             EDI TAigI ON                                            They ali stand in the service of `the gospel of J,esus
                                                                 Christ, the Lord, that is rich oirer all that call -upon
                                                                 H i m .
                                                                     They together constitute but the mirror in which
The Christ-Ch.i%d As The Lord Of AH you may behold Em as the One of Whom the inspired
                                                                 bards of Israel sang to the t'une of their harps; and
              NOW when  Jesz~s was born  in  Bethlehem           of Whom the prophets spoke as the desire of. the
           of Juclaea in the days of Herod the king, se-         Gentiles.
           hold, there came wise men, etc.               ~  I        And at the same time, a mirror in whose reflec-
                       '                  Matt. R:I-12.          tion you may behold the promise of better things to
    Glorious Lord of all !                                       c o m e .
    The Babe of Bethlehem, J&w the Christ!.                          The gospel of ,the King of kings!
    And that He is the universal Lord, the firstborn of              The universal Lord !             `
                                                                                                           .

every creatbre, by Whom and unto Whom all things
were created, that iti ali things He must have the pre-
eminence,-that must  be revealed even at  iXis very                  Lord of creation.!
coming into the world.                                               By Whom and unto Whom the stars in the firma-
    This is the meaning of the visit of the wise men.            .ment   weye created  .in  &he beginning.
    For make no mistake. Do not change this revela-                  By Whom  their  cburse throughout the ages was
tion into a very interesting, while exceedirigly human,          determined and so arranged that, in the- fulness of
story of some'wise men that came to visit the baby time, one of them might serve as His herald, to bring
Jesus. Do not lose yourself in speculation as `to the the representatives- of the Gentiles from afar to wor-
identity  aind number of  these  magi from the east, ship Him !
nor exert yourself too much to explain this wonderful               How -otherwise would you explain this astoumjing
.st.& that guided them to the house where the Christ-            s i g n ?
child might be found. Let your attention not be ab-                 It was in the dtiys when Jesus @as born in Bethle-
sorbed by the attitude of wicked  Herod,  %hd  would             hem of  Judaea, so the gospel  narrator informs us.
fain -destroy the Christ in His infancy ; nor let YOUr More definitely the time is not stated. In those days
indignatipn against the cold-blooded theologians of that belonged still to the birth of Jesus, when angels
Jerusalem detain you .too long from contempltiting the announced and sang of I=Iim, when shepherds sought
main theme of this narrative. `: . . -                           the sign .of the manger .and $he swaddling-clothes, when
    For this narrative did not mean-to be an interesting Simeon spoke of !Him as the sign that -would be con-
story.                         '                                 tradicted, and Anna spoke of Him to all that looked
   It is a revelation of Jesus Christ!                           for Israel's salvation in Jerusalem  ; in those days, when
   It's theme is: the Christ-child as the universal Jerusalem must needs have been filled with rumors
Lord!- .                                                         concerning the aclvent.  -of the. promised Messiah. It
   All  th.e rest in this strange and marvellous narra- cannot have bken long after the birth of Christ, there-
tive is but means and medium : the stay;? the wicked fore. Yet; it was definitely the, last of the events
tyrant, the self-complacent s.cribes of Jerusalem. They conne'cted  with the bi$th ,of our Lord. And this was
must all point to. Him, the, Babe in Bethlehem. They but iroper, altiays according to the- rule : Israel first,
must all serve to reveal IRim in a certin light, from a. then the Gentiles.
certgjn- aspect, that of Fis, being the L@j of* ~11 I              It,wps  tjy3.-the wise men  car&,  .         - .
                                                                                              ._


 122                                     . T H E   STANDA.RD  BEARER

        To see the born King of the Jews they came, for all in the highest heavens, an&e&, and principalities,
 they had seen His star in the .ea@.                            and powers being subject unto Him.
        Evid'ently,  they were tieri+hat were accustomed to        And He tiill come again, to put off His old vesture
 gaze into the firmament, and to',investigate  the starry of the present creation, and to put on the neti garment
 heavens.       It is quite probable, too, that somehow,        of the new heavens and the ne6 earth . . .
 whether through those that ~travelled  laild and sea to           The Firstbegotten of the <dead !
 make proselytes, or through contact with the .Jews,               The universal Lord !
 that were scattere+ov$  the earth, they were acquaint-
 ,ed with the Jews' &pectation of  %he Messiah; And                                                    `,
 again, we may `well `su-rinise that they &ad -received            -The heathen rage !
 some revel&%i, either' `before or at the time the- star           The kings of `the  -earth set themselves, and the
 appeared to- them, that the latter was a sign to them rulers take counsel together,' against the Lord, and
 of the birth of the expected King of the Jews. Certain against His anointed . . .
 it is that; while they were still in their own country, a         Thus it had been foretold.
 very distinctive and remarkable star appeared in the              And thus it was fulfilled, even in the days when
 heavens, such as they had never seen `before, and that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, when Herod
 they explained this strange phenomenon as the sign was king.
 that the,Messiah  had come.                               -       For, naturally, expecting  that the King of the-Jews
        We have seen his'&? !                                   was ,born ii1 Jerusalem, and, perhaps, that they would
        Quite in vain are' all the &tempts  to `explain this    find the'holy city in festive garb, they make their way
 star, &nd to recognize it as one of the known astro- thither; and finding that the people of the city of God
 nomical phenomena.           Calculations have been made,      went about their business as usual, they inquire some-
 indeed, to show that about the time of Jesus' birth what amazedly : "Where-is the born King of the Jews ?"
 there may have been a special constellation or grouping And thus their inquiry reaches the ears of Herod, the
 of stars in the heavens ; others prefer to explain that it k i n g . .                                      --.
: was a nova, or perhaps, a cornet,  such as make their            This was that Herod, whom the world surnamed
-stpange way periodically through the firmament. Yet,           "the Great," the Edomite, worthy son of Esau, the
 how would any .of -these, or any other thkory,  explain        reprobate, who at this time occupied  the throne of
 the strange behaviour  of this star? It.appeared to the David, `though always in subjection to, and as a rep&-
 wise men in the east; then, till the very end of their sentative of the  anti-Christian world-power, the beast
 long journey, they saw it  nob more. It appeared  -to          of the Roman empire.
 them again,' as they departed from Jerusalem, went                And it is but proper that the born King of the Jews
 before them, and stood over the house where the                should announce  !Xis coming  into the world to this
 Christ-child was. .                                            representative of Antichrist, thought it be thr9ugh the
        It was His star!                             -     _    star, and through the Gentiles from afar, that the
        So the wise men explain .it ; and so it had been re-    announcement is n&de. Is not'this Babe in Bethlehem
 vealed to them.                                                the King of the Jews, and the King of kings, .and that,
        A star it was, not a mere appearance, that had been too, not by the grace of a -worldly emperor, nor by the
 especially created in the .beginning for this very pur; will of the people, but by divine right? Is He not the
 pose, to appear at this time only, and to follow this          stone that will crush to pieces the dream-image of
 strange course, that `it might herald the-birth of God's       Nebuchadnezzar, utterly destroy the anti-Christian
 Anointed. And all the- stars in the firmament had world-power, in order that His alone' may be the king:
 been so arranged in their courses that they made room,' doms of the world, and His dominion may be ever-
 in the fulness of. time, for this herald of the king!          lasting?
        For- that Babe iri Bethlehem is the Lord of all !         How proper,  tken, that, at  His very coming into
        IHe is the firstborn of every creature in the counsel the world, He should announce His advent to the enemy
 of the Almighty; All things, even the stars in the He had come to destroy !
 firmament, are created by Him and for Him.                        And Herod  `is troubled !
    `Him they must serve!                                          A king of the Jews? And he .is born outside of his
        And He, orders them to call His people from afar        palace? The King of the Jews? The rightful heir
 that they may come to worship iHim.            '               to the throne of David, which Herod  could occupy only
        Presently, the beasts of the desert pay Him homage,     as a usurper? 0, the Idumaean must have heard of
He walks on the sea; commands the storm to subside. . . :Him ! Moreover, that He is born is- announced by these
        The sup darkens, the rocks  * split, the earth          strangers from afar, and the reality of His birth is
 quakes. . . y.                                                 witnessed by a star in the heavens ! Small wonder that
        He breaks the bonds
        -      ,.       .I      of de&h, and is exalted over    the wicked monarch is troubled. -But his troubled soul
                                                                   ,


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                -                  ,123

  is motivated by hatred and envy again& this born                late! Even now they dimly apprehend that the visit
  King of the Jews, .and by. the desire to maintain his of these strangers signifies th& the coming of this King
  own dominion in oppositiop  to Him.                             will meali the obliteration of the difference between
       _ He plots to kill that Babe !                             the Jew and the Greek.
        The hkathen rage ! The people imagine vain `things !         And even now they reveal that they will despise
  The rulers take counsel -against the ,Anointed  of the Him.
  Lord!            -                                                 They are called into conference with Herod. And
        Indeed, even at this early time, it becomes evident theyshow,  these theologians, that they know the Scrip-.
  that this Babe is the fulfillment of prophecy.                  tures : in Bethlehem of Judaea the Messiah will be born.
        `The Lord of lords, the Christ of God!                    But they treat aim with contempt and cold.indiffer-
. .                         -            -                        ence. The Gentiles they must show the way to the
        Light of the Gentiles !                                   Christ of God; as to themselves, they calmly reniain in
        Even in the attitude of the leaders of Israel, it is      Jerusalem, in utter contempt for the born King of the
  already discernible that Israel's house shall be left J e w s .
  desolate, and that this Babe will obliterate,;the  distinc-        Jerusalem is, troubled, and rejects their promised
  tion between Jew and Greek.                                     Messiah !
        For all Jerusalem, that is, no doubt,  especi&ly           With the  $ame contempt. they will presently nail
  official Jerusalem, was troubled with [Herod, the repro- Hi-m td the cross.
  bate! With him they were troubled, that is, the,same               That salvation may come to the Gentiles.
  kind of tk;ouble that disturbed the soul of the' wicked            And this Babe may be the Lord of all!
king also agitated their minds. Jerusalem that kills                                      -        -
  the prophets, but decorates their sepulchres, is troubled          The universal Lord !
  at the announcement that Jerusalem's King is come to              Rich over all that call  tipon Him !
  establish His throne, and `to claim His rightful do-               For, indeed, these wise men from afar,, represent
  minion !                                                        the nations that shall flow unto Jerusalem to call upon
        0, it cannot be that they-had not heard of His birth      the name of the Lord.
  before! .                                                          Deeply disappointed they must have. been because
        Jerusalem must have.been  filled with rumors cop- of their reception and experience in the city of the great
  cerning the birth of the Babe `in the manger. I-row King. And, perhaps, as they left the palace of the king,
  could it  ,be different? Angels had appeared in the and departed from the holy city, dismay and doubt be-
 `fields of Efratha to preach.the gospel of His advent            gain to fill their soul, as to whether their quest would
  to &he shepherds that kept watch over their flocks by not prove! to have been in vain.
  night; and they had sung of the glory of God and peace             But now, having .fulfilled their mission in Jeru-
  to men in connection with His. birth. They had seen salem, the Lord of hosts cotifortti their hearts, and the
  the Babe in the sign of the manger and the swaddling-           star they had seen in the east, appears to them once
  clothes, and had returned, making known abroad the m&e, guiding them, and standing over the hduse where
  saying that was told them concerning this Child. Sim- they would find the object qf their search. They rejoice
  eon had poured out his heart in gratitude because his with exceeding great joy.  And having entered the
  eyes had seen the salvation of the Lord ; and Anna had house, they fall down before this Babe, worship Him,
  spoken of Xim to all that looked for redemption  m              and offer  Hini their `gifts of gold, frankincense  and .
  Jerusalem. Besides, there had been those earlier  revela-       myrrh.
  that witnessed of the fact that the.p?omise  was about             Wonder of grace !
  to  Ibe fulfilled,. to Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary, Jo-             `Who shall say .how much these strangers under-
  seph. . . .                                                     stood of the mystery of the Babe of Bethlehem? Yet,
        Surely, official Jerusajeti must have been infqrmed they perform an act of profound faith when they fall
  of these things !                                               down to worship this Babe, and of complete devotion
  _ But it &ems that these reports of witnesses had left and consecration, wheri they lay their treasures at His
  them rather indifferent and u5disturbed.                        feet, acknowledging Hini as their Lord and their God !--
        This, however, was-different. ,Fr.om afar these wise         Yet, ,&en so, their act is still proljhetic  of better
 `men-came to inquire earnestly about the born King of things to come.
  th`e ,Jews  ! And when asked about the basis of their in-        For in more glorious light than these wise men
  quiry, these strangers. replied that they had seen His          possessed, IHe shall be revealed, after His exailtation,
  star ip the e&t!                 :'                             as the Lord of all:
        Now they were .troubled,  because even now they              Rich over all, forever!, And all shall bring their
 apprehended that His coming would disturb their car.-            treasures unto Him!
  nal tranquility, and -ultimately leave their house deso-           In the New Jerusalem!                        H. H.


 124, ,                                                                                           T H E   STANDAR.D  - B E A R E R

                                 The Standard `Bearer
               Semi-ikonthly,   except':Monthly  in  July  and  &gust                                                                                                 E D I T O R I A L S
                                                 Published   B y
                        The Reformed Free Publishing Association                                                                                                        S m o k e .   Screen
                                        1463 Ardmore St., S. E.

