het lijf.                                                                      biddelijli:   schoon is. Zingt ge niet: `t Is trouw al wat
         Maar Hij geeft  psalmen in  den  nacht. Dan komt Z;jn  h a n d   b e v a l ?
       Hij en fluistert te midden van den donder der wet en                               Als we dan zien, dat al Gods daden `e&verken zich
       de vloek van Gods geboden: Alles komt terecht : Ik cbncentreer.en  random- de veqheerlijking Zijns Naams
       zal  v  verlobsen. Ik  heb:het Mijzelf beloofd van voor in Christus Jeius, in cde .verlosging en verheerlijking
       de grondlegging der wereld. En  Mijn naam is de van de stad Gods, dan zeggen w2e : Gij, Heere, hebt mij
       Getrixwe!  Da&om; in dezen  bangefi en vreeselijken verblijd !- Daarqm  zal ik zingen en pqalmzingeq  Uwen
       nacht, waar gij; Mijn kind, tranen stort van `bangig- Naam!
     heid  ,en vreeze, in dezen  nacht, moo@  -ge  zingen van                             Dit .is alles' Sabbatvieren.


  498  _                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
   -~ "0 Heere!  ll!e groot zijn Uwe  werken, zeer diep                                     .-
  zijn Lowe gedachten !"                                        ^
      @e  zanger daalt af tot op de fundamenten. Hij                          :,  I N   HIS  F E A R
  weet,  dat achter al de daden Gods de gedachteti Gods
  liggen. En de gedachten Gods zijn Zijn l&ad.
      Ja, die Raad: hoe wonderlijk is die  haad, dks
  Heeren            iHeeren.                                                   Our Baptism Form (4)
     In  dien raad is opgenomen alles  en  allen.  Aves
  wa$ ge ziet is een ontrolling van dien raad des Heeren.               Thus far the Baptism Form spoke of `,tGod's  part"
  En die  &da&en  Gods zijn eeuwig. Hij raakt nooit in the covenant in distinction from "our part". In the
  uitgedacht. De Raad Gods is van eeuwigheid,  ja, maar next -paragraph  it considers "our part", stating,
  ook van geslachte tot geslachte &en tot in de eeuwigh.eid.         "Whereas in all covenants there are contained two
 ' Nooit is God zo@er Zijn raad. En alles wat in den parts : therefore are we by .God through .baptisfi ad-
  tijd geschiedt is  re@el voor God in dien  Paad'.  %n de monished of and obliged to a new obedience. . .  .",
  dingen ziende in &en Raad, verlustigt de Heere zich etc.
  in de dingen die lHij Wilde en bij Zich had van eeuw,ig-              Emphatically the Form brings home to us that God
  heid tot in eeuwigheid.                                            establishes His own covenant witth us and realizes
      En die  gedachten  zijn  di,ep.-  aat  zie,n we als die it in us. The establishment and the realization are
  gedachten dingen worden  ,en geschieden rondom .ons. both of God. If baptism means anything at all, it
  Nog steeds schreeuwt de stem yari Jezus in- de verten means exactly that to &. Particularly infant baptism,
  der lichtjaren. Nog steeds is die  ~trilling van het administered  dn our earliest infancy, when we do not
  brullen van  Jezus in de ruimten. En die diepe  din- r,e&ize  what it is all about, much less have any choice
  gen van het kruis van Jezus worden  ons steeds klaar-              in the matter, emphasizes that God takes us into His
  dey bij het leven van het Woord, het liefelijke Woord.             covenant life solely according to  IHis eternal good
  En dat Woord  bestud,eerende  zien we de  duizeling-               pleasure and only by the work of Hi& sovereign grace.
  wekkende diepten van Gods w0nder.e gedachten des It is not of him who willeth, nor of him who runneth,
  vredes  in ,Christus Jezus.    :                                   but bf God  Whd sheweth mercy.             '
      Dat Hij  Zich in dien Weg  Wilde  verheerlijken.                  The Form stresses this when it describes what God
  Door den dood van Jezus naar de -verhooging van den witnesses and seals to us in baptism.. It states that
  Christus  aan  `s Vaders rechterhand.  `Orn in dien                God, the Father, witnesses and seals to us that He.
