 A
      VOLUME XXIII                        June $5, 1947 - Grand Rapids, Michigan                           N U M B E R   1 8

                                                                  acter and principle, wholly determined by the gospel of
                                                                  Jesus Christ!              :      .~      -
                                                                      In the gospel this .fellowship  had its root!
                                                                      The communion they had with one another was not
                                                                  a mere natural fellowsl$p, determined by blood rela-
          Fd~bwshi~  I-n-The.Gospel                               tionship,  or.  b$ natural friendship, affinity in  char-.
                                                                  acter, business associations, or the like: it-was a purely
                     I thank my. God, u&n every remembrance spiritual  feliotiship,  `the nature `of which  was wholly
           -       of. you, Always in every prayer of mine for dominated by the gospel.
           -.      you all  mdcing request with joy,  Fo? your       .United,,they   K&F  ik  the gospel.  -
                   fello:wsh$ in the gospel from the first day        The gospel is. not of this. world. Jt concerns the
                 untilnow.          `.. .                         things which,ey&_hath  not seen, neither ear heard, no?
                                                P h i .   1:3-s. have ever beEn conceived in the heart of man. It is the
        Beautiful testimony !                                     gospel. of Jesus. Christ,- the incarnated Son of <God,
                                                                  Who revealed-the  Father, Who died on the cross, Who
       .. Every remembrance qf you is ihat you are united r&e on the -third. day, Whq ascended. into the ivner
 in the fellowship of the gospel, and that, too, `constant- sanctuary, and `is-kxalted at the right hand of the Most
 ly, wi.ihout  fail, from the first day until now!                High, far above"al1  principality, and power, and m?ght,
        Beautiful, and blessed, too, this testimony is all and dominion, and every name that is named, .not only
 the m-ore,  because it was, to be sure, Paul, the prisoner iii this wbrld, -but also iti `that which is to come. `And
 in Rome, that thus Expressed  his appreciation of the            because the  irery  hka?t  and essence of the gospel is
 -spiritual well-being of his beloved church in Philippi  ;       Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of' God, therefore;
but then, Paul, the Apostle, illuminated and directed it is godd.news  about the promise. For iHe is the'ful-
 by the Spirit of Christ, who, even in this epistle,  wrote fillment of that promise.  The gospel proclaims the
 to them, not the w&d of man, but the Word of God!                promise of -(?od as it is fulfilled in Christ: that in \Him
        How blessed, to hear from.the Lord of His Chkch the tabernacle of God is with men, that His blood is
 the  word of  coqmendation:  "-You are constantly the sealing of the everlasting  covenant,ethat  in His
 united in the fellowship of the- gospel!"                        resurrection righteousness and eternal life have been
       United in the gospel!  .,                                  brought to light, that with Hi& .wk `are set in heavenly '
-1      For this must be the meaning of the apostle's words. pkkes,  and that He is Lord forever! It' is the procla-
 They do not signify, as some would have it, that the mation of the sure and immutable promise of God, that
 believers of Philippi maintained fellowship with the He will dwell in us by IIis Spirit, and apply unto us all
 BpoStle, and evinced this fellowship in the lively inter- we have objectively in Christ, the forgiveness of sins,
 &t they showed in the furtherance of the gospel, and everlasting righteousness, the adoption unto children
 in the aid they sent to the kpostle'in his bonds. Nap and heirs, faith, hope, love, life, the incorruptible, and
 do they convey merely  the idea that they had fellow- unclefilablk inheritance that fadeth never. away? . . . .
 shilj with the gospel, nieaning that the gospel.hacl  been       Jyus   C h r i s t !
 @eached  unto them,  and-that they haa'embraced it by               In that gospel, or, literally, into that gospel they
 a.ii%ng faith, and-now stood iri a living relations'hip  to had fellowship with one'another !                         I
 that gospel. But it refers to the communion they had                There was a common bond that united them, a com-
 with dni3 another, a fellowship that was, as to its char-        mon fellowship in the sphere of which they had their


 4i`
   o.                                             TH-E  S T A N D A R D ,   BhARER  _

 walk and  qonversation. They had a  co&*on  mind, a                   0, the fact that their `f.el1owshi.p  in .the gogpel h@l
 common life, a common  love, common desires- and been firm and pure ;tind fervent on that "`first. da?'
 aspirations, a common  aim and  puipose.                And -this -and for-a little while .afterwards,  when-they first had
 commonness revealed itself in their actual life, in word heard and embraced the glad. tidings of salvation,
 and deed, in confession. -and. walk. This communion that  was -quite  nor-?nal, and nothing  specially  note-
 was a  felliwship  into  the.  go&l. It sprang  from a w o r t h y .
 common source; it grew upon a- common root :- the                      That  iS usually the case. .
 gospel of Jesus Christ. That gospel had struck root                    In that early period  of their calling, and their con-.
 into the hearts of all, alike, and from thence it con- version to the faith of Jesus, spiritual lif& would -be
trolled an< dominated all the issues .of life. By that bright, hope wquld be firm, love ardent, and a strong
.gospel their minds were. enlightened, and filled with a zeal for the fdrtherance of the gospel would actuate
 knowledge .and wisdom that was not of this world ; by them in their walk and conversation. They  w&d
 it-their will was governed, and all their desires were             live in their first love, and the new experience of the
 directed a;nd concentrated op the things of the j king- wonder  -of God's grace would fill them with gladness
 dom of God, the  ihings that were above, and the and joy. Besides, in that early period, the congrega-
 furtheran'ce of the gospel was the aim of all. In the tion  ,w.ould  be' purest in membership; only those that'
 gospel they loved one another. Worthy of the gospel had a living  par* with the Lord  would join them.
 they walked, as children of light, Of the gospel. they Tares had not yet been sown among the wheat, weeds
 spoke, and all their speech and walk was .a manifesta- had not yet sprung ulj in the garden of God. All were
 tion of th'e power of the gospel.                                  new creatures in Christ Jesus, old things had passed
        Fellowship in the gospel!  :                                away, all things had become new. Their fellowship
        :A11 the more marked this fellowship is the gospel' with one another in.t&e gospel was all the more strong
 was because, by it, they had be& separated .from the and intimate  because of. their separation from the
 world,. A deep spiritual chasm had been struck, when world, and the antithesis with, the world would b,e an
 the  gospel had been implanted in tlieir hearts, between incentive to them to seek and to realize that fellowship
 them and the world that  lieth in darkness. It had in. Christ.                         -
 placed them in a position of spiritual antithesis to the               It is beautiful springtime.  for- the  bhurch . of
 world in which once they had their wall< and conversa-              Christ.                   ._
 tion. And because the world hated them, their own                   `. Alas, how soon this often changes!
 fellowship became all  t`he more intimate and firm.. _                 Before long it becomes evident that believers are
        It was a fellowship of light in darkness, of right- still in the flesh, that the motions of sin are still in
 eousness `in unrighteousness, of life in the midst 6f their members, that it is a fight to maintain. their fel-
 death. . . .                                                       lowship in the gospel,. and that, in this struggle, faith
                                                                    does not always have the victo$y. `The ?lesh- asserts
        A  fellotiship, whose antithesis  dierated even in itself, the ardor of the first love is chilled,. earthly
 their own flesh, but which had been victorious even cares  alid  i?rorlclly lusts disrupt the communion of
 until now.  -                                                      saints, the Spirit is grieved, zeal for the cause of
        A fellowship, that llad it'i source in the indwelling        Christ wanes, land the .antithesis  bettieen  the Church
 Christ !                                                           and the ~ir'orlcl  is being obliterated. Besides, the carnal
        A fellowship, for that very reason, by faith' in seed enters from without, and springs up from within,
 H i m !   ;                            :                           discipline grows lax, .and the Sellowship  in the gospel
        Every  rimembrapce of you speaks of this fellow- suffers.
 ship !                                                                 .On how high a spiritual level flourished the fellow-
        Glorious testimony, indeed !                                 ship in the gospel in the early Church iti Jerusalem,
        Can -we hear ,it?        -           :                      when they had' all things ifi common, and believers
                                                                    continued daily with one accord in the temple, break-
                                                                    ing bread from house to house, and `e&i& their rrieat
                             --                                     with gladness and singleness of heart ! Yet, how cruel-
                                                                    ly the disruption-of this beautiful fellotiship was mani-
        Until now. . . .                                            fested when  Ananias and  :Sapphira   committed  their
                                                                    lie' against the Holy Ghost! !
        From the first day until the present!               _           IHow b@utiful tias the manifestation of the fellow-
        -Constant, without baiksliding, had been $his fellow- ship of the gospel in the Chtirch o? Ephe'sus when, in
 ship,in the gospel on the part of the Philippians.                  Miletus,' Paul spoke his parting wdrds tb its elder.%
        And that makes this.te&mony  all the more beauti-            Yet, how soon afterwards the Lord rebuked chat co&
 ful  and remarkable.  _-                          _                grcgatiori  because it had not kept its fir& love ! -    .


                                             TIXE          .STA-tiD;ARD          .BEARtiR-                                    411

           Not so  tyith the  Charch  of.  l?hilipl$ at  the time          And so, while he made request for them a!l.with joy,
       when the apostle, wrote `this epistle to thefi.                 he.,gave thanks to God for their fellowship  in- the
           Their f eilowship in the gospel &ad been constant !         g o s p e l .
           From the first day even until now! -                            Only in the light of this thanksgiving dare  this_
           ,Cons@tly they had manifested that the truth of -testimony concerning their  constant fellowship in the
       the gospel. Qnited them -in 6 firm bond of fellowship.          gospel be given  thein, and only as a  caise for their
           Their faith was -strong, their hope  &as bright,            own thanksgiving dare it be received by them.
-T *heir love-was ardent, their zeal was unabated.                         Our flesh is  deceitfuJ. In times of  spiri$bal_pros-
          -Well may th&r sbiritual state. proyoke  us to holy perity,  it might. easiIy ten@ `us to boast, to take the
       j ealous'y !                                                    credit to ourselves, to  imtigine that  we are making
                                                                       ourselves worthy of the grace of God, to co-mpare our-
         .&autiful  gr,a&e-   $ God!                       _
 _.                                                                    selves with others, Assume the attitude cf "hol&r than
                       \                                               thou," and thus to exalt ourselves in our .pride. And
                                                                       what is more abominable than spiritual pride. and
                                                                       conceit ?          . i
                                                                           Yet, we h&e nothing fo boast!
           Thanks be to God!                                              -Sinners we are, enemies of  ,God by  pature, and
           None of self) all of Him !                                  enemies of the truth of the gospel. Nothing we have
           For it is He that ~i6&6tli within us to will and to         that we have not received. By grace are we saved !
       do in behalf of His go<d pleasure.           '                      Arid pure grace it is, not only that we embrace the
           *Of this~the apostle is not obiivious  as.he gives wit-     gospel, but also that`we may continue in the fellowship
       ness to the Philippian I believers of their constant fel- that has its root in it.
       lowship in the gospel.                                              Let no flesh, then, glbry in His presence!
           il'he t.estimony  is -part of .a thanksgiving, ana of a         It is all of the God of our salvation.
       prayer which the apostle sends to the throne of `grace              `Thanks be to Him!
       in their behalf,. with joy: "I thank my God upon'every
       remembrance of..you, always in every prayer of mine                                       -
       for you ail making requeet  with joy."                     '                                                   _.
       -  ,O,  y&j  with  j.oy !
           There' is .joy, pure' joy;,in the hearts of believers         . Confident request.!
       when they iive in  the strong  copsciousne$s  .of  their            -With joy, the Apostle prays for them!
       feiiowship in the gospel. They love  &rusalem. Of                   Prays, no doubt, for a fulness of  spirit& bless-.
       jerusalem they are citizens, and thky seek her good.            ings in heavenly places on them all.
       `lihey have the love of God in Christ in their hearts.              Prays that their faith may continue still, and be
       I-Ten&e,  to see God's Church prosper, tosee her children strengthened and `confirmed, that they may continue
       w&k in the light, and thus be manifestations of the still, and increase in the knowledge of grace of the
       glorious grace ,in  `the Beloved, individually, and in Lord Jesus, that their love may abound, their hope
       their fellowship with- one another,-thaf is their great- may be confirmed, their zeal may continue unabated,
       est joy.                                                        that more and more their wliole walk and convers&tion
           -joy there is, especially, in the hearts of those that may be d&inated  by, and be-9 manif,estation  of "that .
       are called to, be watchmen on Jerusalem's walls, that fellowship in the-gospel.                                               .I
       preabh  the gospel to her children that have the, over-             And notice, how. general this prayer of the Apostle
       sight `over the flock.  -  _                      __  *         is, in,.behalf  of them: always, in every prayer of mine,
           `And of these, the apostle was chief.                       for  you  all. . .  .'
           IH;is calling, it. was to -herald the cause of Christ         With joy!-
       in the dark world of heathendom, to, watch over the                 JOY, because the Apostle is quite confident that his
       Church wherever it came to manifestation, to warn .prayer forthis Church, and for them all, is not in vain.
       them against .the wolves that always lufked about the           It is being heard. For what .else is the joy of prayer?
       flock of Christ to destrby them. - His was the care of It is not a prayer with a heavy heart, but with-the joy-
       all the churches. AOn his heart he bore them. If they of confidence.
       we& tempted, he suffered; if they  apostatized from               ~. Their feliowship in -the gospel is `proof to him ,of
 . the faith, he was grieved : they were `his "little child- God's grace resting., on them.
       ren" whom he loved; atid' "of whom he would: t&ail                  And it.is a ground of assurance that his reqaest for
       in birth again until Christ be-formed ifi ttiem."               the& is heard !'
           How deeply he rejoiced tihen -he saw the .Church                Blessed -fellowship in the gospel !
       prosper !                                                                                        ^  -         H. H:


412                                                                                                TH-E,  S T A N D A R D   `BEAREa  -_

                                      The Standaid  Bearer                                                                                                                                      EDIT-ORIAL%
                 Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and August                                                                                                               .
                                                        P u b l i s h e d   B y
                            The Reformed Free Publishing Association
                                                    `1463  Ardmo;e St.,  S; E.                                                                                                             Please, 1 %trijderide  ,Kerk"l
                                          EDITOR:  - Rev.-p.   Hoeksema.                                                                                                                Our readers have, perhaps, been wondering why,.
Contributinxg  Editors : L Rey.  G.  M'. Ophoff,  Rev:   G. Vos,  -Rev.                                                                                                             in the last few numbers bf. The Stnndard`Bearer,-they
R. Veldman, Rev. I-I. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                                        found no  continuatioh  of the discussion by the Rev.
Re;. J. D.. De  J0n.g;  Rqv.  A.  Pletter,  Rev. C.  Hanko,  Rev. L.                                                                                                                L. Doekes  of our "De Geloovigen f"n /Hun Zaad." If so,
Vermeer,  .Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M.  Gritters, Rev. J. A: Heys,
Rev. W.  `Bofman.                                                                                                                                                                   the -answer -is simple : in the last. five or six issues Of,
     Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                                     De R&formatie our brother. in the, old country did not
REV. `H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 ~Franklin  St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                        continue his digcussion. . . _ .._. . _
Michigan.                                                            '                                                                                                               The reason for this delay we know not.                . 
     Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                                        As soon as he ?esumes his discussion we Will pub-
to MR. GERRIT PIPE, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Gaand Rapids-,
Michigan.                       All  Announocments,  and Obituaries must be sent                                                                                                    lish it.
to the above address and will not be placed unless  the regular
fee of $1.00.  wcompanies  the nlotice.
                       .              (Subscription. Price $2.50 per  .year)                                                                                                            In the mkantime, i "De Geloovigen. en .Hun Zaad"
Entered as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                             appears to  have  beexi read rather generally. It also
                                                                                                                                                                                    has been the subject of discussion in some papers pub-
                                                       ^  /                                                                                                                         lished by the "synodicals." While we are waiting for
                                                                                                                                                                                    further word from the Rev. Doekes,  it, may-be interest-
                                                                                                                                                                                    ing to take note of their criticism and observe hdw it
                                                                                                                                                                                    was peieiaed, and what use was mad@ of it there.
                                                                                             . . .                                                                                      First of all, we call the attention of our readers to
                                                                    - CONTENI'$   -                                                                                                 what "De Strijdende Kerk" did with .our booklet. "De
                                                                                                                                                                                    Strijdende  Kerk" (The Church Militant) is the name
M E D I T A T I O N   : -   -                                                                                                                                                       of a semi-Tonthly publication, that iS devoted particu-
FELLOWSHIP IN THE .GOSPEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409                                                         larly to opposition against the liberated churches.  A$
           Rev. H. Boeksema. ,                                                                                                                                                      the head of the papeP, above its name, we read the
                                                                    x  :                                                                                                            announcement :
                                                                                                                                                                                                       "Dit blad wordt gedeeltelijk gratis
EDITtiRIALS   :                                                -                                                                                                               P verspreid," i.e., `"`This paper is distributed, partly, free
PLEASE, "STR$iiDfENDE KERK!`!  .,.....,...,..."....,..................... 412                                                                                                       of charge." It is evident, therefore, that it is chiefly
tiXPO,SITION OF THE HEIDELBERG CATE,CHISiB  . . . . . . ...415                                                                                                                      xi&cl for propaganda, and means to b.e read eden by
   _Rev.  H. Boeksema.                                                                                                                                                              those that'-would, probably, not subscribe to it. '          .
                                                                                                                                                                                        On this we have no criticism.
DR.  l$DDERBOB  AeD ARTICLE `31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  /...*418                                                                       But we definitely  dq not  like the  use this paper
J@Wl'HAN'S  VENTURE OF FAITH . ...,.......,.: ,.... 7 .,............... 422' made of my booklet "De Geloovigen en H,un,Z.aad."
SAUL%  GO'IING  TO  GILGAL . . . . . . . . :..: ,..,...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423                                                         1; Vol. 2, Nos. 29 and 30, it simply `cited long pas-
           Rev.  G:-M. Ophoff.                                                                                                                                                      sages from said-booklet with the evident purpose to
                                                                                                                                                                                    let the liberated  brethr-en-know  that also in "Amerika"
EEN P&4LM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I.... . . . . . .,..,.,.........: . . . . . . . I . . . . . . . . . . . . I...... ,424 they find  no  support.                               `
           R e v .   Gt  V o s .                                                                                                                                                        The  art'iqies   appear under a  big headline: DS.
                                                                                                                                                                                    FIOEKSEMA. :CQNTRA,  PROF.. HEYN:?.
IN. HIS FEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                     426.               The editor introduces them as follows:
          ,Rev. J.-A. Heys                                                                                                                                                              "Achttien jaar g&eden werd in Amerika een strijd
B;ROM HOLY WRIT .1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426 g&o&cl  door Ds. iH. Hotiksema  onder meer tegen profr
                                                                                                                                                                        .-          Heyns.' Dd. Hoeksema; die ook ernstige bezwareii had
           ,Rev.  G. Lubbers.                                                                                              . ,
                                                                                                                                                                                    $egen de `veronderstelde wede'rgeboorte  van Dr. Kuy-
PERISCOPE ,..../. - ..,..,............. ;+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,...::..: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 per, ridl$te  zich tegeti. Prof.  Heyns.
     .Rev.  W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                  "Deze artikelen zijn thans herdrukt en in brochtire-'
                                                                                                       .                                                                            vorm  versch'enen   oqder  den  titel-  `De  Geloovigeti en
                                                                                                                                                                                     Htin Zaad.'


