358                                                                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                    ^.-

                                 The Sandard  Bearer
             Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July  and  August
                                                       P  u b 1 i s h e d B y  tip  .`_  1,:. .  "  '  '
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                               Box 124, Sta. cc., drand'i&&is,  Mich,-                                                                              ~
                                     EDiTOR: `- Rev.  H.  Hoehema.                                                                            "          "
Contribufing  Editois:  `i' Rev. G.  l\rl; Ophoff, Rev. G.  Vos,`Rev.                                                                                                        It is high time that we reply to the article of the
R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev.  B, Kok,                                                                                                              Reverend De Boer concerning the  question  of bridal
Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                               parties and church weddings.
Vermeer,   Rey.  G. Lubbers,; Rev.  M. Gritters, Rev. J. A., Heys,                                                                                                          The  .,reader will remember that this `question was
Rev.  Wl Hofman.  :  :y+  .,                                                                                                               _. .I, .c " .
- Communications, relative to contents" should be addgsseh to                                                                                                            first broached by means of an inquiry by a member
REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St, `S. Eli` Grand Rapids,                                                                                                               of Edgerton's church. The question `was. whether the
Michigan.                                                    1,                                                                                                          consistory : had the right to refuse a church wedding
"~  Communic$ion@re$ative  to `subscription "should be addressed                                                                                                         to `a bridal party that~included  best ,men  and bride's
to MR. J. BOUWMAN, 1131  Sigsbee SC; `SE., Grand Rapids 6,                                                                                                               maids. At that time I answered that I could ,see noth-
Mich. Announcements and Obituaries  .,must be mailed  to  -the                                                                                                           ing .wrong  in having. bridemaids at any wedding, in-
above  address.and  will be published at a fee of  $l.OO,.for   each
notice.                                                                                                                                                                  cluding church weddings, at which the  mmistry `of
Renewals*.-Unless a  definite  request for discontinuance is re-                                                                                                         the Word occurred. And I expressed the opinion that
ceived, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes his subscription                                                                                                        the ,burd,en  of proof to the contrary `rested with the
to continue  without the formality of a renewal order.                                                                                                                   consistory in the `matter;           *
E;n'tered~as  Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
         :  A:  .*, (Subscription Price $2.50 per  year,                                                                                                                    Then appeared the article of the Rev. De  Boer,.  in
                                                                                                                                                                         which he expressed preference for church weddings
                                                                                                                                                                         and' suggested that  he,`%oo,  would prefer simple  wed:
                                                                                                                                                                         ding parties, without best men and bridesmaids  atsuch
                                       :                                                                                                                                 occasions:
      ,          ,:             ,:.          -,CONTENTS                                                               *.
                                                 _I                                                                                                                         Now I agree with him that, church weddings are
                                                                                                                            .
M E D I T A T I O N -   `.`.  ".  ,,,  :r,                                                                                                                               essentially proper. And by church weddings I mean
 `Vorst   E n   Zaligmaker ..::..1:::..::  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 not' merely a wedding  .in a church building, but a
             `, -Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                             marriage ceremony that is publicly solemnized with
EDITORLALS-                                                                                               ,                                                              the consistory and the congregation present, and there-
   Church Weddings and Bridal Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388                                                        fore including the ministry of the Word.
                  Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                          But nevertheless I am still of the  dpinion that
                                                                                                                                                                         bridal  -parties  including best men and bridesmaids  are
VANBOEKEN-                                             "                  `.                   s . .
   Christus  In Zijn Lijden, door Dr. K. Schilder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390                                                                    perfectly proper, whether at a private wedding or at
   Geloof En Reohtvaardiging,  door Prof. G. C. Berkhouwer..SOP                                                                                                          a. wedding in church where the Word of :God  is preach-
                  Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                       ed. Nor is .it. .my' experience that the presence ,of a
l'HE  TRIPLE  KNOWLEDGE-                                                                                                                                                 complete .bridal party detracts from the seriousness
   An Exposition Of The Heidelberg Catechism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391                                                                             of the preaching. of the Word at all. And I still think
                  Rev. H. `Hoeksema                                                                                                                                      that if the consistory has principal objections against
OUR  D_OCTRINE-   '                                                                                                                                                      such ,church, weddings, it., is up, to, them to sustain those
                                                                        .`: .                     `.,          -
   The Grace Of God . . . . .. . ..I....... * . ..... . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . 394                        objections `with proof from Scripture.                   ,.
                  Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                           And I am, afraid that .they will have a hard& time to
                                                                                                                                                                         furbish  such proofs:.
   Rev. Petter `Replies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398        The consistory `probably  obje& that the bridal
                  Rev. G.  M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                     parties are too much of a show. But to this 1 would
                                                                   .,gr               i..                                        .
                                                                                       .I,
SItiN'S   ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                             i ,.       repIy first that this holds' true for all bridal parties
                                                                                                                                                         ~.  .T._
   Een Lied Der Harten ..** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 and not only, for church weddings ; and, secon,dly, that
                  Rev. G. Vos                                      :                                                                                          Y-t.
                                                                                                                `f                    :                                  Scripture does not condemn but  rather%pproves,  of
IN HIS FEAR-                                                                                   . .                                                                       a rather elaborate `form at weddings and  snstaiqs the
                                                                                       .`^                                                                                        a':
   Labeled Or `Unlabeled ". . . . . . ;...r.::.:..:.:  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..*.................... ;...405 idea  .of wedding feasts and bridal parties.                                                       :
        . Rev. M. Gritters                                                       f                                                                                          To begin with,  .`the. bride in Scripture is every-
P E R I S C O P E -   '                                                                                                               t                                  where presented as adorned for her, husband. In
   What Is Coming To Our Synod ? ? ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.. . . . . . . . . . . ;:.:.407 Psalm 45 : `13-15 we read': :@The king's `daughter is all
              _ Rev. J.  Howerzyl                                                                                                                                     . . -glorious within: her clothing is `of wrought gold. She.
                                                                                                                                                                        shall be brought  unfo.`th~  king in raiment of needle-


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                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAREP,   -                                      389

  work : the virgins her companions that follow her shall those nearest had myrtle-branches and  chaplets of
  be brought unto thee. With `gladness and rejoicing flowers. Everyone rose to salute the procession, or
  shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's join it ; and it was deemed almost a religious duty to,
  palace." In Isaiah 49  :18 we read : "Lift up thine break into praise of the beauty, the modesty, or the
  eyes round about, and behold: all these gather them- virtues of the bride. Arrived at her new home, she
  selves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith was led to her husband. Some such formula as `Take
  the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, her according to the Law of Moses and of Israel,'
  as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a would be spoken, and bride and bridegroom crowned
  bride  doeth."     In Jeremiah  232 we read: "Can a with garlands. Then a formal legal instrument, called
  maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? ,the  Kethubah,  was signed, which set forth that the
  yet my people have forgotten me days without num- bridegroom undertook to work for her, to honour, keep,
  ber." Once more, in Isaiah 61  :lO we read: "I will and care for her, as is the manner of men of Israel ;
  greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in that he promised to give his maiden-wife at least two
  my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of hundred Zux (or more as might be), and to increase
  salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of right+       her own dowry (which; in the case of a poor orphan,
  eousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with orna- the authorities supplied) by at least one half, and that
  ments; and as a bride adorneth' herself with her he also undertook to lay' it out for her to the best
  jewels." And to quote no more, in  ,Rev.  19 :7, 8 we advantage, all his own possessions being guarantee
  read : "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour for it. Then, after the prescribed washing of hands
  to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and           and benediction, the marriage-supper began-the cup
  his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was being filled, and the solemn prayer of bridal benedic-
  granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean     tion being spoken over it. And, so the feast lasted-it
  and white: for t.he fine linen is the righteousness of      might be more than one day-while each sought to
  saints." And in 21:2: "And I John saw the holy city, contribute, sometimes coarsely,  .sometimes  wisely, to
  new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,          the general enjoyment, till at last `the friends of the
  prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." It is bridegroom' led the bridal pair to the  Cheder  and the
  plain from all this that the bride according to Scrip-      Chuppah,  or the bridal chamber and bed."
  ture was usually and ought to be beautifully arrayed.          And that bridesmaids have a rather important place
     Then, too, it is plain from' Scripture that wedding at wedding ceremonies may be gathered from  ,the par-'
  feasts were usually elaborately celebrated. They often able of the ten virgins. Here too we will quote a pas-
  lasted seven days, Gen.  29:2'7, Judges  14:12.  And sage from Edersheim's "The Life and Times of Jesus,"
  from one of the parables of Jesus we learn that even        Vol. II,, pp. 454-455: "It is late at even-the world's
  special garments were provided for the wedding guests. long day seems past, and the Coming of the Bride-
Cf. Matt.  22:12.                                             groom must be near. The day and the hour we know
                                                              not, for the  ,Bridegroom  has been far away.     Only
     The bridegroom, too,.. was specially arrayed, Isa. this we know, that it is the Evening of the Marriage
  61  :lO, and was usually attended by many friends.          which the Bridegroom has fixed, and that His word of
  Of these friends of the bridegroom we read, for in-         promise may be relied upon. Therefore all has been
  stance, in John 8:29: "He that hath the bride is the made ready within the bridal house, and is in waiting
  bridegroom ; but the friend of the bridegroom, which there ; and therefore the Virgins prepare to go .forth
  standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because to meet Him on His Arrival. The Parable proceeds
  of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is on the assumption that the Bridegroom is not in the
  fulfilled,"                                                 town, but somewhere far away ; so that it cannot be
      In this connection it is interesting to note-a vivid known at what precise hour He may arrive. But it is
  description of marriage and marriage feasts by Ed& known that He will come that night; and the Virgins
  sheim in "The Life and. Times of Jesus," Vol. I, pp.        who are to meet Him have gathered-presumably in
  354-355 :      "On the evening of the actual marriage the house where the Marriage is to take place--waiting
   (Nissuin,   chathnuth), the bride was led from her for the summons to go forth and welcome the Bride-
  paternal home to that of her husband. First came groom. The common mistake, that the Virgins are
  the merry sounds of music ; then they who distribute presented in verse 1 as having gone forth  on  the  mud           .
  among the people wine and oil, and nuts among the to meet the Bridegroom, is not only irrational-since
  children ; next the bride, covered with the bridal veil,    it is scarcely credible that they would all have fallen
  her long hair flowing, surrounded by her companions, asleep by the wayside, and with lamps in their hands-
  and led by -`the friends of the bridegroom,' and `the       but incompatible with the circumstances, that at mid-
  children of the bride-chamber.' All around were in night the cry is suddenly raised to go forth and meet
  festive array : some carried torches, or lamps on poles ; Him. In these circumstances, no precise parallel can

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

be derived from the ordinary Jewish marriage-proces-
  sions, where the bridegroom, accompanied by his
 groomsmen and friends, went to the bride's house and                                       Van Boeken
 thence conducted  ,the bride. with her attendant maidens                       "_^_____.-._l___.-_l-."~" --.---
 and friends, into his own or his parents' home.. But                  Christus  in Zijn Lijden, door Dr. K. Schilder. Dee1   I
 in the Parable, the  Bridegrr.som  comes from a  distances            (Christus Aan Den Ingang Van Zijn Lijdcn) ,2de druk.
 and goes to the bridal house. Accordingly, the bridal                               Uitgever  J. H. Kok, Kampen, Nederland.
  procession  is to meet Him on His Arrival, and escost
  Him to the bridal place. No mention is made of the                       De eerste druk van dit werk is onder ons bijna zoo
 Bride, either in this Parable or in that of the Marriage algemeen bekend als de schrijver, Dr. K. Schilder zelf,
 of the King's Son. This, for reasons connected with vooral ook doordat het in het Engelsch vertaaid is.
 their application: since in the one case the Wedding lk durf beweren, dat vele predikantcn  `zelfs een tame-
 Guests, in the, other the Virgins, occupy the place of                lijk vrij gebruik  maken  van dit werk in het vervaar-
 the Bride. And here we must remind ourselves of the digen van hun lijdcnspredikaties. En de drie deelen
 general canon, tha:,  in the interpretation of a Parable,             van "Christus in Zijn Lijden", waarvan het eerste  deel
 details must not be too closely pressed. The Parables thans opnieuw in  druk verschecn, bieden overvloedig
 illustrate the Sayings .of Christ, `as the Miracles His `stof. Ik zou dit werk van Dr. Schilder willen beschrij-
 Doings; and alike the Parables and the Miracles pre- ven als gekenmerkt door een diep geestelijk inzicht in
 sent only one or another, not, all the aspects of the het lijden van Christus, door een levendige fantasie en
 ,truth."                                                              door `eens  soms bijna poetische  vlueht, waaraan mag
          &ll this goes to show that wedding feasts and                worden  toegevoegd, dat ik persoonlijk het niet altijd
 bridal parties, both friends of the bridegroom and                    eens ben met zijn exegese.
 virgin-maidens of the bride, are certainly-approved.  ,in                De tweede druk*van  het eerste deel is aanmerkelijk
 Scripture.                                                            uitgebreid, de titels der verschillende hoofdstukken zijn
          And I cannot see that the presence of best men and           veranderd, de "gemeene-gratie-passages" zijn  geelimi-
 bridesmaids detracts from the seriousness of the minis- neerd of veranderd, en hier en daar meen  ik ook de
 try of the Word in church weddings.                                   "vrijgemaakte"  beschouwingen te bemerken.
    .I                                                  H. H.             Van het laatste een enkel voorbeeld.
                                                                          Op pag. 237 (cf. pag. 1'76 eerste druk) lees ik : "hem
                                                                       (Judas) ontbrak de  wedbrgeboorte,  wijl het  geloof,
                                                                       dat  Christus aanneemt  naur de  Schriften."   En nog
                                                                       eens op pag. 238 (cf. pag. 177 eerste druk) : "Dus was
                           ATTENTION!                                  het niet de wedergeboorte; want er was niet het door
                 MINISTERS! & CONSISTORIES                             de liefde werkende geloof."
                                                                          Dit schijnt "de wedergeboorte door het geloof" te
  j' Due to the anticipated pulpit supply problem this                 leeren.  In de eerste druk lezen we daarvan niets. Daar
 summer, we request all consistories of  Classis  East lezen we eenvoudig :  cL`Aan Judas ontbrak  een ding,
 to send in their requests for pulpit supply, whether for en dat was nu juist dat eene ding, waar het op aan-
 vacations or for your ministers' classical appointments, komt, hem ontbrak de wedergeboorte." p. 176. En op
 as  soon as possible, preferably by June  15. We will p. 177: "Aan  Judas ontbrak Ben ding, maar dat was
 then try to arrange supply for you.                                   juist het noodige: hem ontbrak de wedergeboorte."
          We also ask all the ministers of Classis East and               In  hetzelfde  verband  hebben we ook een treffend
 Classis.  West to inform us immediately whether they                  voorbeeId  van Schilder's  verbekerd  inzicht inzake de
 will be available for preaching either in Michigan or                 "gemeene gratie."     In de eerste druk kon hij nog
 Illinois at any time during the summer and to state                   schrijven : "dat `betere' is geen geestelijk  goed, doch
 the time of `their availability.                                      slechts een  natuurlijke  zieleadel; vrucht van gemeene
                                                                       gratie" (dit over Judas).      '
          Direct all your correspondence to either :                      Maar in .de tweede druk schrijft hij als volgt :
                                Rev. J. Blankespoor                       "Wie het kwaad verdringt, in dien is het niet
                                  1513 Godfrey Ave., S. W. -           gedood. Hij blijft de `natuurlijke mensch', die we&-.
                                  Grand Rapids,  Mich.                 waar `betoonteenige betrachting tot de deugd en tot
                                                                       uiterlijke tucht',  maar die niettemin `ook in natuurlijke
                                             Or                        en burgerlijke  zaken' het  licht, dat op zijn pad nog
                                  H. C. Hoeksema- v~ Y..               schijnt, `niet  recht gebruikt, ja veel  meer ditzelve,
                                  1040 Sigsbee St., S. E.              hoedanig het  ook'iij, op onderscheidene wijze geheel
                                  Grand Rapids, Mich.            a,    bezoedelt  en in ongerechtigheid ten onder houdt'."

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

   De stijl is schoon,  en hoewel soms een beetje zwaar, Word. The Word is always the chief means of grace;
gemakkelijk  te lezen voor wie het Hollandsch nog and without the Word the sacraments mean  not!:ing.
machtig is. De prijs bedraagt f. 13.25.                                   But they are supplementing that Word by  obsignatmg
                                                              H. H.       what the Word declares. And in that sense also the
                                                                          sacrament of baptism declares more fully unto us the
                      *  *  B  s                                          promise of the gospel.
                                                                            Of this promise we wrote rather fully in Vol II,
&&of' en Rechtvaardiging,  door Prof. Dr. G. C. Berk-                     pp. 53, ff., of this same work. And therefore for a
    houwer. Uitgever J. H. Kok,  Kampen,  Nederland.                      complete explanation of the Scriptural idea of the
   Dit  bock van Prof. Berkhouwer is meer dan een promise we may refer the reader to that.
dogmatische studie over geloof en rechtvaardigmaking.                             In this connection it is sufhcient to emphasize -once
Het is eigenlijk een historisch-kritisch-vergelijkende more a few elements implied in the Scriptural idea of
studie over het onderwerp. Tegenover allerlei aan-                        that promise.
vallen op de leer van het "sola  fide", de waarheid van                           Once more we wish to remind ourselves that the
het gerechtvaardigd. worden  door het geloof alleen,                      promise of the gospel is the same as the gospel of  th(t
handhaaft  en verdedigt de schrijver dit geloofsstuk.                     promise. The  epangelion tou euangeliou is the  euunge-
Dat de rechtvaardiging of rechtvaardigmaking van lion tou epangeliou: lthe gospel is essentially the prom-
den zondaar een forensische daad is van souvereine                        ise.
genade, en dat het geloof.geen  grdnd of oorzaak is van                           This promise of the gospel is one and is centrally
deze rechtvaardiging, maar "instrument" en gave always the promise of Christ. ,Nevertheless  it is dis-
Gods, wordt van alle zijden belicht.                                      tinguished into many individual promises ac.:ording
   Met des schrijvers kritiek op Kuyper's  idee van to Scripture. It is the promise of the Holy Ghost,
het genadeloon zijn we het natuurlijk eens. Maar we Acts 2:23; the promise of "the life that now is, and
hadden  tech  gaarne een duidelijker uiteenzetting ge-                    of that which is to come," I Tim: 4 :8; the promise of
zien des schrijvers eigen conceptie van het  begrip                       eternal life, I John 2 :25; theqromise of His coming,
"genadeloon-naar-werken."                                                 II Peter 3  :4 ; the promise to enter into His rest, Heb.
   De stijl is helder en, naar het mij voorkomt, niet                     4 21; the promise to be heir of the world, Ram.,  4 :13.
zoo zwaar als in "conflict met Rome". Een leerzaam                        Besides, the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit of promise,
boek voor ieder, die Hollandsch lezen kan, en `niet aar-                  Eph. 1:13 ; of "the children of the promise", Ram-9 :8 i
zelt om zijn "thinking cap" op te zetten.                '                of the heirs of the promise, Heb. 6  :17 and  11:9. The
   Prijs gebonden in stempelband f. 4.95.                                 one promise of God in Christ is individualized into
                                                              H. H.       many distinct promises. Yet the promise is always
                                                                          one and the same essentially.
                                                                                  This promise of God is absolutely unconditional and
                                                                          can never fail to be realized. It is not to be confused
                                                                          with a certain so-called "well-meaning offer of grace
                                                                          and salvation to all' that is contingent on the will of
  THE TRIPLE KNOWLE&)GE                                                    man for its realization. The promise rests in God
                                                                           alone, in the truth and faithfulness of the eternal and
                                                                           unchangeable-.Jehovah.  It is God alone that realizes
An Exposition Of The Heidelberg His promise both objectively and subjectively. In the
                    Catechism .                                        - objective sense He realizes it through Jesus Christ:,
                                                                           His cross and His resurrection and exaltation at the
                                                                           right hand .of,,God;  and subjectively He fulfills His
                      PART TWO                 "                           promise'in,,the  hearts of all the elect by the Spirit of
           O f   M a n ' s   R e d e m p t i o n                           grace.' Powerfully and efficaciou,sly  , He realizes His
                                                                           promise within us. He raises us from death and re-
                   LORD'S DAY 26                                          generates us, calls us with an almighty calling from
                             3.     `,       `:     '                      darkness into light, strikesus down in true repentance
       The  Meaning Of  Haly  Baptism.  (cont.)                            and makes us cry-out-for Him, implants into our hearts
                                                                          the saving faith and makes us one with Christ, justi-
   In general, of course, we may say that as a sacra-                      fies. us and gives us peace with God, sanctifies us and
,ment baptism serves to declare more fully and seals gives us a new ,:delight in. His precepts, causes us to
"the promise of the gospel". Cf. Qu.  66.. `That is, it persevere even `unto the end and glorifies us, and ulti-
declares the promise of `the gospel to us. more fully:                    mately raises our body from the dead and with all
not,  of course,  than the Word, but more fully with ihe                  the saints gives us a place in the eternal tabernacle

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

of our covenant God that will be with men.              Thus     the removal of the guilt of sin, and  ",he cleansing from
the promise of God is certain and is in no wise con-             all defilement and pollution of sin. Through that death
tingent -upon the will of man as a  con@tion  of its             of Christ we pass through baptism. On this side of
fulfillment.                                                     that water of baptism there is the guilt of sin and  tbc
       For the same reason the promise is only for the           pollution of corruption, damnation, the world,  ard
elect. It is true that in the historical line of the  cove-      death. But as we pass through the water of baptism
uant all the children of believers are. under the ad- we find on the other side righ:eousness  with God and
ministration of the promise.          They all receive the       peace, perfect freedom, and the favor and friendship
outward sign of the promise in baptism, are instructed           of God in life eternal.
in the truth of the promise, are under the preaching                And thus baptism has a rich practical significance
of the gospel, and are all "by God through baptism,              for the believer. Through it God seals unto us His
admonished of, and obliged unto new obedience, name- promise and assures us that we are as certainly washed
ly, that we cleave to this one God, Father, Son, and             by the blood and Spirit from all the pollution of our
Holy Ghost; that we trust in him, and love him with              soul, that is, from all our sins, as we are washed ex; j
all our souls, and with all our mind, and with all our           ternally  with water, by which the filthiness of the
strength ; that we forsake the world, crucify our old            body is commonly washed away. And  thus baptism
nature, and walk in a new and holy life." But this does serves to strengthen our faith in Christ Jesus our
not alter the fact that not all the children of the flesh        Lord. For faith and baptism are inseparable. The
are children of the promise; and the heirs of the prom- unbeliever cannot lay hold on the promise in baptism.
ise are, according to Hebrews 6 :13-18, only the elect.          He must needs despise this sacrament, reveal himself
       That all this is included in the promise of the gospel    as profane, and aggravate his punishment. But to the
and that b:&ism as a sacrament serves to declare l;c,            believer baptism is a means of grace through which
us and seal that  promi.se is also beautifully  expounded        the Spirit works for the strengthening of his faith and
iu the first psrt of the Baptism Fo;x, where we read:            by which he becomes assured that he is passed from
` Holy  gF3nrJtlsrn  witnesseth and sealeth unto us  0;~         sin into righteousness and from death into life.
washing away of our sins through Jesus Christ. There-               On the other hand, baptism also implies a very
fore we are baljtized  in the name of the Father, and            serious calling. For our part of the covenant is that
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. For when we are               we love the Lord our God with our whole heart and
baptized in the name of the Father, God the Father our whole being, that we cleanse ourselves from all
witnesseth and sealeth unto us, that he doth make an             filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, that we walk
eternal covenant of grace with us, and adopts us `for            in newness of life, fight the good fight, and thus re-
his children and heirs, and therefore will provide us            veal ourselves as those that are of the party of the liv-
with every good thing, and avert all evil or turn it             ing God in the midst of the world.
to our profit. And when we are baptized in the name
of the Son, the Son sealeth unto us, that he doth wash
us in his blood from all our sins, incorporating  `us into
the fellowship of his death and resurrection, so that                               LORD'S DAY XXVII.
we are freed from all our sins, and accounted right-
eous before God. In like manner, when we are bap-                            "Qu. 72. Is then the externai  baptism with water
tized in the name of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost                        the washing away of sin itself ?
assures us, by this holy sacrament, that he will dwell                     "A. Not at all: for the blood of Jesus Christ only,
                                                                           and the Holy Ghost cleanse us from all sin.
in us, and sanctify us to be members of Christ, apply-
ing unto us, that which we have in Christ, namely, the                       "Qu. 73. Why then doth the Holy Ghost call bap-
                                                                           tism `the washing away of regeneration,' and `the
washing away of our sins, and the daily renewing of                        washing away of sins' ?
our lives, till we shall finally be presented without                        "A. God speaks thus not without great cause, to-
spot or wrinkle among the assembly f the ele&`in  life                     wit, not only thereby to teach us, that as the filth
eternal,"                                                                  of the body is purged away by water, so our sins are
       And so baplism,  also according to the passag& of                   removed by the blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ;
                                                                           but especially that by this divine pledge and sign
of Scripture which we quoted above, has a rich  sign&                      he may assure us, that we are spiritually cleansed
cance. For the water of baptism signifies the  death                       from our sins as really, `as we are externally washed
of Christ into which we submerge and from the  which                       w i t h   w a t e r .
we arise again unto  newness  of life. The water in                  ,       "Qu.  74. Are infants also to be baptized ?
baptism symbolizes the blood of Christ: and that blood                        "A. Yes: for since they, as well as the adult, are
means that He voluntarily laid down His life and satis-                    included in the covenant and church of God; and since
fied God's righteousness, made an atonement for sin.                       redemption from sin by the blood of Christ, and the
                                                                           Holy Ghost, the author of faith, is iromised  to them
Hence, in that blood we have both the remission of sins,                   no  less than to the  aduit; they must therefore by