  Christus ons te laden `zien hoe lieflijk de Gbdheid van makes an eternal covenant with `us, adoljting  us for
  God is. Opdat` we  inet` verwonderende oogen zouden His children and heirs. `The Son seals that He washes
- inblikken in bet Mysterie.                                         us in  {His blood from all our sins, incorporating us
     Zouden we dan  onzen tijd er  niei van  n&men op                into His fellowship and death. And the Holy Ghost
  den rus tdag 1                                                     assures us that He' will dwell in us and sanctify us
     Zouden we  dari niet naar de kerk gaan?  Ver-                   to be members of Christ, until we finally appear with-
  vloekt is  hij die bet niet wil.         En God zal verder out spot or wrinkle in the assembly of the elect in life
  vloekgn.  Wat !? Op zoo groote zaligheid geen `a&t eternal.                                         ._
  nemen ?                                                               We would.make  a very fundamental mistake if we,.
     ,Ggat dan naar Gods Huis op den Sabbat, geliefdefi! would distinguish between the three persons of the
  Daar is het gped. Daar wordt het vette van Zijn Huis -Holy Trinity in such a way, that we ascribe separate
  gesmaakt. Een voile beek van wellust maakt daar elk works to  reach of  the.`three   person's. If  `we were to
  van liefds dronken.                                                maintain that the peculiar work of  the. first person
      Daar wordt- ook de, rust geschonkeh.                           is to establish a cobena,nt with us,, that of the second
      De rust is de hemel,  is bet hemelsche`Kana$in, ,het           person to atone and open the way for us to enter the
  nieuwe Jeruzalem.                                                  covena,@, and `that of the Holy Ghost to realize that
     IDe rust is de vrede Gods.                                      covenant by taking us into it, the result would be that
      D,e rust .is een lied in het hart, `een melodie in de          we would deny the  uliity of the three persons and
  ziel, een  zingen uit den treure, vanuit den.  diepen              create three gods in the place of the  One. We need
  nacht .                                                            but be reminded that God works all things as Father,
      De Sabbat is een voorsmaak  van al het genot cles              Son -and Holy Ghost. For all' God's works proceed
  hemels.                             0                              from the Father, and are accomplished through the
      Daar staag, 0 Gidstad,  onze voeten ! Jeruzalem :              Son-and in the iHoly Ghost. Even the creation of the
  we beminnen U! Daar hooren we van God, van God- world was by the Father, through the Word, John 1 :l,
  dien we beminnen !                                                 and in the Holy .Ghost,  .Who moved upon the face of
                                                    G. V.            the waters; And of the creation of man we.read that


                                   T=HE  S T A N D A R D   .B.EARER  -                                          ,499

 the triune God said, "Let us make man iri our image          glory, iHe went as dur Forerunner; opening the new
and after our likeness."                                      and living way into the heavenly sanctuary.
    Therefore when the Form distinguishes between                 And finally, "God the Holy Gho& dwells in us for-
 Father, Son and Holy Ghost, this can only be under- ever. Christ comes into our hearts in -His Spirit to
 stood correctly  -if "the Father" is taken to  l-efer  to    apply to us all the  blessings  of salvation which He
 the `complete Godhead, "the Son" referring to the has merited for us by His death and resurrection.
 Christ, and "the Holy Ghost" referring to the Spirit,            The former Prof. W.  He&s makes an exception
 of Clirist as He dwells in the Church. After all, it is exactly at this' po,int. IHe states that all those covenant
the triune God Who `establishes [His covenant with us ; benefits of the Father and the Son, as melitioned above,
 it is Christ Who suffers and dies'for us, shedding His       are objectively realized, and are `promised to all who
 atoning blood  that we may be freed from all guilt;          are baptized. `But the promise is conditional, con-
 and it is the Holy Spirit as Spirit of  Christ Who is        tingent on our acceptance, which is "our part" in the
 poured out and dwells in us to apply to our hearts all covenant. We become conscious partakers of all those
 the blessings of salvation which God has prepared' benefits only if we express-a willingness to acce$t them
 for us in Christ.                                            and allow the Holy Ghost to dwell in us. When the
    All  three persons, the full Godhead, is always Form declares that "the Holy Ghost assures us that.
 engaged in that one glorious work of salvation, re-          He will dwell in us, Prof. Heyns interprets that to
 vealing Himself to us as the ever blessed God of our me'ail that  H,e "is willing to  dzuell in  us." (Gerefor-
 salvation. .  '                                              meerde Geldofsleer, page 133). This interpretation
    But what is even-more significant is the fact t&at        is so evidently imposed upon the Baptism Form that it
 it is all of God. God both establishes and realizes needs nd refutation for anyone who is basically Re-
 His' owti.covenant  in the believers and their seed.         formed. It deprives us of all the assurance that our
    The Baptism Form first leads us back-to God's baptism is intended to give us, assuring us of nothing
 etefnal  election. Then it points us to Christ's work more than the willingness of`the {Holy Spirit to dwell
 of salvation accomplished fdr His own on' the cross.         in us, if we care to have Him. This is the doctrine
 And finally shows us that God finishes `His own work of the "free-will", pure and  ~simp!e,  applied `to our
 by the [Holy Spirit Who dwells in -us and completely b a p t i s m .