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                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B-E.ARE,R                                          4 1 3

          "Zeer leerzaam voor bezwaarden en niet bezwaar- die  aanhalingen-  voorkwamen,   doch  zonder gevolg.
   den is de aanval van ds. Ho&sema op prof. 1Heyns. :             Eindelijk kreeg ik de boveli genoemde nommers van
           "Zij- laat ons zien hoe ook elders ,over de strijd-     "De Strijdeide Kerk" tech in-handen, door een vriend
   vragen-` van vandaag` geworsteld is, en waar `bet zich -van me in Kalamazoo, Mich. Dit ter verklaring.  van
   alles afspeelt in een land, ver van het onze itieen tija,       dit late schrijven mijneriijds.       _
   die door 18 jaar.dan ons geschieden is, kunnen wij dit             Nu heb ik, geachte redakteur, hoegenaamd  geen
   lezen, zonder door persoonlijke sympathieen of antipa- bezwaar er tegen, dat  `U  .uit mijn brochure citeert.
.-. thiegn geprikkeld te  worden.                                  Maar we1 gaat mijn protest tegen.  het eenzijdige  van
           "Wij geven `gaarne het tioord aan Ds. Hoeksema." die aanhaling, waarcloor mijn brochure  in dienst wordt
          Let. me translate this introduction fop our readers      gesteld van Uwe qppositie-propaganda tegen de vrijge-
  that cannot read Dutch:                                          maakten. Dit was inderdaad. mogelijk, omdat ik het
                                                                   met de verbondsbeschouwing,,  die algemeen door hun
          "Eighteen years ago, the Rev. Hoeksema tia;S in- leiders wordt g'epresteerd,  niet eens ben; en omdat ik
  volved in a cdntrbversy  with (literally: waged a battle die beschouwing  indirekt  in mijn brochure  bestrijd.
  against)  Prof. Heyns, among others.-. The Rev. Hoek- Maar  dtit  was. niet de  bedoeling  van mijn  schrijven.
  `semi, who also had serious  objkctions   igainst the zooals-ik  duidelijk in mijn VoorwdorcZ te kennen geef.
   d.octrine of presumed regeneration, directed himself ,&tag ik U eri Uwe lezers daarom op het volgende attent
  against Prof. Heyns.                                             maken :
  "These articles' are now in reprint, and have- ap-                  1. Eerlijkheidshalve `had U mij in Uw  inleidend
  peared in the  form of a  brochtire under the  title:            woord  aan Uwe  lezers   moeten voorstellen,  niet als
   `Believers and their Seed.' . .                                 iemand, -tiiens  woord in officieel kerkelijken zin voor-
          "Very instructive both for those that are aggrieved U van `gewicht kan `zijxi, maar als een ketter,  die jtiist
  and Yor thbse that are not Bggkieved  is the attack of           km den  strijd,  dien hij  stkeed,  en  waarvali U  getiag
  the  Rev.`IHoeksema`gpon  Prof. Heyns.                           ma$kt; door de Ch-ristelijke ,Gereformeerde  Kerken ten
          ~"`It  shotis  Us- how also  &lsev?here men struggled tinzent,  Uwe zusterkerken, b&n uitgeworpen. UW arti-
  with. the controveFsia1 `qtiestions  of. today ; and seeing kelen laten- thans den indruk, d& er iemaid van be-
  that this strtiggle'took  place in a f&r distant land, and t.eekenis   aan  he2 woord is.  U zult mij toestemmen,
  in a time separated from our &in by eighteen years,              dat ze een geheel  and&n indruk hadden gelaten, als
  we c&n read this without being irritat,ed  by personal U b.v. .geschr&efi-  had : "Laat`ons eens zien, wat een
  sympathies or atitipatdies.                                 !    ketter uit Amerika, die door onze zusterkerken om
          "We gladly let the Rep.' Hoeksema speak."
    _-                                                             zijne beschouwing  werd   uitgeworpen,  over de.  ver-
     sAl>d then.,follows nothing but a long. citation from bondsbeschouwing van de vrijgemaakten te  .zeggen
 my booklet, in which I make .plain that the covenant heeft."
  view of the former Prof. Heyns.is Pelagian.            .            2. U had er  aan kunnen  toevoegen,   dat die  ver-1
           In connection with this, I kindly and urgently ,re-     bondsbeschouwing  van  -Prof.  I?eyns destijds  schering
   quest  "De Strijdende  Kerk" to publish the following en inslag was in de Christelijke Gereformeertie  Kerken-
   article of, mine in reply to theirs (The read& may find         alhier,  en met officieele  goedkeuring  voor  jaren  aan
  the translation immediately following) :                         de Theologische School dier Kerken werd onderwezen..
                                                                   En deze beschouwing vindt nog altijd zeer vele aan-
                      Please,  "Strijdende  Kerk".  '              liaagers in die Kerken, in weerwil  van het feit, dat men
                                                                   in den laatsten tijd de voorstelling geeft, dat de theorie
           Geachte  redaktetir  !     '                            der  veronderstelde  wedergeboorte door haar wordt
          Wil U zoo vriendelijk zijn, om het volieiide hver te voorgestaan.  -                                   s ,
                                                                                             .  -
   nem& `in Uw blad? Het is-e&e rbflectie  op een paar                3. Bovendien  had U er ook aan moeten toevoegen,
   art&&n,  die verschenen in "`De  Strijdeinde   -K&k" dat Uwe kerken het ook niet met mijne, verbondsbe-
   ban 9 and 23 Nov. 1946.' `t Is tie1 e&n be&j? laat voor         schouwing eens zijn, zooals U we1 duidelijk moet.ge-
   repliek,  nia8r dit is  groo$endeels buiten mijn  schuld. worden   zijri uit mijne brochure. Wat naar  mijqe  in-
  iH,ad U mij die.nommers van UW blad, waarin de be; nige overtuiging de zuivere en scherpe `Gerefopmeerde
   wuste artikeleti' verschenen, aanstonds toegezonden, lijn is, werd oak, door Uwe Synod&  van Sneek-Utrecht
  ik zou'er ongetwijfeld terstond o$ hebben gereflecteerd. en later niet  getrokken..   Tech is die  antith&i&-
   Dit had ik `zeker  mogen verwachten,  teineer daar U<+          organische  lijn, toegepist op de ontwikkeling Viai `Gdds
 _  blad  imtiers  gedeeltelijk  gratis  wordt;`versp?eid.  Nu Verbond in cle lijn der gesiachten, de duideiijke leer
   hoorde  ilc etihter vati anderen in het oude jaderland, dat der' Heilige Schrift.' -Als. het niet be&eden lI?we kerke-
   &r `uit' mijti-b?c%huFe  "`De. Geloovigen en Hun Zaad"' in lijke waardigheid is, geachfe  redakteur, OI& deze din-
   -Uw blad breed werd geciteerd. `k Heb daarop, via ons gen met een ketter te bespreken,  zou ik gaarne,. om der
  bl$d; veri;&ht  om exemplaren van de noinmers waarin             waarheid wille, zulk e&e bespreking met ,U voeren in


             414.                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D        BEAR,ER               -             i
            Uw blad en het onze.  Doch daarover gaat h&t  thans against the liberated churches. This was, indeed, pos-
            niet. .Om eenzijdigheid tk vermijden, en niet den in- sible, because I do not agree with the covenant-view .
             druk te laken, dat het U eigenlijk te doen was om do& generally maintained  :by the leaders of  ..those  churches,
            mijn`brocb,ure  een aanval te doen op de vrijgernaakten, and because I indirectly oppose that view in my bro-
                                                                          chure. But that was not the intention.of that; booklet,
-           -had. U  001; deze zijde  aan Uwe  lezeps  moeten-   voor-
             stellen.  !                                                  .a$ I plainly indicated. in my.Borezuord.  .May I there-
                4. Ma$ ik: hieraan ook nag toevbegen, dat het mij         fore, call your attention to the following :
             zeer diep  heeft gegriefd, dat .de Gereformeerde Kerken         1. For -the sake of honesty, you should have intro+
           in  Nederland,  waarin ook ik b'en `geboren en getogen,        duced me to your readers, not as one whose,wor,d could-
            21% vaneel; gereten werden; dat ik, uit kerkrechtelijk `be of importance to you in  ari  q.pci+l,  ecclesiastical
             oogpant  de schuld van deze scheuring, geheel moet wer- sense, but as a heretic, who was- cast out by the Chris-
             pen. op de "synodalen)`,* dat de Stan&& BenyeT van bet' tian Reformed Churches here, - ybu? s&t&-churches;
            begin af heeft gewaarschuwd  voor het heilloos spoor,         exactly because of the battle he waged, and df which
             dat destijds door Dr. Hepp c.s.. en, spoedig daarna door you make mention.. Your articles noti leave the rrni
             de- Synode van Amsterdam, 1936, werd ingeslsgen ; en pression  that you are  qupting a man of  impcjrtance.
            dat ik geloof, dat h& tot heil der .Gereformeerde  Kerken You will agree that -they would have -left an entirely
             in Ned&land  zou zijn, als Uwe kerken van harte schuld different impression, if you had, e.g., tiritttin:  "Let US
            beleden van de  hierarchische  handelingen  d&r de see what a heretic from America, th&`waB cast out by
            breedere vergaderingen  v&ri$t, om dan  samen, in our-sister-churches because of his' views, has to say
            liefde en vrede, de vcrbondskwc@ie in vrije besprekink        aboyt the covenant-view of the liberated churches."
            te trachten op te lossen?                               -.       2. You'might  have added that the covenant-view of .
                Mijnheer d,e redakteur, .ik vertrouw, dat U niet zult Prof. Heyns was, at the .time, generally accepted and
            weigeren het bovenstaande in Uw blad op  tc nemen. proclaimed in .the Christian Reformed Chuiches  here,
             Laat mij U yerzekeren,  dat, ofschoon ik wel officieel       and was, with  offici&l approbation, taught at the
             een ketter ben, ik de Gereformeerde waarheid liefheb         Seminary of those- Churches. _ And this view still has
             en altijd gestreefd  heb en nog streef voor het heil der
                                                   ._                     many adherents in those Churches, in spite of the fact
             Gereformeerdti  Kerken.                                      that, recently, they allege that they maintaiti the theory
                Met dank .voor  de plaatsing.                             of presumed regeneration;  F
                                                  a.  Hoeks~ma.              3. Besides, you should have added that your Chur-
                                                                          ches also disagree with my vi&v of the covenant, as
                                                         `
                                                         I                must have become clear' to you frbm my -brochure.
           _; Translation:                                                That which,- according to -my profound ,conviction,  is
                            Please, "Strijdende Kerk".                    the pure and definite Reformed line, tias nqt drawn by
                                                                          your Synod of Sneek-Utrecht,  and later, either. Yet,
                Will you be so.kind as to publish the following in the antithetical-organic line, appIied  to ,the develop-
             your paper? It is a reflection on a couple of articles ment of God's covenatit in tlie line of regeneration,. is
             that appeared in "De Strij.dende Kerk" of Nov. 9 and clearly taught in Holy. Writ. If it .be not beneath
           23, 1946. True, it is somewhat late for a  reply, but your ecclksiastical dignity, esteemed Editor, to discuss
             this is largely Without my fault. If you had sent me these matters with a heretic, I would gladly, for the
             a copy of the issues of your paper in which said sake of the &uth, conduct such a discussion, in your.
             ar-titles appeared, I would have reflected on them im- paper and ours. But that is  n6t the question at pre-
           - mediately. I had a right to expect this, the more so sent. To avoid onesidedness, and in order not to leave
             since yourpaper is, in part, distributed free of charge. the imp&&ion that your real purpose was to 1adnc.h
             As it is, I heard from others in the old country that        an' attack on the liberated churches, you should have
     ._      your paper Quoted elaborately from my brochure "De presented this side of the case to your readerg'alsd.
             Geloovigen en Hun Zaad." Through our.paper,  I there-           4. 1%ay I add to this that I am deeply grieved that
             upon asked for a copy of those numbers df your paper the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands, in which I,
             in which these quotations occurred, but without result. -too, was born and brought up, were thus torn apart 
             Finally, I received  the above mentioned issues of "De that. from a  Church-political viewpoint, I must  p&t
             Strijdende Kerk" through the kindness of a friend of the blame for this schism entirely on. the "synodicals 
             mine in.Kalamazoo;  Mich. `This may explain why this that the Sfandarcl Bearer from the beginning sounded
             lay writing is somewhat belated:.                            a note of warning against th$ pernicious path chosen, 
                Now, Mr. Editor, I do not object to you? quoting at the time, by Dr. Hepp, C.S. ,and soon after, by the
             from  iny brochure. But I `do protest against t,he one- Synod of Amsterdam, 1936 ;' and that- I believe that--if;
             sidedness of those quotations, whereby my brochure is would be salutary for .the Reformed Churches in the
            .rxessed  iat?, the service of your opposition-propaganda Netherlam&, if your Churches would heartily confess


