436                                                                                                                TIIE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                  The Standard Bearer.                                                                                                                                         E D I T O R I A L S
            Semi-Monthly,  except Monthly in July and August
                                                      P u b l i s h e d   B y
                        The Reformed Free Publishing Association                                                                                                                                 Facts and Figures ~
                               Box 124, Sta. C., Grand Rapids,  Mich
                                       EDITOR:  - Rev. H. Hoeksema.
contributing Editors:  - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G.  VOS,  Rev.                                                                                                                        Did you ever stop to consider just how much, or
K. Veldman, Rev.  tf. Veldman,  Itev. H. De Wolf, Rev.  tr.  Iiok,                                                                                                                  how little, our church and denomination really cost us
Rev. J. D. De Jong,  Rev.  A.  iletter,  Rev. C. Ifanko,  itev.  L.                                                                                                                 and how much we receive for the price we pay? People
Vermeer,  Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev,  M. Gritters, Rev. J.  A.  lleys,                                                                                                                   complain at times about the size of their congregational
Rev. W.  Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                    budget or the rising cost of denominational life. In
  Communications relative to contents  should be addressed to                                                                                                                       this article a few pertinent facts and figures will be
REV., H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids,
Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                           given.
  Comnlunications  relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                                        We do not mean to be profane or sinfully mundane
to MR. J. BOUWMAN, 1131 Sigsbee St., S.E., Grand Rapids 6,                                                                                                                          when we speak, in connection with our congregational
Mich.          Announcements and Obituaries must be  niailcd   Lo  the                                                                                                              and denominational existence, of "cost" and "price"
above address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each
notice.                                                                                                                                                                             and "budgets" and "assessments". Some good people
Renewals:-Unless a definite request for  diicontinuance  is re-                                                                                                                     have a string aversion to the. use of such terms and
ceived, it is assumed that the subscriber w%shes, his subscription                                                                                                                  feel that they give too much of a business aspect to our
to continue without the formality of a renewal order.                                                                                                                               church life. They would prefer to speak of contribu-
bLn+tired  as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                          tions or donations.
                                   (Subscription Price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                                 Our own Heidelberg Catechism, however, uses the
                                                                                                                                                                                    term "maintain". To the question, "What doth God
                                                       -           -           .           -           -           -                                                                require in the fourth commandment?" the answer is
                                                                                                                                                                                    given in Lord's Day 38, "First, that the ministry of
                                                                                                                                                                                    the gospel and the schools be  maintained". This answer
                                                                                                                                                                                    has frequently amazed me. At first glance it seems
                                                                                                                                                                                    evasive and irrelevant. One almost feels that the
                                                            C O N T E N T S                                                                                                         fathers made a studied attempt to dodge the issue.
MEDITATION-                                                                                                                                                                         The  fourth commandment reads: "Remember the Sab-
   Des Heeren  Elisch ,............ * . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                      A33           bath day, to keep it holy ; six days shalt thou labor and
                   Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                      do all thy work ; but the seventh day is the Sabbath
EDITQRIALS-                                                                                                                                                                         of the Lord thy God, etc." That charges us, say our
   Facts and Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                       436          fathers, "first, to maintain the ministry of the gospel
               Rev. R. Veldman                                                                                                                                                      and the schools." A deeper study of the command-
OUR DOCTRINE-  _                                                                                                                                                                    ment, however, will reveal that our fathers knew pre-
   The Mercy of God .* . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                       439          cisely what they were  taIking about  and that this
                    Rev. H. Vetdman                                                                                                                                                 answer is indeed beautiful and to the point. We- are
                                                                                                                                                                                    not particularly interested, however, in an exposition
   Reply to Rev. Petter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442                         of this commandment, but only in this one clause of
                    Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                               the catechism, "First, that the ministry of the gospel
SION'S  ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                                     and the schools be maintained." We underscore the
   Een Vloekpsalm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,447                word "maintain".
                   Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                         Most of us have families to maintain. That costs
FROM HOLY WRIT-                                                                                                                                                                     money. We have our homes and other things to main-
   The Office in the Church . . . . . . . ..-.............................................  450                                                                                     tain. That costs money. Thus we have a ministry
            Rev. C. Hanko                                                                                                                                                           of the gospel and a school to maintain. That costs
IN HIS  FEAR-                                                                                                                                                                       money.
   "Detecting <and Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
   Young Men, Where Are  They  ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .453                                                            Our catechism, you will notice, does not speak of
                   Rev. M. Gritters                                                                                                                                                 maintaining religion. Religion as such man does not
                                                                                                                                                                                    maintain ; God does. It is the mystical flame that only
P E R I S C O P E -   _                                                                                                                                                             the almighty Spirit of Christ can kindle. It is life
   Synod-Varia ..* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                        455
                   Rev. W. Hofman                                                                                                                                                   itself; the wonder of the grace of God ; the gift of
                                                                                                                                                                                    divine love. All the saints together,  with all their
                                                                                                                                                                          -         zeal, cannot keep one smoldering ember of religion


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   t                                         437

  zglow. Hence, what we  ai+e called to maintain is not tained, heated and lighted We need organists to lead
  religion, but- our divine worship ; the chvinely  ordained    us in our congregational singing and additional cate-
 for~t of religious life; the institute through which it        chism teachers,  perhaps. All these must be provided
  plcascs God to bless His people and which it pleases and are included when we speak of maintaining "the
  God to maintain through His people.                           ministry of the gospel". Also, we must have affiliation
     Obviously, Lord's Day 38 identifies that divine wor- with other churches of the same faith, and these must
  ship with the sabbath. Apart from the former the come together from time to time in classes and synods.
  la ter means nothing. It is because of the church that WC need missionaries, too, and they need an income
  we love the sabbath and need it. It is to the church and means with which to labor, for the Word must be
 that we dedicate our time and talents on the sabbath. administered to others too, even to the ends of the
  Through the church we are enriched on the Lord's earth. Maintaining "the ministry of the gospel" means
  Day. Without the church and divine worship you a great deal.
 have no sabbath. There God dwells among His people.               It is not at all diflicult  to see how the schools fit
  There is the communion of the saints and the blessing into  lhis picture. How can the ministry of the gospel
 of Jehovah. There alone, nowhere else, not at work, be maintained properly without well directed schools?
 not at home, not in a cottage by some lake, not on the         In the broader sense we may think here of all our
 beach, but in  i;he house of our God,-there you find           Christian institutions of learning, since  there is a dei'i-
 your Cod on the sabbath. Our vacationers had better .nite connection between our divine worship and all the
  bear this in mind. That is, if we are able to attend training our children receive. The great Dr. Kuyper
 divine worship, we shall not find God anywhere else            stressed correctly that ministers are prepared to
on His day. Church and church life, therefore, are              preach  and. listeners to listen from childhood on. We
 of paramount importance to every child of God. To              do well, also as Protestant Reformed people, to see
 maintain the "ministry of the  gospel"  means to main- this point.            However; at present we are thinking
 tain that church in its widest significance.                   especially of our theological school, where our future
     The heart of that church life and divine worship ministers receive their training. That school, friends,
 i:: the ministry of the Word, in preaching and sacra-          is of the utmost importance for the welfare and future
 ments and catechism instruction, in the direct and             of our churches. Are we as conscious of this as we
 liarrower sense of the word. This is the core of our should be? The future of our churches and the whole
 entire church life  for'thk sake of which our &tire of our divine worship depends `on our seminary. As
 ecclesiastical  structure must be maintained. On that the school goes our churches go. If you are at all
 ministry of the gospki,  tb$ preaching of the divine concerned about our Protestant Reformed Churches
 Word, to which all elie iF'God's  ho&e is subordinate,         you had better be deeply concerned about our Pro-
 depends the . welfare and lif@ of the chul;ch  and the         testant Reformed seminary.        *
 individual Christian. Wsak' gnd uncertain preaching               That "ministry of the gospel" must be MAIN-
 must cause decay, retrogression, spiritual blindgess.          TAINED.
 The weaker the preaching the less spiritual growth                We know what it means "to maintain". It means:               .
 can be expected, -the- more heresy will run amuck and to support, to sustain, to keep from declining, to bear
 the more our garden  wil! be overrun with weeds.               the expense of, to keep up, to conserve and uphold.
 God will never speak the almighty word of salvation We maintain families, homes, cars, schools. We  niain-
 through the lie. Sound  Ijreaching  gives strength, life, tain properties, roads, bridges, parks. Thus we must
 growth, vitality. Above everything else in the world, maintain the ministry of the gospel and the schools.
 therefore,  we need a sound ministry of  the gospel. It That, say the fathers, is our initial sabbath obliga-
 is the business of every one to make certain that we           t i o n .
 get it.                                                           Whether this is done by means of Soluntary  con-
     However, to maintain such a ministry involves              tributions or by means of budget and assessments is
 many things. An adequate ministry. of the Word re- quite beside the point here. If only we understand
 quires well-trained ministers. Our catechism has this that we are morally and financially obliged to main-
 in mind, too, for it speaks of "the schools". Hence,           tain church and school ; that church and school on
 we need. a well equipped. school. We need students the one hand and the poor on the other do not stand
 who desire to be trained for the ministry, competent on one line ; and that the suppbrt  of the former, there-
 professors to give the best instruction possible, and a fore, is not a question of mere donation. The cate-
 suitable place where such training can be given. Once chism speaks of "contributing to Zhe relief of the poor",
 in the ministry. a &ari needs a home and an income.            especially on the sabbath, but of "maintaining the
 We need church buildings where the Word of God can             ministry of the gospel and the schools", quite inde-
 be administered and these buildings must be main-              pendently of the sabbath day as such. What you con-.,


438                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE-AI6IE.R

tribute toward the maintenance of church and  ,school          Avenue to Division st. For' that amount we have our"
is not a question of voluntary donation, in the sense          school, our instructors, our missionariesi  we support
that you are doing something you need not do, but              our needy churches, we have our classes and synods,
it is a matter of moral and financial obligation. Church       and provide funds for other essential purposes.
and school are your "business". Ministers and pro-                 Do you know wliat'  your'enti% budget amounts to?
fessors are not objects of charity. They do not live           I have  beLotte  me  tihe 1948  Churdh*-,DiPectory  of our
from "alms". They receive and are entitled to salaries.        Fuller Avenue  congregatign.   ,O?I  ptige 11 I `find the
As laborers they are worthy of their hire. It is your Adopted :Budget  for `1948. At. the bottom of the page
financial obligation to pay your full share toward             I read:        "The Weekly Budget Amounts to $2.00."
church  .and school, according as the Lord has pros- Just above this I I8 read : "The item for  f"Our Poor"
pered you, just as well as it is your financial obligation     formerly included in ,the budget has been excluded but
to pay your gas and electric bills. Only, in the church the monies for this punpose  are to be raised by means
of Jesus Christ the obligation is determined by our            of free offerings to be collected during the services."
means. The  formel' grows with the latter. We do               Now I know. that some of our smaller churches have
the maintaining together and Christian love dictates budgets larger than Fuller Avenue, but on the whole
that the strong carry the weak. It is not my purpose .the difference is not great enough to make a substantial
now to break a lance for the budget system, but I do           difference.      Two dollars per week . comes to about
suggest, that this system must not be rejected on the twenty eight cents per day, less than two. quarts of
grounds that the support of church and school is a             milk or two loaves of bread. Now, let us glance over
matter of donation. It is not! It's a question of main- the budget and see what we have for 28 pennies per
tenance.                                                       day day. Here is the list :: Three ministers and all
       Now this takes money, of course.                        the labors they  psrform,  three services each Sunday,
       However, let us ask ourselires  in all' seriousness:    sick visitation and family visitation, funeral services
 Did the Lord ever ask too much of us? Have we any and instruction of. the covenant seed ; a janitor and
 reason to complain?  Remem&-,  we are speaking of janitor supplies ; fuel, phone, g?s, electric apd water;
 our churches and theological schools. Let me give a stationery, bulletins and budget boxes  ; pulpit supply,
 few figures, not for the purpose of underrating the organists and extra catechism teachers ; consistorial
 efforts of our people, for there is more to pay than and communion expenses ; insurance and maintenance
 the running expenses of church and school, but of com- of sever@  b$dings  ; classical and synodical  expenses ;
 ing to a somewhat better understanding of cost and            theological  SC&+@  and three instructors ; two mission-
 values received.                                              aries of which  one is Eg.pported  by Fuller Avenue alone ;
                                                                                  ,<.
       Do you know what -it costs to maintain our semin- radio preaching. f&w.- Sunday .to Sunday. There is
 ary ? For the year 1949 the assessment was $10.50              even a substant@ ram?m$. fgr nqsv: ,p&,pos. Al3  &his
 per family. That amounts to less than three  centi            for  28~ per days, not per  indivic$al  but  pe?-  f,am$y,
 per day, less than the price of three sticks of gum, Now, that's a  @gain,  Zh& no  Wl-+!e  Elephz#  ,Sale
 less than the cost (synod pays six cents per mile) of can begin to duplicate., ._,:: y.:, I i i I                         ,'
 operating a car four city blocks. For three pennies               That means that the average man today. works no
 each day we have our seminary, three instructors, more than fifteen or twenty minutes per day for his
 and we lay aside one penny for the purpose of some             whole denominational and congregational existence  ;
 day securing a humble school building of our own. and some of us work less than ten minutes.                                    :j
 And remember, our future rests on our school. Is that              I know, our' religion as a whole costs more than
 too much? You say: but the school is only a single             that. I know that extras like new organs and new
 item on our ecclesiastical budget. Oh, but it's a vital `&m-&h edifices are not included in our calculations. I
 one ! How many of us do not spend many times three know that Christian school contributions and tuition
 pennies for things that cannot compare with a semin- amounts to considerable for many of our families,
 ary in importance, and we think nothing of it.                 and that if you add all these things together you get
       Do ybu know what it costs to maintain our entire         a burden that some people find  -difficult to bear. For
 denomination? For the year 1949 the total assessment that reason the strong must continue to shoulder the
was slightly over $32.00 per family. According to the lion share of the burden. Nor is there reason to be-
 Christian Reformed Yearbook of 1949, page 239, their come careless and wasteful. However, we are speak-
 churches were required to raise $39.15 per family for ing now about our normal church'and denominational
 their denominational needs. Hence, we have no com- expenses, and they, certainly, are. not prohibitive.
 plaint on that score. Our denominational obligations               Least of all when  we consider the values received.
 amount to about nine cents per day, the price of one                                                 ALL:  .f                    ,F
 Melba cigar, the cost of operating a car from `Fuller                                                            R. Veldmap.  ,;  ,f


                                          ?"HE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           439
... ---  I  .- ---  ;"_z;I:-___-
                                                                 quoted by the professor. We certainly need not make
                                                                 any rmarks about Ps. 145 :9-to this passage we have.
                                                                 called attention, more than once in this series of articles.
                                                                 The word of God in Luke  6:35-36 reads as follows:
                   The Mercy Of -God                             "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend,
        ,,-                                                      hoping for nothing again ; and your reward shall be
                                                                 great, and ye shall `be the children of the Highest:
               God's Mercy According To  Berkhof                 for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
                                                                 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merci-
    Another important aspect of the goodness of God              ful." To this passage also we have called attention in
is His mercy or tender compassion. Concerning this               the past. And we repeat at this time what we wrote
attribute of the Lord, Prof. Berkhof writes in his               in a preceding article, namely, that we do not deny
Reformed. Dogmatics, page 73, as' follows :  "The Mercy          that the Lord is kind to the unthankful and the evil.
of God.         Another important  aspebt  of the  ,goodness     Let the exponents of "Common Grace" prove that these
.of God is His mercy or tender compassion.               The     unthankful and evil also include the reprobate un-
                                                                 thankful and evil. This we deny. But we should 
Hebrew word most generally used for this is  "chesed".                                                                 care2
                                                                 fully note the other references which the' professor
There is another word, however, which expresses'a deep
and tender compassion,, namely, the word "raeham",               quoted in support of a general mercy of the Lord. He
                                                                 refers to Ezek. 18 :23, 32, and 33:11,, and these pas-
which is beautifully rendered by "tender mercy" in
our English Bible. The Septuagint and the New Testa-             sages reads as follows: "Have I any pleasure at all
                                                                 that the wicked should die? Faith the Lord God: and
ment employ the Greek word "eleos"  ,to designate the not that he should return from his way, and live? .' . .
mercy of God. If the grace of God contemplates man as
guilty  before,God,  and therefore needs forgiveness, the        Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have
mercy of, God contemplates him  asone who is bearing no pleasure in the death of the wicked ; but that the
the consequences of sin, who is in a  pitiable  condition,       wicked turn from his way and live, turn ye,. tu-r$,ze
and who therefore needs Divine help.  Lt may be defined          from your evil ways ; for-why will ye die; `0' house `of
                                                                 Israel?" We must note the arminian thrust in  Berk-
as `the  goodmss  or love of God shown to those who, are         hof's quoting of these passages. The "Common Grace"
in misery or distress, &respective of their deserts. In
His mercy God4 reveals Himself as a compassionate                theory, we must understand, as developed by the late
                                                                 Dr. A. Kuyper, pertains only to  ~the things of this
God, Who pities those who are in misery and is ever              present time. According to this eminent theologian
ready to relieve their'distress. This mercy is bountiful,        the general love or grace or.mercy  of the Lord touches
Deut. 5 :lO ;. Ps. 57 :lO ; 86 :5, and the poets of Israel       only upon the sinner's earthy and temporal existence,
delighted to sing of it as enduring forever, I Chron.            and must never be confused with the things of.`God%
16:34 ; II Chron. 7 :6 ; Ps. 136 ; Ezra 3 :X1; In the New
Testament it is often mentioned alongside of the grace           eternal salvation in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Dr. Kuy-
                                                                 per would distinguish sharply between the heavenly
of God, especially in salutations, I Tim. 1:2; II Tim.
l:l; Titus  Y.:4.           We are told repeatedly that it is    and the earthy, the natural and the spiritual, the things
                                                                 of this present life and our eternal salvation. How-
shown to them that fear God, Ex.  20:2; Deut.  7:9;              ever, the "general mercy" of God as expressed `id. these
Ps. 86 :5; Luke 1:5,$,  .-This does not mean, however,           passages from Ezekiel deals with salvation. The Lord
that it is limited to th,em,  though they enjoy it in a          has no pleasure at all that the wicked should die, but
special measure. God's tender `mercies are over all
His works,, Ps.  135:9, and even those who do not fear           that he should turn from his ways, and live. And this
                                                                 is explained by the professor simply in the sense that
Him share in them, Ezek. 18 :23,32 ; 33 :ll'; Luke 6 :35,        the Lord has no pleasure in the eternal death of any
36. The mercy of God may not be represented as op-               sinner, but that  ,He wills and desires the  salvatZoh
posed to  His, justice. It is exercised only in harmony
with the strictest,justice  of ,God,  in viewof the merits       of all men.     This, we must understand, should no
                                                                 longer be presented to the people as a general grace
of, Jesus Christ., Other terms used for  i$ in the Bible or mercy of the Lord, but simply as the particular
are "pity, compas&n, and lovingkinddae$`.                        grace or mercy of God which has become common or
     In this quotation of Prof. Berkhof, we are told that general. Then we-should no longer distinguish be-
repeatedly this mercy of the Lord is shown to them tween the natural and: the spiritual, the earthy and
that fear God. Of course, we are `also reminded once the heavenly,  .but  b'oldly  present the Lord as offering,
more of the theory of "Common Grace", and told that without distinction, His heavenly and eternal salva-
also this virtue of the Lord is not limited to the people tion to all men. This would help to clear the at-
of God, but is also shown unto those who do not fear mosphere.
Him. And let us please note the passages which are                  And, finally, we should also note the hopeless  con-


440                                     TlIE S,TANDARD  B E A R E R

fusion of the professor when he writes that "the mercy          as that of a father, Ps. 193 :13, is shown to thousands,
oE God may not be represented as opposed to His                 Ex.  20:6, and returns  ,after  chastisement, Is.  14:1,
justice." He may have in mind Lord's Day 4, Question 49:13  f.f., 54:8, 5&`:7'I,-6Osl.0,  Jer. 12:15,  30:18,  31:20,
and Answer 11: "Is not ,God then also merciful 1 C ~1           Hos. 2 :22, Micha  7 :19, etc. In the New Testament
is indeed merciful, but also just; therefore His justice        God, the Father of mercy, II Cor. 1:3, has revealed
requires, that sin which is committed against the most          His mercy in Christ, Luke  1:50 f.f., Who is a merciful
high majesty of God, be also punished with extreme,             High Priest, Matt. 18 :27, 20 :34, etc., Heb. 2:17,  and
that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul."         He moreover manifests the riches of His mercy, Eph.
However, how can a general mercy of God, which pur-             2 :4, in the salvation of the believers, Rom. 9 :23, 11:30,
poses the salvation of all men (Prof. Berkhof's quoting I Cor.  4:1, I Tim.  1:13, Heb.  4:16,  etc."-thus far
of the texts in Ezekiel), ever be harmonized with the quotation of. the late Dr. Bavinck. Comment on
particular atonement? How is it possible for the Lord this quotation of Dr. Bavinck is unnecessary. The
to offer His salvation to all without distinction upon mercy of God, according to this eminent theologian, is
the basis of strictest justice? To offer salvation to the goodness of God as shown l,o His people in misery.
all certainly must imply that there must be salvation                 .'
for all ; one *can hardly conceive of the Lord that He                            Idea Of The Terms.
would offer something that does not exist. And there               Two terms are particularly of interest in the Old
is salvation for all only if Christ died for all, for all       Testament.  T,he term most frequently employed in
the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ                  the Hebrew is "chesed". This word denoted an  in-
Jesus. However, if Christ did not die for all `(and no elination of the emotion, of the affection toward an
Reformed man would even dare to affirm that the                 object in misery. Another word which appears in the
death of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be applied to all          Old Testament is "rachaemim", the plural of "rechem'?,
men, head for head), the "general" mercy of the Lord which is, first of all, the womb, in a broader sense
would be devoid of any basis of strict justice and              the bowels, and therefore used of the inner parts `as
righteousness.      To harmonize, therefore, a general the seat of affection. This word may be translated as :
                                                                                                                    ,,,
mercy of the Lord which is in harmony with His                  compassion, tender mercy.
strict justice is impossible. However, the Lord is strict-         The idea of mercy, as it appears in the New Testa-
ly just ; only, there is no such thing as a general mercy ment, is about the same as in the Old Testament. The
of God.                                                         word most frequently used in the New Testament is
                                                                "eleos", which means mertiy or kindness toward the
           God's Mercy According To H. Bavinck.                 miserable and the afflicted, and accompanied by a
       Dr. Bavinck is also #brief  in his discussion of this    desire to help and relieve them. Another word used
vir:ue of God. He writes in his Reformed Dogmatics,             in the Greek is "splagchna", the usual translation of
Vol. II, pages 180-181, and we translate: "This good- the Hebrew, "rachaemim", a word which means:
ness of God appears in various forms, depending upon bowels, intestines, inasmuch as the Hebrew conceived
the objects upon which it is directed. Closely related of the bowels or intestines as the seat of the affections.
to it is loving kindness or tender mercy (goedertieren-         And a third word which appears in the New Testa-
heid), "chesed a.v. chasan", "stringere", to bind, ment,  al&o used in the Septuagint (the translation by
"chreestotees", related to "prautees", II Cor.  1O:l.           the Seventy of the Old Testament Scriptures into the
At times it is used in a general sense, I Chron. 16  :34        Greek) is "oiktirmos", which means : viscera, or bowels.
(how this text can be generally interpreted may well Besides the individual appearance of these various
be considered an enigma-H.V.) but it mostly ex- words in the New Testament, they also appear in com-
presses God's special favor (gunst)  to His people, the bination. In Luke $:78, for example, we read- of the
inclination whereby He is bound to his "favored ones "splagchna eleous"-bowels of mercy, and in Col. 3  :12
(gunstgenoten)  ", Rom.  2:4 (notice, please, that Ba- the word "oiktirmos" is used with "eleos". Then again,
vinck  applies this text to  the- people of God, not to all the words "splagchna" and "oiktirmos" are used alone
sinners as did the Synod of 1924--H.V.) ,  II Car; lo:1         in the New Testament to designate the mercy of God.
. . . .The goodness of God, when shown to those who              The common word, however, is "eleos", and this
are miserable, is called mercy, "rachemin, splagchna,           word, `together with its synonyms which we have men-
viscera, misericordia", New Testament "eleos,  ock- tioned, designates the goodness of God as it manifests
tirmos". Of this mercy of God we read everywhere in itself toward *His people in misery with the desire to
Scripture, Ex. 34:6, Deut. 4 :31, II Chron. 30 :9, Ps.          relieve them in and of their distress.
86:15,   103:8,   111:4,   112:4,  145:8, in contrast with
men, II Sam. 24 :14, Prov. 12:10, Dan. 9 :9, 18, This                       Its Use In The New Testament.
mercy is manifold, II Sam. 24:14,  Ps. 119 :156, great,             First of all, we would call attention to I Ret. 1~3.
Neh. 9 :19, Ps. 51 :X3, without end, cLam.  3 :22, tender       This text reads as follows: "Blessed be the God and


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         441

       Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Which according to fellowship with His people in Christ Jesus shall have
       His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a been completed. And notice also in this connection
1      lively  hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the first part of this text: "Keep yourselves in the
       the dead." In this particular Word of God the mercy love of God". This does not refer primarily to our
       of ,God is held before us as the standard as well as the love of God, for: "Not herein is love, that we loved
       source of that which God works for His people. This God, but that He loved us". The love of God is surely
       mercy of the Lord is certainly, first of all, the source     God's love toward us. And .in this love of God we must
       of our salvation. This salvation consists, on the one        keep ourselves. In that amazing, unchangeable love
       hand, of our deliverance from sin and death, our deep- we must stand ; that love of God we must keep ever
       est and  terrible woe. And, positively, it leads us unto before us ; `to that love of God we must cling and in
       the eternal inheritance, whereof the apostle speaks in it we must walk. Then, because our God is Jehovah,
       the following fourth verse: "To an inheritance incor- the unchangeable and almighty covenant God, we will
       ruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,           be assured that the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
       reserved in heaven for you." The Lord, now, has be-          will lead us into everlasting glory in the day of His
       gotten us again unto a lively hope according to  His         coming.
       abundant  mercy. Hence, the starting point of this              A third passage to which we would call attention
       mercy of God is our misery, and the end or goal is our is Eph. 2 :4 : "But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His
       greatest glory. And the "eleos" or mercy of God is           great love wherewith He loved us". The expression
       therefore the Divine motive, desire to bless His people      "for" means literally: because of. Bearing this in
       in  misery.  Secondly, this mercy of God is also the         mind, we may translate: "But  ,God,  `Who is rich in
       standard of our salvation. We are blessed, so declares mercy, because of His great love wherewith He loved
       the apostle in this text, "according to His abundant us". This text, particularly when viewed in its co+
       mercy."    Mind you, this mercy of God is called :           text, is truly an amazing portion of the Word of God.
      abundant, great. Neither is it difficult- to understand Also here the starting point is our great misery; We
       why the apostle calls this mercy of our God an abun-         read in verses 1-3: "And you hath He quickened, who
       dant, a great, a tremendously rich mercy, a mercy            were dead in trespasses and sins ; Wherein in time past
      with a tremendously rich and abundant content. All ye walked according to the course of this world, accord-
      wc  need do is attempt to measure the tremendous dis-         ing to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit tFst
      tance between  our unspeakable misery and ultimate now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among
       salvation. It saves us out of the misery of sin and          whom also we all had our conversation in times past
       death. It reaches out unto us as we lie in deepest hell.     in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
       It extends to people who are by nature objects of wrath      flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children
      and the indignation of God, children of wrath and of of wrath, even  as others." Moreover, also this fourth
.     disobedience even as are all the' others (Eph. 2:1-4).        verse of Eph. 2 speaks of the  riches of  God's mercy
       It saves, therefore, from the unspeakable woe of being and connects it with. the love of God as its ultimate
      eternally forsaken of God. And it leads us into a glory reason and ground. The text declares, does  i' not,
       so great that `it could never enter into the heart or        "But God, Who is rich in mercy, because of His yrcnt
      mind of man. The mercy of the Lord, therefore, trans- love wherewith He loved us." Obviously,  therefore,
      fers us out of deepest hell into an incorruptible, un- the love of God, yea the great love of God is the ground
      defiled inheritance, which fadeth not away. No won- of and reason for the mercy of God. The love of G, d
       der that the apostle can speak of this mercy as an lies at the root of His mercy and His mercy  conse-
      abundant mercy, a tremendously rich mercy.                    quently serves His love. By mercy the end of His love
          Another passage to which we would call attention is reached. God loves His people  with, an everlasting
     . is Jude :$l. There we read:. "Keep yourselves in the         love in Jesus Christ, His Son, our' Lord. And because
      love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus          of tha: great love of God He would save them out of
      Christ unto eternal life". The word "mercy" has               their great misery, so that this love of  ,God reveals
      undoubtedly the same significance in this passage as itself as His mercy toward His people in misery.
      in I Pet. 3. :3. We must look for the mercy of our Lord Notice, also in this context, that the riches of the
      Jesus Christ unto eternal life. The mercy of our Lord, mercy of God becomes manifest in our being made alive
      which will be revealed at His coming, is a mercy that         in Christ, in our being raised with Him  .and being
      will lead us into everlasting life, is a mercy, therefore,    placed with Him in heaven, even as we read this in
      that cannot and therefore will not rest unti1 it have verses 5-6 : "Even when we were dead in sins, hath
      saved us completely from all sin and death and corrup- quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are
      tion and have bestowed upon us everlasting life, the saved) ; And hath raised us up together, and made us
      eternal  fellowship and communion with the Lord in His sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." And
      eternal and heavenly tabernacle, when God's covenant-         all this occurs, so we read, in order that the Lord

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

 might show forth the exceeding riches of His grace,
 as we read in verse 7: "That in the ages to come He                    Reply To Rev. Petter !`. . ' '
 might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His
 kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." Hence,
 the Lord willed to save us out of such a great misery                            ( Continued)
 and lead us into an unspeakable glory in order that Dear Brother :-
the exceeding riches of His grace might be shown and             Especially my last article must have made it crystal
 receive our praise even for evermore.
        A fourth and final Scripture to which we would clear to you that the doctrine contained in your propo-
                                                              sition is heretical and that in denying its contrary you
 call attention is Rom. 9  2.23. There we read : "And that
 He might make known the riches of His glory on the repudiate the truth. But, of course, I am only a sinful,
 vessels of mercy, which He had afore'  prepared unto falible man. I therefore may be *in error. If so, please
                                                              instruct me. Such again is my request. You must
 glory." The people of God are called in this text:
 "vessels of Illercy", and this expression signifies that realize that you are under the necessity of doing one
 they are products of this mercy of God. Vessels of of two:             1) of pronouncing your  propositiqp  false  ;
 mercy are vessels produced by mercy ; as the people of 2) or of proving my argument false. The  litter you
 the Lord we owe our existence' (our existence as people, as yet have not even attempted.
 of God) exclusively to the mercy of God. In the second          Brother, your whole action from beginning to end
 place we would note, in connection with this text, that is rather astounding. In  eaplaining  that statement `I
 this mercy of God, which produces these vessels, upon must begin with your doi' by which you suddenly
 whom the Lord visits His glory, has its purpose in the appeared in print with  th4 pronouncement that the'
 everlasting God Himself. We read, do we not, that            promises of God are conditional; that God saves His
 God had afore prepared them -unto glory. Hence, it ia people on the condition of their faith and i6p&tanc&
 God Who, before the foundation of the world, willed You may reply,.  "What of that? The contrary doc-
 that these "vessels of mercy" should be clothed with trine-the doctrine that the promises of God are un-
 the riches of His glory. And that this sovereign good conditional-is not contained in our official creeds.
 pleasure should receive all the emphasis, also in  this Being thus extra-confessional, it may be publicly denied
 passage, need not surprise us, particularly if we con- and its contrary ideologies publicly defended with im-
 sider the entire, context in which this text occurs. This punity."                  .I.
 entire ninth chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans,           But you realize, brother, that the  matter is not as
 horn the beginning to the end, is one song of praise         s&ple as that. The doctrinal tenet in question is
 which sings of the  e'ternal sovereignty of the Lord. extra-confessionai  only as  .to  the  fomz of its words.
 And, finally, notice in this twenty-third verse that Its underlying idea, which is that God's predestination
 "God makes known the riches of His glory  upon these and His saving grace are sovereign, is contained in
 vessels of mercy. Having prepared them unto  glory our creeds. I know, you will deny this. You perhaps
 from  Jlefore  the foundation of the world, He also will want to maintain that the thought of your proposi-
 actually visits this glory upon them, and thereby makes tion as to its underlying idea is contained in  our creeds.
 them, by his' mercy, vessels which reveal the glory But  it seems to me that by this time your eyes should
 of the Lord. And all this takes place, we under- have opened to the fallacy of your position.
 stand, in order that He might make known the  tiahes            2. The doctrine that the prQr+ses  of ,God are un-
 of His glory, in order that we may forever sing of the conditional and unfailing has be& `current among us
 amazi'ng  and unfathomable power of the grace and            for the past twenty-five years, ever since our expulsion
 ;+ntircy  of our God. For it is indeed the purpose, of from the communion of Christion Reformed Churches.
 the Lord that no  flesh may  boast,  but that whosoever It was Rev. H. Hoeksema who first directed our minds  *
 boasteth shall boast or glory forever in the Lord,           to these things. And through the years, largely as a
                      (to be continued)                       result of his polemical writings, it has become the
                                              H. Veldman.     settled conviction of most of our people, I believe, that
                                                              the doctrine is true, and that its contraries-the con-
                                                              dition-theology of the late Prof. Heyns along with
                                                              the related theory of common grace--are heretical.
                      CLASSIS EAST                               3. Exactly because we could not subscribe, these
                                                              theories-it being our conviction that they are heretical
 meets in regular session Wednesday, July 6, 1949, -we were deposed in our office and ejected from the
 at  9:OO A. M., at the First Protestant Reformed communion of Christian Reformed Churches. And
 Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan.                            since that time we have been known, and I may add,
                              D. Jonker, Stated Clerk.        hated, slandered, despised and ignored, for our per-


