6%&tE XXIII                              February 1, 1947 - Grand Rapids, Michigan                           N U M B E R   9

                                                                      Daardoor tech kleeft hij den Christus aan, `verlaat
            M.EDI TAT-I  ON  x hij de wereld, doodt hij zijne oud.e natuur, en vertr.ouwt
                                                               hfj op God, `Die' de dooden levend maakt, en de dingen,
                                                               die niet zijn, roept alsof ze waren.           .
             Rachib's Werkend Geloof .                                Van dat leveqd geloof, dat alleen rechtvaardigt en
                                                               zalig maakt, gaf Abraham blijk, als hij zijnen zoon  1
                  En  desgelijks ook  Rachab, de hoer, is  xii Iza,$ offerde op bet altaar.
                                                                     En van datzelfde geloof gaf Rachab een sprekend
  i.:          n$et wit de werken gerechtv&ardigd geweest,
               als  zij de gexondenen heeft ontvangen,  eri bewijs,  toen zij koos tegen Jericho's wereld voor de
               door eqnen~.anderen w.eg uitgelaten?            partij des levejnden  Gods.        .
                                                                Bewijs van het levend geloof.
         Kan dat geloof .zalig maken?                                 Hongerend naar de gerechtigheid, en  verzadiging
         IHet geloof, waarvan i,emand  zegt, dat hij het bezit, vindend;
zonder dat hij de werken er van openbaart?                            Rechtvaardigend.
 ,: Wat nuttigheid tech heeft een dood geloof, dat zon-               Zaligmakend  !
d,er die werken is, en geen vrucht draagt, dat ook de                                     -            -
duivelen bezitten en hen doet sidderen voor h,et aan'ge-
zicht van den eenigen en levenden God?.                               R&hab, de hoer!
         Kan door zulk een gelodf iemand gerechtvaardigd              Maar ook : Rachab, de geweldige, die bet koninkrijk
worden?                                                        der hemelen met geweld nam: met het  gew,eld  des
         Integend,eel, het doet hem geen nut. Het verzwaart geloofs.                                                          B
slechts zijn oordeel. Het werpt hem slechts dieper in                 Zij  tech was rechtens en van  nature niet  anders
de ellende. Het is een geloof, waarmee hij straks in dan eene inwoneres en burgeres van. Jericho, .en leefde
eeuwige verwoesting stort, en dat hem zelfs in de he1 het l,even dier zondige Btad.
zal bij blijven. [Het  werpt  zich niet  op den l.evenden             En Jericho is de wereld.
Christus, Die gestorven is en opgewekt; het leeft niet                Ze was de eerste stad aan deze zijde der Jordaan
uit den Christus, en trekt niet uit Zijne volheid genadk       van eenige beteekenis, een sterke vesting, die uit
voor genade ; het draagt geeti vrucht door Christus, menschelijk  oogpunt schier onneembaar mocht  worden,
kiest niet voor de partij des levenden Gods tegenover  de geacht. Sterke muren sloten haar in, de geweldigen
wereld, doodt niet de oude natuur, en ontvliedt alzoo          der  w,ereld werden  binnkn hare  p,oorteh gevonden,
niet den toekomendbn  `toorn.                                  bereid om haar tegen elken  aahvallenden vijand tot d&n
         Uit de werken wordt: demand gerechtvaardigd, niet laatsten man toe te vepdedigen. Ge&elijk is  Jericho  ,
uit een dood geloof.                                           de wereld, die in het booze ligt, die tegenoGer  den leven-
0,  neen, niet  om zijne  ,werken   wordt een  m.ensch den God s&at in zonde en ongerechtigheid ; en boven-
gerechtvaardigd voor God; niet  op  groncl  van  zijn,e dien de wereld, die de mate der ongerechtigheid heeft
werken ontvangt hij vrijspraak van schuld en straf en volgemaakt, en die op het punt staat door het oordeel
recht op het .eeuwige leven. Tegenover .hem,  di'e dat Gods te  worden  getroffen.  De  machiige,   getieldige,
zou beveren, haast de Schrift zich om de waarheid te Gode vijandige, goddelooze, dnd,ergaande  wereld.
accepttieeren,  dat een mensch uit het geloof  .alleen               Van die wereld was Rachab burgeres,  van nature: - -.
gerech&aardigd `wordt, zonder de werken der wet.                      Haar leven leefd'e ze:           ~-
         Maar we1 wit' de yerken, in den weg d*er werken,            Want in Jericho stond ze bekend al$ de hoer. `W&l
en dan we1 van de werken des geloofs.                          heeft men getracht aan dit woord eene andere beteeke-
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194                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B.EARER

nis  be geven.  Doch er kan geen  twij'fel   aan  bestaan, gen, is reeds gered, en is oak. reeds g;ey&htvaardigd  .
dat het hier aqnduidt eene  publieke vrouw,  die hare voor God. En door of qp gxond ~34 geen werken kon
leden  in dienst stelde d&r zonde en v&6 zedeloosheid. ze ooit re&tvaaxdi&gger  worden.  .D&E'dat  geloof wierp
Mei opzet wordt hieraan herinnerd door Jakobus, om ze zich o?voorwa`ardelijk op den lev&@ God. En in
aan te duiden, dat ze w,el metterdaad tot Jericho `be- bet licht`ian dat ge!oo&  en van bet .eig@n wooxd Gods,.
hoorde, en  persooalijk deelde in  whet  zohdeleven van bezag ze en beoordeelde xe de za& ia. den Zone Gdds
                                                                                                                                          , .;"
Jericho's wel-elcl. Immers mo&  de vraag beantwoord : tegenover   Jex@o's   z a a k .                                              I:.             .i
                                                              ..,`.,
hoe werd Rachab gerechtvaardigd,  en hoe ontvlqod ze             -. . Als  Rach&,:  de hoer, had  ze.  z.eke&oqr  Jerichg
he& dreigend oordeel. Welnu, daarom moet het eerst &$ozen. .                                                             I
                                                                                                                    .
goed duidelijk zijn, dat ze in zichzelf eene onrechttiaar-              .`. Als Rachab, de begeriadigde, de ie@e!dige,  koos `ze
dige was, homogeell,  met h.& !eien' der wereld, ver- voox de zaak van Israel's God.                         `).
doemelijk voor God, eti op het punt staande om met de                    rHoort   h a a r   s l e c h t s   s p r e k e n :
wereld onder te gaan.                                                     "Ik weet, dat de Heexe u`-clit land gegeven  heeft, en
       Tech was Rachab, door genade, een geweidige, die dat ulieder verschrikking op ons gevallen is, en dat alle.
het koninkrijk der hemelen met geweld nam.                     inwoners dezes lands voor ulieder .aangezicht gesmolten
       Eeqe  heldin des geloofs.                               zijn. Want wij hebben gehoord, d+t de Heere de wate-
       Immers verrichtte iij de werken des geloofs. En ren der Schelfzee uitgedrobgd heeft voor ulieder aange-
in d,en weg dier werken des geloofs is ze niet beschaamd zicht, toen gij uit .Egypte  gingt; ep wat gijlieden .aan
geworden. -Want "door bet geloof is Racbab, de hoer,           de tw(ee koningen der kmorieten, Sihon en Og, gedaan
niet omgekomen met de ongehoorzamen, als zij de ver- hebt, die'op gene.zijde  der J6daan  waren, dewelke gij-
spieders  tiet vrede had ontvangen." Heb. 11:31.               lieden verbannen hebt. Ala wij'het hoorden, zoo ver-
       Israel kwam tegen Jericho. Het volk Gods had de smolt ens, hart, eq er bestaat geen moed meer in i,epand,
belofte, en zou uit de hand zijns .Gods het beloofde laild     vanwege ulieder tegenwoordigheid ; want de Heere,
moeten ontvangen, en de .ruste ingaan; *Zooals Jericho ulieder God, is een God boven in den hemel,  en beneden
wezenlijk de weaeld is, &n de goddelooze wereldmacht op  d,e aarde". . . . .                          '
vertegenwoordigt, zoo is Israel wezenlijk het koninkrijk                  Rachab, de geweldige !
Gods, staande als van de partij des levenden Gods, en ' Ze had het woord Gods  gehoord.                                       c
de zaak van den Zone Gods vertegenwoordigende. C'en-                      En ze had het geloofd en omhelsd. = Ze geloofde de
traal .is &srael  de Eerstgeborene aller creature, dae Ge- belofte van den God des Verbonds, vertrouwde, dat
zalfde des Heeren, de Christus, die de erfgenaam der God, Zijne belofte zekerlijk zou vervullen, en dat Hij,
wereld is naar de belofte. @I X6m rustten al de belof- Die het beloofd had, ook machtig was om bet. te doen.
ten Gods. Hij is de Steen, die het trotsche beeld .der                    En ze begeexde zich te voegen bij d.e erfgenamen
wereldtiacht zal  vergruizen.       De Knecht des Heeren der belofte.
.is::Hij,  Die in den wcg der gerechtigheid uit de hand                   Vplkomeq  afziende van alle mat@ der mknschen en
Zijns Vaders het koninkrijk zal ontvangen, en Zijn van de geweldigen dezer wereld, als minder dan ijdel-
eigen rijk- op de puinhoopen van de wereldmacht zal heid, wierp z.ij zich, als een geloofsgeweldige, op den
opriohten in heerlijkheid.                                     almachtigen God van hemel en aarde.
       Zoo stond Rachab voor de keuze.                                    Ze had gekoien.  Ze Wilde het koninkrijk der heme-
       Aan de overzijde van den Jordaali lagen-de  leger-      len nemen met geweld.
scharen van Jehova Sabaoth ; aan deze zijde zag ze                        Rachab, de geweldige  !
geveldige machten der wereld.
   _En Rachab geloofde God !                     c
   i:O, naar het vleesch geoordeeld, moest de keuze we1                   Heldin des geloofs!-
uitvallen .ten gunste van JeFicho, zooals immer, naar                     Zoo zal  z& van nu  aati  `bekend  staan, getuigenis
de maatstaf de: vleesches, de wepeld  de voorkeur moet bekomen hebbende door hare w:erken.
hebb'en. Want Israel is klein ,en nietig in zichzelf. En                 En uit hare werken gerechtiraardigd  geweest zijnde !
Jericho is machgg. Dat de stad zou vallen, en israe                       Rachab;de hc%er, j+ ; maar thans de geweldige. De
de overwinning zou hebben, scheen ondenkbaar.                  hoer uit en van zichzelf ; de- geweldige  door het geloof
       Doch Rachab had een levend geloof.                      haar uit genade geschonken, toen ze als een )eetiling uit
       Hierop moet allereergt .nadruk worden  gelegd. ; Ze een ofidergaande  wereld werd overgezet  in het kbnin-
was niet meer Rachab, d:e hoer. God had haar geroe-            krijk van den Zoon van God liefde.
pen, en haar naam veranderd in Rachab, de geweldige.                      Zij geloofde God.
Door genade waren de banden der zonde en des doods,                       Zij omhelsde Gods beloften. En haar geloof  was
die haar omkneld<n,  vexbroken, en daarmede .ook de geen dood gelbof, maar het  leverid  gelsof in den God
banden, die haar, verbonden aan de wereld ,en het leven harer zaligheid, dat in en door de werken openbaar.
van  ,JerichoLs  wereld. Ze heeft reeds genade, ontvan- werd.                                                                                            ,


      .                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                  i95

   Immers koos ze partij.                                       konings de yaarheid moet& zeggen. En,- och, l&at het
    Altijd  kiest'het geloof partij. Juist daarin  olider- ons maar aanstopds toqtemmen,  dat God alle Cnwaar-
 scheidt het wa&achti&  levend geloof z&h van een dood heid haat, maar ' daarbij d8n o"6k aans&ds.  opmerken,
 -geldof.  jEn  hie? hebt ge juist de diepe gedachte van dat .de Schrift juist op die leugen van Rachab geen
* den brief van Jakobus: alleen een geloof, daf partij          nadruk legt, maar juist alleen op hdar daad des geloofs.
 k&&t voor den God des verbonds, tegen de,wereld  en de                Ze had alles f eil !         .
 machten der duisternis, tegen de zonde en de lusten des               De zaak der wereld`stond op bet spel. Jericho was  -
-vleesches, dat partij kiest, kome wat wil, ook al moet vervuld m.et Srees,.maar ook en destemeer mef; haat
 heel de w:ereid ,en het tegenwoordige leven daarbij op: tegen Israel. De @ad wist het doe1 van Israel% kbmst,
 geofferd worden,-alleen  zulk een geloof is levend. En en het ligt in 4en aard der zaak, dat een waketid  oog
 alleen in den weg van zulk een geloof worden  we ge- werd gehoyden over alie teekenen van verrgad.  ., Niet
 rechtvaardigd. Wat .baat het LI al, of ge gelooft, dat onwaarschijnlijk is het,' dat Rachab, de hoer, die:im-
 God een eenig God is, en vriend der wereld blijft? Kan mers. haar vroeger  ley& reeds vaarwel had  -gezegd,
 dat geloof  u zalig  maken?  Zult ge, als vriend der dnde'r verdenking  stond. "ii. `.                        "           "     -
 wereld, niet een vijand Gods, gesteld worden,  en met                  En ze worf& ,tiit,h$ ppgpunt  yan de wer,+d,  melter-
 die wereld straks veroordeeld ,en vecdoemd worden?             daad landverqder !             :
    Rachab geloofde God, en z6 1~00s partij.               '    '       Ze verraadt de zaak.d,er duisternis !,
    Dat is duidelijk uit het feit, dat ze "de gezondenen -              Voor dexaak des Heeren heefC:.ze  haar leven over!
 heeft ontvangen, en door eenen  apderei weg. uitge-                    Vertrouwencle op den God van'Israe1.
 laten."                                                                Rachab, de heldin `des geloofs ! 5
    H.oe deze verspieders bij Rachab aanlandden, wordt                         .:                                                         .i
 niet vermeld. Zeker is, d&c ze kwamen als vrienden
 Gods, ,qls van de partij des levendell Gods, als vijanden
 van Jericho, die het op den`ondergang der stad,gemunt                  Uit de werken gerechtvaardigd!
 hebb&. En zeker is ook, dat Rae&b dit qlles verstond,                  Dat .geldt ?o,k van. R&ab,,:c@,+oer,  de geweldige,
 dat ze h@. al! ioodanig ontvangti  verzorgh, beschertit,            Neen,  ndgmaais  zij'%et  gezegd, niet  om'.haar   ge-
en hun ,een veilige, ontkoming -ber+dt.                         loof, of op grand van haar -geloof ; noch ook op grond
    En' daarmee had ze met beslistheid gekozen voor van de verdienstelijkheid harer werken des gelpofs,
 Israel's z&k, en tegen de zaak der w&eld.            :         werd zij  gerechtqaardigd.
    Want de keuze des geloofs is immer antithetisch. Dat Het zal nu  tech  we1  duidelijk,Czijn,  dat Jakobus in
 is onvermijdell  jk. Niemand ka!l twee heer&. dienen. dien zin geen rechtvaardigmaking uit de werken lee&.
 Noch/ook kan, in deze wereld, iemand obit &n heer ?aor het geloof  alleen,-dat is en blijft de leer der
 dienen, `zoqder dat hij met den anderen heer oqk maar Schrift. Maar gij, 0, ijdel mensch-! `gij,- die zegt,,dat
 iets te  maken heeft.  Hij zal dan eeneri  aanhangen, tie geloof hebt, zonder dat ge ook maar de minste vrucht
 maar daarmede tegelijkertijd den anderen v&werpen;             des geloofs in uwe werken opefibaart, wilt gij weten,
 `of (den eenen haten, maar dan ook den anderen li,ef- dat het geloof zonder de werken dood is? Let dan op
 hebben.. Altijd naar den onvermijdelijken repel der Rachab, de hoer, en zie pet dan zelf, dat ge in den weg
 antithese. Wi'e ni'et voor is, die is ,tegen. En: wie. we1 des werken des geloofs zalig is geworden,  en gere:ht-
 voor is, die is `Qok tegen. . . . den andereq. Met Rachab      vaardigd is geweest.
 was het `niet anders.  `Dat lag reeds i;. den aard der ` Of is het niet  duid&jk, dat ze zonder' dat  l&end
 zaak : Wilde ze de zatik van. Israels Go,d dtihelien, ,dan geloof, en zonder zijne herken, omgeko'men was me`t
 verwierp ze daarmede reeds de zaak der yereld van de wereld ?
 Jericho.  Maar dit werd ook openbaar,  toen,  qok die
 wereld gez&nten.zond,  en ze partij boos tegen hen en ._,              Dan  tech had ze niet gekozen  voor. de zaak des
 voor Israels verspiederh.                                      levenden Gods. Dan had ze de verspieders niet geher-
    Ze zag op de vergelding des ioons.                          bergd en verborgen. Dan  .had ze hen hiet dbor een
   _ Ze vliedt van den toekomenden tdorn,. en zoekt  den anderen weg doen ontkomen. Dali had ze haar leven
 vrede en het leven bij Israel's God.            ;              "in Jericho liefgehad. En dan was ze door het oord'eel
    Met den God van Israel waagt ze alles.                           Gods oyer Jeiicho gtitroffen;  en omgekom&:  .
    Want laat ons deze keuze van Rachab, ook  *at hare ,                Nu werd  ze' behouden, bij Israel  ingelijfd,  erf-
 eigene positie in de wer,eld-betrof,  niet g&itig ~&hten.      gename der belofte !                                        I  ..I .`.
 Alles stond immers op @et .spel. 0, zij, die zklf `immer               En zoo -is het nog ! '
 op twee gedachten hinken, mogen. gaarn,e wijzep op het              T.` IHet levend geloof kiest voor de zake van den Zoon
feit, dat Rachab ,zichzelf &achtte te rbdden,,dQo$de  toe- Gods, tegen de wereld, en wordt in. dien weg zalig!
vlucht te nemen-tof  leugens en bedrog.  . Ze .had`op God               Verheerlijkt met Hem!            ,           ,.
moeten vertrouwCeh,  en. eenvoudig &an de gezanten des                                                                           H.  I%.  `..