                                     EDITOR:  -                                 '
                                                                   Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                         We sent the following communication to De Refor-
t:0ntributin.g Editors : - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G.  Vos; Rev.                                                                                          matie: .
R. Veldman, Rev. H.  Veldman,  Rev.  Ii. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                            Prof. Dr. K.  Schilder,
Rev. J. D. De Jong,  Rev:  A: Platter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                             Redakteur,  Re Reformatie.
Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,
ilev.  W.  Bofman.                                                                                                                                           IHooggeachte  Redakteur : -.
     Communications relative to contents should be addressed to
REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapid?,                                                                                                    Een klein plaatsje in uw blad, dat ook ten onzent
Michigan.                                                                                                                                                 nog gelezen wordt,  naar.-aanleiding  van  -eene   opmer-
     Communications  .relative  to subscription should be addressed                                                                                       king van Ds. L. Doekes  in het nommer van 2 Nov., 1946,
10 MR. GE,RRIT  PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                              zult U mij zeker niet wei,reren.
Michigan.                   All  Announcements,  and  Obituaries  must be sent
to the above address and will not be placed unless the regular                                                                                               Ik heb het oog op het volgende van de hand van
fee of $1.00  aocompanies  the notice.                                                                                                                    bovengenoemden broeder :
                                 (Subscription Price $2.50 per year)                                                                       I                 "Het is de oude strijd, dien wij hebben te voeren:
                                                                                                                                                          de strijd om de vastheid en heiligheid van Gods ver-
Enteled  as Second Class Mail -at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                 bondswoorden en verbondszegelen, om de klare helder-
                                              --                                                                                                          heid van de  vragen,  die de ouders hebben te  beant-
                                                                                                                                                          `woorden  bij den doop van ieder kind in de kerk. .Over
                                                                                                                                                          die cluidelijke .. betee!kenis  van Gods verbondsb,elof ten
                                                                                                                                                          is door de synodale theoriegn een rookgordijw'gelegd.
                                                                                                                                                          En  clieneelfden~  mist xien we oak in  uele uitingen van
                                                           -, CONTENTS -                                                                                  onxe geestverwanten in het buitenland  (cursiveering
                                                                                                                                                          van mij, -H. H.) . Dat alles is al verdrietig. Maar het
MEDITATION  :-                                                                                                                                            erg&e is, dat men ens tot op heden heeft gesmaad en
THE CHRIST-GH.ILD AS THE LORD OF ALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I . . . . . 121                                                                          gebrandmerkt, omdat wij het hebben durven opnemen
          Rev. H.  Haoeksema.                                                                                                                             voor de heldere opmerkingen van Afgescheidenen als
                                                                                                                                                          Wormser en Pieters (om van anderen, b.v. Helenius
E D I T O R I A L S   : -   .                                                                                                                             de Cock, maar te zwijgee."          -
                                                                                                                                                              In een footnote bij het artikel lees ik: "Zoo -b.v. bij
SMOKE SCREEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ;.124 Ds. Hoeksema, doch ook bij zijn tegenstanders." Ik
THREE POINTS AND FOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 wordt dus ingedeeld bij die "geestverwanten in het
EXPOSITION OF THE' HEIDELBERG CATECHISM . . . . . . . . . . . . 126                                                                                       buitenland," die een rookgordijn leggen over de ,duide-
          Rev. H.  Hloeksema.                                                                                                                             lijke beteekenis van Gods verbondsbeloften.
                                                                                                                                                             Nu kan ik broeder Doekes we1 verzekeren, dat wij
SAMUEL DISPLEASED .: ..*.....*........... .."..........................,,.............129                                                                 niet behooren tot degenen, die de "vrijgemaakten" heb-
THE  AVIGN0.N  POPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133    ben gesmaad en gebrandmerkt.
          Rev. G. M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                                 Doch hierop  heb ik niet zoozeer het ook.
CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135                     Dat "`rookgordijn" zit mij scheef. Het is juist ,niet
          Rev. M. Gritters.                                                                                                                               mijn  .gewoonte  om  smo.ke screens  te leggen over  de,
                                                                                                                                                          waarheid. En ik zou gaarne willen, dat Ds. Doekes mij
FRO,M HOLY WRIT . . . . ..I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  p3:6`een kans, gaf om duidelijk te maken,  dat, *hetgeen  hij
          Rev. H. Veldman.                                                                                                                                ziet  als rookgordijn en mist, niets anders is dan het
                                                                                                                                                          klare licht van Gods ,Woord. Het kan immers ook zijn,
PERISCOPE (The Conference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138                    dat wat iemand ziet als een rookgordijn, moet worden
          Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                 toegeschreven aan een cataract of staar .of zijn oog.
                                                                                                                                                          Of .echter het een of het -ander waar is, kan niet uitge-
THE TENSION OF THE CHURCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141                                       maakt worden  door Wormser of Pieters, noch ook door
       .-Rev.  H .   V e l d m a n .                                                                                                                      onze Belijdenisschriften, die ons  nu eenmaal  geen
                                                                                                                                                          duidelijke en volledige verbondsbeschouwing bieden,
                                                                                                                                                          maar alleen door Gods ,Woord.


                                                                              *  -
                                             T H E   S'T'ANDARD B,EARER:                                                     125

     De algemeene opmerking van Ds. Doekes  biedt mij              The natural man is so sorrupt-  that he cannot, that he
 echter de kans, die ik zpek,  niet. I+at-de broeder, in- is incapable 0: using this natural light aright, even in
 -plaats  vati zulke algemeenheden, waaraan ik geen hou- things natural' and civil. "There is no good left in his
 vast kan krijgen, dus man &`paard.noemen. Laat hem nature. He is, indeed, totally depraved.
 precies zeggen, waar ik het rookgorclijn  gelegd heb, en             It is plain, therefore, that the formulation as found
 uit de Heilige Schrift bewijzen, dat het metterdaad.een           in the Canons is to be preferred, and that the declara-
 rookgordijn is. . Dan zal ik hem antwoorden.  Zulk tion of Utre'cht  definitely weakens the Confessions on
 eene discussie zou tgn dienste van de waarheid kunnen this point. .                                                    *
 strekken, en onze onderlinge verstandhouding kunnen                  Let us now turn our attentibn to the third of the
 bevorderen.                                                       declarations of Utrecht under Common Grace.
     Ik beloof tevens,  data ik onze discussie, zou Ds.               It defines the purpose of the remnants and of the
 Doekes  op mijn verzoek ingaan, woordelijk in het natural light left to man after the fall. Accordi;?g to
 Engelsch  zal weergeven in  o&  blad,  The Standard this thir-d point, their purpose is three-fold : 1. To ren-
 Bearer.                                                           der man without excuse ; 2. To bridle the working
    ,Ik twijfel er heeletiaal  niet aan, dat D,e Reformatie        through `of sin; and 3. To cause that bossibilities,  given
 gaarne  ztilk eene discussi,e zal opnemen. Het groote iti the original creation; may still be developed in -the
 verschil tusschen de "synddalen" en de "vrijgemaak-               sinful world.
 ten" ligt immers daarin, dat de laatsten "pngebonden"                .To the first of. these statements concerning the pur-
 zijn? Dat wil dus zeggen: er is  alle ruimte voor pose  qf the remnants, we have little objection. The
 broederlijke bespreking van  d.e  verbondskwestiti.          s    Confession also speaks of it that `the sinner  $ left
     Mak ik eindigen met mijn hartelijke groete, amice             without excuse. However, here, too, it may  -be re-
 SchildFr,  aan U?'                                    ~.          marked that the statement in. the Canons on this point
                                    H. Hoeksema,                   is more corr.ect  than that of t&e declarations of Utrecht.
                                    * Grand Rapidsj` M&h.          ;Fbr it is not so much the. remnants -and the natural
                                    U.  S. A.                      light as such that renders the sinner *inexcusable be-
                                                                   fore God, as the fact that he wholly pollutes his light,
                                                                   and holds it under in unrighteousness. But we -may
     To those readers that have difficulty to read Dutch, let- this pass,                                    I     -
 let me explain, briefly, the occasion and contents of the            It is to the second and third of these points that we
 above communication.                                              have s'erious objections.
     A Rev. L. Doekes,  writing on the covenant ques-                 First of all; let Us note that in making ihese de-
 tion in favor of the view gener.ally held by the "Liber- @arations  the Synod of Utrecht left the basis of our
&ed Churches" in the Netherlands, made the, remark                 Confessions. -Nowhere do the latter state that the
 that I, as well as my oljponents in this country, cast -remnants of riatliral light serve the purpose of bridling
, a smoke screen over the covenant promises  of God.               the course of sin; It is true, the Canons state that bjj
     In the above  comm.unication,`.I  kindly invite the the "glimmerings of natural light" ,the sinner retains
 brother to refrain from making such. general state-               sdme knowl'edge- of God) of natural tl$ngs, and of the
 ments, to point out just where I cast such a smoke                difference between good and evil,  and discovers some
. screen, to prove that I actually am guilty of such an            regard for virtue, good orclcr  in society, and for .main-
 act, and to give me an opportunity to discuss this mat-           taining an orderly external deportment. But did the
 `ter with him in De Refo&matie.                                   f&hers of Dordrecht mean to declare thereby the same
    .At the same time; I promise the brother that I will           thing as what' is meant by the restraint of the coilrse
 offer a faithful  translatio? of our  disqssion,  ,should 1 (cloorwerking)  of sin 7 Did they mean that the "know-
 he cpnsent  to it, ip our paper.                                  ledge .of God" which the sinner has induces him some-
     Let us await results.                              iH. H'.    what to love' Him, or to bridle his h&red of God ; that
                                                                   his knowiedge  bf the difference between good and evil
                                                                   causes him to. do good ; that his regard for virtue'ren-
                -..-
                        _
                                        1                          ders him virtuous? Did .they mean to deny that even
            Three hints And Fbln                                   good order in societ$ may'be the channel in which the
                                                                   course of  .siti  moves?.  Was  there no good order in
                                                                   socihty imdkr the Nazi regime, and will not the. Anti-
  ..' Merely to state that the natural man does not use            christ introduce the  perfect order? Or is it not true,
 remnants left to him aft& the fall and his natural light          according to our fathers of Dordt, that even though
 aright, <leaves' room for the possibility that lik might
                                                        r          the sinner may- have regard for ati external -order!y
 use' them aright, if' he would.                                   deportnient, he camduflages  this orderly deportment
    The Canons, however, exclude even this possibility.
                             I .                                   whenever he sees fit, and, moreover, the things he does


 1 2 6                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D ;   B E A R E R

  in se&t are a shame even to mention?                            working through of sin? The declaration is base&on
          The last part of the same article of the Canons that misunderstanding, on a confusion of .conceptions.
  speak of th&e "glimmerings of natural light" ought to              And the only thing a sinner can do with-This, rem-.
  be sufficient answer to all these questiolis:  "Nay fur-        nants is to wholly pollute them, and hold them in `un-
ther, this light such as it is, man in various ways               righteousness, thus rendering himself inexcusable be-
  renders wholly polluted, and holds it in unrighteous-           fore God.
  ness, by doing which he becomes inexcusable b,efore                 This' our fathers clearly saw.  And this Utrecht
  Go,,."                                                          failed to discern.
      And how could it be different?                                                                                         H. H.
          How could the natural remnants and the natural
  light possibly serve to restrain the working through of
  sin?After all, these remnants are natural, are they not?
 They imply that man still is a rational a@ moral being,             THE  TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE
  that he still has a mind and is able to think and reason ;
  that he still has a will, and ,is able to act is a moral
 being. It means that he is capable of knowing that                An Exposition Qf The Heidelberg
  .God is, and that He must be glorified and served ; _that
  he is able to distinguish between good .and evil, and                                      catec~lisma .
  to know that he is obliged to do the good ; that he is in                                      P a r t   T W G .
  a position  to discern that the precepts `tif the law of
  God are good for him, and that to violate them leads                                    O f   M a n 's   R e d e m p t i o n   -
  him to destruction. But whatever else one may say                                         Lord's              Day XXI                  '
 about these remnants, the fa,ct remains that they are                                                    3:
  natural.  They'are not spiritual. There is no  pokier
  of ethical good in them. They are not at all remnants                    The  Gathe&g of the Church (cont.)
  of his original righteousness or goodness. Nor did our              A comparison of the `two passages speaks for itself.
 Reformed ,fathers  ever intend to intimate that there             While the passages from  Hose&. speaks of the na-
  is any remnant of positive good in fallen man:                  tion of Israel, to which the Lord said Lo Ammi, not my
   .  IHow, then, could these natural  ren'mants act as           people, and Lo Ruchama, no object of me&y; but which
  a restraining power upon `sin which is spiritual and shall `be restored, so tl$at' the Lord will be merciful
  ethical corruption? Sin means. that the whole nature to them, and they shall be called the children of the
  of man is perverse,. is motivated by enmity against living God ; the passage from the Romans quotes this
  God, that all m&n's light, such as it is; is change into passage in proof of the fact that the Lord fulfilled this
  darkness all his righteousness is perverted into un-            promise of the restoration of Israel in the calling of
  righteousness, `his holiness into corruption.                   the New `Testament Church, "not of the Jews only, but
          Noti, then, let.this be noted clearly :, this perversion also of the Gentiles."
  .of sin, this ethibal corruption, operates exactly in a&-l          This passag'e alone establishes beyond any doubt
  thrbugh the remnants of natural light.,.-                       the: unity.of Israel and the Church of the old dispentia-
          The natural light does not  restrAin  the ethical       tion.
  corrtiption,  nor eden the operation and' expression of it.         Further proof must wait `till we discuss the Scrip-
  It is foolishness to even state such a thing.                   tural ground  fop the baptism of the children of be-
          On the bontrary,  the perversion of sin corrupts the    lievers.
  remnants.                                                           The' Word of God abundantly sustains the teaching
      If man had no remnants of natural light he could            of -the Catechism, that the Church is gathered out of
  not be sinner. If, in his natural light, he could not the whole human race, from the beginning even unto
  have some_ knowledge of, God, he could not hate Him.            the end of the world.:
  If he could not discern the diff,erence between good and
  evil, he could not possibly sin as'a moral being. If he
  had no regard for virtue, he could not wickedly trample                                         `4.            _
  it under foot. If he did not know his obligation to do                      . .                                             I
  righteousness, he could not- hold the truth in unright-'                           Assurance.  ,O> Membership.
  eousness.                                                           The Catechism conclud& its answer to the question
      His natural light-is &hical darkness.                       concerning the. holy catholic Church with a per&&al
          How, then, could -it possibly be said that the rem-     confession : "and that I a~ and for ever shall re.maia a
  llz&s se_rvF the purpose of restraining the course or
                       _                                          living ,member  thereof",                                           .   .