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         443

sistent  rejec:ion  of the aforesaid heretical speculations to the development of the knowledge of the truth?
and for our consistently apposing to them the truth It is to this thoroughly unscholarly procedure of yours,
that God is God' and none else and that accordingly which is only calculated to bring us all to grief if per-
His promises to His people are unconditional and un- sisted in, to which I especially refer, when I speak of
failing. Through the years this confession has been your rather astounding actions. If your writings on
our banner, our i badge of distinction, and our glory        the points at issue only bore the evidence of real and
and reproach. Should we ever as churches repudiate hard study on your part, I would still, of course, be
 Lhat confession-let us call it our heritage-we would attacking your doctrinal tenets; but then you would
be cutting the' heart out of our theology ; we would         find the phrases of my polemic interspersed with
be destroying our significance and. influence and the expressions ,of esteem for your effort and industry.
sole reason and'meaning of our s&arate..existence  as As it is, I find myself capable only of frowning'upon
churches ; and we would soon find that we had lost our the content of your productions. However, I am per
power, and that our candlestick had been removed out suaded that had `you prefaced your public announce-
of His place. Our habit of calling ,ourselves  ,distinct-    ments by real study of terms and connectives in the
ively reformed has reference to that confession espec- three languages concerned you would not have made
ially, and to our repudiation of its contrary. tenets.       them, unless, of course, you are laboring under a power-
    With these circumstances before our eye, how ful bias, which I don't want to, believe.
*difficult it should be for any of us openly to repudiate       But there is more to say. My first open letter to
the doctrine that the promises of God are unconditional      you was friendly and brotherly. I stated that  wha:,
and unfailing, and publicly to champion, recommend you had from my pen was not to be regarded as critic-
and eulogize its contrary tenets even though we. have        ism ; that all I desired was discussion. I n   t h e   b o d y .
the right, the legal right. How we should recoil from of my article I pointed out your mistake, which is your
taking that step lightly and ,thoughtlessIy,  and-u&on- illegal use of words, definitely the word. "condition".
siderately. Yet, that is what you did, brother. Your         I pointed out that you are in duty bound to use this
writings make this crystal clear: You had made no            term according to the meaning that it has in the dic-
s:udy  of things. You were ignorant of the meaning tionary and that, doing so, you find yourself under the
of the term "condition" as a sentence-element of your necessity of pronouncing your proposition heretical.
proposition. You had not an inkling of an idea of            In your reply you took little notice of my letter, it
the use of that term in logic, philosophy ,and common being your sole purpose to neutralize as soon as pos-
IifeEel The definitions of the term with which you sup- sible the effect that my writing may have had on our
plied me are as fatal to your proposition as any defini-     people.    You shoved my whole argument aside by
tion could be; but you realized it not. You imagined         virtually accusing me of having fabricated the defini-
that the conjunctive "if" has but one meaning, "on tion of the term "condition", that' I had presented.                    '
condition that"; while the fact  &that this is but one of You have learned by this time that your accusation is
the  several.meanings  that the  partiue  can have. In groundless, learned that the definition is genuine in-
support of your proposition you quoted  "if" texts deed. Other writings. from your pen followed. But
 of the Scriptures as going "op de klank af" to use one they all tell the same story. It is this:
of your own expressions. You failed to asc.ertain  the
meaning of that "if" by exegesis of these texts. Thus           1. You persist in teaching that the promises of
you failed to determine by close study of the text the       God to His people are conditional.
 meaning of the Hebrew and Greek equivalents of the             2. Thus, you persist, after all that I have written,
 conjunctive "if" as a sentence-element in the "if" to use the term "condition", always as a  sentence-
 clauses of the Bible of the type of your `liroposition.     element in your proposition, according to the meaning
 You quoted `a f&v texts, referred to many others but that it has in your private vocabulary; it means ?ha(,
exegeted none. Yet, in that state of~sprofound  ignor- you refuse to admit that as teacher-sin  the church of
ance you boldly appeared in print with the denial of         God we are in duty bound to use our words according
 the doctrinal tenet that God's promises are uncon- to the meaning that they have in the dictionary. As: I
 ditional and unfailing, and unblushingly defended and stated in my open letter, to employ words as you
 extolled its contrary ideologies. How utterly unscholar- employ words is exceedingly dangerous. As' was ex-
ly your procedure, brother! Did it not once occur to plained,. it. allows one to make the Bible say anything
 you that in your ignorande  you might with one thought- one pleases, and thus to smuggle into the church any
 less stroke of your pen be breaking down and destroy- heresy under heaven. By the employment of suCh  a
 ing what others by hard .work  in the way of unwearied ~method  of dealing with words, it was  rjointed  out, I
 study of the Scriptures have built up? How by such a can even make the Bible teach that-Satan is a creature
 procedure can we hope to advance the cause of truth in of virtue. All I do is to strip the words  e&,  sin#&,
 our midst? How can we hope to contribute anything corrupt, depraved of the meanings that they .have in


444                                   ~TIIE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

the dictionary and define them as  virtue.  It is as rea1.            My settled conviction, and the conviction of
simple as that.                                             most of the Protestant Reformed, I believe and hope.
   3. You refuse to admit that if God is the author of is that the promises of God are  unconditional  (onvoor-
Faith, the will to believe on the part of His people is     waardelijk), while the position of the Liberated is
not a condition according to  the use of the term  in logic; that the promises of God are  conditional  (voorwaardc-
that it is a condition only according to its use in your    lijk) . Certainly, you must perceive that the two  props-
primte  dogic.                                              sitions, doctrinal tenets, are contrary and thus mutually
   4. My exegesis taught us that the sole function of exclusive, necessarily so, as the two terms "condition-
the conjunctive "if" in the "if" clauses of the Bible al", and "unconditional" are. contraries. Our firm
of the type with which we are occupied is to establish      belief is that in the light of the Scriptures the doctrine
before the minds of the believers the certain connection of the Liberated as it comes to expression in the propo-
between faith and salvation. You saw that idea in my sition that the promises of God  are.  conditional is thor-
articles and adopted it. But you continue to insist oughly heretical and that our  doctrine  is according to
that this. "if" is .conditonal  `. In that way you corrupt the Scripture. Brother Wildeboer, y.ou will bear with
my whole exegesis and destroy the fruit thereof.            me in my making this revelation to you. I dare write
   5. A final question:      How can God bestow upon these things to you, because I gather from your letter
His people salvation on the condition of their faith,       that you are a sincere man who wants to knew  the
if faith is included in salvation.                          facts and that in your heart you love the truth,  so'
   Your latest articles contain some strange and dub-       that when once your ,eyes have opened to the errors
ious reasonings. Your reply to W. Wildeboer, whose of the Liberated you will reject  them  with all your
letter was published in the Concordia for May 26 heart and embrace what we believe to be the  .truth  of
attracted my attention. Brother Wildeboer (of  Pen-         God's Word on the point at issue.
wick, Ontario, Canada and a member of one of the                Allow me to quo& to you a few lines from a certain
Liberated churches until seven months ago), explained protest of mine which was treated on our last Synod.
in his letter the condition-theology of the Liberated.      These. lines read: "Our `sole calling is to preach the
He not only explains this theology but defends it as        gospel, as willing that God use our preaching as He
weli and this in opposition to Rev. H. Veldman whose        chooses, preach what we believe to be the true gospel
statement he read in the Concordia. Rev. Veldman let of the Scriptures. Only if we (as Protestant Re-
it be known to the readers of Concordia that he con- formed) walk worthy of this calling, does our mission
siders the term "condition" dangerous and on this enterprise repose on a true and Scriptural basis.' And
account would have the term eliminated from our then we also deal honestly and not deceitfully with
dogmatical vocabulary. Brother Wildeboer is of the those among whom we labor whether they be immi-
opinion that, to quote his  oWn words, "they (the Liber- grants in .Canada or Christian Reformed here in the
ated) emphasize more the condition while the Pro- States. And dealing honestly with these people means
testant Reformed Churches more, or less emphasize the that we set before them what we believe to be their
`working of God in man'. Actually  60th mean the doctrinal errors without equivocating and mincing
same. A real danger of misunderstanding is the dif- words and appose to these errors what we believe to
ference in terminology to which both parties have to        bc the truth of God's Word. Certainly we must have
get used to." Let us pause here fore a moment.              controversy with the brethren among whom we labor.
   Rev. Petter, you should have replied to these state-     l?or this is but another way of saying that we must
ment of brother Wildeboer. You should have informed fight the good fight of faith. Doing these things, there
him that he is sorely mistaken. But you didn't. How         is real purpose and meaning to our mission endeavor.
could you, seeing that you have appeared in print           Then we show that we are constrained by the love of
with a denial of the doctrinal LenetLthe  promises of       Christ and the brethren among whom we labor. Then
God are unconditiona7that  has been current among us we seek the church, which we must. And if God makes
for the past twenty-five years, and for which we were us: to see fruit upon our labors, we will be organizing
ejected from the fellowship of the  communion.of  Chris- churches formed of such who have received of God
tian Reformed Churches. You not only openly deniqcl         cars' to hear." With few  i-nodifications,  So I wrote,
that doctrinal tenet but publicly defended and eulogized brother Wildeboer. If you are the kind of man I think
its contrary as well. So I shall now have to make good you are, you fully agree with the sentiments here
your failure.                           ,I>.  "             e x p r e s s e d .
   Brother  Wilddoer.  You are sorely mistaken  m           I.  ,Yoti write further, "It is  `hari  tb answer exactly
yotir imagining that: the difference between the Pro-. what the Liberated churches teach. They wish to be
lestant Reformed and the-liberated touches  ;nly  on        in'no way against Holy Writ. Also we might find a
the form of words. The difference  goes much deep- difference in interepretation."
er. It is fundamental and as such, vital, actual and             It does not surprise me at all, brother Wildeboer,


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           445

that, to quote you, it is hard for you to answer exactly         You continue, "That is the movement you find all
what the Liberated churches teach". The fault lies            over the `Liberated churches." I must pause to ask
not with you but with the teaching of the Liberated.          a question and to make a remark. Have the Liberated
This teaching is not only unscriptural but it destroys churches also taken a stand? Do they, too, know what
itself by inner conflict. It raises questions that no they believe?
one can answer unless one comes with answers that                I do not gather that from the following lines from
are thoroughly impossible answers in the light of the your pen. You write, "We cannot deny being a lot
Scriptures. It is not a wonder, therefore, that you are of trouble there."          What is all that trouble about?
confused. And you are confused brother, as is so evi- The doctrinal tenet that God's promises are conditional
dent from that section of your letter that touches on and its contrary doctrine to which we hold  toucles
the doctrine of the Liberated. And yet I believe with on fundamentals.             It's basically a question  whet,hcr
you that our liberated brethren in the Netherlands            God is God. Can't they agree on fundamentals in the
want to be reformed ; they do not wish in any way to          Liberated churches? Are they still toiling with the
speak against the Scriptures. And we regard them foundation tenets of Christian theology? That, cer-
all,  ,certainly,  as dear brethren in Christ. How we         tainly, is not as it should be    I am reminded here of
wish their eyes would open to their errors.                   the word of the writer of the Hebrews. He writes,
   You continue in your letter, "Now I am not going           "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of
to say that a difference in interpretation might not          Christ, let us go on unto perfection ; not laying again
hurt." Allow me to pause here for a brief remark. Of the foundation of repentance from dead works, and
course you are not going to say that. You are, too            of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptism, and
reformed at heart to make such a statement. You               of `laying on of hands, and of resurrection from the
realize only too well that a difference of interpretation dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do,
does hurt indeed if it touches on fundamentals. And           if God permit". (Hebrews 6 :l, 2).
it is our firm belief that such is here the ease. The            The text deals with foundation of truths of the re-
difference between' the Protestant Reformed and the           ligion of Jesus Christ. According to us Protestant Ref.
Liberated deals with fundamentals indeed.                     this category of doctrines includes also the doctrinal
   You continue, "But noticing that difference people tenet that the promises of God are unconditional and
have to be careful and completely awakened. That unfailing. With us it is one of the principles of the
must make them start thinking and, no doubt, speak- doctrine of Christ, the foundation that has been laid
ing with others." I can certainly agree with you here.        in our ecclesiastical consciousness. Should we then,
Our whole purpose in working in Canada among the as Protestant Reformed churches, assume toward this
immigrants is tactfully and in love to start the breth- principle of doctrine a critical, skeptical attitude and
ren to thinking on their theology and on ours, definitely in that nttitzcde  go to discussing it amongst ourselves,
on the propositions that the promises of God are un- we would be doing what the sacred writer forbids ;
canditional and its contrary. Of course, you realize,         we would again be laying the foundation of our theo-
brother, that we, as Protestant Reformed Churches,            logy ; and we would be like the people of whom Paul
have not entered Canada with a question-mark behind writes in his second epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. 3 :7),
our theology. Our firm stand is that our theology "Ever learning and never able to come to the know-
as it comes to expression in the doctrinal tenet that         ledge of the truth." We may not be like that. Our
God's promise are unconditional is sound and that its calling as believers is to grow in knowledge as holding
contrary is heretical. And our purpose is to win you the true foundation. Our calling as believers is to
-instrumentally, of course-for our doctrine. You develop not the truth, which is impossible, but our
as yet may be holding to the doctrine that is contrary knowledge of the truth. Or in the words of the sacred
to ours. It is well. We will discuss the matter together..    writer, our calling as believers is to leave the principles
But our readiness to discuss must nat be taken to mean        of the doctrine of Christ, and go on unto perfection,
that the attitude we assume toward our doctrine is that that is, perfection of doctrine. Under the constraint
it may or may not be true. Our firm belief is that our of a living faith we must perfect our knowledge and
doctrine is true. And in that conviction we preach and understanding of the truth, that is, of what we believe
discuss. But, of course, if you believe that our doctrine to be the truth of God's Word. But how could we as
is false you have every right in the world to attempt         Protestant Reformed hope to undergo such growth,
to convince us of our error. And we assure you that           and this applies, of course, to every communion of
we will respectfully listen. We are a very reasonable churches, if we could not agree amongst ourselves
and open-minded people in that respect. We greatly on what is truth ; if we were forever returning to and
desire discussion. But, brother, we have taken a stand.       re-examining the doctrines that are basic to our theo-
And we know what we believe. And that is the secret logy in our skepticism of these doctrines? What right
of our power. How else could we preach?                       would we have to be referring to ourselves as  dis-

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

 tinctively reformed, if our attitude toward our dis- the true gospel of Christ. And the membership of such
 tinctively reformed principles were one of doubt? We. churches are then indeed nevertheless satisfied with
 would be lying. How could we labor among the immi- themselves for their nominal adherence to their herit-
 grants in Canada or among the Christian Reformed age which they neither love nor practice `anymore, and
 in the States, with such a doubt filling our souls? We with which eventually they do ,not any longer appear
 could not and might not. It ,would"be.sheer  hypocrisy. in their pulpits either. And on the ground of that
 And we would have no power. We would be weak. abominable wark-their outward adherence to their
 And in our weakness we would find ourselves agree- creeds-they think to go to heaven. The disease with
 ing with our opponents on the mission field.                  which such churches  are smitten `is known as dead
     It seems to me, Rev. Petter, that you should have orthodoxy.           It is of such churches that you speak,
 replied to your correspondent in this vein. But you           I believe. You go on to tell us, "In  *this process `(of
 didn't. You flatly refused. You wrote, "I have only spiritual deterioration) we can, of course, easily dis-
 one point that I would call attention to in the above         tern' two phases. There is, first, the repeating of
 letter. That does not .concern  `the doctrinal but the certain dogmatical. statements  (italics supplied) as if
 practical." `That is a nice distinction. But there is a that is the assurance of a  pure, safe khurch.  . And there
 reason why you have only one point to which you follows the resultant hollowness and emptiness, so that
 would call attention. That reason has already been we'fall.asleep,  while we think we still stand foursquare
 stated.                                                       on the truth. Mr. Van Sprdnsen, when he was among
     Your reply contains some strange reasonings. Al- us, called this the feeling of arrivedness.
low me to single' them out. 1. As  we'have seen, the              "`I hope," you continue, "that the Lord will keep
 attitude of your correspondent toward the differences. us as Protestant Reformed churches from this terrible
 between the Liberated and the Protestant Reformed process.              (I hope so, too, who in `the world wouldn't?
 is that no difference  actually  exist  `(both mean the       G. M. 0.). One of our people once said that when a
 same, he states) ; that the existing differences are only man is being overcome by gas in a stuffy room he
 a matter of different interpretations; that differences thinks he is slipping into a delightful snooze, and does
 of this character "do not hurt as long as we are trying       not have sense .enough to jump to his feet and race
 to find the truth", to quote his own words. He means out.of the house. In a similar way a church goes to
 well, as appears from the sequel of his letter. But his sleep and dies."' So far the Rev. Petter.
 attitude toward our differences  .is nevertheless faulty.        So, then, when we hear a church repeating  certain
 Yet for this attitude you have greatest admiration.           dogmatical statements, `we may be certain that. it is
 Here are your words, "First of all we must admire the apostatizing and is on its way to moral-spiritual ruin.
 sober, calm, level-headed attitude this brother takes The repetition of such statements is the infallible
 toward the differences that exist between us and the symptom of such deterioration. You certainly should
 liberated brethren". So .also your position is that no have gone a step further, brother, and revealed just
 actual differences exist. The two propositions: a) the what those dogmatical statements are so that, should
 promises of God are %ncowditional; and b) the promises we be guilty of repeating them, we could know that
 of God are conditional are not mutually exclusive. The we are `being overcome by gas, and betimes. jump to
 thought of each is the same. The term cond~~tinul  and our feet and run out of our ecclesiastical house. Do
 unconditianal  are not contraries. We seek the truth these dogmatical statements also include the doctrinal
 because we do not have it. Hence, both propositions           tenet that the promises of God  al;e `unconditionui,  `and
 are wrong. Through our discussion  pf these erroneous is the point to your argument that, if we as churches
 propositions, we find the truth.                              know what is good for us, we will stop repeating that
     Now it can easily be understood that your corres- tenet and adopt and begin repeating your doctrine to
 pondent should take this attitude. He is a newcomer. the effect that the promises of God are conditionul?
He is not informed. As yet  he'does  not understand I can't see why you didn't tell us, seeing that you are
 our principles. His ability to say what he means in so5~oncerned  about us. Why did you leave us in the
 English is limited although I am surprised that he dark? And tioncerned  you are. For you go on to say,
 uses his. English as well as he does. But that you "I do not think that when our people speak of our herit-
 should be taking that attitude!                               age they are exactly guilty of this sin. However, there
     2. You state further, "And his picture of a church is always that danger for all of us."
that has `a glorious heritage' and falls asleep in  self-         You go on to say, "Therefore we as Protestant Re-
 satisfaction is very instructive." I agree. True, sad formed also are now thrown into these problems rather
 .to say, there are such churches. Their being over- unexpectedly must try to make these questions alive
 taken by such sleep goes hand in hand with the re- to ourselves, we must try to discuss freely as brethren
 pudiation in their heart of their `glorious  heritage',       among each other,  and.to understand each other." We
 if it is  tmcl?~  a glorious heritage, that is, the truth,    were not thrown unto any problems, brother; and


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             &7
                                                                                                                   . .
this for the simply reason that the things whereof you
`speak are for us no problems. We know what we                            SION'S ZANGEN
believe. `As churches, we took a position with respect
to these  #things  twenty-five years ago. They may be
problems to you, but not to us. This does not mean                              &en Vloekpsilm .
that we are unwilling to discuss these things.with  you.
There is nothing that we would rather do than discuss                           (Psalm 109 ; Eerste Deel)
these things with you. For it appears that you have                 Dat men geen raad weet met dezen psalm bevreemdt
need of it.                             I
    And yet that is precisely what you do not want- ons in  .`t geheel  niet. Dat past bij onze eeuw.  Onze
discussion, despite  al1 your pretty words about discus- eeuw  kent den vreeselijken God niet. De God dieeen.
sion. That you shun  .discussion  like a plague `again verteerend vuur is, voor wiens aangezicht de engelen
                                                                 Gods hunne aangezichten bedekken, is ons geslacht
appears from what you next write, "Also the editor in
theStandard Bearer, May 15, devotes a couple of para- vreemd. Men  praat vandaag  liever  van de gemeene
graphs to the question that is being discussed among gratie,  van de gustige gezindheid &Gods  jegens alle men-
us. (I should say he does. He emphatically denies that schen. Het  eelste   deef  van Gods kerk bazelt gekke
the promises of God are conditional. G.M.O.) It shows dingen, In de zuiverste openbaririgen  van de kerk van
again how necessary it is that we keep understanding Christus. hoort men allerlei malle dingen  zeggen  van
each other, when on the one hand we want to avoid all            een God die goedgustig, barmhartig en goedertieren is
Pelagianism  itnd on                                             tegenover het  volk waarop Hij vergramd is tot in
                         the other  hund  wait to do  justice    eeuwigheid. En  als men dan  -dezulken voorhoudt, dat dit
tir the  maizy passages in Scripture that  teaqh  conditions     tochniet opgaat, dat dilt vastloopt, dat zoo het Eeuwige
in the covenant, and want to understand the  ploxe  that         Wezen tegen  Zichzelf  verdeeId  moet zijn, dan ,spreekt
our Reformed  fatkers gave to the  eo,nditio& in the             men heel wijs van een mysterie, van  twee-lijnen-theo-
covenant". (italics  supphed)  .
   The sentence in italics is very revealing.' `It shows l o g i e .
your stand, which is that there are conditions in .the              Neen, onze generatie weet niet wat te  doen  met den
covenant and that this is self-evident from  tie type of honderd-negenden psalm. In  dien. phalm hooren we
"if" sentences in the Bible to which your statement              den vloek Gods afgebeden, en dan we1 door den man
has reference. Thus you persistently refuse to admit             naar Gods .hart.; ,die door den Heiligen Gee@  bidt en
that the issue is precisely  whether  there are conditions smeektt. En ,als men U dan tegenwerpt, dat `David we1
in the covenant, and  whether  those "if" sentences teach een fout gemaakt kon hebben in dezen psahn, en met
such a thing. It means that you stubbornly refuse to zijn wraakzuchtig hart te rade gegaan is, dah komt dat
`face the real issues ; and this in turn means that you ook  niet uit, want  Pet&. neemt het hart van den
want no discussion.       Your attitude `is, "There are psalm over en past het toe op Judas, zoodatdegene  die
conditions in the covenant.         I; Rev. Peter, say  .it.     om den vloek Gods  bidt Jezus geweest moet zijn. Deze
And that settles the matter. No discussion please. psalm is vervuld in Christus. Christus  bidt hier eeu-
Those "if" sentences do teach that there are conditions wen te voren om den vloek over Judas en de Judassen.
in the covenant.. This is so very self-evident as to               En dan  .komt er dit nog bij : de psalm is bestemd
render exegesis of those Scripture passages. wholly voor den opperzangmeester.                 Hij moet hem aandachtig
unnecessary. I, Rev. Petter, say it. And that settles bestudeeren. Hij meet  er muziek op maken, en hem
the matter. No discussion please. If,we want to dis- leeren zingen.  Voorts moet hij het koor van zangers
cuss, let it be about what place our Reformed fathers leiden, opdat zij bet ook kunnen zingen. En, eindelijk,
gave to conditions  ih the covenant." Such is your. dan moet de psalm gezongen  worden in den openbaren
attitude brother. Your posture is sheer popism; it is            eeredienst van God.
a brand of individuahsm  that will surely destroy us,            _. En dat is oak geschied.  De psalm is nog steeds in
if not crushed.. What you are doing, brother, is to              den bundel der liederen Davids. Voor lange eeuwen is
destroy the foundation that was once laid' among ns hij  gezongen.  En gij zingt dien psalm  ~vandaag   no&
and lay a foundation of your own choosing. And the temninste,  -ge behoordet hem te zingen.                  Het behoort
sole authority for your action is the "I, Rev. Petter,           bij  I3w taak in den log. des Heeren.
have said, that `settles it. No discussion please !" of             Dat die psalm bewaard gebleven is moet als een
   Rev. Petter.                         G. M. Ophoff.            wonder Gods beschouwd worden.  Geen wonder, dat
                                                                 men in de dagen van 1924 zoo smalend sprak van "de
                                                                 vloek-psalmen". De psahnen behoorden bij de. Oude
                                                   ,'            Bedeeling die uitmuntte in hardigheid, toorn, vloek en
NOTE :  - Following our usual custom. the Standard verdoemenis. Die psalm behoort niet in den mond ,van
Bearer wiIl not appear on the 15th of July and August.           het Nieuw Testamentische kind Gods. En zachtkens


450                                     TEIE  STANbAkD   BEAkEk
                            _____-..                                                           -_,_    ._._  .-  _-.-_ .._,,. -
                    -
                                                            `bishop' or `overseer' (episkopos) . In some churches
             FROM HOLY WRIT                                 distinction is made between elders and bishops. They
                                                            maintain that a bishop holds a higher position than
                                                            an elder. A bishop is overseer over the  whoIe  church,
          The Office In The Church                          even over the elders, so that a bishop is always an
                                                            elder, but the elders are not all bishops. In the early
                                                            church, so they say, certain elders were set apart to be
The Office Of  El&r.                                        bishops. Yet it is evident from many passages in the
       The office of elder in the church is frequently not New Testament that both these names designate the
esteemed as highly as that of the minister of the Word. same office. In Acts 20  :28 the elders of Ephesus are
A minister spends years `of preparationfor his calling' admonished to take heed to themselves and to all the
before he enters the ministry, while the elder is called flock "over which- the Holy <Ghost  has made &hem (all,
out of the midst of the congregation without any special not one) overseers -(bishops)  ." In Titus  1:5, 7 the
preparation.     Again, the minister is called for life, terms are used interchangeably. Titus is instructed
while the elder serves intermittently for periods of to ordain elders in every city, and he is at the same
two or three years at a time. Moreover, the minister time advised that "a bishop must be blameless as the
devotes all his time and efforts to his work, while the steward of God". In Philippians 1: 1 Paul addresses
elder continues his regular vocation while he serves. #the "bishops and deacons", evidently assuming again
And finally, the minister may be a stranger to most of      that elders are bishops. This passage bears the more
the members of the church, but the elder has frequently weight because it speaks of more than one bishop in a
spent years of his life in the congregation, is known       local church. And if we compare I Timothy 3 :2-7 with
personally and intimately to almost all of them, and        Titus  1:57,  we find that the same  quahfications  are
even daily plies his trade or carries on' his business required for both elders and bishops. For all these
among them. And thus, since a prophet is not without reasons we can safely conclude that the terms `elder'
honor except in his own country and among hfs `own and `bishop' refer to the same office in the New T&a-
kindred, it can  easiIy  be understood  sthat the office    ment. An elder is a bishop.
of an elder is frequently considered of lesser import:         The term `elder' is evidently derived from the Old
ante than that of the minister.                             Testament. We know that Mosesappointed elders over
       Yet it must always be borne in mind that these Israel `while they were still Tn the wilderness. This
two offices are actually one, and therefore equal. Both body `of dders developed into the sanhedrin, the ruling
ministers and elders are referred to in Scripture as        body in Israel. After Pentecost the apostles appointed
elders or overseers of the flock. The only difference is    elders for every church that was established. Thus
that the former serve as teaching elders, -while the the,New  Testament office of elders'came into existence.
latter are ruling elders. They both  repl;esent  Jesus      The name means one of advanced years, a senior, evi-
Christ, each in their respective capacity. Both are dently because capable. men of experience were chosen
called to the office in the same way, by Jesus Christ       as the best qualified for this work. Thus the name
gthrough  the medium of the church as far as their out;     designates respect for those who serve in this capacity.
ward calling is concerned, and through the Holy Spirit The name `bishop' describes the work of one who has
in their hearts according to their inward calling. None     charge of the flock. He is  bishop~*`overseer,  in the
other than the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Christ, makes name and on the authority of the chief Bishop, Jesus
them overseers over the flock, calling and qualifying       Christ. He does not act in his own name nor on the
them to the work. (Acts 20  :28). Therefore, although basis of his own credentials or merit, nor on his as-
the elder is a member of long standing in the congrega- sumed authority, but only by the mandate of Him,
tion, although he is-well known to old and young alike,     Whom  Scriptu_re  calls the "Shepherd and Bishop of
although his personal weaknesses against which he           your souls". I Peter  2:25. By virtue  .of his  ca$ng
fights daily are also known to all, and although there he is nothing more and nothing less than a stewardof
is a constant association with him <through his voca-       God's' house. Titus  1:7.
tion, he must be respected, not merely' as a person
because of his person, but especially as office bearer      The Duty.
because of his calling.                                        The duty of theelder  is therefore to have oversight,
The Office.                                                 to superintend, that is, to rule. Just as the minister
                                                            of the Word represents Christ in His church as pro-
       Two words are commonly employed in the New phet, and as the deacon represents Christ as High
Testament to designate the office. The more common          Priest, so the calling of the elder is to represent Christ
one is the term `elder' (presbuteros) , and the other is    as King of His Church. In that sense there can cer-


                                                                                                     *
                                    THE  STANDA RD  BEAR'ER                                                             451

tainly be no objection to the term `ruling elder',           with the  Word that was preached. It is just another
in distinction from the minister as `teaching elder'.        token that the Church of Jesus Christ through her
Elders are called to rule. In I Timothy 5  :17 the office jealously guards the preaching of the Word, and
church is admonished to count those elders who rule th.ereby protects the flock from lurking foes and threat-
well worthy of double honor. In Hebrews 13  :17 we ening dangers. As Paul admonishes the elders of
are told to "Obey them that have *the rule over you,         Ephesus .to take heed.to the whole flock, "for", he adds,
and submit yourselves ; for they watch over your souls,      `!I know this, that after my departure shall grievous
as they that must give account, that they may do it wolves enter in among you, not sparing the  flock. Also
with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable of your own selves shall men arise, speaking. perverse
for you." And in  -1 Peter 5  :2, 3 the apostle instructs things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:
the elders to take oversight over the flock of God, "not 28-31.
by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but         Again it becomes evident that the various offices
of a ready mind ; neither as being lords over God's          in the church can never be separated. Even as the
heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." It is           offices of prophet, priest and king are one in Christ,
exactly for this reason that Christ has entrusted unto so they are also one in the church. The minister of the
his church, and thus to the elders, the keys of the king-    Word also exercises the keys of the kingdom of heaven
dom of heaven to open and close the gates of the .king-      in the preaching, for it is particularly through  the
dom, so that whatsoever they bind on earth is bound          preaching of the Word that the gate of the kingdom is
in heaven, and whatsoever they loose on earth is loosed opened to believers and closed to unbelievers. On the
in  ,heaven.  Our Form for the ordination of elders          other hand, the elder can never serve as overseer of the
expresses this by saying, "Therefore, in the first place,    flock except by means of the Word. He not only watch-
the office of elders is, together with the ministers of      es over the Word, but he also is called to admonish,
the Word, to take oversight of the church, which is          rebuke, advise, comfort and instruct by means of the
committed to  them,  and diligently to look, whether         Word. He acts always only on the authority of his
every one properly deports himself in his confession         Sender, and therefore must always say, "So saith the
and conversation  ; to admonish those who behave them-       Lord !" The only difference between the two offices is,
selves disorderly, and to prevent, as much as possible,      that; the prophetic office is on the.foreground  in the
the sacraments from being profaned: also to act (ac-         calling of the minister, while the ruling office is on the
cording to Christian discipline) against the impenitent, foreground in the work of the elder.
and to receive the penitent again into the bosom of the
Church."                                                        Thus the elder must also teach. `That belongs to.his
   Thus oversight over the flock includes, first of all,     task as overseer, for he  must- feed the flock of God with
to watch over all the sheep, care for them in their          ahe Bread and Milk of the Word. Acts 20 :28, I Peter
needs, discipline the unruly, and gather those who           5:2. He must exhort, giving himself to exhortation.
stray back into the sheepfold. But this oversight also `Bomans  12 :8. He must admonish. I Thess. 5 :12. He
includes that they be fed in the green pastures of the       must be apt to teach. I Tim. 3 :2. He-must be able by
Word. And this responsibility also rests on the elders.      sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the  gain-
also the  minister'in  the ministry of the Word is under sayer. Titus  1:9. He must pray with ,those who have
their supervision on the pulpit, in the catechism and. need of it. And ,he must comfort the fatherless and
whenever he instructs or preaches. Actually the church the widows. James 1~2'7 ; James 5 ~14.
ministers the Word in the Name of Christ, through               That makes it a very responsible position in God's
her elders, and thus through her ministers. In times church. Ministers frequently are transferred from
past it was a common custom in Reformed circles for one congregation to another by the chief Shepherd, but
the presiding elder of the  consisttory  to extend a hand  1 an elder may probably serve intermittently for a whole
of consent to the visiting minister or student at the        lifetime within the same congregation. And his in-
foot of the pulpit before the service, as a token that he    fluence is bound to be great, upon the minister, but also
received the right and authority from the local con- upon the other, less experienced consistory members,
sistory to minister the Word from that pulpit. This          and also upon the congregation. He who serves well
custom has practically disappeared today, but it did         is certainly worthy of double honor. But who is fit
give expression to a sound principle. In our churches for these things? No man, except in the assurance
we still follow the practice of having the consistory        that he is cahed by Christ, and that therefore he is
shake hands with the minister after the sermon. This         unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are
is not a mere friendly gesture, nor should it be regard- saved, and in them that perish. II Cor. 2:16.
ed as such, neither by the minister, nor by the con-
sistory, nor by the congregation. Actually the  office-                         (to be continued)
bearers thereby express their approval and agreement                                                      C.  Hanko:


 452                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-_I_ --...-.-."  .._
                                                                struction upon the schools which there are. A central
                I N   H I S   F E A R                           board was a fine thing, it one time seemed, for it
                                                                helped to procure efficiency and unity. But now there
                                                                is concentration of power, unionization, and what will
             Detecting and Labeling                             the local schools do? The philosophy of education is
                                                                practically dictated to us and who can successfully re-
    In connection with the Common Grace  world-and-             sist it or propose something in its place? These are
life-view, labeled or unlabeled, on which we commented "very sad things. Sad not only because we can no
last time, we want to add a line or two.                        longer find the reformed heritage here for our child-
    We and our people are constantly in contact with ren, but sad especially because it is `our conviction that
this Common Grace world-and-life view. There are                our brethren are moving ever further away from the
areas in which we can work together, and there are way of the Cross and moving ever closer toward the
areas in which we have to work together, but in prac-           seduction of anti-Christ.
tically all areas we meet that same unscribtural  world-           Here then we deal with world-and-life views which
and-life view. It may not perhaps seem so dangerous, we must detect and label, lest our children receive
but it nevertheless is. If it is not labeled, we ought to them.
be detective enough to label it, and having labeled it to
reject it. Not only ought we to reject it, but we ought                     And Schools Of Our Own . . . .
also to attempt to persuade others to reject it. If they
may have their eyes opened they may be won.                        But we cannot leave it here. On the one'hand we
                                                     But let
us be careful that we be not gradually weaned away hope that the various Christian School Boards through-
                                                                out our country will take this Course of Study seriousiy
from the God-and-Word faith, which will surely hap-
pen if we be weaned away from the world-and-life enough to study it in the light of Scripture, and espec-
                                                                ially in the light of such pertinent, issues as : the cove-
view which Scripture gives us and our Confessions nant, regeneration, antithesis, etc. Our schools ought
present us. It is not merely a doctrinal issue which not to teach doctrine but if we will have a philosophy
erupted in 1924, it was an ethical issue no less. Our           of education, so-called, sound doctrine.must  underlie it.
relation to God and our relation to the world was called        In due time come the new text books. Will they be
into question. It needed definition. In 1924 that defl-
nition was given. We were not in nineteen twenty-four an extension of that same dangerous world-and-life
                                                                view ?
arguing about what the other side of the moon looked                      Our Boards must answer that question and
                                                                our men in these Boards have great responsibility.
like.    That  were  a thing so abstract that it meant          We would like to urge all our present school boards
nothing for our everyday life. But the issue was our to examine these things carefully and our men in
relation to the world, determined by our relation to these boards to see that this is not left undone.
God and God's relation toward the world.                                                                               For
                                                  There was more light on what this Course of Study includes, I
defined our world-and-life view to a very great extent.
We must never lose that.                                        refer you again to Standard Bearer, Vol. 24, pages 307
                                                                and 332.
                        And The School . . . .                     On the other hand, such action naturally is prepara-
                                                                tion for schools of our own. It moves us in the direc-
    We mentioned last time how this dangerous world- tion of schools of our own. They are necessary and
and-life view glares at us from the pages of the "Course        become more necessary, yea vital, in proportion that
of Study for Christian Schools" (1947). This in itself the Union becomes more powerful. Nothing can take
already presents us a great danger, for our children the place of schools of our own. We already have a
are exposed to it. The philosophy which this book pre- few such schools. Many of our churches are small
sents us has been described very pointedly as follows:          and already heavily burdened. But schools of our own
In this book. . . ."total depravity is denied, the aton- will not come as a luxury. They ought not. They
ing death of Christ is silently ignored and sanctifica- come as a necessity. If there shall be a world-and-life
tion confused with social betterment. . . . what is             view imposed upon us which has become progressively
plainly evident, is the fact that the whole idea of God's       corrupt, schools of our own become necessary. And
Covenant is sought for in vain. There is not one word they are.
in this philosophy that in any way refers to Christian             We honestly believe however, that in every com-
education as covenant training" (Standard Bearer, munity where we leave the present school system and
Vol. 24,page 308). That in itself is a great danger, begin schools of our own, we should be able to give an
because our children are exposed to it. But it becomes intelligent account of why we do it. We should be able
the more dangerous if the Union of Christian Schools to indicate rather definitely why we leave them. The
becomes powerful enough to compel this kind of in- people, especially the new board, should have a definite


