,jO&Ul&E  .&XIfI  1  .'  ";,November  15, i%& -. Grand Rapids, Mi&;`.: . .                                          .      '     _        Nnn@gl?i"4
                                                                                .                                                        ..-           .,
                                                                    "  #  OUT  strength. " We must I&&jr   -to,: %rucify   ,qur', 5ld
                                                                                     natu?e, and to walk in a new and holy `life;",  ~m~e
                                                                                     ".  -  Morkovef,  we' &ist  Yield  `fait,  6ur  ;`prb&&on."  ~.
                                                                                     With our ilesh always t&ri@ing Us tb. depart f$o~%Y%~~F
 Cmnimg  To  TYhClJwablae                                                            profe`ssiori;  in the !midsj of a-`world %&t is' opbo'sed` 10
                                        >~                                           that profession, we are-e&orted to maintain, to &rig
                                                                                     to tlie profession that Jesus is Lord; atid to reaiize that
                For we have iibt'an high priest which can- profession in all our life and walk in th'e world:                                                        -
             not be touched  ,`ivith the feel&g  of  our  ii-                            And all this we will never be able to accdmpliski in
             firm&es; but `Gas in ,a11 pbints tempted like our own strength. .:                                                                  .>           i      i
        I  _ as  !0e are, yet without sin. Let  Qs  ilzekefore                           To heed these exhortations  we a?e in need of:&e?&,
  .'         come  boldly unto the throne  of  grace, that  .- atid  of "`grace to  heip in time of  nekd."  :                                         ~:  I'  -"
             we may obtain mercy, and find grace to h&p                                  This mercy, and this "grace to help' in t&F of `need'?
             iiz time of  xeecl.  _~ .  `- --                                        can be obtained only at the throne of grace. ;'  _
                                 .;z                  H e b .   4~15,  1 6 .             Let US, therefore, come `boldly'!.            ' ,  ~~  : ,
    Al! impqrtant exhortation !  I  '
    Let  .us' come boldly, that. is, With perfect confidence
that we shall be received, to the throne of grace !.                                     T h e   &`&e  o f   grace!  `.
    And to this- coming with 
                            -                 boldn"ess  we arc encour-                  Ho& beautiful is the concept conveyed .to our mind
aged.,. first of all, by the very fact that the thr@Fe.  unto by this expression!
which we are exhorted to corqe is a throne  of. grace ;                                * The' ieerti must not be interpreted  as ref.e&& .i?o
and; secondly,: ky +e knowledge that, in &he sanctuary, .-the throne of Christ,  as  %me- explain it;  n&&ei  :as
where &his, t&one-...of ,, grace is established, we have a                           simply meaning ,"the throne' on which grace rei&$`,
high priest that was in all points tempted as we are, as others would have it, but indicates the throhe of
and Who, becau,se  of this, can be touched with the feel-                            God," and therefore, His absolute sov&kig&y,. as i& is
ing of our infirmities.                                                              characterized, and  moti&&d by  g?sc&  ,~--  `~                           /.
    M&eover,.`it  is strictly necessary that we heed this                                God  sits upon  !His  t$$&e  :
`exhortation:-.::                                                                                                          .'
                                                                                        And also this, we understand, is a figurafiye  `eX-
    Let us ndti&  that this eirhortatibn  is final, occupies                         pression, for how could we ever' know God,' qr under-
the last place in a series of admonitions, and must be                               stand anything about Him,  .,except in figures and
regarded as the. indispensable condition for all the symbols? That He is  enthrdned  in. glory s&ply  de-
othel- exhortations,' and that, unless it is fulfilled, we .,notes  His sole and, universal and absolute. sovereignty.
`canhot possibly give heed to the admonitions that pre- , He .is the Lord. He is the. Creator of the heave& &d
c e d e .                                      `_                                    of the earth, Who calls the things  that are not:  .`&
    There is a  .rest that  remaineth  `for the people of if they `were, and Who  mad.& all things accordi&   fo
Go$?. the nest of God's everlasting covenant., the rest [His sovereign counsel atid good pleasure. He id, there-
Y&ni sin  `,and  co?rupti&l   and death,  and unto  right-                           fore, the sole ,Proprietor  of all things : the earth.is  the
"+&&ness,  ,light, and  .fellowship  .w<th Gbd. And into Lord's  and the  fuiness thereof, the  world' and  &ey
tliat `$est  `we'must constantly labor to enter. We must that  dw,ell  .therein.  And His alone is the  `p&rogat&je
striire to !`love tlie Lord-067 God with all our heart, and to do with them all according to, ,His good`$lea&&;
with all our mind, and with- all our soul,- and with all                             and no one dare say to Him : "what' do&t ' Th& ?"
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          74                                      ;..I  'ITHE'  S T A N D A R D   ~&ARER'

           Moreover;He  is the sole Lawgiver, Who alone'is above though all our coming to this throne of grace, to this
           the law, and Whose will is the sole criterion for every          Fount of all life and blessjng, is .essentially an act of
           creature; the only Judge, Who executes judgment in prayer. But rather, let us come, that is, let us enter
           righteousness and equity. And IHe-governs  alithings,            into His fellowship ; let us approach to the God of our
           upholding them by the Word of His power, and direct- salvation with our whole being, with all our mind, and
           ing them, individually and as a whole, to the end he             heart, and soul, .and strerigth, to worship and adore,
           ordained and purposed in Himself before the founda- to praise and to serve Him that sitteth upon the throne ;
     ' tion.df the world, so that-no creature moves, and noth-              let us come to. Him as the overflowing Fount of all
           ing betides but by- His Will.                                   good, to drink from that Fount to the satisfaction of
                 God's throne.  ; . .  :I-        _
                                         ;.-a                               our souls, to taste (His marvellous mercy and grace, and
          x      That  is, God in His glorious majesty, His tiridis-       to knoti that the Lord is good. Let us come, not to de-
           puted sovereignty, His absolute authority and universal part again, never to withdraw again into our own
           power, His holiness, and righteousness, and truth.              night, but to abide `in His tabernacle all the days of our
                 But-U.6  throne of the only Sovereign of heaven-and life, to beholcl the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in
           earth i,s a throne of grace !                                    His temple.
                 G l o r i o u s   t r u t h !                                 Let us corn&!
                 For what else does it signify than this that in Him           That spiritual act of coming to' the throne of grace
           authority and love, holiness and lovingkindness, right- implies, first c&Y ail, a profound consciousness and ac-
           eousness and grace, justice and mercy, are ,united in knowledgement of our own emptiness, of our sin and
           perfect and most blessed harmony?                                death, of our need of grace and mercy.
                 Grace has different connotations in Holy Writ, and            It  iti$i&,  se&-&y,  ihe  &ritual  ap~r&hen$on of
           we ne.ed not call attention to them all in this connection.      His fulness, of the riches of righteousness and life, of
           Let,it suffice to say that here it refers to that attitude       blessedness and glory, that are in Hiti as He stands
           and disposition of favor in God that shines upon us revealed to us in all the beauty of His grace ifi the face
           throdgh the face of  J,esus   Chris%;  flis  only begotten       of Christ Jesus.
           Son our Lord. iEe is the revelation of the God of our               It sigdifies, thirdly, a deep longing for His fellow-
           salvation. In the face of Him, Who is God of God,                ship, a thirsting after God aS the hart, escaped from
           Light of Light, Who is eternally in the bosom of the            the chase, thirsts after st?e,atis  of living water.
           Father, Who reached down to us as the arm of the                    And it means, finally, that with corifidence  of faith,
           Lord, united Himself with US, assumed our flesh and we appropriate all the spiritual blessings revealed unto
           blood, tabernacled among us, lay down His life on Cal- us, promised us, by the  sy!mbo!   of. that throne of
           vary; was raised on the third day, and exalted above g r a c e .
           the heavens at. the right hand of the Majesty on high,              Let us come boldly!
           -in Him  `we  btihdld the face  6f the Sovereign of              ; Not, indeed, with a boldness that ,is devbid of holy
          , heaven and earth betiming upon us in everlasting grace,        fear, for the throne of grace is still a throne, and that,
           the Potentate of potentates as our Father in heaeen, too, the throne of the most high Majesty in the heavenS ;
           the Creator .of all as bur Redeemer. 1 . .                      nor with a carnal confidence that is based on our ,own
                The throne of  gr&ce!                                       worth'inebs,  for God resisteth  t?le  prou.d,  while He
                                                                           giveth gra_ce to the lowly ; but solely with a confidence
                 It  me&s that He purposed all things, that  ,He           that is inspired only by that throne of grace.
           created all things, that He ,governs all things, that He            The boldness of faith.
     I     directs all things, that He judges all things, motivated            The.confid&nce  that, for Christ's stike, He that sit-
           by His grace over us.in Christ Jesus.                           teth upon the throne will not cast me off, btit receive
                 It  me&s  thtit  the: Lord of all is our covenant- me, even though all things testify against me.
           -%`riend !                                                          Blessed throne of grace!
                 IOUT Father in hea$en!
                 It means that the revelation of IHis face fills US, to
          be sure, with awe atid holy fear, because of Higmajesty,
           but now with the reverence of, childlike love and-con-,             Seek, and ye shall find!
          fidence.                                                             Ask, and it shall be given, you; knock, and it shall
                 Let us. come bdldly to the throne of grace !              be opened unto you!
                 Let us come,  that- is, not merely in prayer ; not, bt
                . _                                                            Come  boldly to the throne of grace, pray without
           least, if by prayer is &&ant  an occasional approach to         ceasing, let .your whole life be -an approach to that
          ih& throne of grace, in order then t6 return again and marvellous throne, that you may obtain mercy, and
           draw back ir& the night of our own existence, into              grace to help in`time of need ; and mercy and grace `you
          the darknf?& npd gloom  and hopelessness of our death ;           shall surely-find and receive.


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                                 I             T H E   S T A N D A R D '  B%ARER                                                  75

          For him that comes to (Him He will in no wise Fast be tossed to and fro by every .wind of doctrine, nor to
       out.                                                           be seduced `by the pleasures and treasures of Egypt,
          Mercy and grace you will find.                              nor to be intimidated by the fury ?f- the powers of dark-         .
          They are closely `related, yet they may be distin- ness.
       guished, and are distinguished in the text. Mercy is              And y9u.r only help is in God's grace.
       `God's will to bless, to bestow bliss  u$on us in His             Without Him you' can do nothing.
       fellowship, to render us blessed even as He is blessed..          Now is the time of need;  nay you must obtain
       .It means that God is filled with holy, eternal longing grace.
       to lead His children into, the glory of -His eierla&ing           Come, then, always come, to the throne of grace.
       tabernacle. With a view to our .pr'eseni  state of sin            That you may obtain mercy, and grace t? help.
       and death, it denotes that virtue in God, that dispo-             In time of need.
       sition of the divine heart to  usward,  accprding  to
       `which He longs to deliver us from the misery of our                                   -    -    -    -
       sin into the state of perfect righteousness; to raise us
       out of the deep darkness qf our death and alienation              Be not afraid!
     from Him to the glory of eternal life, and to the' Approach with confidence, and' let not even your
       heavenly fellowship of IHis everlasting tabernacle with infirmities induce you to stay far from that throne of
       men. And grace'*  is the power by which all this is ac- grace.
       complished, the marvellous power whereby He redeems               For, as you approach that throne, you are met, in
       us, bestows upon us the forgiveness of sins and perfect the sanctuary of God, by a High Priest that is over the
       righteousness, makes uslpartakers  .of the adoption of whole house of God, that intercedes with Him that sit-
      ' children, regenerates us, and calls us out of darkness teth upon the throne, and that is `able to sympathize
       into his. marvellous light, gives us faith, and hope, and with all yohr infirmities.
       confidence,. and love, and all the. riches of grace in            10, they  are many,  btit He  ,knows them. They in-
       Christ Jesus our Lord.                                         clude all our present sufferings and death, of soul and
               CoFe boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy, body, of mind and spirit; they are our trials and temp-
       and to find grace to help in time of need.                     tations in the world, our tribulations which we suffer
               Ever come!                                             for Christ's sake, as we hold fast our profession; they
          .Cons,tantly  appioach that throne of grace !               include our temptations from within, through the sin-
               For always you are in. need of mercy, and constantly f+ess of our flesh ; and from without, through the
       you need grace to help.                                        seducing influence of the world; our weaknesses, our
               Mercy and grace are not giftsthat are.onoe bestbw-     sins,  our inclination to stumble in the way.
       ed upon' you, say in the moment of your regeneration,             He, dur High Priest, Who. intercedes for us iwith
       and that ever since you possess in yoursel$es,  apart the Father, is able to sympathize with them all.
       from the God of your saliation: they are a constant               He is acquainted with the weakness of oui flesh,
       stream that flows into your soul from its source, the for  IHe  came in the likeness of sinful flesh, though
       throtie  of  grace. They are rather to be compared to without sin. He knotis all our sufferilig  and all our
       the' golden glory of light that radiates from the su?,         temptations, for He" was tempted in all things even
       `and in whose brightness $0~ may rejoice as long as a$ we are, though in  all His temptations -He never
       you remain in the sphere of its-`radiation,  but which         once stumbled. IHe knows what it is to be utterly
       you cannot take with you into the darkness of a moun- amazed at the .justice and wrath of God against sin,
       tain cave. Not for a moment can you withdraw your- and at the presence of His holiness, for l!te bore. it all
       selves. froti the throne of grace, without forfeiting the      upon the tree,  and'entered  into our  ~death  atid hkll.
       blessings of mercy and grace as far as your conscious- He knows by experience what it means to be tempted
       ness  of- them is concerned.                                   by the wicked machinations. of evil men, for He. en-
               Hen&,  the time of need. is now.                       dured all the contradictions of sinners against Him-.
               It. is an ever present time.                           self. N.ever  is your path of suffering' and temptation
         . Mercy and grace you need `today and tomorrow,              so deep, but you find there theimprint of His f&et..
       and forevermore.                                                  And !He. has the right and the power to sympathize
               Besides,  you need grace `to help, to help, in time    with your infirmities, and to obtain-mercy ahd help for
       of need, that is no% and'cotistantly.                          you in time of need.
               He!p you need that you may daily enter into God's         Fear not !    Look upon your  sympatliizing   .higb
       rest, that you may put off the bld, `and put on the new priest !
       gan, that you  `may put  bn  the whole  armor of  God,            And come to the throne of grace,. boldly !
     `fight the good fight of- faith, and be able to stand in-           Your reception is assured!                        -I.
       the. evil.day;-  help' to hold-fast your profession, not to                                                     H .   H .