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           393

           baptism, as a sign of the covenant, be also admitted    Ghost thus speaks for the confirmation of our faith
           into the cbristian church; and be distinguished from    through the use of the signs: for the signs used in the
           the children of unbelievers as was done in the old      sacraments testify the will of God to us on account of
           covenant or testament by circumcision,  @stead  of
           which  baptism  is instituted in the new covenant."     the promice  annexed  thereto : `He that believeth, and is
                                                                   baptized, shall be saved.' But why does the Holy Ghost
                               1.                                  thus speak for the confirmation of our faith? Because
               The Sign and Its Meaning.                           in the proper use of the sacraments the exhibition and
                                                                   reception of the signs, and things signified, are in-
    In regard to the first two questions and answers separably connected. And hence the Holy Ghost'inter-
 of this Lord's Day we can be brief.                               changes the terms, attributing what belongs to the
    `Ursinus in his Commentwy  on the Heidelberg Catc-             thing signified to the sign, and what belongs to the
 ckisnt has the following exposition of question and               sign to the thing, to teach us what he gives, and to
 answer 72: "The same division which we made when assure us that he does really give it. The third reason,
 speaking of the sacraments in general, is also true of therefore, why such language is employed is because
 baptism, that there are some forms of speech which the exhibition of the things signified, is inseparably
 are proper, and others which are improper. These                  connected with the signs used in the sacraments."
 forms of speech are called sacramental. It is a proper               You may notice, however, that in this  twenty-
 form of speech when those who receive the sign are seventh Lord's Day two subjects are treated that seem
 said to receive the thing signified, as `he that believeth, to be rather wide apart and separate in their signifi-
 and is baptized, shall be saved.' The same is true when cance. The one subject is that of true spiritual bap-
 the sign is said to signify the thing, as when it is said, tism in relation to the outward sign of the washing
 `baptism is the sign of the washing away of sin'. `He with water; the other subject is that of infant bap-
 gave unto them circumcision to be a sign of the cove- tism, the question whether infants are also to be bap-
 nant.' Icmpraper   or figurative forms of speech are tized. And yet. these two apparently so different sub-
 when the sign is said to be the thing itself, as `Bap-            jects can very well be properly grouped together: for
 tism is the washing of regeneration ;' and when the there is indeed a connection between the two, the con-
 sacramen  is said to confer the thing, or things per- nection being that especially with regard to the bap-
 taining to that which is signified, as when baptism tism of infants it is easy for carnal and idolatrous
is said to save us. All these forms of speech may be               and superstitious minds to consider the outward wash-
 said to have this one signification : Baptism is a certain ing of the water the real, spiritual baptism. A child
 sign of the remission of sin, and of everlasting life to that is baptized has, as far as we know, no active faith,
 them that believe: for the figurative speeches which and at least it has.no conscious activity of faith with
 are used in reference to the sacraments are to be                 respect to the signs of baptism that is administered to
 interpreted in the same manner as the figurative                  it. It is at the moment of baptism apparently utterly
 speeches in reference to the sacrifices. Sacrifices are passive: baptism is administered to the child, but it
 often called expiations for sin, and yet the apostle              does not know it, far less appropriates consciously the
 Paul affirms that the blood of bulls, and of goats, can- spiritual significance of the sacrament which it re-
 not take away sin. So when it is said, `Baptism saves ceives. Hence, the question might perhaps be asked,
 us,' is `the washing of regeneration,' and `the washing why do you really baptize children: What does it mean
 away of sin ;' it is the same thing as to say, Baptism when'children  who have not the consciousness of the
 is the sign of all these things."                                 living faith, who cannot possibly receive consciously -
    And his exposition of question and answer 73 reads that which is signified by baptism, the washing away
 as follows : "There are three reasons which'may be                of sins through the blood and Spirit of Christ, are
 assigned why the Scriptures thus speak, interchanging baptized? What in their case is the significance of
 the names of the signs, and the things signified. The baptism? + I's it possible that without any activity on
 fz'rst  is on account of the analogy which there is be-           the part of the child the sins of that particular child
 tween the sign, and the thing signified. The thing are washed away, so that really the outward sign, the
 signified is according to its own nature, such as the             outward rite, the outward form of baptism, is the
 sign is according to its nature, the opposite of which washing away of sin itself? You see that the two
 is  also true: for as water which is the sign, washes questions are after all rather closely related.
 away the filthiness of the body, so the blood and Spirit              For this reason  it is expedient that we enter a
 of Christ, which are the things signified, wash away little more broadly into the exposition of questions and
 the pollution of the soul: and as the minister applies answers 72 and  73..
 the sign outwardly, so God by virtue of his Spirit                    The Catechism asks the question  $s then the ex-
 applies ,inwardly  the thing signified to all those who           ternal baptism .with water the washing away of sin
 receive the sign with true faith. Secondly, the Holy itself ?,' Now if you look at that question as it stands


394                                     `TUE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R `

there and superficially, you might perhaps feel some-
 what insulted and think that the question is rather
silly and puerile. Does the Catechism indeed proceed                        OUR DOCTRINE
                                                               -~-..l______l  ._..                       -...--............ ~.__.I
from the idea that in the midst of an intelligent, new
dispensational congregation there would be those that
actually think that the outward washing with `wa:er                          The Grace Of God
 could cleanse away sin? It might be perfectly all
 right to ask such questions of little children, but to           This Grace of God, According to Prof.  Eerkhof.
 propose a question of that kind in the midst of  ihe.            As one might expect, Prof. Berkhof, in his "Re-
 congregation seems to be somewhat insulting. There formed Dogmatics", also treats this  commu'nicable
 is no ohe in the Church of Christ that ever entertained       attribute of God. On pages 71-72 he writes as follows :
the notion that the washing with water effects a spirit- "The  grace  of  God. The significant word "grace" is
 ual washing away of our sins, of the guilt and of the         a translation of the Hebrew "chanan" and of the Greek
 corruption of sin, and the cleansing of the soul.             "charis". According to Scripture it is manifested not
            However, we must remember that the Catechism is    only by God, but also by men, and then'denotes  the
 not exactly speaking of such washing with water.              favor which one man shows another, Gen. 33  :8, 10, 18 ;
 It does not simply propose the question whether any 39:4;  47:25; Ruth  2:2; I Sam.  1:18;  16:22.  In such
 water and any washing with water cleanses the soul casesit is not necessarily implied that the favor is un-
from sin. The Catechism is speaking of the outward             deserved.    In general it can be said, however, that
 washing of baptism. The question is not, therefore, grace is the free bestowal of kindness on one who has
whether if you take a bath at. home your sins are no claim to it. This is particularly the case where the
 washed away in the bath-tub: that would seem to be grace referred to is the grace of God, His love to man
 sufficiently absurd. But the question is, whether if is always unmerited, and when. shown to' sinners, is
 you are baptized with the water that has been insti-          even forfeited. The Bible `generally uses the word to
tuted and separated by God Himself, the water of bap- denote the  unmerited goodness or love of God to those
 tism, your sins are not washed away by that outward who have forfeited &and are bg na%urc under a sen-
 rite. If you receive on your face, or if you submerge         t&we  of  condemnation. The grace of ,God  is the source
 your body into the water, to which God has divinely           of all spiritual blessings that are bestowed upon sin-
 attached the promise that as surely as you are out- ners. As such we read of it in Eph.  1:6, 7; 2  :7-9;
 wardly washed with water so surely He will wash Titus 2 :11 ; 3 :4-7. While the Bible often speaks of the
 away your sins, does not then, perhaps, that external grace of God as saving grace, it also makes mention
                                                                                .
 reception of the sign actually carry with it the fact         of it in a broader sense, as in Isa. 26 :.lO, Jer. 16 :13.,
 that you receive the forgiveness of sins spiritually? , The grace of God is of the greatest practical signifi-
 Is not that water of baptism, the outward rite, the           cance for sinful men. It was by grace that the way of
 forgiveness of sin itself? Or, to put the question in a redemption was opened for them, Rom. 3:24, II Cor.
 slightly different form: if the Church, the Church as         8 :9, and that the message of redemption went out into
 an, institute of God,, upon the command of  ,God and in the world, Acts  14:3. By `grace sinners receive the
 harmony with His will baptizes you with water, are gift of God in Jesus Christ, Acts  18:27; Eph. 2:8. By
 not your sins forgiven?- That is the question.                grace they are justified, Rom. 3:24; 4 :16; Titus 3 :7,
                                                    H. H.      they are enriched with spiritual blessings, John  1:16,
                                                               II Cor. 8 :9; II Thess. 2 :16, and they finally inherit
                                                               salvation, Eph.  2:8; Titus  2:ll. Seeing they have
 ..,G I'                 CALL TO SYNOD                         absolutely no merits of their own, they are altogether
            The Consistory of the Second Prot. Ref. Church of dependent on the grace of God in Christ. In modern
Grand Rapids, Michigan being designated the calling theology, with its belief in the inherent goodness of
 church by the last Synod, hereby notifies the churches        man and his ability to help himself, the doctrine of
 that Synod will convene on June 1, 1949. The  pre- salvation by grace has practically become a "lost
 synodical  prayer service will be held in the auditorium chord", and even the word "grace" was emptied of all
 of our church on May 31, beginning at 7 :45.-P. M., with spiritual meaning and vanished from religious dis-
 the Rev. H. De Wolf, vice-president of the 1948 Synod         courses. It was retained only in the sense of "gracious-
 conducting the service.         Requests for lodging will ness", something that is quite external. Happily, there
 kindly be forwarded to the undersigned.                       are some evidences of a renewed emphasis on sin, and
                 Consistory of the Second Prot. Ref. Church of a newly awakened consciousness of the need of
                          Henry Lotterman, Sec'y               divine grace."-thus far Prof. Berkhof.
                          653 Lynch St., S. W.                    We may note, in the' first place, that also Prof.
                          @and Rapids, Michigan.               Berkhof proceeds from the common definition of grace


                                           THE.STANDARD   B E A R E R                                                 895
   .I    ,, --I_.       ".-  ._    ___.
  as the free bestowal of kindness on one who has no context of this word of God the church of God prays
  claim to it, yea, who has forfeited all claim to it. Bnd,     for the judgments of the Lord, that the Lord may come
  secondly, he also writes that although the Bible often in the way of His judgments-see verses 8 and  9 of
  speaks of the grace of God as saving grace (is this this chapter, where we read: "Yea, in the way of
  so strange?-l&V.)  `it also makes mention of it in a Thy judgments, 0 Lord, have we waited for Thee;
  broader sense, as in Isaiah  26:lO  and Jeremiah 16:13.       the desire of `our soul is to Thy Name, and to the re-
  The professor, therefore, first quotes Isa. 26  :lO. That membrance of Thee. With my soul have I desired
  text reads: "Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will
  will he not learn righteousness: in the land of upright-      I seek Thee early: for when Thy judgments are in
  ness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the           the earth, theinhabitants of the world will learn right-
  majesty of the Lord." In connection with this parti- eousness." And why does the Church of God long for
  cular passage we would note the following. The ex-            these judgments?      The answer is that these judg-
  planation of this text by Prof. Hepp of the Netherlands ments, as far as the wicked are concerned, are the only
   (this text, by the way, is the only proof which Prof. way whereby -they will learn righteousness,  aoknow-
  Hepp quotes in support of his contention that the word ledge that God is righteous (and this the wicked will
   "grace" appears in Holy Writ as applicable to the            do everlastingly). Fact is, when favour (grace) is
  reprobate wicked) is probably known to many of our shown to the wicked he' will not learn righteousness;
  readers, namely, that an over-dose of ;common  grace yea, in the `land of uprightness he will deal unjustly
  will not cause the wicked to learn righteousness. When and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. We must
  Prof. Hepp quotes only Is. 26  :lO in support of a general    remember : the grace of God is' continually shown to
_ goodness of God, this .must not be understood in the          the wicked. In our interpretation of Is. 26 : 10 we pro-
  sense that, according to him, Is.  26:lO  is the only         ceed from the thought that this grace or favour is
  .Scriptural  proof for "Common Grace", but that the shown to the wicked. The ungodly, because they are
  word "grace" appears but once in Holy' Writ with the organically in the covenant and therefore, due to the
  wicked as beneficiaries. He would, of course, maintain development of God's covenant in the line of continued
  that God's general goodness or grace is taught in many generations, are or constitute one people with  .the
  `passages of the Word of God, but that other terms are people of God according to election, come into contact
  used in the Word of God besides that of "grace". As with this grace of the Lord which is bestowed  oniy
  we have seen, also Prof. Berkhof quotes this text in upon the elect. They, too, hear the preaching of the
  support of a grace that is common.                            gospel, taste, in a natural se?2se, those things which are
         First of all, in connection with is. 26 : 10, we would a blessing only for the people of the living God. This
  remark that if the word "grace" in this text refers to        applied also to the Old Dispensation. The covenants
  "Common ,Grace",  and if this text were to teach that         and the promises of the Lord, whereof we read in Rom.
  this "Common Grace" is shown to the wicked, then.this         9 :4-5, were shared, organically, by all the people of
   passage would teach us the very opposite of that which Israel. But, the wicked never learns righteousness.
  was always understood by the teaching of "Common Never will he acknowledge the living God. And there-
  ,Grace". For the "Common Grace" theory has always fore the Church of the living God prays that the Lord
  taught that God's common grace teaches the wicked may come in the way of His judgments in order that,
   righteousness. Did not the late Dr. A. Kuyper  develop also as far as the wicked are concerned, every knee
  the conception that God by His operation of His corn-. may bow and confess that ,God is God alone. `Hence,
  mon grace checks the process of sin and corruption            it is clear that Isaiah 26:lO cannot be quoted in sup-
  within the' individual sinner, yea, enables him to per-       port of a "Common Grace".
   form much good in the midst of the world? Is it not             In addition to Is. 26:lO  Prof. Berkhof also quotes
   exactly the characteristic of this theory that the wicked Jer. 26 : 13 : "Therefore will I east you out of this land
  learn righteousness in the civil sense of the word, that into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor  yosr
   the process of corruption is restrained by  the-,LordT  so fathers ; and there shall ye serve other gods day and
   that the sinner is not wholly corrupt, and that-he is night ; where I: will not shew you favour." In the first
   enabled to lead a good, exemplary life in the midst of place we would observe the rather obvious fact that
  this world, yea, to such an extent that the wicked often the  te,xt declares literally that the Lord will not shew
   put many children of God to shame? But now we are any favour unto them. Is it not strange that a text
  told, by Prof. Hepp, that a sinner. can also receive an       quoted in support of a general favour which declares
   overdose of this general grace of God. And if he that no favour will be shown them? One is surely
   receives too much of this checking, restraining opera- struck with the thought that anyone, who quotes te-xts
   tion of the Lord he will not learn righteousness. And,       such as Jer. 16:13,  must be desperate in his search,
   secondly, as far as the true interpretation of this text for Scriptural proof of the theory of' a general USir
   is concerned, we would note the following. In the of God. Secondly, the exponents of such a general


396                                  T H E    STANDARD   BEARER

grace of God appeal to this text,  I presume, because it 50 ~4, etc.; Luke 2~52. Used of God, it never has the
presupposes that, whereas the Lord will not shew them creatures in general nor the Heathen but  only  His
favour in a strange land, He had shown them favour peo;ole   for  its  object, (we  underscore--H-V.)`.  It is
in the past, the land of Canaan. And to this we have shown to Noah, Gen. 6 :8, Moses, Ex. 33 :12, 17; 34 :9 ;
no objection. However, let us please note the follow- Job 8 :5; 9 :I,5 ; Daniel 19, the meek and miserable ;
ing. If favour had been shown them in the past, what Prov. 3 :34 ; Dan. 4 :27 and then especially unto Israel
right do the exponents of "Common Grace" have to as a people. His election and guidance, deliverance
interpret this favour or grace of Jer. 16 : 13 as a com-     and redemption and all the blessings which it received
mon, general, non-saving favour of God? For, it is           in distinction from other peoples, are to be ascribed to
indeed true that this people had been shown the favour God's grace alone, Ex. 15:13,  16; 19:4; 33:19; 34:6, `7;
of God in the land from which the Lord had driven            Deut.  4:37; `7:  8:14, 17;  9:5, 27;  lo:14  f.f.;  33:3;
them. The land of Canaan was the land of promise,            Is. 35:lO; 42:21; 43:1,X3,21;  54:5; 63:9; Jer. 3:4, 19;
the land of the temple and of the sacrifices and shadows     21:9, 20;  Ezek.  16; Hos.  8:14;  ll:l, etc. In history
and types and symbols-in that land the grace of God          and in the law, in psalms and in prophecy the key-note
had been shown them .abundaatly,  revealed to them,          is always: Not unto us, 0 Lord, but unto Thy Name
had surrounded them in abundance. Every day they give glory, Ps. 115  :l.                He does all. things for His
had come into contact with this grace of the living God.     Name's sake, Num. 14:13 f.f.; Is. 43:21,  25 f.f.; 48:9,
The daily sacriiices  at the temple were a' continuous       11; Ezek. 36:22, etc. And therefore that grace is also
testimony of the amazing grace and pity of the Lord          repeatedly praised and magnified, Ex 34  :6; II Chron.
Who blots out all our sins in the blood of Jesus Christ,     30:9;  N e h .  9:17;  Ps.  86:15;  103;8;  111:4;  116:5;
our Lord. But, does this mean that, while all that           Jonah 4 :2 ; Joel 2 : 13 ; Zach.  12 :dO. In the New Testa-      -
grace of God was revealed unto them, each one had ment that grace appears richer and deeper in content.
individually been a personal recipient of the favour         "Charis"  signifies, objectively, beauty, attractiveness,
or grace of the Lord? To see the sacrifices day in           "gratie", Luke 4  :22 Col. 4  :6 ; Eph. 4  :29, and aub-
and day out was surely no guarantee in itself that one's jectively favour, inclination from the side of the giver
sins were actually blotted out by the living God. If and thanks, adoration from the side of him who re-
this outpouring of the grace of God throughout the           ceives. In God it expresses His free, sovereign, un-
Old Testament be considered a token of the general           merited inclination, which is shown unto guilty sin-
love or grace of God, but one conclusion is warranted :      ners and which bestows upon them "diksaiosunee" and
the blood of the Lamb of Calvary was intended by God         "dzooee" instead of the sentence of death (diksaiosunee
to be for all men. And this is arminianism. Hence,           and dzooee are righteousness and life respectively,
Jer. 16:13 acquainted us with the fact that the Lord         E.V.). `. As such it is a virtue and attribute of God,
had driven the people of Israel out of this land of the Ram.  5:15; I Pet.  5:10, which reveals itself in the
promise, and that, in a strange land, this favour of sending of Christ, Who is full of grace, John I:14 f.f. ;
the Lord would not be shown unto them. And, surely,          I Pet. 1:13, and also in the bestowal of all manner of
this does not imply that these ungodly, while in the         spiritual and bodily blessings, which are all' gifts of
land of Canaan, had personally been the objects of the       grace and in themselves grace, Rom. 5  :20 ; 6  :I; Eph.
love and favour of  ,God.  In this connection, I would       I  :7: 2:5, 8; Phil. :I  :2; Col. 1:2; Titus 3  :7, etc., and
like to refer the readers  .to Deut. 28 and Leviticus 25 which, once and for all,  exclude  all merits of man,
and let them judge for themselves whether his presence *John 1:17; Rom. 4:4, 16; 6:14, 23; 11:5 f.f.; Eph. 2:8;
in the land of Canaan assured every Israelite person-        Gal.  5:3, 4. The doctrine of grace was developed in
ally of the mercy and favour of the Lord.                    the Christian Church first by Augustus, `but it did not
                                                             usually denote a virtue of God, but all the blessings
                        * *  *  *                            which. are given of God out of grace in Christ unto
                                                             the church. Grace was not usually treated under' the
  ' The Grace  Of  God.,  According to  W. Bavinck           attributes of God."-thus far Bavinck.
       Dr. H. Bavinck, discussing the "grace" of Cod as         We would note, briefly, the following in connection ,
one of the aspects of God's goodness, writes in his          with this quotation of the `late Dr. Bavinck. In the
Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. II, pages 181-183, as follows,      first place, Prof. Bavinck remarks that the concept,
and we translate: "Much richer is the goodness of God "grace", was not usually treated under the attributes
when manifested unto them, who have not deserved             of God, but then when' the doctrine of the salvation
any good, but all evil ; then it bears the name of grace,    of the church was discussed. However, we do well to
"then, techinnah, a.v.  chanan",  to be inclined towards,    bear in mind that "grace" is an attribute of God. God
"charis,  charidzomai". This word atso expresses the did not become "gracious" because of or in relation to
favour which one, person finds with another or which His people. "Grace" does not merely denote a relation
is given unto another, Gen. 30 :27;  33 :8, 10;  47:29;      or attitude of the living God toward His people: it also


                                    T H E    S T A N D A R D   ELEARER                                            397

denotes an attribute, a perfection of the living God This idea of grace (beauty, attractiveness) is surely
Himself. God did not become "gracious", but He Him-        expressed in Prov. 22: 11: "He that loveth pureness
self is grace. In fact, we do well to bear this in mind of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his
in connection with all the attributes of the Lord. His friend." The idea of. this text is that he that Ioveth
relation or attitude toward man, or His people, is sure- purity of heart shall be characterized by such beauty
ly determined by what He is in Himself. Secondly, it and pleasantness of speech, that even kings shall
is also worthy of note that this eminent theologian de- seek his fellowship. The meaning is, of course, that
clares that the word "grace" never applies in Scripture from the root motive of love or inner purity proceeds
to the creature in general or the heathens. This is        speech that is truly graceful, truly beautiful, and  there-
something which the exponents of `%ommon  Grace"           fore pleasant.
may well bear in mind-they may well ponder, deliber-          The same significance applies to the Greek "charis".
ate upon the phenomenon that, if the "grace" of God This word, too, means fundamentally: beauty, charm,
be common, at least the word "grace", as such is not       attractiveness.    "Charis"  is that which affords joy
used in that sense in the Word of God. However, in because of its beauty, pleasantness. This meaning of
connection with this observation of Dr. Bavinck, this the word is evident in Luke 4:22,  which reads: "And
does not mean that that theologian denied the theory all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious
of  `LCommon  Grace". In the first place, we understand, words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they
this applies only to the word "grace"-this statement said, Is not this Joseph's son?" The expression, "gfac-
of Dr. Bavinck does not rule out the possibility that      ious words", reads literally: words of grace. Some
words such as mercy, compassion, etc., do appear as would interpret this expression in the sense that His
applicable to all. And, in the second place, the ex- speaking was with grace and charm, that His manner
pression, "creatures in general" refers, we should bear was gracious, that, while speaking with power and
in mind to creation, or the creature in distinction from authority, He spoke also with tenderness and love. Th,ey
men, people, moral-rational creatures. Another item declare that not only the form but also the content of
worthy of note in this quotation of Dr. Bavinck is that Jesus' message here was full of love and tenderness
there is nothing in it which suggests any kind of "Com- and mercy; it was not a message of judgment and
mon Grace". This is probably due to the fact that he doom, but a word of hope and cheer, and this in the
proceeds from the thought the word nowhere occurs general sense of the word. However, this interpreta-
in the Word as applicable to the creatures in general tion of Luke 4 92 is surely erroneous. Luke 4 32 cer-
or the heathens. And, finally, although he does declare tainly refers to Is. 61:1-Z, and in this latter passage
that "grace" means beauty, attractiveness, he, too, pro- the inspired prophet, Isaiah, speaks, not only of the
ceeds from the common definition of grace as un-           "acceptable year of the Lord," but also of this day
merited favour.                                            as "the day of vengeance of our God." To declare,
                      jr  *`*  Q                           therefore, that Jesus' message was not a message of
                                                           judgment is a direct denial of Is. 61:1-2.  Besides, if
           Meaning Of The Word:  G.raee.                   the message of the Christ in Luke 4 is so gracious, so
   The word, "grace", ("Chen" in the Hebrew and full of tenderness and pity and compassion in the
"C/haris"  in the Greek) does not mean fundamentally:      general sense of the word, how must we account for
unmerited favour.    Fact is, this is simply not the the reaction among .His listeners upon this messaie
fundamental meaning of the word. We, too, for which He proclaims there in the synagogue of Nazar-
example, speak of a "graceful" animal, or of someone eth? Why is it that they violently lay their hands
as having a gracious attitude, and we do not refer to      upon Him, take Him unto the edge of the city with
unmerited favour, although the word, "gracious", is the purpose to cast Him down to destruction? There
fundamentally the same as "grace',`. Besides, if "grace" was evidently something in the words of the Christ
were merely unmerited favour, could not the same be .which  they did not relish. Christ condemned them as
said of all the other virtues of God? What, then, would blind, prisoners, etc.; they resented this preaching of
be the difference between God's grace and His pity or the Christ; hence; this day was for them a day of
longsuffering or kindness? To say that the grace of vengeance and judgment and surely Divinely intended
*God  is the Lord's attitude of undeserving kindness tb be such.
(undeserving on our part) would not be saying any-            That Jesus' words were words of grace means  that
thing about this particular attribute of the Lord.         His words were words of beauty and charm. Christ
   The Hebrew word for "grace" is "then". The root must have been a charming speaker. It is obvious that
idea of this word is: to incline, to bow, to form a the word "grace" in Luke 4:22 must retain its propel
curve. From this root idea the word also developed meaning of beauty, charm, attractiveness. This is the
the derivative idea: to be graceful in form. And so original meaning of the word and also its  significant?
the word obtained the meaning : beauty, attractiveness.    in Luke 4:22.       (to be continued) I-I. Veldman.