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          127

    A double assurance of fajth js. expressed in these        as a b&is .ior pres,ent.assurance -of. salvatibn is morbid
 `words: the assurance of personal metibership, npt of        and very weak. For, first. of all, h?w easy it is, in the
 a certain church in the world, but of the `one, ).oly,       course of time, td foster doubt as, to the reality of those
 catholic Church, the spiritual body. of Christ ; and the past experiences, and to raise. the. anxious question
 assurance. that this membership can never cease: once        whether, perhaps, we deceived  ourselves at the time
 a `member of the Church is to be member forever.             we had them, and whether they were after all  not              _I
    The question may be asked: how does- the believer         merely the product of our own imagination ! (Or, if we
 in this world attain to this height of' perBona1 assur-      really rely upon the experience of the grace of con-
 ance of belonging ..to the holy catholic Church, and,        version in the past, such morbid appeal to the past may
therefore, of his salvation? ,                                make us careless and profane indeed, and cause us to
    In answer'to  this question, -we may state, first of neglect the working out of our ~ownt salvation' -in the
 all, that this personal assurance is certainly possible.     present. The question is not, whether we were con-
 There. `are Chkistians  who virtually deny this. They verted some ten or twenty, years ago, but whether we
 not only are constantly in a state of. doubt as to their     are walking in the way of salvation today. Besides, let
 persotial  part with Christ and /His- Church, but, they us not forget that these experiences of sudden and
 also insist that such a state is normal. And when they vivid conversions are not everybody's, and certainly'
 meet someone who glories in Christ, and professes to         should not be set up as a standard for al!. They who
 be assur.ed  of his own salvation, they view him with        do so only confuse the minds and hearts of those that,
 suspicion, and usually venture to express their opinion like Timothy,  were brought up in the fear of the Lord
 that such a glorying believer takes matters too lightly,     and in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures from early
 and that hiti boast is too superficial. Yet, the Word of childhood; and who, while they never departed from
 God everywhere strikes a far, different note, certainly the way of God's covenant, will never be able to speak
 teaches  that. the believer ought to rejoice in the God of a sudden calling and transitiop from t@e darkness of
 of his salvation,in  Christ, and exhorts us to make our      sin into the light of God's glorious grace. Yet, the way
 calling `and election sure. It is certainly true that the    of the latter is far to be preferred to that of those who
 Christian in this world may have, and often does have,       were vividly and suddenly converted. It is better to
 times when his,faith is not bright, and does not reach       fear the Lord from childhood, than to wallow in the
 the height of glorying expressed here by the Catechism. inire of sin for a while, in order then to be converted.
 But such a weak and wavering condition must not be             `Let' those, therefore, who really were called and
 coined as normal, still less as ideal. Rather should         converted in this marked way,  beware,  lest they be-
 the believer in such moments .of doubt and unbelief gin to boast in self; .and in their- own shame, rather
, examine himself with' a view to discovering the causes than in the grace of' God.
: of his spiritually sick state. The spiritually healthy         Nor can this true assurance' of personal salvation
 believer may certainly be assured of his membership of be gained in the  w$y of morbid introspection and
 the holy catholic Church, and glory in the God of his        search for evidences of  -grace, 0, to be sure, these .
 salvation.                                                   manifestations of -the grace of. Christ are certainly
    Besides, such assurance and glorying, and not a present in the consciousness and life of the believer.
`state of darkness and spiritual gloom, are to the glory He is sorry for sin and repents. He has a delight in
 of God our Redeemer.                                         the precepts of his God, and strives to be pleasing to
    But in what way majr such a glad.and healthy as- the Lord. He loves the brethren, and is not a friend
 surance of salvation be attained?                            of, the world. But healthy spiritual certainty and as-
    Negatively, we may. answer, that this spiritual           surance of one's part with Christ will never be attained
 certainty cannot possibly rest on the ground of cer-         by searching for such evidences and by attempting  to
tain experiences of conversidn  which we may have had make them a basis for our certainty. The trouble is
 in the past. It is not unusual to meet people who ap-        that, before long, he that seeks to reach assurance
 peal to their past experiences of the grace of conversion in this way will have no end of quest'ions concerning
 as a basis of assurance that they are children of God.       these evidences 6f grace, to which he will never find a
 They like to relate lthe story of their conversion, how satisfactotiy answer. /He is sorry for his sin, yes, but
 they lived in the &ire of sin, $nd in what marvellous is his sorrow sincere? Or is it deep enqpgh? Does he,
 way they were brought to conviction of sin, true rei perhaps, repent because he is afraid df punishment?
 pentance; and faith in Christ. Itf is `to be feared that,    Is not his love of Go&miserably lacking in depth and
 as these stories are repeatedly tolc$they grdw in vivid- fervency? Besides, -all these' evidences are present
 ness of color and detail. And  they are designed to          only .in  l!&ciple.    And the believer who earnestly
 leave the impression that, unless one can speak of           examines "liitiself can find a thbusand evidences to
similar experiences,`he  cannot claim to have a part with assure hini that he never was a child of God. For the
 tlie grace of Christ.. Hdwever, this appeal to the past motions of sin are still in his mimbers, and they loudly


                                                ~THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

        protest against the testimony of whatever evidences            without always enjoying the other. The faculty, the
        of grace he may find within himself.                           gift, the power of faith can never be lost. But it is
            Although, therefore, it is.salutary daily to examine       quite possible that one who has the gift .of faith in his
        ourselves whether we be in the faith, we should no>            heart, has times when he fails to enjoy the healthy,
        r&ly on evidences of grace to determine whether we             conscious activity and  assurance of faith. Various
        have the faith.                                       ..  3    causes may cooperate to cast a veil of darkness, `of
            Needless to say that this' blessed and joyous as-. deadness, of doubt and gloom  over his soul, so that it
        .surance cannot be found in the .way of the mystic, of         seems as if he never had the faith in Christ.
        waiting for some special revelations or whispering                And the assurance of one's personal salvation is a
  of the  ,.Holy Spirit, assuring us that we are the sons              matter of ihe well-be&y of his faith.
        of God. For it is, `indeed, the Spirit that witnesses             How, then, in what way, can this well-being of faith
        with our spirit that we are the sons -of God, but. this -be attained?
        testimony is never to.be divorced from the bbjective             The answer to this question cannot be doubtful.
        witness of the Word of God as conta?ned  in the--Holy             Faith must.cocstantly be nourished and strengthen-
        Scripture& For -such special revelations we can but
~  _                                                                   ed. And it is ndurished by the means of  .gr&,  the .
        wait in vain.                                                  `preaching of the Word, and the administration of the
           .What then? Shall we base our assurance of being sacraments.               It is, therefore, indispensable for the
        a living member of the holy catholic Church on the `assurance of my personal salvation -that  I diligently
        fact that we are members of some church in this world,         attend the preaching of the Word of God, and faithfully
        or `on some other related matter, such as that we are          partake of the sacraments the Lord has instituted for
        baptized, that we have believing parents,. or the .like?       the confirmation of our faith. `Through the Word as
            ,God forbid !                                              it is preached by the Church the Holy Spirit will nour-
            iThis is quite impossible. Even though  som_eone           is& our faith, cause us to grow in the knowledge and
        sho,tild  be a member of the very best of churches in grace of Christ, and witness with our spirit that we
        the world, where the Word of God  is-.mo$,  purely are the sons of God. After all, there is only one that                    -
        preached, he could not possibly make this a ground of          can .give us the assurance that we are saved, and that .
        his personal assurance of salvation. For the  fatit            is God IHimself; there can only .be one ground of such
        is that there is always chaff among the wheat, and assurance, and that is the. Word of God ; there is only
        -`that all are not Israel that are` of -Jsrael. Olie  n!my,    one that can bring th& worh to our .hearts, so that
        therefore, very well be a member of some church on we know that it is not only for others, -but also for us
        earth, without being a member of the .holy catholic            personally, and that' is God, through Christ; by .His
        Church of Christ. That our  name is found on the               Holy Spirit. Aid it pleases Him to do so through +he
        church register'below is no guarantee that it is written preaching of the Word by His Church in the `world,
        in the book of life.                                           and to strengthen the same assurance through our
            Fact is that the assurance of our sonship is found partaking of the `holy sacraments.                              ;
        spontaneously by our walking faithfully in. the way of            For the well-being of our faith, therefore, it is in-
        ,that  assurance.            .                                 dispensable that. we .diligently and prayerfully attend
            Let us .not forget that tde assurance of which we          the`preaching of the Word, and make use of the means-
        speak is an assurance of faith.                                of grace. .
            And faith, as ,the Catechism has taught us in the             But,this is not all.
        seventh -Lord's Day, is a certain -knowledge of `,a11 that        The way in which we may so hear the .Word  of God
        God has revealed in -His Word, and a hearty confidence, that we are'.assured of our calling .and election is that
        that not only to others, but also to -me, remission of of .obe&ience-to  the Word, and of sanctification.
        sin, everlasting righteousness and salvation, are freely          If we walk +in the ways of the ,world,  of .carnal lust
        given by God, merely of grace, only- for the .sake of          and pleasure; if we do not put off the old man, and put
   Christ's  nierits.                                                  on the neti; or if there be some sin in our life which
            Faith, therefore, is tissurance;                           we nourish, for the which we will not repent, the Spirit
            In order, therefore, to live in the co&&iousness of does not witness with our spirit th,at we are the sons of.
        .being a member-of the Church of Christ, in the joyous `God. And even though we regulau'ly attend the preach-
        assurance of my personal salvation, my faith must be, ing of the-Word  of God, and are never absent from the
        conscious and -healthy. I  mu& not simply  have the table of -communion, it will be of no benefit ($0 us, and
        power of faith, but faith must ,be active.                     we will not -possessithe  glad assurance of our ,personal
            Our fathers sometimes. made the distinction be- salvation, as lo& as we refuse to cleanse ourselves
   , ttieen  the being and the w,e&being of .faith.                    from every-defilement of the flesh and of the Spirit, r  I
            It is, indeed, quite possible and proper to make  and perfecting -holiness -in *he fear of God.
        to  .apply such a distinction.  ,One may have the one             This `con~ecti.on  between ,hearing the Word of God


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   `B%ABEI1                                               129

 and a walk in true sanctification, and, therefore, be- us witness that we .are `of them, and we ,will expeyieilcc
 tween a lif,e of obedience t,o the Word and our personal            that we belong to the `company of them that are saved,
 assurance of salvation, the Bible emphasizes  f&-                   and that, with them, we sre `living members of the
 quently.                                                            Church. This, too, is'impossible if we walk in dark-
    The epistle of James exhorts us: "Wherefore lay ness. If we nourish sin in our hearts, the fellowship
 apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and with the saints in Christ is severed, as far as our
 receiye  with meekness the ehgrafted word, which is conscious life is concerned.                   .
 able to save your. souls. But be ye doers of the word;         -       Anti, secondly, if we walk as children of light ifi the
 and not hea?,ers only." James  l:il, 22. The one is midst of the world, and confess the name of our Lord
 impossible `without the other. - You cannot receivk the Jesus Christ in word and walk, the world will bear us
 saving power of the Word, unless you put away sin testimony that we aye not of them. If  w,e would be
 and walk in holiness. Fact is, that if you  walk in friends of the world, we will be accounted enemies of
 ways of the flesh, you. cannot even hunger and thirst God. If our walk is such that the  world numbers  US
 for the bread and the water sf life., Hence, the apostle among its friends, we will surely have the testimotiy
 Peter writes : "Wherefore laying aside all malice,. and in our consciousness that we a-re not of God.
 all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speak-            Hence, if we find that we cannot take the words of
 ings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere niilk of the the' Catechism upon our lips, and confess that we are
 W&c& that ye-may grow thereby: if so be that ye have living members of the Church which the Son of God
 tasted that the Lord is gracious."' I Pet. 2 :l-3. The         gathers out of the whole human race,  w,e ought to
 implic'ation of this exhortation is very plain: if we are examine ourselves whether we be ilz the faith, in order
 to be desirous of the sincere milk of the word, w,e must that we may discover where the. cause of our spiritual
 put away from us the old man of sin ; if we, nourish weakness and gloom lies. And having found the cause,
 sin in our hearts, we cannot hunger for the Word, we must humble ourselves in true'repentance,  and im;
 nor be benefited by its preaching. knd how, according plor& Him for grace that we may forsake .the world.
 to the same apostle, can we make  our calling and elec-        crucify our @ld nature, walk in newness .of life, and
 tion sure? He tells us in  the following words: "And thus, through the preaching of the Word, hear the wit-
 beside this, giving all diligence, add to your  faiths ness of His Spirit that we are the sons of God.
 virtue ; . and to virtue knowledge ; And to knowledge                  Such self-examination is healthy and salutary.
 temperance ; and. to temperance pat&lee ; and to pat-                                              ,               H. H.
 ience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness;
 and to brotherly kindness charity., For if these things
 be in you and abound, they shall make you that ye
 shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge
`of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lack&h these
 things is blind,` and cannot see afar off, and hath
forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Where-
 fore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make' your
 calling and election sure: for if'ye do these things, ye
 shall never fall.".Ii: Pet. `l:5-10.                                                   nel       ispleased
    Attending the preaching of the Word, and partak-                             - *                                  ,. * @@$j
 ?ng of the Lord's table, pleading, too, upon the assur-                Though the people's `asking for a king was deeply
 ance of God our Saviour in baptism; and walking in sinful, the kingship as such was not a sinful institution.
 the way of obedience to the Word, so that we put. off          It was. needed to shed a new light on the promise.
 the old man of sin, and put- on the new man in Christ,         David, the warrior-king, to whom the Lord swore
we will not need to appeal to past experiences, neither truth, and Solomon in his'glory typified Christ. But
 be in need of special revelations, nor` search for evi-             the people `did not, ask for a king because of their
 dences  `df grace; but we will spontaneously rejoice in desire to serve the cause of the Gospel ; their purpose
 the &surance that we are members of the Church, and            was to rid themselves of Jehovah, whom in their
 sons of `God, for it is`in that way that the Spirit wit- hearts they had rejected, that He should not rule over
 nesses with our spirit that we are the children of them. And the Lord gave them.their  way; He did set
 God.                                                           a king over them and thus made these motions of sin,
    We may add, that thus our assurance of faith will also willed by IHim, serve His purpose, according to
 be supported by a twofold testimony from without.              which the people  .of Israel had to be brought into
    On the one hand, there is the testimony of our `being as a visible kingdom.
fellow saints in Christ. As we walk in the light, we                    Who would have thought that in asking for a
have fellowship with one another, The saints iyill bear         king, the elders as the spokesmen of the people, were
                                         4