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             T!?  .                                                                                                                                                         T.HE  .S.TANDARD  BE,ARE-;2,
                     .  i  2.  .__                                                                      .                _

                (`
                      ,#f:                           :              :
                                     1                                          The Sfcrndgrd k&-ei
                (\  :  `-_  (  `.Semi-Monthly,.   &wept   i$nthly   in  July-and   Argust                                                                                                                                                                            E D I T O R I A L S :
                A  `,!'                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    _       I
                                               ..,
                                                                                                       Piblished   By  -.                                                                                                                         .        .
                                                                         The   Reformed   Flee  Fublishing   Assxiation                                                                                                                                  ".  Three
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                !         PaPints  And  Potir. '                        f
                                                                                            1463   Ardmore   St,  S.  E.
                i  F.",                                                        `EDITOR:                            - Rev.   Hi  Hokksema.                                                                                                               The"reader  -will -remember that; besides the ques-
            Cant$l$in,g   Editors:   - Rev. G.  &I.  Ophoff,   Rev.  G.  Vos,'  Rev; . tion  coiicerriing  the  covcnatit of  gT?ce,. there,  ,yere
            R.  VX$n&, Rev.  8. Veldman,  Rdl,.H. De Wolf, Rev.  ,B.  Kok,                                                                                                                                                                     severai &her poin$s of doctrinal  controversy, concern,
            Rev.  `A:-`d. De  Jcng,  ReG. A.  A&er, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                                                                     ing which the  Neth@lxld  Synod of  Utrecbt,  1942,
            Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M.  GrXters,  R&v.  J. A. Heys,                                                                                                                                                                     expressed itself. They were the qtiestions  concerning
            Rev. W.  Hcofman.
                     Communications relative to  con&&  should  be  add&ed   t3                                                                                                                                                                common grace, .self:examination,  the two natures. of
`*          REV. H. HOEKSEMR, 1139 Franklin, St., S. E., Grand Rapid:,                                                                                                                                                                         Chris&  atid the immortality of the soul. There also
            M i c h i g a n .                                                                                                                                          .                                                                       was `a controversy about the multiformity of the
                     Communications  rel`ative  to.  subscripticn   &ould be iddiessed                                                                                                                                                         church. `On this,  how&r,  Synod did not formulate
            `cbi%l%  &&RIT PIPE,  ,1463 Ardniore  St., S.  I?., Grand Rapids,` any declaration.
      '  l&`chi@.n.:`:  All  Rnnomiccmenll:s,  and  0b:tuaries  must be  s&t                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      *.
            to the above address and will n-t be placed  unless  the regular                                                                                                                                                                            Thus far we only discussed the declaration on the
           ,fee  &,.$l.QO  aocompanies  the notice. ,
                                                     .,                                                                                                                                                                                        subject. of the covenant' of grace. We gave this first
               !:  i  i  :  ,. (Subscription Price $2.50  per  year),                                                                                                                                                                          place because :it is on this point of doctrine that the
            E&&red  as: Second' Cl&s  Mail  at  &&anti. Rapids,  M.ichigz,n.                                                                                                                                                                   present  schism occurred.  .:I'he other decisions of the
                                                                                                                                                           .'                                                                                  Synod are hardly mentioned in" the old country,
                                                                                                                                                                 :;                                                                                     To us,`how,ever,  -the other declarations -are of inter-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               est also, and we  ,are,  of course,  ,especially  intersted
                                          .                                                                                                             L
               j                .                                                                                                                                                                                                              in the decisions concerning common grace:. We: .tiill,
                         ._                                   ;
-(:!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           therefore, now take up ,this, question, and compare
 ,'
                                               .                                 :
                           i.:                                                                                                                                                                                                                 what the Synod of Utre&t had to say about it with the.. I
               `1,  t,                                                                                        -'
                                                                                                                                 CONTENTS  -.
             `q'                                                                                                         .n                                                                            :                                       `"Three Points" of 1924 that have become the official
                     .:,I_                                                                                                           .                                                                                                         doctrine' of the Christian- Reform& Church (es) .
            MEDITATION:-
               ::                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       we  remember  that the problem of  :so-called  C'om-
            C.PMIl$G TO THE  THRObti  OF  GRACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..I . . . . . 73 mon grace concerns both our conceptiori .-of God and
                                R e v .   H .   H.oelrsema.   ,:  ,I                                                                                                        ,                                                                  that -of man, more particularly that of God's -grace to
               ,  -_  L,                                                                                                        .                                                                                                              all men, and of the goodness of the natu&$:mati;
            ~~IT&;ALS`:i.                                                                                                :                                   ::... .                                                                                    Conc@ning  the matter of God's grace to all men,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               the Chr&ti+ Reformed.Synod of 1924 expressed itself
            TI$RkE  POINTS  AND,   FOUR . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
            EXP'OSITION  6F THE HEIDELBEBG  CATECHXM  . ..I........  78                                                                                                                                                                        a! f 0llow.s .:,
              "i;  `
                                                .L                                                                                                                                                                                                      `!Regarding the first point, touching the favorable
           :  - Rev:  H:  Bdeksema.   *'                                                                                                        b                      s
                . . .
              d<                                      :`>:                                                                                                                                                                "                    a&Jude of God towa?d mankind in general and not
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               only  >toward the elect, synod declares that, according
           T-!-& `TAtiER,PjACLE  OF' SI$LOH `FORSAKEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;.: . . . . 82 to @?iptures anti the Confession, it 1s established that
           I&@  `FA+HER,S   HOUsE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1:  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,..........  34 besides the saving grace of God shqwn. only -to the. elect
           I$&  P&1$  1.V  OF  FRANCE   &  S&E;-BONIFACE   VIII......86
                                                                                                                                                                                 _  i                                                         unto eternal life, there is also a certain favor qr grace
               `;!  riev.  ,G..lV&  Ophoff.                                                                                                                                                                               :
                      :                                                                                                                                    2 .                                                                                of God which He shows to His creatures in general.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              This is+!vident from>he  Scripture passages quoted and
           Kk,  -0  &D  DER  WRAKENI. . . . . . . . :;:: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 from the Canons of Dordt, II, 5 and III, IV,, 8, 9, where
           ,  .:  R&.   G..  Vos;                                                                       _
               ..                                          ..,..                                                                                                                                                                              the general offer of the gospel is .se&forth;  while. it is
      `1.C$@ZSTiAN  INS,Tl?.U;CTION ' ' 9.
                                                                                                                                          . . . . . . . j . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..*............ :...: . . . . . . . . . . . 90    evident from the citations made from Reformed writers
                                I$ev:`.%I.                                       Gritters.                         ..                      I                                                                                                  belong&g to the most flourishing period  of Reformed
            ..`:`.                                                       i                 `.                                        `.                                                                                                       theology that our fathers from of old maintained this
           &dM   HOLY   WRIT i..:.. i.:,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :: . . . . . . 92 view."                                                                                                                          I ,y ,
           ,  *-Rev.  H.  Veldman.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      On this point we find the following in &&c.is$onti
                          .;                                                                                  c                                                                                                                               o f   U t r e c h t :                                         y.
           PERItiC'Oi?E . . . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94                                             . . "l..,That God (who, immediately after the fall, be-
                                Rev:   W                                              .                  ,Hoftian.,   ,.s.:.                                                                                                                  gan to gather ZIis Church, which He d&vers from sin,
                                                                                                                          . .  I                                 ?                       t.
                                                                                                                                .._.                                                                                                           c$ath,-.  and the. cur?e) , even though' His wrath is re-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              v@ed .over a!1 ungFdl@ess  and unrighteous?%@. of men
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                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          .77

 (Ram. 1.:X3) i yet does not bring upon the fallen m&d,      pearance to an  Arminian- doctrine. Hence, the am-
 iii this dispensatjon, the full punishment of sin; but,     biguity.
 while He bears her in His  langsuffering, causes His           But the same ambiguity characterizes the con-
 sun to rise over the evil and `the good, and does good      clusions of the Synod of Utrecht 1942. In fact, we
 from heaven to the whole of mankind. (Matt. 5 :45 ;         receive the impression that they  felt the difficulty more
 Ads 14  :1'7)  ;j'                                          keenly than the synod of Kalamazoo,, and that they
     Then, after the Synod adapted two declarations that were still more careful to find a  for&ulation that
 concern the' condition of natural man, it declared :        would appear to b,e in harmony with Reformed truth.
     "4. That in this God ghows to (or bestows tipon)        Notice the following: 1. They do not speak at all of a
 the evil and the good, the. righteous and the unright-      grace,  or favor, or a gracious  disp&ition of God to
 eous, uizbounden goodness, which among us is denoted the rep?obate,  or to mankind in .ge'neral. 2. They are
 by the name `general grace' or `common grace', but careful to remind us that God's wrath is revealed ov,er
 which must be well distinguished from saving grace all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men... 3. They
td th.em whom the Father gave to Christ."                    declare that God does not `yet bring upon the fallen
                                                             ,world the full punishmeyt  of sin. 4. They sp?ak of it
     The deciarations,of  1924 by the synod of Kalamazoo that God bear`s the fallen world in His longsuffering,
 and of 1942 by the synod of Utrecht have `ihis in com-      an expression whieh is itself ambiguous. 5. And in  7
 mon that they attempted to `express that God is grac-       their main statement they do 60 more than literally
 ious to the wiiked reprobate. This is the implication refer to ,Scripture : God causes His sun to rise over the
 of the term "common gra&". There is a grace of God          evil and the good, and does good from heaven to the
which the- wicked have in common with the righteous, whole of mankind.  ,6. In the fourth point,  they de:
the reprobate with th,e elect. This is very plain from dlare that God shows unbounden (ongehouden) good-
the original report of the committee of pre-advice on ness to the evil and the good, b.pt still `they will not be .
this  matter that advised the synod of Kalamazoo.            responsible for the ternis "general grace" and "corn--
According to their report, it must be regarded as estab- mon grace?.
lished "that God is graciously disposed and  shdws                       .
grace to them whom Scripture stamps as `ungodly' and            All ,this is rather vague and ambiguous. It leaves
`unrighteous', in whom, of course, the reprobate also many questions, t?o many for a synodical  decision that
are included." We do not know in how far the synod           is supposed to  be binding upon a whole group of
of Utrecht consciously faced this problem; but we churches.
may weli assume, as being in the ,nature of the case,           What, for instance,  is, the relation  ,between  the
that they, too,' attempted to declare something abont wrath of God `chat is revealed over all pngodlin&s and
the same niatter.                                            unrighteousn,ess  of men  ,and the "longsuffering" and
    In view of this fact, it is striking that the termin-    "unbounden goodness" pf  which the synod speaks.
ology ,in .the conclusions of both synods is rather am-      Surely, the wrath of God of which Rom. 1:18 speaks is
biguous and vague. Those that were present at `the revealed in this world, in the things of this present
sessions of the synod of Kalamazoo well know what time, in God's dealings with men here and now. It
debate and wrangling was caused by the proposition  \! is, moreover, revealed over  nZZ ungodliness  and un-
of the committee that God is gracious to the reprobate.      righteousness of men. And if we read the rest of the.
In the final conclusion the expression was dropped.          f&t chapter of the Romans, we learn that it is re-
Instead, the synod adopted the formulation of the final vealed in a most dreadful way: God, gives the wicked
s?bstitute  motion "that there is, beside the saving over frqm foolishness to greater folly, from corruptioli
grace show.n  dnly .$o the elect unto eternal life, also a to deeper. corruption..  Where, then, does  tHis  "un-
certain favor of grace of God which H& shows to /His bounden,  goodness" come. in?              -
cr&atures in general." In the meantime, in the intro-           Again, what does the synod mean by the statem'ent
ductory phrase of the first-point,  th,e expression oc- that God does not yet bring the full punishment of sin
curs : "touching  th,e favorable disposition of God to- upon  the fallen -world? Does it merely imply that the
ward manki-nd in gene+, and  not only toward the             finab judgment is not yet revealed? Does it simply
elect" ; and & the closing sentences the proof .from the mean to express the piatitude that the world is not
Confessions and from Scripture, offered by the com-          yet in hell? Or is the meaning that, in this present
mit& originally, is maintained. Although, therefore, time, God does not judge and execute a just judgment
superficiajly considered it might appear rather harm- according to th& measure and chara'cter  of the present
less to accept that God is gracious "to His creatures in     dispensation ? If the former, the synod expressed a
general," `the real meaning and danger of the first mere. commonplace truth. If the latter, the synod
point must be found in its head and tail. The synod should have confronged  the problem how this is to be
labored- und'er the di@culty of giving a l&$%rmed ap,        brought  in.  @rmony  wi$J-~  the  teaching  of  Scriptu&


        ,78'                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   BZARER.

         that the wrath. of, -God is revealed' from heaven over         meaning offer of salvation to. all. This is the very
         all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men;                    heart of the `"First. Point". And although the  theo-
              And what does the synod mean by "longshffering" ? ilogians of the Netherlands were. well acquainted with
        .Perhaps, it had in  mind the idea of "forbearance'?. .the "Fir& Point",. and also clearly understood that
        -But ,they are not the same. God is lorigsuffering over this grace of God toward the reprobate in the well-
         His people, in love. He is forbearing with respect 4%          meaning  off& is the  chief point of controversy be-
         the wicked, in wrath. If the synod meant the, latter,          tween the Christian- Reformed Church (es) and us,
         it should have used the term "forbearance", in a.de- they did not follow their siste? church in this respect,
         claration  that  is. supposed to be binding upon  the but confined themselves to God's manifestation of
     c h u r c h e s .    In that case, however, there is <no favor `"unbounden goodness" in the things of this world.
       or grace or goodness in  ,the term. If the synod took               Silence, in this cas?, therefore, vi$ually amounts
        the term in its specific sense, however, as a r.evelation       to repudiation.                         .-
         of God's love, it could not, in the light of Scripture,                              `-                                   H. H.
                                                                                                                      I.     .j
     use,it with respect to the wicked.
              Finally, what does synod mean ,whkn it declares
         that God shows unbounden goodness to the evil and -the
s        good? Does it mean merely that he bestows good gifts
         and talents upon all men, and thereby  does not .leave            THJ3  'kRiIl?LE  .KNBWEEDGE
        .Himself  without witness, showing that He  is good?
         Or does it refed to a favorable, disposition in Gdd to-
         ward the wicked as well as toward the righteous?'         -     An Exposition Of The Heidelberg
              The synod-of Utrecht certainly offered no solution
         of the problem `of tiommon.grace,  and came to no ,-defi-                           Catechisq
         nite conclusion. The--probleni  as a whole they did not                                Part Two.
       __ even see, or, at least, they avoided it. And this is-,all
         the more striking in view of the fact that. they. eould'                          Of Man's Redemption
         have profited by what had been developed in respect to                              Lord's Day XXI
         this question` in -`the  Course of the controversy in
         Anierica about this matter; and in view of the fact                                             2.           `
                                                                                                                      .
         also that they had been studying the problem. since the                 The Eiection Of The Church (c&t.)
         synod of Amsterdam in 1936.                                       The siapralapsarians  conceived of the order of the
                                                                        various elements in, God's counsel thus, that the de-
                                                                        cree of predestination precedes those of creation and
                                                                        the fall; God determined to glorify Himself in some.
                There is, however, also a-striking  differ.ence  be- whom  He ordained `unto eternal life, and in others
         tween the coriclusions pf the synod of Utrecht, 1942, whom He predestined to eternal perdition ; tHe decreed
       and those of Kalamazoo 1924.                                     `to do so in the way of sin and grace: the fall; He de-
             -The synod of Kalamazoo made a desperate attempt           creed to create.  T&e decrees of creation' and the fall
         to prove that God's grace  toward  `Q%is creatures in          serve, in God's counsel, the decree of predestination.
         general", and His favorable d&position toward man-                Hence,  th,e name supralapsarians: those who con-
         kind in keneral,  is taught in the Reformed Confessions.       ceive of the decree of predestination as abotre or b.efore
         Desperate, I say, because this  que&ion is not even the decrees concerning the fall and creation.
         touched upon in the Confessions. The synod of Utrecht,            To the i,nfralapsarians this conception was too ha?d.
         however, did not even:make  this attempt. There is,            They, therefore, kaught that th'e order of the varj;ous
         with respect to this particular point, not a. single           decrees in,`God's  eternal counsel is to be conceived as
         reference to the Confessions in the decisions of Ut&ht         similar to the order of thgir realization in history : God
        1942.              ,)           -(                              determined to create, to permit the fall, and to choose
              And this led to an  impoktant difference  in doc-         out of the fallen  .race some unto eternal life, while
         trinal contents between the declarations of Kalamazoo          leaving, others in their  sin. He&e,' the  orcler  is :
         and those of Utrecht.                                          creation, the fall, election.
              The former, in trying- to base its, `Lfavorable  dis-        `I'hey were called  infralapsarians,  because `-they
                                                                                                    .
         position of God toward mankind .in gene&" on the conceived of.tl~$ decree.  of predestination as following
         Conf&sions,  fell into the serious #error  of the Arminian those  of  cre&on  atid  %lie fall, of standing,  ,in order,
        *view that the pr.eaching  of the gospel' is grace, `on the below,  hfra,:  th&`f&lll:  --  .-,
         part of God, to all that hear it. cod's  gracipus dispo-         &s was s&$ &-its puie a@tract form, .the question
         @ion  tow@  the reprobate  is manifest  in the  well- ,seems  ..of`."i&&<  i-nf;i;;est,


