V~(y~~M~-`
                               X~III.
                                                  .;         -       .",             r       : Mar&  -1'5;  1947:-  `Grand.-Rapids,  -Michigan  `.  '                                                                                                                           - N U M B E R   1 2
                                                                                                                                                                                       .
                                          .                                                                     ..           .                                                                      --
       ._  .-.  .-                        .-I                                                 ---: -                                                              ,&if j if'. He' we& the" Christ,: the* K&g- -of Isr&;~ -ihe I_
                                                   r.$  .pjyb.                                                                      .'  1  - Son-of God. . .  ~  -.. .                                                                    _                       .`?                          -                 -.."                  -
       ,                                  -  _-  .-                                                                                                                    -.  ?lYl~ no&--indeed, it had'seemed  as  if Ca&ry was.
                        ,-  ._                                               -.                                                      .                            &i~~~s judgment : _ the' w&d of man w&heard- t&%ik. -
                                                                                                                                                                              Then came the sixth hour, darkn&&&&hcl&  . . .
            ;  f                                                                                              . .                                                             And m&i wetie `struck with fear.
                                          .  .
                    : .  Awl it  -WAS"  about  th.6  sikth  hciu?, and                                                                                                        Fdr this darkness was of'the Lord, they knew.                                                                                                     ,.  _
            - . .'  -t&we  wa&  &rkness  `ovey  411  the  ,&rt%,   until:                                                                                                    :_ H" had come  from rreman* * .! :                                                                               I ,  :                            ..
                      the ninth hour.  And the sun-was  darJceitie$.:                                                                                                        In  fierce anger. . . .                                                                            _
                               -                                                   .,              Luke23:44,                                         45-:-i                           %ile&!-                   _                 --  ..  I  *  -  -..:  .:
 I            ~`T~&&~ho&~!                                         - .                       ;          -             -,     -            -            -               '          -                                                                                      .  ..___'  r  `.
                                                                                                                                                                                             `_      ;.               _            ,_._                      :_.  .  ..
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     _- "  +,,  -  .~  - .                                  .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           _,*/  _  _  -.-'
 "  tiigh* noon it .was- on C+v&ry.'                                                                    `_ -                                                                                                                                    _                                         :
       ..L&en,  .those t&k u@Je~&&  ~t,,~e~  Scri&-& `mu&- . . e-@2presSiVe  `S&l&3S!                                                                                                                                                                      .-             _-                         :  _.-  _  -  j
haverecogniied,  ?Igulfillm,ent  of -t&F Word of t&e.Lofd,                                                                                                                    Ail. the more &ppres&e  tiecause. ii is accenttiated '
threugb Bis `seryant ;cim&, &d also through ot&ers  :                                                                                                             gy the ,gco&s.  t$at' p&&r%~e.: the dailkness .fro?n th?
`iI  -will cause: &he `&m to go: dowri $t noon, .&&-I yill fop: of the bill.                                                                                                                                           -_                                           _                -
dark&n  -the  eartli   :in  th&~,&~eay~ci~y.`~~   _.  _  ~  _`.--_:                                                                                                          I .Ev`en--He that `hangs OX ihe center ,&oss, in the -&dst"
  Th,ere   was  dark&s?.   qsier  .%ir  the.  e%rth. . .  ,.  _                                                                                  :                cif the t%%malef&tors, r&f&$ from speaking:' -
 ;  -  AFd.  the sun  $&$  -darkened.  f-  _  _.  _                                                                          _            _                  _                0, would He .o&y o&& %@s mouth rio.w, +d .spe&k  !
       .   Noqn  at-Caryaiy   !   _  _.  `,'
                                                             .:._--                                                                                               Somehow, it is felt that tl& d~&~&s~  $;come tip@i Cal-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ,.._~
                                                                                                                                                                  vary for ;His sake, because.He-is nailed 30 the tfee of
              ._             ,.           .`
                                                . .1                                       .-  .- ~__,.                            _  ._`_
                                                                                                                                            _"  .\
                                                                                                                                                                  sliame.
                                                                                   -. .  _  -  _I_"                                                                                         Perhaps, if fle-$o_uJ&.Q.is prophet of Galilee
            3ilence! , __  L  -  I  -  L  .-,78  -  .'  -  _.                                                                                                     could ,eXaiain the re&on for,-the meaning o$ this night
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     . -                                                    -
 * The. darkness. is op.pressiye,  a,s ihe. &avy- hand of "? noonday*
God.                 _..            ."            .:a  ._  --,  ..;  -`~  -  s                                                                          ---                   But IHe, too,,is:&ent =@yci. '
       . Me? are filled with fear,..those  men .the& that are                                                                                                                .-F$efore  that d~ea$lful`$xtli  ho.ur had St&k  He had
gathered in gpoups begore the cross, about the .Hill of spoken repeatedly, being. zoncerned, not. wholly- with
the Skull. Afraid they  are, for they know that  this- His own suffering and-agony, .bgt with-others. Words
darkness is of God, th$ He. is. present on. Calvary ;                                                                                                             qf  fqrgiyeness,  of  .qercjr  and.  lov'e, `He  had uttered,.
and.. He is the tektror  0:. ;men, of wicked men as they praying- for the +yansgressors,  pj!o;onii@@ salvatioh  3%
a r e ; `.   .   .                        ,  -.-:~  _-__  -..._ .  _- .                                                                                           the penitent, taking final  -  ieave from His  earthly
Cowed into silence  &e they -now.  _  -                                                                                                                           mot-her. . in ;
                                                                                                                             .                  ._                                                        --                _                        _:                                               __.                       ^-
            In that weird  atid-  Grkadful  d&nes.s they are                                                                                                                  Now,- however,- HG ,hasb`withdpawn  Himself jr&:
                                                                                                                                                                       -  I  -
afr+ of their own @ice.. __  .., _                                                                                      .   .                    D                ~11. bout  -Him.  e---  - .
            0,  befbre  the  darkhess  desceYid,ed   they' &red: not  .-  r -:In  the  da&gess,  -He  cann&+ijetik.
                                                         ,.  .-..                                                                                                 `
God-or men. They  sp&e loudly.  With  `a-bld$&&ing  I  1 God :spea& to- Him, and IHe imist hear.: .                                                                                                                                                                                                                       1            `.
tongie they- sboke. -TliFough foul motiths ihk$-belihed                                                                                                                <.`., -NigQt at -fibon- .o^n Cal-Vary-? ----- .                                                                                      *  1  t
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ~  -
forth. the evil im~giqat~otis  bf thei! hearts;- their fu$ous ..' is 34: a11-is -quiet! -_                                                                                                                                        :  _  _  -_`_  -._r                                                      .:  _
h a t r e d   o f   t h e   Sonlof  -God-lthey  had~`&&d~%-tl%e   a c -   :  V-S  _`:  :  -I-  _                                                                                                                                    ._                                                               _.
&ir@d: t?ee. yTh6y  j6ere.d;  and  n%cl&d,&@l  they  ehaj-'  _  :  -
~engyid  Him  to-&m&C  ~~~~-fi-om'.th~..~~~~~,~~o   `s&ve  Him-'  Qod?S  bla&ouc!    - .   .   :  .-  `-                                                                                                                                                                                        .                   -.
                                                                                                        ; . .
                                    _                                                                                  1'


                                                                                                                                               _*
266                                         /THE'  ST-ANDAtiIj  B E A R E R

        For that, ii? this darkness, God himself had come                Of judgment, td .be sure, upon all the world, btit'as
dowr@g Cal&r?, there could be no doubt.                              it mu&b&gin  at the house of God, at the people of Gsd,,
        The wisdom of the world could not explain this at Zion, at the Church.
night at nqonday. It would- have been of no avail to                  Fir, God shall judge .His people in righteousness! '
se+ an kmbassy from Calvary to the men of learning.                      "The: end is come upon my people of Israel ; I will
and sci,ence  .that might be found in -Jerusalem, to .in-            not again pass by them any more. . . `. The' L&d hat11
de&gate this &range  phenomenon, and to attempt a sworn by the excellency of Jacob, `Surely I will never
riatural `explanation. 0, w:cked  men, when the judg- f&get any of their works.- Shall not the land tremble
ments ,df God are upon the earth, love to quiet their fo? this! and every `one mourn,that dwelleth therein?
tpoubled  hearts, and to hid,e their face from Him .that             and it shall rise up wholly as a flood ; and it shall be
sitteth upon the throne;by  seeking a natural in%&rpre- cast out and drovviied, as by the flood of Egypt. And
tatiop  of+the  phenomena that speak- of those judg-                 it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God,
ments. But this darkness at noonday,baffled  -them that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I
all.                                                                 will darken the earth in the clear day." Amos 5:2-g.
        No su11 eclipse was either expected or possible at           `"Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to,
this tinie. '                                                        what end it is for you? the day bf the Lord is darkness,
        Nor, would that have been possible; could such a and not light. . . . Shall not the day of the- Lord be
ndtural `occurrence in the firmament have explained                  darkne_ss,~andhot light.? even very dar,k,  and no-bright-
this darkness..                                                      ness in it?" `Amos' 5 :19, 20.
        For, fir& of all, the darkness was first, the-eclipse            That is the meaning of t@ darkness ,at noonday..
of the< sun followed : "And it was about the sixth hour,                 The day of the Lord is come!
and there was a darkness over all the earth until the It is the day of  ,wrattl,   and  -of. vengeance, of fierce
ninth hour. . . . . and the sun was daik'ened." .It was              anger and of the curse upon all the workers of  iti-
nqt the eclipse that caused the darkness, but the dark-              Quity.              '
ness that hung an impenetrable veil before  t&e noonday                  It is the day when the Lord smites us hith madness,
sun. For a f,ew moments, as the darkness spread its                  and blindness, and astonishment of heart; when we
horrible wings over Calvary; over the whole land, the                shall grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in dark-
sun appeared through the fast thickening `gloom like ness. Deut. -28 :29.
a pale -disk&hen .it.was -completely gone.                               That is the meaning of the darkness 0~1 Calvary.
   ..Besides, no eclipse of the sun could have enveloped                 God is corn& for--judgment upon His people.
&scene in such complete darkness,:and  that, too, for                    For, mark you well, the darkness is not~limited  to
three.1on.g hours, as did this night at noonday.              :      Calvary and the surrounding country: it :is over then
        In Calvary's darkness men stand before the wrath- whole land. And the l&d of Israel is meant, for this
f-u1 face .of the Judge of he&en and earth.- -_         .I           is the better rendering llere of the word that is trans-
  --And there is no escape.!-                                        lated by "earth", as the same word is, in fact, rendered
   The blackout is  IHis!                                            in Matthew 2'7 :45, and iri Mark 15 :33. Everywhere in
          .'
          `
           .               -      -    -                             the land of Canaan, God's own inheritance, men groped
                                                                     in darkness from the sixth hour until the-ninth.
 . The da$ of the Lord !                                               And do-not misunderstand this hour.                              ~
        IOf that flay the prophets had sibken before.                    The darkness is not a mere symbol of what will
                      .
 - Atid always they had described  it as a d&y of `gloom happen, but a sign of. what is happening there and
and darkn&s.'              i-                      *                 then ! God i.s come down in His_ wrath upon the scene
        ."Fdr  the day of the Lord cometh,  for it is nigh at of the crucifixion of the Son of God !                      _
hand ;` a day of darkness, and of gloominess, a day df                   He is present in His wrath !.          '
clouds and of thick darkness, as the `morning sp&ad                      He is judging His people Israel!
upoli the mountains." Jo&l .2 :l, 2. "The  earth shall                   He is remembering all their iniquities,, and pourjpg
quake before them : the heavens shall tremble : the sun out the vials. of His wrath upon them !                                        ,I ;
and the mdon shall be `d&k, and the stars shall with-                    It -is the day of- the Lord !                         .:
draw their shining."Joel 2 : 10. "The sun shall be turned
into darkness, and the  `moon into  blood,  before the
great and. terrible day of the Lord coine." Joel 2 :31.                  Astonishing spectacle !
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of d&i&on: for                     Amazing enough, y&a, and terrorizing; is the dark-,
                                                                                                                     :
th.e day of the Lord is .near `in thle `vall'ey of decision.         ness. 7                           . . .
The sun and the moon shall be, darkened, an the stars
 - __  ..-  -                                                            More mysterious, howeverj' yea, utterly perplexing,
                                                                                                                               _ __
shall w\thdraw  their shining." Joel 3 :15.                          is what happens in that darkness ; or shall we say :
        And that day of the Lo& is a day of judginent !            - what does not occur. in that noon$ay  night?
                                                              :


                                                                                                                                .                *
                                         T H E .   STAN,DARD   B E A R - E R                                                                     267

     Would we not expect, as we stand on Calvary, that            that. wrath is not poured out, that judgment is not'
 the end of the world is now come upon us, and that we            executed. For it happens indeed, but in the soul and
 will all be swallowed up in the outer darkness of'hell?          body of that Son of God on the cross!
  Is not-God here to judge IHis Church, and all the world          That is Why He is now silent : He hears God in
  with her? Is He; in this awful. darkness, not visiting          the darkness !               ._  `.                   --CT
                                                                                                            :  *  /  i
  our sins upon our. head,..and  pouring out all the vials            That is why He can no longer attend to .others  : the
  of His long restrained wrath  upon'us?  Are we not sprinkling of the blood of atonement on the mercy seat
  standing .here-  at the cross of the. Son- of God, Whom         in the sanctuary above requires all His attention !
  w,e -rejected and filled .with reproach, nailed to the              That is why He finally cries out : "My God., my God,
  accursed tree. Have we not been exposed in all the whjr hast thou f orsahen me ?"
  horrible nakedness of our sin; .as. enmity `against God ?           That is why the passing of the darkness coincides
  What else, then, can we `expect than that this judg- with that outcry from the depths : the ninth hour!                                             `i.
  ment of God will surely deliver Him, the Son, the only              0, wondrous cross  !,  _
  Righteous, from -that cross, and damn us into ever-
  lasting desolation?
     Yet nothing happens !
     For three long hours God is pouring out the vials                Blessed hour of redemption!
  of His wrath over- 11s.. . . :                                      Darkness until- the ninth hour, then follows the
     The  da&ess  pass'es.  . . .                                 light !
     And we are not consumed!                                         Not in the darkness, but in the bright sunlight that
                                                                  once more flooded the scene on Calvary, and the whole
     How to account for this astonishing mystery?                 land, did our Lord give up the ghc%t..
     The answer is all in that center one of the three                That is indicated already by that little touch of
  crosses on the Hill of th,e' Skull.                             revelation in the gospel according to Matthew: "And
      God is with us, Immanuel! He is with us, at this            straightway one of them Tan, and took a spunge and
 awful moment, in this day of the Lord, with us in the. filled it with vinegar, and put it. on a reed, and gave
  darkness !                                                      him to drink." How could the man have been running
     10, He is j.udging His people, Zion, the Church. He unless the darkness was fast being dispelled? But
  is angry with her because of all her iniquity. IHe is that is also evident from the fact that it was the ninth
  pouring out the vials of His fierce wrath upon her. hour, that is, at the same time that the outcry of desola-
  For His justice must be satisfied. But that Church He tion was wrung from the- Saviour's heart, when the
  loved ! He loved her with a sovereign love, with a love         darkne&.was lifted and the light of the sun appeared'
  that is first,' always first, and therefore immutable.          once more.
  He loved her from before the foundation of the world.               At the moment of that awful outcry Immanuel
  And He loves her in His wrath: In His everlasting love descended, had descended, into the depth. The last
  He appointed over her a Captain, that might repre- bitter drop of IHis 
  sent her in the hour of judgment, His only begotten                                  cup  was drunk.  IHe had born all.
                                                       :          and atoned. No longer was there reason or  gro.und
  Son. . . .               '                                      left for the darkness. ,
      And when the'hour of judgment was approaching,                  The light broke through, and dispelled the dark-
 in due time, iHe sent that Son in the likeness of sinful ness.                                                   ._                  ,.
  flesh, that iH,e ,might be with `us, under the law, and             And.hearing the Word of God in the light .that had
  u.nder the'curse, in. the darkness. And when the "`hour" returned, Immanuel responds : "It is finished I"
  was come, He went to meet it, on Calvary, in order that             The judgment is past: there is no. condemna-
  He might bear all the iniquity of His people, and safely tion !                                                        .-
  lead them through the.darkness.  . . .                              The ninth hour is the hour of `justification!
      God is with us, Jmmanuel, in the darkness!                      `Glorious light of righteousness j
      And as God from heaven pours out the vials of His                                                                   H.  H:  .e
  anger upon us' in the darkness of Calvary, God with us,
Immanuel on the cross, receives all. the fiery darts
  of SGod's wrath, bears the curse, sustains the burden
  of wrath, obeys in love, bears all our iniquities away,                             CLASSIS EAST,                      ;
  leads us through the darkness. . . .                                                                                                      .
      ,God in the flesh bearing the `wrath of God from            of the Protestant Reformed Churches will meet in
  a b o v e !   '                                                 regular session,  ,D.. V., Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock,
      That is the paradox, but also the possibility of the April 9, 1947, at Fuller Ave. All matters  for: the
  cross.        *                                           _-    Synod must be brought to this meeting.
      80, do not say that, in the darkness, nothing happens,                                  D. JONKER, Stated Clerk.""