 sanctifies us unto perfection in' heaven. All this `be-          `T-he idea of our Baptism Form is Father, that bap-
 longs to the  .establi&hment  of God's covenant. God,        tism assures of something that extends into the futur&.
 first of all, establishes His covenant with us from all Baptism assures us that the Holy Spirit will abide
 eternity. Then He establishes it in time by the atone-       with us forever. He is not merely willing, but He Will.
 ment of the cross: And finally He establishes it with He enters into our hearts to change them from hearts
 u"s by His Spipit in our hearts. The re&l.ization  of that of stone'to hearts of flesh. Ezech. 11:19. iHe implants
 established-covenant is in heaven.                           the life of the risen Lord, which becomes the new life-
    First of all,  ,God the F&her adopts us  for+His          principle within us, ruling over us and blessing us.
 children and heirs.    Sovereignly He determines to Rain. 8 2. And He dwells in us as in temples of God,
 take a people into His covenant life to show forth His I Cor. 6 :19, abiding with us forever. John 14:16. In
 gloiy. In sovereign good pleasure He' chooses His own, Him we -are sealed unto the day of redemption. Eph.
 determining h&w many sons He shall take into `His            4 :30.
 life, and  who they shall be. According to His own               By the Holy Spirit we become conscious partakers
 purpose He adopts thgm tq sons and makes them heirs of all the riches of Christ. He receives these blessings
 of His own glorious life.. It is the impenetrable arid out of Christ and bestows them on us. Thus  we receive
 unfathomable wonder of grac'e that the Testator pre- the washing away of sins and the daily renewal of our
pares His inheritance for the heirs of salvation, and lives. We are sanctified in Christ by the Spirit.
 that we and our seed are included in that  divine                And He also prepares us for the salvation in glory,
-Testament.                                                   finishing the good work which God has begun for us
    Secondly, "God the Son", as the IChrist, prepares from eternity, Phil. 1:6, until IHe can present us "with-
 our salvation for us by;His death and atonement on the       out shot or wrinkle among the assembly of the elect in
 cross. For w.e were dead in trespasses and sins, by life eternal." Eph. 5:17. In that day the whole honse-
 nature children of wrath, even as others. But God, hold of God;  will be complete, and we shall enjoy the
 Who is rich in mercy, has atoned for-us and quickened blessedness of God's friendship in perfection as sons
 us from the dead  in Christ. Eph.  2:3-6. Christ suf- in His house.
 fered, died and is risen as our Head, so -that when He All this baptism witnesses  and  seals to us. `There-
 died, we d&d with *Him ; died to sin. .And when He fore it is so entirely proper that we and our children
 arose,  we arose in newness af life. When He went to `receive this sign of  God's covenant already in our


_~                    -
         500                          -  THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
        earliest infancy. It seals to the ~Feliever  "God's part" First, a. knowledge of our misery, so that we loathe
        inthe covenant, that is, .His eternal love and sovereign -and humble ourselves before God; secondly, ti know-
        power whereby He proves Himself to be our God afid ledge of our .deliverance, the washing'away of our sins
        the God of our seed for'ever. And at thk same time it whereby we are taken into God's covenant ; and thirdly,
        seals to us "our part" in the-covenant, with all boasting a kno%ledge of our gratitude, as abiding within the
      e x c l u d e d .                                              covenant of God. Thus  .Scripture  can  adm'onish  us,
            The question naturtilly' forces itself upon us, if it    "Work out your own salvation with fear and trem-
        is al! of God, what is-"our part" in%he covenant?            bling,. for it  -is God which worketh in you both to
            We can heartily appreciate the fact that. our Form will and to do of His good pleasure." Phil. 2 :12, 13.
        speaks of Yparts", and  liot of "parties". Even those And Jesus instructs us, "Abide in Me, and (because)
        who like to stress the `fact that the coveiiant is -un- I (abide ) in  you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
        ilateral in its establishment-, will sometimes speak of #except   it abide in the vine, no more  can ye, except
        parties, and thus make the covenant biIiatera1 in .its       ye abide in Me." John 15:4.