                                      6    ` T H E -   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R `
                                                                                           --                                                    `.  "ii
                                                                     with His people in Christ, but a frame of converse that
             Rev. Petter Replies                                     is conditioned by promise and threat." You are wrong,
                                                                     brother. This "condition" must be seen solely in the
                                                                     light of the Scriptures and the Christian creeds that
    I-G.M.O.-will reproduce Rev. Petter's article, we subscribed when we as office-bearers in the church
paragraph by paragraph, and write down my remarks signed the Formula of Subscription.                                             And if that
as I go along. Rev. Petter writes:                                   "condition", if your proposition, is heretical, it will
   "In the Standard Bearer of May  1 there appears an open           simply mean that Schilder's conception according to
letter addressed to me by the Rev. Ophoff upon which I will          `which the covenant is a Trame of converse that is con-
make a few remarks before I continue with the discussion that        d,itioned by promise and threat is heretical. You next
I had begun about Dr. Schilder's view. And although we may           write, "It depends upon the question at which phase in
look for the continuation of this open letter in a further issue,    the unfolding of the covenant the "condition" enters
yet I believe the general nature of the remarks that I shall         in." You are wrong again, brother. What difference
make do not demand that we wait until the Rev. Ophoff is dn-
ished. The Editor tells me that if I make haste I can still have     does it make where the "condition" enters in if the
it in time for printing."                                            whole idea is heretical?
    Remark. I deduce from these words of yours that                       Your next paragraph :
what I have just received from your pen in the way                       `LAnd, secondly, that we need not condemn the use of con-
of reply to my letter is all that I can expect. You speak ditions per se I base on the fact that Scripture itself speaks of
of the  few remarks  that you will make before you con- conditions. The texts that may be considered in this connection
tinue with the discussion that you had begun about Dr. are the following: Lev.  26:3ff, 21; Deut. 28: 15, 58; I Chron.
Schilder's view. So that is your method of dealing 28:9-10;  Ps.  71:lO;  Isa.,  1:19-20;   7:9;  .55:3; Jer.  29:13;  Matt.
with the issue that I set before you-the method of                   6:12, 14, 15;  7:7; 17:19-21;   18:35;  W:22;  M a r k   9:23;   11;23;
                                                                     L u k e   10:6-12;   13:9;   J o h n  5:40;   9:31;   11:40;   14:12-14;   15;4;
evasion. Your few remarks are of a  ,negative  char- Rom.  4:24-25;  10:9; Hebr. 4:23; 11:6; I John 1:7, 9; 2:24-25,  28;
acter even. Certainly, what we have in your reply 392; 4:15;  5:5, 14; Rev. 2:5, 7, 16, 25-29; 3:5, 11, 19-22.
is not the fruit of study and reflection. You admit that                Again I may end this list by saying that we need not quote
much by the statement that you made haste in order more for there are more that could be gathered by a little
that you could still have "it in time for printing". Evi- ,systematic  search.
dently, you don't want discussion for some reason.                       Remark.  Here you again take recourse to your
It is plain from your whole article that your sole pur- method of' simply referring your readers to texts, and
pose was to neutralize as soon as possible the effect telling them that there are more that could be gath-
that my writing may have had on our people.                          ered. Hasn't it once dawned on you, brother, that to
    Your next paragraph.  The first sentence of it                   prove `from the Scriptures that God saves His people
reads, "My first remark is that I wish the writer had on the condition that they,believe,  it won't do simply
paid'  more'  attention to the connection in which I                 to  refer to scripture passages containing the word
brought up the discussion of conditions."                            "if"? The meaning of that "if" must be ascertained
    RepZy : I did pay strict attention to that connection by careful and painstaking  exegesi,s. And, as I stated
and to every other connection in your articles. Fact in my previous article, that, precisely is what you fail
is that I have devoted many hours of solid thought to. to do. You come with no exegesis. You simply refer
your theology which is that of Schilder ; and it has                 us to texts, quote Dr. Schilder, dangle before my eyes
become my settled conviction that this theology-the                  imposing names of a number of Reformed theologians
teaching that there are conditions in the covenant-the -in other words, make yourself strong by an appeal
teaching that  %od does not give the enjoyment of life to tradition-and leave it go at that. You must come
to Ris people except under condition of faith and con- with exegesis, brother. Don't you realize that if these
version,"-is thoroughly heretical. And until you or texts actually taught-on the surface m you imagine-
anyone else can show me that I am in error I shall                   what you claim they teach, there wouldn't even be any
have to continue to oppose it publicly.                              argument ?
    You write next,  "I plainly expressed the idea that                   Your next paragraph.
when Dr. Schilder speaks of the promise of the cove-                    "The Reformed fathers also were not averse to speaking of
nant he does not mean a positive benefit but a con- conditions. Calvin spoke of conditions ixi the plan of salvation.
ditional promise." Reply: I can't see what bearing And if we may trust the statement  .of scholars about such histori-
this has on the issue which is precisely whether or no cal data, then both Ursinius and Olevianus,  the authors of our
that expression of Dr. Schilder "conditional promise"                Heidelberg Catechism, maintain the terms: conditional promise.
is heretical. You next write, "But this condition must                   `LBut  it is still more interesting that the theologians who car-
                                                                     ried on the battle with the remonstrants do not hesitate them-
again be seen in the light of the fact `that for him-                selves to teach that there are conditions in the covenant even
Schilder-the covenant is not the friendship of Jehovah               when they were engaged in fighting the doctrine of conditions


                                            T H E   ST.ANDARD   B E A R E R                                                     Z-99

as the remonstrants held it. Prominent among these were the               er, as is also the following from your pen, "When there-
famous Contra-remonstrants' Gomarus, and Walaeus, co-authors              fore some theologians teach that the covenant is a
of the standard "Synopsis of Purer Theology". And even the
monumental Staten Vertaling  of that day has a forward to the             channel through which election is realized and carried
New Testament which informs us that this New Testament                    out, we believe  they have  twned the relation of the
means that covenant which God made with man whereby He                    Sctiptures  exactly  around (italics supplied). To these
gives him eternal life under certain conditions, (bold type               examples of devastating criticism of the Reformed
Petter's). A half century later the prominent theologian Turre-           Fathers, others could be added. You cut, dissect,
tin gives a long discussion on the conditions without thinking            cleavej  shave, skin, flay, rind, peel the Fathers to your
of denying them. Also from the editorial in the same Standard
Bearer of May 1, in which the "open letter" is found, it appears          very heart's content. You take them apart limb for
that the Netherland  Theo'Cogians,   Dordrecht,   1618-19,   spoke  of    limb. And your knife-a two-edged sword, I  .would
conditions of the covenant.                                               say?turns every way. But, wonderful to say, your
   "And now coming to our own day we may mention Bavinck,                 attitude toward these dame Fathers, as associated in
Geerhardt, Vos, Berkhof, whose judgments are that there are               your mind with the teaching that there are conditions
conditions in connection with the covenant even though we must
be careful in our presentation of them.                                   in the covenant, is strictly uncritical.      Then your
   "On the basis of this historical picture and on the basis of           sword is in its scabbard and you are meekness, mild-
Scriptural teaching of conditions I am not at all ready to con-           ness, and submission personified. And in your hand
demn anyone who holds that there are conditions in the cove-              is a hymn-book of praise to the Fathers. And its
nant without my giving careful attention to what phase in the             praise is in your heart; and it fills your mouth and
covenant he places them."                                                 also managed to find its way in your reply to me.
    Remark. I suppose you expect me to fold up and go                        Now what do your contrary attitudes toward the
home now as shamed into silence by that cloud of Fathers indicate? Precisely this: Your lack of readi-
doubtful witnesses by which you encompass me about. ness to condemn anyone-including yourself, of course,
But I am staying, brother, also for your sake. True, and your self  *first  of all-who holds that there are'.
that paragraph of yours is representative of a master- conditions in the covenant, is not ascribable to any
stroke of controversial tactic. Imposing names always reverential awe on your part, for the master-minds
do make an astounding impression on a certain type among our Reformed Fathers, but is to be explained
of people. What type 1 am not pausing to explain. I soIely from your love of that doctrine. You love the
would say that it would have been more profitable                         Fathers only in so. far as their teachings agree with
for yourself and everybody concerned had you kept the doctrines that have the love of your own heart.
that paragraph in your pen and filled the space left It means that fundamentally you don't care a snap of
vacant with the fruit of some real study of the issue.                    your finger about what the Fathers taught. Now this
    So you stand in awe at the master-minds among is not meant as criticism but as praise. The Fathers
reformed dogmaticians of the past? Their statements are no authorities for you. And it is  weIl that they
that there are conditions in the covenant prevent you are not. You are not living by the tradition of the
from condemning that proposition? I find, however,                        Fathers.    Nor are we. You understand right well  *
that ordinarily your attitude toward these masters and what would be the result. The stream of life in our
their speculations is severely critical. Bavinck, you communion  of churches would run dry; and soon we
write in one of your pieces (The Covenant XxX111)                         would be comparable to a stagnant, stinking pool, as
"was a great theologian and produced a masterful far as progress in the development of the truth is con-
dogmatic.      Yet you "surely must conclude", quoting cerned. So as a good reformed man, you allow your-'
your,own  words, "that Bavinck was wrong" and that self to be binded in your thinking only by the Scrip-
the Catechism is right `respecting the matter of, the                     tures and the Christian creeds that you subscribed
covenant of Paradise. And. according to your judg- when as an office-bearer in the church you signed the
ment, "the Fathers following the Reformation (I am Formula of Subscription. Being a well-read man, you
again quoting your own words) suffer from the wrong well  hnow that historical reformed theology is shot
approach to the question. Also in the quotations from through with philosophy. Hence, your critical attitude,
them, (you go on to say) the question is altogether too                   your. habit of testing the teachings of the Fathers
dominating, namely, what is promised to the children." by the Scriptures. When the `question be put: How
(The Covenant XVI). In this same piece one comes about the teaching of the Fathers that there are con-
upon the statement from your pen, "It is here that the ditions in the covenant? The answer also of your
understanding has very often, and in a great sector of heart is :, It doesn't mean a thing. Such is the answer
the Christian Church, gone astray. It is here that the of your  heart.  This is proved by your critical attitude. .
humanitarian conception takes the place of the theo-                         So I have'a question. Why don't you write as your
logical view-point of the Bible and the whole concep- heart speaks, brother? Why do you bring the Fathers
tion  goes  awry.  This  is  evek true of Reformed authors."              into our debate? Why in this one single instance do
(italics supplied). This is a severe indictment, broth-                   you pose as a man filled with awe for the  %athers.


  400                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARfi:R
                      _-
  So you do, even while your heart is telling you: The           part that your doctrine hasn't a leg to stand on as
  sole issue is: "What sayeth the Scriptures," and not,          far as the Scriptures are concerned, all the Fathers
  "What sayeth the Fathers." If you, yourself, care notwithstanding?
  absolutely nothing about the Fathers as  authorities-             These Reformed fathers were excellent men, and
  and you don't as is proved by your critical attitude- we love them. But you agree, as your critical attitude
  stop dangling their names before my eyes, will you,            indicates, that they were fallible men cepable  of the
please? The Roman theologians did that with Martin strangest intellectual blunders, as are we  ail. There-
  Luther, too, as you no doubt know. He kept on telling fore we need one another. I find examples of their
  them, "I care nothing about the Fathers. Come to capacities in that direction in your very disclosures of
  me with the Scriptures." But they wouldn't stop their these men. You ,write,  "But it is still more interesting
  monkeyshines.                                                  that the theologians who carried on the battle with
         However, the Roman theologians were consistent at the Remonstrants do not hesitate themselves to teach
  least in this one respect, that they, too, were letting the    that there are conditions in the covenant  even when
  Fathers do their thinking for them, that is, they were they were  enguged  in fighting the  doctri~~e of con-
  themselves, too, living by tradition. But you aren't ditions as the Remonstrants held it."  (Italics supplied).
  brother. Yet you expect it of me. That makes it all            This is interesting indeed. Mark you, fighting the doc-
  the worse.      If the theory that there are conditions trine of conditions while at the same time teaching
  in the covenani did not have the love of your heart you that there are conditions in the covenant, as if it is
  ,would  oppose the Fathers, and Schilder with them, on possible to do both without violating every law of logic.
  this point as vigorously as I am doing. I say again, you You say, "Of course it is possible to do both, possible
  care nothing about the Fathers as authorities. Yet you te teach that there are conditions in the covenant with-
  very actually tell your readers that the reason you are out falling in the error of the Remonstrants." I deny
  not ready to repudiate your doctrine is that the Fathers that, brother. Won't you please refrain from bringing
  held it. Here is your statement black on white, "On            my definition of the term "condition" under a cloud
  the basis of this historical picture and on the basis of       and debate the issue with me? Of what are you afraid
  Scripture teaching (this latter is not true. You come if you are so sure of your ground? My  def?nition  of
  wi:h no exegesis) I am not at all ready to condemn             that term "condition" is absolutely correct. I will re-
  anyone who holds that there are conditions in the cove- turn to this in the sequel,
 nant." You should make it possible for yourself to say             You provide us with still another example of the
 this : "By a thorough study of the Scriptures and our fallibility of the Fathers. You write, "And now com-
  Confessions it has become my settled conviction that, ing to our own day we may mention Bavinck (Bavinck,
 there are conditions in the covenant, and therefore the great Bavinck, whom you dismiss with a mere
  I shall defend with all the vigor that is mine anyone          gesture of the hand, when you don't like what he says)
  and everybody holding that doctrine."         Realize the Geerhardt, Vos, Berkhof, whose judgments are that
' absurdity of your statement, brother. You say, "On             there are conditions in connection with the covenant
  the basis of the teachings of the Scriptures I am not          even though we must be careful *in our presentation
  ready to condemn anyone, etc." Your expression "on of them".  (Italics supplied) . The clause in italics sounds
  the basis of the teachings of the Scriptures," means,          a familiar note. The leaders in the communion of
  should mean as uttered by you, "I am convinced that            Christian Reformed Churches give an identical  warn:
 `the doctrine is thoroughly Scriptural". How can such ing with respect to the theory of common grace that
  a conviction go hand in hand with the statement, "I am they hatched out together one one of their synodssome
  not ready to condemn anyone holding that teaching years ago. `The doctrine that there are conditions in
  ,without  giv@g careful attention to what phase of the         the covenant must be presented with care. Such, you
  covenunt he places them." I ask you, brother, what say, was the advice of those theologians (Bavinck,
  difference can it possibly'make to what phase Schilder Geerhardt, Vos, etc.). Could it be that they realized,
  places the "condition", if the idea, according to your be it dimly, that the doctrine is pregnant with potential
  convictions, is thoroughly Scriptural? If the doctrine heresy ? You also mention Berkhof as one of the
  is thoroughly Scriptural, as you really say it is, how theologians addicted to that teaching. It doesn't sur-
  can your condemning or not condemning that doctrine prise me a bit, seeing that he is the Father of the
  be dependent on the phase of the covenant to which famous three points. The teaching is right in line with
  Schilder places it? If the doctrine according to your these points. I am rather astonished that you seek
conviction is thoroughly Scriptural, how can you at support for your views also with Berkhof. What weight
  all allow that it is still probable for you to condemn do his pronouncements have with us? Besides, it was
 the doctrine? And that is what you do. Can it be ho who in collaboration with his colleagues ejected us
 that this absurd statement from you is indicative of from the communion of Christian Reformed Churches.
  an awareness or at any rate a strong suspicion on your         Have `you forgotten that?


                                           T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                        401

    Your next paragraph.                                              easy that wouId have been. Al1 you would have had to
   "In the third place, I cannot agree with the way the Rev,          do is to publish the definitions of the terms in question
Ophoff uses a deiinition  iu his discussion of my remarks. men        contained in your dictionary. But the trouble is, that
I read his statement that he was using a lo-volume  dictionary        had you done so, it would have appeared that so far
of microscopic print and then saw the little paragraph of deli&       from the truth it is that my definition is border-lined
tion; I looked into my little desk dictionary and found almost as
much material. It is evident that in comparison his great work        as to its character that it would have become plain to
should have at least several pages on the word. Rut the explana-      all that it is the only truly correct definition of the
tion is, of course, that Rev. Ophoff had taken only one of the        term as a sentence element of your proposition in the
separate meanings of the word and omitted all the rest. Now           whole universe. Your unabridged dictionary contains
in  some  connections it might be permissible to use the mis-         my definition not, it may be, as to the form of its words
chievous device of showing what possible absurdities could be         but as to its idea. And your dictionary as well as mine
drawn out of my use of the word condition. But that was not
true in the present case. For there are several elements in           brings out that it is the only truly correct definition
my writing that  definitely  limit the scope of the word. I re-       in the universe. That is What my dictionary shows.
pudiated the  Arminian  and. Pelagian. conception, also stating       I shall give proof by reproducing here the entire exposi-
that God Himself provided for their fulfilling, working salva-        tion, all the definitions of which there are 9. You will
tion Himself from beginning-to end, and that these conditions         see that I have nothing to hide, and that your accusa-
enter in after God has set man on the way of salvation. This
should have limited his choice of connotation.                        tions are groundless.
   "But this error is aggravated by the fact that in h&search
and choice he takes one that has the element of contingency in it.       Condition:                                                    :
And this must be a very border-line meaning because it does not       1. The particular mode of being of a person or thing; situation,
appear even in the unabridged dictionary that I was able to  con-       with reference either to external or internal circumstances;
suit.  Yet Rev. Ophoff takes the element of  contingency  out of        existing state or case; plight, circumstance.
this border-line meaning, finds the definition  of contingency and
uses that definition.                                                 2. Quality, property, attribute; characteristic.
                         Rut contingency introduces an altogether
different element, namely that of chance, uncertainty, accident,      3. State of characteristic of the mind; a habit, collectively, ways,
caprice. And now he takes this new  de6nition  with all these           disposition, temp~or.
.alien  implications and uses it in testing my presentation."         4. Rank, state, with respect to orders or grades of society or to
    Remark. SO you find fault with me for not repro-                    property; used absolutely in the sense of high rank; as a
                                                                        person of condition.
ducing all the material' that I found in my dictionary 5. A requisite; something the non-concurance or non-fulfilment
on the term  condition.          Your reply in the section              of which would prevent a result from taking place; a pre-
with which we are now occupied contains some foul                       requisite.
thrusts such as, "The Rev. Ophoff had taken only 6.  Hence--4  restricting or limiting circumstance; a restriction
one of the separate meanings of the word and omit-                      or limitation.
ted all the rest. Now in some connection is might                     7. A stipulation; a statement of terms; as an agreement or con-
be permissible to use the  mischievous device  of show-                 sideration demanded or offered in return for something grant-
ing what possible absurdities could be drawn out                        ed or done; as in a bargain, treaty, or other engagement.
of the use of the word condition (italics supplied) ." S..In law:  *                        _
I  wouId like to know, brother, how it can ever be per-                 a) A statement that a thing is or shall be, which constitutes
                                                                           the essential part of the basis of a contract or grant; a
missible to use a mischievous device in any connection.                    future and uncertain act or event not belonging to the very.
Such  .is your contention. To my mind that is never                        nature of the transaction, on the performance or happening
permissible. And of this impermissible, unethical do;                      of  which the  legal  consequences of the transaction are made
ing you accuse me. Then you go on to show that it was                      to depend.
no small sin that I committed. You write, "But this                     b. In civil law, a restriction incorporated with an act, the con-
                                                                         ' sequences of which is to make the effect of the violation
error is aggravated by the fact that in his search and                     or intention depend wholly or in part upon an external
choice he takes one-one definition-that has the ele-                       circumstance.    Strictly speaking, there is a condition in
ment of contingency in it. And'this must be a very                         the meaning of civil law only when the effect of a legal
borderline meaning because it does not appear even in                      act is suspended until the accomplishment or non-accom-
the unabridged dictionary that I consulted." You come                      plishment of a future and uncertain event.
close to accusing me, brother, of having fabricated that 9. In a college or school: a) the requirement made of a student
definition.    I contacted a brother yesterday who ac-                  upon failure to reach a certain standard of scholarship,  as
                                                                        an examination, that a new `examination be passed before he
cused me of the same thing, when he said, "you cer-                     can be advanced in a given course or study, or can receive
tainly have a good dictionary". Such, then, is the sin                  a degree, as a.`condition in mathematics.
of which you accuse me in public. And you are so
polite about it! even going so far as to say that in some                 Examining this material, we perceive that the  deli-
cases the sin may be permissible. Didn't it dawn upon nitions  under 1 to 4 inclusive do not apply. They are
you, brother, that your thus accusing me placed you no definitions of the term  condition  as a  sentence-
under the moral necessity of proving your charge? How                 element in your proposition, "God saves His people



                                                           -


                                        T H E   S'TANDARD   R E A R E R

 on the condition that they believe and repent." Hence,          5 and 6, the reason being that all this material is radic-
the aforesaid definitions must be eliminated. They do ally related logically. Together it forms the one defini-
not enter in here. Second, we also perceive that the tion.
definitions under  7 to 9 inclusive are but so many appli-          Why did I quote the definition in fine print and not
cations to concrete things of the definitions under 5 and quote the one in large print? For the following reas*n :
6. Hence, there are only two of the nine definitions             The definition in small print is properly a definition.
that directly apply and on which we must concentrate.            It sets forth the very essence of the type of conditions
But let us take notice that these two definitions-5              of which your proposition is representative. But the
and 6 are logically one, that is, they obtain to each            material under 6 is not properly a definition ; what it
other the relation of premise and conclusion. This is does is to set forth the  characteristics  of conditions of
indicated by the conjunckive  hence which appears be- the type of which your proposition is representative.
fore the definition under 6. The reasoning is: A  requi- Therefore I used the definition in fine print.
site; something the non-coricurrance  or non-fulfilment
of  ,which  would prevent a result from taking place;               But you don't like that definition. You say it
a pre-requisite; hence, a restricting or limiting circum-        doesn't apply. But it does apply. Let me give the
stance. Here you have the only definition that the dic- proof by using the definition under 6. According to
tionary gives of the term  condition  as a sentence- this definition a condition-such as those with which
element in your proposition. But you say to me, "That we are now occupied-is a restricting or limiting cir-
is not the definition that you quoted. But it  -is the           cumstance  ; it restricts ; it limits. Let us apply this
definition that I quoted not, it is true, as to the form         definition to your proposition: God saves His people
of the words but as to logical idea. Where did I get             on the condition of their faith and repentance. You
that definition? Right out of my dictionary. The understand, of course, that faith, actual existing faith,
reason that 1 have not yet quoted it is that it appears          spells a believing saint. Hence, your proposition must
in small print between the definitions under 5 and 6             be made to read, "God saves His people on the con-
which are printed in large type. Between these two               dition that they believe and repent." Now actual faith,
definitions appears the following material:         /            as you must well understand further, involves the will
                                                                 and the mind of the believer. To believe is to wi2.l to
    a) That a cause efficient be a cause of itself two           believe  with all our heart and mind and will and
conditions are requisite. .  .if either of these are want- strength. Hence, the idea of your proposition is, must
ing the cause is said to be accident. Burgersdicius, tr. be, verily this: God saves His people on  the condition
by a Gentleman, 1.  XVII. 16.                                    that they will to believe. The human will to believe is
    b) The diffusion of a thorough scientific education the condition in this case. What does it mean? Pre-
is an absolutely essential condition of industrial pro- cisely this: The human will restricts and limits ,God.
gress. Huxly,  Science and Culture.                              If this isn't dualism of the purest wool, words have
    c) According to the best notion I can form of the absolutely no meaning,-I  ~mean, of course, words ac-
meaning of `condition', either as a term of philosophy cording to the meaning that they have in the  diction-
or of common life, it means that on which something ZY. In a following article I shall enlarge on this
else is contingent, or (more definitely) which being matter.               It will become as plain  .as the sun in the
given, something else exists or takes place. I promise heavens that my criticism, my whole argument, is true.
to do something on condition that you do something               It will also become plain that where we come out is
else: that is, if you do this, I will do that; if not, I will    exactly at the definition that I first used.
do as I please. J. S. Mill, Exam. of Hamilton, IV.                 ' Really, brother, the definition that I now use brings
    Now is this material, definitely, the definition that out even more glaringly the corruption contained in
I quoted, border-lined as, to its character? It is not,          your proposition. So I was not really hiding anything.
certainly. For take notice, it illustrates the definition        And the definition that I here use is also contained in
under 5 and together `with this definition serves as a your dictionary, certainly. Just consult that dictionary
logical basis for the d&nition'under  6. The definition of yours once more. It means that also the definition
that I quoted forms an integral part of the whole defi- I first used is found in your dictionary as to its idea.
nition constituted, as it is, of the definitions under 5 And it's not a border-line definition either.
and 6 together with the material appearing between
these two definitions. The word hence has reference                                       , Fraternally yours,
to the definition that I quoted as well as to the defini-                                              G. M. Ophoff.
tion under 5. It cannot therefore,possibly  be a border-                                *  *  0  *
line definition. To say that a condition (as a sentence-            Prayer is the most important thing in my life. If I
element in your proposition) is that on which some-              should neglect prayer for a single day, I should lose a
thing is contingent is to say all that appears under' great deal of the fire of faith. - Martin Luther.