                                      THE  STANDARD   BEARER:                                                    453

and intelligent reason for doing what they do. Espec- consciousness of being in the service of God as He
ially because this will help us to begin our own schools ought? Do we not all suffer of seeking the things
with a positive world-and-life view. It is not enough which are below? Also this perversion needs labeling.
to reject the erroneous view, we must put in the place And when the'farmer looks at his crops, his hogs, his
of it the positive, correct view, at least in principle. cattle, who does not think in terms of  $ (dollars), only
I. have little hope for a distinct world-and-life view in    in dollars? When his cow becomes sick and is going to
schools of our own, except we develop a Reformed die, do his thoughts go much further than the consider-
course of study and our teachers be well versed therein. ation of loss to himself in terms of dollars? Isn't this
Surely we all, our new boards and especially our teach- also a world-and-life view which needs detection and
ers must know what Common Grace looks like when .labeling?  Paul says "seek not the things which are
it is kneaded into , history, geography, science, etc. below," and again, "seek not each his own", and, "labor
Not only in order that they will be able to reject it        not for the things which pass away," and, "lay up
when they run upon it in the text books which we will        treasures not on earth, but in heaven". Does he not
have to "borrow", but above all in order that they mark off definite  areas in which our Christian world-
may positively instruct along Reformed lines.                and-life view ought to express itself? What is that
                                                             for instance to be rich toward God? and what is that:
                An  IllmtruCion . . . .                      to seek the things which are above? and what is that
                                                             about not giving eye-service as men pleasers?
   Certain children come home from school with the              Paul says: think on these things.
information that there could be people living on the                                                 M.  Grit&s.  *
planet Mars. The teacher did not say that there
WERE people living there, but there COULD BE
people living there. The telescope will reveal more
about this later. Now, here one deals directly with
a world-and-life view. What shall we as reformed
people state over against this notion? If we admit              Young Men! Where Are They?
that there could be people living-there we take position
in regard to doctrinal things. But what will we say?
We should know what the Word of ,God  says about this.          There was a call issued to young men in our de-
You see therefore how important these things are, and nomination who would take up the work of  the minis-
how important that our teachers be well versed in the try.
correct world-and-life view. Or again, when our geo-            But the Synod of 1949 has come and gone, and
graphy book tells us that coal and oil were  ~formed         there is no one who answered the call. None came
over hundreds of thousands of years, and the Grand forth to be enrolled in our school. None to take up
Canyon required millions of years to be cut to its the ministry. None to heed this work of the Lord.
present depth, we need to answer in view of the Word            It is two years now since there has been a gradua-
of God and be careful for the philosophy of geologists. tion from our theological school.
   But why cite more examples?                                  Where are the young men? We need young men.
   God grant that we may be true to His Word and                We need young men and young women in our
faithful to the truth which He Himself has delivered         Christian schools too. Within a year or two there
unto us.                                                     will be a greatly increased need for men and women
                                                             to teach in the schools for Protestant Reformed in-
                  In Ourselves . .  L  .                     struction. There also we need consecrated help.
                                                                But let me this time emphasize  <the question : where
   To make matters worse, all of us are constantly are the young men to heed the call to the ministry
prone to corrupt world-and-life views, and .prone  to and the preparation thereto at our theological school?
practise  them in our daily life. We are by nature self-
and material-centered.                                                        Why No Answer?
   A humanist one time wrote that we all spend about
ninety five percent of our time and energy defending            Why is there no response? The call seems to fall
our own ego. I doubt whether the percentage is quite upon deaf ears. Why is this? Surely we are faced
that high, but I fear he saw something there. To be          with this question and we search for an answer.
ego-centered is only a modified form of being world-            We ought to ask ourselves why this situation
and material-centered. We must also detect and label exists.                                 *
this world-and-life view as being carnal and  promptly          This situation comes upon us under the providence
reject it. And who goes about his daily work in the          of God. We are fully conscious of that. But we are

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

not fatalists. Under the providence of God there is           are parents who are very indifferent about giving
connection between one factor and another, between their sons higher education. There are parents who
cause and effect. While we go to the throne of God scoff at it. There are parents who can barely afford
to ask Him to send forth reapers, we must also go ?he added burdens of providing their sons such an
to our own hearts and lives and inquire why this situa-       education. There are also parents. who are so eager
tion is upon us.                                              to get their sons on the production line that they figure
       I want to show you this connection by way of a a high school education is a waste of time and waste
concrete example which can come straight from our             o$ potential income. By sending your son to the neigh-
real life.                                          ".        bours to "work out", sto the assembly line, or to your
       When a young-man has the opportunity to attend. own field or shop to save the expenses of a hired man,
high school and has also the necessary gifts to take up you succeed perhaps in finding in .your son a mortgage
such higher training, but refuses. . . . the.door  to the     lifter but you succeed thereby also in closing the door
ministry is closed. That person makes it impossible of the ministry to another young man.
to ever heed the call to take up the work of the Lord            Some parents maintain their position by saying
in the ministry. Or, worse yet, when the parents of           that high school spoils their son, or this other excuse
this.young  person are indifferent too, or even  oppJsed      that they first want  ,to see whether "there's a minister
to giving their son a high school education, they have        in him or not" before sending him on. Forgetting
automatically closed the door to an eventual call into        meanwhile that the only way to find out what is in
the ministry for their son. Thus the door to the              them generally is exactly to provide them an education.
&nistry is closed and pious prayers for  miI,isters           We do not maintain that every son MUST go on to
means nothing as far as their case is concerned.              higher education, but we do maintain that if y3u re-
       Our 1949 Synod has definitely postulated that en- fuse your son a higher education you have made an
trance into the seminary requires a complete high             eventual call to .the ministry impossible.. That con-
school education. No one can enter our school except          nection is there under the providence of God and we
he have had a complete secondary education. Parents,          must observe it.
your son cannot take up the ministry unless you pro-             The call for young men to our theological school
vide him a secondary education. Young men, if you is therefore a call to our parents to consider the child-
refuse a secondary education, or if you discontinue           ren which God has given them, if perhaps  <God would
after you have begun, the door is closed to the ministry      use  *them in the ministry of the Word. But if you
and every call the Synod sends must fall upon deaf            refuse to give them that  ed,ucation, all other things
ears.                                                         being equal, you simply tell God before hand that He
       There are, of course, young men who acquire a high must not call upon any of your sons. And is that not
school education and then abuse it. Sin is always an evil? Are not our children an heritage of the Lord ?
with us and temptations beset us. We must condemn                And as for our young men themselves, you ought
this abuse both in ourselves and in others. There are seriously to  cohsider  the vocation which you intend to
also who use this education for. ends other than the          follow. Not all of you are equipped to become minis-
ministry, and that is entirely normal and proper. But ters of the gospel, but you must prayerfully consider
the point.we want to emphasize now is that we tempt           whether the Lord has equipped you. Don't let your
the providence of God if we expect our theological            vocation be determined by the glitter of gold or the
school to train ministers, while at the same time we          quest of weaIth  but consider that God may want to
refuse high school education to our sons.                     use you in a position where you have comparatively
       The call for young men in the ministry is therefore    little income. The call to the ministry must become
first of all a call to the home, to the parents and the       a challenge. Can you consider choosing a vocation
young people to acquire a secondary education at least. where you become servant to men and God,, but with
                                                              little earthy gain? Are you "big" enough to consider
                    Shall They Go  on?                        such a challenge?
                                                                 We need more prayer that God may send forth
       There are states whose laws compel our sons to         laborers into His vineyard. We should hear those
continue education at least until  &n age which brings prayers from the pulpits and in our homes. May God
them into high school. But there are also localities          prepare us parents and young men who have consecra-
where no such laws exist, or where there are loop holes       tion and devotion enough to make the ministry their
enough so education need not be continued.                    calling. . . . because it is God calling them thereto.
       Shall they go on to school?                                Lord of harvest, send forth reapers. .Give us de-
       If not, remember, the door is closed to the min-       voted parents who shall say : here is my son ; and
i s t r y .                                                   young men, who shall say : here I am, send me.
       This pertains first of all to the parents. There                                                M. Gritters.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R '                                      4&i

                                                              ally sound hymns for special occasions." Without a
               PERISCQPE                                      great deal, of hesitation, a motion to adopt this advice
                                                              was defeated on the floor of Synod.
                                                                                    *'  *  *  8
                   Synod-Varia                                   For the past few years our Churches have been
    Last time we gave a rather complete report of the sending representatives If;o, the meetings of  Classis
 main business of Synod and that which consumed most Eureka of the Reformed Church in the TJ. S. A. (SGer-
 of the time of meeting. Besides the items mentioned          man Reformed Church). On occasion one of their
 in our last report there were various miscellaneous          brethren has also been present at the meetings of our
 matters treated and decided upon.                            .Synod and brought greetings, but this has been very
                                                              irregular on their part. Last year our Synod ap-
    As you may know our Churches are working to- pointed the Revs.  CT. Blankespoor and A. Petter to
 wards the compilation of a completely new manual             bring our greetings while visiting the meetings of
 of praise for use in our worship. This new book will         Classis Eureka. They were also instructed to inform
 be a revision of our present Psalter with various            the gathering that they could not expect us to con-
 changes and additions. Two committees have been
 appointed and have been busy with this task for the          tinue to send representatives unless they would also
                                                              be present at our meetings. Our men carried out their
 past several years. The Liturgy Committee, composed
 of the Revs. P. De Boer and L. Doezema has for its           visit and mandate but again no return delegation was
                                                              present at our Synod. Therefore, our Synod of this
 task "to check the translations of our adopted Forms
 of U&y,  together with the Forms for the Lord's Sup- year decided not to send any representatives to their
                                                              meetings; which implies that we have broken off any
 per, etc., with a view to obtaining a more correct           relations we may have had with the Reformed Church
 translation than we now have in our Psalters." This          in the U. S. A.
 committee has already completed a large amount of
 its task which is now being studied by the various
 Consistories of our Churches. Since its task is not yet         The Board of the Society for Protestant Reformed
. completed the Committee was continued.                      Education of Grand Rapids brought a very interesting
    The second committee working on this project is           re  luest to Synod. They had placed it before the Theo-
 called the Psalter Revision Committee and is consti-         logical School Committee, which in turn, presented it
 tuted of various ministers and individuals, with musical to Synod. We quote from their letter.  `&We realize
 and poetical ability, from in and around Grand Rapids.       that our greatest need is for teachers, able and equip-
 The report of this committee expresses its task as fol- ped, to teach our children the required subjects per-
 lows : "The committee meets on the first Friday even- meated by the Protestant Reformed life view. For
 ing of each month. We have begun our work with the these teachers to do this we feel that they should re-
 first number of  *the Psalter, carefully checking to ceive a specific course of instruction. . . . A s   y o u
 see if it measures up to the following requirements:         know, some work has been done along this line by our         ,
 a. That the versification is as close to the language        Teachers' Club. The Board, however, deems it neces-
 of the Psalm as possible, and that the Psalm is fully sary that we should have a regular normal course  _
 covered.    b. That there are no doctrinal errors in         where our prospective teachers would receive their
 the versification. e. That the tune fits the words of final training. This we feel is very essential in order
 2he song, prayerful when the Psalm is a prayer, joyful       that our school may indeed reflect the truth as we
 when the Psalm is a song of praise. d. That the tune know and love it. This is not only of local importance,
 is singable, especially for a congregation. . . . The for we also have other Protestant Reformed Schools
 Psalter committee also comes to Synod with the re-           and plans are being made to open `more. We come,
 quest for permission to work on versifications,  as literal theref.ore,  to your body with the request that,-if at all
 as possible, of Scripture passages dealing with Christ's fcasable; a normal course be added to the curriculum
 birth, crucifixion, resurrection, Pentecost, etc., and in- of our Theological School this coming year. If, for
 corporate it in the new Psalter." Thus far the report various reasons, you do not see your way clear to do
 of the Psalter Committee.                                    this, kindly forward this request to synod with or with-
     The committee of pre-advice which treated this out your recommendations."
 report brought the following  adv.ise   `co the floor of       An overture from Randolph also dealt with this
 Synod. "We advise Synod to grant the permission re- matter and read as follows: "The. Consistory of Ran-
 quested, namely, to work on  the  versification of other `dolph advises  Classis to  overture;.Synod  to consider
 passages of Scripture.     Further to advise the com- ways and means of establishing our own Normal Train-
 mittee to search the field of existing hymns for dootrin-    ing School to train prospective teachers to teach in


456                                        I  ! T H E S T A N D A R D B E A R E R

our own Christian Schools.", Synod followed the ad-                                                  I N   M E M O R I A M
vice of its committee of pre-advice in this matter "to
place this matter before the Faculty and the Theo-                           On Saturday, the twenty-eighth day of May, our dear hus-
logical School Committee for study and possible execu- band father and grandfather
tion."                                                                                         LEWIS BRUINSMA
                                                                         passed away in the Lord.
                                                     1,
                         8     *     *     *                                 Our great comfort and rich  assurance  in our loss is this:
                                                                         that he now beholds His face in righteousness.
   The various subsidies for the needy churches were                                                      Mrs. Anna Bruinsma
granted as follows :  Doon-- ; Orange City-$2800  ;                                                       Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bruinsma
3r'ella--$lOOO  ; Oak Lawn-$1500 ; Randolph-$1506;                                                        Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Bruinsma  s
Grand Haven-$2000 ; Hamilton-$3500. This year                                                             Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Bruinsma
the Congregation of Sioux Center informed Synod it                                                        Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Dekker
would no longer need support and expressed gratitude                                                      Lewis Jr.
for the aid received in the past.                                                                           5 grandchildren.
                                                                         South Holland, Illinois.
                        -*     *`*         *

   An annual appropriation of 25 cents per family
per year was granted to the Theological School for the                                               I N   M E M O R I A M
purpose of library expansion.                   .
                                                                            The. Men's Society of the Protestant' Reformed Church at
                         *  f,*  *                                       South, Holland, Illinois, hereby expresses its sympathy to three
       Synod again decided to publish a year-book of our of.its members: Mr. E. Bruinsma, Mr. W. Bruinsma, and Mr. R.
Churches which will be incorporated with the  A&s .Bruinsma,  in the loss of their, father
of Synod, This year there will also be added a Semin-                                          LEWIS BRUINSMA
ary year-book, included in the book above. They wi!l -who also was a faithful member of our society
be sold for $1.00 per copy and should be purchased by                        May our heavenly Father comfort the bereaved family by
every. family, that we may live along with our Churches                  His Word and Spirit, and strengthen their hope in His Eternal -
in their work and activities.                                            House of many mansions.
                                                                                                               Rev. M. Schipper, Pres.
                         *  *  %  *                                                                            Gise A. Van Baren,  Se&y.

       The Theological- ,School Committee was instructed                                                            --
to make the necessary arrangements for the installa-
tion of our Professors if and when the new appointee                                                 IN. MEMORIAM
`accepts the charge.                                       .                 The Ladies' Society of the Protestant Reformed Church at
                         *  *  %  *                                      South Holland, Illinois, wishes hereby to express its sympathy
                                                                         to Mrs. L. Bruinsma and her family in the loss of their husband
       Synod decided that the Churches should be inform- and father
ed that Mr.~H.  C. Hoeksema is now in a position to                                            LEWIS BRUINSMA
consider a call. Since Mr. Hoeksema has been serving                         May the God of all grace give them always the peace that
the Churches during the past two years, Synod decided surpasseth ail understanding in this time of bereavement.
to continue his salary for six months or until he accepts                                                      Rev. M. Schipper, Pres.
a call, whichever .may  first occur.                                                                           Mrs. W. Terpstra, Treas.
                         * * . *   *

       Hull, Iowa was appointed as the calling Church for
the Synod of 1950 which will meet, the Lord willing,                                                 I N   MEMORIABf
beginning June 7, 1950.                                           .          The  Con&tory  of the Hudsonville Protestant Reformed
                                                                         Church expresses its sympathy with our fellow elder, Harry
                         *  *  *  *                                      Zwak;  in .the sudden loss of-his sister
       S&e the Synod closed `its sessions the Calling Con-                                 MRS. ANDREW BRUMMEL
sistory has made the following trio.for a third Holland-                     May the God of all comfort heal the wounds by His marvel-
speaking missionary : -The Revs. A. Cammenga, J. De lous grace.
Jong and H. Veldman.                                                                                           Rev. G. Vos, Pres.
                                                           W. Hofman.                                          D; Dykstra, Vice-pres.

             .


VOLUME XXV                                August 1, .1949 - Grand Rapids, Mich.                               NUMBER  20
                                                                         And that thought is worked out in the words which
         M E D I T A T I O N                                         we have chosen for `our meditation: the blessedness
                                                                     of the church which is according to the  etetia! love of
                                                                     God is revealed in our adoption unto children of God
                                                                     so that we might eternally be unto the praise of the
         Predestination To Praise                                    glory of God's grace ! There is the story.
                                                                         Predestinated unto the praises of God !
                 "Having predestinated  w unto the adoption of                               *  *  *  *
           children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to
           the  goodpleasure  of His will, to the praise  Of the         Predestinated unto praise !
           glory of  IIis grace, wherein He hath made us ac-             What is predestination?
           cepted in the Beloved."                Ephsians 15, 6.        Here it is the eternal love of God for you. And in
    Paul has introduced himself to the saints that are that love He decided from all eternity that one day
at Ephesus: he is an Apostle of the Lamb, by the will                you would stand before His face singing, singing untn
of God. We do well, to listen to this man, for God is                all eternity.. * *'
                                                                         But between that decision and the fulfillment, aA
spe+ng   @rough  hi~q.                      _:                       far as we are concerned, lies a long story, a bitter and
    We do well to listen: his story is engrossing. He                a sad story.
tells us in many beautiful words.,$ the glory of God                     We are predestinated unto praise, but in order to
and of the wonders of<Hi$ plan.:,.                 :  -              eternally praise God, we must be changed.
    I think that  P&l knew what he was going to write ;                  Ah, at one time we were children of God indeed,
and seeing `the whole message before his wondering but our childship of God was a mere earthy childship.
eyes, he begins to sing: Blessed be the  God And Father We were happy, but our happiness consisted in seeing
of our Lord Jesus Christ! And Paul connects this and praising God for the beauties of the Godhead
blessedness of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus                  which were revealed in the world which He had made.
Christ to the blessedness of the saints at Ephesus `(and             And that was all. We were happy, but this happinpss
by implication, `to all the saints that are in Christ cannot be compared to the exalted state of the child-
Jesus) : for this same blessed God hath blessed us with ship which we have; no& in the Lord Jesus Christ.
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ!                   Yes, we were children of God  irl Paradise       And
Certainly, if we  knew.?our blessedness as it really and             there was light and laughter and a wonderful peace
truly is in the Lord Jesus Christ, we would. sing all                in'th&:hearts  of Adam and Eve.
the day long. All the spiritual blessings are already                    But the scene changed, and a dark cloud came from
ours in the heavenly places in the Lord Jesus. All we hell and enveloped the erstwhile splendour and light.
have to do is to wait patiently for the day of His ap-               It became very dark.
pearing,,and then He will make us blessed forever and                    Adam and Eve fell away from God who had made
ever.                                                        ).      them in His image. They broke the covenant.
    And all that blessedness is according to eternal elec-               And since they were created covenant creatures,
tion.                                                                they made a covenant with the devil, and the results
    The idea is that this blessedness is wonderful in                are history. We became children of the devil, and the
the same measure that God elected us in love, and unto name that God gives us is children of wrath.
love. Vs.  4.                                                            That is our condition when we appear on the stage

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

of history : children of the devil, and children of wrath. by His Holy Spirit and His divine Word which He
And if nothing happens, or better: if nothing  has hap- alone"Tan  speak. And this operation is called regenera-
pened with respect to us, we are destined for ever- tion. It is the new bi?th which is from above. It really
lasting misery.                                                is this: He kills the enmity again&Cod  in the depth
    These are terrible  ,truths, but truths nevertheless. of your he@, and instils His love there. And throu&
We may try to `soothe ourselves with the salves of             this stibjcctive  operation in you you become an adopted
heresy, and prate that things are not so black as they child of God. The Spirit of adoption begins to work
are painted (in the Bible), but we fool ourselves if we        in you as soon as this new birth comes to your-con:
believe less than the Fible reveals concerning these sciousness, and then you say: Abba Father! And  you
terrible truths.                                               are rid of the spirit of bondage again to' fear ! Prin-
    Note the connection of the text: we are adopted            cipally this spirit is gone. You  may worry sometimes ;
unto children of God by the Lord Jesus Christ as an you may weep on occasion, but in the depth of your
eff&t of eternal election, as the effect of predestina- heart God is seated on the throne in that heart through
tion.                                                          Jesus Christ and by His Word and Spirit. You have
    So your happy state  now, and your happy estate for        done that which Peter told you to do, namely, "SanctifY'
all eternity comes to you from out of the wakes of the Lord God in your heart!" You are adopted child-
eternity ere the world was.           .-                       ren of God.
   It means that God loved us from everlasting, and               And finally, this adoption shall be published  '
in that love He predeitinated  you to be adopted unto          throughout the whole Universe.
Himself by Jesus Christ the Lord.                                 You must be prepared for the shocking fact that
   And God's purpose in all this is that you might            the whole Universe seems to doubt your adoption, the
stand before Him singing your song of the praises of           angels of God excepted. They believe it gladly.  3ut
God.                                                           for the rest there is little adhesion to that glorious fact.
   You are predestinated unto praise!                          The world of men laugh it to scorn, The devils tell
                       *  *  +  rp                             you that you are lost, that God is too Holy a Being
                                                              to have anything to do with you, and your weak heart
   Predestinated unto praise !                                would fain believe it sometimes, especially in those
    But in order to be able to do that you are first of        times when you have sinned grievously. Your  con-
all predestinated unto the adoption of children.               +ierice  sometimes will not believe that you are adopted
    That means first of all that from. eternity  Ctid          imto praise, that is, when it hears the thunder of the
Adopted you by Jesus Christ in His counsel. In that law which says: Cursed is everyone that continueth
living counsel He gave you to Christ with the express not in all the things that are written in the Law of
command that you be saved through Him. The sheep               God to do them ! And even my brother who is also
were of God and God gave them to Christ with the Adopted  will not believe my adoption at times. `We
injunction that He should lose none of them.                   sometimes doubt one another.
   Second, that Jesus came in the fulness of time for             And so, all things cry for a day when this adoption
your sake. *4nd we can tell that He did. Look at shall be publicly revealed. And at that time the whole
Him ! His name is rightly called Man of Sorrows.              Universe shall see and hear the adoption unto praise
All your sorrows and all your miseries are on Him.             of God's children. It will be so `evident that no one
Because He took your guilt on Himself. Coming in              will be able to deny it. The children of God in their
the fulness of time, we see Him, and we note that He           totality are likened to a beautiful Bride adorned for
fulfills all the demands of justice. Man sinned, so a         her Husband, and that is Christ. And this Bride shall
Man must pay. Man's nature is flesh and blood and be beautiful within and without, without spot or
soul and spirit, and I would want you to study Jesus,         wrinkle. And she shall begin to sing her song of love.
and you will find that He assumed our entire nature.              Oh yes, we are predestinated unto praise !
The Substitute mu& be blameless, an unspotted  Lamb!
Well, look ye on the Christ, and you will find what -  :                              * * *  *
Pilate did : there is no fault in Jesus !                         Predestinated unto praise !
   Third, He paid the price that God's justice de-                And all this according to the good pleasure of His
manded, so that you might be adopted unto God. Oh will!
yes, I assure  YOU  that He paid the price. He suffered           The question could be raised: but who are to be the
hell for everyone of God's elect. He swallowed eternal glorious creatures that  `will sing eternally of God's
death unto victory. Christ's death is your adoption praises? Who determines their inclusion in this happy
unto, childship  of God.                                      commonwealth ?  '
   Fourth, this same Christ rose from the dead and                There are but two answers.
the power of His resurrection life is given unto you              The one says : man determines who shall be included


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        4 5 9

in the number of them that are predestined to heaven. over all the works of His hands. And that radiation
    The other says: God determines their identity and of virtue is glory. Allow me to illustrate. You have
number.                                                        seen the radiation of "light from the sun in all its golden
    It is really not such a very deep mystery as people        splendour. Well, that radiation is its glory. The rays
would make you believe. As soon as you speak of of the sun are the glory of the sun. Another illustra-
eternal predestination men speak of deep things, of tion : you have stood near a radiator on a cold day.
mysteries, of the hidden things which we must not And you felt the radiations of warmth coming toward
touch.                                                         you from that radiator. Well, the rays of heat emanat-
    As soon as people approach you with that reason- ing from the radiator are the glory of the radiator.
ing you may be sure that they belong to the first sort            Thus.it is in God. God is virtuous: He is the,;very
of people that say that man determines the inclusion           ;,crsonification  of all virtue. And He  manifest&  this
in the happy throng that travels to heaven.                    virtue in the radiating rays that are spread over all the
    In a thousand places of Holy Writ you may read works of His hands. Read  Psalm 19, the first verse.
that God determined before the foundation of the world            It is a matter of record which no one can deny that
who would go to heaven and who would not. Also in              God never radiated His virtuous life more gloriously
my text : it is according to the good pleasure of His will.    than when He nailed Jesus to the cross for our sins, and
That is all. That good pleasure said: Abel will go to          raised Him for our justification. Those rays are the
heaven. And he is in heaven now, waiting for you.              central rays of all the glory of God. And in those rays
And so it is with respect to everyone that goes to             we stand.
heaven. When the only Essential Son that God has                  And here we come to a-part of the text which is hid-
was born in Bethlehem, the angels sang of the sons and         den to the English reader who does not know the ori-
the daughters of God. Those angels called them: the            ginal language. The question still confronts us: how
men of goodpleasure. Unto them is the peace of God,            is it that some people begin to sing when they stand in
and to no one else.                                            the rays of the radiating glory of God, and others do
    Before the world was create-d or any man was not sing.
formed, God in Himself decided who would go to                   And the answer lies in a word which literally means :
heaven. And His choice does not rest in anything to be graced. You will understand that there is no such
which He foresaw in you or in me, but merely in the            word in the English language. But such a word is
goodpleasure of His will. And the names of all those           used in the Greek text. The French is weak and has
happy beings  Go,d put in a book: the book of life writ-       acco+de'e;  the English is very weak and has,,accepted;
ten from the foundation of the world. And if your              the Latin is also weak and has  a~ceptos;  the German,
name is written `in that book you go to heaven and you         however, is closer to the original with pngepehm  ge-
are destined unto the praises of God ! And why? `So            macht; but the Holland is exactly correct with hege-
that God may have all the glory.                               nudigd. That is the word which is used here, and which
    Let us restate it this time and say it a mite differ- also explains why some praise God and some do not.
ently : God predestined you unto His praises forever!             Here is the explanation: The rays of God's virtuous
                       *  *  *  *                              life which are His grace, fill you to overflowing: you
                                                               are being graced by God.
    Predestined unto praise?                                      This also explains the text when it says that we are
    What is that praise?                                       graced in His grace. It corresponds. God's grace is
    It is this : you sing of the glory of His grace!           revealed. That grace radiates through His Holy Spirit
    But what is grace and what is glory?                       and Word into the very depth of our hearts and minds,
    Grace is the beauty of the ,Godhead. God is grac-          and it fills us. And being graced by the grace of God
j ious. He is that even apart from you and your wonder-        we begin our song of praise.
ful song. When God showed Himself as never before in              We do this here in principle. There is much of the
the Person of His Son, the church marvelled and sang:          dirge: of sin, feeling of guilt, misery because of this
            "Supremely fair Thou art,                          terrible dispensation.
                Thy lips with grace o'erflow;                     But even in the midst of the valleys of death and
             His richest blessings evermore,                   corruption there is already the beginning of that song
                Doth God on Thee bestow  !"                    of praise.
                                                                  And the end is coming. We will not have `to wait
    And remember that the inspired poet is singing of very long anymore, and the trump of the archangel will
the Messianic King!                                            inaugurate the coming of the King.
    But grace is beauty, the beauty of virtue, the virtue         And the song of praise is original to Him.
of the Godhead.                                                   The Bible calls it the Song of Moses and the Lamb
   And that virtue of God radiates, shines forth in and                                                      G. Vos.


460                                                                                                                         T I I E   S T A N D A R D  .BEARER                                                                          ,
                                                                                                   -_I_-...

                                      The StandaYd  Bearer
              Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and  August                                                                                                                                                EDITdRIALS  ., .i
                                                            P u b l i s h e d   B y
                           The Reformed Free Publishing Association
                                   Box  li4,  Sta.  C., Grand Rapids,  hick                                                                                                                                   The Drive-In Thbatre
                                            EDlTOR  : - Rev. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                                                                                                    I
contributing Editors: - Rev. G.  M.  Ophoff;  Rev. G. V                                                                                                                                                                           `.
                                                                                                                                                                       OX,  Rev.                      God's children "in the midst of the'"world  face many
R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. II. De  Wolf,`Rev.   R.  I<ok,
Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A.  I'tter,  Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                                       more temptations than those of yesteryear,  an,d these
Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. RI. Gritters, Rev. J. A.  licys,                                                                                                                                    temptations are becoming increasingly subtle and
Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                                    dangerous. As the world develops in, every phase of
  Communications relative to contents should be addressed to
                                                                                                                                                                                       I.- its life and as all creation's potentialities are dis-
REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. `E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                                         covered and developed and placed in the service of sin
Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                                          and corruption, the means wherewith to sin and the
  Communications relative to subscription should he addressed                                                                                                                                      forms wherein sin manifests itself become more and
to MR. J. BOUWMAN, 1131 Sigsbee St., S.E., Grand Rapids 6,
Mich.  Announcements and Obituaries must be  mailed  to the                                                                                                                                        more numerous and treacherous. For the child of God
above address and will he published at a fee of $1.00 for each                                                                                                                                     the world is making itself more difficult than ever be-
notice.                                                                                                                                                                                            fore. In its own evil way it is striving diligently for
Renewals:-Unless a  definite  request for discontinuance is re-                                                                                                                                    perfection, and who would care to deny that it is mak-
ceived, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes his subscription                                                                                                                                  ing rapid progress ? Would that the church of Jesus
to continue without the formality"of  a renewal order.
Entered as Second. Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                           Christ were striving as zealously for perfection in that
                                      (Subscription Price $2.50 per year )                                                                                                                         which is good as the evii world is laboring for the ulti-
                                                                                                                                                                                                   mate in that which is of sin. That does not mean that
                                                                                                                                                                                                   the natural man of yesteryear was spiritually `and
                                                                                                                                              _,                                          : 1      moral&.better  than man is today. Then, too, man was
                                                            --.--                                                                                                                                  conceived and born in sin, incapable of doing any good
                                                                                                                                                                                                   and prone to all evil, and whatever he did or did not
                                                                                                                                                                                                   do with the time and means at his disposal, God was
                                                              C O N T E N T S                                                                                                                      not in all his thoughts. However, it does mean that
                                                                                                                                                                                                   there is  dev+pment,  growth in sin, commensurate to
MEDITATION-                                                                                                                                                                                        the development of life itself, and in the measure this
   Predestination To Praise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457                                            is the case the position of the Christian in the world
                     Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                                   becomes ever more  di&ult.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      A-n example of this. is the movie theatre of the
EDTTORTALS-                                                                                                                                                                                        present day. What tremendous strides have been made
   The Drive-In Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
                Rev. R. Veldman                                                                                                                                                                    in this field in a comparatively short time. Since the
                                                                                                                                                                                                   invention of the motion picture, a thing that is cer-
OUR DOCTRTNF-                                                                                                                                                                                      tainly wonderful in itself and that could be a mighty
   The Mercy Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..*.......................................................  463                                                                                    instrument for good and for the instruction of our
                     Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                                               chilldren  in that which is proper, the world has made
                                                                                                                                                                                                   the most of its  oppor&nities.  Only a few decades
   The Fathers Regarding Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466                                                                      ago there simply was  ni movie theatre for our people,
   Revs. De Jong and Kok in The Netherlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469                                                                                                    especially our young people, to attend. Today there is
                     Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                                             no hamlet without one and the movie industry has,
                                                                                                                                                                                                   grown to unbelievable proportions.             Alongside  the
SION'S  ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                                                    growth of this industry; this vicious instrument for
   Een  Vloekpsalm . . . . . . . . . . . ..*.............................................................473
                     Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                                   the moral and spiritual corruption of our young people,
                                                                                                                                                                                                   there are other things that serve to make the tempta-
FROM HOLY WRIT-                                                                                                                                                                                    tion  even greater than it already is. Only a few decades
   The Office Of Elder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476                                 ago there were no cars: People were compelled to
                   .Rev.  C. Hanko                                                                                                                                                                 remain close to home and to live their lives and seek
                                                                                                                                                                                                   their amusement within a much smaller radius than
P E R I S C O P E -                                                                                                                                                                                is possible today. Now distance means nothing and
   Appeal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  *...
                                                                                                                                                                                      478
                    Rev. W. Hofman                                                                                                                                                                 there is no limit to where one can go and `what one
                                                                                                                                                                                                   can do in `a comparatively  short time. In this world ._
                                                                                                                                                                                                   all things are made to serve one another.