        "realization".     If the  coveriant  is an agreement, it          That part  the Baptism Form calls a "new obedience,
        necessarily consists of two parties. And if the prom- namely, that we cleave to &his one God, Father, Son
        ise of God is cohsidered  to `be conditional;.depending and Holy Ghost; that -we trust in [Him with all our
        on our. acceptance, we again become a party in the hearts, with all our souls, with all our mind, and with
        covenant, and the covenant is no longer strictly all our strength;' that we .forsake  the world, crucify
        God's.                                                       our old nature, and walk in a new and holy life."                             -
            But this is not according to Scripture, nor can it             Even so, that part is still accomplished in the weak-
      I be inferred from the Form. We have had  r&peated             ness of this body of sin. Against our will we still fall
        occ,asion to note that it is ,God's covenant. It has its into sin, so that the complaint is forced from us, "What
        deepest cause and  or,igin in Him.  (He  h&s willed it;      I will I do not, and'what I do not will I do. 0, miser-
       `establishes it with whom He will, land also realizes it.     able man that I am". If the realization of the cove-
        In that covenant God promises to bless the heirs of nant depended in any way o@ us, we would have just
       salvation with all the blessings He has prepared for reason to despair, daily for ourselves and our children.
       them in Christ. And this promise is -His divine Word; But Gqd is merciful and ever faithful, and "baptism is
        His oath, sworn by Himself, .-which 1He seals iti the a seal and undoubted testimbny  that we have an eternal
       sacrament of baptism. .Therefore  He also fulfills His covenant with God". Therefore, let tis not despair,
       promise Himself by establishing and realizing His -but put away that sin that so lightly besets `us and put
       covenant with @is people.                                     bn.holiness in the fear of God, as it `behooves saints.
            "Our part" is certainly not thii, that `ive add to the /.:!I           !         Ij          II
                                                                     `._.S .                                                              C. H.
                                                                                         ,i..  _  .-
       woik of ,God or in any way cooperate with Him toward
       the realization of His covenant. That _ is contrary to
       the whole -idea of the covenant in Scripture. But
       that is also. impossible, for compared with God we
       are  l.ess than nothing.     Yes, we are -even dead in                                       I          N               MEWORIAM   _
       trespasses and, sins, so that we cannot and will not                a                  .          ..
       do anything but oppose our salvation. It is all of                  On July 27,  1946,   int. pleased  - the  Load  to take out  .of
       God.                                                          our family circle, after  ,a lingering illness, our wife,  mother
            But from the work of God's grade in our  hear'ts         and grandmother, .
       follows. "our part", vC;hich is the fruit and manif esta-
       &ion of God's work of grace in us. God makes us                                        MRS.  ANNIX  KONING
       conscious partakers of His ,covenant  by the adoption at the age Of 47 years!
       to sons in our hearts. He gives .us the adoption, and _
       we are conscious of the fact that  tie are sons.  IHe          I    We keenly feel  ,our  lbas~  but we rest in the  .blessed assur-
       washes. us,  and we become sanctified, fit unto. every ance that the. work of the  Lo,rd  is perfect  and that He doeth
       good work. He  tak>s us into His covenant life, and all things' well. May her passing  teach us  ,a11 to  nurnb#er  our
       we enjoy the blessedness of His fellowship. `Our part .days and apply our hearts unto wisdom.                                 _
       is -always ~fruit of what God works in-us. It is the
       deliverance from otir present misery, revealing itself                                                  Mr. Nick Koning                      :
       in  gratitud'e.  Lord's Day 32,  Heid. Cat.                                                             Mr. and  .&J&s.. Ike Faber          `.
            This is in perfect harmony with the thought of                                                     Mr,. and. Mss. Jake &oning
       the Form itself, which teaches us that "the principle                                                   B e r t h a   .Mae            .
       parts .of the doctrine of holy baptism are these three :                                                and three grandchildren.


                                      T H E ' S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R -   :I  ;  `~                          501
                                                                         .
                                                              accordance with the two `parallel clausesthat follow, it
                                                              cannot well indicate cause, and we are necessitated to
             FROM HOLY W-RIT                                  take it as the ground of the conviction that is estab-
                                                              lished.
                                                                 Let us try to understand this.
  The Convicting Office. of The Scirit                           Negatively speaking, it does not mean that be-
                                                              cause men do not believe in Jesus, that therefore they
                  (With Respect To Sin)                       are lost, and this is the cause of their perdition, and.