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                405

    Ik zeide zooeven,  dat we hier het evangeli&  in he!                             Thee Three Points were three gross errors. The
klein hebben. En terecht. Geef heil dobr Uwe rechter-                            world-and-life view which lay at the bottom of them,
hand ! Dat is immers Jezus.  Dat.is  zelfs. de letterlijke which produced ,them and'since  has'sustaine&,them'  is
bete~ekenis  van Jezus' naam. Hij is  bet heil des Heeren.. the greatest error of $1. Iti is `the grotind%?~o~Yl?he
Of Hij is de Heiland die heil we&.                                   "           events  `of nineteen-twenty-fourr'point  n6t only to  `&X5
    En  ggat door des Heeren rechterhand.           ;.g:.  ..`,i'  (             trinal.  differem%, ttiey &point  to something ethical ,fio
  I En dat beteekent, eerst, dat het heil rust  op..&e                           less:,.: The doctrinal differences %+hich'd&nti  otit i-n'%&
gerechtigheid Gods. Daar kunt ge van lezen op duizend                            Three Points point, to ethical issues.  "  '  `,:  1  d  ,`;'  `"
bladzijden van Gods Woord. Dat komt heel duidelijk                                 . We do well therefore to keep these thitigs clearly
uit in de  Evangeli&.     Jesaja:  p;ofet&erde  er `al' VQ+                      before the minds of our people and espec'ially  .before
Sion zal door recht verlost  worden. Al de uitverkore-                           the minds of the: coming generation.
nen zijn van nature  kinderen  des toorns  gelijk.  ook de                           We are abouk tie&y-fi$e years removed f roti nine-
anderen. En aan het recht *Gods moet genoeg gedaan,. teen-twenty-f our.                                        :'  `:                     .I.(  ,
worden. Welnu, .Jezus  Christus is het heil.,des  Heeren,                            We must not forget what the Christian Refdrmed
dat rust op recht en waarheid, want Hij gaat staan in Churches  `expkessed in their Three Points about a
het gericht op de plaats van al Zijn .volk, en betaalt getieratidrr  ago. Neither must we  for&% .the Common
den prijs in Zijn dierbaar bloed. Gedurende Zijn leven Grace world-and-life view which gendered them. That
zuchtte Hij er immers van: Hoe word Ik geperst tot-                              world-and-life view is there today as much and even
dat het alles volbracht zij !                                                    more than it ever was... Our people, an'd especially ,dur
    En, tweedens, dat het gaat door de groote kracht en coming generation must acquaint  the&elves and keep
mogendheid des. Heeren. Dat zit ook in die idee van de themselves acquainted with the issues which are's0
rechterhand des . Heeren. Het neemt een almachtige vital to the service of God and. ,His truth in this world.
 God om Zijn  volk,  tezamen met Zijn Zoon, uit den                                  Now and then, here and there, Common Grace is
eeuwigen dood te roepen.  Leest Ef. 1:19; 20.                                    mentioned by name. Very seldom do they mention
    En Hij heeft dezen naam : Hoorder der gebeden !                              the Three Points. In fact it seemi to be their policy
                                                 G. Vos.                         not to mention these things very much.  But their
                                                                                 world-and-life view expresses itself everywhere and
                                 -                                               all the time. Therefore we mtist:@nstantly  be on our
                                                             j:      ?     :-    guard. There is a way of presenting the unscriptural
                                                                                 world-and-life view without. notifyirig you that they
                                                                                 are really developing Common  Grab&.  Common Grace
            I N   H I S   F E A R                                                can be preached and taught very well without'mention-
                                                                                 ing it by name. In other words, not everything which
                                                                                 iK radically Common ,Grace is labeled as such.                +.
           Labeled Or Unlabeled                                                      In the early `years during the heat of the conflict
                                                                                 the things were wont to be mentioned by name ; con-
    If one reads again "Van Zonde En Genade" (alas fessions were supposedly cited and texts were adduced
that this book was .not translated into the English), to bolster the Three Points. Everybody knew what
 one feels that at the bottom of the Three Points of                             was going on and everyone could `be on his  gua&X
Nineteen-Twenty-Four there lay a certain  world-and-                             But now, by and large, the things go unlabeled. Men
life view. That our leaders at that time had to fight                            present Common Grace` in all itsi forms of error yet
again for the truths of unconditional salvation, ab- seldom is it identified for what it  3. `Worse' yet, that
solute sovereignty of God, and the total depravity  of                           which should really be labeled as `Common Grace is
man,  was due? in no small part; to the prevailing false                         marked as being the reformed, philosophy bf life to
world-and&fe  view. In nineteen-twenty-four the error which no one would object-unless you want to be
 root was there and it shot forth Three Points above an Anabaptist.
the ecclesiastical ground. Now another World War                                     It is our calling therefore to teach ourselves and
has come and gone, a new world order presses for  at-, especially the coming generation to identify the Com-
tention  -and the world-and-life  `viey which first ap- mon Grace world-and-life view wherever it pr&ents
peared in nineteen-twenty-four is: still there and the                           itself. We have to label it. Labeling it we  tiust  reject
Three Points are gradually reaching  iheir fruition.                             it and instead of it embrace the view which Scripture
    The world-and-life view which is common grace persents us and which `God `has haciously  preserved
 is there as much today if not more than it ever was                             for us  9, Protestant Reformed Churches.
 (for things develop do they not?}, put` there  is' this                             We want to cite a few ,examples  of this unlabeled
difference that it is not always labeled. And there-                             Conimon   Grkce.                        .
fore the more dangerous.          . .~                                               The "Back to God" radio program of  the Christian


r                                                                :          .
     406                                  T H E   STANDAkD   B E A R E R

     Reformed Churches is a consistent exposition and a 6; 1949, page.2. The speaker tells us that  `(God is the
     diligent development of the pernicious theory of Com- absolute sovereign.. And because man was made in
     mon Grace, yet, strangely enough, it is never men- the likeness of God, the creator has ordained that man
     tioned by name. This program is public, everyone can must share His ownership. It is the expression of
     listen to it and printed, copies are always available,. our spiritual kinship to God that we are to inherit the
     We have listened to it often and we have printed                  earth, possess it, develop it and explore its powers".
     copies which are a cross'section  of what is presented            Then follows a speech in which Communism is con-
     over several years of work.                                       demned (which is all right of course) and in which
        Several things arrest your attention..                         Capitalism, in its ideal state, is championed, and it
        One of these is- that the listeners. are, constantly ends-with. a prayer that "our world . . . be blessed
     induced to make this. earth, if not this world, the with a new birth of freedom . .  ." And so we re-
     center of their attention. Naturally we as Christians main on earth. And this was Common Grace. It links
     are in the world and have our labor in the midst of the church with the world, regenerate with unregener-
     that world and in the midst of America, but that is ate. But it stirs up the church also to seek to inherit
     something else than to set our hopes upon that world.             this earth. That we shall inherit the earth means
     During the last War our enemies were said to be Hitler something vastly different than that the children of
     and his Nazism, now it is Communism and the com- God shall stake their claims finally on American soil
     munistic idealologies. To be sure Nazism and Com- or any other. This philosophy, intended perhaps to
     munism present idealogies which are anti-christian, make the world churchly, actually will make the church
     and .therefore  it is our duty to contend against them.           worldly; And that after all was the meaning of Com-
     That could not be different. But the error is that mon Grace back in 1924. It means that today in in-
     the "Back to God Hour" wants to put Nazism and creased measure.
     Communism out of the way in order to obtain  `a world                       Another thing which strikes one's attention is that
     of peace and security. Read sermon after sermon the coming back of Christ, especially as the book of
     of their air-program and you ever remain only in this Revelation presents it, is very seldom presented. The
     world. It never reaches higher than what is under                 exceptions, I think, will establish the rule that the
     I the sun. When the "amen" comes your horizons are Back to God Hour presents no eschatology. Certainly
     the natural horizons of things visible with perhaps an the Christian Reformed world-and-life view as it is
     occasional hope for something better for America. But presented over the air does not stem from nor center
     we remain on this ground. The "better country" of around the coming back. of Christ with all' that this
     which -Abraham was such a proponent, you seldom parousia implies.'
     hear of it.                                                       -         One can read sermon after sermon and never even
        Scripture teaches us that the church has no world- find it hinted at that our world order is bound for the
     program in that sense of the word. Neither' can the               chaos of the judgment of God, `and  *for the purging of
     church takes sides with existing world-programs. For fire of which Peter speaks. Little about the chaos
     the church is not an organization which exists along- which will come, little about the Christ Who will make
     side of myriads other organizations, neither is it an             His appearance in this chaos to redeem His Church.
     institution which can be listed alongside of other                It seems that the parousia..of  Christ does not fit into
     institutions. For Paul tells us that we have received the philosophy of America back to aGod.
     not the spirit of the world but the spirit which `is of                      Common Grace no doubt commits the advocates
     God ; and John says : we are of God and the whole world           thereof to a world-and-life view which is actually Post-
     lieth in wickedness. How then shall these two, so oppo- millenial, at least in theory. One can easily see that a
     site and so contrary work together on some world-                 world-and-life view `which centers our attention on
     program?                                            .  I          gaining America -for God does not agree very well
        But above that, how dangerous to send the church with the eschatology which the book of Revelation pre-
     off on a mission of capturing the world and possessing sents us.
     this earth. The only result will be that it loses itself                    This same world-and-life view glares at you from
     in the worId. Whether men do this under the guise of almost every page of the Course of Study which the
     the "sovereign claims of a sovereign  `God" (as they are Union of Christian Schools has prepared and which
     wont to say) or whether men do this under no guise at             it hopes the teachers will teach in our Christian schools.
     all, but merely because they love carnal things, ulti- It too is in theory post-millenial. It has no room at all
     mately it makes little difference. Both are seeking for the Scriptural idea of the antithesis. It wallows
     the things which are, below. And that was Common in Common ~Grace, but without labeling it.
     Grace.                                                                      There then you have a world-and-life view, care-
        Just to cite one concrete illustration of this, let me         fully developed, permeated with Common Grace, but
     refer you to the "Back to God" radio speech of March              not labeled and therefore the more dangerous.


                                                                                                                                 I'


                                                                                                                           ii
                                                                                                                    _I'
                                           T H E         ?TAND'ARD   B E A R E R                                                                   407

    Over against this we do well to be well  founded:in            members and such other routine matters that usually
Scripture, well posted in the errors of Common Grace accompany the work of Synod.
and equipped with a world-and-life view which is                      God bless our Synod and give those delegated the,
given us of God Himself. We are twenty-five-years spiritual ability to discuss and decide all things im-
away from nineteen-twenty-four. Know how~to  label partially and objectively in harmony with God's Word
things.                                                            and the welfare of the Churches.
    More about this in a future article, D. V.
                                             M. Gritters.

                                                    i


                                                                      From the 1949 Yearbook of the Christian Reformed
                                                                   Churches we take over the follow. statistics :
              P E R I S C O P E                                       Families-33,880.
                                                                      Individual members-142,818.
                                     .,
                                                            .`.
What  Is Coming To Our Synod? ? ?                                     M i n i s t e r s - 3 9 0 .   +
                                                                   `"1' And from the Wachter we take over the following
    From the Synodical  Agenda we point out the fol-
                                 I,'  i  c  I  ;  :  f             breakdown  ,of the  .last mentioned figure.
lowing :                        .                                     Regular congregations-                                                2 6 6
    1. A request from  Classis West that  our'.`Synod              .   H o m e   M i s s i o n s - ,                                         22
once again formulate a testimony to. the Christian                   ;, Foreign and Indian Missions-           "                             21
Reformed Churches, calling them to repentance `and                 , Education (Calvin College `and Seminary,
pointing out, that gradually we are growing farther                 ' High Schools, Ann Arbor)                                               22
apart even in such fields as Education,  .Economics,                  Miscellaneous (Banner, C.P.H., R.B.I., Chap-
Social Activity, etc.                                                 lains, Radio, Mission Secretary, and No Con-
    2.  ,Also from  Classis West an overture that "Synod           , ,   g r e g a t i o n                                                    9
put forth every effort to obtain a Holland-speaking                   Emeritus Ministers                                                     45
missionary to labor among the Holland immigrants.`:'                                                                                   -      -
In this connection our entire denominational mission                  Total Ministers-                                                      390
,work will be reviewed, the question of English and
Holland speaking missionaries, the question of- Canada
as a field of labor and, in connection with a.protest  and                                     *    *  *  *
appeal, the question of the co-laboring of. our mission-
aries, all will undoubtedly be reviewed and decided.
It is to be hoped that some concrete action will be taken Controversy May Be a Duty!
regarding the mission work in Canada rather than                      "Controversy in religion is a hateful thing.  `It is
the vague and indefinite "Synod advises that we con- hard enough to fight the devil, the world, and the flesh,
tinue our mission endeavour in `Canada and make- pro- without private differences .in:+our'  own camp. But
vision to do so" and "Synod decides to leave the matter there is one thing. which iseven worse than contro-
of provisions for Canadian :*Missionary  endeavour in versy, and that is false doctrine tolerated, allowed and
the hands of the Consistory and the Mission Com- permitted, without protest or molestation. It was con-
mittee."                                                           troversy that won the battle of the Protestant Reforma-
    3. Besides the protest mentioned above the only tion. If the views that some men hold were correct,
other item from  Classis East is an overture asking it is plain we never ought to have had any Reformation
Synod to consider ways and means of establishing our at "all! For the sake of peace, we ought to have gone
own normal schools for the training of teachers.                   on worshipping the Virgin and bowing down to images
                                                                   and relics to this very day ! Away with such trifling.
   4. Besides this Synod of course considers the routine There are times when controversy is not %nIy .a `duty
reports of the mission committee, the theological school but `a benefit. Give me the mighty thunderstorm
committee and especially with a view to the future of rather than the pestilential malaria. The one walks in
our school we may expect some discussion and de- darkness and poisons us in silence, and we are never
cisions.                                                           safe. The other frightens and alarms;  for'*a little
    5. Finally there is the matter of the subsidies for season. But it soon clears and it clears the air. It
needy churches, the elections of various committee is plain Scriptural duty to `contend earnestly for the


  `      ,,+>F--         . .
A-m-A---2 i
v .>-*-,,--  * F i--i                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
         faith once delivered to the saints.' (Jude Z).`.' This by ception  we entertain regarding our Lord is the sin that
        J. C. Ryle in the Southern Presbyterian Journal,..,.                       lies close to idolatry."
                                                              .;;  .*,  ,/;:  :       Certainly we agree with Prof. Murray and well
                                8  *  *  8                        .,,;;.,;   1     may we as parents (and perhaps also as individuals?)
                                                                                   be on guard against the ever-increasing trend to  p're-
        Pictures Of Christ. . . .t                                                 sent Christ visually in pictures.
               Recently an attempt was made to portray the dis-                                                :i:  *  *  *
         tinctiveness of Calvinism in Art. .To this attempt in
                                              ,.;i  ,.  ,I                            From an article in Moody Monthly entitled "What
         itself together with its suppo&`t&ig  writers and critics shall we do with Television", we quote the following:                        .
         we do  snot call-.attention  .particularly,  referring those
         who might be ,interested&  the recent issues of the                          "Taking the offerings of radio and television as
         "Presbyterian Guardian".  j                                ,;,  `I        they now are, let  us' look to the responsibilities which
               But in connection with the debate on `this. subject Christian parents should face in training their child-
         our attention was particularly drawn to part of the                       ren to meet these forms of technical progress. It is
         criti+sm offered by Prof. John Murray which applies just as well to introduce the problem of movies, comic
         noi?alone  to the above subject but to the whole field of magazines, cartoon strips, and the field of children's
         pictures of Christ, to which, by the way, we are being `literature', as, no family can successfully ignore them
         subjected more and more. Especially is this true of entirely. What is the Christian parent to do to equip
         our children, with their Bible Storybooks, Bible ABC's his child to meet the world? There are positive ap-
        etc. We quote the following:  `i(  ia'                                     proaches  to' be made here. A negative program, or
                                                                                   the refusal to face it entirely, merely hands the young-
               "Itis supremely *imperative that every conception ster over to the other side that much sooner.
         we frame respecting our Lord should be true and every                        "First of all, the parent must see that the child has
         emotion we entertain pure and holy. If we hold that so many wholesome interests and such definite Chris-
         pictures of Christ are legitimate then it is because we tian experiences .that he has little time for the trivial
         consider that to some extent they minister to the fram-                   and, worldly pursuits. ,To be  boncrete,  although our
         ing of a proper conception of Him and to the cultiva- two older children are ready for school, they have
         tion of devotion to Him, in a word, that intelligent de- practically no interest in cartoons, as we have never
         votion is in some way promoted thereby.                                   bothered to introduce the funny page of the newspaper.
               "We must also avow that our knowledge of Christ                     We read instead from chosen  .and lovely books, especial-
         and of the devotion owing to Him is derived from the                      ly the Bible, `and they would rather turn the pages of,
         Scripture. Now it so happens that the Scripture does these books than the less attractive and undesirable
         not provide us with ,data respecting the physical ap- comics.                                              ^,
         pearance of our Lord. No one today knows what His                             "We purchased, a small inexpensive Victrola for
         appearance or likeness was. Any picture, therefore, them when they were just old enough to operate it, and
         is the work of the artist's imagination and there is no                   have stocked a library of lovely and educational records
         norm or test by which we may determine its corres- which they play whenever they choose. The radio,
         pondence with the reality. This is an exceedingly                         they understand, is, our instrument, and they listen
         serious matter. We all know how our conception- of a                      only to the things we choose, which happens to be
         person may be influenced by that person's physical                        largely news, classical music, plus story hours and
         appearance. The same holds true with reference to                         other programs from WMBI.
         pictures purporting to represent the Saviour. Particu-                        "We have a projector and screen for our own color-
         larly is. this true in the case of children and also' of ed slides, and the occasional motion pictures they view
         adults with certain types of mentality. In certain are travelogues or the educational pictures they see in
         instances we may be sure that the conception enter-                       school. They simply do not know there is anything
         tained is very deeply affected by the picture or pictures.                else so far.
   ' The conclusion is surely apparent. By pictures of                                 "As they grow older, we plan to introduce family
         Christ we. are laying ourselves open to the influence games, travel, hikes, bike trips, and also to familiarize
         exerted by something that has, no warrant in the only them with all the attractive opportunities for young
         source we possess from which our conceptions of Christ people to have a goqdtime in our church. . . ."
         are to be derived and the only norm by which they are                         Certainly we may well take a lesson from this
        to be determined and corrected. It is surely criminal activity, also with regard to the radio and television
         to subject ourselves or others to such an influence.                      (when it comes) so that our homes may remain free
         Deflection from truth in our conception of mere men from that spirit of evil which is everywhere surround-
         is bad enough. But deflection from truth in the con-                      ing us today.                               J. Howerzyl.