                                                                                                  _.
                                    T H E             $STANDAR?   B E A R E R                                          79

   But it becomes of significance, as soon as we put Church, in that ease, is not a mere- number of indi-
the problem in this forti: what, in God's counsel, oc- viduals, but a whole, the new garment, the building
cupies'the place of end or purpose, and what of means         that was constructed out of the salvaged material.
to that `end?                                    ,            To this vi,ew, too, it must be objected that it'presup-
   In connection with our disCussion of the gathering poses  `frustratiori of God's original purpose. It is
of the elect church out of the whole human race, the          unworthy of God. The powers of darkness are strong-
question can be, formulated as follows: what. is the .er than the  Almighty.              The devil, sin, and death,
relation; in God's decree, between the original organism gain a mighty victory, even though they may be over-
of creation, and of the whole human race, on the one          come at last. The view' is dualistic. But God is God
hand, and the organism, of  the  body of Christ, the
                                                      . .     alone, and there is none beside Him. He is ever the
Church on the other?                                          Lord, and He alone. .And II4is wisdom is infinite. His
   Is this relation such that God, in His decree, con- work can never be, destroyed .or marred, nor can any
ceived of the first creation as.`an end in itself, then power ever thyark His purpose.
foresaw the fall `and the corruption of His creation                `Once more, shall  w,e say then that, through the
through sin and .death,  and then determined to,`save         devil, sin,  and death, nothing is` really destroyed,
out bf that okiginal world and human, race a number of although. some parts fall away?                  Shall we  us'e the
individual human beings, whom He purposed to glorify figure of a beautiful vase. that is broken, byt that is
in Christ? Then the situation arises that God's pur-          so ably and carefully repaired that no one can detect
pose is frustyated,  His creation is lost,. and all that is that it was ever brokenc? Then the original creation
sajvaged  out of  th,e world is a number of elect, the is still the purpose `of God, sin and death interfere with
more the better. Through the devil and the will of this purpose and mar God's work -temporarily, but
man, God's work is actually destroyed, and .His real          God repairs His `work in Christ and brings then world
purpose is frustrated. The counsel and work of God to its original glory and beauty. Even in  that ease,
may then be compared to a beautiful home that is however, you have no satisfactory answer to the ques-
built (God's original creation in Adam), that is set tion: why, in the wisdom of God, tiuSt sin enter into
on fire by an enem$ (the devil, man's fall), but from the world? Even then God's work is, for a time at
which, out of the roaring,@mes,  some precious pieces least, marred, and it requires all the suffering of sin
of furniture are salvaged (the salvation of the elect         and death, yea, evep the death of His Son, to restore
in Christ). To express the matter thus, however, is the world to its original beauty and perfection; And
sufficient to condemn it as unworthy of God and His           this can never be allowed, ,for the same fundamental
unsearchable wisdom. God's, codnsel shall stand, and reason that God is God, the only Potentate of poten-
He will surely do all  IHis, good pleasure. His work tates, that (33e always does all His good pleasure, and
is never frustrated, and all thifigs are subservient to that all things must be strictly subservient to His
His sovereign good pleasure. From our limited view- counsel and eternal purpose.                                      I'
p&it, it may appear as if sin is an. accident, and as if            There is only one answer to this question: not the
the devil actually succeeded in frustrating God's coun- original creation and human race in Adam are first
sel, and.`in seriously marring the beautiful handiwork in God's counsel, not these are the end He has in view;
of God: in God's coynsel all things are but means  unto but the Church and all the new and glorified creation
the realization of the purpose !He had in ,view. Yet,         in Christ. The Church is-not an afterthought of God,
this is, in last analysis, the Arminian view : the race       it is not the product of repair-work: it is Gdd's origi,nal
is lost, a number of individuals are saved.           :       design. He purposed to glorify. Himself. by realizing
   ,Or shall we say that God's original purposk was the His everlasting covenant of friendship in Christ tHis
first creation, the  developmelit  and perfection of all      Son, and, through Christ, in the millions upon millions
things in the first Adam ; that sin ma.de the realization     of  elect  that, constitute His  bodjr, and in whom the
of this original plan impossibl,e;  and that now God, in glory of God in Christ must shine forth in the highes't
Christ, and by the power of grace, makes something possible degree; That is the end. And all the rest,
else out of the wr.eckage,  the Cl?urchT To use \he same creation and the fall, reprobation and all the powers
figure once more, the house is built according to plan        of darkness, and all the history of this world are, in
and .specifications ; an evil enemy attempts to destroy the decree of God, but means unto .tlie realization of
it by fire ; but enough ;building  tiaterial is salvaged      that end.
$rom the. fire to erect another building, qtiite different          Only this conception is worthy of God.
from the or`iginal plan. Or, to use another figure, a          '
                                                                This is the  `current teaching of Holy Writ. It is
taylor plans to make a complete suit of-clothing out          implied in the figure of the chaff and the, wheat, so
of a beautiful piece of  cl&h  ; a  thi&f cuts into the frequently used in the Bible. When the farmer sows
cloth and steals part of it; atid 110~ the tailor decides tiheat,  he also grows the straw and the chaff, but his
to make a pair of trousers out of what  iS  left..  The       purpose is' the wheat: the straw and the  yhaff are


 80                                     THE'-  STANDARD'.  B.EARER

subservient to the wheat, and when they have served hi& and -through .him, and to him, are all things : to
their purpose they are separated from the wheat and. whom be glory for evkr and ever. Amen."
burnt. This only explains the words of the apostle in
I Cor.  3:21-23: `"For all things are yours ; Wheth*er                                  -I
Paul, or Apollos,  or Cephas, or- the world, or life, or
death, or things  prese`nt, or things to come ; all are                                        3.
yours  ; And ye are Christ's  ; `and Christ is  G6d's."                        `Phe Gathering `Of The Church.
This conception of all things in the counsel of God                  .
is the background of the teaching of the Scriptures                 I believe an holy catholic church.
that all things work together for good to them that                 That is our confession.
love God, who are the called according to His purpose,              Ideally, this Church comprises all the redeemed,
Rom. 8 :28; and of the assurance that `(in all these            delivered, called, sanctified, and glorified elect; and as
things we are more than conquer&s through him such, in its ideal perfectioll,  it exists as yet only in the
that loved us," so that `"neither death,-  nor life, nor ete$nal counsel of God.. "For whoni `he did foreknow,
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things pre- he also did predestinate t3 be conformed to the image
sent, nor things to coine, nor height, nor depth, nor           of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
&`other creature, shall be able to separate us from brethren.                  Moreover whom  he did predestinate them
-ilie love of God, which is in Christ J'esus our Lord." he also called: and whom he called, them he also justi-               '
This view of  God'.s eternal good pleasure is taught            fied: and whoni he justified, them he also glorified;"
directly in many passages of Scripture, most clearly,           Rom. 8 129, 30.
perhaps, in that grand eulogy upon the glory of. Christ            But this Church is gathered in tim.e.
which is found in -Cal. 1 :P5ff., and in which Christ               The Heidelberg Catechism instructs us "that the
is p?esented as the beginning and end, the alpha and            Son of God from the beginning, to the end of the world,
omega of all things in the counsel of the Most High:            gathers, defends,  and preserves to himself, by his Spirit
"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn           and Word, out of the whole human race, a church
of every creature : For by him were all things created,         chosen to everlastirig life."
that are in heaven, atid &hat are in earth, visible and            From the whole human race, from every nation,
i&isible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or 2nd tongue, and tribe, and from every age and gener-
principalities, or powers: all things were created ,by          ation that ever existed or will exist even to the end
him, -and fpr him. And he is before all  things,  and- of ages, the holy catholic Church is gathered. Always,'
by him all thifigs,  consist. And he is the head of the therefore, in every generation, the Church exists in
body, the church : who is the beginning, the firstborn, the world. There was hever a period in history in
from the dead ; that in all things he might have the which the Church was obliterated. The  line.of her
preeminence.       For it pleased the Father that in him history is unbroken. And constantly she increases in
should all the fulness dwell ; And haviilg made peace nunibers. For as she is gathered out of the human
through the, blood of the cross, by him to reconcile all        race, she exists, for a time, in this world, in order then
things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they `be to pass on into the Church, in glory. IHence; the holy
things in earth, or things in heaven."                          Catholic Church consists, till the end. of- time, of three
       `Hence, it is "the mystery of his will, $zcording to     parts: the Church on  ear;th, or the Church militant
his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:            and in suffering, though always Victorious ; the Church
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he in heaven, or the Church~ in glory; and the Church that
might gather together in one all things in Christ, both         must still be born and called  `out of future genera-
which are in heaven, and which are on earth." Eph.              t i o n s .
1:9, 10.                                                           To call the Church in heaven the' Church victorious
                                                                or triumphant in-distinction from the Church on earth
       The onzega, that `is, the glorified Church in Christ,    as the Church militant, as if the latter were not vic-
in  th,e new heavens  and, `earth, is the  r&&n in the          torious, is incorrect. For the Church  is always vic-
counsel of God, and all things are ordained to be sub- torious in Christ, also here in the world. In Christ
servient to that end.                                           believers are'more than conquerors, even-in  the midst
       Thus, and thus only, we can understand the words of the battle. Nor is the Church in heaven completely
of `Holy Writ: "0 the depth of the riches both of the glorified and victorious. For- the last enemy, that is
wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable               death, must still be overcome, and shall not be over-
are his judgments, and his ways past findiig out ! For come until the last "moment", when the trumpet shall
who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. But
been his counsellor?  Or who bath first.given to him,           it is irue that those that have,gone befor,e have escaped
$nd -it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of from tribulation, that they are clothed with -perfect


                                              ,


                                      `THE  STANDA'RD  BEAKER                                                                    81

  righteousness,  .and that they enjoy a heavenly fel- ered  out of material that `is completely unfit. The
  lowship  &h God in Christ,  which the Church on human race, out of which the Church is gathered, is
  earth does not. yet know. For the rest, w.e may re- guilty and damnable, object of the holy wrath of God ;
  mark .that also the saints in heaven shall not be saved the Church is the communion of the justified, the per-
- and enter inta the final perfection without us. That fectly righteous, the dbjeet of God's everlasting love.
  perfection cannot be realized until. the last of the          The human race' is polluted and defiled ; the Church is
  saints shall have been called, and the body of Christ the fellowship of perfect saints,  without  spot or
  shall be complete ; until the saints shall have been per-     wkinkle..  The human race stands in enmity against
  feoted, body and soul, through the resurrection of the        God; and its members refuse to glorify Him and to _
  d'ead; and until the new heavens and earth shall have give !Eim thanks, stand in rebellion against Hiin, curse
  been .formed,  the New Jerusalem shall have dese6nded         and  profane His holy name ; `the Church is a royal
  from heaven upon the new earth, and the tabernacle of priesthood, wholly  consecrtited to God, offering up
  God shall be with God forever.                                spiritual sacrifices of praise and adoration to the God
     Until that final moment-, then, also the glorified of h& salvation. `I'he human race lies in the midst of .`,.
  Church in heaven has a history. We can readily death; the Church is the'living body of Christ, filled -".
  understand this when, -in the iight of Scripture, we with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Yet, .
  compare .the state of the Church `in glory of the new the one is gathered out of the other! The Church is
  dispensation with that of the old. Abel was, as far as not an utterly neti creation, called out of nothing, but
  we know, the. first saint that entered into glory. But the compaily  of those that are gathered out of the old
  he was  there alone.     There were no other saints.          race, transformed by the wonder of  g&e.                       How
  Gradually, as the Church was gathered on earth, and marvellous, then, is that wonderwork of God whereby
  throu'gh  death passed into the Chulnch in heaven, the He gathers His Church .otit of the whole human race !
  latter increased in numbers, in fellowship, and in It is the tailing of light out of dark,ness,  of righteous-
  blessedness. But even so, Christ was not yet, neither. ness out of `damnableness, of incorruption out  bf cor-
  with  the Church on earth, nor among the saints in ruption: it is the resurrection of the dead!  '
  heaven. The promise had not yet been realized. The                The Catechisni doei well, therefofe, to ascribe this.
  blood  of atonement was not yet shed. .We get the work of gathering the Church otit .of `ihe whole humtin
  impaession from Scripture that  the  `6accuser of the         race as exclusively the work of God: the Son of God,
  brethren" still had access to heaven, to accuse them by His Spirit and- Word, gather's, defends, and p?e-
  day and night before God. .And it was not until Christ serves tinto himself a church chosen tinto everlasting
  had come,' had been crucified, and raised from the dead, life.
  to enter into the heavenly glory, that the accuser of             How utterly. impossible it is_ that .man should have
  the brethren was east down, and the Church in glory a share in this work of calling the Church, or that he
  saw the realization of the promise.       The ascension `should cooperate with God in the building of His holy
  of Christ was a glorious day for the Church in heaven.        templti !
  And even n0w the nutiber of the heavenly throng is              And how sinfully absurd and preposterous it is to
  constantly increased, and with us they look for the           conceive of the Church as something that comes into
  day when all the saints &all have been gathered in,           existence by the will and through the efforts of man!
  and the "moment" of their final redemption shall                                                                   H. H.
  arrive.
     This gathering of the-church from the beginning of
  the world to the end, from every nation. and `tongue                                              -'
  and tribe, is a. gre$t wonderwork of God in history.                                                    L
  It is not too much to say that it is even more marvel-                                IN  MEMORIAM
  lous than the w&k of God-in creation. 0, indeed, the
  work of God in creating all things is amazing. It                 Whereas it has  plealxd  our  H,eavenly   ,Father   t3 take unto
  lies wholly beyond  the scope `of our comprehension. Bimself our fellow Society member,
  By it -God stands revealed to us as God Almighty, the                                                                  "
  absolute Lord, Who calls the things that are not as                             P E T E R   JOHNSO&
  if they were. But consider now His -work of gather-
  ing the Church out of the whole human race, and you the Men's Society of the First Protestant .Reformed  Church at
  will. admit that it i? even more marvellous still. In I(a&&oo,  wishes hereby to extend  its  kytipathy  to the be-
  crea&g  the world, .He reveals -Himself as the One reaved family.
  that .calls the things that are not `as if they were ; .in
  gathering the Church, He becomes known to us as the                                                   H.  Veldman,  Pres.
 One that quicl&s the dead. For QF+ Church is gath-                                                     C. Lang&and, Sec'y.