 1                       9                        6                                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                             The  Scindard Bearer
                  Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July a& August                                                                                                                                             E D I T O R I A L S
                                                  Publjshed   B                                                             y                      `
                              The Refornied.Free  Publishing Association                                                                                                                              `How HistohY Is. Perverted '
                                                       1463 Ardmore St., S. E.

                                            EDITOR :; - Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                         The  fo!lowing is a clipping from "The Church
 Contribntin'g  Editors: - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, Rev.                                                                                                                                Herald" of Jan. 10, 1947. It may serve to illustrate
 R.  Veldman,  Rev. H. Veldman, Rev.  I-1. De  Wlolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                                             how history is perverted when a writer draws upon
 Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A.  Aetter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                                   thesources of hearsay and his own imagination, rather
 Vermeer,  `Rev. G. Lubbers, Rey. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,
 Rev. W.  Bofman.                                                                                                                                                                              than take th,e trouble of investigating the facts in the
      Communications relative to contents should be addressed. to                                                                                                                              case before he writes:            *
 BE*. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 I?ranklin  St., S. .E., Grand Rapids,
 Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                                            we like to sing, "Faith of our F&hens Living Still"
      Communications relative to subscription should. be addressed                                                                                                                                  and praise their loyalty and devotion.  Per.haps  it is
 to MR. GEXRIT  PIPE,  1463 Ardmore Ft., S. E.,.Grand  Rapids,                                                                                                                                      due  tb our charity th?t we say but little of the sins
Michigan. All Announcements, and Obituaries niust be sent                                                                                                                                           and blunders of our  father.s. Scripture, speaks  not.
 to the  abgve   address  and will not be placed unless the  regular-                                                                                                                               o;nly  of the fine qualities of the  fathens  but  ahso. of
 fee of $1.00  aocompanies  the notice.                                                                                                                                                             their sins. The- phrase "our fathers trusted in  t.bEe"
                                        (Subscription Price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                                         appears in the Bible-the  phpases,  "Dur fathers have
 Entered as Second,  `Class,  Mail at  Gradd  Rapids,.  .Michigan.                                                                                                                                  ,sixmed",  ."the. iniquity of their f athens",  "our fathers
                                                                     `_..                                                                                                                           have trespassed", "walk ye not  %-I the statutes of
                                                                                                                                                                                                    your fathers", "be not  %like  your fathers" a?e also
                                                                                                                                                                                                    found in  Scl;ipture.  Since  t.he Bible speaks of` the
                                                                                                                                                                                                    sins of the  fathe& it cannot be wrong for  &us to at
                                                                                                                                                                                                    least mention!  their"mistakes  as well .as their sins and
                                                                       -  CONi`ENTS   -  t                                                                                                          even try to undo&them  if possible.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      It is 1tio.t my purpo:se to be critical, really, my pur-
 MEDITATION:-                                                                                                                                                                                       pose is to commend. Something happened in a city
 RACHAB'S WERKEND GELOOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  193                                                                           in Michigan pot long ago, which suggested to me that
                                                                                                                                                                                                    sons can undo the blunders andcsins  of their fathers.
            <Rev. H.' Boeksema.                                                                                                                                                                     About twenty-five -years ago there was much agita-
                                                                                                                                                                                                    &n  ir+ ;a certain congregation in a Michigan city. A
 EDITORIALS  ti                                                                                                                                                                                     ministar  was troubling his congregation by ,preaching  n
 HOW HISTORY IS PERVERTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I`....196                                                                                     about a theological subject-not  `a great, theological
 EXPOSITION OF THE HtiIDELBERG  CATECHISM . . . . . . . ...199                                                                                                                                      subject but %he kind that excites one generation and
             R e v .   H .   B o e k s e m a .                                                                                                                                                      leaves  .anoither  one cold. The mi&,ter  put much stl'ess
                                                                                                                                                                                                  : upon three points, what they were I do not knlow  anId
 SAUL WITHOUT EXCUSE ......................................................... .202                                                                                                                 most likely but few members of the  congaegation.  now
 THE PAPAL SCHISM CONTINUED ....................................... .206                                                                                                                            know.  Because  of the preaching and the criticism it
 QUESTIONS ON ICHURCH POLITY ......................................... .2d7                                                                                                                         evoked &here  were many discussions in the homes of
             Rev. G. M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                                                                     t.he aoagyregatiolnt;  some families'became  divided, some
                                                                                                                                                                                                    members :siding with the minister rund  othena opposi,ng
 DEN HEERE VROOLIJK ZINGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . ,.
                                                                                                                                                                            208                     him. Bitter words were spoken, feelings were aroused,
             Rev. G. Vds..                                                                                                                                                                          quarrels took place and the love  of many grew cold.
                                                                                                                                                                                                    R was said that the teaching of the minister  was at
 IN HIS FEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210               odds with what the denomination taught and  isince  .
             Rev. J. A. Heys.  I                                                                                                                                                                    he stuck to his three points  .he,w&  dteposed-zig&-.
                                                                                                                                                                                                    fully  ION  wrbinlgfully  I will  nbt judge.' I  am inclined
 FROM HOLY ,WRIT . . .: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2.12                                 to think. that the royal `law of love was not fully
             Rev. `H. Veldman:                                                                                                                                                                      kept.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      The bulk of the congregation remained loyal to- .
 PERISCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  : . . . . 215         the minister and  l&ft the' denomination and-only a
           Rev.  W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                         small group remained in the large church building  1
 -                  -                                                                                                                                                                               which had  .housed  the congregation., Of  coulrse  this


                                          T H E   ST~ANDARD   ~BEARER                                                          197

     tr'ouble was featured in the daily: newspaper and re-                  There is hardly a sentence in the above representa-
     ceived much publicity which did not bring honor to                  tion of the history of that congregation that `is true.
     the cause of  Chr&t. The seceding members built a                   Note the following: i
     new  church  building a half block away from two               1       The Rev. Dame writes:' "About twenty-five years
     other church buildings where the gospel was preached                ago there w&s much agitation in a certain congrega-
     and a new parsonage was also erected. Fqr twe,nty-                  tion in a Michigan city." The fact is that, at,the time
     five pears this congregation remained independent;                  to which the. writer refers, there was' no agitation in
     the  miinBs'Ger  preached his doctrines, stressed the three         that congregation at all, There  was, on the contrary,
     points and  the people listened faithfully and attended             peace and harmo,ny, &cl the congregation was flourish-
     the services  mlost loyally.                                        ing, being built up in the knowledge and grace of OUT
       However,  a new generation  gr,ew  up. The older                  Lord Jesus Christ, through the preaching of the Rev.
     men in the congregation mellowed-age does some-                     `H. Danhof. Had the .Rev. -Dame writts,+agcording  to
     thing to people.: One member who confessed that in                  simple facts, he. would. have said : ,"About- twenty-five
     his youth he had  been, rather fiery, said "I am be-                years ago, outsiders tried to stir lip tr@$e;for a.. ce&
     ginning to  see that the most important matter' ils                 tain congregation in a, Michigan city, and succeeded
     to belong  tie Christ." Some  -of the leaders in the                only too well." That is the naked .&uth.
     seoession niovemenh  died. The subject which agitated                  The author con+ues : ?A mini$er was .troubling  his
     thexti  twenty-five years  ago now fails to stir them.              congregation by preaching abQut a theological  subject
     The minilster  was aging and the timk came fdr him                  -not a. great theoldgieal subject .but the kind `that ex-
     to retire. The congregation gave him a substantial                  cites one generation and !eaves' another cold". Every
     sum of nioaey and he retired. Since the congregation                word in this sentence is untruth and slander. The min-
     was  iIndependent  there was no minister available, who             ister did not preach about "a theological subject", but
     could succeed hiq;.  Hence suggestions w'ere  made to               he. proclaime! the full counsel of God, and that, tbo,
     return to the denomination from which they had se-                  very ably. He understood the Scriptures, and instructed
     ceded and this was finally done. The sons undid                     his people in the riches of the knowledge of Christ.
     the blunder of the  fathens.                                        Nor did he trouble his congregation. As has already
       Updn hearing of the  retuan  of this congregation                 been said, others, enemies from without, stirred up
     to the  dentomination from which they came I could                  trouble f-or it. Neither is' it true that "the theological
     ruot help but ask a few  qaestions.   Wha.t  good came              subject" to which the writer is., evidently, particularly
     from this church  qua&e1  which divided a congrega-                 referring, was one "that excites one generation and
     tion and created much bitter feeling for a time ?                   leaves another cold." It is true, of course, .that the
     What advantage came from this split to the cause of                 truth in $hrist, and the fundamental doctripes o$ /Holy
     Proteitantism  ? `Was the kingdom benefited.? Wounds                Scripture, that have the deepest  interest of God's
     were made which took time to heal, money was spe&                   people, leave apostati&ng  generations cold. But if the
     unnecessarily for a new church building anjd  parson-               author rkfers to the generations of the people of God,
     age-the old building iYas large enough ~JOI house the               the history of the Church shduld have taught him that
     whole congregation. That money could h&e been                       they are always deeply concerned about the great doc-
     used in a more constructive way.          Could not this            trines of sin and grace, and the sovereignty of God.
     division have  bean avoided? Often behind some                      And these were the doctrines which the minister o$
   church quarrels is a  peneonlality  problem. Recently                 that congregation in that Michigan city emphasized.
     a.friend told me that a schism  toioh place in his de-                 The author continues : "The minister put much
     nomination because two bishops could not get along                  stress upon three points, what they were I do not know
     with each  other.    Sometimes individuals put their                and most likeyy but few members of the congregation
     own desires and ambitions before the welfare of the                 noti know." Now, it is certainly strange that the Rev.
    kingdom of God.                                                      Dame, who here confesses that he is not acquaint&d
                                                                         with the "three points" on which he alleges that the
   The above-article is writtep by the Rev. C. P..Dame, niinister. laid much stress, can nevertheless'assure  his
pastor of the Second Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, readers `that they were of no account; something that
Michigan, under. the title : "Undoing the Blunders of merely eicites one generation and leaves another cold.
the Fathers'?. Our readers -understand that he refers If he .iti ignorant of the doctrines the. Rev. H. Danhof,
to what used to be the "Protesting  .First  Christian stressed, he certainly is quite incompetent to express
Reformed Church" of Kalamazoo, Mich., of which the judg&nt upon their value and importance. The Rev.
R,ev. H.  Danhof was pastor, and which recently re- Dame here leaves the impression that he has little use
turned to the denomination of the Christian Reformed for distinctive doctrine in keneral. Secondly, the Rev.
Churches, and now bears, somewhat ironically, the                        Dame does not know what he is talking about, as, in
name of Grace Christian Reformed Church.                                 f&t, he himself virtually confesses, when. he. writes


 2.9 8.:                                  T'-HE'  ST-AN:DARD.   BEABE-R

that. "the minister put much. stress upon three points." plain its recent  r&urn to the fold of the Christian
It. is quite evid.ent that the Reverend .heaTd  a' .mere R'eformeg  Churches..
rumor'about three points, and concluded that it must              It is not my desire, nor is it necessary, for our
be the minister that originated" them, anCl emphasized present purpose, to relate this phase-of the history of
them on every occasion. Fact is, however; ,that,  at the that "congregation in a Michigan city" in detail. Suffice
time to which the writer refers, there were: no, three it to say that this church wasnot, from its beginning,
points, that the R,ev. H. Danhof was'not the author of an independent church; that. for two years it was
them,. still less stressed them ;. but that the Synod; of connected  /with several other churches that likewise
Kalamazoo, 1924,. fabricated- them,. and that the minis-. refused to be put in the strait-jacket of  (the "Three
ter about whom the Rev. Dame is writing refusgd,  to Points" of 1924 ;, that, when the proper time was. come
subscribe to them.                                             for these churches to organize a classis,  the Rev. Dan-
  Consequently, what follows is  alse a distortion  df hof and  his  consistoiy and congregation, separated
historical  fatit. The Rev; Dame writes.:  "Becautie- of themselves from that fellowship, for no reasons that
his preaching and the criticism it evoked there were would be considered valid before th< tribunal of God,
many' discus&m- in the homes of the congregation; in faet, because of petty and. p,ers++l jealousy,. sus-
some families became divided, some members siding picion, and kvil ambition ; and that exa.ctly because of
with  the  ministqr and others opposing him. Bitter this schismatic act, it came to stand alone, an'd was
words were spoken, feelings were aroused, quarrels doomed to die or be swallowed  .up by some  other
took place and the love .of many grew. cold. It was said c h u r c h .
that the teaching- of the minister was at odds with               That, too, is simple history.
what the denomination taught and sirice he stuck to               And this is the deepest cause of. the recent return
his *three points he was deposed-rightfully .or wrong- of that congregation to the denomination of` Christian
fully I will not judge; I am inclined to think that the Reformed Churches. Had it. not been fbr that &his-
royal law of love,  was not fuliy kept." All the facts matic act of 1926,  it would never have returned in
in `the case are here distorted. Fact is that, as was the way it did. The Rev. Dame simply draws upon his
said before, outside enemies stirred' up trouble, pfo- imagination when he explains that return, in the way
t&ted against the teachings of the minister? presented in which it took place, from the fact. that the fathers,
the matter to Classis sind Synod.; that the Synod could in part died, in part mellowed, while the children were
not find g?ounds  of condemnation of the minister ie. of a different mind from t&e fathers, and were desirous
the Reformed Standards, as is quite plain from the to undo blunders of the latter.
very language of the Synod is printed in the Acta ;               For,`and  this is, perhaps, the most serious blunder
that they formulated the "Three Points" without, how- the ,Rev. Dame makes in his article: the very subject
ever, condemning the minister; that, later, the Classis on which he writes is contrary to fact.
demanded of the minister that he subscribe to the                 For what was undone by the return of what is  '
"Three  Poitits,t  and that, when the minister refused, now the Grace Christian Reformed Church of Kala-
he and his consistory were deposed. Thus, in the mazoo ?
meantime, was trouble and division caused in the                  Precisely nothing.
congregation. And thus the larger part of the congre-             Or, how does the Rev. Dame think that, in the
`gation left the defiomination  of the Christian Reformed Church of Jesus Christ, "blunders" can .be undone?
Churches with their .deposed  Consistory and pastor.           In the- language of Christian faith, "blunder&' such
      These are the facts in the case.                         as were committed in 1924 are sins, Mr. Dame. . And,
                                                               truly, thanks  .be to God, in the Church  of. Christ,
      We do not blame the Rev. Dame for not knowing blunders or sins can be undone. But only in the way
them. But we consider it quite unethical to write about of  righteouiness.  God knows of no other way. And
a case without making an attempt to acquaint oneself the way of. rig@eousness, for the Church, is that of
`with the main facts.                      . ,                 the. righteousness' of Christ, of redemption and for-
      &d now the rest.                                         giveness.' To walk in tha?; way means to repent, and to.
      After having related that the congregation. thus confess our sins bef.ore  God and before one another.
separated from-the Christian Reformed fellowship're-           Another way to undo sins there is not.
established itself, he tells his readers : "For twenty-five       Was anything undone when the present Grace
years this congregation remained independent ; the Christian Reformed Church returned to the, denomina-
minister preached his doctrines, stressed the three tion of .Christian Refo~r$d Chkyches?
points ( ! ! H.H.) and the people listened faithfully and         On the contrary, iniquity was added to iniquiity!
attended the services loyally."- Here the Rev. Dame               Suppdse wha't certainly  is `izot the truth, that this.
omits a very important part of the history of this church sinned, when they refused to bend their neck
congregation, without which: `he canndt possibly ex-           under the  yoke  of  $h:  "Three Points" in 1924, and