                   "--~~.                                                                                    _,
I VOLUME  x x v  _-                                          June 15, 1949 - Grand Rapids, Mich.                             NUMBER 18
   -._ ,--.-_  "" -.___ ^"^...^^ .._- -- ---....  - . ..-                          life out of you if you have grace. Titus  3:3 is your
            M E D I T A T I Q N                                                      name as you are by nature. Paul, at another place,
                                                                                     says that we are darkness.
                                                                                        And then comes the text.
                                                                                        Be sure, beloved, (so reasons Paul) that you are
                   Saved By The Dawn                                                 meek among the wicked, for you at some time or an-
                                                                                     other were also wicked and evil from morn till night.
                    "But after that the kindness and love of God our                 And you remained wicked and dark, until the Dawn of
                Saviour toward man appeared. . . . He saved us. . , ,"               God appeared.
                                                                 Titus 3:4, 5b.         The Dawn of God !
                                                                                        It is the Face of God!
       Saved by the dawn !                                                              A Face of love and kindness!
       Saved by the Dawn of God !
       The night had been so long and so dark !                                                              t *  t  *
       Attend to the night : "-Plolly, disobedience, deception,                         The Dawn of God !
   slavery of lust and pleasure, a home of malice and                                   The dawn is the appearance of the sun in the
   envy, hatred, so terrible that man is described as being heavens. It is the harbinger of light.
   hateful ! To be hateful is worse than to hate on oc-                                 0, when the sun appears in the heavens, as soon as
   casion. Hatefulness stresses the fact that this malig- the first glimmerings of light appear at the eastern
   nity is basic to our nature.                                                      horizon, the birds begin to sing. And as the light
       What a night!                                                                 increases, the darkness must flee.
       That is the natural darkness of the human heart.                                ' And so it is in the firmament of God's eternal love
        The Apostle is writing to one of his spiritual and mercy.
   sons.                                                                                The Sun appeared.
        The occasion for the description of our night is                                Its name? Here it is: The kindness and the love
   found in the connection of our text. The Apostle had of God.
   told his son to put his people in mind to be good. They                              How meagre are our words ! How entirely inade-
   had to be good in the midst of the evil ones . And when                           quate  isTour speech; when we set ourselves to describe
   they stood in the midst of the dark night of sin and                              fhe  beauty  of the Sun of Righteousness. Let me state
   corruption, denouncing it at all times, they had to do the same thing in another way: How are we to describe
   it with all meekness. They should take  car3 not to the beauteous Face of God?
   talk down to the people in haughty pride. They mi&c                                  His Face? Yes, the Face of God is the revelation
   not look down on the wicked and the evil, and say                                 of His inmost Being. And my text gives you a descrip-
   as the hypocrites do: Depart from me, for  I am holier                            tion of it. The Beaming Light-Face of God is His
   than thou ! Oh no, but they should be very meek, kindness and His love.
   tender-hearted! lowly in mind and demeanor, and that                                 The Lord is kind. He loves to be kind.
   for a very good reason: at one time in your life you                                 Let us combine the two and look at them: if you
   were not a whit betterr For you also were sometimes can do it. Did you ever try to look into the shining
   foolish, etc.                                                                     light of the sun?
        And then follows a description of the night of sin                              In order to understand somewhat what it means
   and corruption. It tends to wholesomeness to read that that God is kind, I must first know that He is love.
   description once in a while. It will take the pride of                               The love of God toward man appeared. Well, this

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

is such a ,wonderful  virtue of God that the `Greek word to impart itself unto Man. It is the impassioned
itself has found its way into our American vocabulary. Heart of God to shower goodnesses and blessings upon
It is the word  philanthropy.                                 and into Man.
       Philanthropy ! One of the most wonderful words            Ah, but you know exactly what  1 am. trying to
in the dictionary of the Holy Ghost. That is, from the tell you. The Lord God has provided weak shadows
point of view of the poor sinner, corrupt, and corrupt- in your own lives.
ing himself evermore, until he arrives into the very             Do you not remember? Do you remember how
place of eternal corruption: the night of eternal hell.       you loved, how you adored? Do you remember that
       0, beloved reader, look at that word, that Greek your heart was entirely open, and how you hastened
word which the Holy Ghost uses here to describe the to show and to speak and to murmur and to do and
Gospel of Eternal Light!                                      to give and to shower a veritable flood of good things,
       Philanthropy of God !                                  words, gestures, smiles upon the object of your love?
       Attend to it that the. word philos is used in the      If you had searched the depths of your spirit you
Septuagint for friend and that the word anthropos is would have found that the urge would never be satis-
the word for nzan.                                            fied until you had given yourself, and received in re-
       Attend to it, study it, ponder on it. Read the Bible turn the object of all your yearning.
and let the whole Bible shed its light on that combina-          Oh yes, God has supplied you with weak, miserably
tion, and you will shout with glee and rejoicings.            weak shadows.
       The Friend of Man appeared in the heavens. No             But however miserable our kindnesses may be, it
wonder that the title of Saviour is attached to the           is enough to show us the archetype, in its sublime
description of the Godhead here.                              beauty.
       God, the Friend of Man !                                  God the Philanthropist !
       Behold the Covenant idea !                                Study the word, and you will note that God has
       I ask you: what is the root-meaning of a PHILOS? made one word out of two: friend and man. The
What is really that peculiar something which makes a Friend of Man ! God succeeds, even as He always will
friend a friend?                                              to obtain the object of His desire. It is His desire to
       I will tell you: it is a man that is open unto you.    make Himself one with Man, and He succeeded. The
It is a man that is so open unto you that his whole           word Philanthropia in the text is an evidence of God's
heart is directed at you and he is ready to take into success, and it is a prophecy of its ultimate triumph
himself all your heart. A friend is a man who is so and completion.
attached to you that he wants to give you his whole              Philanthropia !
heart, and in return he hungers for your heart.                  It is Jesus of Nazareth.
       Friends are exchangers of hearts.                         Look upon the Face of that Babe, and you will
       And thus it is not strange that the word philan-       recognize the Philanthropia of God.
thropy is one of the words which is translated love in           Look upon His Face, and you will recognize God.
our modern language. And yet I rather translate as It took Thomas a long time, but at long last he recog-
I did above.                                                  nized the Face of the Babe. Listen to him, and tremble :
       But attend once more to the text: The Philan- My Lord, and my God !
thropist appeared in the heavens.                                Now look again, and you will recognize yourself:
       It is God the Saviour of Man.                          He is also Man. ~Oh, how He loved that name. If and
       And this Saviour is an Philanthropist for He  opens    when He would speak of Himself, He would use most
*His heart to Man. He gives him His heart, and He             often the name: Son of Man!
calls to Man from the heavens : My son ! give Me thy             God has found the object of His eternal desire:
heart !                                                       He reveals Jesus ! . And Jesus is this : God has united
       As such He is the shining Sun in the universe'of       Himself with Man. God's heart is so completely open
His eternal mercy !                                           to man that `He has united Himself with us.
       The Dawn of God!                                          `Look upon the Face of Jesus of Nazareth, and I
                         *  *  *  *                           assure you that when grace is your portion, you will
       The Dawn of God !                                      at last murmur in the beginning of adoration:  Im-
       It is the Open Heart of God, directed toward manuel! My Lord, and my God!
Man !                                                            The Dawn of God!
       And in this connection  vpe will see how the first                           qr  *  *  *.
virtue of the text belongs to the second, and springs            The Dawn of God!
from it : the kindness of God!                                   Yes, beloved reader, the dawn of God has come.
       The kindness of God is the urgency of that open        But also the night. Do you remember that scene in
heart to go into action. It is the urge of the Godhead Tsaiah? A man was wandering around in Dumah,


                                             T H E                  R.D
                                                        STANDA               B E A ' R E R                                     4lQ
e - - e -                                                  _ - -
 that is, Edom, and he cried: Watchman, what of the                    It is necessary to have Jesus for your Substitute
 night? The matter was rather urgent so he repeats in the heart of God. If Jesus has not paid for you
his anxious question : Watchman ! what of the night? in the Inner Sanctuary, then the heart of God remains
 And the answer is: The morning comet-h, and also the closed to you.
 night!                                                                It is only for those who are the foreknown of His
    Well now, that is strange! The morning  cometh,                 eternal love that the dawn appears.
the dawn is here. The light appears at the horizon.                    For the others? Listen to the watchman of Isaiah :
 But then I cannot understand the sequel to the answer :            "and also the night  !"
 and also the night.                                                   It was very dark in the heart of Judas. And he
    Well, dear reader, you must distinguish. I can walked with the Light of the World !
 conceive of a smile, an enigmatic smile, on the face                  It was gloomy in the council chamber of the San-
 of a blind man when you start singing about the roseate hedrin. You could "feel" the darkness iti and around
 dawn of the morning. That poor man smiles for it is the Hall of Justitia of .Pilate (I hear the terrible laugh-
 still night with him, and the darkness of night abides ter of a God !) . And the Light of God's loving heart
 with him, even though the sun may stand at the stood before him with a bleeding Face. He would add
 z e n i t h .                        `,/                           to that blood, and so make the light of God's love more
    Now, return to the several occasions when I sub- radiant. Pilate proves his darkness by allowing Jesus
 joined the name of Man to the narhe of the Friend.                 to be scourged and beaten, to be tortured and to be
 Repeatedly I have said: God is the Love of Man, the                slain. Oh yes, he will add to the blood.
 Friend of Man. The Sun of Righteousness appeareth                     The morning had `come ! Must I prove it? Well,
 unto Man.                                                          come along! we will go to the garden of Joseph. Hold
    Oh yes, but it is the Man of God's goodpleasuye.                on, do not be rash ! Take off your shoes from off your
    First it is Jesus. He is the Friend of God origin- feet: the place where you walk is holy ground.
* ally and fundamentally.                                                  Themorning is come ! There He is, at the extreme
    When all is dark on the earth, and  .in the heart of horizon. What golden light ; what radiant beauty!
 all men, and when there are the signs that a still Jesus begins His eternal song: the song of the Lamb.
 greater darkness of hell is a-preparing, then we see It, tells of the love of God for you, my brother.
 a Babe. And this `Babe is the ONLY One who has                            But, o horrors, what of that watch? They become
 His heart open to God in answer to God's open heart as dead men. They drop their swords and run as
 to Him. And this Babe is going to give His heart to though the very devil were at. their heels. And they
 God.                                                               are dark, in darkness, and they shall accumulate more
    But, o miracle of all miracles ! ,in the action of that darkness when the advice of the Sanhedrin is heard
 heart-exchange, the heart of Jesus is bleeding. He and followed.  *
 brings a bleeding heart into the Inner Sanctuary, and                     But Mary weeps.
 ,that Inner Sanctuary is the Heart of the  Tri.une
                                                *                          She loves the Light of God. As no one ever did.
 God !                                                              She heard the Voice of God that beckoned to the shore.
     And when the heart, the bleeding heart of Jesus,               And standing there she saw, she  savci the Face of God
 enters the Inner Sanctuary, the juridical ground is all radiant with light of love !
 laid for all intercourse between hearts of men and                        No, Mary weeps no more. She came to halls where
 the heart of God.                                                  light is ever bright, where God is near and songs are
     It is only through this offering of the heart of               made, the melodies of love that is eternal. She is in
 Jesus that we are recipients of the heart of God.                  heaven, the source of dawn and sun and light, where
 Eternally so, both from the point of view of the dizzy- darkness will be gone forever.
 ing depths of the past, and the marvellous heights of                     Oh, blessed Dawn!
 the future.                                                                                                        G. Vos.
    Look to the horizon !
     The Sun of God appears. His kindness and His
 Philanthropy I                                                                   NOTICE TO OUR CHURCHES!
    Love toward Man !
    The Dawn of God's eternal Gospel !                                     The Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches
                        *  *  *  *                                  hereby informs the Churches that Candidate Homer
     How good it is, after a night of horrors, to see the           C.  Hoeks&na  is able to consider a call from one, of
 light of the dawn of a new day, where you will be our churches and that he has received six weeks time
 delivered of all your nightmares.                                  to consider such a call.
    Yes, but is that for all men?                                                             By order of the Synod of 1949,
    No, it is for the Man of His goodpleasure.                                                      D. Jonker, Stated `Clerk.

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

                                 The Stundard Bearer
             Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and August                                                                                                                                           E D I T O R I A L S
                                                    P u b l i s h e d '   B y
                        The Reformed Free Pubiishing  Association
                               Box 124, &a. C., Grand Rapids, Mick                                                                                                                                    Propositions Concerning
                                         EDITOR:  - Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                 The Covenant Of Grace
 C?ontributing  Editors: - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, Rev.
 R. Veldman, Rev. H.  Veldman,  Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev.  B. Kok,                                                                                                                                The Revs. Bos and van Teylingen continue their
 Rev: J.  D., De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.
 Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev.  IQ. Gritters, Rev. J.  h.  Heys,                                                                                                                         repudiation of what they consider errors concerning
 Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                          the covenant of grace as follows:
,.: I_ *Communications relative to contents should be addrepsed to                                                                                                                            "2. Every opinion which, in the nature of the
 REV. Hi HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                                covenant promise with respect to elect and non-elect
`Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                                children of the covenant, introduces a distinction which
  Communications relative to subscription should be  addre&ed
 to MR. J. BOUWMAN, 1131 Sigsbee St., S.E., Grand Rapids 6,                                                                                                                               denies that the full covenant promise comes seriously
 Mich. Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the                                                                                                                                 to all."
 above address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each                                                                                                                               In this connection we must quote at the same time
 notice.                                                                                                                                                                                  proposition 3.
 Renewals :-Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re-
 ceived, it is assumed that the subscrjber  wishes his subscription                                                                                                                           "Every opinion, which does not take account of the
 to continue without the formality of a renewal order.                                                                                                                                    fact, that the full covenant promise; although seriously
 Entered as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids,,  1Michigan.                                                                                                                               coming to all the children of the covenant, works
                                 (Subscription  Pyice  $2.59 per year  J                                                                                                                  through efficaciously only in the elect."
                                                                                                                                                                                              Now, here we have again the crux of the whole
                                                                                                                                                           ,L                             question concerning the covenant about which there
                                                                      -                                                                                                                   is difference between the liberated and the synodicals.
                                                                                                                                                                                          And one could wish that the Revs. Bos and van Tey-
                                                                                                                                                                                          lingen had expressed themselves, more explicitly and
                                                                                                                                                                                          clearly on the matter.
                                 `_ 3                 C O N T E N T S                                                                                                                         In the first proposition under the head "Rejection
 IMEDITATION-   T'                                                                                                                                                                        and Errors" they stated that they reject every opinion
    Saved By the Dawn * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .409 that makes the covenant promise a conditional assur- /
                   Rev. G. Vos                                                                                             .                                                              ante.
 EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                                                                                  And with this we could, of course, quite agree.
    Propositions Concerning The Covenant. Of Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412                                                                                                    For the promise of God can never be conditional.
                   Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                           But now they state that the full covenant promise
 IRE TRIPLE  KNOWLEDGE-                                                                                                                                                                   comes seriously to all, that is, of course, to all children
    An Exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism . . . . f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414                                                                                                 of believers that are born under the covenant.
                   Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                           The question is, of course, just what do they mean
 OUR  DOCTRINE-                                                                                                                                                                           by this. Or do they intentionally choose this particular
    The Grace Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *.** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                           417            language to avoid the question for the sake of compro-
                   Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                                        mise? When they state in unison that the full promise
                                                                                                                                                                                          comes to all, elect and non-elect children that are born
    Reply to Rev. Petter . . . . . . . . ..*.........*............................................... 420
    The "Tf" Sentences In Deuteronomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  423 under the covenant, do they both mean the same thing?
                   Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                                      Or does the Rev. Bos mean by "the full covenant pro-
                                                                                                                                                                                          mise to all" one thing, and the Rev. van Teylingen
 SION'S.   ZANGEN-
    Een Lied Des Heeren                                                                                                                                                                   another?
                                                                 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..*............ 426        In a way this expression may be understood in the
                   Rev.  G.  Vos                                                                                                                                                          sense that the preaching of the Word comes to all that
 FROM HOLY WRIT-                                                                                                                                                                          hear and that therefore through the. preaching the
    The Office In The Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*...................,...... 423
           Rev. C. Hanko                                                                                                                                                                  promise of salvation comes to all. This is expressed
                                                                                                                                                                                          in Canons of Dordrecht, III, IV, 8: "As many as are
 PERISCOPE-                                                                                                                                                                               called by the gospel, are unfeignedly called. For God
    Report of Synod of 1949 . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ~... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
           `Rev. W. Hofman                                                                                                                                                                hath most earnestly and truly declared in his word,
                                                                                                                                                                                          what will be acceptable to him ; namely, that all who
                                                                                                                                                                                          are called, should come to him. He, moreover, serious-


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                413

 ly promises eternal life and rest to as many as shall             Is it this that the Revs. Bos and van Teylingen
 come to him, and believe on him."                              mean when they say that the covenant promise serious-
     But notice, in the first place, that even in this ly comes to all? .
 article of the Canons the promise is not presented as             In the light of the preceding proposition it seems
 universal, but particular. It is not for all, but for "as .that they mean something else. For they state, as we
 many as shall come to him, and believe on him." And have written before, that the promise is not a con-
 that means in last instance that the promise is for the ditional assurance. And also in the light of the fol-
 elect only.                                                    lowing proposition, which we already quoted above,
     Besides, why speak in this connection of the cove- we receive the impression that they mean something
 nant at all? Is ,not the external calling of the Word else: For there they assert positively that the cove-
 universal in the sense that it comes to all to whom God nant promise efficaciously works through only iti the
 in His good pleasure sends the gospel and not only to eIect.
 those that are born under the covenant? In that sense             May I ask them to clarify their own meaning, either
 of the word, therefore, you can preach the gospel of           in the Standard Bearer or in Eenigheid  des Geloofs?
 the promise to all even in a heathen world.                     But it is clear that in this particular proposition
     Or does the proposition after all mean to leave the both the Rev., Bos and van Teylingen attempt to ex-
 impression not that in the preaching of the Word the press something favorable of all that are born under
 promise is externally presented to all, that all that are the covenant.
 under the covenant are in contact with the promise                And I ask: Why should they make that attempt,
 through ,the preaching of the Word and the administra-         seeing that Scripture so plainly speaks of `a two-fold
.' tion of the sacraments, but that the promise  is for all,    seed running along the line of election and reprobation
 that on God's part the full covenant promise is meant and that, according to Ram: 9, eIection  and reprobation
 for all the children of the covenant? In that case cut right through the historical line of theacovenant?
 the promise is changed into a certain well-meaning                With the positive statement under proposition 3, we
 offer of salvation.                                            are, of course, in "agreement.        Every opinion must
     And this is the covenant view  of the late Prof.           certainly be rejected that does not take account of
 Heyns lauded at least in the early numbers of De Refor-        the fact that the full covenant promise works through
 inatie since the liberation by the leaders of the liberated    efficaciously only in the elect.
 churches. According to Heyns the very essence of the              But the Revs. Bos and van Teylingen ought to have
 covenant is the promise, "I will be your God." This placed themselves consciously and  tieliberateIy  before
 promise, according to him, is objectively for, all that the question: what is the effect of the promise of God
 are born under the covenant. God gives to all that and that, too, according to His own purpose upon those
 are born in the historic line of the covenant the right        in whom that promise does not work efficaciously unto
 to the pmmise. With all He establishes His covenant salvation ?
 in the real sense of the word. All He adopts as child-             I would like to have an answer to the question : why
 ren and heirs. All He gives the right to be incorpor- was Esau under the covenant?
 ated into Christ. And all have the right to the for-                                                             H. H.
 giveness of sins and eternal life. All in the book of
 the testator are mentioned as heirs. All that is con-
 tained in the promise is an objective bequest  $0 who-
 soever are born under the @enant.
     But, of course, also Prof. Heyns faces the question                              IN MEMORIAM
 why all are not saved and why all do not receive the
 benefits promised.                                                 The Young People's Society of South Holland, Illinois here-
     And to this question he has his own peculiar answer. by wishes to extend its sincere sympathy to one of its members,
 I-Ie realizes, of cotirse,  that the Holy Ghost alone can      Lewis Bruinsma Jr., in the loss of his father,
 apply unto us all that we have in Christ, namely, the                             LEWIS BRUINSMA SR.
 washing away of our sins and the daily renewing of
 our lives till we shall finally be presented without spot          May our Covenant God comfort and sustain the bereaved
 or wrinkle among the assembly of the elect in Iife with His Word and Spirit with the blessed assurance that noth-
 etern$l. But whether the Holy Spirit will make the ing befalleth us without the will of our Heavenly Father.
 heirs of the promise actual possessors of the benefits
 of Christ depends upon the use they make of a certain              "We know that  ali things work together for good to them
 grace which all receive and which enables them to ac- that love  God".-Remans   8:28.
 cept or to reject the promise and their covenant obliga-                                      Rev. M. Schipper, Pres.
 tions.                                                                                        Agnes A. Van Baren,  Sec'y.

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

                                                             of Trent", where, in the decree of the Sacraments,
  THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE                                       we read in Canon VIII : "Si quis dixerit, per ipsa nouue
                                                             legis  sacramenta ex opere operato  non conferri  gratium,
                                                             sed  solam fidem  divinae   promissionis  ad  gratkm
An Exposition Of The Heidelberg consequendam sufficere : anathema sit." Which means
                      Catechism                              that they pronounce him accursed who denies that the
                                                             sacraments do not confer grace upon him that receives
                                                             them through the act performed, but who insists that
                       PART TWO                              faith only in the divine promise suffices for the ob-
              O f   hlan's  R e d e m p t i o n              taining of grace. And also in Canon VI of the same
                                                             chapter this theory is expressed in the following words :
                  LORD'S DAY XXVII.                          "Si cruis dixerit, sacramenta ,nouae legis non continere
                                   I                         gratiam,  yuam significant; nut gratiam ipsam non
                             4
                             1.                              ponentibus   obicem non  conferre; quasi  signa  tanCum
          The Sign and Its Meaning (Continued)               externa  sint acceptae per fidem gratiue,  vel  justitiae,
                                                             et notae quaedam Christiunae  professionis, quibus apud
       But, perhaps, even if that question is put to you     ho,mines discernuntur fideles ab  infidelibus; anathema
point blank, you will answer.: "No, of course : even 5-2." Which means that he is pronounced accursed
that water of baptism that is sprinkled upon my fore-        who claims that the sacraments as such do not contain
head by the Church does not wash away my sin."               the grace which they signify, or that they do not confer
Yet it is by no means superfluous to ask the question that grace on those who do not place an obstacle there-
which the Heidelberg Catechism puts to us in Question unto, but who insists that they were outward signs of
and Answer 72, "Is then the external baptism with grace or righteousness received through faith and
water the washing away of sin itself  ?" And the ans- certain marks of the Christian profession whereby
wer: "Not at all: for the blood of Jesus Christ only, believers are distinguished among men from unbeliev-
and the Holy Ghost cleanse us from all sin." The ers. Cf. Schaff,'  Creeds of Christendom, Vol. II, pp.
fact is that our sinful nature is so constituted because     120-121.
of sin, it is so inclined to superstition, idolatry, and         According to the  Rqman Catholics the grace be-
formal worship, that we readily put our trust for our        stowed on him that is baptized delivers ex ogere
salvation in other things than the blood and Spirit of       wperuto   from the guilt of original sin and of all actual
Jesus Christ, so that we say in our heart that if only       sins committed up to the time of baptism.          It also
we are baptized by the church institute we are saved. delivers from the corruption or defilement of sin and
Thus the Jews of the old dispensation boasted of being from eternal punishment. It incorporates the one
children of Abraham if they were only circumcised,           baptized into the communion of saints and effects
although they were far from being spiritual sons of spiritual renewal by the infusion of sanctifying grace.
Abraham. And this is often still the case. It is not         From all this it should be evident that it is by no
in vain when the parents are addressed in the midst of means superfluous to ask the question, "Is then the
the Church on the occasion of the baptism of their external baptism with water the washing away of sin
children and admonished that they should not receive itself ?" And this question the Catechism answers in
the sign of baptism as a matter of superstition or as        the negative. The mere fact that you have received the
an external form and custom.                                 outward sign of baptism by the Church does not mean
       The theory that baptism as a rite administered by that your sins are washed away. The mere fact that
the Church is always effective is expressed in the Latin in an outward sense you are members of the Church in
term, ez opere opermto, which means that grace is con- the world does  hot mean that inwardly and spiritually
ferred upon him that is baptized through the act per- you are members of the body of Christ. To have your
formed. The baptism therefore has a magic effect. names on the church  roll does not mean that you have
This theory was developed at a very early age in ,the        y&r names in the book of life of the Lamb. The
Church, especially in connection with the baptism of church register is not an exact copy of the book of life
infants. Even Augustine held this theory. Baptism in heaven. It is therefore indeed possible to be exter-
according to him was absolutely necessary unto salva- nally baptized and to be an external worshiper and an
tion  ; it removes the guilt of original sin.  -4nd later    external member of the Church in the world and have
the Roman Catholic Church fully accepted the theory no part with Christ and all His benefits.                   As the
expressed in the term ex  olpere operato.  Not only in       apostle Paul writes in Romans 2  :28-29: "For he is not
case of infants, but in the baptism of adults also the       a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circum-
outward sign is always effective. It expressed this cision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew,
pfficially in "The Canons and Decrees of the Council         which is one inwardly ; and circumcision is that of the