  ,82                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R '

                                                               tbgether with the tabernacle in which this house had
           ,THE DAY OF SHADOWS                                 served and continued to; serve until, thrust but of office
                                                               by Solomon, had been disgraced, brought under a cloud
                                                               by the terrible prophhecies  that had been spoken against
                                                               it--pr6phecies  known to all Israel and that already
  The Tabernacle of Shiloh Forsaken had gone into 1:artia.l fulfillment. It -is a good eon-
                                                               jecture therefore ithat this house and the sanctuary in
         Though the people of  Israel had put away their which it still served was  aheady being forsaken in
  idols  an'd were again serving .the Lord, the Ark of Samuel's day. For the fiation would naturally recoil
 God was not restored to the tabernacle of Shiloh ; it from having high priests, under the.ban of God, mak- -.
  continued to abide in. the house of. Abinadab mar@ ing atonement for its accumulative sins on the great
 . decades, definitely until David had. it ,removed  into a    clay of atonement. Besides, with the Ark of Kirjath-
  tent that he, himself, had pitched for it on Mt. Zion. jearim, this particular atonement could not even be
This tent was not the  taberliacle of Shiloh, the one made, as it required that the blood of the slain victim
  constructed by Moses in the wilderness. The reason be carried into the holiest placg and sprinkled on the
  that the Ark was not removed to Shiloh's tabernaele mercy seat of .the Ark.
  is that this tabernacle had been permanently abandon-           That already in Samuel's -day Shiloh's tabernacle
  ed by the Lord. We read of this in Ps. `78: The people was being forsaken is, a view supported further by
  of Israel, having provoked the Lord to anger with Samu&s doing according to which he `built an altar
  their high places, the Lord, says this psalm, "forsook in  Ramah, his place of residence where he judged
  the taberna&le of Shiloh." Samuel and the faithful in Israel, I Sam.  7:17. This doing of Samuel had no
  Israel wei-e aware of this certainly. They perceived, little significance. It meant that  Ramah, definitely
  as taught by the.Lord, that He was not to return toa Samuel's altar,  :was now a chief  place of worship
  Shiloh's tabernacle and that therefoke  it wad His will in Israel, and that therefore Shiloh's tabernacle and
  that the Ark abide in Kirjaihjearim,  until He order it everything connected with it-priesthood, altar, `and
removed to `a new sanctuary, that he would. construct service-had been abandoned by  ,God and was now
 `,for it. As the judgments of God in consequence of the also being abandoned by `His people. That this is
  profanation of the sacrifices by the sons of Eli had no idle conjecture is plain from the text at I Kings 3 :2,
 .removed  the Ark from Shiloh's tabernacle,- the people       "Only. the people` sacrificed in high places, because
  `of Israel would not  dar,e to return `the Ark to this there was no house built unto the Lord." Such is
  `sanctuary on their own authority.       What is more, here the testimony of the sacred writer arid this de-
  though the people of Israel had put away their idols spite the `fact tl&t at the time the tabernhcle, the one
  and wei-e again serving the Lord only, they still felt,      contructecl by Moses in the desert, was in  Gibeon.
  and now more than ever, seeing that they had repented Instead of appearing with their animal sacrifices in
  and were thus filled with a lively sense of their un-        Gibeoh,  the people sacrificed in the high. places. As we
  worthinevs, that they could not stand before this holy shall see, there is ground in, the. sacred text for the
  Lord God. The  L,oY;d's  slaying the men of  .Bethshe- view that at this time and for several decades pr,evious
  mesh to the number of 50,070, on account of their un- to this time-it was in the days of the beginning of
  holy bearing toward the Arkj had made a deep ancl            Solomon's reign-there was not an organized priest-
abiding impression upon the  pepple.                           hood connected with  .the tabernacle through which
   : The Lord had thus rejected not alone the law- the people could 8acrifice. Such also`may be the impli-
 opposing priesthood ,of Eli and his race, but the very catiori of the text at I Kings 3  :4.  .For though the
  tabernacle in connection with which this priesthood temple was not yet built, there w-as the tabkrnacle in -
 had functioned and was stili.functioning as well. For Gibeon.                                                          .-
  Eli's house WAS hot immediately deposed from dffice.            The view that  th'e tabernacle  had'been abandoned
  Up to Solomon's time, -descendants of Eli were high by the  nation does not militate against the text at
  priests and this in connection with Shiloh's, tabernacle.    II  Chron.  1:3, where  we read, "`So Solomon, and all
  But all was permanenttly forsaken of God-Shiloh's the congregation with him, went to the high place that
 tabernacle, its priests and its service performed by its was at  Gibeon,  for there was the tabernacle of the
  priests. And th.e clear `evidence of this' was the Lord's congregation of God, whi`eh Moses the s&vant of the
  refraining from ordkring the Ark removed to Shiloh's L!ord had made for it in the wilderness.  *But the
  sanctuary. It is not unlilfely therefore, that, with the Ark of God.had  Dabid brought up from Kirjathjearim
  Ark of God in Kirjathjearim and with the high priests to the place which David had prepared for .it : for he
  of that day under the ban of God, they'being of the had'pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. .Mor&over,  the
  house of Eli, all the, sacrifices connected with `Shiloh's ,brazen  altar, that Bezaleel the son of Hur had made,
  t@ern@e  were l&ely digcontinued. ' For Eli's house
                       _ .                                     fie put before the tabernacle sf the l&Cl; and Soidmon


                                     T         H              E                  S'l'AI+~AlXD:"BEArLER                        83

   and the congregation sought after it. And  Solokon              sembled in Mizpah,  weEe being threatened by the
   went up thither to the brazen altar before the Lord,            Philistines  and in their great terror pressed Samuel
   which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and `not to cease to pray for them, "Samuel,,`, so we read,
   offered a thousand  burnt. offerings upon it. And in            `$,ook a suckling lamb, .and offered a' burnt offering
   that night God appeared unto Solomon."                          ,wholly  unto  the Lord," I Sam.  `7:8, 9. Disregarding
      This whole passage leaves the impression that what           Samuel's instruc$ions, "~7,-au1 said, Bring hither a btirnt-
  `it speaks of is an extraordinary event, to wit, the re-         offering to me, and peace offerings. `And he dffered
   establishing of public worship at the -tabernacle &at           the burnt offering. And it came to G&S, that'as soon
   for a long time had been suspended. We should mark as he had mad,e an end of offering the burnt offering,
   the following. The passage asserts that the tabernacle          behold, Samuel. .came;  . . . .And  Samuel said, What
   was at Gibeon.  This is an indirect statement to the            hast thou done? And Saul said . . . :I forced myself
   effect that it was no longer at Nob, the city of priests. therefore, alid offered a burnt offering. And Samuel
   The first book of Samuel reveals the reason of the said, Thou hast done foolishly. . . .`, I Sam. 13. Hav-
   removal of the tabernacle from Nob to Gibeon.       All ing brought in the Ark, and set i?u in its place i;z the
   but one of the pri:ests  in Nob had been slain by Saul. midst bf the tabernacle that David had pitched for it,
   This massacre would have made an end of the worship             "David offered burnt  off.erings, and peace offerings
 in  connectiQn  with the tabernacle, had there been befbre the Lord," I Sati. 6 :1'7. Going  up  to the brazen
   suck  a service, which is' doubtful. Such a worship             altar before  the Lord in  Gibeon,  Solomon "offered a
   could not be r,esumed  until the priesthood had been thousand burnt offerings. upon it," II  5 Chron.  1:3.
   reorganized. And this reorganization .did not take These Scripture passages seem to answer our question
   place until after the cqmplletion of the building of the unequiv&ally and this in the affirmative. They state
   temple. The passage' asserts that while the worship that Samuel, Saul, David, and Sdlomon offered  satiri-
   in  Gibeon was in progress, the Ark of God was in          fices and thus performed priestly offices. But, these
   Jerusalem. The thrust of this assertion is that the passages do not settle the  mattei.  There are other
, worship going on -in  Gibeon was characterized by scriptures to be considered. .At I Kings 3 :2 w'e are tqld
   radical abnormality because of the abselice of the Ark. that "the people. sacrificed in the high places", the .
  Finally' the passage tells us that  Solomoti  l&t the reason being that "there was no house built ,unto the
   brazen altar bef0r.e the tabernacle of the L,ord. Thus Lord." At II Chron.  5  :6 it is asserted that "King
   it was restored to its proper place, which for a long Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that tiere
   time, such is doubtless the, implication, it had not assembled unto him before the Ark-the occasion was
   occupied. But the nation now had need-of that altar,       the dedication of the temple-sacrificed sheep and
   for with its new king it was .seeking after God, and       oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for
   the altar was the meeting place between God and Hiti multitude." Thus .if the statement "Samuel, Saul
 people.    A  thousand burnt offerings were offered; offered sacrifices" can only mean that they performed
   and the Lord smelled a sweet savor and appear,ed unto strictly priestly functions,  that  i.s, performed duties
   Solomon that night. So he  and his people did find that belonged to the office of the Levitical priesthood,
  the Lord there at that altar, though it was put before it  sh&ll have to be  tiaintained that, on the occasion
  a tabernacle-the tabernacle of Shiloh-that God had of the dedication of the temple,, all the people per-
  forsaken. This is precisely the point that the sacred       formed, priestly offices. For of the people, too, it iS
  writer argues, when he says, "But the -Ark of God had       stated that they sacrificed sheep and oxen that could
  David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place that not be told for multitude. Yet certainly this cannot be.
  DaJid had prepared ,for it. . . . . Moreover the brazen But in Samuel's .day the priesthood was disorganized
  alter he-Solomon-put before the tabernacle of  the and therefore it is not unlikely~that,  at least on some
  Lord." This assembly of the nation through its lead- occasions, he did perform strictly priestly offices.
  ers at  Gibeon  be`fore the face of the  L'ord must have But nothing is certain here. Yet this much does seem
  been the first of its kind ,after the -extirpation of the certain, namely, that the' direction and furtherance of
  priesthood ,of Nob, or even aker the capture of the matters df religious life was in the hand of Samuel
  Ark by the Philistines.                                     and not in the hand of the highpriest, and that -thus
      There is also the question whether  Samuel  (and the institutional-personal tiniting point of religious life
  Saul) David and Solomon performed priestly  ,offices.       and service of Israel was SamGel. This seems clearly
  This is the .common view: Let us- attend to .the, Scrip- indicated by the words-of .the maidens to Saul, "For
  ture passages that bear on the, matter. There are the the people will not eat until he-Samuel-come, be-
   instructioni of Samuel to Saul at I Sam. 10:8, "`And cause he doth bles? the sacrifices ; and afterwards they
  thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal: and behold, eat that is bidden," I Sam. 9  :13.                    T h e   o f f i c i a t i n g
   I will coine down to thee, to offer burnt offerings, and dignitary at this sacrifice was plainly Samuel. Cer-
  to sacrifice sacrifices." When the people of Israel, as- tain it is that with the people sacrificing in the high


   -.
I 84  `.                                     T H E '   STA&  DA:D  BEABti'r,
    places instead of in the court of the tabernacle, the house, as the context of the above-cited scripture and
    direction of religious life was not in the hands of the other related scripture passages indicate,  &as .a  race
    high priest.  As to Saul, his full  .gu,il$   can be main- of high priests descended in a line from Ithamar to.th,e
    tained, even though it be denied that he performed last  mal'e offspring of Eli. From Eli's son -on-Eli
    strictly priestly functions. For hjs. sacrifice at Gilgal was `a descendant of  Xamar-this race would be
    was brought at his command and by his direction. As Eli's house. And as Eli's father's house and the house
    to Samuel, it is difficult to see that the calling where- of Eli were segments of $he same genealogical line, the
    with  he was called by the Lord required the-perform- arm of Eli's father's house was cut off through the
    ance of strictly priestly `offices ; and the same is true cutting off of the arm of the house of Eli. So,  doubt-
    of the calling of David.and Solomon. That it is said 1~s~ are we to understand the divine communication of
  of the people that they sacrificed, despite their per- the "man of God" to Eli, `"I had said indeed that thy
    forming no priestly functions, can be explained. 1. The house and the house of thy father should walk before
    animal sacrifice was the gift of the worshipping Israel- `me ever:.but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me;
    ite. 2. IHe and not the priest slew the victim.' 3. It      . . . . Behold the days  &all come that I will cut off
    was for his sins that the victim shed its blood. 4. `chine arm, and the arm of thy father's house: . .  ."
    Through the action with the victim-its choice  pa&s As was.said, the arm of a house or family is its power,
    were placed upon the altar and consumed by fire-the         strength.  ,God would cut off the arm of; Eli's house,
    believing -worshipper gave utterance to his faith. But its strength, by removing through death all its mem-
    the  priest   -made  a%oeement for his sins, `which con- bers in the flower of their manhood. Thus spake the
    sisted in his presenting the shed blood of the victim unnamed  pro.phet to Eli, "There shall not be an old
    before the face of God'by-striking it upon the horns of man in thy house."
 ., the altar.                                                     However, there is ground `in %he Scriptures for t&e
         As to the whereabouts: of  Shiloh's  taberriacle  in view that `"Eli's father's house" included not merely
    those' days, Scripture reveals that it was removed the  genealogi&l line of high priests. that proceeded
    from Shilo;h to Nob and thence to Gib,eon,  I Sam. 21:6 ; from Ithamar but Ithamar's  whole offspring as well
    I Kings  3:4; II Chron.  1:3. But whether at Shiloh, -his offspring  contemporar'y  with Eli and in active
    Nob, or $ibeon, it remained Shiloh'! tabernade-  reject-    service in Shiloh under Eli's jurisdiction, and later on.
  ed of God  ; and over its  pri@sthood-Eli's  house and h-is offspring contemporary with Eli's grandson, the
    the house of his father-the wrath .of God continued high priest Ahimelech and in active service in Nob
    to  be. revealed through the years in fulfillment of        under Ahimelech"s jurisdiction. If this view is cor-
    Samuel's prophecy that Israel might know that sacri- rect, and doubtless it i& as we presently shall see, the
    fices without obedience~is  iniquity.                       curse of God .was opeiative not only in EZ$s descendants
                                                                but also in Eli's brethren, descendants of Ithamar,
                                                                contemporary with Eli and serving God's altars in
                                                                Shiloh under his oversight. As was said, there is
                                                                ground for this view in the scriptures. J Chron. 24:4
                                                                ,states that. "there w&e more. chief men found of the
         We must now concentrate on the two terms "Eli's        sons  of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar.  -. . .
    house", and "Eli's father's house" and determine the        Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief
    scope of the operation of divine wrath in the offspring men of the house of their fathers, and eight among
    of Ithamar in punishment of its sins. The distinction the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their
    "Eli's house", and "Eli's father's house" is contained fathers." According to this passage their were eight
    in the doleful message of the unnamed prophet to Eli, more chief men among ihe descendants of Ebeazar then
   ~"Behold the days come` that He-the Lord-will cut off living, than among  t_he offspring  ,of Ithamar.  This
    thine arm and the arm of thy father's house, that there doubtless indicates that the total .number of Ithamar's
    shall not be an old man in thine house," I Sam. 2 :31.- living offspring was remarkably small in comparison
    Aaron had four sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and at the time. If tkiis interpretation of these  .figur,es is
   Ithamar.  Nadab and Abihu were killed by the Lord            correct, and doubtless it is, we have here in this text
    for their having .offered  strange fire on God's altar.     a. good ground for the view that the curse of God,
    They had no offspring,  I., Chron.  24:2.  Therte  were spoken over Eli's house,. was operative in the whole
    thus two priestly houses in.. Israel, and only two,         offspring of Ithamar contemporaneous with Eli, and'
    Eleazar's and that  .of Ithamar. After the death of in all the descendants of this offspring and thus not
    AaPon, the high.priestly  office was filled by%Eleazar,     merely in the seed of Eli. Looking into the' Scriptures,
    but was later transferred, for a reason not revealed, we plainly see that curse operative through the years
    from his house to that of. Tthamar. We are.now  ready in that wider circle also.  The- first to fall was Eli.
    to deal with the term, "Eli's father's house". This Next his two `sons were overthrown on' the same day