I                d                                                        *
I  ..`-                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            -1.99
                                       .       L
     that the Christian Reformed Churches had been corn; that were played, and the iniquity that viras ,added to
     pletely in the right,  when they cast them out,  atid iniquity, whenfthe classis of Kalamazoo covered up the
     deprived them of their property. In that  cate,  two sins. of the fathers,!             .
     things would have been necessary `to  mldo  things.                God cannot be mocked!
     That congregation, through its consistory, must needs                                                      H .   H .
     have confessed its sin of schism ; and, secondly, in the
     same way, it must have declar,ed  its'agreement with                                                                                  `.
     the  ."Three   Points" of 1924.  Twerity two  ye&s ago
     fhey were thrown out naked because of their disagree-
     .ment with those points of doctrine. It stands to reason          .THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE
     that only in the way of expressing agreement with the
      doctrine they rejected in 1924 was a  .return to the
      Christian Reformed Churches possible,' supposing the           An Expodion Of The Heidelberg
     latter were right.
         Or suppose what most surely is the truth, that the                             Cattd&m
      Christian Reformed Churches apbitrarily  adopted three                               P a r t   T w o .             _  ,.  :
      points of doctrine that wer,e not in the Reformed Con-
     Sessions and, besides, contrapy.  to. them;  that these                         Of Man's Redemptiori       .  ^*                1
      Churches committed an act of gross injustice when                                Lord's Day  XXI  '                            :           '
     they cast out officebearers and  members from their                                          5 .
     fellowship, deprived them of `their  church property,  _
      and compelled them to stand. alone and to start all                      The Communion ,Of Saints. (cont.)
                                                                                                  i
      over again.  Would it, then,  .before  the face of Him            That history is not to be compared to a movement
     that judges righteously, not have been require'd  -bf the along the spokes of a wheel towards,its hub.
      Christian Reformed Churches, in order to undo things,             It does ,nc:ppresent  the picture of asnumber of dif-
      to `confess their  iniqujty before the  church  tl&i  r&-,  -`f&ent  churches,  equa!ly imperfect in their  apprehen-
      turned to them, to retract the `"Three .Poifits" `and fo sion of the truth as it is `in Christ, but simultaneously
      compensate as much as possible the offended and mal- approximating   it.
      treated congregation for the harm done to them?                   On the contiary, it was a development from `a defi-
         And would not a statement in the Church' papers, nite startingpoint, along a straight line, from which, .
      to that effect, have been proper and in order?                however, under the influence of the carnal element in
         Most certainly that would have been the Scriptural the Chur&,. in the course of time, many departed, to
      and, therefore, the only way, to undo things.                 follow after their own philosophy, and  to.  e+blish
         Was this way followed?                                various denominations and sects.
         Not at all. `. Neither side confessed any sin ; neither        From the beginning of the new dispensation, the
      side retracted anything; neither side expressed any one, holy, catholic Church was built upon the founda:
      agreement with any doctrine. Tne Christian Reform- tion of the  prophets  .and  the  apostles  of  wlli&  Jesus
      ed Churches simply added another  ,congregation  to Christ is the chief corner stone. In the doctrine of the
      their number, tooti oyer the properky that congregation        apostles and prophets, as contained in the !Holy Scrip-
      had  .acquired after. that same Christian Reformed tures, was clearly indicated the line along  which the
      Church had deprived them of their former church' and Church must develop and grow in the .knowledge  and
      parsonage, and published nothing but the barest men- grace  bf her Lord. And  &long' this line of revealed
      tion of the `Aerger in their papers. And the present truth there  was, indeed, development, but always in
      Grace Christian Reformed Church was not required t? the f&e of much opposition by heretics. These heretics
      make a confession; nor to -declare agreemeklt  with the did n& innocently wander from the path of truth : they
      "Three Points". '                                             were evil,men, motivated by the flesh, loving the world,
         Did they undo things?                                      `and seeking to seduce the Church from the way of right-
         Would to God, Mr. Dame, they hkd ! For then the . e&sness,.  _and-thus to-lead her to destruction. Thus the
      way would have been  ypened  foY' two  ,dozen   `m'ore   S@iptures  aiways presents them, -and ever warns the
      churches to return ! If m the proper way, that is, in Church against their seducing influence. The apostle
      the way of the righteousness of Christ, in `the way of Paul exhorts believers to' grow in the knowledge of
      repentance and forgiveness, the Protesting First Chiis- Christ,  `Y,hat we henceforth be no- more children, tossed
     titin Reformed Church had returned to its former fel- td and fro, and carried about with every wind of doe-
      lowship, there would have been joy with the angels &ne, by the sleight of men, and .cunning craftiness,
      in heaven. Now, however, the angels must have blush- whereby they lie in wait to deceive." l%`ph. 4 f14. And
     `&and hid'their faces-in shame,  because of the politics the  a-pos&  Peter warns the  .Chur& against false

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

teachers that shall arise, "who privily shall bring in worship, and when they rather stay home or seek their
damnable heresies, even denying the `Lord that bought Pleasure' elsewhere than to go up to the house of the
them, and bring upon  them$Jves  swift destruction. Lord. But it certainly reveals a most miserable lack
And many shall follow their pernicious ways ; by reason of appreciation for the fellowship of the saints. But
of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And it also must be applied to all other gatherings of the
through covetousness shall they with feigned words saints as such, to those especially that are organ$zed
make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a for mutual edification in the knowledge of  Chkist.
long time linger&h not, and their damnation slumber-           Especially in view of the fact that the believer must
.eth not." II- 9et. -2 : 1-3.                                 needs live a' large part of his life in the world, in which
    Hence,  the history of the Church is a constant he is a stranger, he longs for the gatherings of the
struggle to-maintain the truth over against the inven- people of God, and seeks them diligently.
tion-s of eviLmen. It is the history of progress in the           Secondly, living in the consciousness of the com-
face of  oppo$tion, of constant. deformation  a.nd re- munion of saints, he will be deeply imbued with a sense
f o r m a t i o n :                                            of his own individual helplessness and insignificance,
    It presents the picture, - not of spokes in a wheel,      and understands that he can have significance only in
but of one central line of progress from which many the'fellowship of the body of Christ. Even as i,; a body
lines more Or less sharply diverge.                            all the members  ar,e interdependent, and no member
    In these divergeht lines, on.e dare not see the true has any power or meaning by itself, in separation from
multiformity' of the Church of Christ. The lie is never the body, so each individual believer can have signifi-
a form of the truth.                                           cance only in connection with, and depencience  upon all
    It is the sacred calling of every believer to seek other members. . No member occupies an independent
and-to determine, in the light of (Holy Scripture, where place. No matter hbw richly he may be endowed with
the central line of the truth- runs,, and ever-to remain spiritual gifts and tale&, though he be a theological
on that line, or +o return to it. In other words, it is giant, a most brilliant preacher, the.greatest reformer,
his most solemn duty, to join himself to the purest still he does not stand and labor alone, but can function
manifestation of the Church in  the  worlh, and with only as a member  of the body. In the grand oratorio
her to .r&main.                                                that is  .sung by the Church  to the glory of God in
     This  does   not mean  that the  b,elieyer who takes Christ, there are no soloists. The believer who lives
this calling seriously imagines -that ho one is saved from the faith of the communibn of saints is no.separ-
`outside of the' particular church in which he has his atist oU; schismatic. "If the foot shall say, Because I
meinbeyship.. Btii it does mean  .that he abhors all am not the,-hand; I am not of the body; is it therefore
deviations from the truth as it is in Christ, and that he not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Bec+use I
refuses to go along with those. that move, in the direc- am not the .eye,  I am not of the body; is it therefore
tion of The false church.            . .                       not of the body?" I Cor. 12 :15, 16. Nor will he ,exalt
    `Only `the tyuth. of Holy Scripture may be his cri- himself above the- other members,. but he will heed the
-terion.                                                       exhortation of the apostle Paul : "Let .nothing be done
    Where the Word of God is preached, there is the through strife dr vainglory ; but in lowliness of mind
Church !                                                       let each esteem. other better than themselves. Look
                                                               not every man on his own things, but every man also
                                                               on the thinks of others." Phil. 2 :3; 4.
    The communion` of saints is, of course, reflected. in         And finally, in the consciousness of the communion
the life of the individual believers in relation- to one of saints,. all seek to know and .to occupy their own
another. The' Catechism speaks  of this `when it men- place in the whole, to employ their Christ-given gifts
tions the calling of every one to "know it to be his duty, ,of grace for the well-being of the whole, and for the
readily and cheerfully to employ  bib  .gifts, for the salvation and edification of all' the other members.
advantage and salvation of other members."                     The Church has but one purpose: the glory of God in
     This means,  first of atI, that the saint .who lives Christ. To reflect that glory in word and walk is the
from the' faith, and in the -consciousness of ,this com-       communal purpose ,of all the saints. They are of one
niunion, will feel himself drawn irresistibly, to  the- `mind Jo realize this calling. .And in the realization of
assemblies of the people of God, and'diligently attend this calling is implied the salvation and spiritual edifi-
them.       This  .is true,  .chiefly,  with respect to. public cation and .growth of the members, for if one member
worship, the-gathering of the saints for the purpose suffers  the wholk body suffers. H.ence, no believer
.of. the ministry of the Word and of the Sacyaments, lives unto himself. Conscious bf the. fact that he has
and sof united prayer and -praise:  For more than one          nothing that he has not received, he lives in humility
-reason, it is a sad sign when professed Christians l,eave befor,e the face of God, not seeking his own glory. Y&t
their pews empty when the Church is -assembled for ,again, in a deep sense of his obligation to employ all


                                             THE  S T A N D A R D   `BE'ARER  -'  '                                           201
  t -
his  gists to the realization of the high calling where- tion merited-by Christ for- His people. All that follows
  with he is called, he will not hide them or bury them in, in the Apostolic  Confes'sion,  therefore, falls under
  a napkin, but be diligent in the service of his God. this head. Without the Holy Ghost there would be no *
  And agaip, knowing that he is not the body,. but only connection between the living Christ in all His fulness
  one of its members;: he will earnestly seek to know and of spiritual blessings and us. It is .in the Spirit that
  to occuby his own place in the body, in order that in ;He returns to us, and that He dwells in us to make us
  that position he may function to the gldry of Christ partak'er  of all the spiritual benefits IHe purcha&ed for
  and to the salvation of his fellow members.                     us by His death and perfect obedience. Withou;t the
         Thus they will "do all things without murmurings Spi'rit there would be no Church, and no communion 9f
  and disputing& ; apd they will be "blameless and harm- saints, no forgiveness o$ sins, no resurrection of the
  less, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a dead,-and.no  life everlasting. Now, let us notice, that
  crooked and perverse' natiofi, among whom they shine t&e article concerning the forgiveness of sins, stands
  as lights in the world." Phil. 2 : 14, 15.                      between that about the Church and the communion
         .,,In the exercise of the communion of saints the of saints, on the one hand, .and that which sp.eaks of
  Church will flourish, the believers wit1 be edified, the the resurrection of the dead, on the other. This means
  saints will rejoice.                                            that, of all the spiritual blessings that are, in this `life,
         For God commands his blessing there!                     bestowed upon the believers, by the Spirit oifrVClirist,
                                                                  only' the forgiveness of sins is mentioned in the `Apos-
                                                                  tolic Confession. It is singled out. We und,erstand, of *
                                                                  course, that this is' not the only spiritual benefit that
                                 6      :                         the saints have in Christ in this life. We might easily
                    The Forgiveness Of Sins.                      enlarge upon this part of the Conf,ession  by adding,'
                                                                  for instance : "I believe. the new birth, the efficacious
         In the same Lord's Day that treats the subjects of calling, the gift of faith, eternal righteousness, sanctifi-
  the holy Catholic Church, and the communion of saints, cation, and preserv&ion .ulito'the  end." All these gifts,
  the Catechisni'explains  the tenth article of the Apostolic and m&y other riches 6f grace, are bestowed upon the
  Confessioti, that concerning the forgiveness of sins.           Church in the world. But of all these blessings of
  In answer to the question: "What believest thou con- gyace, the Apostolicurn  simply mentions the forgive-
  cerning the forgiveness of sins?" it teaches us : "That ness of sins. Evidently, it proceeds from the truth
  God, for the sake of Christ's satisfaction, will no more that this one blessing is fundamental, and of basic
  remember  my sins, neither my corrupt nature, against importalice.  In the Confessibn,.therefore,  the forgive=
  which I have to struggle all my life long  ; but  will ness of sins occupies a central place.
  graciously impute to me the righteousness of Christ,                1n.a tr,eatise on the Apostolic confession, therefore, .
  that I may never bfe condemned before the tribunal it would be but proper to devote considerable space to-
  of God."                                                        this subject.
         It would seem, therefore,. that the Catechism, in            Yet, the Catechism speaks of it only in passing.
  this connection, would have us treat of the forgiveness             Nor is it difficult to $iscov@r the reason for.this.
  of sins only in passing, since it does not even devote              It `is true that, in this  partic_ular division of  the
  a separate Lord's Day to its discussion.                        Catechism, it follows the line of the Apostolicurn, and
         In a  separat,e   .discussion  of  th'e  Apostolicurn,  this thus .explains the contents of the Christian faith. But
  would not be sufficient. It would not do justice to the the Heidelberger is much more than a.treati&e  on the
  place the "forgiveness of sins" occupies in that con- Confession. It also explains the rest of ,Christian  doc-
  fession. Besides, the subject itself is of central signifi- t&e and of our Reformed f&ith. It speaks of sin and
  cance for ithe faith of the, believer, too important td misery, of faith itself, of the means of grace, of the
  be mentioned only in passing.              :                    laiv of God, and- of prayer. Atid in-the course of its
         In the Apostolic Confession, a separate article is discussion it mentions the forgiveness of sins in differ-
  devoted to this subject; and let us note, too, that the ent connections. This was inevitable, exactly because
- article occupies a very significant position..                  this element of Christian faith and doctrine is of  ten-  -
  _ It stands in the series that constitutes the  .third          tral importance.
  part of th,e Confessioli, that which speaks of the Holy             Moreover, at the end of its discussion of the Apos-
  Ghost and our:  :san&ification. At, the head of this tolic Confession, the Catechism inserts a general.ques-                            ,
  third division stands the article: "I  belieye in the tion concerning the importance and fruit of believing
  .Holy Ghost." And the meaning of this *article  is not all that was briefly comprehended in the twelve articles                    '
  simply to declare that we believe in the third person of our holy catholic ?aith : "But what doth it profit thee
  of the Holy Trinity, b'ut to refer to Him as the Spirit now that thou believest all this?" And in  answ,er to
 of Christ, that applies to us all the blessings of salva- this question, it devotes an `entire Lord's Day to. the