                                         TSHE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           a5

 heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise         the souls of all the elect from all sin. That is an
"is not of men, but of God."                                       accomplished fact and can never be made more perfect.
         And positively the Catechism answers that "the But that blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on .the
 blood of Jesus Christ only, and the Holy Ghost cleanse accursed .tree must reach our soul. We are born in
 us from all sin."                                                 sin, guilty, corrupt, defiled, enemies of God. And if
         We must understand that even the expression "the the guilt of our sin is to be washed away from our con-
 blood of  desus Christ cleanseth us from all sin" is sciences, so that we are able to say that we are right-
 figurative.       Blood in itself cleanses no more than eous before God, and if the pollution of sin is to be
 water. And the blood of Jesus Christ refers to the                washed away from our souls in sanctification, then the
 life of the  Good  Shepherd which He poured out on the blood of Jesus Christ must be made efficacious and
 cross. Christ poured out His life when He shed His must be applied unto us. And that is the work of the
 blood on the accursed tree. And that act of pouring Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore, when
 out His life was an act of perfect obedience.                     the Heidelberg Catechism teaches us that the blood of
                                                        No one
 took His life from Him, not even when they hammered Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost cleanse us from all
 the nails through His hands and feet; but He laid it sin, we must not understand this as meaning that there
 down voluntarily. The nails whereby. they fastened are really two remedies for the remission of sin, but
 Him to the cross would have been without effect if the rather that the blood of Jesus Christ is made efficacious
 Lord Jesus Christ Himself had not accompanied that for us by the Holy Spirit.
 wicked deed of the ungodly by an act of His own will                 Of this power of the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse
 whereby He shed His own blood drop by drop. And                   away our sins and of this grace of the Holy Spirit
 because the  ,pouring  out of His life was an act of per- whereby He brings our souls into a saving contact
 fect obedience and love, therefore the blood of Jesus with that blood of Christ baptism is a sign and seal.
      Christ is the perfect sacrifice itself, the life that It teaches us, according to the Heidelberg Catechism,
 was  .shed in obedience to the Father for the remis-              "that as the filth of the body is purged away by water,
 sion of sin. Such is the significance of the blood of             so our sins are removed by the blood and Spirit of
      Christ.                                                      Jesus Christ;" and further, "that by this divine pledge
                                                                   and sign he may. assure us, that we are spiritually
         And that blood of Christ alone is able to cleanse         cleansed from our sins as really, as we are externally
      us from all sin. There is no other remedy that can           washed with water." The act of the Holy Spirit where-
      cleanse us from sin except that act of perfect obedience by He cleanses our souls from guilt and pollution of
      that was accomplished by Christ when He shed His sin is, of course; spiritual and wholly invisible. You
      blood and poured out His life.               _               have never seen a soul washed by *the blood of Jesus
         This is not changed when the Catechism adds that Christ. But nevertheless it is very real, no less real
      not only the blood of Jesus Christ, but also His Spirit than the washing of your body by water. But how
      cleanses us from all sin. This does not mean that shall we possibly apprehend the reality of the cleansing
.after all there are two efficient causes for the washing of our soul unless God Himself brings it in a very
      away of sin, the blood of Jesus Christ and His Spirit; definite way into our consciousness. And this He does
      but- these two are one. There is in, all the world-only in the first pIace by the preaching of the Word and the
      one remedy, only one power, whereby we may have              proclamation of the promise. But in the second place,
      the remission of sin and whereby our sins are washed         He also accomplishes that same end by the sign and
      away: and that is the blood of Christ. But it is the         seal of baptism. Just as in the preaching of the Word ,
      Spirit of Jesus Christ that takes our soul into that         He proclaims to our ear that our sins are forgiven
 .blood-bath  and washes away the guilt of sin to justify forever in the blood of Christ, so in baptism He places
      us, and the pollution of sin to sanctify us. It is the       that same  ~reality of the washing away of our sins
      Spirit that takes the blood of Christ and pours it  over before our very eyes in a sign and seal. For He ac-
      our souls, completely cleansing us from all iniquity. companies the sign of baptism with His sure promise,
      Or, to abandon the figure, the Spirit of Jesus Christ the promise that just as surely as water washes away
      applies unto us the death of the Saviour and causes us the filth of our bodies, so surely..He washes away the
`to partake of and appropriate that deed of Christ filth of our soul in and through the blood of Jesus
      whereby He poured out His life as a sacrifice for sin,       Christ our Lord. But just as the promise of the gosp.eI
      so that it becomes our own by a true and living faith.       is not for all, but only for the elect; and just as the
      More than nineteen hundred years ago Christ poured atonement of Christ is not universal, but particular;
      out His life unto death ; and by that one sacrifice every so also the promise of God as signified and sealed in
      last one of the elect were cleansed from sin objectively.    the sacrament of baptism is not general, but particular,
      The blood of Jesus Christ our Lord, which He shed            is not for all that are baptized, but only for the be-
 more than nineteen centuries ago, did indeed cleanse              lievers, that is, therefore, for the elect.

`.

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

                              3
                              ti.                                    That in the history of Reformed thought the idea
              Different Views of the Covenant                     of the so-called covenant of works was developed later
                                                                  than that of the covenant of grace is evident from the
        In Question 74 the Heidelberg Catechism treats the, Reformed confessions: for while some of the earlier
 question of the baptism of infants. In reply to the confessions, such as the Confession Belgica and the
 question whether infants are to be baptized it states:           Heidelberg Catechism, do speak of the covenant of
 "Yes : for since they, as well as the adult, are included grace, they fail to mention the covenant of works. Cf.
 in the covenant and church of God ; and since redemp- Confessio Belgica, Art. 34 ; Heidelberg Catechism, Qu.
 tion from sin by the blood of Christ, and the Holy 74. And not only are they silent concerning the cove-
 <Ghost, the author of faith, is promised to them no nant relation between God and man in the state of
 less than to the adult; they must therefore by bap- rectitude, but it is a striking fact that in their explana-
 tism, as a sign of ihe covenant, be also admitted into           tion of original sin they follow exclusively the organic
 the Christian church." Here, therefore, we meet with line and omit the idea of imputation ~of Adam's guilt
 the idea of the covenant as the ground for infant to all his posterity altogether. Cf. Heidelberg Cate-
 baptism, and baptism is presented as a sign of the               chism, Qu. 7 ; Confessio Belgica, Art. 15 ; Canons of
 covenant.                                                        Dordrecht, III, IV, I-3. This may be considered all
        In this connection, the only proper connection we the more important in view of the fact that Reformed
 have as far as  *the Heidelberg Catechism is concerned, Theologians generally adopted the creationist view of
 we must therefore discuss the Reformed conception of the origin of the individual human soul. Even the
 the covenant.      This doctrine since the time of the           Canons of Dordrecht, 1618-`19,  attribute the corruption
 Reformation has occupied an important place in Re- of the human nature wholly to the propagation of the
 formed theology and a dominating position in the life fallen and corrupt human nature of our first parents.
 of the Reformed churches. It is a peculiarly Reformed The idea of federal imputation is not so much as sug-
 heritage, even more distinctively so than the doctrine gested. Cf. Canons of Dordrecht, III, IV, X-3. Only
 of sovereign predestination. For while the latter truth when we come to the Westminster Confession, which
 is held by other than the Reformed churches, the truth           dates from the middle of the seventeenth century, do
 of the covenant was developed exclusively by them.               we find mention of. the covenant of works and  in.dose ,
        This development of and emphasis on the truth of connection therewith of the imputation of original
 the covenant is not to be traced in the first place `to          guilt as a basis for the corruption of all mankind.
 Calvin as its source, and certainly not to `Melanchton,          Cf. Westminster Confession, Ch. 6, 3. Since that time,
 the synergist, as some would contend, but rather to however, also the idea that the original relation be-
 Bullinger and the Swiss theologians. Calvin does in- tween God and man was that of a covenant was gener-
 deed speak of the covenant, both in his insistence on ally accepted and developed by Reformed theologians
 the unity of the old and new testaments and in his               everywhere. The covenant idea occupies an essential
 defense of the baptism of infants; but he does so                place in any Reformed system of dogma. Reformed
 rather in passing, Cf. Calvin, Institutio, II, 10, pp. 1, ff.    theology is federal theology.
 It was through contact with Zurich that Olevianus and               Yet it cannot be said that there is unanimity of
 the Reformed, theologians of Germany gave the doc- opinion among Reformed  theoIogians  of the idea of
 trine of the covenant an integral place in their theology. the covenant.
 And through the same contact this truth received a                  When we consult our Reformed confessions, we
 place in the theological system of the theologians of find little or nothing that can be of aid to us in, de-
' Reformed persuasion in the Netherlands, such as fining the idea of the covenant. The Heidelberg Cate-
 Junius, Gomarus, Trelcatius Sr. and Jr., and in Eng-             chism merely declares that infants "as well as the
 land, of whom may be mentioned the names of Thomas adult, are included in the covenant and-church of God",
 Blake, Perkins, and James Ussher. Cf. Dr. G. Vos,                but does not define the idea of the covenant at all.
 De Verbondsteer in de qereformeerde Theologie, pp. 6 The Confessio Belgica condemns the error of the  Ana-
 ff.; II. Bavinck,  Gereformeerde   Dogmatiek,  III, 217.         baptists, "who are not content with the one only bap-
 The development seems to have been thus, that the tism they have once received, and moreover condemn
 idea of the covenant was applied first of all to the the baptism of the infants of believers, whom we
 relation between God and His elect in Christ Jesus and believe ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign
 to the way of salvation, and later to the relation be-           of the covenant, as the children in Israel formerly
 tween God and Adam in the state of rectitude,- .The              were circumcised, upon the same promises which are
 former became known as the covenant of grace ; the made unto our children." Art. XXXIV. Our Baptism
 latter was known by various terms, such as, the cove- Form speaks of "an eternal covenant of grace" which
 nant of works, the covenant of nature, the covenant of God the Father'seals unto us, and of two parts in the
 the law.                                                         covenant, our part consisting in this, that we are


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                   417

"obliged unto new obedience, namely, that we cleave ly defined as the Lord's unmerited favour to sinners,-
to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that          His "Common Grace" is the Lord's unmerited favour
we trust in him, and love him with all our hearts, to all sinners. However, Scripture surely uses. the
with all our souls, with all our mind, and with all word "grace" in a sense which shows conclusively that
our strength; that we forsake the world, crucify our the word signifies more than a mere attitude. We read
old nature, and walk in a new and holy life;" and it in Ps.  45:2: "Thou art fairer than the children of
declares that "baptism is a seal and undoubted testi- men : grace is poured into Thy lips : therefore God hath
mony  t.hat we have an eternal covenant of grace with blessed Thee for ever". It is evident that the word
God." And children of believers are said to be entitled "grace" is not merely to be understood in the sense of:
to baptism  "as heirs of the kingdom of God and of unmerited favour. The significance of "beauty, at-
his covenant." Cf. Baptism Form, doctrinal part. tractiveness," is certainly better suited to the text.
All this is indeed significant, but it offers no definition We have already called attention to Prov. 22 :ll in our
of the covenant.                                            preceding article. Neither need we call attention at
    The Westminster Confession reflects the later de- this time to Luke 4 :22. In Col. 4  :6 we read: "Let
velopment of the covenant idea in English theology. your speech be  alway with grace, seasoned with salt,
It describes the covenant with Adam as something that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man".
added to his relation to God as creature and  as"a cove- The implication of these words is evidently that our
nant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam,           speech must always be "tasty," seasoned, we read,
and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect with salt. It must be "tasty" in the spiritual sense
`and personal obedience." It speaks ,of the covenant of the word. This does not mean, we understand, that
of grace as a second covenant "wherein he freely offer- it must' be "tasty," attractive in the sense that it be
ed unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ,         appealing to all men. But, it must be with grace,
requiring of them faith in him that they may be tasty and attractive, in the sense that it be character-
saved." Cf. Westminster Confession, ch. 6, 1-3. Here zide at all times by the beauty of the truth and of the
we meet with the idea of the covenant as something Word of God. Only then, when thus it is always with
additional and secondary, a way to a certain goal, a grace, will,our speech be such that we may know how
means to an end; and it is this notion that has become we ought to answer every one. And in I Pet. 2 :19, 20
rat.her  prevalent in Reformed theology.                    we read: "For this is thankworthy (literally: for this
                                                H. H.       is grace, "charis,"), if a man for conscience toward
                                                            God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what
                                                            glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye
                                                            shall take `it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and
                                                            suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable
          OUR DOCTRINE                                      with God." It should be quite evident that the com-
                                                            mon definition of grace, "unmerited favour," does not
                                                            apply in the interpretation of this passage of the
             The Grace Of God                               apostle, Peter. In all these passages the word "grace"
                                                            must be understood in the fundamental, objective sense
                                                            of: beauty, attractiveness, charm.
                         (continued)                           Secondly, the word also appears in Holy Writ in a
   We concluded our preceding article with the obser- subjective sense, in the sense of an attitude of graceful-
vation that the root or fundamental meaning of the ness, a gracious disposition, a friendly willingness or
word "grace" is beauty, attractiveness. This applies        inclination of the heart which one may assume over
to the Hebrew "then" and also to the Greek "charis".        against or with reference to another. This appears
And we noted that this fundamental meaning of particularly in connection with the expression, "to
"beauty, attractiveness," is clearly expressed in pas- find grace in the eyes of another," which occurs re-
sages as Prov. 22 :ll and Luke 4 :22, in connection with peatedly in Holy Writ. We read in Gen. 6  :8: ,"But
which we made a few remarks. Let us now attend to Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." And in
various uses of the word "grace" in the Holy Scrip- Gefi.  19:19: "Behold now, thy servant hath found
tures.                                                      grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy,
                                                            which thou hast shewed  unto me in saving my life ;
                    Its Use In Holy Writ.                   and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil
   In the first place, I would call attention to Scrip- take me, and I die:" And in Gen. 32 :5 ; 33 :lO, 15 we
tural passages in which it is self-evident that the word read : "And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and men-
"grace" signifies more than a mere attitude. We must servants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell
bear in mind that the concept "grace", is very common-      my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight. . . . And

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

      Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace dead sinner. That the word is used in this sense is
      in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for b.eyond  all. doubt. In Eph.  1:5-6  we, read: "Having
      therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
      the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. . . .       Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of
      And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of- His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, where-
      the folk that are with me.. And he said, What needeth in He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." The
      it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord." See expression, "wherein He hath made us accepted in
      also Gen. 34 :ll, 39 :4, 47 :25, 29, 50 :4. This expression the Beloved," reads literally : "Wherein He bath graced
      also occurs in the New Testament. We read in Luke us in the Beloved." The translation, "Wherein He
      130: "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary:          hath made us  nccepted in the Beloved," proceeds from
      for thou hast found favour with God." And the first the subjective idea of the word, "grace," and expresses
      martyr of the Church of the New Dispensation, in his the idea that the. Lord is graciously disposed to us.
      defence  before the Jewish council, speaking of David, However, fundamentally this does not make a particle
      declares in Acts  7:46: "Who found favour before God, of difference. Fact is, the Lord has made us accepted
      and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob."     in the Beloved, Jesus Christ, our Lord. To say that
      The word, translated "favour" in these texts, is liter- the Lord has graced us or to declare that He has made
      ally -"`grace, charis." To find favour or grace in the us accepted in the `Beloved is the same. Fact is, the
      eyes of another certainly implies an attitude of grace- text. speaks of that operation of the Lord whereby we,
      fulness or a gracious disposition on the part of that       who are by nature objects of wrath, have become the
      particular person unto us. Hence, the, word "grace" objects of His favour and pleasure., And notice, also,
      occurs in Holy Writ in this  sense-of the word.             that this work of the Lord whereby He graced us or
             Thirdly, when this grace of God extends to a people made us accepted in the Beloved is further described
      who are in and of themselves. guilty and condemnable by the apostle in the verses that follow. This "having
      sinners, it, of course, assumes the significance of un- graced us or made us accepted in Christ Jesus" refers
      merited and forfeited grace or favour. This explains, definitely to a work of the living God which he accom-
      e.g., why the Word of God uses the word "grace" as          plished for us in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His death
      opposed to debt or obligation or work. Such is `the and resurrection and glorification at the right hand of
      teaching of the Scriptures in Rom. 5 :5 : `,&Now to him God. Besides, verse 6 reads: "To the praise of the
      that  worketh.  is the reward not reckoned of grace, but glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted
      of debt." And in Rom. 3:24-25 we read: "Being justi- in the Beloved." Hence, in this text "grace" is men-
      fied freely by His grace through the redemption that tioned by the apostle as the power whereby we were
      is in Christ .Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a made accepted in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
,,    propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His        Besides this passage in  Eph, 1, however, Scripture
      righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,      repeatedly speaks of the grace of God as an efficacious,
      through the forbearance of God." In chapter 11, verse almighty, irresistible power of God. We read in John
      6 the same apostle declares: "And if by grace, then         1:16: "And of His fulness have all we received, and
      is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace for grace." Grace, here, is something which
      grace. But if. it be of works, then is it no more grace:    .we have received. And in I Pet. I:13 we read : "Where-
      otherwise work is no more work." And in Eph.  l:?           fore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope
      we read: "In Whom we have redemption through His to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you
      blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches at the revelation of Jesus Christ." The apostle speaks
      of His  grace-"     That the word "grace" assumes in in this text of "the grace that is to be brought unto you
      Scripture the significance of unmerited favour or grace at the revelation of Jesus Christ." The reference un-
      and therefore stands opposed to works is not because doubtedly is to the fulness which shall be bestowed
      the idea of unmerited favour expresses the funda- upon the Church in the day of Jesus Christ, and this
      mental significance of the word. This, however, is fulness of salvation is associated by the apostle with
      due to the fact that the recipients of this grace of God the "grace that is to be brought unto us." Of im-
      are unworthy and condemnable sinners.         When we portance, in this connection, are the apostolic bless-
      view this grace of  *God,  therefore? from the viewpoint ings and benedictions which appeared throughout the
      of them who receive it necessarily assumes the signifi- epistles of the New Testament. In I Pet.  1 :l-2 we
      cance of unmerited favour.                                  read: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strang-
             Fourthly, the word "grace" also appears in the ers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
      Word of God as the efficacious, almighty, and irresist- Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknow-
      ible power of God, cleansing us from all the power ledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the
      and filth of sin and corruption. In this sense it denotes Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
      an operation of the Lord upon and in the corrupt  and       Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multi-


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          419

     plied."    And well-known is the apostolic benediction and that it is exclusively a Divine attribute. And,
     in II Cor. 13 : 13 : "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, secondly, the expression implies that the Lord is the
     and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Source of  all grace for the creature. The apostle
     Ghost, be with you all. Amen." Throughout the New is surely speaking of the grace of God which the con-
     Testament these apostolic greetings occur, with slight gregation received, the grace as we become the blessed
     variations, according to the nature and the condition recipients of it.                Concerning this grace the apostle
     of the  congregalion  unto which they are directed. writes that the Lord is the ,God of all grace. Hence,
     These are not to be regarded merely as apostolic greet- He only gives that which makes the creature graceful.
     ings in the sense that they are but personal salutations There is for the creature no grace outside the Lord.
     of the apostles. They are apostolic greetings to the             God is the God of all grace. This is true, first of
     Church of Jesus Christ; in them the apostles, led all, objectively, with respect to God Himself. That the
     or inspired by the infallible Holy Spirit declare God's Lord is His virtues applies to all the attributes of God.
     blessing upon His. people, that His grace and mercy God  is grace, mercy, righteousness, holiness, etc. Thus
     and peace are upon them and will continue to be be- we read in Ex. 34 :6 : "And, the Lord passed by before
     stowed upon them. In these apostolic greetings the him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful
     "grace" of God undoubtedly refers to all the spiritual and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness
     blessings, the efficacious operations of the Holy Spirit and truth." Mind you, in this text, according to the
.    which the Lord bestows upon and operates within the preceding fifth verse, the Lord proclaims unto Moses
     Church. The "mercy" and "peace", whereof we read the  ATame  of  the Lord.  `Hence, the Lord Himself  .is
     in these apostolic greetings are but certain aspects of merciful, gracious, longsuffering and abundant in
     this grace of God. For example, peace, the peace of goodness and truth. And in Psalm 86 :15 we read :
     `God and therefore blessed assurance that, come what "But Thou, 0 Lord, art. a God  full  of compassion, and
     may and whatever may betide, all is well, was needed gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and
     particularly by the "elect strangers" to whom the truth." And in Psalm 103 :8: "The Lord is merciful
     apostle, Peter, directed his epistles. That church was and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy."
     a congregation of "elect strangers", strangers in the That God is the God of all grace, in the objective sense
     midst of the world and regarded as such by the world, of the word, implies that He is, in the absolute sense
     and about to suffer a fierce persecution.. They `were of the word, the implication of eternal and infinite
     surely in need of peace, the blessed assurance that all perfections, of all goodness, the God of. eternal and
     was well. Hence, in harmony with their particular infinite beauty and attractiveness. However, God is
     need, the apostle adds this peace in his apostolic'greet-    the God of all grace also in the subjective sense of the
     ing to that Church of the living God. Finally, that word. IIe is not only the God of eternal and infinite
     the word "grace" must be understood in this efficacious, perfections but He also knows Himself as such. Eter-
     irresistible sense of the word is also evident from a nally He delights Himself in His eternal and infinite
     passage as Eph.  2:8: "For by grace are ye saved beauty. Fact is, according to Psalm 16, at His right
     through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the hand there are pleasures forevermore. Also sub-
     gift of God." In this text "grace" is the power of jectively, therefore, He is the God of all grace-He
     God which has saved us.                                      fnds favour in His own eyes forevermore. Hence,
                                                                  that God Himself is the God of all, grace signifies that
                            *  *  *  *                            He is, within Himself, and in the absolute sense of the
                         Its  Sipvificance.                       word, the God of infinite beauty and perfection, and
                                                                  also that as such He contemplates. Himself with in-
         God is Himself the God of all grace. Of importance
                   .                                              f i n i t e   d e l i g h t .
     at this-time is the expression or phrase in Scripture            Moreover, God is also the God of all grace  for and
     in I Peter 5:10: "But the <God  of aU grace, Who hath unto His people. For the Lord has eternally willed
     called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after to reveal Himself in all the beauty of His Being and
     that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect,             Life. ' He has willed to reveal Himself in all His in-
     stablish, strengthen, settle you." We refer, of course, finite grace and perfection. And this our God willed
     to the phrase: "the God of all grace." This implies to do in the highest sense of the word. And because
     two things. In the first place, God Himself is the Cod He has willed to reveal His beauty and glory in the
     of all grace. God Himself and God only is gracious or highest sense of the word, He sovereignly chose the
     grace. Grace is therefore an attribute of His being.         way of sin and grace. He willed the darkness to re-
     If this were not true He could not be the God of all veal His light and the hopelessness of our sin and guilt
     grace. That He is the God of all grace surely implies in order to reveal the amazing power of His grace
     that all grace is in Him, that there is no grace outside and love. For all eternity must testify that the Lord
     Him, that grace is, therefore, an attribute of His being alone is the God of all grace, and that we are the