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     .268                                                                                                                          T H E   STAND%ARD   B E A R E R - - -
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                                           The Standard Bearer
                          Semi-Monthly, eweit Monthly in July and August

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                                              EDITOR : - Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                          ,-- With The. Netherlands-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ._
      Contributing Editors : i  Reti.  G.  M.  dihoff,  Rev. G. Vos, Rev.
      R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev.  II. De Wolf, Rev.  13.  Kok,                                                                                                                                             Replying to my remarks of,sometime  ago under the
      Rev. J. D.. De Jong, Rev. A.  Aetter; Rev:  C. Hanko,  R-ev.  L.                                                                                                                                       &jtion  "Smok'e  Screen.?" the Rev. L.  Doekes   &ites;
      Vermeer, Rev. G. `Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,
      Rev.  W.  .H:ofman.                                                                                                                                                                                    in De Reformdie of Feb: 15, 19.47, as follows :,
           - Communications relative to`contents-  should be addressed to                                                                                                                                                           LICHT IN DEN MIST
      REV. H. HOEKSEMA,  1139 Franklin St., S. E., .Grand  Rapids,
                                                                                                                                        ._ *
      M i c h i g a n .                                                                                                                                                                                               Ds. Hoeksema te Grand Rapids beeft in zijn `&lad
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      to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                                                    enkele  opmerking.en  ten beste  gegeven  over  .een uit-
      Michigan- All  Announoements,-  and- Obituaries must be sent
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                                          (,Subscription  Price  $2,50'per  year)                                                                                                                                     Met w.aardeering  en dankbaarheid heb ik zijn uit-
     Entered. as Second Class Mail at Grand. Rapids, Michigan.-                                                                                                                                                   latingen gelezen. Hij  noodigt  mij uit tot een open-
                                                            -                                                                                                                                                      lijke-   discussie.over   zijn verbondsbeschouwing, en zegt:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  "Zulk  een discussie zou ten,  ,dienste  van de  waarlieid
                                                                                                               -                                                                                                    kunnen strekken, en onze onderlinge verstandhouding
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    l&nnen  bevorderen". Ds. Hoeksema  b&oft  opname en
                                                                                                               .                                                                                                    vertaling  ,daarvan in zijn blad. Zijn ,stuk eindigt met
                                                                                                                                                            .-                                                      de opmerking: "Het groote verschil tusschen de `syno-
                                                                            - CONTENTS -                                                                                                                           .dalen' en  ,de `vrijgemaakten' li'gt  Qnmers daarin, dat
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    de laatsten`ongebonden'-  zijn?.  Dat wil dus zeggen-: er
     MEDITATION :-                                                                                    .-.                                                                                                           is alle ruimte voor broederlijke  bespreking  van de.ver-
     ti-THE DA!%KNEss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265                                                                 bondskwestie."                        :
                       Rev. H.  Boeksema.   -                                                                .                                                                                                        Inderdaad; Ds. Hoeksema  voor   zulk  een broederlijke
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    bespseking is  bij- ons alle  ruimte,  zooals die er  ,ook
     EDITORIALS  :z                                                                         I,.                                                                                                                     voor 1942 in `onze kerken steeds is geweest. Onze
     CORRESPONDENCE  WLTH THE NETHERLANDS I..........  :`..268                                                                                                                                                      k&ken  zijn  slechts  gebondh  aan Gods Woord en de
     OUR  ESCHATOLOGICAL  AGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...*..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . 272                                                                                     drie Formulieren  v.an  Eenigheid;  in het overige  erken-
                       Rev; Hi Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                                                            nen zij volledige- christelijke prijheid. En dat  wij  u
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    daarin  als geestverwant mogen begroeten, stemt ,ns
     QUESTIONS: ON- CHURCH POLITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274                                                                                           tot vreugde. Wij  weten,  dat het is, zooals  u  s&reef:
     THE RENAISSANCE POPES, 1431-1521 . . . . . . . . . . . I...................... 277                                                                                                                             "Nu kan  ik  breeder   Doekes   we1  verzekeren,  dat-wij
     s+4mfs  mB.LIc   ELECTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278                                                                       niet behooren tot degenen, die de  `vnijgemaakten'  heb-
                       Rev:  G. M.  `Ophoff.                                                     .                                                                                                                  hen gesmaad en gebrandmerkt"..  .Wij. zijn  u dankbaar
      _                                                                                                                                                                                                             voor uw kloek protest tegen .de in onze kerken  opge-
     EEN NIEUW LIED DEN HEERE! . . . . . . . . . ;: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :...28@                                                                                                 rezen  hierarqhie.             c
                                                                                                                                                  . .
                       Rev.  `G;  Vos.                `.                                                                                `
                                                                                                                                          .                                                                           Met toestemming van onzen  hoofdredacteur wil ik
                                                                                                                                                   -                                                                dan ,ook graag gebruik maken  van de.tgelegenheid  tot
     IN HIS FEAR `..............-...............................................,~.............~. 2.82                                                                                                              de door u gevraagde. diseussie.
                       Rev. J. A. Heys.                                                                                                                                                                               Vooraf  is het  echter noodig, dat, we de-kwestie even
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    zuiver  stellen.  I.?  h&t.  uw  artikel   voorzien  van  bet
     FRQM HOLY WRIT                                                                                                                                                                                                 opschrift: "Smoke Screen!`, Rookgordijn.  U nam dien..
                 ,'                                              .; . . . . 1.: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :..:...;  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284           term. over' uit mijn refer&; en- naar.  ,aanleiding  van
                       Rev. H. Veldman.
            .                     . .                                                                               _                                    _                                                         mijn voetnoot,  waar&  .oo$ naar u.verwezen  werd, zegt
                                                                                     -                _                                                                                                            u: "Ik word dus ingedeeld bij die `.geestverwanten  in
     PERISGlOPE                                  -
            ..,            _             .;.: . . . . . ...*.. . . . ;: ..I.......................... :..;.& . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,,..2fg                                                 `bet bnitenland.`, *die  eeq ro.okgordijn.  iegg,en  ,,over  de
                       Rev. W.  Hofman,   _  _,  .=-I  _                                                                                       _  _  `_                           ._                                duidelijke beteekenis van Gods  verbondsbeloften".
                  -..                                                                                                                                                                                               Even  vender:   "Dat  `rookgordijn!   .zitXj.s.cheef.  Het
                                       `.~..                     `-                    .


L


                                                                      T&E  S,TANDARD. `B E A R E R                                                                                269 .'

 is.  juist  niet  : mijn gewoonte om smoke screens te                                                       voorwoord (gedagteekend 21 Febr. 1946). Voor onze
 leggen over  de.waarheid".-                                                                                 lezers citeer ik  daanuht  het volgende:.  "`Het leek de
       Dat laatste hebben wij van u inderdaad opgemerkt.                                                     Zendingscommissie  onzer Kerken niet ondienstig, voor
 En mooht  mijn beknopte verwijzing  in die voetnoot u                                                       al in  verband  met de tegenwoordige geschillen in
 onrecht  hebben.. aangedaan,' dan.  wil `ik  u daarvoor-                                                    Nederland,   .de hiervolgende verhandeling te  laten  her-
 graag mijn  verontsohuldiging   &nbieden:  Wij  weten                                                       d&ken. Men bedenke Merbij, dat ,deze materie niet
 zelf uit ervaringmaar.  al. te ,goed,  wat $et zeggen wil,                                                  gesohreven   werd, -met *bet  ,oog' op de kerkelijke ver-
 in een verkeerd daglicht  te worden, geplaatst!                                                             wikkelingen in het oude vaderland; doch reeds acht-
  Tech  geloof ik, dat u  mt mijn  ,opmerking   -teveel                                                      tien  jaren  geleden  in den  vorm- van  artikelen  in de
hebt afgeleid. Letterlijk schreef ik immers: "Over                                                           STANDARD BEARER, De tekst werd geheel  onver-
 die duidelijke beteekenis van Gods verbondsbeloften                                                      anderd gelaten. Hieraan  wil ik.  `nog,toevoegen,  dat  :
 is`,door  de synodale  theorieen  een rookgordijn gelegd.                                                 de verspreiding van deze brochure in  Nederland   niet
 En ,dienzel.fden  mist zien we ook in veel uitingen van                                                     gemotiveerd wordt door den lust ,om `een hond bij de
 onze-.geestverwanten  in het  buitenlmand.  (Noot:) Zoo                                                     ooren  te`grijpen, :dooh  ,door ,de begeerte om de0 waar-
`b.v. bij Ds. Hoeksema,  dooh   .ogk.bij zijn  tegenstan-                                                    heid aangaande Gods eeuwig Verbond. te dienen."
 c@3~":  :                                                                                                     Nu, kan ik we1 verzekeren, dat wij met groote  be-
       l@jn zegswijze was wat beknopt.  Maar  er staat                                                       langstelling van uw bijdrage kennis  $enomen  hebben;'
 alleen  dit: over de verbondsbeloften  hangt, blijkens                                                      vooral, nu in-den zwaren kerkstrijd  onze.,oogen  verder                      -~
 allerl~ei   uitin~gen,  ook  bij onze  geestverwanten  in Bet                                             zijn open  ,gegaan  voor den zegen  .en de  Schriftuurlijke
 buitenland' (b.v. `bij Ds. Hoeksema en bij zijn tegen-                                                      beteekenis van  ,Gods verbond met ons en onze kinde-
 standers), nog een nevel, een "mist.                                                                        ren. Wij meenen,  .dat `n openlijk verder dnderzoek
       En de synodale  theoriei$  bebben dien mist positief                                                  van Gods openbaring  daarover  niet anders dan nuttig
 als  .een, rookgordijn verspreid.                                     `.            `.            0
  "                       ,                                                                                  kan' zijn- voor `pns leven  in Christus.
       Mijnl   bedoeling.  was  dus  allerminst,  u te krenken
                               .   .                                                                           Overigens  blijft het  natuurlijk   waar, wat u  naar
 door u in denzelfen hoek te zetten met &ze felle be-'                                                       aanleiding van `dat "rookgordijn" sdrijft:  `!Het `kan                       `.
 strijders  bier.  in - Nederland. -0nze  hoofdredacteur
                           __                                                                               immers  ook zijn,  dat wat  iemaand  ziet als een  &ok-                       _.
heeft,  er al op gewezen, dat er tusschen uw .opvatting                                                      gordijn, meet. worden toegeschreven aan  een-cataract
 en. de synodale  .theorieen  ten onzent nog heel wat ver-
          ~.             ;.                                                                                  of staar van  zijn oog". Ja, dat erkennen wij  vol-
schil bestaat. Laatstgenoemde  theorieen   vormen   nu                                                       mondig.     En  daarom  willen  wij graag  ,onze- broe-  i
 een officieel leersysteem, dat .geen ingrijpende  tegen-                                                    ders dienen. en van hen gediend zijn in het &ristelijk
 spraak meer `duiden  kan. Uw.opvatting daarentegen                                                          werk van het wegnemen der splinters  ui.t  :dat oog.                               -
laat  vol1.e  .ruimte   voor   publieke   disoussie.  Dat is op
                          _                  ._,                 _                                           Meoge  `de discussie  tusschen  u en' mij daartoe een
 zichzelf   al`een,  weldaad voor  het hart.                                                                 vcuchtb.are  bijdrage opleveren!
 En  ,daa.rom is het  m.i. ook niet erg, wanneer we                                                            Nog een opmerking!                Uw  sohrijft   oak-  dit: "Of
1 als breeders elkanders .ged.ac.hten  overwegen, en dan                                                     echter  het een ,of bet- ander waar is, kan niet ,uitge-
 op  sommige..punten constateeren: er  -blijft nog het                                                       maakt worden-door Wormser  of Pieters,   noah `oak door
 een en ander in den mist. Dat is geen grievend ver-                                                       onze Belijdenisschriften, die ons  nu  eenmaal   ,geen
 wijt,  wanneer   bet.  maar. nader wordt aangetoond.                                                        duidelijke  ,en volledige  verbondsbesohouwing   l&den,
 Daaroyer   zijn we.  bet, geloof  ik, volkomen eens.                                                        maar aReen  door Gods Woo&". Dat is taal naar ons                      -.
 Graag'  wil--ik   `
                                     ,  &n.  nu-  &der   a&wijzen,   :o~  welke                              vrijgemaakte hart! Daarom ,hebben  wij ons zoo ver-..
                                                                                                                                           ..,
 p:u&en'.voor  ,mijn besef  .uw. verbondsopvatting  nog in                                                   zet. tegen een synode, :die haar armoede .aan Schrift-
 den,nii,st  verkeert. Di.t doe ik te meer, dmdat ook in                                                     bewijzen traqhtte  te camoufleeren ,door gewelddadige
 oi&&;:`kring  nag lang niet alle  vragen  intake ,de ver-
       _,,__ r_  .-..                                                                                        onderdrukkjnXg.
 bon.c&ol&nbaring  tot klaarheid zijn geb,raoht!  1, Er,.bel                                                   De waarheidsdrang van Ds. Hoeksema is ook de
 staat g,een ,o@,cieele  "vrijgemaakte" leer des verbonds :                                                  onze: waarheid,  maar dan uit Gods Woord! Dat  is
 naast  "en  b&en de  belijdenis.  _
  ._             __I-'          _                                      c      _-            ,.     _       licht  in-  ,den  m i s t .     1         _     . L.  DOEKES.`
       Na- 1dez.e:  positieibepaling  kunnen we nu overgaan
 tot' nadere;bespreking   -van mijn uitlating.                                                             Ace&ding t6 promise, we hereby off&r those of our
                                                                                                        reader5 that are not. sufficiently versed  in the Dutch
  Ik had  Jdaarbij   ~uw opvatting op. het oog,  zooahs   u-                                            language to .folloti the Rev. Db;ekes' remarks' a ljrief
 die debt  neergelegd in .uw uit "The Standaxd  Bearer".                                                transl$ion,          ..
 gebundelde  lartikelen  onder den titel: "De- geloovigen                                                     .;  ._
 en  bun  zaad!`. Deze :brochure  is ten onzent nog niet                                                                           LIG,HT  I N   T H E   F O G   .
 algemeen  ,bekend.  Een vriendelijke hand bezorgde
                                :  .._  _,  -.._  _  _ .                                                      ..-.-
 mij-eenigen  tijd geleden  een exemplaar van den twee-                                                        In "The Standard Bearer': and in our "Reformatie",
 dei  ...kl.-`.` 7 . . . . ,,  ..' .:-                      _                                                     .
                                                                                                             The Rev. H. Hoeksema of Grand Rapids made a few
       "%$&on&&  b&ngstklling~nam  ik ke&s van uw                                                            r&z&s   &&it ari expression in  my paper uYJ!ihe O l d


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`220                                                  TH-E  +T'+NNDA~R~D-   B-E&E+                                                                          . - .
                   I                                                                                                   _.          .  -.- --  --..-  -~-~---~  -
         Battle?, read on the:aday  of-,our. Theological Seminary.               also !with-our  ipiri-dual-kinsmen  abr.oad  (&g;.with-the
            With Iappreciation  and gratitude. I read,,  his utter-              .Rev.  -Hoeksema  and with his -opponents-) ma-,haze,-  a
         ances. He invites' me to an open discussion. -of his"                   mist.-"
         covenant- conception, and says.:  "Sueh~   a., discussion,                        And.  the--  synod&l  .theories-  pssitively   spread*this-
         might serve- the. cause- of the- truth, andr.benefit  our.              mist as .a smokescreen.;
         mutual understanding." The.Rev:  Hoeksema  promises-                                   My, inDention,-  therefore; was not at- all to- insult
         publication and-transhation of  such a discussion  in>his               you:  by putting you in the same-  &egory- with  .our
         paper.  .His   article.closes   withTthe remark: "For-  the-,           fierce antagonists- here in- the- Netherlands.  Our.
         gxeat- difference between the  `.synodicals' and  the.                  editor-in-chief  -`already  `pointed out  thatthere is- con-
         `liberated' consists. in this that the- latter are'not-                                                                     ,
                                                                                 siderable difference- between the.  synodical theories-
         bound,. is-it not ? `That surely. must mean: there,-&-                  here-and--your conception. Those-theories now- con--
         plenty of-room-for a brotlierly.disoussion..of~ths~ques;.                                                           .  _,  _: . .
                                                                                 stitute an  ,offi&l   do,ctrinal  system, that-can no longer.
         tion csncernmg.  the. covenant.                                         tolerate- any- .principalr  contradiction:.                    Your view,
            Indeed, Rev. Hoeksema,;,  with us there is- plenty of; -             however, leaves  fullroom  for  publi&&&ssion. That-
         room for such a brotherly discussion, even- as thi.s- was               alone  .is -already a-blessing-for the -heart. :
         always the case in` our churches  before,  1942. Our
                                             . ..'                                         And, therefore, when as brethren we consider one
         churches are bound only by the Word of God-  and~the-                   another's views, it is not such  a.-serious  matter if,
        `.Three  Formulasof  Unity; in regard: to the- rest they.                with regard to certain points,  .we_  asbertain:  a few
         Iacknowledge  complete-:cliriStian-  liberty. If  isga cause,           things still  remain.in  the fog. `This is -no grieving
                                                                                                                                                -.
         of joy to  no that in this respect-we may hail you-as                   .indictment;  if only it -be further' demonstrated. On
         our spiritual. kinsman. We are `aware that. it is as you-               this point, I believe; we are, perfe.ct1.y  .&greed: A n d -
         wrote: :I. mayassure  brother Doekes.  that we `do not                  now  1. will gladly  `,demonstrate.   i-n,, respect to what
         belong to those  that  `reproaohed,and  stigmatized, the                flarticulas  points,  before-n@ consciousness;  y3.m cove-
         `liberated'.' We'are gratefulto you.for your resol.ute                  conception- still is -hazy. I am  the,more-ready  to do
         protest.  ,against-  the hierarchy  `that arose- in our  _              this, because -also in-,our,circles.by  &means  all ques--
         c h u r c h e s ;                                                       tions  ~coneerning  the- -covenant-revelation have been
            With- the consent of  ,our-  editor-in-chief; I gladly               clearly solved An official "liberated" doctrine-of- the-
         m.ake use of  `.the- opportunity for the discussion re-                 -covenant, over and- above- the confessionf  does -not-
                                                                                                                              .
        <quested-  by- you;                                                      exist.
            First of  ,all, however, `it-is necessary to put the                                After this defining. of * our position, we can. now                  ,.
         question  in- the right light. You supplied your  ,article              proceed-to a further discussion  of'.what  I. said.
                                                                                                                                                      :.
         with the heading: "Smoke Screen",  Rdokgordijn.                                        I  ,had in mind your view as  .developed.  in. your
         You adopted this term from  `my treatise; and upon                      -articles of The Standard Bearer, published under the
         occasion of a f,ootnote  in w&h yon also are referred                   title:.  `V@ievers  ,and  their*~Seed."  This  broohure  is
         SOj  YOU  say: "I am, therefore,' beings  classified  with.             here not  $enerally  known, as yet.  Tb.rougJr.  friendly
        , those .`spiritual  kinsmen abroad' that lay a smoke-                   handsI' received sometime ago a  cozy of the second`
         screen over- the clear significance  .,of `God's -covenant              edition.
                                                                                           .
         promises;?" And a little further: "That  %mokescreen'                             With special interest  1. took cognizance  ,of your.
         I cannot-swallow: It is-not exactly my habit to, lay                    foreword (dated Feb.  21, 1946). For our readers. I-
         smokescreens over the- .truth."                                         quote from, it the following: "To the. Mission Commit-
             This last we did, indeed, notice in your writings.                  tee of our.Churches  it appeared expedient, especially
         And. if my  <brief  reference in that footnote  .&d you                 in connection with the present controversies in the
         an injustice, I gladly offer you my apology. We know                    Net.herlands,  to reprint the-treatise that follows bere.
         too well from experiencewhat it means to -be put in                     In this connection, one mu,st .bear in mind that this
         a wrong.  light.                                _-                      material was not written withy a -view  to the ecclesias-
            Yet, I believe that you deduced too much from `my                    tioal troubles in the old country,, but eighteen. years
         remark. Literally I wrote: "Over the evident signifi--                  ago in the form of, articles in the, Standard Bearer.
        cance, of God's  eovenantpromises  a smokescreen was                     The text was left wholly unchanged. To this I will                                        .
                                                                                                                                          .-
         laid  bythe:synodical  theories. And- the same f,og;we                  add that the distribution of this `brochure in The
         see also in many  expressi.ons  of our spiritual kinsmen                Netherlands is not motivated by -the desire.-  to- grab
         abroad. (Footnote): Thus, e.g. with the Rev.  Hock-.                    a  ,dog  by the- ears,' bcut by the (desire to serve the
        sema, but  Ialso with-his opponents."                                    truth `concerning `God's eternal covenant,"`,
            My mode of  expression.was  somewhat brief; But                                Now, I-can assure you .that with-great interest, we
         only this. was said: f`over the covenant promises .there                took cognizance of. your treatise; especially now, in
         still hangs, as is evident from sundry expressions,                          connection  with. our heavy. ecclesiastical  ,struggle,