  130                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAtitiIZ

  motivated b$ the desire to get rid of Jehovah?. Doubt-        being judged by an old'man btit that they did not fear
  1,ess it surprised even the elders, when later it was the Lord and keep His cornmandmeni%
  told them by Samuel. `They asked for the removal                 The Lord commanded Samuel to `"hearken unto th.e
  of corrupt judges. Ostensibly they were good men voice of the people in all that they say eanto thee: for
  interested in righteous government.  And it tiay well they have nbt rejected thee, but they have rejected
  be that they believed `themselves to be men of this me, that I: should not ruie Over them." To these words
 .:harncter,  men who wanted for the nation a king who we must again have regard. Just because they have
  should walk in the ways of Samuel, a king who `feared rejected the Lord, Samuel must hearken untd their
  1-1~ Lord. Did they not complain to Samuel about.his          voice and set over them a- king. What could be the
  so:& not walking in his ways? And the  character              Lord's purpose in set&g ove& them a king on account
  of their request should not remain unnoticed. On the of their having rejected Him? Israel had many kings,
  :,:.l:rface  it was wholly justifiable; it thus betokened,    only some  qf whom were godfearing. As limited to
  it. would seem; a genuine concern of just men about Israel's first  kirig, the ungodfearing Saul, through
  the plight of their nation. Samuel was old. It is whose self-will and rebellions the nation was brought
  true. And `he felt his age. Why, if it were otheiwise,        to the  b&l& of ruin,  thk  questidn is to be answered
  should he have appointed his two sons to assist him thus. The L.ord  wanted to punish $he nation for its
in his judicial office? The infirmities,  .incident to sin of rejecting Him and thus demonstrate tinto it, in
  old age, had slowed him down, no doubt. There `are the hard school of experience, the sinfulness and,gY:&at
  .still ot!*e~  tividences that he was getting old. His sons folly of wanting a king in the room of Jehovah. Sad
  weye  ia%ng bribes and perverting judgment and  it was the kind of a king for-which thgy had asked, one
  seems that he knew nothing about it, so that it was           who should usurpe the Lord's place in the nation. But
  necessary for the elders  td tell him  ivhat went on.         Saul's career was ended by a war with the Philistines
  Samue! was old; and was not a serious objection to            in which he died a suicide and in which the nation suf-
  his age especially this; that it disqualified him for fered a defgeat of the first magnitude. All the Israel-
  taking the field in time of war to fight their battles' ites that dwelt in the maritine plain forsook their
  for them as the captain of Israel's army? And they cities and fled to escaee  the wrath of the Philistines ;
  could say, too, that his  influ&oe with the people            and the Phil&tines dwelt in their cities, I Chron. 10 :7.
  amounted to little. He had judged Israel for several          And finding Saul dead, they stripped him and decapi-
  years now, and still every man .did that %hich was `tated him. -They "put his armor in the house bf their
  right in his own eyes, the reason being- that there was       gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon."
  no king in Israel. And all the while the nation was The nation's first king was a failure. He feared not
  being harassed by foreign dominions. Was it not high God. Be came to a tragic  end. And had the Lord
  time that Samuel resign with his sons? The judgship, not regarded the true Israel, the nation would have
  was not hereditapy  in Israel. Yet, Samuel had mad4 come to a tragic end with him. The great lesson to
  his sons judges. Should not the people have a king? the people ,of Israel is obvious. The nation with its
  Was not right on the sid.e of the elders? Were they           king must serve the Lord, its king invisible,  `or be
  not just men? Only apparently so. The Lord makes              consumed by Wis wrath. Its safety still lay solely in
  the amazing disclosure that they asked for a king be-         covenant fidelity.  But- the lesson was not taken to
  cause in their heart of `hearts and perhaps without heart except by the trae Israel; The nation pe+sistecl
  their being fully aware of it they -rejected the Lord         in demanding a king that would serve with it in Baal's
  and. knelt before the shrine of idols; they were be- tempie, and fight its battle without placing it uncle?
  having, in petitioning for a king, true to form, "accord- the necessity of-eschewing evil and fearing God. It
  ing to all the works  which they did since the day that persisted in demanding victory, freedom and prosper-
  I brought them out of Egypt even;unto this day, where-        ity without truth and  righteouslless,   heave? without
  with they have forsaken. me, and served other gods." God. In a word, the nation persisted in rejecting God -
  Who would have- thought this? We are at best poor through all the centuries of the future as revealed in
  judges of the moral character of human conduct. The its Godfearing kings and prophets; it finally. crucified
  mainsprings thereof lie concealed in t&e heart of man,        God as He stood before them in Christ. For the Lord
  the heart which is deceitful more than anything. Only hardened its heart.
  the Lord can knoy it. As for the right being on the              But we must now attend to the text at chapter 9 :16,
  side of the elders and the people, if they believed that      "Tomorrow about this time-it is the Lord speaking,
  pight was on their side, they were willingly ignorant of      communicating His will to Samuel-I will send thee
  the fact that. what they needed was not a change of a man out of the land of Benjamin-the reference is to
  government but a. change of heartland  that the cause         Saul-and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over
  of all their troubles was not that they had no king to my people Israel, that he may save my people out of
 ,go o@ &efQre them and fight` their battles and were the-hand of the Philistines : for I have looked upon my


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                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   :,BEARER                                            131

 people, because their cry is come unto me." Thus .the ception  necessary to a right evaluatioh of the things
 Philistines had recovered from their defeat suffered       of God. They  could detect little difference between
 in the battle of Mizpah some fifteen or perhaps twenty the worship of Baa1 and that `of Jehovah. The con-
 years previgus, and by their incursions into the coasts trarities and the. differences were smoothed. away by
 of Israel were again making life unbearable for God's      $he evil  ,influence of habitual intercourse with the
 people. Samuel must anoint Saul that he may d'elitier      idolatrous Canaanites. It could be expected therefore,
 them. Thus Saul's elevation to the throee had at least     that, with -the rest&fits  fast being removed through
 a twofold.purpose. The Lord wanted the nation pun- the death of the fathers, this new generation more and
 ished on account of its sin of rejecting Him ; and for more openly forsook the Lord and returned to the
 the sake of /His people, the true Israel, he kanted the    idols. Samuel still lived. But he was old and his sons
 nation saved from the Philistine oppressions, which. took bribes and pervertgd  judgment. True, he judged
 were hard and cruel. But also the catastrophies  that Israel.          But the  circlk of his direct influence- he
 befell the" nation on account of Saul's rebellions were went from yetir to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal,
 turned td the advantage of the true Israel.                and Mizpah,-was small. It  includecl only a small
     The notice that the  natioiz again  groan,ed under portion of the land of Canaan. And .as he advan&cl in
 the oppression of Philistine and other dominions raises years he more and more shifted the burdens of his
 questions. Had the people of .Israel forsaken the Lord     office from his own `shoulders to, those of his two
 anew and was the house of Israel again prostrating s o n s .                                              0
 itself before the  shrin'e of idols. Was Baalim and           He was aware, to be sme, of the new tide of unbelief
 Ashtaroth again being served  o@nly? -The sacred and, apostacy  that again threatened to engulf the na-
 writer makes nd mention' of it in hii naprative. But tion. But_ he was also. reminiscent of the glorious
 the notice of the Lord's instructing Samuel to anoint spirttual revival t$at hacl swept the land of idolatry
 Saul that he  might deliver  God's people out of the       twenty years ago., Ail- the house of Israel had lamented
 &and of the Philistines makes it certain that idolatry after the Lord. The strange gods and Ashtaroths
 was again raising its fowl head,  eyerywhere  in the were put away, and the nation servecl the Lord only.
 iand. This need cause no surprise. Some fifteen or And they gathered together- at Mizpah and drew water
 twenty years had elapsed since the disastrous defeat and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that
 of the Philistines at Mizpah.     During those, years      day, and said there, We `have sinned against the Lord.
 there had risen another generation that, as the one Then the Lord had done wonders. He thundered with
 that arose after the generation to, which Joshua be- a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and
 Jonged "knew not Jehovah and the works that he had discomfited them :  and they were smitten before Israel.
 ~ done for Israel." Only here the gr&at work of Jehovah It all stood out clear in Samuel's memory as though it
 was His scattering by His thundering and lightnings had happened but, yesterday. :He loved to dwell on
the Philistines advancing  aghinst the congregation of those events in his `solitude, when he sat in his house,
 the Lord assembled in Mizpah. The old generation an old &an now, grown old in the service of His God
 -had witnessed that mighty wonder, demonstration  of       and His people. Those were glorious days! For the
 the Lord's power and readiness to save His contrite        nation served God. But now it groaned under new
 and penitent people ; and they thus knew the Lord by oppressions. The anger of the Lord again was hot'
 the seeing of their eye, and had been mightily im- against His people. Whithersoever they went out,
 pressed.    And the true believers had blessed God's       His hand was against them for evil. For the Lord
 name because they were men born from above. But as was again being forsaken. And Samuel's spirit was.
 to the new generation, it had acquaintalice of the Lord heavy. Would that the elders of the people came to
 as revealed in that work of deliverance only through bring him tidiqgs that the house of Israel once moqe
 the report of their fathers most of whom were dead.        lamented after the Lord. How his heart would rejoice!
 But there is more meaning to this new generation's         He would know how to answer  th@m. "If ye do re-
 not knowing the Lord and that mighty work of His. turn unto the Lord with all your hearts," he would`say
 The idolatrous men of this new gerieration,  the gr'eat to them, "put away the strange gods from among
 majority of them, were devoid of grace and therefore you, and serve the Lord only, and IHe will deliver you
 did not acknou$edg8e  that the  ~wonder  of which they out of the hand of the  Phil&tines." It was only in
 had intelligence, through the report of the fathers,       the way of their return to the Lord, that He would
 was the work of the Lord, by which He had wrought deliver them out of their troubles. Another way there
 salvation in Israel. Thus their not knowing the Lord was not. .How firmly that truth had embedded `itself
 and His, work must also mean that they knew little in his soul.
 about the Lord and iHis works, of the idea and pur-           For some'time  now, it must be, the elclers in Israel
 pose of their history, nation, institutions, promises of everywhere were holding meetings on which th'ejr dis-
  God and His worship. They lacked the spiritual per- cussed the plight of the nation ; and the concensus of
                                                                                              I


1 3 2             .                     T.HE  `Y6ANDARD  - `B E A R E R

opinion among them was that Israel should have. a                  evidence of a woeful lack of right understanding
king to judge them and to go out before them, and                 of  the.true character of the  terribl; zeal of this
fight their battles.       Gatliering themselves together,         righteous man. True, Samuel, too, was a saint
they came to Samuel in  Ramah, as we have seen.                    with but a sm$ll princifile  of true obedience. This
`It seems that-their request took him 69 surprise. Cer-            will become  `appare:lk  as we proceed, with our
tain it is that it  vex,ed and troubled  hini  .greatly,           narrative. But what must continually be born in
"But the thing displeased Samuel (tile Hebrew text                 mind.  in  explaiping  his reactions is this:  Samnel
has, "The thing was evil in Samuel's eyes)  9  when                was not a Saul ; he was Sar&el: But this is but
they said, Give us a king to judge *LIS," and they must             another way of  sayi;lg that also in explaining
have added, `to fight our battles.and  free us from the             Samuel, to be Sure, "n
                                                                                        ,.,,ripture  must be interpreted
yokes of our oppressors.' God forbid that he should                in the right of S&ipture. Samuel's great grief in
hearken unto their voice. Jehovah was their king.                  tha+- crisis was that the-people, instead of want-
If only they would repent, !He would again do wonders,              ing to be saved by the Lord in the way of return
and they would be free. Why then should they be                    to Him, demanded tkat a king be set over them
asking for a king ? Did they not want God? Samuel                  to fight their battles, and save them from the
turned to himself. Had he given them occasion? It                  hand of their oppressors. Therefore' the thing
was true what. they had said. .He was -old J and his               was evil in his  sigh& This. is evident from all
sons, whom he  hdd appointed to assist him in `his                 his remonstrances, ,as will  he&me  evident. Thus
judicial office walked not in his ways. Suc.h at least              in  sayink to Samuel `"They have not rejected
was their  conte&ion. They meant to tell him that                  thee but me" the Lord was telling Samuel that
both he and his sons were disqualified for the high                the deep motive of their wanting a king was'not
office of judgship, he on account of his age and his               that they wanted to rid theinselves of Samuel on
sons on account of  t?ieir misrule. Has-fl was he to                account of his age and the misrule of his sons, but
reply to them? ,Of one thing he was, certain, he'                  that they wanted to rid themselves of the Lord.
might not hearken to their voice. Samuel  was in a                 `Though he understood this, Samuel, it must be,
`quandary. Dismissing the elders, Samuel `prayed unto            was not sufficiently mindful of it, so that he was
the Lord. And it must be assumed that he laid before                allowing himself to be tormented by-the thought
the Lord the wickedness of the p'edple  in their asking          that the basic explanation .of their rebellion was
for a king, and also that he accused himself before.             ' his age and especially the misrule of his sons).
God for not having taken a better oversight over his
sons  <and thereby having brought on the crisis  per-             Samuel. having unburdened his heart, the Lord
Ilaps.                                                         replied. The Lord's answer must' have puzzled him
                                                               quite as much as the request of the elders had vexed
            (It must not be imagined that the Lord's saying and disquieted him.  Mark you, they had done with
     to Samuel, `"They have n&t rejected thee, but they the Lord and. wanted a king to fight their battles,
          have rejected me, that I should not reign over though they pretended, to be interested in righteous
          them" must be taken to mean, .that Samuel Com- governme&           Samuel certainly was sensible of the
          plained to the Lord about ;the insult done to his vile intent of their hearts, and the thing was there-
          person, as if his one great grief was merely .the    fore evil in hiF. eyes. All the days of his judgship he
          ingratitude of the people for all that he had been had  admonished them to serve the  Lou'd,  ljut their
     for them through the years of the past-ingrati- confidence in  FIim,  and. look to  IHim for deliverance
          tude here revealing itself through their request out of the hand of their oppressors. All along he had
          that he step aside with his Sons to make room for    insisted that `the sole cause of all their troubles was
          a king. That he felt the insult dorie to his person ; that they refused to do just.that. But they would not
     that it wounded his soul and. cut him to the quick,       be instructed. They came to h-im and insisted that he
          is certain, for he was human. But to  maihtain       set a king over them. Having h.eard,  them out and dis-
     that, because of his love of position and power,          missed them, he complained about them to the Lord.
    what he was occupied with in his  pray,er to the           Doubtless he expe'cted  the Lord to instruct him that
     L.ord is their lack of apprecitition  of him-the fact he tell the elders that no king would be set over them.
     th,at in their estimation he had served his us,eful- But instead the Lord instructed him to hearken unto
     ness and therefore should make an end of himself their voice in all that they had said. This must have
          as judge in Israel-so that it was necessary for caused him surprise ; for the thing was evil in his
     the Lord to tap him on the shoulder, so to say, and eyes, and. evil, he now kne.w, also in the eyes of the
     `remind him that he should be less occupied with Lord. If `so, how could the Lord command him as He
     the injury done to his own person, and concentrate `did? And would not those sinful men conclude that
     on. the great wrong .done to the Lord-is to give they had no sin, seeing that Samuel must set over them