202                                     T H E .   STANDARD:   BEARER

 subject of our  justification,..which includes the for-         0, this does not mean that God forgets that` we are
 giveness of sins. It `can, the'refore,  readily be under- sinners. This would bg quite impqssible. `I3ut it does
-stood that, in the present connection, the Catechism Mean that He does not remetiber our sins in His wrath
 but bri,efly refers to this important matter, and treats and just condemnation, that .He does not reckon `them
 it as an appendix to thk doctrine of the Church, and dgainst us, that IHe does not behold ps as mere sinners,
 of the communion of' saints.                                 but as redeemed sinners, that have been perfectly justi-
       In  ord,er  to avoid repetition, therefore, we shall fied, whose sins have been blotted' out, and that have
 have $0 follow suit.                                         fully' satisfied for all their sins.
       We may call attention here to especially two mat-         Again, you understand, that this does not pre-
 ters that are of importance. First of all, to the cen- suppose a change in  God as if  IHe- formerly remembered
 tral significallce of this spiritual blessing, as is "indi- our sins against us, but now holds them against us no
 cated by the place it occupies in the C'onfession  ; and, more, that He formerly condemned us, but now con-
 secondly, to its inseparable connection with the truth demns us no longer. The change is, not in God, but in
 conce&&g the Church and the cotimunion of saints, us, when through faith He translates us from the state
 a$ is suggested by the fact that the Catechish groups of condemnation into that of forgiveness. In God, it
 all these subjects together iti one' Lord's Day.             means that there always was forgiveness with Him,
       Its central significance and basic, importance, with that He etefnally beholds His people, whom He chose
 relation to all the other blessings of salvation, is easily in  ,Christ before the foundation of the world, as  ve-"
I understood. Forgiyeness of sins means, according to deemed sinners: whom He did predestinate, them He
 the Catechism, "that God. . . . will'no more remeniber also justified. .Rom. 8 :29, 30. Only, when we lay hold
 my sins, neither my corrupt nature, against which I upon this  marvellous  mystery and amazing wonder,
 have to struggle all my life long."                          by f&h, w,e know an-d have confidence in God as our
       This means that, as long as we are in tliis lifej and Redeemer; and we appropriate the forgiveness of sins.
 in "the body of this death,"-our sinprise up against us,         And once more, this does. not mean that God sets
 and, unless something is done about them, form an im- aside IHis righteousness and justice, and acquits the
 passible barrier between God and us. The situ'ation          guilty ; but it is a revelation of that abundant mercy,
 is not thus,, that we sinned iri the past, that we'were      according to which IEI'e loaded the guilt of our iniquity
 delivered from the power of sin, perfectly and co& on His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and
 pletely, and that now  tie  sin no  mor.e.  .On the con- that in Him He realized otir righteousness.
 trary, we sinned, we still carry about with us our c6r-                                                           H. H.
rupt nature, and we do sin every day. In that state,                                                         `.
 it is impossible that any blessings df grac.e  and salva-
tion should be bestowed upon Us. And,  mo&over, in
 the consciousness of `our sins, the sins we have com-
 mitted and do commit, and of our defiled and corrupt
 r@ure, we could not possibly have confidence to ap-                 THE DAY OF Sm
 proach God to ask Him for His favor. For sin is
 guilt, worthiness of death, and of the wrath of God.
 And ,God is holy and righteous : he can have no fellow-
 ship with the sinner in his corruption, nor can He                        Sad Without  Excuse                              :
 acquit  th& guilty. All this must be expounded more
 fully in connection with our discussion of the tw.enty-       The Lord had sent Saul to Samuel to be anointed
 third Lord's Day. But even now, in order to see the kilig over Israel. "Tomorrow about this time I wilI
 basic importance of the forgiveness of sin, it must be send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin," the Lord
 clearly understood that we are, in ourselves, in the had said to His ser`irantj  "and thqu shalt anoint'him to
 state of sin and guilt, and, therefore, under wrath and be% captain,,over r& people." That the Lord se& Saul
 condemnation ; that, as long as we are in that state to Samuel means that the entire chain of events by
 before God, we can neither receive nor .expect even which, unbeknown to himself; Saul was led step by -
 the sfiallest %oken  of His favor; and that,. therefore,     step into Samuel's presence,, had been  sover.eignly
 this state must above all be changed, before we can          d&signed by God  in. His  Coulisel and forged  into
 hope for salvation.                                          `actuality `by His' provid,ence.        The straying of  the
       `This fundamental and radical ihange is affected asses from the estate of their  -66ner;  Ki,&`&  `in-
 by the forgiveness of sins.             ,.                   structing Saul `t6 seek the' lost beasts with the aid
       It means, so .the Catechism explains, "that God. .a . . of .a servant  ;. the  coridu&ig of the search in the
,will no more remember my sins, neither my corrupt r.egions indicated bi th'& text; the suggestion 05 the
 na.tur.6, against which I have to struggle all my life."     servant that the" seer be Consulted; : the ldqu&ous


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   .                                   203
    *             I



maidens giving copious info-u;mation  ;-all came to pass -about  those asses  frbm the Lord and not from  ally
according to the direction of God. And each .preced-       man. Then. Samuel put to Saul that enigmatical ques-
i%g event  in the chain was casually related  to. the tion by which it was revealed to him that the Lord had
following. The straying of those asses had called for selected him for the kingship, "And for whom is all
the' search; and because the searih was in vain, the that which  iS  d,esirable in  &&el?  Is it not  fortthee
servant insisted that the seer be consulted; and as and for thy father's house?" By th,e `expression, "all
`informed by the maid.ens the two. of them hastened that is desirable in Israel," must doubtless be -upder-
into the city and there ran  into- Samuel. For Saul stood the kingdom as'including the kingship, the true
had to be anointed king. But he meant it not sd ; but Israel according to the election, and even the very soil
it was in his heart to enquire after some lost property of  Canaan. All would be Saul's but only in the way
of. his father. .This motive, too, .was of God ; and He of his fearing God with all his heart and ruling God's
was using it for the accomplishment of His purpose. people as His vicar. Saul fearing the Lord, the God-
All was of the Lord.  ,It was  !He who sent Saul `to fearing in Israel would serve him in love and thus the
 Samuel  .to be appointed captain over the people of kingdom would, be his as a `gift of Jehovah. But Saul
Israel ; and in anointing him Pamuel transacted for feared not God. Therefore the kingdom was taken
 God.      -:                                              from hiti and bestowed upon David, the man according
  0 That  h$d now to be abundantly proved to Saul, to God's- heart.                                     >
both that the Lord had sent him to Samuel and that            Saul plainly perceived the implication of `Samuel's
in Sameel-he  truly dealt with the Lord. The question enigmatical statenient, perceived that the Lord had
is pertinent :why. that was necessary. For such was selected him .for the kingship. He replied, "Ati ,T not
not the way of God with David. Samuel came'to B,eth- a Benjamite, of. the smallest of the tribes of  Israll
lehem, and haiing anointed David in the midst of his and my fami1.y the least of all the families `of the tribe
 brethren, he returned to  Ramah. As far as can be of Benjamin?" As was stated, Saul was in earnest, it
 determined frop the sacred narrative, not one word may be believed; With a man like him, objections such
had passed between the two. Not one sig$ was given as he was raising would have real weight.
 David to indicate that in anointing him Samuel had           Iristead of answering Saul, Samuel took him and
follow.ed  divine instructions. But Saul, as we shall see, his servant "and brought them into the parlor and
.received  several such indications. There could be but made them sit in the chief place among them that
one reason. David was a believer in God and he loved `were bidden, which were about thirty persons." They
 God's prophet and had faith in him. Hence, he was were a @ect number of thirty men of note, who had
not. in the need of signs to tell him that in. pouring been invited to the festival, and had taken their places
 upon his liead the sacred `oil Samuel had acted under in the room provided for that purpose. Saul was given
the necessity of a' divine ~command. But Saul was an ,the uppermost, that is, the chief place as the place
 unbeliever. ,Once in the -throne, he would insist `in his of honor. "And Samuel said dnto thz cook, Bring the
heart that Samuel  was a self-appointed seer" and would portion, which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee,
rule without him and thus without God. IHCence he had Set it by thee." "And the cook took %p- the shoulder,
to be supplied with copious evidence of Samuel's pro- and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul.
phetic calling, thus of the fact that Samuel transacted And s&d-namely Samuel. said-Behold that which is
for God in order that Saul in his rebellions and self- left! It is set before thee, eat : for unto this time has-
will. might be without excuse.                             it been set, before thee Since I said, 9 have invited the'
    Firstly, Samuel bade Sad to' go up befdre him to people." This is a difficult verse. Yet its purpose
the high place; "for ye shall eat with me today". Samuel seems clear. It informed Saul that the pieck that was
had planned on this--su&h  is plainly the implication of offered was one that had been set aside ior him when
these words-and therefore knew of Saul's coming the f'east was in the first stages of preparation%r im-
long before.:Saul  and his servant even had decided -to mediately after the invitations had been sent out, thus
 consult Samuel. Hence, the source of that knowledge long before  Saul's arrival in the city; That was so
 of Samuel could have been none other thati the Lord. .much more evidence of :Samuel's proph,etic  -foresight.
 Next Samuel told Saul'that on the morrow "I will -let     It compelled Saul again to conclude that in Samuel
thee. go, and will tell thee all that is in' thine heart." he  had. to do w,ith one with  wklom  were the secrets
 Samuel could thus speak only becatise  the thoughts of of' the Lord.
 Saul's heart had been revealed to him by the Lord, who       "So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. And when
alone knows man's heart. The evidence of the genuine- they were come down from the high place into the city,
ness of Samuel's prophetic calling continued to accumu- Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the
 late. Said Samuel  td  Saul, "And as for  thine asses     house." It was at this, time that Samuel told Saul. all
that were ,lost. three days ago, set not thy mind on `that wa,s in his heart. `Of all the evidence of Saniuel's
them; for they are found." ' Samuel had  leqrned all prophetic calling thus far given, this perhaps was the


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           204                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR&R.

           niost conclusive. What was in Saul's  heart is not Conversation in which Samuel, as  &me interpreters
           revealed to us. It shows that dt is not-important that have it, for the first time revealed to Saul that he
           we should know. Any attempt on our part to  con-         was to be elevated to the throne. Samuel, certainly,
           jecture accurately what was in Saul's heart must end had already revealed this to Saul, first by that .en&mat-
           in failure. For orily Gdd knows the heart. It would ical rhetorical question that he had put to Saul, and
           follow from the nature of matters that Saul was occu- later in his conversation with him on the roof. It is
           pied in his mind and heart with his' elevation to the rather absurd to suppose that now for- the first time,
           throne. That much is certain. What- Samuel said to after all those transactions, Saul learned from Samuel
           Saul is not revealed. If must have referred to the that he was to be king. `If this had not already been
           royal dignity, the r,eligious decline of the people,. their told him, what could have been the subject matter of
           groaning under. the yoke of foreign dominions,  the that conversation-  betw,een  the two on the top of the
           necessity of their return to the Lord, and of a Jeader roof? And how, on the basis of such a view, is Saul's
           with the fear of God in his heart.                       reactions to that enigmatical question to be explained?
              After a conversation `that  coula not  ,have been He had replied to it and what he said betokens  sur-
           protracted, considering the character of Saul, the three prise, amazement. But when Samuel finally took a
           of them-Sail  and .his servant and Samuel,lay them.  vial of oil, atid poured it upon Saul's head,`he held his
           down to sleep. This  certain19 is `implied  iii what is peace, the reason  b.eing,  certainly, that  hk had been
           eext related, "And they arose  ea-rly : and it came to  prepar.ed   f-or his anointing. Samuel's declaration  "I
           pass about the spring of the dajr, that Samuel called will `show thee the word of God" has reference to, the
           Saul to the top of the house, saying, "Up, that I may- act>al.anointing of Saul and to the words that Samuel
k          send thee away". Thus `the first to awake from sleep .. thereupon spake to him.
           and to arise was Samuel. For the narrative continues,       As was said; Samuel refrained from disclosing to
           "And Saul arose, and they  went out both of them, the assembled guests that the stranger, whom he had
           he and Samuel abroad."                                   made to occupy the chief place among3 them was to be
              It is plain that Samuel had not invited Saul'to the the king. Nor did Samuel want the serva.nt ,of Saul
           sacrificial feast for the `express purpose of honoring to know. For he instructed Saul to bid the servant to-
           him. True, he did mak.e Saul sit in the chief place pass on before them ; and subsequently Saul is anointed
           among them that Tere bidden. But this was simply in the servant's absence. No one, except the two dir-
     '     proper, seeing that Saul was to be king. Yet, Samuel ectly irivolvel,  Samuel and Saul, witnessed that,anoint-
          .refrained-for what purpose web shall see presently- ing.       Hence, no  one besides these two  knew of it.
           from disclqsing  this to the guests and to anyone. The When again in his place, Saul even refused to tell his
           text does not even bring out that Samuel reveal.ed inquisitive uncle and this in obedience, it must be, to
           Saul's identity. - Yet; he may have.. If so, Saul was Samuel's instructions that he tell no bne. Saul's anoint-
           simply Saul, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,  to the other in& his el,evation to the throne, was purposely being
           guests. It all  goes to show that the real purpose of kept a  se&et. Why was this? The answer lies with
           .Samuel's having invitxed  Saul, and prepared for hini the three prophecies to which Samuel gave utterance,
           a place at the festive board and resgrved  for him the when he had anointed Saul. For though it is true that
           choice pi.ece, was to provide Saul with the &disputable in their fulfillment these prophesies formed. the signs
          - evidence that it was the Lord who had directed his' that were given, Saul in confirmation to him that he
           steps to Samuel and that  .Samuel truly was God's was now by  ,divine anointing really Israel's king, yet
           prophet. Saul was- now ~IJ the possession of that evi- it must not be overlooked that we deal h&e in the first
           dence.  If soon he would  consciou@y and  dkliberately instance with prophecies. We must therefore have
           deny these things, it would be in the awareness that regard to these prophecies.
           hi sinned against better knowledge.                         The first :prophecy, verse 2 : "When thou art parted
              Now followed the anointing, it having been proved from me today," said the seer `to Saul, "thou shalt find
           to Saul that Samuel was God's prophet. "As they were two men by R$chel's sepulchre in the border of Benja-
           going down to the end of the city, Samuel said $0 Saul,. min at Z,elzah arid they will say. unto thee, The asses
           Bid the servant pass on before ys (and he passed on), which thou  went&.  to seek are found: and, thy
           but stand thou still awhile, that I may sho.w thee the father hath l'eft the care of the asses, and sorroweth
           word of God.' Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?" This
           poured it upon his head, and kissed him and said, Is it was pure- prediction ; it thus formed that much more
           not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain evidence to Saul of Samuel's prophetic calling. IHOW-
           over his inheretance ?:' Samuel's bidding Saul to stand ever, had Saul's anointing become a matter of common
           still a while (H,ebrew,  -today), "th&t I may shew thee knowl,edge  among the people, there would be point to
           the word of God" must not be taken to mean that the the reasoning-a reasoning that Saul would be certain
     s     bctual anointing was preceded by another prolonged to have used-that, seeing he w&s known to have been
                                                                           .