                                                              that the Spirit tries to bring them to. the conviction of
     The first point upon which the Holy Spirit will this fatal negligence so that they may turn therefrom.
  convict the world is with respect to sin.                   We know that it is often taught that Christ has made
     In our attempt to make real to our minds what            atonement for all  men' and that thus all their sins
  is meant by this convicting work we might be inelined       are paid for. Consequently the only sin that can be
  to transfer this operation to the day of Christ's return fatal-- is the sin of not accepting Jesus. Logically
  and judgment of which the Bible so often speaks as          speaking this must not really be a sin cbut only an
  the day when the secrets of men shall be revealed, as       unfortunate mistake, a fatal judgment of the mind.
  the day when every -knee shall bow and every- tongue            I may quote a typical passage from  Lenski on
  shall confess to God, and when `every  man shall give Matt. 25 :43-"In the last analysis it is not sin as such
  account of himself to' God. (Rom. 2 :16; 4:11, 12).         at all that damns, whether great or small, many or
     Yet this idea is rather definitely excluded by the few, commissions or omissions. For all sins can be
  closeness with which the promise is connected with pardoned and wiped away forever by grace. In the final
  the lives of the Apostles, and it is also not favored analysis it is unbelief that damns, the unbelief that
  by the form of the expressing "when He is come",            ever says no to grace, continues to says this no even
  which especially our Dutch version separates the com- in hell (Luke 16 :30), and thus retains for itself also
  ing from the .action following more than is necessary the guilt and damnation of all its other sins". `This
  for it evidently means "and He coming", or "when is not merely an attempted exegesis of this passage,
  He comes", He will convict, etc.                            but it is a doctrinal postulate with this writer .and
     Now of the Spirit thus coming it is said "He will        it occurs often. (See Rom. 5:18; I Peter 2:l' .
  reprove the World". We have already suggested that              But our text teaches' that He will convince the
  this does not quite express the idea of the Saviour,        world of sin, and then this is to be taken in its most
  especially to our modern ears. Reprove, to our e&m,         general sense of not performing the will of God, or
  means "to rebuke openly", or "to censure".  Th&,            of being delinquent in relation to the `demands and
  however, is not the meaning of the word in the Bible,       requirements of God.
nor does it harmonize with the possible meaning of                This meaning in the text .is plain from the words
  the word in the two "because" clauses that follow.          of the Saviour in the context, wher.e IHe teaches that
  The meaning is rather the. action of a teacher or -the hatred of the world against the Apostles (chap.
  authority whereby a truth -hitherto not acknowledged,       15:21)- and against, Himself  (15:22-24)  is nothing
  is so demonstrated to an unwilling conscience that but a manifestation of their hatred against the Father
  the mind is compelled to yield to its power. So Trench H i m s e l f .
(Synonyms, etc., p.  14), quoting Lampe with ardent               So it is often in the Bible. This one is set for a -
  approval. W,e are thus lead to render this word not fall and a rising again of many in Israel and a sign
  by reprove, but by convict or convince, and of these that shall be spoken against that the thoughts of
  the latter is undoubtedly more in accord with the many hearts  .may be revealed, Luke  .2:34. Thus is
  passage which deals not so much with legal conviction also the teaching of the Saviour. in John 3 :17ff. God'
  as with moral persuasion, therefore, convince. He sent not His Son into the world to condemn the
  shall convince the world.                                   world. .- . . He that believeth not has already been
     Now this convincing will be carried'out from three condemned,. because he has not believed on the name
  viewpoints or in three phases, and first in order is the    of the only begotten Son of God. This, however, is
  Convincing of sin.                                          the condemnation, that light has come into the world
     The meaning of this expression is largely deter- and men loved darkness rather than light because
  mined by the meaning of .the "because" clause that their deeds were evil. For he that does evil will not .
 -follows. And as is so often the case, especially in the come to the light lest his deeds be convicted (also here
  writings of the Apostle John, the word rendered be- the word "elenchthee").
  cause, may have various shades of meaning, indicating             In these several passages the sin which is re-
 "cause, or ground, or .also content. Here, however, in ferred to is the one great depravity of nature, and


   502 -                                  T H E   STA.NDARD  B E A R E R

 the one great resultant alienation from God's, holy -the example and test of their new dispensational repre-
   will of righteousness. They hate the Father, their sentatives the entire race is proved to be in sin.
   deeds are habitually evil and these deeds are ,in ac-             At this juncture the question may arise whether
   cord, with the thoughts of their hearts.                       this interpretation is sustained at all by our experi-
         So it is in our passage. The world is convicted          ence. And since it is a fallible interpretation also
   here of its utter sinfulness, apart from this added            experience may be usecl- as a test. And then it does
   sin of unbelief. _ It is totally depraved.                     seem as though this conviction is not observed in
         And now the ground upon which this conviction the world;-it does not appear that men are impressed
   rests in the mind of that sinful and condemned world to silence and consent by the testimony of the Christ.