                                     T H E   STANDARD  BEARER                                                             133

  a king  ,by divine mandate? And  f&tally did  .not the themselves. But the people would not he@ken. They
  Lord's command really really militate against what would rather groan under the hand of tyrannical kings,
  had formed all along the very heart of all Samuel's ,if only they were allowed to  serve their  idol,s,  than'
  admonitory discourses to the people, namely, that the be `free as servants of the Lord. Samuel again oom-
  saf,ety of the nation lay solely in its keeping covenant     playns about them to the Lord. He rehearses their
 fidelity. As has  be,en shown, Samuel's position  was words in the tears of the Lord, and receives as answer,
  that they needed no king to fight Their battles if only      "Hearken unto their voice and make them a king."
  they feared the Lord. That this was his .position  is This curt reply, as `coming from the Lord, plainly
  ,evident from all his remonstrances. And this was indicates that Samuel was reluctant to do just that.
  also the position of the Lord ; for in  retionstrating                                                      G. M: 0.
  with them, Samuel spake by .divine inspiration.
     What must have increased Sam.uel's perplexity`was
  his hearing the Lord say that he must .hearken unto
  their voice in ail that they said, just because they had.
  rejected not Samuel but the Lord. These words  must                _  "I[`lH[Rf-Ju($J   TfJE  A&&j .
  have raised also in Samuel's .soul the question why
  he must set over them .a king on ticcount  of their hav-                                              .           ,.
  ing rejected the  L&d. Now the answer to all these
  questions, is in the final analysis, Christ. But the                         The Avigmn  Popes
  &hing we must hepe observe is tha.t Samuel, living as
  he did in `the dispensation of shadows and having                 As was said, in 1305 Clement V, b.eing a French-
  therefbre n.ot Christ as the direct object of his vision, man, was el,ected pope, and chose Avi.gnon,, a. city sur-
  continued to be perplexed by the Lord's mandate. As rounded on all sides by France, as his place of resi-
  will appear in' the sequence, iti obeying the Lord,' he dence. Here, as was stated, the popes. remained for
  acts more or less contrary to his own understa,nding.        seventy years. As this period so clos.ely  corresponds in
  In obeying, he fo\lows  .bhle Lord more or. less blindly,    its duration with the span of years of J&h's exile,
  b,eing able to do so, because, being a true ielieier, he     it is known in history as the Babylonian captivity of
  stands firm in the  con$ction that the Lord,  bein,g the Papacy. It includ,ed the successive reigns of seven
  righteous and holy God, is, must be righteous in all.His popes, all of whom were Fyenchmen:  Clement V, 1305-
  doing. The truth of these statements is already born         1314 ; John XXII~, 1316-1334 ; Benedict XII, 13.34-1342.;
  out by Samuel's reactions to their reply to his first        Clement VI ; 1342-1352.;  Innodent. VI,  1352-136.2;
  remonstrance.    The Lord- commands hini to hearken Urban V;, 1362-1370  ; Gregory XI, 1370-1378.. As was.
 unto the voice of .the people: howbeit, he must protest       stated, this absence of the pafiacy fxom R.ome  did the
  solemnly against them and. sheti them the manner `of papal system much harm. The  pap.a,cy  threatened
  the king that shall reign over them.. He does so, and to become a French instit.ution,  and its morals b.e&me
  ihe substance of hiS protest is. that the people will lose notorious throughout Europe. Petrarch,  as was stated,
  all their liberties under the kings that will be set over called it the sink of every vice and .the haunt of all
  them, and be their servants. The pressure of -their          i n i q u i t i e s .                                             _
  tyrannical rule will be that great that the people will           The most conspicuous figure among these seven
  cry out in that day because of their kiu.g-; but the Lord    pqpes  was John `XXII. He was said to be the son of a
will not hear them. In thus remonstrating with the             cobler, and like all his p.redecessors  with but few ex-
  people, Savuel, says the sacred writer, spe$ks  not his      c'eptions, he was far ad.vaaced in years-he was 72 at
  own words but the words of the Lord. And it is also the time-when,. as carlinal-bishop of Porto, he was
  evident that the disco&e originated not with Samuel elevated to the pa,pal throne. He is remembered, not
  but was. indeed put into his heart by the Lord. For so much for his ability as p.opeubut  rather fo.r his- rest-
  had Samuel originated this protest, it would have-been lessness and lust of gold. IH-e issued numerous bulls
  a, declaration to the effect that no~.king. was to be set and other writings.. He, wanted to be a theologian. as
  u,p. over the people and a command that they cease well as pope, and was devoted to France.
  asking for a king. But no such declaration or  co&               One of the outstanding features. of this, John's rei.ggn
  mand passed over his lips. What he tells them directly was his attempt to determine the em.perial-succession
  is that the kings that they will choose will be insuffer-    of the German throne, as Germany's temporal lord.
  .able and- indirectly  that with these afflictions they For, as could be expected, also this pope- was -addicted
  must hot end in these ,kings but in the Lord and con- to the view and.stood  firm in..the.  conviction that Christ
  sider that it is He who in that day will be punishing had appointed the pontiffs. of Rome to rule. the world-
 them on account of their sin of having rejected. him; worldly kingdoms-as' well as the church, as Christ's
 and- finally that they will have no one to blame but vicars. The .aforesaid  attempt involved- this pope in


  134:                                  TX-l%  S T A N D A R D   BEARER

  a bitter struggle with Lewis the Bavarian. Henry cardinals' hats `to thirteen, one  brather  and twelve
  VII, emperor of Germany; had died. The emperial nephews. Being gifted with eloquence, he continued
  electors w.ere divided in their choice for a successor, preaching after he became pope. It was during his
  some casting their votes for Lewis the Bavarian and         pontificate that Lewis the Bavarian  died. He had
  others for Frederick of the house `of Hapsburn. Both implored Clement for the grace of the church and in
  w'ere crowned, Frederick by the archbishop of Bonn, response the pope .added to the curses' already pro-
 and Lewis by the  ar'chbishop of Mainz.        Civil war nounced upon him'by the two preceding popes. In a
  broke out in Germany. It was terminated in 1326 by bull he  px'ayed God to smite  Lewis  with blindness
  the compact of Ulm. Frederick received Germany as and insanity, callkd Peter and Pati1 and all the elem.ents
  his domain and Lewis Italy and the title of emperor.        to- fight against him, and the earth to open up and
  But the pope  refus,ed to recognize Lewis as king of swallow him alive: iHe darimed his house 2nd children
  Italy, as the papacy regarded most of Italy as belong- to everlasting desolation.
  ing to its private possessions; The pope therefore ye-         It was during Clement's pontificate that Europe was
  quested Lewis to surrender his claims which of course       visited by a terrible plague, the Black D,eath. Accord-
  he refused to do; and the struggle between Lewis and        ing to chroniclers it commenced with a sw.elling under
  the pope for the lordship  of Italy commenced. The the armpits or <in the groin, sometimes as large as an
  pope refused to crown Eewis emperor. In retaliation         egg. The victim was consumed with fever and vomited
Lewis had the pope denounced as an  anti-Christ  and blood. His, lungs and throat were inflamed and his
  deposed from the papal throne. The pope responded breath  `was foul. After a day he died. The disease  '
  by calling Lewis a heretic and  appdinted a crusade attacked animal and man. All over Europe men died
  against him. Lewis lost all his support in Germany by the tens of thousands. On.2 half `of the population
  and Ittily, and the pope now demanded that he step of England fell. No class was  ,exempt.  In the  -cities
  down from the emperial -throne. The order was re-           the streets were strewed with dead. Ships `float,ed on
  peated by `Clement VI in 1343 and again two years the seas with every sailor dead. But even while the
  later. `The electors of Germany,' weary of the strif,e,     plague ravaged, many of the people abandoned them-
  chose Charles IV, who before his election had promised selves to reveling and drinking.
 full submission to the pope. Shortly thereafter Lewis           Cl,ement  was followed by  three good popes. They
died and the  struggle  was ended.                            were sober-living men. Innocent VI dimmed the splen-
          Another  achievkment of Pope John XXII, to re- dour of the papal court and reduced its. ostentation.
  turn to him, was his reduction of the papal taxation of     He seht home all the idle bishops. In the ,eyes df the
  Christendom to an organized system. The sources multitude, Urban V was- a pope of such worth that
  from which the papacy drew its moneys w.ere : 1) fre.e- they called him a saint and he was so canonized by
  will off.erings, which were given to the pope for church    Pdpe Pius, 1870. The last of the Avignon popes was
  appointmetits and other papal favors. These appoint-        Gregory XI. By him the papacy was re:established  in
  ments were numero&, as it was held `that the pontiff Rome. He went to RQme  but was soon making pre-                        ,
  of Rome lliay dispense all the dignitaries in the Chris- parations  for a return to Avignon, when overtaken by
  tian world ; 2) tributes from the states of the papacy d,eath,  when but p7 years old.
in Italy and several other states including England.             The papacy was in a bad way. The taxations of the
  Besides the popes- received fees for divers spiritual popes of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was a
  privileges ; letters copfirming the titles of Archbishops, scandal, and the burden was much increased when the
  bishops, arid abbots to their offices; and for all kinds    incomes from the states of the church in Italy were cut
  of concessions and indulgences. The in&me of John off by the removal of the papacy to Avignon. The
  XXII is said to `have been 260,000 florins or about papacy was an extravagant spender and its r,eputation
  $600,000 of our money.. Even this amount did not de- in this respect grew worse till the Reformation. With
  fray the expenses of the papal court and the popes the death of Lewis the `Bavarian the imperial power
 .got loans from bankers ahd cardinals.                       Of Germany in Italy collapsed. Italy, as a result, was
          John XXII was succeded by Benedict XII, a more in the wildest political confusion. And in no place was
  upright and scholarly man. He dismissed the parasite the situation w&se than in Rqme.
  prelates of his household and refused to enrich his                                                    G.  M:  0:.
                                                                                        .'
  relatives, saying  that the vicar of Christ, like  Mel-
 `%chizedek,  must be without father and m&her or gene-
  alogy. IHe was followed by Clement VI, who wasted in                          C~ASSI.S  E A S T           -            _
  high living the fortune -accumulated by John XXII.
  He loved ho&s and daily provided for `his -household will  me+ in r.egtllar  session, the Lord willing, Wed-
  tq whom he  addid a company  of women, good and             nesday, January 8, 1947, at 9 o'clock A.&I., at Fuller
  plentiful food. He' remembered his relatives, giving Avenue.                                    D. Jonker, S. C.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          s35

                                                               that the parents hardly know what their` own children
                        ISFEAR                                 are studying. There ar,e happy exceptions to this rule,
                                                               but there are nevertheless many parents' who manifest
                                                               plain disinterest. Indeed they are concerned that their
               Chh3tian   Instrnction                          chitdren go to catechism, but for the rest they let it
                                                               to whomever it may concern. It is frequently `even
    In our last article in this column we called `your with great difficulty that one can get periodic visits
attention to an unscriptural tendency in the present from  the consistory. In the Society life  orie often
Christian School system, the tendency, namely, of a meets the same attitude. The parents `as a whole are
%ocial gospel". There are other errors. We believe very little concerned about what goes on therte. I sup-
that the mixing of  numerous denominations into a pose in congregatio?ls  where there are Sunday Schools
Christian School constituency is also an error. (Cf. the same complaint holds good.
Pamphlet by  iti.  FalTkema,  entitled, "New Christian ; Now this some tendency seems to be still more
Schools on the `Pacific. Coast"). Ii must lead to gen- pronounced when it comes to Christian instruction.
eralization of principles and finally to colorless in- We frequently talk with teachers and principals about
struction.  $There  is moreover the danger of opening these things, and the complaint always returns, the
the doors of our schools  .to the  unchurches, against parents show so little interest. They perhaps do
which also the last held Union Meeting raised its voice actually have more il&erest  than they show, but this
(Cf.  Christiari  Home And School,  .sOctober,-   p. 17). is slim comfort. The.fact  remains.
There is likewise the tendency to change our Christian            If ihe parents arc not vitally interested, what will
Schools into mission stations, or at least use them we do?
in the process of doing missionary work: Present is               The inter&t of the parents should go beyond set-
also the danger  of giving a good course in Biblte study tling for the tuition. One can do that, even if one is
                                                               very disinterested.
but neglecting tom permeate `all the branches with. the                               There is such a thing as "obliga-.
Word of God. At the root of many of these evils lies tion" isn't there? Our interest ought to reach at least
the error of Common Grace, which has been adopted ' to that point where we attend, the School Society
                                                               meetings, the P. T. A;  9r the  lJublic programs. If ,
by the Christian Reformed Churches and is bearing. we are absent from all these. your thermometer regis-
its frL!it.                                                    ters near z,ero as far as interest is concerned.
   ,. When  we mention'these errors we do so, not in
the spirit of fault-finding, for faults. lie on the surface       But our interest ought-to  reach much farther than
                                                               that too.
of everything which we do in this world. But we do
it in the spirit of love for the type of instruction which        Do  you as a  pare&  show daily  inierest  in the         :.
we believe the covenant dictates.                              instruction which your children receive, `and the pro-
    There are certain definite principles at stake.            gress which they make? Do you ever `talk with the
    In how far these tendencies manif.est  themselves          children about  sch6o1,  or take time to glance over
                                                               `&e work which they do, tlie books they study and the
in any given community and in any local school de- notes they keep
pends to such a great extent upon the teachers, the                             ? A hasty glance at the report card
bpard and the constitutency  of the society.,                  is not enough. Do  you  ever go to see your teacher
    Of primary importance is first of all,                     aboat your child or your children? Do you ever com-
                                                               mend your teacher or speak a worcl of encouragement? '
         Hok Mmh Are We' Parents Int;erest~ecl?                .(they  are human). Or, `if you find something wrong
                                                               with their instruction, have you ever seen your teacher
    Yes, how much are we really inter&ed  in obtain- about it? Or have you ever been present at the board
ing instruction which is covenant dictated.                    meeting, or have YOLI contacted the board about the
                                                               welfare of the school where your children attend?
    How much are we interested in Christian instruc-              Perhaps some of us will call this silly. If you do,
tion at all?                                                   you only b&ray that you lack the proper interest and
    As `a whole, not much.                                     atiempt  to firid an excuse for it. No, we are cqnvinced
    This is the  general complaint. The chiliiness and that all these  things which we have mentioned, and
the take-for-granted attitude which the pastor some- more, go into the making of an interested person.' .
times finds in his work among covenant parents is                 -Perhaps some of us would produce the argumknt
pretty well duplicated in the matter of the school. that if we had schools of our own we would be inter-
Catechism &arts, aid the parents take for granted ested; at least we would- ,show more interest. That
that it will continued. Seldom does a parent vi&t the remains to be seen. We have only your past record
cate@hism class purely in the interest of the instrnctioi?     by which to judge. A  situatidn can  becomeiof that
which theii children receive. Sometimes one discovers          nature where riform  is necessary, but at the root of