                                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   - B E A R E R                                                          415
              _ __                                 .
                                                                                                                !
         t6e sin .of their hiera&hical actions committed by their                                                    Th.e first question is a translation of ihe German:
         broader gatherings, in order then, together, in love                                               `-`Was hilft es dir aber nun, wenn du' diesz alles glau-:
         and peace, to attempt to solve the problem of the cove- best?" i.e., "What.--does it help .thee now, when thou,
         nant in free discussion.                                                                           believest all this ?" The  clause:  "thhat I have grossly
                          Mr. Editdr, I trust  that  you will' not refuse to                                iransgressed all the kommandments-  of God, &cl kept
 . publish' the `above in `your paper.- Let me assure you none of them," is, in the oiiginal : "dasz ich wider alie
         that, th&gh I am, indeed, officially a heretic; I love Gebote NGottes schwerlich  gesiindigt, und clerselben kei- -
yi  `the Reformed truth, and -have  &ays contended and nes je gehalten habe," which is, literaLly:  "that I ha+e:
         still do contend for the  well-beidg of the Reformed grievously sinped against all the commandments of.
         Churches.                                                                                        L God, and haye never kept any of them." The last parc
                          With thanks for placing this article,                                             of the sixtieth answer: "inasmuch as I embrace such.
                                                                            H. Hoeksema.                     benefit which with a believing heart," is the renderilig
                   The above speaks for itself,                                -.                          o f : "wenn  ieh allein  solehe Wohlt hat mit  &$bigen
                                                                                            H. H.           annehme," which means : `-if only I accept s&h beried,.
                                                                                                            fit with-a believing heart." And the clause "and apply
                                                                                                            the-same to myself" in the last part of the sixty-first
                    THE  TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE                                                                   answer, is, in the' original : `funcl mir zueignen kanti,"
                                                                                                            i.e. : "and appropriate the same."
                                                                                                                     What does it profit tllee now, what does it help thee,'
                   An Exposition Of The Heidelberg of what avail is it to thee, sinner, who hast foifeited
                                                                                                            the favor of God, and-art worthy of wrath and condem-
        _.                                              Catechism                          -           - nation ; who knowest of n6 way out in thyself,. and who-
                                                         Part Two.                               -          art, nevertheless, in quest of a way whereby thpu may- :
   I                                                                                                         est be restored to God's favor,-of what benefit  -is  to-
                                                  Of Man's Redemption                                       thee in this particular quest, that thou believ&t. till
                                                  .. Lord's  .?ay XXIII                                     this ?
                                  .       Q. 59. But what doth it profit thee now that thou                          Such is the messing of the. question whereby the
                                       believest all this ?                                                  Catechism introduces the doctrine of' justification  by.
              .                           A. That I am righteous before God, and an heir                    faith.
                                        of eternal life.                                                             Thou believest all this,  that is,  ali that  God  .has
                                          Q. 60. How art thou righteous before God ?                        revealed-in His Word, all that is briefly comprehended
                                          A. Only  b`;r a true faith in  lJesus  Christ; so that,           in the articles of the Christian faith, the meaning Of
                                       though my conscience accuse me, that I have grossly                  which  ha-s been expounded in the  preceding Lord's
                                        transgressed.& the commandments of God, an.d kept                   Days.  `Of this doctrine thou hast true spiritual know-
                                        none of them, and am still inclined to all evil;.' not-             ledge, personal, experiental, so that  thou, from the
                                       withstanding, God; withbut any merit of mine, but.                   heart consentest to its truth  ; and  .in the God of  Sal--a
                                        only of mere grace, grants and imputes to me, the                   vation revealed in that Woid, and conf&ed  in those'
                                       perfect satisfaction,  ?ighteousness,  and holiness of
                          1..                                                                                articles, thou  `puttest all thy  trust.  -
                                       Christ; even so, as if I never had had, nor committed                         Now; then, ,whtit  is- tihe fruit: of this faith, with a
                   .r            .. any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that view to thy quest for  p&ace, and  iestoration to  the.
                                        obedience which Christ has accomplished for me;                     grace of God?
                                       inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing                   This approach reminds. Us of Luther's profound
                                       heart.               D                                               spiritual struggle in his search for rightitousness  and
                                          Q. 61. Why  gayest  thou  that thou art righteous                 peace, which he failed to find in the w&y of the works ..
                                       by faith only?                                                       pres@ribed  by the Roniish. church, but which entered'
                                          A. Not that I am acceptable to God on  &count                     into his soul when the truth that "the righteous shall
                                       I of the worthiness of my faith; but because only the                live by faith" dawned upon him, and was `embraced by.
                                 satisfaction, righteousness; and holiness of  Chri.st,                     him in faith.                        '
                                       is my, righteousness before God; and that I cannot                      .It`reminds  us, too, that the Catechism expounds the'
                                        receive and apply the same to myself any' other way                 truth of .Holy Writ, not~as a mere matter of doctrine,
                                       than by faith only.                                                  but  f?om a  practical,   expe<iental point of view, as if
                                                                 I.                                         is appropriated by  2 true and living  faith. We re-
                                                                       _                                    member at this point that the Catechism introduces  the
                                  The Idea -Of Justification By Faith.                                      whole system of doctrine with' the qukstion : "$Vi& `is .(
                          The translation of this Lord's Day is substs.ntially                              thy only comfort in life and in death?" It is'q&te' in
         correct.                                                             ,`
                                                                                     ,                ,. ,.. line with this spiritually practic$ viewpoin't th,t the` _


  416.`                ..               T H E               STANti&Rb  BEARER

  Catechism approaches  the doctrine of justification, is-covered.  .`I. . "the man unto whom the Lord imput:,
 and that, too, at the con&x&n  of its discussion of the eth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.`!'
 contents of .the Christians faith, .with ~the question.: Of.. Abraham we read : "And he believed in the Lord ;
  "Was  hi@ es dir  aberinun   ?."                    -            and he counted it to him for righteousness'.": Gen. 15 :6.
     And quite' to the point is the answer: "That .I am The New Testament refers to both these passages -of
 righteous .before  God."                                         the .Old Testament to repudiate the idea of righteous-.
      For, though there are `many benefits of faith, if- ness by works, in Ram. 4 :l-8 : "What shall we say then
 we must have a bri&f, central, and fundamental answer &at Abraham our father, as .pertaining  to the flesh
 to the questi0.q: "was hilft es dir?"' the afiswer of the hath found ? For if <Abraham  were justified by works,
  Catechism is the .only proper one : "`that ,I am Tighteous       he that whereof to glory; but not before God. For
 before God."                                        ,--      what saith  the Scripture?            Abkaham believed God,
      Just as the guilt of our, sin `lies at the *basis of a,11 +- and it was counted to hiti for righteousness. Kow to
  our. misery and death, so our justification is -funda- -him that work_eth  is the reward `not reckoned of -grace,
 -mental with relation to all the benefits we have:by faith but of debt. But to him that-worketh  not, but :believe'Lh
  in .ChY;ist.. It is first, basic ; it is the key to the door     on hi& that justifieth-the  ungodly, hi& faith is counted
  of the  fulnesb of grace. God loves the righteous,-  Re for  ri&teousness. Even as David also describeth  the
 hates the' wicked. mis favor is upon the just,  He is blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth right-
  filled with wrath against all the workers  of i.niquity.. eousness without, works, saying, Blessed are they whose
 If, then, I am to be delivered from misery, and. re-              iniquities ar'e forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
 stored `to Gcd's favor, I must be righteous ; God tiimself        Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute
 must-  pronoutice the' verdict of my justificatio:n.  `And sin." . This righteousness .is wholly of `God. He is its
 unless I can lay hold upon this verdict of God, I cannot. Author. He conceived of it, He-realized it in Christ,
  applwriate  unto myself any of the blessings of salva-           He imputes it to. us, and ;He bestows it upon us by
.tioa  in Christ.                                                  faith. It is agift of irace: "By the deeds of the law
      I am righteous befdre  IGod, .and..  . . ._ I am heir of there shall tie flesh be justified in his sight: for by thp
  eternal life.                                                    law is `the knowledge of sin. abut now the righteous- 
      These two beldng `together, they are inseparably `.ness of `God is ~manffested, being witnessed `by the la.%7
  related, just as these two are inseparable: I am-guilty and the prophets ; Even the righteousness of God whi.ch
 before God. . . . and worthy of everlasting %leath, and is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all `and upon all them
  d e s o l a t i o n .   ;                                       . that believe: for there is no difference: For all have
      It is; therefore, of- great -importance for the spirit- sinned, and come short of the  gipry of God ;  Beir,g
  ual life of the believer, for his peace of heart,`for his justified freely by his gqace through the redemption
 growth iti grace, that he clearly understands this mar- that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. 3 :20-24. Hence, " a man
 velous truth, and fully appropriates it. He must under-           is justified by' faith without the' deeds of the law."
  stand that he must be righteotis first, that his. right2         Ram". 3 :28.
eousness must be  pe?$ect,  before he can be an  heir               . And this is the teaching df all Scripture.
 to all other blessings of salvation ; he must sele clearly           But what is the idea of this grace of juslification?
 that- this righteousness which he needs is not in him-               It has an objective and a subjective aspect.  Ob-
.- `self,' but is wholly outside of him,. in. Christ; he must jectively, -it is the act of God whereby He declares the
  apprehend' that  the. verdict of God, `declaring  :hiti guilty sinner perfectly righteous  ; subjectively, it is
 wholly- and perfectly righteous, does not rest in, has' the applicatiori of this justifying verdict of the simmer,
 nothing to do with, what he is in himself,, b,ut-is an            and i& appropriation by faith. =
  imputed righteousness.                                             _ Justification, therefore, is a forensic idea. And it
      -The moment he seeks the ground, or any part of              is of .prime  i.mportance  that' we clearly understand this.
 the ground, fo? the verdict of God declaring hi.m right- The  ri&hteousness~  that is  ours in justification, and
  eous, in himself, in his own goodness or goold works:            upon \bhich we lay hold by faith, is not an infusd, bn$
  hc forfeits his peace with' God. But iri the measure             an imputed righteousness. IX effects our state,-it does
 .that he clearly understands that this verdict of the not change our inner,. spiritual, ethical conclition.  It
  Judge of heaven and earth justifies the ungodly; end             is not the same as sanctification. Nor is the  latter
  has its basis outside of. himself, in the ever perfect           first,.and the basis of. our j,u&ification. We are not justi-
  righteousness of Christ, h&has access .to all %he bless- fied because we are sanctifiec&  .On the contrary, justifi-
  ings of  salvtition.                                             `cation precedes sanctification, and it is the juridical
      `This truth of justification thru imputation: appro- ground for' all the blessings' bf salvation that follow..
 .priated  b$ faith, is certainly the teaching of .H(oly Writ.        To unde&tand  this grace of justification, it in ii:.-
      Psalm thirty two, in its first two verses, beatifies         portant  that iYe bear in mind- &he distiriction betT@en
.,  th.e man "whose  transgregsion  is forgiven,  whose'&  our state  and our actual condition.


                                                          -  -

                    _  -  __.  _  .    T - H E   STANDPR'D   B E A R E R                                             417
                                                                                   `
    Our state is our legal position according to the his will, and all his desires,and  inclinations ; and in his
sentence of the judge, while our. condition denotes our outward  life, in 311 his walk and conversation, so that
actual ethical character.                                    he has never spoken one word, or committed one act
    Even in human life and relationships, there .may` contrary to God's law, hilt was always perfectly moti-
be a difference between a man's -state and his con- vated .by the love of God. When. God compares him
dition; Think,  for instance,  o$ the example of an with the perfect criterion of Il3is holy law, he declares
immigrant into" this country from the Netherlznds.           that there is complete harmony between him and that
When he steps ashore in  the new country he  ,is a l a w . '
Hollander in every respect, both according to his state            Such a man is perfectly -righteous, in his @ate,- his
and according to his condition. Legally, he is a subject legal position, -as determined by the sentence &f the
of &he Netherland government; befor,e the Americali Judge, and in his inner condition.
law,- he is no citizen, and has no citizen's rights. a&l          Moreover, in such a case, the verdict of the Judge
privileges. Such is his state, Arid as to his condition,     is based on the man's condition : he has no sin, and he
you can tell by his very appearance that he is. a for- never committ&d sin. `-
eigner. Dutch blood flows in his veins, he is chara&,-             However, in justification,  the  sinner is declared
ized by Dutch habits, and his speech reveals that he is righteous: God justifies the ungodly! In the moment
a Hollander. But after he ha&been settled in-the land of justification, man does not appear as righteous,
of his choice for some time, he applies for his natural- but as guilty, before the tribunal of God. He has
ization papers, and obtains  them.  '  ,He is  nay an        sinned. In paradise, in the state of rectitude, -man
American citizen. `His. state ,has been changed." Re' was righteous, both as to his state'and as to his con-
is still a Hollander as to his condition, even though. he dition. He was endowed with  righteougness  by His
rnag have adapted himself more or less to his neti en- Creator. But-he did not regard his excellent position.
vironment, and may speak the American  language IHe fell. He rebelled .agaitist the~livini God..  The re-
more or less fluently. But although, adcording  !,o his suit was that, as to his state, he became guilty, worihy
actual condition, he is still a Hollander, his legal status of condemnation and death, proper object of the wrath
has changed, so that he is no longer a subject under of God;  and, as to his condition,. he became corrupt,
the. government of the old cquntry, but has obtained darkened in his understanding, perverse of will, ob-
citi~zen's- rights and privileges under the law of the durate in `all'-his inclifiations, polluted in all his de-
country of his adoption.                                     sires. And as s&h, let it be emphasized, he appears'
   Suppos'e `further that after having lived as a citizen    in the  moment of justification.         He does, in that.
in this covntry for some time, he is indicted :for murder. moment, not stand-before the tribunal of God, in the '
Let us suppose that he is falsely accused: he di.d not       capacity  of a-man that zuas a sinner, but that is now
cdmtiit the murder. Nevertheless, circumstantial &vi-        changed, So that his past  sins are pardoned,  aid  he.
derice  is so overwhelmingly-against him, that the jury may' be declared' righteous  -on the basis of ,his improved
rettirns  a verdict of guilty,  and the judge sentences condition, but as  .one that is  ungodly.  And  no+, that
him to imprisonment fdr life. Again `his  state has sinner, that is' wholly worthy-of condemnation in him-
changed. IHe- was free and righteous -before the'law self, that  iS guilty  becanse of  fAdam's transgression;
of the land, but now, in virtue of the condemning SPI.I- that is corrupt in he&t,  an enemy' of  ,God, that is
tence of the- judge, his status is that of a criminal. His damnable; too, bedause of the actual sins he has com-
condition -is not altered. He is not .actually  a male- mitted, and that still sins, and keeps n&e of the com-
factor; He is still righteous. But in spite of this; he mandments of God ; `the sinner, moreover, that has the
is now in the state of a guilty man.                         condemhing  sentence of Gbd in his` own conscience, and
 Now, justification is the act of God whereby He who is quite without` atiy plea,-that  ungodly man God
changes the state of the guilty siniler into that of per-    declai%perfectly  righteou; in the moment of jdstifica-
fect `righteousness, by His own sovereign declqration.       tion.
   Of and in himself, the sinner is not righteous, but             Mark you well, God clecZures.him righteous.
guilty; corrupt, worthy of damn&ion.  He is such ac-               In justification, He does not change the sinner's
cording to both his state ani3 his condition.                condition : He translates him from the stnte of a sinner,
   Righteous_ness is to be right, and that, too, accord- in Which he has no rights or' claim to any privileges, in
ing to the sentence of the-Judge. of heaven. and earth. which he is worthy of eternal death, into the state of
And to be right is to be in perfect harmony  with the a rishteous  man; in `which'he  is worthy of eternal life. .
law of God, which requires of us that we shall love the            Th&t. is the wonder  of ju&ifi&ation.
Lord  ou2 God with all  auf  heart, with all our soul,             Just- in this tiay this wonder mu&`be presented,
with all our mind, and with .a11 our strength. A right- paradoxical though it appears, if we are to enjoy its
eous man is one that is in harmony with the law of blessedness, 2nd have' peace with `God as sinners.
,God in his inner being and nature, his heart, his mind,           Not for one mplneiit  may our regeneration or sancti-


                                                    :