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                     461

   A more recent development in this movie business emasculation of the church of Jesus Christ. Don't
adverlises itself and is known among us as the DRIVE- try to serve God and Mammon at the same time, for
IN THEATRE, a summerized version of the movie this is not possible. Don't destroy yourself, morally
theatre as we have always known it. In an amazingly and spiritually, by poisoning your minds with the smut
short time hundreds of them have sprung uplike toad- and sensualism of this godless world. Seek your de-
stools all over the country. Wherever you ride, here light in the things that are good. Sing the sbngs  ,and
and in Canada as well, you see them. With them, as indulge in the sports that are wholesome. Above all,
anyone will readily understand, the temptation has        seek the things of the kingdom of God and work with
become greater than ever before. When I first saw and for them,  your societies, your church, etc.
a DRIVE-IN THEATRE (I remember it well; it was                I appeal to our Christian parents to remember their
on the road from Grand Haven to Muskegon) my heart calling and to give their children the loving but firm
sank. Somehow I sense that many more of our young guidance they need. Don't minimize the danger of this
people would succumb to this vicious temptation and temptation and the greatness of this sin. Teach your
<that the movie evil was becoming more diflicult to com- children that the movie is strictly a thing of the world,
bat all the time.                                         the world at its worst. Know what your children are
    Subsequent reports and experiences have proved doing and where they go. Appreciate the greatness
that those fears were not ungrounded. The DRIVE-IN of the temptations that  surround  them. Don't be too
is doing a thriving business, also from those who bear sure even of your own children. Don't imagine that
the sign and seal of the covenant of God on their fore- they are somehow immune to temptation.  Xuch an
head.       It is my firm and happy conviction that no    attitude of smug complacency does no one good and
group of young people in this country has a better may bear. bitter fruits. The disappointments in life
record than ours as far as movie attendance is con-       are so many that no parent in the home or consistory
cerned. Nevertheless, our hands, too, are far from on family visitation can afford simply to assume that
clean. There are too many, also in our own circles, there is no ground for suspicion. Understand that
who try to serve God and Mammon both. Shame on your children, too, are conceived and born in sin ; that
them! Would that they really knew what was for they are "angels" no more than those of your fellow
their own good and the welfare of the church of Jesus     Christians ; that they also have within them the natural
Christ !                                                  urge to indulge in the pleasures of the world. Instruct
   Movie attendance in general is on the increase. them constantly in the way of the Lord. Be as con-
The DRIVE-IN is doing its part to help this cause of cerned about their moral and spiritual welfare as you
the wicked world along. There was a time, only a are about their bodies.
generation ago, when those who sought their amuse-           I appeal to our churches through their consistories
ment in these places of the world were the exception in to remain adamant in their stand against this mani-
the church of Christ. That the movie theatre was not festation of the kingdom of darkness. Fight it. in
for the children of God's covenant was accepted with- every possible way, through instruction and discipline.
out question. Violators were regarded with distrust .`!For  what fellowship  bath,  righteousness with un-
and disgust, even by their fellow young people. That righteousness? and what communion hath light with
is no longer the rule today. No longer are movies         darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial?
identified with the world, at least, not to the extent    of what part hath he that beli.eveth  with an infidel?
they once were. No longer do church and school warn And what agreement hath the temple of God with
against them as they once did. Young people are idols? . . . . Wherefore come out from among them,
becoming more and more bold about frequenting them.       and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
Just how much the corrupt doctrine of common grace,       unclean thing."
the teaching that God is gracious to the wicked world        That there is no real difference between the DRIVE-
and that the latter can still do much that is pleasing    IN THEATRE,and the regular movie house is obvious
in the sight of God, has to do with the steady growth to all, :of course. They offer the same corruption and
of this evil, eternity will fully reveal. In deed even have the same deadly effect. If it is sinful to frequent
more than in word God's church has forsaken the           the one it is no less evil to attend the other. The same
truth of the antithesis.                                  films are shown in both. The same themes are por-
   I appeal, therefore, to our young people to continue trayed, horror, crime, sex, carnal love,-anything that
in the way of righteousness and to abstain, completely appeals to the sensuality of man. The same life `of. the
and from the heart, from this subtle evil. Watch and world is depicted ; the same language of the world is
pray that ye fall not into temptation. Don't place spoken; the same philosophy of the world is instilled
yourself on the side of the powers of darkness. Don't into the minds and hearts of the victims; the same
identify yourself in any way with the forces that are     aspirations and ideals are glorified and the same atti-
working constantly for the deterioration `and spiritual tudes, toward God and His church, toward heaven and


462                                    TIIE S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

h,ell, toward marriage and divorce, toward idolatry and         Moreover, the DRIVE-IN certainly makes  it.easier
profanity, sabbath desecration and immorality, theft' for. one who never went to "a show" to go for the
and murder, are revealed. In both, those who attend          first time. There is so little danger of being  diS--
are instructed by an unspeakably ungodly Hollywood covered. You  zannot go to a neighborhood theatre or
in all the ways of a wicked world. In both the plastic, enter one of the brilliantly lighted downtown movie
impressionable mind of youth is molded by the world palaces without running great risk of being detected.
at its shrewdest,-and darkest. In both all that is           However, the DRIVE-IN reduces this danger to a mini-
sacred is ruthlessly sacrificed on' the altar of sheer,      mum. After all, it is evening when you go and  YCU
carnal pleasure. In the DRIVE-IN as  w.ell  as any do remain in your own car. And so, another important
o:her theatre amusement and instruction emanate from obstacle has been taken away.
a source that is .more  decidedly antichristian than any-       All these elements serve to sharpen the temptation.
thing in all this evil  wosld:  The same purpose is             Also, instead of being less dangerous than the
served: mere wealth and cheap Hollywood fame; the regular theatre in town the DRIVE-IN, fromcertain
same utter disregard for virtue and honor is revealed.       points of view, is more so. I hate every theatre. All
For your money they will give you anything you de-           are dens of sin and instruments of destruction. I hate
sire,--and they do. The DRIVE-IN as well thrives on the DRIVE-IN most. When I think of young people,
crime, murder, gangsterism, theft, deceit, lust, illicit boysand girls, sitting in those cars, all by themselves,
love affairs, nudity .and whatever is abominable in the at-night, looking at a movie produced by actors and
sight of our God. It, too, brings to us a Hollywood of actresses who care nothing about morality and sobriety
which Dan Gilbert, upon investigation of the entire and by directors and film companies whose sole motive
motion picture industry, once said: "Hollywood is the        is greed,--when I think of these boys and girls to-
nearest thing to `hell on earth',.which  Satan has been gether looking at  .scenes  `of love, sex, violence, seduc-
able thus far to establish in this world. The Holly- tion, nudeness, murder, flirting, lice$#,  unbridled lust,
wood influence is making America over-according lewdness, kisses; embraces, and what not,-when I
to the pattern of. . . . hell itself." Hell Over Holly- consider that of all human instincts the sex instinct
wood, page 14.                                               is the most powerful of all in its, effect on conduct,-
    It is plain, therefore, that there is no essential dif- when.  Lread the reports of prominent men who have
ference between the DRIVE-IN and any other theatre: made a thorough study of the movie situation and the
       Still, there is something about the'former, it seems frank confessions of delinquents, who testify how the
to me, that makes it even more subtle, more treacher- movie theatre helped them on, the road of sh+m%,7
ous than the latter. It represents progress on the part mhcn I read this testimony of a fifteen-ye?r;@d girl,
of the world.                                  ,..           "When with the, opposite sex I am rather quiet and
       Somehow the DRIVE-IN leaves the `impression of allow them to tell me what to do. When they go to
being just a little more innocent. This is sheer imagin- make love, to kiss or hug, I put them off at first,.but
ation, I know, but it might be apt to impress one as         it always ends in them having their own way. I guess
such. After all, you are in God's great out-doors'  And I imitated this from the movies because I see it in al-
you do remain in your own car.                               most every show I go to". . . .when  I read a paragraph
    Definitely, it is more convenient than attending a       like this, "It is `interesting that fifty percent of the
regular theatre. You simply drive in and remain in high school students examined by Professor Blumer
your own car. It makes no difference how you happen indicated that their idea about sexual love came from
to be dressed. Wheth,er you are attired in your Sunday the movies". . . . then,. frankly, I shudder at what
best or whether you are returning from the beach in must yo on in some of those cars. Considering that
no more than a bathing suit; whether you look neat           t.hirty  million young people and children attend the'
and clean or whether you look grimy and haggard movie every .week onlp*to  soak in that kind of "stuff",
from a day at the picnic,-you're always dressed and it is no. wonder that women ,and. girls'go around as
ready for the DRIVE-IN. Then, too, how convenient            they often do and  thatthe bath+ng  `beach has come to
it is to take one's children, even babies. They are not resemble a nudist colony mdre:than  anything else.
a nuisance to anyone else. In fact, take a bottle of         "  .One `could  write,  nob  .end  on,,this  subject,, but our
milk along with you when you go to the DRIVE-IN.             space is more than used up.                          I,.
Free bottle heating service is provided for them who         :. ! Let him who-has  :sinned in this `,respect;. do so no
need it. Then, if you are hungry or thirsty, all. you more;  :
have to do is order what you desire and refreshments            Don3 sacrifice yourspiritual~health  and the welfare
are served to you in your car. Nor do you have a `park- of Zion. `on this altar  .of worldliness: and passion.
ing problem to solve. You simply remain in your own          ^. "Be ye separate;  saith:   the.Lord;*,and.  touch not the
car. The devil certainly wants you to be comfort- unclean thing." `1
able.                                                                                                    R.  Veldman:   -'


                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   463
                                                                                                                               ~.--.---
-".-~  .lll^-..-lll.." _______ __l__"___-.-  .____..- ___-- _-._ -.-- -....--."           - - - - -
                                                                                         the Lord reveals. itself as the Divine desire to save, re-
              XWR  DQCTRI,NE.                                                            vealed in all its glory in the Lord::Jesus  Christ. But,
                                                                                         into all eternity, the Lord will rejoice eternally in His
                                                                                         own blessedness, and also in the eternal blessedness of
                                                                                         His people in and, through Jesus Christ, their Lord.
                   The Mercy Of God                                                ,.
                                  ( c o n t i n u e d )                                        THE SUFFERING'  AND  FORBEARANCE
                    Idea of Mercy in Holy Writ.                                                                  O F   G O D .
     Mercy, we declare, has its seat in the affection, is                                     Of interest, in connection with these attributes of
rooted in love, is a strong desire to bestow upon a cer- the Lord, is their dicsussion by the late ,Prof. H. Ba-
tain object a d&tain  good. The mercy of God has its                                     vinck and Prof.  Berkhof...:Prof. Berkhof writes the
end or  ,purpose in the glory and blessedness of the following on pages `72-73 of his Reformed Dogmatics:
object of His love. God cannot rest until the object "The  Eongsuffekng  of God. The longsuffering of God
of His love is blessed and rejoices in everlasting glory.                                is still another aspect of His great goodness or love.
Mercy is the. desire to make one blessed. Hence, it The  ,Hebrew  uses the expression "erek aph," which
must be evident that when the object of  ,this mercy is means literally "long of face", and then also "slow of
in misery,  it. will reveal itself as pity, sympathy,  com-                              anger',`, while the Greek expresses the same idea by
pission, the desire to relieve the object of one,`s ,love                                the word "makrothumia". It  i.s that aspect of the
in his misery and distress.                                                              goodness or love of  God  in virtue of which He  beurs
     Hence, we would define the mercy of God, as a with the froward and evil in spite of their long con-
Divine attribute applicable to the Lord Himself, as                                      tinued disobedience. In the exercise of this attribute
that virtue or attribute of the Lord according to which the sinner is contemplated as continuing in sin, not-
He perfectly desires Himself, as the infintely blessed withstanding the admonitions and warnings that come
God, in eternal and Divine glory., We must bear in to him. It reveals itself in the postponement of the
mind that mercy is a Divine attribute. This implies                                      merited judgment. Scripture speaks of it in Ex. 34 :6;
that the Lord Himself is merciful. God does not be- Ps. 86 : 15 ; Rom. 2 :4 ; 9 :22 ; `I Peter 3 :20 ;: II Peter 3 : 15.
come merciful; we do not render Him merciful; it is A synonymous term of a slightly different connotation
not true that, becoming merciful, the Lord became                                        is the word  "`forbearance'*.thus!  far Berkhof.  ' We
something which He was not before. $God ts merciful,                                     would note here that Prof. -Berkhof defines the long-
within Himself, and apart from any creature. `We do suffering of God  as "that aspect of the goodness or
not determine this attribute of God anymore than we love of God in virtue of which He bears with the fro-
determine any other virtue of the Lord. The Lord                                         ward and evil in spite of their long continued disobedi-
reveals Himself as He is. It is for this. reason that ence." This definition, we shall point out, is utterly
the Scriptures declare of the Lord that He  +., merciful impossible. And we would also note that he practically
and gracious, the God Who is abundant in goodness                                        identifies the longsuffering of God with His forbear-
and in truth.                                                                            ance. He does declare that the synonymous term, "for-
      Hence, the Lord is  .merciful. This does not  imply.                               bearance", is of a slightly different connotation, but
we understand, that the Lord is personally acquainted                                    does not point out the difference between the two.
with misery. God is a Light and in Him is no dark- Besides, the longsuffering and forbearance, according
ness at all.  Re is the God of everlasting life and to Prof. Berkhof, are synonymous terms.
 blessedness. At His right hand are pleasures for-                                            -Dr. H. Bavinck writes concerning this attribute of          ,
 evermore. He is the God of infinite  perfeclion  and <God as follows, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. II, page 181,
all misery is eternally foreignto His eternal and infinite                               and we translate: "The sparing goodness of God to-
 Being. Yet, the Lord is merciful. God's mercy is His                                    wards those that are worthy of punishment is called
 eternal, desire to know Himself as  the eternally blessed ,"Iongsuffering,"   "ruach". or "orek appayam,"  mak-
 God and to rejoice forever and ever in His own infinite rothumia, anochee, chreestotees." Scripture often men-
.goodness  and glory. And this, *we understand, is true tions also this attribute of God, Ex. 34 i6, Num. 14 :18,
 of God as the Triune ,God,  Father, Son, and :Holy Spirit,                              Neh; 9  :17/ Ps. 86  :X5, 193  :8, 1.45:8, Jonah  4:2, Joel  `
 as .out of the Father; through the Son; and in the .Holy                                2 :13, Nahum 1:3. It has revealed itself through the
 Spirit.           , ,            :         f,`, I"        I.  .`.                       .time before Christ, Rom. 3  :25, and is yet being often-
      God's mercy .toward  Hkpeopkis that operation of times shown to sinners, Rom. 2:4, 9:22,  I Pet. 3:20,
 His love whereby He would bless them as' He Himself is "according to the example of Christ, I Tim. I :16, II Pet.
 blessed. ,This people of God isbynaturethe dbjeet  of 3:15".-thus  far the quotation of Bavinck.
 God's wrath,and  conceived and,born  in sin. They.are                                         `The similarity between Bavinck and Ber'khof in re-
 of themselves a,miserable  people. lf.Xence, :the mercy of gard to these attributes of the Lord is self-evident.


 464                                     TIIE  STANDARD  BEARER

  Also Dr. Bavinck identifies God's forbearance with Lord restrained Himself toward the ungodly in His
  His longsuffering, as is evident from the words : "mak-    love and compassion toward them. However, this
  rothumia (longsuffering)  " and "anochee `(forbear- interpretation of the text, the interpretation of "Com-
  ance) ". And because Reformed theologians have iden- mon Grace", is utterly untenable. ' Let us carefully
  tified these attributes, longsuffering and forbearance, read the context, the verses 1-6: (`The burden of Nine-
  we have decided to discuss them together.                  veh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
                                                             God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth ; the Lord re-
         The Terms, Longsuffering and  Ii'orbeurance,        vengeth, and is furious ; the Lord will take vengeance
                        in Holy Writ.                        on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His
        The term for longsuffering in the Old Testament      enemies.    The Lord is slow to anger, and great in
  is the Hebrew expression, "erek aphim", which means power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord
  literally: long of face. The idea of this expression is hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and
  literally that one restrains himself, holds himself in the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebuketh the
  check, is not tempted to do anything under the influence sea, and maketh it dry, and. drieth up all the rivers:
  of temper. The word longsuffering in the New Testa- Bashan languisheth, and  Carmel, and the flower of
  ment is "makrothumia". This word means literally:          Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at Him,
  to be of a long spirit, or passion. And the thought        and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his pre-
  underlying this word. is the same as that of the Old sence, yea, the world and all that dwell therein. Who
  Testament "erek aphim", namely: to hold oneself in can stand before His indignation?  .and who can abide
  check or restraint. The word for forbearance in the        in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured
  New Testament is "anochee'`this word means liter- out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him."
  ally: toleration, forbearance, and is derived from a       Hence, the expression, translated, "slow to anger
  word which signifies: to hold oneself, to hold oneself     ("lankmoedig"  in the Dutch-literally: long of spirit
  in restraint.                                              or breath) ," certainly does not mean that the Lord
        In connection with these words for longsuffering checks Himself in  .love.      There  isi absolutely nothing
  and forbearance, in both the Old and New Testaments,       in this entire context of verses l-6  -hich would faintly
  we must note that the words, longsuffering and for- suggest such a love of the  Lord: In fact, the very
  bearance, as such are neutral. Both words,  `fmak-         opposite is true. We read in verse 3 that the Lord
  rothumia (longsuffering)  " and "anochee (forbear- will not at all acquit the wicked,: and in verse 2 the
  ance) " simply mean literally : to hold oneself, restrain prophet declares that the Lord "{reserveth wrath for
  oneself, hold oneself in check, and this can refer to a    His `enemies". Nahum 1:3 teaches, therefore, that the
  restraining of *one's  anger or love. The words them- Lord is holding His wrath temporarily in restraint-
  selves do not indicate the one or the other. Hence,        the text surely does not teach any; general love or com-
  whenever these words appear in Holy Writ, the con-         passion of the Lord. And this verifies our remark or
  text must decide whether the meaning of Scripture observation to the effect that the word, "makrothumia"
  is that of a restraining by the Lord of either His love    or "anochee", is in itself neutral  and must be deter-
  or His wrath. Although we will confine ourselves to        mined, as far as its significance is concerned, by the
  the New Testament, in our effort to determine the context. However, the New Testament gives us abun-
  true meaning of these concepts, let us quote, as an        dant material to ascertain  * the significance of this
  example of that which we have written in this para-        word; and we will, therefore, confine ourselves to the
  graph, Nahum  1:3. That text reads: "The Lord is           New Testament.
  slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all
  acquit the wicked : the Lord hath His way in the whirl-     Scriptural Passages in which  these Attributes Occur.
  wind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of         The word, longsuffering, occurs in the following
  His feet." Note the expression in this text: The Lord passages : Rom. 2 :4; 9 :22 ; 2 Cor. 6 :6 ; Gal. 5 :22 ; Eph.
  .is slow to anger.    A common interpretation of this 4:2; Col.  1:ll;  3:12; 2 Tim.  3:lO;  4:2; 1 Pet.  3:20;
  expression is that the Lord is inclined to be sparing 2 `Pet. 3:9, 15; Luke 18 :7. We shall quote these pas-
  toward the ungodly ; He spares them in His goodness sages : "And shall not God avenge His own elect, which
* and compassion. Let us be reminded once more of cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with
  the definition of "longsuffering" by Prof. Berkhof and them?"-Luke 18 :7; "Or despisest thou the riches of
  apply this definition to this passage in Nahum:  "God's    His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not
  longsuffering is that aspect of the goodness or love of knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to  re-
  God in virtue of which He bears with the froward and pentance?"-Ram.  2  :4 ; "What if God, willing to shew
  evil in spite of their long continued disobedience".       forth His wrath, and to make His power known, en-
  ,The Lord's slowness to anger, then, in this text of dured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath
  Nahum 1 must be understood in the sense that the fitted to destruction: And that He might make known


                                     THE  53TANDARD                 B E A R E R                                    465

the riches of  His glory on the vessels of mercy, which in spite of their long continued disobedience in order
He had before prepared unto glory."-Ram. 9 :22-23 ; that they may be given time and opportunity to repent.
"By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kind- The Lord suffers long with the evil, "puts up with"
ness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned."-2 Cor. them, tolerates them, and does so in His goodness and
G  :6; "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,      love, and therefore with the Divine purpose and inten-
longsuffering gentleness, goodness, faith."-Gal. 5  :22;      tion that they may have additional time to repent of
"With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, their evil way and turn unto the Lord. Texts such as
forbearing one another in love."-Eph. 4  :2 ; "Strength- Rom. 2 :4 and 2 Pet. 3 :9 are commonly interpreted to-
ened with all might, according to His glorious power, day with this arminian application.
unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness  ;"          However, let us put this definition to the test and
-Cal.  1:ll; "Fut on therefore, as the elect of God, note, in connection with a few texts, how utterly im-
holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humble- possible it is. The first passage to which  I would call
ness of mind, meekness, longsuffering ;"-3 : 12 ; "How- attention is Luke 18 :7, where we read : "And shall not
bcit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first ,God  avenge His own elect, which cry day and night
Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for unto Him, though He bear long with them?" If now
a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on we proceed from the thought that the longsuffering
Him to life  everlasting."-1  Tim.  1:16; "But thou of God signifies His sparing goodness with respect
hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose,        to the evil, and thus translate the word which, in this
faith, longsuffering charity, patience,-2 Tim. 3  :lO  ; text, is translated, "bear long", we have the following
`.`Freach  the word ; be instant in season out of season ;    interpretation of this passage of the Word of God:
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and "And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry
doctrine."--:! Tim. 4  12; "Which sometime were dis- day and night unto Him, although in His sparing good-
obedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited ncss He still bears with them, worthy of punishment
in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,           though they may be?" This is nonsense and obviously
wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." absurd, is it not? According to this interpretation the
-1 Pet. 3  :20  ; "The Lord is not slack concerning His Lord bears with them in His sparing goodness but will
promise, as some men count slackness ; but is long-           presently, or ultimately, punish them in His justice and
suffering to usward,  not willing that any should per-        righteousness.    But this is exactly contrary to the
ish, but that all should come to repentance. . . . And word of our Lord in this particular word of God. This
account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salva- is obvious, first of all, from the text itself. We read
tion ; even as our beloved brother Paul also according in this text of "His own elect", do we not? Is it not
to `the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you  ;"       absurd to say that the Lord, in His sparing  goodn.ess,
-2 Pet.  3:9, 15.                                             bears with His elect, worthy of punishment though
   The word, forbearance, occurs in the following pis- they may be? However, this definition of the  long-
sages : Rom. 2 :4 ; Col. 3 :13 ; Rom. 3 :26. We need not suffering of God, as applied to the word of Luke  18:7,
quote the first passage, in which the word, longsuffer-       is also absurd in the light of the context of this pas-
ing, also appears. In Col. 3  :13 we read : "Forbearing sage. In the context we read of a judge who feared
one another, and forgiving one another, if any man not God and did not regard man. This judge was
have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave therefore a "brute", a very godless and unmerciful
you, so also do ye." And Rom. 3 :25-26 reads : "Whom man. A widow of his city approaches him and im-
God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith plores him to help her over against her adversaries.
in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the re-        At first this judge paid no attention to this poor widow.
mission of sins that are past, through the forbear-           Why should he? He did not fear God and had no
ance of God  ; To declare, I say, at this time His right-     regard for man. The plight of this poor widow did
eousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of not concern him in the least. However, this widow
him which believeth in Jesus."                                gives:him  no peace. She continues to come unto him
                                                              and implore him for help. And, now, not because he
    The Common Interpretation of  Longsuffering.              feared God or regarded man, but because of her con-
   Dr. H. Bavinck defines the longsuffering of God tinual coming to him, he will avenge her and help her
as the sparing goodness of God towards those that are over against her enemies. This is the context of Luke
worthy  of, punishment. And Prof. Berkhof defines 18:7.  The parallel between this judge and verse 7
it as "that aspect of the goodness or love of God in          is striking. Even as that poor widow troubled this
virtue of which He bears with the froward and evil imjust judge, sought and implored him constantly, so.
in spite of their long continued disobedience." The also the afflicted people of God seek and implore the
eommon  definition today of this attribute of-the  Lord       Lord constantly. These people of God are in trouble. .
is that the Lord bears with the froward and the evil          They are being harassed and afflicted continuously

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

by an ungodly and wicked world. And they cry unto
the Lord in their distress. And it might seem at times
that the Lord does not hearken to their cry. They           The Fathers Regarding Conditions
beseech the Lord but the ungodly continue to trouble
and afflict them. However, if this unjust judge, who           Rev. Petter, it will be recalled, told his readers that
did not fear God and regarded not any man, will             our Reformed fathers taught that there are conditions
avenge the poor, afflicted widow, shall not the Lord        in the covenant. Here are your words-brother, "The
avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Reformd  fathers also were not adverse  tg,,speaking  of
Him, though He bear long with them? Is He not the conditions in the, plan of salvation. &nd.:if we may
Lord? Besides, are these afflicted people not His trust the statement of scho@rs about,such  historical
own elect? Does He, therefore, not love them with an data, then both Ursinius and Olevianus, the authors
everlasting love? Consequently, He will certainly of our Heidelberg Catechism, maintain&he terms  con-
avenge His own elect. He will surely come. to their ditional promise.                              &' <
aid. H.e will most assuredly vindicate them and pour           "But it is still more interesting t&&the  theologians
out the fury of His anger upon their enemies. It who carried on the battle with'the'  Remonstrants do
is true that He may not come immediately to their not hesitate Tthemselves  to teach "`that &ere ai.2 con-
aid and hear them as soon as they cry unto Him.             ditions in the covenant even when they are engaged in
However, we must understand that He "bears long"            fighting the doctrine of conditions as the remonstrants
with them. He suffers long with them. He sees them held it. Prominent among these were the famous
in  ,their affliction, suffers along with them in their Contra-remonstrants Gomarus and Walaeus, co-authors
suffering, and will avenge them in His own good time.       of the Standard "Synopsis of Purer Theology". And
But,,, it is quite obvious that the definition of the long- even .the monumental Staten Vertaling of that day has
suffering of God does not apply to Luke 18 3'.              a  forword  to the New Testament which informs us
       Another passage to which we would call attention that this New Testament means that covenant which
is I Tim.  1:15-16  : "This is a faithful saying, and       God made with man `whereby He gives him eternal life
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into      under certain  con&tions,   (italics, Petter's) . A half
the world to save sinners ; of. whom I am chief. How-       century later the prominent theologian  Turretin gives
beit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me .first     a long discussion on the conditions without thinking
Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for OS" denying them. `Also from the editorial in the same
a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Standard  Bearer"of  May 1, in which the "open letter"
Him to life everlasting." Applying the  "C,mmon             is found, it a'ppears that  ,the Netherland Theologians,
Grace" definition of the longsuffering of God to this       Dordrecht, 1618-19, spoke of conditions of the cove-
sixteenth verse we would read this text as follows :        nant."
"Bowbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, tbet in ma
first Jesus Christ might shew forth all His sparing            I must return to this disclosure of yours;`  .Rev.
goodness toward them that are worthy of punishment,         Petter, to your letting us see what the Fathers taught.
for a pattern to them which should afterwards believe You withheld some important facts. What these facts
on Him to life everlasting." This interpretation of are we learn from a paragraph contained in the Dog-
the text, however, is obviously ridiculous. The Lord,       matic of the late Prof. Herman Bavinck,-a paragraph
then, showed unto Paul all His sparing goodness to- that reads, "In den eersten tijd spraken de Gerefor-
ward them that are worthy of punishment when He meerden vrijmoedig van voorwaarden des verbonds.
apprehended him on the way to Damascus? However,            Maar  toen de natuur van het  genadevefbond   dieper
if. the Lord desired to spare him, would permit him ingedacht werd en tegen Roomschen, Lutherschen en
to continue in his wickedness, would it not have,been Remonstranten moest verdedigd worden,  voelden velen
more logical for the Lord to show Paul His  "long-          daartegen  bezwaar en vermeden dit spraakgebruik."
suffering" by permitting him to go on instead of' ap- I'll: translate this, "In the first period the Reformed
prehending and stopping him in  h&tracks? The freely spoke of conditions of the covenant. But when
Word "longsuffering"  i`n this text undoubtedly means  :    the nature of the covenant was moredeeply  thought
unchangeable,  and.refers  to the Lord's  redeeming  love into and had to be defended against Roman Catholics,
which cannot be quenched. Christ's apprehending of Lutherans, and Remonstrants, many in their hearts
Paul on the way to Damascus was therefore a mani- objected to the usage of that language and avoided it".
festation of this unchangeable love of God and serves Gereformeerde Dogmatiek, derde deel. (Derde  on-
as an example to them who hereafter should believe veranderde uitgave) . Bldz. 241.
in the Lord Jesus `Christ unto everlasting life.               Such was the experience of many of the Reformed
                    (to be continued)                       of that first period, Bavinck tells us. In a footnote
                      .                  H. Veldman.        he  .mentions  a few names. They are names of such


                                            TH,E  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           467

      men as Olevianus, Cloppenburg, Witsius,  Franken,             the'covenant. That  ,God gives power to believe no more
     . Brakel, Comrie, Vitringa, and Coccejus. These theo- renders the command to believe. unactual than it de-
      logians and `many others of the reformed objected to stroys faith a.s an act of tfLe believer. Bavinck's reason-
      the use of the phraseology in question and to the ideal- ing here is illogical and unscriptural. It plays into
,     ology it denotes.  !For the two cannot be separated. It the hands of the Pelagians, whose teaching it is that
      means that as they. were contemplating the nature of the command to believe can be actual, genuine and  well-
      the covenant, that whole condition-theology rose before meaning on the part of God, only if it be concluded
      their minds for what it is-a miserable heresy. And than man originates his own faith. Bavinck's mistake,
      they saw the utter futility of d,efending  the truth of which is the mistake also of the Liberated  ,in the
      4he sovereignty of God's grace with themselves dis- Netherlands, is that he identifies the two concepts
      coursing on&he  covenant in the terminology of Armin-         condition and command or reqibement.  ..The diction-
      -ius. Hence, they avoided that terminology. Of course,        ary tells us that we deal here  with.two  wholly distinct
      brotherJ;:Petter,  this change of heart on the part of        ideas. To deny, on the ground that God is the author
      the many of the Reformed has weight with me. It               of faith, the actuality and reality of:the command to
      supports me in my conviction that I am reading the            believe is. to deny the reality of the accountability of
      Scriptures  aright and that your condition-theology is man and of the sovereignty and holiness--the moral
      false doctrine. Yet I, no.more  than you, stand in awe will-of God. What God requires and  demands..* of
      of the fathers. Our only authority in all matters of          man is not that he originate faith and obedience in
      faith is the Scriptures, so that though  many of  the him, but that he believe  by the mercy  and power of
      Reformed had not repudiated that phraseology, I would God. That command is as actual and real, certainly,
      still be pronouncing it the vehicle of untruth.               as is the work of God whereby He "originates faith
         Calvin did not have to do battle with the Remon-           and obedience in man.                        I.
      strants.  I He passed from the scene before they made            But if the command to believe is actual':even  with
      their appearance. Hence, he was not driven by their           God originating faith in man, must it not be said by
      subtle philosophies to take up anew the study of the          dint of that reasoning that the cwndition  in the cove-
      covenap$,  and to re-examine his terminology.        The nant is just as real and actual even with God fulfilling
      result was -that, he continued to speak of conditions         it? The question is pointless. For the fact of the
      of the covenant.     In after years there were some matter is  that there are no conditions (voorwaarden)
      among the Reformed who did likewise. They spake in the covenant in that implicit in such a concep-
      of conditions of the covenant even while fighting the         tion is the  idea* of a human will able to originate
      arminian doctrine of conditions, as if, so I remarked faith,-thus a will limiting God. Such an idea does
      in one of my articles, it is possible to do both without      not underly the command to believe. And I beg to
      violating every law of logic. As I also remarked, it          remind my readers that now, too, 1 am using my
      shows what fallible men also the fathers were and of terms according to the meaning that they have in the
      what strange intellectual blunders they were capable.         dictionary. As we have seen, according to the defIni-
      It also shows how wrong it would be for us to live by tions that the, dictionary gives of "condition  (voor-
      the traditions of the Fathers and not to live solely by       waarde) faith, conceived of as a condition, is a cir-
      the Scriptures.                                               cumstance that limits God; it is a cause that would
         As to Bavinck, he also states his personal stand re-       produce in ,God the will to be gracious to such who
      garding the point at issue.       He writes, "Actually        believe of their own free will-free in  the:Pelagian
      (eigelijk) there are in the covenant of grace, that is,       sense of the word. And we do not right ,ratters'here
      in the Gospel, by which the covenant is made known,           by saying that God originates faith. All we do. by
      no requirements and no conditions (voorwaarden) .             such a saying is to disguise the heresy by camouflage.
      For God gives what He requires ; Christ finished all ;        For if God is the author of iaith,   He:%. not limited by
      He,did not bring to completion regeneration, faith,           it; and then faith, the will to believe on the part of
      and conversion in. our stead, but He merited these            man,, is not a condition  (voorwaarde) in the cove-
      graces for us ; and. the Holy Spirit realizes them in us."    nant. To nevertheless speak `of ?%ith in this way is
         The right way of saying this. is to state simply that,     to deceive ourselves and God's' people. On the other
      with God working regeneration,  fai,th, and conversion hand, we may and must speak of commands and re-
      in His people, there$are  no conditions in the covenant;      o=uirements  in the covenant. For the definitions that
      and  .that, this being true, the promises of God are un- the dictionary gives to these terms are not of a kind
      conditional and unfailing.                                    that render the statement heretical. The statement
          The statement of Bavinck to the effect that there i3 true; it sets forth sound doctrine.
      are actually no  requirements  in the covenant is not            It must not be suppose& that  `S`allow  the English
      true.    It is  .true that there are no  conditions  in the dictionary to tell us whether a view of doctrine. is
      covenant; but there are requirements, commands, in scriptural. I repeat what I said before; all we allow


468                                   T'HE  STANDARD   B'EARER

the English dictionary to do is to define English words. also the denial of the reality of the  command. But this
But it stands' to reason that only the Bible can tell us -is not true. The teaching that there are commands& '
whether the ideas and concepts with which English the covenant is not, as is the case with the idea that
words are associated are contained in the Holy Writ. `there are conditions in the covenant, excluded by the
We derive the meanings of English words from the             Scriptures on account of the conceptions with which           I
English dictionary or we fabricate meanings for such the English words command and  requirement  are
words. Rev. Petter does the latter with the word associated in the English language. There are com-
condition. That is one of his great mistakes,  `as"al-       mands in the covenant; and they are real and actual
ready has been explained.                    ".  #.
                                             ..,_      1'    also as imposed upon the reprobated though God sover-
       What our study has revealed is that the word con-     eignly wants them in hell and accordingly withholds
dition as a sentence element of the statement to the         from them the power to believe and hardens them
effect that God saves men on condition of their faith        through the command. Such is the plain teaching of
and repentance is a bad term ; but that the doctrine         the Scriptures. But where does Holy Writ teach that
according to which God dematis  of His people in the         God  Isaves men on condition (voorwaarde) of their
covenant that they believe in Him through Christ and fulfillmg them? Quote me one text. and show by your
keep His covenant is certainly sound doctrine. And           exegesis that such is the doctrine contained in it? It
these demands are actual. We must not with Bavinck can't be done. Also here, then, your whole reasoning
deny, on the ground that God is the author of faith          is pointless. And so, your concluding statement, "No,
and obedience, the reality of these commands and re-         we must see the reality of those conditions and make
quirements in the covenant. Because then we play them a living part of our theology," conveys no sense.
into the hands of the Pelagians. I know, we deal here For how can we see the reality of that  which'does  not
not with a  problem  but with a  mystery. And the exist and make it a living part of our theology? Your
mystery is how faith and obedience can at once + be          repeating that sentiment over and over in your refusal
man's act and God's work in man; how, in a word,             <to face the real issue and come with exegesis is becom-
the command to believe can be real and genuine with          ing real tiresome. What it indicates is your inability
,God the author of both. It is a thing that simply to refute effectively my argument with the Scriptures.
defies our powers of penetration and in all likelihood       And that is not a wonder. My argument itself is
will continue to defy our powers of penetration ever-        scriptural. It cannot be refuted with the Scriptures.
lastingly. At bottom it is the mystery of human ac-             But the principal point that I am arguing in this
countability and divine sovereignty, Both are real writing is that when Rev. Petter stated that, to use his
and actual, but it takes a mind like that of God to          own words, "the Reformed Fathers were not adverse
comprehend how both can be actual. And we are but to speaking of conditions", he was not telling the truth.
creatures. God has revealed these mysteries unto us          The statement is too sweeping to be true. For, as
not that we should be troubled and vexed by our in-          we have now seen, the eyes of many of the Reformed
ability to comprehend them and in our sinful vexation were opened to the danger of speaking of conditions in
go prating about the problems and contradictions in the covenant and accordingly they refrained from the
which the contemplation of God's works envolve us,           employment of that phraseology. And Bavinck's stand
but that believing though not comprehending we should was that actually there are no conditions in the cove-
worship that great God.                                      nant. Such are the facts.  *'  `.
       And here you have my answer, Rev. Petter, to your        But in the sequel Bavinck says that `the covenant
wrong reasoning contained in your reply to the last of grace nevertheless assumes this conditional form,
letter of Rev. H. Veldman in the Concordia for June 23,      the purpose being to acknowledge man in his rational
-a reasoning that reads, "And supposing that we              and moral  nature  ; to treat him also in his fallen state
should substitute the words `obligation', `calling', `re- as created in God's image ; to establish him on this
quirement' ( [which I deem possible{. The phrase in highest plain, where the issues are those of man's
brackets is from the pen of Rev. Petter), would we           eternal weal and woe, responsible and inexcusable ;
not, have the same problem? Would we not haveto              and to cause him to break with sin and enter the cove-
say that also the relations which Rev. Veldman sug- nant consciously and without constraint.
gests are not real because God Himself provides for             But the use that Bavinck here makes of the terms
their fulfillment by His power and grace in His people? actual  and  form  won't do, his saying that there are
That offers no solution, I am convinced."                    actu.utZy  no commands in the covenant but that never-
       No, Rev. Petter, we do not have the same problem.     theless the covenant assumes an requiring form. That
We have no problem at all. What you mean to say in would come down to this that the commands of God
your determination to compel us to admit the imagined are such not uctually, not as to idea, but only as to
rightness of your error is that, if the reality of the con- the form of their words. And if there-were conditions
dition in the covenant be denied, consistency demands in the covenant, that would  hold also of them. Bavinck's