                                     T H E   S T - A N D A R D   -  B E A R E R                                   85

 that Eli died. Then the Philistine s came to Shiloh-          tude. These sons were not being condemned by the
I the Philistines, flushed with their victories over Israel's public opinion of Shiloh, the city of priests. They
  armies  and over Israel's God, so they thought. And were not being restrained by Eli nor by his colleagues.
 they killed- many priests there in Shiloh, all descendants Not one priest in that city of priests `frowned upon
  of Ithamar, as we -shall prove, serving -under Eli. We their doing. They were permitted to do with Israel's
learn of this massacre of priests from Ps. 78. Stating         sacrifices as they pleased's0  far as that body of priests    -
 that the Lord forsook &he tabernacle of Shiloh, on ac- in Shilohr was concerned. Therefore did the curse of
  count of Israel's sins, the psalmist goes on to relate the God, prQllQLmCed  upon Eli and his house, work also
  other calamiti'es  that befell the nation at that time,      in the  house of his father. Also the increase of this
 also that "their priests fell by the sword." The .refer- house was dying in the flower of their age.
 ence `here is not merely to the fall of the two sons of        As was said, this state of things must  have  be&i
 Eli, but to the slaughter of a large number of priests,       a cause of grief to the faithful in Israel. They knew
 as is indicated by the character of the statement, which and saw before their :eyes that the high priests-sdns.
 is general and impersonal.                                    of Eli-were laboring under the curse 6f God, as also
     The next slaughter aniong these priests-orf.spring        the house of  Eii's father. They perceived that the
 of Ithamar-was by Saul in his frenzy.  We" read of            Lord had rejected this priesthood, as He refused to
 this in I Sam. 22. `The tabernacle at the .time was at return to the holiest place of the tabernacle in which
 Nob. Thither the wrath of the Philistines had driven this priesthood was s&ving. There was no organized
 the `high priest arid his brethtien  in service-the house priesthood after the fall of Eli, certainly not after
 of !Itham&r. And they had taken the tabernacle with ihe slaying -of the high priest Ahimelech, the `grandson
 them. Fleeing fronl the wrath of Saul, David came to          of Eli, and of the other priests of Nob. But the L~rcl
 this city, inhabited solely by the house of Ithamar, as had giiien IHis people a promise whereby to live. He
 appears'from the sequen&and  was givkn some bread             had said to His people `by the mouth of the "mast cif
 by the high priest Ahimeleeh. Hear.ing  of it, Saul was       God": And I will raise .me up a faithful priest, that
 furious. `He summoned the high priest and his col-            shall do according to. that `which is in mine heart and
 leagues into his presence to answer to the charge of in my mind : and he shall walk before my anointed for-
 conspiring against the king.       Eighty five of their ever," I Sam. 2  :35. This  prophecy implied that the
 number obeyed the summons and all were slain. Then house of. Eli and the house of Eli's father would be
 Saul or perhaps Doeg w'ent to Nob, t&e city of priests,       ejected from the office of priest. It implied, did this
 and smote there everything that breathed-`"men and prophecy, the virtual ejection of Eli's house and of
 women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and the house of his- father from. the office of priest in the
 sheep." All the slain priests were descended from very moment that this prophecy was uttered ; and this
 Ithamar. This is indicated by the statement that "Then prophecy was known to all Israel. Yet at  1 Chron.
 the king sent to call Ahimelech the Priest-highpriest 18 :16 Ahimelech, the son bf Abiathar, the great grand-
 -the  son, of- Ahitub, and all h-is father's house, the son of Eli is mentioned as sharing with Zadok the
 priests that were in Nob." As was stated, Ahimelech position of high priest at the close of David's reign.
 was the grandson of Eli- and thus the offspring of Thus at this time the house of Eli had ,not yet been
 Ithamarj and likewise all the priests of Nob, being thrust out from being priest. This can be explained.
 as they were the house of Ahimelech's father. All Though. the Lord had let it be known by the mouth of
 these priests w&e slain to a man with the exception the unnamed prophet that according to His counsel,
 .of Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech. He escaped the            the house of Eli was to be deposed, He had not corn-.
 slaughter and sought safety with David. These divine manded its deposition. Nor do we read anywhere of
 visitations over the house of Eli's father leave but little the giving  of. such a command. Yet was this  house%
 room for doubting the correctness of the view that thrust out from the office of priest. It eventually fell
 the curse of God operated also in that wider circle of. thrbugh its own wickedness in the person-of Abiathar
 Ithamar's seed. It would have to-  be considered rather and his son  Ahimelech.  When David-  was old and
 remarkable, if it had been otherwise. 1 For this would        stricken in years, Abiathar supported Adoriijah, who
 needs have. to-imply that of all Eli's colleagues in active wanted to be king.  ZMomon was crowned, and now
 service. in Shiloh, and. there must have been several Adbnijah again began to plot, his aim once more being
of them, common priests, on1.y the two sons of Eli were        to seiz'e the kingdom for h&self;  and Abiathar again
 profain men. Now this is not likely. But it may  b,e was  ayong his followers. - Summoning him into his
 considered certain that all, the rest df those priests,       presence, the king told him that he had tiade himself
 members of the house of Eli's father, exposed them- worthy of death and ordered him to his own fields,
 selves to the wr-ath of GQd,. if not by doing the v&y         I Kings 2 :26. And the comment  of the' sacred writer-
 things that the two sons of Eli did; t&q by assuming reads, "So Solomon thrust out Abiathar -from being
 toward: their atsocities  Eli!s. lax and indifferent atti-    priest unto the`Lord ;. that he might fulfill &he word of
                                                                                    \

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

 the Lord, wtiich he spake `concerning the house of Eli in his own ddmain and paid lip service to the king. B u t
  in Shiloh," verse 27.                                         by the time of Philip  J$ and Boniface VIII, France  4
         The "faithful priest".  now  appearred.  This priest had become one of the most consolidated and powerful
  was Zadok, the offspring of  Eleazar, who now was kingdoms in Europe. By the influence of the crusades,
  installed as sole highpriest. The fall of Abiathar may the `power of the nobles had been broken and was now
  have involved the fall of the whole house of Eli's concentrated in the crown. Germany, on the other
  father. As was stated in a former article, the Zadokite hand, was still a loose federation of pretty states,
  family continued in an unbroken line to Christ. It united under the supremacy of a ruler, who, as was
  means that the Lord built this priest. a house indeed.        state&  bore the title of emperor but who had no actual
  But'the final fulfillment of tlie promise of a `"faithful     power, and who therefore was powerless to suppress
  priest/,--was  Christ.  H,e' did according to that which the incessant wars between the German princes and
  was in God's heart and mind perfectly.  IHim `God the cities and the discord of the' lower nobility. Ger-
  build ,ti sure. house-the churchiwhich He purchased `many being a house divided against itself, the emperor
  .by His own blood.'                                           could offer no resistance to th,e pope's enchroachments.
                                              G .   M .   0;    But with Philip IVit was different. As the ruler of a
                                                                united and powerful kingdom,-and as heading a people
                                                                who, like the rest of the peoples of Europe, was fast
                                                                losing its dread for the thunderings of the papacy,
                            /
               I                                                Philip was more than a match for the pope.
                                                                      Not that Philip was a good king. A French chron-
             THROUGH THE  AG;ES'  .' icler describes his character in this language, "A cer-
                                                                tain king of France, also named Philip, eaten up .by the
                                                                fever of avarice and cupidity." When Philip acceded
             King Philip IV of France                           to the throne, he was seventeen years of age. They
              and Pope Boniface VIII                            called him "The Fair" then, for he was a youth of
                                                                uncommon beauty. And in a crisis he was brave, too.
                                                                Besides,  he was determined in the execution of his
         As we saw, the long struggle for temporal power plans and as ilitelligent `in the ,contrivaice  thereof but
  between Germany's emperors and Rome's  pop+s came just as unscrupulous. !He was cruel against his enemies
  to an end. But  the struggle continued. And it was and kept nb faith with his subjects, for whose rights
  the same old struggle. All that changed was the field he was filled with a scatidal"ous  co@empt. But,he stood
  of confli'ct and the contestants. As .we will see, that for an independent France, as  over against a prance
  fikld was now France, and the contestants the King ruled from out of Rome by the long arms of the papacy,
  of France, Philip IV, and Pope Boniface (1294-1303). the bishops and archbishops of the Roman hierarchy.
         The separate history of France began with the He had been nine years king when Boniface VIII be-
 s partition of Verdun in 843. As has already been ex- came pope. During that time he had greatly diminish-
  plained, Charles the Great, who succeed'ed  his father ed the power of the church in civil functions. He had
  Pepin in 768, brought under his rule  a!1 Western removed the clergy from judicial posts and had cut the
  Europe and thereby established the Roman Germanic administratjon of civil affairs in the hands of laymen.
  or the so-called IHoly Roman Empire. But the mighty Besides, he had raised the taxes on the enormous
  empire of Charles went the way of all the kingdoms of amount of real estate acquired by the church through
the great conquerors of the ages preceding. It fell the centuries of the past. With this monarch the his-
  apart soon after Charles' death.  Bjr the  Treaty of tory of modern  France begins.
  Verdun, France and the nucleus of Germany  .were                    Coelestine V, the pious pope who abdicated aid re-
  given to Louis, one of the three surviving sons of turned to_ his solitude, was succeeded by this Boniface
  Charles, and thus began iiz 843 the separate history of VIII. Boniface had all the defects of Philip the Fair,
  Fiance. Towards the close of the century, in 987, the but less of his ability. Petrarch and Dante, two great
  first of the Capetian dynasty came to the throne. His poets of Italy, ascribe to him a similar character. "He
  name was Hugh Capet. The line that proceedeq  f&m W&J' says Petrarch, `"an inexorable sovereign (was
  dim `included fourteen kings, whose joint reigns `lasted this pope), whom it was very hard to break by, force
  three hundred and forty-one years (987-1328). In- and impossible to bend by humility and caressesi" And
  cluded was also Philip IV, the dates of whose reign Dante puts him with Pope Nicholas III  in-  hell; He
  are 1285-1314. The first of these kings bad little actual makes NickoJas address t,o him the following greeting,.
  power: `The real rulers at that time were the counts "Already art thou  .here and proudly upstanding, 0
  and dukes of the several principalities or stat& of           Boniface? Hast thou so soon been sated  with that
  which France was formed. Each did much as he pleased          wealth for which thpu d!dst not fear to deceive that
                                                                            _ .
                                                                 I


                                     T H E   S.TANDARD  B E A R E R                                                  87
                                                                       /
fair dame (the church) whom afterwards thou didst French clergy  .with their consent. It was a victory
 so disastrously govern ?,' Bbniface VIII, too, laid for Philip.                            '
 claims to supreme magisterial power over,the  kings of            Peace prevailed between the two sovereigns but
the earth, over -every temporal power, `being of human not for long. The pope' had recently created a new
 creation,-claims which he laid down in a long bull bishopric at Pampiers  to which he ~appointed Bernard.
to, the king. "God", said he, "hath established us-the de Saisset, an abbot of St. Antoiee in that city. Be-
popes-above kings and `kingdoms by imposing upon sides, he made Bernard his permanent official repre-
.us, in virtue of the apostolic office, the duty of pluck- sentative at the court of Philip. That was an unjudic-
 ing away, destroying, dispersing, building up and ious act on the part of the pope. For Bernard was a
planting in His name and according to his doctrine ; to foe to the dominion of the French kings in France and
the end that, in tending the flock of the Lord, we may known as such. It had been reported to Philip that he
strengthen the weak, heal the sick. . . . Let none, then,       had persistently labored to incite rebellion against the
dear son, persuade thee that thou hast ,no superior,            king in the south of France. Arriving in Paris, Bernard
and that thou art not subject to the sovereign head of was summoned before th,e king to answer to the charge
the ecclesiastical hierarchy; for he who so thinketh is of treason. Though he denied everything, he was jail-
beside himself; and if he obstinately affirm such a ed. Philip demanded. that the pope give an. order that
thing, he is an infidel and hath no place any longer in         Bernard be put to death- as a sacrifice to God in the
the fold of the good shepherd. . ; . W,e would have thee way of justice. To this the pope replied, "We do bid
to  kno.w  that thou art subject unto us in all things thy majesty," he wrote to the king, "to give this bishop
spiritual and temporal." A papal decree of November free leave to depart and come to-us, for we desire his
18, 1302. declared, "There be two swords, the temporal presence. We do warn thee.  -. . . not, to offend the'
`and the spiritual ; both ar'e in the power of the church,      Divine Majesty or the dignity of the Apostolic See, lest
but one is held by the church herself,  ,the other by we be forced to employ some other remedy.,"
kings, only with the assent and by the sufferance of               Philip replied by gathering together his subjects-
the sovereign pontiff ."                                        clergy, nobles and commons- to deliberate on the mat-
    Such being the imaginings of Bonifabe  VIII, it was ter with him. This body is regarded in French history
unavoidable that these two absolute sovereigns-,Philip as the first "States General". It now appeared that
the Fair and this pope-come to a deadly clash-un- the king had on his side the whole nation. For all three
avoidable as each claimed for himself the kingdom of estates-clergy, nobles, and commons-wrote separate-
France. The first clash occurred the year following ly to Rome, protesting against the pope's claims in
Boniface's elevation to, the papal throne. Philip the matters temporal. That was the handwriting on the
Fair was at war with Edward I, king of England, and wall. But the pope had not the.wisdom  to read it. H,e
imposed upon the clergy a fresh tax of two tenths,-             replied with a bull in which he reiterated in boldest
the clergy who jointly possessed one half of  all, the language the papal claims to  supr,emacy  over civil
landed property in the kingdom. It was a vast ,domain           rulers. Philip ,answered  by convoking a new assembly,
in which the Roman hierarchy, through its bishops, where a number of absurdly false charges were lodged
performed all the offices of lay rulers and this, accord- against the pope. An appeal was made for a general
ing to the papacy, as vassal of the pope of Rome.               church council before which the pope might be tried.
Several bishops refused to pay the tax and addressed a The king sent his jurist, William Nogaret, to Rome
protest to the pope in which they compared the king to compel th'e pope to' authorize the council. Nogaret
to Pharaoh. Boniface issued a bull, addressed to the collected a force and `made the pope. his prisoner in
king, in which he set forth as a principle that churches        Anagni. A few days thereafter, he was freed by the
and. ecclesiastics could not be taxed save with the per- people of Anagni. A month later he died.
mission of the sover'eign  pontiff and that "all lay rulers,       As we have seen, several strong rulers of preceding
including the king, who should violate this principle ages had defied the pope. But Philip IV .is the first
and all ecclesiastics who should lend themselves'to such ruler who did so without `either being  d.estroyed. or
,violations  would by this mere fact incur excommuni- even once humiliated. The reason is obvious. The
cation and would be incapable of release therefrom, peoples of Europe and in particular the people of
unless by  -special decision of the pope." Philip was France, had lost much of their dread for the pope's
angry. He made the pope free1 his-wrath by forbidding thunderings  ; his spiritual weapons-excommunication
the export of money from France, thus cutting'off the and the interdict-no' longer availed. The people of
revenues of the pope. A year thereafter the pope re- France therefore dared to support their king in his
considered `his action and authorized the collection of warfare with the pope. lBistorians are all agreed on'
the tax that had been voted by the French bishops with this. It could not well be otherwise, for the thing is
the exception of those who had protested. In addition too obvious. It- is simply a-fact. But there is yet this
the' pope conceded ,the right of the king to tax the
                                             -                  question  :. Why were men losing their dread for the -