                                                                                                                  -


                                                       .THE.  STANDARDS  *B.EARER  d                                                        271
                                                                  :
         o.ur _ eyes pTere.  further -opened  for. ihe_  blessillg and        advocated by the leaders of &he Reformed Churches
         -$crjp-&ral.  -sjg&ic-mci: .of  _ G&l's   cqvenant  ,with us          (Art., 31) @at, appear .hazy :to -us here in-America. I
          and  our  chil.&ep. We are of the o.pinion  *at further             m&y .be.permitted  to -submit-some-of -them to- the- con-
         _and   .ppen:ievestjgati~n,  of  Godls  reTelation   .on  .this      sideration -of the :Rev. Doe&s.
         ;,poi& ..cap .o~!y  :he $cneficial  to. qur life in Christ.              -. 1: : What ,exactly -is: the distinction between prbmise
            Ro? ..the -rest, i,t remains, .of -course, true, -as. you         .a-nd  pledye   .(-belofte en toezegging)  ? The  ..E:rlglish
         -%rwrite. .in- cohnection  .-with.  .that  %&okesereen'?:  "It is    rpLedgT -is, : perhaps, not. the exact rendering of "toe-
         .-quite. imppssible,..of  course,  Itihat  what someone- sees        .zegging,". but I know no better term at present. And
         .as .a smokescreen,  must -be - ascri.bbed.  -to-a cataract: o-n     *with respect to. the -Dutch terms, the -dictionary makes
         *his  eye." LKes,-thhis   .-we..admit  wholehear&dly.  And,          .no  distincti& yet, it seems- that .by the "liberated"
         ,theref,ore,  &e gladly serve the -brethren,. -or -be--served        :writers.  an- important distinction is attachred to- these
        ' .:by them, -in the-ohristian  <work  of -removing-the m,otes        Xterms.   .Just what  is  ,it?
         -out -of t&at. eke. -lK+y the discussion .between-  you -and              2. Is-it. your view *hat the promise `&he covenant :
          me)yield   -adriCh  fruit-unto  that..end!         _
  ~        -,One  iore.remarkJ  -You  write also &is :--"W&&er,                    a. Is for .a11 that ar,e .baptized~unc&ditionally  ? If
          however, the one or Dhe other is true,  cannot.be  tieter-          $0, .does. this promise also inalude'that  the Holy Ghost
        mined ~by -sWormser or Pieters,-nor  `even- *by our `con-             -".will dwell in us,. and sanctifjr us to be members `of-
         -fessional.standards,  which sim'ply-do  not qffer-a clear            Christ; applying unto us that whi<h we have iti Christ,
         -and complete-covenant conception,  b,ut only by the                 -namely, the .washing- away of our sins, and the daily
          Woid of God.1'
                           ' `That  issla&uage-after our  liberated           `renewing. of our lives, till `we. shall finally be -presented
         heart! It is  bedause  of  "this -that we have set  our-             without spot or  tirinkle among the  a$sembly of the
         `selves ag.ainst  -a xync'd, %hat tried to camouflage its             elect .in life eternal." ? _ If .it does, .and God makes this
                                                  .
         -poverty   in'respect  to-Scriptural  .proof- by oppression          gromise to .all.the children-that are baptized, why does
         `by .main  force.                                                     I;le tiot..fulfill Hislpromise  to all?
            The urge for the truth of the Rev. Hokksema  is also                  b. -1s for all con@&onctlly  L! If so; must t&e. @p$@d
          ours: @.-r&h, .?+t theli out df the Word -of God! T&t' '             child-fulfill and live .up to this condition before God
          is the light in. the fog.                .c                         will  -&lfill -His promise,  and' .appJy  "that  &which we
                                                                              ,have in Christ" to ,it? If so, how can that child, -who
                                                                              is .by nature -`ibor-n--in-`sin, -and therefore -a child of
                                                                              :wrath," and who "cannot,-enter .into the kingdom of
                                                                              God  .exsept  .it be born again,`? fulfill any  conditi6n
       -Let me close-with- a. f.ew .re&rks .df my bwn'.'                      swhatcver  1
                                                                                         n
        `First df ,all, I want to assure the Rev. `Doekes  that,                  cl Or only for "the children .of the pr&&e" -who
-on .otir par&, the' Ybrdtherly  spirit -`that pervades _ his dare eo&ited  for thhe seed, -and -that, too, -both by God
entire article is' deeply appreciated. -1-n the mutual .and  `US'?'
confi&nce  -that $e-both want to serve the truth df G66                           .3, What Scyiptur& obj,ectioti  do you -have .to- the
nd the cause df His covenant, it should be -possible, iollowillg :                                                        : .
freely -and without mincing words, to weigh and' dis-
cuss.qne  _another'sviezus,  without~attacking each. otherls                      -a. Xhe Tpromise  -of the -gospel .is preached promiscu-, ,
`person. And  that is  wh&I.am,lookiag forward to.  '                         .ously to. all .that- hear, but is, .as to its'contents,  -particu-
        S.econdly, we. are now from under the: smokescr,e&n,                  1a.r; ..it `is -`only for. those that <believe, `and, therefore,
but still.iti. the mist. It is not so niuch because I felt pn1.y for the -elect?
-personally offended by .th%e "expression -of the R,ev.                           lb; `This same- promise,  with the same particular
Doekes.about  that smokescreen, as because I felt .-that .coptents,  is signified in baptism.  to till the @hildren.  of
a -fruitful  _ discussion between us would hardly. be pos- balieVer%, yet. so..that `it is <a savor of life unto lif,e for
sible- as -long  *as -the smokescreen -was supposed to be the .believers,  -.th& is, the elect, arid a savor of de&h
laid.by me, that `I  ref1ecte.d   .on it. I understood the                    urito de&h for the unbelievers, the,reprobate,.and-that,
expression in its -proper  sense, .as meaning that I was too, quiie according to God's counsel, and -in harmony
intentionally covering up the truth. of .:God's. promis&. with -the contents of -IHis promise ?
I gladly accept the explanation of  the Rev.  Doekes,                             4. Why was Esau, the reprobate,  firstborn?
even %hopgh from an exegetical viewpoint it is quite
debatable.                                                                        -Finally, I -hope to send -my answ*ers to Deb Refor-
       `Thirdly,  i will wait, of course, till the Rev. Doekes Fnzatih. `-But if the Rev. .-L. -Doekes  does not..personally
points out just where the mist hangs over my cove-                            receive our Standard Bearer,  and_:will send me his
nant~views.  .In thF.meantime,  there are several-points address, we -will be glad to-send him.a eopy.regularly.
in .the covenant conception that; `-hitherto, has -been                                                                             -H.  H .


 272                                 -  T H E   STAVDARD   B E A R E R ,   _  --_

                                                                    Church often live*d in% the expectation that the. Lord
           Our  EschatQltigical.   Age.  `:  -~  ..                 might come in. the period  of th$irL pwn life-time. Under
                                                                    the stress  of persecutioti-and  tribulation, the eschato-
    `The times in which we live make the impression on logical tension was strong.. Yet, even though -persecu-
 many people of ,God, who take :the Word of G&l and tion in the same sense and to the same degree as was
-the, promise of the coming of Christ seriously, that the lot ,of .the early beli.evers.is  not our` lot, .and. though
 they are, in a special sense of the word "eschatological",, .it may appear as if' the world is more. tolerant, to the
.precursory   to the end of all things. More-than or$e,             Christian faith `and confession than in those e_arliest
 not only in our part of the world, but also, and. especial- times 6f Church histqry, for us it is doubly true that
 ly, in the old world, this impr&siop .is voiced; I say the  end of, the  ages is  co&e, if it  wetie only because
 `Limpressioni: for the expectation and. hope that -the             of the simple fa& that. almost tw?. thousand years have
 coming of the Lord is near is by no. means' always the             elapsed since the apqstolic .age, 2nd we are surely so
 result of a proces?  of reason$g  in which the various much nearer, to. the:, ,end. of $1 things. `: We are living,
el&%ents that `constitute `ihe special `ch&&ter of. our not in the beginning,-butjll,.the.  latter part of the "last
age-are carefully compared with the revelatidri df the hour". The impression alit. the Lord must cqme soon
                                                                                                    I-
Word of Gqd;concerning  the last days. There is simply i s   quite  n o r m a l .
-som&hing in the age in which we live, and especially                   Bit other factors, sp&&i elements that'c&a&erize
.in our ,postiwar  period, that causes the -true Church specifically the age in which we live, &.y b&&&ioned
to look upward, &pressed with the nearness of the end               to explain and justify the impression that' ihe coming
of all things. ,\And so, they speak of our times as espec-          of the Lord draweth very nigh.             ;
ially "eschatological."                                                 From Scripture we know *hat certain.  things must
    Then question, nevertheless, arises : is this impres-           come to pass, and wit! be realized shortly before the
;sion justifiable? Can  .it be-  shown, in `the light `of           end. To these belong  thk establi&&ent: of .ihe king-
Scripture, that in, our day; more than before, there is             dom and dominion  df antichrist.  We?kio&  that this
reason to believe that the final.revelation  of- our Lord           dominion, from its political aspect,  Gili  he universal.
.Jesus Christ, His coming with the clouds, is near?                 Antichrist will lord it  over the  whole  earth.  .For a
    This question, I think; must-be-answered in the little while, `the space of "one hour," all the' nations of
affirmative.                                                        t.he world will subject themselves to him, even the .na-
~There are,-of course, general  reasons, reasons that,              tions that live "at the four corners of the earth." W e
in the new dispensation, are always -present; why the know, too, that, from- its  spiri.tual aspect this anti-
peopl,e  of ,God are justified in .living in *he .conscious-        Christian dominion will be characterized by its opposi-
ness of the nearness of the parousia, the `c-oming-  of             tion to all that is called Christian, and that he will op-
the Lord. In fact, the language of Scripture is eschato- pose and exalt himself above all  t&t  is- called God.
logical,througb&t. It assures us, in plain words, that -For &he believers that are faithful it Will be a time of
the @d of all things is near, that we must live as in great tribulation. `They will be social `outcasts. " They
the parousia, and that this is the last hour. The entire shall not be able to buy br sell unless t&y deny Christ,
jtieiy dispensation. is essentially eschatological : it carri'es    and receive the mark of the beast. Many of them shall
the message, and leaves the impression that the com-                be killed by the sword. Moreover, we are given  t6
ing of the Lord draweth nigh. That this dispensation understand rather clearly that the unity of this anti-
is the, `.`last hour" means that the second and final ad-           Christian dominion will be broken up by the. ntitions
vent is next. `When a train speeds to its destination, that  live on  .the  four  c&ners of the earth,  God  "nd
.and, on its way, must pass several stations, the pas- Magog, that will rise against the beast and devour it.
sengers begin to 1Qok for the end of the journey, and               All this will be preceded and prepared by a great and
to prepare themselves to leaye the train, when the l+st             genera!  apostacy  from the Christian faith, for it niust
of ,th&e stations is passed. God's train is -speeding n,eeds be from what is known as Christ,endom  that the
to the end. Several stations on the way, the flood, antichrist will arise.
Sinai, the captivity, the first coming of `Christ,. have               Knowing these things from the Word of God, it is
been passed. The coming of Christ, His death, resur-                not surprising that believers live uG$er a strong im-
rection, exaltation, the outpouring of the Spirit, was              pression of .the'nearness  of the end and of the _co@ng
the last event before the erid. It is now the last hour. of the  Lo@, in the present days.  ;                            ;           _.
The end of all things is next. All we cap now expect                  Several  .factors -contribute to this expectation.
is the  coming  df the Lord: It  ii always  near.  .The                There is, first of .all, the $ell:knotin fact that, from
imd of the ages iS corn& upon us. -The new' dispensation a purely geographical viewpoint, -hi&tory  has- come to
is essentially e&h+lpgical. -                                       an. end. -No new worlds are to be, discovered -and ex-
   For us this is, of course, true in a` special sense.             ploited. When-at the end of the fifteenth. century,  just
It is evident from the New Testament that the early                 before  - the  ,Reformation,   .Western-  civilization  -.had
                                                                                                                               .:


                                                    THE                 ATA'NDARD                BEARER                                          273.