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

this reformation must  lie the genuine ihterest of a represent.              In such a system we can not expect a
 band of parents.                                             Protestant Reformed Christian instruction. Even if
    Genuine  iillcerest in  t&ly reformed  Christ&l in-       the system would allow it, what teachers would render
 struction is basic.                                          it? In one locality the instruction which is given may
    If we have that interest we will show it right qow, be more nearly reformed than in another, that,is true,
and in the present schools also. The attitude of post-        but none of it reaches the goal which we desire it to
.poning our interest until-we get schools of 0:~ own is reach.
 like that  pf the young man who refused to show                 And therefore there is no substitute for a school
 interest in his 1ady;love  until she found him a perman- ; where distinctly reformed teachers give instruction
 ent position and built pim a house. We are of the according to a  :  .distinctly reformed interpretation of
 opinion that if we have schools o$ our own they must         any application of that truth in the seperal branches
be the result of a conviction ; a. conviction concerning      of the elementary andhigh schools. And that requires
what Christian instruction really is, a conviction that schools of our own.
in your local school such instruction is no longer being         We urge our parents everywhere to exert them-
,given and is no longer possible, and a conviction that selves for the type of instruction which the Covenant
`your interest in positive instruction .r,equire$  a refbrm- d i c t a t e s .
                                                                       ,      :
ation. ,There are many and great `difficulties involved          i                 (T'o be Continued)                ,M. G.
in such a project, difficulties which we' can meet only
by faith and the conviction of faith. IA school of our
own is something which must grow on us, and it
grows out df our interest in positively reformed in-
struction. I should hate to have it grow on us for,
any other reason.                                                            FROM HOLY WRrr-
        Interest In Thoroughly Reformed Christian
                         S c h o o l .
                                                                        James 1:9-11: - "Let the brother of low degree re-
   .If we are interested in thoroughly r,eformed  Chris-                joice  in  that  he  is  .exalted:  But the rich in that he
tian instruction, I'm sure. you are interested iri schools            is  m&e low: because as the flower  ,of the grass he
where thoroughly reformed instruction is given, and                     shall pa& away. F-or the sun in no sooner  l;isen:
where the Truth permeates- ~~11 the branches of study.                  with a burning heat, but it  .withereth  the grass,
The truth of Scripture, as it. is embodied and con-                     and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the
fessed in the Three. Forms of Unity, as well as the                     fashion  .of it  perisheth:   so also  shall the rich man,
Baptism Form,  must permeate the studies which our                      fade away  in his ways." .
children receive. Is that expecting more than we have
the right to expect?' Surely not. Alld should this               The reader will recall that in the preceding context
fact not be expressed before and brought to bear upon of these words which we now consider, James had
our local schools? We have the right,  ha<e we not,           exhorted the church of the living God to pray unto
and the duty as parent, to require that our schools           God for wisdom. Wisdom is tha,t Divine gift,of grace
abide by the truth of Scripture and the Confessions? whereby the child of God uses the best means unto the
a The school belongs to the parents, and you are a best end and therefore has his eye of faith riveted upon
parent. You are not a subvkrsive element when you the ,eternal inheritance. We need wisdom." The way
champion a strictly reformed type of instruction. of the Christian unto the city which has foundations
You are not underminging the school when you seek` is a difficirlt way. iHe must therefore let patience have
to keep her on the reformed basis where once if began. her perfect wbrk, be patient unto the end. Always he
The school belongs to the parents and you have rights must regard the present in the light of the future, what
there. But we also -love our schools and seek their is now in  the light of what shall  be.                      Now we also
eelfire. We regret any departure from the reformed understand the place which verses g-11 occup$  in this
conception. ,One may say a thousand times over that context. One of the most grievous of all the afflictions
it is, hopeless and futile to expect a truly refdrmed of all the people of God is thb ill treatment which they
in&u&ion from the present schools, but we have the const+tly must endure at the hands of those of high
right to require it. . . . on the. basis of the. Confes- degree or estate. James has more to say of these eco-
sions.                                                 .      nomic.conditions in his epistle; &so in regard to-this
    But, an undeniable fact Stares us in the face. `, And matter let the church of God be `truly wise, look to the
that is, that the Christian School system as a whole is       future, .comfort herself with the assurance that the
permeated with the azditioti to the Confessions of the        rich shall be made low and  that the brother  of  low
Three Points and  the  error of doctrine `which they degree shall be exz#ed!


                                                                /                                                         _ _
                  I                   ThE         S.T,ANDAAR                    .B.EA.R%R                                 :37
     Several questions demand` an answer in .the con- `howl  .because of the miseries that  ,shall come upon
.s sideration of this particular Word of God. Who are them, that they have condemned and killed the just who
 the poor and tlie rich .in this text? Do' you refer +o did not resist them.
 the people .of .God? What does the holy writer mean-                   We conclude, therefore,  that the distinction -be-
 when he `tells us that the rich shall be made low? `tween the godly  poor  and the ungodly rich must be
 Must the rich rejoice\  because he is made  low? Does maintained in, this text. We must bear in mind, of
 verse 11 require a deep, spiritual, allegorical interpre-           course, .that James, in this passage of IHoly Writ, is
 tation?                                                             not a humanitarian who is deeply concerned merely
   - First of all, who are the poor and the rich in this             with earthly economic conditions, and that, therefore,
 text, and in. what sense. are they poor and rich? It -he is writing of generally existing conditions in this
 can certainly be established beyond every doubt that world. Such would undoubtedly be the interpretation
 James  distingtiishes here between the godly poor and               of this and similar passages 1n the Word of God by
 the ungodly rich. That he  isA  ref'erring  to the godly            the Modern church of today which simply regards
 poor is, .evidect because he speaks of the brother of the Scriptures as a book of  .ethics and as applying.
 low degree. It  mu& be equally plain,  on the other                 only to general conditions among mankind. James is
i hand, that he -is speaking of the godless rich. It is addressing the. Church of God. He is referring, to be
 possible from a grammatical point of view to regard sure, ,to ,economic  conditions: to class distinctions be-
 the rich nian of verse 10 as a rich brother. The word tween` the .poor  and the rich. However, .it is also in
 "brother" does not occur in this verse, then, simply                this economic field that-the people of God are afflicted,
 because it already appears ih verse 9, and James does that especially the Church of God is .afflicted: And he
 not  con&er it necessary to repeat it. Viewing' the would comfort the Church of -God in the midst of the
 rich, then, `as a rich brother, .the words "he is made              world also' in this respect.
 low" of verse l0 .and the ,admonition  that he rejoice                 In the light of the foregoing, who, then, are these
 because he is made !ow are spiritualized. He is. made ,lowly  br&threti? We understand, of course,  tha;t not
 low in the $ense that he is humbled iii-his prid?,  he has all the poor are meant. James, `here, is not addressing
 Iearned to flee `his riches, not to set `his heart upon all the poor people of the world. There are ungodly_
 them, and td seek his God and the things which are poor' and godly rich in the world. The text addresses
.above.     Such a man ln&y surely rejoice when in that the 1owly:brother. It is also plain that the writer does
 sense he -is made low. .!Th.is reasoning is based upon not refer to the spiritual lowly. It is  trfie that the
 the concluding words of verse 11. `James declares there word "lowly" which appears in this text is .commonly
that "the- Pith man shall fade away in his ways." Ali used in Scripture as referring to humility, particularly
 ,emphasis, we .u&erstand,  is laid upon the words :`in              our .humbEe  relation to the living -God. This applies
 his ways." .Ee shall no$ fade way, but his ways, his ,to a passage such as verse 5 in chapter 4  where we
 former conduct shall pass away.                                     read that God giveth grace-to-the humble. The humble
     This spiritualizing of the words pf James is defi- in chapter 4:6 are contrasted with the proud. How-
 nitely impossible and unwarranted. The text militates lever, in verse 9 of chapter 1 James is not addressing
, against. this interpretati`on.    We read of "brother" the spiritual lowly. This is, first of all, evident frbin
 only .in .connection  with the lowly. And although it is the text. On the one hand, these lowly are contrasted
 $rue that `the word .need  not be repeated because it with the rich. It is true that James do-es not literally
 .-had already been used with respect to rthe lowly, it is speak of the `poor but of the lowly. However, -he does
 nevertheless a fact that the holy writer speaks only mention  the Y;ich. And the idea of .pQverty  can there-
 of the loivly brother and then, of the rich man. This fore not be ,excluded. On the-other hand, also accord-
is further kmphabized  in the' text when James declares ing to the text, the idea of their exaltation conflicts
 -that the rich .himself shall perish. It is true that in with the interpretation of spiritual humility. True
 verse -11 we read that `he shall fadenaway-in his `ways." spiritual humility will never pass away. However, *
 Btit in verse -10 we read without any reservation, "He these lowly "will ..be. exalted. __ Besides this text, doe&
 shall pass away." -Besides the text itself, the entire not the entire epistle emphasize  %he thought that
 -epistle is opposed to the above conception, aS if the James is continuously contra,sting -the people of God
 rich also peftirs to -the actual peop!e of the living, God.         and -the  :people  of the world as  ,worldly  poor and
 In chapter 2:!7 we read: "Do not they blaspheme that worldly rich-? Hence; we may conclude that -these
 worthy Name by fhe which ye-are called?" The refer- ,~brethren  in this text are poor from a  ,wQrldly and
 ence in these words is to the rich. One would hardly material :point .of view.
 apply this &tatement to *he pebple~ of the Lord. And                   In the first place, then, the lowly brother of verse
 in chapter 5 :l-6 the language .is such ..that -one need 9 is poor according  Ito  ~the standard of this world.
 not doubt the meaning of James in that particular                   In chapter 2 :.5 James calls the people of `God-the "poor
 Word  .of God: There-the rich  .a?e  iold to weep and               of this -world." And :in chapter ,5 the .peopl,e .of `God-


             i38                                   T H E ' S T A N D A R D   , - B E A R E R

             are  again contrasted with the rich-there they are          are not  -always first in our lives.        personal  con-*
        `the poqr laborers who do not receive enough to live veniences and modern luxuries often engage our at-
             and have "too much':  to- die. Poverty must have tion first. But we `must seek first the Kingdom o?
             characterized `.to a 1aPge extent the condition of the = God and IHis righteousness and then believe that what-
             church to whom this epistle is addressed. And it  is ever we need will be added unto us.
        the oppressed pedple  of God throughout the ages who                 Besides being poor the people df God are also low-
             are comforted by the words of James. The' people ly. They are lowly as considered by  the world. The
             of God, generally speaking, are poor throughout the world' views them as of no account. They are on the
        ,ages.                                                           bottom  rmig of the social ladder. They simply are
        I           The.  -caus& of their poverty is two-fold. IOn the not considered, they. are "good for nothing." Such is
       - one hand it must be attributed .to the good. pleasure           the "lowly brother" whoqn James addresses in this
             pf the Lord. We read literally is chapter  2:5 that ninth verse.
             God  hati chosen the  poor  of this world `to be rich in  -                      To be continued.
        faith and to be heirs of th,e Kingdom of heaven. And                                                             H .   V .
             this. thought is .confirmed  by the apostle Paul in `his                           .
             epistle to the Corinthians in chapter. 1, verses 2'7-28,
        the first epistle, where we read that God hath chosen
             the foolish things, the weak things, the  base. things
             of this world, and the things .which are despised. ,On                      P E R I S C O P E
        the other hand, however, the  poaer.ty of the people
       of God also has a spiritual cause, can also be ex- =
             plained from the people of God themselves. We must                                             3
        notice that James speaks of the lowly brother. God's                              T h e   Cmference   -
             peop!e are brethren. `They are brethren of each other,
             and together they are unified with Jesus. Christ, our. , Final Session. .~ . .
             Lord. As such the people of God are the party of the            The Rev. R. Veldman led us in devotionals on
             living God and seperated from the world. This, too,         Thursday afternoon, the final session of the Confer-
             explains their material poverty.      God's people have     ence.     He also introduced the speaker, the Rev.. L.
        higher, hehvenly interests.                                      Doezema, pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church
                    They` surely do what their hands find to do. But in Bellflower, Califbrnia. The final aspect of the de-
             their heart is set upon the things which are above.         velopment of the general' theme: "The Church" had
             They do not seek the earth, they do not crave the been assigned to Rev. Doezema. His topic was "The
things below.                   Their citizenship, is in heaven. Be- Reformation of the Church".
             sides, the people of the. Lord are God's party here
             below.      There  -are indeed many godless poor who Resume' df.  Lecture. . . .
        would fain become rich. All men arte by nature seek-                 `four topic fprms a fitting close .to our discussi&,
             ers of the things below-the rich possess them and since reformation of the Church has always been con-
             the poor, who are destitute, crave them. In every sid'ered important. That we so consider `it, is evident
             way these poor of the world would improve their, from the fact that it, as a principle, is incorporated
             social and financial position. The people of God, how- into our, very name-we are Reformed Churches. We
             ever, are the fri,ends of God. They-abstain from,evil.      are Reformed Churches because we maintain and be-
             They are content with the plaoe which God has given lieve in the principle of Reformation.
             them. They testify against sin and trust in the Lord.           "`The history of the Church; since the beginning,
             They do not resort to violence and bloodshed `and has been of reformation. To be constantly reforming
      * striking and boycotting and  the closed shop. They the Church is,. in fact,  .our calling. The history of
        testify against siri and, for the -re'st, rest their case the  Church  reiieals  a continual deformation in the
             with God. Is it surprising that such a people re- face of which Our calling is always to reform,. It is
             mains poor? One other factor, explains their poverty. through this constant reformation that God calls &nd
       ., These .lowly brethren have church `interests and stiirit- preserves His Truth in the hearts of IHis own.
        `ual obligations. They contribute for the. maintenance              "We wish to develop our topic as follows:
             and the development of God's Church atid covenant                       I. The N,eed for Reformation
      in the midst of the world. `Their children must  rei                        II. The Principles of Reformation
             ceifre Christian instruction. And these- items must                  III. The Pattern of Reformation
             head the list of qur necessities. To love the. Church                 IIV. Our Calling Toward Reformation.
             of God and the things which $r,e above requires the
I-      .use of the pocketbook. To  bk sure, spiritual  thitigs              "What conditions in the Church call for reform-


                                       THE,  STANDAhD   B E A R E R                                                  139.