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  469

teaching here is impossible. It comes down to this,
that God is not  c~ctzuilly commanding His people ; that             Revs. De Jong and Kok in
in communicating His will to men He was uttering
words as disconnected in His mind from their significa-                        The Netherlands
tions in human speech ;or that He was just talking                                     A REPORT.
`without meaning what He  ' said. How with such a
view could it be maintained that man is a responsible             Prof. Holwerda is the incumbent of the chair of
agent and that God is the holy and the sovereign One? Church Polity in the seminary of the Liberated Church-
One of two: 1) If there are not actuuUy  conditions in         es. In Canada dwells a certain immigrant who came
the covenant, neither, then, is the covenant  conditional to these shores about a year and a half ago and settled
as to its form,; or 2) If the covenant is conditional as in Chatham,  where we have a mission station. Though
to its form, then there are nctually conditions in the this immigrant. attends our meetings for public wor-
covenant. And the same holds of the requirements of ship, he was at a loss to know whether to affiliate with
God. As they stand Bavinck's statements are worth-             us or join the Christian Reformed Church in Chatham.
less. The fact of the matter is this: There are no con-        He wrote Prof. Holwerda for advice. The professor
ditions in the covenant; the covenant therefore is un- gave advice. His letter to the immigrant found its
conditional also as to its form. There are command- way into my hands. I felt it my duty to publish it,
ments in the covenant; the covenant therefore is also whidh I herewith do, for reasons that will be obvious
commanding as to its form.                                     to all who read.
   Bavinck doubtless was troubled by the "if" clauses             The professor wrote  :
of the Bible of the type with which we are occupied.
"If thou keepest my covenant, all these blessings will                "Gister  ontving  ik uw brief en nu direct per airmail ant-
come upon thee. . . ." Certain it is that the current               woorden.,  ;,  ,We  hadden  eergister een gemeenbespreking
doctrine of Holy Writ forbids taking those declara-                 met Ds. Kok en Ds. De Jong. Wij hebben heel$penhartig
tions to mean that there are conditions in the covenant ;          gedachten gewisseld. Ze hebben nu dit gezegd:  Inderdaad
that God saves men on the                                          hebben we in de Protestant Reformed Churchveel  aan Ds.
                                 condition of  their faith.
But what is to be done with that "if"           Here in all        Hoeksema te  danken.  Maar zijn opvatting in zake  ver-
likelihood was Bavinck's difficulty, which he thought              kiezing enz.  is geen kerkleer. Niemand is daaraan  ge-
to have solved by saying that though there actually                bonden.  Er kdmt ook van sommigen een heel ander  ge-
can be no conditions sin the covenant, it nevertheless             luid.~ Naar hunne opinies da&en  de meesten niet als Ds.
is conditional as to its form. My exegesis of Ezekiel               Hoeksema en Ds. Ophoff: En de sympathie voor de vrij-
18 and Deut. 28 taught us how that "if" is to be dealt             gemaakten was  g-root  ook in zake hunne verbonsleer. We1
with. Your teaching, brother Petter, is that there are             leggen ze in, Amerika,  gezien hun andere historie, meestal
                                                                   het accent wat anders, maar voor vrijgemaakte opvatting
actually' conditions in the covenant.       That  "if" gave
you no difficulty at all . You simply rendered- it "op           * was volledig plaats. En van andere zijde hoorde ik dat
de klank af", on                                                   vrijgemaakten in de Chr. Ref. Church moeilijkheden krij-
                     condition that  as closing your eyes
to the current doctrines of the Scriptures in the light            gen  Js ze op hun  stuk blijven staan.
of which every single verse in the Bible must be ex-                  Zij, d.w.z., Ds. Kok en Ds. De Jong, hebben ook ver'lnq
plained.    And then you told your readers that you                gegeven van wat er in hunne kerken wordt gedaan om de
had the Fathers on your side by saying that they were              geestelijke verzorging der vrijgemaakten ter hand te
not adverse to speaking of conditions in the covenant.             nemen..  Ik moet eerlijk zeggen hierdoor is veel van mIjn
,But we know better now. Many of the reformed                      vrees  weggenomen. Ik.  ,+d de methode van het  Amers-
were adverse to the employment of that phraseology.                foortsche besluit in zake correspondentie met de Prot. Ref.
They avoided it, their eyes having opened to heretical             Church nog ongelukkig. Maar ik zie het nu zoo. Ten
ideologies denoted by it. Such are the facts.                      eerste, de Prot. Ref. Church, hoewel de  ligging  in zake
                                         G. M. Ophoff.             uitverkiezing enz., daar eenigzins anders is, wat gezien de
                                                                   geheel  andere historic,  is de ware kerk. Ik ben het  daar-
                                                                   om niet  .geheel  eens. Ten  tweede,  de Prot. Ref. Church
   The Concorclia  for July 21 contains Rev. Petter's              bewijst de ware kerk te zijn ook hierin dat ze de uit Hol-
answer to Rev. H. Veldman's last letter. The answer                land gaanden thans waarachtig zoekt en bewust voor hun
of Rev. Petter has a paragraph that reads, ."Also  the             standpunt alle ruimte'laat.  In deze situatie geloof ik dat
Rev. Ophoff at one time freely spoke of `conditional               aansluiting bij de Prot. Ref. Church  roeping  is. En laat
promises' and defended them."         (Standard Bearer,            men dan  als vrijgemaakten vooral het contact met Holland
Vol. II, pages 46 and 47). I will reply to this in the             bewaren, en ook onze lectuur daar doorgeven. Onze vrij-
following issue of the  Standard,Bearer.                           gemaakten zouden zeker vruchtbaar werk doen, als ze in
                                      G. M: Ophoff,                de Prot. Ref. Churches werkten aanwegneming van mis-


 470                                                   T H E   STANDLARD   B E A R E R
  -          -                             -_                                                                                       _.
              verstand en aan verdieping van inzicht. Ds.  Kok  zei, We                    make them all ministers, just like that'. If Rev.  Hoek-
              kunnen nog veel van elkander  leeren.   Zeer   merkwaardig                   sema's conception' was binding, I would say, Never join.
             vond ik de  mededeeling  dat Ds. Hoeksema, die eerst vrij                     Now I believe, however, that accession is calling; and then
              ,skeptisch  tegenover de vrijgemaakte immigranten stond,                     co that the Liberated also help to disseminate the  dog-
              een bezoek aan hun gebracht heeft, en enthousiast terug-                     matical  wealth of Holland in the Prot. Ref. Churches."
: `L          keerde; en een ander moet hebben gezegd:  I`Dat  zijn kerels
        I     die  weten  waar het om  gaat.  Je zou  ie zoo allemaal Ds.            This is an astounding' letter, espe&iiy the state-
              kunnn  maken."                                                      ments in it that bear on the doings of Revs. De Jong
                    MS er binding was  aan Ds.  Hoeksema's  bpvatting,  zou       and Kok in the Netherlands and on the state of affairs
              ik zeggen, Nooit aansluiten.  Nu gelodf ik  echter  dat  toe-       in our own communion of churches.
              treding  roeping   is. En dan zoo dat de vrijgemaakten ook             Do I have the right to publish this letter and there-
              de dogmatische,  rijkdom van Holland de Prot. Ref. Church           by make it the property of all our people? I do have
              helpen  doorgeven."                                                 that right. Let us consider the following:
                                                                                     a) Prof. Holwerda's letter partakes of the nature
 Here follows the translation of thismissive:                                     of a report of the acts of a conference that was open
                    "I received your letter yesterday, and a direct reply per     to the public certainly. Any interested person could
              airmail is in order. Day before yesterday we held a meet-           have attended that meeting. It was not held ,behind
              ing with Rev. Kok and Rev. De Jong, the purpose being               locked doors. Fact is then, that I am not by my doing
              mutual discourse. We had a wholly openhearted exchange              revealing things that were meant to be kept secret, or
              of thoughts: They said. this: Indeed, we have much to be            that from their very nature are secret and therefore
              grateful for to Rev; Hoeksema. But his conception  re-              ought to be kept secret. The deliberations of that  con-
              garding election etc. is not church doctrine. No one  i5            ference in the Netherlands are being spread far and
              bound by it. Some are emitting a totzllIy  different; sound.        wide among the Liberated in the Netherlands and
              Their opinion was that most (of the `Prot. Ref.) do  ndt            among the immigrants in Canada. Our people, too,
              think  as Rev. Hoeksema and Rev. Ophoff. And sympathy               have a right to know.
              for the Liberated was great also in the matter of  t,!leir             b) Revs. De Jong and Kok, be it as self-appointed
              doctrine of the covenant. They do accentuate  differently           ambassadors-they were not sent by the Protestant
                  in America, considering their history, but `for the conceg- * Reformed-were speaking for all our people.  hence,
              tion of the Liberated there is ample room. And from s*;her          every man, woman and child of our communion has a
              quarters I heard that Liberated in the Chr. Ref. churches           right to be made acquainted with the content of the
                  run into difficulty, if they hold their position.               professor's letter.
                    They,' that is, Rev. Kok and Rev. De Jong, also reported         I not only have the right to publish the professor's
              what is being done in their churches for handling the               letter, but I am persuaded that it is my solemn duty,
              spiritual care of the Liberated. I must honestly say that           and this for the following reasons:
                  thereby much of my fear has been removed. I still con-
              sider the method of the Amersfoort decision regarding                  a) The deliberations of that conference in the
              corressondence  with the Protestant Reformed Churches               Netherlands vitally concerns all our consistories, ail
              unfortunate.       But now I `see the thing thus: First, the        ou? churches, all our peoplee. Our whole movement is
                  Prot. Ref. church is the true church, be it that the lay        at stake, if the statements contained in the letter are
                  (of  conceptiori)  regarding election, etc. is somewhat dif-    true.
              ferent, considering their wholly different history. How-               b) The  difhculties in which the professor's letter,'
                  ever,  1 am not entirely agreed. Second the Protestant          report, involve the brethren De Jong and Kok cannot
                  Reformed Church proves to be the true church also               be settled to my satisfaction alone; they cannot be
                  herein that she truly seeks the immigrants from Holland         settled to the satisfaction of the consistories of Holland
                  and consciously allows all room for their conception. In        and Creston alone ; they must be settled to the satis-
                  this situation I believe that joining the Prot. Ref. church     faction of all our consistories, of all our churches, of
                  is calling. And let  them:then  as Liberated preserve their     all `our people. For, as was just stated, the delibera-
                  contact with Holland by all means, and also spread our          tions of that conference vitally concerns all our church-
                  literature. Our Liberated would be doing a fruitful work,       es. This-the fact that the aforesaid difficulties must
                  if they labored in the Prot. Ref. churches to remove mis-       be.settled to the satisfaction of  at1 our people-demand-
                  understanding'and to deepen insight. Rev. Kok said. We          ed the publication of the professor's letter and will
                  can still learn much from each other. The communication         certainly also demand the-publication of the brethren's
                  that Rev. Hoeksema, who f'irst was skeptical of the immi-       explanations of the statements that they are reported.
                  grants,`paid them a visit, and returned enthusiast, struck      to have made, if they can have any.                                 d
                  me as remarkable; and another must have said, `Those are            c) If the report of the professor is true, the breth-
                  strong men, who know what it is all about. You could            ren De Jong and Kok involved most of our people in-


                                     TI-LE      STANDARD                 BEARER                                   471
-.__.
eluding the clergy. For the report states that most ship have repudiated the covenant-theology of, Rev.
(of the Protestant Reformed) do not think like Rev. Hoeksema  and embraced the covenant-theology of the
,Hoeksema and Rev. Ophoff. This was said to the              Liberated in the Netherlands. But that  covenant-
leaders among the Liberated in the Netherlands. It is theology of the Liberated is false doctrine. I would
being broadcasted far and wide. Certainly every not be using language too strong should I characterize
minister, elder and deacon in our communion, and             it as a damnable heresy. As I intend to treat this
every common member must receive the opportunity theology in a brief series of articles to appear in the
of expressing himself regarding that statement, and          Standard Bearer, I shall now limit myself to presenting
regarding all the other statements occurring-:in the its"principa1  tenets, which are two in number: 1) The
letter as well. This demanded the public&tion  of the promise of the covenant is unto all the baptized, repro-
letter.                                                      bate and elect alike. It can also be stated this way:
    d) The Rev. De Jong has been called to labor among All have a legal right to Christ and all His benefits.
the immigrants in Canada as the missionary of all our Now what have we here? The Arminian doctrine of
churches. He can be allowed to accept that call, cer- universal atonement pure and simple, the teaching
tainly, only if he succeeds in dispelling the thick cloud that ,God  called all men, reprobate and elect alike, His
of suspicion under which he has been brought by Prof.        sons and reconciled them to  HimseIf  through Christ's
Holwerda's letter again to the satisfaction not only of cross. Such is the teaching also of the Christian Re-
the calling church-Fuller Avenue-but to the satis- formed "as appears anew from Rev. Ghysei's medita-
faction of all our churches. This again demanded the tion in'The Banner for July 15. The meditation con-
publication of the professor's letter.                       tains this statement, "Being children of the covenant
    There is still this question. Why all the haste? they-the reprobated-have the right-mark you, the
Why not have waited with the publication of the letter right-to the blessings of the kingdom. At the present
until the brethren De Jong and Kok have spoken. I time baptism assures them of that right just as  circum-
ask in turn, why the delay seeing that for all the           cision,*did  in the olden time. But baptism does not
reasons stated above the letter would have to be pub- assure them of the actual-mark  you, actual-posses-
lished even though the brethren succeeded in clearing sion of the blessings of the covenant." This is Heyn-
themselves. `The seriousness of the case rules out all sianism through and through. It is Arminianism. It
delay. There will not be another issue of the Standard is the covenant-doctrine of the Liberated.            .
Bearer until Sept. 1. Rev. De Jong cannot be allowed            This  Idoctrine  involves. those addicted to it in a
to accept that call without our people being informed problem. It is this: If God  ~calls all His sons, if all
and the difficulty settled. Postponing publication of have a right to Heaven, how is it to be accounted for
the letter would not be making things any easier for that many perish? What is the'answer  of the Liber-
the two brethren. The possibility that Prof. Holwerda ated and the Christian Reformed?               It is this `(the
fabricated the statements that he attributes to the Revs.    second of the two principal tenets of the covenant
De Jong and Kok is remote. Certainly, the man didn't theology of the Liberated). 2) God places the benefits
fabricate those statements. If Rev. De Jong and Rev. of Christ's cross in the actual possession of men, in-
Kok succeed in exonerating themselves their reputation cluding the reprobated,  on the condition  of (op  voor-
will not have suffered at all on account of the publica-     waarde van) faith and repentance. That can mean but
tion of the letter. In view of all these considerations one thing, of course, namely, that man's will is free in
what would be the sense of postponing the publication the Pelagian sense, that God, on that account, stands
of it? How could that  ,be right?                            powerless overagainst man's corruption and that, if
    As was said, according to the professor's report,
                                                     .       he is to be saved, he must originate faith in him. I-Iere
the brethren De Jong and Kok made some astoundmg we have the absolute proof that the condition .(,vpor-
statements on the meeting of that conference. Rev. waarde) in the covenant-theology of the Liberated is
Hoeksema's  conception regarding election, etc, is not indeed a circumstance that limits, prevents God; $n
church doctrine? None are bound by it? Some are efficient cause,-thus at once a circumstance th&t in-
emitting a totally different sound? How these state- duces ,God  to be gracious unto all such who of `their
ments are to be taken is hard to say. The brethren own sovereign' will choose to be' saved: Such, is the
better `explain.                                             covenant-theology of the Liberated and of the Chris-
    Then these statements, *`And sympathy for the tian Reformed.
<Liberated  was great also in the matter of their doc-          But one will say, Do not the Liberated confess the
trine of the covenant. They do accentuate differently doctrine of sovereign election and reprobation and that,
ir! America, considering  their  history,'  but `for the con- faith is God's gift in man ? They do. But these beliefs
ception of the Liberated there is ample room." This is have strictly no place in their covenant theology, which
plain language. It comes down  .to this : The Protestant is-thoroughly arminian. They are excluded, are these
Reformed Churches, as to the bulk of their member- tenets, by the very Iogic of that theology. Certainly,

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

the idea that man originates his own faith excludes affiliate with us and get to work. Can it be that we
the idea that faith is of God, doesn't it? And in their     here hit upon the fundamental purpose of that visit to
covenant-theology man does, necessarily must, appear the Netherlands,-the purpose, namely, to show the
as originating his own faith, for the simple reason irreconcilable leaders among the Liberated that they
that though all have the right to the blessings of the      need have no scrupples  about advising their people who
kingdom many nevertheless perish. All these points          come to these shores to affiliate with the Protestant
will be fully explained in my series.                       Reformed? But to get their way with them, the Revs.
       What, then, is  *that covenant-theology? It is a     De Jong and Kok had not only to repudiate in their
heresy of the first magnitude. And to think now that hearing the covenant-theology of Rev. Hoeksema but
the Protestant Reformed Churches as to the bulk of had also to assure them that sympathy among us for
their membership. have embraced that covenant-theolo- the theology of the Liberated was great. And accord-
gy. If  that` is true, we, Protestant Reformed, are but ing to the report of the professor they did just that.
another communion of Arminian churches. And in And so the professor is now convinced that we too are
that case why sacrifice the way we do to maintain our- the true, church as well as they. And why are we now
selves as a separate and distinct communion of church-      in his eyes the true church? Because in our great love
es? Why send out missionaries? Why preach on the            of the theology of the Liberated, we repudiated the
radio? Why found and maintain our own Christian theology of Rev. Hoeksema ; and, second, because we
schools? What right have we to call ourselves distinct- allow their people to hold fast their theology as mem-
ively reformed, if we have embraced that covenant- bers of our communion. Let us not feel honored.
theology of the Liberated? We should close the doors           According to the report of the professor, the Revs.
of our churches ; nail them shut with long spikes, and De Jong and Kok had the habit of speaking of the
return to the mother-church that cast us out, if we covenant-theology of the Protestant Reformed as the
have embraced that covenant-theology of the Liberated. theology of Rev. Hoeksema, as if it were his private
For in that case we walk in a vain show, and all our        conception and personal possession and therefore not
activities and ventures are vanity, a waste of money, binding on the churches. In fact, according to the
time, and effort.                                           professor's report the two brethren explicitly stated
   But I don't believe that it is true. I can't believe it. that it was not binding on the churches.? But that is
I am certain that our people still hold the foundation not true. It is the covenant-theology of the Protestant
that was laid among us twenty-five years ago ; still        Reformed, their unwritten creed, officially adopted, and
believe with the heart and confess with the mouth therefore binding indeed. Consider the following. We
that God calls not all but some only His sons in Christ;    are all familiar with or at least aware of the existence
that these sons and none others have the right to be        of the Three Points or doctrinal deliverance of the
saved, they being justified in Christ,-saved by grace       Christian Reformed Synod of 1924. The doctrine con-
and by a faith that is God's gift in them, and that the     tained in these propositions includes also the covenant-
promises of God, given unto these sons, and to them theology of the late Prof. Heyns. The Revs. H.  Hoek-
only, are on that account unconditional and unfailing. sema and H. Danhof and the undersigned with their
This was the covenant-theology of the Protestant Re- consistories were placed before the choice of subscrib-
formed twenty-five years ago; and I believe that with       ing these points-thus placed before the choice of sub-
rare exceptions it is still the covenant-theology of our scribing the covenant-theology of Prof Heyns-or being
people.     It is a thoroughly Scriptural, and on this ejected from the communion of Christian Reformed
account strictly logical covenant-theology, and there-      churches. These consistories officially decided not to
foreso easy to grasp. A child can understand it. Can subscribe the aforesaid points or propositions ; and by
it be that we were so foolish as to exchange this beauti- that decision they officially pronounced also the cove-
ful truth for that rotten heresy of the Liberated? I nant- theology of the Liberated, heretical ; and its
can't believe that we have been that foolish.               logical contrary-the covenant-theology of Rev. Hoek-
       Prof. Holwerda wants to see us converted into a sema-scriptural. This certainly amounted to an of-
communion of Liberated churches. He tells his cor- ficial adoption of that theology. That theology is
respondent that the Liberated in Canada by all means        therefore binding indeed. And when the Revs. De
should make that their aim. They shall go about their Jong and Kok allowed themselves. to be inducted into
task by spreading the literature of the Liberated among the office of ministers of the gospel in our communion,
our people. And they have the opportunity. For the          they declared by that act before God and man, "We
conceptions, the covenant-theology, of Rev. Hoeksema subscribe the covenant-theology of the Protestant Re-
is not binding. The Protestant Reformed even allow formed, and promise to be bound by it in our preach-
ample room for the covenant-theology of the Liberated.      ing and teaching.
If it were otherwise, his advice would have been, Never        One more thing. We must all be agreed, certainly,
join. But the situation being what it is they must that it is high time that we as churches take an officia1


                                                                                                                   a

                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             473

stand in the matter of the covenant-theology of Heyns.
It is high time that we as churches officially pronounce
that theology heretical and its contrary-the  covenant-                         SION"S  ZANGEN
theology of the Protestant Reformed-Scriptural and
true. This has already been done, as was explained.
`But let us do it again, that all may understand that we                              Een Vloekpsalm
do have a covenant-theoiogy  that is binding, and that
we allow no room at all in our communion to its con-                                 (Psalm 109; Tweede Deel)
trary-the covenant-theology of  ,Heyns and of the                         De vorige  maal  hebben we een soort  introductie
Liberated. Those who will not allow themselves to be gegeven van dezen psalm, en dat was noodig. Deze
bound should then leave; and I have reference here in psalm is zeker niet populair in onze dagen. Ik denk niet
the first instance to our clergy. Why should any of dat hij ooit populair geweest is, maar sindsdien elke
them want to be  occupy!ng  our  pulpi%,  if  they  are dag erger is dan zijn voorganger,  haat men dezen
agreed with that very heresy the official repudiatian  @f              psalm vandaag  meer dan  gister.  Het is om van  te
which twenty-five years ago constitutes the very rea- weenen. Want deze vloekpsalm is gei'nspireerd door
son of our separate existence as Protestant Reformed God's Heiligen Geest.
churches? What right have they in' our pulpits, if                        "0 God mijns lofs, zwijg niet!"  '            "
they are agreed with that heresy and are thus opposed
to its very contrary  - that only covenant-theology                       Wat een angstkreet! Het is den zanger bang. .Hij
which is according to the Scriptures? No right what- is omringd van venijnige menschen die hem benauwen.
soever either legal or moral. If it is true what Rev.                  En het schijnt alsof de Heere er maar we+eloos bij-
De Jong is reported to have said, if the opponents of                  staat. En  dat gaat den zinger  aan `t hart. Daarom
our covenant-theology are in the majority, no action as schreeuwt hij tot God om wraak. Hij vraagt God
that just suggeited  will be taken, and that will prove                eigenlijk om  recht  tegenover zijn wederpartijders.
that what Rev. De Jong is reported to have said is                     Ge kunt het nog duidelijker  zeggen: hij schreeuwt om
only too true ; and that therefore there is absolutely no den oordeelsdag.
sense to me continuing my labors in our communion                         Maar dat kon nog niet.                               ,' i
of churches. `For then all is vanity itideed.                             Er is een bestemde tijd voor alle dingen..  Er is een. "-
                                             G. M. Ophoff.             bestemde tijd voor den oordeelsdag, en tdt  zoolang  moet
                                                                       Gqds volk lijden van het goddelooze rot.
                                                                          Het was .anders we1 benauwd voor David. Luistert :
                                                                       "Want de mond des goddeloozen en de mond des be-
                        I N   MliMORIAM                                drogs zijn tegen mij opengedaan, zij hebben met mij
    De Hollandsche Mannen Vereeniging van de Eerste Protes-            gesproken met een valsche tong."
tan&he  %ereforme&rde  Kerk in Grand Rapids,  Mich.,  wenscht             En dan wordt het benauwd.
bij dezen hare innerlijke deelneming te bet&-en aan een harer             De goddeloozen zijn het volk waarop de Heere ver-
leden,  broeder W. Zwak, in het plotseling en tragisch  verlies van    gramd is tot in eeuwigheid. Hun naam in de Schrift
zijn dochter,                                                          is teekenend: zij zijn goddeloos, dat is, zonder God in
                      MRS. A. BRUMMEL                                  de wereld.
   Moge de  Beere rijkelijk Zijn troost  aan hem en de verdere            Wat wil dit eigenlijk zeggen? Dit: zij handelen  en
f amilie schenken.                                                     wqndelen,  bestaan, denken,  spreken en leven  alsof er
                                          G. Koster, Pres.             geen God in het heelal  is die- alles ziet en gadeslaat en
                                          G. Borduin,  Seer.           oordeelt, alle dagen.
                                                                          En dat is vreeselijk. Want er is we1 een God. En
                          * * * *                                      die God is zoo dicht bij hen, dat Hij zelfs.tot  in het
                                                                       diepste hart  der goddeloozen  Zich openbaart en zegt :
                        IN MEMORIAM                                    Ik ben God en niemand meer. Daarom zegt de godde-
    The Ladies' Society of the Hudsonville  Protestant Reformed        looze in zijn hurt : Er is geen God ! En die God laat
Church hereby expresses its sympathy to its fellow member,             Zich ook niet onbetuigd. Hij geeft de kracht aan de
Mrs. Harry Zwak, in the sudden loss of her sister-in-law,              tong van alle zoogenaamde Godloochenaars om te  zeg-
                      MRS. A. BRUMMEL                                  gen : Er is geen God !
    May the Lord comfort the bereaved with His wonderful                  Die goddeloozen zijn menschen die een tong des
grace and presence unto the healing of the wounds He struck.           bedrogs in hun mond hebben. Dat zegt de tekst.           .,
All His ways are wonderful.                                               Een tong des bedrogs  `wil zeggen, dat wij geestelijke -
                                    Rev. Gerrit Vos, Pres.             kinderen  van den duivel zijn. Hij was het die voor
                                    Mrs. C. $poeiman, Sec'y.           het eerst een tong des bedrogs openbaarde, en dat was


      476                                     THE  STANDAR.D   BEAJiER

              __ .-.-. -                                            the. office according to the Word of Cod `and for the
                  FROM HOLY .JTRIT'                                 welfare of the church. When finally the vote is cast
                                                                    and certain men are chosen, all must rest assured that
                                                                    Christ has wrought `a great work by His Holy Spirit
                  !I'he Office Of Eldei                             in the church, appointing men out of their midst as I
                                                                    .His ambassadors.
                                                                       Also those persons who are placed on nomination
      The Qualifications  of  An Elder.                             may not consider this matter lightly. On the one hand,
         The special office in the church is the highest posi- they may not assume the attitude. that they need not
     tion that any person can possibly hold in this .worId.         present their objections because they may not be chosen
      In distinction from the minister, or teaching,elder,  the anyway. Nor may they lightly invent objections in
     ruling elder is overseer over. the flock as ambassador order to escape the task that may fall. upon them. On
      of Jesus Christ. Therefore Scripture uses the term the other hand, in case they do have desire to serve
     bishop, which means' overseer. He must comfort the             (which Scripture certainly commends, I Tim. 3 :l) ,
     weary, admonish the wayward, and drive away  the they must be willing to wait for the objective calling
     wolves that'appear in sheep's clothing. He must see through the church in God's owntime.
     to it that the flock is well fed in the green pastures of         Well may we ask, what are the qualifications of an
      the Word, having oversight over the preaching to pre- elder according to the Scriptures?
      serve it in all its purity. He must jealously guard              Nor need we seek for an answer in vain. For the
     God's heritage from the powers of sin, the world, and Scriptures are very ready to instruct us.
      the devil. Whatever other duties he may `have in the             Acts "6  :3 teaches us, "Wherefore, brethren, look out
      administrative affairs of the church they are always          among you seven men of honest report, fulI'of the Holy
      subservient to his-task a8 overseer.                          Ghost' and wisdom, whom we may appomt  over this
         That raises the important question, what are the           business." This is sureIy the first requisite of primary
      qualifications required for fulfilling  ?&is office? Every    importance, that the men to be appointed to this office
      consistory faces this question at least once a year, or as    be "full of the Holy Ghost and- wisdom." If anyone
      often as it is called to present the congregation with a      should raise the objection that Acts 6 speaks of the
      new nomination for office bearers. True it is, that only appointment of deacons, and not of elders, we are ready
,     Christ can appoint to any office within the church, yet to agree, but we hasten to add that since this is a requi-
      He does so through the institute, that is, through the site for the office of deacons it is no Iess a requisite for
      consistory and the congregation.. Therefore every indi- those who must serve as elders. To be full of the Holy
      vidual member of the consistory is responsible before Ghost  means,,to be endowed with the Spirit of the living
      God to `place only such men on nomination who ar.e            Christ as. He dwells in the church of the new dispensa-
     qualified for that work. So easily sinful flesh plays a tion. A person is either "filled with the Holy Ghost"
      prominent part in their choice. Sometimes, in the way or he.hcks  this gift entirely. And he who is full of the
      of least resistence, the  nomina;tion  may be  b&ted to a     Spirit receives the  bIessings  of Christ according to his
      select few rather than trying to find other talents that place and calling as member of Christ's Body. There-
      God may have placed in the congregation. On other fore- the wisdom referred to in the text is not a mere
      occasions, a man may be chosen for his financial sup- natural wisdom, but is a sanctified wisdom wrought by
      port or his influence in the congregation, rather than        the Spirit, enlightening the eyes of the understanding
      for his capabilities. Again, even personalities or friend- and filling the heart with love and devotion to God.
      ships may prejudice the mind... Or a new arrival may          The'Spirit  instructs him to discern the truth of Scrip--"  *
      seem so much more gifted than the more familiar faces         ture and directs him in sound. judgment, that he may
      in the church. When the nomination is finally ready use his gifts and talents unto the best interests of God's  I
      the whole' consistory must be convinced in their souls        church.'
      that they have acted according to the guidance of the            Negatively, there are certain ,evils  that definitely
      Holy Spirit as before the face of God.                        disqualify a person for the office.        t
         As soon as the nomination is presented to the con-            Thus we read in I Tim. 3 :2, 3, 6, "A bishop. must
      gregation for approbation it becomes the responsibility       . . . . not be given to wine (no brawler), no striker
      of the whole church. Silence can. ,onJ,y  .mean  consent.      (a contentious, quarrelsome `person) ) not greedy of
      How readily suspicions arise that the consistory, which filthy lucre (covetous, seeking his personal gain), . . .
      consists of mere men, has allowed itself to be influenced     not a novice (one recently brought into the church),
      by sinful motives and intentions. How little the con- lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condem-
      gregation often realizes the problems' they have faced. nation of the devil."
      But each member is likewise duty bound to put  aside             In. his epistle to Titus `( 1:7) Pam`  mentions almost
      his own personal likes and dislikes to desire men for         the same evils, "For a bishop must be bIam&ss,  as


                                      THE        STANDARD               BEARER                                         477

steward of God ; not self willed (overbearing,  self-           simply, a lover of the good), sober (able to exercise
centered), not soon angry (the servant of the Lord              self control, not unstable), just, holy, temperate
must not strive, II Tim. 2:24), not given to wine, no           (strong to curb the evil) ; holding fast the faithful
striker, not given to filthy lucre (eager for base word as he hath been taught, that he may be able. by
gains) ."                                                       sound doctrine to exhort and to convince the  gain-
    In a similar strain the apostle Peter instructs the sayers."
elders in the church, (I Peter 5 :2, 3), "Feed the flock           Summing up these qualifications, we find that an
of God which is among you, taking oversight thereof,            elder must,
not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre,            1. First of all, be sound in doctrine.  Ile must
*but. of a ready mind : neither as being lords over God's know and love the Scriptures; be ready to expound the
heritage, but being ensamples to the flock."                    Word when necessary, but also to maintain and defend
    No one can fail to see the implications.                    it against all those who oppose it. It is interesting to
    1. An overseer must not be guilty of gross sins. note that this is also one of the questions asked in the
How shall he admonish others if the finger of accusa- Form for the ordination of elders,. "Whether ye believe
tion points squarely at himself? Moreover, how can he the books of the Old and New Testament to be the only
be an example to others if his own walk is to be con-           Word of God, and the perfect doctrine of salvation, and
demned ?                                                        do reject all doctrines repugnant  -thereto?"
    2. He must never forget that he is always only                 2. Secondly, he must manifest a godly walk. ,This
servant. It is God's church; not his. Christ is Lord;           is necessary for his own sake, lest he fall into reproach
not he. He is but an unprofitable servant. The garb and the snares of the devil. But this is also necessary
of a servant is becoming to him rather than the robes for other believers, that he may be an example to them
of a domineering lord.                                          by his godly walk and conversation. Even the,iworld
    3. He may never lose sight of the fact that it is a must testify that he does not share her fellowship.
unique privilege that such an office is entrusted to an And it is necessary, likewise, for the church, lest God's
unfit and unworthy mortal. It must fill him with fear heritage be reproached and God's name be dishonored.
and trembling.  It helps him to labor willingly and                3. And finally, he must be able to teach. That is
ungrudgingly, even in the face of opposition.                   his calling as overseer. He must comfort the afflicted
    4. Finally, he must not seek a carnal reward. Let with the comfort of God's Word. He must admonish
it be sufficient to him that he is privileged to serve in       and correct the wayward with the sword of the Spirit.
God's heritage. His reward is the assurance that he is          He must, in one word, rule the flock, govern the church.
well pleasing to his Lord, and when the chief Shepherd          And his ability to do so must become evident from the
shall appear he will receive a crown of glory that never        fact that he knows how to rule his own family well.
fades away. I Peter  5~4.                                          Yet who is fit to these,things? No one, except he
    But'the Word of God also records the positive quali- who is filled with the  HoIy Spirit Who calls and quali-
fications of a bishop.                                          fies to the office. Faithfulness demands-an unceasing
    We read in II Tim. 2 :24,25,  "And the servant of the vigilance in prayer for the guidance of the Spirit.
Lord must not strive ; but be gentle unto all men, apt          `And therefore the officebearer also needs the unceas-
to teach, patient, in `meekness correcting those that           ing prayer of the congregation, not only in the public
oppose themselves (note : they oppose themselves, fool- worship, but also in their private devotions, that all
ishly seek their own destruction) ; if peradventure God may benefit by their labors, *`for the perfecting of the
will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the           saints and the edifying of the Body of Christ, tilI we all
truth.".!.                                                      come-to the unity of the faith, `and of the knowledge of
    And in I Tim. 3 :l, 2, 4, 6, `7, "This is a true saying,    the Son of  ,God,  unto the perfect man, unto the measure
If a man desire the office of a bishop he desireth a good of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Eph. 4 :12,13.
work. A bishop then must be blameless (above re-                   "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! They shall pros-
proach) the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober (sober-        per that love thee  !" Psalm 122  :6.     C. Hanko.
minded), of good behavior, apt to teach ; . . . . one
that ruleth well his own house, having his children in
subjection with all gravity. . . . . Moreover, he must
have a good report of them which are without, lest he              When  you  have given up yourself to something more
fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."                 important  than defending your own self importance,
    Again in Titus 1:6-g, "If any be blameless, the hus- you don't  mind criticism, you expect it."
band of one wife, having faithful children not accused
of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as
the steward of God : . . . . a lover of hospitality (will- NOTE! - Following our usual custom, the Standard
ing to aid and to shelter), a lover of good men (or             Bearer will not appear on the 15th of August.