   @OW~Z  old,-the,  Old+World seemed to  haxe  reach,ed its with respect to th&s spiritual and eternal, the empha-
   %id,  the:  Chhreh had  becorn*  apostate  and corrupt, sis on tl$ngs earthly and carnal, the p&suit of pleasure
   God--prepared  -an extension to the world's history,' and and amusement,-and the realization of the "man of
   a liew  home for His Church, in the discovery -of the sin" would appear not to be far distant. If one sub-
   NGW  `World by Columbus. History could continue. tracts from the number of ~nominal  Christians all those
   We kn6w quite definitely that this is no more the ease. that have-denied the faith, and have turned the grace of
   There are no new worlds to be discovered that might. God into,lasciviousness;  the number of true believers is
   provide a new lease on.life for the nations of the world. comparatively very `small. Nor does the scourge of
   G.eogra$iicallp  we have corn'`' to the end of history.                     God's fierce wrath and judgments, such as lashed the
           Moreover, in the second,  place, the, world has be- back of the nation's, in the last two world-wars, make
   come;~ extEeme1.y  nar-row-.  and-- small.. The nations :of any irn-pressibn  on the consciences of men. In th&book
   the world Virtually live oh to@ of one another, which is                    of Revelation one--reads, as a charac$eristic  of the latter
   one  of. the reasons why wars increase in number, scope, days, that men "did not repent", `when the judgments
   and intensity. It is comparatively but a short time                         of God were dn the earth. In those days, that is; in
   ago that co$munication  betw,een the nations was rela- days that are emphatically noted by such spiritual
   tively scarce and very slow. Weeks  and months it hardness and indifference, we are surely living now.
   took,:  i7oQ -only. to make the trip from the Old World-                       And are we not also living in the days when, ac-
   to4he -y&wj btit also to-~deliver  communications from cording to  Scriptur,e?  the devil must be loosed for a
   one part of the world to the other.                           All this has little Chile, in-order that he may -deceive the n@i&s
   chan&d, -.Through wireless and radio news is flashed that- live .on th'e four- corners of the earth, ,Gog and
   from:`&ie  `end of the world to the &her fas'ter  than, a Magog? The. nations, of the Orient are waking up.
   centur? ago a message  co.uld be delivered  froti one The time of colonies is' passed; The old country will
   place  iR:littl& Holland  to.ano'ther.  In a  day-w,e cross never again possess the East Indies as before. The
   the big ztitid. ;One may es& an early breakfast in Lon-                     mighty colonial empire of Great Britain is tottering
   don,.-and take his supper,:i@ New York. The world is on its foundations. All these facts point td the-tinie of
   become v&y small. :-Among other things this means the &d, and may accougi for the strong eschatological
   that co&ifions a?& being- piepared for-the realization consciousness and attitude of those believers`fhat earn-
   of a universal world-dominion. A hundred, even fifty estly look for the kingdom of ,God.
   year'; `a&; it tin& well-nigh inconoeivable  that a central                    And let us not forget that we are moving &ry fast.
   world-power, having. its 6abitol  say, in -Washin&on,                       The.fact that we are living in the age of the rachine,
   could actually reign over *he-whole world. Today this of steam and electricity, of streavlined  trains, auto-
   is no longer- a problem at all. The reaiiiation of the mobiles, and airplanes ; of wireless and radio, and of
   antichrist-ian  world-dominion, from its political aspect,                  gigantic production, does not only mean that we can
   has corn,e-quite within. the range of conceivable possi- accomplish so much more than the men of a few genera-
   b i l i t i e s .                                                           tions ago; it also  sigr&es  th$ we are moving at a
           Again, in the third -place, under, the itress of the' much more rapid- pace than formerly to the end of all
   historic&l' situation of the present day, especially after things.1  "B~ehold, -1 corni quickly,`.`-the Lord assures us.
   thi `second. w&d-war; - the fiations of. `the w&d are &v&throughout the new dispensatioti, this is true;
   a&&ily  seekiii&,&nd' striving .for a solution of their                     iii our own age, `this truth is accentuated.
                                                                                  All this does not mean at all that God's people are
   problems in the. direction  df such a world-federation
   under bne- c&traI pow&.                                                     attempting to express the time of His coming in terms
                                     In our small world, with all
   the nations being .neighbors, they realize that their of days or years. But it does mean that, more than
  very- eZ'ste&e a;nd th& colitinuance  of culture and civil- in qther periods, they live eschatologically, that is, in
                                                                               the consciousness of the nearness of the end, and in the
  ization are threatdned with destruction, and cari;:whtit
  wit6 the  itiver&on of  mod&n instruments of way- hope of the coming of the Lord. Living as in the
fare?-e&iiy  be-extin&<shed in a short time, unless ~a/y'o'usic~, they $11 watch and pray, and be sober lest
                                                                               they be swallowed up by the tiorld, hold fast that which
  they unite' for-%rld-Beace. The f,ear of one another,
  and  &&  de&Fe  to  save  the-world and its  civilizatibn,                   they have, and strive to keep their garments clean,
  drives `them to seek-  S&f&y in world-federation. That motivated by the hope to be like Him at His, coming.
   s&h' & $ed&&iofi may soon be organized under vane                                                                                !H..  IH.
  head, and that, tbo, &S a, d&finitely aritiehristian world-
   state; li@S no longer'oiitside  of the -ran&e'$`conceiveable
   possibilities.'  _  -    -__  :.  I.  :  ~~  _  5-  ._ . .      ,                         Lord, let me thrbugh this busy day
                                                                                                              .., -
    Add `to` tl&  il$  f&' &`owi@.  $postacy  from the                                         Conduct myself in  such a way
  Ch&&fi  faith;.  the.  a@$&ng.:   Iignorance concerning.                            -. That every one : I meet may see
  t& thiigs o?, %ih@' &g$oti -.of _ God;.: the indifference                           ,:.      The Spirit of ihe- Christ in me..
                                            . .
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274                                           T H E   - S T A N D A R D   BEAREB .                                                         .
                                                              . .                                                                         _ _
         Q                                                             necessary  to argue` the point. Even according $0 the
            4uestions on Church- PoTitf                                Rev. G. Hoeksema's exegesis of -this article, the word
                                                                       church signifies the local congregation.              He writes,
                                                                       `"Article `30 speaks briefly of the elders .and deacons
       Dr. R. Bouwman, as we have seen, tried to- reason who, together with the pastors, form the council of
the crooked thing straight-the thing: deposition of the church. There the local church' i_s. meant." Bro-
dffice byarers by `Classis- bi arguini ihe pbint that,                 chuFe   page  39
in a cris,is, as when there is need of a power ,to depose                         P&sing on to Art. XxX1, I quote its first sentence,
+ rebellious  cotisistory, all the consistories transfer
their key-power to the  ,Classis (Synod), and thereby                                 "We believe that the ministers of ,Godis Word,'
bring it into being as a major consistory with key-                          - and the elders and deacons, -ought to be chosen to
power to depose office bearers. As was stated, this                                their respective offices. by lawful election by the
teaching -according to which  th,e major assemblies                                church, with calling-upon the `name of the Lord,
(Cassis and Synod) are major consisfories  is also that                            and in that order which the word .of Gbd teach-
of Rev. Gerrit Hoeksema and he got it f?oin the late                               0th."                                           .:'
                                                                                                                                      _,
i'rof. Heyns. Yet, as was said, there is $ .diffe,rence.                          Again the locdl. church- Zmeant,  certaiply.  --Classis
With  G, Hoeksema and Heyns  Classis  (Synod) is a and Synod  db not engage in the  &lection   bf office ,
permanent consistory. But according to Dr. $I. Botiw-                  bearers, ministers,  elders;  and deacons. This is  the
man, when the crisis is past, the key-power reverts  to ,~ task of the local .congregatidti also according t6 Ait. 22
the.lo@al consistories, and the major consistory is again of the  Church.lOrder of  Dort,
d, cpmmon Classis.          . 1                                                      "The `elders &all'b;e.`c&sen  by the judgment of
      .As w$s remarked, Bouwman an'd G. IHoeksema need                            - the- Consistory  and ihe D,eacons according to the
this doctrine accol*ding  to which Classis (Synod) iS a                            regulations for that pprpose  established by the
consistory. Everyone who affirms that  Class& can.                                 Consistory;  In pursuance. of these regulations,
ri&tfully .depose  office bearers and at Once wants to                             every church shall be B;t lib?&~,~acco~ding  to its
be known as reformed, needs this doctri'ne. For Classis                            circumstances, to give the members an oppor-
cannot rightfully engage in this action except it be a                             tunity to direct attention `to- suitable `persons, in
consistory and thus not a  Classis: For according to                               order that the Consistory. may thereupon either
otir Church <Order and our Confessions all l&y-power                               present to the congregation for election as many
ii, concentrated in the consistory, only. Arid `by insist-                        elders as are needed. . .  ."
tng that Classis is a consistory, Bouwman and `G. Hoek-                           The teaching of the ab.ove-cited  excer&s is this,
sema admit this. Hence, if the major  assei&bly-is a
Clas'sis.  and not a consistory, it cannot depose- office              "-1) The ministers or pastors, elders,  and,- deacons
bearers. Rev. G. Hoeksema admits this too; He evefi                               constitute the ruling council -of the one local
aff.irms it with emphasis'as  I proved with a quotation                              congregation.        -           :
from his brochure.                                            :                   2) This council, as to all of its members, is chosen
                                                                            -.       by lawful .election by the -one local congregation
       This then is the qnestion:  is Classis a' coilsistory?          1             subject to it:        .-.               _            r.
And the answer : not according to. our Church Order
and the Confession.                For.  ticcor'ding  to the Church               How true. it is that, accord&g  to ihe. above-cited
,Order and.the Confession, a consistory is an ecclesiasti..            sllticles of the  Conf,ession  -and  ,the Church  ,Order;  a
cal council of office bearers,  each and  evieri one  of               cd@isto?y 3s' an ~ecc~esias~~c~l  .co$-hi each and every
which. is lawfully &&en by the church, that is, by-the liieniber `of which  is.  tihos:en;  by- lawful  -ele$!on of
one local congreg&?ioti,  .brdtherhood subject to it. The the &B .local ,b?otherhdod s_ubj& to it. And therefore
proof. of this is contained in Arts. XXX and  XXX1 -a" Classis is not, .accordii@ `to these articles;' a con-
of - the.Belgic-Confession. I quote :                                  sistory. For according to t&&:Ch&ch. Order a Classis
                                                                       is  .an ecclesiastical  o'rganiiatipn  of delegates-minis-
         "We Leiiev, that this true church must be gov- ters and eld&r& if you viTill-e$&i~  df whom is chosen by
        erriea  hy that spiritual polity which our Lord has lawful ,election not by the siti arid -total of churches
        taught us in his word ; na,mely,  that there must
_-                                                                     th5t deleg$e tii the&&%l-atisembly and that in their _
        be ministers  or pastors to preach the word of God, totality constiti$e  .bne corigr&@atiori,  but only by the
        and `to administer thse sacraments ; also elders one S church .repregented.Y by -each; It  ineans that ac-
        and deacons, who together srith the p&ors, form e&ding  6' thle Church :`O;Fder,- C.lassi$ is not a con-
        the council of the' church: . . . .  .T' Art.  XXX1            &story. An2 .it `also -n!ie&ns -that Rev. G. .Hoeksema
  .: (quotes in part.) ;                         ,.                    (tind Dr=. Bouwman) loses the. argutient to the. effect
       Th.e word  church  in the  clausk  "fbrm the  cduncil that  Classis  c&n rightfully  ddpose  office-bearers;  .For
of the church" d,enoteB  the l&al congregation; brother- he says, does he not, that, if: Classis is not a consistory,
hood:  This  is  disptite'd` by' no  .onet..  Hepee,  it is not depositiijri  df ,-office `ke=+&rs  _ by Classis is out of the


            2..  ___...  _.  -  ._-_-  ~~       T H E   S'I'AN.DARD.   BE_AR.ER                      ^~-                     275,
          question. This should settle the matter.for everybo,dyj  .' united into a consisiorial classis? Jf so,`it would have
          for the brother in Sioux Center, Iowa, and for the Rev.       to be done in `eith& of the two following ways'. 1) All
          Gerrit Hoeksema, too.                                         the churChes would have to- chose .bym lawful election
          ' For Rev. G. (Hoeksema, however, the matter is not one another's con'sistbri$s  ; or 2) All the churches would
          settled. `This is certain. !He agrees that a m&re Classis     have to dissolve. Thereupop  the large mass .of inter-         -
          {is not a  &nsistory with key-power to depose con- &ted persons would congregate in one place and choose
          sistories, and therefore  he insists that the  .several  them a new consistory. Another way, besides  -these
          consistories must unite into a larger consistory and that two, there. is not. At least, no one on Tarth is able
          only when this is done can it be maintained that Classis- to conceive of another way. For, mark you, .what must
          can- rightfully depose office  bea-rers.      Attend. once be,brought into being is not a Classis, is :not a Synod,
          More* to his  ariument,
                               -                                        but verily a consistory. And according to the Church
                   !`To get cbmbilled .consistory  authority. over the .-Order and the. Confession, a consistory, as  t6  _ every
               combined churches and over each other, you must one of its members, must be lawfully chosen by- the
     .          unite these-cdnsistories into: a larger whole, into _ brotherhood $ubj,ect to it. Therefore there is no way                 '
                the larger consistories  we call Classis and Synod. by which cons&tories can unite into a consistorial
                Then the Classis `can- ask submission of the indi-      Classis other *than the tviro ways just presented. But
           vidual  en&tory  as a member of the larger body. the difficulty is,.that,  were either of the ways followed,
                And only thus can you desend  the right of Classis      the resultant organization would be not a consistorial
                to depose a consistory. . . . the question is, what     classis (synod) but simply one large congregation
                kind of. `kerkverband' has been established? Is it subject to the newly chosen consistory and including
                a mere. federation? (Notice this question. It is all the memb'ers  of -the several churches that passed out
               -equivalent to ask&g : What kind of Classis, Synod ? of existence by dissolving. -s.But this would not do at
                                                                        all. For what'is needed is not a new and larger cbn-
I               a mere~classis? G.&LO.)      Then the cleposi$ion of
             3 consistory is out of the question. . .  .Is it, on gregation,  but a consistorial  Classis with key-power.
                the. other hand, a real union. . . .theli you have over churches. However, there is a way-and it is the.
                a real ethical, and ecclesiastical basis for deposi- cnly way-in which consistories with their resisective
                tion, . . ,.- And the  Classis, really -nothing less congregations can unite wit&out  involving themselves
           _ than a large -combined consistory, clothed. with in the loss. of .their seperate existence, the way, namejy,.
                real governing power as is any consistory, has the      of federating on the basis of the Church Order. . `How-
                right and the duty to proceed with censure."            ever, by  ptirsving  this  way  the consistories bring
                                                                Bro-
                chure; p. 54.                                           tlieniselves into be&g not as a larger consistory, con-
                                                                        sistorial Classis, with authority- to depose .office be&r-.
              There is but one name for the kind of ecclesiastic& ers, but simply as a mere Classis, a mere federation of
          organization that the reverend wants brought into             churches. But this would not do eithe;..  For what is
          being-the  name consistorial  classis (synod). For as needed is a consistorial Classis. So the question: can
          to  3s  orgariization; the thing that he  advocaltes is a tionsistories  be united into & consistorial Class&~ must
          classis,  btit a's  td the character of its power-it has      be tinswelled thus: Not. at all. This. is $bsolutely im-
          power to depdse  office bearers-it is a consistory, that possible; For the  resultan%  organization' is either a
          is, &ppoied to be one. The imaginings of the reverend common Classis or just a consi&ory. There is no way
          raises  qnestions.  Z&t, does the Church Order and by  tihibh  con&stories  bring  thetisel$es  into  being as'
          our Confession  knoti` anything about a consistorial
                                    -                                   a ctinsistorial Classis. The Church `Order  and the Con-
          cl'assis `(synod) ? They do  n`ot, of course. As far as fession kndw. of no way. Nobody is able td conceive
          thi Church Order arid the Confession are concerned,,a         bf a way.. If there be anywhere such a person, let him
          consistorial elassis (synod) is a norientity (conception- publish  ;the  frdits of his effort. It means that the
          ally), a figinent of *he reverend's own imagination. It reverend (and the others)' still is confronted by the                     .
          ivill pr'esentlk appear. hoti very true' this is.             task of explaining how, in the light of the Church
             -See&d,  th6re is also this question : How is a con-       Order atid the Confession, .Classis rightfully can de-
          sistorial  C'lassis  `brougk;t' into be&g? In  &hat way? pose consistories. Of course, it ought to be plain now
          By what `spe&ic `act? To say, as do& the reverend, thit to attetipt to explain this is to try to `do the in?-.
          thai `iyoq' $ust` u&te these consistories @to a larger possible' It .carinot  be explained ; and this is but an-
          khole, into thti.larger  consistqries!  `we call Classis and &her way of saying that  the. teaching according  to
          Syndd" id oe&&ly nbt `an `answer, sb; that the question which Classis rightfully deposes -office bear&s is as
          is &ili with- us : .h66? .i< what way? Fact `is that the contrary to the. Church IOrder and the. Co;ife&ion as
          $+evererid g&s no-answ&."6eybnd  Baying that it mzcst an$ teaching ctin be. The last .half of Art. XXX1 of _
          be dotie IS there' an answer? -Could the several con- our Belgic Confession reads,                                  -
          &stori&s  th&,  dile&t&  to the  .classical' assembly be      .      "AS for the ministers' of God's Word,  they :h&{


276         -                         T H E   -  STA.?DAR.D.   B E A R E R

        equally the same power and authority wherestivere with key-power to* depose office bearers? The rever-
        they are, as they` are all ministers. of Christ, the end makes  mention of the Netherland Synod at Assen.
        -only universal bishop, and the only Head of the Ythe Synod th.at deposed Dr. Geelkerkeli  and his &on-
        Church. . . ."                                         sistory. Were the Classes that delegated- to this Synod
    ,This plainly is meant as a thrust at the Roman united by lawful election into a consistorial Synod?
hierarchy and thus against all hierarchy. The teach- Was the Netherland  Synod that deposed Dr. K. Schilder
ing of the article that precedes is that the "church must and Dr. Greydanus a cdnsistorial  $ynod? All these
be governed by that spiritual polity, which our Lord questions, of course, must be answered in the negative.
has taught in His Word ; namely, that there must be            Those two Christian Reformed Cl@ses were Classes
ministers or pastors to preach the Word of God, and to         and nothing more. For they were nothing more or less
-administer the sacraments ; also  ,elders and deacons, than the major assemblies of a` number of churches
who together with- the pastors, form the council of the federating on the basis of the ,Church Order and dele-
church." The teaching contained in these two excerpts gating  tom the  ClassicaP assembly.  :And that is what
is plainly this: The local church has its council of those Classes still are-common, ordinary Classes, `and
office bearers through which Christ rules that brother- not  cer,tainly~  consistorial Classes. IHas anyone ever
hood. But not so the churches. The  bibhop  df  the            heard or-read about  the churches delegating to the
churches is not a man (the pope) or men' (Classis and          Cla&es Grand Rapids .West and Grand Rapids East,
Synod) but Christ, "the only universal bishop, and the chodsing by lawful election one another's consistories?
only head of the church. For the ministers have equally IJ-Ias anyone ever heard or read of those churches dis-
the same power or authority wheresoever they are,              solving and of the membership congregating in one
.as they are all ministers of Christ. Accordingly the          place and, choosing it a new  con$istory  ? This, -of
one may not se& himself up. as bishop over the other,          course, has never happened. I- repeat, -the ttio Classes
-or Borne over the others. An identical teaching is set in question- are common, ordinary .CJasses,  `&ad ih~ey
forth by Art. 84 of the Church ,Order, "No Church in were this at the time they engaged in deposition ,of
any way shall-lord it over other churches, no minister office  b,eayers.  And the same  must be said of the
over mother ministers, no elder or-deacon over other Netherland  .S@od that $eposed Geelkerkeri  and of the
elders- or deacons." And cer,tainly, what the one may Netherland Synod  that deposed Schilder and  Grey-
not do, the several in  .combination  of  Classis may danus,  and  df all the Reformed Synods and Classes
not do.                                            .i  \I  .!! that, through the years .of the past,. have engaged in
    Rev. G. Hoeksema's reasonings raise still another that forbidden action. They were common;. ordinary
question. `The reverend's- brochure-it  bears the title,       Classes and Synods and. not consistdrial  Classes and
`Z'an a Classis Depose a Consistory ?"-represents an           Synods. And of course, Rev. G.  IIoekseGa  and all
attempt on'his part to defend two Christian Reformed those minded as is, he in regard to tke. poirit at issue,
Classes-Grand Rapids East and Grand Rapids West. know ihis to. be true. And therefolt: the reverend is
Back in 1924, .as is well knbwn, these Classes went compelied  to admit that a  Classis `cannot rightfully
to deposing office bearers right and left.. The revepend~ depose office bearers. He, himself;  -in a sense, has
in his brochure strives to justify these Classes in that made this as plain as can be. He did s6 by insisting
doing-justify them frdm the point of view of Re- th?t, unless the churches, consistories, be united into
formed  Church polity. -(How well he succeeded, we a larger consistory, consistorial consistory; deposition
.have just seen. He did not su@ceed,  but failed miser- of office bearers by Classis (Synod) is out of the ques-
ably).  Bence,  when the reverend writes (in his bro- tion. What the reverend should noti do, therefore,' is
chure) , "To get beyond that, to get combined consistory to send into the world another brochure, explaining to
authority over the combined churches and over each the churches that  .he erred dreadfully and that `he
other, you must unite these consistories into, a large retracts  ever.ything.
whole, into the larger consistories we call Classis and        Once more,. there is no `way.  ?n which  Classis
Synod," he really means to tell his readers precisely          (Synod) brings itself into being as a consistorial
this : The Christian R.eformed  Classes that,' back .in        Classes (Synod), with pow,er to -depose -office bearers,
1924, engaged in d&position of  c&sistori&, office except it be the  wa"y of  Classis  -(Synod)  simply pro-
bedrers,  did right;`. their action is wholly justifiable nouncing itself to be a council.of that character. - This.
froni the  `p&it of view of  Reformed  Church.`@%ity.          is the:only- way: But it -is- the ,forbi'dden Way; it is a
For the -consistoyies  that delegated' to those Clatisical sinful- way. .For, as we. have seen, according to- the
,assetiblies  were united into- a large`r  consistory, don-    Church Order and our Confession,. office bearers must
s i s t o r i a l   Classis.                                   be chosen .by Ilawful election, by the. church subject to
    I ask,. and certainly every one who retids; asks :         them. Hence, whew Classis bring4 %itseif . into -being
but is it true?  mere, at  -the  tinie, those  Chri&ian        as a ruling power over the-.chur&&  by  a..mere pro'
Reformed con&stories  united. into a larger .Consistory        nouncement, it intrudes itself by- indecent means and