 420                                 T H E S T A N D A R D ,   BEARER

objects of His love and favour only through His sover- nature corrupt even as are the others, in themselves
eign mercy and compassion. It is for this reason that objects of wrath and children of disobedience, are the
,God is for us the God of all grace only in and through objects of Divine favour only because of the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ. This truth receives the empha- God toward them in Christ Jesus. The Lord delights
sis throughout the Word of God. The blood of the in His people only as He sees and knows them in Christ.
Christ is as a scarlet thread which runs thro::ghout        This the people of the Lord know by experience. They
the Old Dispensation, and the law of the Old `I'esta-       know and experience that, in paths of sin, they do not
ment is called, in Gal. 3, a schoolmaster which led the experience the nearness and fellowship of the Lord.
people of God unto the Lord Jesus Christ. And the           We can taste that the Lord is good, can experience
entire New Testament proclaims the truth that the           His pardoning love and mercy, can exercise communion
Name of Jesus is the only name under heaven whereby and fellowship with the Lord only in and through the
we can be saved. Everywhere, we say, this receives Lord Jesus Christ. God loves only them who are holy
the emphasis also in the New Testament, as, e.g., in        as He is holy. His grace is never common but always
the apostolic blessings or benedictions, such as Paul's particular. And we may conclude, therefore, with the
salutation in Eph. 1 :l-2: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus remark that the grace of ,God is the power of the Lord,
Christ by the will of God, to the`saints which are at whereby He, Himself the God of infinite perfection,
Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be objectively and subjectively,  draws  His people unto
to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the        Himself, makes them gracious as He is gracious,
Lord Jesus Christ." We may, therefore, conclude that through Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord, and has
the grace of God is that operation of the Lord, in and fellowship with them now in principle and afterwards
through Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord, whereby He in eternal and heavenly perfection, even as He has
makes His people perfect as He Himself is perfect,          fellowship with Himself as the Triune God of infinite
pure as He Himself is  pure, drawing them irresistibly goodness and perfection.
unto Himself, until they finally shall stand before Him                                              H. Veldman.
without spot and without wrinkle as an `assembly of
the elect in life eternal.
   Hence, the grace of God is never common but al-
ways particular. It is surely striking that the word
"grace", even according to the exponents of the theory
of "Common Grace", is almost exclusively used in the                  Reply To Rev. Petter
Scriptures with respect to the elect. Prof. Hepp of
the Netherlands produces but one Scriptural proof in                             (Continued)
support of his contention that there is such a general
goodness or grace of God, Is. 26  :lO. Prof.  Berkhof          As we saw, my dictionary defines the concept
calls attention to only two Scriptural passages, namely,    "condit,ion"  (always, of course, as a sentence element
Is. 26:10  and Jer. 16 :13. And the late Prof. Bavinck in your proposition) as follows: "Condition: that on
declares that the word "grace" never applies in Scrip- which something else is contingent." You don't like
ture to the creature in general or to the heathens. that definition, brother. You say that it is a border-
Secondly, the grace of ,God is particular because it is     line  defini!ion,  and that it does not really apply.  I
Divinely sovereign. Not our love of God is first, but promised to show that it is the only correct definition.
God's love toward us is first. For, "this is not love To this task I now address myself.
that we loved Him, but that He loved us, and sent His          In my previous article I made the following state-
Son to be the propitiation for our sins." And, indeed, ment, "Had you published all the definitions of the
the Lord loved us while we were y&t sinners, and recon- term in question contained in your dictionary, it would
ciled us unto Himself through the death. of His Son.        have appeared that so far from the truth it is that
And this also applies to the grace of God. That grace my definition is border-lined as to its character that
is always Sovereignly first. He operates in whom He it would have become plain to all that it is the only
pleases. When He begins to work within us, and only truly correct definition." So I wrote. I am now able
then, we become perfect as He is perfect. Besides,          to give proof for the truth of that statement. And
this grace of God is irresistible. Hence, the grace of this for the following reason. The postman has just
God is not common ; if it were, all the world would be delivered to my address the latest issue of the "Con-
saved. And, thirdly, the grace of God cannot be com- cordia"  containing your reply to the missive of Rev.
mon because the gracious God is the God Who delight-        Herman Veldman. In this reply you include some
eth in perfection. "rhe reprobate wicked are vile and       definitions of the term "condition" contained in your
corrupt. Such is Scripture's, testimony concerning dictionary.           These definitions are in perfect,  sub-
them-see Psalm 13 and Rom. 3. And the godly, by stantial agreement with the one I first used. Allow


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        421

me to make this plain to you and to all who read this is also something required as a pre-requisite to a prom-
article from my pen.                                      ise or to its fulfillment. In a word, God promises sal-
   Your definitions read: 1) Condition, an event, fact vation to His people on the condition that they believe.
or the like that is necessary to the occurrance of some And He assures them that He will fulfill His promise
other, though not its cause ; a pre-requisite. 2)  Or, to them again on the condition that they believe. Here,
something required as a pre-requisite to a promise or too, the will of man to believe is the efficient, the pro-
to its fulfillment."       -                              ducing, cause of the act of God whereby He saves all
   Let us concentrate first on the definition under 1. such who believe. What this again must mean if words
It raises this question: If the condition, the event or have meaning, and if words are used according to the
fact is the necessity but not the cause of the occurrance meaning that they have in the dictionary, is that man,
of that  other  event, what, then, is its  cause? The the believers, originate their own faith.
answer is the usage of the term condition in  logk.          In the light of these observations it is as plain as
What is this usage? Allow me to quote my encyclo- can be, isn't it, that the definition I first used is thor-
pedia.                                                    oughly correct. For if God saves men on the condition
   "In logic the term `Fondition'  is closely related to of their faith; if He must be moved by men's faith in
`cause' in so far as it is applied to prior events, etc., saving them; if faith is of man and not of God, it must
in the absence of which another event, called the effect, needs follow that the salvation of God's people, being,
would take place.       It is, however, different from as it is, contingent on their own capricious, arbitrary,
`cause' inasmuch as a `cause' usually consists of a yet sovereign will, is uncertain even for God ; it may
multiplicity of conditions each of which is indispens-    or may not occur. For a condition, also in the field of
ible, but only the totality of which is adequate to the mental-spiritual phenomena, is an efficient, a producing
production of the effect. (The Encyclopedia Britannica, cause. To illustrate: I will do so and so on the condi-
Fourteenth Addition, Vol. 6, p. 220)  ."                  tion that you do  so~and so. The implications here are
                                                          plain. `What'1 will do awaits your decision and is the
   Let us take notice. Both in the field of physical      result thereof. My will is subject to your will, and
and mental-spiritual phenomena a condition is a pro- your will as translated into action is the cause of action
ducing, an efficient cause as to  its essential idea. Such, on my part. Apply the illustration to the proposition:
certainly, is the implication of the statement that a God saves His people on the condition that they believe.
cause consists of  a multiplicity  of conditions. We now What God will do, awaits `the decision of man and is
understand your definition, brother. A condition is the result thereof. ,God's will is subject to the will of
not a cause only in the sense that alone it is inadequate man, and man's will to believe is the cause of God's
to the production of the efect. But it is a cause never- saving him.  It is' again  $ain that there can be no
theless as to its idea and working. The only reason of conditions with God. So `you see that the definition I
its impotency as an effect-producing circumstance is      first used is correct--correct  according to the very defi-
the absence of the other conditions indispensible to the nitions with which you supplied me.
production of that effect. We see, then, what it would       However, there is still to be considered one more
mean were God saving His people on  the condition of element in the term condition (as a sentence-element in
their faith. Lt would needs mean that the faith of the your proposition). This element is. brought out by
believers, their will to believe, were the producing, the definition of the term  condition which I published
that is,. the efficient cause of God's saving them  ; that in my preceding article. This definition, which of
their faith sovereignly moves God to take pity on course is in substantial agreement with' the ones al-
them and produces in Him the will to save them. ready considered, reads as follow, "A requisite; some-
And this in turn would  .needs  imply that they, the thing the non-concurance or non-fulfillment of which
believers, originate their own faith. It is phin that would prevent a result from taking place; a pre-requi-
this whole condition-theology is as unscriptural as any site ; hence, a restricting or limiting circumstance ;
thought-structure can possibly be unscriptural. God a restriction or limitation. To understand this defini-
is not a man that  Be can be influenced and moved by tion we must again have .before  our mind that a cause
the creature. He is God. Being God  who  is God  He consists of a multiplicity of conditions each of which
worketh all things according to the counsel of  His is indispensable but only the totality of which is ade-
will. Being  <God  ,who is  God He doeth all  J3z3  good- quate to the production of the effect. This being true,
pleasure. Being God  *who  Cs God He hath mercy on it follows that the non-concurance or non-fulfillment
whom  Re will have mercy, and whom He will He of any one of the conditions prevents the result or the
hardeneth.                                                effect from taking place. Hence, so conceived, a con-
    Let us now attend to your definition under 2, which, dition is a limiting circumstance indeed. It directly
of course, is in substantial agreement with your defini- limits, restricts, all the other conditions involved as
tion under I. According to your dictionary a condition without its concurance the others are inadequate to

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

  the production of the effect. Indirectly it therefore to prove my statement by quoting from a work by
  limits also the result or effect.                             Adam Leroy Jones, Ph. D. entitled, "Logic, Inductive
     Let us now apply this definition to the proposition, and Deductive." In this work I come upon the follow-
  "God saves His, people on the condition that they be-         ing paragraph :
  lieve." Here we deal  not  with a multiplicity of condi-         "Causal Connection. (That by the way is what we
  tions but with one only and this one the faith of the         deal with in your pieces, namely with cause. For, as
  believer, his will to believe. Hence, we deal here with we have seen, in logic conditions are causes. G.M.O.)
  but one limiting circumstance which is again the faith The terms, cause, causal connection, causal law, occur
  of the believer, his will to believe. It raises this ques- constantly in this part of scientific method. What is
  tion: What does the believer's will to believe limit? cause? The term implies a connection of some sort
  There is but one answer: The will of God to save. The between phenomena ; but of what sort? In ordinary
  implications of the proposition that God saves His usage it probably means most frequently something
  people on the condition that they believe are now as which produces or brings about something else. . . .
  clear as can be. Were the proposition true, then God is The notion of cause implies that the relation of cause
  limited by His creature, then man is in God's throne and effect not only is invariable, but also that it  .must
  with God at man's feet. For man originates his own be so ; that there is an unconditional or necessary con-
  faith. He believes or does not believe as he chooses. nection between the two; that if the first does not
  And God can't do anything about it. Man's will, there- happen, the second cannot." Pages 83, 84 of the work
  fore, is supreme in the matter of his salvation or dam- cited above.
  nation. Being supreme it limits, restricts God. Verily,          So you see, brother, if the relation or connection is
  the proposition that God saves His people on the condG        necessary it is not conditional, as you tell your readers
  tion  that they believe is pregnant with potential heresy.    but  unconditional. So  it is  C-z logic and of course also
     But one will say, does it necessarily follow that, if in the dictionary. Only when the relation or Connec-
  God saves His people on  the  condition that they believe, tion is not necessary but contingent is it  conditional.
  God is limited by His creature? Can't this just as well So it is in logic. Don't you see how true it is what I
  follow, namely, not that man limits God but that faith said, namely that you give to words your own meaning
  limits salvation in the sense that a man cannot be -a meaning that is contrary to the meaning that they
  saved unless he believe. But let us consider this. Actual have in the dictionary?
  faith implies a believer who believes, and a believer who        To the statement from your pen cited above you add
  believes implies a believer who wills to believe. So, too, some touching remarks on conditions. You write for
  salvation. It implies a God who saves. And a God              example, "I believe we must be interested .in under-
  who saves implies a God who wiU.s to save. Faith as           standing this conditional element and seeing its beauty
  such is an abstraction. It doesn't exist except as an         and wisdom and glory, and giving to it its real living
  idea, a concept. And likewise  salvation.  Hence, the organic integral place in the organism of our knowledge
limiting circumstance here is very actually the be- of  ,God,  etc." I believe you will agree with me now
  liever's will to believe. And so the thing limited here when  I say that what you write here is sheer non-
  is God's will and power to save.                              sense.
     Your reply to Rev. Veldman's missive contains still         * I would also like to know how you came by the idea
  another statement on which I must remark. The state- that the conjunctive "if" (of which you erroneously say
  ment reads, "I believe the essential difference comes that it signifies  condition)  brings out that the relation
  to the surface between the two (between the word con- between faith and salvation is necessary. You read my
  dition on the one hand and the words obligation and exegesis of Ezek. 18 of course. In a word, you got that
  .requirement   on the other, Rev. Petter means). The idea from my article. This is plain. For previously
  latter words-obligation and requirement-which Rev. you were telling your readers that this "if" means "in
  Veldman suggests, speak only of something that God the way of faith". Remember those two parentheses
  imposes, demands, exacts, with divine authority. The "in: the way of" which you inserted in your quotations
  other-condition-implies the relation between two from Isaiah? This proves it. But now you write, "And
  factors or events, thus that the one is necessary to the it does not suffice either to suggest that faith for ex-
  other." So, then, what you here tell us is that when ample is a means or a way. This is another idea alto-
  the relation between two events-in this case the be- gether. . .  ." In a word, now you write as if you never
  lieving saint and the saving God-is necessary-the taught such a thing. And you fail to state that you got
  relation or connection is conditional, mark you con- that other idea (namely, the function of "if" is to estab-
  ditional. But here again, brother, you are using words lish certain connection between faith and salvation)
  according to the meaning that they have in your own from my artible.  And what is far worse, you corrupt
  private vocabulary. For in  Eogic the relation or con- also this idea by insisting that it indicates condition.
  nection, when necessary, is unconditional. Allow me                                                  G. &I. Ophoff.


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         4 2 3

                                                                   can only be determined by the context. And by con-
       The "If" Sentences In ljeuteronomy text we all mean, must mean, first the very verses in
                                                                   which these words appear ; second, the entire discourse ;
                                                                   and third, the whole of the Scriptures.        .
          We were addressed to the task of treating the "if"          And now the meaning of that Hebrew word  &z
       sentences in the Bible of the type, "If the wicked turn in the sentence, "And it shall come to pass, if-Hebrew
       from their evil way, they shall live." In one of my pre-      - thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of
       vious articles or  ,letters  I dealt with the "if" sentences i; Lord thy God . . . . that . . . . all these blessings
       of that type as contained in the 18th chap. of Ezekiel's shall come upon. thee." What now is the meaning of
       prophecies. We found that, to quote from my former the Hebrew word im (rendered "if" in our versions) ?
       article, "the Hebrew equivalents for the English "if" Could we translate. here, "All these blessings shall
       are nowhere to be  ,found  in that discourse (of chapter come upon thee  on the condition  that thou hearken dili-
       18) ." And then I made this statement, "It shows how gently unto the voice of the Lord?" Let us try it
       far  ,the mind of the prophet and thus also the mind of and see what we get. It is verily this: "My people
       God was removed from any such notion as "God saves          (it is, of course, the Lord speaking here), whether all
       His people on  the condition  that they believe. . . ." these blessings will come upon you, I know not. They
       This statement from my pen must be made to read may or may not. For however eager I  am  to do
       differently, namely as follows, "Though the Hebrew thee well my blessing thee is contingent on thy arbi-
       equivalent for the English "if" (this Hebrew equivalent trary and capricious willingness to originate faith and
       is properly <m) did appear in the sentences that we obedience in thee. Thy will is sovereign. Before it I
       examined, it would still be true that the mind of the       must bow." This is again a terrible theology, isn't it?
       prophet and thus also the mind of God was far re- Well, then, is it-necessary to show that the verse as
       moved from any such notion as "God saves His people thus construed is in conflict with its near and far
       on the condition that they believe." For the fact is,       surroundings, that, in other words, such ideas are not
       of course, that we do find in the Bible sentences of anywhere to be found in the whole of the Scriptures?
       the type in which we are now interested in which the Does the Bible teach atheism? The Hebrew im, it is
       Hebrew im appears in the original. The parting ad- plain, cannot mean on condition  that.  It cannot have
       dresses of Moses contain sentences of that kind. Let that meaning in this connection.
       us now get them before us and ascertain the force and           What, then, may be the function and purpose of
       purpose of that `Hebrew word  im as a sentence-element the Hebrew word  im in the verse under consideration,
       of these declarations.                                      and in its correlate, "But it shall come to pass if thou
           A sentence of the kind we are now to examine wilt hearken unto the voice of the Lord . . . . that all
       is contained in the discourse of Moses at Deut. 28:1-Z.     these curses shall come upon thee." The sole function
       The passage reads, "And it shall come to pass, if- and purpose of  irn in these connections is to establish
       Hebrew  i-thou  shalt hearken diligently unto the conceptionally before the minds of the people of Israel
       voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all the  certain connection between obedience and blessing
       his commandments which I command thee this day, on the one hand, and disobedience and  cur&g,,  destruc-
       that the Lord thy God shall set thee on high above all tion on the other. That this is the sole function of
       nations of the earth: and all these blessings shall come im in these connections is as plain as can be from the
       on thee, and overtake thee, if (here the text must be whole context. Verse 3 reads, "Blessed shalt thou be
       rendered  when  and not  if; for the Hebrew has  ki  and in the city," implying, "if thou hearken to the Lord's
       not  im) thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord voice. This idea is repeated with variations over and
       thy God." The correlate of this declaration is found        over as interspersed with "if" clauses such as, "If
       at verse 15, "But it shall come to pass, if (Hebrew im)     thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy
       thou wilt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God,       God and walk in his ways," and, "If thou hearken
       to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes
I                                                                  unto ,the commandments of the Lord thy God. . . ."
       which I command thee this day  ; that  all these curses And so, too, the correlate of the idea, "Cursed shalt .
       shall come upon thee: . . . ."                              thou be in the city," implying, "If thou shalt hearken
           Before I go into these verses, I must make a re-        unto the voice of the Lord thy God." This idea, too,
       mark. It is this. What we now again deal with in is repeated with variations over and over (verses
       the first instance is the Scriptures in Hebrew, and         15-68).
       thus not with the Scriptures in the English language.           Second, we must take, notice of the  ?ci clause con-
       :Hence,  rightly considered, the question here confront- tained in verse 2 of this chapter, "When thou shalt
       ing us is the following: What is the meaning, force, hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God." Here ki
       and purpose of the two Hebrew words i<m and t'ci as approaches in meaning  irn. This accounts for the
     sentence-elements of these verses. This, certainly, rendering in our versions, "1f thou shalt hearken. . . ."

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

Yet there must be a distinction between the two par- all things according to the counsel of His will. Faith
ticles  ki and  Cm,, especially when they occur side by and obedience are of Him; and He hardens whom He
side in the same context as is here the case. Usually will. Moses and the people knew because God revealed
the distinction is carefully made and usually also it to them. The nation will alternately forsake God
easily discernible.      It is discernible here. The sole and `with His curses upon them, cry to Him in their
function of im in these verses is, as was said, to set distress. And He will raise them up a saviour, and
forth the certain connection between  obedience and His blessings  will'be upon them for a season. But
blessing  on the one hand, and covenant  infide%ty   and with the crisis past, they again will turn to their
cuTsing  on the other. In a word, im in this connection abominations and corrupt themselves more than their
is a particle showing  certain logical connection. So,      fathers in following other gods to serve them. When
too,  ki in the verse under consideration. But this they will have filled their measure of iniquity, God will
particle is here used also of time, "All these blessings scatter them among the nations. But ultimately He
shall come upon thee. . . . when thou shalt hearken         will turn their captivity permanently: All is certainty
unto the voice of the Lord". This reads like a predic- here. Necessarily so, as with God there can be no
tion. And so it is, as is plainly evident from the tenor uncertainties and hence no conditions.
of the whole discourse. It is evident from the text at         Let it be repeated, the im in this discourse can only
30  :l, "And it shall come to pass, when-&all these be a particle setting forth, establishing before the
things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, minds of the people of Israel certain. connection be-
which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them tween obedience on the one hand and blessing on the
to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy other and thus also certain connection between dis-
,God hath driven thee." Moses, being a prophet and obedience and faithlessness on the one hand and curs-
of all the prophets the greatest, here *foretells the dis- ing and destruction on the other. And in this dis-
persion and exile of the people of Israel and the ulti-     course, too, as well as in the discourse of Ezekiel 18,
mate turning of their captivity. That we understand the obedient are the contrite of heart, the ungodly
him  aright  is placed beyond the shadow of a doubt by whom God justifies in Christ, and whose hearts there-
the sequel, "And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, fore He circumcises. For, take notice of the statement,
and shalt obey his voice according to all that I com- "And the Lord will circumcise thy heart and the heart
mand thee this day, thou and thy  Children, with all of thine seed.",
thine heart and with all thy soul; that then the Lord          But what now is the English equivalent of the
thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion        Hebrew particle  irn as a sentence-element in the kind
on thee, and will return, and gather thee from all the of sentences with which we now are occupied? The
nations of the earth, whither the Lord thy God hath English equivalent  for that Hebrew particle im is our
scattered thee.        If-Hebrew  &m---any of thine be word "if". In the kind of sentences we are considering
driven out into the outmost parts of heaven, from "if", too, like  im indicates, sets forth, establishes  con-
thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from ceptionally a certain and unbreakable connection be-
thence will he fetch thee. And the Lord thy God tween faith, obedience, and righteousness on the one
will bring thee unto ,the land which thy fathers pos- hand and saJvution  and life on the other ; and thus sets
sessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee forth a certain connection between disobedience and
good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.          And unbelief on the one hand and cursing and destruction
t,he Lord will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of on the other. And this is its sole function in the sen-
thine seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine         tences under consideration. The attempt to give to
heart, and with all thy soul that thou mayest live. the word "if" always as a sentence-element in the type
And the Lord thy God will put .a11 these curses upon of sentence under consideration, an additional meaning,
thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which  prese-    is to carry into these sentences an element of thought
cuted thee" (30 :2-7).                                      that doesn't belong in them. In dealing with "if" as a
       Verily, it is prediction, prophecy, with which we part of speech in these sentences we must go no further+
here deal. If so, how can the Hebrew particle im in than to say that its function is that indicated above.
the verses examined signify doubtful hypothesis? How Allow me to show how true this is. Let us take for
can these verses be rendered, "The Lord will bless thee our purpose that text in Rom. 9, "If (Greek  ei) God be
on  the condition  that thou  obeyest;"  and, "The Lord for us, who can be against us." That pronoun "us"
will curse thee on  the condition  that thou disobeyest," includes not everybody-reprobate and elect alike-but
meaning, "whether I, the Lord; will bless thee or curse the elect only is a matter that is settled by the verses
thee, I know not. For my. biessing thee or cursing t.hat immediately follow, "He that spared not His Son,
thee is contingent on thy obedience or disobedience but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
as a condition. Hence, all is uncertain." But fact is him also freely grant us all things ? Who shall lay
that all was certainty. God knew, because He works anything to the charge of God's elect? (Mark you,


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                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       425

elect). It is plain that the pronoun us includes only take notice of the difference. `First, I am not the
the elect of God. It is therefore permissible .to read,     master of your will. Hence, I find myself under the
If  God be for  the elect,  who can be against them?" necessity of allowing you to decide to go or not to go
Here, too, the sole function of the particle "if" is to     independent of me. In the relation that your will ob-
set forth, establish conceptionally, certain connection tains to mine, it is free, despite the fact that there
between God's being for His believing people on the is such a thing as moral coersion.           Hence, my going
one hand and all things being for them on the other. is indeed dependent, contingent, on your going. Second,
To give to that "if" the additional .meaning  "on con- as your heart is not in my hands for me to turn as
dition that," or "in case," or "granted," or, "in the I choose, your ,going  or not going, as far as my know-
event," is to destroy the Gospel of God contained in ledge reaches, is uncertain. You may or may not go.
that scripture. Certainly it won't do to make the verse I know not. In the meantime, I may change my mind,
read, "All things are fore the elect "in case," "in the so that, should you decide to go, you shall have to go
event," or "granted," or "on the condition that," God alone. Here, therefore,-everything is limited and un-
is for them." By giving that "if" any such additional certain, the reason being that the two wills invoIved  in j
meanings we make the fact of God's being for His this bargaining are finite, human wills and minds. It
people and the fact of all things on that account being is with these uncertainties and human limitations be-
for them problematical indeed and thereby impose fore his eye that the philologist defined for us the word
upon the text an impossible ,theology-a  theology im- condition as that on which comething is contingent.
possible in the light of the whole of the Scriptures.       And with these same uncertainties and human limita-
   So, too, with the-type  of sentences under considera- tions before his mind, he defined contingent:-not
tion. All there is left for us to do is to limit ourselves' existing or occurring through necessity ; due to chance
to saying that the sole functionof "if"  (im ei) in all or a free agent; acci?ientally  existing or true; depen-
such sentences is to establish conceptionally connec- dent on the will of a human being or finite agent;
tion between the faith of God's people, their obedience depenton a foreseen possibility ; provisionally liable to
and contrition of heart on the one hand and their life exist, happen, or take effect in the future; hence, some-
and salvation on the other as a connection of such a thing that may or may not occur.
character that the two-faith and salvation-always               It means that the terms  condition  and contingent
go hand in hand with God the author of both. Mark and their synonyms- are words that simply ,.cannot
you, with God the author of both. For, certainly, the be used of God, cannot certainly be used of..Him..in
idea is not that these callers upon the name of the         sentences of the type with which we are now occupied
Lord, these seekers after God, these wicked  `who for-      (God saves His people on the condition that they be-
sake their abominations and turn to the Lord, do so         lieve)..    To nevertheless use the terms in question
in their capacity of sinners dead in trespasses and sins ; of God is to change Him into an idol. But far be it
.and that they live and are saved as a result of their      from me, brother, to hurl accusations at you. I hurl
taking these action in the sense that they originate them not at you but at your proposition. I separate
them. To the contrary, the fact of their seeking is in my mind you and that proposition. For of. course
the evidence that they have life in them abiding and you will repudiate it, the moment your feyes open to
are saved ; and of this life their seeking is the fruit.    all its horrible implications. However, I am only a
   And so, likewise, the. sole function of that "if" in fallible ,man. I may therefore be in error. True, but
the type of sentences under consideration is to estab- I am admitting this only wholly in the abstract. As it
lish conceptionally connection between the disobedient, is, I am thoroughly convinced that I do not err, but
unbelief, and impenitence of the reprobated on the that I am right. But if you believe that I do err,  i!f  *
one hand and their eternal destruction on the other as you think that you are justified in using the terms
as cohnection  of such a character that the two invar- in question of God, please make this plain to me. I
iably go hand in hand with the latter the reward place myself at your, feet. Instruct me. And I will
of the former.                                              listen. I repeat what I said: You `may call my argu-
   Now this use of "if" is not contrary to its use in ment anything you like-abject nonsense, sophistry,
common life, but right in line with its use in common it makes no difference. I like strong language-pro-
life.. `In common life, too, the principal and basic use viding you do one thing: Make plain that your char-
of the word "if" is to establish connection between acterizations are true. To call my argument sophistry
certain types of clauses and their corresponding pro- or nonsense and to let it go at that is something that
visional events. To illustrate this point, we will take I don't like. I have entered deeply into your argu-
the sentence, "I will go,  if  you will go." Here, too, ments ; please do the same with mine. And please
the function of the particle "if" is to establish connec- come with exegesis of the Scriptures and not merely
tion between my going and your going of such-a char- with speculation.
acter that our goings shall go hand in hand. But let us                                         G. M. Ophoff.