       478                                   T H E   S T A N D ART)  ~-BEARER
I ---."-"".._                                                     life. . . . Our daily life of faith is completely at stake
                      PERISCOPii-                                 in it. If we have understood the heart of the ec-
                                                                  clesiastical conflict and have made a good choice in
                                                                  the matter we have acquired riches for which we shall
                            Appeal *                              be thankful to God our whole life.
                                                                     "For the ecclesiastical conflict concerns, as we have
          This is the title of a brochure which we received       already said, holy baptism."
      from the Netherlands and which has been sent to                Further under this heading the writer emphasizes
      many others in the U. S. The form letter which ac- that essentially God Himself baptizes us. For-xample  :
       companied the booklet explains what it is and its          "For when true baptism takes place, that is, when a
       purpose. This letter reads, in part, as follows: "In child is baptized according to God's ordinance and in
      the name of the Board of Netherlands Federation of the manner which He has decreed, then the Baptker  is
      Young People's Societies and the Federation of Young essentiutly   th.e great, eternal God Himself ."
      Women's Societies, we have sent these few copies of            As stated this point is made very emphatic. We
      the brochure `Appeal'.                                      quote a bit more: "Yea, above all we must know and
          "It sets forth simply, clearly and concisely the issues maintain this; through faith we must also see that:
      of the Church strife, how the schism in the life of the     God, our God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
       Church occurred, and at the same time it clearly points    Himself, baptizes the little children of the Church !
      out how apostacy  reveals itself and continues in the       . . . . When a child is baptized the LORD Himself
      bound Churches."                                            Comes to that child, He Himself sprinkles the water
          The brochure contains two articles dealing with on its head and says very really and personally:  John,
      each of the above subjects. The first concerning the Mary, Anna, I, the LORD  Himsetf, baptize you, in My
       issues is by Professor C. Veenhof and is entitled:         Holy Name. You are now of Me!"
       "De Zaak waar het om gaat"-The Issue. It is true              Then the Professor continues : "That baptism, which
       that this is one of the clearest and simplest statements has been performed by the LORD, always rem.a&s  of
      of the  Church~struggles  in the Netherlands. For this power, every  day, every hour,  ,until our death, yea,
      reason and also because the differences between the to all eternity. It is essentially so, that the Lord con-
      conceptions of the covenant and baptism as they are         tinuously baptizes us. After He sprinkled us with
      held in the Liberated Churches and those which are water when we were but a few days old, He always
      current in our Churches becomes very evident, we have keeps, so to speak, that water fresh and living and
      decided to review the contents of the first article, add- powerful, upon our foreheads. And the words which
      ing a few comments here and there. The first article He first spoke, He continues to speak through. our
      is rather neatly divided in various sub-heads which we      whole life ! Every second Jehovah repeats : Carl, Wil-
      will follow.  -'                                            liam, Mary, I baptize you in the Name of the Father
                                                                  and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Or, better said
       "A Good Idea. . .  ."                                      Jehovah does not repeat that Word : He ,continwes  to
          This is the title of the introduction in which the say it it continuously comes to us, earnestly and grac-
       author relates how he was approached by the President      iously out of His heart,  in  unbrokerz  power. . . .
       of the Federation of Young Ladies' Societies and              "It should ring in  o& hearts:  The LORD baptizes
       requested to write this article for Holland youth. He us and continues  to baptize us from day to  day  and
       points out that although the schism has grieved him hour to hour. He said once and continues to say now
       greatly and as such cannot be a cause of rejoicing, yet from day to day and hour to hour: `I am the LORD
      because the issues concern the riches of God's covenant, your God and you are completely mine.' That bap-
       the glory of baptism and the Kingship of Christ over tism which the LORD once performed continues ever
       His Church, he feels its importance of the Church of real, ever living, ever powerful, as it was the moment
      the future and is happy to have opportunity to state the Lord began to baptize; when God's baptism first
       the issues.                                                came into our life through the service of the minister
                                                                  at the foot of the pulpit in the midst of the gathering
       "Concerning Holy Baptism". . . .                           of God's people."
          Here Prof. Veenhof states: "This strife is con-
       cerned with something that is very personal to all of
       us, that touches us all in our heart and in our whole         Under this heading the author answers the ques-
                                                                  tionsof what baptism is and what it seals. He writes:
       *(Translated from ihe Holland brochure: App&f              "In answer to this question, true Reformed people


                                    THE  STANDARD  BEARER                                                          479

have said with great unanimity: Baptism is a seal of Lord Jesus genuinely washes us from our sin by His
God's promise!                                               blood and that the Holy Spirit will indeed gladly live
   "To rightly, understand what this means  we. must in us.
surely know and always hold fast that the LORD in               "And therefore the Lord helps us!
His wondrous love has thought it good to give all the           "Therefore the Lord gives His baptism to us !
children of believers His promise. Or, in other words:
it has pleased Him to express to those children a glori-        "He gives us in that baptism a sealed promise !
ous pledge. That is, He says to all those children,. head       "Just as the princes of old, whenever they conferred
for head, day in and day out, meaningfully and sin- great privileges on a certain city or subject, drew up
cerely: I am the LORD your God. I establish my cove- a sealed declaration of the same and then solemnly
nant with you. I wash you from all sin in the blood of delivered it to the city council or subject concerned.
our Lord Jesus Christ; My Holy Spirit lives in your.            "Yea, that is the great joy of our life: God gives
In short: I declare to you the complete forgiveness of us baptism as a sealed declaration that He is indeed
sins and eternal salvation: all the treasures and riches our God. In that baptism He gives us a sealed pledge
which I can and will give to mankind.                        that He grants unto us complete salvation. He did that       ,
   "And God gives this promise day in and day out. already in the first days of our life. And He continues
It comes out of His own mouth to us, without interrup- that giving all our life long."
tion. With this His pledge God embraces and. pene-
trates us all the years and days of our whole pitiful "Baptism does not seat `internal grace'  )' . . . .
earthly existence.                                  i           Here Professor Veenhof discusses the opposite view
   "The continuous expression of this promise by God         of baptism which, he claims, is presented by the
and the new reception of it every day, is an amazing         Synodicals. He states that the difference apears when
great thing for us in our life! There Es simply nothing it is asked: WHAT does God seal in baptism and TO
thinkable which is more glorious than the permanent WHOM does He seal that which is sealed?
expression by our Heavenly Father Himself of this               In answer, the author maintains that  ali agree that
rich word of promise.                                        baptism seals God's promises but that the difference
   "Of course, we must not forget even for one second,       becomes apparent in answer to the second question.
that God never declares this word of  `promise  alone  or    He states : "It is true that the Synodicals have said
apart  fr@m aught eke.                                       that baptism seals God's promise. But-at the same
   "He always declares with  and in this promise some- time they declare that the promise which is sealed by
thing else.                                                  baptism is a promise  which is presented to the elect
                                                             only."     Of this the writer wants nothing; claiming
   "For when He gives His promise, He calls us at that it depreciates baptism and makes it often. of none
the same time to love Him with all our heart, to humbly effect-a fake or only apparent baptism-for the non-
believe His word and to walk in His ways. When the elect.
LORD said to Abraham: I am the LORD your  God,-
then He says, in the same breath, as it were, walk now          He further states that this position demands hold-
always before my face and be ye upright.                     ing to pre-supposed regeneration. The argument is
                                                             as follows: since the sacraments are for the strength-
   "But this charge, this demand, does not make the ening of faith, that faith must be presupposed in bap-
promise any poorer or weaker ! Not at all !                  tism. Hence, the Synodicals declare that all children
   "This demand, which is always included in His of believer's must be assumed to be regenerated and
promise by the LORD and which comes with that that they shall be considerd  and treated as children
promise, is exactly a summons to believe His promise; who participate in the regenerating grace of the Holy
hence,  to trust and Live out of that prom&e.                Spirit.
   "And now, in order to impress us as deeply as pos-            He' concludes this section as follows : "You  see how
sible, that the LORD has really and truly given this         this all fits together. If we do not consider the child-
promise and continues to give it each day ; in order to ren as partakers of regenerating grace the entire
engrave it upon our souls that the Lord continues to         Synodical  teaching concerning baptism falls apart as a
say every second : I am your God and you are my child, house of cards !
-therefore the LORD gives His Baptism, as a seal                "But the reverse is also true: if we actually hold to
upon that promise.                                           the teaching that that is only a true baptism which
   "0, He well knows, how difficult it is for us, how guarantees complete salvation alone to the elect, then
our heart always turns against actually and securely we must also consider and treat the small children
believing that God is truly our Father and that the of the congregation, with our whole heart, as children


                                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                 L.                        _-.--_1___
          who partake of the regenerating grace of the Holy                                                      IN MEMORIAM
          Spirit !                                                                       The Ladies Society of the Protestant Reformed Church of
              "Hence, the teaching that the children must indeed                    IIudsonville,   Mich.,  hereby expresses its sympathy to two of
          be so considered and treated is the key-stone of the                      its members, Mrs. George Lubbers and Mrs. Gerrit J. Lubbers,
          entire structure of the Synodical  doctrine."                             in the sudden and heavy loss of the husband and father,
                                                *  *  *  *                                                 GEORGE LUBBERS
              This far the Professor has said many things which                          May the God of all comfort be with the sorrowing relatives,
          sound amazing and strange to us. And  h'e has said                        and may we all wait patiently for the glorious day of the resur-
          them emphatically. Before we add any comment we  iection.
          will continue to review the balance of his article next                                                              Rev. Gerrit Vos, Pres.
          time.                  4                                                                                             Mrs. C. Spoelman, Sec'y.
                                                                   W. Hofman.                                     * *  *  *
                                                                                                      W E D D I N G   A N N I V E R S A R Y

                                               IN MEMORIAM                               On August 21, 1949, our biIoved  parents,
                                                                                                  MR.  t MRS. JOHN VAN OVERLOOP
               The Consistory of the Fourth Protestant Reformed Church               hope to commemorate the Twenty-Five year jubilee of their
          af Grand Rapids, Mich., hereby expresses its sympathy to elder             marriage.
          H. Meulenberg in the loss of his mother,                                       It is our desire to publicly express. our thanksgiving and
                                            MRS. N. MEULENBERG,                      gratitude to our Covenant God that He gave us our dear parents
           . May the thought that their loved one is now rejoicing in                for all these years, and we expess the hope and prayer that they
          glory comfort the brother and his family in this hour of sorrow.
                                      :'                                             may be spared for us and for one another for many years to
                           . . . . . .                  R. Veldman, Pres.            come, in subservience to His holy will..
                                                        H. H. Kuiper, vice-Pres.
     .                                                                                                             Mr. and Mrs. Harold Van Overloop
                                                                                                                   Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Van  Overloop
                                                *  *  *  *                                                         Donald Van  Overloop
                                                                                     Hudzonville,  Michigan          and 1 grandchild.
                                               IN MEMORIAM                                                         *  *  *  *
               The Men's Society of the Fourth Protestant Reformed Church
          of Grand Rapids, Mich., hereby wishes to express its sympathy                               W E D D I N G   A N N I V E R S A R Y
          tq Mr. H. Meulenberg in the death, after a lingering illness, of               With  deepfelt  appreciation to our Covenant God for His
          his mother,                                                                manifold blessings, we hope D. V., to celebrate our 25th Anni-
                                            MRS. H. MEULENBERG                       versary on August 27. It is our hope and prayer, that He, who
                May the God of all grace. comfort the bereaved family with           has so richly blessed  ns in the past, will continue to guide US
,         the hope of eternal salvation for them who b+ieve in our Lord              with His Word and Spirit.
          Jesus Christ.                                                                                                        Rev. Bernard Kok
                                                         R. Veldman, Pres.                                                     Mrs. Bernard Kok, nee Bos
                                                         A. Haan,  Sec'y.                                                      Gerald Walter
                                                                                     Hollaqd  M i c h i g a n                  Lois Jean
                                                *  *  *  *                                                         * .*  *  *

                                               IN MEMORIAM                                            W E D D I N G   A N N I V E R S A R Y

                On Friday, July 22, our beloved husband, father and grand-               On Tuesday, August 16, the Lord willing, our parents
          f a t h e r ,                                                                                          JOHN HOLLEMAN
                                             GEORGE LUBBERS                                                            and
          was suddenly taken away from  ds  by the Lord, at the age of                       *CATHERINE HOLLEMAN (nee Kuipers)
          almost  63 years. The  knowlkdge  that  his  life was Christ and           hope to celebrate there 25th wedding anniversary.
          his death gain comforts us in our poignant loss.                                We thank our Heavenly Father with them for having kept
                "The rightkous shall flourish like the palm tree:  *he  shall        and sustained them together through the years and pray that
          grow like a cedar in Lebanon." Psalm 92:12.                                the Lord may grant them His peace in their  rem;tining   .years.
                                                 Mrs. George Lubbers                      Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us  with benefits, even
                                                 Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit 3. Lubbers.     the God of our salvation.
                                                 Grada  Lubbers                                         Their grateful children:
                                                   and three grandchildren.                                         Mr. and Mrs. William Holleman
           Hudsonville,' Michigan                                                                                   Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Folkema


VOLUME XXV                                      September 1, 1949  i Grand Rapids, Michigan                           NUMBER 21
                                                                               How is that possible? Even when we saw all those
      MEDHTATION                                                            iniquities, we could not keep from crying and lament-
                                                                            ing! How can the Lord God be silent with respect to
                                                                            them?
                                                                               If you would somewhat understand this I would
                       Silent In Love                                       bid you to return with me through the'ages and I will
                                                                            lead you to a little hill outside the gates of Jerusalem.
               `t                  He will rest (shall be silent) in His
                     .  .  .  .                                             It is anno Domini  33.
               love. . .  2'                        Zephaniah  3:17b.          Yes, there is a great multitude on that hill. They
                                                                            all seem to be drawn to a very.sorxy  spectacle. Three
   I have heard people utter a peculiar expression in crosses on the place of the skull. The poor sufferers
their prayer. At the time I did not understand the are the very center of a `morbid attraction. The mob
meaning.      Freely translating from the Holland, the seems to have a wonderful time, mocking, "laughing,
phrase refexxed to would be: 0 God, be silent in Thy sneering, taunting, deriding. Especially the central
love about our sins and trespasses! In later years I figure of the three crucified ones receives derision
found the Biblical basis for all such praying. We read and contempt.
in the prophecy of Zephaniah a similar expression. We                          No, do ,not turn away from this awful spectacle.
hear that God shall be silent in His love with respect                      Do not turn away because millions of angels and the
to all His people.                                                          multitude of saints that no man can number shall be
   Moreover, when we read the very words of Jesus busy singing about that cross unto all eternity. A few
Himself, we can see still clearer ,the beauty of so great years hence we will hear the voice of Paul. He will
salvation. . . . Jesus tells us that when the Son of tell you of his most resolute determination. He will
man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels tell you that he has determined with himself to know.
with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His nothing among the Jews and the Greeks than this
glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: central figure, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And
and He shall separate them one from another, as a if you insist on clearer demonstration, we would point
shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats : and  ,He you to the visions of the night that were given to
shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the beloved apostle John. He saw the door of `heaven
the left. And then shall the King say unto them on ajar. And, lo and behold, in the midst of heaven
His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My ,Father,  inherit there was a great throne and in the midst of the
the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of throne a Lamb standing as if slain. Yes, o, yes, the
the world. . . .                                                            blood  ,of Golgotha shall be the chief attraction in the
   And here is the point that I would like to stress : heavenly paradise.
the Father at such time shall be silent in His love.                           Look strongly now on that centra1 figure there on
   Of that silence 1 would speak.                                           Calvary's hill. Note that He is silent. If He speaks
   It opens a field of thought that is wondrous beyond at all, it is for other than Himself.
compare. The Father silent? It must be a great love
that keeps Him from roaring all the day long even unto                         But we are getting weary. Early comers have told
                                                                            us that this awful spectacle had its beginning at nine
all eternity. Because our sins are many and they are
very real. Thexe are mountains of sin which have-out- o'clock in the morning and now it is well-nigh noon.
raged the Father in His adorable virtues.                                                             *  *  *
   Silent?                                                                     But, o God of eternal miracles ! What means this

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

     strange phenomenon in nature?          It's getting dark.       He suffered for many while suffering alone. He
     God Himself is blotting out the shining luminance of suffered as the Holy One while suffering fox the
     the great light of day. It's getting very dark. It is enemies of His beloved `Father. He suh'ered  hell while
     the end of scoffers. It will not be long now and they His fitting place would be in the bosom of the Father.
     will smite their breasts and wailingly they will hasten Will you ever be able to approach the understanding
     to return to the streets of Jerusalem.                       of such love?
            It grows silent around' the cross. Yes, silen: and       And still we stand at the foot of the cross.
     horrible. The soldiers and their centurion must stay.           Su'ch stillness is the stillness of untold agony. IX
     They are well trained in the iron discipline of Rome. is so overwhelming that even the hardened  centurton
     They might tell you, if they so pleased, that in the of the legions of Rome is impressed. Later he will
     darkness they heard the movement of tortured bodies say: Truly this man was the Son of God !
     during these three awful hours of darkness, and pex-            But, oh, what means that terrible cry? From the
     haps they heard the splash of drops of blood on arid center of the scene, just above oux heads, we hear a
     soil.     But for the rest, silence for three brooding cry that is heartrending, piercing, unearthly, terrible.
     hours.                                                       Yes that cry came a long way off. It came from out
            But what no?sense do I speak : three hours ? Three of the bottomless bottom of eternal hell, death and
     eternities rather. Those three hours on the place of damnation. Be very still now: Jesus has tasted the
     of the skull are the hush of eternal *desolation. We         experience of the curse of God. He is made a curse
     stammer ,when  we speak. But speak we must. Come for His sheep. That cry tells us that Jesus is far
     tell me, what think ye of the silent Christ? He found away from Home. Jesus was used to the blessedness
     no words to utter. It was all so just, so Divinely of heaven from all eternity and now the Son must ex-
     correct.     During those three hours especially, there perience in the human soul and the human body for-
     descended on Him all the burden of the wrath of God          sakeness such as no creature shall evex be called upon
     because. of sin and guilt that properly belonged to the to bear. Say it in the hush of wonder: all the waves
     Church of God, or if you please, the sin and guilt of and  all the billows of God's wrath with eternal intensity
     God's world, the world of His everlasting goodpleasure. have come in upon His soul. Be very still and marvel :
     God, our God, loved that world so much that He took that cry is the expression of the love of the Son crying
     all the sin and guilt of that world and heaped it upon to the heart of Father. He is so far from home that
     the defenseless head of His beloved Son. Seeing that He dare no longer say : Father ! He cries : My <God,
     guilt it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.                     My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?
            And that was Divinely correct. Jesus, the Son of
     God, was made the Head of the world of God's election                                * *  +
     from all eternity, And He must take care of that
     world. So that when God in justice comes and de-                And heaven is silent too. I sometimes wonder
     mands all the righteousness of His law, Jesus has noth- what the angels of God have thought in that strange
     ing to say. He is the Scape-goat and enters the wildex-      hour. In Bethlehem the night grew into day in  th:
     ness of hell because He loves the Father and those that song of heavenly glory. Now the day became night
     `Father gave Him. He is silent in His suffexing.             and the cry is the depth of despair, such as no dreatuxe
                               *  *  *                            can fathom. No, we do.not wonder that the mob, the
                                                                  wicked  scoffers,  hastened away, smiting their breast.
            How could Jesus answer the Father?` His demands       It is not easy to look upon hellish torture in the Person
     were just.. God had `said in Paradise: The day thou of the shepherd of God.
     eatest thereof thou shalt surely die! Man ate and               Heaven is silent and God is silent too.
     man must die. Either himself or another must die                But there are the thoughts of the Almighty. -4nd
     for him. And here hangs the Mediator of the Church praise be to God, we know them. He has revealed them
     of God. Therefore Jesus has nothing to say. He is            unto us.                                            .
     silent in the experience of eternal death on the accursed      : Here they are : Why I have forsaken Thee, My Son ?
     tree, silent in the hush of desolation.                      Thou knowest. Thou wert with Me ere the world was.
            And His silence is the very answer of love. He        Thou knowest that We would reveal all the loveliness
     loves the Father in the stead of His sheep. You and and the beauty of the Godhead. Thou wert with Me
     I did not love Him and now Jesus loves God in our when We as the Triune God, counselled to show Our-
     stead, that is, if we are the sheep of Christ.               selves to the millions of men and the angels to  bo
            God's justice and righteousness were outraged and created. . . . That world would travel the way of
     on this cross all such crookedness is made straight. sin and grace. And throughout all the fearful history
.    But at the cost of His heart's blood. Such, my friends, Thy Cross would shine as the lode-star for the Church
     is the Cross of Golgotha.                                    of Ours. They would slowly on, o so slowly, begin


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R ,                                   483

     to see the beauty of holiness in the womb of the morn- when the 7th seal is broken shall be so great that there
     ing. They would see that Cross and that agony as tb.e will be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour.
     manifestation of the love of God. We would preach It will be the silence of wonder. It is because His
     Thee, My dying Son, as the way to the heart of God!        works of judgment and equity are adorable wisdom
        Later on we would explain the wonders of Our and worshipful glory.
     mercy and goodness and truth and glory. We would              It is well, therefore, that  .we also grow silent in
     teach the elect church of all the ages that We had taken meditation and think upon God. Remember Him in
     all the sin and guilt upon Ourselves and that in Thee, all your days and in the watches of the night. It is
     My Son, all righteousness should be fulfilled. There- the most wonderful exercise for the soul and the heart
     fore, Thouart now travelling the road of eternal sor- of man.
     rows. Thy name is Man of sorrows so that the joy of           And the more you see the silent God in His love,
     God may be won for all Thy sheep. WHY HAVE I the silent Christ in His agony, the silent heavens in
     FORSAKEN THEE,  1\IY SON? It is that Our glory adorable worship, the more you will be silent in ad-
     may be revealed in the vessels of honor afore prepared     miration. My soul in silence waits for God ; My  Sav-
     unto glory, a glory such as this sorry world has never iour He has proved!
     seen.                                                                             *  *  *
                                 *  *  *                .          But you will not be silent for long,
                                                                   1 can now readily understand the poet who shouted
        Yes, now I can understand why my elders prayed:
     Be silent in love, o God, with regard to all my sins !     `upon a thousand hills: 0 Church of our God, sing His
                                                                praises ! For with you and in you He dwells ! 0 sing.
     It is because Jesus paid the price in His blood and was hallelujah's before Him, Whose glory all praises excels  ?
     forsaken of *God.                                             For a while that Church must travel in the desert
        Isaiah has seen that cross from afar. And seeing
     he testified: He was oppressed and He was afflicted,       of sin and suffering where all the streams are dry.
                                                                But when Jesus comes upon the clouds of heaven He
     yet He opened not His mouth. Let us put it this way:
     :He was silent and hushed in desolation so that you,       shall save you from the desert and the waste and the
                                                                wilderness of this dispensation. He shall show you
     my brother in Christ, might sing unto all eternity.
*       Jesus said: Come, ye blessed of the Father, inherit the beckoning beauty of the New Jerusalem with its
                                                               .wonderful  streets of gold. And there the angels of
     the Kingdom. And God was silent in His love. He God will come flying to give you the harps of God's
     leads us through Jesus to the Home of God.                 symphony. "rhat harp will remain eternally in tune
        And the wicked that refuse to believe in that silent with God's heart-beat of love and His eternal glory.
     and suffering and dying Christ? The song of Hannah            And when your wondering eyes has grasped the
     in the days of Samuel tells the fearful story. When heavenly scene and your ear the melody of heaven,
     the wicked come before God in the Judgment Day,
     He shall surely not be silent to `them. Here you have then the fingers of your eternal body will caress the
                                                                strings for the strains of a song that will make heaven
     God's own words to that effect : These things hast thou musical forever !
     done and I kept silence, but I will reprove thee and          Sing in anticipation, beloved !
     set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider             Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion ! For
     this, ye that forsake God, lest I tear you in pieces, and great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee!
     there be none to deliver!                                     Song, o sing of my Redeemer?
         For that reason Hannah sang in her song of vic-           Sing, o Church of God, for all things are for you,
     tory: "The wicked shall be silent in darkness."            since God and His Christ are for you.
         0, for a long time, almost 6000 years now, the
     godless have spoken hard speeches against -Jesus and          Sing for the accusing law is silent: Christ ful-
     the God of Israel. But then God will come and will filled it.
     not silent be. Can he, the unregenerate man, imagine          Sing, for the accuser of the brethren is silent in
     what the speech of God will be like on the Judgment darkness. The false prophet, the old dragon, the wick-
     Day?                                                       ed world, will never plague you again. They  `all taste
         All those that refused to have Jesus be King over the sorrows of Satan. There is the hush of desolation
     them shall be silent in darkness. Paul has told us:        forever!    O,ld things have passed away, behold, all
     in that Day the mouth of every one shall be stopped things have become new !
     ad the world shall become guilty before God.                  And they did begin to be merry. Merriment before
         I have spoken to you of different kinds of silence the face of God.
     but there is still more.                                      Sometimes it seems I hear their beauteous strains.
         The judgment of the righteous and avenging God                                                    G. vos.


484                 *                                                                                               THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
~-"-

                                    The Standard 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 Publishing Association
                                 Box 124, Sta. C., Grand Rapids,  Mich,                                                                                                                  A Letter To Dr. Schilder
                                        EDITOR:  - Rev. H. Hoeksema.
Contributing Editors: - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, Rev.                                                                                                                         Amice Schilder :-
R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev.  H.  De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,
Rev.  3. D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                          Involuntarily I began to write this editorial in the
Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A, Heys,                                                                                                                      form of a friendly letter to you, when I received and
Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                   read the copy of the article you intend to publish in
  Communications relative to contents should be addressed `to                                                                                                                     the Reformatie, and which you sent to me by airmail.
REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                         I had another editorial all prepared, mainly directed
Michigan.
  Communications relative to subscriptiop  should be addressed                                                                                                                    to  Prof.  Holwerda, and which, in the nature of the
to MR. J. BOUWMAN,  1131 Sigsbee St., S.E., Grand Rapids 6,                                                                                                                       case, was less friendly in tone than I hope this one
Mich. Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the                                                                                                                          will be. But when I read your article, and imagined
above address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each                                                                                                                    your smiling face behind it, I somewhat melted, and
notice.                                                                                                                                                                           decided to rewrite the editorial in the form of a friend-
Renewals:-' Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re-
ceived, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes his subscription                                                                                                                 ly letter to you. You must not take this to mean that
to continue without the formality of a renewal order.                                                                                                                             my first editorial was written in a hateful spirit, of-
Entered as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids,  .Michigan.                                                                                                                         fensive to Prof.  Holwerda, nor must you expect that,
                                   (Subscription Price $2.50 per gear)                                                                                                            for the sake of friendship, I will camouflage the truth,
                                                                                                                                                                                  for that would neither be true friendship, nor would
                                                                             -                                                                                                    it.be salutary to the church of God in the world. But,
                                                                                                                                                                                  nevertheless, there is considerable difference between
                                                                                                                                                                                  writing to a friend, with whom I can have an honest
                                                                                                                                                                                  difference of opinion and of conviction, even on such
                                                         C O N T E N T S                                                                                                          an important and fundamental issue as the covenant,
M E D I T A T I O N -   '                                                                                                                                                         and a man like Prof.  Holwerda, who is so intolerant
   Silent In Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *..* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482        that, evidently, he cannot even conceive of correspond-
                   Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                    ence with our churches unless we first adopt the liber-
                                                                                                                                                                                  ated conception of the covenant, and who advises his
EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                                                                       people never to join the Prot. Ref. Churches, as long
   A Letter To Dr.  Schilsder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 484                                 as the view of `Rev. Hoeksema is binding.
   -4  Letter From Prof. Veenhof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486                                                  In a way, amice, I wish that Prof.  Holwerda him-
                   Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                .                                                                              self had written about the conference you had in
                                                                                                                                                                                  Kampen with the Revs. De Jong and Kok. I mean that
OUR DOCTRINE-                                                                                                                                                                     he should have expressed his impressions of that con-
   The Longsuffering and Forbearance of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490 ference publicly in the  Reformatie,  and I still wish
                   Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                                that he would do so. For, after all, I feel that in your
                                                                                                                                                                                  article, which will appear in the Reformatie,  you do not
   Rev. Petter Replies . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...* * . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493                   squarely face the issue between, him and us, but try to
   A Lettter from Rev. W. Hofman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . . . . . . . . .498                                                              smooth things over. You will forgive me the expres-
                   Rev.  G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                             sion. I will explain what I mean.
                                                                                                                                                                                     First of all, YOU deny that the Revs. De Jong and
SION'S  ZANGEN-
   Een  Vloekpsal,m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           Kok spoke for our whole church. And that is true, of
                                                                                                                                                                           499    course, as far as their official capacity is concerned.
                   Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                    But it is not true as regards the contents of what they
IN HIS FEAR--                                                                                                                                                                     said, and aa regards the impression they left of the
   The Mixed Marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  601 stand of our churches upon your committee of corres-
                   Rev. M. Gritters                                                                                                                                               pondence, and that impression was, undoubtedly, false
                                                                                                                                                                                  as I hope to explain presently. You write, that you
PERISCOPE-                                                                                                                                                                        invited them to come to Kampen and to meet with
   Appeal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503 your committee of correspondence because "we (you)
            Rev. W. Hofman                                                                                                                                                        thought it nice, not to design a letter which we (you)
                                                                                                                                                                                  as deputies for correspondence had been commissioned


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       485.

to write, without profiting from their (the Revs. De both as to his own attitude to us and to our Churches,
Jong and Kok's) presence in our country." But, in and as to what the Revs. De Jong and Kok said at
the first place, amice, don't you yourself think it some- the conference.     He states exactly what he meant,
what strange that, a year after the Synod of Amern- without being careful of his choice of words. And as
foort, our committee of correspondence, never yet re- to his advice to the immigrant you may consider
ceived a single word from your committee, so that that very fine but I do not, for it certainly, must
we would not even know what your Synod had decided be read in the light of one of the last statements in
in the matter except from the papers and from a Prof.  Holwerda's letter  : "If Rev. Hoeksema's concep-
personal letter from  Prof.  Veenhof? Is that your tion was binding, I would say: Never join." But abou't
customary way of doing the church's business,  amice? this I will have more to say presently.
We think it very strange, and upon us it naturally             Amice,  the letter of Prof. Holwerda has greatly dis-
leaves the impression. that, after all, you are not very turbed our people. And about this  1 cannot  .but be
eager to start correspondence with us. And, now, in glad. For on the majority of our people it will have
the second place, must you gain information unofficial- a salutary effect. It will wake them up. It will make
ly, ignoring our committee of correspondence, before them ask the question : what is going on in our churches
you can even write a letter to us? Don't you think, anyway? Where do we stand if two of our ministers
amice, that it would have been far `more -proper to can report about our churches as they did?
correspond with us directly, or even- to come over to          But all the more reason there is, amice,  why we
us (you ought to know from experience how loyally must know the exact truth of just what was said at
our people entertain strangers), or invite us to come that conference in  Kampen,  About this you do not
over to your shores? We, on our part, certainly think inform us in your article. You do, indeed, inform us
so. But by this time I am sure that the Revs. De Jong of the great respect the Revs. De Jong and Kok evinced
and Kok certainly left a false impression with your for the persons of the Revs. Ophoff and undersigned,
committee of the stand of our. churches. I am sure, but in this we are not at al1 interested. We are inter-
that is, from your own article.                             ested in the truth. To only one statement in the letter
   But to return to the smoothing over of prof. Hol- of Prof.  Holwerda you give the lie, the statement al-
werda's letter, which was published in the Standard legedly made by the Revs. De Jong and Kok that; in
Bearer, and the "smoothing over" process of which I their opinion "most (of the Prot. Ref.) do not think
was going to explain.                                       as the Rev. Hoeksema and the Rev. Ophoff." And this,
   First of all, amice, you try to cast reflection on the viz., that the two ministers made that statement, is
authenticity of the letter-of Prof.  Holwerda. From the not merely an impression of the Rev. Ophoff, but
printing errors by our printer, you seem to draw is Iiterally quoted from the letter of Prof. Holwerda.
the conclusion, that the Holland text as found in ,On this point, therefore, you give him the lie. For the
the Standard Bearer will .probably  not be authentic rest, you contradict none of the things Prof. `Holwerda
("we1 niet origineel zal zijn"). But that argument is alleges that the Revs. De Jong and Kok reported.
very flimsy. The Rev. Ophoff was very painstaking              But we must know much more.
in copying the letter, and although he found i*t very          Did the two brethren report, for instance, that the
difficult to copy it, because the script of Prof.  Holwerda conception of the Rev. Hoeksema regarding election
is very fine, he assures me that it is a faithful copy.     is not the doctrine of our churches? That would, of
Besides, cannot `Mr. Koster of  Chattam,  who possesses course, leave room for the denial that the covenant
the original, check up on the  authenlticity  of the copy? is established only with the elect, although there are,  I
MO, there can be no reasonable doubt about the fact indeed, reprobate under the dispensation of the cove-
that the letter in the  St&cndard Bearer is a true copy of nant as it runs historically in the line of the continued
the original.                                               generations of believers. If that was the meaning of
   Then you doubt that it was good to publish the the statement allegedly made by the Revs. De Jong and
letter, "because one would involuntarily make a dif- Kok (and I cannot see what other impression it can
ferent choice of words when one is mindful of publi- have made upon liberated ears and minds), they re-
cation, than when one thinks innocently: this' is, in ported falsely of our churches.
haste, a letter for a man that asks me something. The          Is it true that, with evident approval on their part,
main thing is, and that I consider very fine, that Prof.    they reported that "some are emitting a totally differ-
Holwerda seems to have advised someone (the matter ent sound"? It seems very probable that some such
concerns an immigrant) : just join the Prot. Ref. statement was made, for it is a fact that recently a
Churches."                                                  somewhat strange sound is heard, foreign, it would
   Now, amice Schilder, this argument cuts both ways, seem, to our Protestant Reformed tradition.              I am
and it rather favors the contention that in his letter referring, of course, to the writing in Conem-dia  by the
Prof.  Holwerda wrote the truth without reservations, Rev. A. Petter. To him, no doubt, the statement made