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   .BEARER                                       205

  eledated to the throne, the behavioyr of the men of occurrance  in all its detail had been foretold by Samuel.
  Samuel's  gredietion,   -the deep regard for Saul  2nd         The sign of the three men on the way to God to
  Kish that their tiding exhibits, `was a strictly norinal Bethel and bestowing on Saul two loaves ,of bread from
  reaction, that anyone with a knowledge of the facts their sacrificial gifts had special meaning for him.
  in the case, would have foreseen and thus could have The law of Moses placed th,e people of Israel under the
  foretold.                                                  obligation of providing in the material necessities of
     This was especially true of the second prophecy, the priests and the  .Levites.   .The tenths of all the
 verse 2, 3 : "Then shalt thou go forward from thence, people,`s increas,e belonged to these ministers of God.
  and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor,  and there In the language of the law, it was their everlasting
  shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel,       possession from which they could not be deprived with
one carrying three kids, and another carrying three impunity. For Israel's king, however, the law made
 loaves of bread, &nd another carrying a bottle of wine:     no provision. But the speech of this sign was to the
and they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of effect that  ,in future the Lord in His mercy would
. bread ; which thou shalt receive of, their hands." -,See- inspire His people to consecrate the wealth of their
 ing that these men were totally ignorant of the high Ian?, of which He was, absolute owner and which His
 honor that had been bestowed on Saul, the& giving peopl,e  held  as  a trust-they were but stewards in
 him those gifts was a truly remarkabl,e  phenomenon. God's house-also to the support of the king.
  Saul's anointing being known to no one, it formed-             The third sign was that of Saul's prophesying in
 still `another clear and unmistakable indication of the moment of his contacting that procession of pro-
 Samuel's prophetic calling.                                 phesying pkophets  coming down from the high place
     The `third prophecy in its fulfillment is no less re- with the four kinds -of musical insiruments  indicated
 markable in this respect; or perhaps it forms the most in the text. The prophesying of Saul had stupendous
 telling  Ievidence  of all. "And after. that thou shalt significance  not by itself, to be sure, but as an un-
 come to the hill of ,God, where is the garrison of the mistakable and undeniable sign tli+ the Spirit that,
 Philistines: and it shall come to pass, w;hen thou art qualified for the duties of the office had come upon
 come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a com- ,him and that accordingly he truly was called of Samuel
 .pany of prophets coming down from  th'e high place and therefore of God Himself to the. office of king.
 with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp To say that the Spirit came .upon him is equivalent to
 before them ; and they shall prophesy : And the SBirit saying that he was called. The one statement is im-
  of the Lord will come upon thee, -and' thou shalt pro- plied in the other. For without exception all who were
 phesy  with them, and shalt be turned into another called received the Spirit. And therefore they  &so
 man, " verses 5, 6. This prophecy concerns directly prophesied. Saul prophesied.  T.hus he could deny
God. It' sets forth  what He will do.  IHe will lay hold that he was called of God only as militatirig against
 on Saul by His Spirit; and Saul will prophecy and be                               -- ..- .
                                                             the testimony of the splrlt iri %-Iis heart that he had
 turned into another man. All in all, the evidences to been seated in the throne by God. For, that he was
 Saul that the secrets of God w,ere.with  Samuel; were called means that in his conscious mind necessity was
 overwhel&ng. Yet that precisely is what Saul denied. laid upon him to rule God's people in the %ear of God
 In the face of all- the evidence .given him, that Samuel and according. to God's Word, and that woe was unto
 was sent of ,God, Saul was determined to rule without him if he did not so rule. Saul therefore was not his
 him and thus without .God. That was his sin ; it marks own as king ; ,he was ,God's. IHe was not king by his
 him a man thoroughly abdurate in heart;                     `own choice but by the electipn  and command of God.
     As was stated, Samuel's three propheci.es  in their This exactly he denied, once in the throne. For he
 fulfillment Gere signs, and as such they only added to wanted to .be his own master. That was his sin.
 the testimony already given Said that God had direbted          Saul, as seized by the Spirit, was "turned into an-
 his footsteps to Samuel `and that Samuel was God's other man. Further ofi the text reads that God "gave
 prophet. The statement of the two men thtit the asses him aQother  heart (Hebrew, turned him another heart).
 had been found doubtless implied a divine mandate to According to the Scriptures, the heart is the ethical
 the effect that Saul must detach his thoughts from center of the whole inward life, the point of divergence
 the common pursuits of life and concentrate on -and of all the issues of the inward man. Yet the meaning
 be wholly consecrated to the duties of the office of of the Scripture last quoted is not th& Saul underwent,
 king to God's glory and the trne advancement of the a real spiritual-ethical change and renewal of the
 inter.ests of  His  people.    That the tidings of the two foundation of his life. The  divi.ti,e  working in him
 men formed a sign by which ,God spake to Saul followed was was not of such a -character that it' resalted  in
 from the circumstance that, without their being aware his being born again from above. He was and-re-
 of it, they uttered their tiding by divine direction as mained a man dead in sin. Nor could the work of
 was also evident to Saul from the fact that the entire the Spirit have  .consisted in His increating in Saul

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

      new natural powers and talents but rather in the pro- and the `papal schism that lasted thirty nine-years
       duction of a hith;erto latent or slumbering.side of his        (1378-1417) was  cbmplete.  In Rome, as  ye  saw,`this
       being,-latent pow,ers of mind and will. The. bashful, period included the successive reigns of /four popes
       unassuming and humble Saul was transformed .into a and in Avignon, two, Clement VII and Benedict XIII.
     mighty man of valor.                                             Th,e last of the popes of the Roman, linee was Gregory
           The compatiy of prophets of which the text makes XII.                                         :
       mention was a congregation or union of prophets                   It is  undoubiedly  true that the papal schism was
       founded by Samuel and  und,er his -direction. These the gr,eatest calamity that could befall this institution.
       unions were the  frlrit of Samuel's labors and their This was openly admitted by Benedict XIII, whose
       bond was the life of faith that his prophesying had            real name was  P,eter  de Luna, and by his rival,
.      awakened. They had gathered on the High place for. Gregory XII the last pope of the Roman line. Both  -
       commqn worship and prayer. `They nourished re- popes decried the schism in their letters to each other.
       ligious  f,eeling by sacred music. When Saul entered Gregory asserted that he was willing to do all within
       their company they were singing and speaking under his  power  ;for the `sake of healing the schism. He
       the impulse, of the Spirit's inspiration to the glory of wrote to his rival that' each should  b'e willing to
       God. Saul was not able to withstand the influence of abdicate rather than be responsible for the continuance
       their prophesying. The Spirit seized him and he, too,          of the breach. With his hand on the New Testatient
       prophesi,ed  among them to the amazement of all who he quoted the words, "he who exalteth himself, shall
       knew him there in his place of residence. The text be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be
       reads, "Arid it came to pass, when all that knew him exalted." He promised to step doyn from his throne,
       beforetimes saw that, behold, he prophesied among if' Benedict follow his .example. Benedict, too, in his
       the prophets, then the people said one  tp another, What letters, deplored the schism, which he characterized
       is this that is come  unto'the son of Kish? Is Saul as detestible, wretched, and dreadful ; but he did not
       also among the  pfophets?" Are  we to make of this             accept Gregory's proposal but suggested that the
       that Saul was known, in the plaoe where he dwelt as matter be discussed with a view to seeing what could
       a man in whom  th,ere was little or no religion and be done. ,One or both popes might abdicate, he said,
       that this explains the people's amazement. That may if necessary. Both popes, however, were equally in-
       be. It is impossible to say  jUst how  the surprise of willing  fo yield their authority.  .Though twice de-
       the people is to be interpreted. This much is certain posed, Benedict persisted in asserting his claims to the
       that Saul was not known as a man given to religious paPa dignity tb hi& dying moment.
e x e r c i s e s .                                 G. M. 0.             Though the papal schism was a' scandal, me; were
                                                                      at a loss how to terminate it. For the view had firmly
                                                                      embedded  i&self  iti men's souls that there was no
                                                                      power on earth to .which the papacy was responsible.
                                                                      `There: were individuals who suggested that a general
                                                                      council .be called  for the healing of the schism. Kon-
                'kBROUGI% THE -AGES                                   rad of Gclnhousen and Henry of Langenstein were
                                                                      of this conviction, and also Marcillius of Padua.
                                                                      Konrad,  in advocating the idea, wrote that the church
                                                                      had two heads,  ,Christ, the heavenly and the pope,
             Tjw Papal Schism C~ritinued                         . the earthy. It is from Christ that the church, which
                                                                      is the. body of believers and not the pope and the
           Pope  Giegory having died, the cardinals chose cardinals, derives its life and power directly and is
       Bartholomew Prignanb, who took the name of  Urban therefore infallible. Hence under Christ the supreme
     . VI. Urban  g$ined  f& himself the hostility of the judicial power in the church is not the pope but the
       cardinals by his attacks upon their worldliness, atid          body pf believers as assembled in a ,general  council.
       four months later they were demanding his resigna- And to this power the pope is answerable. Identical
       tion. But, as w,e saw, Urban would not resign ; .and           views were expressed by the others. The  idea: of a
       the Fr,ench cardinals elected Robert of Geneva as Pope general countiil made speedy and many converts.. The
        Clement, VII.    This, as was remarked, had never views of Gelnhausen werk held by the faculties of the
       before happened. There had been rival popes before university of Paris. But they were vigorously opposed
       but always chosen, by opposing parties; but these two b,y the English confessor of Benedict, John  Hayton.
        popes had been duly `elected by the same cardinals.           He called the university of Paris "a datighter Satan,,
      iHalf of the countries of Europe  deelar,ed  in, favor  O!L!    mother of error,  sower of sedition, and the pope's de-
       the Roman pope,  Urb$n VI ; the others  adher,ed  to famer," and he declared that the .pope  was answ,erable
        Clement VII, who took up his residence in Avignon ;           to God only.                            .     \


                                     T%E  S T A N D A R D   B'E,ARl?R                                                 207

    In 1394, the  .university of Paris set fqrth three                  .  according: to the same  arti+, the  miriisters.
methods' by which the schism could be healed. Both                         shall  n'_., be entirely `deposed  e:xcelpt  by, the
`popes could abdicate, or a commission. could be ap-               -       $.&ment of the Classis?
pointed to adjudica'te the claims of both popes, or a                      My answer: There .is no conflict here at all.
general council could be called for the settlement of                      I .fully explained this.
`the matter. `The ecclesi?stics  came to see in the council
the only  hope.      Finally, in 1408, the cardinals of                 3. Who deposes Ministers.of the Word, the Classis
both popes were prevailed  up& to issue a call for                         or the Consistory?
such an assembly in Pisa. There it met in P&a i409.                        `My answer : Each - Consistory `deposes its own
Attending it,  w:ere cardinals, bishops, heads of  .*the                   tiinister.
great orders, abbots, doctors of theology and canon,                       `There was also a fourth question that may be
law, and the representatives of  .lay rulers. It was                       ignoSed  here.
thus an august assembly. The council was the crystal-            : The brother has replied. .He writes, "Thanks very
ization of a new idea in Church Polity, to  wit, the much for your answers to my questions. I am agr,eed
supremacy `of the council over the papacy.                      with your answ,er to my first question; but I do not
    The first session was held in March. The first act agree with your'answer to my third question." Whethi
of the council was its profession of the Holy Trinity er the brother agr,ees  with my answer to his second
and the Catholic Faith, and that every, heretic and queition,  he does nbt say.                        '  1
schismatic will be driven into everlasting desolation              In replying I must first of all remark that the
by th,e curse of -God to share with the' devil and his brother is woefully inconsistent. Consistency demands
angels the burnings `of hell fir,e unless he repent and that if he agrees with my answer to his first question
become reconciled to the church. ,On its eighth session he must agree with my answers to his second' and
the council  declar,ed that it  was "a general council third question as well. For the  thr,ee answers are
representing the whole  unitiersal   ,Catholic Church essentially one by a common unifying id&a, which is
and lawfully alid reasonably called together".             The that, according to the Church Order of Dort and our
cardinals, as instructed by the council  noti elected Three Forms of Unity,. all key-power is concentrated
Peter Philarges, archbishop of Milan, who assumed in the Consistory alone and thus not also in the Class++
the name of Alexander V. This  mad&  the situation the latter being not, a consistory but an assembly of
worse  than before.  There'w.ere  now three  pop& in- delegates from a number of autonomous local churches.
stead of two. Rome;  Naples, and many sections of If this is true-and according `to the Church  Oider
Germany  adhered to Gregory XII. Spain, Portugal and `our Confession, it is true-it follows that the
and Scotland supported Benedict XIII. Alexander V character of the jurisdiction of' Chassis over the Con-
was acknowledged by England arid France.                        sistory is advisory and not mandatory; but then it also
                      1                  .  ,G. M.  10.         follows just as well that Art. 79 of the Church #Order
                                                                is not in conflict with th,e doctrine of the autonomy of'
                                                                the local church, but is in full agreement with this
                                                                d6ctrine ; and that not the Classis but that' the eon-
                                                                sistory only may depose its Minister of the Word. So
      Questions on Church Pdity                                 the brother must do one of two : either reject or accept
                                                                all three answers.           -
                                                                   In explaining why he disagrees with my answer
   Under the above caption The Standard Bearer for to his third  question, the brother quotes from the
January 1, 1947, contains answers to some questions "Verklaring van d,e Kerkenordening" of Joh. Jansen
sent in by a brother. in Sioux Center, Iowa. His ques- and from "De Kerkelijke Tucht" of Dr. H. Bouwman.
tions were these:                                               Now., Jansen and Bouwman were good and competent
     1. What is the character.. of the jurisdiction of men;  Howyver,  with our churches organized on the
        Classis over the Consistory ?                           basis of Dort's Church  (Order  and with our names
        My answer : .Advisory, not mandatory.                   under our Confession, the tedchings  of Bouwman or
                                                                of Jansen or of `any other *authority on Refornied
   2. What remains  df the  autoilomy  of the local             Church Polity may not have such weight .for us that
        church, if accorcPing to Art. 79 of the Church we  q,uote them against our Church Order and our
     Order of Dort, Ministers of the Word,  EldeYs              Confession.      And that  is exactly what the brother
        and Deacons,  wdo. have committed a public does. He quotes Dr. !H!. Bouwman to the effect that
        and gross sin, shall be suspended and expelled the Classis and the Classis only may depose a minister
        from their office by preceding sentence of their        of the Gospel. (This is actually Bouwman's .teachitig.
        Consistory ancl of the near.& church; `a&if,            On page 267 of his "Due Kerkelijke Tucht" appears the