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

      Maar nu had God beloofd om op  te  trekken. En
dan is de strijd gestreden. Dan moet de overwinning                      FROM HOLY. WRIT
komen, want alle kracht is Godes eacht.
      Nu nag een kort gebed, en een resolutie.
 Het korte gebed: "Geef Gij ons hulp uit de  be-.                    The Office In The Church -
nauwdheid, want `s menschen heil is ijdelheid."
      iegt nu, dat ge alle menschen aan Uw zijde hadt The Minister Of The Word.
                                                                                       .'
in Uw twistzaak. Veronderstelt verder, dat alle  enge-           Some weeks have elapsed since the last article ap-
len *Gods zouden neerkomen om U te helpen uit al Uwe peared under this general heading. Thus it may be well
benauwdheden. Laat ons verder aannemen, dat ge to recall to mind that we dis&guished in our previous
alle oorlogsmateriaal bezat, tot den laatsten kogel toe, `article between the special office of niinisters, elders
en de vijand niets bad. Maar God "was niet aan Uw and deaions and the gerieral office of all believers. In
zijde. Wat dan? Dan  Gerliest  ge den strijd  vooidat the new dispensation all  t&e believers are  office-
gij uittoogt. Want God alleen heeft macht en kracht. bear&s. Through the Spirit qf Christ dwelling in them,
Alle heil en hulp van menschen is ijdel, als God er niet. they are partakers of His anointing. They have the
in@.                                                          unction of the Holy One whereby they know all things.
      Daarom,  Deere, o heip ons !                            I  Jolq 2  :20. Every member of `the Body of Christ
 :    En dan zal `t gaan. Luistert  maar : "In God zullen     functions according to his .own peculiar pIace -in the
wij ldoeke daden  doen,  en Hij zal onze wederpartijgers      Body and according to his oti measure of the gift of
vertreden." Dat is de resolutie:                              Christ. . Each one serves in his own `way in the three-
      David  &.s klqek. Maar zijn klo&heid  zat hierin : fold office-?f prophet, priest ,an$ king. But together
Hij streed in God. En dat wetende,  geeft hij' God de these believers make up the chyrch .as institute, for
eer: als de strijd over is, dan zegt David: God heeft where  tw6 .or three are gathered together in Christ(s
het gedaan.                                                   name, He is  fn.the midst of them. And out of the office
      Nu dan, David was maar eeii kleine,  zwakke scha-       of b3lievers  in the church as institute arises the special
duw van Jezus.                                                offike  of ministers, elders and deacons. Fb? Christ @ls
      Ik ga het zeggen  met een heilige beddeling : +rgeet    to these offices; objectiv&ly through the channel of the
nu maar al die `geschiedenissen van David tegeQ?dom,          church,  an$ subjectively by. His Spirit in their hearts.
cum SOCK Ik bedoel diet, dat ge ze geheel & al goet              We ,commonly distiqguish between. those. three,
vergeten, tiaar ge tioei ze vergeten,  nadat ge ze gezien mi&sters,  elders and deacons. Yet there is actually
hebt `in de heilige historie. Want  `daarna moet ge only a twofold office in the church, simply the office of
dieper  en hooger zien. Ge mo& Jezus zien, in en achter       elders and deacons. And these two are essentially one.
Datid,                                                        Essentially- the office is always oxie, for Christ is the
                                                              Office Bearer, Who is at the -same time Prophet, and
      En ga dan staan naast Jezus in de rechtzalen  van Priest, and King. Thus also believers hold .the same
Annas,  Kajafas, Pilatus en Herodus:  Gaat staan vIak         threefold office in Christ's name. This also becomes
voor het kruis. En al is het dan, dat Jezus  zweet,- evident in the special office. A `minister is first of all
-klaagt,  bloedt  en uiteindelijk sterft;  dan moet gij daar prophet- since he preaches the Word. But he `is &so
beginnen om te zingen  een lied, dat `tot in eeuwigheid       priest, for he condticts the divine worship, visits the
gezongen zal  worden.  De zelfde David zal U  onder-          sick and leads in prayer: And since in the ministry of
wijzen. Hij zeide eens: Zing%,  zing% een nieuw gezang. the Word he exercises the chief key of the kingdom of
den  Heere;  . . .                                            heaven, opening and closing the kingdom of heaven ac-
      Het is het gezang van de eeuwige overwinning van cording to divine purpose, binding and loosing accord-
Jezus, den beteren David !                                    ing to sovereign  electiop  and reprobation, he represents
                                              G. Vbs.         the King of the church in His kingly. office. Even the
                                                              elders minister the Word when they exercise discipline,
                                                              for they speak the Word ,of God on the authority of
                                                   .          Jesus Christ. ..And-they  also dispense the mercy of the
                                                              merciful Highpriest  when  they visit the orphans and
                      CLASSIS   E A S T                       widows and comfort the sick and the afflicted. And
                                                              likewise the deacon can never sever his work of mercy
 meets in regular session Wednesday,- July  6;  !l.G49, from f&e ministry of the Word, nor even from the exer-
 at  9330  A. M., at the First Protestant Reformed cise of discipline, as the need may require. The offices
 Church of. Grand Rapids, Michigan.                           plainly overlap, even though the prophetic office is on
                              D. Jonker, Stated  CIerk.       the foreground in the ministry of the Word, the kingly


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R ,   !                                   429

office in the exercise of discipline and the priestly calls and qualifies those whom God will use as  huma;r
office in the dispensing of mercy.                             instruments unto His, work. Only Christ calls, `pre-
   Even so, Scripture speaks of two offices, the office pares, qualifies. Only His Spirit works the work of
of elder and of deacon. And then Scripture further Christ, even in and through the human instrument.
distinguishes between teaching elders and governing               5. The calling of the elders is to "feed the church
elders. This is the evident meaning of the well-known of God," as well as to be overseers over them. Over-
message in I Tim. 5 : 17, "Let the elders that rule well sight belongs to the work of governing. Feeding be-
be counted worthy of double honour, especially they longs to the pastoral labors. The minister of the Word
who labor in the Word and doctrine."                           is  pastor,  under-shepherd under Christ. He must feed
  1. This text distinguishes between elders who "rule the flock through the means of the Word, breaking the
well' and those who do not "rule well". The latter, of Bread of Life.
cause, deserve no honor at'all.  The former are to be             6. And finally, that anyone who assumes this task
counted worthy of double honor..                               must certainly take heed to himself. He has .a unique
   2. But this text also distinguishes between those privilege, for it is the highest calling that any man can.
who "labor in the Word and doctrine" and those who receive. But it is also an obligation that must fill him
do not. Thus  t.here are some whose particular task it with fear and trembling.
is, in distinction from the others, to labor in the Word          From the foregoing it is evident that it is the call-
and doctrine. And these are also called elders.                ing of the minister of the Word to be pastor, servant
   Also in Acts 20:28 the work of shepherdizing the of the chief Shepherd. This same term is used in Eph.
flock (pastoral work) is included in the work of .the          4 :ll-13, "And He gave some, apostles ; and some, pro-
elders. There Paul admonishes the elders of the church phets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors  a&
at Ephesus, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and teachers;  for the perfecting of the saints; for the work
to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost bath           of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ;
made you overseers, to  feed the church of God, which till we all come in the unity of faith, and of the know-
He hath purchased with His own blood."                         ledg of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
   No one can read this remarkable passage without measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
being impressed by the fact that,                                 1. We note here, that pastors are mentioned in the
   1. First of all, the Church is called the "church of same breath with apostles, prophets and evangelists.
God". She is  God'sIchurch.  She is God's as to her Now it is true, as we noted in a previous article, that 0'
origin, chosen before the foundation of the world. Eph. the apostles, prophets and evangelists were peculiar to
1:3,  4.. She is God's peculiar possession, His heritage, the early church and have long since disappeared. The
His people, His prophetic, royal priesthood, His Bride. office of pastors and teachers still remains.
He has purchased her unto Himself with His own pre-               2. We note, moreover, that the expression "pastors         .
cious blood. And thus she is God's as to her purpose, and teachers" refers to one and the same group of per-
to share in His life, to delight in His perfections, to re-
flect His glory and to show forth his praises eternally.       sons. They are mentioned together; some apostles,
                                                               some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
   2. Secondly, that God purchased her with His own teachers. Thus a `pastor is also a teacher. He must
blood. ,God's blood was shed on the  -cross  to save His minister to the needs of the flock by teaching. Even
church. Nothing less could save her. The Son of God the preaching of the Word is instruction; and must be
suffered and died, shed His blood as atonement for sin instruction. And thus all his pastoral work is instruc-
in our flesh. "God was in `Christ, reconciling the world tion. He must instruct young and old, weak and strong,
unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." healthy and sick, willing hearers but also perverse ones.
II Cor. 5:19.                                                  He instructs the children of the church in the funda-
   3. That this church is the flock of Jesus Christ. mentals of the truth. He instructs the young men and
They are His sheep. He is the chief Shepherd. "I am young women to apply that truth to their own lives in
the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life preparation for their places that they must occupy in
for the sheep. . . . .I am the good shepherd, and know God's church and covenant. He instructs those who are
My sheep, and am known of Mine. . . .  .Mr; sheep busy fulfilling their calling, either as parents in the
hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me ; home, or as pilgrims and strangers in the world, or as
and I give unto them eternal life ; and they shal! never soldiers of the Cross against the powers of darkness, or
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My as God's witnesses of the faith and hope that they pbs-
hand." John 10 :ll, 14, 27, 28.                                sess. And he instructs the aged of days, that while
   4. That the Holy Spirit places overseers (elders)           their physical strength fails, their spiritual eye may see
over the flock to watch over them and ,to feed them.           clearly, their spiritual ear may plainly discern, and
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ Who prepares, their hope may never grow dim. For to the believer

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

`to live is Christ and to die is gain."                    often becomes only a good  infIuence  in the community
   `3. We note also that "He gave. . . .some  pastors, instead of the lone City upon a hill, the Light that
and teachers." "He" in this passage is Christ. In the shines amid this present darkness. Surely, the minis-
previous verses Christ is described as the trimphant try of the Word is the means whereby Christ gathers,
Lord Who took captive and received gifts to be distri- defends and preserves His church, which the Father
buted to His people. (Ps. 68 : 18). As a reward on His has given to `Him from eternity. The saints are per-
accomplished work of the cross, God exalted Him to the fected.
highest heavens and bestowed on Him the gifts of eter-         a. And the saints must be perfected, in turn, in
nal salvation, which He shares with His church etern- order that they may be fitted, "for the work of the
ally. "He that descended is the same also that ascended ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Each
up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things." must be fitted by the Holy Spirit, through the means of
(vs. 10). "And  He  gave".                                 the Word, to serve in his or her peculiar place in the
   a. Christ gathers and besses His church from hea-       office of believers for the edifying of the Body of
ven. He feeds His flock like a shepherd: he gathers        Christ, both here and in the life to come.
the lambs with His arms, and carries them in His               b. Thus we exercise the communion of saints. And
bosom, and gently leads those that are with young. through the communion of saints each is individually
(Isa. 4O:ll). He leads them in the green pastures of benefited, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
His Word. He grazes them beside the still waters. He and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
guards them from devouring wolves and threatening man, unto the measure of the stature of Christ." The
dangers. He brings them into the eternal sheepfold whole Body reaches its perfect manifestation with
of glory.                                                  Christ in heaven. The ministry of the Word serves
   B. Therefore pastors are ambassadors of Jesus that ultimate purpose.                                    ,
Christ. Nothing more and nothing less. Christ pre-             Allow me to quote from an editorial of the Rev. H.
pares them, calls them and qualifies them. Thus we         Hoeksema, appearing in the Standard Bearer, Vol. 12,
read in II Cor. 5:20,  "Now then we are ambassadors p. 436, under the heading "Minister Verbi Dei".
for (in the stead of, in behalf of) Christ, as though          "But the preacher must be minister of the Word
God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's         of God!
stead (the same word ; thus, in Christ's name) be ye          "That makes his calling incomparable, unique, super-
reconciled to God." Which means that pastors are His human! He must deny Himself, men, the world, the
servants. In that they glory, even as the apostle Paul wisdom of men, all that is of the world, its conventions,
(Romans 1 :l) . . But they are also ambassadors, mouth- its customs, its self-will, its lie, its deceitfulness ; also
pieces, to never speak their own word, but only always its wisdom, goodness, nobility, righteousness, philan-
the word of Him Who sent them. Their office is thropy, charity, glory, ambition, success, power; its
"Minister  Verbi  Dei", servants of the Word of. God. aims and aspirations ; he must listen only to the Word
Their talents and gifts, their power of oratory or per- of God, that  impossibIe Word, which no man will hear
suasion can never save. The Word, and the Word only nor even can will to hear, which is heard, not at all in
is the power that saves. For that Word is the Word of the world, but only in the sphere of grace and by grace,
the living God, and is therefore powerful and effica- and which yet men pretend to hear when they do not
cious. God uses man as an instrument to bring that hear it; and having listened to that Word of God, only
Word. But only as an instrument whereby God works listened, without contradiction, and having filled his
His own work. Therefore the ambassador of Jesus soul with that Word, and only after he is quite sure
Christ can himself only listen and in turn only say, that his soul is filled with nothing but that Word, he
"So saith the Lord !" And as he does so he rests as- must speak ! . . . .
sured that this Word will never return'void, but will          "And all that is mere Man, within him and without,
do all that God intends that it shall do. Heb. 4 :12 ; will oppose him, both in hearing and in speaking.
I Car: 1:18  ; II Cor. 2 :15, 16.                              "His path is beset with temptations to `corrupt the
       4. And finally, we note that the purpose of this    Word of God', to mix that Word with the word of men,
ministry of the Word is "the perfecting of the saints."     in order that he may please mere Man !
It is well to stress this in our day when the ministry         "Who is sufficient unto these things?
of the Word has commonly become a matter of "evan-             "And who, that serves in the ministry of the Word
gelization".    By evangelization is frequently meant of God, does'not  realize that he is a man of unclean lips?
nothing more or less than an attempt to save the whole         "He that has never feared and trembled at this
human race or changing the church into a society for ministry has never fully realized the `aweful glory' of
the "social betterment" and "spiritual uplift" of this that calling!"
present world that is sold under sin. The church too                                                  C. Hanko.


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        431

                                                            on points 4 and 5 of the protest. In point 4 Rev.
                P E R I S C O P E                           Ophoff had attempted to show that "The Consistory's
                                                            decision as carried will render our mission enterprise
                                                            abortive and in consequence thereof result in a wasted
          Report of Synod Of 1949                           expenditure of the churches' money." Point 5 of the
                                                            protest was a discussion of the position and doctrine
   The pre-SynodicaI  prayer service was held on Tues- of the Liberated Churches. Concerning the material
day evening, May 31, in the Second Protestant Re- of these two points the Synod expressed "that although
formed Church in Grand Rapids. The Rev. H. De Wolf, we do not express our opinion as Synod upon the truth
vice-president of the Synod of 1948, brought a fitting or untruth of this part of Rev. Ophoff's allegation, we
message from Psalm  122:6. He very aptly applied believe that the matter is irrelevant to the case."
these appropriate words of Scripture to the work for           The next matters of import that were discussed
which the Synod had gathered.                               were those related to our TheoIogical  School. The re-
   On Wednesday morning Rev. De Wolf officially port of the Rector, the Rev. H. Hoeksema, revealed
opened the sessions of Synod. Roll call showed the that another successful year had gone by under the
following ministers and elders delegated and present. Lord's blessing. This report read in part as follows:
The Revs. C. Hanko, J. Heys, H. Hoeksema, G. Vos,           "Another school year belongs to the past, and in it,
A. Cammenga, J. Howerzyl, M. Critters, P. Vis and we believe, the grace  ,of our God was abundantly with
Elders H. De Jong, G. Koster, D. Langeland, N. Yonker, us. Professors and students performed their work
C. De Vries, B. Gritters,  ,J. Kuiper, and C. Vander with joy, and the mutual relationship, between them
Molen.                                                      was one of harmony and love. Nothing untoward
   The following officers were chosen :  President-         happened throughout the year."
The Rev. C. Hanko, Vice-president-The Rev. A. Cam-             Due to the partial incapacitation of one of our
menga, Secretary--The Rev. J. Heys,  Vice-secretary-        professors Synod was faced with the problem of mak-
The Rev. J. Howerzyl. The elected officers then took. ing the necessary arrangements that full instruction
their places and the President read the Public Declara- might be continued in our Seminary either through
tion while the delegates remained standing and ans- the appointment of an instructor or an additional pro-
wered "yes" in expression of their agreement with this fessor. The Theological School Committee had advised
declaration.                                                Synod that Mr. H. C. Hoeksema be appointed for a
   After the President had spoken a word of welcome period of two years as professor of college subjects at
it was decided to meet daily from 9 to 12 and 1:30 to 5.    our `school and to give clerical assistance to Prof. II.
The President then appointed a committee for com- Hoeksema. The committee of pre-advice in this matter
mittees who distributed the work and material among advised that this appointment be limited to one year.
3 committees of pre-advice. During the remainder Synod, however, decided "that the Theological School
of the day these committees met in separate session Committee present us at this Synod with a nomination
organizing the material submitted to them and pre- for another fu&time professor for our seminary".
paring their reports of advice to Synod.                       That same evening the Theological School Com-
   The first matter reported on the floor of Synod on mittee met and drew up an aggregate list of names
Thursday morning was the protest of the Rev. G. M. from which Synod made a nomination for this pro-
Ophoff against his consistory's decision to separate fessorship. `The fina nomination included the Revs.
the two missionaries. This protest had been sustained P. De Boer, L. Doezema and G. Vos. By an almost
by Classis  East, which decision had been appealed to unanimous vote the Rev. L. Doezema was chosen for
Synod by the Consistory of Fuller, Ave. The Synod the appointment with Rev. P. De Boer as alternate.
adopted the advice of its committee .of pre-advice on The stated clerk was instructed to inform the appointee
this matter which was as follows : "`We advise Synod to by phone and later reported that he had carried .out
express agreement with the decision of Classis.  East this mandate.          Synod decided to give the Rev. L.
sustaining the protest of Rev. Ophoff on the ground Doezema three weeks in which to make his decision.
of transgressing the Church Order by overruling Art. We wish to take this opportunity to express our hearty
33 of the Acts of Synod of 1948. (I) The Protestant congratulations to Professor-elect Doezema and our
is correct m maintaining that Art. 31 of the Church prayer that the Lord  ma.y lead him to a decision unto
Order has been violated. (2) He is also correct in the glory of His name and the welfare of His King-
maintaining that Art. 84 of the Church Order has been dom.
violated. (3) Therefore the contention of the pro-             The following recommendations of the faculty, as
testant that the grounds of the consistory's decision presented through the Theological School Committee,
are invalid is also correct." In connection with the were also adopted by Synod: 1. "The faculty recom-
protest and its material the Synod  a1so expressed itself mends. . . .changes  in the sdholastic requirements of


                                      T H E   ,S%K&!XNDARD   B E A R E R
     ..--.--..--            ..------_  ..,.__-_
our school, to be included in the constitution of our        fore God to call the members of the Christian Reformed
school: a. To require a complete high school education Church to return to the Reformed Truth as expressed
of every entrant to our school. b. To require of every       in our Forms of Unity and the Scriptures, and thus to
student that he main&in  at least a C average in his reject the three points of their Synod of 1924 and its
work, and to forbid the final examination before Synod       relative subsequent actions  ; We ought also to consider
of any student having less than C average. 1) To             it our calling to give testimony to the Christian Re-
make arrangements for a re-examination of any student formed Church by way of an official communication
having a failing grade in any branch. 2) To forbid, to their Synod. Although this has been done by our
in case a student should fail such re-examination, such Synods of 1940 and 1941 and has apparently proved
a student to proceed to the next subject in any branch       fruitless to arouse them to reconsider their actions,
until he shall take t,he course in which he has failed       we ought not therefore to desist entirely. We ought
anew and show a passing grade therein. 2. The faculty to consider that years have elapsed since this exchange
proposes that a definite annual appropriation be made of communications was last made and that during that
for the purpose of library expansion. (Synod stipulated time a younger generation has taken its place in their
that this should be 25 cents per family per year.)           ranks of leadership.    Furthermore, in view of our
3. The faculty proposes that the Seminary year-book, labors in their churches and the misunderstanding as
with the necessary annual revisions, be published to our motive and purpose, we consider it well to
annually with the denominational yearbook and Acts           direct their attention to this by way of a new com-
of Synod."                                                   munication to the Synod of the Christian Reformed
   The  Synodical  Committee for correspondence with         Church, advising them as  .to the  ,work  we conduct
the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands reported among them. Therefore we overture Synod to direct
as follows : "Your committee for correspondence with such a communication to the Synod of the Christian
the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands has noth- Reformed Church. We would suggest the following:
ing positive to report, the reason being that they have 1. To appeal to them to reconsider their actions of
not heard a word from the deputies  ad  hoc  appointed       1924, 1926 in the light of the Scriptures and the Con-
by the Synod of Amersfoort 1948, nor have they re-           fessions. 2. To base this appeal upon our convictions
ceived any official report of the decisions of that Synod that their actions are in error, and that our convictions
,in w correspondence with our Churches." Synod re- have been repeatedly published, preached, and officially
ceived this report ,for information and continued its        adopted by us since. That these have never been
committee.                                                   officially answered by them, which is their Christian
   Synod also dealt with several matters in connection obligation to do so. 3. Refer them to the `History
with the Mission work of our Churches. The Mission of the Protestant Reformed Churches', as an indict-
Committee brought several proposals and recommenda- ment against them. 4. To inform them of our convic-
tions which were treated by Synod and decided as fol- tion that we are called upon before God to continue
lows: The first proposal was "That Synod review laboring among them as long as they continue to
the decision made in 1947 (art. 79, page 60 and art.. 83,    preach and officially maintain the Three Points. To
page 64, Acts of Synod 1947) `that the calling church        explain that we are entering the fold by the door,
call two missionaries to labor together in the work of       Jesus Christ." Thus far the overture.
home missions.'  " Synod decided that "two mission-             Synod decided not to adopt the overture on the
aries shall labor together in the establishment of a following grounds : "1. Our experience in  1940-1941
field but that they may be separated when in the judg- convinces us that it would not be received.. 2. Since
ment of the calling Church and the Mission Committee their Synod has expressed that the matter is closed
there is need for this."    In second place Synod de- we couId not expect them to re-open it. 3. Bcause of
cided to  call a third, Holland-speaking missionary and our letters to their Synod of 1940-1941, their Synod
that Fuller Avenue be designated as the calling Church.      decided that ecumenical relationship with us is im-
Synod rejected the advice of the Mission Committee possible."
"that the suggestion be passd on to our churches that           Synod adjourned at a rather late hour on Monday
one of our present missionaries be considered in mak- evening after a four day session. Next time, the Lord
ing trios." Finally, Synod decided "that work be con- willing, we will report various other decisions and
tinued for a time in the  Sumas,  Washington area."          hope also to  be.able  to give the decisionsof the Mission
The manner of execution of this decision was not Committee and calling Consistory in execution of the
treated by Synod and, hence, is left to the Mission continuation of labor in the Washington field. In
Committee in conjunction with the calling Consistory. connection with that latter we hope to shed some light
    The Synod also considered an overture from the on the motivation of this decision to continue our
Consistory of Bellflower. This overture read as fol- labor there.
lows : "Whereas we consider it part of our calling be-                                               W. Hofman.