                                 \
`8s          _                            T H E -   STANDAR,D  B E A R E R

pope's thunderings at this time? One may ponder long                Welnu, deze psalmist gaat er van uit, dat de God
this  q,uestion  and present various reasons without der, wraken er is, dat Hij straks komen zal,; ja, hij wil,
giving the right answer, if he ends not with saying, .dat de Heere dien tijd verhaasten zal!  K.om  iHeeae,
"God took that fear from men and made their hearts               God der wraken!
stout against the pope." God is the only final answer               W-raak is die werking van den DrieEenigen God,
to all the questions that history raises.'                       waardoor Hij alle goddeloosheid bezoekt en vergeldt,
                                            G .   M .   0 .      zoodat -de goddeloozen het  aan lichaam en ziel ervaren,
                                                                 dat de Heere God  Zich handhaaft door hen te  ver-
                                                                 doemen,  te verwerpen; verjaagd, verstrooicl  te  doen
                                                                 zuchten.
                                                                    Die dingen nu zijn vast in Gods Raad. God ziet en
            ,SHON'S  ZANGEN   ".                                 beleeft het nu al, dat , de goddeloozen i.n buitenste
                                                                 cluisternis  w,een'en  en tandenknersen. Juist zooals Hij
                                                                 U ziet in Zijn handpalmen, zoodat de muren van het
                                                                 verkoren  Jeruzalem steeds voor Hem zijn, zoo ziet Hij
           Kom,  0  God  Der Wraken!                             ook de poel die brandt van vuur en sulfur, met al die
                          .( Psalm 94)                           daar' eeuwig zullen lijden. Dat is zuivere Theologie.
                                                                 Gocl handhaaft  Zichzelf en alle Zijne deugden. Daarom
        Dit is een psalm vol van vreeselij'kheden !              is er een bel. De He1 is het bewijs dat God goed is.
        Het is een psalm die een gebed vertolkt  om wraak           Doch er is een zucht in Gods volk ,om. hetgene, dat
lover de goddeloozen, die het recht altijd  verkeerd             vast in Gods Raad is, ook te zien. ~Daarom die harts-
hebben.                                                          tochtelijke bede : God'der wraken, verschijn blinkende.
        Een psalm oak, waarin blijkt, ,dat de rechtvaardige      Let er op, de bede gaat om het verschijnen van God.
zich sterkt in zijn God? wanneer de goddeloozen hem En dat Hij verschijne blinkende.
met hun ongereehtigheid benauwen.                                   1Het verschijnen van God is  .hetzelfde  als  open-
        Een  psahn vol leering  voor het  ax-me, verdrukte       baring. God oordeelt altijd en alles. Doch het wordt
volk van God.                                                    niet gezien nog. En daar haken we naar,
        De aanhef is  forsch, krachtig. De aanhef toont,
-dat wat ervolgt  een smeeken, een roepen is tot God..              En zeg  mi niet,' dat Gods  volk wraakgierig is.
Alle gebed is niet gelijk. Soms gaat het bidden over Neen, maar ze hebben' God lief ; en dat is het zelfde
in  roepen, het smeeken `in  schreeuwen  tot God.. Nu,           zeggen, als dat zij het recht ,en de gerechtigheid be-
zoo is het hier. Het feit, dat dc dicXzr twc-,maal het- minnen.              Daarom' verlangen zij  naa-r de  -vervulling
zelfde zegt, versterkt die gedachte.                             van-de Schelfzee. Daar zongen de  kinderen  Israels,
   10 .God der wraken! 0 Heere, God der wraken!                  omdat God het paard en de rijder in de zee verslonden
verschijn blinkende.                         ,                   had. En dat  taf,ereel bij de Schelfzee wordt  vervulcl,
        Ik  noemde de inhoud  des psalms vreeselijk, en als men de kristallijnen zee zal zien voor Gocls troon,
terecht. Als het alleen deze aanhef was, dan was een zee .die met het vuur van Gods .gerechtigheid  ge-
zulk zeggen gerechtvaardigd. Als `het gaan zal over .vlamd  5s. Dan zal het gezang van Mozes en het Lam
bet feit, dat God d,e God der wraken is (in `het meer-           vervulcl  worden.  Daarom smeekt de zanger hier.
voud ook nog) dan wordt het benauwd. Benauwd zal                    God is .een Heere der wraken. Dat is het meer-
bet dan ook zijn voor de goddeloozen.                            voud. : Ik denk, dat dit ziet op de uitgieting van Gods
        Ziet ge, de IHeere God zal het zien, zoeken -en- ver-    toorn. Dat  zullen golven en  baren zijn van  vreese-
gelden.                                                          lijke onlust des Almachtigen. ' Vraagt het aan de ver-
        Het is goed,  dat we nadruk leggen op den inhoud         doemden, en zij  zullen het U verklaren. Ze werden
van dezen psalm. Zoo vaak denken,  spreken enshande- van alle kant aangegrepen ; van binnen en van buiten,
len we, alsof ,er geen oordeelsdag komt. Dan `klaagt in  -geest,  ziel' en lichaam,  overal zijn de vreeselijke
Gods volk over de hardheid `en goddeloosheid der god-            knnclen Gods; die ter wrake kwam. Het is het meer-
deloozen. Dan schreit men vanwege onreeht, clat we voud van' intensiviteit.
moeten lijden. Men vloekte ons, men verstiet ons,                   Dat zal ken openbaring zijn van blinkende majes-
men deed ons diep lijden en schreien. En dan klimt de `teit! Als  `ge een  &I, vredig schouwspel ziet, zooals
angstige gedachte in het hart: ZOLI God het zien?                de weide, .waar de koe.ien grazen in zoele ,.zomertijd,
        Dat mag niet. God is God. ' Dat bedoelt ook, `dat dan ziet ge de verschijning van God. Alles in Godsopen-
elk,e kromme gedachte, elk krom woord en el-ke kromme baring.  Doch  er is' een groot verschil hoe God Zieh
daad vergolden wordt. We mogen niet vergeten, dat doet zien. `Het gezieht van God als Hij komt om te
God zeide door Jesaja: Al wat krom  is zal recht ge-             richten zal vreezelijk zijn: Dan komt Hij, blinkende.
m a a k t   worden,                                              De  dichter  van den  a&-en;zestigsten psalm bezingt


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             89
                                                                                                                1.
  dezelfde idee. Mooier op rijm gezet dan dezen psalm. Die zal immers in den tempel zitten `en prediken, dat
  Gij zult hen, daar  ,G' in glans, verschijnt, als rook hij God is.
  en damp, , die ras  yerdwijnt,   verdrijven en  doen               Een hoovaardig mensch is een duivelskind. Daar
  dolen! 0,  .die glans van God als Hij komt, als Hij verheft men zieh boven hetgeen men behoorde te zijn.
  komt om te richten ! Geen wonder, dat Paulus zegt:          Een nederig mensch is eenmensch die zijn plaats kent,
  Vreeselijk zal het zijn om te vallen in de handen van ziet en inneemt.
 den levendigen God !                                        . Die hoovaasdigen hebben het vooral verzien op
      Daar moet ge om bidden, neen, smeeken!                  de kinderen  Gods. Dat volk moet van cle aarde ver-
      Vraagt bet aan deze hoerachtige eeuw; vraagt het delgd worden. IHebt ge .er we1 eens op `gelet, dat alle
  aan de  doctoren  en professoren die bazelen van  ge-       dictators het  volk Gods bizonder  haten? Zelfs de
  meene  gratie, wilt ge ? Vraagt bet aan professor Hepp. Joden, de verachte Joden werden vervolgd door Hitler.
  Ge behoeft het niet meer te vragen aan die gestorven (Hij wist niet, dat de  Heere  de  Joden  als natie  ver-
  zijn. In hun leven bazelden ze van een reine  liefd,e      worpen had.           Dat `alleen de verkoren  Joden zalig
  Gods waarmede Hij de verworpenen beminde ; volgens worden.
  hen, tech, tierde God van goedh&d  over de goddeloozen.            Welnu, d,e bidd,er vraagt of Gocl wil komen om de
  De arme stakkerds wisten niet wat ze zeiden. ,God is hoovaardigen onder de vergelding te brengen. Eigen-
  God. Hij is degene die in de eeuwigheid woont. De          lijk hebt ge in dit vers hetielfde als in het eerste, doch
  he1 der verdoemden is altijd, bij Hem. Al loopen die       in andere woorden.
  menschen  voor een paar jaar'los in Zijn schepping,                Hoe, lang zullen de goddeloozen, o Heere ! hoe lang
  God ziet hen van ver met gramschap  aan.  iHij ziet zullen de goddeloozen van vreugd opspringen,  uit-
  hun waan : die trots&e zlelen. ,O neen; zegt professor gi,eten, hard spreken, alle werkers der  ongerechtig-
  Hepp, o neen ! Gij ziet hen niet aan, o God met groote heid  zich beroemen ?
  gramschap ! Gij hebt hen lief, zij het dan ook maar                Ja, dat is een bange klacht, een klacht die we eerder
  voor de korte stonde tussehen bun wieg en hurt graf.       opvingen uit het Woord van God. Wie heeft nooit
  De groote geleerde, arme dwaze man! Hij moest beter .gezucht bij het lezen van: Hoe lange,  !Heere!   &Of:
  u-c ten.                                                   Waarom zoudt Gij  slapen,  Heere,  ontwaak!  Ja, het                  '
      Vraagt het aan .deze `eeuw : het beste wat de kerk schijnt of God slaapt. Men vloekt en tiert en tanden-
  U toonen kan is een beschouwing van den verworpene knarst zijn woede tegen -God en Zijn Gezalfde-en de
  die al lang verworpen is in den hemel: Die'beschou-        Heere komt ni'et! Wacht dan, ja wacht! De Heere is
  wing van den goddelooze wordt bespot door de Engelen niet traag, gelijk sommigen het traagheid achten, maar                 '
  Gods. Di,e wezens weten beter. Ja, het beste wat de        Hij is lankmoedig over ons, over Gods volk, met wil-
  kerk U toonen kan is de -gemeene gratie. Ge zult zeg- lende, dat eenigen van dat volk verloren gaan, maar
  gen: de Protestants&e Kerken hebben de goede be= dat ze allen tot bekeering mog.en komen. Daarom komt
  schouwing; en: zij zijn het beste wat de kerk toont.       God nog niet. Evenwel, blijft bidden om Zijn komst.
  En dan is mijn antwoord : we tellen  niet mee ! Dat Hij wil het.
ti wil zeggen: niet op aarde.                                        Leest nu de beschrijving van die hoovaardigen,
      We zullen voorts  moeten wachten, totdat deze psalm en beeft.
  door God beantwoordt. Dit gebed wordt nagebeden                    Zij springen  op van vreugde.
 door Gods volk en het zal ook verhoord worden.  Slechts             Dat zal waar zijn. Ge moet nooit zeggen, dat de
  dit  nag: wacht dan,  ja;  wacht, verlaat U op den goddeloozen geen genot hebben; want dat- hebben ze
 Heer.        '                                              wel. `Ze hebben geen wan+ genot, maar we1 genot van
      Gij  Rechter  der aarde, verhef U! Breng  veigel-      een zekere soort. Ze vieren hun lusten en smakken
 ding weder over de hoovaardigen!                            met de tong: ze springen  en dansen van vreugde. Ze
     Bet gaat hier over vergelding -over de  hoovaar-        schaterlachen en roepen  het uit luidkeels,  dat bun genot
 digen.                                                      v e r m e n i g v u l d i g d   w i e r d .   .
     Hoovaardige menschen zijn echte duivelskinderen.                Maar benijdt hun niet.
 De verzoeking des duivels is hoogmoed. De `duivel                   Nu springen  ze op van vreugde en gij schreit van             T
 schijnt het verzien te hebben op den troon God. Hij` ellende en smart.' Ge vondt Uw bestraffing alle mor-                    .
 Wilde van den beginne den H'eere van Zijn troon stoo-       gens. Straks zult ge, waar ge met tranen gezaaid hebt,
 ten, en hij erop. Dat zien we in' die teksten die spreken lachen, brengende de schoven.
 van de zonde Satans, alswel in de verzoeking van Eva.               Ze gieten woorclen uit, ze spreken harde woorden.
 Hij Wilde hun ook niets maken,  dat het `eten van den . Herinnert ge U Henoeh?  Judas schrijft van `hem en
 verboden vrucht hun gelijk zou maken.  aan God. Ook zijn profetie. Het is best mogelijk dat de huidi'ge zan-
 zien we het in de profetie van den menseh der zonde. ger oak aan hem gedacht heeft. Henoeh heeft geprofe-
                                                                \

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

teerd van die goddelooze zondaars die `"harde wqorden
tegen Hem gesproken hebben".  .Ja, die harde  woor-                                           WFEi4R
.den ! IHebt ge er w,el eens op gelet, dat als wij woorden
spreken tegen God, en dat  doen we; dan durven we niet
"hard" tespreken ? Doch de goddelooze beeft alles wat                           Christian  PnstructidBn
maar.zou streven naar godsvrucht den rug toegedraaid,                                       Off-Center.
`en hij .durft we1 hard tegen God te spreken. .Dat is                    Whenever there is a center there is also an off-'
.zijn namelooze smart. Want God heeft het gehoord.                    center. As in our own lives there is the danger of
En deze bede wordt verhoord.                                          living off-center, so our christian instruction is often
   En als ze gesproken hebben, dan beroemen zich de in danger of being off-center. That is, something else
werkers  dler  ongerechtigheid.. Dat is hun  hemel op than God, His Covenant and the Man of God receives
aarde. Ze hebben hun uur. Maar `benijdt hen niet. the !emphasis.
Hun hemel  is zuur in zijn wezen en de duur is kort.                     Sometimes the tendency is to the right, somet.imes
De mensch mag we1 roemen, doch alleen in God. Eigen to the left of center. '
roem stinkt, zegt het spreekwoord. Jammer, -dat de                       The question is therefore not, what place can we
auteur er niet e&r woord bij gemaakt heeft. Hij moest procure for our children in this world or how &n we
eigenlijk gezegd  hebb,en:  -Eigen roem stinkt  .Gode.                educate them so that they may take that place which
God walgt van een mensch die het alles verdraaide. we assign to them.
Inplaats van in God te roemen, roemde hij in zijn onge-                  God assigns them their place in this world.
rechtigheid. En dat roept all& om wraak.               2                 The place assigned them is defined by the Covenant
   En het komt. .                                                     in which they were baptized. And in order that they
 Het komt ontzaglijk snel.                                      ._    may take that place their instruction must root in the
    Vooral nu.         De Heere is dit gebed  aan `t  ver- fear of God, be God-centered and covenant directed.
hooren. De wrake is  aan de deur. De deur is  aan `t                          Instruction by Covenant Assignment.
opengaan.                                                             When the Baptism. Form makes mention of the
   Men. heeft een commissie gevormd voor de Atoom-
                  D                                                   covenant assignment, namely, that these children daily
born.                                                                 follow Him, bear their cross, live in all righteousness,
    Die commissie opent niet met gebed. Het zijn etc.; it precedes this with the mention of a pious and
hoovaardige menschen. `Ze kennen ,God niet.                           religious instruction. Scripture also speaks of instruc-
   Maar ze beginnen  tech iets te beseffen van een tion in righteousness as the requisite for the man of
God die wreekt. Ze worden.  bang van het "Ding" dat God, thoroughly furnished.
God bun. in het brein gaf. Ze zijn bang van de gave                     Hence, the covenant assigns the place which our
Gods in de Atoom-born. Ze vertrouwen het niet heel children must take in this .world, and the God of the
goed. Ze  weten,  dat ze het Ding straks  tech gaan                   Covenant gives us Christian -instruction, in the home,
igebruiken.  En dan?                           -                      in the church, but also in the day school to the ,end that
    Dan komt God: Hij -komt ook door, dat ding om                     our children may be able to take this place and thus
gericht te houden met Zijn tienduizenden van Enge-                    the covenant continue. from generation to generation.
len !Ja, de Wreker staat voor de deur.                                                       Dangers.
    Maar gij behoeft niet bang te zijn. Want die                        There is the danger among us, in home and school
Wreker is IJw -Vader in Christus Jezus.                               as well as in the church, .that we ignore or lose sight
    En ge hebt tech gebeden om Zijn komst?                            of this covenant assignment and consequently adminis-
                                                                      ter instru8ion at random. Behind all our instruction
    Denkt hie'r eens. over na: beseft gij allen die dit must lie covenant consciousness, but we are always in
leest, dat het uitvinden van de Atoom-born een groote danger of departing therefrom and giving education
stap is naar het Einde aller Dingen?                                  as if there were no covenant and we were free to as-
    `t Kan best  wezen,  dat de  ,eindelijke  uitwerking sign as we  ple:ase.  That is a very real danger. In-
van de gevreesde "chain-reaction" het goddelooze struction in the  public'stihools  follows this line. We
mensehdom eensklaps voor den grooten witten troon have precious few text-books (if any) that embrace
brengt.      En dan zal God, zeggen: Hoe komt ge this aim. Oft times we ourselves, are so little covenant
hier ?                                                                conscious, `and the result is that we lose sight of the
    Dan zal er een groote stilte zijn. Alle mond, ook covenant.
der hoovaardigen, werd gestopt.                                          Then there is the danger of going off on a tangent
    Doch ik  hoor vele  stemmen die een .  ni:euw  `lied              and making assignments of our own. Perhaps we have
zingen !                                                              a little of the dictator spirit when we `administer in-
                                                    G.  IT.-          struction. It, might be that we conceive of the place