   is that they do not believe in Christ. That is the                However the experiential support for the interpre-
   undeniable proof before their own eyes that they ar.e tation that this is saving conviction instead of a non-
   under the sentence of utter sinfulness. That removes           saving conviction .is at least not any stronger. It is
   every veils with which they might hide the fact that not our experience either that men are brought to a
   they are not really enemies of God and of all that is          saving conviction of their sin by r,eflecting that they
   good in His creation and revelation. They even reject          do not and have not' believed in the Christ of God,
   the All-glorious Son of His own bosom and that even even though that interpretation often presents it so.
 . when IHe comes as a messenger of divine mercy. ,,  '             And yet it is exactly the revelation of the Christ
         Thus it is not the rejection of Christ that brings in the- Gospel that is adapted, to work the conviction
   men to perdition. This rejection really comes after-           of sin.
,i ward, and is only the proof of their inborn perversity            Ther.e  is surely no higher and clearer revelation of
   and .aversion to the highest, good.                            God than the historical revelation of Christ. There
         This unbelief, of course, manifests itself in various    is no rock upon which unbelief, criticism, modernism,
   ways and degrees.        Tliere' is a difference between ,dashes itself more  firtiley, than upon the rock of
  failing to believe in Christ as the Babe of Bethlehem,          Christ Resurrected as the .testification of the validity
   and the humiliated son of Man preaching and laboring           of  [His Messianic claims.
   in Israel and again the resurrected Christ, and again             Men may seem to have some pretense of question-
   the Christ returned and present in the mighty Spirit ing the-Old Testament with its so-called primitive re-
   of Pentecost. But in whatever form this appears it ligion and ethics. They -may seem to have an excuse
   is always unbelief in the revelation of the arm of the to question the claims of the church amid her changes
   Lord, disobedience to the Messenger of the Covenant and instabilities. But all these attacks and denials
   of the Lord of Hosts.                                          are silenced when we come to the essence of the
        Now the question may arise : how shall we harmon-         Scripture and the Church, so they are the proclama-
   ize this with that statement that men will be judged tion and revelation of the Messiah of God, sinless,
   .by the law written or unwritten. Rom. 2 : lff..               raised from the dead and .exalted  before the eyes of
                                                                  many' unimpeachable witnesses. Any .man who' does
         `There is undoubtedly this difference, that whereas      not believe in this Christ, bears in his own conscience
   the separate acts of. men are judged by the law, ~so           the conviction that he is sold .in the power of sin
   that every man shall be judged in accordance with his          and will not come to- the light lest his life and deeds
   works as they are weighed, great and small; by the be reproved.  a
   standard of the law, on the other hand the conviction
   established  .by the attitude toward the  Chr.ist  will           We  must- say a final  worcl  about the manner of
   especially testify to the spiritual quality of' those this convincing work.
   works as basically evil.                                          This is not an operation of the Spirit that has
               .-                                                 no content, but the content is "provided by the Saviour
         Htence it is not necessary to limit the application      through the Apostolic preaching, "He shall testify
   `of this conviction only to those who, have definitely         concerning Me. And you also shall testify, because
 made contact with Christ or the Gospel in the New                you are with Me from the beginning (John 15 :26) 1
   Dispensation, but it can very well apply also to those The relation here is such that the Spirit is the-Source
   who lived under the Old Testament form of revelation           of the testimony; and they, the Apostles, testify as a
   .in which also the Christ was revealed, from the time          consequence.    But the content of the testimony is
  of Cain and  .Abel to the very last.                            drawn from the material of their observation acquired
         And this -proof of the quality of men's works can        while they heard and saw.Him in His ministry.
   even apply to those who have. never seen or heard of              But this Apostolic message is, of course, also the
   Christ, because they admittedly are of the same nature testimony of the Church. It is the testimony with
   and stock as those are who have concretely historic-. which you and I are entrusted. And so we must ,be
   `ally rejected Him, because their deeds were evil. By ever carmeful  that we present no other message, `There
   .                                                                         `
                                                                             .