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B:EA.$-&R                                                                    277'     -
                                                     <        (_-               `.
thereby collides head-on.witki Art. XXX1 of oup Belgic brotherhood without being  lawful  chosenby  it. The
Confession. `The articl& contains this sentence, `-There:     hierarch, it means,' imposed himself on the flock from
fore every one must take heed, not to intrude himself without.
by `indecent metins, but is bound $0 wait till it please                                                                       G. M. 0.' . .
God to call him." When a Classis brings itself into
being as a ruling power over the churches by a mere
pronodncement-and this is. precisely what Reformed
Classes and Synods have be& doing and are still doirig
-it  runs the way of the  `hierarch. That is  ,exactly                    THROUGH  T&E  AGE$
how the pope of Rome got .whe&  we find him -in the
Middle Ages-on a throne in the clouds  ds the head
over all things in church and state. /How did he get            The Refiaissb-we
                                                                           .                        Popes, 1.431~1521
there? Easily enough. He simply pronounced himself
to be a potentate of that exalted position ; and nien                                        (Continued)
were foolish enough to b,elieve  him ; and whenever he          _'                    "
                                                                                      .,          piusHI                            _.`
                                                                                                                                      i

thundered, they would tremble and stoop down and
kiss his toe. Sad  .to say, through the years of the                  The dates of his pontifictite  are`1458-1464. His `ftill
past, Reformed Synods and Classes have been follow- name was `Aenkab  &ylvius de' Pidcolomini. As his name
ing and are still following the pope's .example.. They indicates, he was an Italian.' He was of noble birth,
have been and still are setting themselves up as bishops thou&h his parents, who had been banished from Siena;
with key-power over the church& by a mere pro- w,ere poor.                                         e
nouncement. Of course, it is the only way open to a                   Aeneas has be& g&en ,a place am&g the su&essfui
Classis (Synod) that is determiped to get the churches        popes. But he wds without  prindiple -and a profligate.
under its heal.                                               He had illegitimate children' lbefbre he became ~pope:
   I know, the leaders in Reformed communions here For his love Affairs w,ere many. IOne of his sons was
and across the sea tell us that Classis (synod), in set- born in Scotland, and the &heu; i$ Stra&bur& bi' ari
ting itself up as bishop with key  pow.er over the Eriglishwoman. .                                1     -         '      -
churchess simply avails itself of a pwer given it by the         But he w&S able and versatile.-  He mastered  ,Gre'ek
Church Order, definitely, by. Art. 36 of the Church in Florence. In the `thirty  yea?,  `that preceded  `his
Order, "The Classis has the same jurisdiction over the elevation' to the @pal throne, he served suctiessively
Consistory 6s l&e Particular Synod has over the Cl&sis, two' cardinal& a bisliop `and a pope as `secretary ; tra-
and the General  Synod over ;the Particular." Thk R,ev. velled in  France, and visited  England  akid  Se&la2
G. Hoeksema appeals to this article in support of his the wrote vgrses  iii Latin,  &nd they  i;von for him the
philosophy. Likewise Dr. H. Bouwman and Prof. Dr. appointtient  o f   poet-laurate. His doubtful -literary
J. Ridderbos of the synodicals. And they all do. But achievements included, besides' -his poems,' stori& of
also the reasoning of Dr. Ridderbos brings out only.how       love and adventure and' a YHistory~  `of Frederick III.
`utte&ly  impossible it' is even for the best of minds to `(He attendE&  the council of Ba.sil. He was a member of
prove the thing and to reason it straight : the thing :       one of the`four committees; the committee on faith. He
deposition of office  .bearers  by  Classis (synod).  1"      had great influence ,with Frederick III, who, as' im-
   In a followihg article we hope tp attend to the bea-       pressed by his diplomatic skill, appointed hjrn to the
soning of Dr. Ridderbos. Certainly this) appeal to Art.       chief place in his counci!.
36 of the Church  ,Order is vain. As if the Church                    From 1444 on-he  W&S  then in his 39th year-his
Order on the one hand should rule that office bearers         letters indicate a desire to renounce -ihe world. `He
be-chosen by lawful election by the brotherhood sub- wrote to;' his friends that he had had-enough of' Venus.
ject to it, and on the other hand. should give to the His immoral courses had .ruined his health .and sh&t-
Classis the right t? set itself up as bishop with key- tered his constitution. Then came his selection  as pope;
porwer over ?che churches by a ,rnerg proriouncement, or,      Before his election he` had to make several pY'o&ses;
which amounts to the same thing, simply elevate including the promise to renew the, wzr .aga;inst tlie
classis to .a position of a ruling power over the'churches     Turks. . .                      ._ .      -.         _          _           .-  -
and thus allow it to say to the churches, "I am thy lord, "           *Accordingly, __ during his entire : career 8~ Dope,
not, it is true, in the way of a lawful election but. by Pius  1: was occupied with the',  crusade  agtiitist  1Ke
virtue of a right given me. be- the Church Order. As           Turks. -In.the third year of his reig$ h'e ordeped  the
if, in .a word, the Church lOrder.brings  t$e churches -lay princes of his patriarchate to assetible  in `M&-ito&
under- the- heal of the heirarch;  i For that, according to Appearing before'the,congr&s;  he beliv+ed it9 b;p&ning
the Church Order and our Confession and. the Scrip- address, that lasted three hours.`~$iJ%i' dwelt "lcmg on
tures is-preci@y the hierarch: *The hierarch,rules the
            _ _.                                              what. Christendom  had- lost  to*  th&~Qa~greSsion~~~f   the  '
                                                                                                                .v.$*&


                                         `n
                              _  .*       0  _
                                          I               `
                                                               ,
                                          .:  %
                                          !        .
                                         ,!  .                                                                               -
                                                                    -     _-
                                                                    T H E       STA.NDAiXD   BEAiEEft:
                              ._
                Turks-the-faire&,  seats such as .Antioch, Jerusalem, the -lord" of .all, including the. church -councils. And he
                and Bethlehem.  `He told the princes -that if they let ii be known-that he retracted anything hc had said
                cared for, their, own possessions, their wives, their ifi conflict with these. views, and ascribed his. former
                children and the& Hberty, their faith in which they contrary utterance: to: that' latik -of insight and under-
                were baptized,  they must take up arms  @ainst t$e standing characteristic of youtliful minds; That even
                Turks. And indeed, the Turks but recently had plarited before his own consciousness. he was sincere in his
                the cr'escent  on the Acroplis of Athens, and all southern retractions. does not. seem possible.  j                          .          _
                Greece was suffe,ring the horrors of Turkish oppres-                 .IL                         ,-       :.             : G. M. ~0.
i               sions. Pius' address was followed by others of equal                           .               . . .
                length. Though the assembly was deeply moved, the                                                                                 .
                princes took no action. For the age of'the crusades
                was past. .In his closing days, Pius wrote a letter to
                Mohammed;.  in which iirgkd `him to- embrace Chri&&n-                                                             -
                ity.
     '                                                                               .-'  ?rHE  DAY~bF  SrnD
                        Yet in 1464 .it" seemed as -if something was to be                          j
                attempted.. The Turks- at least .should be held at bay
                and &&en if possible from the. soil df -their r,ecent  con-
                quests. ,.iThe pope,  though ailing alid `dying, was -deter-                             ' Stud's Public E%ec'cion
                -mined to encourage the defenders of the cross by his
                presepce  op the seene of conflict. SQ he had himself                        As we have seen,' Samuel, 10 : 8-13 : 8 f or'ms a-passage
                conveyed on a small litter to a promontory in Ancona that prese&  Certain difficulties -rising from Samuel's .-
                to  watch  from  this  elevatiqn the battle against the Fon+&and  to Saul. This  comm&nd having been dealt
                infidels., But he died before the corn-mencement of the with and these diffi:ulties having been explained qnd
                battle.. Among hi& last words, spoken to a car,dinal,                thereby removed; let us take up. the` thread of the
                were; "pray for tie, my son, for I am a sinner. Bid parrative,  where we broke off.
                my brethren to co&jnue thjs holy expedition."                               Saul had been anointed and- charged by Samuel in
                        It cannot be denied that in the latter years of .his         secret.. In .addition, the unbelieving. king had been
                life, Pius' attitude was religious,  -whi&h   some  his-             provided with a mass. of indisputable evidence that
                .torians  regard as insincere and the crusade ai inspired ,Samuel truly. was G.od'sprophet and that therefore in
          .     *by a lust of. fame. .-"There was nothing great in him," him, men,. and in particular the king, verily had tti do
                says ,Gregorovius. -!`Endowed  with fascinating gifts, with-God.
                this man.of brilliant parts poss%sed  no enthutiiasms."              :       We now come  to, the section  10:17-27.   -iHere  -is
               ' ,Others  overlooking the. sins of his: earlier. life, pro- related the public election of Saul by the lot `of God
                nounce hi& one of $he most notable. popes of the fif-                in- the congregation of Itirael. It took place in Mizpeh,
                teentli century.  :  1.  1                          :                where Samuel had called together the people unto the
                        Two things-of iliterest stiU may be told of this pope. Lord for that purpose. It is not correct to say, .as
                The .precious  relics' of the `church included `also the             some do say, that "here the.human  factor appears in
                Veputed skull  &i  .the  apbstle  *Andrew.  During the cooperation  with the divine" with Samuel as the inter-
                potitificate of Pi&-If,  this prized treasure was brought mediator. Firstly, the -Lord alone  throqgh the lot,
                td `R&me by Thorn&  Pal&ologus. -`*he pope was that .directed  attention to the man `of .His choice. The text
                grateful that he gave Thomas the Golden R&e, a palace reads here, "And' when Samuel had caused all the
                in -Rome, and a y&-1$ allo%aricti of .6,000 d-u&s. When tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin
                tidings were l&ught to-the pope -that the bearers of was taken. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin
                the relic had arrived with their tr&a&;Ee ai .the gates $o.co&e  near by their families, the family of Matri was
                ,of Rome; he went `but with hi$ cardinals- aid the R&r& taken, and Saul the son of  .Kish -was taken. . .  ."
                                    .                   ._.
               clergy to  give' it welcome. Having knelt  -before  the ,This phraseology implies the use qf the lot; "The lot
                ap.o&le's  skull, he'"add?ess&d  td it %rds o$ cdggratula-           is cast into the lap.; but. the whole dispqsing  thereof
                titin `on.its'deliver&ce from the h&nds of the T&k; $0               is of the Ford" (Prov. 16 :33). Today, the-Lord  directs
                be given a place bes+e the remains of its brethren.`                 attention to the man of His- choice through the agency
                  As the secretary of Car&n&Is and bishops, Pius had df the congrkgation.                               For the church' `has attained to
                defend&d and a.d$`cated  the supremacy of the-,chu@h                 &irittial majority. Samuel was act&e  in ' anointing
                souricil  dver ,the'p@ with such vigor that he. has ,been. Saul (is s&et), in .charging him, in casting the lp'c in
                called the forerhnner of the Reformatioh. Odce in the the presence of the, congreg&on,  and late? iti 2-&.&t-
                papal' t&one, hoye+er, he forsook his former position                &g Saul into  his. office- by  `abpropriaie   ce&monies.
                and prdnounsed`the  Roman hierarchy-ai headed by-the .The  people were active in  approba&@;  ihe. Lord's
                pop& a divine &@&ion,  and the pope under' Chr& tihoice.   But  these   a&ions   cert&ly  madi  S&tiGeI  and


                                                                                                                          -             *::.



    -

                                                                                                                          ,             `
                                                                                                                                         .`
                                                                                                                          .u  !                                                     .
                                   TfiE  S T A N D A R D ,   B 'E A R E R                                                               . -,.                                       2 7 9
         ._
the people _no factors, cooperating with thk Lord.. The to  put: hi+  trust in the arm of fle&forsaken  in his
fallacy of< this view is evident when considered ii&e owti%&d,of  flesh.                                                  L                      .;
light of the consideration that Samuel and believing              Before Samuel cast the. lot, ;he,. igain chided the
Israel, apart from Christ's grace we$,e fallen men, un- people for wanting a king in the room of the Lord,
done, and last sinners, that thus as willing- servants his purpose being! to bring them, ins@umentally,  to re-
they were the Lord's workmenship, through whom He pentance: -True; he was about to. he,ark@n unto- their
accomplished His .work. The sole factor here was the voice.' So the Lord had commanded. It was His will
Lord. Arid so, of, course, it ever is.                         that a king be set over them.  So;  IHe had decreed.
   It was the Lord,who chose for Israel a king, raised         Samuel must hearken unto the vojce of the people in
him up, commanded, qualified and sustained him. The all that they had said to him. But the people might
king was Gdd's gift to the people. To God alone h& was not be allowed to conclude therefrom that they had not
responsible and according -to God's  word, he must sinned,  -and that* the Lord. had `-put Samuel in the
reign. His authority was solely God's. Israel's govern- wrong. They had sinned.  .And  ;tl&r only salvation
ment was not of the people ; it was of the.Lord.               lay in the way of their repenting a$ in their-vowirig
   Saul could have been intrqduced  to the nation as.the       that with tlieir king they would serve the Lord. He
man of :Godis  choice by secret calling and' anointing.. told them that their reason .for the .Tep?lest  thtit a king
But such was ngt <the Lord's will. What had been done be set over them, wag not valid, did `not `exist. They
in s&ret had to be verified by a transaction witnessed wanted a ki6g to deliver theti from`the dppressions of
by. the whole nation, in- order that `there might be no- foreign dominions. But as Israel history loudly testi-
excuse for the doubt, that Israel's .government,  as to fied, the Lord stood ready to -do that for them; would
the. f9r-m that it was now made to assume; was $r;uly they only forsake their abominati6ns. and serve their
of G&i. and that the king who sat in the throne- iyas red'eemer-God. But that precisely& what they refused
the.`rnati.  of God's  chbice indeed. There was need  of       to do-be saved by Jehovah in thF.,wtiY of repentance
both .&lli@s-the se&et and the public. Saul himself and return to Him. For they were, carnal men.
had n6ed of it. IThere was now time for the amazement            . Sam@ told them so. Said he to $heti, "Thus saith
that rose from his consideration  th& he had  b&n the  Lord God of Israel, .I brou@- up Israel out of
selected for the'throne to spend its force in his soul.        E.gypt, and delivered you out of  <Ithe hand of- the
And there was also. time for Samuel to charge him and Egyptians,- and out -of the harid c&all kingdoms, and
to provide him. with the evidence that he wag truly of them that oppressed you: And -ye have this day
called of God and that in .Samuel he verily had to do          rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all
with `the Lord.                                                your adversaries and `you? tribul$ions"; and ye have
 Though prepared for his public  elect&,  -when it said' unto him, Nay, but set a king:over us."
finally did  tak.e place, Saul was not surprised-that              But the people on this occasiojl  rkfused to c&ifess,
were impossible-but terrified. When the.people  sought their great sili. They hapdened  their hearts. Samuel :
him, he could not be  found. They learned from  +he therefore proceeded with the electitin.                                                                              .~  '  `.'
Lord that .he had hidden himself among the baggage.                                                                                      : . C$ M. 0.
And they ran and fet`ched  him thence. Fqrcibly,  against ._                                                                                                       I.
his will;he was brought into the limelight., And there                                                                          .  .
                                                                             ,
he stood, in his extreme confusion of. soul, towering
head and shoylders  above all the people. All eyes were                                     R&solution of Sympathy                                           .-
tipon  .him now. : For Samuel had said, "See ye him                                                                                                                      _
                                                                             .:i                        _,
&om the ,Lord hath chosen, `that, there is none like .-= The M&s Society ,of  t4he First Protestant Ref&med&urch,
him among all the people." And the peqple  shouted,            of Holland  Michigan,  herewith  expresses its  sincere  and Chris-  ~
"God save the king." But Saul heard as not heaxing. tian sympathy with one of its members;  $Ir;  &An Klaver, in
it. can be explained. A Benjamite, and  one whose the death of  his. mother,  '                                               '
f&nily was the ieast of all the fatiilies of- the tribe of
Benjamin, was elevated to the throne. Saul's.Zmpact                                    M         R            S          .                                  PETEI?KLA;VER
                                                                                  8                                       I
with the reality of the.thing,  filled his soul with dread.        May the God of all grace co8nifdrt  and sustain  the berkaved
For being as he -was devoid of true faith, he could not and g?ant-a  sufficient measure of His. Spirit to walk in-His way.,
in that hour make God his expectation. He could only                   /
lean on self, which he did. And therefore he must                                                              W..  Htifman,   Presid&t_'
needs be afraid. The only confidence he knew of, w&                                                                   M. Jipping, SecSetary,
confidence in self.. And now as in every crisis- it for-                                                                                         5.
                                                                                                                                                 _._                          :-
sook him. And the 1 result was that he hid himself                                                                                 -.  1
among the stuff. That was no- indication of true NtOTE:-We   -regret that  t.his notice was' `delayed -due  to lack
humbleness but of the-fear of a man who was wont of space.                                        .           .._.        :  -~`.