                            ,;
                                  .        T H E         `ST'ANDARD  B E A R E R   -  I                                          .9.x

       our children'bught  to hold as that of being good Citizens assignment. From the Ephrates to the Nile, from the
  -of this country, perhaps we think of `them as future re-          lion's dens to the court of Ahasuerus, God'wanted'the
  -builders of a wrecked world order, or it is possible we           world  ti see Israel as a peculiar people. Abraham
       think of them as future business men and women,               journeyed from Haran to Canaan and from Canaan
       whose place in this world is to be a success, and even to Egypt, along Sodom and Gomorrah, and everywhere
  -perhaps we assign them a place of natiopal  or civic im- the world had to see him as the Party of the Living.
       portance; Ea,eh time we are thinking in. term? of the         God. So it Es with the .a&ignment  which we and our
       place our children `ought to take in this world. And children have. Wherever they eventually have their
       each time we give them instruction according to that legitimate calling of business, there they have their
       assign&nt.  There lies a very real danger.                    place and, ther,e they must confess the Lord and reveal
  -       But we must remember that `as soon as we dictate themselves as His property.
       an assignment we tread on very dangerous groiind.              Their place,  mou:eover,  is to  be. strangers in this
       God assigns them their very own place, in this world.         World. Which does' not meari that they. must follow
       Failing to instruct them according thereto is bound to the anababtistic error of world-flight, but which cloes
  -have disastrous results. Suppose the' government as- mean that the things they seek must be heavenly and '
       signed a, young man to the quartermaster' division, but and not earthy. So urgent is this calling that Jesus
       suppose that the training personel igndred this and Strangers in one time told a man to let the dead bury
       instead gave the young man ,training in paratrooping ;         the world.         the dead.% Even if the dead therefore
       the poor man will be ill prepared when the time comes         have to be left unburied, that were better than that
       that he must be c'alled ini6 action, and the government we did not follow the Lord'through, this world. We
   will surely punish the trainers for their presumptuous are strangers here and pilgrims, wherefore the world
       conduct; It is quite that s@ne way in thhe matter of          knoweth Us not. 8he cannot upderstand us when we
 iilstruction,  as far as  .our duty iri  tfiis'matter is con-       refuse to fix bur: attention 
       cerned.                                                                                        upori the mundane things
                                                                     as she does. W,e cannot make common cause with the
          :After the days of Joshua, we read, "There arose world. They settle .down  and. claim that they have
       another generation after,them that knew not the Lord, found or will find what they seek, we on the other hand
       nor yet the works whichlHe h;;ld done for Israel". -It                                                     _ ._ .     ._ _ .
                                                                     assert that we have here no abiding city but seek one
   was a generation assigned to the task of warring the to come.
       Lord's warfare in the la!ld of Canaan, but when the
   time came for warfare this generation was totally unfit.             Scripture exhorts us; saying, `"Abide ye.in Him".
       `- Again we read, in  Psa1.m  78:9 of the children of         Ali, that is our `place. In  the world,  i&$eed,   but. In
   Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows (they ,had                 CHRIST in ,the world. Elsewhere this same thing is
  the ecjuipment  at least) but they turned back in t@e day defined thus, `"wBlk.in the .ligl$". Our place and the
   bf battle.                                                        place of our children is, in Christ, in the light. What
          We believe that the God Who establishes His C&e-           place must they take in this world? -This place, "in :
   nant and makes assignment,, also fits our children to             Christ". That  is to confess the truth as we have it
   assume that  plack. Indeed ! But God  has given                   in Scripture, never to forsake it but to. follow the                . .
                                                               US
   the means. of `Christia; instruction and calls upon                 AbicZe in-  Lamb whithersoever He goeth. Their
                                                               us
  to use that means. If we are serious, we will use that                 Him, .-    place is in the light, always ifi the light,
means and use it unto the end which God has `desig- always there where,- if the Word of God shines upon
  nated. we must trust in God, we may not tempt `Him. them and their works,  it is ,8evident that they belong
                                                                     just there., They' may be in business, they may .persue
                        The Amigned Place.                           a gainful calling, they may enter a pro$ession, but all
          But what then is the place unto which God assigns this while they walk in the light. Wherefore they
                                           _'
  our children?                                                      must avoid darknkss. They must .fight against sin,
          In the main, their place in this world is `this : to       Satan and his whole dominion. They must yield their
  reveal themselves as members of God's Party. Their place  in business rather than their place in .Christ.                               .
  .place  is not to adjust  th.emselves to certain existing          In spite of stress or duress, in spite of popular opinion
  @onditions, nor adapt themselves to certain `popular they must abide in Christ. If their place in Christ
  notions. Their place is not` to serve the benefit of this          makes th,eir place in the world too small,- even then to
  .OK that cause', this or that' nation, this or that party.         be faithful. That is their assignred place.
Their place is first and last to reveal themselves as                   Peter speaks of the Christians as servalits of God.5
  Party of the Living Go+ It iS n&a question of what That is our place. Not servants of greed or lust, of                                  ,
  Retie@ them- the world would like to see us become,                labor or capital, of nations, parties pr movements, but
,.selves  as of or what any  ptirt'of  th& world  wc%ild             first  and last servants of God. If Peter speaks of
       God's,-Pctrtzj like US to be, it is `a matter 6f Coirenant    Christians as servants of God,, certainly the Christian
                                                                                                           . .
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 92                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER

  Se&ants of school must instructa them in this serv: wlio do not lacks wisdom. He is r&her supposing this
       the Lord.    ice. As servants of God they shall be fact and he does ~0 be&use of the general condition of
 subject to the authorities, wives be  subj^ect  to their the church in the midst of the world. "Surely", he
 husbands, husbands be subject unto Christ; servants means to say, "in the light of the condition of the
 subject to their masters, and masters mindful of their church here below, you $11, more or less, l&k and there-
-Master. Doing the will of God from the heart and `fore.need wisdom." And, lacking wisdom, we shall, of
 seeking the welfare of God's,  Cause throughout their               course, ask it' of God. 1 The form Qf the expression,
 days in this world.                                                 however, "If any of yqu lack wisdom", reveals the tact
                                                                     of the writer of this epistle.
                           Conclusion                                   What is wisdom? This, live understand, constitutes
       We repeat once mofe,  if such is their cotenant as- the main thought  in this Word of God. Generally speak-
 signed place is it not very evident that the instruction            ing, w'e may define wisdom as the faculty of making
 which we give oi;r children in home and the school, the best use o$ knowledge. Wisdom must  uot be identi-
 must serve to prepare them to take that place: They fied with mere knowledge. It is generally known and
have no other place. If `they grow up in the covenant accepted among men that a learned man is not neces-
 but are unfit for the place the covenant assigns them,              sarily a wise man.  ,One can have enjoyed extensive
 they are complete -misfits and they do damage to the learning in the various sciences, be acquainted with the
 Cause.                                                              sun and stars in the heavens and the life `of inan and
       Paul said one time, "I hate fought a good fight, I animals and plants, apd yet lack wisdom. Neither
 have finished my course, I have kept the faith".                    must w'e confuse wisdom with acumen, the power of
       May our covenant. instruction be such that we and penetration. We may then be quick to learn, be quick
 our childr'en after us may repeat these words of Paul to perceive, to sense men's purposes and aims. A man
 alld we and our house serve the Lord.                               may reveal this ability, e.g., in a game of chess or in
                       (To be Continued)              `M. G.  _      the field of politics.
                                                                        Wisdom, generally speaking, is the ability to adapt
                                                                     the best means unto the-best  ,end. It is #essentially not
                                                                     theoretic but practical. Wisdom, therefore, implies
              FROM HOLY WRIT                                         ah understanding of the relative value of things. The
                                                                     end must be known. Things must be understood in
                                                                     their proper relation to each other and as such proper-
                                                                     ly evaluated. And understanding things in their pro-
              Jam&   1:5  - "If  a&y of you lack  wisdom,`let him    per relation to  `each other, wisdom acts accordingly
              ask of God, that giveth to all men  ICbe~ally,  and `and adapts the best means unto the best end: The
             upbraideth  n.ot; and it shail  be given him."          figure of the wise and foolish builder in Matt. 7 :24-27
       The cdnnection between verse-5 and the preceding is an outstanding illustration of the'virtue of wisdom.
 is not difficult-to understand. James proceeds in his Each man resolves to build a home. That is the `end
 epistle from the church's~ position and calling .in the they have in view; Unto that end the best means must
 midst of the world.  f$  very tactful and realistic ap- be employed and all things must be, considered. We
 proach, indeed ! The church is called by the Lord to be must surely build that house in such a way that the
 the party of the living God in 8 world wllich lieth in best means are used unto the realization of our purpose.
 darkness. IHe exhorts the people of God to rejoice in We  .must  therefdre  take into full consideration the
 the midst of their temptations because their faith, hav- storms and the wind and the rain. A   fool'ish  m a n
 ing been tried and having withstood and survived the builds upon sanc$Xhe wise man erects his house upon
 test, works patience. IOnly, patienoe must have her roe&.
 perfect work. We must be patient unto the end. In                      To rejoice in the midst of temptatibns we need wis-
 order' that we may be perfect  alld  eqtire, wanting dom, the spiritual wisdom of the Scriptures. The con-
 nothing.                                                            trast of wisdom is fdolishness. A  .spiritually  foolish
       However, to be the friend and party of God in the man is not, an ignorant man. Knowledge- does not
 midst of affliction and persecution, to rejoice when we guarantee wisdoq: To be sure, knowledge of the Word
 fall into divers temptations. and be pati'ent unto the              of God must not be minimized. Yet, without grace all
 end, we must possess and exercise the art of Christian our knowled,ge  of the Scriptures will have. but one fruit
 -wisdom. *`To this truth our attention is called in the and that is to verify the truth that foolishness is not
 verses 5-8. Notice the beautiful tact of James in verse ignorance and that the more we know the more cl&early
-5. We do not read, "Ye all lack wisdom", but, "If any our foolishness will be revealed. Spiritual foolishness
 of you lack wisdom. . . ." The holy writer does not is deeply spiritual, is the wilful denial and rejection of
 hean to imply that theye might be son@ in. tile church              the reality. The Reality proceeds -from the ba,sic truth


                                      T H E .   S T A N D A R D   BELA'RER                                            93

 that God is the only Good. ;He is the only %ood.in Him-        Ho.& .truly necessary is this wisdom in the niidst of            :
 self iilasmuch as He is the Light and in Him is no dark- temptations ! It is for. this reason that James exhorts
 ness. And He is also that absolute Good consciously. ihe church of' God to acquire it? Fact is, the way of the
 Eternally He knows Himself, loves Himself, wills and         Christian is a hard way. He must suffer' afflictions
 seeks Himself. Consequ&ntly, the Lord is also the only and persecutions  in' the midst of  ,the world. And al-
 Good for man.. Man's joy `and peace, li@ only in fellow-. ways he must contend with his own flesh. The child.of            .
 ship with God, in the blessed assurance, not only that       God is therefore inclined to be impatient. It is difficult
 he loves God, but also and fundamentally that God always to see things in the light of the future, to rej.&t
 loves him.    For the Lord loves and seeks  !Himself.        Mammon for God, the world for heaven, joy for sor-
Estrangement from His fellowship and love must there- row, fellowship with the world for the hatred and
 fore be the invariable result of sin. And by nature we enmity of that wou'ld. We.must  therefore &eek.wisdom,
 are such sinners and objects of wrath. The Reality,          in order that we tiay be able to regard the service of
besides proceeding from the basic truth that God alone God sweeter thdn Iall honey; and that we may be, able
 is Good, also proclaims Christ ai the only way of salva- to view all things patiently in the light of the ,eternal
tion.- %s iS tlie `only Name under. heaven by which future, always be able to reject the glories of Egypt
man can be saved. And He saves, we understand, by and to endure the sufferings here below in order that
IHis cross and Word and Spirit. Finally, the Reality *we may receive the crown of `victory.
also speaks  of the ultimate end of all things. Old things      James writes that we n&St ask wisdom. The word,
will pass  away. All things will be  ma<; new.  *The translated "ask,`; gmphasizes in the original the element
`earthy shall. be replaced by the heavenly. And we shall of submissiv&ess and suppliantness, is the word con-
have  new,heavens  and a new earth where righteousness stantly used for the seeking of th& inferior from the
shall dwell.  - .                                             superior. This word implies, on the one hand, a per-
    Foolishness is the wilful denial and rejection of this sonal conviction of one!s own foolishness an.d helpless-
reality. It certainly must not be confused with ignor- nsss to .become  wise, and on the oth6r hand a recog-,
ance concerning it. It is impossible that tie are fully nition of God as the only source of wisdom.
acquainted with the Scriptures and that we entertain             The prayer to th& Lord for wisdoti is assured of- an
a fully Reformed corioeption'of'th,e  truth. But to be" answer, according to verse-5, because "`The Lord giveth
foolish. means that we dq not I recognize these truths to all men liberally and upbraideth not." Literally we +.
`spiritually. Foolishness does not reason, is not rooted read here: Let him ask of the giving God to all men.
in: the. intellect. It is  ~spiritual,  spoptaneous,  rooted liberally. The word' "`giving", therefore, appears be-                   _
in .Qte heart. It hates God; loves the world and sin and fore  ,God. `It. receives the emphasis. `God does not
the things which are below, hates the Christ. Instegd         mer.ely give: The Lord is ,d giving God. Giving char-
of seeking  the best end by making use of the best acterizes God. Of course. Only giving can character-
means, man is spiritually. a fool, rejects the good, is       ize the Lord. ,God cannot receive because there is noth-
gathering for himself death instead of life, eternal ing .whicb is not His.. All things belong to Jehovah..
agony instead of everlasting joy and peace.        `.         God, cannot therefore be' a r,eceiving God. The very
    .From this we may quickly conclude the, correct i&- fact that He is God implies that He is a giving God.
plication  of wisdom which we must ask of God. To be And this giving is a liberal giving because "He giveth
wise do& not, necessarily me& that we possess much liberally to all men." `This does not necessarily `refer
learning, although a truly wise will increase in wisdom to all humanity, head for head. But it does mean. that,
in the measure that he is acquainted'with the &rip-           confined tq the *elect,  the Lord gives to all. He has no
tures. Wisdom is that sj?iritual fruit of the grace of favorites.  IHe does ont respect persons. He giveth
God, whereby w,e strive after the one all-important,          liberally to all tiei. "'
alone-existing good, the glory of God's name, and pr,ess         God gives liberally. God g&es. ,Only God can give
all things into our  service  to acqtiire it. Wisdom is wisdoin. He alone is the source of wisdom. Therefore
therefore  root&d  in  the fear of the Lord.  This. the we must go to God. Moreover, He giveth "liberally".
Fcriptures  literally teach us. A ,wise man loves God. This word means literally "simply". The Lord `gives
*In that love he sees `and knows his sin and longs for simply, merely for the sake of giving. This is not true
(;od as a hart panteth tifher the water b&oh-s. ' And,        of us. We give, but for the sake of self, and at interest.
knowing his sin, .loving God, he seeks the fellowship We give and expect something in  return.  God, how-
of God, through Christ, already in this life, \and has ever, gives and seeks nothing in return. And this is
his.sights  set upon the heavenly city which has founda- indeed for`us a matter of profound gratitude, for what
tions. Wisdom therefore evaluates all things properly, would we be able to give unto the Lord?
seeks the eternal end, the.crown  of victory, and would          It is for this reason that  "IHe upbraideth not."
walk here below with the joyful assurance that all Jehovah never upbraids, reproaches, blames or scolhs
things work together for our good:                            us. We do. We will  prpbably  begin to upbraid and