4186                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 at the conference in Dampen  also refers, and to him our conception are received into our fellowship.
 you, amice, must refer in your article when, indirectly,       And must you not yourself admit that this is the
 you try to defend the proposition .that faith is a con- only proper and scriptural way to work in and for
 diton to enter and remain in the covenant of God. Be- the Church .of Christ?
 sides, that the statement refers especially to the Rev.        But to return to the point, the Revs. De Jong and
 Petter is evidenced also by a letter I received from one Kok were well aware of all this. They knew that our
 of your liberated ministers, who appeals to the fact Mission Committee always worked along the line indi-
 that the Rev. Petter is not put under discipline for his cated above, and that they always guarded against
 writing as evidence that there is room in our churches opening the door of our churches for the Heynsian
 for the liberated conception of the covenant.               view of God's covenant. How, then, can they possibly
        Now, about that conditional theology (of which I have stated, or even have left the impression, that
 must have nothing, as you,  amice, well know), and there is great sympathy and ample room for the cove-
 about the Revs. Petter's position in our churches, I nant conception of the liberated in the Protestant Re-
 will write presently. I am now concerned with the formed churches? As I say, that would make them
 question just what the Revs. De Jong and Kok reported guilty of a deliberate falsehood, and this I positive-
 concerning the stand of our churches at the conference ly refuse to believe.         And I certainly would wish
 in Kampen.                                                  that Prof.  Holwerda (for he is involved) would admit
        Did they state there, amice Schilder, that the sym- that he misrepresented or misunderstood the stake-
 pathy of our churches for the covenant conception of ments made by the Revs. De Jong and Kok on this
 the liberated is great, and did  ,they leave the impression point.
 that the Protestant Reformed churches left ample room          But this letter is becoming too long, not for you,
 for their conception? Thus Prof. Holwerda states in of course, but for our readers ; and as I have much
 his letter to Mr. Koster of Chattam.                        more to say, I will now say: So long till the next
  .  ..But  1 cannot possibly believe this ; for in that     issue of our Standard Bearer!                H. H.
 case they would be guilty of deliberate fasehood. The                              *  *  *  *
 Revs, De Jong and Kok are both well acquainted
 with our work in Canada and the very specific  nature        A Letter  froh Prof. C.  Vekhof
 of that work. It is certainly true that our churches
 are very much interested in the work in Canada. They           To have our readers know all the truth about the
 sacrifice themselves, both in labor and money, for the case, and to do full justice to the Revs. De Jong and
 Canadian immigrants. And we find some excellent Kok, I publish the following letter:
 people among them.        I give the people that I met
 in Hamilton my personal testimony that I find them                                               Kampen 23. 8. 1949
 to be spiritually earnest-minded, eager to find and         Beste Oom en Tante,
 to join themselves to the true church, and willing             We hebben reeds dikwijls tegen elkaar gezegd:
 to hear from us the truth, and to learn all' about our      we  moeten noodig eens weer naar Oom  en Tante Hoek-
 Protestant Reformed truth in distinction from the sema schrijven. Het is al zoo  lang  geleden dat  een
 liberated view of the covenant. True, they are not all epistel van ons over den  Oceaan ging. En daarom
 theologians, and it is saying nothing deprecatory in klimmen we  samen in de pen om een poosje met U te
 regard to them when I say they cannot be made "minis- praten.   Zoals U zult begrijpen, is de drang  om even
 ters just like that", as one innocent enthusiast, ac- wait van ens te laten hooren sterk gestimuleerd door
. cording to the letter of prof. Holwerda, must have re- wat we in de S. B. lazen. En daarover moet eerst wat
 ported. (Was it, perhaps, the enthusiast that, ac- van mijn hart,
 cording to the way you describe him in your article,           Reeds eerder had ik het voornemen opgevat U een
 went to Hamilton by submarine and returned in an impressie te sturen over onze ontmoetingen met de
 airplane?).      But  they are good people and we are beide predikanten De Jong en Kok, We hebben ze ver-
 very much interested in them.                               schillende  malen ontmoet. Zeer grondig met hen over
        But,  amice,  YOU  must not receive the impression alle aktueele  kwesties gesproken. Ook had ik "bet voor-
 that our work in Canada consists in gathering groups recht Ds. De Jong &nmaal te hooren preken.
 of liberated immigrants and organizing them into a              En dan wil ik beginnen met u te verzekeren, daf
 church. That is not our way of working. On the con- Uwe kerken geen betere  mannen  "hadden kunnen zen-
 trary, before we organize them into a church we thor- den. Ja, ik weet wel, ze  waren  niet afgevaardigd,
 oughly instruct them in our Protestant Reformed truth, ma&r,  het spreekt vanzelf, niemand in Nederland kon
 teach them to discern, as clearly as possible, the differ- of Wilde ze isoleeren van de kerken, van welke ze lid
 ence between their conception of the covenant and ours. zijn en die ze, ook  alwaren ze niet afgevaardigd,  tech
 P..nd dy those that become convinced of the truth of vertegenwoordigden;

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

        I translate :                                            but advise our emigrants to unite themselves with the
        Dear Uncle and Aunt  :-                                  Prot. Ref. Churches.
                                                                    Therefore it has greatly grieved me #that the Rev.
        We have often said to one another : it is `necessary Ophoff has written about them as he did. This is in-
 that we write once again to Uncle and Aunt Hoeksema. deed the worst that one can do to the brethren. I have
 St is already so long,ago that an epistle from us crossed felt that deeply. These men have, with all the love of
 the ocean. And therefore we both climb in the pen their heart, in unquestioned fideliky, defended the cause
 in order to talk to you a while. As you will under- of the churches, which churches to serve they count a
 stand, the impulse to let you hear from us was strongly grace given them from God, without ever diluting the
 stimulated by what we read in the Standard .Bearer.             truth of the matters before us. And now they are ac-
And about that I must first unburden myself.                     cused (because that is what it amounts to) that they
        Even before this 1 have had the intention to give have betrayed their churches. Now they are accused
 you an impression relative our meetings with the Revs. of an immorality, which, if it were true, would make
 De Jong and Kok. We have met them several times. them, in a word, low characters. Really, I cannot
 We have talked to them very thoroughly about all understand this ! I vividly remember a conversation
 actual questions. I also had the privilege once to hear with Rev. De Jong about the School of your churches.
 the Rev. De Jong preach.                                        With what appreciation he also spoke of Rev. Ophoff.
        And then I will begin by assuring you that your About his hard work and keen perception and his
 churches could have sent no better men. Yes, I know honesty. And now this?
. indeed that they were not delegated, but, as a matter             Neither  can  I understand how one, living together
 of course, no one in the Netherlands could or would as  brethrm, and proceeding on the basis of a. personal
 isolate them from the churches of which they are letter, which without permission from the sender might
 members, and which they represented, even though not be published, and without hearing the men whom
 they were not delegated.                                        it concerned, can utter such terrible accusations c-q.
        The first thing I: wish to tell you, and which I want    suspicions.    Here is a spirit active which is not out
 to tell you particularly, is this, that these brethren of Christ!
 by their appearance and by their speech might awaken               I hope and pray fervently that this matter will be
 among our brethren and sisters a profound conception radically solved. I believe also that this must be done
 and a grateful appreciation for your continuous strug- for God's sake.'
 gle. You and your struggle were unknown here. Be-                  I hope also that this matter may be disposed of
 cause of Schilder's writings one obtained, indeed, some thoroughly and Christian-like, because of the fact that
 notion of what was going on in America, but now one due to the untiring efforts of Schilder, Van Spronsen
 heard it viva VOX of men, who were concerned in it, and others, the understanding of and the love for the
 and still are. They have pictured the  apostacy  in the Prot. Ref. Churches was on the increase. For'  that
Chr. Ref. Churches, and the deadly arminianizing reason the article of Rev. Ophoff has had the effect
 tendency of ithe preaching and the theology, against here of a cold bath! And many ask themselves: Is it
 which you had to struggle, and of which you finally then entirely impossible for love, confidence, fellow-
 became the victim. They. have said very clearly who ship and sympathy to- grow in the Church of Christ
 you are, and also what you and your brethren taught without having Satan mixing his poisoning work in
 relative the covenant. With great gratitude and fer-. them? No, of course, that cannot be: but those who
 vent love-they have spoken about you and your work. are really led by the Spirit also then conquer the Evil
 They have succeeded to awaken the conviction of the             One and the evil.
 churches here that the Prot. Ref. Churches are church-             I have not spoken relative the actual side of the
 es wherein the Lord is served, and who fight the good question. You know how I stand on that score. I do
 fight of faith in the demoniacal Americanized life with not close my heart to anyone who holds to the eternal,
 great fidelity and at the cost of great sacrifices. And sovereign election and reprobation.             I detest every
 they  (the Revs. De Jong and Kok) did so without attack on the glorious truth that Salvation is from
 camouflaging in the least their conception relative beginning to end exclusively and solely the work of
 covenant, promise, baptism, a conception which is God's grace, the work of the Spirit.  T desire the
 entirely yours. That which I never expected, not even incessant preaching of the radical depravity of man
 in my fondest dreams has happened :  also. because of and his total impotence unto good of any kind. And
 their faithful and confidence-inspiring activity in a at the same time and for that reason I also hold that
 conference of delegates of churches, which had to de- the promise and also baptism-the promise as spoken,
 liberate concerning advice to be given to the emigrants, revealed word, which never occurs without God's de-
 it came so far that in spite of their leaders, they gener- mand, yes, which bears that demand qua talis in it;
 ally came to the conviction: We may do nought else and baptism as the seal .of that promise-is pledged


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    "289

 unto the believers and their seed without exception.                                   IN MEMORIAM
 And I want to say with emphasis that *the Revs. De               On Friday, August 12, our beloved wife, mother, and grand-
 Jong and Kok did not  agr.ee  with it. And they said          mother,
 so openly. But at the same time they also saw that                                    MRS. DICK HEYS
 also we in all weakness fight the battle of <Ihe Lord in a was taken away from us by the Lord at the age of 58 years.
 perishing world.                                                 The knowledge that her life was Christ mellows our grief.
   And now  I quit,  IJncle. Forgive me this outpour-                                         Mr. Dick Heys
 ing of the heart. My heart was very full. We had to                                         Mr. and Mrs. Henry Veltkamp
 experience these last years so much injustice and sus-                                       Mr. and Mrs. John Heys
                                                                                              Mr. and Mrs. Henry Timmer
 picion that one is set aflame when one sees how others                                       Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Heys
 are treated likewise.                                                                       Mr. and Mrs.  ,George  B. Kamps
    May God give that it be' not given to the devil to'                                      Mr. and Mrs. Henry Heys
 disperse the  Prot.  Ref. and our churches. He has                                          Mr. and Mrs. Sieger Heys
 broken up too much already these last years. May all                                        Mr. and Mrs. Jake Dykema
 come to that height which characterized the conference                                      Mr. and Mrs. John Braaksma
                                                                                             Richard Heys
 at Grand-Rapids, where you could witness of  Stihilder,                                        and 18 grandchildren.
 and Schilder of you: You are Reformed in spite of Manhattan, Montana
 difference in points of view.
    With hearty greetings,                                                               *  *  *  *
                                        Yours,                    It pleased the Lord to take from us our  beidved,   wife, mother,
                                                   Kees.       and grandmother,
 P. S.-You have, of course, no objection against my`                                 MRS. AGGIE LUBBERS
 sending a copy of this letter to the Revs.. De Jong and at the age of 66 years.
 Kok, inasmuch as the letter treats their case and                The knowledge that her life was Christ and her-death gain
 person.                                                       softens our grief.
                                                                                             Mr. Cornelius Lubbers
                                                                                          * Mr, and Mrs. Arthur Berens            -
                                                                                             Rev. and Mrs. George Lubbers
                                                                                             Mr. tid Mrs.  John C; Lubbers
  I,.__     .                                                                                Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Lubbers
 NOTE BY. EDITOR:                                                                            Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Jelsema
                                                                                             Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. Lubbers
    When I read the. above letter, p felt, first of all,                                     Mr. and Mrs.  Bert'Maring
 that, in justice to the Revs. De Jong and Kok, it should                                       21 grandchildren and
 be published. At the same'time,  however, I felt that                                           1 great-grandchild.
there was need, more than ever; for Prof. `Holwerda Hudsonville, Michigan
to speak. Hence I tried to  ,get telephone conneotion                                      *  *  *
 with prof:Veenhof. I was informed that the professor,                                                  .
 was out of town, and was asked whether I would speak             The Ladies' Society of the Hudsonville Protestant Reformed
 to his wife. I hesitated at first but finally I -recalled Church expresses its sympathy with their fellow members, Mrs.
that Mrs. Veenhof is a very bright lady, and that she,         George Kamps, in the loss of her mother
undoubtedly would know what to advise me., `In this                                  MRS. MARIA NOBEL
 I was not disappointed, for .-when  after almost four            May the Lord comfort the bereaved famiIy with His wonder-
hours.  of. waiting. (Prof. Veenhof has -no phone at his ful grace.
house, and Mrs. Veenhof had to- be `called to  ano:her                                 The Hudsonville Ladies' Society,
phone); I got contact with her, she managed somehow                                             Rev. G. Vos, Pres.
                                                                                                Mrs. C., Spoelman,  Sec'y.
to have  Prof.  Holwerda right with her at the phone.
    I asked -her whether I might. publish the letter of                                  *  *  *  *
Prof. Veenhof, and she immediately gave her consent.
Then I asked her whether she would ask Prof.  Hol-                The English Men's Society of the First Protestant Reformed
werda to write me, and to my surprise she replied that Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan hereby expresses its sin-
                                                               cere and heartfelt sympathy to the family of Mrs. J. Sjoerdsma
the professor was standing right at the phone. I t.hen in the sudden bereavement of their husband and father
asked him whether he would inform me exactly what                                    MR. JOE SJOERDSMA
was said at the conferences with the Revs. De Jong                May the blessed assurance that their Ioved one is now for-
and Kok, and he promised me that he would.                     ever with the Lord comfort them in the way they must go.
    To this we now look forward.                                                                Mr. A. Van Tuinen, Pres.
                                                  H. H.                                         Mr. 0. Vander Woude, Sec'y.


A90                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                                  namely, Luke 18 :7 and 2 Pet. 3:9. Our comments on
             OUR DOCTRINE                                         Luke 18:7 can be brief, inasmuch as we called atten-
                                                                  tion to this passage in some detail in our preceding
                                                                  article. That text reads: "And shall not God avenge
The Longsuffering and Forbearance His own elect, which cry day and night unto IIim,
                                                                  though He bear long with them?" That this passage
                         of God                                   does not teach a general "saving goodness" of God
                                                                  we have already seen. According to this context, the
       Continuing with our attempt to show the absurdity people of God are being oppressed; they cry day and
of the "Common Grace" definition of the longsuffering night unto the Lord, and they might finally conclude
of God we would call attention to 2 Pet. 3 :9. We must that the Lord is neglecting them. However, the Lord's
bear in mind that this "Common Grace" definition of "failure" to deliver them is not neglect but He is long-
God's longsuffering is that it is that aspect of the suffering over them, "bears long with them (according
general goodness of the Lord whereby He spares the to the text) .". Hence, the Lord's longsuffering in this
froward and the evii in spite of their long continued text signifies that He suffers long with them, restrains
disobedience. In 2 Pet. 3  :9 we read: "The Lord is not his desire to deliver them immediately, but checks His
slack concerning His promise, as some men count slack- passion, love toward them, because the time of their
ness; but is longsuffering to usward,  not willing that final and complete deliverance has not yet arrived.
any should perish, but that all should come to repent- And He will avenge His elect speedily, i.e., He will not
ance." In connection with this text we note, in the delay their deliverance, but will cause as rapidly as
first place, that if the expression, "to usward," refers possible all things to occur which are necessary for the
to all men, head for head, Christ will never come. That salvation of all the elect of all the ages.
this text refers to this coming of the Lord upon the                 The second passage which we would discuss a little
cIouds  of heaven, and that this coming of the Lord more in detail is 2 Pet. 3:9: "The Lord is not slack
is implied in the word "promise" is clear from the concerning His promise, as some men count slackness;
entire context, and particularly from the verse that but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any
follows, which reads : "But the day of the Lord will should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens In connection with this passage, we would note that,
shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements according to the context, the church of God is again
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the in tribulation. Verse 3 of this chapter speaks of  scof:
works that are therein shall be burned up." If, on the fers, mockers. These mockers, according to verse 4,
other hand, the expression, "to usward",  refers to all ridicule the promise of the Lord's coming. They say
the elect of all ages (and this is surely the correct that since the fathers fell asleep all things have con-
interpretation of the text), then the "Common  *Grace"            tinued as they were from the beginning of the creation.
definition of the longsuffering of the Lord is quite im- We must bear in mind that the Lord had given the
possible. In that case, applying this definition of the Church the promise of His coming, and that this com-
longsuffering of God; the text would read as follows:             ing would be accompanied by the destruction of the
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as world. The salvation of the Church and the destruc-
some men count slackness; but reveals that He is spar- tion of the world always go together. The one demands
ing in His goodness unto us who are worthy of punish- the'other. So it shall also be at the end of the world.
ment, not willing that any should perish, but that all And this promise of the Lord's coming which would
should come to repentance". And this interpretation herald the eternal salvation of the people of God and
of the text is obviously absurd. To teach that the Lord the eternal desolation of the ungodly was being ridi-
spares the elect in His goodness, who are worthy of cuIed by wicked `scoffers. They pointed to the fact
punishment, while they continue long in their ungodli- that, since the creation of the world, everything has
ness and wickedness is clearly ridiculous.                        cqntinued  as they were, and laughed at the promise of
                                                                  the Lord. Besides, there is very reason to believe that
        The Longsuffring Of God Has For Its Objects               the Church, in the early years of the New Dispensation,
                          The Elect.                              expected the coming of the Lord soon, in their day.
       That the longsuffering of the Lord has for its ob- Texts as: "Be ye also patient;  stablish your hearts:
jects only the elect is surely evident from the follow- for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. . . . Behold,
 ing passages : 2 Cor. 6 :6, Gal. 5 :22, Eph. 4 :2, Cob 1 :11,    the Judge standeth before the door," (James 5:8, 9)
3 :12, 1 Tim. 1:16, 2 Tim. 3 :lO, 4:2, Luke 18:7, 2 Pet. were interpreted in that literal sense of the word.
 3 :9, 15. We need not quote all these passages again- However, His coming did not materialize. And now
 This we did in our preceding article. However, let us the world used this "failure" of the Lord to come as
 look a little more closely at two of these passages, an added incentive to ridicule the Church, and the


                                      T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        491

 people of .eGod probably began to think that the Lord His Godhead and humanity, announced His victory
 was clack concerning His promise. This fear "of the there, and deprived the devil of his power. A common
  people. of God is answered by the apostle, Peter, in Reformed explanation of this passage is that the spirits
  2 Pet.  3:9.    The Lord is not slack concerning His in prison (hell--see verse 19) are the ungodly of the
 promise. His "failure" to come must not be ascribed time of Noah, that Christ preached unto them, not
_ to the fact that the Lord is slow as far as the fulfill- after ,His. resurrection, but at the time of Noah, by
 ment of His promise is concerned. To the contrary, His Spirit.
 the Lord is longsuffering to usward,  the elect of God.          Our interpretation of this  passage  has been ex-
  That He "delays" His coming is not due to the fact pressed by the Rev. H. Hoeksema several times, and
 th'at He is not interested in the afflictions of His people. is as follows. In the first place, there are weighty
  Fact is, He is longsuffering to  usward.  He suffers objections against the generally accepted Reformed
 long with the afflictions of His own. They vitally view, which we mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
 concern Him. As the Lord beholds His Church in There is, first of all, the time element of chronological
 distress, His love goes out unto them, and, if He were order of the verses 19-20. These verses read: "By
 to "act according to His nature or passion", He would which also He went and preached unto the spirits in
 deliver them immediately. But the Lord restrains prison ; Which sometime were disobedient, when once
Himself, holds Himself in check,  not,willing  that any the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah,
 should perish but that all (of ,course,  the elect of ail while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is,
 ages, even unto the end of time) should come to repent- eight souls were saved by water." Sound exegesis
 ance.                                                         certainly demands that verse 20 be understood as
                                                               occurring after verse 19. Hence, Christ preached after
           I Pet. 3 :20-Rom. 9 :22-Rom. 2 :4.                  His resurrection. Besides, this is also corroborated
     These passages, I am sure, are worthy of special by the text itself. First, we read in verse 19 that He
  consideration. First of all, we read in I Pet. 3  :20: went and preached unto the spirits in prison, and liter-
 "Which sometime were disobedient, whence the  long- ally: that are in prison, not were in prison. Bnd in
 suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while verse 20 we read of these spirits that they "sometime
  the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight were"  disobedien+-hence,  they were in prison now
  souls were saved by water." This text has been quoted but had been disobedient. Consequently, we interpret
  in support of a longsuffering of God toward the un- this passage thus: Christ, after His resurrection,  ,went
  godly contemporaries of Noah. At first glance, this. and preached to the spirits in prison, by His Spirit,
  is understandable. The text t speaks, does it not, of and condemned these spirits who had been disobedient
  the disobedient in the days of Noah, and declares that at the time of Noah. That the apostle, Peter, men- .
  the longsuffering of God waited in those days, while tions these ungodly of the days of Noah is undoubtedly
  the ark was being prepared. Hence,. it is affirmed, because they are a striking type of the ungodly of the
  the Lord, because of His longsuffering, waited one latter days, the days of the New Dispensation. They,
  hundred and twenty years, giving the wicked world at the time of Noah, ridiculed that man of God when
  time to repent.     In connection with this "Common he preached unto them the righteousness of God and
  Grace" interpretation. of the days of Noah we would proclaimed unto them that the Lord would destroy the
  make the observation that this "longsuffering" of the wicked world and save His Church. This also occurs
  Lord suffered a complete failure. Fact is that, when in the New Dispensation. We were reminded of this
  this "period of probation" began, the Lord was already in our interpretation of 2 Pet. 3  :9;
  assured of the salvation of Noah's family. Fact is also         We have already observed how this text is quoted
  that, when this period had come to an end, the Lord in support of a general longsuffering of #God, that the
  had, exactly as many saved souls as when it began. Lord was longsuffering toward them, giving them time
  Only eight souls were saved. Hence, this "longsuffer- to repent. But we should notice that  t.he text does
  ing" of the Lord did not gain another soul. This, I not say that God was longsuffering toward the un-
  must confess, is a quite ridiculous presentation of the godly, but merely that the longsuffering of God waited.
  Lord Who does all things according to His eternal The Church of the living God of that day was being
  counsel and' will and Whom so the apostle, Paul; de- persecuted.          The Lord' did not immediately deliver
  clares in Roman's 9  :19, none can resist. Be this as it them. His longsuffering, His love toward His people
  may, however, the Roman Catholic view of this. text and desire to `deliver them waited. Deliverance did not
  is that Christ, after His resurrection, descended into come as quickly as the Church of God expected.
  the portals of hell to deliver out of the portals of hell       Another passage which we would treat somewhat
  the believers of the Old Testament who were held cap- in detail is Romans 9 :22. There we read: "What 11
  tive therein. The Lutheran conception of this text is God, willing to shew His wrath, and to make His power
 that Christ descended literally into hell, according to known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels


Q92                             i>-iTHE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

of wrath fitted to destruction." Also this passage of these ungodly. But this is what the Word of God would
the Word of God has been quoted in support of a teach in this particular text: God endured with much
general longsuffering of the Lord toward the ungodly. longsuffering toward His people the vessels of wrath
This is easily understandable. Do we not read that the fitted unto destruction. In His love toward His own
`Lord endured with much longsuffering the vessels of He endured these vessels of wrath. The ungodly are
wrath fitted to destruction ? It is not plain, therefore, the objects here of the Lord's forbearance, and the
,that the Lord is longsuffering toward these vessels of godly are the objects of His longsuffering. And this
wrath, the ungodly? However, how different must be is surely corroborated by the example of Pharaoh and
(and is) the interpretation of this text when considered the ungodly throughout the history of the Church of
in the light of its context! In the preceding verse, God in the midst of this world. He endures the wicked
verse 21, the apostle declares that the potter makes not throughout the hidtory of His Church because He is
only vessels unto honour, but also vessels unto dis- longsuffering toward His own, would save them and
honour. Then, in verse 22, the apostle declares that save them unto the uttermost. The most glorious
they are vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction, and example (or terrible example, if you will) is the ex-
this means that God made them in  His wrath,  and fitted ample of the Christ Himself. He surely endured, "put
them for destruction, and therefore not to save them. up" with the wicked as they laid their vile hands upon
Moreover, in verse 23 `we read that God makes His the Son of His love, nailed Him to the accursed tree,
glory known upon the vessels of mercy which He had not because He loved them and would give them ad-
from the foundation of the world prepared unto glory;         ditinal time to repent, but only because He loved His
hence, these are the vessels of mercy, made in His Christ and His people, and would save them through
mercy, and they have been eternally prepared unto the blood of His Son. And this characterizes the posi-
eternal glory. And, in addition to all this, the apostle tion and affliction of the people of God throughout the
tells us in verse 22 that God endured with much long-         ages, particularly at the end of time. The only reason
suffering the vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction why He tolerates the wicked world is not because He
because He was willing to shew His wrath and make loves that world, but is only because their cup of
His power known. How is it possible, in the light of iniquity must be filled and all the elect saved, even
all this, to maintain that the Lord, shows favour or unto the last child of the living God.
grace to these vessels of wrath, fitted'unto  deskruction,       A final passage to which we would call attention
concerning whom we read that the Lord willed to show somewhat in detail is Romans 2 :4 : "Or despisest thou
His wrath and make His power known? Finally, is the riches of His goodness and forbearance and  long-
all this not corroborated by the example of the un- suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God  lead-
godly Pharaoh? Concerning this Pharaoh we read in eth thee to repentance." This text is also superficially
verse 1'7: "For the scripture saith  un:o Pharaoh, Even quoted in support of a general goodness or longsuffer-
for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I ing of God. Addressing the wicked, unrepentant Jews,
might shew My power in thee, and that My name might concerning whom the apostle declares in the following
be declared throughout all the earth." Mind you, the verse that "after thy hardness and impenitent heart
Lord had raised up Pharaoh, and that with the Divine treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of
purpose to show His power in him. This does not mean wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of
that the Lord simply put Pharaoh upon the Egyptian God," the apostle tells us in verse 4 that they despise
throne, and that He raised him up in that sense of the the riches of God's goodness and longsuffering and
word. But the apostle refers to the ungodly Pharaoh. forbearance, not realizing that this goodness of God
It is exactly as the ungodly Pharaoh that he was raised leads unto repentance. We should notice, however,
up by the Lord. The Lord sovereignly willed and that the text does not teach that the goodness of the
"raised up" this ungodly monarch to reveal His power Lord would lead these wicked Jews unto repentance.
in him. This is surely in harmony with the rest of It does teach us, however, that the goodness of aGod
this chapter, and particularly with that  por:ion  which Eeads to repentance. Not that it. would lead us, but
tells us that God is the Potter, and that as such He          that it actually leads us unto repentance. If, there-
produces vessels of honour and of dishonour, producing fore, we take this text at its face value, and apply this
the former by His mercy and the latter by His wrath. particular Word of God to all men, head for head, then
This also enables us to understand Rom. 9:22. It is surely it declares too much. The apostle, then, would
true that we are told in this passage that  `<God endured have us believe that the goodness actually leads these
with much longsuffering the vessels `of wrath fitted people to repentance; and, yet, in the following verse
unto destruction." However, this does not necessarily we are told that they are treasuring up for themselves
mean that the Lord's longsuffering had these vessels wrath in the day of the revelation of the righteous
of wrath for its objects. The text does not purpose to judgment of the Lord. This "Common Grace" inter-
inform us that the Lord was longsuffering toward              pretation of the text is, therefore, obviously impossible.


                                       T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             493 I

The true interpretation of Rom. 2 :4 must be as follows.
The goodness of God leads men to repentance. This is
an undeniable fact. However, these wicked Jews did                            Rev. Petter Replies
not know this. This does not mean that they were not
acquainted with this fact as such, but that they did not             Dear brother:- I am glad to receive another reply
know this in the spiritual, experiential sense of the from you to my open letters. I will reproduce your
word. The riches of God's goodness, longsuffering article paragraph by paragraph and add my remarks
and forbearance, they despised. We must bear in mind as I go along.
that these riches were revealed unto them. Organical-                You write, "Before we consider some of the Bible
ly they belonged to the Church of God in the midst of passages that speak of conditions. . . ."
the world. Hence, they were fully acquainted with the                Remark. I am glad that you are going to consider
riches of this goodness of the Lord. It had been pro- some of the Bible passages that speak of conditions.
claimed unto them time and  asain, and, besides, that However, the term condition does not appear at all in
the people of God were the objects of this goodness the Bible passages to which you have reference. Faot
was known and observed by them.  Bowever, they is that the term appears once in the whole of the
despised this goodness of God, trampled it under foot,            English version of the Scriptures, to wit, at I Sam.
revealed in all their activity that they loved the dark- 112, "And Nahash the Ammonite answered and said,
ness rather than the light, and trampled the goodness On this condition will I make a covenant with you . . ."
of God under foot as swine trample pearls under their But even here the term is written in italics, which
feet. In this revelation of God the goodness of God indicates that it was added by the translators. How
reveals itself as Iongsuffering over His people. and as then is it going to be possible for you "to consider some
forbearance toward the ungodly. But the carnal ele- of the Bible passages that speak of conditions?" The
ment comes organically into contact with this goodness word that does appear in the Bible passages to which
of *God,  which leads unto repentance, despises it and you have reference is the conjunotive "if", Hebrew &n
tramples it under foot, and will be held accountable and K, Greek ei. But as we have seen the particle "if"
for their profane attitude toward this goodness of the may have one of half a dozen meanings. And this also
Lord, which is only upon the elect, but is also revealed holds for its Hebrew and Greek equivalents. You
unto them.                                                        therefore should have made your statement to read,
                                                                  "Before we consider some of the Bible passages con-
                        Conclusion.                               taining the particle "if". Here, too,  your manner of
    The longsuffering and forbearance of the Lord have speech shows that you approach these "if" clauses of
this in common, that both refer to a Divine restraint, the type with which we are occupied with the fixed
a Divine checking or holding of Himself in check. idea that the conjunctive "if" always means condition.
However, the longsuffering of God is an activity of What we therefore are going to get frcm you, I am
Divine love ; the forbearance of the Lord is an activity afraid, is not exegesis but your very own notions read
of Divine wrath. God is longsuffering toward His by you into the text. It shows that you still are failing
people, elected and loved in Christ Jesus. He restrains to face the real issue, which is: Just what, precisely,
His desire to save them out of all the afflictions of their is the meaning of that "if".
enemies because He seeks their welfare and would save                You write, "Some one has suggested to me that it
all the elect even unto the end of time. And the Lord's might be better to use the term `order', because of the
forbearance is toward the reprobate wicked.  IIe re- odium and arminian flavor that attaches to the term
strains His desire, His passion, to destroy them, be- `condition'. On the other hand I can understand the
cause their full measure of iniquity must be filled, and concern, but I also believe that a living church does
also because they must serve the elect. Using them as not live by empty words but also understands and
instruments in His causing of all things to work to- remembers the content of them. And <the actual con-
gether for the good and salvation of His people, He tent and denotation of the word is not odius."
checks Himself, His inner passion, to consume them in                Reply. You conceal the issue. The term is indeed
His righteous anger and love for His own, until they odius not, of course, as standing alone, but-and this
shall have served His purpose and contributed their is the issue-as a sentence-element of the dootrinal
part in the eternal salvation and glory of His elect tenet of the liberated to the effect thut God suve.s mew-
C h u r c h .                                                     the covenant members  ,elect and  non-elec&on   s%e
                                             H. Veldman.          con&tile  of  (op  voorwaurde  van) faith  and repentance.
                                                                  As a sentence-element of that tenet (of the Liberated
                                                                  and Christian Reformed) the term stands for an abom-
NOTE--Due to lack of space all the notices received do not ap-    inable heresy.
pear in this  Cssue.                                                 You write, "In the second place, we must not act as


     A94                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

     if the word does not have for us a rather definite usage. specialists that in physics, too, as well as in logic, the
     We must not in the midst of a theological discussion term  condition  is but another word for cause. But
     act as if the word has never been heard before except Rev. Petter says, "I don't believe". May I ask this
     in the mouths of unbelievers. We must not act as if question: How can anyone carry on a discussion with
     the fathers, who were the equal of any scholars of their you, brother, if you won't allow the specialist to tell
     days, have not for us poured a definite and legitimate you the meaning of words in use in his own field ; if
     meaning into it for over three hundred years."              you allow yourself to dispense with his "instruction
        Reply. What you write here is folly. I mean your merely by apposing to it the "I don't believe" of Rev.
     telling us that the fathers poured meanings into words, Petter. In the sequel of your article. you, too, use the
     definitely into the word  condition.  That is not true. term condition in the sense of cause, as for example
     Here is the proof. As we saw (see my previous article)      when you state that .a harvest is conditioned upon the
     in the first period the Reformed freely spoke of con- fact that man plows and seeds. Certainly, there is a
     ditions in the covenant. But when the nature of the causal connection, isn't there? between plowing and
     covenant was more deeply thought into and when seeding on the one hand and the harvesting on the other.
     the covenant had to be defended against Roman Calho-        To deny this is to be compelled to embrace the view
     lies,  Lultherans,  and Remonstrants, many felt the that the ever-changing phenomenon of nature is a
     phraseology in question to be objectionable and avoided mere sequence of new happenings in which each suc-
     it. And Bavinck's personal stand was that  actuuWy          cessive stage is in no sense the outcome of the preced-
     there are no conditions in the covenant. It shows that ing stage, but strictly a new creation. But this is not
     the fathers used words according to their current and your view, is it? If not, you are saying with me that
     accepted meanings. They did not pour meanings into conditions are causes. So your dictionary and my
     words. What a thing to say about the fathers !              dictionary define them.
            You write. "John Stuart Mill may be able to think       You write, `9 believe we just get into deep water
     only of capricious contingency, but his word is cer- in this field (the fields of logic and physics, Rev. Petter
     tainly not law for the Christian who believes in the means) and had better leave it to the specialists of the
     all pervading power and purpose of God.                     field."
            `Reply. You misrepresent Mill. The teaching is          Reply. That, precisely, is what I have done, brother
     not his. Mill is the best known advocate of the doc- --leave it to the specialists of the field. But you re-
     trine of the plurality of causes-a doctrine that the fuse to receive their expert testimony. You won't
     same kind of effect can be produced in different cases believe, and on that account you do indeed get your-
     by different causes ; otherwise stated, that any one of self into deep water. The only voice to which you will
     several separate causes can produce the same kind of hearken in the matter of definitions of words is the
     effect as another.       (See J. S. Mill, System of Logic, voice of Rev. Petter. And here is the proof.
     1876 etc).       Besides, how can  contingency-the  fact        You next write, "The simple dictionary definition
     that the expected result does not always follow when is perfectly valid, namely, an event, fact, or the like
     all the necessary conditions appear to be operative-        *that is necessary to the  occurrance of some other,
     exclude belief in the providence of God. According to though not its cause ; a prerequisite."
     t.he latter, God rules and governs all things according         Reply. Does the philologist whose definition you
     to His holy will, so that nothing happens in (this world quote mean to deny that a condition is a cause absol-
     without His appointment. Both are facts, aren't they? utely? He does not: but this is  -what he means: A
     If so, how, as you intimate, must belief in the one condition is not a cause only in the sense that alone
     exclude belief in the other.                                it is inadequate to the production of the effect. But
            You write, And finally, I want to say that I do not it is a cause nevertheless as to its idea and working.
     believe that because in  Logic  a condition is often a The only reason of its impotency as an effect-producing
     cause, that therefore in  .physics  and metaphysics it is circumstance is the absence of the other conditions
     also that."                                                 indispensible to the production of the effect.     This
            Reply.
I                     On the basis of what authority do you re- is what the philologist you quoted means. And here
     ject the idea that also in physics conditions are causes? is the proof. Speaking of causes, he has this ta. say :
     On the basis of the authority of the "I don't believe," "All true, that is, necessary conditions, are causes ;
     that is, on the basis of the "I, Rev. Petter have said". but for the purpose of  e2xperience,  or by reason of
     But who is Rev. Petter as an authority in logic and special interests, we distinguish a prime condition, or
     physics and metaphysics? Like Rev. G. M. Ophoff, direct cause, from the secondary conditions or indirect
     he is a zero as authority in logic and physics. Aware cause."
     ,of this, Rev. Ophoff turned to' the specialists, the           You will find your  definition and the exposition
     authorities, in those fields. He consulted his dietion-     last quoted in Funk and Wagnall's Standard Dictionary
     aries and encyclopedias. And he learned from the of the English Language and. in Webster's New' Inter-


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R ' E R                                       495.