      20%                                               T H E   `STANDA R D   BI$ARak

      statement,  "`De afzetting van  dienareti  des  Woqrds                            d8t Gods Woord door den `Heiligen ,Geest ingegeven is,
      mag alleen ges&ieden ddor de Class&.)                           Now certain-: en daarom zonder fouten is. W.e gelooven in de onfeil-
      ly this teaching is in violent conflict with Art. 84 of baarheid van den Bijbel. Wat een genot, dat,we iets
-     the Church  Qrder of Dort. I quoted that article. In hebben in deze door, de zonde gev1oekt.e wereld; waar.
      my articles on the Five  F'undamental  Principles of we staat op kunnen maken. Alles valt tegen, alles be-
     Reformed Church Polity-articles that the brother driegt en liegt, behalve de H:eilige Schrifi. Gelijk de
      has alsd r,eadLI, proved that this `teaching is in con- Heilige Geest zegt! Inderdaad. En we  doen  we1 er
      flict with every cardinal article of Dort's Church naar te luisteren.
      Order and with the doctrine contained in our  Con-                                   Bij welke gelegenheid  dit lied gedicht is w.eten  we
      f,ession as well. Now. let the brother or anyone else niet. Het gezang heeft een nationale `klank. lHet ge-
      show with the. Church Order and our official Confes- heele volk wordt opgewekt om den Heere vroolijk toe
      sion (not with quotations from this or that writer)                               te zingen, en het geheele volk wordt gewaarschuwd om
      that in reality I proved nothing ; that my interpr'eta- zijn hart niet te vexhard&!, gelijk dit gescliiedde in de
      tions `of the articles of Dort's Church-  `Ord'er are woestijn.
      thoroughly wrong and that- thus. that teaching of Dr.                                "Komt laat ons den Heere vroolijk zingen, laat ons
      Bouwman is not in conflict with the Church Order, juichen den Rotssteen onzes heils !" Ziedaar het ver-
      definitely with Art. 84, but in perfect harmony with it. rukkelijke begin!
      And, this the brother does of course not by quoting                                  We mogen  gerust zeggen, dat de uitvoering van
      from this  oU;  that  writer on Church Polity but by deze  opwekkfng  een wonder  is: Den  Heere vroolijk
      coming with  .the Church Order itself and with our zingen? Hier op aarde? Terwijl we nog  te  midden-
      Confessions. In this way we serve the cause of truth. der duisternis wandelen? Te midden van de slangen,
      Of course, .the brother can take the stand that Dr. de adderengebroedsels, de duivelen?  Zing&n en psalm-.
      Bouwman, just because h,e .w& Dr. Bouwman, must zingen in den kuil'?
      be right. But he must not take that stand. That is a                                 Ja, dat mogen we en dat zullen we ook doen.
      bad stand to take. For then  w,e are blind followers                                 Het is eenvoudig een historisch feit, dat Israel zoo.
      of .men. Also the interpretations of Dr. Bouwman and iezongen heeft,  .uog zingt, en  zingen zal tot  ;aan de
      of everyone must be tested  bJT-  the very  ar$icl,es of voleinding toe. 0, we stemmen het U grif toe, dat onze
      D&t's Church Order and by the doctrine contained in stem we1 eels breekt onder `t zingen, dat we we1 eens
      our official  Conf'essions.         In a following article we zingen met tranen, maar zingen doen we eti &llen we
     , will examine the grounds (quoted by  the brother)                                blijven  doen.
      upon which Dr. Bouwman tried to .base that teaching                                  Hoe kan het?                                  >
      of his.                                                         G. n/r. 10.          IH'et kan, omdat de iHeere  Zich geopenbaard ,heeft
                                  .._ .  .-
                        .1 . .                 -v.- --.--~:I-----~
                                                             $3:. ..$;* wat-. is. i13-Y -'---- / aan ons in al Zijn liefde  ,en genade. Hij heeft Zijn
                                                       .        ..-..         .."..     aangezicht laten zien. En dat Aangezicht is  -Jezus
                                                                                        Christus, de Heer,e.
                                                                                           Daar spreekt- het volgende tiers van, en ik zal het
                                                                                       overschrijven : "Laat  `&s Zijn Aangezicht tegemoet
                  SiON'S  ZANGEN'   .-                                                  gaan met lof, laat ons Hem juichen met psalmen."
                                                                                           Ziet ge, God DrieEenig kunt ge nooit zien. Hij is
                                                                                        God, de Heere,. Die in de eeuwigheid, in het Hooge en
               Den &%?re yrodijk Zingen                                                 Verhevene woont, die het ontoegankklijk Licht bewosnt
                                                                                        en Dien niemand zien kan en leven.
                                                                                           Daarom alles wat- ge ooit \an God ziet of- zien &lt
         W& een vroolijke klank heeft deze .psalm in den is door openbaring. En die openbaring van God is
     ~ aanhef en de eerste  verzen? Het is een vroolijke stem Zijn Aangezicht. Ge ziet Zijn aangezicht in de sdhep-
      die het volk- toeroept, toezingt, d,en Heere te lavien.                           ping, in de historie en in Zijn Zoon.
      Oak vermenigvuldigt de zanger de,redenen  waarom we                                  Welnu, dat  aangezicht van  God. is  266  schoon,  21%
      zulks zouden doen. En deze zang eindigt met een waar- lieflijk, dat het een lied wakker roept in den-oprechte,
      schuwing, gegrond op  .een historische gebeurtenis. in den rechtvaardige, in het schepsel, dat in de rechte
      Verhardt uwe  harten niet, gelijk de  vader.en gedaan relatie staat-tot dien grooteti en vreeselijken God. Daar
      .hebben.                                                                          ,gaat het hier over.            `
                                                                                                                         .
             De psalm is gedicht door David (Hebr. 4 :7). Waar                             Laat ons Zijn Aangezicht tegemoet gaan ! ze& d.e
      ik zoo'n genot van had is de uitdrukking in Hebr. 3 :7. dichter.  Welnu, in  de-laatste  instantie beteekent dit,
      Want daar staat eenvoudig : "Datirom, gelijk de iHeilige                          dat ge Jezus `Christus  tegemoet schrijdt, dat ge U op-
      Geest zegt :" en dan volgt &en gedeelte van ,dezen psalm. maakt om naar  Jezus te gaan. Indien  ge' sterk ziet  ~
      Ik had daar schik in, want bet is een van de b,ewij.zen,                          op Jezus, zult ge den Dri_eEenige God zien !.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R                                       269
                                              Q
    En statit  ge dan in de rechte relatie tot `dien God, het gekke van den. zondaar ! Beraadslagen tegen den
 dan zult ge gaan juichen en vroolijk zingen, dan..zult      Heere?! De touwen en koorden van God verscheuren
 ge steeds hichter bij Z,ijn Aangezicht .gaan staan' .om en die van aich werpen ? Och arme, die in den hemel  zit
 uit te breken in lof en prijs en danli: !                   zal lachen ! God is zoo onmetelijk  groot en geweldig
    De j,uiste relatie, wat is kiet?                         van vermogen ! Hoe vreeselijk als die God met ons
    De juiste relatie is, dat ge H.em liefhebt boven alles ! spot !
 Dat ge b&eft, dat Hij, de DrieEenige G&l het een en             Ik vraag U in  allen gemoede: heeft David zijn
 het alles is voor Uw leven. Dat ge zonder Hem diep voorstel ondersteund? Want de Heere. is een groot
 ongelukkig zijt, maar dat ge in Hem vindt alles wat ge      God!  -1s het genoeg? Behoeft ge meer om neer te.
 behoeft voor lichaam en voor ziel, voor tijd en voor vallen op Uw aangezicht, plat ter aarde in het stof en
eeuwigheid !                                                 om han van uit het stof te.zingen,  te juichen, te jubelen,
    Ge kunt  er  van op  aan, dat de zanger zulk een en te zeggen, al galinende: 0 God! Wat zijt ge groot
 mensch is. David is de man naar Gods hart: op dit en geweldig van vermogen ! Verstaat ge het nu hoe in
 oogenblik is hij vlak bij dat [Hart. lHij is in de aan- de Openbaring  van Johannes alles jubelt en het uit-
vankelijke zaligheid. En nog  `zing+ hij ons toe; nog schreeuwt  v&r den troon: Halleluja?! Zachtjes  aan
 roept hij ons in dezen psalm toe om te doen, gelijk hij begin ik te verstaan de sprake van Jezus, hoe' de steenen'
deed op aarde : den Heere loven en prijzen met gejuich zouden beginnen te  zingen,  "zbo de kinderkens ophouden
 en vroolijken zang. Het is de hemel op aarde.               van jubelen.
    David zal zijn motie motiveer,en  voor U. Hij zegt           EEin Koning boven alle  goden.  *
 het, hij bezingt  bet, in het volgende  vers: "Want de          Alle gbde% zijn de hoogten der aarde. Het zijn de
Heere is een groot God, ja een groot Koning boven alle tronen en de rechtbanken, d.e rechters  der aarde en alle
goden."                                                      die in hqoge plaatsen zijn. Ge moogt er .odk gerust
    Dat zal eeuwig waar zijn.! God is een groat. God! onder rekenen diegenen die veel kracht openbaarden:
 Ook zal U bewijs ten over geschonken worden om het Onder die  goden zijn de Nimrods en de.  Nebuchad-
te  staven.     Daar gaat  bet' straks over. Maar hier nezars, de Alexanders en de Caesars, de Napoleons en
wordt  bet-U toegeroepen, dat de Heere, de VerbondsGod       de Hitlers. Dat zijn de goden der aarde.
een groot God is. G~liefden,"mijn  verstand duizelt als          Maar God is  .hun Koning.
ik hierover nadenk: de  grbdth.&d  van God. De pure              D& wil zeggen, dat zij stijl afhankelijk geweest
 gedachte aan een God die tiaarlijk God is, het is zoo zijn van Hem die alles gedaan heeft, nag doet en eeuwig
oierweldigend ! De nooit gewordene, de vaneeuwig-            doen zal naar Zijn vrijmachtig  welbehagen. %Vat een
heid Zijnde, de tot in alle eeuwigheid blijvende. Tracht rustige  gedachte!  Alles wat er ooit  geskhied  is, was
 er U een voorstelling van te maken,  en Uw verstand zal nooit iets anders dan .wat die Koning beval. Zonken
 duizelen. Een God die er altijd geweest is, en al dien we niet reeds als kleine kinderen: `t Is trouw al wat
tijd ( ?) was Hij even rijk als Hij nu is en eeuwig zijn     Zijn hand beval; het staat op recht en waarheid pal
zal. Een God die geen grenzen heeft, een Wezen, dat als hop ohwrikb'r6 steunljilaren ! Hij was het immers
,-oneindig is in alle Zijne d&gden, de Aanbiddelijke die die verlossing zond ? Als ge dan moogt zien, dat die
onpeilbare diepten heeft, diepten die vol zijn van al wat God Uw Vader is dfe U van eeuwigheid  beminde, wat
lieflijk is en welluidt, diepten die de Heilige Geest op; zoudt ge dan vreezen? Ja, dan kan ik het zien, dat er
 speurt en doorspeurt  oni er van te getuigen binnen van uit de diepte gezongen worden met juichen en lof.
Zijn Eigen Goddelijk  Wezen!  `Een  Wezen, dat  Licht De onderste gepatigenis, de striemen en de vijanden,
heet, dus vol is van alle deugt, schoonheid, stralenbundel de  ~duivelen  en alle  machten der hel: wat zijn het
van schoonheid en all? aantrekkelijkheid. .Een Wezen, anders dan de voetstappen van (Hem die alle macht
 dat zingt ,en. jubelt' en orgelt van Goddelijke muziek, heeft, van @em die Koning is boven alle goden  ! Paulus,
wegslepend, verrukkelijk, Goddelijk  schoon. Het  in- ik kan er in komen, dat ge gezongen hebt in den stok,
begrip van alle harmonie in melodi&, vrede die niet met bloed.op den rug en schrijnende pijn in Uw `arme
alleen alle verstand te b&en gaat, doch een vrede in lichaati. En de geyangenen luisterden.
dat Wez&,  gelijk we niet zouden kunnen `proeven  of             In twee verzen  geeft- David U bewijs voor zijn
smaken, omdat het te overweldigend is. Indien het ontzaglijke stelling : de grootheid van den Heere die
de hemel-is om Zijn Aangezicht t&zi&,  wat is dan dat God is. Luistert: "In wiens hand de diepste plaatsen
Goddelijk  /Hart? W& zijn de stroomen van GAddelijk          der aarde zijn, en de hoogten der bergen  zijn Zijne.
leven en lieven en loyen,  zooals die stroomen door het Wiens ook de zee is, want Hij heeft ze gemaakt; en
Oneindige  Wezen  vlieten?  0, God is groot  eti wij  be- Zijne handen hebben het droge.gefo?meerd."
grijpen iHet niet!                                               We zien het, da-t David van het mindere opklimt
    Wat  onuitsprekelijke  dwaasheid dan om tegen dat naar  het'meerdeie.  Want straks zal  `hij jubelen van
Wezen te woeden  ! M&n  spr,eekt  van de gekroonde de schapen Zijner hand. 0, dat zal veel grooter zijn
dwaasheid, maar hoe zwak is de taal om uit te drukken        dan diepten ,en hoogten, zegen en al het droge van den