280 -                                                        T H E   ST+ND@`~D:.  ,`BEARER
                                                                                             .  -Einstein .heeft getracht om het heelal te verstaan.
                     SIBN'S  Z*AN*C:E~l"aJ                                                 Het is ettelijke jar&n geleden,  dat hij zijn boek schx!ef
                                                                                          -over allerlei.  betrekkingen, `en daaronder ook een nieawe
                                      _-
  ,                                                                                        theorie over het heelal. En zijn theorie  meet go:00 won-
,_.
                                                  ~     I
,- `.`- ;Xey .Nieyw Lied Den                                                               derlijk zijn, dat de geheele wetenschappelijke-  wereld
                                                               . HeerG!                    zich he&ft verwonderd.                                _.
                                                                                               En tech, .ik zoud willen zeggen :. Einstein, .de stak-
,Ij
              ._     .:
                           .'    (Psalm 96; Tweede Deed)
,  _  -  _J  :                                                       `..                   kerd !
We bebben gezien en gehoord,  dat er eer;' nieuw lied                                          In plaats van driest in de hemelen te starei sianaf
den neere gezongen. wordt; leen lied, dat de schoonste                                     zijn vreemd gestoelte in de sterrenkijkerij, met  -de  yoor-
openbaring San Jehovah bezingt. Het is nieuw, omda't opgezette goddelooze God-ontkenning  <en  God-veszaking,
bet.zong  van Jezus Christus, den Yerlosser der zielen.                                   moest die man  uitroepen:bij  het  eerste   .blikken `door
             We waren toegekomen  aan het vers, dat de gro&- het  gesl&pq glas:  .e God,  -Gij zijt groot, want  ,Gij
h&id, de v%eeselijkheid  van d&n IHeere bezingt tegenover hebt de hemGlen gemaakt !
die.  malle afgoden. De zanger had georgeld van Gods                                           Ook behoeft men het vergrootglas niet om in de
grciotheid $en zeide : "maar -de Heere is vrees'elijk boven hemelen Gods werk te zien. Men &oet wei stem, dom
alle                       goden'!"                                                        en doof zijn VOOE *Goddelijke  spraak, a!s men het zelf-
       En hij zal U het bewijs  leveren,  en  d&t is vers 5.                               getuigenis vah den,hemel niet hoort en ziet. De hem&
Luistert !                                                                                 len vertellen Gods. eer, .en het uitspansel verk&digt
       "Want alle de  goden  .der  heidenkn  zijn afgoden, Zijner h&den werk! .Als Einstein daar nu eens mee
maar de iHeere  heeft de hemelen gemaakt!"                                                 begon, hoe heerlijk kon het einde van dien man `dan
i- Het.  .eigenaardige van een  `afgod. is, dat  bet  e@n-                                 zijn. -Dan zou hij ons heerlijke dirigen van God kurinen
voudig niei bestaat. Afgod komt van &god en dat is vertellen, wanneer hij terugkwam  van de steile hoog-
geen god. -.Ze'zijn ey niet. Ze bestaan alleen maar in ten der  bergen  in  Californig,   waar .men  van Uit de
het verziekte -,brein de@ .&ddelooze volkerers.                                En..ze bergen  opblikt naar de starren.
hebben die~afgoden  i.n hun brein &n hart wakker  ge-                                          D,e zanger van mijn lied is zeer waarschijglijk geen
romepen, oindat zij noodwendiglijk een god moeten.heb-                                     sterrenkijker geweest, ten minste nilet in den -weten-
ben. Ze..iijn geschapen  naar, Gods beeld en Zijne ge- schappelijken zin van dat woord. Die dingen .behoor-
l~jk&$. En dat zit him 266 diep in het wezen gegrift, t den meer bij de ChaldeGrs. Chaldegr en st&enkijker
dat zij zonder god het niet kunnen stellen. W.elnu, dan waren zoowat synoniem. Maar  tech heeft  .die..man
maakt men ,zijn eigen god. Er staat, dat al.le de-.goden meer- gezien in -de--hemelen;--clan' alle sterrekijkers"die
der heidenen afgoden' zijn.  Dus er zijn er genoeg.                                        God looclienen. Luistert maar naar hem: "Majesteit
,Ach ja,  er zijn millioenen van afgoden. Ook zijn ze en  heerlijkheid  zijn voor Zijn aangezicht, sterkte `en
.&et-uitgestorven  met de Wilde volkeren die langzamer-                                    sieraad in Zijn heiligdom.".
hand besehaafd  ge?vorden zijn. Onze  afgoden zijn                                             Hij-votid,  allereerst; majesteit en heerlijkheid.
slechts  verfijn$, meer geraffineerd geworden..  Er zijn                                       Majesteit is datgelie wat uitsteekt,  uitzwelt, u tege-
ontelbare vu.ile,len vieze afgoden in het verziekte brein                                  meet,  `kbmt,  go.0  maar in het: oog  v&t,  vantiegq  zijn
der menschen.                               ___lIT_                    .  -                schoonh&d  en heerlij.$heid:-  Om- de idee van djt- eig&-
             Eti omdat de afgoden eenvoudig niet bestaan, kun- aardige Hebreeuwsche woord U. duidelijk te toonen,
nen zij ook niets-teweegbrengen.                             Ze tiijn~ stom `en stil.      meet  -ge denken  a-an soqmtge  drukletters-die boven
Jesaja  heeft hen geteekend en-gelaehen.' En als men het  papier   uitsteksen. In  `t Engelsch noemt men dat
miaarlijk vroom is, dan lacht men met Jesaja mee-doch "embossed".                                          Soms ziet ge z&k "embossed" --werk  in
huivert ook. Htiivert, want men beseft, dat inen zelf bloemen op `.t papier. In `t IHollandsch noemt ge sulk
geneigd is dni afgoden te fabriceeren.                                                     werk : relief en gedreven werk (zooals in iilverwerk)  .,
             Hoe ontzaglijk, echter,  is ,God die waarlijk God, iS; En er is e& bijvoeg!ijk: naamwoord  in de Hollatidsc&
De zanger zal  God bewijzen: Hij  leeft de hemelen taal die deze gedachte `Xt$erlijk  weergeeft, namelijk,
gemaakt !                        -                                                         ucitstekencl.  W'elfiu,  dat is de  idee van  majesttiit.  IH.&$
 . Hebt ge bemerkt, dat de zanger met ti&xbkdacliten                                       is die deugt.van.  den DFei@enigen #God, waardtior Zijn.
rade het schoonste van ,Gods seheppingswerk  uit&est                                       handenwerk  yitsteekt, U in .Z.ij.n heerlijkhei&tegemo&
om zijn `God.,te  bewijzen?. Hij maakte de hemelen. Ja, treedt, en duidelijk laat zien, dat bet- van Zijn hand
hij maakte ook de aarde.. Evenwel, de aarde iS ook de en hart afkomstig is.
.werkpiaats  van den mensch. Ook is de aarde slechts                                         Ep  d& doet de  hemel.
-Gods voetstoel, Do& he hemeled zijn de Troon Gods.                                         _  Do,&  de  zinger  zegt  ,er,meer   van.1                    _j
-Zij zijn majestieus en  gl-oats+.   Daar  vindt.,ge  geen-                                    Deb hemejen !e&den hem dbk, .d$ ster$te.eb,  sierazd'
s$&r  ~aii`~e%&$ieii h&den.  -.                                                            iti:Zijn-heiligflomzijn.   End&  kq men  zoo-maur,ni&
             J a ,   G o d   heeft,`de  h e m e l e n   g e m a a k t .                  ' zieti. `Dia$vo&-`inoet  me< - Gods `;erklari<i  `h&&n,


                                   ,
                                         T H E . .   S T A N D A R D          B E A R E R                                       281

 Ziet ge, de hemelen die gezien worden  bebben iets ,in is sterk en lieflijk. Hier moogt ge bet hallelqja. zingen.
 zich; dat de hemel  der hemelen verraadt. De hemelen                      We1 mag er .op volgen : "Geeft den Heere, gij ge-
 die gezien worden  zijn figuur en beeld van de hemelen            slachten der volken, geeft den Deere  eer en sterkte;
.die niet gezien worden. Daarom kan de zinger opklim-              geeft den Heere de' eer Zijns naams, brengt offer en
 men van de majesteit der hemelen die gezien worden                komt in Zijne voorhoven!?
 tot het siekaad  en de kracht der hemelen die tiie& gezien              . . We zullen we1 doen om het te doen, .orn-het  te doen
 worden.        Om  hkt  nu.,.  zeer eenvoudig  te  zeggen:. De tot in eeuwigheid.
 blauwe hemel doet ons denken  aan, Gods heiligdom.                        De vraag rijst I maar hoe'kunnen  de geslachtefi der _
       En dat heiligdom is waar  <God  woont. Da&  ge-
                                                           ~       volken den Heerk  seer en sterkte geven? De Heere
 voelt God Zich thuis:.                                            heef t alles : waar is  er. eenig lieflijks, dat Hij niet
._      :`Op aarde.  is er een plaatj,e van gewkest. Het was alre.ede  .heeft ?
 die plaats die afgescheiden was in den tempel Gods                        Het. aptwoorcl kan niet moeilijk zijn, als ge slechts
 adhter het voorhangsel.                                           zeer nederig wilt zijn.. IHet zit z@ :- God geeft U eerst
         Achter dat Goorhangsel waren vreeselijke dirigen.              her en sterkte,. en d&n. keert. ge tot Hem weder en
.Ikyveet niet of de Hoogepriester BBnmaal des jaars ook geeft het .terug in lof, zang en aanbidding. 266  loopt
:het gesprenkelde bloed later weer van het verioendeksel                de lijn. We zingen er van : "Van Wien het volk: zijn
`afgeiwasschen  heeft. Indien ni&, dan was er gedurige sterkte heeft  !" `En ook : `Yiij is de kcacht van hunne
 gedachtenis van de bloeddruppels die daar jaar- en dag Fracht                      !"
op dat deksel van de arke des vqbonds  lagen. En dat                       Let er ook op,..d&,degenen  die .Hem eer en sterkte
 zijn  Grees&lijke   dingen.  -'                                   gev.en "gesl,achten" zijn en dat zij `Lvolken" zijn. Daar
                                                                        zit iets schoons in, dat owe- niet over het hoofd mo&en
         .De  zanger zegt  sterkte  e?  sie&,ac&   .Da$  zai  waar- zien.  E.en  geslticht is een eenheid tan  Vader  eri zijn
 zijri. : Het bloed is sterk en lieflijk: Lacer sprak Jesaja       kinderen. En eep volk.is een eenheid van geslachten
 van dat'bloed, zonder het te noenien. Hij jubelde van die samen w&en, met &n aard, 66n bloed .en 66n uniek
.,&t  sieraad, dat Gods,  volk  gegeven   z?y  worden  voor karakter. En het schoon,e in die gedachte is dit, dat
 htin         a@h.        :                                        ;God niet te hooi en te gras yirerkt. . Hij werkt in ge-
        Er is sterkte in het heiligdom des Heeren. Och                  slacliten-en volken. Het herinnert  ons  aan Zijn ver-  -,
 arme, yat zal ik daar van. zeg&& Y. De kracht  van bet bond, dat in de geslachten en volken openbaar wordt.
 lei!igdom is  ~$6  +erk, dat het leven, Goddelijk,  he- Het schoone is dit : Vader en moeder b!iezen de laatste
 melsch, eeuwig en glorieus  leven, bra&t uit d,en eeuwi-               adey tiit, terwijl ze.met hun brekend oog twee dingen
 geti.dood:   .Paulus spreekt  er van in Efeze 1. Hij  ge-         zien: ze zien God die lien naar den hemel ivenkt en ze
 tuigt van."de uitnemende grootheid Zijner kracht. . . .                ziexhun liefhebbende  kinderen  die sehreien bij het
 naar de  .werking der sterkte Zijner  macht.,. die Hij                 sterfbed,  .doeh ze schreien tot God. De kennis  d,es
 gewfo.cht heeft.in Christus, als Hij Hem uit d'e dooden                Heeren loopt in de'lijn der opeenvolgende  geslaehten.
 heeft opgewekt eti IHem hegft gezet tot Zijne rechter-            b       Welnu, $ie geslachten zullen drie dingen doen.
 hand. in den .hemel. verre boyen alle overheid `en mach$                  Eerst moeten.ze  den Naam bestudeeren. En indien
 en kracht -en heerschappij,  en allen nqam die -g.enaamd          ze de kyacfit  des Heiligen Geestes en de wijsheid van
 wordt niet a&en in detie wereld, ma&r pok in dse toe-                  het Woord bezitten, dan zien ze dien Naam  overal.
 komende." Er is kracht, bovenmenschelijke,  Godde- De Naam des Heeren is Zijn Zelf-openbaring. En die
 lijke kracht in het Bloed van het heiligdqm. Die $racht openbaring.  omringt en  doordr`ingt  hen. De geheele
 vernietiti het aardijk met een jeugd die  ceuwig is. schepping is de openbaring van den Naam. Evenwel,
 Zij brengt de dooden tot bet. eeuwige leyen en troont de schoonste openbaring van den Naam is in Jezus van
 hen  tot  in  eeuwigbeid;   Die kracht  scheurt. U  Iqs  uit Ntizareth. En. nog  nauw$er gezien: het Kruis  .van
      de klauwen Satans .en legt U in de .armen..Gods.                  Golgotha. En wanneer ge den Naati b&&udeerd hebt,
        ,Ook is er sieraard in .dat heiligdom- Gods.                    dan zult ge terstond tot Hem  terugkeeren  en  (Hem
 Het sieraard is  schoonh&d, versiersel, lieflijkheid.                  geveh de eer van dien Naam. Ge zult jubelen van
.Sieraad is datgene wat bij het gewope bijgevoegd `en zielsverrukking bij het zien van het schoonste  `van d&n
      toegevoegd- wordt.  Sieraad.  tooit".  de  sehoone brujd. Naam. En dat, zoo iagen we, is'christus  Jezus, het
 Welnu; het is de. heerli-jkheid van..het volk boven .de           L a n i v a n   ,God.  '  _             k
      schoonheid van,Adam en Eva in het paradijs. Bet is                  -  Ttieedens,  ge zult offer  brengen.   -  .- .
,de schoonheid van Christus Jezus die aan de Bruid ge-                     Neen, we slaehten  geen lainmeren &%r  `en `co&i-
      gev,en wordt, opdat zij %veer  met een schoonheid praleti         duiven. Dat `id  eeuwig uit.  Warit  d,e  -d&e-.Gdds is
 moge; en.nu `tot in eeuwigheid. -Want wfj zien Jezus, `ges1aCht: E? blijft echter &5n bffe? voor. God's `voili.
 met  -eer. en  heerlijkheid  gekroond,  verre   -boven-,alle           I?~I,LI~US &0et  U hi&*wker  ondirwijzen.  ""Ikb'id  U dari,
 schoonheid  des hemels. En die schoonheid van Christus broederb,  d6dr  -de  dntf&tiin$$n.: Gods,' da.6  `gij  Uwe
-word%  U om niets gesehonken. ;O, -ja, bet heiligdom ,Gods             lichamefi`stelt  tot eene levende, heilige en Gode welbe-.


              232                                       T H E   STANDAReD.   BEA.R.E.R

            hagelijke offerande,  >welke is  Uwredelijke   ,.Godsdienst   !!'  ~-  _  _  ~  ..I  _  ..~  _.  _..  _                  ~.     .- .              .I . ..--.
            ,.Beho.ef  ik hier:m@bij te..zeggen?-  .Neep, ,-want ,wan-'                      .,I             I;pIJ     -`~~p&.jjJ            pl;Lh.-l                  `.
            neer ge .den Naam zaagt, zoo zult ..ge doen ..als ;Mozes.                         .
             Van  .hem .staat  geschreven,.,dat  .zo.odra  .de..Heere Zij-n  s                              L, .
             naam aitriep, terwijl hij in  -de  rots  stand,  hij  zich ,
            -haastte .en liep :en knielde en aanbad. Dat &as :zijn,                     I            _ &eg~~ching, The. f&xipttme~
             en is Uw offerande den iHeere.                                       -.
                Derden.s, ge .zult in Zijn voorhovenkomen.                                                             Kontinued)               .~
                 0-m het nu eens kinderlijk `6envoudi.g  .en tech ozoo                                -.
            .wa_ar-.te, zeggen :. ,ge- m.oet n.aar dekerk .komen ! :.Ik, stem Oiir Confessions, A lialua.bie ~Guicle                                  .`-        -
                                                                                                                                            -  .,  -
             toe, dat het te eenvoudig klinkt, en tech zou ikhetkun-                         -In our societies,.organized for. the.purpose  of study:
             verdedigen. Ik weet .wel, dat er duizenden, van .men- ing the Word of God, the after-recessprogram is-very
            ,s.chen.   naar de  kerk komen,  :die  tech verloren  .gaan. often quite a problem. We are &agreed  without :a
            :Ik weet :ook,,dat  vele- van Gods .kinderen.naar  de kerk doubt that th~e..after-recess  program is not `and. should
            .gi.ngen  -bij tijd en wijle uit  .gewoonte   en.sleur. .En not be intended for mere entertainment. The p.urpose
             to.ch -..h.erha.al  _ik ,het : God .wil, dat we ~ naar de ..kerk      of this prqgra.m  .as well as the study of God's .Word in
            zullen komen. -,Let echter hier OP : ik zeg : :ge moet naar the first 
-                                                                                                           part Of Our -meetings &OLlld be t0 build"One
                                                                                                                                -
             de kerk komen. En dan Wilde ik wel, dat ge de zwaarte                 another in the faith.
             .van die :eenvoudig woorden ywildet zien. De kerk is het                        Our Confessions, -which we_ may :find conveniently
            -voorhof des Heeren. :Het .is het yaorportaal  .des hemels.            located in the back part of our  @alters  :provide us
          . -266 bedoel .Ik het .begrip I%erk.  :E_n- zoo. ook met .het ..with a wealth of material for after-recess discussions.
             `naay !.de kegk kowte.n! -:Elke ker.kgang  .moet Gals `t ware How ,many readers of these lines .have .actually read
             -M?ll henXdVa8rt~Zijn. !&b'tO~~ijn:pOOh?n  irkYEt  lof.!              the .B&lgic COnfessi,On. and the Canons Of DO&y&
             Met lofzang in Zija heilig hof ! -Herinnert.ge  U met,                through from beginning to end? How-many have made
            `hoe :ge met. honger en .dorst,.met  .hunkerend  verlang.en            any study whatsoever of any" part Of these .wO&?
            in  Uw  ,bank   ,gingt  zitten?   `Herinnert   *ge U niet die          The IH~+-Jelberg  .Catechism  -which is ,the third. of the
           . ..ooge.nblikken van ongekend'e  .vreug,de in dat .H:uis4toen :fhree confessions which we have -accepted  as &ur&es
            .,ge hoordet  zingen en  jubelen  van  Hem.die  de,.Lief-              is .much .better  known unto us since we. hear a portion
            hebber  der  zielen-is? Z66 be.doel ik..het,:.en 266 is de of `God'.s  Word.,expl.ained  to us from its viewpoint each
            .;meening -des ,Gee.stes  hier : `fkqmt  in. Zijnse voorhoven".        Sabbath in our :Divine services. But the Confession
             .@n 266 kari niemand het,:do.en.dan*fiet V.olJc.            '         of, faith and -the Canons are `for the. greater share of
                 Dat  .dit  de  gdwlh.  en  eigenlijk  bet  voornaamste            us-an .unexplO@ mine of treasures. Most of us have
             is van-de drie, geboden- in het ,vo,orgaande. vers, wordt at .best _ a very vague idea of what .these confessions
             duidelijker als ge .het :volgende.vers  leest. -Het is dit-:          contain. Yet they. .give expression to what we.believe
             "Aanbidt den -Heere.  in .de heerlijkheid desoheiligdoms;             .is the truth of the Word of' God. And they certainly
             schrikt voor Zijn aangezicht, .gij ~gansche  aarde!"                  .afford our. societies an .abu,ndance  of -material, which
                 Bet is  .dezelfde  ,gedachte   aan het einde van  bet             can be profitably .discussed  and. guide us -into our study .
             vorige vers,  doch  de_iHeere  verzwaarde Zijn gebod. of  .the  Scriptuyes.   ~
             ,Ja,:komt  in. Zijn voorhof met een voorbedachten raad                          .In. the Belgic or Netherlands Confession you have
          $  .en met  ee.n voorbedacht lied. Aanbidt Hem ! Aan- thirty seven articles which deal with-the truth as: the
             .bidden is mooier dan bidden. Bidden doen.we  og aarde. .Church in ages .p.ast through 3s search of the Scrip-
             Soms wordt bidden smeeken. -Vooral:als  de vijand.ons ,tures was led by the Spirit--to behold and-believe. As
             dreigt op te slokken. `Doch als ge aanbidt, d,an is' `er ,-a society.we` can .profitably  `examine these -expressions
             :geen vijand die U benauwt. Als: ge aanbidt, dan hebt of our forefat.hers_and benefit tremendously from five
     -       ,ge.Uzelf   len'de Satan uit hetoog  verloren, want :dan chapters  which. tOg&&;prOVi&  is  with fifty ,nine
             .szijt ge alleen.met God bezig. Aanbiddenis llet opsom- ,articl.es   .wherein the  truth is positively -expressed
                                                                                                                         .(.
             amen -en-uitro.epen van al.de deugden des-Heeren. Wilt and thirty' ifour articles which are  I directed  ,at
             ..ge een voorbeeld van aanbidding? -Gaat dan met mij specific false doctrines. Here is material for years
             naar Psalm  145:s:                                          .
                                        "Genadig en barmhartig  is de of society -discussion. If indeed one such  articlle  can
             Heere, lankmoedig en -groat van goedertierenheid." even ,betreated in,one'evening without doing injustice
             .Dat is aanbidden. De Heere verblijdt Zic_h .als Hij U -to it, then.no.society which sets out to study these con-
             -hoort aanbidden. Een' flauw beeld  ziet ge .ervan, als fessions..  n(eed . co-tip]& that it ~ has nothing  fresh t0
             Uw kind naar U toekomt en zegt : Mdeder, ik'heb :U study since' it-was butlast year that they `studied., the
             lief, wantU zijt zoo goed voor mij !, Vader, -ik beminU, Netherlands Confession  -or the. Canons. In  -fact it
             -want gij zorgt vobr mij ! XGeliefden, God beminne II:!               pwould not .at all even be without ,profit-that  we become
                     ,                                              G. V.          <better -acquainted  .with our church order, and  `,any
                                                                                                                                                        `_