national Dictionary of the English Language. So you You should have made this clear. You should have
see, brother, how it is. Conditions are causes indeed refrained from concealing the real issue.
according to any good dictionary that you may want              Your next illustration reads, "We.may  also say that
to consult. You should therefore have refrained from a harvest is conditioned upon the fact that the man
letting the dictionary.tell  your readers that a condition ploughed and seeded. Here God has established the
is not a cause absolutely. A condition then is:              connection, and the prophet says that `his God also
   1) an event or fact that is necessary to the occur-       doth instruct the farmer, and He has promised that
ante of another.                                             while the earth remaineth seed time and harvest shall
  2 ) not a cause, that is, not a primary cause but a not fail. Here we see more clearly that the  connection .
Cause nevertheless.                                          and th eff8ctuation  is in God's `hands. Yet no one will
   3) A limiting or restrictin.:  circumstance.              deny that it is a conditional instance."
   You call the definition undo 1) "the simple diction-         Reply. True it is, of course, that ploughing and
ary definition, perfectly valid. But the definitions under seeding is necessary to the harvest, and that God has
2) and 3) are likewise simple dictionary definitions established ;the connection. No one among us denies
and just as valid certainly. Why then do you insist on this. But the trouble is that here, too, you evade and
disregarding the definitions under 2) and 3) ? True,         conceal the real issue. Had you set forth the issue
a condition is an event or fact that is necessary to the you would have added: 1) the man's ploughing and
occurrance of another. But a condition is more than seeding must induce God to crown his labors with the
that; it is all that the definitions under 2) and 3) say gift of the harvest; 2)  ,man's ploughing and seeding
that it is. Hence, to say that God saves men on the is a circumstance that limits God; that is to say, if man
condition that they believe, is to say more than that refuses to plow, ,God  can't do anything about it, except
faith is necessary to salvation; it is to say in addikion    withhold the harvest. Or, it can also be stated this
that men's faith must induce God to save them ; it is        way: in deciding to plow, man is sovereignly free ; his
to say that faith is of man and therefore limiks  God. plowing is not the realization of a corresponding sover-
It is thus to give expression to an abominable heresy. eign decree of God that he plow. This is the full mean-
You say that our Reformed fathers  spake  of conditions ing-of tthe statement that a harvest is conditioned upon
in the covenant. Indeed.  .But  v-e saw that they stopped the fact that the man plowed and seeded. What have
speaking of, conditions in the covenant as soon as they we here? An abominable heresy !
would realize what they were saying.                            Now your application of these illustrations. It
   You write: "This proper usage of the term may reads :
be illustrated by a few different instances."                   "And now we may take a `third instance, and that
   Remark. "This proper usage of the term," you say. in the spiritual realm. A man enjoys the fellowship
Your reference here is solely to the definition under 1). of God on condition that he believes in him. Here the
The implication of this statement from your pen is that divinely established connection and  divine  effectuation
the definition under 2) and 3) are not proper and thus is of the higher order. It is performed by a wonder
fail to set forth the proper usages of the term. But         of grace that is wholly alien to the natural man. Yet
what you say here is not true. What you say here that does not make it unconditional any more than the
again illustrates your arbitrary manner of dealing with above instances are. Also there it was God who worked
definitions of words.                                        the will and the act of timely payment,. of plowing
   You give two illustrations of what you wrongfully and seeding."  -
insist is the only proper usage of the term.                    Remark. But that exactly is what you deny by
   Your first illustration reads, "We may say that your statement that the harvest is conditioned upon
the possession of a house depends on the condition of the fact that the man plowed and seeded,-deny accord-
the timely payments."                                        ing to the definitions  of the term in question under 2),
   Reply. So then, in other words, if I buy a house and 3). And now you may say a thousand times that
my paying for it is necessary to my possession of it. you are not using the term according to its definitions
This is as true as can be, of course. Only, by your under 2) and 3). It makes not a particle of difference.
not saying any more you evade and conceal the real The meaning of your statements is determined not by
issue in this dispute. Had you set forth the issue, you what meaning you want the term in question to have,
would have added: 1) My paying for the house is the but by what meanings it has in the dictionary. Take
cause of my possessing it; and 2) My meeting my your statement, "A man enjoys the fellowship of God
payments is a circumstance that limits the owner of on the condition that he believes in Him." You say
the house. That is, if I default, he can't do anything that all you want the statement to mean is that faith
about it except take back his house. This is the full is  necessarl/  to the enjoyment of God's fellowship. To
meaning of the statement that the possession of the be sure  i,t is. But why can't you limit yourself to
house depends on  the condition  of the timely payments. that way of stating the matter? Why must you say'

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

       that man enjoys the fellowship of God on the condition       This doctrine, so I continued (in my previous
       of faith," if the statement means in addition to wha.t article), involves those addicted to it in a problem.
       you want it to mean that man must &duce God to ,It is `this: If God calls all His sons, if all have a right
       fellowship with him, and that belief in God through~      to Heaven, if, in a word, the promise is unto all, as the
       Christ is a  circumstance  that limits God?               Liberated insist, how is it to be accounted for that
              You say we must not be afraid of a term. But it many perish? What is the answer of the Liberated
       stands to reason that we must be afraid of a term and the Christian Reformed? It is this: (athe second
       and are in duty bound to avoid it, if in our theological of the two principal tenets of their covenant-theology)
     . dissertations it stands also for heresy. What earthly 2) God places the benefits of Christ's  Cross in the actual
       reason can there be for our wanting to employ such possession of man, including the reprobated, on the
       a term? It is exactly by the use of terms of that char- condition of (op voorwaarde van)  fai,th  and repent-
       acter that heresies are smuggled into  .the church un- ance. That can mean but one thing, of course, namely,
       awares. You know how difficult it is for a communion that man's will is free in the Pelagian sense; that God,
       of churches such as ours to hold the true foundation. on that account, stands powerless over against man's
       Should we needlessly increase that difficulty by the corruption and unbelief and that, if he is to be saved,
       deliberate use of forbidden terms? Certainly not. You he must originate fai'th in him. This is the covenant
     say that we have need of the term condition; that we theology of the Liberated and the Christian Reformed.
       cannot do without it. But <that is not true. And you As a sentence-element in this thought-structure, the
       should know that it is not true.                          term condition  - voorwaarde  - can indicate but one
              Your next paragraph reads, "That does not change thing, to wit, .an action of man whereby he originates
       the matter.        Both members of Phil. 2  :12, 13 are his own faith.
       equally true. God works in and we work out. God               Now what are you saying, brother, of that thought-
       works faith and we believe. It is really our act but structure,-saying of the covenant-theology of the
       the grace of God."                                        Liberated and the Christian Reformed here in the
              Remark. Who, in our communion, would think of States? I shall quote your own words, "Now  after all
       denying these things? Your reiteration of these truths this I may say that we have serious objections to this
       simply beclouds the issue, which is whether the term      presentation of the covenant (of the Liberated, you
       condition is a safe term to use in our expositions of mean). Not because it is Pehgian or Heyn+n (italics
.      the truth.                                                supplied) . Neither because it is called conditional,
              Your next sentence reads, "And on that action-our with the above understanding. I still believe that the
       act of believing-our enjoyment is conditioned very fiinal glorious revelation of God's covenant is just as
       really." You mean here, "That action of ours is neces- sure, and the efficacy of His @race is just as sovereign,
       sary to the enjoyment of God's fellowship." Of course as it is in the conception toward which .we incline."
       it is. Who will want to deny it? But that is not the      Concordia for June 9, 1949, p. 3.
       issue. It is this:  Kust our action-act of  believing-        Here you indorse, as  non-Pelagian,  the thoroughly
       induce God to cause us to enjoy Him? and, Do we           Pelagian covenant-theology of the Liberated. Here you
       originate that action? You reply: Surely not. Show indorse, as non-Pelagian; the term  condition as a
       then, that you mean what YOU say by avoiding the sentence-element in that thought-structure, where it
       term condition.                                           certainly must indicate an action of man whereby he
              In your recent articles including your latest  instal- originates his own faith. And yet you want your
       ment, statements occur that are truly surprising and readers to believe that you are using that term con-
       that cause one to wonder in what direction you are dition  in a perfectly innocen'c sense ; that all you mean
       striving to lead our churches and our people. Allow by your statement that God saves Hi! people on the
       me to explain. The covenant theology of the Liberated condition that they believe is that faith is necessary to
       is  Heynsian; it is, in a word, Pelagian. I made this salvation. Can you blame me  f,or wondering where
       clear in my previous article. The principal tenets of you,are trying to lead our people? Your latest article,
       that theology, so I wrote, are two in number: 1) The too, causes me to wonder about that, especially the
       promise of ,the covenant is unto all the baptized, repro- following statement from your pen occurring in it,
       bate and elect alike. It can also be stated this way:     "And now this their presentation may have this good
       All have a legal right to Christ and all His benefits. element that it seeks  ,the better to emphasize and main-
       Now what have we here? The Arminian doctrine of tain the responsibility of man away down to the roots
       universal atonement pure and simple, the teaching that of his relation to `God in the covenant." Concordia for
       Christ died for all men, elect and non-eleot alike; thus July 21, p. 3.    1
       the teaching that God called all men, elect and non-         Brother, not one good element is to be found in the
       elect, His sons, and reconciled them to Himself through covenant-theology of the Liberated. In this theology
       Christ's cross.                                           the responsibility of man is made to root in a lie-the


                                     THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          497.

 lie that man in order to be responsible must be free as according to your way of thinking, is one of the three
 to his will-free in the Pelagian sense. Brother, if inconsistencies in which the covenant&heology  of the
 you want us to regard you as a truly Refomed man Liberated involve those addicted to it. And your way
 in all your thinking; if you want us to stop wondering of thinking here is entirely correct. You here touch
 where you are trying to lead our people, you  mush on the crux of the whole matter. It is true as you
 without any reservations pronounce that covenant- think: The Liberated ,do not succeed and never will
 theology of the Liberated through and through hereti- succeed for that matter in explaining how they do not
 cal and ban that word  eondition.from  your theological involve themselves in the heresy that the will of man
 vocabulary. You seem to be so very much in love with is free in the Pelagian sense,-involve themselves in
 that covenant-theology of the Liberated that in reply this heresy by their teaching that all-elect and non-
 to Rev. H. Veldman's  question, "What have they (the elect alike-have the right to Christ and all His bene-
 Liberated) in re the covenant that is Scriptural that fits. They can't explain it. it cannot be explained.
 we lack," you said, "And 1 will add now that if we           It means that their covenant-theology is Pelagian in-
 must all agree that there are no two  pariies  in the deed-through and through Pelagian. I said that  you
 covenant and that we may not speak of conditions in admit this. Yet, really you don't. For you say,  "I
 any sense whatever, then they are on that peint vkher        don't think that they succeed." This can be taken to
 than we." Concordia for May 26, p. 3.                        imply, "But they might succeed in the future and with
    But you say, "Did I not emphatically sate that I a little more mental effort." You should say not "I
 have serious objections to the covenant-theology of the think", but, "Certain it is that they do not succeed and
 Liberated  ?"    You did so state more than once. A that they never will succeed. For they attempt the
 statement of that kind from your pen appears in the          impossible.`"    That is the language you should use.
 Concordia for June 9. There you say, "Now afler all But then, of course, you say contrary things: 1) The
 this I may say that we have serious objections to this covenant-theology of the Liberated is not  Pelagian ;
 presentation of the covenant." And further on in this 2) The covenant-theology of the Liberated  is Pelagian.
 same article you declare, "But it (the covenant-theology As it is, you really say but one thing: The covenant-
 of the Liberated) involves inconsistencies and weak- theology of the Liberated  b  `mot Pelagian. Brother,
 nesses." But I ask you, brother, what serious objections you must stop saying the latter and say instead, "The
 can you possibly have against the covenant-theology of covenant-theology of the Liberated is through and
 the Liberated, if that theology is not Pelagian ; if, as through Pelagian. And it can't be anything else if the
 you state in the same article, you believe that, to quote words of the Bible have meaning and if there is such
 your own words, "the final glorious revelation of God's a thing as logic in the world. And you must come out
 covenant is just as sure, and the efficacy of His grace with a statement that you have freed your theological
 is just as sovereign, (in the covenant-theology of the       vocabulary of that word condition. Then all will know
 Liberated, you mean) as it is in the conception toward exactly where you stand.
 which we incline." How can a covenant-theology of               But you say, I have already made clear my stand.
 such virtue actually involve inconsistencies and weak- I have stated over and over that: 1) God fulfills the
 nesses ? Impossible !                                        conditions in the covenant; 2) Faith is God's gift in
    But, of course, it is not true What you say here,         man ; 3) God's election and reprobation are sovereign,
 namely, that the final glorious revelation of God's          Consider, brother, that the Liberated are just as em-
 covenant is just as sure, and the efficacy of His grace phatic in their assertion of these truths. But it doesn't
 just as sovereign in the covenant-theology of the Liber-     mean a thing as far as the rightness or the wrongness
ated as it is in the conception (the covenant-theology)       of their covenant-theology is concerned.    For ,as I
 to which we incline. Fact is that in the covenant- stated in my previous article, these beliefs have no
 theology of the Liberated the  efficacy of God's grace is    place in their covenant-theology, which is ,thoroughly
 not at all sovereign, if you mean thereby that this Arminian. They are excluded, are these tenets, by the
 efficacy (of God's grace) is solely dependent on God's very logic of that theology. Certainly, the idea that
 will. For the fact is that in the covenant-theology of man originates his own faith excludes the idea that
 the Liberated the efficacy of God's grace is solely de- faith is of God, and that election and reprobation are
 pendent on the will of man. And the strange thing is sovereign, doesn't it? And, so I wrote, in their cove-
 that you admit this, be it in language so mild that it       nant-theology man does, necessarily must, appear as
mfails  to impress. Here are your words, "And in the originating his own faith, for the simple reason that
 third place I do not think that they-the Liberated- though all have the right to the blessings of the king-
 succeed in explaining and keeping clear how the prom- dom, many nevertheless perish. The Liberated hold
 ises, the rights, the claims are the right of u.U those the truths of sovereign election and reprobation etc.,
 within the church and that equally to them all in the but at once do they hold their thoroughly Arminian
 same sense exactly.". Concordia for June 9. This, covenant-theology. It simply means, sad to say, that in

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

one breath they say "yes" to the  tru.11 and "yes" to         is a judgment of motive and appears to me almost
the lie. And the same thing is being done by the lead- mephitic  in intent. Once again, to my mind, it is an
ers in the communion of Christian lteformed  Churches unkind treatment of our brethren.
and also by the  Synodicals  in the Netherlands. Let us          To an extent at leas:, I also would object to your
beware that we do not fall into the same evil, if already attitude over against the Liberated Churches as evi-
we have not fallen into it. Because the end will be that denced in your article. In the first place, $the official
we will be saying "yes" only to the lie in our genera-        position of our Churches is that these Churches are
tions.        '                                               Reformed and that we should seek contact with them.
                                        G. M. Ophoff.         (Cf. Acts of Synod, 194'7, Art. ?5, pp. 53 and 54. Also
                                                              Acts of Synod 1948, Art. 51, pp. 53 and 54). That this
                                                              was also your personal opinion is evident from the
                                                              letter which appears over your signature in the Acts
  A Letter From Rev. W. Hofman                                of Synod of 1948, pp. 38 and 39. It would appear that
                                                              until the opposite is established, we should recognize
Dear brother Ophoff :                                         them as such.
                   I                                             In the second place, I dislike the manner in which
  A few days ago we received the August `issue of the you have condemned these Churches before furnishing
Standard Bearer and are much concerned about the a warranted basis for your judgment of them.  It
article you wrote concerning the Revs. J. De Jong and would seem to me to be more proper, first to state the
8. Kok. So much so that 1 felt I should write you and case and prove your allegations, rather than vice-versa.
express my opinion and reaction since .I also expect             Finally, if the position of the Liberated Churches
to do so publicly in the next issue of the Standard is as heretical as you maintain, 1 feel that we as
Bearer.                                                       Churches have an even greater calling over against
    It is not my inten:ion  to go into the material but       them. We have then the calling, with our greater-light
to express myself concerning the method in which you and superior knowledge which God has graciously giv-
have publicized these things. I feel your course of en us, to attempt to do all in our power to save this
action to be reprehensible since, to my mind,  your last vestige of Reformed truth in the Netherlands,
article  lacks,  the proper brofherly spirit. `You also while there is still opportunity for communication with
seemed to feel that something was not quite in order them. It is possible that we  ciose the door to  th;s
since you began with a rather long apology contair:ing        opportunity and fail in realization of this calling if we
your various reasons for publicizing the matter.              proceed in an abusive manner. it would seem to me,
       However, my main objection has to do with the that at least until a stand had been taken, this purpose
manner in which you attack your brethren and mine' can be advanced more properly by dignified  communica-
in the ministry of our Churches. In the first place, tion between these twq groups; upon the basis of Truth
it seems strange to me, that you so treat your brethlVen      and in the spirit of love expressing one another's desire
upon the basis of hearsay. You have taken the word, for our mutual spiritual welfare, rather than in i.he
which was not addressed to you, of one whom you con.          way of accusation and name-calling,
sider to maintain "false doctrine",  "damna.ble.  . . .                                           Rev. W. Hofman.
rotten heresy" and "Arminianism" to attack your
brethren. Moreover you argue for his veracity while              I shall reply to this missive in the next issue of
you seem to doubt that of your brethren. Now apart the Standard Bearer.
from the eventual determination of all the facts and                                                    G. M. Ophoff.
establishment of the whole truth, to write as you did
upon the word of one who is so far removed from you,
both physically and  theolo&ically,  overagainst those                                  * *  *
who are united with you in the ministry of our church-
es, fails, in my mind, to be a judgment of love.                                    I N   MEMORIAM
       In the second place, the implication which you make
in the statement: "Can it be that we here hit upon               In Mary-Martha Society of the Manhattan Protestant Re-
                                                              formed Church mourns the loss  of one of its members,
the fundamental purpose of that visit to the Nether-
lands,-the purpose, namely, to show the irreconcilable                             MRS.  DICK HEYS
leaders among the Liberated that they need have no               May the Lord comfort the sorrowing relatives and teach us
scrup( p) les about advising their people who come to all to labor while it is day.
these shores to affiliate with the Protestant Reform-                                     Mrs. M. Vander Molen,  Sec'y.
ed ?" is, to my mind, an unwarranted insinuation. It                                      Rev. P. Vis, Pres.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         601,

hem die  ellendig  is. Hebt ge het nooit gezien? Er aan
mee gedaan? Het slachtoffer geweest ?
   Zijn we die duivelsche trek afgeleerd toen we op-                     I N   H I S   F E A R
groeiden  ?     Ge weet  we1 beter. Luistert naar wat
spreuken:  Boontje  komt om zijn loontje! "Serve you                     The Mixed Marriage
right !"
    Die spreuken hebben een bange bekendheid.                    It has happened.
    Lenigt de smarten der ellendigen ; brengt aan de             They are married.
dingen  die  TJw arme broeder behoeft; drupt balsem in           One is a member of the church, the other is not, or
het gewonde hart. Doet het in den naam eens  disl             rather, one is a member of the church and the other
cipels  aan Jezus en Uw loon zal groot zijn in de  heme-      is a member by baptism of a church which has for-
ien. God zal U niet vloeken, maar Hij zal zegenen.            saken the reformed faith, but since baptism has had
    "Dewijl hij den vloek he& liefgehad, dat die hem no reformed nurturing.
overkome; en hij geen lust gehad heeft tot den zegen,            It is a marriage that has its beginning in dis-
zoo zij die verre van hem."                                   obedience. The Lord has ordained and permitted mar-
    Ziet ge nu wel, dat alles correct is wat God doet?        riage, but He has commanded that we marry "in the
    Hij had den vloek lief. Is dat niet bang? Hij Wilde Lord." This was not the case here, therefore it is
bet gaarne hebben, dat alle  dingen  medewerken ten a marriage contracted in disobedience. It is a mar-
kwade voor zijn slachtoffer. Hij lachte in zijn  vor- riage, the result of rebellion, because the young lady
driet: Welnu dan, is het dan niet correct, dat diezelfde had been repeatedly warned against intering into mar-
vloek die hij zoo minde hem achterhale  en dat hij neder-     riage with an unbeliever, but she had done it neverthe-
dale in de put? Hij had een afschuw van den zegen. less. It is a marriage which prefigures apostacy be-
Hij walgde van God en Goddelijke zaken. Welnu dan, cause the young lady has pledged fellowship with an
is het dan niet  recht, dat die zegen verre van hem zij? unbeliever, and the arrow for.her future life points to
(Wat blijft hier over van de waanzin die spreekt van apostacy.
een zegen die verworpenen ontvangenf Hier staat                  For all these reasons such a marriage is desperate-
het dat die zegen verre van hem is.)                          ly sinful and warning against it cannot easily be
    Neen, een ieder zal God verheerlijken. En zelfs overdone.
de verworpenen zullen tegen God zeggen, dat zij de i-e1          But now it happened:
verdiend  hebben. Niemand zal in den dag der dagen
God beschuldigen van onrecht. Denkt er tech om, d.&                                  Now  What?
Gods vloeken ook een deugd  <Gods  is.                           What will the fellow Christians and fellow mem-
    Vrage: wat hebt ge lief?                                  bers of her, church do now?           .
    De vloek? Dan komt er vloeken over dezulken  tJ,t            Tongues are liable to wag. Naturally men will
in eeuwigheid.                                                express their disgust with such a marriage. Men will
    De zegen? Dan komt er zegen tot in eeuwigheid.                                                             .
                                                              lament over what our next generation  is  commg to
    Dat `s Heeren zegen op ons daal, en dat Zijn gunst and what terrible things our young people dare to do.
nit Sion ons eeuwig bestrale !                                Stories are liable to make the rounds. Others may
                                                 G. Vos.      mumble something about the, corruption our young
                                                              people are bringing into the church. People may look
                                                              down on the young couple. And others wili p&ably
                                                              have their "church pride" injured.
               ANNUAL R. F. P. A. MEETING                        Two things at once arise before us.
                                                                 The young lady has fallen into sin. But if some-
    The annual R. F. P. A. membership meeting will one have fallen into sin others may not lash them with
be held D. V., Thursday, September 29 in the base- their tongues nor dagger them with their eyes. This
ment of the First Church. Pastor Blankespoor will will not help the matter. If a sinner hardens in her
honor us with an address. In addition to other busi- sin Scripture prescribes the "last remedy" but this
ness which may properly come before the meeting, young lady, although she has been disobedient, is not
there will be election of three, new board members hardened in her sin. She will have to pay the penalty
.from the following nomination to replace three retiring for. her error, but she is at present a fallen sinner.
brethren : G. Borduin, P. Dykema, C. Kregel, F.  Tiesma,      One of the members of the church has stumbled into
J. Oomkes J. Wiltjer... : `, ..I                              sin  and. has fallen into the clutches of the evil one.
    All friends and readers. of our paper are cordially She now stands on a dangerous ledge.
invited to attend this meeting.                                  The first duty. of the church and the Christian
                                    R. F. P. A. Board. "-'    individually is  "to restore such an one" if perhaps God

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

may give her the spirit of repentance. Just because that in a very particular way. The young man must
she has fallen so miserably it is no sign that she should be made to feel that we desire for him the knowledge
be given over to Satan. If we should despise her be- of truth and salvation which we have. He must come
cause she offended our pride as respectable church, to see the wretched condition in which he lies and be
we might learn from the event of the woman taken in pointed to the Mediator. He must learn to know the
aduliery that sometimes `there are sins which are ieformed  faith and be instructed in the true doctrine
greater than adultery. . . .pride for instance. But if as the church confesses it. If this young man does
we understand that we all offend daily and if we can enter the fold of the church he must not be a danger-
learn to sorrow properly, we shall sympathize wi;h             ous element, for it were better never to bring any into
her that has fallen and will seek to restore her.              the fold than to bring in those who might prove dan-
   The marriage  cannot be undone. But perhaps she gerous for others. We must let  a:he young man feel
can be saved from the ruin of apostacy  toward which that we are engaged in church-gathering work and we
her marriage points.                                           desire that he too may enter the fold through Jesus
   The devil is a sheep-scatterer, the church is a sheep Christ. How much it can mean for this young man if
gatherer. The church seeks to gather  -His sheep, also not only the minister but also the elders make 2 a
those who have set foot on the wrong way. The elders point to call on him and, if possible, to arouse interest
not only, and first, will give this young lady all  assist- in him for things eternal.
ance, but each one of the Christians will do all m his             While sin and the devil engage in scattering,
power to gather the sheep of  -Christ.                         Christ and His church are engaged in gathering, until
       We can pray for her. We can rejoice when we             the elect be gathered in and all be gathered into glory.
see her at the divine service, and  show it; we can            In carrying forth ,God's truth we too are engaged in
grieve for it when we miss her there and also show pulling the Dragnet through the Sea of History, until
that. If she misses the services tell her what she missed Christ Himself pulls the net upon the shores of eternity
by not being in church last Sunday. Tell her that you and makes the final separation.
missed her, that God required that we attend His                                                                   M. Gritters.
services diligently. The pulpit preaches repentance
tc her also and assures forgiveness to her too :f she
repents.                                                                              ANNIVERSARY
                       The Young Man                             On September 11, 1949, the Lord willing,  onr beloved parents,
       At present he is an unbeliever, opposed to the truth              MR. and MRS.  OTTO  VANDER WOUDE
                                                               hope to commemorate their 25th anniversary.
and existing in great ignorance.                                 We thank our heavenly Father  with them for having kept.
       But under the providence of God this young man and sustained them together through the years and pray that
has come very close to the things of the Kingdom.              the Lord may grant them His peace in their remaining years.
He has despised his baptism, and that is a heinous                Blessed be the Lord who daily leadeth us with benefits, even
sin. But who can tell what the Lord will do for Him?           the God of our salvation.
Look what the Lord did for us, look what He made                                            :Their  grateful children:
                                                                                                    Mr. and Mrs. Tom Redder
out of us, look at the raw material out of which God                                                Florence Louise
has built His Church throughout the centuries. The                                                  Margaret Ruth
scns of *Jacob out of which God built Israel were very                                              John Herman
raw material when we see them operating in Shechem                                                    and one grandchild.
and  Dothan.  Who shall say what the Lord will do Grand Rapids, Michigan
for this young man who comes near to us from out of
the sphere of the world.
       If his wife can be made to see the error of her                                ANNEVERSARY
way, she will be a tremendous influence in the life of            On August 14, 1949, our beloved parents
this young man. She will be the primary influence.                        MR. and MRS. PETER ALPHENAAR
       But we all shall be interested. For the church is celebrated there 30th wedding anniversary.
engaged in church-gathering throughout the ages, and              We thank God that He has spared them for each other and
                                                               for us and pray that we may have many more years together.
sometimes the sheep must  `KX gathered from unexpected                                       Their grateful children:
corners. The question is not first how promising is                                              Mr. and Mrs. Dale Lemmer
t!le material with which God gives us to work, but the                                           Mr. and Mrs. Clarence De Vries
f frst matter is that there is material here and we ought                                        Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sportel
to work. 4s the work progresses God will discover to                                             Mr. and Mrs. I,saac Visser
                                                                                                 Nellie  Alphenaar
us what are His intentions.                                                                      Carol Alphcnaar
       The Word of God must be brought to him, and Kalamazoo, Michigan


                                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    50:3
----,---.                                             .-I                            ____-...-
                                                                         pend upon that! And this which is always the same,
~-            _" ..-__.
                       --"-.-
                               -_--.___
                                      "-_"-^..^...                       absohrtely  trust-worthy promise, is for us, the founda-
                           P E R I S C O P E
___.-".-"-- ..__ ^__-._"."                                    -- -....-.- tion, the substance, ihe content and the power of our
                                                                          faith."
                                Appeal *                                     The writer continues with his criticism of the
                                                                          Synodical teaching concerning baptism, maintaining
Rev&w . . . .                                                             that it is a teaching of a two-fold bap ism. `5 hose
                                                                          who speak as the Synodicals speak, assume and  t:each a
        We continue our translation and review of the distinctive baptism for tlLe elect: this is the real, full,
Holland article with this title which was written by true baptism, which seals the internal grace;'  the
Prof. C. Veenhof. The first portion of this translation `promise for the elecl'- and there is another, a lcsscr
appeared in the previous issue of the Standard Bearer.                    baptism, which is nothing more than a sealing of an
In it we found that Prof. Veenhof emphasized especial- offer of grace, an external calling or something of that
ly three things. In the first place, he pointed out that nature.
the ecclesiastical controversy in the Netherlands con-                       "This teaching attacks the veracity of God!
cerns Holy Baptism. In the second place, he main-                            "If you faithfully watch and listen whenever the
tained that baptism is the very personal seal of God LORD baptizes the small children of the congregation,
upon His promise. And finally, the author claimed you see that immediately." In such a case the pro-
that the position of the Synodical Churches, that bap- fessor points out, the Lord speaks and acts exactly
tism seals internal grace, is untenable.                                  alike to all. "He says to all the children, head for head
        "Baptism seals the full promise of God to all child- and very personally: I baptize you and you and you
ren of believers". . . .                                                  in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the
        This is the title of the next heading under which Holy Ghost. And He does exactly the same thing with
the professor continues. He argues this point as fol- each child. He sprinkles the baptismal water upon
lows : "The Bible teaches us very clearly, that God each of these children, head for head, and very person-
presents His  one, unchangeable, always equally rich ally. ,God, the Lord, says and does exactly the same
promise, to all believers and to at2 their children.                      thing at each baptism and to each one being baptized.
       "Simply read Acts 2 39 !                                               "And now because God is upright and true, because
        "There the Lord Jesus says, by the Holy Spirit, and whenever God does and says the same thing, whether
through the mouth of Peter:  "For -unto  ~0%  ,is  the it be 2 or 10 or 1000 times, He also always means aruL
promise and to your children. That promise  l. give to                    gives and declares and seals exactly the same  thing-
 you. all, lvithout any exception and I give it also to your therefore each baptism which the LORD performs
 children, also to all without any exception.                             with the same words and the same sprinkling, has
        "Can anyone think of a stronger proof for the                     exactly the same content and power.
 glorious truth, that God's promise comes identically                         "If when God says exactly the same thing to a
 to all our children, than this word from the pentecoslal                 number of persons and His words would at one time
 proclamation, which the glorified Christ addresses to promise something different and much more than at
 the New Testament congregation as His first message? another time, then God would be equivocal and un-
        "Calvin declares by way of exposition as follows:                 truthful
 it becomes clear that God also allows all children of                        "You see, we will never assume that!
 believing parents  to participate in the right to adop-                      "And therefore we  reject  -the Synodical teaching
 tion-as-His-child.  In the kingdom of heaven this rule that only the elect, only the regenerated, receive the
 is in force, that God includes with the fathers, also complete and true baptism.
 their children as His children, and that in that way                         "And we confess whole-heartedly and with pro-
 the grace of salvation is extended to the as  ye! unborn found joy that  every baptism  administere.d  by God
 children, and that without any distinction."                             possesses exactly the same content  and  power  and
         It is this "simple and glorious truth", as the author that every baptism performed by Him ti alwa@ a true
 calls it, that they desire to believe and maintain while baptism."
 refusing to participate in any tampering with God's                          Continuing this argument the professor adds an-
 promise. Again he emphasizes this point as follows:                      other objection. He states that if one maintains that
,"We  maintain fully and firmly, .that the LORD saays                     only the elect are truly baptized, then we cannot know
      exactly  the  same  thing  to  all  children of believing if we have that true baptism until we are certain of
 parents ;  grants  them  exactly  the same  prwmise.   All our election. The result is that our baptism means
 hear precisely and clearly the trust-worthy word of nothing except when our faith is strong. When, on
      His mouth: I am the LORD your God! You can  de- the other hand, our faith is weak and the shadows
 *(Translated from the Holland brochure:  App&                             come, we can never look to our baptism for comfort.


                                       Tl3.k~  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                         -.l_--_ll-ll-
-This;  he claims, is contrary to the purpose of baptism, use that baptism with child-like faith, receive the
since God means it to be the firm ground of our faith.       glorious fruit of it.
God purposes to lead us from the certainty of true              "When we read this we must no: misinterpret it.
baptism to full and strong faith and not vice-versa.         When Calvin says, that the ungodly make of  baptls,;l
Hence,, the professor, concludes, the Synodical  .eaching    an empty form, or, as he also says, make it powerless,
is a carricature  which must be rejected.                    he does not mean to assert thereby that that ungodly
                                                             individual can actually change anything of the real,
"We.teach  nothing new". . . .                               true baptism as God brings it into our life ; thus being
   Under this heading Professor Veenhof appeals to able to destroy or debase it!  ,O; no, just as we  ca~-t;i
Calvin and Luther, and asserts that their conceptions never reach out to deface the sun so also we can never
are those of the Liberated Churches . This is a rather destroy the reality of baptism!
long section and we `will quo;e  only  those  parts of it       "God's baptism always remains `unimpaired'. It
in which the writer summarizes what he maintains to is simply inviolable by .men. Through their unbelief
be the teaching of these Reformers. He begins by they make it so that baptism does not have its gloriou
presenting what Calvin  -teaches.  According to  `Pro-       effect; does not bear its rich fruit unto eternal sal-
fesdor  Veenhof, Calvin also maintaied that: "The vation. And they also actually do this very `often !
LLord gives His promise to all children. In  that-pro-       But they cannot impair the essentialness, the reality
mise He proclaims to them the whole of salvation. of baptism:  God's baptism  alwags  r.emzin.s   a real,
That salvation is, so to speak, `wrapped-up' in .the true~baptism, no matter what men may do with it!"
promise. And baptism is the seal upon that promise,             Following this the professor adds a few paragraphs
in which the entirety of salvation is `bound'. When, to show that Luther was of the same opinionin respect.
`therefore, God baptizes a child that child receives, to the reality of each baptism. He' then closes this
in  thut baptism, in  thut sealed promise, the entire section by declaring that in 1942 this truth was at-
salvation,   which God gives to sinners! . . . . Calvin      tacked and denied. "For", he writes,  ."many began ta
here says nothing less than this, that to  ulZ those who speak of a baptism which said more to the elect and
are baptized there is presented the forgiveness of which had more content and sealed and presented more
sins and the renewal of life in that baptism."               tothem than to the non-elect ! . . . . We have explain,-
   And here the professor comes with the question ed that we might not and could not accept this teaching
for which you have undoubtedly been waiting: `*If it of baptism !
is -actually so; that to all those who are baptized ac-         "And we have also declared, that therefore, the
cording to  the directive of the Lord and in conformity Synodical theory, that baptized children must be eon-
with the ordinances He gave, there is presented the sidered as already regenerated children-or as partici-
forgiveness of sins and renewal of life with their bap- pating in the regenerating grace of the Spirit--must
tism, how does it occur that many of those who are be rejected." This stand became necessary, the writer
baptized are nevertheless not saved?'                        concludes, because this theory, which according to him
    Calvin;so writes.the  professor, also faced this ques- was a direct result of the Synodical teaching of bap-
tion and puts it in this form: "Does this grace have tism, ,was made binding upon the Churches by decision
its fulfillment in all those who are baptized, without of Synod.
distinction?" To which the writer adds: "Or in other
words,  does this grace which is  p+-esented in baptism Conclusion . . . .
always lead to the full salvation of  all those who acre        This is not yet the end of the article but it will not
baptized?                                                    be necessary to quote further since no new develop-
   "And to this question Calvin answers. . . . No,  that ment of the concepts are included in the remainder.
is not the case!.                                            In the closing sections &of his article, Prof. Veenhof
   "And if we ask : Why not ?-we receive this answer : reviews the history that led up to the split and briefly
Because a great many of those who are baptized, touches upon the church-political aspects. He then
through the depravity of their nature,  block the way        closes with an appeal to those of like mind to liberate
of this grace,  ma/&g it to  themselves but an  einpty themselves and join in the reformation of the Church
fomt. Therefore only the believers  rece$ve the  fruit       of Christ.
of this baptism.                                                Once again space does not permit us to add com-
    "Mark you, if baptism. does not come to its glorious ment this time. We `close with the observation made
salvatory effect, then-so says Calvin-that is alone last time. Also in what we have quoted above there
the fault of the godlessness of the baptized ! It `never are many amazing things which sound strange to us.
lies with God! It never lies in His Holy Baptism ! But it certainly is true that the presentation has been
The  unrighteousness of men makes of God's baptism clear and unambiguous. Next time we hope to express
an empty form. Therefore only they who embrace and our opinion and, criticism of this appeal;            W. Hofman.