418               _  2                   ;i'HE  S'CPNDARD               BEA'RER

cation enter into the consideration of this marvell&s
wonder of grace.                                                            CHURCH POLITY  -
       It is true) of course, that tihen this grace of God
is applied to us, and we lay hold on it by a t?tie apd
living faith, vhich God implants in our hearts (about                 Dr. Ridderbos and Article 31
which later), we have already been renewed, .we con-
fess our sins; we humble ourselves before God, and we              In our last article under  the above caption we
earnestly-beeI<  forgiveness and righteousness in Chiist.
 But this maj, never be understood in such, a way, as were occupied with Article 31 in connection with the
 if this renewal in principle, this faith, and this longing docto_r's  interpretation of it. Let us get the article be-
for and seeking  after righteousness, enters  fn as a fore us `once more:
 ground or reason for our justification before the tri-            . . 1"If anyone complain that he has been wronged by
bunal of God.                                                       .. the decision of a minor assembly, he shall have
       Always, in justification, we appear as -damnable             the right to appeal to a major ecclesiastical as-
 sinners'in ourselves, before the judgment seat of God.              +mbly, and whatever may be agreed upon by a
       This is beautifully expressed in the sixteenth ans-           majority vote shall be-considered settled and bind- __
 wer of the Catechism.  _ .                                          ing, unless .it-be proved to -conflict withe Word of
       Not+e,`thBt  the believer is here declaririg : "Though      - God, or with the articles-of the Church ,Order, as
 my conscietice accuse me, that I have grossly trans-                long as they. are-not changed by a general synod."
 gressed.  all the .commandments of ,God, and have kept             In my previous writing I first of all explained the
 none of them; and am still inclined to all evil.". . . .        article as such. -To that word of explanation- should
       Such is the sinner, as he is justified by God!            have been' added that, as to the form of its words the
       His conscience accuses him, aslie stands before the articlk 31 in the sentence, "and whatever may be agreed
 Judge of heaven and  ,edrth. And. do not  ig:nore the           upon by majdrity &f vote shall be considered settled
 fact that this conscience, too, is of God, and that the         and binding, unless it be proved to conflict withythe
 sentence, the accusing -and condemning verdict of that word of God. . .  ." covers only  s&h' classical and
 conscience is God's own handwriting ! It is his aware- synodidal decisions that are made for the settlement
 ness of God's sentence over him as. he is -in himself. of cases t&at come to the niajor-assemblies  by way of
 Well, then, Of what does that conscience accuse -him? appeal but that nevertheless the sentence is made to
 Of past sins? Yes, indeed, and that, too, of nothing apply to all the decisions of the major assemblies. The
 but'sin.. Always he sinned. None of `God's command-             point is that this is liot wrong as the principle is the
 inents he keljt.. Always he transgressed all of them. same,
 .Buf is this all? By no means. As he stands before the             Next we had regard to the real issue in the dispute
 tribuqal of God to be judged, he is "still inclined to all that has been occasioned by the `art. 31, attending first
 evil:" Still there is no good in him. Inclined to all evil of all to the doctor's statement of it. It'was made plain
 he -is. In other words, while he is awaiting sentence, that the doctor, instead of setting forth the real. issue,
 he stands before the tribunal of, God with a corrupt hides the issue behind `a screen of. niisleadini stat&
 natu(re; and continuing in his sin !                            me&s.  I then stated the is'stie after making clear what
       And yet; the Judge of heaven and earth pronounces. is not the issue inathe @r&sent dispute. Ati we saw, the
 him. righteous!                    _                            issue .or question is this : May an office-bearer (entire
       Justification is' the wonder of grace whereby the consistory or comtion member) without b'eing deposed
 guilty, corrupt, and damnable sinner, is `pronounced refuse to be bound by a cltis~ical (synodical) clecision
 righteous, and worthy of eternal life!                          which he deems unscriptural, while he is &gaged in
                                                   I-IL IIS.     protesting the decision dn the major assembltes?
                                                                    Noby to this, as  wee saw, the  poetor   ancl Rev. G.
                                                                 Hoeksema  atid the rest of-them reply: That  office-
                          -NOTICE!.           0                  bearer must be deposed certainly. For no member in
                                                                 the church, be he office-bearer or common `member,
   The Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches, mav and shall reject classical or synodical decisions
 in session June- 6, 1947, a& S,outh Holland, Illinois, hav- without first having gained the permission of stiver-
 ing examined the brethren H. C. Hoeksema, E. Knott eign' cl&sis (syhod) , so that even while protesting the
 a.nd G. Vanden Berg, declare them to be candidates for decision he must do so as submitting to it. The sole
 the Holy Ministry of the Word and the Sacraments.               right of that office-bearer is to protest the. decision,
and announces that they are eligible to receive a call and if the classis  (synod) is convinced; it declares the
 four weeks from the above mentioned date.                       decision null and void; and then and not before does it
                                D. Jo&e?,, Stated Clerk,         cease to bind that office-bearer (or comnion mem&r)  . 


                                                           :

                                      T H E          S'.l?ANDARD   BEAREIR                                           419

   This, according to the doctor and the others, -is what            of this assembly. If he succeeds therein synod
   the article requires. ,`.Thus  it became plain how the            shall declare the decision null and void'; then and
   exponents of the. hierarchy read article 31, namely,              not before shall the &cision  c.ease  to be bincling
   as., follows: If anyone, let. `us say, an elder  iti the          on the aggrieved, and of course on alt the mem-
   church, complains that he has been wronged by the                 bers of the church. Thus, if the, aggrieved one
   decision of. a minor assembly, let us say his own con-            do& not succeed in convincing synod, the clecision
   sistory, he shall. have the right to appeal to a major            continues to b&d him; anc.l if he refuses to submit,
\ assembly-this. would have to  b: classis-and what-                 he  shall. be deposed, if an office-bearer ,and ex---
   ever may be agreed upon by a majority of vote, shall              pelled   fro'm the church.
  be considered .settled  and binding by all immedia&Zzj           This is the article 31 with  the doctor's theories
  and henceforth-thus also by anyone whose settled read into it ; it is thus `the article as the doctor himself
   conviction it is that the classical decision is unscrip-     interprets and paraphrases it. We next must take
  tural,unless anyone aggrieved by, the decision proves notice of the fact that the article, also of course as the
  it un&riptural to the .~bnssis on its -next meeting or to `doctor  interpr'ets  it, has to do with the appellant in
  the coming synod, if the aggrieved otie fails to con- the church, thus with one who is persuaded that 6ne
  vince classis' and appeals to synod.                          or the other of the ecclesiastical assemblies-consist:
   . As was pointed but, the.article  as sd interpreted, is ory,  classis,  synod,  acumenical synod-made  an-,`pn-
  reduced to nonsense and ihis for the. simple reason scrip&al decision. Now the bounden calling, duty, of
  that it is sheer folly to say'that an aggrieved one must the appellant is in obedience  to God to refuse to submit
  allow himself to be bound by a classical decision also to the decision deemed by him unscripturaKrefuseto
  immediately of cour'se  unless he is able to prove the submit to it immediately,  without  delay, thus even
  decision  un&zriptural to a- coming  classis or synod. while or before he has opportunity to exercise his rigl@
  And therefore in order to save the article with their of appeal. The doctor, too, admits this. He even af-
  ideas read into it from being reduced to nonsense, the firms it with emphasis.  Says he, "Naturally it- is
  cloctor. and the others must necessarily- ihange it as true that they-the members of  :Christ's church  .(be
  to the form of .its words, which they also do by~remov- it as person or was consistory' member)  may no% sub-
  ing the word u.nZess and placing in the room thereof ject themselves to decisions `of which they  ar& per-
  the word until; Dr. Ridderbosis guilty of this as was suaded that they militate against the word of God."
  shqwfi. He writes, does he not, "And if the assembly It is indeed always the calling of the appellant to re-
   (classis & synod) is not able to refute that proof (of fuse- to submit to eEclesiastica1  decisions of which he
  the aggrieved) it is in duty bound tq retract or rescind is persuaded that they conflict with the word-of God."
  the decision. But as long as imark you, `as long as, What bearing has this on art. 31 as interpreted by the I
  that is, until-this has not been  ,done,  they (the ag- doctor? -Precisely this that it throws the article in
  grieved) will have to comply with the decision, if they conflict with itself and thereby destroy& it. For if the
  wish to r.emain  in the church or the denomination."          appellant is-always under the divine necessity of refus-
      It was also shown that the article 31, with the ing to submit to ecclesiastical decisions deemed un-
  doctor's theory read into it, is in conflict with itself, scriptural, the major assembly, according to the doc-
  is thus self-clestructive. Let us see however-y true this tor's interpretation of the article, -must depose him
  is by stating the article with the doctor's theories read and exclude him from the. fellowship of the churches
  into it and with the lines that set forth- this theory        even before he has opportunity to exercise his "Fight
  underscored :               '                                 of appeal. For the article 31; with the doctor's theories
          "If anyone complain that he has been wrongecl         read into it declares in one  of- its clauses, "If the
       by the decision of a minor assembly-consistory,          appellant refuses to submit to the decision that he
        let us say-he shall have the right to appeal to a protests, he shall be deposed." It means that art. 31,
       major assembly-this would have to be classis- with the doctor's theories read into it, is, as to its real
        and whatever may be agreed upon by a majority meaning and import, a combination of contrary state-
       vote of classis  shall be considered settled and bind- ments and therefore self-destructive. _ These contrary
        ing, unless it be provecl.  to conflict with the word statements  are-:
        of. God; that is to say, unless there be an ag-            1. T`he appellant shall have the right to appeal `to a
        grieved one persuaded that the decision conflicts major assembly.  -  -
       with the wor dof God ; .provicZing  he submit to th:e       2. The appellant shall fiat have the right to appeal
        clecision,  auhibe  pyotesting it-in the event he re- to a major-assembly. This latter, it is plain, follows
       fuses, .he shall be `cleposed  and expelled from the from the fact that, whereas it is'always the duty of the
        church,-the  aggrieved one shall have the right appellant to refuse to submit to the protested, decision
     _ to appeal to synod and. to attempt to prove the in obedience to God, the classis,  according` to the doc-
        classical decision unscriptural to the satisfaction tor's interpretation of the article, must depose him and


   420                                T    H    E         STAP;IDARD   .BEARER

  thus deprive him. of his right of appeal. We hlerewith and thousands of members, the thousands of office-
  have.presented  another .reason why the do&or's inter- bearers and,the thousands of consistories. Is it pqs-
   pretation of the art. 31 iA as wrong as anything can sible for anyone to conceive of a more horrible and
  be wrong.                                                    and dreadful brand of popery than  .we here see  in
      There is still more proof of this. `The article, with operation? Yet-it is this species of church polity that
  the doctor's theories read into it, destrbys not alone I&. Ridderbos and how many more doctol"s, professors,
  the article 31 but wit& i.t, and this of necessity, the and. devin,es  in reformed commtinions I don't know-
  appellant's right of appeal `as well. For if the appel- is passing off  ori the  "geme`ente   leden"  as  -the only
  lant is always under the divine necessity of refusing truly reformed ; and in aefence of it the Rev. Gerrit
  to be bound by an ecclesiastical decisipn deemed un-         Hoekscma  sent, into the word a brochure of some
  scriptural from the iery moment that it becolmes  his .hundred pages  ; yes, and the late Prof.  IIeyns. was
  settled conviction. that the decision partakes of this allowed to teach that hideous thing in the seminary of
0 character,+and if the major assembly on this account the-Christian Reformed Churches for years and gears.
  must refuse to give him a heari\ng, -depose,  him from iH'ow is it possible ! rAncl this polity the fathers of
  his office, and expel him from the fellowship of the .Dort  are said to have laid down in their Church ,Order
  churches, his- right of appeal, it stands to reason, is
                                 ,                             and, so they say, can be defended with the `Confession.
  gone:-                                                       Don't th.ey understand, can't they see that the only one
      There is still more proof that the doctor's interpre-    able and worthy to occupy that -high place to which
  tation of art. 31 is as wrong as anything can be wrong. that ecumenical council of recent date has exalted it-
  To read the doctor's theories into the article 31 is verily self is our Lord Jesus Christ? This precisely is what
  to convert it into `a thing that mocks with the appellant our Confession means to tell us ifi the thirty-first of
 in the churches. For on the one hand it  gua.rantees          its thirty-seven articles, by saying, "As for the minis-
  him the right to appeal to a major'assembly while on ters .of God's Word, they have equally the same power
  -the other hand it declares that he shall be deposed and and authority wherever they are, as they are all .minis-
  expelled from the church in the very momeqt that in ters of Chris%, the only universal bishop, and the'only
  obedience to God rejects the decision that he wants to head of the C&urch".
  protest.-                                                       Allow `me now to restate in their order the eight
      There is still more proof that the ddctor's inter- reasons why the doctor's interpretation of art.`31 is
  pretation of art. 31 is as wrong as anything can be as wrong as anything can be wrong.
  wrong. With the doctor's theories read into the art. 31,        1. It reduces the article 31 to nonsense.
  such a thing as a federation of churches assembling at          2. It destro^ys  the article by throwing it into con-
  regular intervals in classis and synod is neither per- flict, with itself.
  missible nor possible. Let me make this  pla.in. As             3. It destroys the appellant's right of appeal.
  was stated the aggrieved one may be any of the follow-          4. It converts the-article into a thing that mocks
  ing: a comlnon member in the church, many common with the appellant in the church of Christ.
  members, an office-bearer, a consistory, many office-           5. It makes wholly impermissib;le  ,and impossible
  bearers and many consistoiies..  The major assembly from an ethical-spiritual point of view such a thing as
  -to which appeal. must be made may be a classis or a         a federation of churches assembling in  classis and
  synod ; it may also be an ecumenical synod of twenty syno.d.
  five,~ a few more or less, ecclesiastics representing        k 6. It requires that the appellant, to retain his right
  thousands of common members, thousands of office- of appeal, commit  a great sin against God,-the sin of
  bearers and consistories.whose  number a&o runs into obeying men rather than God.                   '
                                                                                                        .
  the thousands; This fallible ecumenical makes an un-            `7. It allows the right of appeal to those only willing
  scriptural doctrinal decision. What can those~ thous- to commit this sin.
  ands of. common members and thousands of office-                8. It-brings into being the most horrible and dread-
  bearers and thousands of  cotisistories do about it? ful type of popery conceivable.
  All they can do abGut it, according to the d&or's inter-        These five statements,are'true.  And the argument
  pretation. of art. 31, is immediately to submit to the they summarize is irrefutable.
  decision and theyeby commit a great sin against God,            This  brings us to the question:  just what is the
if they want  -to protest  ; or they  cari reject the de- right interpretation of art. 31. There are two possible
  cision and endure being deposed and `expelled Srom interpretations of the article and only two. Seeing
  the fellowship of the church. But since  they- can-- that the doctor"s  interpretation of the article is utterly
  not do the former, they do the latter. For the ecumen- impossible, we are shut up to the other of the .two.
ical council must be  obeyed,  and therefore not until Here it is:  1
  this body of twenty five ecclesiastics declares the de-         If anyone complain that he has been wronged by
  cision null and void, does it cease to bind the thousands the  clecision  of a minor- assembly-consistory;  let us


                                        T H E        STAN.DARD   BE,ARER                                              421
                                           c                        .  -
   say--he shall have- the right to appeal to a major                Christ's Church (be it as person or .as consistory)
 assembly-this would have to  be classis-and what-                   may not subject themselves to decisions of which
   ever may be agreed upon by a majority of vote` of                 they.are persuaded that they militate against the
   classis shall be considered binding, unless there be an           Word of' God.  Bwt this  is a different matter.
   aggrieved one (or aggrieved, plural. It makes no dif-             (Italics,  G.M.0.)   Then we speak  of  things that
   ference) persuaded that the decision (of classis) con-            such a person or con&tory member in the final
   flicts with the Word of 7God. That one shall not submit           instance owes  God; and that may require that he
`< to the decision .but r,eject it and appeal to the next            lay down his office or even break with the f,ellow-
   broadest assembly-synod-and attempt to prove the                  ship of. the church.  But this is a matter with
   decision unscriptural to this  assem+ly--synod. (And              which the article has nothing to do. Maar daar
   we may add) and if the appellant does not succeed                 gaat het hier niet over, in the doctor's own words).
   therein, synod has the right not to depose him (as-               For the article co&ludes by stating: or with the
   suming that he be an office-bearer) but to advise his             articles of the Church ,Order. And it cannot be
   consistory to admonish him to comply.                             saidrof. the Church `Order that we may never sub-
      What now'is there to say for this interpretation?           . mit to something that, to our mind conflicts with
   There is everything to say for it. Allow me to state            it.  From that it appears that the article  (31)
   its virtues.                                                      speaks of something else, among other things of
       1. It is not nonsense but superbly good sense.              " that which shall be valicl in the church. . .
      2. It is not contradictory and thus self-destructive         We must understand the doctor well. The point
   but together with the rest of -the artieles.of  the Church to h+ argument is this: Believers must. certainly obey
   Order it forms an harmonious body of ecclesiastical God rather than men, but article 31 says nothing about
   rules.                                                       this; The sole requirement of this article. is that the
       3. It does not destroy the appellant's right -of ,ap-    members of Christ's Church obey classis' and synod
   peal but truly guarantees him this right.                    and submit themselves to their decisions. ' This is the
      4. It does not convert the art. 31 into a thing that thrust to the doctor's argument, however strange and
  ,mocks with the appellant in `the churches but it `honors unbelievable this may sound.  4s if the will of God
   him for what -he is, a believer with the unction of &he      that he be obeyed rather than men can be excluded
   Spirit, a priest, and king in Christ unto God.               from any relation in `life, can thus be excluded fro&
       5. It makes wholly permissible in a spiritual-&hical     this article.       -
   point of view such a thing as a federation of churches          Of course,, the doctor again is wrong. That' God
   assembling in classis and synod.                             must be obeyed more- than man, that the members of
       6. it is not just another brand of horrible popery       Chiist's Church must- reject ecclesiastical decision.
--" but truly biblical and reformed.                            deetied  by them unscriptural is precisely one of the
      And these statements, too, are true,. ds ought to be requirements of this article, the other one being that
   plain in the light of what has been presented abovk.         ecclesiastical decisions that cannot be proved unscrip-
   But let us take notice just why this interpretation.pos-     tural shall be considered settled and binding. This can
 sesses *these. virtues. The reason is that it is free be easily proved and proved absolutely. And here is
   of the theories that the doctor and all the rest of the proof :
   them read into the article 31-these  theories, that the         1). The very phraseology of the article tells us that
   appellant shall submit. to the `decision while he .pro- the requirement is contained in it.
   tests it or be deposkd and thereby-lose his right of            2). Its either leaving that requirement in the
   appeal-and further that it rules that the aggrieved article or destroying it together with the appellant's
   shall not submit to the decision deemed unscriljtural        right of appeal.
   by him but shall have the right_ to reject it until and         A closing remark or two. There is a reason, of  _
   while he is occupied with proving it unscriptural to         course, why the doctor wants that requirement out of
   the broader ecclesiastical assemblies. This-that the the article-the requirement or necessity under which
   appellant shall reject the decision deemed unscriptural      God places  \Hpis people, namely that they obey  Hiti  `,
   by him without delay is, also according to the doctor,       rather than men, a fallible and erring classis (synod).
   of course, a necessity under which God `places the           The article, with this  reqilirement  in it, spells the
   appellant. For, certainly, God wants His people to complete collapse of his popish system of church go+-
   obey Him rather than men, in this case a fallible and        ernment, the fuhdametital tenet of which is that classis
   err1n.g classis and synod. Only, the doctor maintains        (synod) rightfully deposes office-bearers. Hence, to
   that with this divine necessity the article -31 has ab- prove that the requirement is actually contained in the
   solutely nothing to do as appears from the following article is to prove that entire polity of the doctor fic-
   lines from his pen:                                          titious, a vile invention ,of man. WelJ, that require-
             "Naturally, it is true that they-members of ment is in the article. This can be proved  and-be made