                                       T-H:E.  S T A N D A - R D   BEAR.E-IX'.                                         283. .
  society.~ which one year studied the Netherlands Con- government ,is.~ appointed, by God that it, "may remove
 fession,. the Canons the following season and: the and: prevent allidolatry and false worship:?" You see
  Church Order, which also may be found in the back here is a nice. thing.. not. to. cast. around in your own
 p:art'of o.ur Psalters, the third year, will indeed after mind and g.0.. home from church thinking to yourself                      '
 three years. still. find plenty of inter'esting discussion. and asking .yourself  ,. ."Is. that really- what our churches
 the following year to return to the Netherlands Con- believe to be. the plain teaching. of God's Word?"; but
 fession.. Personally we do not see how any Society it: is an. interesting. subject. to - discuss together in so-
 which really makes an' honest attempt to discuss these ciety. Nor is&is: the .only article. that will `cause ques-~
  confessions can finish. any. one of them in a one. year        tions to: rise in the. mind..of  the` careful reader. And.
 period.       -                                                 if:-you .yourself  do not see any qu,estions immediately
     It becomes advisable that we study these confes- in the article, in your, society there. tvill always' be
 sions together in our societies for the reasons we pre-         others. who will see them for you. and be instrumental
 sented in. the last installment of. this department. Our        in opening* :your eyes.- to `deeper `and. richer. things.
 study of- them will- be systematic ; -we are not so apt Reading. these. ar.ticles.is  a very.worthw.hile  thin.g, but
 to-let. one-or-two go' andpass by-others because they are how: much more. profit is there not in a.brotherly.  dis-
*, too difficult or else because.we  think-that-the doctrine cussion of. these things. as men of. one faith ?
 contained- in a. certain article is so well., known- to: us        Let. .us remember- however that .they are. but. guides:
 that we .have nothing new to learn from it, and gather-. in: this instance to our searching- of: the. Scriptures.
 ,ed w.ith others. who have studied that~  same article we- Wte may not and. must- notr.place  .these confessions- on,
 may. benefit f,rom their remarks and. explanations. in the. same: level with, the Word of God. They are far,
 regard to what is-. taught in the articles of these. con- f ram infallible; which fact. becomes plain when one.
. fessions. This-  ,makes the- discussion of- these- things reads. that thirty sixth article. of the~N~etherlands Con-
 very beneficial for us. And our societies- are just the fession. Wecannot prov.e  .any point of doctrine simply
 place. for such. discussion.                                    b,y quoting these confessions,. and.. for. ourselves- we
   : Recently the undersigned was informed that there may not be satisfied- that things:. which; we find. in-
 are congregations- outside the circle of, our. churches         these confessions which are. new to us .are the truth
 .which having- three. services each Sabbath make a              of. God's Word without investigating. the matter: o.ur-..
 practice in th,e- third- service to-read one of the articles    selves: Indeed -we. are not. all theologians who can.               -
 of.- our Netherlands-- Confession or of. the Canons of wrestle'. with these 1 deep dogmatic problems and delve
Dordrecht. In the-first two services, even as  isdone- into the intricacies of: these problems. But if  any.
 in our churchesi The- Law and the so called Apostolic point: of. doctrine troubles. us,. we certainly ou.ght  to                              '
 Creed ar.e read. There--is surely no danger inhaving search the Scriptures as the people of Berea. did when
 these~articlesread~to-us on the Sabbath;, but how much Paul, spoke- to them of Christ. We ought. to have that                            .
 more .profitabl,e. is- a ctiscussion of these things. together. much.Xnterestin t6e truth,: and we. ought to know as.
 as a. society.?- A' natural result of attentively listening clearly as:possible  what the. churcheswherein we have
 to. the.reading'-of these-articles of- ou.r confession will     a, name and. a..place.  teach. For we ought to desire to
 ber:that   que;stions arise in  our, mind; And if  we-/are      know -as. much as we possibly can. of the God- of our
 interested in, the things spiritual, we -will also want to      salvation so that .we may. grow- in that fear of the I;ord
 have -an- answer to. these- questions. We will want to,. which _ consists. in reverence and- awe before Him and
 st.udy- the article itself more- carefully so as- to arrive     so that we' may-praise Him for His .glory.                    .'
at a. proper..understanding  of what the author had in.           Our study of:these conf,essions; of course, must not
 mind: when he wrote it, and- we' will above all want to have for-its purpose.the  attempt to find-fault with the
 be-able to-see that- the- teachings. of that article are in- ex,pression  of `our :fathers  in. regard to these, doctrines.
 deed the truth of. God's Word. This-is especially the           of. which they: write. Such an approach to. our con-
 case. with: that greatly d-iseussed  thirty sixth article fsossions   wilLin no way  profit.us.at all. We-may not
 of, the- N,etherlands  Confession. The footnote- in your despise these confessions. Even though. they are. the
 Psalter -edition of it will make -plain to `you that this wcwk of man. and-not to be placed on the same level
 article has been the object of debate;,even  by Reformed with -the- Word of. God, w,e. must not forget: that`ever
 Synods -since the time it was: first accepted. Simply           since the time of `the A.postles the Spirit has. not'left
 now to- .have this -article- read from `the- pulpit -to us      the Church but rather leads- the Church into further d
 w.ou.ldm certamly-send  us home-with the- impression that and- further development of the truth. Christ- did not
 our  churche.s teach something quite different I from leave us comfortless but sent-the, Spirit of -Truth Who
 what we in.  ou.r `Protestant Reformed Churches hear leads -LM -into all the- truth: Even though- men individu-
 in, the preaching of the--Word;. Infact this-may- per- al1.y are not guided infallibly in their teachings and
 haps be sa-id.-,@  all Reformed. Churches. in our land.         writings-so that we do nottoday- have * an authority on
 Does any Reformed church in. our land teach. that our           the- truth in the. same sense that, the Apostles were.


 `284..                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER

  such authorities, the Spirit does infallibly lead. the have been writing are valuable .guides into. searching
  Church of Christ into. the truth. The Spirit has xead the. Scriptures. Through their Study .in the light of
  the Church so-.that today ye h3ve.a further develop- God's Word we will arrive at a deeper insight into th'e
. ment of. the t&h then let us say the Church had it-in truth. Here also th;e words of ,Christ apply, "Seek and
  the third and fourth centuries after Christ's ascension> yeshall firid?.                .:.                               ::
 -to  heaven.    We may not desljise  t&n what God has                                                          .I-.  A .   1-i.
  given, to.ns through our fathers in the land-beyond the        :
  sea in ages past. Even though we, because the Spirit
  is still leading the Church further into the truth, can
  see .thjngs even clearer than our forefathers so that
  we can detect <errors  in what they put forth as that                      FROIM  H O L Y   `WRIT  .   .'
                                                                                _.
  which tliey believed, we ought to approach these things
  into' which the Spirit led the Church in the ptist with
  a sense of thankfulness &nd deep appreciation to God                       James l&3: - f'Of His own wiil  begat He E; ~4th
  that we may have these things for our instruction and -                    the Word  df truth, that we should be a kind of.
  fbr guides into the study of His Word. If some of'the                      firstfruits. of His creatures;"           *
  rungs are missing in-a ladder, @u-are prevented from                In the verses 13-16 we are taught t&t the'Lord.&-
  climbing higher mitil you first put new ones in place not be tempted with evil and therefore tempteth: no
  of those that are gone. And if we break  ovt of  tEire man. The Lord is too pure of eyes, to behpld iniquity,
  ladder these rungs which lead us to a higher and rich-        Sin is far from Him. Therefore t+e wages of sin is
  er insight of the truth of God's Word and go and stand        death; sin, when it is Ifinished, bringeth forth death.
  on that ladder where are the rungs of the eleventh and        This thought is further confirmed by James in yerse
  twelfth centuries, we must first  ptit in these  rungs        17 which  s&s forth  the unchangeable goodness  and
  which would make higher climbing possible. Wme ought perfection .of the Lord. Also verse 18 ,emph%izes' th& -1
  to be thankful that God has led the Church td the high .same principle. Instead of advocating that the sin?&
  point where she stood when she by His grace made and when tempted is te&ptkd of-God and that God therefore
sccepted  these confessions.       Rather than to break delighteth in evil, James proclaims- here that we have
= down the rungs upon. which we stand, l& us set our-           been begotten by the Word of truth; in order`that we
  selves firmly updn thein a-nd searching the Sciiptures should be a kind pf firstfruits of"&s creatures. We
  seek to .attain to a higher and richer. insight into the must walk holily. And this call&g.io  be 8, kind .of
  truth. And let us do so also in our society life by using firstfruits of  IHis creatures' is  furilier set forth-in
 these confessions as  guides.                                  several ad.monitions  that follow.
      The Church in the future  will be  led even  mor,e              Of immediate interest is the expressiop;  +Begat tHe
  deeply into the truth by the Spirit, but the individual us'with the Word of truth." The intense struggle of
also needs to be led more and  more  deeply into that           comparatiire   recent  date! which revolved about  s:the,:l
  which the Church as a whole has- seen and confesses.          question. whether regeneration must  he. corisidered'
  How.many of our members see the truth as beautifully .mediate  or immediate, is known to many of our read-
  as it' is expressed in our confessions? If you  never         ers. Immediate regeneration refers, then, to-this work
  read them, you surely do not. If you study them, `ybu- of God as occurring without the means of the preaching
  will see them  eve? more deeply. .  _                         of the `gospel-it' &rn@Y:  pre&des all e&&.ial means.
      These con@tions are the ,result  of the seartihitig bf    Media&  r&eneration,  bn the ache?. hand, -maintained
  the Scriptures by our forefathers being splpr?&d  on by that this w&k .?$ God .is mkdiate,  OCCURS through the
  the heresies which were running wild in. their day. means of the preaching of `the gospel. The advoc&&
  Studying these confessions,  comparing them' With the of this latter conce&ion realized, to be sure,.&% the.
                                                                                                                 .
  Scriptures, we are guided by them in our search ~of external  me&s `did not  reg&erate,- but  th$k  main-1
  .the Word of God.                                             tained that this wo'rk of God was always `accompanied
      Understand, of course, that when, we havk been by the preaching of the gospel. Th& afipka&d, besides
  speaking of' s&&hi& the Scriptures, we do not me& %ther'  p&sages of the  S&iptuh&  to  p&sages'&&  as
  that we have to ,look to find'what in the Word df God         Jaines'1:18 and I  Peter   1:23;  where'we`&id:   "geitii
  is the truth and what is not; The Word of God is not. born again, not df corruptible iekd, b&of $-&r&jt-
  in the Bibl'e iii that sense- that vtre have tb se&h out      ible, by tkie word- of  `God,' which  1ivetl-r `a$  Zb<d&
                                                                                                                                  .-
  what is God's Word and what is nian's. By Bearching forever."                       - .
  the:Scriptures tie mean that we read them; corn&%                   In general we may rem&k tliat this inter&e C&i,&
  passages and seek tiot to find the tru%h in:`the-Sdrip-       was und&btkdl$ based `to-a large -&tent A< .niistitider-
  tu&s but to seek a d,&epe? insight. into .the truth. In standing.-  (The  appeal to I  Peter   !:23  ii?  .$i?ely not
                                                                                                  . .                             .
  that sense it iS too that the `confessions- of ~which~we      happily ch&&. - It .:is true that ye se& there of .res


                                       `l+HE  STAND'A'R`D   B           E    A    R    E     R         -    -          285

  generation  ("bein.g born  ag&Y) and that in  coniec- truth.. -We understand, of .coursel that this. begetting
  tion with the living and eternally abiding Word oi God.      occurs  onljr through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is
  But we also read there of the. "indorruptible  steed" out not &ly th$e immediate work of Go!, within our ?nearts,
  of which this regeneration occurs and upon which this which is  the work of the  Holy Spirit. But also the
 `regeneration follows. This incorruptible seed is surlily     bringiqg forth of a conscious child of God is, the ex-
  regeneration. -Moreover,- we must bear in mind that cli&ve work.of  ibe Spirit. IHe alone. enables us to hear
  Scripture's use of t&e word "regeneration" does not .and see and taste the blessedness of-the Kingdom of
  always apply to this conception in that strict sense of heaven. ,However,  He begets by the means of the Word
  the word- as referring to the work .of God within our        02 tr.uth. Our spiritual knowledge of grace is the-work
  heart, The Word of God also speaks of regeneration           of the Holy Spirit,. but it is the Word of God which
  as including our conscious life and therefore our con- gives  c&&e&  to that  knowledge:   To' be begotten by
  ve&ion. This, regeneration continues day by day, may the`.yord of truth signifies, therefore, that the Holy-
  be -identified with a continuous conversion, and..is mi- Spirit avails Himself *of thti Scriptures to lead US eon-
  doubtedly mea& in H Peter X:.23.                             sciously into the light of God's eternal covenant.
     What, now, does James mean wh.en he speaks of                 Janies further declares that' `&He begat us with the
  our being? begotten by the Word of truth?' The Word W%rd of. truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits
  of truth in this passage surely refers to the written        of His creatures." `We read litertilly : "He begat-us. . .
  Word of God, the Holy Scriptures and the preachiilg  of for to be, or unto a kirid- of firstfruits 6f His creatures."
  those Scriptures. In I Cpr.  4:15 the apostle spkaks         The mesiiziilg`of  this "for `to be"' or "unt6" is. ,plain..
  literally of having begotten the Corinthians through Wheli I  `say  that. someone is being trained  tb be a
  the gospel. In Eph. 1: I3 the Wok@ of truth is literally t.eaeher.,.  I me&n that the purpose but also the result of
  identified' with. the gospel of our salvation. In this %his  trainitig-   ih  liip  be'c6min.g  a  teacher.    The same,
  latter passage Paul therefore speaks of the gospel as        thought is implied in this' text. -The puipose and th&
  the "Word of truth". And, as far as the immediate result;"the  objectiye, of otir being begotten is that we
  context of  this. text is concerned, passages such as        should be a kind.of firstfruits of His creatures.
 .verses 19, 22-25 ,establish beyond d-ispute that Janies          What is the meaning df the -expression "firstfruits .
  is referring iti. this chapter to, the written Word of ,of iHis. creatures"`? $Ve read litkraliy of a `"ce&,ain-first-
  God, the Divine  ScriptGres.  This also defines the fruit". This-expression, translatkd in. the &glish, "a-
  meaning of `"being begotten" in this- text. James here kind of' fi&stfruit", signifie?, ihat G`od's  people, ha&g
  refers to our conscious rebirth-. Even as the-birth of been b,egott&i,  have `become iike `unto ~a firstf ruit, such
  a child. refers to. that moment when it first beholds the    as occurred  frequently in ihi Oid Dispensatidn. James
  light of day, so this text is speaking of' our conscious therefore declares tliat the& is $ similarity' between
`_. rebirth, when God's.  child ii called consciously out of. tjhis people of God and these  firstfruits of the  014
  sin and death and. darkness into the light of God's ever- Testament. Wliat is this -point & similarity 1 `Accord;
  lasting Kingdom.,                                            ing to some, James is speaking'unto  the believers of-his
     He begat us, we read,.with the.Woid.  of.trtith. Why day., Those believers, in distine6ion fro& the, &urch,
  are the Scriptures. called the "Word of truth"? Truth wlYich must be gathered in the future, `are called a first-
-we may define,as the presentations  of the reality. ' God fruit. This  `inter@etation,  however,  ir;' in-  err.or.  In
  is. the Ryeality. He is. the Absolute Good, Who- alone is, the first tilaoe, ai@ough it is true ?hat, -btrie$ly speak-
  and therefore worthy by the creature of all praise-and       in&James  is addressing the church of his day, we must
 adoration, -Christ Jesus, is the Truth. H& is that as rememb&%liat what he Xere d'ecla>es  of Gdd's people
 the ekerna! Son 08, God in the Trinity, because He is the      (-that they are begotten With` the  Word  .of  truth)  is
  Expressed Image of the Father  .and therefore the applicable  to the  peopli:  of `God thrbu@houC  ihe ages.
  eternal Revelation of the Truth. But He is also the          Secondly, this interpretation .fails to dd justice to th&
Truth as the Mediator. His  lif?e was- always a com- @xpr&ion   ."of  IHis  cre8tures'".  "Creat~i&s" is a w&d
 plete presentation of the- Reality; Fact is,. -He loved which refers to all creation. The m&ani.ng of this ix--
  God, always revealed God,. manifested the Father, the pression` is not- difficult to see. ,Th& &&bolism of' the.
 absolute Reality. `And -Christ also .merited  t-hat truth fi?st+it  `dc&irs repeatedly in the SOld  Liispensation.  "
 for us, in. &der that, we, too,.  may be inducted into When, in.the- Old Dispens&ion,  Israel's  precious cr&
  God's everlasting- c.oaenant and thereby once more re- had begun to ripen-as on Pentee&&, a' fir&f&t  was
 veal the Reality and be. in harmony with the alone            {a&ken from that  c?.op  and presented  tinto.  the  `.Lord.
 blessed God.. The Scriptu.res  are. the. W&d of Truth That fir&fruit was: a part of the hartiesi. `Thereby the
 because they are the infallible record of that truth pioub-  I&telite d&l-ared` that hewas receiving the &tirk
 which exists in God,. and in Christ, and is realized by       harvest` fY;om' the Lord and .wtis' d%dica&& it u&6 th&
 Christ for us and within us.                                  Lord-. Al&d God's-beople  Are a certain' fi&tf+t,. a part
     We have been begotten iyith or by that Word of o!f Dhe full, harv&t, ti.`glorious guarantee that the ftiii