  ation? It is the dtiformation that constantly demands form of the Church calls for reformation. Two of the
  reformation.    The form of the @hurch becomes. de-            Churches mentioned, Smyrna and Philadelphia, need
  fective, not its essence. The essence of the Church no ref,ormation and reoeisie  only commendation. That
  cannot and need not be reformed. Iti its essence the           does not mean that they were perfect but. that they
  Church is Holy, Pure and Perfect. Since its ressence           maintained the pure preaching and walked according
  is the life of Christ which cannot sin;we canno_t  speak       to their confession.
  of reformation. of the essence. However, this essence             "In comparison, what is the condition of the Church
  as it comes to manifestation in the world takes on a           today? Is she in need of reformation or not?.  I  b'cl
  form. This form  .continuaJly  becomes  ,deformed  and lieve th& there are none that do not nteed reformation.
demands -reformation.        The @visible, essential life No. one can say that. we compare with Smyrna or
  of the Church becomes manifest in the form ,of the -J?hiladelphia,   not even- we as Protestant Reformed
  Church. To this form belongs the faith and walk of             Churches. The Church today is in need of reform-
  believers, the organization-the institutional form of          ation, for even though the preaching be  pu&`the'
  the  Cizurch. We must bear in mind  .that this  iorm walk and life always need reforming. We should bear
  is not the essence  oi the Church but is yet necessary in mind that the false Church cannot be reformed.
  to the well-being bf the essence. If the form becomes It does not preach the Word and cannot claim the name
  defective the essence is in danger. If  there-is no-form,      of Church and be the object of reformation. Where
  there will be no essence in the future generations of the Word is nbt maintained ther6 is desire for union.
  a particular Church; This form  becom& defective               The striving of the  fals'e Church is for power and
  and demands reformation, for the. institute exists to          acquisition of material advantages, contrary to the
  maintain the organism. The purpose of the institute maintenance of the pure .preaching and practise, `of
  is to $r&ach the Gospel and .when this is not accom-           the Word. of God.       It  is. quite evident in our day
  plished it becomes a den of thieves and robbers..           ' that the organic life of the Church is deformed. The
     "An int_eresting question arises in this corinection.       more we look -at the Word the more we tire aroused
  What is first to deform, the institute or th'e organic to the calling to reformation.
  life of the Church? IThis is'difficult to determine.. It
  may be that the organic life deforms first, due to the            "There are two principles of reformation. In
  fact that the flesh of the members always clamors              the first place, every reformation is a return to the
  for false preaching. On the other hand, it may also ,:Word by the true Churcl!. This was the formal prin-
  be that the institute first deforms, due to the same ;ciple   of the  .Reformation  of the 17th Century. Both
  fleshly desires in the ministers.         .                    in the  org8nic and institutional life of the Church
     "What is the reason for this deformation and de-            there was a return to  the  W&d. Reformation is a
  feet? We read in Gal. P-:10: `For do I now persuade return by the true Church to that Word from which-
  men, or God? or ds I seek to please men? for if I yet it has departed. `This is a return in  b&h preaching
  pleased- tien, I should not be the servant of Christ'. and walk.- And again, the false Church cannot return.
  Here the heart of the  m@ter is presented.  `If we It is `a return' by the true Church. In the ssecond  place,
seek to please men, the preaching is defective and               211 reformation is the work of God. God causes tind
  becomes  itistrum&tal  in deforming the Church. On accomplishes all reformation.                 And that absolutely.
  the other hand, if we seek. to please Christ, we are           He does not `merely begin  atid the Church and its
  true ministers of  His. The real corruption-deform- leaders continue, it is God's work from begin&i% to
  ation-of the Church, is that condition  in  which the          end.
  Church  .does.` not walk according  io its confession.            "Therefore also, the character of reformation is
  This may be  ia- defective preaching or a defective            not revolution.  Revplution  is of man.  .Man revolts
  walk of the metibers.    It is this' condition .which calls    from. thle norm and standard and desires something
  for reformation.                                               new. Reformation is  not revolution. Reformation is
     "We find this situation described among the seven           God's call to His own to return to .the old. Man's work
  Churches of Revelation. The. Church at Ephesus had             is always tempbral and fades away. God's work is
  left its first love. This leaving of first love is the         spiritual.    He begins that work contrary to - the de-
  beginning' of deformation, for thus the Church has             sires and ways of mail arid without the power  atid
lost its iove for the Truth and is susceptible, to heresy. might of man.' XI& tii%hods  are apiarently  foolish, yet
  The end will,be  that it gives heretics a place of author-     His power is revealed in the weakriess  of the instru-
 i ity and leadership and the essence will be endangered         ments He uses.       Man- always  uses methods of the
  and finally removed.     Sardis was carnal in all its world: campaigns,  advertisirig, etc.  -God. is  IHis own
 : manifestations.. Finally, Laodicea has so far deformed        standar.d  atid norm since He alone is  the  .standard
 : that Christ ~511s the faitliful to come dut of her. In        and .norm. "`Reforination .$ therefore, God's return-
 , this connection; -we might also point out that not every .ing: His own to His  .tidrm.  .-We'  tiust;`-  .underst&id


            r4@'                               THl?,     S'TANDAtiD             BEA,RER

     that reformation, is God's work. It %is a return to-God our calling difficult for these things are hard for the
       by God.                                                          flesh to bear. Again, our calling is niade difficult when
               "The pattern which reformation takes can be, gath- th& issues are not clear. We must support Church
       ered from history and Scripture. We, especially, can ieformationj  yet it becomes difficult if the issues are
       determine it from our own history. Reformation usual- not  sharply defined.  *
       ly .takes the following pattern :                                   "We might bear in mind the following points to
               1.
       \             God~begins the work in the heart of an individual guide.us in the execution of our.calling :
       or individuals by impressing upon them a conscious7                ,1.  Rlemember  that all Reformation is the work
       nessof sin and'the need- of refbrmation. This is evi- of God. He causes His people to confess the Truth.
       dent from both history .and Scripture. As examples                  2. Confession of the Truth implies a continual
       of each we might cite Luther and John the Baptist.- calling.. All Truth must be confessed, not only the
       Sometimes it is limited to one individual and at othef           great issties but also the small.
       times ,several are so moved.                                        3. `This confession of Truth  demands a protest
               2. God. working through these individaals  reveals       against the lie and sin. This belongs to .a- proper
       the deformation and a resulting tension folldws. The             confession of Truth.
            Church is brought, to a consciousness of the  &&s              4. Confession and protest is bur first duty and it
       involved. God causes His people to be persuaded of causes sepZ%ation.                     It. is not a ,question  whether we
       the, Truth. On the. other hand, `the opposition also             shall  seperate, for. seperation follows  conf&sion  as
       grows in intensity and deflection  and manifests itself          God causes tension. It is forced upon us.
       in- hatred and persecution of th,e true people of God.'             5. For after official action of protest and finding
     Thus the tension grows as  the confession becomes that there is no more room for protest it is our duty
       stronger and the thesis and. antithesis are more clearly to seperate. The false Church has made true life with-
       formed.                                                          in, her impossible.
               3. Finally, the false element, which is usually in        6.  If reformation i`s a work  of, God and our pur-
       the majorit?,  casts out the strue.' Notice, the false does pose is the glory of God, the cause can neve&be  minor.
       not put away its defected form but maintains the false           So also we may be assur& of the hpiritual victory even
       form and casts out the reformers. Sometime%, the though it seems that the cause is a losing one. God's
       pattern is ,such that the carnal element is so dead that. cause always  has the victory !
       it pays no attention to the voice of reformation and                            (Discussion to appear next issue).
       doesn't even bother to eject the reformers. Then Christ                                                                   W .   H .
       stands at the door and knocks, calling the tree Church
       to come out;                       '
               "One other pattern can be citkd as a rare case in                 I     i     - ATTENTION  -
     history. It is the-exception in which the true Church
       is in the majority and maintains the truth by expelling MINISTERS OF CLASSIS EAST: - The Ministers'
       the error. This was the rare case at the great Synod             Conference will meet on Tuesday, January 7, 1947, in
       ori Dordt .1618-19.                                              Fuller Ave., at 9 :3Q A.M., `the L&d w?lling.
               "Many problems arise in the attempt to.' carry out Prograd:  -
       our calling toward y&fbrma$ion. Some will' maintain
     . that we must have a pure and perfect Church here on                  "Faith and Works in the `Epistle of James". - W.
       earth. That was the teaching of the Donatists. They                     iHofman.
       maintained that the Church must continually seperate                "The Covenant of Grace". - B. Kok.
                                                                                                                               W. H.
\      the wheat and the chaff and that the .Chu?ch could
       only be co&posed of Saints. If we demand that we
       will always be seperating and there will be no unity                                      _ I N   MEMdRIAM
       at all. So our calling becomes difficult as these ma'm-
       tain that we should always split and seperate. At                    The Men's Society 109 the-First l3rotestant  Reforged  Church
       the other extreme, are those who maintain tbai the               of Kalamazoo,. Michigan, hereby wishes to express %&heir.  lsym-
            Church must never be seperdted or divided. Only pathy with ,our &low-member, Mr. .Hcnner  K&per, in the death
            if there is absolutely  no  hop-e left, which, to their of his niother,
       minds, is. extremely unlikely a case, is it our calling                                MRS. ALICE KUXPER
       to" seperate. Stay in as long as possible and reform                 May the Lord comfort the bereaved brother .and hii family
       from within, so-they say.: Still more, Church reform- and'give  tliem the-assurance that He  d6eth  all things  w-ell.
      ation makes eneknies and these enemies tiill hurl &cus-                                        ,'  The  M e n 's   S o c i e t y ,
      ations'at us. Reformers will b,e called sctiismatics and                                        . . Rev. H. Vi?ldman,~l?res.
       .seperatists:.and although that is n'of the issue, it niakes                                           I);  F .   La.ngel&nd?   SeQ,


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                               141

                                                                self tliroughout  the- ages to the utmost, without one
       The Tension Of The Chw&*                                 moment of reli@ dr relaxation. .The Church's position
                                                                in the midst of the.world,  her state of tenseness result-
     The doctrine of the Church is for the student of ing therefrom, `i,s surely, an amazing phenotienon;  and
  Holy Writ a fascinatirig subject. This is true, bn the it, `too, fascinates the student of the Holy Scriptures,
  one hand, because of  the many current erroneous views as  does the doctrine of the  Church,`itself.  I will en-
  of this subject.  Whekeas  Holy Writ emphasizes  the deavor to treat this subject, to develop this phase of,
 unity of this Body of Christ, in history she continually our Conferenc.e's  discussion of its general theme, "The
  reveals herself as: torn by dissension and strife. An C h u r c h " ,
                                                                           without encroaching, too much, upon the  -
  outstanding example of this throughout the Old Dis, papers of the other speakers tiho will address usl
  pensation was Ephraim's jealousy of Judah which fin-
  ally culminated in the division of the kingdom. Soon,                  THE TENSION OF THE CHURCH
  in the New Dispensation,, an hierarchical band, is east
  about the Church' and unity is, achieved to a certain            .Let us; note:
  extent. Even so, the papal hierarchy cannot prn\.e:.t                 . 1. Its  Idea
  the  I division between the  Chur`ch, East and  West.                   II.  Its  Rectlit~:
( The Reformation, however, also in this respect effected                I I I .   I t s   P u r p o s e .
  a great change. Rejecting the hierarchical band of
  Rome, championing the Word of God as the only basis              It is not `neces8ary for me to define and elaborate
  of fellow-ship, and once more $cknowledging  the oifice       on the concept "Church?`. This would ordinarily be a
of believers, the freedom of the Christian was again logical procedure as far as a strict interpretation and
  maintained. The effect of this  .on the  Ch!zrch, how-        discussion of my.subject is concerned. One can hardly
  ever, was inevitable-the, unity of the papal hierarchy discuss the tension of the .Church without being farnil;
  wab replaced by hopeless division. .This division ,has        iar with  and, having a basic understanding, of the
  been constantly increasing. Also this conference etril<-      Church of Jesus Christ, our Lord-our conception of
  ingly illustrates this truth/ InstBad fhen of the "Oqe the one necessarily determines our view of the other;
  holy catholic church", wh$reof the Scriptures and th? It is surely .a basic requisite that we know what the
  Confessions speak, we today niay witness an apparent- Scriptures declare concerning the Churbh, both as to
  ly hopeless segmentation of the Church of Christ, each her essence and her manifestation in the midst 0: the
  part heroically (?) striving to surpass the other in world. This sphase of the theme of this Conference,
  its bid for' popularity and fame.                             however, has been treated by the speaker of yesterday
      On the other hand, the doctrine of the church is evening;  .who addressed us on "The Idea of the Church".
  fascinating because  .of its importance,  espeC-ially  i?;        Of immediate concern to us is the meaning of the
  Reformed circles, Articles 27 and 28 of our Confes- word "tension". According -to Webster, tension can
  sion of Faith, our Thirty-seven Alticles, both empha- refer to the stretching or -degree of stretching to .
  size -the significance,of the doctrine of the Church, the Which a wire, cord, piece of timber, etc., is strained
  former declaring its fait% in the catholic or universal by drawing it in the dire&ion of its length. Tension,
 `aspect of this Body of Christ while the latter affirms then, is synoriymous with strain.. Figuratively speak-
  it to be each person's obligation to join himself to the ing, again according. to Webster, the word refers to
' true Church. And it is the doctrine of the Church of "mental strain, stretch, or application ; strong or
  God which .has evoked  from Ursinus and ,Olevianus one sever,e intellectual `effort; great activity or mental
  of the  ,most  beautiful and inspiring answers of the strtiin of emotions or the will". In the attempt to
  entire ,Heidelberg Catechism, in Lord's Day 21, and determine the meaning of the term "tension" as it
  I quote: "That the Son of God, from the `beginning to appears in ahd applies to my subject, I mu& confess
  the end of, the world, gathers, defends, and preserves ihat, to me, the ,term  "Tension of the Church" is new.
  to Himself by His Spirit and Word, out of .the whole          Per?iaps  it is a term- of very recent coinage. My di&
  human race, a.ehurch  chosen to ,everlasting  life, agree- cultiy in the preparation of this paper has been that _
 ing..in true faith; and that  1  .&m and f&ever  shall'red the term "6Tension of the Church" appears to me to'
  main, a living member thereof." We know that this permit more than one interpretation. Does it refer,
  ins.piring language of our Conf.essions  is based upon for ,example, to the fact that the new'life of the Church
the Holy Scriptures of God.                                     of  God is always rigidly and uncompromisingly op-
   , Fascinating is also the subject which has `been posed to whatever opposes the Cause of God and of
: assigned to me: The Tension of the Church. From His Christ, and that this life. of God, as in $he midst
  Ada-m until now the Chureh,of' Christ Jesus, our Lord, .of the world, is, negatively, never in a state of relaxa-
' has been characterized -by a tense, a gripping, a tre-        tion. The "tension" of the Church would then be
.' mendous spiritual strain-she has  beqn exerting her- synonymous with relentless and uncompromising co&