                                                                      _  _..
 422                                   *HE       STA.NDAARD           BEARtiR

 as plain as the sun'in the heavens. Th<s will be done tude".          Further,. the Philistines had deprived the
 in the next article.                                          Israelites of arms ; .for there w&s no smith found in
        There is also this question : Have the d&or and the    all the land,    The Philistines had  .destroyed  the
others no argument with which to  counter the argu- smithies-for they said, "lest the Hebrews make them
 ment presented in this writing in support of the propo- swords and spears." Only the ,ipplements  that were
 sition that the way they read article 31 is wrong.            needed for `the cultivation of the soil were allowed
 Rev. `G. Hoeksema has more than one such counter them-to sharpen which they must go to the Philis-
 argument. ,But, as  weYshal1 see, they are not tfue. tines. The result was that "there was -neither sword
 They are worthless, necessarily so of their interpreta- nor spear found in the -hand of any of the people that
 tion of article 31 is utterly impossible.                     were with, Saul and Jonathan ; but with .Saul and with
                                              G. M. 0.         Jonathan there were found." Thus the  .entire force
                                                               with (Saul and Jonathan was unprovided -with arms.
                                                                  The people had demanded that n human king be
                                                               set over them to deliver them from the oppressions of
                                                               the' dominions. of their .adyersaries, and this because 
                                                               they did not want the Lord to reign over them, the
                                                               reason being that He would save them only-in the tiay
                                                               of their forsaking their wickedness and turning to
                                                               their Redeemer God to-serve Him with all their hearts.
                                                               But this they w&e unwilling to do, because they loved
        So have the people of Israel, as admonished by their idols. So the Lord gave them their way.. They
Samuel and terrified by the Lord's thunder, finally now.had their king. But what was their king doing
 confessed their great sin' of asking that a king be set for-them in this crisis? .Nothing at all. Saul naturally
 over them. `Concluding that they were about to be was a brave man. But in that terrible hour his courage
 consumed by aGod's ang.er,  they cried to Samuel be- failed him utterly. He was conscious of being only a
 seeching him that he pray for them that they die not. man.- And being devoid of trust in ,God and thus being
 The seer told them that .they had nothing to fear if unable to arm himself with the truth that the victory
 only they would serve the Lord with all their hearts.         is the Lord's, and that therefore faith in this Lord
  Samuel  having finished  his. discourse to the peo- -the  Lord  `God `of Israel-overcoineth the world, he
 ple, Saul. now came forward. He chose him three sat still there in Michmash, afraid to bestir himself.
 thousand men- of Israel and this for purposes of war, Let the people now perceive that their only `hop-e was
 as is plain from the sequel. For the narrator goes God, and as so perceiving, let theti return td the Lord
 on to relate that the king stationed two thousand in and in true contrition of heart confess their great sin
 Michmash in Mount Bethel under his own command of rejecting iHim. For if the Lord did not work, their
 and that otie thousand were with Jonathan in ,Gibeah.         bdndage needs would be without end.
 This is `followed by the notice, "And Jonathan smote             The Lord did work through Jonathan his chosen
 the garrison of the Philistines that were in Gibeah.`?        instrument and- workmanship.       What Saul lacked,
 It was a permanent body df warlike men formed into Jonathan, who here is mentioned for the first `time,
 a well disciplined army that Saul at that time brought possessed as a gift of God-he possessed a liviqg faith
 into being ; it was a standing military organization of in God.           While Saul  sat still, Jonathan advanced
 choice .and goodly mei, who 1ike':Saul  himself towe.red      against that Philistine garrison in :Geba. Whether he
 head and shoulders above the crowd. ,This is evident. went alone or in company with some or all of his sol-
 In. carrying out his purpose, Saul did not ask for diers is not stated. This much is revealed : he was the
 volunteers, but he chose him three thousand men. . . .        only armed warrior among them. But he was un-
 and: "the rest of the people he sent every man to his         afraid. The history of the Lord's dealings with his
 tent." And at chap. 14 :25'the narrative reads : "and people through the years of the past told him that
' w'hen S&l saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he without fail the victory went to `the few trusting in
 took him unto him.". Saul had a passion for strong and        God in fulfillment of  #Iis promise, "And ye shall
 b?ave men; and in these-men he put his trust.                 chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by
        At this -time th_e people of Israel were hopelessly in the sword. And five of you shall.chase a hundred, and
 bondage to the Philistines. As appears from the nar- a hundred, of you shall. put to flight. ten thousapd
 dative at chapter 13 :5, the military might of the Philis-    (Lev. 26  :7- 8) and one man of you shall chase a
 tines was tremendous. Gathering tigether  to engage thousand." (Josh. 23 :lO) .            Israel's victories on the
 the people of Israel in war, they  came with "thirty battlefield were wonders of grace wrought by the God
 thbusand chariots,  &d six thousand  hors'emen,  and .of grace in behalf of tk;e Israel according to the elec-
 people as the sand which is on the seashore in multi- tion of grace. And Jonathan believed in wonders but


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                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D ' B E A R E R                                             $23

        Saul did not. Therefore he sat still there in Michmash their only &ope of survival as a nation. For they also
       with his two thousand valiant meil. Jonathan's faith heard, in all likelihood from the trumpeters, that Saul
       was rewakded.  He "smote the garrison of the Philis- had -smitten a garrison of Philistines, and that Israel
       tines in Geba." The defeat was total.- For the word e also was  -had in abomination with the Philistine?.
       "smote" from its. military use and from the context Hence, this time it was  not. necessary for Saul to
       means slaughter. The garrison~to a man was annihil- threaten  td slay their oxen in order to get action.
       ate`d. The Lord had done wondrously for  His people.        But what could they accomplish in the way of saving
           As Jonathan's victory was but the prelude to an themselves `f ram the advefsary who -was thirsting after
       even greater  .wonder that  -.the  ,`Lord would work-a their blood! The Philistines had deprived them of
       greater wonder: the decisive defkat of the Philistines arms; for there was rio smith found in all the land.
-      th%t  w.as soon to follow-the' sacred writer  does  not        The trumpeters,  .if they were the ones  to. com-
       .pause  to ga into the detail of the first military- blow: municate the dreadful news-dreadful to the people-
      Some in the attempt to explain tllis blow come with ascribed Jonathan's heroic deed to Saul, the reason
       the suggestion that-Jonathan's movenients `may have being that Saul was cdmmander-in-chief of the army;
       been concealed  froql. the Philistine garrison  by the or did they purposely hold the truths under because
       nature of the .ground,  or may'ha.ve been qo sudden as they thought it wise and expedient to exalt Saul in the -
       to be like a surprise. Even so, the fact remains that, eyes of the people in that-.c&a.dful crisis?
       `God had given vietoyy. ,One who has visited the spot          Saul, too, went to Gilgal-for th_ere  he had called.
       explains Jonathan's venture and  Sai#s inaction by the people - together after him-in?u]filment  of the'-
       saying that the attention of the Philistine, garrison prdphetic  `command of Samuel uttered in his audience
     ~ was naturally directkd to  Saili's force at  ~ichmash,      perhaps as long as two years ago on the day' of his
       which was very near tkikm on the north ; and that thus secret ariointin.g,  "And thou shalt go down before me
      Jonathan, who was several miles distant on the south- to Gilgal" (10 :S) . Thus Saul's going to Gilgal at this'
       west, could more easily effect a surprise. This- may- time was more evidence that Samuel's prophetic corn-*
       well be ; but the only kxplanation of Jonathan's action mands to him verily htid originated in God. That now '
       and of Saul's inaction tias that the latter put_ his con- again was being proved to him in a remarkable way
,      fid,ence` in the arin of flesh and that the former trl&ecl ' by the fact that he werit to  Gilgal, not because he
       in ,God and was standing firm in the faith that His is had.  sp calculated or so desired, but, only because
       the victory.                                                circumstances, as shaped by the -Lord, were  conipell-
           From the point o$ view of. nature, Jonathan had ing him. Thus, how abundant the proof that it had
       done a thing amazingly foolish. The Philistines would been ,not Samuel-but the Lord who, on that day of his
       hear of the disaster by which their garrison at' Geba secret anointing, had placed him under-  the prophetic
       had been overtaken. Soon they Would be on the march command that "thou shalt go down to Gilgal ; and,
       not alone for  ptirpose_s   of. terrible revenge but also behold I will come down to thee, to offer burnt offer-
       because they would realize that the attack upon their ings, and to sacrifice sacrifices,of  peace offerings : seven
       garrisoil in Geba was the signal for a general revolt day shalt thou tari-y, till I come to thee, and shew thee
       and that ther,efore  there was need of speedy Eilitary what thou shalt do." There at Gilgal`this word .of'
       action against Israel. And the people. of Isra_el were. God, through Saul's own conscience, will confront
      : unarmed. And the military might df the Philistines him with the demand that, under the constraint of a
       was great. But it mattered not for the  Lprd would living and implicit faith in `,God, .he "obey. iSuch was
       fight for His people.                      G. M. 0.         the .Lord's will. For Saul mnst be revealed in all his
                                                                   latent unbelief and rebel!ion, in order that God's .people
                                                                   might perceive how utterly unfit he was for the high
                                                                   office with which he was. vested and disqualified for
                                                                   the duties thereof-his task  was. to save God's  ill-
                                                                   deserving people from all the troubles of their sin-in
           Saul in Michmash with his three thousand strong order that, as so perceiving they might understand
       and valiaint men now tiealized  that he instantly must that .the king to save them had to be not what Saul
       bestir himself or suffer the loss of all his prestige. was-a self-absorbed and self-seeking man, a sinful
       Thus now he was compelled to act by the concur-' human tkusting even, in the great crisis of his car,eer'
       rance of. circumstances. The  ' choice was no longer in  the arm of flesh-but" had to be what  Satil was
       his. So f"he -blew the trumpet throughout all the land,     not-a m<n according to God's own heart, making the
       saying, let the Hebrews he&," hear, the summons to Lord his expectation always. So pe?ceiving and under-
       rally about their king in ,Gilgal-for war With the Phil- standizg, God's people  would, be led to David, yea to
       istines. The people responded to that call not under the Christ. This was the Lord's purpose.
       impulse of faith but because they concluded that it .was                                                -G: M. 6.


424                                        `rir&  S    T    A    N       D    A    R    D      Bl$A.Rtil?  .

                                                                 mers? Ik ben de weg, de yaarheid en het leven.
                                                                         Waarheid  is uitdrukking van die deugd die de -ware
               '
                   '
                      N  ' s     IE A  N  G '
                                                   '
                                                  ._  "     t     verhoudingen ons toonen. De leugen is de kromme,
                                                                 0 slangachtige lijn. En  Christus is het deugdenbeeld
                   E e n   P s a l m                              van God ook hier ,als Hij de lijnen die wij scheef trok-
                                                                  ken weer  recht trekt. Al kostte het Hem de  onuit-
                    -(Psalm 98 ; Tweede ,Deei)                    spr,ekelij$e  smarten des eeuwigen  doods.         Waarlijk,
                                                                  wij  worden  door de  .waarheid  vrijgemaakt,  6rn  weer
         Deze psalm is  eschatologisch,   d.w.z.; fiij  bezingt op rechte, lijnrechte p&en naar den Heere te wandelen.
      het komen van den IHeere tip de wolken' des hemels.               .Welnu,  de  IHeere was  gdachtig geweest  -  aan die
      Doch hij zingt ook van de wonderdaden  des H,eeren  die ,deugden aan Israel.
      Hij  wrocht *in  Sian;                                             De Heere Tierheerlijkt  die deugd der goedertieren-
         We  hebben  gehoorfl het gezang van den  dichter         heid en der waarheid qiet aan de wereld. Dat wil men
      aangaande de wonderen  -die. Hij gedaan heeft in C-hris- U tegenwoordig we1 iets maken,  doch het is de leugen,
t;us Jezus en hoe `IH,ij die wonderen  getoond heeft voor Het Evangelie van God is altijd particular. Zoo ook
      de oogen der heidknen.          '                           hier. Het gait hier oqk weer, om Israel.
         Nu gaan we verder;                                              Wie Israel dan we1 mag zijn?
         "Hij is gedachtig geweest &an Zijne goedertieren-               Israel is Jakob, de zoon van Izak, de zoon van
 -de einden der aarde hebben gezien het heil onzes Gods? Abraham, het kind des verbonds ,Gods. Het is degene
      heid en  aan Zijne.waarheid  aan  bet huis Israels, en  alle die met God  .worstelde  en  zic&  tegenpver  ,God en
         Dat moet vreemd geklonken hebben in dagen toen gensch vorstelijk gedroeg.
      dit lied  ,eerst voorgedragen en gezongen  werd. Niet              lHe$ iS ook het volk Israels, hoch dan meet gelonder-
      het eerste deel, maar  h& tweede deel  van den psalm  scheiden  tusschen het  vleeschelijk  en het  geestelijk
      klinkt vreemd. Het zag vooruit. Vandaag hebben we  Isra&                 De  uitxerkorenen   hebben. de weldaden- der
      de vervulling ervan gezien, doch toen nog niet. Ziet goedertierenheid eq der' waarheid genoten en-xiemand
      ge, de profeten stonden in h$ voile lie&t. En toen zij meer. D* anderen, al heetten zij ook Israel-in vlees6heL
      in de verten der tijden de vervulling van ,Go& beloften \ lijkell zin, hebben niets'.ontvangen,
                                                                                                      -     niets-do&iefs  : `ze
      zagen, hebben Le gezongen alsof het alreede geschied -zijti verhard gevyordeti. 10. ja, i& hebben w&-de woor;
      was; ~- Hetzelfde vindt ge, b.v., bij Jesaja in zijn won- den gehoord enzook  de daden Gods gezien. D&h huti
      derschoone drie-en-vijftigste hoofdstuk. Daar ,Minkt hooren en zien was nitit geniengd  met bet` geloof,' die
      het ook alsof Christus alreeds gekruist is. En zoo is het tiondere gave Gods, en daarom deed het hun geen nut.
      ook bier; Dat noemt men het profetisch verleden.            De  aideren wel. Zij -hobFden met het  hart, bmdat  de
`,       `Hij heeft gedacht aan zijne goedertierenheid.           Heere hun een  g&stelijk oor  gaf.'  To-en-   hebb&i ze
         qieflijke deugd van  goedertierenheid.  Het is de gelet op zoo groote  .zaligheid  als  `er  uitgedrukt   ligt
      deugd van -God `waarip alles in Hem dringt en zucht ixi Gods goedertierenheid~en  waarheid  aan,I&fael. ~' -
      om Zijn volk  we1 te  doen. Daar  tiert.  God in Zijn           . En; eindelijk,  Islael `is ook de  k&k:  : Dat zegt
      gocdheid  over hen.                                         Paul&..  En ook  P&rus.   Petrus schrkef zijn brieven
         Hij is gedachtig geweest aan die deugd. IHij denkt aan de_ verstrooide twaalf stammen. `En' dat zijti de
      er altijd aan. Meer zelfs,. Hij denkt eraan van eeuwig; kinderen  Gods der Nieuwe  bedeeliiig; Docli  Paulus
      heid tot in eeuwigheid. Alles, letterlijk alles, wat God gaat nog  $verder. Hij  Zegt  immer`s,  daL-die is niet
      over Zijn volk br,en&  is loutere en klare goedertieren- een  .Jood, die het in `t openbaar is,  noch die  his- de
      heid. Het mag ons zoo niet aa!lvoelen, het mag zelfs besnijdenis, die het in `t openbaar? in het vleesch is:
      ons ongenoegen opwekken, wanneer we eventie ge- maar die is een Jood, die bet in `t verborgen is ; ,en de
      gund  wordeil  om  .de  dingen die -over ons komen te besnijdenis des harteti, in des geest, niet in de l$ter."
      zien in het licht van Gqds eeuwige liefde, dan worden           En tot de Galatitirs zegt hij : "En indien gij van Chris-
      we stil, dan ervaren we de stilte zelfs der aanbidding. tus zijt, zoo zijt ge dan Abraham's zaad, `en naar de
         Die goedertierenheid, zooals we haar nu zien, nadat beloftenis  erfgenamen?  --EK  teg@n  d6  Cliris%enen  uit-
      het licht van het Nieuwe Testament er op geyallen is, de Heidenen zegt hij ifi den brief. aan de  Efezi&s :
      is eigenlijk de openbaring Gods in het aangeiicht van "Zoo zijt ge dan niet meer  v?eemdelinge.ri   en-  bij-
' Jezus Christqs. Hij is het hoogste Goed, hetwelk wij woners, maar medeburgers  der heiligen en-huisgenc&n
      ooit ontvingen of ontvangen zull&. Hij &Gods Eigen Gods," waar hij eerst tegen dezelfde.mensch@n  gezegd
      Hart van liefde. Alle deugden vinden hare hoogste had  i " (gij zijt) vervreemd van. het bu?ge&chap Isi
      vervulling in Christus Jezus den Heere. Zoo is het ook raels." En zij~.waren vervr&em{  v&n. het?burgersChap
      met  die andere deugd die hier genoemd werd. God Israels  omd&t zij zonder  Christus  -waren. Dus we
      heeft ook gedacht aan Zijrie waarheid. Dat is-ook in mogen dit concludeeren, dat  indien- wij in' Christus
      laatster  instantie Jezus Christus. Dat zeide Hij im- zijn, dan zijn wij. ook Israel, Ziori, de`burgerschap der