                                -


 260                                      T - H E   S T A N 'D A 'R D   B E A R E R

aardbol ! Het kin ook we1 zijn, dat de Heilige Geest leggingen  des  harten.                      Indien  .alles de hand  -eens
 gedacht heeft : Ik zal, eerst zingen van de .dingen die Scheppers toont, hoeveel meer de mensch, naar lichaam
 de  ,domme  mensch voor oogen heeft. Immers  hij- en vooral naar zijn ziel en geest!
 duizelt van diepten en hoogten, van ze@en  en. oceanen.                 En het schoon'ste komt,  dat beeld Gods uit, als hij
 Hij is.  -bang van het bruisen der golven. En  straksj              het Oorspronkelijke  ziet, als Hij God ziet, als de
 als hij onder den indruk is van al die grootheden .der              HEERE, die eeuwig Zijn verbond zal gedenken. Als
.schepping, zal Ik, de Heilige Geest,  zingen van de hij zien tiag, dat hij geschreven, gegraveerd. staat in
schaapjes &der Jezus' hoede ! Want, o ! de geschiedenis de handpalmen van zijn God !
van die schaapjes is veel grooter en geweldiger  dafi                    Dan smelt hij weg in aanbidding, dat wil zeggen,
L alle kolken en duizelingwekkende hoogten.                 De  ge- hij zal d,e deugden .Gods bezingen ; hij zal ze tabuleeren
 schiedenis vqn schaapjes brengt ons tot het ,thema van en 66n voor &5n uitspreken met 1ieflij.k gezang, begeleid
 leven uit de dooden. Dan zullen we moeten stamelen                  op bet tiensnarig instrument. -Hij zal orgelen en een
van het opbrengen van Jezus. uit de kolken van een lieflijke melodie doen hooren van de liefde Gods, van
 eeuwigen dood.                                                      de .goed&tierenheid  des lHeeren IHEEREN..
        Ais ik hier lees van de hand ies Heeren die onder               En hij zal bet doen op de knieen.. Hij zal goed doen
de diepste plaatsen der aarde zijn, dan moet ik den- uitkomen; dat hij bewust is, ter eener zijde, van de
 ken  aan  .een.  professor,  Gee!  jaren  geleden.  De man grootheid Gods; en, ter anderer zijde, van zijn eigen
 trachtte ons iets -te zeggen aangaande de voorzienig, nietigheid.  .Hij zal de  ftindamenteele les van Jesaja
 heid Gods. En was toegekomen aan het element in die geleerd hebben: Met wien dan zult gij Mij vergelijken,
`voorzienigheid,  dat we onderhouding no&men. `Welnu, die -Mij gelijk zij?
.zeide hij,  toen God de  .aarde geschapen had; lag zij                  En zoo is er dan een vooruitleven  van den hem~el `op
 in het holle +a? Gods hand, en, met eerbied gesproken,              garde.
 kan God niet wegloopen. Hij moet tot in alle eeuwig-                    Geliefden,  zibgt,  psalmzingt  den Heere! Hij is
 heid met die aarde in Zijn hand blijven staan. Een het eeuwig waard, en brengt `U zaligheid !
kinderlijke voorstelling, zult ge -zeggen. Ja, dat da&ht                                                              G. V.
 ik ook, maar kunt.ge U :een betere voorstelling vormeli  ?
 De-Heilige  Geest zegt zooiets ook ,hier -: "In wiens hand _.                              .     .
 de  -diepste  plaatsen der aarde  zijn!" Het  ,&at er.
 Men graaft tamelijk diep om de oli,e te vinden. In de
 diepste wellen, onder ,de diepste tunnels ligt de hand
 van mijn God. Ontzaglijk. En zooals hetymet de diep-                             I N   Hl[S  FEA-R
 ten is, zoo is het met de hoo~gten  der bergen,  met de
 oceanen en met de geheele .aarde. [Hoe ,groot is God!
        Ja,  `we zijn aangekomen bij  de plaatse der  aan-               HOW SHALL I PREPARE  *MY LESSON?
 bidding.      De  FI'@ilige Geest roept  het'.  ens ook toe:                            .   ( c o n t i n u e d )
 "Komt, -1aat ons aanbidden en nederbukken, laat ons                                                                           c.
knielen voor den-He-exe die ons gepaakt heeft !"                         The -Sunday School teacher must study the passage
        We bemerken  bet, we  worden  op  aakde geoefend upon which his lesson is based. That is the first step
 om ons ,hemelsch fatsoenlijk te gedragen als we aan in the  preptiratibn of his  lessoi?. He must do so not
 mogen komen tot voor den  troon  .Gods.  De Heilige only in order to present the story in its correct light
 Geest roept :ons toe om ons te -vernederen. Ook heeft but also in order that he may have an interesting ex-
 ,dit niets te maken metonze  -zonde. Al zouden we nqoit planation of the lesson for his pupils. /!3e is not there
 -gezondigd  hebben,  ,d,an  .zouden we nog eeuwig geknield to entertain his pupils; but because he is deal&g with
 hebbe? voor  :God.  Zelfs de Engelen Gods bedekken children whose attention is easily distracted, he must
 humie aqgezichten  als ze naar God zien. Hoeveel te- seek always to -hold `their `attention by presenting the
 meer wij dan. Onwillekeurig, als we Gods grootheid truth in as interesting a way as he possibly can.
 zien, bwigt het h&t, het vex&and, het lichaam volgt al,                 -Plan2 k'our Lesson. Having studied-his lesson care-
-Heere ! We zullen- het doen tot in aile eeuwigbeid,  want ..fully with that in view he must now plan his lesson.
bet is .goed, het iS betameliik.                .     `.             This beldngsm to a' thorotigh  preparation of it. In the
        Gij hebt ons immers -gemaakt ?                               careful study of the lesson he will have discovered what
        En .die .making,  die `schepping,.  zullen we. ook nooit the main thought in the'lesson iS ,and what the spiritual
 doorgronden. Bet is ook -bet- prcmkstuk  van alles wat or practical principles in that story `are. If he  s&es
 Uw-e vingeren gefol-meerd-  hebben. Er zit iets in het these things, he may be sure that he has studied his
 beeld Gods, dat onuitsprekelijk' is.. Op God gelijken, lesson-w'ith profit,' and if he do+ not see these things,
al is het -dan ook maar- in creatuurlijke  mate. Er is,de he.may  also `.draw  the conclusion that he is not through
 verbeelding,  de dikpe gedachten, de reflectie,  de over- .yet with. the stuclying of the lesson. -But having dis-


                                     THSE  STANDA.Rd   Bl3ARE.k

  covered the m&n thought and the spiritual. principles result was disastrous for the rest of the story, for all
  involved, he `is not yet ready to teach his. class.- He th.e child wanted to state was. that. his daddy killed a.
  ought to decide on the way in which, he- intends t6 rabbit.- David might have killed a lion and a bear, dut
' bring that truth to the child while felling him the story. he would have us know that his daddy killed a rabbit.
  He may make an outline which he takes with him or The attention of the class froin then on was.well nigh
  he must form an outline ix! his mind and stick to it.       impossible to iestore. The rest of" the children- `were
     Very'important in this respect is the way he. begins trying to. think what their daddies did..         '
  his #explanation. Usually the teachers are guilty ,.of         While. we are on'the subject, it might. also be well
  the cut-and-dried introduction to their lesson,,  "Well, to suggest that when one or two pupils are not listen-
  boys and girls, last week we had a lesson on so and so, ing but th'e greater share of the class is, it is wiser not
  and now today we will have a lesson about this. or to stop and call. these unattqntive ones. to. order, espec-
  that". Every Sunday. the lesson is begun just exactly ially if their unattentiveness takes. on the form. of day-
  that same way. There is no planning of the lesson dreaming. To stop and wake them up is. to lose the
  behind such an introduction. An introduction to the attention also of the rest. of the class. that' was follow-
  lesson ought to be just exactly'what the word says. ing you.
  It ought to lead the child into the lesson. We ought           But we were talking about preparing the lesson
  to strive and spend `as much time as we need to get and not presenting the lesson. Ho.wever  we ought not
  the- child's attention in the introduction and to carry to forget that good order is conducive. to instruction
  him on by our words through the whole exp!anation  of and where there is snot good order in .the class, there is.
  the lesson. Very often, although. this must not be little if, any possibility of training, the rest  of. the
  overdone, it is a good practice to ask them a question class in the fear of the Lord. In. fact to. train them in-
  about something.on their level tihich will enable you the fear of the Lord they must also be taught to. obey.
  to bring. them to the start of the lesson explanation. But to return to. our line of thought, b&ides. deciding
  A question will arrest their; attention. This is even on the way in which the story shall be-introduced, the
  true in the midst of the story when the `interest of teacher' ought. .even to. decide before hand just the
  some is plainly gone. A question, asked, but not iyith words he intends to use and should not leave the choice ,
  the expectation of an answer by the children, will, bring of words to the thought that co&es to him the moment
  them back t'o the story.                                    he must begin telling the story. He must be able by
     A word of warning here- is also- in place. When Oh&e words to catch the. attention- of his pupils who
  asking such qutest.ions  simply to attract `attention, it are wholly unprepared, with .few .exceptions, for his
is better not to let those who raise their" hands give story. We .mrist not forget that these children come
 .you the answer. Your problem starts all over again td Sunday School either after having been.. quiet for
  then. After they have spoken, you lieed to begin again, over an hour during  the morning service and  are
 .and you aie faced once more with the problem of intro- aching for a little activity, or else tliey have been play-
  ducing the lesson. Nor is it a-good policy to pay any ing and throwing snowballs all the way to church. You
  att,ention to the hands that are raised during the tell- inust get their interest from the start or your chances
  ing of the story. It js. a goo$ s&n when hands go up, of getting it at `all are very slim.
  for it shows that the children are listening to you. But       And once having gotten. the attention of the child,
  to let-them tell you what they have on their hands may you must hold: it. throughout the entire explanation of
 be very disastrous as far as the telling of the story is the lesson. Plan your lesson  a&ding  to the ages
  concerned. It may `distract the attention of the whole' of the children iii your class so that they will be able
class ,and- bring a halt to the line of the story. If may to follow you. The interesting items.that you present
  even throw off your guard and spoil the, rest of the in connection, with the lesson must not be "over his
  explanation. As. an example of the disastrous results head" bui on his level. Pou,may have to reject certain
  such a practice, may  further, the undersigned once interesting things you. discov&ed in. your study of the
  g,ave in to the frantic hand-waving of one of his lesson for this reason.. It might be interesting for you
  catechumens during the. explanation of th;e lesson. The but not for him.. Take the. time to plan your lesson
  story that p&ticu!ar  day was. about David rehearsing for your  class.
  before king, Saul how that he could kill Goliath because       Having chosen a. good way to. begin your lesson
  God had enabled ,him to kill a lion and a bear and Gdd      and to catch the attention of the child, plan the rest
  would now be with him too. One ,little boy sat there of the lesson also. You may wish to point out tom your
, with mouth open listening'to t@ story up to this point. children  some truth which shows the providence of
  Then up went `his hand. It `viras ignored at first only God, for example. Your story may .be that of, Philip`
  to be waved more and more .frantically.  After going being sent to the Ethiopian Eunucli: You may want
  on with the story for a little while the undersigned, to point out how mar+elously  God arranged everything
  finally gave in ?nd asked him what he had to say. The s? that Philip could teach him about Christ. You may
                                                                                     I_


 212  ,-                               T'HE  S T A N ' D A R D .   BEAB.ER

 want to till the attention of your class to the fact that disjointed thoughts in connection with the lesson. Look
 there `are 929 chapters in the Old Testament and 39 for some truth or principle in the story towards ivhich
 books, yet God caused 6im to be reading the one chap- y6u can build the end of your story. If. po&ible,  try
 ter in the.Old Testament tha+ most beautifully pictures tb build it around the golden text or memory verse
  Christ and His cross. You ought therefore to plan and have this end in mind in the planning of the whole
 just where in the st'ory you will depart from the bare telling of the story. Lead the children up to--the  truth
. facts and present this interesting truth. Will you do         of the lesson, and then having shown it to them.leave
 so when you first tell of this man riding alone in the it there. Do not go back and rehash the whole thing.
 chariot or after Philip asks him what he is reading? Plan how td come to an interesting and fruitful end-
 Before you begin to tell the story it ought to be definite ing.                                                         ~/
 in. your mind where you intend to do this. You ought              Once again we have given only a few suggestions
 to decide beforehand how you will emphasize a cer- with a little explanation of what we mean. Time and
 tain truth. Do you intend to give examples and illus- space do not allow more thoughts and a further develop-
 trations of that fact as it is shown to us in the lives ment of the ideas here expressed. We hope that these
 of other believers mentioned in the Bible? Or are you will be beneficial to those who desire to help the par-
 going to take the example of the unbelievers and con- ents train their children in the fear of'the Lord.
 trast the deeds of God's people with the actions of               There'are however two things we would add to the
 these godless ones? The point is that you must not above. By all means if it is possible, attend teacher's
 leave all this to the thoughts that come to you `on the `meetings, come well prepared and attend regularly.
 spur of the moment. Your choice of an example or This belongs to a good preparation of the lesson.
 illustration may miss the? point you want to drive home Others wi'll help ydu .by showing you thk interesting
 instead of supporting it.                                      thoughts they have mined out in their ppeparation  and
     A house is never built without a plan of some kinh study. And last but not least, study and prepare the
 whether on paper or in the mind of the builder. lesson prayerfully. You are about to teach `the Word
 Neither. is a farm run without a plan.  When- the of God to His Covenant children. By all means seek
 Sunday School teacher asks-for the `children of the His guidance and grace in prayer while preparing the
 church to help train them and then receives an af- lesson as well as before explaining it.
 firmative answ'er from the parents, he ought to pre-                                                       x A. I-I.
                                                                                                               -
pare himself and his lesson also. He who' does this
will be inspired by the way the children drink in his
 words. He who comes unprepared, expecting  the child-
 ren to inspire him, will be disappointed. Children are
 n-ljt a very inspiring audience unless we manage to get
down- to their level' and interest them, and that takes                   FROM HOLY WRIT
 preparation.
     What has been said in regard to the introduction
 of the story and the explanation of it applies also to                     ,Jam$es  1:13:  - "Let no man  ssy when he is
 the bringing to a close of the lesson. The lesson must                      tempted,  .I am tempted of God: for God can-
 not, be brought to a~ close hanging in the air so to speak.                not be  tempkd  with evil, neither  temp.&h He
 It must not be allowed to drift away into nothingness                      a n y   m a n . ! '
 so that at the end you ar.e just graseing or even per-
 haps gasping for a few words and thoughts to stretch             In verse 12 the Church of God is admonished to en-
 the story out to fill in the time. By all. means here, dure temptation. And the man who `endureth tempta-
- when we are dealing with fiildren's  minds, when we tion Ts. blessed because, when he is tried; her shall re-
 are through, we bught to stop and not try to stretch ceive the crown of life which the Lord hath. pfomised
 the story those last few minutes to fill the time. Enough td `them that love IHim. Failure` to endure temptation
 material shoulh have been prepared in the first place implies, we, understand, that we succumb to these
 to fill the allotted time. And if we are not able, due forces of evil., Is there anyone,  then, Who might at-
 to the very story itself-apd some of the lessons in a tempt to justify his surrender to the -powers of sin
 system of lessons sometimes are difficult to present to by means .cf an app.eal .to God, that he was tempted
 children for a very lengthy period of time-or if after of the Lord, and that therefore `the Lord `is actually
 a diligent search and study w'e were not able to find responsible for his  suc_cumbing to temptation?. Let
 enough material, .by all means stop regardless of the that man- know that God -cannot be tempted with evil,
 time.                                                          neither tempteth He any man.
     The point is; here, that we also plan the ending of           The first'inatter  of n&e in this text is the d&Clara-
  the story So that we end on a high plane and not with tio_n, that God does not tempt any'man. It will not be


                                    T H E   SiA'kDiRD  B E A R E R ,                                                213

  necessary to dwell at length on the meaning of tempta- man Experiences in his own life the truth of this text.
  tion. Attention has been dire@ted to this concept in our Wheti the child of God finds himself in the midst of
  treatment of the preceding verses. It is evide`nt,.how- temptations, being seduced on every side and urged to
  ever, from verse 14 that the words of this text, verse .forsake `the only true God, and he experiences with-in
  13, "when lie is tempted", do not merely refer to the himself the urge to do evil, he discovers in his own sub-
  fact that the Christian is continually attacked and jective life and consciousness two things. On the one
- molested by the forces of sin, either from within or hind he is conscious of the desire to do the wrong. It
without. To be sure, the child of God is at all times is not his experience, that he is compelled to do that
  "tempted", urged by the forces of evil- to forsake the wrong but he is aware of a desire to walk in that
  way of God's covenant and walk in the-paths of evii.. particular evil. And, on the other hand, this desire
  Besides, this is undoubtedly the teaching of Holy Writ. is accompanied by th,e conviction that this evil is con-
  in Tverses 2-4 of this chapter. But it is evident from trary to the will of God. This  c'onviction `is present
  verse 14  that~ this is not the meaning of verse 13.         not only in the sphere of the church, where we ex-
  According to the succeeding verse, "every man is perience in our' consciousness the holiness of God, but
  tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and also among all men. God does not leave H.imself  with-                ,
  enticed." Hgnce,  to be tempted, according to verse 13, out witness. Man is convicted of the fact that he is in
  signifies that sin actually takes hold of my conscious rebellion against the .holy will of God. Besides this,
  life, that I experi,ence  within myself the desire to walk Scripture everywhere akounds in the `admonition, not
  in iniquity. We are tempted, therefore, not merely in that we seek sin, but to flee sin and seek the ways--
  \the sense that the forces of evil would lead us `away, o f   t h e   L o r d .
  but also because we experience within ourselyes the             In the second place, we must bear in mind the view-
  inclination to pursue the path of e&l.                       point of this `text. To be tempted means, as we have
      In connection with t&is "being tempted" we read noted, that we are aware of the desir.e unto evil. That
  that we grewnot  tempted of God, and that He does not this is not the will of God and that therefore Be does
  tempt any. man. The problem which- confronts us in not tempt man cannot mean, we understand, that in
  this text is self-evident. On the one hand, how must this Fespect, as far as our inner life is concerned, IHe
  we harmonize this ,expression with the sixth petition does not sovereignly control the tictions  of men. God
  of our Lord's Prayer, which reads :. "Lead us not into is always in absolute  *commanh.  The question here
 ' temptation, but deliver us from evil"? This petition is not th$ of Divine sovereignty. It is purely ethical;
  evidently implies that we never merely fall into the spiritual. Temptation presupposes the urge, the  d,e-
  midst of temptation. Verse 2 exhorts us to count it all sir,e unto sin.. ,God `never tempts, never works sin as '
  joy when this  &curs.       The petition of the Lord's desiring it, never urges unto iniquity ,because  He de-
  Prayer clearly teaches  u's that God somehow controls lights in evil. Sin, although, it always occurs accord-
  also our walk of life atid that it is He Who therefore ing to the sovereign counsel of the Lord, always re-
  casts us intb temptations. And, on the other hand, we mains the object of man's own sinful desire and choice,
  must continue to maintain the sovei.eigntp  of God over whereas Jehov& continuously hates evi,l and is spirit-
  all things. The Sdriptures abound in expr.essions  which ually far from it. Sovereignly the Lord always oper-
  emphasize this teaching. The sins of Joseph's breth- ates through the will of man, sovereignly b&cause  He
  ren, the cursing of David by Shimei, and the number- worketh all things according to the counsel of His will,
  ing of the people by Joab upon the command of David,         but. always' so that it is man who loves the evil and
  although sinful acts as far as thes.e  various persons commits it as the object of his own morally free desire
  are concerned, are nevertheless also attributed to the and choice.
  living God. The Lord alone is alwF?s in supreme com-            This Divin,e relation to temptation, expressed in the
  mand. And this does  no: merely  sign&y that He words, "neither tempteth He any man," the holy writer
' controls our actions, that, somehow, the Lord controls bases upon the fact that IGod cannot be tempted." Let
  and guides all things. But this sovereignty of Jehovah us again read the text: "Let no .man say when he is
  definitely implies iot only that He has, determined the tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be
  destiny of every moral creature and indirectly attains tempted with evil, neither tempteth He- any man."..
  unto his goal, but ah that He and He alone realizes The relation between the various parts of the text is
  every man's appointed end. Yet we read ,in this text : clear.  Go<  cannot! be tempted with evil. Therefore
 ' Let no nian say when he is tempted%hat he is tempted tempteth He no man. Hence, let no man say when he
  of God, for God tempted no man. To be tempted, there- is tempted that He is tempted of God.
  fore, is not of Him. What, then, ca&be the meaning              The  wojrds "cannot be tempted" constitute  in. the       .
  o f   Jam,es ?      '                                        original one word, which, taken by .itself, can be-inter-
     In the first place I wo'uld call attention to the fact preted in a two-fold way  f  "mitemptable" and "un-
  that James ,expresses  here a subjective -fact. Every tempted".           If we understand the word in a passive               '