1 4 2                                T H E          STANDAXD  BE'kRER

flict. However, Webster also defines "tension? as a and ther"e  shall be one. fold and one shepherd". John.
severe intellectual effort, great acti$ity or strain;-  The    12 :32.. And' again, ."And -to the angel of the church
tension of the church can therefore also be applied to         in Philadelphia write ; These things saith He that is
that tremendous strain to which `the Church of God             holy, He that is true, IHe that bath the key of David,
is continuously subject&l.- The Church of God, if you He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth,
will, the child of God is continuously in a strait betwixt and no man openeth". Rev. 3  :?-. But why should  .I
two. To illustrate this truth from natural life many quote more? Scripture surely speaks this language
examples could be quoted. What a tension c'haracter- from Genesis to Revelation.                 .
izes the man. who, aware of a physical stress, consults           ,Of particular interest to us no6 is the fact that
his physician to learn whether or not he has cancer.. the-  gatherihg of the  Chsrch is presented by our
That man is in a strait between his desir.e to live and        Catechism as the exclusive work of the Son bf God
the fear of death. Or, permit me to remind you of by His Word and Spirit. Q We need not emphasize at
the soldier just before the battle, yea, when the on- this time that only the Son of Gqd can. gather His
slaught of the enemy is already in progress. Many of Church. Suffice it to say that it is He alone Who does
our young men can readily understand the' tension              gather IHis Church, -gnd that He does so by His Word.
of  that soldier as he. strains every part of his body and Spirit. From this we conclude, on the one hand,
and soul to meet thtit attack. #The greatest tension,          that the Church of God is a %piritual  entity. Does she
strain -of the child of God and of the Churcli of God          not owe her existeliee to the Son of God Who calls her
refers undoubtedly to a tremendous conscious spiritual into being by His Spirit?, The Church of God is there-
strain or pressure underneath which that Church of fore not born but reborn, is no? from below but from
God  lsbors and  tq which she is constantly exposed above, is not out of the first Adam  but out of the
throughout the -ages.                                          second Adam, is the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, our
   Altbqugh I need not define and elaborate on the Lord.              But the Heidelberg Catechism- also declares
concept. L'church'y,  `I must call your attention briefly that the .Son of God gathers lHiB Church by His Word.
to the idea of the church insofar as it determines-oui         We. may therefore conclude on the other hand, that
correct understanding of her tension. B5eautifully and the Church also refers to the gathering of the people
pungently, revealing wonderful insight intd the truth,         of God as they consciously are  tailed  ,into being as
our Heidelberg Catechism,  in its answer to the ques- an ele& Body of Christ, chosen from before the founda-
tion, "What believest `thou cc+lcerning the holy catholic tioa of tlie `world, and called #to be the party of the
church", declares, and I quote: "That the Son of God,          living God.
from the beginning to .the end of the world, gathers,             It  iS this peculiar and wonderful calling of the
defends, and pr&e?ves to (Himself by His Spirit and            Church. of God which also determines her tension.
Word, out of the whole hiunan race, `a church chosen           W'e should understand that we can speak of tension
to everlasting life, agreeing -in true faith ; and that I only with respect to the Church, the Church as called
am and forever sh.alj remain, a living member thereof".        by the Son of God out of darkness into His own ever-
   To ascribe the gathering. of the Church to the Son, lasting kingdom. .One can  cqrtainly not speak of
of God is surely ScriptuP& "I will establish Mzj cove- tension in the natural man. In him everything drifts
nant between Me a& thee and thy seed aft& thee in along with the tide. There is no- tension in merely"
their generation for an everlasting covenant", Gen.            drifting along with the current. Such an one k.nows
17 :7. "And Jesus said unto them, Come after Me, and` no restraint. Man is by `nature wholly darkness. Hence,
I will make you to become fishers of men", Mark 1:17,          he knows no tension, no strain. In the seeking of the
tl$ surely does not imply that Christ, having made things below his  .entire  being is engaged. Neither
His apostles to be;fishers  of men, Himself has ceased  to     can we speak of tension in the modern, carnal church
be the Fisher .of men. "And  J&us came and  spak'e             of today. What is true of the natural man applies also
unto them, saying, ALL power is `given unto Me in to the false church; There is principally no difference
heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all between the modern chuFch and thg'world. The world
natiolis,  btiptizitig  them in the Name of  the Father: ,denies  the reality of gin-the same is true of the
and  of. the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching modern church and the world. The world denies ,the
th,em to observe all things whatsoever  I have  corn-' reality of s&-the. same is true of the modern church,
manded you: and, lo, I am with, you alu~:ays even unto         is it not?. To be sure, ,this church recognizes many
the end  of  the world, Amen." Matt. 28  :18-20. "And social faolts, .but is there anyone in the world-who will
this is the Father's will which hath se@, Me that of all       deny them? The modern, church does not recognize
which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but atonement, the gpilt of sin, the holiness and righteous-
should raise it upon again at the last day"? John 6 :39.       ness of God.. The world seeks  a. righteous and an
"And other sheep I have which are not' of this fold:           enduring and a lasting peace for a world of whom the
them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice ; Lord  declar.es  that it shall have no peace-do we not

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

 hear the same resolutions among those who claim to David declares in I Chron. 29 :15 : "For we are strang-
 be of the church"of God? The church would improve. ers before Thee, and sojourners, as were our fathers:
 the world and mqdern society-but, is there anything our days on+arth are as a shadow, and there is none
 ,distinctive  about this program?  - We may  thkrefore        abidirig." And the sanie thought is expressed by the
 safely conclude that it is vain to speak `of tension in holy write? in Heb. 11 :P3-16 tihere we read : "These
 the modern church of today.  The modern church is ail died in faith, not having received  ,the promises,
 not a spiritual, heavenly entity in the niidst of a nat- but having seen them ifar off and were p&.uaded  of
 ural, earthy, carnal  worii.     It is as carnal as the them,' and embraced them, and confessed that they
 natural man himself. And at the  ,end of time the were strangers and. pilgrims on the earth.. For they
world and this church will indeed reveal that they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a
 are one when they unite their forces in the final at- country. And truiy,`if  they had heen mindful of -that
 teri?pt to trample into the dust--&d  crush forever the country from whence they came out, they might have
 Church of Jesus Christ, our Lord.                             had opportunity to have returned. But now they de:
    Two,outstanding  phenomena mast bc born in `mind, sire  3 better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore
 it seems to me, if we are to understand the tension           God is not ashamed to-be called their God : for He bath
 of the church. In the first place, the Church of God,         prepared for them a .city." The church of God scat-
 from tFie aspect of her spiritual rebirth, is a spiritual,    tered throughout PO&US, Gaiatia, Cappadocia, Asia,
 heavenly entity. To  prdve this from the Scriptures is        and  Bithjmia, the apostle Peter addresses as elect
 hardly necessary. "And you bath He quickened, who strangers, and the meaning  of the expression is surely
 were dead in trespasses and sins". Eph. 2 : 1. "But ye that they are strangers because of the election. And
 are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy the Scriptural figure of the pilgrim is too well known
 nation, a peculiar people ; that ye should shew forth the by any student of the<Holy  Scriptures to require verifi-
 praises of .Him Who hath called you out of darkness cation. The people. of God are -therefore born from
 into His marveiious light." I Pet. 2:9. "For our cbn- `above, are a heavenly people, but their sojourn con-
 versation (literally "citizenship') is in heaven ; from tinues upon the face of the earth.
 whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus              The Church of God, however, is not merely heavenly
 Christ". Phil. 3 :20. And do the S&ipture$ not speak in distinction from the earthy, but they are also  a                  '
 of "a being born from above", as in John 3:3, where           spiritual people in  the midst of sin and corruption.
 we read literally: "Jesus answered and said unto him,         They are children of God,- born of God, partakers of
- Verily, verily, I say unto: thee, Except a man be born the life of God only in principle.  Romani `7 clearly
 from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."- Th$ teaches' us this truth. And throughout the Word of
 Word of God, therefore, speiks literally of the child of      God this fact is continually verified. We are saints but
 God as being born,from above, and it is theref0r.e  the       also sinners, light in the midst of darkness, righteous,
`literal teaching of Holy Writ that the .Ch&ch of God,         but  ais? unrighteous, heavenly but also earthy. We'
 from the aspect of her spiritual life, is born of God,        are a heavenly-spiritual people in the midst of  the
 is partaker of IHis divine nature, has her source in the earthy And carnality, not only in the sense that the
 heavens, is a heaveriiy-spiritual, entity in the fullest world round about us is froth below, but also because
 sense of. the word. The child of .God has received the we ourselves continually experience these constantly.
 life of God Himself; shares God's divine nature accord-, conflicting forces within ourseiv'es.
 ing to the measure of tlie creature, possesses therefore      - Hence, as far  .as the idea of this tension of the         9
 the life sf khe heaven& Jerusalem because the heart of church is concerned, we may conclude that it is caused,
 that Jerusalem  i$ nothing  less than the living God follows invariably from' the spirituaiiheaveniy  identity
 Himself, and, conseqtientiy,  his expectation, his intense of the church and her position in the midst of the
 longing and hope is fixed upon that heavenly city from. world. This occasions the constant strain, the con-
 which he expects his Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.          tinuous pr&sure Lmderneath which the church of God
    However, this is but one aspect of the Christian's, must incessantly labor, the terrific pressure to which
 the Church's existence, but one- phenomenon which' we are constantly subjected. We are reminded of that
 must be borne in mind in connection with the tension word of Paul in his epistle to the Philippians, where
of the Church. The other amazing phenomenon is the w.eread  in chapter 1, verses 23, 24.: "For I am a strait
`,fact that the Church is such a spiritual entity in' the betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with
 midst of an titieriy sinful, corrupt, and earthly world.      Christ which iS far better. Nevertheless to abide in
 ,This, too, is abundantly affirmed in the pqges .of IHoly the desiFe  to depart, and %o.be with Christ which is far
`Writ. In the text which we have already quoted the better. Nevertheless to abide in tl-& flesh is more nked-
 `apostle declares of the Church of God that their citizen- fui for you." The church of God is continually betwixt
,ship is in heaven. Neverthelegs,  they are still in the two irreconcilably conflicting forces, the one drawing
,inidst of the world. Already in the Old Dispensation him irresistibly heaveriward,.  and the other invariably


   144                                         T H E   - S T A N D A R D   B`EARER

  inclining him to the things which are below. Thus we yet, when he finds the act to have been completed, he
  would define the idea of this tension of the Church discov&s to his unutterable sorrow and distress ihat
: of God. ,Let us now at$end to the reality of this amaz-           it has become so polluted with sin that he knows it
  ing phenomenon.                                                   no more-this is the  ,iiterai  teaching of the apostle  1
                                                                    Paul in Ram. 7 :15-17.
     s                   -11. Its  Reality.                             The result `of this experience for the child of God
                1 .                                                 is a state of tremendous tension. It is'weii, in corinec-
          First of ail, let `us attend to this tension as exper-    tion with this amazing passage in Remans 7, to note
  ienced in the life of the individual Christian. On the especially two things. In the first place, the Christian
  one hand, the child of God is constantly in a state is not a  duumvir, a  "twee-merisch",  a man with two'
  of  @ritual tenseness. I would base my observation                persons, so that when the one person sins the other
  in connection wi*th this experience of the-Christian  on is not r,esponsibie. The Christian, we understand, is a
  II Cor. 5 :17 and kom. 7, especially the verses .15-17.           single person, one who in the deepest fountain of his
  In the former passage we  iead: "Therefore if any life l&s become a child of God' called out of darkness
  man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old .thingh              into the Lord's marveiious iighit. Secondly, the `Chris-
  .are passed away; behold, ail things are become new." tian do,es not speak the language' of a defeatist in this
 i ,And, in Rom. 7 :15-17 we read : "For that, which I do passage of  IHoly Writ. One might possibly conclude
   (literally `complete') I. &iiow not : for what I would,          this from Paul's infallible description. of the life of
  that do I not (literally I read here `that do I not carry         the Christian. However, w.e must bear in mind that,
  into practice') ; but what I hate, that do I. If then             although it is true that we do not complete what we
  `I do that %hich I would nbt, I consent unto `the law would and hate that which' we do, nevertheless the vic-
  that it is good. : Now then it is no more' I that do it           tory of the child of God iies,.exactiy  herein that he con:
   (literally `that complete it'), buti sin that dweiieth in tinue to hate the evil and has an inner delight i-n .a11
  me". Notice, as far as this passage in Rbmans 7 is the commandments of the Lord. Even so, .he-.is surely
  concerned, that tlle`apostie  is not speaking the language in a state of constant tension. The Christian is inces-
  here of an unregenerated man. This must be evident santly betwixt two. The one power within him draws
  from the language used throughout this passage and him irresistibly heavenward,  away from sin and the
  chapter. The unregenerated man does not ha&e what things which are below, and toward the life of God and
  he doe&  cannot confess that no good thing dweiieth in His ,eternai t&ernacie. But he is also aware of another
  him, cannot speak of the  good which he would do,                 power within him, a power which invariably draws him
  cannot declare that he has a delight in the law of God' into  the opposite  direction.  And the child of God is
  after the inward man? and cannot thank God for the betwkt both and therefore constantly under pressure.
' deliverance which is his through Jesus Christ,  liis                                                                                 H:V.
  Lord. Neither must we understand Romans 7. as if the
, apostle Paul were speaking of two individuals, two                `i: Paper read before' the Conference of Ministers  lot the Reformed
  persons, or ,even of the Christian as he spetiks of him-          Church in the U. S., and of the Protestant Reformed C$urches,
  self according to both, the old man and the new man.              October 1946.                                  I'
  A careful perusal of verses 15-17 will. certainly dis-
  close that the subject in this passtige  is continuously
  the  same. The child of God is speaking here in  the
consciousn.ess  of himself as a  new'man:              _                                     IN .MEMORIAM
          What then, does the Christian experi'ence  within
  himself according to the Scriptures? On the one hand,                 The Consistory ;cf the Protestant Reformed Chu,rch.  of `Pella,
  he rejoices in complete victory, declaring that old Iowa, hereby  expraases  its sincere sympathy to our  brother-
  things are passed away and that ail things have be- deacon,  Mr.  33en   VaiderMolen  and family, in the loss of his
  come new. His old life, old desires, old purposes, old mother,
  acquaintances, old fellowships are passed' away. His                                 T I L L I E   VANDRR  .MOLEN--
   e&iae life of, the past is no more. Ail things have'                                             (: .                 1
  become new. He is aware of a new life, of new de- ai the age of 56 years.
  sires and purposes and aspirations, of new acquaint-                  May the Lord abundantly  bleis the bereaved and  comf,ori:
 an&s aid fellowships, of a new hope, the hopeof ever- them, with the. knowledge that what.  the. Lord  .has done, is
  lasting life. And, on the other hand, the Christian               done WELL,  also when He took  mother,  unto Himself.
  groans underneath the burden of a f:earfui struggle.                                                 `
                                                                                                        -*
  Iq Born. 7 .he is conscious, that, in him, ail old thin&                                            T h e   C o n s i s t o r y ,
  have not passed away, that the old man in him is still                                                          Rev. L. Vermeer,-
  Very much alive, &J that althbugh he wopld  do the goocl,'                                                '    ,w. s. De J@S?  q& - .