                                                                                          -


                                    THE  STANDARD  REARER                                                          503

  may be no mistake about our message so that `men do also the stand of our church with respect to secret,
  not become confronted with the Christ of the Scrip- oath-bound organizations. What the Synod of 1943
  tures. No message of  -human progress, or righteous- did say -Was this : "church-membership -and member-
  ness, or morality will, serve this purpose. Men must ship in a soicalled neutral labor-union are compatible
  be able to say that God has made this J.esus both Lord      . . . ." And how does the  ,Synod, circumscribe the
  and Christ and then must be brought to say -in their term "neutral -labor union"? In these words : "a
  o.wn conscience : "We will not have this man to reign union which gives no constitutional warrant to sins,
  over  us".                                                  nor shows in its regular getivities' that it champions
                                                A. P.         sin."
                                                                  The Synod of 1943, in the same decision, also up-
                                                              held and reaffirmed the position of the Synod of 1928
                                                              which added this touch to the description of a  so-
                                                              called neutral labor union; namely, that it is a union
                                                              or organization whose definite aim "is not in conflict
                 PERISCOPI?                                   with the universal principles- of justice contained in
                                                              the Word of God." See Acts of the-Synod of 1928,
                                                              p. 91. The Synod of 1943, accordingly, stated that
                Neufral Labor Unions                          church-membership is compatible with membership
                                                              in such a union.
  The committee appointed by the  IChristian Re-                Neither did the  Synod of 1943 say:  that an  &di-
  formed Synod of 1945 to formulate the grounds for           vi&al can be meutral in .his @a&ion to Christ., Synocl ._.-. .
  the position taken by the Synod of 1943 in re the com-      did not in any sense deny the fact that a person is
  patibility  -of Church-membership and membership in either for Christ or against him, and. that this per- _
-`Y a so-called neutral labor union, gave the following sonal relationship to Christ -must and will become
  report in The Ba.nn& of May 3:
                          :                                   evident in every sphere of life.
                                                                 Summarizing, it has become evident that the'Synoc1
                                                              of 1943 reaffirmed the principle that .church-member-
  To the Synod of 1946,                                       ship is,compatible with, that is, is capable of existing
  Esteemecl Brethren:                                         together with---membership  in a so-called neutral labor
     The mandate of! your ~comnmittee .is found on page ,union which, however, gives no constitutional  .war-
  87 of the Acts of the Synod of 1945, and reads as rant to sins, which does not show in itsregular activi-
  follows :                                                   ties.that  it champions sin, and whose activities are not
                                                              in conflict with the universal principles of  -justice
   I' "Synod appoint a committee to formulate the contained in the Word of God.
  grounds for the position taken by. the Synod of 1943
  regarding the compatibility of church-membership and           The Synod of 1928, whose decisions in this matter
  membership in the so-cal1e.d neutral-labor union."          were reaffirmed by the Synod of 1943, takes its point
   - The decision of the Synod of 1943 to which refer- of. departure in the fact that the believer, too, is a
  ence is made is found on page 102. of the Acts of that social -being, dependent for many things on his fellow;
  year and reads as follows:                                  -men, many of whom are unbelievers. _ The- believer is
                                                              compelled to live  with- and work with unbelievers.
     "Church-membership and membership in a so-called A certain measure of cooperation is required. Thus,
  neutral labor union are compatible as long as such believer and unbeliever rise together in  defence  of
  union gives no constitutional warrant to sins, nor their tiountry. In the laboratory and in the sphere `of
  shows in its regular activities that it champions `sin."    medicine the two cooperate in seeking remedies against
     Regarding this synodical  decision it is necessary,. disease. There' is no intrinsic, scriptural reason why
  first of all, that it be rightly interpreted. Synod did     similar cooperation would~ be forbidden in the sphere
  not  say:  that  ihurch-membership is compatible with of busieess;  labor, and industry, as long as such co-
membership in unions which reject Christ and cast operation be based upon the universally valid prin-
  aside the fundameital principles                            ~ciples  of justice contained in the Word of God and
                                     of justice contained
  in His Word. What should be. our attitude with're-          stamped upon the conscience of man, Rom. 2:14, 15.
  spect to such unions or organizations (whether in           Scripture forbids two extremes : on the one  .hand,
  the sphere of labor or any other sphere) has been worldliness ; on the other, morbid separatism.
  set forth in the Report on Corporate -Responsibility,           Now; in the light of the manner in which the
  whose conclusions were adopted by the Synod of, 1945.       Synod of 1943 and also previous Synods circumscribed
  See Acts of the Synod  of-1945,  art. 100. Compare the term "so-called neutral labor unions" when these


   5 0 4                               THti  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

   Synods affirmed that membership in such unions aild          our people "establish and promote definitely Chris-
   membership in the church are compatible, your com- tian organizations in the social sphere."