                                    T H E   `S T A N D A R D   B-EARER:                                                       425

heiligen van het Oude Verbond en ' huisgenoten  -van en duivelen zul!en het schoorie van die uitspraak zien.
God Zelf.                                                              Er zal iets finaals uit klinken, hetwelk niet kan roepen
    Aan dat volk  ,heeft God gedacht in Zijn  gro.ote                  om iets anders. De uitspraak is God Zelf.  Hij.  ial
goedertierenheid  en waarheid. En  dqt  denken  is  ge- door Zijn Geest in h$ hart van elken ,duivel en elken
kristalliseerd toen Hij Zijti Zoon zond en deed lijden boozen mensch zeggen: EN ZOO IS HET! En de
en sterven aan het kruis van Golgotha.. ._       _           ...`.-    boozen zullen  bevend het AMEN!  uitspreken.
    Ja, en alle ,einden  der aarde hebben geqien het heil                 .En dit  gericht  zal  komc5n over alles wat  gesc_h"ied
onzes ,Gdds.                                                           is. Geen tiohder ,dat Johannes op Patmos een g.rooten  -
    Dat is bijna ten' vblle vervuld.  Tot &an de verst-                troon zag. Het is een groot gericlit van uit elk oog-
gelegenen der zee zal het straks  gepredikt   worden..                 punt. Doch'.obk vanwege de pntzaglijke omvang van
Het. loopt naar h&t einde. Vooral nu de radio uitge-                   d-it  Uoorde&l.  Alle duivelen en menschen, goede en
von'den is. Het zal niet Lang meer duren en het Evan- kwade,  komen in dit gericht. Alle .boeken  worden
gelie zal gepredikt zijn- a&n alle volkeh, nati& ,en ton-              geopend. Voor elk.  metitich  een boek, en voor elke
gen.. En` dan zal het einde komen.~                                    .du'ivel een bock.'
    Juicht den iHeere,  gij gansche aarde, roept uit van                  .En de kleinste gebeurtenis; de volle hist6rie staat . 
vreugde en zingt vroolijk  eh psalmzingt!                              in die boeken opgeschreven. En het wordt  alles ge-
    En waarom ?                                                        openbaard.        Tot de diepste roerselen  .der  motieveiz
    Het antwoord  wordt ons gegeven in het laatste toe.                          De  harten  w'orden  eenvoudig binnenst buiten
vers : want Hij komt om te richten !                   -_              gekeerd.
    En ge begrijpt, dat deze @oolijkheid die geboden                       Paulus zeide, dat wij  -allen  geopenb&d ,moeten
is ook verbonden zit  aan  datgeee   wat vooraf ging. worden  voor de  rechterstoel  van  Ch%stus,  opdat een
Men  z+l  zingen, psalmzingen en vreugde bedrijven, iegelijk wegdrage hetgeen do& het lichaam geschiedt,
omdat  Hij komt die  heiJ  wroclii na leed.      Men. zal naardat hij gedaan heeft, hetzij goed, hetzij kwaad.
toejuichen de komst `van Hem die Z'ljn volk beminde                        Maar hoe zal de aarde (en daar worden  tech men-
met een eeuwige liefde, en die in d.en tijd die liefde schen mee bedoeld)  .dan  juich& en vroolijkheid  be-
openbaarde  aan  bet  k&is.  van.  Golgot.ha . Die  Wel-               clrijven?  !Hoe.  zullen wij van vreugde opspringen  lqij
doe& is ook Degene `die komt om te  richteh. En de boodschap &t de Heerg komt om tti oordeelen met
omd@ IHij- goed is,. zal dat .gerlcht zijn naar recht en               rechtmatigheid?  l&n  zou  het  tech  besterven   `van
rechtmatigheid.                                                        schrik en angst bij het hooren van zulk een' onder-~
    0, er is zoo ontzettend veel geleden vanwege krom-                 zoek en zulk  eeq dag die alles  aan `t  licht zal  bren-
migheid en onrecht. Er is veel g:oorde@d. Men ging g&?.
zelfe zoover om van motiveering te spreken.            Men               ' Ik tioet hier twee dingen zeggen.                          .
heeft fijngesponnen  .weefsels  getoond   om'  tech  tiaar                 Eerst, Israel zal  zingen om dien  -d&g, omdat zij
deli  indruk  te geven van objectiviteit en waarheid.                  w&en,  dat'alle `zonde  en schuld die aan hen kleefde,
Maar er zat geen waarheid in. Wij zijn valsch van weg is, voor eeuwig ~ weg ! De zonden zijn geworpen
nat,ure.                                                               .en een oceaan van eeuwige vergetelheid. Q neen, God
    Wij oordeele'n  wel, maar wij oordeelen een kwaad heeft .hen diet door de vingers gezien. p;lt doet God
ooYde61.  Om veel en velerlei.                                         nooit.       Alle zonden  moeten  b.etaald   worden.   Doch 
    Soms zijn  w,e bang voor den mensch en  ,vre&zen                   hier  `zit het  hem: de zonde en  schuld is door Jezus
wraak die  genom.en zal  worden  op  e&  rechtvaardige                 betaald in Zijn lijden en sterven, en in Zijn vervullen
uitspraak.                                                             van alle gerechtigheid voor de Zijnen, Hem geschon-
   `Het kan soms ook gebeuren, dat wij'het recht ver- ken +an den Vader.
krachten  oni vuil getiin,  hetzij in geld of, in andere
                                        ,                                  Tw'eedens, dat volk ontving gerechtigheid in bet
beloonigen.                                                            hart, door wedergeboorte en `bekeering. En  .dooF de
Soms  verdraaien  we het  recht uit  sympathie,voor :liefde .Gods  leerden zij-om het goede lief te hebben en
den een of uit antipathie tegen een and&.                              het kwade te  haten. En  daarom zijn ze  blij,  dqt er
 Sonis  uirt pure  -k%aadheid,  boosheid  en lust tot ,eindelijk  dan tech eens- een dag zal komen,  wanneer
kwellen.                                                               het  recht zal zegevieren.
 Alles `roept  .om  ,een oordeel, dat  recht is.  Snik-                    De goddelooie kan het aanzien, dat het recht wan-
kende, z&h krommende vav smart, zijn ze gestorven, kelt  oc de straten. Hij kan er zelfs een`handje mee-
die nog eenmaal omhoog  zagen, naar Hem die  alles                     helpen.            :
                                                                                    Er zijn menschen die  schik  hebljen in on--
zag, en ze hebben, hunie. belagers  en hunne .valsche                  recht en er  zich op beroemen om de  dingen scheef
rechters-  aangeklaagd . Ze gingen in hooger beroep.                   te zetten. Dat is echt duivelsch.
    E@ terecht. Het is `bet hoogsie .beroep  en ook het                    Maar. het kind `Qds, het Israel der eeuwen heeft
laatste. Er is geen  app61  bp die uitspraak. Ik denk lang den Heere  sierwacht.   -Zij hebben het  recht  lief
zelfs dat men. het niet wenschen  zal. Alle menschen                   om Godswil. .  :


 429                               :  T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER
                                  a. .
             .                                   _                  -_
     Aan d&i hoqger zal God voldoen.                                      but is  &  our life? Are we living it? Is our fear of
     S&ij gaat zeker  .komen. Het s&ijnt  wel, alsof .gi. the Lord anything or very much more than .a know-
 de  eerste  klanken der bazuinen al  ho&n. En alsof leclge with the head ? Is it simply a knowledge of the
 we het uitgieten van Zijn, fiolen al zien kunnen.                        truth which leaves us cold and indifferent, or is it a
     De  Rechteq'staat voor de deur;                                      knowledge which is manifested .by all that we prac-
     Ge moet nog een we@g wachten.         -.                             tice 7
    aEn terwijl gi! wacht, recht doen en het onkreukbare                      It is reported that a very daring man once walked
 der  gerechtighejd  beminnen.  -                                         across the deep chasm of the Niagara River at Niagara
     Ge kunt dien trek, die geestelijk. habitas bewijzen Falls on a wire cable that was stretched across this
 door te  doen, wat de  H,eilige Geest U hier beveelt. chasm. Not only did he walk across on this wire cable,
 Zingt  vroolijk van den dag van Christus.  Mask-t                        but so it is said, this man  with a perfect sense. of
 psalmen en  zingt  he-  van den dag dat God  ,komt  in balance and "nerves of steel" pushed a wheelbarrow
 Christus oni te richten, de wereld.in gerechtigheid.                     across ahead 6f him. HGving completed th.e round trip
     Laat gerust de stroomen vroolijk zingen, al klap- before the eyes of a mystified audience, he asked of
 pende met de handen qaar' ohhoog ! Want Hij ;moet those who had witnessed the feat how many of them
komen van om hoog.                                                        believed that he could do it again, this time pushing a
     Laat het &bergte  opspringen van vreugde en steeds man ahead of him in that wheelbarrow. Hands went
 huppelen vo6r het oog de? Heeren.                                        up all around shoiving that the .owners believed that
   , Er is voor  eefi  langen, o zoo  langen  tijd,,,wreed                he could do this. _ But when he asked for a volunteer
 geweld geweest. Maar straks niet meer.  Dan heeft to come and ride in that wheelbarrow, not a man cami!
 h e t   e e u w i g   u i t .                                            forward. That kind of faith they did  n6t have. Is
    .Er zal maar  &n,  dirig regeeren. En dat  &ne is that somewhat .of a picture of our fear of the Lord?
 de rechtmatigheid van Gods gerechtigl-ieid.                              we believe in Him . We say that we trust Him for all
     En dan komt de hemel.                                                things-material and spiritual. We confess Him to. be
    En de hemel  is om al maar te staren in het Oog van our God and-Saviour. Yes,. but are we living in IHis
. Hem. die op den grooten witten troon zit.                               fear? Is our walk of life such that others plainly see
     En het Lam. Hij  kocht mij  10s  van  bet. kromme that we fear the Lord?
 en gaf mij den vrede f                                                       The child of God does. live in His fear. The `be-
    ~11~ kan het  nbojt  vergelden,   Doch  ik zal  zingen,               ginning of that new life is small, but there most assur-
 zingen! .              -.                                                edly is a tieginning in every regenerated child of God.
                                                      G. V.  -.-          Since it is' present in all the readers .of these lines, we
                                                              i'          would like to &all their attention to this matter of Xv-
                                                                          ing in His fear. In this new series .of articles to ap-
                                                                          pear under the.`general  heading of "In His Fear", we
                  I N   H I S   FE@                                       would like to pen down a -few scattered thoughts in
                                                                          regard to living in His fear with the hope that it qay:
                                                                          spur LIS on to a sanctified walk and recall to-our minds
                                                                          things that have to do with'the fear of the Lord which
          Living In. His  Fe&r                                            So `easily escape our attention as we are swept along
                                                                          with the current -of this `present, age whitih `is a very
     That-the .readers  of these lines are children of God,               evil one. -
 we firmly believe. The unbeliever finds no delight in
 the things spiritual and looks elsewhere for his reading B&rayed by our speech.  _
 materia!. As children of God the `readers of these                            In this ?irst installment dealing with living in His-
 lines then also confesses that they fear the Lord.                       fear we would like to call your attention to the fact 
     Yet we live in a world of superficiality and of great that our speech very definitely betrays- us. It shows
 temptation and in a time when the niaterial things are very clearly whether we are- living in /His %ear- or not.
 increasingly crowding out our spiritual activities.. We You are aware of the fact that Peter's speech betraiyed`
 so easily assume the habits of the world and practice him in the palace of the high priest. When he denied 
 their evil works. We so easily let `the world set. our                    Christ and insisted that he was not one. of His dis-'
 styles and determine our behaviour in .a hundred dif- ciples, he was told that his speech betrayed him ais
 ferent ways. The speech and way of speaking of the one out. of Galilee. Here of ' course it- was not the
 world soon becomes ours, and the antithetical, distinc- contents of his speech that &vealed his true relation-
 tive life of the fear .of the Lord is almost lost. We ship to Christ. It."w-as the form of his speech. It was
 fear the  :Lord,  .indeed.  But; we hardly  *find time to the way he pronounced'his words. If you will, it was
  practice it. The' fear of the Lord is our  confessiqn,                   his -brogue.  Ones.  way of speaking does  b&ray one


                                                                                                          .