214                                  T H E   STANDABD.  B E A R E R

sense Jt means : what is not tempted or proved, This, oft temptation. He hates all evil, delights eternally in
then, could signify, that God has never been tempted. Himself, lives in an inaccessible light.
Never did this opportunity  occur or present itself.             fHen;e, God tempts no man. He is surely the Sover-
Understanding this word in an active sense, we would eign Cause of all darkness and evil, the Sovereign
give this word an active meaning, as if James means' Predesltinator  of all things. He also -alone realizes His
to say that God does not tempt a man. `I`his would eternal counsel. - However, in that sovereign counsel,
involve us in a `mere repetition of the last part of the and also in the realization of that counsel,' He never.
text. The word must be construed passively. Not in delights in evil  ; and whereas temptation is seducement
the sense, however, that God never has been tempted, unto sin as delighting therein, God never tempts.
but in the sense that .the Lord is untemptable. He can- Eternally He seeks Himself, has willed sin, but always
not be tempted with evil.                                      so that it is the act of sinful men and the object of
 Man is temptable. He is not only surrounded by His own eternal hatr.ed,~ and that it must serve `the
sin. But-he himself is also subject to sin. It is true eternal glory` of His Name.
that the child of God has been called out of darkness             Finally, let no man therefore-say when he is tempt-
into God's marvellous light. But he has~but  a principle ed that he is tempted of God. IHow eager we are to say
of the new obedience. The powers of evil have there- this! How ready are we to  lif,t the blame off our
fore a point of contact in our evil nature. The possi- shoulders and lay it upon the Lord! How ready we
bility of being tempted is consequently ever present, are because we love and prefer the ways of evil to the
with us. Jesus, too, was tempted.  /H%s temptation ways of the Lord. Let  us  remember, however, that
by the devil was not,' of course, a "sham"' temptation. God cannot be tempted and that IHe does not delight
[He was actually tempted. This, of course, must not in iniquity. This receives further emphasis in the
be understood as if it were actually possible for the verses that follow. We may conclude now by saying
 Saviour to sin. It is not true that He could have fallen. that the living God is a light, is too pure of eyes to
Nevertheless,  .although  H%e was perfectly holy and behold iniquity, hates all evil. The lust to sin is for-
could not fall, He was, sin-excepted, indeed like unto us. eign to the infinitely perfect God. To the @ontrary,  we
He possessed our human nature as under the curse of are tempted when we are drawn of our own lust, and
sin, weakened because of sin. And in that fearful enticed. Lust bringeth forth sin. And because God is
wilderness His human nature cried for bread.' Jesus holy, sin bringeth forth death.
was not a stoic. Her,ein lies the reality of His tempta-                                                     H. V.
tion by Satan, although we must bear in mind that
 Christ, from the beginning unto the end, subjected
 His human nature perfectly to the will of God, and
that, therefore, although hungry, He refused to eat
because to do so would have been contrary to the will                         A HUMBLE HEART
of His God.        -
       God, however, cannot be tempted with evil.  iHe is             I would not ask Thee that my days
untemptable.      The possibility of temptation simply                Should flow quite smoothly on and on ;
 does not ,exist with respect to the Lord. Evil has no                Lest I should learn to love the world
 point of contact in IHim. He is above the possibility                Too .well, ere all my time is done.
of temptation.
       For God  -is light. There is no darkness in Him.               I would not ask Thee that my work
 God. is the sum-total of all good, of all infinite perfec-           Should never bring me pain or fear;
 tions. He is the Absolute and infinite goodness, also                Lest I should learn to work alone
 consciously, so that the Lord is eternally and perfectly           And never wish Thy presence near.
 devoted unto Himself. God is light. The Lord does
 not mer,ely possess light. We receive light from God.                I would not ask Thee `that my friends
 God has the origin, the uncaused origin, of His infinite             Should always kind and constant be ;
 perfection within Himself. Hence, Jehovah is  th.e                   Lest I should learn to lay my faith
 Absolute Light. He is the only Good and can therefore                In them alone,. and not in thee.
 never be devoted unto ough.t'but H,imself. Every vibra-
 tion of the infinite Divine being throbs eternally with            - But I would ask a humble heart  .-
 light, is in Himself an overflowing Fount of ,eternal                A changeless will to work and wake
 perfections.     Consequently, Jehovah is untemptable.               A firm faith in  `TThy providenoe,
 Even as in the natural sense filth cannot affect a foun-             The rest-`tis Thine to give or take.
 tain.of water, so God is exalted above every possibility                                         -A. N.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   `BEARER                                            215"

                                                              The Jesus of history is valueless and meaningless for.
                 P E R I[ S C (-) p E - --.-`z- `.            faith until He is confessed as the living Christ.. Barth
                                                              even goes so far as to say that liberal theology has
                                                              given us a Jesus of history at the cost of losing for us
 Barthianism . .  ; .                                         the God-Man. Men are `saved only by faith in Jesus
                                                              Christ and not by virtue of anything they themselves
       (One of the calmest and most fair criticisms of Dr. have to offer. The doctrine of justification by faith
 K. Barth and his theology that has appeared for some `is the center and circumference of Brunner's theo-
 time is contained in the following few paragraphs. logical writings.
 It was written by the Rev. C. Norman Bar,tlett,  S.T.D.,         "There are four things that Barth wishes to bring '
 in an article entitled, "The Preacher and Current back to the Church : (1) the lost wonder of God, (2)
 Trends in Theology", in the January 194'7 issue of the the lost sense of sin, (3) the lost doctrine of reconcilia-
Moody Monthly.                                   -'
                                                        P     tion, and (4) the lost doctrine of the kingdom of God.
       Usually, if one but so much as mentions the name        The Church should not seek to build the kingdom of
 of Barth or has the courage to quote him, he is in dan-       God, but to be a -place where the Divine Healer comes
 ger of being labelled  and classified as a "Modernist". to lay [His hand on the sickness of humapity.
 I*t is, of Course, practically impossible to justly eval-     "We turn now from the commendable `points of
 uate Barth and his school in a bri,ef article. We believe, strength in Barthianism to grievous errors and defects
 however, that the author quoted below has succeeded that c&l1 for adverse criticisms. With all its exalta-
 admirably to give a fair presentation of some essential ' tions of the Word of God, the Barthian view of what
 points. As Dr. Bartlett points out, and even the most constitutes the Word of God is far-from orthodox.
 vigorous opponents of Barth must admit, Dr. Barth By the Word of God the Barthians mean not the whole
 has certainly caused the theological world to "sit up, Bible (they swallow the destructive conclusions of
 and take notice", .and,  perhaps, even awakened them higher criticism without batting an eye), but rather
 from a lethargy. Though this is but a purely negative those passages in the Bible which God uses to bring
 result it is also but the least that can%be said. Here a man face to face with Himself. There is ,in the
 follows the brief review I                                    Bible no static traditional Word of God apart from
       "Unquestionably  the. most influential current of ,the acting person. of God. In short, the "Word" is a
 thought in the theological world of today is what is variable within' the Word, and not a constant com-
 variously known as Barthianism,. the thgology of crisis, mensurate with the whole Word of God.
 dialecticism, and even existentialism. But by what-              "The flaws in the Barthian view of the Bible are
 ever name it is labeled, it is a theology that `must be not far `to seek. Ostensibly magnifying the Scrip-
 reckoned with and understood by the leaders of our tures, the crisis theologians are really guilty of substi-
 churches.                                                     tutmg a selective Bible for the prescriptive Bible of.
       "Writers on this movement have been too prone the reformers. If we cannot take the whole Book
 to take indefensively extreme positions with regard to as the infallibl,e Word of God, by what principles of.
 it, whether by way of advocacy. or condemnation. We selection shall we find the "Word" within the Word?
 who are charged with the responsibilities of spiritual           "`No, the Bible is not a sort of glorified spiritual
 leadership dare not give it our blanket endorsement, cafeteria where we are at liberty to choose the dishes
 for-  dIespite  its gratifying polemic against some of the that happen to strike our fancy while we leave the
 pet position-s of Mod>ernism,  it is steeped in presupposi- rest to one side. Men will invariably take what flat-
 tions no less; albeit perhaps mor,e- subtly, subversdve       ters their pride ,and spurn what flattens it. '
 of tenets basic to our faith.                                    "Despite these strictures, however, we do well
       "In all fairness it must be said that the Barthians to-heed the injunction of the Barthians that we let
 are striking major  bards that cannot but awaken a the Word speak with authority to us. The question
 `glad response in the  .hearts of conservatives. They may well- be asked by each one of. us in the presence
 are stressing in no uncertain terms the- imperative of God : `Do I who warmly contend.for the authority of
 necessity for an objective.revelation.    Man in his fallen the Word humbly submit to the authority of the
 state is hopelessly. incapacitated `for discovering God Word, not letting what I want the Bible to say to
 for hims,elf; .if man is to know God, God must reveal' others make me deaf to what it wants to say to
 Himself to man. In the Scriptures we.have  the record m e ? '
 not of what man thinks of God, but of what God thinks            "While heartily subscribing to what Barth. and
 of man: The Word of .God is absolutely authoritative Brunner and other leaders in their school of thought
 for faith. and practise.                                      have to say as to the Jesus of history being valueless
  :    "For the Barthians J,esus Christ is God's personal and meaningless for -faith until H,e is confessed' as
 Word, the super-historical revelation of the Father. the living Christ, we cannot but wonder whether they

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

 nave not greatly under-rated the importance of a               "All these wonderful and worthy projects are to be
 thoroughly reliable hcistorical revelation. _ While words accomplished _ by the IJnited nations-countries such
 apart from a knowledge of their meaning `are  un- as Great Britain, who failed to B;chieve these results
; intelligible sounds or marks, who will question their in India ; Russia, whose .past iniquities are -too fresh
 indispensability in the transmission o$ thought ? The in our minds to need repeating  ;. and the United
 fact that the verities of our faith are .super-historical  _ .Nations, whose own daily papers. are' filled with an
 alld can only be spiritually discerned does not do away almost unbelievable record of alarming discontent be-
 with the necessity for a revelation in history that can tween  labo? and capital, vicious crimes,  lascivious-
 be relied upon as absolutely trustworthy."     0            ness, malice, and utter disregard for moral and spirit-
                                                             ual ethics.
                                                                 "Yet in the face of all this, and hoping against
                                                             hope, we .entreat,  `Are not these. goals possible? Can-
                                                             not we achieve them?' The reply can only be an
 World  Peace' and the  U. N. 0. . . . .                     emphatic, `No'. There is no hope of establishing a
                                                             regenerated world. on th,e basis of an unregenerated
    In quite stri&ing  contrast to much of what is being. humanity.
 wiitten  Andy said  on this subject, even in so-called         "The world is unmindful, of the fact  ihhat-  it is
 "Reformed" "oircles,  is the following, from the  same      rushing headlong toviiard  unspeakable chaos.               It is'
 source quoted above, and wPitten  by Captains (S.A.)        amazing, but even more pathetic, that rationalizing
 George  1. Beckstorm in an article entitled: "They multitudes have resorted  to one panacea after  an-
 Perish".                                                    other, ignoring the wickedness of the human heart."
    "It seems that the indigent and deluded  world                                                           W. H.
 will never concede defeat. A glance backward through                                                               .
 the pages of world history will reveal that this entity
 called human resourcefulness has always claimed a
 remedy for the ills of humanity.                                            /  -
     "At the close of World War I, disarmament was                                   CLASSIS WEST
 advocated as the positive way to maintain an endur-
 ing peace. However, the wheels of so-called human will meet, the Lord willing, on the first Wednesday of
 ingenuity continued to revolve through the slush of M/Iarch, March $`1947, in the Rock Valley Protestant
 self-resourcefulness until suddenly  World-  War  II ex- Reformed  Church.            Delegates desiring lodging can
 ploded the first philosophy, and now we discover that contact Rev. P. Visa All delegates are urged to have
 control by force is the recommended solution to this' `with them the Acts of Synod 1945.
 eliigma of world amity.                                                                      Rev. c. Hank;, S. C.
    "Today nations great and small are squarely faced ,
With a dilemna of insecurity far greater  thail at any
 previous time, because there has been unleashed, to                                  h--
 mankind that projectile of tremendous fury known
 as atomic energy.                                                            --WANTED-
    ".Scientists  have agreed that the universe could at
 any moment commit suicide. It has be_en ascert.ained                       STArjDARD BEARERS
 that for&y mill(ion Americans may easily be slaughtered
 in one air raid.                                                Since it is no longer possible to supply the  in-
    "Even now as the  premdnitory  specter of World creasing requests for back numbers from our  ex-
 War III is hovering beyond the `clarkened liorizons of hausted stock, the Board urgently requests those who
 this tumultuous globe, we find that "flesh" has once are willing to donate or sell bound volumes or back
 again convened and is formulating new resolutions. numbers from Voiume 1,. Number 1; to Volume 23,
 We also hear that a new monetary standard is being Number   1  to  contact:
 planned. An equal distribution of consumers' gozds,
 the "Four Freedoms", a fair and just ieconomic  system                                  Mr..  Gerrit  P i p e .
 for both labor and capital, hospitalization, education..                               `1463  Ardtiore.St.,  S. E.
 for all, and many more propositions are under con-                                           Grand Rapids, I!&+.
 sideration. These are to be guaranteed to the peoples
 of the world so as to provide joy, health, knowledge                                     Mr. M. Woudenberg
 and the justice of an amicable opportunity for every- .'                                  1042 Word& St., S. EI
 o n e ,                                                                                      Gralid Rapids, Mich.           !