   mitt,ee  advises Synod to adopt the following recom-                                    Respectfully submitted,
   mendations :                               -                                                       The Committee :
      A. Synod declare that the position adopted by the
   Synod of 1943 and by previous Synods; namely, that              In our estimation and judgment of this report this
   "church-membership and membership in so-called neu- committee. has either been dishonest or they` are blind
   tral labor unions are compatible" is based Upori the lead&s. of the blind. According to the report of the
   following grounds :      -                                   committee an +r&iviclunl cannot be neutral +a his r:e-
      1. Becoming a member of such a so:called  neutral         l&ion to C&&t, and tl;at ?he Synod of 1943 did not
 - labor union does not as such  constitpte  a sinful act,      in any sensie deny the fact that a person is either for
   inasmuch as according to synod's .circumscription  such Christ or against Him, and that this personal relation-
   unions as here mea& give no collstitutional  warrant ship to Christ must and will be&me evident in every
   to sins, and do not show in their regular activities that    sphere of life."
                                                                                     Jf this be true `of an individual it is
   they champion sin or, that they. are in conflict with equally true of any organization composed of a group
   the  $niversal principles  bf justice contained in the of individuals. And yet, according to one of the com-
   Word of God.                                                 mitt,ee  members the committee took the position that it
                                                                is possible, theoretically`at least, that an organization
      2. It follows that becoming a member of a so-called       can be neutral, that is neither for nor against.
   neutral labor union, as thus described, does nut consti-                                                               It de-
                                                                scribes 
- tute a censurable act.                                                    sues a "neutral" organization as f`an organiza-
                                                                tion that "gives no expression in its' Constitution con-
      3. To adopt the principle, making it applicable to        cerning the recognition of God and His Word, bz~t does
   every ease, that church-membership is incompatible not take a stand in opposition tb it either, (I under--  -.
   with membership in labor-unions which give no con- score, B. I<.) and which in its activities does not violate
   stitutional warrant $0 sins and which do not show in Christian principles of justice and conduct." How
 _. their regular activities that they champion sin or that     dare such a committee say "Synod did not in any sense
  they  aYe in conflict with  ,the universal principles of      deny the fact that a person is' either for Christ or
   justice `contained in the Word of God would amount against him". It is further reported that "when the
   to dangerous separatism,  &hich is condemned by Scrip- question was asked in a meeting of the committee
   ture,  Jolin  1'7:15, I Cor.  5:9-11. See the explanation whether there is any known so-called neutral labor
   of these passages in the Agenda of 1926, pp. 116, i17.       organization that can meet the requirements set by
      B. With respect to membership. in organizations previous Synods for justifiable membership- in them,
                                                                the unanimous opinion wns that there is none." (See
   (in any sphere, including labor) which do give con-
   stitutional warrant to sin and/or show in their regular      Banner of June 14). And I might add that if the
   activities that they do champion sin, Synod call the         committee had been honest they would have said,
                                                                "and there never will be, because it is both theoretical-
   attention of the church to the Rep&t on Corporate ,ly and practically impossible."
   Responsibility, whose conclusions were adopted by the                                             And if it be true that
                                                                there is no such sp-called neutral- labor organization
   Synod of 1945, and which gives adequate advice to that can meet the requirements set by the Synods of
   consistories and classes with respect to this matter. the Christian Reformed Churches for justifiable mem-
   See Acts of Synod of 1945, article 100. Note also the
   detailed exegesis of the Scripture passages upon which bership-in them, then why do the Christian Reformed
   these conclusions are based, Agenda 1945, pp. 25-3'7.        Churches not merely tolerate such union membeps,  but
                                                                also receive such members with open arms, when they
      C. Whereas it is undeniable that many organiza- come to them from our churches, because our churches
   tions, in whatever sphere (whether labor, ' business, have put them under censure.
   or professional) have assumed or tend to assume a               No, I db not write these things in a spirit pf bitter-
   character which excludes them from the class of so- ness. God knows how conscious I am of the tremen-
 called neutral unions, as  circumscr,ibed by the Synod dous problems that are facing God's people in the
   of 1943, and places them in a class. of organizations midst of the woyld. But may God save us from such
   against which the Synod of 1945 has issued a warning, blind leaders of the blind, and give us courageous
   and whereas membership in such worldly unions or leaders who dare openly proclaim that there is, and
   orgailizations  ,entails  moral and spiritual danger, Synod neither can be any concord  between Christ and Belial,
   repeat the exhortation given in the Conclusi& of the betw,een the table of the  .Lord,   and the table of the
   Report on Corporate Responsibility and adopted by devil.                                                 _  2
   by the Synod of 1945 ; namely, that wherever  feasible                                                               B. K    .