%c;                                     !iYiXE  STAND'AWD  &&`A$&
                                                          -.               _..                                             _
harvest will presently be realized. *               .'                with us;all. things in the way of sin and grace, in order
       This fir&fruit of James 1:18 surely refers to the that we should forever be unto the praise-of the glory
people .of the-Lord  of all ages. The realization of this of His grace in Jesus Christ our Lord.
firstfruit is the guarantee-of the entire harvest.- The                                                                               H.. V.  .'
entire creature will presently share in the -blessed re-                                                     ---
newal of-`&l1 things. Of c&&e, the reprobates are e%-
clu'd,ed. But we knbw.that the whole creation .groaneth
and travaileth until now, awaiting the masifestation                                                               -  g
of the sons of God, and that it, too, will share in the                                       P E R I S C O P E "   -
giorious libirty of the people of God. ,.However,  this
full harvest will not be realized, until the day of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Ail  &at&& groaneth. But `the                      Correspondence . . .                                                       .
church of ,God is being begotten again. They receive
in their hearts the principle of. that eternal liberty.                           W,e received a letter reflecting on the remarks we
They  ar,e a firstfruit of that heavenly harvest. And made concerning the Banner's Meditation department
presently God's church will be perfected and all crea-                and its author. We take the tipportunity .to answer ,it
tion will shar,e in that eternal salvation.                           here. The letter read iti part as follows:
                                                                      .
       This firstfruit is the objective of our' being be-                          Dear       BTo;ther:      -
gotten. It is surely the fruit of this work of the Spirit
through the Word of truth. As  such's firstfruit we                                ,. Reading, Periscope,  .in the Standard Bearer of Feb.
are dedicated to God in the midst cof this world.                                  15:. . . ,I  notice your note of surprise . . . . that
                                                                We
have been called by #God's Spirit and Word, out of the                             there is very seldom a  Goice of protest  raisecl . . . .
darkness of sin into the light of God's covenant. Yea,                               Will you kindly inform me where  su& a voice of
that we are a firstfruit, and that therefore our. deliver-                         ljrotest   .or rebellion can be raised?
ante  iS but a  beginnijng  of the realization of God's                              Do yoa imagine *hat >&he  Bqmer would  and dares
niarvellous plan of redemption, we know through the                                to place anything written by a layman, or even a
Word of truth. But .this fir&fruit is also God's pur-                              clergyman,,  $tacking the . . . . . gl.orious  lies of the
pose. We have been begotten also, so we xead, in. order                            Three Points ? Could  such & thing be published in
that we should be as a firstfruit. Even as in the Old                              De Wachter? The undersigned has letters from the
Dispensation such a firstfruit was `dedicated unto the                             editors absolutely  pr.ohibiting   lh.iim  to  s&y  aughti
Lord, we, too, must be dedicated unto  Hiti. God called                            against the doctrine of  error  as  Synodically   formu-
us out of darkness into His marvel1ou.s  light in order                            lated in the .Three  Points.
that we should also walk as such. We have been called                                 Of this doctrine, as an Aurora. Borealis of  .the'
into holiness and liberty. Let us therefore be holy as                             N'orth Pole shimmering upon the ice fields of the
 God is holy, and wa!k in the ,fr&edom wherewith the                               Chriitiaa  Reformed Churches, anybody  oughi;  to
I$rd has made us free.                                                             know that  thi's humanistic doctrine is  Synodicallyi
       This w&k of God takes  place, according  to  the                            elevated above the simple and insignificant' Word ,of
text, "of His own will". The word "will" of this text                              the Living God.  .How do you expect then that any-
apbears also in Eph. 1 :ll. There `we read that the                                one` could protest against ,this doctrinal error  &hich is         .
Lord tibrks'all things after the counsel of His own will.                          built upon  Arminianism?
 The word translated "counsel" in Eph. 1 :ll is the same                           I  Btit that ,does no,t mean that all of us pass up such
`word which'is translated "will" in James 1:X3. When                               fdblishness.    Neen,  God is mijn  getuige dat ik altijd
we read in Eph. 1 :ll. that God works all things after                             protesteer tegen  dat  ongel,oof  en bijgeloof  onzey
the counsel of His will, the meaning is that God's will,                          dagen, passeerende onder de  schoon  klinkende  klan-
 God's sovereign good pleasure, is the eternal.origin of                           ken  vtin:  Bet  Goed Dat de Goddelooze Doet Voor
His counsel. Th:e "will" -of our text is God's counsel as                          God, enz.; zooals ik het hoor  op de kansel en in De
 it embraces all thing!. To be begotten of His own                                 Wachter  en Banner. Ik protesteer, maa; .altijd in de
"will" implies, therefore, that our rebirth has its                                form .van  criltische brievei aan de persoon,  zelve.
eternal source in the sovereign Lord Himself.                                         There are many more-like me who  would protest
       And this, too, is Divine good pleasure, that we                             xagainst  sach preachings and writings but there is no
 should be begotten unto a firstfruit of His creatures.                            opportunnty.     I thou& it  might  do  .you  good to
 The natural is first, then the Spiritual ; first the earthy,                      know, that even though they may  not be heard,
then the heavenly. ,God sovereignly d&creeds  that tie                             prot&tS  are raised within the.walls  `of Zion.
 should be a kipd of firstfruit. ,God sdvereignly decrees,
 therefore, the order of the natural first and thereupoti                                                          W.  s. Jacob H. Hoekstra.
 the  spiiritual;   Be  sovere'ignly willed to  saire us,  and,                   We would answer the brothe? :


                                   " T H E   ST*A-NDARD   BxkREfi.                                                     287

     1. First of all, we wisti to publicly thank him for is an independent and fr,ee  organ, having no official
.-?$s interest in the Stan&& Bearer and oui depart- connection with the Presbyterian Church in the U. S.
 ment in it. He belongs to the few who are willing,            (Sbuthern)  , it wields a potent influence in the South-
 at least, to view both sides of the matters of differ%ence    ern Church. This naturally follows from the fact that
 that separate us. For this we are thank&l `and wish its editors, contributors and board members are either
 that there  were more subscribers  to  the  Stnndarcl ministers  or influential laymen of the Southern Church.
 Beayer (perhaps,  th'ere  are many. readers)' in the             The Journal is violently opposed to the merger.
,Chri&ian  Reformed Churches. Ittis also <evident  that As the time for the decision draws near one can find
 he belongs to those who do r&e their voice and, hence, two oy: three articles in each-issue opposing the move-
 though these atie seldom heard, our article was no re-        ment. The proposal for union will come before the
 flection on him.                                              General Assembly of the South&n Church on May 31,,
     2. .We agree that it is a sad and disheartenitig situa- of this year. In its various articles the Journal has
 `tion when the papers are no longer open. for discussion.     attacked ,the proposal from all sides ; doctrinal, church
 We should have a "free" press ; especially within the         political, and practical. .Doctrinalljr the Northern
 -Church.  We might add here that it strikes us  .as           Church is definitely liberal-modern-while the South-
 .rath.e&  strange .that discussion should be suppressed on ern Church is attempting to maintain orthodoxy and
 just this `subject. .I It leaves the impression of ulterior move towards reform: Though at present- the Southern
 motives and no desire to develop the theory of "common Church is a member of the Federal CounCil  of Chur'ches,
 grace" ; which, by the-way, is just as much a decree of the question of severance of relations with this feder-
 .$ynod as the formulation of the Three Points. Per-           ation will also come before the General Assetibly, since
 haps, Synod. should begin censuring its' constituency there is much dissatisfaction concerning its affiliation
 for `this negligence. It is especially strange that the with: the Federal Council, The Jozlrnal  also strongly
 papers are .closed to thissubject in view of the:excuse       advocates- breaking this-tie. It has be& pointed out
 that is giv,en. ,, ,It is declared that Synod has spoken,' -time and again that the Southern Church would lose
>- let it suffice. However, the same is true of many other     its  .voice if the merger  were cdnsumated since the
 subjeets .which are still being discussed, e.g., the union Ngrthern  grbup is niueh largkr and would control- the
 question, amusements, divorce, etc. This latter free-         General `Assembly.     Many interesting graphs have
 dom of discussion is commendable while the fortier            been used-to point out, in opposition to the tinion, that
 lack of it is deplorabik.                                     the offerings for  v&rib& causes as well  a6 the total
     3. In the third place, since the situation is what giving are much greater in the Southern Church, per
 it is the only thing we can suggest to the brother is capita.
 that he continue as he has. Even though he cannot                We let the Journal speak for itself on some of these
  (he certainly  mavj  but if he is illegally prohibited matters.  Qtiotations  are from  the issue of March 1,
 from f6rmal protest his voice is still a witness and a        1947 :
 testimony. This, it see&s  to me, is his only recourse.          "In a day when assaults on evangelical Christianity
     4. Finally, it should be add.ed, that in such a situa-    are -coming from many sources, the' verities of the
 tion the call is to come out of her and joiri one's self      Christian Faith need to be stated and restated. To say
 to that Church, which' accdrding to' one's convictions,       that Christianity is simply Christ, as some do, is to be
 is the purest manifestation of .the `Kingdom of Heaven. guilty of an over-simplific&ion. If  .we  tiean  the his-
 Circumstances may prohibit `but that is clearly the toric Christ, the pre-existent Christ, the Christ of the
 .last step in the proper dire&ion.                            Bible and the One Who shed His blood on Calvary for
                                                               our sins, Who arose from the dead, Who ascended into
 Church Merger . . . .                                         heaven and Who is -coming again ; then Christianity is
     One of the most  hptly debated and widely publitiized     Christ.'
 plans for union that ,tie have yet- run across, is the           "But it is a-tragic fact that there have arisen in the
 proposed merger of the Presbyterian Church in the             Church those who deny the essential doctrines about
 U. S. A. (usually referred to as the Northern Presby-         Christ while extolling His life and lextimple. . : .
 terian Church) with the Presbyterian Church in the               "We have opposed present proposed plans of union
 U.' S. (usually referred to  ,as the  SQuthern  Pr&by- because we believe our Church has a w&k and a wit-
terian Church). `The  unioq of these two groups is' ness which would in large measure be submerged and ,
 a+ attempt to heal the b?each that developed during lost  il union  shbuld be  consumated.  '
 the Civil War was occasioned by &he slavery question.            "We have opposed the Federal Coulicil because we
 At that tim,e the Southern group  separated and has           di&ust its leadership arid think they. are using the
 been independent ever since. One can find the pro's infiuence  gained by our membership in the Council to
 and con's, mostly con-, of this proposal debated in the prdmdte  schemes  inimical to the best interests .of the
 Southern PreSbyteri&% 7otimal. Although the Jdurnai Church and our natidn."


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                                     :w----                                                           ~~-

  288  `_                                                                                                                                                  ~,                                            _.                 -.
        Here is 5 note.whi@h  accompanied a gra$h indicat-                    recent- tour ..of Palestine, declares : `Most Zionists -are
  ing. that the Southern Church -gave more $er ca$a                           violently-anti-religion and. all are .etitirely secularist iti,
 than  th.e.Nortliern  Church:  `Yt is said that you  can                     philosophy and outlook. Only 900. out of 28,700 cdm-
 judge a man's interest in any cause- by the way he puts mtinal inhabitants in Palestine .ar& ~tivowedly. relig<ous,
 his money into .it. -Is it not reasonable to assume fhat the rest ark either vocally atheistic or utterly indiffer-
 the average member of the Nortl&n Church is not as- ent to the -claims of. Yteliiion.                                                                                                 Palestinain atheism .is
  intekested  in promoting the caus&oi Christ---as..is-ibe                    represented by the able an&enthusi&ic  young teacher
 average niember of ijur .Soilth&n Church? And if -wG - who. to@ me how in the. communal- schools they--go
 merge with. the U. S. ,.&r'Church  will.not the progr&                       about in&eating the love of Israel while makjng sure
  of .our Southern Church (which wk are now silpporting                       that the minds, of the communal chiidreti  `are nof-con-
 mope liberally than they are suppol"ting  theirs) suffer..
                                                              ..,  ."         tamitiatcd  or  confuskd  by'hearipg   the word "God".`.
 as -a result `of such a .merger?"'                  * .-                     IH&writesithat, he is .`personally.convinced  of the, illevit-
  TlzeOth`er~~de`~~eaks"~.  . .               .,              -`l.. . Gbility .of a struggle between `the old Jerusalem and
                                                                              T'el-Avi+;&he modern all-Jewish city w&h has g&&n
  An interesting side-light on the above  &~e&ibn,  in up outside -s&h its modernistic buildings, it% Jewish
 which thk other side speaks, we found in: the _P?esby-                       agency, its federation of labor, its -warxism and' its
 tierian  Csuarclian  (.O,rthodox Presbyterian) of  F&b. 25,                  absorption of western materialism'.
  1947.,  It  reads--as  follo.ws  : "Writing `in  The  hresby-               -           "This declaration ,of Dr. Hut~hinso<.&s  a frank
 terian fdr Pebru'ary~ St&i, the Rev. Clarence E.. Macart-' and open view of~zibnism, for which many weil-mean-
 ney, well known  Presbjrterian  U.' S. A.  ministey  .df-ink `Christians were and still are sufficiently- enthused
                                                                                                                      `.
--Pittsburgh included~this  statement': `I am not- silre tii& to offer'their  shekels. They are +upportipg atheistic
 if I were a member of the Presbyteriqri  Chtir@h `U.. S." Jewish. communism which is even now causing t&e
  (South) .I would +ote  for a union with the Piesbtierian British  protetitorate,  no end of-  trpr&les  and blood-
Church IJ. .S. A. because of the great& degree of doc-                        letting. ..Zionism.is  but on& of the mtiltitudinous heads
 trinal decline and general-Laodiceanism in the P.&by-                        of- th-e lilodern. &theistic c~mmur&l  monstrosity." --
 terian Church. U. S; A. However, as & ininister  of i&k-`-`                                                                                                                                                  W. H.
 Presbyterian Church U. S. A., in cominon with-all our
 ministers, I supposti, I tYo@d gladly w&come  %he.return                                      -7               :          -                                                                             I
 of the PtiesbyterianXhurch US. to the mother. Church.'                                                                                                                                                         *
 In qther words,. if Mac&rtney  was the lamb, he'wouldn't                                                  ;                     -*ANTED:
 like to be swallowed by the wolf, but being on `the                                            :
 wolf's -side, .he'd.be  glad to swallow the lamb."                      _         _,I                                          S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R S   m'
                                                                                                                                         ._ . .
    In respect to the rather "cute" c&mm&t that  ,the                              -.                                 -                                                                             .
  C;@r@a~ m&es at: !&e-~clase,of  its..quot_ation  $~wiil-)3' --.. :I Since it  :is  nd  longer `possible to supply  the--in-
 inttirestihg~  to  f&16w  ijro&edings  and  `tiatdh  thB.`&t- cre&ing r&n%& `. f$ -b&X:, ntitibejrs from  `our  -ex-`.
 *come.  We  are  &her confident that  ,even  %hough;the                      hausted stock,! the Bo&l &g&ily r@&ts -those&ho
 Lamb  may  be  shdrn,' she will not `be  swallow,ed. To are willing tg do&ate  or sell  bounds volumes or back
 substantiate this pEediction  we quote again;' from `the numbers from  ~o1um.e  1, Number  1; to  Volume  23,
                                                                  Uhder Number 1  $0  cont&ct  :                                                                                  "
 saline issue .of the Jourhnl Yeferred  to above.                                                                                                                                                                    .'
 t,he'  title  `dragon  or  Disuiiofi?"`,  the  `R&.  "fi.  `j'u&&                                    1 --  --  -                       --      iy.rr  $+-it  Pi@
  Graham, `D.D., mal& this closing bbservz&i:.  "But                                                                                                             1463 ArdirioYe -St., .S.. I?.
_ a:s' there twill always.&-an England.-beliiiid the White                                                                                                       Grand Rapids,  .M.ich.
                                                                                                                                                                             _  -.-a  -
 Cliffs of  Dov&,' so  fivill  there always be  i South&n
 Presbyterian Church. Hence, it is crystal  clear  that'  -  `.                                                                    -           -  M-r. M.  Woudenberg   -
                                                                                                                      .
 those who are promoting unidn are uncofis&o%ly fos-                                                                                                             SO42 Worden  St., S.rE.
                                                                                                                                         .            -
 t&ring disunion as well as much b`itt&hess and heart-                                                                                                                -Grand Rapids, Mieh.
                                                                                                                                                                 _
 rending."-                                                                                                                             :                             -.                 -..-. -
 Zionlsmz . . . ,                             ,. .                                        _                           .,
   .
        The Rev. D.  E; Bosma, of the  ,G&!man  Reformed.                     '                                                   B O U N D   V O L U M E S .   -.
                                                                                                     :.
  Church, writing `in -the Witness, -of. which he i$. the                                             -  -  -  --                              .                             -                                             .-
 editor, makes some pertinent" observati&ls,-ab:out  this                                 Th?se planning  -t? purchase full sets of bound
 to&ofwh-ich  we  hear~so   .much in our  .day:  $n  ihe volumes, please notify us  that' an  estimate may be
  issne of February,. 1947; he writes- under the title` made to determine wh&her it is possible to meet t&e
  `"Zionist Atheism" as follows : "Dr. .Paul lHutchinson,- necessary expense of having -reprints made.
  managing editor of. The Christian-  Century,  .a&&- a  -                                                                                                       " BOARDof-& a. $`: A_,

                                                             _. /-".'
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