                                    T H E   STAN.DARD  B E A R E R '                                                427

and indicates either his nationality or the section of Luke 10 :31 in the well known parable of the.Merciful
the country in which he lives.                                Samaritan. Likewise is it true that the word "acci-
   The same is true, of the contents of our speech in         dent"`can have favourable connotation. But only too
the spiritu81 sense. The contents of our speech will frequently does .bur speech in..regard  to.that work of
reveal whether we are living in the fea?' of the Lord God which we da11 `an accident reveal that we do not
and to .tihat degree -we. are. Our speech will reveal         see the hand of God in it and that for us it is simply
whether we are citizens of the kingdom Of heaven or           something unavoidable .or something that just hap-
not and how- loyal we' are. as such citizens.~ Our speech pened'. This is' ev`eh more plainly manifested in our
shows what is in our hearts and minds, and therefore speech wherein. we speak  of,  "ltick" or our `being
our  ipeech . very definitely betrays us and reveals "lucky". There is nb such thing as `%~k". All things
whether we are living in the fear of the Lord or pot          come'to us'acctirding to the decree of God. Even our
and to what degree.' .                                        substitution of the  word "fortunate'!  in  the place of
   Thus taking the name of the Lord our God. in vain          "1Ucky" does not really give -exptiession to the fear of
betrays one as not living in the fear of. the Lord ne-id      the Lord.  I We seem so afraid or loathsome to ,recogniie
hardly be remarked. It is a clear violation of the            G6d and, His -works. Is it because we do not really
express&d will'of God and surely manifests no fear of recognize these `things as'lHis work,  or is it that we are
reverence and respect at  AlI.                      :         afraid before `others tii con`fess  -His nam&and our faith
   Yet how much is there not of this taking of God's          in Him? At any rate whichever is the case such
name in vain to be found also among`us? Daily pap&s, speech betrays one as not living in the fear of the Lord
`magazines and even radio-programs are full of it. in that act of his.
We hear it so often and -read it so frequently that it           He who fears the Lord has deep respect for Him.
almost finds a place'in our way of thinking and ex- He stands in awe before the Lord- and every work of
pressing ourselves. Sometimes this is the  cas6 to a the Lord which he beholds, whether  it be in the sphere _
very great degree.. Or else we invent similar sounds          of the spiritual things he receives from God and sees
that begin. with. the same letter'or letters. "Gee, Gosh, about him or whether it be in the material things of
Gofly!' fall off our lips as necessary words to emphas'ize    this earth  where  God shows  !His hand, power and
our` statements. IOur. very attempt to impress others wisdom, he who fears the Lord sees Goss glory there-
with our veracity by the use of such expressions is in. And living  .in God's fear he will  praise Him for
an admission that at least at times our words are not these works. To attribute the works of ,God to a blind
trust+orthy.  Similarly we find the need `of "Christ- Providence, tq an impersonal Nature, to luck or any
mas" or  "Christobhe?". Then there are those words other thing is to show disrespect for the Lord Who
which  gefer'  to God's attributes used `in  expressio@,      has `done these things. He who has been spared through
such as "Holy s'moke",  `(Good gracious" and the like.        some dreadful disaster or peril of one kind or another,
   -These are  r&  ple%sing in God's sight.  *These as if he is living in the fear of the Lord, will not` declare
well as the more bold use' of the name of God liteialljr how~lucky he was. After the pattern of the saints of
shows disrespect and irreverence rather `than the fear old who lived in God's fear, he will speak of God's good-
of the Lord. He' who fears the `Lord will use %Iis name ness and mercy. The very least he can say and still
very delicately. He who fears the Lord stands in awe utter the speech of the fear of the Lord is to declare
before Him. He will not misuse that name, nor will he that God has seen fit to  spar& him from this peril.
invent all kinds of ways to duplicate the sins of the         There is no fear df the Lord expressed  in the state-
world with similarly sounding words. You who are ment that one is "lucky". There is no -fear in such an
reading these lines, does your speech in this respect expression such as this, "nature provides a solution for
betray you?                                                   the problems of creation.". The fear of the Lord s$eaks
   But it was  not our intention to write  ab&t the His praises also before the world in spite of the mock-
violation of the Third Commandment at this time. We ery it will `suffer.
have other sp%etih ih mind which betrays the old man             Then there is also what we would call "filthy"
of sin within us and which is not showing the revever-        speech. Such speech is to be found only too often
ence due His name. We so easily borrow the speech of right in the home before the children. We mean `by
thhe world and many expresSions  which we would call filthy speech what the world calls "dirty,  immoral
                                                                                                                         -
"atheistic -expressions" find their place in our daily speech." That there is filthy speech found in the
speech. We speak of "luck" and "being lucky". We mouth of the world  ,&  .to be understood. The heart
speak of "Providence' 'and "Nature" when we are of the world is filthy. That it .is in the heart of the
`speaking.of works which the'-Lord Whom we fear has           church is due to-the fact that the old man ~of sin is
performed. In the same way we speak of "accidents" with  LU  till death. But he who fears the Lord will
and of unavoidable accidents. Noti it is to be coneed-ed      fight against it and keep. a close watch of his tongue.
`of course that Jesus Hi&elf speaks of f`chance" as in           Such speech does not belong on the tqngue of those


,           428                                      T    H      E         STANDAR.D B E A R E R

            that fear the Lord. They stand in .awe before Him.
            They are eager to be pleasing in His sight with thought                            FROM HOLY WRIT _
            and word and deed. It' is their desire to bring their
            children up In /His fear and that th'e words of their
            mouths and the meditation of their hearts may bg ac--
            cepttible  to God. In'homes where there is filthy talk-                      0. ,T. Quotations in the N. T`:
            ing, where filthy jokes are told before the children
            and where the tongue is not used to spebk God's praises                            (Eph. 4 :S-i2.i Ps. 68 :ld concluded)                   j
            the parents must_  not be. surprised if they find their
            &hi!dren  in later life practicing immoral deeds.  .Let                  The first question, therefore, tq engage obr atten-
            *he parent live in the fear of the Lord and set an ex- tidn is : what is there in Psalm  68::18  ,that  Warrants
            ample by nil their speech for. their children to follow. Paul in  changing  "re&ivecZ  gifts" into  "&ve gifts"? 
                   There is one other form of speech which we would _. If  0ti.r assumption is correct that Paul has infall-ibly
            have you consider with us in this first. installment. grasped the sense of this passage in writing "gave"
            It is the matter of the Christian Greeting; When instead of. "received" this ought to become. clear to
            those that, fear the Lord, members of une family, felldw us from a study of Psalm 68 itself. It seems to us that
           -citizens of the `kingdom of heaven, fellow metibeks  of a brief study of this Psalm is in order.
          _ the one `body of Christ meet. one another or take leave                  In general it can be said that in this Psalm the
            0: one another, there is nothing nniyue as.ti r&le, and poet is-recounting the mighty victories  and triumphs
     .      the speech used in these instances is' identical to th2t;' of Israel bver all her enemies. These victories, how- 
            c,f those who do not fear the Lorcl. Paul in his niany ever, the psalmist does not as&be to the prowess of
           . epi$tles  gives us a very different a'dmonition. He de- Israel in battle, but solely to the Lord who' arises to
            ciares for example in Philippians 4 :3! : "Salute.`every              her defense and.thus scatters the foes.
            saint .in Christ Jesus". The "God be with yiu" of the                    The keynote of this Psa1.m is undoubtedly expressed
            parting -salutation  of the Quakers which does expr.ess               in the first verse, which reads: "Let God'arise and let
          the fear of  the  L&d has  today'contracted into "Gdod #His enemies be scattered before Him': let `them also
            Bye" and is afid can be used by ihe church and wo?ld                  that hate Him flee before Him. _. *. . .But let the right-
            alike. Surely this is,not  what Paui -tieant .wh'en to the eous be glad ; let.them rejoice before .God ; yea, let them
            Philippiafis but also to the church at ' Cdlosse -and.                exceedingly rejoice."                _                    :
            Thessalotiica he said, "Salute all the saints" or .wh&                  This great victory of tl& Lofd over all the, enemies
            :le wrote to the Thessalqnian;,  `Xree?  one' another of Himself and of His covenant.. people finds its ,cli-
            with a holy kiss". It -may be noticed that Paul sDeak$ matic descriptibn  and magnification in the 18th verse,
            of an "holy kiss". ,He plainly differentiates between the verse quoted  by Paul in Ephesians 4 :8; God has,
          ' the greeting.and' salutation of the wNld find that' of a.cc&ding  to the psalmist, perfecte.d  the . overthrow
            those who fear the Lo.rd. Should not our speech reveal of the enemies, and come to m?ke \His abode among
            that all our trust is in the L&d; that WB expect His                  His  sairits in' "ascending on high and receiving gifts-
            h!essing and wish it upon till His saints`.' Should O~P               from men; yea, -for the rebellious that -He might dwell
            farewell not always be, "`.Rle Lord Bless You", or some among them."-                                                    _
          F.iml!ar  expressioT:  whic!.I expresses our  .fear  of  the            Many have been `the attempts to &rtaih the Old
            I`crd? What  doe;j  -ycur  speech  reveal?  Does it  re.-             Testament. event, reCorded  in the Scriptures,' rto `which
            ~(:a! your-fear of  `Ile Lord?                                        the psalmist .here refers. Among- expositor%  there is
                                                               J .   A .   13.  ,-; no unanimity; great is the divergence of  opinion.
                                                               .,  -  -
                          ,-                                                      Some w&ld have David here speaking of the signal
                                                          .
                                -                         .                       victor$ -over.  the, Syrians alid Animonites, tihen `the
                                                                      :::         Ark was brought  baizk in  tritiniph'  t6  Jeru&al`e&.
                                              .__                                 I Cheon. 19' :lO-19. Others -insist $htit-  the "ascending
                                     IN  i&ORIfWI                                 on high" refers  to the  trdns%tion-of-the Ark'fyoni thk
           The Ladies Aid Society of the  First Prot. -Ref. Church  -of           -house of fObed-Edoe t6 @tt. Ziol, atid that -with this
            Grand Rapids, Michigan, hereby ,wishes  to express their sincere      every-part in the'Psalm lyould harmonize. I-I Sam:6.:8.
            sympathy in the death of one of their faithful  members;.             Again, others find in this P&n-i fragments  of `the Sorig
                                -MRS. RICHARD VAN' DELLEN                   .'    of:Moses, spoken at the occasion  of'Israel's -mar`cliing
                   May the -Lord comfort the bereaved famiiy .aid give `thkm      after the Ark of the Covenant and. l&d by'the- Cloud in
            grace, to believe that He doeth all things well..                     the desert, and .also, parts of, `dr at* least, the` ienti-
                                                                                  .ments   .- of  ,.the  TSong'of Deborah  (Nui%tbe`rs  10  :35 ;
                                          Ladies Aid Society
                                                Mrs.-I%   Hoeksema,   Pres.       Judges  5       )    :       `~       -           -I.          F 
                                                Mrs. A. Vati- Tuinen;  Sec'y.      -How  are  we to  judge.  of this?         .-                 ._  2


                                       TH%-       S'
                                                     I'
                                                        A~JDAiZD          -,.BEARER          ;                                  4%
                             :


    -It seems to us, that we need not busy ourselvesxtoo         seemihg defeat of Israel and Israel's  .God  proires'to
much to seek the one particular victory of `God .in His be the eveklasting victory. knd we read that at this                          -
people over the enemies. I[t is enolfgh to keep in mind occ&ion David indeed gave gifts. unto men. We read:
that the events here. spoken of, are, indeed, historical,        "And he. dealt,,among all the people, even among, the
They- liappened. Added to this, we. should constantly -whole mu&t.ude, of Israel, as well to the women as;
bear in mind that the description of the Lord's victor- men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of .
ies are portrayed to us in poetic strains.         The l&n- flesh,  and  a.flagon of wine".  I! Samuel  6:19.
guage does not permit us to ascertain to any dkgree of- T.                 David indeed gave gifts unto men.
certainly the parti&lar historical reference.         `-                   :And the Lord, &God, did so in him.
 " For us it is eriough that we see the general thiust              At-least. that was the positive design of God in tak-
o'f this Psalm. We will -then see that what the' Holy ing capkivity captive, in overthrowing the armies of
SjDirit wrote in Psalm 68 is the general underlying the ,Phi-listines  and lowering them to the earth.
ljrinciple  that is trpe in-every particular case of Israel's       Hence; wheti the psalmistihere  speaks -of "receiving
victories over the enemies.                                 . gifts" from men, it is quite evident-that the wording
    As far as the particular $assage in Psalm 68 :18 must be viewed as having something full and expansive
is c&ce&ed  we believe that the clearest &hibition  .of id it. Inc@ed, the Lord received gifts, Israel rides on
this principle may be noticed in  the`removal  of the the heights of the enemies. God does not merely  wish
Ark from the house of  tObe+Edoin  to. Mt. Zion by to destroy,` but by the wonder. of grace, represented in
David. We believe that back of tl& ascension of the this very Ark  ,of the  mercy-se&  Her  .wishes to bless.
Ark under David lies the Captivity of the Ark by the He wishes to dwell amonst His people as Jekiovah,  as
Philistines..at the battle of Aphek under Hophni and God. He wills to sho.w Himself to be the one who:is_both
Shinehas, the two .wicked.  sons of. the /High Priest, Eli. able (God) and ,  willing in faithfulness (Jehovah),.
I   S a m u e l   4 - 6 .         -                              Thus He is mindful of His people as a.tender Bhepherd
 In favor of this historical reference is the following of-His flock.  Not one is forgotten. In so redeeming
in the Psalm: 1. That this Psalti is attributed to the Israel in the very` presence of the -Ark, God reveals..
authors)lip of David. It is called: "A psalm or song Himself as the. God of justice and of mercy. It is the.
of David:" Now it was under,David that the Ark tias triumph -df the righteous cause of God in His people in
b.rought to its `resting place in Zion. 2. That in this `Zion.
&se -of the capture of the Ark it was in "Captivity".             L Such is `evidehtly the`imp&t of this passage. Thus
To this~ dark and seemingly hopeless period the text it is eirplained  by `Paul in Ephesians. 4 :8.                     =
seems to refer, That the #Ark ascended implies that `it             iHowever,  there is a difference'bettieen  the "taking
`has first descended. `To this we  .may add, that it captivity captive" in P$alm' 38 and that referred to in
seems quite certain `that the. Psalm does allude to the Ephesians.                                         I
"ascension" of the Ark as the symbol -of the gracious             t In the latter passage we h&e the real presence of -
presence of ,God. That the -Ark did 90 out with Israel God in His Son in the flesh ; ifi the former tie have
into the fray, into battle is evident from II Samuel             God revealed in the shadows and types, in the mercy:
11 :ll. Besides, such was ideally the intent of the Ark. se&t. of the earthly tabernacle. and the priesthosd  of
When Israel .m&ched' in the desert the Ark, carried _ Aaron.
by t& priests we& bef.ore them. Thus it was also                    Thi& is a tremendous difference;
in passing over Jordan over against Jericho under                   In the latter times (God-has  spoken unto us through
Joshua, the son df Nun. And we all know the biblical .HiS Son. In His ,Son God has-come to dwell amongst
account of the place that the presence, of the Ark took us, His people. `He, the Son, has assumed the flesh
in the capture of the city of Jericho.                           and blood of the children. IHe has made -Himself of no
   .3. Further, it should be noted, that-the very words reputation. Willingly He came  to be the "Captive"!
of Psalm 68  :l,  Quoted  earlier in this essay, aye the He is buffetted, spit upon, contradicted of men, a man
,ones that Moses sp&e when:thtbe Priest would pick up of' sorrows. N.ever  was anyone so completely captivk,
the Ark in their migration in the desert. `Thus we read and  80 willingly a  bondman  as  He. He entered into
in Numbers !O :35: "And  it came to pass, when the the "lower parts of the earth", i;e., he entered into all
Ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up Lord, and the relationships of us the children under the curse
let thine enemies be scattered ; and let them that hate of the law and under the law of death. Indeed, he
thee flee before Thee. And when it rested, he said, .descended, as never the ark in Eli's day could. Truly
Return, 0 Lord, unto the many, thousailds of Israel."            here  one niust say: Ichabod! the glory has departed
    4. In the light of the foregoing threefold consider-' from IsYael.                                                          1
&ions-it  would seem, that this Psalm refers to  ,the            !He  stiffered  under Pontius Pilate  ; he was  cruci-
time' of. .D&+id's. bringjng the ark bf the -covenant into fied, dead and buried.                                 ,-
Zioh;' In so.doing "`captivity was taken .captive.`! The         " Lower than He none -has ever descended !             : _:


      4gJ.                                                      THE           $`j?-ANDAfi%i                               Bti&gti                                          `-S--m  __________._ ____
                               _ __.__ ~__ __ .-----___--- - -. ..- -_- ._.._. .-----^ _--. ___ _-__-_---.- __.._  -.  - - -   -~
               Yet, the @ave atid the. @ins of deai%could riot l-l&l Nao&lyHolIalid                                                          23             .12               8         4362         2287
      Him Z&I-I-e  &ose faorn the dead;. and He tiscend:ed  on high. kid-.HoIiarid   -                                                    ..56~-                   ~36       lJ7       16178         8442
             Afid. this ascension  on:&&.  was into the  .citv of Zeela-nd-Noqrd-                                                                 ~.                                                 .-
                                                                                                                                                   .:              _
       David.- Oh, : to be surej he- did, fiat asee& itito-. th{ Br&aht-Li.tibu@  1 8                                                                      ,_  13            -.6  \     4 3 9 8      2291
       ea$thly  city of David in the l&d of Palestine, but &to                                                                             -               __.-                                    .I  v_
      the heaver@  city Which hasfou$dati&is,  .tv'h-ose  Builder                                                 Toi%&-1946              269               16%             1 1 0      8731L        45609
      and' maker .is.X%d. Into this city He ent&e`d- p&sin.g_                                                     T&aly1946.                216           1 3 5              89 77303.              40729
                                                                                                                          *
      through' the." lieavefid. AbO;ire ail the  he&ehs LHe as-
       cended. ,                            -~            :      -                                               -m  These Churches maintain their  otin  `I;heoiogical
               Surely, in-so doing all the e+i%i& of God's- people                                              Seminary  iti-  K&pen with five f&i-time professors
      are  destr'oped..   For He  nitigt  reign until.  He  h&h  put and three  "iedtoren".                                                                  gig&y-five students are  en-
      all things uiid.el His feet. Is He a&. tl%e King-Prie&. r&d  for the  regular   .seminary work while  twenty-
      a,Priest  forev`ef-  afte? the order  6f Melchizedek.                                                     eight more aie taking graduate 'work ieading to the
      .,)  Aid what a  gpacious  High_Ppiest!                                                                   .docto$s   degree.
                                                                                                                   - -
        : Fbr  a;11  the  rieedd of the  whole  chtiyic;h   I@?  eel&.                                                                            * * * *
      He  gives\  gp'a(e'iods1.y   gived gifts unto. men.  --                                        -          2). S; Views' U. s.                          .-
        Ifi  $I&  i s   tlie.  ftiln&s  o f   viri&do&  &hteo&neds,
      holihe&  and complete' redeinptjoh. With this iivisdoti                                                                            (Continued from  last  is&&)  -
      arid `knovirl'edg'e  all in@% be filled till all arrive unto~                                                ,In order ia attempt to catch up with Mr. Van Spron-
      th@  p&f&et   Manhood, the fdll  $&tire  iiz Him.  Atid se? we will devote most of our'. spsee to his writings,
      this is all gift. It is His l&fig cdre for each Member From what he writes  b&low it is evident  that if he 
      of the Body of which He iti the (Head.                                              -                     lived jn this c&i&g the brotlie~ would be a "fan" of
        .Vepy  coficrettiljr these gifts  ,of  &o&edge, of  ddc- Dr. Brady. Mr; V&n Spronsen states that the C&&?&es
     '  tcine  &I$$ reproof  cotie.   -to us  thrptigh the  tea&& $3 Arqerica do nqt seem to have the strength to with-
     tiiaistr'jr.  .dhrist's   death.afid  %d+ision have  n&de  the stand the influerice of  Americariism  but that,  oli th&
     .  preaching  o;f the  gosp;_el  a  r&lity. And  thratigh this                                             cpntrary,  there is a  tendeacy  to  :cbmproaise. "The
      pr`etiching  aI1 cdllectively ah! eacl'i lndividu&lly  rec.&veg                                           early baptism af irif%t& for exa;rYiple," he  writes,.  "I
      the full measure of the gift of Christ:                                                        .          htive not faun$ in Ainerica. ,One .fiifids here the pzac-
        Each;.  the?`efof@,   yecei?es  I%  Alloted  portiti?i;   ,Pind tice. that  is  ih vogue in  the- Ned:  He?? .Kerk-that of
      this portion m&t bji every  joirit ,%hat supplietii ifi the stipulated baptismal days. Once 8 ri?onth ok+ whenever
      Bo&: be as&l to `tire a;dsia;ritage of all.                                                               a sufficient number  of i&a&s have accumulated ba,p-
               Thus. the Ed~d, the glorified -Jesgs feceives a fprm, $iSm is  administelced.  Arid -whenever  oie asks  the-
      in us. Ascension in the highest  heavens begin2 to be rea,son  why they wait so long he receives the sfereo-
       real&d  irn  on'?' lives..  God9 the  L@d,  th.us  corn& to typed answer: The mother mrrst ah -be present since
      clw@ll &fifoiig His peopl&                                                                                skfe has the `most to  do  w&h the  bfinging-up  of the
               Thus one Lord; ong! faith, ofie'bap&sm,  dne body.                                               child. A  situatioti which  aiose  in one of the Chr.
               Afid .ohe God whd- is ab6pe all, tliroagh ail and,jn                                             Ref. Chtlrches  and concerning wliich I pecehtly heard,
                                                                                                                                                   . .
      ,all!                                                                                          .          demonstrates the difficulties which they face-here in
                                                                                                                this -. connection.
                                                   _...                           d. L.  I                                                         Without  exce&ioq  -the babies in
                                                                                                                -America, are-born in the .hospital$ at the expense of
                                                                                                                the family life according  _ to my judgment,  bait the
/      _'               --           a.EE&ISC.)pE                                                         ..    doctors simply defuse  to help at home. Mow it seems
                                                                                                                that one of the newest Ameiican  fads is that all male
                                                                                                                babies must be-circumcised as a prophylactic measure.
                                                    '                                                           And f& the s&e-of hygieiie cloet meiz in Ameriku alles;
       De Gerefhneerd,e  Kzerken. .@.A: 31 l?.O;) Statistics :                                                  and whenever the one: mother beg,ins somethisg,  the
               tie *@cent&  received. #`i@ i947 -.?e&rlj.ook df these                                           others follow immediately. Now there was cne baby
       Cl&cl&s  in.  the  JYet~etil&nds   &d  pa&s  on  to.  odl  rea;d-                                        which became very sick. follqwing this operation and
       eis,  soqe of  t&e  Sigixes..                                                                            conseiuently this nece&itated  a postponement of hap-
                                                                                                                tism alid, hence, also the other babies simply had to
                                       RECAPITULATION                                          -
                                                                                    .-                          wait.               -
       Grofiifigegen                  42           29.
                                                    '           16 19196                            10221           "Lzectiuse' of similar pernicious circumstances ther:e.
       Friesland                      28 12 14                             4926'                     it447      is no longer  Any  `jjossibility of a pure covenant con-,
       Dl"efite                      ,25. 14'                   10         545.9   :                 2752       cept.          -
       Overijsel-Geld.              5 6            .32          3i)     2 4 0 0 7   ~               e12m            "Here al&j one misses the positive leadership of the
       Utrechi  21                                 15  .:-  '  g.          8785  4596                           Ref.  -Church  .not  merely   conce?ns  the "three points"
                                            _.


                  i                                  THE  STA.&DAR6  :`B.EARER                                                     .431

        religious press, and that of those who.have been called posedly  skeptical of the content of this `daily press.
        to give this leadership...             .        ,:     `:.J,:,~    They read the paper because. there is nothing else and
            `Qne of the problems that- is still  .a warjn, issue           they desire to-keep up with the course of events. f .Bu.t
        here i's the question of the baptism of adopted children. whenev.er one discusses the natioilal and-international
        The government places-children of parents whose name, affairs, both in political and social spheres `it' becomes
       - foi one reason or another, cannot be revealed. : Any              evident, nevertheless, that their- opinions have been
        one can adopt such a child. Now there are childless formed under the influence pf the press.":
        familiG that have taken advantage of this and even                    As a@ example of this ti. Van Sprqnsen points to
        though nothing is known- of such a child -many would the- current `opinion in America that the Netherlands
        yet have them baptized. Even though -the. child was East; Indies should be given their independence. :: &I'e
        born entirely outside of the sphere of the Covenant                claims that the press in America has distorted the
        .they maintain that through mere .adoption it becomes issues  a%d that we Americans  blindly  foll&v.   Over-
       a covenant child an+ ihus has a  Tight to its baptism.              against this he brings strong arguments for the- con-
        The. @y;od (Chr. `Ref. Church, W.H.j took a positive tinuance of `Dutch dominion in the Indies.. He con-
        position on this question but later, when `criticism chides as follows: "And I. believe that the greatest
        arose, it left'itsto  thejudgment of each local Church.            fault lies with the so-called. neutl:al  press. that has `in-
            "That in the sphere of the covenant the "may" .is              fluenced the hearts and minds. It is high time. that
        at the same time -a. "must" and the "must", likewise,              reformed brethren in. America begin to pub&h a paper ,
        @so contains a "may"the$  do not understand, it seems. of their own. . . . . they are  sufficikntly  numerous to,
        In this manner the idea of the covenant is disappear-              publish a fine paper."                                  . .
        ing  amoilg the people.  And,  accorclfng to  my predic-             . In his next article Mr. Van- Spronsen  .retur& to
        tion,  -it is  >ust this point that  $ill  come `up in the         discuss our expulsion from the Christian Reformed
,'                                        future.                          Church. He takes his starting point fi-om a review -of
            "Church and Covenant are the two fundamental "The Power- of the Cross", written by the Rev: H.
        articles of `the coqfession with which the Churches in Htieksema  .and reviewed -by the Rev. Keegstra  in -De
        America must busy themselves if they are to main- TVtxchteT of March 11:
        tain their essential character overagainst the American            "The  editol;   (Rev.-`Keegstra) urges that this book
        sect-spirit. Without the security  of these two funda- be read. He declares that this book, dealing with the
        mental articles of  confessiofi   the Churches face the suffering of the Lord, takeB a first place in Anierican
        aanger  of being swallowed up and conformed to become' literature oil this theme. And in contrast to the
        one with the many denomin&ions  ;, perhaps still main- "arminianism" that is presented in so inany books he
        taining their own "Christian society  ,lif_e" in which writes  : `We tielcome  this book `which makes clear that
        they' seek each others well-being and treat one another otir Ref.ormed' teaching of atdnement is groimded  iti
        as "nice people" and add tiharm td the daily life with the Scripture and is  d&eloped in the texts  .herein
        a cheery "keep smiling" attitude-concerning which treated,. May our people  never tire of hearing. ser-
        we may  tie11 take a lesson-but according to which mons  a&l obtaining books in. which the Scriptural
        the Church as the Body of .Christ has lost the strength truth of  atonemknt   is unfolded.  :. .  .' .
        of her high` calling and hence -can have no future..                  "The Rev.  Hoeksem6 can be satisfied' with this
            "A great lack among the reformed people in Ameri- judgment. It establishes what we wrdte previously.,
        ca is the absence of their own Christian daily press.              viz., that. one' can be expelled from the  Churckin
        If. one desire to keep up with the-news he is forced to            Amekica becau'se it is declared that his pFe,%chtig  .is
        .subscribe  to the s&called neutral papers.- And these not Reformed and leads to error, while' at `the- s&r&
        papers' consider it their task t,o be filled with what- time the books that afe `published bjr. him who- is ex-
        ever is sensational, interesting or whatever else, ac- pelled,  deceive  a warm welconie and are decldred to
        cording  to.' the opinion of the editor, the public will be the best that appear. Rev. Hoeks'ema  is well' ap;
        read..         IOne will seldom` find a pure, objective  _and      preciated ip the circles of _ the Christian. Reformed
        fundamental- article. The papers are filled with scan:             Chupch provided that they do not have: to eomrhune
        dais. of murder, bank robberies, accidents, burglaries, with him at one Lord's Su~jper.                  One feels' thtiit- here
        divorce and  .suicide. Each `day a  huge paper is de- iS something that does not jibe. In re'sponse  to'this the
       livered to the home,  `contaifiing  an amount of paper following has. b&en remarked : Yes, but - Rev. Hoek-
        that would make  -any Netherlands publishers mouth &ma was deposed foi- deflection on the' question of
        to water. : The'p'ortion that is not used- by the editors. "comlnon  grac6" ;- for the rest `he is surely reformed. 1'
        is taken up with advertizing  .of ivhich there are many               "I had the  privilkge  of  heari&  sever&l  sermon's
        pages full; And the mass of people devotir it all, even in the :Prot. Ref. Chupches and also the opportunity to
        though there is very little good  reading matter.                  read much of their litepatnre and I `receive. the con-
            "It i's true that in reformed circles they are sup- viction beiweeti the Prot. Ref. Chupches and `thti C&r.


 .:432                                 `T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B.EARER  m.  .   .

 btit cuts mu& deeper. A book of the Rev. Hoeksema preached not only in name but also in content. Rev.
 such as "The Pow&-of the Cross" cannot be separated Doezema,  in Bellflower, was just beginning the Cate-
 frond : his opinions concerning `.`comm& grace", and clzism again and as an introduction to this series this
 whenever one in, the Chr. Ref. circle -warmly endorses young minister chose.  to preach from the first eight
 this book as being purely Reformed he denounces the verses of Psalm `78. He- pointed out from this portion
 expressions of Syn6d (and- hence, all those who have t.he. reasons why .the Catechism should be preached in
 conformed td .thee) which deposed Rev. Hoeksema.             our Chur'ches. It was thoroughly Reformed and I felt
 Re.V. Hoeksema and those `with *hini have their eyes completsly  at ho&e her&  : And so `it was also- in the .
 open to the dangers which beset the Yeformed  churches exposition of the Scripture. -Again in Redlands I found
 in America. &id:above  all ti, the danger of Arminian-       that the Rev. De `Boer preaches the Word in tFi.6 full
 ism `coincerning  tihich the Reb. Keegstra wrote in the sense of the term. There was no trace of an Americ&n
 review -referred, to .+ove.- Rev. iHoeksema  has drawn       influence. The Word of God was unfolded for-the con-
- a sharp antithesis betwee-n  Church and,world  and who-     gregation in  its. essential  mea&g. And these  Tom-
.ever speaks 6f the `Y&Fee  co<nts" without considering paratively  youthful `ministers are the students of the
 this background does not understand much of the dif- R&v; Hoeksema.                                     '
 ference between Rev. Hoeksema and the Synod that                     Th& better acquainted I became in these  Churches
 exp+d  l&i. The protest of -Rev. Hoeksema con- ih!, better-  I can understand that so many in the Chr.
 cerned and still concerns the whole world and life view Ref.  Cliureh  could say: `They should  n'ever have de-
 of many of those' who, though they are still  called         posed  Rev. Hoeksema, it  was a -mistake. . .  .' This
`Yeformed, are far removed from t-he R_eforined truth, was told to `me riot only by lay-members but also by
 as I pointed out in a previous article. I  c&i  better       ministers.                \
Yund@rSt$nd   the prayer of Rev. Keegstra : `may our                   "l?ut this designation of it: aI1 as `a "mistake" is
.people  never. tire df hearing sermons and. prdcuring evidence again of the superficial concept of what *he
 books in' which "the complete Scriptural truth of atdne- `Church is. :A "r&stake" Can be smoothed over in many
 nient is developed', as .I -become  better acquainted with ways; as for example, after the manner of the Rev.
 what goes on in reformed circles. `The "three points" Kkegstra who calls. attention to the. thoroughly &e-.
 are also pertinent to "the complete  Scriptural.truth of formed books which Rev. Hoekscma  writes tind advises
 atonement?  and alretidy twenty and niore. years ag6, liis fellow' members- in' the Chr. Ref. Church $0 siudy
 the Rev.  .Hoeksenia -cautioned  against the dangers them.  But can one,  tih&  hi'  c&side& the  co&e-
,again& `which Reir. Keegstra warns in. his bobk ?e-          qu@nc&, so easily sdothe his conscience? The ques-
.viewl And his (Rev. H.  H.) warning against these tion of the  Holy  Comtiunion is  -`a consideration.  .If
 was not  onl$ negative  reactioll  but -also positive: I Rev. \HGel&e&a  `preaches `ati. atonement thai is based
 tielieve, therefore, that the expulsion of tee R&v. Hoek-    tip&l Scripture," and Rev. Keegstra  writes, must `such
 s&a and his follotiers, .apart fro& being miscriptural,      -ai one I% deirived of sitting. &the same Table of the
 was  alio at the expense of  the. further  deveIo$ment       L&d until they are-together  i6 heaven? The word
 of the Chr. Ref.`Cliurch" in ,Am&icd.  ' They-attempted "&tak&" is easy to say and cor&nieht'@  use to soothe
 to stifle a voice`.which cannot be missed iti &formed        the co&cien&e.  And it is already more than 20 years
 Church life in `America, and that noti this voice `still     ago  tha`t it all happened, don't' you see. . .  :?  But I
 sounds outside the walls- one wonders if they  will          believe  ihat it  is  m&6 American  thin:`Scriptural  to
 listen to it; after ttiefity- years iti whibh pebple were     speak -Of a. "n&take". The  Word  -of  (%d does not
 deprived from hearini.that voice within the' .Ch?istian speak of "mi&k&'  b&t iins,  and- s&s do not  age.. I
 Reformed',Chu&h?                - .                    "     believe that  th&  -voice of Rev.  Hbeksema  canti& be
_' As `far a,$ I h&e looked about:: and inade the ac- ~&le&ced  `in the.Am&icati  Church tiorla because the
 ,q:@aintanc& bf the Prot. Ref. Churches this degomina-       L&d- has giv& them a place thkre. Can't the breth-
 tion maihtains.  in' all its manifestations a& Ch<rch, the ,&n. of the Ch?. Ref. Church see the conhection  between
 purest Reformed element that canie out of `the N&ther- ihe Syiod df 1924 -and `all the various problems -that 
 lands. I lieard  tidthing in speech  dr  -sermon-  of  tihe. `arise today? Prdblems of all soits %&which they have
 "three points" anymore; that period has passed.  .But        no' answer. And that's` the- reason - for the- Gel&me
 their whole world arid life vi&w is in strikin&`contrast     %hich the  voice of.  R&v.  -H%kse%a  ~ fin&  -with- the
 to th&t which I di&z&ered  in the Chr; .l?ef; Chtirclz' in -editor  -of  `Dti Wachter.  There  are already  t`od  ii?afiy
 general.. Theii servic& of Divine tiorshi`p are n@arly voices in  the-  Am&i&  >ef&med `world' ;jvhicli  no
 the  same as most  df  the  Ref&med  Churches in the lon'ger sound -a:-reformed' riot& B3t if a voice  iS "%l-
 Netberlafids  and, hence, `&main as `a guardian  -against `come", give iti & &lace to Which it has a i-ight sd that
 the American influence to which so tiany of the -Chi. people- that still know the sourid may hear it."
 F  ef.  Churkhes have succumbed. The  seryice  of the                 Thank you, Brother Van Spronsen  !           :
  Word -iS' positively Reformed and `the Cat&hism' is .:,.-
                                                               .#>         `-ai  ._I                            W .   H .