94                          :  t       T H E   S T A N R A R D   B E A R E R

reproach a person if he rep.eatedly  asks us for, a gift.                                           ing.. It `is evident, therefore, that. the commission of
We will remind him of the fact that it was very recent the Church cannot. be inferred from observation of her
that he had asked us and that we had given him his. life in the midst. of the world..
request. But  the'Lord never rebukes, never reproaches                                                 ."The Scripture alone can be our guide and give us
us. He never tires of listening to our prayers and giv- the duty of the Church. Here we find very clear and
ing unto us our petitions. We can never approach the d,efinite passages. that delineate her duty. `Go ye
Father of all mercies too often. He is always ready to therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
receive use. This is, indeed, an unspeakably blessed name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
assurance. We have no wisdom in ourselves. God                                                      Ghost : teaching them- to observe all things`whatsoever
, never wearies of our prayers. He is *always  ready to                                             I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,
help. Let us therefare at all times ask of Him wisdom even unt.0 th,e end- of the world. Amen.' Matt. 28 :19-
that we may continue to seek the things which are 26. `And he said unto them; Go ye into all the world,
above.                                              H. V.                                           and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that
                                                                                                    believeth and is. b.aptizecl  shall be. saved;- but he. that
                                                                                                    believeth not shall be damned.' Mark 16 :15-l-6. `But
                                                                                                    ye shall receive power, after that the Holy ,Ghost  is
                                                                                                    come upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me both
                PE.ItIiC:O,PE..;~
                                                    ,.._i
                                                             .,     .     .     .     .     ...(
                                                                                                    in Jerusalem? and in all Judea, and in Samaria,. and.
                                    . , . .                                                         unto the-uttermost part of the `earth.' Acts. I:& `And
                                                                                                    I say unto thee, That thou art. P.eter,  and upon this
                The C$&rence                                                                        rock I will. build my- church ; and the gates of hell shall
                                                                                                    not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the
Third Session/. . . . .                                                                             keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou
                                                                                                    shall bind on `earth shall be bound in heaven : and what-
 ' The Wednesday afternoon meeting of the Confer- soever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in.
ence was opened `by the Rev. G. M. ,Cphoff. He `intro- heaven.' Matt.  16:18, 19.
duced the sp.eaker,  the Rev. E. Buehr,er of green `Bay-                                               "The passage from Matthew 28 usually receives the
Wisconsin. Rev. Buehrer further developed the theme wrong emphasis. ,The passage reads : `Go ye therefore,
`of the Conference "The Church" in his lecture on the a.nd teach all nations. . . .' More correctly this should
topic: "The Commission of the Church".                                                              read: `and disciple all nations'. .The emphasis. is. not.
Resume of Lee&we. . . .                                                                             on the going but on the preaching ; to teach and train
      "The Church is the body of' God!s elect gathered for discipleship. Mark adds this thought : `and preach
from all ages and nations; redeemed by the atoning the  go.sp.el', and this, agrees again with John 17.:20,
blood of Christ and gathered by Christ through His                                                  `N.either  pray I for these alone, but for them also
Word. and Spirit. To that Church has been given. a. which shall believe. on me through their word'. The
commission. It is her's alone and no. other organiza- duty of the. Church, therefore, is to. testify of Christ.
tion can accomplish it. To commission, m.eans to ap- And. this. commission embraces all nations.; all mankind.
p.oipt  and authorize to the accomplishment of a task                                                  In these passages we also. have the charge to bap-
or duty. It implies the  foil.owing  el,ements.: first, a tize. After the main charge of training to discipleship
person who appoints and authorizes, secondly, a duty is added the commission to baptize. This commission.
that is to be performed; and finally, a party authorized                                            emphasizes the truth of the Trinity since he who is
to perform. that duty.                                                                              baptized, is baptized into the name.of  the Father, Son
      "Our subject deals with the duty ;ivhich the Church and Holy Ghost. The teaching, therefore, must have
has been commissioned to perform. In connection with the truth of the Trinity as its heart, and must have this
this subject we will s.peak first, of what that duty is,                                            goal in mind. This commission is universal in scope.
and secondly, how it can be performed by the Church.                                                To it must be added the exercise of Christian Risci-
      "If we were to infer from the Church .as w'e see                                              pline. To carry out this commission, the Church has
her today what her duty is we would arrive at strange been given three means, therefore: the Word, the  "
conclusions. Observation of the Church as we see her Sacraments, and Christian discipline.
would lead us to conclude that her task is to make the                                                 "God has entrusted iHis Word to believers to carry
world better or to usher in the brotherhood of man.                                                 out their4commission>  They receive His Word as the
Further, that in the accomplishment of this duty she                                                infallible Word of God ; the only rule of faith and life.
is to use the pulpit and social life. Since this is. the Further, among believers God has established a definite
modern  .emphasis we also have the present trend of economy for the dispensation of His Word. H.e has
unionism among the various organizations, as an effort appointed apostles and. prophets, (these `were special
to accomplish what is commonly agreed to be her `call-                                              offices and are no more) evangelists, pastors and


                                          ,*     /
                                     T H E   ,STiN,DARD.~  BEA.R@R  '                                            95

teachers. By tl-+e, though not exclusively, the Gospel observed and administered according to the Word of
is proclaimed. This. Gospel is. the Gospel of recon-       God. The practice of .Christian discipline is expounded
ciliation.    And of this Gospel they must never be in our Heidelberg Catechism under a discussion of the
ashamed but proclaim it as the power of God unto sal-      Keys of the Kingdoni in questions and answers 83
vation. Hence, `they are td be engaged in two activi- `through 85.
ties, preaching and catechization.  .This demands a           "How is the Church qualified to perform her duty
thorough  kno$le$ge of the Scriptures and absolute or commission?. In Acts 1 we read that the Apostles
Joyalty  to it.    The comniission authorizes the only will receive power after the Holy Ghost is -come. It
.means of the One Gospel and demands absolute fidelity is clear that her duties cannot be performed by man
to that Wqrd of God.                                       with the innate abilities of his nature. The IHo!y Spirit
    "It is through the preaching of the Word that God prepares and qualifies `those whom `God calls.  The
gathers !His Church. But though God gathers  His Holy Spirit  .alone   wor.ks in the Saints, fitting them
Church through His Word and Spirit, we,cannot know to labor and perform their duties.
the  immediate  end of  the  ~preaching.  Whether our         "How do we explain Christ's presence with the
preaching will be successful or not we do not know.        Church along with the agency of the Spirit? How
However,  the Word does not return void. Sometimes,        must we understand the Resurrected Christ's position
it seems to us, we have an tinfruitful task. Again, at as Head and King of the Church ;in connection with
other times, we may see much positive fruit of the the instrumentality of the Spirit as Comforter? Twq
preaching as, for example, Peter's preaching on the answers present the same truth. In the first place,
day ?f Pentecost.               I                          the Lord Jesus as Mediator acplies all His blessings
   "What is the purpose of the proclamation of the to the Church by the Spirit through the Word. In
Gospel? Since God has eternally  ,decreed   electiqn  of the second place, the exalted Christ works in the
a people, to what purpose is preaching and catechiza-      Church likewise by His Spirit through His Word.
tion? The answer is that God may be glorified by the       Christ's presence is not to be explained by the ubiquity -    '
-revelation.of the mighty power of His Word and Spirit;    of His human nature but through His Spirit He dwells
,The elect are not gathered .without  means. Not only with IHis Church.
is His election, but also the means whereby Go'd calls        "This presence of Christ, in the Spirit, involves
His own unto Himself, the revelation of His glory. gracious  privilegtis.   IZe performs, through the Church
Through His Word and Spirit God works in the hearts        two functions: she is a Holy Society and a Missionary
.of {His oyn the conviction of sin, moves them to con- Institute. As a Holy Society she is a unity by virtue
fession and ,r,epentance  and justifies them. Througli of the common Spirit. As such she gathers for wor-
it- all they glorify His grace. The Church has been        ship and edification of the Saints, her members. They
given this commission. that God may, be glorified in are On,e by virtue of the indwelling qpirit of the Lord.
His elect ,Church. Through that Church !He preserves As a Missionary Institute she is the instrument of
the pure doctrine and true confession. That does riot Christ by the Spirit for the ingathering of the elect
mean that God needs the Church-to preserve the Truth, and- the propagation of the true faith. To perform
but that it has pleased Hiti to. preserve the Truth in these tasks ,God cal,ls ministers of Christ who `preach
and through a true Church.                                 the Gospel as commissioned by the Church. Here  1
   "God also. equips those whom H6 calls. He gives again God gives ,gifts and offices that a?e needed. The
men gifts and moves them to use these gifts for the Spirit always operates through the Word and where
accomplishment of the commission of the Chur& By the Word is preached, there is the Spirit.
gifts all things are here included-money, talents, as         "How can the Church perform the work she is called
well as qualifications for special offices. The gifts to do? In the first place, we must remember that the
of  all the members; and these are not usually the         Church is not the product of men. The  ,Church is
great men o$ this world. `Yet, true Christian leaders of God. She is gathered by the Son of God, through
are found only in God's true Church, no matter how
                                     *                     His Word and  SpiPit.     In the second place, in the
small she may be.                                          Church God has appointed officers whom He qualifies
   "Phi  the positive preaching, warning also belongs      by His Spirit. He .gives unto them gifts, which- are
to the commission of th.e Church. Paul exhorted the the fruit df the Spirit, whereby the Church is equipped
elders of Ephesus to take heed to all the flock. She for her work. By this economy the Church performs
must be warned -and guarded in respect to enemies the dutieq laid upon her."                             -.
which will assault her.                                                        DISCUSSION :
  "Besides the preaching of the Word, Christ has
ordained and instituted the Holy Sacraments  atid             The Revl'K. Kdm-: "At the time of the flood, Noah
Christian discipline. The administration of these be- was saved and his &med&te housebold.  Was he the
longs to the commission of the Church. They must be min&ter?`?


                                                                    \
       9.6                                     T H E '   S T A N D A R D   BEARER  _
                                                                                    . .
              The Rev. E. Buehrer: "We read that Noah was a for example, was called and sent out to preach `with
       preacher of righteousness.  ,Only his household was the rest  of..the  Apost.les.  It is possible, therefore,
       sav,ed."                                                           that for, a time a reprobate may occupy an office and,
              The Rev. G.  Lubb.ers: "Did the speaker have in as long as he holds himself to the -Word, God majr use
       mind the Church as Institute or as we believe her to him to build the Church."                                                        s
       be the Communion of Saints?  Does  the commission                    The Rev. J. De Jong: `"In the first place, I ayjpre-
      concern the Church ati Institute or ,Organism?"               ,-    ciate the approach of Rev. Buehrer. In. connection
              The Rev. E. Buehrer: "The Church .is God's ,elect -with the commission of the Church, in .our day and
       people of which Christ is the Head."                               even. in so-called Reformed circles, `some emphasize
              The Rev. w. Korn: "Judas Iscariot kas outside of the `Winning of  SouIs'  and others `Witnessing for
       Christ. Did he haye a commission to preach?"                       Christ'. We understand that `winning souls' is beside
              The Rev., G. L@b#ers : "`Jesus said : The Pharisees the point and we should not haye that idea, but sh&ld
       sit in Moses' seat. Did Jesus recognize them as having we not emphasize the ideq of witnessing?"                         .,
       the commission of the Church? He meant that they                      The Rev. C. Z&a&o : "Did Rev. Buehrer. say tha+he
       represented the authority of Moses and that we should              would limit the commission to the  preatihing-  to Xl1
       do' according to their words not their works. Baalim , nations ? .. Or does it also include preaching. the W&d
       spoke the Word of  God, he blessed Israel, yet he perish- in the organized Church `or Congregation? Does the
\      ed. `He was not a child of God. In the New Testament commission include this ministry of the Word?,' `*
       dispensation ministers who do not belieire may yet be                 The Rev. E.. Buehrer :. "I covered. that. under the .
       used to the edification of the Church. Is,their author- head of the Church as `a ~Holy Society meeting for wor-
       ity official? Is it the duty of the institute to preach?" shil; and edification."
              The Rev. E. Buehrer : "The Spirit-is not poured out            The Rev. W. Korn : "What iS the difference between
       like you' pour out coffee. Ydu cannot t&lk of things pastors and evangelists? Why are the latter omitted
      .spiritual outside of believers. We must distinguish in Reformed Churches?"
      between charismatic and general- gifts."                               The  Reti.  G.. Lubbers: `6Does  the Church. have""a
              The Rev.  H.  Ho&senza:  "Is the institute an ap-           calling to attempt to better conditions in the world?
       paratus given to ihe body to help her fulfill her corn-            Are we called, for example, to help clean up the to&&
       mission, and can the body then fulfill this commission             in which we live, as much as possible? In a town, for
       through a reprobate? In other words, the quest&  is example, in which ther,e is no theatre, is it our duty to
       whether the commission belongs to the Church as write and speak of its dangers and harm? Is this
       organism or as institute, and in the second place, the voice of witness and part of our calling?`,
       can anyone serve the institute who is not in the body?"               The.Rev. E. Buehrer: "The-general body of believ-
        The Rev. R. Veldman : "In as much as Christ gathers ers receive  gifts for common benefit." '                                             n
       His Church by His Word and Spirit it iS possible that                 The Rev. H. Hoeksema:  "Rev. Lubbers  proc'eeds
       a man in the ministry may be a reprobate but out- from the assumption that the thetitre  is per Fe wrong
       wardly walks  ai upright life. Such a man can' be and he must preach against it.< Is this correct?"
       used. by God.",                                                      The Rev; P. De Boer: "Is it part of the task of,`the
              The R,ev. G. M. Oihoff : "The cqmmission does not           C&urch to  work_   f?r moral improvement? The  Rev.
       come to the teaching ministry apart from the, bpdy,                Buehrer stated that this is the idea -of. the' Mddern
       but to the body. But the body cannot execute its task              Church and condemned                it."     ::                    -
     through everyone  ;  only through those called. Not all                 The Rev. H. Veldman: "What is the differe&`b&  '
       those in the body are vested with office."                         tween missionary .work  and personal witnessing for
              The Rev. A. Petter : "The Bible indicates that there        C h r i s t ? "                                             ..?
       is an organic reiation between the living Church an&               The Rev.  c. Buehrer: "The difference is the field
       the work of the offices. Thus seven  w,ere appointed               of labor."
      for the ministry of the poor. The need of the offices                  The -Rev. H. V,elclman:  "Since 6h& Church is CC%-
       grows out of the organic life of the Church."                      missioned- to p?each  the,Gospel,  can or& the rnini~~~r
              The Rev. H.  Hoiksema:  "Rev., Ophoff is correct. perform this or, anyone?  May anyone preach the
       The commission of the Ch&ch does ,not come to' the                 Gospel or the institute  only?:'
       ihstitute apart' from the Church. The Body of Christ                  The Rev. E. B#ue$rer: "The Gospel is proclaimed,
      receives the commission. But the Church cannot exer- though not exclusively, bi pastors.and'teachers:"
       cise it without the instituie, so Christ gave .the insti-             The Rev. 111 OVeldman: TfWhat is  thti  meaning`  df
      tute that the Church through the institute exercises                `though not exclusively'?`:
      her commission. The Church is gathered by the Spirit                   The Rev. W. Koyy: YThey speak, ex` off&o.`;. !- `:
      through the Word but reprobates are gathered a$ the                                    (To be continued)
      same. time, even ascandidates for the institute, Judas,                                                                W.  H:  I
                   Y'


